Do We Really Need Another Lens Brand?

We have so many lens companies that have multiple lens brands and those brands in turn have multiple variations which at times the opticians themselves can’t seem to keep track. And ironically, the end consumer is hardly even aware of lens brand names. Pratik Bhatt tracks this phenomenon and tells us a bit about why there’s still a need for a lens brand

If the answer to the question ‘Do we really need another lens brand’ was no, I would probably never have started my own boutique lens brand! So the question put out to me has a pretty obvious answer. However I am sure you are curious to know why someone from outside of the industry saw a gap and to know why exactly was this gap not being filled up by the existing myriad of brands. Let me explain what my findings were from the study we conducted.

The primary reason for any new brand in the market is to provide new value. And this new value addition is universal… it exists in every industry and not just for the optical industry. And that’s why there’re so many new tech startups in every industry that are disrupting the current status quo.

The primary aim is to satisfy the customer’s needs which is not being met in the current scenario. And this has to be done by continuous improvements in systems so that even the newer challenges that come up are resolved. The primary need I felt was that opticians needed a brand that provided down-to earth prices but without compromising on quality standards. The mindset

The Primary Need I Felt Was That Opticians Needed A Brand That Provided Down-to Earth Prices But Without Compromising On Quality Standards.

that quality exists but it will always come with a price was so ingrained that the industry didn’t seem to see this gap. As an outsider to me it was a very obvious need of the optician as well as the end consumer. So providing a newer brand with a new ecosystem and innovation would help opticians differentiate themselves and also help foster a competitive advantage as it allows to build better products and helps relationships which is very important in the optical business. Although the covid era was not there a couple of years ago when I created the brand, this phase has brought to the fore, even more strongly the need for an economically priced brand. We see many structural changes happening around the market. The consumers with fallen incomes due to the high impact of lockdown are now looking for mid segment options along with higher quality products. There is certainly a space available for those players who can offer both quality as well as reasonable pricing along with good service and variations available to them

Why Does The Optician Need A New Lens Brand?

The simple answer to that is ‘exclusivity’. Everyone has been told that they need to differentiate themselves but how does an optician attempt to differentiate if all brands are available everywhere. This exclusivity factor is a critical need that