Bata CEO wants customers to always have a 'wow' moment

SINGAPORE— Talking about old-school brands going hip, TODAY speak to Bata CEO Alexis Nasard on how he intends to wow people with the brand’s offerings.

Q: What are the biggest challenges facing Bata as an established footwear brand at this point in the company’s history?

A: I would say in a nutshell, our key challenges are balance and innovation. Balance to grow and develop our business between developed and developing markets. We’ve done an excellent job developing our business in emerging markets. We have more work to do in developed markets. How do we balance our business in brick and mortar stores and online at the same time? Because today, we want to be in the position to serve the needs of our consumers wherever they choose to shop. We’re not into the business of moving everything online. We just want to follow the consumers’ preferences. In a physical store, there’s fun, fit and service. When you come with your friends to a store, you have a collective experience where you can try shoes, look at yourself in the mirror, get service, get fitted. Online, you get convenience, instant gratification, and can easily browse for the best prices. We need to ensure that we meet our consumer needs on both ends.

Q: How will Bata keep innovating in the light of these challenges?

A: There are lots of classic shoes that people like at Bata, rather traditional designs that people count on. At the same time, we don’t want to become boring. We want people to think they can come back and find something exciting. For ladies today, you can be sexy and comfortable. That is our mission. Like in a relationship, you want to be consistent but not predictable.

Q: Bata in Singapore is known mainly for kids’ and school shoes, and for its very affordable but not-very- fashionable footwear. Will we be seeing a change in brand direction?

A: We will change that. There will always be classic shoes that people know and like, but we want to bring models, designs and innovations that surprise consumers. They’re going to say: “Wow, this is Bata,” The notion of “wow” pricing is important. “Wow” means a lot — it means (the shoes cost) a lot less than what you thought the designs would cost. We want our consumers to have a wow moment every time they come in. (We want to) offer consumers cool shoes that they want, fuelling their desires relentlessly. Marianne Wee-Slater