Marketing Funda : Indian Readership Survey (IRS)

Indian Readership Survey or IRS is one of the largest readership survey conducted in India. Conducted by Hansa Research for Media Research User's Council ( MRUC), IRS covers readership for newspapers, internet usage, television veiwership .
Established in 1995 IRS data is widely used by media planners for finalising the media strategy. Besides giving the readership habits, IRS also provides valuable insights into the consumption habits of the Indian consumer. According the Hansa Reaseach, the information coverage of IRS is as follows

Media data study includes the following :
Press Readership: 350 + Publications
TV: 150+ channels
Cinema
Internet
Radio Listener ship: 15+ Radio Stations

Product data for the following is captured
70+ FMCG products usage and consumption habits
30+ Durable products ownership details
Financial Services
Urban & Rural Lifestyle Indicators
Telecom Data ( Source: Hansaresearch.com)

IRS uses sample from 24 states 91 cities covering a 250,000 respondents.The sampling details can be found here
IRS survey results are dissected by the media executives to prove their reach and cost advantages.
IRS is done twice a year and right now IRS round 1 2007 is out.
According to IRS Round 1 :
The top English Dailies are as follows (readership in 000's)
1.Times of India :6781
2.Hindustan Times:3331
3.Hindu : 2209
4.Deccan Chronicle:1311
5.Telegraph:919
6.The Economic Times: 774
7.Mumbai Mirror:735
8.DNA:539
8.Tribune:539
9.Midday:509
10.Deccan Herald:498

The Top Indian Newspapers are (readership in 000's)

1.Dainik Jagron: 17114
2.Dainik Bhaskar:12514
3.Hindustan:9052
4.Malayala Manorama:9052
5.Daily Thanthi:8351
6.Amar Ujala:8255
7.Eenadu:7233
8.Mathrubhumi:6961
9.Rajastan Pathrika: 6946
10. Lokmat:6874

Top Indian magazines are : (readership in 000's)

1.Saras Salil Hindi Fortnightly 4760
2.Vanitha Malayalam Fortnightly 3067
3.India Today English Weekly 2786
4.Grihshobha Hindi Monthly 2486
5. Malayala Manorama Malayalam Weekly 2294
6.Kumudam Tamil Weekly 2130
7.Balarama Malayalam Weekly 2124
8.India Today Hindi Weekly 1943
9. Anandavikadan Tamil Weekly 1898
10.Reader's Digest English Monthly 1869 ( Source : agencyfaqs)

Although IRS is used by most of the media planners, there are always some controversy surrounding the results. Since this is a sample based results, one can always question the statistical inferences. Every time the survey results are out, there are bound to be objections and blaming. To counter IRS, another survey is also there in the readership domain i.e National Readership Survey ( NRS).Combining both the results help media planners to chose the right media across markets. But all these surveys give only approximations. There is no guarantee that a 100 cc ad at the front page of the best daily in India can deliver the desired results. Hence marketers invent a new term : Opportunity to See ( OTS).. By putting an ad in the front page you are giving the reader an opportunity to see the ad .. how wise.

What is the front page ad of today's newspaper? Do you remember?.........

Bingo : A Challenger Brand

Brand : Bingo
Company: ITC

Brand Count: 214

Bingo is ITC's challenge to the monopoly of Frito Lays. This March ,ITC launched Bingo in the highly fragmented Rs 4500-5000 crore ($1 Billion) snack food market.Indian snack food market is dominated by unorganised sector. The organised snack foods market is only Rs 2000 crore and is dominated by the iconic Lays brand with over 77% market share. Having tasted success in Biscuits, staples and Ready to eat market, Bingo will be another test for ITC's marketing muscle. It fights in this segment with none other than Pepsi.

Indian snack food market is divided into : Traditional Snacks ( bhujiya, Chanachur etc) Western Snacks and the newly created Finger snacks segments.
Bingo is entering both the potato and finger snacks market. According to the company press release, Bingo comes in 16 flavors. Its potato snack has 4 innovative variants taking into consideration the taste difference across Indian market. The Finger snacks line has six variants.The TVC's are now on air and the company intends to position this brand as a fun brand targeting at the youth. The brand tries to differentiate from Lays by focusing on innovation (in flavors). Snack foods : because of the low financial risk (low price) for the customer, new tastes will be a key in marketing success. Lays succeeded by offering great quality, variety and brand to reach the leadership position. Bingo it seems is following the leader.
The task is very tough for ITC to fight with Lays. The golden line is that the market is so large that every player will have a space provided, the brand keeps the promise. The high profile brand launch of Bingo will see the market expanding thus benefiting all the players . ITC is aiming at a 360 degree brand building effort to boost the new launch. The exit of Indian team from worldcup may force a re- look on the media strategy for this brand since the company was trying to leverage the worldcup fever in India.
The brand takes the tagline : No Confusion Great Combination. The brand is promoted through a series of funny ad which I feel is little too complicated. The ad tries to be funny but fails to make the audience laugh. The poor execution can create problems for the brand.
Watch the TVC here; Vango Pongo
The launch of Bingo is going to see a fight between two marketing giants in the Indian market.It will be a treat for marketers and consumers .. Bingo....

Source: itcportal.com

Brand Update : Mysore Sandal Soap

In a unique marketing move, Karnataka Soaps and Oil which markets the famous Mysore Sandal soap has gone in for creating a new super premium segment in the highly cluttered soap market. The company is launching the costliest (most expensive) soap in the Indian market Mysore Sandal Platinum. Priced at Rs 200, the soap is 4 times expensive than the current premium soap brands like Dove.

Mysore Sandal Platinum make sense for the company since it will add more equity for the existing product line. Rs 200 is quite a price for a soap but Mysore Sandal may not have volume in mind when it is launching such an expensive soap.
Now Mysore Sandal has following variants:
Mysore Sandal Soap
Mysore Sandal Classic Soap ( for overseas market)
Mysore Sandal Baby Soap
Mysore Sandal Rose
Mysore Sandal Gold
Mysore Sandal Herbal Care.
The new launch is also aimed at the overseas market. Mysore Sandal with its heritage and quality will create a good market in the west. The new brand Platinum although expensive in India will be affordable in the western market (less than $5).
In India too, the brand may adorn the super rich households. This could also have some positive effect on the Parent brand.
Along with Platinum , the brand is moving to mass market ( downmarket stretch) with a non sandal soap branded Wave. Both these initiatives can be cited as an example of Two Way stretch of a product line.

Related Brand
Mysore Sandal Soap

Source: Business standard

Brand Update : Lux

Lux is getting better and bolder. Facing the pressure in a cluttered market, Lux is now in an effort to break the clutter. 2007 is seeing Lux in a new avatar: Lux Pink. Lux has launched all new Pink in a Special Edition pack. The new variant Lux Haute Pink comes in a new flavor, color and fragrance. The most differentiating being the packaging. Lux Pink as you can see from the picture is a stark deviation from the existing variants. The look is different and the message is also different. The brand says : Beauty is not a color or a fragrance... its an attitude! Lux invites you to wear this attitude everyday, to enter a world where we celebrate the pleasures of beauty. Lux .Play with beauty.

The new variant is being promoted in tvc and also in magazines. The brand takes on the pink and celebrates the color. This special edition Lux aims to break the clutter and tries to bring the excitement back to Lux. The packaging is tempting and can see a lot of trial purchases.

Related :
Limited edition
Lux

Minute Maid : Refreshingly Orange,Surprisingly Pulpy

Brand : Minute Maid
Company: Coca Cola
Agency: Leo Burnett

Brand Count:213

Minute Maid is the latest launch from Coca Cola. Minute Maid is the global leader in the fruit juice industry. The brand which was earlier associated with Orange Juice has grown to become a umbrella brand for fruit juices and has even extended it to non soft drinks.

Minute Maid was launched in India in February 2007.The brand assumes significance in the plans of Coke because of the scare it had in the pesticide issue. By launching Minute Maid , Coke is moving towards health drinks. According to Financial Express, the market for Packaged Fruit Juices is expected to be around Rs 350 crore. The market leader is Dabur Real with a share of 57% and Pepsi Tropicana with a share of 30%.

Minute Maid have a rich history. The brand was born in 1945 when Florida Foods Federation developed orange juice powder with a rich fresh-squeezed taste. The name Minute Maid signified the ease of preparation of this product ( "It can be prepared in a minute"). The brand became instant success. The brand later was acquired by Coca Cola. Today the brand spreads across the globe and comes in various flavours and SKU's. Some of the popular extensions include Calcium Fortified, Premium Choice,Heart Wise, Bone Wise etc.

Minute Maid is now being launched in India in a phased manner. The initial launch is in the southern states of Karnataka, TamilNadu and Andhrapradesh. The brand is being initially positioned on the superior taste platform. The brand uses the tagline "Refreshingly Orange, surprisingly Pulpy". The tagline signifies the USP of Minute Maid which is : Pulpy Orange juice drink with real orange pulp. The brand is targeted towards young adults who look at health drinks.The brand is priced at Rs 25 for 400 ml and Rs 60 for 1 litre. (I havn't seen the ad since it is not launched in Kerala, will be updated in due course)

The brand is expected to shake up the fruit juices market in India. The success of Maaza will give lot of confidence to Coca Cola in this segment. And a high profile launch will help increase the category size also.
Watch the international commercial here

Source:minutemaid website,financialexpress

TVS 50: RIP (1980- ........)

Brand : TVS 50 Mopeds
Company:TVS
Agency:McCann Erickson

Brand Count:212

TVS 50 is in the death bed. Anytime the plug can be pulled from the life support system which supports this brand. The brand which was once the favorite two wheeler of common man is at the end of its lifecycle.
TVS 50 has a special place in the automobile history of India. This brand was the first twin seater moped in India.Moped is the combination of Motor + pedal ( nobrainer isn't it).The history dates back to the time of first world war and later a resurgence during the great depression.
Mopeds were pioneered in India by Kinetic with its single seater Luna. But TVS 50 made the category popular. This simple machine which was a category between cycle and scooter was a affordable transportation mode for a middle class person who couldn't afford a scooter.

The success of this product can be attributable to two things : price and utility. At a low price one could have something better than a cycle and also which was simple to handle and no hassles. The brand became favorite for small traders and at one point of time an entry level category for teenagers.
The Mopeds are now facing extinction because of the rise of certain categories within the two wheeler segments . The emergence of scooterette took away lot of consumers who was in the TG of mopeds.Along with that the product also had its inherent problems. The most nagging one being underpowered. The pedal starting also distanced ladies from considering this product. Although the product offered good mileage, the emergence of scooterette virtually took the consumers away from mopeds.

TVS has tried to keep the brand afloat in the changing market. It introduced a 72cc moped :TVS XL Super to make the moped powerful. Over its lifecycle the brand changed from TVS 50 to TVS Champ to TVS Superchamp to TVS XL Super and TVS XL Super heavy. The pedalling gave way to kick starting .So looking at the product changes, the company has done all the right things. Even in 2001, the brand had 66% market share. But the question is about the shrinking market for mopeds. In 2003 the company officials announced that the brand is slowly being phased out.

TVS was once a brand that reversed the fortune of TVS motors. It was a cash cow for the company and kept afloat the company during trying times.Now this category itself is becoming irrelevant or is it? One significant factor to look is that the design was never touched upon regarding the mopeds. The look remained the same.Globally mopeds are a preferred product category for short distance commuters. Looking at the electric bikes that are being promoted now in India, the performance is comparable with mopeds. So are curtains being pulled a little too early? Theoretically there is a gap existing in the market between cycles and scooterettes:Where TVS Scooty remains the leader. Price wise also there is a scope for a product. But mopeds in the current design and image may not bring in customers especially urban customers. A redesigned funky and attractive two wheeler in the price range of mopeds still holds some market. In western markets there are 50cc mobikes that teens use. No for an urban teenager, there are less options or settle for a ladies scooterette.

Will it take a Honda to reinvent this category.....
Source:businessline