Maruti Suzuki and the Line Filling Strategy – Locking Customers Within the Brand

Maruti recently launched a new SUV - Victoris at a price starting from Rs 10.5 -20 lakhs, at the same time, it's bestselling brand Grand Vitara starts with the same price range. When I was watching the Victoris review, a famous autojournalist commented- why would Maruti Suzuki launch a new product at the same price range of its own product with the risk of cannibalization. In marketing theory, this is called line filling strategy where the company deliberately launch products within the same range of existing products. 

This risky strategy has its own advantages. The major advantage is that the brand is able to give a complete array of products across the price ranges and variants which often prevents the customers from going to another competitor. The brand by launching products with so much similarity is offering a wide range of options thus locking the consumer to the brand. If a consumer doesn't like a model in a price range, the brand thus offers another model within the same range. Often this is seen in FMCG, cosmetics etc where consumers search for variety, Maruti Suzuki has perfected it in the automotive segment. 

While other automotive companies cannot copy this strategy because there are a lot of consumers in India which when thinks about buying a car, thinks first about Maruti and then its options. The brand doesn't want these customers to move out of the brand. Further this heavy list of brands and variants acts as a powerful deterrence against the competitors eliminating any gap for them to enter. Having said that Maruti too had the gap in the SUV segment which was capitalized by Mahindra and Tata Motors. In the EV segment also the market leader was trumped by Tata Motors. But once the company finds a platform, it fills the models to prevent customer switching.

Maruti’s strategy of line filling may look risky on paper, but it works because of its brand gravity—Indians still think ‘Maruti first’ when buying a car. By flooding price bands with options, the company prevents leakage to rivals and maintains dominance. The real test will be whether Maruti can apply this same formula to the fast-growing EV market, where it has already ceded ground to Tata Motors. If history is a guide, once Maruti finds a viable EV platform, it will quickly fill every gap to keep customers locked within its brand orbit.

Brand Update : Vim Expands from Dishwashing to Floor Cleaning

 This has to happen and it happened, after ruling the dishwashing category with around 50% market share, Vim has extended to floor cleaning segment with the launch of Vim Ultra Pro cleaning liquid. Typical to HUL style, the brand has a " technology " to back the positioning based on effectiveness. Earler, marketing academics and practitioners were very cautious in product-line and category extensions. there were many critical academic articles ( even in HBR) on the risks of product extensions. However things have changed, market has become fragmented and competitive and brand managers doesn't have time and patience to build and sustain new brands.

 So it make sense to squeeze the juice out of popular brands and make the most of it in related and sometime unrelated categories. So it makes sense for HUL to use Vim - a brand with terrific equity to a familiar category - floor cleaning. What is surprising is that Vim has not used the ' lemon' based association in the new extension. Rather it chose to use " ultra pro" something it have borrowed from mobile phone ( iPhone) branding - ultra pro, can we expect ultra pro max later ?? The brand extension has lot of promises like cleaning power, fragrance, germ killing but the basic positioning is the cleaning power because that is what customer wants. The brand is entering to a segment which have brands like Lizol, Harpic, Nimyle and whole lot of small brands. But the strength of Vim is definitely going to help in customer trails and rest is all about brand's performance.

The entry of Vim into floor cleaning is more than just another extension—it signals HUL’s intent to transform Vim into a broader home-cleaning masterbrand. With the right mix of equity transfer, consumer trust, and product performance, Vim Ultra Pro could challenge entrenched players like Lizol and Harpic, and reshape the dynamics of India’s ₹8,000 crore floor cleaning market.

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Gala Cleaning Products – Innovation as the Brand’s Key Differentiator

 Brand: Gala

Company: Freudenberg Gala Household Products (FGHP).

Brand Analysis Count: 625

Gala is an interesting brand in a market that rarely gets glamour – household cleaning products. Created in 1982 as an exporting firm, Gala transformed itself into a ₹500 crore brand through relentless innovation and a strong customer focus. In 2009, it entered a joint venture with Freudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions (FHCS), forming Freudenberg Gala Household Products (FGHP)—a partnership that brought global design expertise and Indian market understanding together.

I first came across Gala through its pioneering No Dust Broom. Traditional Indian brooms suffered from "bhusa"—loose dust and debris that made sweeping inefficient. In 2014, Gala addressed this pain point head-on with its No Dust Broom, eliminating “bhusa” from day one. This single innovation paved the way for Gala's entry into Indian households, positioning it as a brand that actively listens to its customers and addresses genuine issues.

The FHCS partnership further expanded Gala’s innovation pipeline, leading to products like spinning mops, easy-twist mops, and ergonomically designed toilet brushes. With premium product design, a strong retail presence, and an international appeal, Gala has built brand equity that prompts many online users to wonder whether it’s an Indian brand. I became a Gala customer not because of advertising, but because of the brand’s ability to solve problems and its omnipresence across retail and online touchpoints.

Looking ahead, Gala is well-placed to lead the Indian cleaning tools market into its next growth phase. With increasing urbanisation, hygiene awareness, and global aspirations, the brand can expand to include eco-friendly materials, smart cleaning tools, and export-led growth. If it continues to innovate while keeping its customer-first philosophy, Gala can dominate the Indian market and become a global name in household cleaning solutions.

Marketing Practice : Smell as a Brand Element

Crayola has taken a significant step in branding by trademarking the iconic smell of its crayons, a scent deeply associated with childhood memories. This move highlights the growing importance of sensory elements in brand identity, showcasing how companies are now leveraging unique, non-visual brand elements to create emotional connections with consumers. The "Crayola smell" is not just a fragrance; it's a powerful reminder of creativity and nostalgia. As brands continue to innovate, integrating sensory trademarks could be a game-changing strategy for deepening customer loyalty and differentiation in the market.

#Branding #SensoryMarketing #Trademark #CustomerExperience #Innovation

Brand Update : 7Up is riding on celebrity this summer

 7Up this summer has a strategy focused on celebrity influence. A brand which is lagging behind in terms of market share has been on a confused path all along. Launched in 1992, the brand followed the international template of importing its brand mascot- Fido Dido. It was a refreshing campaign during those times and Fido Dido looked uber-cool. However, the brand struggled in the market fighting the likes of Sprite which now has over 20% market share while 7 Up is below 5%. The brand discontinued using Fido Dido for a long period and around 4 years back, it bought back the character. However, the mascot struggled to fit into the Indian context with its Western looks. 

This summer, the brand went into a hyper-promotion mode fueled by celebrity endorsement. First came Rashmika Mandanna, then Anirudh and now Ranbir Kapoor. The brand also tuned its positioning based on freshness. The brand now has the positioning statement of Super Duper Refresher in the campaigns. 

The repositioning started with Rashmika Mandanna featured advertisements. The brand cleverly used the celebrity ambassador's young vibes and communicated the positioning using very- smart mnemonics. To convey the refreshing benefit, the brand used the mnemonic of a blob of water bursting over the celebrity. With Rashmika Mandanna's expressions added more punch to the brand's promise.

The campaign was followed by another featuring the current music sensation Anirudh Ravichander with Rashmika along the same theme.

The brand further pushed the envelope by roping in Ranbir Kapoor for the pan-Indian appeal. 

The brand has done everything right in terms of positioning and execution. The scorching summer of 2024 will add more fuel to most of the soft-drink players in India. By the campaign scale and execution, I think that 7Up has been able to get its promotional strategy right. The positioning on the basic platform of Refreshing benefit coupled with the use of mnemonics and celebrity is a good recipe for success although very expensive to sustain.

Marketing Practice : FMCG Giants to Leverage Elections Through Small Packs

 An interesting article in ET sheds light on how FMCG giants like Parle and Dabur are trying to leverage the election season by launching small pack items like Rs 5 and Rs 10 sachets of snacks, biscuits and beverages. Already, the players are witnessing an uptick in the sales of small packs. The surge is due to the large number of election rallies expected to take place in this election season. 

Dabur is also upscaling the distribution of pocket-sized packages of beverages, hair oils and shampoos to take advantage of the season. Another player Balaji Foods is also gearing up the production expecting a hike in demand for its snacks. According to the report, this trend is backed by the expectation that there will be a 6-8% increase in the sales of these small-pack items mirroring last season's data. The logic is that the election rallies lead to large, captive audiences which create a heightened demand for quick, on-the-spot refreshments. Either these purchases are individually bought or sponsored by the political party. This trend of marketers taking advantage of such large events is not new and we have seen how brands have taken advantage of mass events like Kumbh Mela in the past.