Interaction with Mr. Gopal Jeyaraj – Head India and SAARC – Anker Innovations

Anker innovations is a US-based Multinational Consumer electronics Brand with a strong presence across countries like the USA, Canada, Germany, the UK,  France, Italy, China, and more. The brainchild of former Google employee – Steven Yang, Anker was founded in September 2011 to bring consumers affordable and high-quality consumer electronics goods. The company is an expert in changing technologies and an innovator of smart devices for entertainment, travel, and smart homes across countries. Anker Innovations is an Umbrella brand that houses Anker, Soundcore, Nebula, Roav & Eufy.

Mr. Gopal Jeyaraj is the Head of India and SAARC for Anker, a company within Anker Innovations. With over 12 years of experience, Gopal has worked in varied companies like D-Link, Ingram Micro, Redington, and V5 Global in various roles and experiences in the IT/Telecom Industry, which have led him to develop a very active approach to his role. He manages all operations in India including Sales and Marketing.

Gopal focuses a large amount of his time on new business development and in a span of 21 months has started an association with almost all TOP Retailers and E retailers in the country and now looking to start in Nepal, Bangladesh, Srilanka, Mongolia, Pakistan, Maldives and
Kazakistan soon. He is passionate about accessories and retail and has taken the challenge of making Anker the most preferred brand of accessories across India.

He believes in scaling to new heights of success with hard work and dedication while leaving a mark of excellence on each step. He finds reading books and listening to old Hindi film music, the best ways to relax.

Know more about Anker,  from the inputs we got from Mr. Gopal Jeyaraj during a quick interaction with him…

 

Which of the five product categories has been the most successful, and what is the priority for 2022?

 During the Covid time, we concentrated primarily on our Audio Brand, Soundcore, and Smart Home Appliances Brand, Eufy, which have proven to be the most successful even in the new normal. The focus on the two brands was a strategic move, as per the dynamic trends of the industry.

With the new work from home offices and the need for its necessary gear, our TWS and Headphones among Audio remained the best-sellers. On the other hand, cleaning took on a whole new meaning, with smart household products, particularly robotic vacuum cleaners that could share the burden, saw an increase in sales.

In 2022, our priorities are focusing on all the brands equally i.e., Anker – Charging, Eufy – Appliances and security, Nebula – Smart Projector & Soundcore – Headphones and speakers. With the collective strength, we have less competition in the space, and the need for these products is very high in the market.

 

How has Anker’s growth been over the Covid period?

With work from home becoming more common, the need for high-quality IoT goods has increased, resulting in higher sales throughout the COVID period. We continued our sales partnering with several e-commerce players and have seen strong momentum for smart solutions.

 

Do we intend to have an online presence to better comprehend the changes in customer behavior?

Anker began its journey as an online brand, primarily selling through e-commerce platforms. We restructured this approach a while ago to accommodate Offline Presence by placing our items on the retail shelves of various stores throughout the world. In India, we are continuing to strengthen our ties with e-commerce platforms and our offline counterparts. Coupled with our growing network of offline stores nationally and the online presence, we would want to be present at the convenience of our customers.

 

What products would you introduce under the Anker Works brand?

 People shifted to working from home during the pandemic, and many jobs are expected to remain Hybrid, even post-pandemic so, understanding this new opportunity Anker’s foray into the home office and its gear was well-timed. The new AnkerWorks brand was introduced with products that represent the straightforward, no-frills approach at an accessible price for both office and home office. We just announced the PowerConf Bluetooth Speaker and the PowerConf C300 Web Camera under this umbrella, and many more products will be released in the coming 3-4 months.

 

Tell us more about your ambitions for expanding into Indian markets?

Most of our Anker/Soundcore products are available at the Pan India level. However, we aim to increase more awareness by enhancing our marketing message, particularly around our trademark Technology, which is one of the Anker Group’s main differentiators. We will utilize the brand associations to create that noise. Aside from that, we are working hard to grow our channel network and make ourselves available in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Our goal is to increase the visibility of our products with an omnichannel presence.