REINVENTING BISLERI

Case code- MKTG-20
Published-2002

INTRODUCTION

FROM "PURE AND SAFE" TO "PLAY SAFE"

In the late 1990s, Parle Bisleri launched an ad campaign to create a distinct brand image-'There is just one Bisleri.' Hoardings and point-of-sale promotion material backed an aggressive print-and-TV campaign, and every interaction with the consumer was used as an opportunity to reinforce the message that Bisleri was "pure and safe."

Analysts felt that Bisleri would find it difficult to market an unconventional pack like the 1.2 litre one. This would require increased spending on marketing and advertising. However, according to company officials, the higher margins that a crate of 1.2 litres bottle (12) would generate, would be spent on marketing, advertising and on dealers.

The retailer price for a crate of 1.2 litres bottles would be Rs 120, against a total cost (including excise and sales tax) of Rs 60.87 to the company. Thus, the company would have a margin of Rs 59.13 per crate. The comparable margin for a crate of 1 litre bottles was Rs 44.57. This meant that the company would have an extra Rs 14.56 per crate. Bisleri planned to spend this amount on advertising and marketing. .In 2000, Bisleri also launched smaller packs like the 300 ml cup. This 300 ml cup was targeted at large gatherings like marriages and conventions.

A study conducted by Bisleri showed that its one litre pack was not considered trendy enough. Analysts' felt that since Bisleri had become generic to the category, the one litre pack was not really considered a brand but merely synonymous with the product. The new look was expected to correct this perceptions. In place of the round ringed bottles, Bisleri would be available in hexagonal flat-sleeved bottles. The new pack was already introduced in 500 ml and 5 litre sizes and would be used for other packs. The new design was patented to prevent it from being copied by others. Said Chauhan, "The new pack is trendy and has been well accepted by the consumers as we have experienced in the case of 500 ml and 5 litre sizes." The new pack also allowed better brand display. Vertical labeling was easier on flat sleeved packages. It made label information visible from all sides of the bottle.

Bisleri also planned to target the soft drinks market. Chauhan was confident that by 2003, the water business would grow at the cost of the soft drink market. Most analysts agreed that this was possible. In 2000, pure bottled water sold over 500 million litres a year. Soft drinks sold over 1 billion litres a year. With an annual growth rate of 40% for water, water sales was expected to catch up with soft drinks. Bisleri planned to target the soft drinks market by adding a fun element to the product. Chauhan felt that soft drinks were all about quenching thirst and having fun. While it was widely accepted that branded water quenched thirst, there was very little that branded water could do to provide a fun element. Chauhan said that Bisleri would soon launch an ad campaign to address this problem.
By 2000, the smaller players also began to position their products on the purity platform. They also offered better trade margins. New entrants like Aquafina and Kinley concentrated purely on building their brands in a big way. Bisleri had to come out with an ad campaign to make its brand stand apart.

In September 2000, Bisleri launched its Play Safe ad campaign. In the print ad, a lady in a bikini is shown lying face down, soaking up the sun. A part of the lady's body is shielded by a bottle of Bisleri with the message: Play Safe on the bottle. The television version of the ad ran for 45 seconds. The film opens with a couple sitting on a beach in front of a bonfire. The girl suddenly starts running and is followed by the boy. As she collapses on the sand, she whispers something in his ear which sends him back to the bonfire. He rummages through the bags, but can't find what he is looking for. He rushes to the nearest chemist's and picks up a huge carton. Back at the beach, he opens the carton, and finds 500 ml Bisleri bottles inside. The girl quenches her thirst, almost in ecstasy, as the boy watches her with a comical expression on his face. Then comes the message: Play Safe.

The campaign targeted the youth and hoped to convey a social message: young people need to make sure they are safe even when they are having fun. The ad campaign saw a shift in positioning from "pure and safe" to "play safe." According to Ambience D'Arcy, the shift had been necessitated by the fact that every new entrant in the mineral water market adopted the purity. Said Chauhan, "Our observation is that people consume mineral water not for the minerals, but for safety. Hence the word "safe" is critical."

WILL BISLERI EVER BE A Rs. 10 BILLION BRAND?

 

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This case study is intended to be used as a basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a management situation. This case was compiled from published sources.