Nestle Milkybar : Dum Hai To Bahar Nikal

Brand : Milkybar

Company : Nestle
Agency : JWT

Brand Analysis Count : 372

Milkybar is the leader in the white chocolate market in India. Launched in 1998, the brand is now making lot of noise in the media as a part of its repositioning exercise. In a typical market challenger strategy of Byepass attack, Nestle always avoided fighting head on with the market leader Cadbury's Dairy Milk.

Nestle chose to attack the market by launching brands like Kit Kat , Munch and Milkybar and thus create a new market for itself away from the market leader. Milkybar is one of such brands.

Milkybar is a white chocolate. White Chocolates are those which contains Cocoa butter, milk and sweets and no cocoa solids.

Milk Chocolates are those which contains milk solids in addiction to chocolate. In some reports, Milkybar is considered as a white chocolate while in some it is referred to as a milk chocolate. Nestle have anothe milk chocolate brand hence Milkybar can be positively confirmed as a white chocolate.

When I was indulging in chocolates, milk/white chocolates were a regular part of my indulgence, especially when bored with brown chocolates.

Although Milkybar was around in Indian market for a while, the brand came into aggressive state during the relaunch in 2006. During that time, Nestle relaunched the brand on the platform of healthy chocolate. The chocolate was fortified with calcium and positioned as a chocolate bar for energy and strength.
"Milkybar gives me power " was the brand's positioning platform.

Milkybar not only created the white chocolate segment but expanded it through product innovations. The brand launched a soft chewy fudge form of Milkybar branded as Milkybar Choo. This was a big hit for the kids who loved the soft fudge form of chocolate. The brand also made itself affordable by pricing the variant at Rs 5.

Currently the brand is running a campaign with a new tagline " Dum hai to bahar nikal " ( if you have guts, get out and play ) . The brand asks the youngsters to just get out and play.

Watch the campaign here : Dum Hai to bahar nikal

The ad is well made and drives a point. The campaign is backed by events and contests to reinforce the new positioning.

What is interesting is that the brand is addressing the higher age group of the target segment . I think that the previous TG audience for Milkybar was the kids of age 5-10 yrs. But the current ad is targeting pre-teens (8-12).

Milkybar is has competition from Milk Treat from Cadbury's.


Milkybar is a global brand from Nestle's portfolio. The brand was born in 1937. Globally the brand is positioned towards small kids. The brand have a mascot which is the " Milkybar Kid".
In India, instead of Milkybar kid, we have the picture of cow to reinforce the " Milk " factor.

The positioning of Milkybar was a healthy chocolate works well with parents. I was surprised when our family doctor suggest that we give milk chocolate to our child rather than the brown one. As a parent, I am also influenced by the " Goodness of Milk " factor. But often kids prefer the brown one over the white one.

Milkybar is a nice example of a brand carving a place for itself in a market which is dominated by an iconic brand. The new positioning may broaden the consumer segment for this brand. But how the older kids are impressed by the brand is something to watch for.

Brand Update : Axe

Axe is a marketing phenomenon. This brand knows how to keep excitement ticking in the market. Last year saw the controversial Axe Dark Temptation making headlines . The brand has started 2009 with yet another launch - Axe 3 deo.

This is a unique innovative product where the brand asks the consumer to use two Axe Deos to gether to make a new fragrance. So Axe 3 comes in a combi-pack of two fragrances and the consumer can make a third one by spraying the two deos together.

Watch the ad here : Axe 3

Smart move indeed. Has anybody thought of combining two deos for a new fragrance ? ..

Axe 3 was launched in other markets in 2007 as a limited edition product.
A typical Axe 3 packs contains two deos marked 1 & 2. These cans should be sprayed together for a new fragrance.
The question is why should a consumer spend double the money for deos ? Why should he use two together and blow away double the money ?

The answer is that the brand does not expect every one to do so...

This is a product launched to keep the excitement going. That is the purpose of limited editions. All those Axe fans will try out this new product and competitors will have tough time matching this brand .

Axe has always been an unconventional brand. These seemingly outrageous innovations are in line with the brand's core positioning. And these launches gives enough reasons for Axe to advertise and that keeps the brand on top of the share of mind.

Related Brand

Axe

End Note : Neither the HUL website or the Axe Effect website carry any information about this new product launch. It is sad that a professional company like HUL did not have the common sense of regularly updating its websites.

Brand Update : Idea

Idea cellular has been hit by the Idea Virus. The brand has been investing heavily in its " Ideas that Change " theme.

The latest in the series is the Idea for participative democracy.

Watch the tvc here : Idea for the people

The new campaign revolves around the idea of using mobile for understanding the public opinion and thus encouraging public partnership in development and encouraging participative democracy. ( What an Idea ! Sirjee )

As usual , this brand is making the best use of its brand ambassador.

The earlier campaign was addressing the issues of
Caste
Disability
and Education.

As a part of the current campaign, the brand has started a new website : bythepeople .in
There is nothing special in the website except for a voting form.

What I like about Idea's marketing initiatives are the effective use of media like OOH. You will never miss the Idea hoarding and these hoardings changes in line with the campaigns.

The brand also makes use of its brand elements like the color and the tagline to its advantage.

" What an Idea , Sirjee " have already become a hit lingo .

As a pure promotion strategy, these social themes work well primarily because it is different. Atleast one brand is taking about things that matters.

But these initiatives are not carried over to the implementation by the brand . Hence no serious change can be expected out of such initiatives. The campaigns just serve as a sounding board for ideas that has possibilities - nothing more and nothing less.

What happens is that when the brand is talking about Democracy, its earlier pitch for " Education for all " takes the backseat... The caste issue has long been forgotten.

I am not saying that the brands should spend their limited resources in trying to change the world.

But little sad that these ideas only have life till the next big idea...

Related Brand

Idea
Brand update

Kohler : The Bold Look

Brand : Kohler
Company : Kohler India


Brand Analysis Count : 375

Kohler is a global brand which has a unique position as a designer kitchen and bathroom accessory brand. This American brand has a rich history dating back to 1883.

Kohler was launched in India in 2006. The company is in the business of power systems , kitchen and bath accessories. Indian bathroom accessory market is worth around Rs 2500 crore and Kohler is aiming the premium segment of the market.

The brand came into my notice when I saw the advertisement of Kohler, where the lady asks the famous architect to build a house around a faucet.

Watch the commercial here : Kohler Architect

I frankly did not like the ad. What in the world one would imagine such a situation where you fall in love with a faucet or a closet ? I thought it as absurd when a person wants the architect to build a house matching a bloody tap.

Infact that lousy ad prompted me to go and search for this brand. And surprisingly now I am impressed.Impressed because Kohler wants people to fall in love with their products. Impressed because of the kind of innovation that the company try to bring into a product like bathroom fittings, taps and closets.

It would not be an exaggaration to say that Kohler has an iconic status in this segment. The brand is in the forefront of innovation and some of the products are really mind-blowing.

For example, Kohler has a brand - Purist Hatbox toilet which is a one piece tankless toilet .It has electronic actuation and Quiet close toilet seats. The design is totally unique and minimalistic.

The brand hence want to be a desire- object. Another interesting thing about this brand is its commercials. It is sad that Kohler chose its worst commercial for India.

Actually Kohler is famous for some of their commercials. One such campaign is known as " As I See it " .
In this campaign, Kohler partners with nationally recognized artists and photographers and create ads . The artists are free to use Kohler products to create the imagery. This campaign has won several awards for the brand. The campaign was launched in 2002 and is executed by the brand's ad agency GSD&M Idea City. Kohler launched the campaign in India in 2008.

Kohler globally has been positioned as an object of desire, unconventional and bold. The brand has the tagline " The Bold Look " . The " Bold Look" campaign originated in 1960 when the brand tried to experiment with bold , unconventional designs. The Bold Look later bacame the reflection of the culture and attitude of the company. If you closely look at most of their products, the brand has tried to break away from the conventional mould.

Kohler is trying to create a new perception about bath fittings and accessories. The brand is targeting the upwardly mobile Indian consumer segment who would like to have the best of all worlds. More over , bathroom fittings and faucets have become lifestyle products. Indian consumers are now mimicking the west for their home designs. People now want " dry " bathrooms , bathrooms which look like " living rooms "....

All these have created huge potential for a designer brand like Kohler.

Related Brand
Parryware

Brand Update : Tata Nano

After a long and treacherous journey, Tata Motors have finally launched Tata Nano. No other product had such an excitement in the Indian market as Nano. And no other product had to face those hardships that this brand had to face.

Although the brand has been officially launched, consumers may not be able to get hold of Nano anytime soon. The first car is expected to be delivered only in June and the company will be able to meet the entire consumer demand only in a phased manner.

Nano now comes in three variant. The basic version is the One Lakh car and there are two upgrades. The basic version will cost around Rs 1,30000 on Road and the premium version will cost around Rs 1,80,000.

Nano is a special brand. It is a brand that symbolises an entrepreneurial dream. It is also a brand that symbolises determination , hardwork and innovation.

With the launch, Nano also have its tagline " Now You Can " derived from the famous campaign of Barack Obama. The new tagline symbolises the brand's promise of an affordable car for the masses.

Nano also gives a very valuable lesson to the marketers. It shows that low cost does not necessarily mean a 'cheap ' car. Nano suprised many with its stylish look, spacious interiors and a good quality drive. All these comes with a very low cost.

Usually when we think about a low-cost product that is targeting the lower rung of the consuming class, the focus is more on functionality and compromises. The resultant product is a poorly designed functional product with rugged look and zero aesthetics.

Professor CK Prahlad famously remarked in the book " Fortune at the Bottom of Pyramid " that the consumers at the bottom of pyramid wants an affordable product and not a cheap low quality product.

Many Indian consumers irrespective of social class is going to buy this car because it is a very good looking , highly functional car and not because it is a cheap car.

Tata Nano also gives the marketer a golden key to tide over the recession. Come out with a product that catches the imagination of the consumers.


Related Brand
Tata Nano

Orient Fans : More Air, Everywhere

Brand : Orient

Company : Orient Paper Industries Ltd

Agency : Mudra

Brand Analysis Count : 392

Orient is a very interesting marketing case study. This is a brand that shows how to create a sustainable differentiation in a market which is highly commoditized. Orient is a brand which has a long history. The company was started in 1940 

as Calcutta Electrical Manufacturing Co. In 1954, the company was taken over by CK Birla group.

Orient is one of the largest fan brand in India. It is also the largest fan exporter in the country. The Indian fan market is huge with an

 approximate size of 2 crore units being sold every year. But the market is dominated by the small industries which account for about 55% of the total market. 

The organized market is dominated by players like Usha, Crompton, Orient and Khaitan.These players are facing stiff competition from the local players who compete on the basis of price. The organized players try to defend their position banking on their brand equity.

The price competition was so huge that at one point of time all major brands launched a lower priced product range to compete with the local players.

Fan is an important consumer durable. It is one of the largest selling consumer durable category in India . Although the category is the largest selling one , consumers perceive the product more as a commodity with little or no differentiation among the various players.

In a way consumers were indifferent towards the brands. Urban and upper SEC segments preferred brands because of quality but lower SEC segments were more price oriented and preferred the local brands. Local brands had high equity because they advertised heavily in their market, gave more margin to the retailer and was significantly lower priced. As a consumer, one really could not evaluate the difference between a local made fan and a branded one. There was no compelling differentiation among the fan brands.

What Orient did was a masterstroke.

1993-1994 was a bad year for the brand.Faced with dropping sales, Orient had to do something to defend its position. The brand rightly identified the need for a clear differentiation. After a thorough research on the consumer, the advertising agency Mudra suggested that the brand focus on three core areas

Air Delivery

Sweep Area

Electricity Consumption

Thus born the famous acronym PSPO. PSPo stands for Peak Speed Performance Output. 

The brand has a formula for PSPO 

PSPO = [Total Air Delivered /Electricity Consumed] X incremental factor

Increment factor = Significant Air Speed X Specified Sweep Area Plan

In simple terms, this is a design which can deliver more air to a large area . Orient has designed its motor and blades in such a manner that the fan can cover more area and deliver more air.

More than the technology, the brand was smart enough to brand this new feature as PSPO. This is a classic case of Ingredient Branding. The brand had found its differentiation. According to marketing theory, a good differentiator has to be meaningful, sustainable and not easy to copy. PSPO was a meaningful differentiator. By branding it , Orient had made it proprietary and its competitor could not copy that.

Next came the challenge of communicating this proposition to the consumers. Orient used its resources to bombard its consumers with PSPO and its meaning.There were lot of TVC which continuously conveyed the acronym PSPO and its benefits and there was a strong recall and association with Orient & PSPO.

In 2004, Orient Fans was chosen as a supplier for Walmart which gave the brand an entry to the US market.

Despite the success, Orient continued to invest in the brand. In 2006 , the brand roped in the Ace Cricketer MS Dhoni to endorse the brand. A cricketer and a fan have no connection with each other but the purpose of the brand was to reinforce its brand and its association with Dhoni gave some brand recall. The association continues even today and recently there was an ad campaign featuring Dhoni . The new campaign is also focusing on the USP of PSPO. 

The brand has the tagline " More air, Everywhere " and its core proposition has remained the same all these years. This benefit proposition  or More Air, More Area and less Electricity is still relevant for the consumer. 

Orient and its PSPO is one of the most consistent brand campaign India has seen. The theme is running for almost 15 years and the brand managers are intelligent and wise not to tamper with the winning formula. That is the power of the big idea. When you have one , use it to the maximum.

Related Brand 

Khaitan

PS: There is  an interesting case on Orient PSPO by Mudra. Read it here 

Brand Update : Boomer

Boomer has launched a unique variant Boomer Gumlairs. Gumlairs is the chocolate eclair bubblegum. The company claims that it is a new category which is being created by Gumlairs. The brand is trying to combine the taste of chocolate eclairs and chewing gum together. Eclairs for a large part of the confectionery market and Boomer wants to attract those eclair lovers into chewing gum category.

Chewing gum brands has been experimenting a lot with taste . The brands till now was concentrating more on fruit based flavors. It is the first time that a chewing gum brand is experimenting with chocolate flavor.

It is important for brands in markets like confectionery to constantly bring out new flavors to keep the excitement going. Consumers of this category are very fickle in their choices and they keep on experimenting with new brands and flavors.In that perspective, Gumlairs is a smart move by Wrigley.

I have a mixed opinion about the taste of chocolate in a chewing gum. These are perceived to be two extereme categories and the concept of both the categories coming together is truly unique.Kids are obviously going to be excited since there is something new and they truly love to experiment.
The claim of creating a new category will fully depend on whether kids like the taste or not. My personal take is that Gumlairs will remain as yet another flavor. Nothing more , Nothing less.


Related Brand
Boomer

LMN : Emergency Lemon Refresher

Brand : LMN
Company : Parle Agro
Agency : CreativeLand Asia

Brand Analysis Count : 395

This summer is special . Special because this summer , Indian softdrink/beverages marketers suddenly found that Indians love lemon flavored drinks. They realised that despite Shahrukh, Aamir and host of celebrities endorsing cola brands, large section of Indian consumers quench their thirst with nimbu paani.

And surprisingly the revelations came to Indian marketers all at once and this summer everyone is after NimbuPaani-- our very own lime juice or in malayalam (my native language)- Naaranga vellom .

Ofcourse marketers are forced to go after numbers. Even if their friends and relatives chose lemon juice over bottled drinks, marketers are forced to look at numbers, trends and statistics. This summer statistics have told them that the market for lemon based drinks have a potential.

According to a report in Business Standard, out of the Rs 7500 crore sparkling drinks market,colas comprise of only 38% of the total market while flavors comprise of 54%. The realization came only after Sprite dethroned Pepsi to become the number two selling beverage brand in India.

What marketers did not see was the big picture. Business Standard estimates that out of 120 bn litres of beverages consumed in India, packaged drinks account for only 5%. Marketers failed to look at consumers but too focused on categories and micro segments. It is not this summer, every summer, Indian consumers were taking lots of lemon drinks but marketers failed to see the bigger picture while spending their energy on outsmarting competition.

The fire cracker in the lemon based drink segment was started by Pepsi with the launch of Nimbooz . Soon to follow was the brand LMN.

LMN is from the house of Parle Agro. This summer Parle Agro is in an over drive with new launches like Saint Juice, LMN and Grappo Fizz. It is encouraging to see an Indian company aggressively taking on the Cola majors.

When I first saw the ad of LMN, what striked me was the brand name. It is one of the best brand names I have seen in recent times.Pepsi has done a masterstroke by taking in the generic name Nimbu by launching Nimbooz. I thought Nimbooz will score because of the powerful brand name. But LMN proved to be a equal worthy competitor for Nimbooz.

Having a brand name which is generic has many advantages. It is easy for consumers to understand what the brand promise is and what the product will do for them. The downside is that the generic name restricts further brand extensions. There cannot be an Orange flavored Nimbooz or Orange LMN.

LMN is indeed a powerful brand name and the brand benefits out of that. While Nimbooz is desi LMN is modern. So the brand is aiming more at the younger crowd by the way the packaging is designed and also the way the brand is positioned. Having said that even Kids may like the brand because it is very simple and easy for them to understand what it is.

While Nimbooz is directly taking on the ordinary nimbu paani ( generic lemon drink), LMN is positioned as a refreshing drink little away from being pitched right against the ordinary lemon juice.

LMN is running the launch television commercial across channels. The brand is being positioned as a refreshing lemon drink and has the tagline " Emergency Lemon Refresher ".

Watch the TVC here : LMN

LMN compete with brands like Limca, Sprite, 7 Up and Nimbooz. But the interesting fact is that all these brands represents different categories.The basic difference between LMN and Sprite is that Sprite is a carbonated beverage while LMN is not.
Limca is a cloudy drink while 7 Up and Sprite are clear drinks. LMN and Nimbooz are non carbonated drinks while others are carbonated.

But am not sure whether Indian consumers are aware of these categories . But the situation in the beverage market is that marketers are too much focused on categories and micro categories. We have juices ( 100%,85% 50% ), fruit drink,fruit juice,nectar, artificial,carbonated,non carbonated and what not.. What consumers want is a very simple solution- quench the thirst. Brand that do it with style wins.

LMN has tried to innovate interms of its brandname and also its packaging. It has comeout with a 110ml package that costs only Rs5. This sounds attractive and many consumers would try out this mini tetra provided the quantity satisfies their thirst.

The primary issue for the Indian beverage players is the distribution reach. Pepsi and Coke had built a robust distribution reach. The power of distribution is evident in the case of Kerala. Here Pepsi rules the market with over 80% because of robust distribution strategies. The key to LMN success is how well Parle Agro is able to leverage its distribution reach for this brand.

LMN has a headstart with a good brand name and a cool packaging. The brand has a potential to be a serious player depending on the investment that the company will put in for the brand. To build a brand in the highly competitive beverages market, one should invest continuously and consistently. Hope that LMN will get refreshers from the company interms of brand building investments.

Related Brands

Sprite

Limca

Coke

Appy Fizz

Brand Update : Popy

Rainy season has started in Kerala and the ad blitz of the umbrella marketers has reached the pinnacle. As usual, the umbrella marketers of Kerala has proved that innovation can be a game changing strategy.

This season is also no different ,where the two major brands in the Kerala umbrella market - Popy and John's vying for consumer attention with mind-blowing new umbrellas.

Popy has come out with a new commercial for its Nano sub-brand. Popy Nano claims to be the smallest folding umbrella which has a hieght of 16 cm when folded. The brand is being promoted as the " World's smallest big umbrella " .

The company claims that the umbrella when opened covers a larger area compared to ordinary umbrellas. The brand also claims to be the lightest and strongest in that category of 3 fold umbrellas. Popy Nano has come out with a decent catchy campaign which superbly communicates the brand promise.

Watch the TVC here : Popy Nano

While Popy Nano is aimed at older customers, it is the kid segment where there is intense competition.
In the kid's umbrella segment, Popy has come out with a new product " Popy Kuppi Kuda ". Kuppi in Malayalam language means bottle. So Kuppi Kuda means umbrella in the shape of a bottle.
The brand has introduced this product using a teaser campaign.
Watch the ad here : Popy Kuppi Kuda

The competition is not sitting idle. The main competitor John's has also come out with two new products . John's Air was launched this year which claims that the umbrella will be able to withstand wind speed upto 50 Kmph.

In Kerala we can see lady pillion riders of two wheelers desperately trying to hold the umbrella during the rain. Most of the time, these umbrellas cannot withstand the wind and will collapse creating an embarrassing situation. John's Air is aiming to fill that need for a stronger umbrella that can withstand wind.

John's also came out with a product for kids branded as John's Macha Mia. This is an umbrella with a bubble maker and bubble breaker. Kids can make bubbles with an attachment fitted with the umbrella handle and then try to break those bubbles using a dart gun fitted along with the umbrella. Sounds complicated isn't it ?

Both Popy and John's are flooding the media with their campaign and kids are a happy lot with lot of options to choose for.

Popy and John's are proving once again that innovation can bring life into a once dull product category like Umbrella.

Related Brand
Popy

Revive : Creating a Category

Brand : Revive
Company : Marico
Agency : Publicis


Brand Analysis Count : 409

Revive is an interesting brand. This is a brand which created the instant starch market in India. Revive can be considered as a classic example of branding a commodity.
Revive was launched in 1993. The brand was received very well by the consumer community. Revive targeted the urban middle and upper households which was willing to pay a premium for convenience.

Revive is also an example of a product that was developed to satisfy a unmet need. Indian households traditionally used starch to stiffen their clothes,especially cotton clothes. The process of making starch and using them was a tedious process for the homemaker. The homemade starch was quite messy and used to leave patches in clothes. It used to smell bad and was not suitable for color clothes.

Revive solved these issues at one go. The brand was initially launched in the powder form. The homemaker could make starch easy by just mixing the powder with water. It offered convenience and saved a lot of time. Another significant advantage of Revive was that it could be used in cold water. Traditional starch needed warm water. Revive also can be used in color clothes which was again a big advantage for the consumers.

It is difficult for the consumer to ignore a product that offers solution to their problems . Revive was successful because it made the life of homemaker little more easier. Revive too had its share of disadvantages. The problem was with the product form and the price. Revive was premium priced compared to the virtually "free" homemade starch. Hence convincing consumers to sample the product was tough. Since the product was in the powder form, consumers was confused about the quantity of powder that should be used.

The real challenge for Revive came when Jyothi Lab launched Stiff & Shine. Stiff & Shine was a liquid stiffener which was much convenient than the powder Revive. Jyothi Lab was trying the same strategy which it used to dethrone Robin powder blue.

But Marico reacted very fast to the challenge posed by Stiff & Shine. It launched the liquid version of Revive very fast and backed it with a heavy dose of campaign.
Revive is focusing on three main attributes in its campaigns- instant starch ( convenience),better stiffness for clothes and no patches.
The fight between Stiff & Shine and Revive is still raging with both brands now linking confidence and social acceptability . Both the brands are running similar campaigns ( using kids) claiming that clothes that are well ironed and shining will earn you self-respect and social acceptance.

Recently Marico took the fight to a new level by launching the liquid blue extension of Revive. I was surprised to see the ad of Revive liquid blue. No further details about this extension is available in the public domain .

Revive is a brand which is promoted heavily by Marico. The instant starch market is still very small and the task of the marketer is to increase the market size rather than to fight for the market share. The recent campaigns connecting the brand and social acceptance is targeted at non-users of this category motivating them to use the product.

The instant starch category has a great market potential and the brands should focus on increasing the category size. There is lot of room for growth for these brands when the category grows . Revive should resist the temptation of extension because the brand will reap rich rewards if it focuses on the category it created.

Related Brand
Ujala

Scotch Purple Glue Stick : Magic

Brand : Scotch Purple Glue Stick
Company : 3M
Agency : Grey

Brand Analysis Count : 411

3M is always known for its customer centric innovations. Scotch Purple Glue Stick is such an innovation. This brand was launched recently in select cities of India.

Scotch Purple Glue is India's first colored glue . The brand is targeting the school going kids.
What makes this glue different from other glue stick brands like FeviStick is its innovative coloring mechanism.

The Purple Glue rubs purple but dries clear. That means when the kids rubs the glue on the paper, it is in purple color that helps the kids to see where the glue is being applied. When the glue dries, it becomes colorless and clear. This is nothing but the magic of innovation.

Watch the TVC here : Scotch Purple Glue

The brand also has a large choke resistant cap which prevents accidental choking which makes it safe for the kids. How many Indian marketers has ever thought of making their products safe for kids ?

As a consumer, I am delighted to see the convenience that this product will offer to kids . Will I buy it for my child, absolutely. Will my kid love the product, I bet she will.

Related Brand
Fevistick
Kangaro

MamyPoko Pants : Pant Style Diapers

Brand : MamyPoko
Company : Unicharm


Brand Analysis Count : 434

Mamypoko is another global brand to hit Indian market. Mamypoko is a Japanese brand of baby diapers. The brand belongs to Unicharm which has its interests in Baby care products, Health Care and Female hygiene categories. The company has launched its premium brand of baby diapers into the Indian market.

Indian diaper market is small with a rough market size of Rs 110 crore but growing very fast due to the economic growth and rapid urbanization. The market still faces the issue of 'penetration ' and the tough task of changing consumer behavior. The market is dominated by brands like Pampers, Snuggy and Huggies.

Baby diapers are still not heavily used in Indian households. Diapers are used only on occasions and is considered not good for regular daily use since it causes skin rashes. The price of this product also acts as a deterrent for regular daily use and a Rs 1 difference on a pack can make consumers shift to another brand.


Mamypoko, as a new brand, faces the task of differentiating itself from the established players. Brands like Huggies and Pampers are already established and has tried every feature/benefits like softness , comfort, dry, light etc as their USPs.

Mamypoko but entered the market with a powerful differentiator. It launched Mamypoko Pant diapers as the brand builder. Mamypoko pants is a pant-type baby diaper - in the sense that instead of the stickers(tape- style) that conventional diapers have, Mamypoko Pants is a " pull up" type of diapers. There is no need to stick the two ends of the diapers together.

Actually Mamypoko is not the brand which has innovated pant-style diapers. Another brand from Unicharm - Moonyman was world's first brand to launch such a innovative product.

Pant-type diapers is indeed a powerful differentiator because it offers a convenient solution to the consumers. Parents especially fathers often find the task of putting diapers to their child a difficult task . If the child is very active, the task becomes even more difficult. Having a pant-style diaper is something that makes parent's life a little more easier.

The brand is currently running a campaign highlighting its main USP.

Watch the ad here : Mamypoko

The brand is also making use of its brand mascot/ character which is named Pokochan.

Mamypoko has done the right thing by launching itself with a powerful message. There is a greater chance that consumers will remember this brand for its USP. But the vital question is whether Mamypoko can sustain its differentiation . It will not be difficult for other brands to launch similar products. Mamypoko can breath easy because it has a pipeline of such innovative features within their global portfolio.

The launch of Mamypoko will open up another set of marketing war in the Indian diaper market.The Indian market is highly price conscious and it has to be seen whether consumers will be willing to pay more for Mamypoko.

Garnier : Take Care

Brand : Garnier
Company : Loreal India
Agency : Lowe Lintas

Brand Analysis Count : 437

Garnier is a brand that epitomizes smart marketing practice. This is a brand that came to India in 1991 and crafted a special place for itself in the Indian market.This is one global brand which has understood the dynamics of Indian market.

Garnier came to India with its Ultra Duox range of shampoos. The brand is amass market brand from Loreal which has a range of global premium personal care brands like Maybelline, Ralph Lauren., Diesel ,Vichy etc. Loreal started its operations as a joint venture with MJ Group . Later in 1994, the company started its own operations.

All through these years, Garnier had a very consistent marketing approach. What I liked about this brand was the kind of investment that it had put in for marketing activities. Ofcourse all these happened because it had the support of its parent company.

Garnier can be considered as a masstige brand. Although positioned as a premium offering, the brand was wise enough to price it reasonable. Currently Garnier is targeting the middle and upper socio-economic class.

Globally Loreal is a company that is famous for its product innovation. Garnier too has built its brand by launching new products on a regular basis. A strategy based on product innovation works best for a brand like Garnier. When the consumer sees regular new product flow from the brand, it creates a sense of excitement with in the consumer which will prompt her to stick to this brand.Garnier was the first brand to introduce a cream based hair coloring solution.

Garnier is now present in a diverse range of personal care product categories. It is present in the hair-care and skin-care segments.
The brand have two sub-brands : Garnier Fructis and Garnier Ultra Doux. Fructis is an interesting sub-brand which has clicked in the Indian market because of its positioning as a fruit based product. Consumers readily embraced this variant because it made sense to depend on a natural shampoo rather than chemical based one.

Garnier is positioned as a nature- based ( green) innovative personal care brand which takes care of your skin. The brand has a very catchy tagline " Take Care ". Garnier's positioning strategy is more product based in the sense that it has tried to emphasis individual product properties rather than a common brand image. Most of its commercials are emphasizing on product strengths and innovation. The brand is an example of the success of rational product based advertising success. The brand is also sending a message that Indian consumers are also influenced by rational messages and product innovations rather than mindless emotional blah-blahs.

Another interesting marketing strategy adopted by Garnier is its advertising execution. True to its global parentage, Garnier was careful in its advertising theme. It uses a blend of foreign and Indian models and themes for its campaign.Garnier ads can be termed as localized international advertising which has a global touch but does not appear alien to Indian realities. The brand uses a careful blend of celebrities and models in their campaigns without relying much on their individual persona. Their products are always the stars in their campaigns.

Recently Garnier launched another new innovative product in the Indian market - Garnier Shampoo + Oil 2 in 1 shampoo. This is something that Indian consumer has never seen before. And a product which Indian consumer find little difficult to believe. Shampoo and oil are something that is not supposed to work together. Infact shampoo is used against oil. ndian consumers are habituated to using oil regularly and time usually works against using them both. And since these two products are supposed to work against each other and time factor prevents them from using both, Garnier has thought of a plan to integrate north-pole and south-pole together.

Garnier Oil + Shampoo is a blend of 3 oils and shampoo. According to press release, the oil will work within to strengthen the hair and shampoo will clean the hair. This shampoo variant contains three oils - Olive,Avocado and Shea oil.

Recently , one of my earlier students talked to me about this brand launch. She and her group had suggest such a product combination during a project presentation to me as a part of the marketing course three years back. I remember taking the group to a series of tough questioning ( in other words -blasting) about the acceptance of such a product in the Indian market. She was delighted that such an idea being implemented in the real marketing world.

My primary doubt is whether the brand be able to convince the customer that shampoo and oil can go together ? Here the brand is trying to redefine a negative relationship between two attributes and trying to convince the customers that there is a scope for these two working together positively. According to Prof Kevin lane Keller, this strategy is difficult but once established , it can be a powerful differentiator. What the brand has to do is to develop a credible story that consumers can agree ( source : Strategic Brand Management by Keller)
Watch the commercial here : Garnier oil Shampoo

Whether these innovations fail or succeed, Garnier gains much equity through these steady stream of product launches. The premium positioning , smart pricing, heavy investment in brand promotion, innovative products and strong distribution reach has enabled this brand to create a special place in the Indian personal care industry. A lesson for aspiring brands.

Mahindra Gio : Potential Category Killer

Brand : Mahindra Gio

Company : Mahindra & Mahindra

Brand Analysis Count # 441

This is the decade of Mahindra Group. Ever since the success of Scorpio, Mahindra is on a roll. Lead by the dynamic Anand Mahindra, Mahindra group was quick to spot market opportunities and to tap them. The Satyam acquisition and Kinetic motors buy were all efforts to plug those gaps they found in the market.

Gio is one such initiative of M&M to cash in on a latent demand in the goods carrier market. Mahindra Gio is a 0.5 tonne four wheeler goods carrier. Infact Gio is India's first 0.5 tonne four wheeler goods carrier. This product is a classic case of a successful product development in the Indian context.

Gio is a potential category killer. This brand is going to burn the three wheeler goods carrier market . The three wheeler category will slowly shift to the new category since Gio is addressing a latent demand in the category for a better looking & comfortable goods carrier.

The 0.5 tonne goods carrier market is basically a three wheeler market dominated by Bajaj and Piaggio . The category is discarded by the players who focused only on volume and not on product development. The three wheelers lacked the comfort and was rustic. The brands competing in the segment was suffering from marketing myopia. They thought that the competition can come only from three wheelers. So we see the same type of noisy shaky rustic three wheeler goods carrier. Its time to change.

Gio is going to be a winner from the word Go ( Just like Maruti Eeco). The product is a four wheeler and that makes a big difference for the existing three wheeler users. One factor that is going to make Gio a winner is the price. Gio is priced at Rs 1,65,000 which means by paying a premium of Rs 20,000 , a potential three wheeler buyer can own a mini truck. Aspirationally, it is a big leap to the buyer.

Tata Ace is priced at around Rs 2,50,000 + and three wheeler goods carriers are priced at Rs 1,45,000. There is a significant price gap between these two product categories. Gio is aiming at filling this price gap. Also more than price gap, the brand is filling the need gap for a better goods carrier. Ace showed the need for a 1 tonne carrier and Gio took a lesson from Ace in this new segment.

According to the brand website, Gio name was derived from the Hindi word " Jeeyo" which means long and happy life. The brand is targeting the last-mile market where the intra-city transport of fmcg,durables, agriculture produce etc are involved.

Gio looks strikingly different from the existing vehicles that ply the Indian road. Gio has a peculiar look which looks little odd for a goods carrier. There is a reason for such a look.M&M wanted to make Gio look trendy and different which is another way of adding value to the product. The brand is breaking the myth that goods carriers should not be glamorous. Another vital marketing lesson from the brand. The brand sports an engine from the American Engine maker Kohler. The brand claims a mileage of 27 Kmpl which is equal to that of a three wheeler.

Another interesting fact is that M&M has developed a good website for Gio . It is unusual for such a goods carrier brand to have a significant presence in the web but Gio feels that there will be business owners who will look for information about the brand in the web. Another interesting move by the brand.

Gio has the looks and a mouth watering price that makes it a potential winner. A lot of marketing thought has gone into the making of this product. It is surprising to see that Tata was not able to identify this gap. Tata Ace is a highly successful product which virtually created the sub 1 tonne goods carrier market. I expected that Tata Motors would think about replicating the success of Ace in the three wheeler category. But instead of Tata, M&M grabbed the opportunity with Gio.So it is an opportunity lost for Tata Ace.

Kudos to Gio and M&M.

Related Brand
Tata Ace

K Series Engines : Leaner Meaner Fitter

Brand : K Series
Company : Maruti Suzuki

Brand Analysis Count #450

Marketing Practice Blog has reached another milestone of 450 brand analysis. Let me take this opportunity to thank my readers whose constant feedback was a source of inspiration for me. The next obvious target is 500.

I am happy to mark this achievement with a very interesting brand - K Series Engines from Maruti Suzuki.

K Series is a classic example of Ingredient Branding. Professor Kevin Lane Keller defines Ingredient Branding as a special case of Co-Branding which involves creating brand equity for materials, components or parts that are necessarily contained within other branded products.

Although Professor Keller defines Ingredient Brands as a brand from one company which is an ingredient/component in a host brand from another company.But recent marketing practices has shown that ingredient branding can be done by the host company itself .
So ingredient brands can originate from the same company or from different companies. For example HP computers powered by Pentium Microprocessors is where ingredient brand Pentium is owned by a different company ( Intel) . Hence it is a case of co-branding.

In this case of K series, the ingredient brand is owned by the company itself. So theoretically it cannot be termed as a case of Co-branding.

K Series was launched in 2008 . The launch was to counter the much touted Kappa engine to be launched by Hyundai. K series engines also conformed to the tougher emission norms that came into force from April 2010.

Branding engines is not new in the Indian market. Bajaj Auto was a pioneer in branding its DTSI technology and reaped tremendous benefits in terms of differentiation. Maruti is trying to replicate Bajaj's success in the four wheeler market.

K series has been a success and the company has produced more than 3 lakh units in 18 months time. K Series engine is fitted in the new generation models like Swift, Swift Dzire, Ritz ,A star and new Wagon R. The first model to come out with this engine was A Star.

K Series engine is claiming to be more fuel efficient offering better control and ride quality. Maruti has invested some amount of money for the promotion of this ingredient brand. This is rather unique marketing practice seen in India because most of the other car makers having ingredient brands does not resort to exclusive ingredient brand promotion. There will be mention of the engine in the product ad but no campaigns exclusively for the engine.

The brand was launched with the ad featuring the marathon runner. Watch the ad here : K Series ad.

The ads could have been much better and more creatively done. The campaign lacks the " Aha " factor and only helps to create a brand awareness .How ever the company needs to be applauded for this type of branding. K series has adopted the tagline " Leaner, Meaner, Fitter" which sums up the brand promise.

The reason for Maruti going for ingredient branding is simple. Engines are now largely becoming commoditised. Now we see same engine in different car brands from different makers. For example, some models of Tata Motors, Fiat, Swift carry the same engine. When engines become a commodity, marketers have to look for other powerful differentiators. Hence ingredient branding comes to help. Ingredient brands are protected by the firm and creates its own identity in the mind of the customers. So K Series engines provide the much needed sustainable differentiation for Maruti.

According to reports, Maruti is planning to have K series engines for all its models. When the competition in the market has increased substantially for Maruti, such smart moves will help retain its leadership position in the Indian market.

Peek : Simply Connect

Brand : Peek
Company : Peek Inc ( brought to India by Aircel)

Brand Analysis Count : # 453

Peek is a very very interesting brand. In my analysis of 453 brands, this is one brand which intrigued me the most. My opinion about Peek keeps on changing when more and more information was collected. Regular Marketing Practice readers know that I am highly opinionated when it comes to brands ( often it is the most voiced criticism about this blog) . For this brand , I couldn't make an opinion at all.

Peek is an email only device that was launched in India a few months back by Aircel. Peek is a brand from USA based Peek Inc. The brand has created lot of interest among the media and tech analysts in USA.

Peek is the brain child of Dr.Amol Sarva, a Stanford Phd holder, who was the co-founder of Virgin Mobile. Peek has an interesting story behind it. Amol and his wife were expecting their first child. After long walks to take exercise, Amol's wife came home worrying about the e-mails that were piling up in her inbox. Smartphones were not affordable to her. Hence the idea came to Dr Amol to design a simple solution for those customers who could not afford a Blackberry or smartphone but would like to check email on the go. ( read the story here)

Peek is a mobile like device that can be used for checking email. In the techie lingo, it is called email only client. Although Peek looks like a mobile phone, you cannot make phonecalls from it. The brand is launched in India in association with Aircel which is offering connectivity to Peek. The handset is costing Rs 2999 and Aircel has a tariff plan starting with Rs 299 per month. Peek supports 5 email accounts .

Now comes the most important question. What is the market for Peek ? Who will buy a device that can be used only for checking emails ? Will anyone pay Rs 300 per month for checking emails on a device ?

I still don't have an answer.

Peek is a big break-away product in a market which talks about products that claims to do everything. Smartphones are now increasingly loaded with more and more applications. Even ordinary mobile phones are now loaded with multiple features. Peek is a product that does only one thing. The million dollar question is whether such a device makes sense in the Indian market?

Peek is not competing with Blackberry or Smartphones. This is a device that is targeting a specific set of consumers who like to check emails while on the move/at home. Now who can be such customers ?

a. Those persons who does not have an internet connection at home but gets lot of emails.
b.Those who doesn't want to carry a laptop on the move but need to check mails regularly.
c.People who always travel a lot and could not afford a laptop and data plan .
d. Those people who cannot afford a mobile internet data plan .
e. People who want to check emails but dislikes internet browsing.
f. Those who travel to places where there is no internet connection.
c.Corporates who can give Peek to their executives instead of the expensive Blackberry

Peek makes sense in markets where mobile internet data plans are expensive. In the US, such plans are very expensive and have long term contracts associated with it. Peek does not have such constraints and is not restricted to one service provider. Hence there is a market for such a product in US.Another plus for Peek is the simplicity of usage. The product is simple to use and configuration is very very easy. So for a non-geek, the product is a simple solution.

In India too, mobile internet plans are expensive. Now the tariffs are coming down because of intense competition. It needs to be seen whether the Rs 299/month offers a value proposition to the consumers compared to the mobile internet data plans. As of now, the product is available only with Aircel. Hence the product is virtually locked with one service provider.

Peek is relying heavily on its simplicity . The product does only one thing and tries to does it very well. The brand is relying on the wisdom that there is a segment of consumers who prefer simple solutions to their needs. It is laudable for the brand to resist the temptation to add one more additional feature to Peek.

Peek also makes immense sense to businesses who are looking for a cheap alternative to Blackberry. Peek can be given to the employees and compared to BB, the cost is very very low.

I am still confused about whether the brand will be successful in India . My initial impression was that Peek will be a failure but am not going to predict doom because you never know how consumers will react to such a simple product.

Having said that, Peek opens an opportunity for a device that is purely a social networking client. If there is a product that does emails, facebooking, orkut, twitter and at this price, I would be the first one on the queue to buy.

Building Long-Term Deposits and Relationships Automatically

Over the past several years there have been a number of financial institutions that have built automatic savings programs where customers can set goals, establish recurring transfers between accounts to fund the goal(s), and track their savings progress.

One of the first programs developed was the Orange Savings Account from ING Direct which greatly simplified the process of opening new accounts for various savings goals. Following the success of the Orange Saving Account, SmartyPig was another program with that same goal in mind, making it easy for a customer to setup savings goals.

A customer can name their accounts, set the deadline for reaching their goals and even use an interactive calculator to determine the amount they will need to set aside each month. What makes Smartypig unique is that they added a social element to the mix . . . allowing other people such as friends and family members to contribute to the customer's goals as well.

The customer can even place a widget on their Facebook or MySpace page. Once the customer reaches their goal, they can either put all of your savings plus interest on a debit card, have it sent back to their bank, or receive bonuses by having the amount placed on a gift card from participating merchants like Macys, Amazon, Best Buy, etc.

While SmartyPig brings unique technology to its enterprise, it remains a one trick piggy (offering only savings accounts) and is a still-small Internet start-up. Being able to grow a savings account product from $0 to $500 million in deposits in less than two years is a phenomenal feat but its success can be assailed.

Full-service banks have begun to copy some of SmartyPig’s basic features and leveraged their own new savings features. For instance, U.S. Bank introduced the S.T.A.R.T. (“Savings Today And Rewards Tomorrow”) program in late 2009 in test markets, giving a $50 Visa gift card to a customer depositing $1,000 or more into a U.S. Bancorp money market savings account and establishing a monthly transfer from their U.S. Bank checking account. If a customer chooses to transfer between $.25 and $5.00 from their checking account into his money market savings account each time he uses his U.S. Bank debit or credit card, the S.T.A.R.T program counts those toward program term fulfillment.

In addition, customers maintaining a minimum $1,000 balance in the new savings account for 12 months will receive another $50 bonus, while U.S. Bank is offering another $100 bonus for establishing an automatically funding savings account tied to the bank’s standard checking account.

Building new products that encourage a long-term savings perspective supports the current trends toward more conservative money management while providing tremendous opportunity for additional cross-selling and relationship building. I fully expect more banks to develop both online and offline savings alternatives and to use these products as part of their onboarding and lifestage communication processes.

Brand Update : Allout Will Also Catch Flies

From now on, Allout Frog will not only catch mosquitoes but also catch flies. India's popular liquid mosquito repellent has launched a campaign claiming the additional benefit of repelling flies. This is the first major change in the brand's strategy ever since SC Johnson's took over the brand from Karamchand Appliances.

What I make out of the ad (seen only once) is that the fly repellent property is an additional benefit of the core product - mosquito repellent. The brand expects that consumers will find more value in the product because of the additional benefit provided. Also, the current move can be seen as a larger plan for the brand to become a pest control brand from the current space of mosquito repellent.

The brand website also mirrors such a plan. The tagline of the brand is now " Worry No More " as against the " Macharoan ka Yamraj".

The new campaign follows the core theme of previous ads of Allout - talking about disease spreading pests and how the Allout Frog protects the entire family from those disease spreading pests.

The interesting question is whether launch of the additional attribute of " fly repellent" will add value to Allout brand or will it dilute the core positioning of the brand ?

My perception is that consumers will be delighted to have such an additional benefit with Allout. So far no brand has been able to provide relief from the irritating pest like housefly. So in that sense , Allout will standout ( differentiated) from the rest of the crowd.

Regarding the positioning of Allout, the brand has been careful in continuing with the same theme of ' protection from disease carrying pests ' for the new ad also. I feel that the brand will continue using this theme as its positioning and move away from the " mosquito -Yamraj " theme in future.

Related Brand

Allout

Capital One Continues to Innovate

Historically an aggressive marketer and innovator in the credit card industry, Captital One has expanded its reach in recent years, using their growing banking franchise as the foundation for introducing innovative banking products. In addition to having a relatively rich debit rewards program and expanding into online and small business banking, they have recently introduced a new savings product called "InterestPlus Online Savings".

The saving program offers an above market interest rate on balances over $2,500 in addition to a 10% quarterly interest bonus payment paid if the customer uses their Capital One credit card once a month.
The bonus can also be earned if the customer maintains a minimum balance of $15,000 each month. The bonus for using the credit card is similar to other promotions done by Captial One in the past 12-18 months to cross-sell services and relationships off their credit card foundation.

The promotion of the new service began in December of last year through the bank's web site, statement inserts, direct mail and with email according to Comperemedia. Using strong visual elements such as comparative bar graphs and icon buttons similar to what I have seen with ING mailings, it is clear that Capital One plans to leverage their strong marketing talents from the credit card industry in building a strong bank brand.

Chase Card Innovation Gives More Control to Customers

Last September, Chase Bank introduced Chase Blueprint, an innovative set of features that improves the way customers can manage their credit cards with tools to pay down balances, manage spending and pay off major purchases. Available at no charge to more than 20 million consumer and small business Chase credit card customers, Blueprint is fully integrated into the account and consists of four unique features that Chase calls Full Pay, Split, Finish It, and Track It.

The components of Blueprint provide the following benefits:

• Full Pay: The customer can set aside which charges they want to pay off in full on any given month and avoid paying interest on those items (groceries)
• Split: Lets the customer select the number of payments or monthly payment amount for things like large purchases (appliance or home improvement)
• Finish It: Simply select a date that a customer wants to pay off a purchase and Chase does the math to determine the monthly payment and provides charts to show progress
• Track It: Provides the ability to see spending by category online on demand as opposed to annually like most card companies.

According to Caryn Kaiser, Senior Vice President from Chase, the Split feature has the highest levels of customer satisfaction since the introduction of the program. The Track It feature has also resonated with affluent customers who want to know where their dollars are going.

The development of Blueprint arose out of customer research that showed that consumers usually hold multiple credit cards for specific purposes. It is hoped that by offering this capability within one card, consolidation of balances will occur and retention will improve.

While other banks may try to follow Chase's lead, this integrated set of credit card benefits do not seem easy to replicate, giving Chase a 'first mover' advantage. I also expect Chase to follow-up this innovation with similar innovation on the debit card side around rewards, alerts and tracking of purchases. The timing of these changes will most likely coincide with the massive media attention around Regulation E.