Building Brands Bequeaths Bespoke Benefits

Do you remember when an apartment buyer was overjoyed just to see an elevator and the sheer relief they felt knowing they no longer had to climb stairs outweighed all other considerations? When end users didn’t inquire about the manufacturer and contractors and were only concerned with sourcing vertical transportation (VT) at the cheapest price? Well, those memories are, thankfully, from an era that no longer exists.  

Over the past decade, apartment buyers have become as inquisitive about the elevator provider’s name as they are about its speed in terms of meters per second. Like bathroom fixtures and light fittings, tiles, cement, air conditioners and other elements, VT brand has also been playing an important role in residence purchase decisions.

The content theme of this issue of ELEVATOR WORLD India, “Catering to Discerning Consumer Segments,” reflects this transformation. The focus is on how branding-led, perception-driven demand patterns are reshaping market dynamics across the VT industry and its related sectors. Once again, we have a panel of experts and analysts who provide insight into the concept, as well as how it has affected processes across the spectrum. 

In the present-day scenario, however, things have become even more complex. With intelligent buildings on the rise and a growing emphasis on integrating aspects like access controls, security and facilitating the differently abled, the quest for pairing the right VT with each building’s specific requirements has become essential.   

While brand recognition and technological advancements certainly have greater significance in the larger scheme of things, the ability to provide penthouses or duplex floors with a separate, dedicated elevator, for instance, is also gaining value.

These days, elevators have also become a given in the case of hitherto untapped segments, such as low-rise or horizontal housing. Heads of real estate associations have shared in public forums how, when presented with two bungalow or row-house options — with or without elevators — buyers overwhelmingly chose the first one. Refurbishment of such existing structures by adding elevators is common, where, again, having a known brand with a wider range to choose from makes a difference. 

This ability, at the end of the day, combines trust with catering to specific needs, creating a win-win proposition in an era where it is not just the customer, but also the customer’s customer, who is always right!