Stretching a business across generations

LABA LABA LEATHER REPAIRS

Brand Strategy, Brand Development, Retail Branding, Omni-channel Strategy, Platform Strategy
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UNDERSTANDING CONTEXT

For over a century, Laba Laba has been synonymous in Indonesia with leather repairs of all kinds - watch straps, bags, belts, shoes, brief cases, travel goods and even furniture.

Founded by the family patriarch, Jap-A-Ten in 1898, the brand’s legacy was firmly anchored to its Dutch origins and the name, De Spin. Meaning spider, the metaphor represented the strength and durability of Laba Laba’s threadwork that matched the strands of a spider web*.  

*The strands of a spider’s web are five times as strong as steel and twice as tough as synthetic fibre.

ANALYSING ISSUES

  • Escalating competition from a network of Mister Minits and other budding franchise operations threatened Laba Laba’s leadership that was built on quality craftsmanship and a sense of personal pride. 
  • The brand began to lose some of its lustre as the country’s emerging population did not connect with its long ancestry or reputational heritage.
  • There was a need to leverage Laba Laba’s underlying character in a way that resonated with future generations.

IDEATING STRATEGIES

  • The spider once again provided the creative spark. The concept of the web inspired a social network of young brand ambassadors drawn from a pool of mobile savvy customers. 
  • A revamped brand promise Reparasi Segala (Bahasa for Repairs All) spurred new interest and engagement with the brand.
Bubblefish - Case Study - Laba Laba Store
CRAFTING SOLUTIONS
  • The diverse elements included contemporary store design (extended to a recently opened facility), refreshed corporate identity, livery and stationery, sharper articulation of the brand promise (Reparasi Segala), a brand story laced with nostalgia, and featuring younger craftsmen in communications. Through clever use of social media (Facebook, twitter etc) a new buzz was created among the Gen Ys.
"A brand story laced with nostalgia and featuring younger craftsmen in communications."
Bubblefish - Case Study
PRIMING FOR SUCCESS
  • The familiar social platform enabled younger audiences to connect easily with the century old brand. Growing salience led to new customer acquisition in time.
  • Laba Laba, the master craftsman has successfully threaded the needle across generations.
Other work

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