Emami: A great brand journey from Kolkata
Kolkata is still in the backwaters as FMCG corporate brands go, especially since the absorption of Brooke Bond and Lipton into Unilever. But there is a great brand story that has been happening in recent years – the champion FMCG corporate brand from Kolkata is the low-profile Emami Group.
Kolkata is in the backwaters as FMCG corporate brands go. Since Brooke Bond and Lipton were absorbed into Unilever, little FMCG brand communication has been generated out of this old town. ITC may have emerged as India’s FMCG champion, but with no cigarette advertising, and its growth divisions located elsewhere, in Kolkata it is better regarded as the city’s last great MNC.
Emami is Kolkata’s great and ongoing FMCG corporate brand story. Yet, when its first highly visible product, Boroplus, started making waves, much of its success was attributed to the stodgy marketing of Boroline, then a household name countrywide.
The driving and energy of Emami’s founders, the ebullient R S Agarwala and the low profile R S Goenka, were already noted in trade circles. But few Marwari start-ups in the FMCG space were historically notable brand builders. Despite Emami’s early successes, it seemed a two-family venture, not likely to professionalise management beyond immediate family.
When consultants of the caliber of the late Subroto Sen Gupta and Alyque Padamsee were inducted as consultants, it was reportedly just to help train the next generation of the families for leadership. Emami’s track record has put paid to all that.
Consider the broad facts. Around 1974, two bright young executives of the Birla empire decided to go into business on their own with a budget of Rs 20,000. They named their firm Emami (borrowed from an Italian word), set up a small office (still retained) in Kolkata’s business district. They personally delivered merchandise for distribution.
Having started from zero, Emami bought over the venerable cosmetics manufacturer Himani – known over many decades for its snow (vanishing cream), glycerine soap and sundry other products. It launched Himani Boroplus – a deceptively simple and potent product concept: a perfumed antiseptic cream directly in competition with then market leader Boroline.
Their functions were near-identical, but being water-based, Boroplus had no heavy, sticky feel. Its ingredients were natural: cost less to make and buy. In short, it was more consumer-friendly. With a great ad campaign from HTA (now JWT), the brand first captured mindshare, especially of younger consumers, then market share. Smart distribution and trade deals steadily ate into Boroline’s franchise – now leader in West Bengal alone.
Boroplus is not Emami’s only coup. Its marketing successes are notable for careful coordination of really smart formulations, largely Ayurveda-based, with carefully targeted markets, spreading and consolidating by turn; subtle shifts of visually rich imagery; strategic use of celebrity brand ambassadorship tailored to phases of growth, and user-friendly packaging.
Take Navratna hair oil for example. Launched in 1991, it has grown from zero to a Rs 180-crore franchise. It began as the typical, somewhat viscous product associated with Ayurveda, and a perceptibly cool feel. It first hit North Indian interior markets with brand ambassador Govinda.
Distributed today in such depth that farmers buy sachets at the village grocer’s, and use them walking home to bathe. As markets spread to more urban and youth markets, Amitabh Bachchan and now Shah Rukh Khan have become brand ambassadors.
Having captured the North, the brand is now establishing itself in the South with Chiranjeevi, Surya and Upendra as brand ambassadors. Besides undisputed market leadership (an estimated 55 per cent share in a fairly crowded space), it has spun off extensions: a talc and a light oil. Both deliver the brand’s core promise of “thanda thanda cool cool”.
In 2006, it was ranked the 6th Most Energized Indian Brand by the DY&R Brand Asset Valuator.
Similar strategies worked for most other major brands, including Boroplus Fast Relief, Sona Chandi Chyawanprash, and the trail-blazing Fair & Handsome (taboo to the politically correct, but a perfect fit with the targeted mindset). Emami has also entered the hair care and baby care segments.
Of its current business, its exports – about a tenth, or Rs 75 crore – comes from South Asia, the seven Gulf states, east and south Africa, and the CIS states, such as Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.
Emami, the FMCG brand, has been the launching pad for lateral expansions: the Emami Group is into newsprint, cement, healthcare, retail, and bio-diesel.
What explains Emami’s rapid growth and scale-up? With the objectivity of a recent inductee (from Cavincare), CEO N Venkat observes, “No doubt the drive and sustained ambition of the founders, their ability to manage financial risk… while the professional managers certainly played their part.”
The current agenda? To strengthen and energise its hefty distribution and sales network to better leverage Emami’s corporate brand equity. The goal? “To go from almost Rs 700 crore this fiscal, to Rs 1,000 crore in two years, and Rs 2,000 crore in five,” asserted Venkat. And it will happen. You can bet on it.
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The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
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The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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ShareSwapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
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COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
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“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
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"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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