Recently Parle Products, the maker of the popular Parle-G biscuit, announced the launch of its Parle-G oats and berries offering, and extended the Parle-G brand to Kismi cinnamon. For a brand not known to take impulsive decisions, these extensions beg two questions: Why? And why now? Mayank Shah, senior category head, Parle Products, explains that the new oats and berries variant is in response to consumers today seeking out healthier options. The Kismi cinnamon biscuit is aimed at coffee-drinkers, given the compatibility in flavour. “Parle-G has always been viewed as a healthy biscuit option, and our new launch reinforces that perception. Given that Parle-G and Kismi are legacy brands that have been part of everyone’s lives, the idea was to expand the offerings in response to specific consumer needs,” he says. Parle is targeting consumers in the 15-25 age bracket with these new launches.
Parle-G is the most recent of several brands that are reinventing themselves in response to changing consumer preferences.
Beyond cosmetic changes
Life insurance brand Bajaj Allianz may be just over 20 years old and hence a relatively young brand, but it operates in a category that is seen as highfalutin, and dominated by a behemoth like LIC. Just before Covid struck, the brand underwent an overhaul with a new tagline and communication aimed at demystifying the category while talking directly to millennial consumers. An in-house survey revealed that young consumers today seek to achieve their life goals faster than their parents. “We anchored our identity on the premise of being a life-goal enabling brand. Our strategy hinges on three pillars – simplification, being purposeful and digitalisation,” says Chandramohan Mehra, chief marketing officer at Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance.
Reinventing a brand’s image is no mean feat, especially when the challenges involve keeping it relevant and relatable. Neeraj Sharma, senior VP, planning, L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, notes some brands opt to do this the easy way by roping in a young celebrity or through cool imagery or a rap song. However, brands need to go beyond superficial modifications when repositioning themselves. “Companies can do this by finding insights about their audience and letting their lives reflect in the brand communication. For example, Airtel created the ‘Har ek friend zaruri hota hai’ campaign, which kept the brand pillars of human connection intact while reinterpreting them for younger consumers,” he says.
Dialling up engagement
Personal care brand Cinthol, from the Godrej Consumer Products (GCPL) stable is another example. It may have been launched 70 years ago, but has continued to thrive in an increasingly fragmented market. The secret? Occasional brand rejuvenation. Somasree Bose Awasthi, CMO, GCPL, notes that Cinthol has managed to stay relevant by associating with the youth icons of its time. “For our last re-launch, we reimagined the bathing experience and extended it to an outdoorsy experience. This resonated with the youth, especially those who enjoy travel and adventure. We have been communicating more on digital too,” she says. Cinthol’s portfolio has also been expanded to include products like deodorant sprays, talc and body washes. During the pandemic, Cinthol’s digital initiatives saw engagement as high as 30%-35%, way above the average 5%.
For Bajaj Allianz, the share of digital in the media mix is almost 60% now. “Nearly half of our customers today are under 35 years. Our brand transformation, which broke away from the traditional concept of life insurance, has definitely spoken to young consumers,” says Mehra.
Net net, brand rejuvenation is an ongoing exercise. And here is a word of advice from a brand that has been there, done that, over and over again: “Listen to consumers regularly because you never know when your cheese may be moved. And don’t lose sight of your brand’s core strengths but rather evaluate regularly how they can be evolved to meet a consumer’s changing needs,” as Awasthi puts it.
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