Miss Players : Play It Cool

Brand : Miss Players
Company : ITC
Agency : FCB- Ulka

Brand Analysis Count : 288

Miss Players is a new brand from ITC in the women's wear market. The Indian women's wear market is huge , estimated to be of size Rs 33000 crore. The market is dominated by unbranded products. This market is going to witness lot of branding activity with lot of global majors like Reebok, Levi's and Blackberry already making its presence in the market. Most of the major apparel brands like Allen Solly have women's apparel line.

The latest launch of Miss Players brand is aimed at capturing a fair share of this market which is estimated to be growing at 15%. Miss Players has strong association with John Players brand which was the ITC's first brand in the readymade category. John Players had a reasonable success in the market and Miss Players shares strong brand association with John Players by using the term " Players" . I liked the brand name because it retains the individuality at the same time derives an association with John Players with out diluting the positioning of the male brand.

Miss Players is targeting the young ladies and the brand comes with a variety of apparel and fashion accessories. Popular actress Amritha Arora is the face of the brand. The brand has set a price range of Rs 300-1000 thus making it a Masstige brand.
Although John Players and Miss Players are two different brands targeting two different consumer segments, both these brands share a common positioning strategy. Infact Miss Players have the same positioning of " Style with playful side " and uses the John Player's tagline " Play It Cool ".
But Miss Players have lot of challenges ahead. The main competition for this brand is from the hosts of unbranded readymade products in the market. The TG is not known to be brand conscious and more inclined to experiment with different styles . In this market, the major attributes is fashion and variety ahead of brand. Miss Players had done the right pricing by making the brand affordable and time will tell if Miss Players will be able to satisfy the fashion appetite of young girls.


Related Brand
John Players

Itch Guard : Complimenting Active Life

Brand : Itch Guard
Company : Paras Pharmaceuticals
Agency : Mudra

Brand Analysis Count : 287

Itch Guard is a niche brand, that too a highly successful niche brand. It comes from Paras Pharma which has specialized in making successful niche brands. Itch Guard brand is interesting for many reasons , primarily because it address a problem that consumers never speak about in public.
Itch Guard , as the name suggest is a specialist brand dealing with Intertrigo. Intertrigo is the medical term for itch caused due to sweat. The brand which was launched in 1998 is now a market leader in the anti-fungal itch creams.
The problem of sweat related itch has been there from time immemorial ( although I does not have data to prove this point). The itch can be caused by sweat retention, moisture in folds of the skin and also because of tight garments. The itch can case severe embarrassment and is often taken as an a sign of unhygienic lifestyle. This makes the problem very personal in nature and usually this issue is unspoken.
The customers usually retort to traditional methods for solution. The common methods include applying talcum powders, oil and prickly heat powders. For severe cases, people tend to go in for ethical medicines like Betnovate and Soframycin.
Paras wanted to tap this market with Itch Guard. Mudra was roped in to develop the launch strategy. The brand was developed on the consumer insight that " Respectable people do not scratch in front of others" . The brand knew that there was a need for a product that specializes on this problem because prickly heat powders or oil does not solve the problem.

The first campaign focused on the Sweat itch caused in the groin area of men. There were a series of campaign highlighting the efficacy of the product. The interesting factor in the campaign was that the brand was positioned as an upmarket brand. The campaign was wise enough to feature models which was famous and this promoted the brand above the likes of BTex . The brand also created a character ITCH . The website itchguard.com has won creative awards for best product sites. Itch Guard also uses the Cactus Mnemonic to reinforce the positioning.

The brand became an instant success. But success had its fair share of problems as well. A consumer research showed that Itch Guard was perceived to be a brand for " Serious " itches. That means that the brand was used by only those who suffered serious itches thus restricting the usage of the brand. And there was a concern that Itch Guard may be perceived as a brand for itches in Groin area . Hence the brand went for a repositioning strategy whereby separate campaigns were run for broadening the usage and also to make the brand appealing to non-serious sufferers of Itch.
The brand is currently positioned as one which complements active life. The brand takes two platforms . One focuses on the medicinal values of the product and the second one takes the lifestyle values. Use of Itch Guard helps the customer to avoid the Social Embarrassment and thus enables an active life.
Watch the commercial here : Itchguard

Itch Guard has successfully created a category for itself . For a customer, the brand has made his life a lot easier. The brand has also removed the taboo surrounding this problem . One of the success of the brand was that it was able to understand that itch related problems is more of a lifestyle issue rather than a hygiene issue. This insight has helped the brand to communicate to the customer in a more refined manner. This positioning has also helped the customer to purchase this brand without any embarrassment.

Itch Guard is a classic marketing story where a brand identifies a problem and successfully solves the problem. The brand also reminds marketers that even in this clutter, its possible to come up with successful brands if you listen to the customer.

Source; Mudra.com,agencyfaqs.com

Brand Update : Lux

It seems this season is of Brand Updates. This time its for Lux. Lux has recently launched yet another variant : Lux Crystal Shine. The new variant has the shine of crystals and drops of moisturizer in it. The variant is positioned as one that gives luminous sensation or in plain language will make your skin shine.

In order to convince the customer that the soap contains CRYSTALS, Lux has added some " Gilt" into the soap and the soap gets a sparkling look.The new variant also features the new Lux Diva in Ms Priyanka Chopra.
Other than the new look, pack and fragrance, what is interesting about Crystal Shine is its ad campaigns. The ad campaign featuring Priyanka is an Indianised version of Lux Shine campaign from Argentina.
Watch the Original campaign here : Lux Shine
This campaign is popularly known as Lux Neon Girl campaign and this has won many creative accolades. The agency has just edited certain portions and added Priyanka at relevant places ( thanks to editing softwares) and the Indian version is ready.
The same technique was used in the Lux Haute Pink launch too. The question remains as to why a cash rich company like HUL use a campaign famous elsewhere in India instead of coming out with a much more original localized version? Why should a respected advertising giant like JWT ( India) do such Copy - Paste work?

I think that the reason is simple. HUL has been trying to introduce some of the famous global variants of Lux in India. Lux Pink and Crystal Shine is a part of Lux's profile in various countries. HUL is not sure about the success of these variants and may be hesitant to invest heavily in these variants which are Un-Indian. Hence the easy way out is to import the campaigns also. In the case of Crystal Shine advertisement, it was creatively appreciated worldwide hence HUL thought that it will work in India too. The success of AXE brand's international campaigns in India gives the company more reasons to import globally successful ads for the Indian variants.
I personally did not like both Lux Pink and Lux Crystal Shine Ads. Some where the connect was missing. The earlier campaigns involving the film stars were very Indian but these campaigns were totally out of sync ( Personal opinion). It may be that HUL does not want to take too many risks .......The problem is that if this trend continues, Lux will no longer have that " Customer Connect" which can hurt the brand in the long term. Although the packaging of both Pink and Crystal Shine are different, the Indianness is lost which I feel is dangerous.

Another disturbing fact is that Lux is increasingly diluting its primary associations with " Milk Cream " . For decades, Lux is known for its milk cream and the Celebrities. Both new variants do not have "milk cream ". The marketers are playing around with the core strength of Lux which I feel can hurt the brand in the long run.

Related Brand
Lux

Brand Update : Ambipur

After creating and ruling the branded car perfume market , Ambipur had a reasonably successful extension in the home perfume ( aircare ) segment. This year Ambipur launched yet another innovation in the Indian market : Car odor eliminator.
All car owners faces the issue of odor especially during rainy season and also when you have kids. What ever care that you put , sometimes, the odor usually wins the fight. Sensing this universal issue, Ambipur has launched this product in the Indian market.
There is also another interesting development in this brand. Ambipur has a new brand ambassador in Soha Ali Khan ( Saif's Sister). Infact the new campaign launching the Car Odor Eliminator features Soha.
Watch the Tvc here : Ambipur
The TVC although too dramatic for a product like Ambipur however keeps the viewer hooked on till the end ( spoof).
But what is really commendable about this brand is its ability to create and expand a new category. But the brand faces tough competition from cheap look alike and unbranded Chinese products. The original car purifier has not made any improvements so far and no new fragrances has been launched. This is an issue of being blinded by the success. As a customer I am bored by the fragrances available and is in lookout for a new product ( but couldn't find one... ).
Regarding the new launch, I wanted to try it out but was taken aback by the steep price of the product. The price just repels any thought of trying it out. May be the brand is taking on the premium segment ( I recommended that in my earlier post on Ambipur).
How ever , the new launch has enabled the brand to be alive in the media. The parent brand will also get the benefit of this launch. The odor eliminator is at best a niche and often seasonal. Another issue is whether this brand will cannibalise the existing Ambipur range ? Will an Indian consumer bother about having two air purifiers in the car and bother about refilling both ?

Time will tell....

Related Brand
Ambipur

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

Provogue : Redefining Fashion

Brand : Provogue
Company : Acme Clothings

Brand Analysis Count : 286

Provogue is a pure play fashion brand. Born in March 98 , this brand is a classic case of a small company making a big brand. A brain child of first generation entrepreneurs Mr Anand Chaturvedi and Nikhil Chaturvedi, Provogue has been carefully positioned as a fashionable executive brand.

Provogue was launched at a time when Indian readymade segment was moving on overdrive. The brand had peers like Color Plus which redefined the way people dress. Provogue was conceived as a fashion brand. Over these years Provogue has been consistent in its communication and has never diluted the positioning.
Typically a small brand faces the issue of financial muscle while fighting the heavyweights like Arvind Mills and Madura Garments. But Provogue has been exploring various media to promote itself. The brand was innovative in using events as a major brand building tool.

The brand has been sponsoring major fashion shows across metros and was highly effective in creating its position as a " Fashion Brand". The brand used common sense that the best way to build a fashion brand is through ' Fashion Shows". During the cricket world cup fever, the brand did something that was nothing but smart marketing. Provogue conducted a Men's fashion show and women were only invited to attend the show. The move was aimed at targeting the " Influencer " . Women who are non users of this brand were a major influencer in the purchasing process of men's wear. In some cases women were actual decision maker and purchaser of men's wear . This innovative fashion show gave Provogue much media coverage and helped the brand to tide over the onslaught of Cricket Fever.
Provogue was a brand which used a lot of celebrity endorsement. The brand used John Abraham, Hrithik Roshan and Fardeen Khan as its brand ambassadors/ models. The brand ran into trouble when Fardeen was booked for a drug related case. The brand also ran through a rough patch when one of its promoters were booked by the police in a similar case. But the brand survived these issues and had enough equity to tide over these crises.
Now Provogue is being endorsed by three celebrities. The brand uses Saif Ali Khan to endorse the men's wear, Upen Patel for the accessories and Esha Deol for the Women's range.
To project itself as a premium fashion icon, Provogue uses the tagline " Redefining Fashion ". The brand is targeting the high profile young executive.The company had raised capital through an IPO and is on a growth mode. The company have a separate retail division which is rolling out various Provogue Retail outlets across the country. But as usual the brand is getting into a celebrity trap. In readymade category, every brand is endorsed by one celerity or the other. From SRK to Big B, the list is endless. In this market, Provogue may have to walk the tagline " Redefining Fashion "