Brand Update : Surf Excel

An SKU is commonly defined as an inventory control count or a unique identifier for each of the products that can be ordered from a supplier ( Wiki). This is a common term used in relation to inventory control and often represented by a numeric. Another definition goes like this ' SKU or Stock-Keeping Unit is actually what is stocked i.e the unique combination of a particular flavor, quality/ price level, packet size , color / model specifications etc and also the identifying brand name ( source - a paper published in South London University by Jaywant, Andrew,Gerald)

But for a marketer, SKU's are something more. It is a tool which is used by marketer to realize some of his objectives. It can be used to
fight competition,
acquire new customers,
provide more choice to the customers
trade pressure
enable sampling etc.

The reason for all these fundas is because of the latest launch from Surf Excel - Sixer Pack. Most often , small packs are used by marketers to make the product affordable to a larger market. We have seen the success of Shampoo sachet and later the rush of the marketers across categories providing smaller packs.
Here Surf Excel is trying to promote the sachet customers to higher volume SKU's.
The logic behind Surf Excel Sixer Packs is simple - Surf Excel now comes with a unique pack of six chota packs (sachets) . Each sachets is for one day's use hence the sixer pack is for a week. The Sixer pack costs only Rs 10.
What I liked most is the way in which the brand communicated this idea to the consumers . Watch the ad here : Sixer Pack
Lowe has once again used the charm of kids in communicating the message.

The question arises as to the purpose behind introducing this new SKU. I think that it is to encourage the current sachet users to buy a convenient sixer pack rather than buying one or two sachets. The price is also psychologically comfortable . Another purpose is to make the brand more affordable to a larger market. The new pack will encourage those who use low priced brands to tryout Surf Excel on a regular basis. Those price conscious consumers may still buy low priced brands but will also buy Surf Excel Packs for their best clothes ( a possibility ! ).

Related Brand
Surf Excel

Hindustan Unilever Ltd : Adding Vitality to Life

Brand : Hindustan Unilever ltd
Company: HUL
Agency : Lowe


Brand Count : 243

Its now official. From today onwards, Marketers have to learn to call India's Largest FMCG company by its new Name : Hindustan Unilever Ltd. The company has officially rebranded itself.

According to the press release, the rebranding aims to align this brand along its global positioning of the parent Unilever.

According to the CEO of HUL Mr Douglas Bailey the new logo and name symbolizes the idea of vitality. He says

“The identity symbolises the benefits we bring to our consumers and the communities we work in. Our mission is full of promise for the future, opening up exciting opportunities where we have competitive advantage for developing our business and our new identity will help us confidently position ourselves in every aspect of our business.”

There is more to the new logo than it meets the eye. The logo is a combination of 25 icons that symbolizes the vision and mission of the company, the brands and the concept of vitality. The new corporate brand takes the tagline " Add Vitality to Life".
The twenty five icons form the unique U of the new corporate logo.

Incorporated in 1933 as Lever Brothers India ltd and adorning the name Hindustan Lever ltd in 1956, HLL never was serious about its corporate brand. All these years, this FMCG giant was building individual brands.
It was in 2005- 2006 that HLL seriously began to use its corporate logo in its TVC's. The company felt that a powerful corporate brand can give power to individual brands especially the new brands.
This year, the company made a huge change in its logo and the name.From the reports, I feel that the company is embarking on a serious corporate brand building activity in the years to come. This makes sense because theoretically Corporate brands Legitimizes products and individual brands individualizes it. This was important for those product categories which need to establish trust because of high cost or high customer involvement. Hence you can see consumer durable brands and automobile brands using both Corporate Brands and Individual brands together.

The current rebranding of Corporate brand is not going to make a difference in HUL's position in the market. The reason being that all of the HLL's brand stand independently from the corporate identity. I also doubt whether customers care about the company behind the Surf ?
The new brand is also unique since it is the only market in the world where Unilever has allowed the use of regional name . To show solidarity to Indian market, Unilever is retaining the term Hindustan in the new brand name.

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.