Born: 1939

History: Flagship brand of Parle Products Pvt. Ltd

Status: Has a market share of 60% in the glucose biscuits category, worth about Rs2,000 crore
Brand story: In the hit Bollywood movie Welcome, actor Nana Patekar, in a passing reference
to Parle-G, notes that even biscuits command respect and have to be addressed with a ji (a term
of respect in Hindi). His remark, while made in jest, is not far off the mark.

It is a heritage brand. We sell over 25 crore packets every month. That should reflect the stature
of the brand,” says Praveen Kulkarni, marketing head at Parle Products Pvt. Ltd.

Parle’s mantra has always been about repositioning the brand without tweaking the look and feel
of the product. “The brand is clearly an Indian brand and it straddles all economic strata. The fact
that it is a staple for everyone in the house keeps it going,” says Nirvik Singh, chairman and
president, Grey Global Group, South and South-East Asia, the agency that handles the Parle-G
account.

There was a time when Parle-G’s dominance was threatened by rival brands, especially the Tiger
brand from Britannia. “We found out that Tiger was getting stronger in the kids segment, and we
decided to change our positioning,” says Kulkarni. Later, when the company sponsored the
television show Shaktimaan on Doordarshan, it literally rescued Parle-G.

The brand also had some innovative commercials involving young children with a new
punchline, G means Genius, which was an instant hit.While rivals have signed on celebrities,
Parle-G has managed to retain its leadership position with just a simple white-and-yellow striped
wrapper with a picture of a baby on it. “We don’t need celebrities as the brand equity is so
strong,” says Kulkarni.

The biggest concern is that the brand shouldn’t become outdated as it is a historic brand. The
brand has managed to retain its leadership position because it has evolved its campaign with
every consumption trend,” says Singh.

The last campaign, Hindustan ki Takat, (the strength of India) is a huge position which no other
brand can take so effortlessly.”
Born: 1930, in the UK
History: Owned by Reckitt Benckiser India Ltd

Status: A legacy brand, it was launched in India in 1932. Dettol has become the generic name
for the liquid antiseptic products category and enjoys 85% market share in the segment. The
brand today is present in various segments such as soaps, hand wash, shaving creams and
plasters.

Brand story: Despite its first mover advantage, it did not become a household name from the
word go. To break into the consumer space, the company launched an aggressive advertising
campaign in 1960.

“By 1970, 4.7 million Dettol bottles were sold and, over the next one decade, the brand had
penetrated into 40% of urban households in India,” says Chander Mohan Sethi, chairman and
managing director, Reckitt Benckiser India.

Dettol’s reign in the market, though, has not been unchallenged. When UK-based consumer
products company ICI Plc. brought its flagship brand Savlon to India, recalls Sethi, Reckitt
Benckiser realized how serious the competition was—and “Dettol went to consumers with even
more forceful campaigns”.

In the 2000s, the company’s long-standing slogan, Strong enough to protect the ones we love,
changed to Dettol, be 100% sure. “As a brand, Dettol has always retained its standing on the
anti-germ platform, although its portfolio has expanded to suit the lifestyle demands of
consumers,” says Suman Srivastava, chief executive, Euro RSCG, the advertising agency for
Dettol.
Born:1873,intheUS
History: Two Chicago, US-based brothers, James and William Horlick, first patented the malt-
based milk drink as baby food.  the US

While the exact date of its India launch is not known, some of its commercials date back to the
early 1900s. Currently owned by GSK Consumer Healthcare Ltd in India
Status: Horlicks holds 58% of the Rs1,900 crore health food drinks market, and is currently a
Rs1,000 crore brand in India  

Brand story: From a drink that was supposed to promote a good night’s sleep to one that can
help children grow taller, stronger and sharper, Horlicks has come a long way. Simultaneously,
its brand image, too, has changed—from a fuddyduddy, boring health drink recommended by
doctors to something that is nourishing, and enjoyable.

In 1992, as its market share grew, the brand extended itself to a new product—Horlicks Biscuits.
In 1994, it started singing the “micronutrient” story, fol lowed by its “smart nutrients” campaign
in 1998.

The brand underwent a massive transforma tion in 2003, when almost everything about it
changed—from the taste and flavour to the packaging. It also changed its positioning: it was
nourishing, yes, but also tasty.

Another turning point came in 2005, when the brand released a clinical study which claimed that
children who consumed Horlicks were “taller, stronger, and sharper” than those who did not. For
the first time, the brand tried to communicate with children, not just their mothers.

Beginning a major advertising and marketing campaign along that theme, new variants such as
Horlicks Lite were launched, followed by the revamp of Junior Horlicks in 2006. The latest
variant is Women’s Horlicks, launched this year.

We are constantly striving to ensure that the brand is relevant to consumers,” says Shubhajit Sen,
vice-president, marketing, GSK Consumer Healthcare Ltd.Product innovation, he maintains, is
likely to remain a priority.
Born: 1895

History: Owned by Unilever Plc., the parent company of Hindustan Unilever Ltd

Status: Has 18% market share in the bathing soaps category, worth Rs6,000 crore.

Brand story: Lifebuoy landed on Indian shores in 1895, when the country was in the grip of a
plague epidemic.

With its positioning as a powerful germicidal and disinfectant, and with a strong carbolic smell,
it was what the nation was looking for. But the health advantage waned over time as competitors
came out with soaps that promised both health and beauty.

The 1970s were challenging times for the brand, especially in the rural markets, its mainstay.
“The biggest challenge was to break the mould and do clutter-breaking advertising,” says Manoj
Tapadia, creative director at Lowe India, the ad vertising agency for Lifebuoy.

It was around 2002 that the product moved from being a hard soap to a mild soap that delivered a
significantly superior bathing experience. The new soap had a refreshing fragrance and its
overall positioning changed, painting its promise of health in softer, more versatile and
responsible hues—for the entire family.

The packaging was also changed: The rugged looking packs were soon replaced with a softer
pinkish cover. This was followed by a series of ads highlighting the soap’s germfighting benefits.

Lifebuoy had become a family soap with hygiene as its core promise. “For a soap that had been
relegated to toilets, Lifebuoy has gathered new adherents in an age where more consumers are
getting concerned about germs and cleanliness,” says Arvind Sahay, professor of marketing at
the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

“Lifebuoy has 112 years of existence in India and has constantly reinvigorated itself.

In the last five years, it has touched nearly 100 million Indians across 44,000 villages,” says
Srikanth Srinivasamadhavan, category head, personal wash, HUL.
Right from the early days, the brand has preferred effective communication to celebrities. An
exception is its recent, limited exposure campaign with cricketer Yuvraj Singh.
Born: 1929, in India, as a bathing soap

History: Owned by global consumer products giant Unilever Plc., the parent company of
Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL)

Status: Enjoys more than 17% market share in the premium soaps market valued at Rs6,000
crore

Brand story: What is the common seductive link between Hollywood actor Paul Newman,
Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and All India Anna Dravida
Munnetra Kazhagam chief J. Jayalalithaa? They have all tried selling a soap at some point or the
other.

And the soap is Lux, the premium beauty soap from consumer products company HUL. “Lux
has been the epitome of beauty for the Indian woman and inspires all women in India to enjoy
the process of beautifying without any constraints,” says Srikanth Srinivasamadhavan, category
head, personal wash, HUL.

Lux—derived from the word luxury— was launched in 1899 as a laundry soap in the UK. In
1925, the brand was extended to the toilet soap category. It was positioned as a beauty soap in
India, and HUL has since used successful film actors of the time—such as Leela Chitnis,
Madhubala, Hema Malini and Kareena Kapoor—to endorse the product.
Lux’s secret of longevity has been its consistent evolution—be it the soap colour, packaging or
new variants, the brand has banked on innovation to keep its youthful image intact. Extending
the soap cake to a range of shower gels, liquid soaps and moisturizing bars has helped the brand
keep consumers excited and the competition at bay.

What has not changed is the consistency in its communication and its positioning.
Its tag lines—If it’s good enough for a film star, then it’s good for you too to Play with beauty—
have conveyed the same message over the years. “Lux is a brand like Mills & Boon. While the
packaging and content could change, the romance angle doesn’t. It taps into an emotion very
close to humanity’s basic need—social interaction.

The brand has always hired celebrities when they have reached a certain height rather than using
them at the start of their careers. This avoids the issue of celebrities overshadowing the brand,”
says Agnello Dias, national creative director, JWT, which handles the account.
AMUL- The Taste of India
Born: 1946, christened in 1955n 1955

History: Originally marketed by the Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union, Anand,
it was taken over by the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) in 1973

Status: Has a 15% market share in the Rs15,000 crore milk category, and a 37% share in the
Rs900 crore organized ice-cream segment.

Starting with milk and milk powder, the Amul brand today covers a range of dairy products—
from chocolates to cheese and, of course, butter

Brand story: If a brand’s value is to be judged by the ease with which it can be recalled, then
Amul’s marketing campaign wins hands down.

With its clever use of topical events, Amul’s utterly butterly campaign—it has the distinction of
entering the Guinness World Records as the longest running campaign—has won the brand
several accolades.

Playing the role of a social observer, its weekly comments have tickled India’s funny bone since
1967, when Sylvester Da Cunha’s irrepressible Amul girl first had her say.

But what’s kept the brand going all these years? “We have changed the packag ing, our
technology and our approach to mar keting based on the changing taste buds of our consumers.

However, the only thing that has helped us sail smoothly is that we have not changed our core
values—give the best quality product to the consumer, and the best possible price. It holds true in
any era,” says B.M. Vyas, managing director, GCMMF.

In fact, it is not just the core values at Amul that have remained the same; the core team
associated with the brand is still the same. Even the advertising agency hasn’t changed, and Da
Cunha and FCB Ulka, have played a pivotal role in the growth of Amul.

“This has helped us maintain consistency in our communication. Our strategy of umbrella
branding has also helped establish our brand firmly in people’s minds. This, despite the fact that
we do not spend more than 1% of our turnover for marketing, compared with 7-8% (spent) by
most of the food and consumer product companies,” R.S. Sodhi, head of marketing, GCMMF,
says.

From Utterly butterly delicious Amul to The Taste of India, Amul continues to be the toast of the
country.