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Paragon@50: Walking Ahead With Zid

Sachin Joseph, EVP of Marketing and IT, Paragon, outlines the brand’s 50-year strategy. But how is Paragon reinventing itself with AI and digital focus?

BY Antora Chakraborty
Published: Aug 18, 2025 11:01 AM 
Paragon@50: Walking Ahead With Zid

Q] Your latest campaign, ‘Zid, Chalte Rehne Ki’ strikes a deeply emotional chord. What drove this creative direction, and how did audiences respond to it?
The campaign stemmed from extensive consumer research, and the response has been very positive. Consumers were able to relate to the brand and the messaging. We wanted to be known as the silent footwear partner, someone who supports our consumers, who goes through a lot in their day-to-day lives, most of which is spent standing on their feet. That’s how the ‘Zid Chalte Rehne Ki’ brand positioning was finalised. The consumer research reflected that the message connected well. We also got fantastic feedback from trade partners and other stakeholders. On YouTube, the view-through rate (VTR) was more than double the industry benchmark. And that was for a 90-second video. Despite it being long, people still watched it because the emotional message really cut across. We also got great comments and feedback on our social media platforms — people reacted positively. Our brand track, which we do every year, also showed that the message landed clearly. A majority of our core customers understood the message of ‘Zid Chalte Rehne Ki’ and the philosophy behind it. It was a simple message, but they got it. The creative cut through was fantastic, and we’re happy to know that our consumers really connected with it on an emotional level. It’s been a successful campaign for us.

Q] Many brands rely on celebrity endorsements, but Paragon took a different route with this campaign. Was that a conscious decision?
Yes, it was a conscious choice. We’ve explored the celebrity route before — Hrithik Roshan was our brand ambassador until a couple of years ago. But this time, we wanted to try something different. We felt it was important to see how the brand could connect without relying on a big name, and instead focus on storytelling and real emotion. It was definitely an intentional move.

Q] Paragon recently launched a school shoe range with Fresh Feet technology. How did the idea come about, and how are you taking it to market?
The concept aligned with our value-for-money philosophy — kids outgrow shoes quickly, and this design adjusts as they grow, lasting a year or more. After validating it through R&D, we rolled it out via our retail network, exclusive outlets, and digital platforms, supported by in-store branding. For now, the focus is retail and digital-led awareness, with scope to expand into larger media depending on market response.

Q] With Paragon active across cinema, OOH, and digital, how are ad spends allocated, and which channels deliver best?
TV remains our primary medium, especially for our core NCCS B, C, and D audience, with a strong focus on regional languages like Marathi, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Bengali. Digital has grown rapidly, allowing sharp targeting through YouTube and social media in regional languages, complementing TV. For the ‘Zid Chalte Rehne Ki’ summer campaign, we used a 360° mix — cinema in key markets, regional print, radio for frequency, and outdoor branding — which drove strong recall and multi-platform engagement.

Q] You have previously mentioned that around 10% of your sales come from online channels. Are there any digital strategies in place this year to grow that number?
Retail is still our backbone, but we’re keen to grow e-commerce. Quick Commerce is where we’re betting big, it’s seen a huge uptick, and surprisingly, even footwear is gaining traction there. So a major part of our digital strategy now is focused on scaling through these fast-moving platforms.

Q] There was talk that Paragon is planning to expand further in the North. Are the strategies for the North any different from what’s been done in the South?
North is where we’re trying to penetrate in a big way. With any brand, it’s the distribution partners that matter and we’re working on finding the right ones to take us to the next level in the Northern markets. Product-wise, the North requires something very different from the South and West. We’ve cracked that part and developed products specific to the North. Now, with some good partners already in place, we’re ready to take the next leap there.

Q] With Paragon completing 50 years, is there a shift in advertising tone or audience targeting planned for 2025?
We’re staying true to our core approach, letting our customers be our brand ambassadors. That philosophy remains unchanged. However, we’ve done influencer activity alongside our TV and digital efforts. These creators gave a fresh spin to the ‘Zid Chalte Rehne Ki’ message and connected with their own audiences. We plan to continue that consistently through the year. While 50 years isn’t our main message, it’s integrated across all platforms: TV, digital, print, radio, and OOH. We’ve created special content on our social media and recently released an animation video marking the journey. We started by engaging with trade partners back in January and continue with trade-led initiatives. The goal is to keep the story alive throughout the year. Not centre stage, but present.

Q] According to reports, Paragon has accelerated its digital transformation in 2025 — with AI-led recommendations, POS upgrades, and data-driven marketing. How are these investments shaping your advertising strategy, especially around personalisation and targeting?
We’ve implemented this mainly in our exclusive brand outlets, where we use technology to profile customers and understand their preferences. This helps us tailor the product mix at each store based on location. Google Business Profile has also helped drive store discovery and with each outlet now having a dedicated page showcasing the available products. On the marketing front, AI is helping us create content faster, test more formats, and stay cost-effective without compromising creativity. Our retail team is also exploring AI tools for customer mapping and behaviour analysis. We’ve upgraded our POS system and are piloting new MarTech solutions to improve retail efficiency and engagement. It’s a work in progress, but it’s clearly making our targeting sharper and communication more relevant.


PROFILE
Sachin Joseph is the Executive Vice President - Marketing and IT at Paragon Polymer Pvt. Ltd. A Marketing graduate from Christ University and MBA from Manipal, he joined the family business in 2014, undergoing a two-year cross-functional training. He now oversees IT and drives marketing strategy. Sachin also helped launch youth-focused brands Eeken and Stimulus.

ABOUT THE BRAND
Founded in 1975, Paragon has grown into a leading footwear brand known for its quality, durability, and style. Offering shoes, sandals, flip-flops, and slippers for all age groups, its products are widely available through online and offline multi-brand stores. With 12 strategically placed depots across India, Paragon ensures efficient supply chain and nationwide accessibility.

FACTS
Media Agency: Wavemaker (Group M)
PR Agency: 80 dB Communications
Digital Agency: Paragon – TURMERIQ Eeken – Makani | Stimulus – Makani
BTL/Activation Agency: Sun and Star, Addone, Brand Creative, SR Brand Solution, ALGEBRA, Studio 8
Creative Agency: TURMERIQ and Makani

  • TAGS :
  • Sachin Joseph
  • Paragon
  • Paragon’s 50-year journey
  • Zid Chalte Rehne Ki
  • Fresh Feet Technology

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