Nicolas Loufrani, who created the first-ever 3D smiley in 1997, have big plans for India.
In an interview with The Hindu, Loufrani told the company is seeking new partners for collaborations as India is at top of his priorities.
The Smiley Company maker, which is known for nearly 1,000 emojis and smileys sees India as a market with immense potential.
The company foresees volumes from potential markets such as FMCG, fashion, toys, school products, home decor and footwear.
“We will introduce new collections in India from its global portfolio. We want to grow four-fold in three years here to a retail revenue of USD 20 million from USD 5 to 6 million,” Loufrani was quoted as saying.
Last year, the company appointed Dream Theater as its representative to enter into new partnerships. In addition, the licensees sold over USD 400 million worth of products globally across 13 different industries last year.
The Smiley Company is one of the top 100 licensing companies in the world, with over 310 licensees globally. The Smiley trademark is registered in over 100 countries. The company is already into fashion products in India through its licensees Lifestyle Departmental stores and Archies Gift shops.
“When I started developing the digital smiley in 1997 and started the official smiley dictionary in 2001, I had said it was the birth of a universal language. My slogan then was to create a new form of communication that people could use to bring more emotions into their communication and replace words with the images,” Loufrani was quoted as saying.
Recognized as the symbol of positivity across the world, Loufrani added the idea behind the creation of Smiley is to spread smiles throughout the world.
