Brand Update : Surf Excel takes forward Dirt is Good campaign during pandemic

While all brands are trying to use germ-killing or protection feature in their product in one way or the other, Surf Excel has a different take on the pandemic. In the latest ad, the brand takes the time tested "Dirt is Good" campaign to a different level linking the lockdown effect on the pandemic. In a clever move, the brand has used a family bonding theme to further the brand's positioning. 

A powerful positioning platform helps the brand to mould it to suit various environmental changes. Be it consumer behaviour changes or changes caused by the external environment. Dirt is Good is such a positioning platform which offers excellent creative flexibility to the agency to respond to these changes. The agency has done exactly that with Surf Excel. Surf is in a position where it need not talk about its functional attributes. That is the reason why the brand has taken an emotional position. The current ad brings the brand's relevance in this tested times aiding awareness and salience factors. 

Ariel Detergent : Firing All Cylinders

Brand: Ariel

Company: P&G

Brand Analysis Count: #603 

The Indian detergent market worth over Rs 29000 crore is a fiercely competitive market with a whole lot of organized and unorganized players, global and local players vying for a pie of the market.HUL commands the detergent market with around 39% share with its power brands like Surf, Rin, Wheel, Sunlight etc. 

P&G has been fighting the market leader with Ariel and Tide pitching these brands against Surf and Rin respectively. Ariel is a global brand which has a history dating back to 1967. The brand came to India in 1991 and ever since, the brand has been fighting Surf head-on. 

Ariel has always positioned itself as a stain-fighting detergent, thus directly challenging Surf. In the marketing journey, it had used all possible strategies in challenging the market leader. While Surf although a premium-priced detergent tried to appeal to the value, Ariel steadfastly focused on performance in terms of stain-removing. For this, Ariel launched a series of product enhancements and form variants.

In the promotion front, the brand used every trick in the book. While Surf moved from value-based pitching to an emotional " Dirt is Good" theme, Ariel focused on the logic of stain removal. The brand is using the celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor in the last two to three years in their campaigns. The theme is revolving around food-stains which are toughest and in a sort of challenge format shows that Ariel cleans the stains better. 

Last year, the brand also used Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor in their campaign again highlighting the brand's core promise. 

Not to be left behind in the emotional positioning, Ariel in 2016 launched a campaign Share The Load with the hashtag #sharetheload. The theme focused on the fact that women in households are often deprived of basic necessities of life such as sleep because they are forced to take an entire load of managing the households. Hence Ariel decided to be their voice and launched a campaign asking everyone in the house especially men to share the load. The campaign was there for one year and then stopped. In 2020, the campaign was again restarted and was well received by the audiences. The campaign is nicely done and is relevant to the brand since it is talking for its customer- the women of the household. 

In 2020, the brand also came out with product innovation - The Pod. Pod is a unique detergent capsule where there are three components of detergent packed using a thin film. One is a stain-remover, another detergent and a whitening element. This capsule has to be put into the washing machine along with the clothes and the capsule breaks to release the detergents. 

The USP of this pack is the convenience and more than that this product also showcases the brand's focus and innovative character. As a consumer, there is a novelty value and added convenience but how it fits the laundry budget is something debatable. 

Despite all these efforts, Surf still rules the premium laundry segment. Ariel should be credited with a single-minded focus and consistent positioning and also its ability to come out with new product innovations. The brand has remained premium over its competitors and resisted a price war with the competitors. It is patient and focused and I think the brand is letting customers patronize the brand based on the merit than anything else.

Marketing Strategy : The Art of Brand Laddering

The Art of Brand Laddering

This article was Originally Published Here at Adclubbombay.com

Raymond makes you a Complete Man, Bournvita makes you Confident, Fiama Di Wills makes you Beautiful Today, Tomorrow, Nike asks you to Just Do It and Eating Parle-G makes you a Genius!!!

Welcome to the world of brand laddering. …

Brand laddering off late is the most sought after strategy in the Indian marketing space. Brand laddering involves positioning of a brand from common product attributes to more abstract values or concepts. Its moving from a focus from product attributes to brand benefits.

One of the Indian brands which have successfully undertook brand laddering is Raymond. Raymond’s is now positioned on a more abstract benefit ( Complete Man) rather than the product /functional attributes of clothing like fashion, texture, quality etc.

From product attributes to higher values involves a series of stages. Marketers have to be careful while trying to position their brands on higher abstract concepts.

The first stage of laddering is establishing the brand’s association with product attributes. Attributes are the physical properties of the product that in turn will deliver the desired benefits to the consumer.

When a brand is launched, the focus of the marketer will be to establish the product attributes. The task is to establish category membership and also to achieve parity with competitors on functional performance.

For example, textile brands will be trying to convince the customer about their product properties like texture, colours, quality etc. For a TV marketer, the focus will be on features like clarity, sound quality, technology etc. For example Sony Bravia is now focusing on its 2 million Bravia Pixels for establishing itself as a leader in the emerging LCD TV market. Automotive marketers concentrate on the product features and attributes while launching its brands into the market.

Once these attributes are firmly established in the mind of the consumer, the brand moves into the next step in the laddering process .This stage involves positioning the brand on product benefits. Here the brand moves from a functional focus to the benefit focus. Maggi Noodles had built its brand based on its product qualities like “easy to cook “and taste. Later the brand repositioned itself on the health platform.The latest tagline of Maggi – Taste Bhi, Health Bhi, takes the brand from attributes focus to benefit positioning.

The most critical stage of laddering process is to associate the brand to abstract benefits. Abstract benefits are conceptual benefits which focus on a deeper need of consumers much above the product benefits. Often these abstract benefits are aspirational in nature.

Brands over a period of time try to move from a basic benefit based positioning to a more abstract benefit. While comfort is a benefit, being a complete man is an abstract benefit. Airtel is about Expressing Yourself. This is an abstract benefit that the cellular service provider tries to position itself on. Fair & Lovely when launched concentrated on its functional benefit of “fairness” during its initial stage of brand building. Over a period of time, the brand has laddered up to the abstract concept of confidence and women empowerment.

Abstract benefits helps increase the aspirational value to the brand. It also helps the brand to extend itself into related categories since its positioning is no more conceptual and not limited by any functional attributes of a product.

The final stage in the laddering process is where the brand becomes synonymous with the abstract benefit. This is a level where the brand personifies abstract benefit. Johnson & Johnson is synonymous with mother – child relationship. Over these years, the brand has established itself by positioning on this abstract concept. In theory, this is referred to as Brand Essence.

Brand laddering helps a marketer in many ways. The most important benefit is that abstract attributes gives more flexibility to the brand. It takes the brand away from the most basic attributes so that marketers can experiment with various communication themes. Abstract benefits also give the brand to be more creative in its campaigns. Raymond’s was able to create highly popular campaigns because it focuses on an aspirational benefit of “Completeness”. Raymond’s can create new stories about a complete man which would not have been possible of a brand focusing on functional attributes.

The fundamental objective of brand laddering is to create icons. Iconic brands are that which truly represents or personifies aspirational values. Nike personifies authentic athleticism and Harley Davidson is synonymous with masculinity, free spirit and rebelliousness.

Although laddering is a sexy marketing strategy, it requires certain preparation for successful execution. The laddering will be successful only if the brand is able to establish its association with functional attributes. If a brand tries to ladder up without establishing its functional expertise, consumers may not believe in the brand’s claim. . The highly acclaimed “ Dirt is Good “ campaign of Surf is a successful brand laddering exercise because it was done after establishing its functional expertise. The brand should first establish its Points of Parity (POP) with its competitors in terms of performance. Only then, the laddering will be accepted by the consumers.

Another important condition is the abstract attribute should be relevant to the brand. For example, Nike and Athletics performance go hand in hand. Bournvita and confidence have obvious connection. Dove and Beauty are connected with each other.

Before venturing into a laddering exercise, the marketer has to decide on the brand essence. The abstract benefit should be carefully chosen because there is going to be a long term association often a permanent one.

Usually laddering is done on a benefit derived out if the core brand mantra. Brand mantra is the core DNA of the brand. It is what the brand stands for. And like DNA, brand’s mantra also remains constant. Choosing the right Brand Mantra enables the brand to ladder up effectively.

Even after a successful laddering exercise, a brand should not leave its focus on functional attributes. Sometimes, the brand should do a laddering down exercise to reinforce its association with functional attributes. This could be done by parallel campaigns focusing on functional attributes. This laddering down should be done if there is a change in consumer’s perception or if the competitors launch an innovative feature. In such a scenario, the brand should reinforce its functional expertise to the consumers.

Vanish : Trust Pink, Forget Stains

Brand : Vanish
Company : Reckitt & Benckiser

Brand Analysis Count : 438

Vanish is a category creator in the Indian market. This is a brand that pioneered the stain removal fabric care product category in India. Infact this category was carved out from the broader detergent/fabric care market in India.

Vanish is a global leader in the fabric stain removal fabric care product category. This Rs 2700 crore global brand came to India in 2005 after an extensive test marketing phase which started as early as 2001. Vanish was launched in India as Vanish Shakthi . The brand is in the "specialist fabric care "product category which is a subcategory of fabric care market.

Vanish is a stain removing product. This product has to be added with the ordinary detergent inorder to remove the toughest of stains. The brand has been actively promoted across various media .
One of the interesting feature about this brand is the usage of the brand element -color of the packaging- as a differentiator and as an anchor. Although Vanish powder is white in color, the brand uses pink packaging as a powerful brand element. The brand even uses the color as the element that anchors the brand to the customer's mind. Vanish uses the tagline " Trust Pink, Forget Stains ". Infact this is one brand that uses color to increase the brand salience . Globally too Vanish uses the same strategy to create distinctiveness .

Pink and stain removing detergent are seemingly unrelated attributes. Some may say these attributes are negatively associated. But Vanish established that Pink can remove Stains. By creating such an association, the brand has created a powerful differentiator. The brand uses its " Active Oxygen" property to rationally convince the customers of its effectiveness in removing tough stains.

Vanish has achieved this through powerful advertising. The ads are full of pink color bombarding the consumers about the message " Trust Pink, Forget Stains ".

Watch the ads here : Vanish 1, Vanish 2.

The brand follows the global advertising strategy in India too. The ads have the same theme of product demo/ stain challenge coupled with pink dressed models doing the demo.

It has to be said that these ads increase the brand recall among the viewers because it has lot of powerful brand elements.
But more than these high profile promotions, Vanish became globally successful because of product efficacy. Many friends who used this product has vouched for its effectiveness. A good product with strong brand elements backed by a heavy load of ads should be a sure winner .

Having said that, Vanish has a tough task ahead. First difficulty is to establish the usefulness of the brand in everyday life of the consumer. Since this brand is a specialist, consumers may use this product only on occasions where they have to deal with tough dirt. So there is a chance of this brand remaining niche because of that perception. The new campaign is aimed at convincing the consumers that using Vanish everytime can remove stains which were left unnoticed by the consumers. So less risk when used regularly. It is a smart move indeed.

Another issue is the price. Vanish is an expensive product and since this is not replacing the ordinary detergent, Indian homemakers may think twice before including Vanish in the regular purchase list. Although Vanish has introduced economical packages, it may have to go through the sachet route if it wants to drive volume. In the ever value conscious Indian consumer mindset, Vanish still remains as a ' luxury'.

Third issue is the competition. Although Vanish is a specialist, it is facing competition from ordinary detergents which also claims to be stain removers. It is logical for a consumer to choose a detergent that claims to have stain removal property rather than buy two products .

Vanish is India for long term. It has the backing of a global fmcg giant, a rich global success background and a potential consumer market to tap. It will be a brand worth watching.

Related Brand
Comfort Fabric Conditioner

Comfort : Make a Good Clothes Day

Brand : Comfort

Company : HUL

Brand Analysis Count : 333

Comfort is the new launch of HUL in the fabric care market. Although the brand was launched in early 2008, it was recently that the brand began making noise in the media. Comfort is a global brand with its origin in UK in 1969.

Indian fabric care market is huge .The numbers available in the media is confusing . Rediff puts Rs 8800 crore market size to the laundry care industry.
The fabric care market is broadly divided into three categories

Prewash : Stain removers, softners etc

Main Wash : Detergents

Post wash: Whiteners

Obviously the mainwash category is huge and dominates around 60-70% of the total market.

Comfort is initially launched its fabric softener product in India. Although the market is nascent, there is a hidden potential for such fabric care products in the urban market.
On the promotion side, the brand had just playing imported ads from the other markets
Watch one tvc here : Comfort ad

The ads are in the genre of animation /claymation and is totally out of sync with the Indian consumer's tastes. I am not sure why a company like HUL need to cut costs by importing foreign ads which are totally out of place in India.Frankly speaking , the ads does not convey any meaning and I never understood what the characters said . Hence I may not be able to speak on the positioning strategy of this brand.


The category is still emerging. The need for a fabric softener is not currently felt by Indian consumers. Especially the pre-wash treatment of clothes are new to Indian consumer. In the case of expensive clothes, consumers depend on drycleaning and for ordinary daily wear , we have taken for granted that the clothes should withstand the detergents and lasts for a reasonable time.

Hence the task of this brand is to create an awareness about the need for such products. There has been products like Bambi, and Ezee which had the softeners but failed to create a category .

Another hindrance to the category's acceptance will be the time and effort for using these products. In this fast life, do the customers have time to soak the clothes in softeners first and then wash it ? I guess no. In some cases where the clothes are pretty expensive, consumers may take the pain but in normal course, it is unlikely.

It was the reason why Unilever introduced Comfort Pearls in UK. Comfort pearls can be put in the washing machine along with the detergent and it gives the same result. It is a smart way of making the product easy to use for the consumer.

In India, the brand wants to test the market first before going all out. So initially this brand will be a niche product and I think that the category will be restricted to a niche.

But the way HUL has promoted this brand is a deviation from the usual best practices for which HUL is famous for. The company failed to take the local consumer tastes into consideration and just put some campaigns for the sake of it. There has been a trend in HUL to depend on foreign commercials fueled by the success of Axe campaigns. Lux , Rexona deo and Dove are other brands which recently started showing foreign ads. I feel that this is a unhealthy trend which can disconnect the brand from the consumer. Again and again it has been proved that Indian market needs to be addressed differently and HUL is trying to implement the plan of " One message( ad) for entire world ".
Its sad to see this from a company which talked about " Dirt is good ".

Pureit : As Safe as Boiled Water

Brand : Pureit
Company : HUL


Brand Analysis Count : 297

Pureit is the first foray of the FMCG major into the consumer durable market. Pureit is the water purifier appliance from HUL. Pureit made its test marketing debut in 2005. The brand was initially launched in Chennai. During the test marketing, the result was pretty encouraging and the brand was launched nationally in 2007.
The domestic water purifier appliances market is estimated to be Rs 450 crore ( HBL may 03/07) and is dominated by Aquaguard from Eureka Forbes. As discussed elsewhere in the blog, this category was not growing very fast because of the high cost of the product. The entry level water purifier was costing anywhere between Rs 5000- Rs10,000 .

Pureit is a battery operated purifier . The company uses the following differentiation points against the main competitor Aquaguard by claiming that the product works without gas/electricity thus the cost per litre of pure water is very less. More over the brand is priced at a tempting Rs 1600 which makes it the lowest priced purifier compared to Aquaguard or Kent.

Pureit is being positioned on the basis of its performance. The brand claims that the water from the purifier is ' as safe as the boiled water ' . By claiming that it purifies water as safe as boiling water, Pureit is trying to achieve Points of Parity with Aquaguard and Kent which also claims the same feature. Along with this POP, the brand tries to differentiate on the following points :
a. no electricity/gas
b. Cost per litre low
c. Price of the product is also low

Pureit works on different cleaning layers to ensure purity. There is a fibre mesh layer which removes visible dirt. Then comes a unique carbon trap that filters harmful pesticides and dirt. Then comes the USP - Germkill processor which kills all the bacteria and virus. Then there is a polisher which gives clear odorless water and a battery life indicator which tells you when to replace the battery. The product has a capacity of 9 liters in the upper chamber and 9 liters in the transparent chamber. According to the product website, the battery lasts for 1500 liters and the replacement battery costs Rs 250.
Pureit is now being promoted through all media. There are ads in local print as well as TV. Being the FMCG major, HLL was able to place the product in most of the supermarkets and key consumer points. The brand uses the tagline " As Safe as Boiled water'. The brand is mainly targeting households (mothers ) which have small kids.

Apart these common above the line promotions, what has struck me was the below the line promotions that HUL has undertaken for Pureit. A visit to my doctor proved it. There was a product displayed prominently in his clinic with all necessary brochures and inquiry forms.The brand is using the influencing power of the medical fraternity to its advantage. For the doctor , it just means that his patient has access to pure water while waiting but for the brand this small gesture adds lot of authenticity. HUL has done pretty good homework on this product. The brand is available in shops and also sold through direct marketing associates.
Although the low price of this product will help it to penetrate many households , there are certain issues also.
Pureit is a consumer durable that requires after sales support. When even specialist consumer durable companies are blamed for offering poor after sales support, can an FMCG company deliver efficient customer service.
Another issue is the replacement battery. Will HUL be able to offer this spare without delay ?
At the consumer side, the problem is with the battery. It is crucial that the consumer replace the battery at the right time and use this product. A delay in the supply of battery can cause non-usage for Pureit at households thus causing bad word of mouth. May be it is because of this fear that HUL in its website tells the consumers to buy an additional spare battery.
The brand has more chance of longterm survival if it is promoted through the direct marketing venture ( Hindustan Lever Network) of HLL .

Pureit is a product that is a boon to Indian consumers. Its a boon because it has helped making a category more affordable. More than that, the quality of potable water in our country is deteriorating day by day creating health hazards especially for kids. By making a product at an affordable cost, HUL has made another positive impact in its consumer's quality of life.

Brand Update : Surf Excel

Surf Excel is currently running two campaigns riding on the popularity of the "Daag Ache Hain" ( Dirt is good) campaign.The new campaign too strikes a chord with the consumers. Continuing with the earlier campaign, the new ad features two kids taking a Puddle fight to distract their fighting parents fighting over a car collision. The voice over says " if some thing good happens because of dirt then Dirt is Good". According to a report in agencyfaqs, the creative team had a tough task in continuing a classic campaign and no doubt they have been very successful.

The second campaign takes a cue from the World cup. The ad features a group of kids preparing for World Cup 2015.
Watch the TVC here: Surf Excel Cricket

Both these ad takes on the spirit of the brand to a higher platform .The ads are also classic way of using kids to promote an adult brand. The " Dirt is Good" campaign is also a classic example of the power of a "Big Idea". The idea has been running for more than 3 years and still has not lost its relevance. The agency also has been able to keep the Idea relevant through smart execution.

Related Brand
Surf Excel

Image source:agencyfaqs,magindia

Brand Update : Lifebuoy

Lifebuoy has extended its positioning from " Protection from germs" to Continuous protection from germs even hours after bath. Like the earlier award winning campaign of Little Gandhi, this time also Hll rightly uses kids to the brand's advantage. The new concept take a cue from the Surf's campaign 'Dirt is good". The new campaign of Lifebuoy assure mothers that the child gets protection even hours after bath. Traditionally soap ads used the concept of washing away dirt and germs during bath.
But no one thought about protection after bath. Toothpaste ads showed protection after brushing but not bathing soaps. Lifebuoy effectively takes advantage of this twist. Great work from a Great brand.

Surf Excel : Dirt Is Good:So Is The Idea

Brand : Surf excel
Agency : Lowe

Baseline : Dag Ache hain " Dirt is good"
Brand Count : 3


Surf has been in the market for a long time and has effectively managed its product life cycle with the help of product innovations and great marketing strategy.

The recent campaign of surf excel with the base line that says "Dirt is good" comes as a pleasant surprise to the Indian consumers

We were associating Dirt with Bad. Advertisers too had established dirt with some thing to avoid at all costs.

Even our cricketers seldom dive in the field because it would soil their white dress and we have seen our Cricket players, sorry Cricket models escorting ball to the fence in their spotlessly clean dress. Dag ache nahin hain!!!!

I am not sure why HLL tries to shock the public by saying that dirt is good, may be it is to shock the public and we are pleasantly shocked.

This campaign has a huge significance. It says
It is ok to soil your clothes
It is ok to play in the mud
It is OK to enjoy life
Surf excel hai na!

There are innumerable spin offs that surf can do with this campaign . I will say that after " Lalithaji" ,This is the next "BIG IDEA......

Hats off to Levers and Lowe

Key words : Brand, Positioning, Marketing strategy, Indian Brands.