Brand Update : Chandrika

After repositioning itself on the SPA imagery, Chandrika is going for another repositioning exercise. This time the brand is relying on the " usual " caring mother platform. It seems Chandrika has discarded the earlier SPA equation .

The new ad talks about the ayurvedic essence of the brand (attribute) and how it takes care of the skin. The new campaign is also trying the laddering up strategy. Chandrika is now trying to own up " Freedom " as its new brand manthra. The concept is that the brand enables the user freedom from all skin problems thus helping her to live life fully. Although the idea is old, the agency has managed to execute it in an effective manner.
Watch the new TVC here : Chandrika

Repositioning a brand too often is not advisable for a brand in a long term perspective. One thing that I noticed about this brand is the absence of a slogan ( tagline). Slogans are considered to be powerful brand element that can reinforce a brand's positioning. May be its time for Chandrika to do a soul searching and develop a consistent positioning platform.

Related Brand
Chandrika

Chandrika : Best Soap Nature Can Offer

Brand : Chandrika
Company : Wipro
Agency : FCB Ulka

Brand Analysis Count : 290

Chandrika is a heritage brand. The brand came into existence in 1940. This hand made ayurvedic soap owes its existence to the founder C.R Kesavan Vaidyar who identified the potential for an ayurvedic soap way back in 1940.
From a humble beginning, the brand has come a long way withstanding the test of time. Its a brand that has survived all these years without changing any of the marketing mixes. Now after 6 decades, Chandrika is changing .

Chandrika is a 28 crore brand and has a loyal customer base in the southern states like Kerala and Tamilnadu. The brand was manufactured and marketed by SV Group till 2004. In 2004, Wipro acquired the marketing rights of this brand after a protracted battle with other suitors like Marico.
Chandrika all through these years has been positioned as a traditional ayurvedic soap gifted by nature. The brand differentiates itself from other ayurvedic soaps with its 7 essential oils
Orange oil
Patchouli
Cinnamon leaf
Wild ginger
Sandalwood oil
Lime peel
and Coconut oil.
The brand boasts of being made from pure coconut oil which comprises of 70% of its ingredients.
Chandrika is a handmade soap which is 100 % vegetarian. The brand faces competition from the likes of Medimix and Jeeva together with host of natural soaps and its variants.
The brand has been promoted reasonably well through various media in South India, but the campaigns were ordinary . In the marketing front, Chandrika never was an aggressive player. I think that the company was happy with the sales and loyal customer base it had. Moreover ayurvedic soap market was small and was not growing enough to warrant a change in any of the marketing mix elements. The brand did not even bother to change the packing for a long time.

However 2000 saw a rejuvenation in the ayurvedic soap market. There was a sudden interest from consumers towards green products. Now the ayurvedic soap market is estimated to be Rs 227 crore( Businessline). The increased customer interest has bought in many new players in the ayurvedic soap market. New brands like Jeeva began aggressive promotion which forced older brands like Medimix to sharpen their marketing strategy. This market also made some big companies looking for acquiring brands to gain a foothold in the ayurvedic soap market.

The owners of Chandrika chose to sell out this brand than to fight the competition. The sale of Chandrika was a messy affair with legal battle between Marico and Wipro. At the end the war, Chandrika was acquired by Wipro. The one factor that made Chandrika attractive to suitors was its quality product properties. Wipro felt that Chandrika had qualities which are scalable to a national market.

There was a visible change in the brand after Wipro took over the marketing . Although
Wipro was careful not to tamper the product attributes, the brand changed the shape and packaging. Original Chandrika was in the cake form ( rectangular) while the market was moving towards the oval soap form . Chandrika changed to oval form and the packaging was made more contemporary. The oval shape helps the soap to dry quicker thereby lasts longer. These moves were of important significance because most of the time traditional brands fail because it does not change with times. Hence the first task of Wipro was to make the brand contemporary.
Along with the cosmetic changes , the brand was relaunched with a new positioning.
Watch the ad here : Chandrika
The challenge before Wipro was to make this traditional brand contemporary without losing its core values. The brand was stagnant hence had to attract new users especially the new generation. Then came the big idea. Chandrika took the two qualities : Natural and Exotic as its core brand values. Then came the challenge to communicate this values to the customers. The brand chose to use the brand imagery of a SPA to convey the new positioning. The big idea is to equate the bathing experience with Chandrika to an oil bath at a SPA.
The experience of a SPA is unknown to majority of Indian consumers. Most of use have seen it in TV but may not have visited a SPA. Hence the new equation with SPA takes this traditional brand to an aspirational level. In order to communicate this new positioning, the new ad had to have an ideal imagery. The agency chose the luxurious Pangkor Laut Spa Resort in Malaysia as its location for the ad.
Along with the new campaign , Chandrika also introduced a line extension - Chandrika Amrutham. The variant has an innovation in the form of an aromatic oil that comes with the soap. The soap and the oil opens the pores of the skin and gently cleanses the skin and thus creates a feeling of freshness. The brand which claims to have 18 herbs is positioned as a soap that gives complete freshness for body and mind. Although the variant sounds interesting, it has not clicked in the market because aromatherapy is not yet popular in India. Further the combination of soap and oil is new . But after reading about the variant, I feel that there is lot of potential for this variant if heavily promoted.

In the early nineties, the ayurvedic soap market was in shambles because of price offs and cheap products. A shift in consumer tastes has bought in more serious non- price attributes to gain importance in this market. Wipro has " applied thought " on this brand and the result is evident in way this brand is promoted. Within a few years, Wipro was able to rejuvenate this brand and made it more contemporary. The brand has already running a new campaign these days. Its happy to see a traditional brand morphing to a new young brand.

Brand Update : Dyna

I had severely criticized Dyna's positioning in my post on this brand in August 2006. The brand just have a tagline " Be A Lady " + brand ambassador Katrina Kaif . I felt that the campaign failed to highlight any differentiation for the brand. The tagline also was not able to make a connect with the customers and it seemed out of place or more precisely UnIndian. Looking closely, Dyna was positioned as a soap that enables you to have a soft skin. But the launch ads failed to communicate that positioning. The brand has been alive and kicking in the media with lot of ads and also variants

Watch an ad of Dyna here : Dyna Sandal

The brand is currently running new campaigns featuring the brand ambassador Katrina Kaif. luckily the latest campaigns of this brand are far better than the earlier one in that the ads are trying to establish some differentiation for the brand. Dyna is focusing on two attributes as its differentiators :
a. The brand has no fillers , that means the soap is soft on skin and does not make your skin rough. The ads say that other soaps use fillers which may make your skin rough after some time.
b. The brand has a TFM ( total fatty matter) of over 76% which makes this a better soap for the skin.
Now the brand is clearly found its differentiators and its positioning of " Soft Skin " backed by the attributes puts the brand in a position to establish itself. Katrina Kaif is surely giving this brand lot of visibility and the new rational campaign can put the brand in a growth orbit.

Related Brand
Dyna

Anne French : Smooth and Silky Skin

Brand : Anne French
Company : Wyeth
Agency : Grey

Brand Analysis Count : 285

Anne French is a niche brand. The brand is a major player in the Rs 50 crore hair remover cream market in India. The brand owned by the pharmaceutical major Wyeth is now facing the heat of competition.
The Indian hair remover cream market is small because of the fact that hair removal is a touchy subject for women and this product category is seldom discussed across media.The campaigns are usually low key and brands gain popularity more through word of mouth and highly targeted advertising.
Anne French is a Depilatory cream. Depilatory creams removes hair at skin line. These creams use alkaline chemical ( Calcium thioglycolate ) which dissolves the protein structure of hair and causes it to separate from skin. Although there are different method of removing unwanted hair like plucking, tweezing, threading, waxing bleaching, shaving etc, depilatory creams have gained popularity in Indian market owing to the convenience and ease of use. The only drawback is that it may cause allergy for some.
This category was in a stagnant stage for long till 2004 when Reckitt launched the global depilatory cream major Veet in the Indian market. The brand caused a stir in the Indian market. Veet used the super model Katreena Kaif to endorse the brand .
The entry of Veet threatened the leadership position of Anne French. Veet had the advantage of its Global image and also the high profile celebrity endorsement. Veet also tried to differentiate by launching this product in a tube form. These moves force Anne French to launch its own tube package and also increase the adspend.
Anne French in 2007 launched the Squeeze tube and two perfume variants to counter the threat from the Global leader Veet. The ad campaigns are currently on air .
Watch the tvc here : Anne French
The brand has tried to add value by adding moisturizer and vitamin . Anne French is trying to position itself as the easiest way to have a smooth and silky skin. The latest campaigns are focused on promoting the tube variant.
Although Anne French has been leading the market, now its position is being threatened by a global brand. It is expected that a marketing war between these two brand can lift up the category into a high growth path. Already Anne French has taken the threat head on. Whether Veet will take the market from Anne French will be an interesting story to watch.

Fairever : Natural Fairness

Brand : Fairever
Company : Cavinkare
Agency : Fountainhead/Orchard


Brand Analysis Count : 283

Fairever is a challenger brand. It was the first brand to challenge the market leader Fair & Lovely. This brand was once touted by the media as the DAVID who fights against the Goliath.
Fairever was launched in 1998. Initially launched in South India, this brand went national a year after. It was the time when Fair & Lovely ( FAL) was ruling the Indian fairness cream market. The phenomenal success of FAL and the marketing might of HLL scared off many potential rivals. It was interesting to note that ever since its launch FAL never faced any competition from any players till Cavinkare decided to take on the behemoth.
Unlike many challenger brands from small companies, Fairever was never a price warrior. At one point of time Fairever was expensive than FAL. The courage of this small brand to standup and challenge a market leader with clear non price positioning makes Fairever a special brand.

From the launch , Fairever was clear about its positioning and differentiation. The brand was positioned on the basis of its main ingredients Saffron and Milk. Saffron is traditionally considered to be a fairness enhancing ingredient. So a product with the unique blend of Saffron and Milk was appealing to the target segment. With in six months of the launch, Fairever garnered a neat six percent of the fairness market. Fairness market in India is huge with a market size of Rs 800-900 crore. FAL holds more than 70% of the total market.
The saffron based positioned worked well with the brand. The packaging and the excellent use of brand elements like the Color gave this brand an upmarket look.But the ads of Fairever was predictable and was revolving around Girl becoming fair and then attractive to men. But it was Fairever who broke this cliche ads and turned that attention to Achievement rather than Fairness. But in the ad war that ensued, FAL took over the concept of Women Empowerment and owned the positioning. Fairever also faced some legal issues with FAL. HLL challenged that Fairever has violated the Patent formulation of FAL. But later the matter was amicably settled out of court.
Fairever was a brand that has worked hard to survive in the market. The success of Fairever prompted many players to enter the market. This made differentiation difficult for the brand. Fairever then chose the Green Path. In 2005, Fairever went Natural. The brand was relaunched with Natural tag. The brand also launched a premium Fairness cream subbranded Manthra aimed at the Upmarket customers.
These moves along with heavy ad spends have ensured that Fairever carved a 12 % market share Nationally and 17% share in the South India. Fairever uses the popular South Indian actress Asin as its brand ambassador.
Another interesting fact about Cavinkare is that the company is not in favour of Brand extensions. Cavinkare feels that new brands works better than extending a successful brand. The company is also keeping the positioning consistent for Fairever. This careful nurturing has made this brand , the second largest brand in the companies portfolio.

Oral-B : Dentist's Choice

Brand : Oral-B
Company : P&G
Agency : O&M

Brand Analysis Count : 280

Oral-B is a special brand. The brand is the global leader in the toothbrush market. Oral-B is a special brand since it bought so many innovations in a low involvement product like Toothbrush. Infact, Oral-B is a brand that made Toothbrush a high involvement product category.
Oral-B was created in 1950 by a Dentist Dr Robert Hutson. The first product was Oral-B 60 which had 60 tufs. In 1984 Oral-B was acquired by Gillette and in 2006 it came into P&G's fold with its acquisition of Gillette worldwide.
Oral-B came to India in 1996.Although globally Oral-B is a market leader, it could not replicate its global leadership position in India. In India, it is the second largest player behind Colgate.India is considered to be the second largest market for toothbrushes and the market is estimated to be around Rs 600-700 crore.
Oral-B is known worldwide for its innovation. Oral-B is a favorite example in marketing classes for Planned Replacement. The case in point is the innovative brand Oral-B Indicator. Oral-B Indicator was introduced in 1991. It had fading bristles which indicated to the customer that its time for him to change the brush. The innovation won Edison award for product innovation. Through the Indicator Bristles, Oral-B overcame a serious issue of delay in repeated purchases due to overuse. Typically consumers do not have an idea of when to replace a toothbrush. Often they stretch the planned life of the product thus posing a problem for the marketers. Oral-B Indicator changed all that.Dentists recommend that the toothbrush should be replaced every three months. Oral-B indicator is designed to remind the customer that time schedule for replacement. Now Indicator Bristles have become a standard feature in all Oral-B toothbrushes.

Although Indicator was referred in most of the marketing textbooks, the innovations of Oral-B is mind blowing. Some noteworthy innovations are listed below :
1984 : Oral-B revolutionized Kid's toothbrush market with its Star Wars range which had the characters in the toothbrush
1984 : The first Power Toothbrush launched under the Braun brand.
1987 : Oral-B Ultraplus was launched which had round head
1991 : Oral-B Indicator with fading bristles.
For the entire range of innovations , visit the brand website at : Oralb.com
2007 saw another mindblowing futuristic innovation from this brand- Oral-B Triumph with Smart Guide Technology. The toothpaste now comes with a wireless digital monitor which will guide the consumer to use the toothbrush in the ideal manner. The wireless digital monitor have a timer which guide the customer to brush for 2 minutes and also indicates the various motions and even indicates the replacement of the toothbrush head.
For details visit the brand website : Triumph with smartguide

These innovations have made this product category a highly segmented and a high involvement category. Earlier, the choice available for a consumer was whether the bristles are soft medium or hard. Now the choice is numerous. The introduction of power brushes ( battery powered) created a new premium segment of toothbrushes. The shape and the size of the bristles and toothbrushes also have changed. From the typical rectangular head to round shaped head. From straight bristles to Zigzag . Many things are happening to the good old toothbrushes. The interesting fact is that these innovations have created a change in the mindset of consumers. Earlier consumers believed that Toothpaste is the central product in the oral care/hygiene. Toothbrush's role is limited in the oral care. The innovations from these players have prompted the customers to think that toothbrush is also an important product that needs some serious thinking before purchase.

Oral-B is positioned as Dentist's Choice of Toothbrush. The brand uses the tagline " The brand more dentists use themselves worldwide". In India too, the brand uses the same tagline. The brand is currently on a hyperactive mode in India with lot of promotions in the visual media.

Oral-B also is getting on the volume game by launching a variant ShinyClean with a amazing pricetage of Rs 13.ShinyClean comes with five features :
Zigzag bristles for better cleaning
End Rounded Bristles.
Translucent Contour handle for better grip
Hygiene Cap
Indicator
At a price tag of Rs 13, ShinyClean is expected to rejuvenate the toothbrush market for Oral-B. Earlier Oral-B was positioned as a premium brand.
Oral-B is a marketer's icon. A brand which has brought so much value into a dull product category.

Fiama Di Wills : Beautiful You Today , Tomorrow

Brand : Fiama Di Wills
Company : ITC
Agency : Law & Kenneth

Brand Analysis Count : 278

After the success of its super premium brand Essenza Di Wills, ITC has launched a new brand in the fiercely competitive Rs 2500 crore Indian branded shampoo market. The launch is significant since it marks the official entry of this FMCG giant into the mass personal care category.
Fiama Di Wills for sure is a premium brand but not in the super premium league of Essenza Di Wills.
Fiama Di Wills has entered the market with three variants

Every Day Mild : With Thyme and Juniper extracts
Aqua Balance :Moisturizing shampoo with Magnolia Blossoms and Watercress Extracts
Volume Boost : With Rosemary and Sage Extracts.

From the ingredients itself, we can see the positioning of this brand. Fiama Di Wills is positioned as a Shampoo which is a blend of Nature and Science. From the company press release, the brand boasts of the R&D from ITC Research center in collaboration with leading US based personal care research labs. The brand is trying to tap into the growing popularity of Natural Extracts and natural ingredients.
Fiama Di Wills is promoted with the tagline " Beautiful You Today , Tomorrow " . The brand is now promoted heavily through visual media

Watch the TVC Here : Fiama Di Wills

All though the tagline does not fully express the positioning of the brand, the ad throws certain light on the positioning strategy. Fiama is positioned as a Gentle Care shampoo that can be used everyday. Its gentle because it uses the natural extracts. The brand uses the sentence " Gentle Effective Care " to signify the positioning. I think the tagline " Beautiful you today tomorrow " signifies the longterm benefit of using this brand. How ever, the tagline and positioning is not a new idea since brands like Nivea and Garnier uses similar kind of positioning. The brand is also trying to differentiate on the basis of its packaging designed by International experts.

Fiama is priced at Rs 99 for 200 ml and Rs 54 for 100 ml which makes it a masstige brand. With the marketing muscle and distribution strength ITC aims to take on the market leader HUL at the premium segment first. With the heavy noise in the media, Fiama will get the attention of the Innovators and Early Adopters. Will it create a scare for HUL's Sunsilk is something to watchout for.

Related Brand
Essenza Di Wills

Olay : Love the Skin You are In

Brand : Olay
Company : P&G
Agency : Saatchi & Saatchi

Brand Analysis Count : 277

This July P&G launched its premium skin care brand Olay in India. Olay is a $2 Bn global brand has met with phenomenal success in all the markets it entered. Olay was born in the lab of a chemist Mr Graham Wulff in the early 1950's. At that time the brand was named Oil of Olay. Later when P&G acquired it, the brand was renamed Olay.
Olay was available in India as an imported product. Now P&G directly markets this brand with all the relevant marketing mixes in place.
Olay is tapping the premium slice of the Rs 2100 crore Indian skin care market. Olay has launched its first product in the anti-ageing segment with its Total Effects subbrand. Anti-ageing segment is still a niche with a market size of Rs 60 crore. The segment is but growing very fast.

Olay has launched its Total Effects anti ageing solution after much consumer research. It had conducted research on over 6000 ladies of age between 30-69 years from three continents and identified 7 signs of ageing.
1.Fine lines and Wrinkles
2.Sagging skin
3.Uneven skin tones.
4.Age spots
5. Appearance of pores
6. Dull skin
7.Dryness

Total Effects is differentiating itself through the presence of the ingredient VitaNiacin. VitaNiacin is a patented formulation that contains Niacinamide Vitamin B3 ,Vitamin E and Provitamin B5 Pathenol + sunscreen protection.
Olay true to the concept of Global Brand and Local strategy has launched itself with a series of promotional campaigns. The brand has the bollywood diva Sushmita Sen as the brand ambassador. Currently Olay is running two campaigns in the visual media. One campaign is th Olay brand building campaign featuring Sushmita Sen and another is for the Total Effects moisturizing lotion.
Watch the Tvc : Total Effects
For the Total Effects range, the company uses a testimonial type of campaign featuring a Model/TV Anchor. The focus is more on the functional benefits of the product rather than harping on any emotional benefits. The brand is positioned as a brand that celebrates beauty within and outside. The brand worldwide uses the tagline " Love the skin you are in ". The brand believes that Looking Good and Feeling Good are inseparable. Loving the skin we are in is the most beautiful feeling of all.
Olay Total Effects is priced at Rs 599 for a 50 gm bottle. By Indian standards, this accounts for a premium category. Olay Total Effects is targeting ladies between the age 30 - 60. Besides this anti-ageing product, Olay has introduced cleansers, facepack and moisturizing lotions. The brand is expected to introduce its blockbuster range of products in India in a phased manner.

The premium skincare segment was in a vacuum ever since HUL decided to cater to the masstige segment by repositioning Lakme and Ponds. Now with P&G and ITC seriously looking at premium segment, the market is going to witness a marketing war in days to come.

Brand Update : Parachute

Parachute is getting bigger and better. This super brand from Marico has moved into the next level. The brand is running a new campaign for its variant Parachute Advansed. The campaign titled Gorgeous Hamesha is one of the best ads I have seen in recent times

Watch the TVC here : Gorgeous Hamesha

The campaign is a classic example of Laddering . Laddering is deepening the meaning of a brand to tap into core brand values or other, more abstract considerations. For effective laddering, the target group should have a clear understanding of how the brand relates to alternatives in the same category ( Kevin Lane Keller).
Here in this case Parachute has established itself as a hair oil brand, the time was ripe to move up from a basic positioning to some thing more deep. The brand is aiming to reach a higher ladder through its variant Advansed.

In the new campaign Gorgeous Hamesha ( translated to Gorgeous Always) , the brand talks about its efficiency in strengthening the roots of the hair so that you look Gorgeous Always. The brand has embarked on a 360 degree campaign with contests, viral campaigns and media promotions.
The brand has taken a lesson from the iconic Mastercard's Priceless campaign discussed elsewhere in this blog. Like the Priceless campaign, Parachute Advansed is also trying to capture those " Special Ordinary Moments " in life where one looked Gorgeous. The brand has roped in Deepika Padukone as the brand ambassador.
What I liked about the campaign is that it captures the very essence of the brand in a simple way. The ad is sticky and the music is impressive.More than that the message is very simple subtle and effective.
I hope that the brand continues to build on this new Gorgeous concept.

Related Brand
Parachute

Fair and Handsome : Be Fair , Be Handsome

Brand : Fair & Handsome

Company : Emami
Agency : Situations

Brand Count : 256

Fair and Handsome is a brand that created the Men's fairness cream segment in India. Launched in 2005, the brand became the creater and the market leader of this segment. Emami was looking for ways to challenge the Fair and Lovely brand from HUL. Emami had a brand Naturally Fair which was small compared to FAL.

Emami went for serious customer research which showed that 25-30% of customers of Fairness creams were men. That customer insight paved way for a specialized brand for men. Fair and Handsome is targeted at young urban men aged 15- 35. The brand was launched with much promotion across visual media.

Watch the TVC here : Fair and Handsome

The campaign for Fair and Handsome is one of the lousiest campaign I have ever seen. Here the main character is depicted as a fool who gets into a ladies hostel to steal a fairness cream ( or has he got in for some other purpose !) . I still couldn't understand why couldn't he just go to a supermarket and buy it.

The brand is being positioned as the fairness cream that can make men handsome and also attractive to girls. The brand uses the tagline : Be fair Be Handsome . Whether the campaign is lousy or not , after two years of launch , Fair and Handsome is worth Rs 45 Crore now commanding a market share of over 30-40% in the segment.

The brand has to be appreciated for creating a category. It is true that men uses creams meant for women. Hence there is a logic in creating a brand for men in this category. The total fairness market is estimated to be around Rs 900 crore and men's segment is around Rs 160 crore. Although Fair and Handsome has gained the first mover advantage, already competition is hotting up. HUL has extended FAL into men's category with a variant Menz Active. Nivea and Lo'real also have moved into this segment. Unlike Fair and Handsome ( FAH), other brands are little subtle in positioning their brands as a fairness cream.

Nivea uses the term Whitening while Lo'real positions the men's range Men Expert has a range of skin solutions for men. However HUL directly positions its Menz Active as a fairness cream but the target market are older men aged 25-35 . These brands faces the issue of the reluctance of men to be seen using a cream because cosmetics traditionally is viewed as a category meant for females. Situations are changing and the Metrosexuals are least bothered about openly caring about their looks. The changing face of modern man is definitely indicating a big opportunity to these brands.

In the face of emerging competition Emami has moved aggressively to promote Fair & Handsome by roping in Bollywood icon ShahRukh Khan as its brand ambassador. The TVC featuring SRK is already on air.
According to a report in agencyfaqs, SRK was initially skeptical about endorsing a fairness brand for PR reasons, However Emami was able to convince SRK into endorsing this brand. Fair& Handsome is the first brand to target men. It was followed by Fair and Lovely extending itself to men's variant Men's Active. Now this segment is seeing lot of activity .
Fair and Handsome is banking on its 5 power Fairness System :
1.Double Strength Peptide complex which was developed in collaboration with Activor Corp. USA.

2.Sunguard: Prevent sunburn
3.Stress Busters: prevent wrinkles
4.Anti Bacplus : anti bacterial
5.Herbo Cool : herbal ingredients.

The brand website also gives an interesting chart that explains why fairness is important.
This chart in a way explains the Brand's thought process.
Fair and Handsome retains the original tagline : Be Fair, Be Handsome" in the new campaign also.
The brand gives an impression that the users are having a lack of confidence and feels insecure and have less self esteem. Again the brand assumes that Fairness gets women attracted towards men. I feel that the brand still lives in the stone age.
I feel that FAH has got its assumptions wrong. By depicting the main hero of the ad as a person with low self esteem, the brand is repelling lot of self assured men who wants to take care of their skin rather than attracting chicks. Gone are the days where Indian men had a complex about the skin color influenced by the long oppression by the British. Now the urban male is a more evolved one . ( I am not denying the fact that there are people who have complex about being not fair) . Men are more exposed to sun and dust and the traditional creams may not be effective for men. Hence such brands should address the host of issues faced by men rather than talking about being attractive to girls. I feel that FAH by default is restricting itself to the Fairness proposition ( which is not a bad idea ).

Even when you are addressing the issue of fairness, the brand have to project itself as an aspirational brand rather than as one for losers. Even the new campaign fails terribly in execution.

The new campaign and the brand ambassador in SRK may spike the sale of this brand for a while, but in order to move up the ladder, FAH have to project itself as a winner rather than a brand for losers.

What do you think ?

source : agencyfaqs,business standard,fairand handsome.net

Axe : The Axe Effect

Brand : Axe
Company : HUL
Agency: Lowe Lintas

Brand Count : 252

I was delaying writing about this brand for the reason that I doubted whether I will be able to do justice to my favorite brand. An Icon for sure Axe is a success story that is so difficult to emulate. One can only marvel and enjoy.
Axe has got every thing perfect for its success, It got its segments correct, the targeting was exemplary and Positioning : something to drool for. And more over Luck was on its side.

Axe was born in France in the Year 1983. 24 years later, this brand is Unilever's Best selling brand worldwide. It has an iconic status in whichever market it has entered. It is also one of the rare brands which can boast of replicating its entire marketing mix across geographical boundaries. The campaigns that you see in India is what the entire world is watching. For those who propound Glocalisation , AXE is an exception.
Axe deo was launched in India during 1999. The brand launch was very quiet and theoretically the brand was having the strategy of Slow Skimming i.e High Price Low Promotion. Axe at that time was the leading men's deo brand in Europe and was popular in India in the Grey market ( available in duty paid shops) .HLL may have launched this brand inspired by the volume of Axe sold in the Grey market. At that time, the deo market was a nascent one with an estimated market size of Rs 72 crore. HLL had the brands Denim and Rexona and was ruling the market. Axe was priced at a premium above the Denim brand which was positioned as a male deo brand.
Axe initially was launched in the fragrance Java, Alaska and Atlantic. HLL did not bother to fine tune its Promotional mix to Indian market but just imported the promotions .... meaning, the company just ran the ads which was popular in the Europe and other markets. At that time , the product was also imported from Europe. And IT CLICKED.... rest as they say is History...
Axe in 2002 was having a market share of over 35% and soon HLL phased out Denim brand to concentrate on this Star.

Axe is the naughtiest brand in the Indian market. The brand is targeted at male aged 16-25 . Internationally this brand targets male aged 15-25. I personally feel that it targets all 'Young at heart" naughty guys. The brand has its brand values of Cool, Fashionable and Stylish. And world over, the brand sticks to its core values. The biggest strength of this brand is the underlying message or the DNA which is that the brand users are High on Confidence and always for the Axe users, Girls Makes The First Move. I think the biggest competitive advantage of this brand is its complete monopoly over this brand proposition. All its campaigns revolve round this central theme of Seduction where Girl makes the first move.
I think it has lot of subliminal implications. The brand assumes that Men wants( Likes) to be Seduced . That feeling ( of being seduced) gives a big boost of self confidence to a man. Although many brands take this proposition, Axe just made it perfect.

I have seen lot of ads where girls are seen drooling over Hunks in Motorcycle or in Readymades, or even in Innerwears, but in most of the Axe ads, there are no Hunks, only very ordinary or even skinny kind of people getting assaulted by beautiful girls. That makes the brand more approachable. Had Axe used a Hunk, the promotions couldn't have been so effective. The brand managers were so wise that when they used a celebrity like Ben Affleck, They ensured that the brand is made approachable
See the TVC here : My Favorite Axe ad
Having said that, The males seen in Axe commercials are not Losers: the ads are careful to show them as confident ( in one way or other) or a better term will be self assured. That is ultimate execution.
The power of this Big Idea has ensured that Indian consumers lap up the foreign commercials without any hitch. I don't remember any India centric ad for Axe especially in Television. And Indian consumers are not complaining either.

Along with these , the brand also ensured that customers are constantly engaged with new fragrances and campaigns. In 2005, Axe had a high profile launch of its new fragrance CLICK and before that there was Axe Land campaign and followed by Axe-Academy then Axe Voodoo and the latest one Phenomenon. I have tried most of the fragrances and not all of them are good, but I try it because I like the brand. That is the power of brand.
Axe is one of the rare brands that has embraced new media to the maximum extent. The brand has started its Internet based marketing initiative in India with Axe Land which involved a virtual trip to the Axe world. Globally also this brand has lot of online initiatives which are almost always naughty.In UK the Axe is marketed as LYNX.Checkout the cool web initiatives of this brand :
Axe- feather
Axe Effect
Axe Phenomenon
and also a blog called Evan and Gareth

Not only the brand uses TVC's to its advantage, the print ads of Axe won several accolades in various ad events. The creatives run amok with the kind of flexibility that they get from the positioning.Besides Print, the brand also uses outdoors to its maximum impact. Axe is a classic example of 360 degree branding effort. Now Axe has a common message in over 70 countries where Unilever sells this brand. Iconic in a real sense.

One of the reports term the marketing strategy of Axe as " Adventurous Marketing" .That is true because its risky because the brand deals with Girls & Seduction. Not always every one may like the theme or the campaigns. In India especially there are self styled Cultural Policemen/Women who cries foul for anything and everything. It is really surprising that so far, Axe has escaped their AXE. That also shows that the ad agency is also careful about the concepts put across the Indian media.
While in a more liberal markets, Axe tests new levels of " Adventures" , here the brand plays really safe. It also ensures the campaigns run in Indian media is accepted because most often its the entire family who watches the TV.
I know I just have touched the tip of Marketing Iceberg called Axe.

For the axe fans, check out a blog dedicated to Axe at Axeads

Brand update : Clinic All Clear

Clinic All Clear has launched India's first anti-dandruff shampoo for men. The brand is launched in two variant : Active Sport and Hairfall Decrease. According to the press release, HUL has conducted intensive research which revealed that Men's scalp is significantly different than the female scalp and hence require specialized care. Also men's scalp is found to have 33% more dandruff than that of females, reason being more sweat and less hair care. These insights have helped the company to launch a variant addressing this segment.
Although the company states these reasons, the real reason behind this launch is that Men's grooming market is booming. Clinic wants to retain its overall leadership position in the shampoo market and does not want to be lagging in a booming segment. Moreover, the brands like Garnier is already targeting men for their shampoo range.
It is interesting to note that Clinic is smart enough to retain and extend its core positioning of No Dandruff for this variant also. The brand is priced at Rs 130 for 200 ml and Rs 72 for 100 ml and Rs 3 for sachet. The packaging is also eye-catching and stylish. The new launch is expected to make the male grooming market more interesting and is going to see a lot of new launches.
Related Brand
Clinic All Clear

Brand Update : Pepsodent

The toothpaste war is going to get hotter. Following the high profile launch of Colgate Citrus Blast, Pepsodent has started fighting back with a new variant Pepsodent Center Fresh. The new variant is positioned as a toothpaste that fights germs and also with mouthwash. Now promoted heavily through TV and Print, this brand now adopts the tagline " Protection Outside Freshness Inside".I think that this is the first time Pepsodent is venturing outside its domain of germ protection.Theoretically, Pepsodent is diluting its core positioning of germ protection by adding one more feature. ie Freshness. Interestingly Mouthwash and freshness is the core strength of Close Up.
More interestingly Close Up has come out with a new variant with Fluoride that offers protection. Hence both Pepsodent and Close Up have exchanged its core positioning and now both have the same properties i.e Freshness and Protection. Utter confusion isn't it? So with one stroke, HLL has diluted the core positioning of both power brands. Remember that Colgate throughout its life has stuck to one positioning . ie Strong teeth and Pepsodent has successfully differentiated itself by Germ Protection. Now all these are stories of the past. Technically Close Up is Pepsodent in Gel Form and Pepsodent is Close Up in another brand name. Close Up earlier had a unsuccessful experience with its Anti Cavity Fluoride variant.

Having said that, there are certain lessons from the latest Pepsodent variant. The brand has used visual imagery to promote the new differentiation of Mouthwash. The color scheme and the analogy with Swimming Pool .. all supports the new thrust of mouthwash with in the toothpaste. But the marketing idea does'nt stop there. The brand uses visual proof of the presence of the attribute inside the toothpaste which can be physically seen by the customer. Hence three is a physical evidence of mouthwash within the toothpaste. This is not a new idea since HLL has succeeded in giving visual evidence for its Surf brand . ( Remember Power Booster with Granules). Such visual evidences provide the brand a powerful support and can be even considered to be a brand element. While the Pepsodent uses Blue liquid like visual for Center Fresh, Close Up uses White Color inside to represent Fluoride.
So whether it is mouth wash inside or outside, these brands are venturing outside its successful positioning. It has to be seen how market responds to these strategies. What do you feel?

Related Brands

Pepsodent

image source : agencyfaqs

Brand Update : Nivea

Finally Nivea is getting serious on Indian market. According to media reports, the German parent is getting its acts together in India. The company is going to launch around 33 products in India. Starting its new aggressive mode, the brand has launched 6 products for Men. Surprisingly the brand is aiming a nascent market of Men's grooming market.
Launched this may was Nivea Whitening range for men which consists of 6 products. The TVC's are on air and the new range has identified the following five differentiators for its Men's range :

Whitens skin
Remove dark spots
Lightens discoloration
Prevents Skin ageing
and Soothens skin.

The brand uses the tagline " Advanced Face Care" to promote this range. The company estimates this grooming market to be of the range of Rs 700 crore. The brand uses the term "Whitening" rather than fairness and asks men to "Join the Whitening Revolution".

Related Brands
Nivea

Brand Update : Dove

After building its equity as one of the mildest soaps available in India and having created a small space in the premium segment of soap market, Dove has extended itself into hair care segment.Although internationally Dove has a range of hair care products, officially the range is introduced into Indian market this year.

Indian shampoo market is segmented on the basis of price. The top segment consists of premium brands like Lo'real,Garnier and other imported brands, midsegment consists of popular brands like Clinic, Sunsilk,Lakme,Head & Shoulders etc and the lower segment dominated by Sachets and local price warriors.
It is evident that the premium segment was created and dominated by Loreal and Hll feels that it should be having a brand in that segment too. Dove will be pitted against Loreal and is positioned as a premium shampoo with moisturizing properties. The presence of milk lotion acts as the differentiator. The brand takes the strength from the equity of its soap and will be trying to leverage on that strength. The brand uses the tagline " More beautiful hair with every wash" to promote the range.
The extension of Dove to shampoo is an example of brand extension. There are industry experts who say that this extension will fail because the customers can never relate Dove to haircare. I feel that for HLL Dove brand is the best bet to counter Loreal.

Related Brand
Dove
image courtesy :businessline

Head & Shoulders : Making Hair Soft & Dandruff Free

Brand : Head & Shoulders
Company: P&G

Brand Count : 240

Head & Shoulders is world's No.1 anti-dandruff shampoo. A power brand from P&G , this brand made its debut in India in 1997. In the highly competitive Indian shampoo market which is estimated to be worth around Rs 1800 crore, Head&Shoulders is a major player in the Anti-Dandruff niche. The entire shampoo market is dominated by HLL with a whopping market share of around 46%.
When the brand was launched in India, the anti dandruff market was in its nascent stage and dominated by Clinic All Clear. The high profile launch of Head & Shoulders fueled the growth of this specialty market. Now anti-dandruff segment constitutes around 15% of the total shampoo market. While some reports suggest that Head & shoulders lead this segment, there are no exact market share figures available. My feeling is that Clinic All Clear has a lead over Head & Shoulders.

Head & Shoulders is positioned as a pure play anti-dandruff shampoo and for these 20 years has stuck to this positioning.When the brand was launched, it really gave HLL brand Clinic a run for its money. The brand had carried its heritage as worlds largest selling anti-dandruff shampoo and also maintained a good share of voice. The brand used the Markonym ZPT ( Zinc Pyrithine)Formula which has anti-fungal properties as its differentiator.
But during the 2000, Clinic All Clear outsmarted Head & Shoulders through some very aggressive campaigns. As usual HLL banked on high profile celebrities to endorse this brand. Shah Rukh and Shahid Kapoor and recently John & Bipasha made sure that Clinic All Clear retain its share of mind. Surprisingly during this period, Head & Shoulders kept a low profile.

It was during 2005 that Head & Shoulders began its aggressive campaign to regain the lost market.The brand roped in the bubbly Preity Zinta to endorse the brand. Earlier Ajay Jadeja had endorsed the brand.During this period, the brand also extended its positioning from Anti-Dandruff to "Soft hair + dandruff removing " proposition. The brand also introduced different variants like Menthol, Aloevera, Black, Naturally Clean,smooth & silky to increase the product line depth.
The brand also changed ZPT formula to Vitazinc to support the new positioning. Along with the new brand ambassador, the brand also talked about eliminating 5 problems arising out of dandruff : Flakes,Irritation,Itchiness,Dryness and Oiliness.The new extended positioning makes sense in the new consumer environment where customers are looking more at combo products rather than specialty products.
Although Head & Shoulders has aggressive in the market, it is still lagging behind Clinic All Clear in terms of creative campaigns. Globally, Head & Shoulders had come out with some highly creative campaigns which was not replicated in India by the agency.The brand is now available in a new look and with the aggressive campaigns, the brand hopes to keep its Head High

Brand Update : Eyetex

I had written last year about the brand Eyetex and its initiative to tap the new generation with the new brand Dazzler. The Senior Management of the firm was kind enough to provide me further information about the brand which I would like to share with you , Excerpts from the mail
"

• Last year we sold 23.4 million pieces of our traditional EYETEX Kajal,
• We believe that no brand of any Eye Care Cosmetic sells such a volume in India - value is a different matter,
• This year, the target is appr. 25.8 millions of pieces - the low growth is due to the near saturation level of penetration,
• We also produce five varieties of Eyeliner Liquid under the same brand EYETEX - but this is synthetic product like the Brands that you have mentioned,
• We sold 1.42 millions pieces of our EYETEX Eyeliner Liquid in 2006-07;
• We believe that this is the Second largest next to LAKME who are reported to have sold close to 4.0 millions pieces of their Eyeliner liquid,
• This year the target is 1.75 million pieces
• In your state KERALA, our Eyeliner Liquid is by far the Number I Brand in volumes - this can be easily verified,
• These 1.42 millions sales in 2006-07 comes on top of just 1.60 lakhs pieces of Eyeliner Liquid sold as recently as 2000-01,
• As your BLOG aptly titles - Eye On The Next Generation - we are also into Eye Mascara {since 2005}, Eyebrow Pencils {since 1975},
• We are also into - under the Brand DAZLLER - Nail Polish {3 varieties}, Nail Polish Remover, Lip Sticks {2 sizes}, Lip Gloss, Compact Powder, Liquid Makeup {Foundation Cream}, Lip Eye Makeup Remover etc.,
• We are also the largest BRAND in the Kumkum business in India - the Umbrella Brand is EYETEX and this has sub Brands namely POORNIMA, PALLAVI & DIVYAA,
• We sell Kumkum in Powder, Paste, Liquid, Pencil & Sticker forms,
• In 2006-07 we sold over 64 million pieces of different varietis of Kumkum

"

Great going for a heritage brand like Eyetex. It is always good to see Indian brands keeping their forte even after the onslaught of Global brands. But the threat is real. A dipstick study at my institute revealed little percentage using the heritage brands and majority going towards global brands ( may not be statistically relevant) . But these brands has their strength of the equity that it has created over these years. Only thing they have to do is to strengthen it.

Related Brand
Eyetex

Doy : Clear Skin, Healthy Skin

Brand : Doy
Company: VVF Ltd
Agency:Orchard Advertising

Brand Count:231

Doy is an interesting brand because of two reasons , first is that its an example of a contract manufacturer going in for forward integration ,second it was a brand that tapped a new segment in the highly competitive Rs 5000 crore soap market.

VVF is a company that was established in 1939 metamorphosed into a largest player in the Oleo resins and personal care manufacturer. The portfolio of VVF includes the Who is Who of the personal care industry ranging from J&J to Dettol.
Doy was launched in 1998 as a soap targeted at the segment of kids aged 3-11 years. At that time , there was virtually no competition in the category with only a single brand "Kids" from J&J. Interestingly VVF was manufacturing KIDS for J&J.
VVF launched Doy in 1998. The brand was a premium soap positioned as kid's soap. The brand differentiated beautifully from other soaps using Form as its point of differentiation. In Marketing texts we have learned about differentiating based on Form and Doy is a classic example for that. The brand came in shape and form that catch the attention of Kids. According to the brand website, Doy has Five basic variants

Pink Princess
Green Pixie
Samba Lion
Purple Mermaid
Mambo Elephant. Later the brand included more variants like
Lucky Duck
Bathman
Patch Eye
etc.

The unique shape of this soap made the brand very popular among the kids. Although the market share figures are not available, I feel that the brand had a reasonable run.
The brand's success is very much attributable to the right segmentation. When we look at the soap segment, J&J's soap is primarily targeted at infants and kids aged till 3. After that in most households, the kids use the same soap as the elders .Here is the gap that the brand has identified.
Not only that the brand used its form as a differentiator, it had its positioning based on its product qualities. Doy uses Olive oil as a major ingredient. Olive oil has many properties that suits skin care. Doy is positioned as a soap that makes the skin healthy. The brand has a tagline " Clear Skin, Healthy Skin. Initially the brand was promoted using TVC's

Watch the TVC here: Princess

Then the brand did some unthinkable act. It extended itself to an adult brand with the brand name Doy Care. The company launched Doy Care Creme : a cream based premium soap targeted at young women. The brand was aiming at the premium segment of the soap market. The brand also had a unique shape like the kids variants. Later came another variant aimed at the young girl's segment Doy Care Aloevera.

Watch the TVC here : Aloevera

In my experience as a consumer, the aloevera variant was a horrible soap ( I know its not meant for me...) because of its fragrance or lack of it....
As an academic , I feel that extending a Kids brand into adults was somekind of a suicide mission on the part of the brand manager. It is going to confuse both the consumers: Kids and young girls.
Regarding the parent brand Doy, the company is not at all aggressive in the market. Except for some sporadic ad campaigns, the brand is adopting a laid back attitude. There are news reports of many below the line promotions for this brand, but compared to its peers , the share of voice is very low.

With lot of competitors viewing this segment seriously, Doy better start getting more active. One comforting fact for Doy was that J&J 's venture into the Kid's segment with the brand KIDS was a failure despite its heavy campaigning and the backing of the equity of J&J.Now we can see that Johnson & Johnson is now communicating to the mothers that its baby soap can be used for Kids also. Pears is another strong brand eying this segment. The brand had a reasonable success in the TG also.

I personally feel that Doy failed to take advantage of the opportunity it had to create and own the kid segment. Primarily because of the lack of heavy investment in brand building.

source:agencyfaqs,financialexpress,doycare website

Hair O Max : Double Protection : Internal & External

Brand : Hair O Max
Company: Nupal Remedies
Agency: Exodus

Brand Count: 222

Hair O Max is a new product launch from Nupal Remedies which is the owner of the famous Liver Supplement brand Kamilari. The new brand Hair O Max is being promoted heavily by the company through print and visual media. Nupal is a kerala based Ayurvedic Medicine manufacturer which was established in 1960. Their most famous brand is the Kamilari which is a uniquely marketed liver supplement. Buoyed by the success of Kamilari, the company has ventured into hair care segment.

The brand is interesting because of its product properties. Hair O Max is a natural hair fortifying product that comes in two product forms:oil and capsule. Yes.... capsule that should be taken internally. According to the print ads, the brand will prevent dandruff and also give maximum protection to the hair from outside and inside. The brand is being targeted at both men and women.

This brand is being endorsed by Miss India Niharika Singh and the company is spending heavily in the print and visual media. But for the product, I have certain doubts ( academic of course). In theory we talk about Category Points of Parity that talks about the importance of category membership for a new brand/product. Here you have a new product in capsule form that takes the ownership in the category of Hair Care products. We know that 99.99% of the hair care products are to be applied externally and comes in the liquid form. Here we have a capsule trying to make points of parity with that category. Hair O Max has an oil variant but I am referring to the capsule. From the ad, I understand that both capsule and oil has to be used to get the maximum benefit.
So will the consumer be able to accept a capsule form of hair care product.I feel it is very difficult. Remember that problem faced by Amrutanjan cold snap which was a cold remedy that cannot be applied to the nose? There are two issues with regard to this product form:
1.To convince the customer about category membership since the form is entirely different from the existing category products.
2. To convince the customer to consume a capsule.When I asked my wife about the idea of consuming a capsule to have beautiful hair, the response was negative because of the lack of confidence in the product.
The brand is being positioned on the basis of Double Protection: Internal and External.

The issue become more serious because the risk in consuming and the risk in the quality of the product will be there in the mind of the customer. To convince is a very expensive proposition.The brand need to give fast and visible results to get over the confidence hurdle.

Nupal Remedies has a successful history of making the brand Kamilari a success. It has to be seen whether Hair O Max will be successful.
Watch the TVC ( malayalam) : Hair o Max

Nycil: Soothing and Cooling

Brand: Nycil
Company:Heinz
Agency:Rediffusion DY&R

Brand Count :220

Nycil is the market leader in the Rs 100 crore prickly Heat Powder (PHP) market in India. This heritage brand has successfully adapted to the changing trends for more than 35 years.
Nycil was initially a drug manufactured by British Drug House for Foot and Bed sours.But later the brand metamorphosed to India's leading PHP brand. The brand changed hands to Glaxo and then to Heinz in 1995

Prickly Heat Powders are highly seasonal products and to manage a seasonal brand is a Brand Manager's nightmare. The typical season for PHP in India is during April-July.The php category is about 20% of the total talcum powder market.Nycil has a market share of over 40% in the PHP category. ( source: Superbrandsindia,org).
During the eighties and nineties the Nycil was generic to the category. The brand was promoted heavily using the cactus mnemonic and the scorching heat gave the additional push to the brand. The brand was able to capture the need of the market which was moving away from traditional methods of applying turmeric or sandalwood pastes.
The irritation caused by heat is felt heavily on kids .Hence Nycil effectively targeted the mother and the child and the brand was positioned as the most effective Prickly heat powder.The brand talked about prevention soothing and healing to fight Prickly heat. The ads featured mother and child effectively conveyed the message. The product was efficient also since using Nycil bought instant relief ( personal experience).
Nycil's success bought many competitors into this category. Brands like Shower to Shower ( J&J),Dermicool ( Paras)Boroplus(emami) Vaseline ( HLL) all tried their luck in the market but could not make a dent into Nycil's leadership position while it took some market away from Nycil.
Nycil is a brand that constantly evolves according to the changing market. in 1970 the famous mnemonic of Cactus gave way to Bramble. Thebrand came out with different fragrances. Later in 1990's the brand expanded the target market to include adults also. The packaging was changed in parity with the industry trends.The brand also tried to expand its usage by including the attributes of fragrance and antiperspirant. But for a consumer, Nycil remains as the PHP.

My point is that Nycil has never rested on its laurels. The brand kept track of the market and competition and never shied away from experimenting. The category is highly seasonal and the purchase is largely problem/need driven. Sometimes the customer will go for the brand that have the maximum share of mind and voice. For example high profile ads of Dermicool took away some of the market of Nycil .It takes lot of efforts to differentiate such niche brands. I havn't seen any celebrity endorsing prickly heat powders? For a change having a celebrity endorsing Nycil may work for the season ...Will it?I also think that it is the right time for this brand to take on "Freshness" platform in place of soothing because there is more value and moving space in taking on the Freshness platform while keeping the points of parity with PHP category. The brand can also come out with multiple campaigns aimed at different set of segments like Sales Executive, Kids, Working women, College students rather than sticking to one segments. The rationale is that since the brand is a seasonal one, expanding the segments will be a viable option.And since different segments have different consumer behaviour, multiple campaigns make more sense.
Summer is on right now and I am waiting for the ad war....

Source:agencyfaqs,superbrandsindia.com