Great ads need not shout its message, the viewers without any effort will understand it. Such an ad was created by Horlicks this season. The new ad of Horlicks featuring mother and daughters very cleverly and powerfully reinforces the brand's message of making you stronger thus confident and empowered. The new ad of Horlicks under the new brand owner HUL takes the campaign to next level of brand laddering. What is beautiful is that the brand comes only at the end credit. The purpose of these kinds of themes is not promoting purchase intention but to reinforce the brand's message and positioning which will have a powerful influence on brand outcomes. In that sense, the current ad of Horlicks ticks all the right boxes.
Showing posts with label Brand Laddering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brand Laddering. Show all posts
Monday, December 21, 2020
Monday, September 07, 2020
Brand Update : Colgate takes laddering to next level
Colgate is taking the brand laddering to the next level in their 2020 campaign. The brand over time has moved from a functional benefit platform of strong teeth and healthy gums into a higher-level attribute of smile and confidence. The new ad has further strengthened the new higher emotion-based positioning based on the power of a smile.
The ad strikes the audience with the surprise twist at the end of the commercial and brings a smile to the faces. The brand in a way has taken the risk of bringing emotion into the pool of category benefits. The familiar white coat, chalk and ink theme has given way to a series of the emotion-based campaigns with brand benefits such as confidence, new beginning etc. What it brings for the brand is a sense of freshness because the earlier functional benefit based ads were around for a long-time and a sense of boredom has set in at least in my case as a customer. The new ad helped to bring in a freshness to the brand and the unfamiliar plot brings a twist to the campaign.
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Brand Update : Colgate Moves to Higher Brand Values
In an interesting move, Colgate has moved from its traditional positioning of Strong Teeth to a much higher brand value of inner strength. The campaign started with Deepika Padukone and is currently taken forward with an endorsement from M.S.Dhoni and his wife Sakshi.
Colgate which rules the Indian market was very consistent with the brand's positioning. The imagery of the dentist and the demo using shell has remained the main theme of most of Colgate Dental Cream's advertising.
The new Colgate campaign talks about inner strength and tries to link the brand to the message. The tagline - Ander Se Strong which means: Be Strong from Inside. The new positioning is strengthened by the endorsement from Deepika Padukone and Dhoni. In a testimonial kind of ad, the brand uses the celebrities' personal experience to drive the new positioning.
It is not that Colgate has completely moved to higher-order brand values. In a follow-up ad, the brand is also reminding the consumers about the original positioning based on calcium and strong teeth. As a market leader, Colgate has to constantly be ahead of the game in this highly competitive market. The Indian toothpaste industry is witnessing changes prompted by the initiatives by brands like Patanjali Dant Kanthi. The new campaign definitely helps Colgate stay ahead of the competitors for a while.
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Brand Update : Horlicks pitches for Emotional Nutrition in the latest campaign
Departing from the usual pitch based on functional benefits, Horlicks now have moved into emotional territory with the new campaign Bottle of Love. Horlicks has been very consistent in the brand campaign throughout its brilliant life in the Indian market focusing on the benefits. The " Taller, Stronger, Sharper " proposition has been very well received in the Indian market and Horlicks continued to be the market leader in the segment in India.
The new campaign is an interactive campaign which is emotionally laced targetting mothers. The campaign features Kota which is a place famous for competitive exam coaching. Aspiring medical and engineering candidates flocks to this place for coaching and the setup there is grueling and very competitive. Kota provides a relatable example of exam stress and Horlicks wants to provide solace to the kids.
The campaign is very well made and has already become very popular in social media.
The campaign is followed with ground activation where the brand wants the mothers to log into the site bottleoflove.in where they would get an empty bottle. They need to fill it up with anything that their kids love and Horlicks will ensure that the bottle will reach the kids.
In recent interviews with the media, the campaign managers tell that the idea behind the campaign is the fact that every house will have one bottle of Horlicks and the bottle will serve as the carrier of emotional nutrition for the kids.
The transition from functional nutrition to emotional nutrition is a clever positioning move for the brand. The functional nutrition value proposition has been commoditized with a lot of brands taking up that positioning. Further, the Indian market has also seen new product launches specialized in functional nutrition. It thus makes sense for Horlicks to ladder to a higher order benefit and Emotional Nutrition fits perfectly. The concept is powerful and scalable across the brand portfolio and also resonates with the target market.
Kudos to the brand marketers.
Monday, January 05, 2015
Pril : Nurturing Relationship by Washing Dishes Together !
Brand : Pril
Company : Jyothy Laboratories
Brand Analysis Count : # 553
Company : Jyothy Laboratories
Brand Analysis Count : # 553
Pril is the brand which created the dishwash liquid category in the Indian market. A brand globally owned by Henkel was created in 1951. Sold in over 22 countries, the brand was launched in India in 1999. At that time, the brand was owned by Henkel India which was the subsidiary of Henkel AG. In 2011, Henkel India sold its brands ( in India) to Jyothy Laboratories Ltd.
Pril was the pioneer in the liquid diswash category. The Rs 10,000 crore Indian dishwash category was dominated by the dishwash bar product-form. The bar product-form had its own limitations like being soggy and messy. Pril saw a need for a hygienic upmarket alternative for the soggy dishwash bars. Pril was launched as a hygienic alternative to the dishwash bars. The brand was launched with the positioning of " tough on grease , soft on hands " platform.
The journey of the brand was never easy. Its difficult to change the habits of the consumers. According to Business Line the liquid form of dishwash is used by on 15 % of the consumers. Although the potential seems to be high, to create the shift from one product form to another is not an easy task.
To break the strong-hold of the dishwash bar product form, Pril entered the market with follwoing product attributes
- Strong de-greasing property - establishing parity with bars
- Fragrance ( De-odorizing ability) - established point of difference
- Germ killing capability - established point of difference.
- Hygienic - established point of difference with bars.
The efforts of the brand reaped rewards in creating a category that was growing more than the traditional bar-product form. The brand has created a shift from the soap form to the liquid form in certain segments of the market.
According to Business Standard, Pril now have a market share of over 16 % growing at 26% p.a. The brand is estimated to be worth around Rs 450 crores.
The brand used a direct comparison with the dishwash bar product category in its campaigns. The brand used celebrities like Sonali Bendre and Shobhana in its ads . In the earlier campaigns during 2009-13 , the brand highlighted its de-greasing and de-odorizing attributes to create a point-of-difference while highlighting the soggyness of the dishwash bar category.
The brand last year tried to ladder up its pitch into relationship. In the latest campaign featuring the new-generation couples, the brand is trying to appeal to a higher level attribute of " relationship".
One may wonder how a dishwash product can " nurture relationship " but Pril claims that by sharing common household chores like washing dishes together, one will further strengthen relationship. The brand uses the tagline " Bartan Chamkein, Aur Ristey Bhi " meaning - both utensils and relationship will sparkle.
watch the ad here : Pril relationship 1, Pril relationship 2
The campaign is well made and the brand has to be credited to think beyond just product attribute. Laddering is a risky strategy since the higher-order attribute should be clearly linked to the brand. In this case, the brand was able to establish that link in a beautiful manner. The campaign also gives an upmarket feel to the product. So much for a product like dishwash liquid !
Pril although the first mover in the liquid dishwash market is not having a wonderful time. The category competition is intense with fewer options to create sustainable differentiation. The laddering up of Pril in a way is a smart move to create some amount of visibility in the crowded market.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Parx : Live Easy
Brand : Parx
Company : Raymond's Apparels
Brand Analysis Count : # 503
Parx - the premium readymade casual wear brand from Raymonds Ltd is in a relaunching mode. This Rs.185 crore brand from Raymonds wants to play an aggressive role in the hyper competitive ready-to-wear category in the Indian market.
Company : Raymond's Apparels
Brand Analysis Count : # 503
Parx - the premium readymade casual wear brand from Raymonds Ltd is in a relaunching mode. This Rs.185 crore brand from Raymonds wants to play an aggressive role in the hyper competitive ready-to-wear category in the Indian market.
Parx was launched in 1999 as a premium ready to wear brand targeting the highly mobile young corporate customer. The brand was targeting the users for their after- office hour dress requirements. Despite the backing from one of India's reputed textile brand and perceived high quality & expertise, Parx did not quite make it to the big league. It was dwarfed by the success of brands like Color Plus ( which was later acquired by Raymonds) and Allen Solly.
The Indian ready-to-wear market is highly lucrative in terms of market size of approximately Rs 24000 crore. The casual wear market is expected to be around Rs 7200 crore.
Despite the fact that Parx belonged to one of the most respected textile houses , the brand did not quite caught the fancy of the consumer. As a consumer, I found the brand very pricey and failed to give any meaningful justification to the pricing either interms of brand or product features. Over a period of time, the brand also failed to keep itself aspirational due to increasing competition from global brands.
Parx was also laid-back in its branding efforts. The brand owners was not quite clear about the positioning of Parx. Neither the brand had any meaningful positioning. The brand was neglected by Raymonds and most of the promotional investment was given to the flagship brand Raymonds and Park Avenue.The brand was perceived to be just another casual wear brand from a reputed manufacturer. This lack of a clear positioning failed the brand to justify its premium pricing. Having said that, Parx has a good fan following in tier II cities. The brand is pushed back in metros and large cities by the competition.
The promotions of Parx was also very erratic. I don't remember any work of this brand nor any of its taglines. This lack of proper investment on brand promotion also weakened the brand's position in this highly cluttered market.
In 2011, the brand went in for a relaunch. The brand redesigned its logo and also introduced a brand- symbol :- a Racing Stag. This symbol will be in all garments from the brand. The brand also launched its first ever television campaign since its birth.
Watch the tvc here; Parx
Parx now has a new tagline " Live Easy ". The brand is focusing on building a personality traits of independence, attitude, casualness, freedom through these commercials. The use of foreign models aims to bring an aspirational touch to the brand. The attempt is to brand ladder to the higher attribute of freedom rather than product characteristics.
The new effort is commendable but little too late for a brand like Parx. The positioning idea of Live Easy is nothing new and the same theme is used by various brands across categories. The brand lost precious 12 years in creating a space for itself in the Indian consumer's mind. The brand now needs to tell compelling stories of the brand attributes it is trying to tell. It needs a lot of catching up to do.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Brand Update : Rin
It has been quite a while since I wrote about Rin. The brand was moving through various experiments in extensions and positioning. The brand merged one of its extensions with Surf Excel and withdrew some others. Frankly it was a real mess.
The brand was also experimenting with its promotional messages. Rin is positioned on its " Whitening " ability. The brand has remained focused on its core brand promise. But Rin was experimenting a lot with the communication of this promise. The brand could not find a tagline that was po
werful enough to convey the brand promise.
werful enough to convey the brand promise.In 2008, the brand came up with the promise of Double Whiteness. Rin adopted the tagline " Duguni Safedi, Duguni Chamak " .
Watch the tvc here : Rin
The ad was catchy but somehow for me, a connection with the tagline, the theme and the brand was not strong. Rin was trying to ladder up to a higher level need but the connection couldn't be established.
This year , Rin came with another advertisement with a new tagline " Chamakte Rahna " ( meaning Keep Shining).
Watch the tvc here : Rin Chamakte Rahna
The brand has finally found its right positioning statement. Chamakte Rahna is a wonderful tagline with immense potential and possibilities for new campaigns. The tagline has a strong connection with the brand promise and at the same time helped the brand to ladder up . The ad is also very nicely made .
Chamkte Rahna is a tagline that gives the brand new opportunities to communicate with the consumers. The core idea that the tagline conveys is " to realize one's potential " . Rin has already started promoting its new found positioning theme during the Dance Premier League where the contestants are made to say the tagline. The brand is celebrating the tagline quite well.
Kudos for the brand team.
Related Post
Rin
Friday, April 24, 2009
Brand Update : Lifebuoy
Lifebuoy has taken a vow to make India healthy. The new campaign " Banaye Healthy Hindustan".
The new ad campaign takes the route of Before- After theme.
The brand selected two apartment complex for this experiment. In one apartment, the children were asked to use Lifebuoy soaps 5 times a day and another apartment were selected where there was no change in the lifestyle . After the experiment, children in the apartment where the brand was used recorded remarkable increase in terms of school attendance and a decrease in the incidence of diseases. Lifebuoy is claiming that the experiment proves that using the brand 5 times a day can dramatically reduce the chance of getting illness and improve school attendance by 40%.
The current campaign is an extension of the famous Swastya Chetana initiative of the brand where the children are encouraged to wash their hands with soaps inorder to reduce the incidence of diseases like diarrhea.
This time Lifebuoy is using the before-after theme . Indian brands are right now using the high-risk before-after theme. Horlicks was the one which came to my mind which had successfully used this experiment format to catch the consumer. The strategy is risky because the claims has to be authentic otherwise the brand will be in trouble. Secondly these claims should be believable.
HUL has tried a similar campaign for Pepsodent ( Dishum Dishum campaign) where it encouraged kids to brush their teeth twice a day. The campaign was a highly successful one.
Through the new campaign , Lifebuoy is expecting similar success.
It is commendable for a brand to strive hard for a noble cause. The brand has chosen a right cause which mutually helps both the brand and the community.
Related Brand
Lifebuoy
Pepsodent
The new ad campaign takes the route of Before- After theme.
The brand selected two apartment complex for this experiment. In one apartment, the children were asked to use Lifebuoy soaps 5 times a day and another apartment were selected where there was no change in the lifestyle . After the experiment, children in the apartment where the brand was used recorded remarkable increase in terms of school attendance and a decrease in the incidence of diseases. Lifebuoy is claiming that the experiment proves that using the brand 5 times a day can dramatically reduce the chance of getting illness and improve school attendance by 40%.
The current campaign is an extension of the famous Swastya Chetana initiative of the brand where the children are encouraged to wash their hands with soaps inorder to reduce the incidence of diseases like diarrhea.
This time Lifebuoy is using the before-after theme . Indian brands are right now using the high-risk before-after theme. Horlicks was the one which came to my mind which had successfully used this experiment format to catch the consumer. The strategy is risky because the claims has to be authentic otherwise the brand will be in trouble. Secondly these claims should be believable.
HUL has tried a similar campaign for Pepsodent ( Dishum Dishum campaign) where it encouraged kids to brush their teeth twice a day. The campaign was a highly successful one.
Through the new campaign , Lifebuoy is expecting similar success.
It is commendable for a brand to strive hard for a noble cause. The brand has chosen a right cause which mutually helps both the brand and the community.
Related Brand
Lifebuoy
Pepsodent
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Brand Update : Idea
Idea cellular has been hit by the Idea Virus. The brand has been investing heavily in its " Ideas that Change " theme.
The latest in the series is the Idea for participative democracy.
Watch the tvc here : Idea for the people
The new campaign revolves around the idea of using mobile for understanding the
public opinion and thus encouraging public partnership in development and encouraging participative democracy. ( What an Idea ! Sirjee )
As usual , this brand is making the best use of its brand ambassador.
The earlier campaign was addressing the issues of
Caste
Disability
and Education.
The latest in the series is the Idea for participative democracy.
Watch the tvc here : Idea for the people
The new campaign revolves around the idea of using mobile for understanding the
public opinion and thus encouraging public partnership in development and encouraging participative democracy. ( What an Idea ! Sirjee )As usual , this brand is making the best use of its brand ambassador.
The earlier campaign was addressing the issues of
Caste
Disability
and Education.
As a part of the current campaign, the brand has started a new website : bythepeople .in
There is nothing special in the website except for a voting form.
What I like about Idea's marketing initiatives are the effective use of media like OOH. You will never miss the Idea hoarding and these hoardings changes in line with the campaigns.
There is nothing special in the website except for a voting form.
What I like about Idea's marketing initiatives are the effective use of media like OOH. You will never miss the Idea hoarding and these hoardings changes in line with the campaigns.
The brand also makes use of its brand elements like the color and the tagline to its advantage.
" What an Idea , Sirjee " have already become a hit lingo .
" What an Idea , Sirjee " have already become a hit lingo .
As a pure promotion strategy, these social themes work well primarily because it is different. Atleast one brand is taking about things that matters.
But these initiatives are not carried over to the implementation by the brand . Hence no serious change can be expected out of such initiatives. The campaigns just serve as a sounding board for ideas that has possibilities - nothing more and nothing less.
What happens is that when the brand is talking about Democracy, its earlier pitch for " Education for all " takes the backseat... The caste issue has long been forgotten.
I am not saying that the brands should spend their limited resources in trying to change the world.
But little sad that these ideas only have life till the next big idea...
Related Brand
Idea
Brand update
What happens is that when the brand is talking about Democracy, its earlier pitch for " Education for all " takes the backseat... The caste issue has long been forgotten.
I am not saying that the brands should spend their limited resources in trying to change the world.
But little sad that these ideas only have life till the next big idea...
Related Brand
Idea
Brand update
Monday, August 18, 2008
Brand Update : Tata Indicom
Tata Indicom was one of the first telecom operators to offer CDMA mobile services in India. Launched in 1996, the brand is the youngest of the lot. Infact it was one the first brands to be analysed in this blog.
In my post on Tata Indicom, I was talking about their launch of India's first prepaid plan with free incoming calls. I was lambasting on the poor campaign promoting the brand.
Indicom has come a long way since my first post on it. Now its one of the major players in the CDMA space with a market share of around 9.1 % in the highly competitive telecom market.
Last month the brand undertook a major repositioning exercise and is trying to position itself in an emotional platform rather than a functional one.
Tata Indicom has been positioned earlier using the " Do more live more " platform. The brand has been investing heavily on this platform with high decibel advertising featuring Bollywood stars - Kajol and Ajay Devgan.
Watch the old campaigns here : Tata Indicom Old
Most of the initial campaigns was of bad taste with unnecessary dramatics and substandard humor. Later the brand mellowed down to a " let me tell you the benefits " approach with Kajol acting as the brand expert. According to Afaqs, the first change in positioning was a result of the change in the ad agency from Mcann to Draft FCB Ulka.
This month Tata Indicom has launched a new campaign and a new positioning.
Watch the new campaign here : Indicom new ad
The new ad is also a result of change in the advertising agency. The account has moved to Contract Advertising.
The brand has now taken a more emotional platform to promote itself. Its a sort of laddering up. The brand is following the strategy of Airtel which has perfected the art of laddering up.
The new campaign of Tata Indicom now talk about " Listening to your heart ". The new campaign shows a small town girl making it big in athletics.
My initial impression about the ad is positive. Its a well made ad and its nice to watch. But when I watched the ad first time , I had a feeling that I had seen this somewhere before.
The concept of Rags to Riches is has been one of the most used positioning platform worldwide. It does strikes a chord but when every other brand tries the same chord, the chord gets broken.
So no Big Idea from Tata Indicom. Its the same bollywood formula in a new bottle. According to Afaqs, Kajol will be used in urban markets while this campaign will be used across the markets. The brand has identified ambitious youth in small towns as the TG. Its a good news since one of my major criticism for Tata Indicom was its inability in identifying the TG.
Rags to riches, defying the odds, David beating Goliath, Small humbling the Big .... These are sure shot recipes to impress the audience. In the execution of the idea, the agency has not let down the brand.
Branding has become an important element in telecom marketing in India. Now we are seeing a standardization of tariffs. Marketers are now trying to retain the customers through emotional connection with the brand. The war is now on two fronts . On one hand, the brands are trying to offer value added services to customers . Alongside the brands are investing in building a connect with the customers.
Tata Indicom was struggling to find a right positioning platform so far . Now they have a reasonable platform to work with.
In my post on Tata Indicom, I was talking about their launch of India's first prepaid plan with free incoming calls. I was lambasting on the poor campaign promoting the brand.
Indicom has come a long way since my first post on it. Now its one of the major players in the CDMA space with a market share of around 9.1 % in the highly competitive telecom market.
Last month the brand undertook a major repositioning exercise and is trying to position itself in an emotional platform rather than a functional one.
Tata Indicom has been positioned earlier using the " Do more live more " platform. The brand has been investing heavily on this platform with high decibel advertising featuring Bollywood stars - Kajol and Ajay Devgan.
Watch the old campaigns here : Tata Indicom Old
Most of the initial campaigns was of bad taste with unnecessary dramatics and substandard humor. Later the brand mellowed down to a " let me tell you the benefits " approach with Kajol acting as the brand expert. According to Afaqs, the first change in positioning was a result of the change in the ad agency from Mcann to Draft FCB Ulka.
This month Tata Indicom has launched a new campaign and a new positioning.
Watch the new campaign here : Indicom new ad
The new ad is also a result of change in the advertising agency. The account has moved to Contract Advertising.
The brand has now taken a more emotional platform to promote itself. Its a sort of laddering up. The brand is following the strategy of Airtel which has perfected the art of laddering up.
The new campaign of Tata Indicom now talk about " Listening to your heart ". The new campaign shows a small town girl making it big in athletics.
My initial impression about the ad is positive. Its a well made ad and its nice to watch. But when I watched the ad first time , I had a feeling that I had seen this somewhere before.
The concept of Rags to Riches is has been one of the most used positioning platform worldwide. It does strikes a chord but when every other brand tries the same chord, the chord gets broken.
So no Big Idea from Tata Indicom. Its the same bollywood formula in a new bottle. According to Afaqs, Kajol will be used in urban markets while this campaign will be used across the markets. The brand has identified ambitious youth in small towns as the TG. Its a good news since one of my major criticism for Tata Indicom was its inability in identifying the TG.
Rags to riches, defying the odds, David beating Goliath, Small humbling the Big .... These are sure shot recipes to impress the audience. In the execution of the idea, the agency has not let down the brand.
Branding has become an important element in telecom marketing in India. Now we are seeing a standardization of tariffs. Marketers are now trying to retain the customers through emotional connection with the brand. The war is now on two fronts . On one hand, the brands are trying to offer value added services to customers . Alongside the brands are investing in building a connect with the customers.
Tata Indicom was struggling to find a right positioning platform so far . Now they have a reasonable platform to work with.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Brand Update : Titan
Titan has repositioned itself this year with a new set of brand values and positioning statement. In a typical case of Laddering, Titan has embraced a higher set of values going beyond the basic product attributes.
Titan has come a long way . From a preferred gift item to a stylish accessory, the brand is now moving towards a higher goal of self - actualization.
Watch the new commercial here : Titan Be more
The brand has to make sure whether this category now is mature to have this higher level of message. I still feel that Indian consumers look at a watch primarily as a time-keeping device as well as an accessory. It has not yet reached the position where consumers see it as an expression of liberation or self actualization.
The earlier campaign " What's Your style " appealed to a larger segment of customers because it talked about a very tangible benefit of the brand. The new campaign is more on one's 'view of life ' hence there is a chance that many customers may miss the whole point.
Usually when the brand is laddering up, it will also have supplementary campaign that reminds the customers about the functional attributes and benefits of the brand. In the case of Titan also , such supplementary campaigns are essential to appeal to a broader audience.
With regard to the concept of " Be More ". This is not a new manthra as far as Indian brands are concerned. There are many brands which talked about doing more and realizing dreams. The recent Cinthol campaign is also about doing more ( Don't Stop ). However, this need for self actualization is all pervasive and is a highly relevant value as far as customer is concerned.
Related Brand
Titan
Brand Laddering
Titan has come a long way . From a preferred gift item to a stylish accessory, the brand is now moving towards a higher goal of self - actualization.
Titan has now acquired a new positioning. The new slogan " Be more " captures the essence of the new set of brand values. From the reports, I think that the brand has adopted " Live life to the fullest " as the core brand manthra .
Watch the new commercial here : Titan Be more
As usual the commercial has captured the essence neatly and as usual Aamir does a perfect job.
In the commercial, Aamir says " Be born Everyday " which truly captures the spirit of the new positioning.
In the commercial, Aamir says " Be born Everyday " which truly captures the spirit of the new positioning.
As a customer, I find the commercial and new positioning attractive. The brand is trying to move away from product attribute/benefit ( style) to a more abstract set of values ( Liberation).
Having said that , there are a couple of apprehensions also. Usually brand-laddering is a tricky move . Unless you are very careful, there is a chance that the customers may miss the whole idea. Sometimes marketers have a grand idea but customers will be left clueless. Ultimately if the customer does not understand the advertisement, then everything is a waste.
The current campaign is strictly for urban customers and is going to appeal to those customers who have a definite view of themselves and the world around them. Others will see this as another ad featuring Aamir .
The brand has to make sure whether this category now is mature to have this higher level of message. I still feel that Indian consumers look at a watch primarily as a time-keeping device as well as an accessory. It has not yet reached the position where consumers see it as an expression of liberation or self actualization.
The earlier campaign " What's Your style " appealed to a larger segment of customers because it talked about a very tangible benefit of the brand. The new campaign is more on one's 'view of life ' hence there is a chance that many customers may miss the whole point.
Usually when the brand is laddering up, it will also have supplementary campaign that reminds the customers about the functional attributes and benefits of the brand. In the case of Titan also , such supplementary campaigns are essential to appeal to a broader audience.
With regard to the concept of " Be More ". This is not a new manthra as far as Indian brands are concerned. There are many brands which talked about doing more and realizing dreams. The recent Cinthol campaign is also about doing more ( Don't Stop ). However, this need for self actualization is all pervasive and is a highly relevant value as far as customer is concerned.
Related Brand
Titan
Brand Laddering
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Pilot : The World's Most Reliable Pen
Brand : Pilot
ame. The same style, same smoothness and same quality.
Pilot is a global brand. Ryosuki Namiki, a Professor at Tokyo Nautical School invented a gold writing tip for fountain pen. He along with hid friend Masao Wada established Namiki manufacturing co in 1918. In 1938, the company name was changed to Pilot Pens Ltd.
Pilot pioneered the fine art of writing by introducing path breaking products and evolved itself to be a leading brand in the writing instruments market.
Pilot came to India in 1982 in collaboration with Luxor Writing Instruments Ltd. The market at that time was dominated by ballpoint pens especially Jotter pens. The first product from Pilot in India was Pilot 05 micro-tip. Retailed at Rs 10, the brand gave a new writing experience to the Indian customers. The pen was lot smoother and the micro-tip gave a new freshness to the writing. So even though the product was expensive, it became a huge success.Micro-tip virtually changed the pen's market in India by creating a segment in itself.
Company : Luxor Writing Instruments Ltd
Agency : Lowe
Brand Analysis Count : 337
Two days back, while looking for a pen, I came across the good old Pilot Hightech Point 05. The pen brought back memories of student days where Pilot used to be the favorite pen especially for the exams. I gave in to the temptation and bought Pilot pen. The pen is just the sAgency : Lowe
Brand Analysis Count : 337
ame. The same style, same smoothness and same quality.Pilot is a global brand. Ryosuki Namiki, a Professor at Tokyo Nautical School invented a gold writing tip for fountain pen. He along with hid friend Masao Wada established Namiki manufacturing co in 1918. In 1938, the company name was changed to Pilot Pens Ltd.
Pilot pioneered the fine art of writing by introducing path breaking products and evolved itself to be a leading brand in the writing instruments market.
Pilot came to India in 1982 in collaboration with Luxor Writing Instruments Ltd. The market at that time was dominated by ballpoint pens especially Jotter pens. The first product from Pilot in India was Pilot 05 micro-tip. Retailed at Rs 10, the brand gave a new writing experience to the Indian customers. The pen was lot smoother and the micro-tip gave a new freshness to the writing. So even though the product was expensive, it became a huge success.Micro-tip virtually changed the pen's market in India by creating a segment in itself.
Then came the Pilot 05 Hightech point . Priced at Rs 25, the brand had the USP of ' three dimple technology which enabled consistent flow of ink. The pen could also be refilled. Pilot had by then established its reliability and quality in the mind of the consumers. The pens became aspirational for most of the students.
Success of Pilot pens can be attributable to its ability to satisfy a need in the Indian market. Pilot pens combined the positives of both fountain pens and ball-point pens. People favored fountain pen because it enhanced one's handwriting and ball-point pens where popular because it was easy to use . Fountain pens was messy and refilling it was a boring routine. Pilot was a pen which had ink but it was not messy compared to a fountain pen.
The brand was also promoted heavily by Luxor. At one point of time, Pilot was endorsed by the actor Shekhar Suman. The tagline of the brand was " Pilot : Reads well, writes well ".
But during the late ninetees, the brand became stagnant. The reason was the increased competition from me-too products. Soon consumers had a lot of choice. Luxor also focused more on its other brand Parker. Hence in the media also, Pilot was not active. The high profile entry of Add Gel Pens also sidelined this brand.
One of the important reasons for Pilot's fading relevance is that the brand now does not have any meaningful Point of Difference. All the competitors have achieved parity with Pilot interms of technology . Even some have came out with superior technology than Pilot.
But still Pilot holds a unique position in the mind of the consumers. The brand still is one of the oldest and largest selling pen in that segment ( I do not have figures ).Luxor has launched a series of new pens under the brand Pilot. Now Luxur holds 15% marketshare in the Rs 1500 crore writing instruments market.
After using Pilot 05 after many years, I wonder whether this brand is being under- utilized by Luxor. According to reports, the brand has been focusing more on below-the line promotions. But the brand has the potential to do more.
Indian consumers also have become more choosy in terms of this category. There are customers who like micro-tip , some like a more heavy tipped pens, some go for style and image, some for the ergnomics etc. Pilot has to adapt to the varying customer requirements. Luxor has not been able to launch the new products of Pilot which are available in other parts of the world.
It is time for Pilot to ladder up to a higher plane rather than closeted as a mere pen. So far the brand has not compromised on quality and image . But the equity is slowly fading because of lack of promotional support.
The brand is a highly functional, reliable and quality writing instrument. Worldwide , Pilot takes the core brand value on reliability . But here Reynolds has already taken the reliability position. But Pilot can always take the core value of " Fine Writing ". It is something that all Pilot users will vouch for.
Success of Pilot pens can be attributable to its ability to satisfy a need in the Indian market. Pilot pens combined the positives of both fountain pens and ball-point pens. People favored fountain pen because it enhanced one's handwriting and ball-point pens where popular because it was easy to use . Fountain pens was messy and refilling it was a boring routine. Pilot was a pen which had ink but it was not messy compared to a fountain pen.
The brand was also promoted heavily by Luxor. At one point of time, Pilot was endorsed by the actor Shekhar Suman. The tagline of the brand was " Pilot : Reads well, writes well ".
But during the late ninetees, the brand became stagnant. The reason was the increased competition from me-too products. Soon consumers had a lot of choice. Luxor also focused more on its other brand Parker. Hence in the media also, Pilot was not active. The high profile entry of Add Gel Pens also sidelined this brand.
One of the important reasons for Pilot's fading relevance is that the brand now does not have any meaningful Point of Difference. All the competitors have achieved parity with Pilot interms of technology . Even some have came out with superior technology than Pilot.
But still Pilot holds a unique position in the mind of the consumers. The brand still is one of the oldest and largest selling pen in that segment ( I do not have figures ).Luxor has launched a series of new pens under the brand Pilot. Now Luxur holds 15% marketshare in the Rs 1500 crore writing instruments market.
After using Pilot 05 after many years, I wonder whether this brand is being under- utilized by Luxor. According to reports, the brand has been focusing more on below-the line promotions. But the brand has the potential to do more.
Indian consumers also have become more choosy in terms of this category. There are customers who like micro-tip , some like a more heavy tipped pens, some go for style and image, some for the ergnomics etc. Pilot has to adapt to the varying customer requirements. Luxor has not been able to launch the new products of Pilot which are available in other parts of the world.
It is time for Pilot to ladder up to a higher plane rather than closeted as a mere pen. So far the brand has not compromised on quality and image . But the equity is slowly fading because of lack of promotional support.
The brand is a highly functional, reliable and quality writing instrument. Worldwide , Pilot takes the core brand value on reliability . But here Reynolds has already taken the reliability position. But Pilot can always take the core value of " Fine Writing ". It is something that all Pilot users will vouch for.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Himalayan : Live Natural
Brand : Himalayan
Company : Mount Everest ( Tata tea)
Agency : Rediffusion Dy&R
Brand Analysis Count : 334
Company : Mount Everest ( Tata tea)
Agency : Rediffusion Dy&R
Brand Analysis Count : 334
Himalayan is the latest branding initiative by Tatas. The brand which originally belonged to the Balsara Group came to the Tata fold in 2007. In 2008, Tatas began to aggressively promote 
this brand.
The Indian bottled water market is around Rs 1200-1500 crore ( source: FE, Domain B ) . However Livemint puts the market at around Rs 8500 crore. The market is growing at a rate of 25% per year.
The bottled water is divided into Natural Water segment and Ordinary bottled water. In Natural water category, the water is packaged from the source and no processing is done. The ordinary bottled water is chemically processed. Natural water category is hardly 10% of the total market.
Himalayan is the market leader in the Natural water category . Before being taken over by Tatas , the brand was focusing on institutional markets and also international markets. Infact Himalayan is the only Indian brand of natural bottled water to be internationally accepted and markets across Europe and US.
Himalayan has now forayed into the consumer market in India. The market leader in Indian bottle
d water market is Bisleri with a market share of 16 % followed by Kinley and Aqua Fina with a share of 14% The rest of the market is dominated by regional and unorganised products.
Himalayan is a premium brand priced well above the ordinary mineral water. Hence the challenge is to convince the customers to pay a premium price for a product like water. The USP of Natural water is that they are Naturally pure and also has a distinct taste derived from its origin.
The brand is currently running a tvc across the country
watch the tvc here : Himalayan
The brand has taken the tagline " Live Natural " highlighting the main strength of the brand.
For a marketer of branded water,the challenges are many :
1.Water is a commodity : Hence to brand it and sell it is in itself a herculean task.
2.Water is perceived to be a freely available resource : Hence customers will have a mental block in paying for drinking water.
3.Between brands, to differentiate is not easy
4. The market is price sensitive.
5. The market is mostly restricted in terms of usage situations. Most of us buy mineral water only while traveling. ( ofcourse in places where pure water is unavailable, even households buy mineral water)
So far ,brands like Bisleri has built the market on Purity and Safety. Although we have lot of water sources, availability of potable water is still a problem. Especially when one is traveling , the risk is higher. Hence the bottled sealed water offered the solution. The wordings on the bottle further reassured the customers about the purity of the water.
Bisleri is almost generic to the category and has built the brand with heavy investment.
Himalayan has the task of adding more value to it because of the premium pricing. Hence the brand has to take some laddering up inorder to appeal to the consumers.
The current campaign lives up to the expectation. What was appealing about the brand was the Pink color and the bottle. My wife , after seeing the ad, exclaimed that she is tempted to buying the water.
Tatas has retained some of the unique brand elements like the color. But it had done some changes in the bottles and graphics . The bottle has been designed by SIPA of Italy and Rediffusion has done the other graphic changes. Like in the case of the global icon Absolut which uses bottle shape as differentiators, Himalayan is also trying to offer visual differentiation using label color and graphics.
Another strength of Himalayan is the brand name. Himalayan offers instant imagery of the Himalayas and brings in the visuals of Cool, Pure, Indian and Natural imagery.
Alarmed by the launch of Himalayan, Parle has launched another brand " From the Himalayas ". Tatas took the brand to the court and today's newspaper reports suggest that Tatas has won the initial round of fight. The contention of Parle is that Himalaya is a generic term and could be used by anyone.
In an interview with Financial Express , the CEO of Mount Everest Mr Pradeep Poddar made an interesting statement. He said " In my opinion , Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs flattens onto a continuum where self actualization vies for attention with basal needs. "
Infact this statement highlights the relevance of Maslow's theory even in this era. Although the theory has its drawbacks, it gives a clear idea of possible needs of an individual.
So when Poddar says about looking at these needs as a continuum,it makes more sense. So even when a customer feel a physiological need , there also exists a need for self actualization. So marketers can link their products to these needs that co-exists at a given point of time.
That is also the concept behind laddering . The brand while satisfying the functional need, also takes care of the higher needs.
Himalayan is now piggy backing on the strength of Tata Tea in reaching out to the Indian consumers. The brand can leverage the intense distribution strength of Tata Tea.
Unlike the ordinary mineral water, Himalayan hopes to give a new experience to the customers. The brand is trying to give the customers the same experience that beverages like cola gives to consumers. Although it is a ' Himalayan Task' it is not impossible.
The trend is favorable to products like Himalayan which has the health tag.
Whether Himalayan can reach the summit will be an interesting story to watch
this brand.The Indian bottled water market is around Rs 1200-1500 crore ( source: FE, Domain B ) . However Livemint puts the market at around Rs 8500 crore. The market is growing at a rate of 25% per year.
The bottled water is divided into Natural Water segment and Ordinary bottled water. In Natural water category, the water is packaged from the source and no processing is done. The ordinary bottled water is chemically processed. Natural water category is hardly 10% of the total market.
Himalayan is the market leader in the Natural water category . Before being taken over by Tatas , the brand was focusing on institutional markets and also international markets. Infact Himalayan is the only Indian brand of natural bottled water to be internationally accepted and markets across Europe and US.
Himalayan has now forayed into the consumer market in India. The market leader in Indian bottle
d water market is Bisleri with a market share of 16 % followed by Kinley and Aqua Fina with a share of 14% The rest of the market is dominated by regional and unorganised products.Himalayan is a premium brand priced well above the ordinary mineral water. Hence the challenge is to convince the customers to pay a premium price for a product like water. The USP of Natural water is that they are Naturally pure and also has a distinct taste derived from its origin.
The brand is currently running a tvc across the country
watch the tvc here : Himalayan
The brand has taken the tagline " Live Natural " highlighting the main strength of the brand.
For a marketer of branded water,the challenges are many :
1.Water is a commodity : Hence to brand it and sell it is in itself a herculean task.
2.Water is perceived to be a freely available resource : Hence customers will have a mental block in paying for drinking water.
3.Between brands, to differentiate is not easy
4. The market is price sensitive.
5. The market is mostly restricted in terms of usage situations. Most of us buy mineral water only while traveling. ( ofcourse in places where pure water is unavailable, even households buy mineral water)
So far ,brands like Bisleri has built the market on Purity and Safety. Although we have lot of water sources, availability of potable water is still a problem. Especially when one is traveling , the risk is higher. Hence the bottled sealed water offered the solution. The wordings on the bottle further reassured the customers about the purity of the water.
Bisleri is almost generic to the category and has built the brand with heavy investment.
Himalayan has the task of adding more value to it because of the premium pricing. Hence the brand has to take some laddering up inorder to appeal to the consumers.
The current campaign lives up to the expectation. What was appealing about the brand was the Pink color and the bottle. My wife , after seeing the ad, exclaimed that she is tempted to buying the water.
Tatas has retained some of the unique brand elements like the color. But it had done some changes in the bottles and graphics . The bottle has been designed by SIPA of Italy and Rediffusion has done the other graphic changes. Like in the case of the global icon Absolut which uses bottle shape as differentiators, Himalayan is also trying to offer visual differentiation using label color and graphics.
Another strength of Himalayan is the brand name. Himalayan offers instant imagery of the Himalayas and brings in the visuals of Cool, Pure, Indian and Natural imagery.
Alarmed by the launch of Himalayan, Parle has launched another brand " From the Himalayas ". Tatas took the brand to the court and today's newspaper reports suggest that Tatas has won the initial round of fight. The contention of Parle is that Himalaya is a generic term and could be used by anyone.
In an interview with Financial Express , the CEO of Mount Everest Mr Pradeep Poddar made an interesting statement. He said " In my opinion , Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs flattens onto a continuum where self actualization vies for attention with basal needs. "
Infact this statement highlights the relevance of Maslow's theory even in this era. Although the theory has its drawbacks, it gives a clear idea of possible needs of an individual.
So when Poddar says about looking at these needs as a continuum,it makes more sense. So even when a customer feel a physiological need , there also exists a need for self actualization. So marketers can link their products to these needs that co-exists at a given point of time.
That is also the concept behind laddering . The brand while satisfying the functional need, also takes care of the higher needs.
Himalayan is now piggy backing on the strength of Tata Tea in reaching out to the Indian consumers. The brand can leverage the intense distribution strength of Tata Tea.
Unlike the ordinary mineral water, Himalayan hopes to give a new experience to the customers. The brand is trying to give the customers the same experience that beverages like cola gives to consumers. Although it is a ' Himalayan Task' it is not impossible.
The trend is favorable to products like Himalayan which has the health tag.
Whether Himalayan can reach the summit will be an interesting story to watch
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Marketing Q&A : Brand Laddering
Marketing Practice Reader Vivek asks about the concept of Brand Laddering.
Professor Kevin Lane Keller defines Laddering as follows
"Brand Laddering involves progression from attributes to benefits to more abstract values or motivations. Laddering involves repeatedly asking what the implication of an attribute or benefit is for the customer."
Professor Kevin Lane Keller defines Laddering as follows
"Brand Laddering involves progression from attributes to benefits to more abstract values or motivations. Laddering involves repeatedly asking what the implication of an attribute or benefit is for the customer."
According to Keller, failure of laddering up sometimes reduce the strategic alternatives available to the brand. Keller also suggests that there is a means-end chain which takes the following structure :
Attribute ( descriptive features) lead to benefits ( meaning attached to attributes) which leads to values ( enduring personal goals and motivations).
The concept of laddering has its application in positioning of the product. When the brand is launched, the focus will be more on attributes and benefits. But once these basic functionality has been established in the mind of the consumers, the brand has to deepen the meanings associated with the brand.
For example, Dove's campaign has transcended from the basic functionality of the product to " Celebrating real beauty ". Nike is all about Athletic Performance . An Indian example would be Raymonds which has transcended the basic functionality of apparels to a more deeper meaning of " A Complete Man ".
Laddering is not always easy. The task for the marketer is to first have a clear understanding of the brand's core values. Also laddering will work only if the consumers are convinced and satisfied with the basic functionality of the brand.
The advantage of laddering is that the brand will breakfree from the product restrictions. That gives lot of flexibility to the brand manager. Flexibility in extending the brand aswellas in communicating.
References
Strategic Brand Management by Kevin Lane Keller
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Yera : Think Glass, Think Class
Brand : Yera
Company : Shreno Ltd ( Alembic Glassware)
Brand Analysis Count : 322
Company : Shreno Ltd ( Alembic Glassware)
Brand Analysis Count : 322
Yera is a brand that has redefined the glassware market in India. This brand can be credited with popularising glassware in Indian househ
olds . Yera is a brand which came into existence in 1965. The brand now holds a lions share in the Indian glassware market in India. The brand can be said as the pioneer in promoting glassware in India
The emergence of glassware as a serving-ware came through the restaurant route. My assumption is that the first glass serving -ware was the glass tumbler that is still used in restaurants and hotels. It is interesting to note that still 80% of Yera's turnover is from the no-frill tumbler ( source:HDFC securities)
Now Yera has almost 150 different designs of glassware ranging from tumblers, icecream bowls to dinner sets.
Yera became popular household name mainly as a gifting item. At one time Yera was the most sought after gifting item for the 'gifters' . The main factor being the Price. From a range starting as low as Rs 100, Yera made gifting easy. But yera was a nightmare for the gift-receiver. After the ocassion, the house will be full of different types of Yera products.The institutional segment also boosted the turnover for this brand . Now in Kerala, many textiles uses Yera products for gifting the customers.
The brand now faces two issues :
a. Cheap glassware products from local players and also cheap imports have hurted Yera most. Yera now operates in the low-price segment and the flooding of products has commoditized the category .
b. Although Yera had some campaigns for brand-building, the brand was primarily playing the pricing game. Although the brand has made glassware popular, it has not been able to upgrade itself into a premium player in the segment. This is the typical ' class or mass' dilemma. I am not advocating that Yera should be targeting the premium segment and forgo the volume. But the doubt is whether Yera can command some premium over the rest of the players in this market.
The brand also failed to see the emergence of Crystalware as the preferred category for the premium customers. Now this segment has foreign players and La Opala's Solitaire.
To be fair to the brand, the glassware market is very small. I got a 2001 figure putting the glassware market in the range of Rs 25 crore. Now I estimate this market in the range of Rs 60 crore.
The glassware market is also moving towards ceramic wares which are more stylish and up-market looking. Yera has the power of its brand equity to take it through the price competition from cheap imports and local players. But the brand is silent in the media and I don't remember any campaigns for this brand in the last 2-3 years.
In a market full of price-competitors, Yera cannot afford to rely on past glory . The brand may fade from the memory of the new generation. What the brand needs now is a measured dose of brand- building campaigns . According to the brand's website, Yera boasts of having a brand recall of 84%. The brand must consistently build on the existing platform.
I would even suggest a complete makeover for the 'brand'. The brand should think of upgrading itself to a premium player. The brand should exit from commodity mindset and start its journey towards a value-added player. The brand has the tagline " Think Glass, Think Class ". It should be focusing on the class part.
The brand is now having commanding mind-share. Now is the time for the brand to ladder-up.
Laddering is deepening the meaning of the brand to core brand values or other more abstract considerations. ( Kevin Lane Keller)
The brand should ladder-up to some higher attribute like enjoyment, togetherness etc. The laddering-up will help the brand to move a notch higher from the price-players. And such a focus on non-glass attribute will bring back the interest of consumers to the brand. A heavy dose of campaigns and some celebrity can boost the image of this pioneer.
olds . Yera is a brand which came into existence in 1965. The brand now holds a lions share in the Indian glassware market in India. The brand can be said as the pioneer in promoting glassware in IndiaThe emergence of glassware as a serving-ware came through the restaurant route. My assumption is that the first glass serving -ware was the glass tumbler that is still used in restaurants and hotels. It is interesting to note that still 80% of Yera's turnover is from the no-frill tumbler ( source:HDFC securities)
Now Yera has almost 150 different designs of glassware ranging from tumblers, icecream bowls to dinner sets.
Yera became popular household name mainly as a gifting item. At one time Yera was the most sought after gifting item for the 'gifters' . The main factor being the Price. From a range starting as low as Rs 100, Yera made gifting easy. But yera was a nightmare for the gift-receiver. After the ocassion, the house will be full of different types of Yera products.The institutional segment also boosted the turnover for this brand . Now in Kerala, many textiles uses Yera products for gifting the customers.
The brand now faces two issues :
a. Cheap glassware products from local players and also cheap imports have hurted Yera most. Yera now operates in the low-price segment and the flooding of products has commoditized the category .
b. Although Yera had some campaigns for brand-building, the brand was primarily playing the pricing game. Although the brand has made glassware popular, it has not been able to upgrade itself into a premium player in the segment. This is the typical ' class or mass' dilemma. I am not advocating that Yera should be targeting the premium segment and forgo the volume. But the doubt is whether Yera can command some premium over the rest of the players in this market.
The brand also failed to see the emergence of Crystalware as the preferred category for the premium customers. Now this segment has foreign players and La Opala's Solitaire.
To be fair to the brand, the glassware market is very small. I got a 2001 figure putting the glassware market in the range of Rs 25 crore. Now I estimate this market in the range of Rs 60 crore.
The glassware market is also moving towards ceramic wares which are more stylish and up-market looking. Yera has the power of its brand equity to take it through the price competition from cheap imports and local players. But the brand is silent in the media and I don't remember any campaigns for this brand in the last 2-3 years.
In a market full of price-competitors, Yera cannot afford to rely on past glory . The brand may fade from the memory of the new generation. What the brand needs now is a measured dose of brand- building campaigns . According to the brand's website, Yera boasts of having a brand recall of 84%. The brand must consistently build on the existing platform.
I would even suggest a complete makeover for the 'brand'. The brand should think of upgrading itself to a premium player. The brand should exit from commodity mindset and start its journey towards a value-added player. The brand has the tagline " Think Glass, Think Class ". It should be focusing on the class part.
The brand is now having commanding mind-share. Now is the time for the brand to ladder-up.
Laddering is deepening the meaning of the brand to core brand values or other more abstract considerations. ( Kevin Lane Keller)
The brand should ladder-up to some higher attribute like enjoyment, togetherness etc. The laddering-up will help the brand to move a notch higher from the price-players. And such a focus on non-glass attribute will bring back the interest of consumers to the brand. A heavy dose of campaigns and some celebrity can boost the image of this pioneer.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Brand Update : Orbit
Orbit is a brand that never stop experimenting. The brand has been trying two prong approach to brand promotion. For Orbit White, the brand takes a humor route featuring Dr. Bhatawadekar while for Orbit Regular, the brand is taking the rational approach which talks about preventing tooth decay.
This year, the brand takes an unexpected turn in its promotional strategy. The brand is adopting a laddering strategy by taking up a more broader concept of ' Everyday Magic with Orbit' . The brand now have a new slogan " Every Day Magic " which is significant since Orbit did not have a slogan earlier.
Watch the new TVC here : Everyday Magic
The big idea is that a sweet smile creates magic in one's life. The big idea is not new since Close Up also have a series of campaign focusing on Smile. The TVC is well made but nothing new in the commercial to create a WOW factor. Most of the instances showed in the commercial has been used by other brands from time immemorial ( Example : Boy and girl in arm-wrestling) .The smile campaign is also to achieve parity with HappyDent which has its campaign centering around white teeth.
But what I like is the concept of 'Everyday Magic' . The slogan has a depth which can be used to the brand's advantage because it can be extended beyond the ' smile ' factor. The new campaign may be the first of a series of campaigns highlighting the new positioning. Hope that the creative team will put some creativity to this good concept which has lot of potential.
Related Brand
Orbit
This year, the brand takes an unexpected turn in its promotional strategy. The brand is adopting a laddering strategy by taking up a more broader concept of ' Everyday Magic with Orbit' . The brand now have a new slogan " Every Day Magic " which is significant since Orbit did not have a slogan earlier.
Watch the new TVC here : Everyday Magic
The big idea is that a sweet smile creates magic in one's life. The big idea is not new since Close Up also have a series of campaign focusing on Smile. The TVC is well made but nothing new in the commercial to create a WOW factor. Most of the instances showed in the commercial has been used by other brands from time immemorial ( Example : Boy and girl in arm-wrestling) .The smile campaign is also to achieve parity with HappyDent which has its campaign centering around white teeth.
But what I like is the concept of 'Everyday Magic' . The slogan has a depth which can be used to the brand's advantage because it can be extended beyond the ' smile ' factor. The new campaign may be the first of a series of campaigns highlighting the new positioning. Hope that the creative team will put some creativity to this good concept which has lot of potential.
Related Brand
Orbit
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Brand Update : Chandrika
After repositioning itself on the SPA imagery, Chandrika is going for another repositioning exercise. This time the brand is relying on the " usual " caring mother
platform. It seems Chandrika has discarded the earlier SPA equation .
The new ad talks about the ayurvedic essence of the brand (attribute) and how it takes care of the skin. The new campaign is also trying the laddering up strategy. Chandrika is now trying to own up " Freedom " as its new brand manthra. The concept is that the brand enables the user freedom from all skin problems thus helping her to live life fully. Although the idea is old, the agency has managed to execute it in an effective manner.
Watch the new TVC here : Chandrika
Repositioning a brand too often is not advisable for a brand in a long term perspective. One thing that I noticed about this brand is the absence of a slogan ( tagline). Slogans are considered to be powerful brand element that can reinforce a brand's positioning. May be its time for Chandrika to do a soul searching and develop a consistent positioning platform.
Related Brand
platform. It seems Chandrika has discarded the earlier SPA equation .The new ad talks about the ayurvedic essence of the brand (attribute) and how it takes care of the skin. The new campaign is also trying the laddering up strategy. Chandrika is now trying to own up " Freedom " as its new brand manthra. The concept is that the brand enables the user freedom from all skin problems thus helping her to live life fully. Although the idea is old, the agency has managed to execute it in an effective manner.
Watch the new TVC here : Chandrika
Repositioning a brand too often is not advisable for a brand in a long term perspective. One thing that I noticed about this brand is the absence of a slogan ( tagline). Slogans are considered to be powerful brand element that can reinforce a brand's positioning. May be its time for Chandrika to do a soul searching and develop a consistent positioning platform.
Chandrika
Monday, November 12, 2007
Bournvita : Do You Have Bournvita Confidence
Brand : Bournvita
Company : Cadbury's
Agency : O&M
Brand Analysis Count : 289
Company : Cadbury's
Agency : O&M
Brand Analysis Count : 289
Bournvita is a power brand. Bournvita was launched in 1948 and is one of the oldest brand in the malted beverages segment. The brand is a market leader in the Brown health drink segment with a market share of over 17 %.
This is a brand that has sustained over time and competition. Cadbury's - true to its reputation has managed to sustain this brand over these years. The brand has sustained because of Cadbury's invested in the brand and also ensured that the brand changed in tune with the times.
Bournvita is a chocolate flavored health drink. When the brand was introduced in the market, it tried to solve a perennial problem that mother's face : a need for a healthy food which is tasty. Bournvita offered that unique combination of health and taste.
Its also interesting to see how this brand has evolved over these years.In 1970s t he brand was positioned as a product that helps in good upbringing. The brand used the tagline : Goodness t hat Grows with You.
During 1980's the brand changed its focus from Upbringing to Intelligence. The tagline was changed to : Brought Up Right, Bournvita Bright.
In 1990's the brand felt that it should be focusing on the overall health of the kid thus changed its focus on Body and Mind. The brand also took Energy as a main focus and thus evolved the famous VO ( voice over) : "Bournvita has proteins, minerals and carbohydrates" . Along came the famous tagline : Tan Ki Shakthi , Man Ki Shakthi.
During 1998, the brand faced intense competition from Milo from Nestle. At this time, the brown health food drink segment was facing issues of stagnation because of lack of value addition. Bournvita then changed its positioning on the health platform. The brand used a marconym RDA ( Recommended Dietary Allowance) to reinforce the health positioning. The brand used a clever Nutritional meter to communicate the RDA formula : 2 cups of Bournvita for balanced nutrition.
The brand also set up a Bournvita Nutritional Center where nutrition experts recommended the right RDA percentage to kids. The brand at that time used the cricketer Ajay Jadeja to endorse the brand. The brand also harped on the taste and used the tagline " No Bournvita No Milk " to reinforce the taste attribute.
In the current millennium, the brand has moved to the next level. In the typical laddering Up strategy, Bournvita has identified Confidence as its Core Brand Essence. The brand realized that every kid have a chance to excel in his chosen field of endeavour if he have confidence . The realization has enabled the brand to chalk out the current marketing strategy. The brand now uses the tagline " Do you have Bournvita Confidence ".
In the Brown beverages segment, Bournvita faces intense competition from Boost. In order to defend the leadership position, Bournvita has invested heavily in product development, advertising and sales promotion. In the product development front, Bournvita had significantly changed its packaging and the latest pack is inspired by Boost. Along with packaging changes, the brand also had comeout with a new variant : Bournvita Fivestar Magic. The new variant has the unique chocolate with caramel flavor of Cadbury's Fivestar. The brand is using the brand association with Five Star as a key differentiator.
All these years, Bournvita has used taste as a consistent theme to attract the kids. The Five Star Magic variant further reinforced this positioning.
In the advertising campaigns, Bournvita has always been a heavy spender. When I am writing this post, Bournvita is running two different campaigns for Bournvita : one campaign for the Bournvita Fivestar Magic and another one featuring Bournvita Confidence Academy.
Bo
urnvita Confidence Academy is not a School but a reality show. The show which premiered on July 2007 in the Pogo channel is different from the usual reality shows . The show features 7 kids who have exceptional talents in various fields like dancing, racing, singing, magic, studies etc. In the reality show , these kids to act as Gurus and is expected to teach each other skills . So you have a magic whizkid learning to sing. The point is that "You Need Confidence" to venture into unknown fields.
Bournvita Confidence Academy is not the first event that this brand associates with. Bournvita Quiz is the longest running quiz show in Indian Television .
In the sales promotion front also , the brand was active with its share of freebies and gifts . The association with Cartoon Network enabled this brand to use the famous characters like Powerpuff girls and Dexter to the brand's advantage.
As a marketer, I feel that the latest focus on Confidence is a smart move by the brand. Its arch rival Boost has built itself on the energy platform and recently has gained headway using Sachin. Hence to counter Boost, Bournvita needed to own an important differentiation point. Confidence is something that every kid look forward to. By featuring real whiz kids , the brand has been able to create an impact in the TG. But the challenge that Bournvita faces is not from Boost but from the Consumer Promotion trap that both these brands have fallen into. Now most of the sales are decided by the promotional gifts and freebies than the actual efficacy. Since mothers are happy whether the kids drink either of these , brand loyalty has become a thing of past in this segment.
Source : Cadbury website, agencyfaqs.com
This is a brand that has sustained over time and competition. Cadbury's - true to its reputation has managed to sustain this brand over these years. The brand has sustained because of Cadbury's invested in the brand and also ensured that the brand changed in tune with the times.
Bournvita is a chocolate flavored health drink. When the brand was introduced in the market, it tried to solve a perennial problem that mother's face : a need for a healthy food which is tasty. Bournvita offered that unique combination of health and taste.
Its also interesting to see how this brand has evolved over these years.In 1970s t he brand was positioned as a product that helps in good upbringing. The brand used the tagline : Goodness t hat Grows with You.
During 1980's the brand changed its focus from Upbringing to Intelligence. The tagline was changed to : Brought Up Right, Bournvita Bright.
In 1990's the brand felt that it should be focusing on the overall health of the kid thus changed its focus on Body and Mind. The brand also took Energy as a main focus and thus evolved the famous VO ( voice over) : "Bournvita has proteins, minerals and carbohydrates" . Along came the famous tagline : Tan Ki Shakthi , Man Ki Shakthi.
During 1998, the brand faced intense competition from Milo from Nestle. At this time, the brown health food drink segment was facing issues of stagnation because of lack of value addition. Bournvita then changed its positioning on the health platform. The brand used a marconym RDA ( Recommended Dietary Allowance) to reinforce the health positioning. The brand used a clever Nutritional meter to communicate the RDA formula : 2 cups of Bournvita for balanced nutrition.
The brand also set up a Bournvita Nutritional Center where nutrition experts recommended the right RDA percentage to kids. The brand at that time used the cricketer Ajay Jadeja to endorse the brand. The brand also harped on the taste and used the tagline " No Bournvita No Milk " to reinforce the taste attribute.
In the current millennium, the brand has moved to the next level. In the typical laddering Up strategy, Bournvita has identified Confidence as its Core Brand Essence. The brand realized that every kid have a chance to excel in his chosen field of endeavour if he have confidence . The realization has enabled the brand to chalk out the current marketing strategy. The brand now uses the tagline " Do you have Bournvita Confidence ".
In the Brown beverages segment, Bournvita faces intense competition from Boost. In order to defend the leadership position, Bournvita has invested heavily in product development, advertising and sales promotion. In the product development front, Bournvita had significantly changed its packaging and the latest pack is inspired by Boost. Along with packaging changes, the brand also had comeout with a new variant : Bournvita Fivestar Magic. The new variant has the unique chocolate with caramel flavor of Cadbury's Fivestar. The brand is using the brand association with Five Star as a key differentiator.
All these years, Bournvita has used taste as a consistent theme to attract the kids. The Five Star Magic variant further reinforced this positioning.
In the advertising campaigns, Bournvita has always been a heavy spender. When I am writing this post, Bournvita is running two different campaigns for Bournvita : one campaign for the Bournvita Fivestar Magic and another one featuring Bournvita Confidence Academy.
Bo
urnvita Confidence Academy is not a School but a reality show. The show which premiered on July 2007 in the Pogo channel is different from the usual reality shows . The show features 7 kids who have exceptional talents in various fields like dancing, racing, singing, magic, studies etc. In the reality show , these kids to act as Gurus and is expected to teach each other skills . So you have a magic whizkid learning to sing. The point is that "You Need Confidence" to venture into unknown fields.Bournvita Confidence Academy is not the first event that this brand associates with. Bournvita Quiz is the longest running quiz show in Indian Television .
In the sales promotion front also , the brand was active with its share of freebies and gifts . The association with Cartoon Network enabled this brand to use the famous characters like Powerpuff girls and Dexter to the brand's advantage.
As a marketer, I feel that the latest focus on Confidence is a smart move by the brand. Its arch rival Boost has built itself on the energy platform and recently has gained headway using Sachin. Hence to counter Boost, Bournvita needed to own an important differentiation point. Confidence is something that every kid look forward to. By featuring real whiz kids , the brand has been able to create an impact in the TG. But the challenge that Bournvita faces is not from Boost but from the Consumer Promotion trap that both these brands have fallen into. Now most of the sales are decided by the promotional gifts and freebies than the actual efficacy. Since mothers are happy whether the kids drink either of these , brand loyalty has become a thing of past in this segment.
Source : Cadbury website, agencyfaqs.com
Monday, September 24, 2007
BSA Ladybird : Your Best Friend For Life
Brand : Ladybird
Company : TI Cycles
Agenc : Lowe
Brand Analysis Count : 276
Ladybird is the Sub-brand of BSA targeting the girls . Ladybird was the first brand to come out with a cycle for girls and it was a big hit. The brand targets girls aged 13-18 . BSA Champ has a girl's variant for those below 13 years of age. Ladybird is a classic example
for segmentation based on Demographics ( more specific : gender).
Ladybird has been promoting itself heavily through media. It is interesting to see the evolution of this sub-brand. The brand had started with the campaign explaining the benefits of the cycle made exclusively for the girls. The step through feature and the shopping basket in front of the cycle and the ergonomics were promoted heavily.
The next step was to create the brand image. The brand used the message of gender equality to keep the brand appealing to the girls
Watch the TVC here : BSA Ladybird
The brand was not having much issues in the sales front because it had a high top of the mind recall. The new generation was lapping up this product since cycle is a natural step before acquiring the scooterette .
The brand also made sure that it keeps the brand exciting through relevant changes in the product. Ladybird introduced funky colors and even a sporty premium version to keep the brand rocking. The brand kept low at the promotion front and relied more on below the line promotion and positive word of mouth.
This year the brand has stepped up the promotion at the branding front. Currently the brand is running the campaign positioning the brand as one that gives FREEDOM to the girls. It is another case of Laddering Up. I think that the concept is one of the best I have seen in recent times. I strongly believe that Mobility is something that gives a terrific sense of empowerment to girls. Mobility gives freedom and that is what now Ladybird tries to own. No more waiting for the brother/father/boyfriend to drop you to school or beach or to theater. The agency has wonderfully executed this concept. The campaign targeting the urban young generation has rightly put the brand in proper perspective. An interesting fact is that Ladybird is using the same tagline (" Your Best Friend for Life " ) as its parent brand BSA. I feel that Ladybird should have something of its own.
The current campaign may not ring in sales : that is also not what it is meant to be. I feel that this has given some direction to the brand. Also this laddering has given the brand a great amount of energy to create more campaigns which ultimately will drive more sales. Another reason for such a campaign is the brand's idea to bring in more premium versions of cycles.
Company : TI Cycles
Agenc : Lowe
Brand Analysis Count : 276
Ladybird is the Sub-brand of BSA targeting the girls . Ladybird was the first brand to come out with a cycle for girls and it was a big hit. The brand targets girls aged 13-18 . BSA Champ has a girl's variant for those below 13 years of age. Ladybird is a classic example
for segmentation based on Demographics ( more specific : gender).Ladybird has been promoting itself heavily through media. It is interesting to see the evolution of this sub-brand. The brand had started with the campaign explaining the benefits of the cycle made exclusively for the girls. The step through feature and the shopping basket in front of the cycle and the ergonomics were promoted heavily.
The next step was to create the brand image. The brand used the message of gender equality to keep the brand appealing to the girls
Watch the TVC here : BSA Ladybird
The brand was not having much issues in the sales front because it had a high top of the mind recall. The new generation was lapping up this product since cycle is a natural step before acquiring the scooterette .
The brand also made sure that it keeps the brand exciting through relevant changes in the product. Ladybird introduced funky colors and even a sporty premium version to keep the brand rocking. The brand kept low at the promotion front and relied more on below the line promotion and positive word of mouth.
This year the brand has stepped up the promotion at the branding front. Currently the brand is running the campaign positioning the brand as one that gives FREEDOM to the girls. It is another case of Laddering Up. I think that the concept is one of the best I have seen in recent times. I strongly believe that Mobility is something that gives a terrific sense of empowerment to girls. Mobility gives freedom and that is what now Ladybird tries to own. No more waiting for the brother/father/boyfriend to drop you to school or beach or to theater. The agency has wonderfully executed this concept. The campaign targeting the urban young generation has rightly put the brand in proper perspective. An interesting fact is that Ladybird is using the same tagline (" Your Best Friend for Life " ) as its parent brand BSA. I feel that Ladybird should have something of its own.
The current campaign may not ring in sales : that is also not what it is meant to be. I feel that this has given some direction to the brand. Also this laddering has given the brand a great amount of energy to create more campaigns which ultimately will drive more sales. Another reason for such a campaign is the brand's idea to bring in more premium versions of cycles.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Brand Update : Parachute
Parachute is getting bigger and better. This super brand from Marico has moved into the next level. The brand is running a new campaign for its variant Parachute Advansed. The campaign titled Gorgeous Hamesha is one of the best ads I have seen in recent times
Watch the TVC here : Gorgeous Hamesha
The campaign is a classic example of Laddering . Laddering is deepening the meaning of a brand to tap into core brand values or other, more abstract considerations. For effective laddering, the target group should have a clear understanding of how the brand relates to alternatives in the same category ( Kevin Lane Keller).
Here in this case Parachute has established itself as a hair oil brand, the time was ripe to move up from a basic positioning to some thing more deep. The brand is aiming to reach a higher ladder through its variant Advansed.
In the new campaign Gorgeous Hamesha ( translated to Gorgeous Always) , the brand talks about its efficiency in strengthening the roots of the hair so that you look Gorgeous Always. The brand has embarked on a 360 degree campaign with contests, viral campaigns and media promotions.
The brand has taken a lesson from the iconic Mastercard's Priceless campaign discussed elsewhere in this blog. Like the Priceless campaign, Parachute Advansed is also trying to capture those " Special Ordinary Moments " in life where one looked Gorgeous. The brand has roped in Deepika Padukone as the brand ambassador.
What I liked about the campaign is that it captures the very essence of the brand in a simple way. The ad is sticky and the music is impressive.More than that the message is very simple subtle and effective.
I hope that the brand continues to build on this new Gorgeous concept.
Related Brand
Parachute
The campaign is a classic example of Laddering . Laddering is deepening the meaning of a brand to tap into core brand values or other, more abstract considerations. For effective laddering, the target group should have a clear understanding of how the brand relates to alternatives in the same category ( Kevin Lane Keller).Here in this case Parachute has established itself as a hair oil brand, the time was ripe to move up from a basic positioning to some thing more deep. The brand is aiming to reach a higher ladder through its variant Advansed.
In the new campaign Gorgeous Hamesha ( translated to Gorgeous Always) , the brand talks about its efficiency in strengthening the roots of the hair so that you look Gorgeous Always. The brand has embarked on a 360 degree campaign with contests, viral campaigns and media promotions.
The brand has taken a lesson from the iconic Mastercard's Priceless campaign discussed elsewhere in this blog. Like the Priceless campaign, Parachute Advansed is also trying to capture those " Special Ordinary Moments " in life where one looked Gorgeous. The brand has roped in Deepika Padukone as the brand ambassador.
What I liked about the campaign is that it captures the very essence of the brand in a simple way. The ad is sticky and the music is impressive.More than that the message is very simple subtle and effective.
I hope that the brand continues to build on this new Gorgeous concept.
Related Brand
Parachute
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