Speed : High Performance Petrol

Brand : Speed
Company: BPCL
Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi

Brand Count : 187

Speed is India's first branded petrol.Launched in 2002 by Bharat Petroleum Corporation ( BPCL) , the brand assured in the concept of positioning and differentiation in the Petroleum marketing which was by nature a commodity.

Speed is marketed as a high performance petrol. Speed is the blend of petrol with high speed additives sourced from Chevron Texaco. The additives are expected to increase the performance of the vehicle.
The branding of petrol is more difficult than any other products because of the following reasons:
a. The customers are very price sensitive. With the petrol prices moving upwards always, spending a premium for branded petrol is a tough call for a customer.
b. There is no tangible benefit that branded petrol can offer to the customer. The advantage of using Speed will not be visible to the customer at the outset. The change may have to be noticed on the performance of the vehicle .

In that sense, Speed has been very successful in creating a niche in this market. The brand is said to be contributing 25% of the total petrol sales of BPCL. Speed is said to have 50% share in the branded petrol segment.
BPCL has carefully nurtured this brand. The brand name itself gives a headstart to the acceptability for the brand since Speed is linked to Performance. Speed is positioned as High Performance Petrol. The company has roped in Narain Karthikeyan as its brand ambassador. The TVCs and the print and outdoors reinforced the positioning of the brand as a performance booster. Narain's was a right choice for the brand since he personifies performance driving in India.

Speed has competition from Indian Oil brand: Extra Premium. Besides using Narain as its brand ambassador, BP also has other campaigns promoting the brand on performance . Speed also extended itself to include Diesel fuel under the Hi-Speed diesel brand.

Even before the launch of branded petrol, BP had initiated a corporate campaign " Pure For Sure" to position the company as one that provides the Purest Petrol/Diesel.The campaign was aimed at promoting retail outlets selling fuels. Another corporate campaign was " Energising Lives" aimed at raising the corporate image beyond fuel retailing. These moves were to preempt the competition arising out from private players like Reliance Industries entering the fuel retailing segment.
With fuel prices touching new heights and with customers looking for alternate fuel options, it will be tough for Speed to convince the customer to pay a premium for the brand.

Related topic
Branding a commodity

Source:agencyfaqs,businessline
image source: agencyfaqs

Market Statistics : Volume 3

This is the third volume of Market Statistics.

Airfreshner market size :Rs 50 crore

Pressure cooker market size : 6 million pieces

Non stick + cookers market size: Rs 600 crore

Smart Kitchen market size: Rs 3000 crore

LPG market market size :Rs 9 billion

Small Appliances market size : Rs 15 Billion

Pressure Cooker market size: Rs 6 Billion

Branded Indian breakfast market size : Rs 300 crore

Lavatory Care market size : Rs 320 million

Indian cosmetic market size : Rs 2.2 Billion

Leather Goods market size : Rs 1000 crore

Branded Leather market size : Rs 100 crore

Diaper market size: Rs 110 crore

Chocolate Bar market size : Rs 350 crore

Powder market size : Rs 600 crore

Baby Cereal market size : Rs 300 crore

Tyre market size : Rs 10,000 crore

Sewing machine market size : 1.1 Million units

Eye Care market size : Rs 1000 crore

Ice cream market size : Rs 1000 crore

Cigarette market size : Rs 10,000 crore

Desktop market size : 4 million units

Sugar substitutes market size : Rs 60 crore

Branded Sari segment : Rs 7100 crore

Ethnic dress segment : Rs 17000 crore

Women’s wear market size: Rs 28500 crore

Salwar market size : Rs 1800 crore

Sugar Market : Rs 25,000 crore

Iodised Salt Market : Rs 10 billion

Burn Care market size : Rs 30 crore

Over All balm market size : Rs 200 crore

Bus Market :Rs 10000-12000 bus per annum

Casual wear market : Rs 4500 crore

Apparel market : Rs 6000 crore

Branded garments market size : Rs 2500 crore

Toy market size: Rs 2500 crore

Taps & Fittings market : Rs 1000 crore

Organised Bath Fitting market : Rs 500 crore

Wound care market : Rs 520 crore

Bandages market : Rs 20 crore

Pain Balm Market : Rs 100 crore

Related Links

Market Statistics :Volume 1

Market Statistics : Volume 2

Crocin : Your Trusted Paracetamol

Brand : Crocin
Company: Glaxo Smithkline
Agency: O&M

Brand Count: 186

Crocin is a three decade old heritage brand. The brand was once generic to the antipyretic category in India . The brand is currently sold through Over The Counter (OTC) route. The brand is the market leader in the paracetamol category.

Crocin was launched in India 30 years ago by the company Duphar Interfran Ltd. During the early years, the brand was marketed through the ethical route. The brand was bought by Smithkline in 1996. The brand was so successful in the market that GSK bought it for a consideration of Rs 45 crore. There was a logic behind the brand acquisition. GSK had the brand Calpol in the prescription market and was a market leader in the Ethical segment. Crocin was proving to be a major threat for Calpol. So the brand was acquired inorder to safeguard the position of Calpol.

The Indian Pharmaceutical market is huge with a valuation of $45 billion. The OTC segment accounts for a value of $ 1 Billion i.e Rs 4500 crore. Crocin is in the analgesic/antipyretic market. The analgesic (pain Killer) market is a large market with a size of Rs 900 crore and the mild analgesic market is worth Rs 300 crore. With in the analgesic market there are two types : Aspirin based and Paracetamol based. Paracetamol based formulations constitute a major part of the market. Crocin formulations has a 5% share in the total market.

Crocin although a generic name in the paracetamol segment faces an interesting problem. 65% of the brand usage is for its antipyretic i.e fever related use. The antipyretic segment in the OTC is very small with a size of Rs 30-40 crore. In the painkiller market which is large, Saridon leads the pack in the OTC segment.

Crocin's market became limited sadly because of its efficacy or popularity as a drug for fever although it had pain killer properties. Sometimes success can become a limiting factor for further growth. The paracetamol segment is witnessing competition from the generic tablets. Most of the time the druggist has the influencing power in the sale of OTC products. During the 1990's if Crocin was a generic name for paracetamol tablets, the situation is different now with consumers asking for Paracetamol rather than Crocin.
Crocin was in the maturity stage of its product lifecycle in 2000 with the sales stagnating.There was intense competition from generic products and other brands.Paracetamol became a commodity with little scope for differentiation. The brand then went into Market Development Mode in 2003 by repositioning the brand as an analgesic. The brand roped in Kapil Dev to endorse the brand. The high profile ad campaign gave a new life to the brand. The brand also came out with variants like Crocin Quik that boasted of faster relief . Quik was essentially a concentrate of the classic Crocin. Crocin also came out with Crocin 1000 aiming at patients having arthritis. Crocin is promoted as an ethical product.

Crocin had its fair share of problems from the " Watch Dogs". Typically when a brand moves from Ethical to OTC and embarks on brand building , there is going to be someone who will cry foul. Crocin faced objections from FDA for some of its campaigns but those were later sorted out.

As far as a customer is concerned, Crocin is still perceived as a drug for fever( antipyretic) rather than as a pain killer(analgesic). It will take a lot of money and time to change that perception.

Related Brands
Gelusil
Vicks
Hajmola

Source: walletwatch,agencyfaqs,pharmabiz

Sanspareils Greenlands: Without Parallel

Brand : Sanspareils Greenlands
Company : Sanspareils Greenlands Ltd

Brand Count : 185

Many of us may not be familiar with the brand Sanspareils Greenlands but may be familiar with SG cricket bats. Sanspareils Greenlands ( SG) is the market leader in the cricket bat and cricket related accessories in India. Sanspareils is a french word meaning " Without Parallel "

The Indian Domestic sports goods market is worth around Rs 200 crore and has all the potential to grow in the coming decade. Cricket related products contributes to around 70% of the total market. The market is mainly considered as a cottage/small scale with the industry concentrated mainly on Northern India.The export market is much larger with an approximate figure of Rs 300 crore. SG is the largest exporter of cricket goods in India.

SG came into existence in 1932. The brand was primarily concentrated on exports and only in 1982, the company began selling in India under the brand name SG. SG is also the only authorised supplier of cricket balls to BCCI in the domestic circuit.But SG cricket balls are facing the end of the road because of the competition from the world leader " Kookaburra".

SG shot into prominence as the brand used by the Little Master Sunil Gavaskar. Gavasker used SG bats all through his long illustrious career. SG rode on the success of Gavaskar and introduced Sunny Tonny Range of cricket bats endorsed by Gavaskar.The bat became instant hit with the cricket fans in India.
Cricket bats are primarily made from English Willows. There are many types and specifications of bats and most of the professional bats are customised. The one and the only way to build a brand in cricket bats and accessories is to get a cricket star to use the bat. Sunil Gavasker has helped SG to stay on top of consumer minds for a long time.

roped in The power of the cricket star is so immense that it even results in new business venture for a company. The company in case is MRF which is a company manufacturing Tyres. MRF roped in Sachin Tendulkar to endorse its range of tyres and paid a huge amount of money to feature the brand in Sachin's bat. At that time MRF was not into bat making. It was a smart move to keep the brand on India's most loved cricket player's bat. MRF is also one of the first brand to feature in a cricketer's bat. Seeing MRF logo in bats, there was a flood of queries at sports good stores for MRF bats. Eventually MRF ventured into Bat making/marketing to tap the potential.At that time there was a regulation from Cricket board that non sports brand cannot feature on cricket bats. That also fueled the venture. Now MRF bats are endorsed by Lara, Waugh and Sachin.

Now many brands have started featuring in cricketer's bats. This has pushed up the cost of endorsement to as high as Rs 3 crore per year. But the investment is worth a hundred TVCs if the player is on form. But in the case of failing stars like Sourav and Sewag, the brand stays on the pitch for less than 2 minutes which makes the promotion a costly affair.

This new trend of non sports brand endorsing cricket bats is a setback for brands like SG. Traditionally these brands relied on the players for brand building and seldom do these brand advertise in the media. There is a chance that marketers will start buying " SPACE" on helmets and pads in the near future. That makes the cricket player look like a playing Hoarding. The cricket control boards will also be happy as long as their cash register is ringing.
Besides the marketing issues , another issue that affects SG most is the proliferation of cheap and fake products. Other than the professional players, the normal consumer is price conscious and will not pay much for a cricket bat/accessories.

The brighter side is that with the popularity of cricket touching the levels of religion, the cricket related products will do well. But the market despite the immense potential is small because of the basic lifestyle of Indians. Here unlike the west, Sports are considered as a waste of time.Parents restrict their kids from taking too much interest in playing any kind of sports. Our educational institutions also lack the proper set up for encouraging sports related activities. Hence the people who involve in sports are restricted to two groups
a. Those who want to take sports as career
b. Those youngsters who like to play. These youngsters stop their sports activities when they get a job/get married.
Those who play after reaching 30 years is small in number. That is the TG which have a lot of money to spend. Sadly sports marketers don't target this group.
Sports marketers should try to market SPORTS as a way of life and a way for keeping you healthy . Unless and until that happens, the market is going to be small.

Related Brands
Proline
Gatorade

Sources: SG website, eximbank report, sportstar
image courtsy: SG website

Maaza : Real Mango in the Bottle

Brand : Maaza
Company: Coca Cola
Agency: Leo Burnett

Brand Count : 184

Maaza is the market leader in the Rs 600 crore Indian Fruit drinks market. The brand which is now 30 years old have an iconic status in the segment. The brand came into existence in 1976. The brain child of Parle's Chauhan, the brand came into Coke's fold in 1993. Like Thums Up and Limca, Maaza also had its own power to live.

Although the Indian soft drinks market is huge- valued around Rs 2 billion, the non carbonated drinks constitutes only 10% of the total market. With the Indian consumers expected to become more health conscious in the coming decade, the non carbonated market will witness a huge growth in coming years. The non carbonated drinks are dominated by fruit based drinks. The fruit based drinks market is further classified into Fruit Juice and Fruit Drinks and Fruit Nectar market. Fruit Juices typically have more than 85% fruit juice content while Fruit Drinks contain less than 15% fruit content. The rest is included in the fruit nectar category. While Maaza is the leader in the fruit drinks category, Dabur's Real is the leader in the fruit juice category. The nectar category is dominated by Frooti.
Maaza brand is synonym with the Real Mango. The brand initially was positioned as " Mango in the Bottle". The rich creamy taste of Maaza ratified the positioning and gave the brand a huge fan following. Along its product life cycle, the brand changed its positioning in tune with the times but keeping its core value intact. Although Pepsi tried to break into this market with its Slice brand, it was not able to make a market owing to the lack of clear positioning.

Maaza had the famous tagline" Botal Main AAM, Maaza hai Naam" translated loosely to " Mango in the Bottled Named as Maaza". The brand later metamorphosed to include the fun element. The tagline was changed to the famous jingle " Taaza Mango , Maaza Mango" loosely translated to" Excitement of Mango with Maaza".
Maaza was targeted at the whole family. The brand's primary consumers are children and the company at one point tried to tame the mothers ( influencers) by the campaign relating the brand to health. Maaza boasts to be fortified with calcium. Although kids are a huge fan of the brand,Maaza was clever enough not to restrict itself to being a Kid's drink. The new campaign featuring Satish Shah takes the brand to the next level of Friendship and Fun. The brand is laddering up to higher state of Friendship moments and is trying to tell the consumer " How drinking Maaza brings People together" : A tall order for a fruit drink... I still feel that the original positioning of Real Mango in Bottle still make sense.

The core brand value for Maaza is "Wholesome Funfilled Real Fruit Experience". The brand over these 30 long years has seldom diluted the core values. One time it changed its track was in 2001 where the brand tried to come out with Orange and Pineapple variants. Customers rejected it . It is a sort of Non-sense to extend a brand known as Mango in the Bottle to other flavours.
Maaza also experimented with packaging . The brand has ventured into smart attractive 1.5 litre Pet bottles and even to tetrapack. The brand also changed the look and changed its logo to become more contemporary.Coke surprisingly has spent considerable amount of money to build and sustain this brand. The brand returned the favour by being the largest selling fruit drink brand in India.

Related Brands
Frooti
Thums Up
Sprite
Rasna

Source: agencyfaqs,magindia,fnb,businessline
imagesource: agencyfaqs,cocacola website

Acuvue : Healthy and Convenient

Brand: Acuvue
Company: Johnson&Johnson
Agency: Lowe

Brand Count:183

Acuvue is a major brand in the Rs 60 crore contact lens market. Although the market is led by Bausch and Lomb with around 70% market share, Acuvue can be termed as the innovation leader in this segment.
Acuvue, the brand of the Johnson &Johnson ( J&J) is a pioneer in the disposable contact lens category. Acuvue was the first disposable contact lens brand in India. The brand is the market leader in the disposable lens category.

Although the eye-care market is estimated to be around Rs 1200 crore, the contact lens category forms a minuscule part of the market. The penetration of this category is abysmally low even in the metros (5%). The changing lifestyle hold immense potential for this category in the years to come.

There are many factors that has inhibited the growth of contact lens. The primary factor being the price perception. Contact lenses are perceived to be priced higher and considered to be out of reach for the middle class. Another factor is the health and maintenance issue. Users of contact lens will agree that regular /prolonged use of lens often causes irritation . Although the marketers talk about convenience, the lens should be cared more and the limitation of its use ( example : you should remove the lens while taking a nap/ cooking etc) makes the consumer averse even to try this category. More over consumers are not aware about this category and its uses. Some reports suggest that most users have a fear of inserting foreign object in the eyes which is termed as Pokeaphobia that further limits the popularity of this category.

The target market for contact lens category is the SEC A B in metros ages anywhere between 15-35. While the consumers aged below 20 will not have their say in the purchase of contact lens, it is the working youngsters who show the maximum potential for a contact lens marketer.

Acuvue is a brand that had tried to make the category popular by addressing the two issues : cost and maintenance. The brand came out with disposable lens that can be used for two weeks and can be disposed thus freeing the customer from maintaitenance hassles. The brand became successful because customers of contact lens use ordinary glass as the primary eye wear and uses lens for special occasions/events. Primary need that these lens satisfy is the need for looking good. The brand is positioned as a healthy and convenient brand stressing the comfort factor. The brand has also embarked upon an e-trial initiative to prompt the potential consumers to try out this category. The consumers can go to the site and register themselves to get a trial pack of lens. The aim is to get the non users to try out this brand. The brand is optimistic that the majority of trial users will turn to be regular users. The brand is also trying to train the opticians because majority of sales happen at the shop and opticians acts as a major influencers.
Acuvue was also an innovation leader by coming out with lens that is bifocal and also color lens. One of the major innovation was the Acuvue 1-day lens that was launched in 2006. The new variant is a use and throw lens. It is the shampoo sachetisation of contact lens. The consumer insights is that people may need to look good on some special situations like marriage or interview or company presentation etc. One cannot afford to spent Rs 1000 just for that occasion. The solution is the 1-day use lens that costs only Rs 90. Theoretically it makes perfect sense.The product effectively seals a gap in the market.

But the larger issue is that the product related issues are limiting the category growth. The inherent product problems limit the popularity of this product category. The target which these marketers aim are those who will be using computers. Using lens while working on a computer will cause irritation in the eyes. This is just one example of how product problems can obstruct growth. Using lens while traveling in a motorcycle also is not advisable which alienates many young men from trying out lens or using it regularly. In such a scenario the 1-day lens or disposable lens make perfect sense. Till the contact lens marketers sort out the product related limitations, the category is going to remain a niche.

Related Brands
Essilor
Ray-Ban

source: businessline,rediffmoney,acuvue.com
image source: agencyfaqs.com,opitek-dietze.de