A category builder, Bisleri today is a generic name for bottled water. At the same time it has to ward off competition from the many brands in the market. Therefore, it was but natural that the brand?s advertising had to move away from functional claims to emotional claims as is reflected in its latest ?Stay Protected? campaign. Meanwhile Bisleri continues to focus on innovation, introducing the ?Bisleri hub? concept and the new 15-litre bottle, to connect with every segment of the market through a unique combination of convenience and pricing. In an interview with FE?s Twishy, Anjana Ghosh, director, Bisleri International Pvt Ltd talks about product portfolio expansion, its latest ?Stay Protected? campaign and distribution hurdles. Edited excerpts.

What is the current market share of Bisleri ?

Just 30% of the bottled water market is serviced by national brands while the remaining 70% is covered by the local brands. Bisleri?s market share is 65% of the national brands market which includes Kinley, Aquafina and others.

Are you planning to expand your product portfolio and production capacity?

A recent innovation is the 500ml SKU which hit the market in October/ November. Bisleri has launched a 15-litre pack for the in-home consumption market because the 20-litre pack was too bulky for the retailer to make home delivery. The new 15-litre pack will have a rocking base which will allow consumers to easily tilt the heavy bottle while pouring water. This will increase the two way sale by 20% ? 30%. We have a sales target ? 5000 jars of the 15-litre pack every day. We have an introductory offer of ?buy 3 jars and get one free? for this 15-litre pack priced at Rs 70. We are also planning to set up one or two plants per month.

Five of our plants in Ratnagiri, Thane, Nasik, Kolhapur and Pune are ready to start operations. We plan to add 10 to 15 plants in the next 6 to 8 months. We are looking at 50% growth across the country.

Do you see distribution as a major hurdle and what are your plans to facilitate quick delivery to the customers?

Bisleri water is a bulky product and distribution of such a bulky product is a major challenge. We have launched the concept of Bisleri hubs in which the local stationery shops exclusively sell Bisleri water. There are 120 such hubs in Mumbai. The company also wants to have 100 ?Bisleri Shoppes? by the end of the year, 20 of which are already in Bangalore. This way we have broken down our operations area-wise depots thus allowing us to provide quick and efficient service.

What was the idea behind your latest campaign ?Stay protected??

Bisleri is synonymous with safety and purity. We wanted an idea that would build on these brand values, going a step forward from our earlier product value, ?Play Safe.? The brand needed outstanding advertising to create high appeal. The ad is designed to revitalise Bisleri thereby strengthening the core appeal of the brand. The new ad has action and humour, supported by a jingle and a happy ending. It entertains, involves, and it makes you look at mineral water and Bisleri with a new perspective. The target group for Bisleri is predominantly male as per a survey conducted by us. This new ad aims to revitalise the brand Bisleri across all genders and age groups.

How is Bisleri planning to strengthen its digital presence?

We plan to have a strong online presence for our current campaign ?Stay Protected?. The current campaign has two phases. Phase 2 has an innovative online campaign and a social media plan. The main agenda is to engage the consumers and appeal to the next generation. Our current social media campaign ?Stay Protected? will continue to stay for a while and will also speak about Bisleri?s various corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. We have re-designed our website. People can interact directly with our customer care department. There are various information such as water recipes available on it.

How is Vedica faring in the market?

Vedica is a premium brand of natural mineral water with medical values. It is directly bottled from its source which is in the Himalayas. Vedica caters to the premium segment i.e., SEC A, A+. To target this segment, we are making it available at 5-star hotels, super malls, high-end restaurants, corporate sessions, etc. However, distribution for such a product is always expensive.