taying at the top of the premium segment is not easy for any brand. That�s because customers at the top end are particularly fickle - and tend to look for the "next new thing" all the time. That�s why, this year�s hot brand all too often becomes next year�s old hat. To remain relevant at the top, therefore, a brand needs to reinvent itself in double-quick time and offer something fresh to customers over and over again.

One brand that has been rather successful in doing this is Loius Philippe (2003-04 sales: Rs 130 crore), the super premium apparel brand marketed by Madura Garments. Since the time it entered the Indian market in 1989, Louis Philippe has remained one of the top selling brands in its niche despite the entry of new players with unfailing regularity. In fact, today Louis Philippe leads the Rs 500-crore super-premium segment in menswear with a formidable 26 per cent share, and competes with Raymond�s Manzoni and Purple, among others. ... more