In the fast-paced age that we live in, it becomes easy (and extremely convenient) to become leashed to electronic devices that we treasure more than anything else (ever been to a coffee shop and seen people at the table glued to their phones instead of talking to each other?).
In this rat race that we live in, we often tend to ignore the needs of our own bodies in terms of eating right, staying hydrated and giving our bodies at least a little bit of activity each day. Considering that most lifestyles these days are sedentary, we have turned ourselves into magnets for a lot of silent, yet deadly evils. NCDs (Non-Communicable Diseases) is today, the biggest threat to the health of our world’s population and we have turned away from things that keeps them at bay.
Staying fit helps us give ourselves the best in everything we do and keeps us feeling good as well. This doesn’t just apply to adults but needs to be incorporated in the lifestyles of children as well. Digital content has turned us and our younglings into couch potatoes. Children need to spend time playing a sport or involve in activities that keeps them healthy and fit. It has become crucial for us to get outdoors, stay active and encourage our children to adopt such practices early on. This responsibility falls on all our shoulders to ensure the coming generations do not fall prey to ways that we currently find ourselves in. Each of us need to become ambassadors of better health and wellbeing and our time starts now!!
We all worry about the safety of our children when they aren’t at home. Whether at school or play, we would like to ensure they are safe and free from risk of injury. Finding a zone outside of our homes that allow children to be carefree and safe, is indeed a challenge. One organization that has become synonymous with fitness, child safety and has promoted healthy outdoorsy lifestyles – Koochie Global, a brand of global repute, who have assumed the mantle to change the way this world plays. An Indian organization that now operates through 23 offices located in 14 countries.
We had the opportunity to have a tête-à-tête with the Founder, Chairman and Managing Director of the organization, Mr. Roben DASS, who shared some insights into their philosophy and approach.
Q: You were an acclaimed serial entrepreneur before Koochie Global. Can you tell us something about your journey?
The vision was always to build a global brand. I was thought to be insane when I closed all my profitable businesses and then invested all resources, time and effort, into a brand that at the time, only existed in my mind.
In the year 2004, all of us worked out of a small office with limited resources. The senior management themselves were installers, sales, logistics, etc.
Like every other start up, we had our fair share of challenges. We won some, we lost a lot more. The key here was we kept learning and evolving. That is true even today. In just over a decade, our brand has become one of the most respected ones in our industry. We owe this to every single member of Team KOOCHIE Global and their undying passion and hard work in tirelessly sculpting this conglomerate into what it is today.
Q: What is the driving force behind Koochie Global’s success?
As an organization, at every step we’ve worked incessantly to remain aligned and sensitized to the needs of our society. Children explore as they play and are constantly finding different ways to play and learn. Some are cautious, while others always looking for new challenges. Either way, a child’s right to play and discover, is something that providers and caregivers must ensure is freely accessible to all.
Q: Koochie Global has become known as an ambassador for child safety and trendsetters in the industry. What are some of the responsibilities that you have taken up in this regard?
Since inception, our brand took upon itself the responsibility to create awareness in the industry on safety standards that prevailed in most developed countries (India, unfortunately, till today has not made these mandatory). Child safety to us is non-negotiable and we have spent the last decade in India, educating and sharing our knowledge with key stake holders of this Industry – ten years hence we are glad to say that the industry is slowly changing and today at least the top stake holders such as architects and reputed developers and also some government agencies have recognized the need to use safe tested and certified products only.
Q: How do you ensure child safety and what about safety of adults using your fitness equipment?
We are proud to be the only brand on the Indian Sub-Continent to have had its products tested and certified to meet all international safety standards such as the prestigious EN 1176, EN1177, EN16630 certifications (the highest safety certification given to playground & outdoor fitness equipment in Europe), and the AS 4685 & NZS 4486 (Australia & New Zealand’s safety certifications), we recently also got certified to meet Canadian standards. All our certifications are issued and only verified by reputed, notified bodies such as TUV.
Q: Koochie Global has won many awards for its work across various product lines and has blossomed into a multi-million-dollar brand. What do you believe to be some of your biggest achievements?
We believe our greatest achievement was to bring about a paradigm shift and change in this industry. We spent over a decade in sharing knowledge and expertise, with the key stakeholders of the industry, which has resulted in awareness and change. This in turn we believe has made public and play spaces a far safer for children today. Our tireless efforts for over a decade are now seen to be paying off as we have literally even forced competitors to enhance their product offerings in terms of quality, design and safety.
Q: What would you advise, if someone just starting out wants to make their brand, a trusted one?
Over the years of being an entrepreneur, I’ve learnt that to succeed is the need to be “Consistent and Optimistic”. When you set out to start something on your own, everything you think and consider as absolute, is a variable. You won’t have the luxury of sticking to just one formula, because the markets are constantly evolving, and it is always the most adaptive brands that survive. Come what may, your optimistic mindset can do wonders for you when things seem out of control. Optimism aids you to be a better problem solver.
Success requires tenacity and tenacity requires confidence. Finding a way to focus on the positives take time but needs good amount of practice to feel credible while venturing out of your comfort zones.
Mr. Roben Dass went on to explain 3 Key elements, he believes are essential in creating a trusted brand.
TRUST: Trust is the first thing you want to earn from your patron. No customer in the world would want to do business with you if they can’t trust you. Till today TRUST is the cornerstone to all customer experiences. It can’t be built in a day, but it can be destroyed in just a few hours. Focusing on each customer individually, under-commit and over-deliver to create a long-term relationship of trust.
VALUE: There are two aspects to customer value: desired value and perceived value. Desired value is what a customer desires in a product or service. Perceived value is the benefit a customer believes he or she received from a product. To develop a value-creation strategy, a brand must first identify what points of value their potential customers seek.
CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP: While chasing new clients is tempting, in my experience I have found that most businesses start to lose focus on their existing clients. This is an unpardonable crime. Attention to your existing customers is paramount, to ensure your business thrives.
“Always Remember” he quipped, “brand repute is directly proportional to reliability which in turn is an indisputable indicator of success. That’s what got us to where we are, and we strive hard each day to ensure that build on what we have created.” Stick to all the above and your top line and bottom line will automatically tow in.
For More Details: http://koochieplay.com/
