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 "

Anne French : Smooth and Silky Skin

Brand : Anne French
Company : Wyeth
Agency : Grey

Brand Analysis Count : 285

Anne French is a niche brand. The brand is a major player in the Rs 50 crore hair remover cream market in India. The brand owned by the pharmaceutical major Wyeth is now facing the heat of competition.
The Indian hair remover cream market is small because of the fact that hair removal is a touchy subject for women and this product category is seldom discussed across media.The campaigns are usually low key and brands gain popularity more through word of mouth and highly targeted advertising.
Anne French is a Depilatory cream. Depilatory creams removes hair at skin line. These creams use alkaline chemical ( Calcium thioglycolate ) which dissolves the protein structure of hair and causes it to separate from skin. Although there are different method of removing unwanted hair like plucking, tweezing, threading, waxing bleaching, shaving etc, depilatory creams have gained popularity in Indian market owing to the convenience and ease of use. The only drawback is that it may cause allergy for some.
This category was in a stagnant stage for long till 2004 when Reckitt launched the global depilatory cream major Veet in the Indian market. The brand caused a stir in the Indian market. Veet used the super model Katreena Kaif to endorse the brand .
The entry of Veet threatened the leadership position of Anne French. Veet had the advantage of its Global image and also the high profile celebrity endorsement. Veet also tried to differentiate by launching this product in a tube form. These moves force Anne French to launch its own tube package and also increase the adspend.
Anne French in 2007 launched the Squeeze tube and two perfume variants to counter the threat from the Global leader Veet. The ad campaigns are currently on air .
Watch the tvc here : Anne French
The brand has tried to add value by adding moisturizer and vitamin . Anne French is trying to position itself as the easiest way to have a smooth and silky skin. The latest campaigns are focused on promoting the tube variant.
Although Anne French has been leading the market, now its position is being threatened by a global brand. It is expected that a marketing war between these two brand can lift up the category into a high growth path. Already Anne French has taken the threat head on. Whether Veet will take the market from Anne French will be an interesting story to watch.

Brand Update : Vimal

Reliance has officially announced the relaunch of its Iconic brand Vimal. The brand which has already relaunched its suitings range is now entering the Ready To Wear segment. The new move is a significant move by the brand to tap the youth market. The brand will have the entire apparel range from Shirts, trousers, jackets and suits.
The brand will also sport a new logo and a new look. The letters of the name has been tweaked to look more contemporary . The brand intends to display the character of openness and freedom. The oblong has been done away with to symbolize the open spirit and the brand intends to project itself as a contemporary hip-hop brand for the youth. The brand however retains the red color as its brand element. Vimal will be positioned as "Fashion for Everyone " . The brand focuses on its core strategy : Premium innovative products that will delight the consumers.

The latest relaunch will see three sub-brands of Vimal making its debut.
Vimal Red : Basic formal in the value segment catering to the mass market. I think this brand will take on the likes of Peter England.
Vimal White : Premium trendy range of apparel. This sub-brand will target the premium segment.
Vimal Black : The top end category that retails only the exclusive finely crafted apparel designed in Italian fashion. This range will be designed under the guidance of Italy's well known fashion designer Maurizio Bonas who is the President of " Made in Italy " Committee.
As discussed in my earlier posts on this iconic brand, the relaunch of Vimal coincides with the aggressive foray of Reliance into retail. According to rumors , Vimal is trying to rope in Icons across various domains from AR Rahman to Vishwanathan Anand for its brand building exercise. Any way the relaunch of Vimal is a nostalgia for lot of us who has once loved this brand.

Related Brand
Vimal

Source : RIL.com, hindu

Brand Update : Crocin

Crocin is yet again in a repositioning exercise. The brand which was struggling itself to break the " fever pill " perception is trying to enter a new segment : Cold and Flu tablet segment.

Crocin was earlier trying to position itself as a pain reliever ( Analgesic) and met with limited success.
Crocin is trying to enter the domain of brands like Vicks Action 500 and D'cold with a new extension Crocin Cold N Flu.The television campaign is already on air.
Watch the TVC here : Crocin Cold N Flu
The execution of the ad is perfect and the message very straight forward. The brand is pitting head on with Vicks Action 500 by emphasizing on the four main symptoms of cold : headache, congested nose, back pain and throat pain. The message is strikingly similar to that of Vicks. However the execution is much more classy that that of Vicks Action 500. That means that Crocin variant is targeting urban crowd with this variant compared to the much more down to earth targeting of Vicks Action 500.

I feel that this time Crocin has got its positioning correct. I checked with a local druggist and to my surprise, the stock was sold out ( its rain out here....) . So the ads seems to have clicked.
One reason for the success of this variant is in the concept called Brand Association. In the Pain relief variant, the brand tried to downplay the brand's primary association with fever. That caused a confusion in the mind of the consumer. How can one take a fever pill for headache ?

This time the variant "Cold N Flu " takes the primary association into its advantage by using the term Flu with the brand name. This rings a bell since we feel that Catching cold is a symptom of catching fever. Hence the customers will feel much more secure by taking a pill which is a combination of ' Fever and Cold " remedy.

This variant is going to create some dent into the market dominated by Dcold and Vicks. I feel we are going to see a lot of sneezing models on television in days to come

Related Brand
Crocin