FASHION WATCHES - CASE STUDY
Fashion accessories brand reconnect with Gen Z
INDIA
S•T•A•R
SITUATION
Fastrack’s quirky, playful positioning failed to drive its core 16–22 audience, while older 23–32-year-olds were buying despite weak brand connect.
Evolving Gen Z fashion sensibilities demanded a reset in positioning, product design, and brand expression.
S•T•A•R
TASK
Find unifying positioning spaces that cut across 16–22 and 23–32-year-olds. Drive the core 16–22 TG to buy Fastrack and deepen brand connect, while testing if “You Do You” resonates aspirationally with 23–32-year-olds to capitalize on current in-store buying habits.
S•T•A•R
ACTION
We conducted a multi-layered qualitative study to decode Fastrack’s consumers, category, and brand realities. Starting with rigorous recruitment of leading-edge consumers. We recruited 16–32-year-olds with varied fashion and lifestyle contexts, using detailed profiles and filters to ensure participants could articulate style choices and engage meaningfully with concepts. Below is an example of a profile shared pre-fieldwork for client approval.
The consumer decode revealed personas shaped by aspirations, conflicts, and milestones defining young India. Exploring how ‘cool’, ‘sexuality’ shape self-expression through watches, these insights directly informed segmentation, positioning, and product strategy, guiding Fastrack’s transformation Category and brand analysis examined analog versus smartwatches, mapped Fastrack’s position in the broader accessories ecosystem, and identified reasons for lapsage. Immersive methods including WhatsApp diaries, in-depth interviews, wardrobe walkthroughs, social shadowing, mock shops, and triads—capturing styling habits, influences, and purchase drivers.
01
Defining the Core Audience
The research identified and prioritized five key consumer segments, ranging from style and status-driven smart buyers to experimentation-seeking youth. Each segment was defined through key codes including persona, approach to life, social context, dreams and aspirations, and relationship with fashion.
These insights provided clear direction on targeting, engagement strategies and product/communication alignment.
02
Positioning: Unifying Across Age Groups
We uncovered emotional and aspirational hooks that resonate across both 16–22 and 23–32-year-olds.
The study informed a more relevant expression of “You Do You” that connects with younger buyers while also appealing to older audiences, creating a unified positioning that bridges the age groups and strengthens overall brand relevance.
03
Product & Design: From Quirky to Fashion-Forward
Insights drove a a comprehensive design overhaul, shifting Fastrack from quirky analog lines to sophisticated, fashion-forward smart and analog collections.
This resulted in the Fleek Collection for expressive everyday wear and the Metal Series for premium, style-conscious youth. Smart/fash-tech offerings now blend modern design, technology, appealing across Gen Z and young millennials.
04
Brand Evolution: Redefining Fastrack’s Image
With ‘adulting’ emerging as early as 14–15 and spanning 16–28-year-olds, Fastrack’s teenage, college-like codes risk losing relevance.
The study enabled the brand to move beyond overly preppy or collegiate cues, maintaining a youthful and irreverent tone while elevating style and design sophistication to resonate across age groups and remain relevant - akin to Red Bull or H&M.
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RESULT
