'SWISH never compromises on design, quality and service'
SWISH, a multinational luxury bathware and kitchenware manufacturer, offers the latest products with superior quality, designed for modern health benefits. We never compromise on design, quality, or service. It is a matter of immense honour, as a Bangladeshi, to lead a global brand and conquer international markets, said Md Humayon Kabir Rasal, chairman of SWISH Group, in an interview with The Business Standard, sharing the vision and various aspects of the company.
2023 has been a great year for SWISH, with the company's products being used in various government megaprojects. When you first started the business, did you see yourself coming to this stage so soon? What do you think led to this success and recognition for the brand?
The successful people may change paths but never the destination.
We have been very clear with our vision since we started our journey. From day one, we have worked passionately following a strategic plan to enter various sectors.
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What we have been achieving is exactly what we thought we would pursue. Sticking to the plan has never failed us. Hence, it did not come as a shock when in 2023 we collaborated with government megaprojects including Cox's Bazar Railway Station, Rural Power Company Limited and Officers' Club Dhaka.
We deliver improvements in luxury lifestyles that resonate with the users, including government entities, which leads to our success.
SWISH's social media presence seems to be much stronger than other bathware and kitchenware brands in Bangladesh. What motivated you to focus so much on digital marketing as opposed to traditional marketing methods?
As a customer-centric organisation, our primary focus is to facilitate a firsthand comprehension of our products. Our objective is to nurture a closer connection between our customers and our offerings, enabling them to explore our products within the comfort of their own environments.
By providing opportunities to engage with our products at their leisure, we aim to cultivate an atmosphere of ease and familiarity, ensuring an optimal experience for each individual.
What factors does your R&D take into consideration when designing new products?
Our Research and Development (R&D) team has always kept three things in mind — design, quality and service.
We provide the latest products with the best quality for modern health benefits whereas, others try to sell old products at a cheaper price. But we never compromise with design, quality and service.
From ensuring antibacterial coating in ceramic to an odour-lock system in the kitchen hoods, we want to take care of users' health in the most advanced way possible.
How big is SWISH's share in the luxury bathware and kitchenware segments of the local market?
Since we have been driving with the plan we started with, we managed to become the No 1 in the retail business. Our focus on the clientele has helped us make their dreams crafted with precision and care.
The intricacy of our products has won the hearts of many which eventually made us believe we can surely become No 1 in the global market too.
What motivated SWISH to expand abroad? How has the response been in international markets?
In the early years, we researched brands a lot. During that phase, we realised that Bangladeshi brands in the luxury segment were not up to the mark. As you know, initially, Apple focused solely on computers, but their products, including phones and watches, have become ubiquitous today. Stories like this were inspirational.
However, starting a luxury brand in Bangladesh was a challenge. From stereotypical attitudes to not valuing a brand built by Bangladeshis, people would generally be negative.
We decided to overcome this by launching the brand abroad and start growing the business in the country. And then our gradual steps in the international markets have made us come this far, where the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
It is a matter of immense honour, as a Bangladeshi to lead a global brand and conquer international markets. That is how SWISH, born in Switzerland, started its journey from Bangladesh, then UAE and is now on the way to rule other markets. This would have happened long ago, but the world went into lockdown for Covid-19 back in those days.
Now that you have secured a strong position in the local market and expanded abroad, what is next for SWISH?
We do not just want to go global, but rather we want to see SWISH becoming the most valuable luxury lifestyle brand in building materials. It is quite a fortune for us to be the pioneer in such an industry and to have an impact.
Just like always we would stay dedicated to working for our goal, so our clientele gets all the building materials for their desired interior under one single brand. We are grateful for all the love and trust of our clientele that led us to come this far.
