With over 30 years of experience in the beauty industry, Prathna Adnani has played an instrumental role in shaping Multiplex’s growth and success. As the Director of PR & Marketing, Prathna leads the charge in marketing strategy, and development of in-house brands for one of the region's most prominent FMCG and cosmetics distribution companies. Under her leadership, Multiplex has seen significant market share growth, expansion of its private label portfolio, and a firm commitment to sustainability and innovation.
In this interview, Prathna shares her journey, the challenges faced, and her vision for the future as she continues to push the boundaries of the beauty industry in the UAE and beyond.
From your inception in 1993 as a wholesaler, you’ve grown to become one of the region's most prominent FMCG distribution houses, brand builders, and also developed a retail arm. How did that journey take shape, and at what point did you join the company?
I started my journey at Multiplex International LLC in 2003, 10 years after its inception. Initially, there was minimal marketing done by the company. However, I took over the marketing segment to grow our business and began my journey in the field of Marketing & PR, gradually becoming the Director of Marketing by enhancing efforts for the vertical and strengthening our team.
Can you tell us about your journey at Multiplex – what opportunities and challenges did you face, and how did that influence your passion for marketing?
There have been several opportunities and challenges in my journey at Multiplex, all of which I fondly embrace. Initially, marketing efforts weren’t prioritized. However, we realized that simply placing products on shelves doesn’t guarantee sales, but using the right marketing mix does. I started marketing at Multiplex with a fairly modest budget and limited resources; however, marketing had a direct impact on sales. This led me to increase our marketing budget over the years and further fueled my passion for marketing, growing it as I went along.
From negotiations to distribution, can you give us an overview of a brand’s journey with Multiplex – what is the extent of your involvement as Director of Marketing & PR? Is the process different for different categories of clients?
A brand’s journey at Multiplex goes through multiple stages, such as ideation, creating brand awareness, negotiating the best rates with vendors, using innovative marketing techniques, gaining maximum visibility through PR, understanding the competition, and planning ahead to stay competitive in the market. We follow a 360-degree approach for the brands we acquire, which also involves finalizing marketing budgets to achieve results. My involvement spans every stage of the marketing process along with my team so that I can guide them in maximizing visibility with minimal costs. The process differs for various categories of clients.
For a food brand, one of the aspects we focus on is wet sampling, while for a cosmetics brand, we emphasize influencer marketing, and so on.
Your e-commerce platform went online in 2017. What obstacles did you face in marketing the business online – did Glambeaute being an in-house product pose a challenge?
Glambeaute did not pose a challenge; in fact, it was an added advantage to directly promote our brand online to our customers. In 2017, sales through the online division were very low compared to what they are now. We initially faced challenges in generating significant online sales, but gradually people embraced online shopping, and Glambeaute became an integral part of our business.
Xcluzive, Multiplex’s in-house beauty brand, is your baby. What was your impetus for the development of Xcluzive, and how did you navigate brand building in the competitive beauty industry?
We started Xcluzive as an in-house brand and as an extension of our other distribution brands. I identified gaps in the packaging of Xcluzive products compared to our competition. I completely revamped the packaging, product quality, and overall look of the brand to give it a premium feel for our customers. Our marketing strategies focused on positioning our brand as exclusive and reliable, despite similar products being available in the market.
As your first in-house brand, how long did it take for Xcluzive to break even, and what was your most successful fiscal year?
Xcluzive broke even in its first year of launch, in 2008, thanks to our marketing efforts. My most successful fiscal year was four years after the launch.
How many brands do you have exclusive rights for? In what way has exclusivity contributed to successful brand relationships, especially for niche international brands like Wet n Wild and Flormar?
We have exclusive rights for over 50 brands.
Flormar is one of the top-performing brands in the beauty section, and its exclusivity and strong brand relationship have helped us establish this position. Wet n Wild and Flormar have reached every emirate because of this exclusivity. We are the only firm with the rights to market, strategize, and distribute in our region, giving us the freedom to test every marketing aspect to reach the top.
Do you have any marketing plans in place to support expansion beyond the GCC, and what would be the strategy and budget for entering new regions?
Yes, we do. We are now entering the Indian market and are currently in the planning, strategizing, and budgeting phase before getting started.
AI is rapidly integrating into the business world. In what ways have you used AI in your marketing efforts? What metrics would you use to measure the efficiency achieved, compared to traditional practices?
AI has enhanced creativity in marketing by streamlining the process of finding the right marketing mix, making it faster and more seamless. We are in the process of incorporating several AI-led initiatives into our marketing stream while actively training our team on adoption.
Which marketing channels and KPIs do you consider the most important for color cosmetic brands? How do you measure the relevance of your campaign insights?
The most important marketing channels for cosmetic brands include social media, outdoor advertising, trade shows & launch events, print media, mall activations, podium activations, influencer partnerships, in-store promotions, and in-store branding. We measure the success of our campaigns by tracking increased brand visibility through social media views, acquiring more leads through offline marketing, and ultimately generating sales.
What portion of Multiplex's total annual budget is allocated to marketing, and how has this allocation evolved over the past decade? With the UAE’s rapidly evolving business ecosystem, do you foresee a heavier investment in marketing?
Multiplex allocates 5% of its total annual budget towards marketing based on projected sales. Initially, it was 3%, then evolved to 4%, and now stands at 5%.
Yes, we do foresee a heavier investment in marketing in the coming years.
What changes have you made to your marketing campaigns to reflect sustainability, and has this affected consumer perception in a quantifiable way?
We have introduced eco-friendly hair brushes as part of our commitment to sustainability. This step has positively affected consumer perception, as we are seeing increased sales for eco-friendly products.
During the pandemic, your strategic focus shifted to e-commerce partnerships. What strategies did you adopt to grow this segment, and what has revenue growth been like in recent years?
Yes, we formed several e-commerce partnerships. We added almost all our products to retail e-commerce websites as well as our in-house e-commerce platform, Glambeaute. In fact, we created an entirely separate team dedicated to managing Glambeaute and e-commerce websites. During the pandemic, we focused on promoting healthy and safe products. Sales gradually picked up during the pandemic, and we have seen a significant increase post-pandemic.
What changes in consumer behavior have you observed over the past few years, particularly in the UAE, and how does Multiplex adapt to changing trends in terms of brand management and partnerships?
We’ve observed that consumers and retailers connect with our brands due to the premium products we offer at competitive prices. We deliver on the promises in our ads, and our consumers have rewarded us with loyalty. We’ve also noticed a shift towards more sustainable products under our umbrella. To adapt, we’ve collaborated with macro and micro influencers, PR agencies, and used co-branding techniques to connect with consumers, aiming for a direct and transparent relationship. At Multiplex, we focus on building both brands and the people who are responsible for our business.
Were you always keen to be part of the Multiplex story?
Multiplex has had a positive and upward impact on my career. Coming from a fashion background, I always wanted to be in the cosmetics industry, and this was a huge breakthrough for me. I wanted to be part of the Multiplex story because I felt I could contribute to its growth, which has been happening continually since I joined.
You’ve just celebrated 30 years! That’s a huge milestone for any business – what are your goals for Xcluzive, and what milestones do you plan to achieve in the future as Marketing Director at Multiplex?
My goal for Xcluzive is to go from local to global. Currently, we are focused on expanding into other GCC countries, with the ultimate aim of global growth. Our vision is for the brand to be known, heard, and seen in every household over the next few years. I also plan to leverage automated tools and advanced technology in creating and implementing marketing strategies to reach a wider section of our audience.
*This interview was conducted by journalist Shameena Shaffi, with videography by Habiba Shahid.
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