I wrote about SS music in 2006 when the viral music channel lost its sheen. Last day, a comment prompted me to look into this brand. This channel may have been dead for long. But surprise, the brand is not dead but has evolved into a digital medium.
It is nice to know that the brand has created a new life in the digital space. It has a vibrant youtube channel. As written in my post on SS Music, the channel had accidental success as a music channel. The channel's aim was to start to broadcast lottery results, and between the results, they played music. However, because of the VJs, the channel became a music channel and even was considered South India's MTV.
The new avatar is not a music channel but rather an entertainment channel with interviews, reviews and snippets. It is good to see such an adaptation to new technologies and the transformation of a channel to cater to the new generation.
Indian writing instrument industry is worth Rs 4000 crores and is characterized by competition from organized and unorganized players. Since there are no entry barriers, many brands are vying for market share. The market is price sensitive at the bottom, while premium pens are often considered accessories and dominated by global brands.
Linc Pens is a strong player in this market. During 2020-21, the company felt that the growth was stagnating and required a boost in terms of a new product. The management wanted a product perceived as different from the rest, and Pentonic brand was born. The company designed the brand to be different through the form factor. The colour was black, and the pen was long and stylish.
The major segments that use pens are the college and school-going students characterised by price sensitivity and weak brand consciousness. However, an interesting consumer behaviour element was that these consumers were careful while selecting pens for exams. There they could prefer a trusted brand. It was this segment that was attracted to the Pentonic brand. Since Linc was already established, stores' distribution and product placement was not an issue. The brand immediately took off and is now a bestselling brand in the Linc product portfolio.
Although the brand's differentiation was black colour, the company expanded the portfolio by launching a sub-brand, Pentonic Frost. The brand's visibility at the retail store was also enhanced by the rotating dispenser, which was very visible and quickly caught the consumer's attention.
To further reinforce the brand's attractiveness towards the exam goers, the brand also ran a campaign called the exam goers exam warriors, again well received by the market.
The writing instrument market is such that every design will be matched by the competitors unless protected; in no time, these pen designs are copied by the competitors, and the same happens with Pentonic. However, the brand made strong brand awareness in the Indian market, and ultimately brand strength matters most in this market.
Pentonic story gives us the brand lesson on the importance of design as a key differentiator in a cluttered market. The design focus is slowly catching up in the Indian marketing scene, and consumers are to benefit the future through these well-designed products.
In a very thoughtful move, Quaker oats have launched a series of advertisements advising customers not to skip their breakfast. Drawing from consumer insights that in this era of busy life, consumers, especially young consumers, often skip their breakfasts which can, in the long run, become problematic for their health and energy.
Brands like Kellogg's and Quaker have long been trying to get consumer preference towards their products, replacing traditional breakfasts. The success has been limited. In the new campaign, the brand is again appealing to the convenience factor of its product.
The product in question is the Quaker Oats Muesli which is a ready-to-eat cereal. The product boasts five grains and comes in two flavors - fruit and nut and berries and seeds. However, the major selling point is the convenience of quick preparation and balanced meal.
One should appreciate the brands like Quaker and Kelloggs for being tenacious and open to experimenting with product variants. The new campaign will help the brand gain more traction in the breakfast space, which is witnessing a change of sorts.
