The top executive said Realme would also “refine” its entry-level smartphone offerings to push consumer demand.
“We recognise the dynamic nature of the smartphone market and continuously adapt our strategies to meet consumers' evolving needs and preferences. While the entry-level market has experienced a decline, we understand the importance of catering to all market segments,” Li said.
“We understand the significance of the entry-level market and will continue to develop and refine our entry-level offerings, ensuring that they deliver value for money and meet the needs of consumers,” he added.
According to Counterpoint Research<\/a>, Realme saw a 52% year-on-year decline in the January-March quarter of 2023, resulting in the brand slipping to fifth place with a 9% share.
Per Counterpoint market analysis, the Chinese brand faced challenges such as inventory build-up and unfavourable market conditions in the sub-Rs 10,000 segments. It is now focusing on offline retail to expand its consumer base.
Li said that the brand is focused on becoming an all-range player in the market, catering to various price points and customer requirements.
“We believe in offering a diverse portfolio that includes both mid-range and premium devices<\/a>, ensuring that our customers have access to the latest technologies,” he added.
On falling market share, the executive said, “We understand the dynamic consumer landscape and the rapid evolution of the smartphone industry. Market share is a factor of evolving consumer preferences, competitive developments, and economic conditions. However, it is and should not be the only assessment of a company’s business performance.”
To regain its lost market share, he said that the company steadfastly committed to its “local cultivation strategy,\" which is making significant contributions to the Indian market. It is setting up a dedicated institute - Realme Global Institute of Leap-forward Technology - in its head office and a specialised branch in India which will work on technologies such as fast charging.
“The Institute will focus on spearheading significant technological advancements, while the branch in India will primarily collect and organise feedback. To ensure the relevance and adaptability of our products in the Indian market, the purpose of establishing a branch in India is to enable Realme to perceive the direction of Indian consumption culture deeply and design products that are more suitable for Indian consumers,” Li said.
The executive revealed that the brand has dedicated resident engineers situated in India. “We have a local testing team and Indian models to optimise the AWB, colour expression, and other related style tendencies regarding local usage habits.”
Other Chinese brands have tied up with camera and camera lens makers to differentiate in the market. For instance, Vivo is driving its presence in the premium segment using its partnership with Zeiss<\/a>, whereas Xiaomi<\/a> has joined Leica<\/a> to bring camera-focused premium smartphones.
Li said that Realme is constantly exploring opportunities for deep partnerships with brands. “We believe that such collaborations can bring together the expertise and strengths of both brands, resulting in exceptional products and experiences for our users,” he said, adding the brand collaborated with Samsung<\/a> for Realme 11 Pro series 5G to use the former’s ISOCELL HP3 SuperZoom sensor.
Realme, as per the executive, is expanding its offline retail presence and intends to increase this network by an additional 50,000 stores by 2023.
“We are expanding our distribution network to ensure our products are easily accessible to consumers across various regions. This includes partnerships with trusted retail channels and e-commerce platforms. To engage a wider demographic of technologically inclined customers, we have established an extensive distribution network comprising more than 30,000 stores across India,” he added.
In 2023, Realme will also actively invest in online and offline strategic marketing campaigns to increase brand awareness and engage with potential customers.
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