On 21st August 2025, Jagan Institute of Management Studies (JIMS), Rohini organized an insightful guest session on Retail Branding for the PGDM–Retail Management (2024–26) batch. The session aimed to give students a deeper understanding of branding fundamentals, evolving market trends, and emerging career opportunities in the retail industry.
The session was conducted by Mr. Rahul Grover, Chief Operating Officer at Ridhi Mehra, a luxury fashion brand. With an extensive career spanning leadership roles at Vishal MegaMart, GMR Delhi Airport, KIMAYA, Little Tags Luxury, and collaborations with top Indian designers, Mr. Grover shared real-world experiences and strategic insights that resonated strongly with students.
Mr. Grover began by discussing the practical applications of branding principles, showing how classroom concepts translate into boardroom decisions. He highlighted the core elements of brand equity—awareness, loyalty, associations, and perceived quality—while explaining how organizations measure and leverage these to gain competitive advantage.
The session also explored experiential branding, where ambience, packaging, events, and customer interaction work together to create lasting impressions. Students were introduced to the rising importance of social media branding, influencer-driven promotion, and digital marketing strategies for building impactful campaigns.
Looking ahead, Mr. Grover shed light on future trends shaping branding, including the influencer economy, AI-enabled personalization, sustainability, phygital branding, and global digital reach for Indian D2C brands. He emphasized how culture-led storytelling on platforms like Instagram and reels is transforming brand-consumer engagement.
To strengthen learning, interactive activities were organized where students worked in teams across categories like fashion, beverages, smartphones, and automobiles. Teams identified brands with strong emotional equity, discussed why consumers spend on them, and then redefined branding strategies for lower-equity brands. Another engaging activity required groups to design digital campaigns, allocate budgets, and recommend effective adwords, reinforcing concepts of social media and online promotion.
The session concluded with a career roadmap in retail and branding, highlighting roles such as Retail Operations Manager, Brand & Marketing Manager, Category Manager, Visual Merchandiser, E-commerce Specialist, and Luxury Retail Professional.
The session struck the right balance between strategic knowledge, interactive exercises, and career guidance, leaving students inspired and better equipped to navigate the dynamic field of retail branding.
Key Takeaways from the Session:
- Practical applications of branding principles in corporate decision-making
- Core elements of brand equity and strategies to build it
- The role of experiential branding in creating emotional connect with consumers
- Use of digital platforms, influencers, and storytelling for brand promotion
- Trends shaping the future of retail branding—AI, sustainability, phygital, and global reach
- Career opportunities in retail, branding, and luxury management