Revamping Rasna - A Marketing Strategy Overhaul Saga

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Rasna in order to establish its Rozana line strongly in the market, priced Rozana Amrit sachets at Rs.2, while its major competitors Sunfill and Tang sachets were priced at Rs 2 and Rs 5 respectively. This was expected to help Rasna beat competition as well as increase its reach among the lower-income groups. Speaking about the launch of the Rs 2.00 Rozana Amrit sachets, Khambatta said, "At Rs 2 per sachet, it will be both a value-for-money product as well as convenient as you just have to mix it in water and drink." It also seemed to be more convenient compared to other product offerings of Rasna, as you did not need to add sugar to the mix. According to the company sources, the launch of single-use sachets was expected to trigger the sales of powdered soft drinks in India expanding the market exponentially and increasing the share of powdered soft drinks in the total cold drinks market in India (in 2002, the powdered soft drink market accounted for less than 1% of the 12.1 billion cold drink market). As a result of the above initiatives, Rasna was able to retain its leadership in the Rs 2.5 billion preparatory soft drink market, with an estimated 82% market share. The other major players, Kissan and Roohafza respectively shared 8% and 7% of the market.

In 2002, Rasna was credited to be one of the most widely distributed products in India reaching over 5,00,000 independent retail outlets throughout the country. Rasna emerged as a mass brand appealing to all socio-economic classifications (SEC) in both rural and urban markets. In 2002, Rasna was rated 7th in the Food and Beverages category in India and was rated 21st among the most recalled brands in India.

Hoping for a sweet Future

Although Rasna succeeded in increasing its sales in mid-2002, few analysts were skeptical about the long-term success of revamping strategy. The entry of players like Coca-Cola, Kraft Foods, Dr.Morepen Labs and Hindustan Lever Ltd. and their financial muscle was expected to pose tough competition for Rasna in the future. In 2002, Rasna was in the process of finalizing a joint venture with Del Monte, the largest producer of canned fruits and vegetables in the US to offer convenience foods. While Del Monte wanted to leverage Rasna's vast and efficient distribution network, the latter planned to access Del Monte's technical expertise. Though the venture was planned to take off in mid-2002, analysts felt that the decision to foray into other segments of the food market might not yield expected results given the intense competition in the sector. However, brushing off the apprehensions, Khambatta said, "I believe that competition is an opportunity for growth. We will fight competition with good quality. Our strength lies in Rasna’s nationwide distribution network. We are not scared or nervous of the cola giant Coke." Analysts also commented that Rasna was making a big mistake by trying to make Rasna 'everything to everyone¹.' Commenting on this, Jagdeep Kapoor, Managing Director, Samsika Marketing Consultancy, said, "If you try to be everything to everyone you might end up being nothing to anyone." Kapoor said that focus on children had significantly contributed to Rasna's success. By broadbasing its target audience, and by extending its product to all the sectors of the community, Rasna brand lost its core slot, which its competitor Sunfill captured with its commercial depicting a child on a hunger strike giving in to his temptation for a glass of Sunfill. However, Rasna countered this argument saying that Rasna products were always targeted at the family and never specifically for children. (However, company sources agreed that in the past, children had been their means to get households to buy their product). According to an advertising professional who was previously associated with Rasna, "The problem with Rasna lies in its advertising, which is clueless about where the brand really fits in today's scenario. Rasna entered middle-class homes by saying you have so many glasses from one pack, which works out to so much per glass. However, with the colas getting belligerent and prices coming down steeply, that advantage ceased to exist. A glass of cola would be at most 20% more expensive, but that is offset by the cola associations - young, hip, aspirational. Increasingly, in middle-class homes, Rasna is not seen to be 'with it'. So what is Rasna? Where does it fit? Is it still relevant?" Industry observers remarked that there were three critical success factors in the preparatory drinks segment - economy, taste and children's affinity. And with almost all the players focusing equally on all the three factors, Rasna indeed seems to have a tough time ahead to retain its leadership status.

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1] www.agencyfaqs.com, April 2002.

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