abhishreshthaa
Abhijeet S
BACKGROUND
• BoroSoft Antiseptic Cream was launched in 1996 to compete in the ‘Boro’ Antiseptic Cream category.
• A category that was dominated by 2 strongly entrenched brands-BoroPlus (Himani) & Boroline (GD pharmaceuticals), both of which enjoyed a combined marketshare of more than 90%.
• Though categorised as ‘Antiseptic Creams’ the Boro Antiseptic creams are used not so much for their antiseptic/medicinal properties (unlike Burnol, Dettol), but more as skin creams for winter dryness.
• The low price of these Boro creams makes them ideal value-for-money family products that find usage during winter.
Though used as skin creams, Boro creams were seen as purely functional – with low cosmetic & aspirational appeal, even amongst their users.
• North & East India are the primary markets for Boro Antiseptic creams – accounting for more than 75% sales.
• Majority of the category sales come from medium-sized packs – Boroline 21g, BoroPlus 20g, BoroSoft 25g.
• Non-users (users of cold creams & other higher order creams) had a very low opinion & image of Boro Antiseptic Creams & could not imagine using these creams on the skin, especially on the face.
AD AGENCY: MUDRA
In a market dominated by BoroPlus and Boroline and a perception that dictated use only for the dry winter months, Mudra turned consumer outlook around to build BoroSoft as a cosmetic product within a short time. BoroSoft is probably Mudra’s most effective statement of how a brand can be introduced in a market dominated by heavyweights and still create an identity of its own.
CATEGORY INSIGHT
In 1995, ‘Antiseptic creams for dry & chapped skin’ was the largest homogenous segment with a 55% share of the Rs. 50 crore Antiseptic cream market. At that time any antiseptic cream with a ‘Boro’ pre-fix was seen as an antiseptic cream for dry and chapped skin rather than as an antiseptic cream to be used for cuts, wounds and bruises. Moreover, North & East were the key markets since they experienced severe winters. West too had a good potential and the share of the South was negligible.
Boro products were perceived to be value-for-money skin creams that could be used by the entire family as a remedy for skin-dryness. They were seen as functional products & did not enjoy’ aspirational status amongst users.
However, there was dissatisfaction amongst consumers on account of the stickiness/oiliness of the boro creams.
Based on this key insight, BoroSoft was formulated as a non-sticky antiseptic cream. Aloe Vera - a natural extract with antiseptic and moisturizing properties was also added for the first time in a Boro cream.
MARKET SCENERIO
The antiseptic creams market was virtually oligopolistic. The presence of too few brands over a long period of time in the market and the inability of any other antiseptic creams to make a dent in the market resulted in the creation of ‘Boro’ antiseptic cream market.
Other brands that made an attempt to enter this market with a Boro prefix met with little success.
Few brands attempted to address this market---without a Boro prefix—but were rejected by the consumer.
Consumer Insight: Women are reluctant to use ‘greasy’ creams on their face.
LAUNCH PHASE 1 (1997 - 1999)
The advertising focused on positioning BoroSoft as a non-sticky antiseptic cream.
• Pre-launch market research indicated that BoroPlus & Boroline found usage primarily as skin creams for the problem of dry skin in winters, rather than for their antiseptic properties.
• Excessive stickiness of their Antiseptic Cream (BoroPlus & Boroline) was the only significant area of dissatisfaction among their users.
• With this insight from research, BoroSoft Antiseptic Cream was launched in September 1996, as a non-sticky antiseptic cream, against the market leaders BoroPlus & Boroline.
• Targetting women, the brand focussed its usage as a face cream thereby creating perceptions of a ‘cosmetic’ antiseptic cream, unlike other antiseptic creams that were seen as multi-purpose, family products.
• In the very first season the brand achieved a 9% share of the Antiseptic Cream market for dry & chapped skin.
• Over the next three years, the brand strategy was to reinforce the non-sticky positioning, provide rational support for the use of a non-sticky cream & create cosmetic associations with the brand, thereby enhancing brand imagery.
• In addition, in 1999, BoroSoft introduced a larger pack size - 40g. A consumer promotion offer was given on this new pack
– D’Cold Open-Up Inhaler free with BoroSoft 40g pack.
• This consumer promotion offer was hugely successful in getting trials for the brand – not only from users of other Boro creams but also from users of cold creams & fairness creams.( LAKME & FAIR & LOVELY)
• The result being, that by the end of 1999 the market share of BoroSoft Antiseptic Cream had moved up to 17% of the Antiseptic Cream market.
PHASE 2 (2000 ONWARDS)
• By now BoroSoft was a well-established brand with high brand salience among Boro cream users with its clear positioning as a non-sticky antiseptic cream with cosmetic & grooming associations.
• The task defined for the brand for the year 2000 was to further enhance the ‘cosmetic’ appeal of the brand & build in ‘face cream’ associations with the brand.
• Boro cream users clearly saw a distinction between their Boro brand (which was perceived as a multi-purpose cream) and non Boro brands (which they aspired to use – the more expensive & cosmetic ‘face creams’ like Pond’s Cold Cream, Fair & Lovely, Nivea).
KEY ISSUE
• The brand mapping exercise indicated that while BoroSoft was clearly being perceived to be high grooming, its associations with the attribute of ‘protection’ was lacking.
• And in a category that is largely functional, it is important for a brand to be perceived as providing the key category benefit – ‘protection from winter dryness’.
COMMUNICATION TASK
• To strengthen the ‘protection’ association of BoroSoft Antiseptic Cream for the problem of skin dryness, while continuing to maintain the cosmetic associations of the brand.
TARGET AUDIENCE
• Females, 18-35 yrs., SEC A,B,C.
• Core Target Audience: Current users of BoroPlus & Boroline.
The brand packaging was given a new look in the year 2000 as the brand communication focussed on positioning it as a face cream.
A brand diagnostics study conducted at the end of the season 2000-2001 indicated that the imagery of BoroSoft was clearly in line with the intended brand positioning.
COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
• To position BoroSoft as a ‘dry skin specialist’ by highlighting and drawing attention to the ingredient ‘Glycerine’ – because of its ability to make dry skin soft and supple.
• The net takeout of the creative was that BoroSoft is ideal for making dry skin soft because it is Glycerine-enriched.
• This would aid in anchoring the brand on the core functional attribute of the category & its higher cosmetic imagery would provide a reason-to-buy.
MEDIA STRATEGY
• Being a seasonal product (for dry skin), the majority of the brand’s sales occur in the winter period from November to February.
• Therefore, high decibel TV advertising in these winter months has been the media strategy, in order to achieve high top-of mind awareness in a short period.
• The Target Audience being women, the programme selection primarily consists of popular family soaps.
BOROSOFT TODAY
• Today, BoroSoft is the 3rd largest brand in its category (Boro Antiseptic Creams) with a market share of 19%.
• It enjoys more than 93% brand awareness – amongst all users of skin creams.
• By positioning it as a Dry Skin Specialist the brand has now been made more relevant to users of BoroPlus & Boroline.
• Its premium, cosmetic imagery has made it possible to extend its equity into other skin care products viz., BoroSoft Dry Skin Soap and BoroSoft Thick Lotion for Dry Skin.
• BoroSoft Antiseptic Cream was launched in 1996 to compete in the ‘Boro’ Antiseptic Cream category.
• A category that was dominated by 2 strongly entrenched brands-BoroPlus (Himani) & Boroline (GD pharmaceuticals), both of which enjoyed a combined marketshare of more than 90%.
• Though categorised as ‘Antiseptic Creams’ the Boro Antiseptic creams are used not so much for their antiseptic/medicinal properties (unlike Burnol, Dettol), but more as skin creams for winter dryness.
• The low price of these Boro creams makes them ideal value-for-money family products that find usage during winter.
Though used as skin creams, Boro creams were seen as purely functional – with low cosmetic & aspirational appeal, even amongst their users.
• North & East India are the primary markets for Boro Antiseptic creams – accounting for more than 75% sales.
• Majority of the category sales come from medium-sized packs – Boroline 21g, BoroPlus 20g, BoroSoft 25g.
• Non-users (users of cold creams & other higher order creams) had a very low opinion & image of Boro Antiseptic Creams & could not imagine using these creams on the skin, especially on the face.
AD AGENCY: MUDRA
In a market dominated by BoroPlus and Boroline and a perception that dictated use only for the dry winter months, Mudra turned consumer outlook around to build BoroSoft as a cosmetic product within a short time. BoroSoft is probably Mudra’s most effective statement of how a brand can be introduced in a market dominated by heavyweights and still create an identity of its own.
CATEGORY INSIGHT
In 1995, ‘Antiseptic creams for dry & chapped skin’ was the largest homogenous segment with a 55% share of the Rs. 50 crore Antiseptic cream market. At that time any antiseptic cream with a ‘Boro’ pre-fix was seen as an antiseptic cream for dry and chapped skin rather than as an antiseptic cream to be used for cuts, wounds and bruises. Moreover, North & East were the key markets since they experienced severe winters. West too had a good potential and the share of the South was negligible.
Boro products were perceived to be value-for-money skin creams that could be used by the entire family as a remedy for skin-dryness. They were seen as functional products & did not enjoy’ aspirational status amongst users.
However, there was dissatisfaction amongst consumers on account of the stickiness/oiliness of the boro creams.
Based on this key insight, BoroSoft was formulated as a non-sticky antiseptic cream. Aloe Vera - a natural extract with antiseptic and moisturizing properties was also added for the first time in a Boro cream.
MARKET SCENERIO
The antiseptic creams market was virtually oligopolistic. The presence of too few brands over a long period of time in the market and the inability of any other antiseptic creams to make a dent in the market resulted in the creation of ‘Boro’ antiseptic cream market.
Other brands that made an attempt to enter this market with a Boro prefix met with little success.
Few brands attempted to address this market---without a Boro prefix—but were rejected by the consumer.
Consumer Insight: Women are reluctant to use ‘greasy’ creams on their face.
LAUNCH PHASE 1 (1997 - 1999)
The advertising focused on positioning BoroSoft as a non-sticky antiseptic cream.
• Pre-launch market research indicated that BoroPlus & Boroline found usage primarily as skin creams for the problem of dry skin in winters, rather than for their antiseptic properties.
• Excessive stickiness of their Antiseptic Cream (BoroPlus & Boroline) was the only significant area of dissatisfaction among their users.
• With this insight from research, BoroSoft Antiseptic Cream was launched in September 1996, as a non-sticky antiseptic cream, against the market leaders BoroPlus & Boroline.
• Targetting women, the brand focussed its usage as a face cream thereby creating perceptions of a ‘cosmetic’ antiseptic cream, unlike other antiseptic creams that were seen as multi-purpose, family products.
• In the very first season the brand achieved a 9% share of the Antiseptic Cream market for dry & chapped skin.
• Over the next three years, the brand strategy was to reinforce the non-sticky positioning, provide rational support for the use of a non-sticky cream & create cosmetic associations with the brand, thereby enhancing brand imagery.
• In addition, in 1999, BoroSoft introduced a larger pack size - 40g. A consumer promotion offer was given on this new pack
– D’Cold Open-Up Inhaler free with BoroSoft 40g pack.
• This consumer promotion offer was hugely successful in getting trials for the brand – not only from users of other Boro creams but also from users of cold creams & fairness creams.( LAKME & FAIR & LOVELY)
• The result being, that by the end of 1999 the market share of BoroSoft Antiseptic Cream had moved up to 17% of the Antiseptic Cream market.
PHASE 2 (2000 ONWARDS)
• By now BoroSoft was a well-established brand with high brand salience among Boro cream users with its clear positioning as a non-sticky antiseptic cream with cosmetic & grooming associations.
• The task defined for the brand for the year 2000 was to further enhance the ‘cosmetic’ appeal of the brand & build in ‘face cream’ associations with the brand.
• Boro cream users clearly saw a distinction between their Boro brand (which was perceived as a multi-purpose cream) and non Boro brands (which they aspired to use – the more expensive & cosmetic ‘face creams’ like Pond’s Cold Cream, Fair & Lovely, Nivea).
KEY ISSUE
• The brand mapping exercise indicated that while BoroSoft was clearly being perceived to be high grooming, its associations with the attribute of ‘protection’ was lacking.
• And in a category that is largely functional, it is important for a brand to be perceived as providing the key category benefit – ‘protection from winter dryness’.
COMMUNICATION TASK
• To strengthen the ‘protection’ association of BoroSoft Antiseptic Cream for the problem of skin dryness, while continuing to maintain the cosmetic associations of the brand.
TARGET AUDIENCE
• Females, 18-35 yrs., SEC A,B,C.
• Core Target Audience: Current users of BoroPlus & Boroline.
The brand packaging was given a new look in the year 2000 as the brand communication focussed on positioning it as a face cream.
A brand diagnostics study conducted at the end of the season 2000-2001 indicated that the imagery of BoroSoft was clearly in line with the intended brand positioning.
COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
• To position BoroSoft as a ‘dry skin specialist’ by highlighting and drawing attention to the ingredient ‘Glycerine’ – because of its ability to make dry skin soft and supple.
• The net takeout of the creative was that BoroSoft is ideal for making dry skin soft because it is Glycerine-enriched.
• This would aid in anchoring the brand on the core functional attribute of the category & its higher cosmetic imagery would provide a reason-to-buy.
MEDIA STRATEGY
• Being a seasonal product (for dry skin), the majority of the brand’s sales occur in the winter period from November to February.
• Therefore, high decibel TV advertising in these winter months has been the media strategy, in order to achieve high top-of mind awareness in a short period.
• The Target Audience being women, the programme selection primarily consists of popular family soaps.
BOROSOFT TODAY
• Today, BoroSoft is the 3rd largest brand in its category (Boro Antiseptic Creams) with a market share of 19%.
• It enjoys more than 93% brand awareness – amongst all users of skin creams.
• By positioning it as a Dry Skin Specialist the brand has now been made more relevant to users of BoroPlus & Boroline.
• Its premium, cosmetic imagery has made it possible to extend its equity into other skin care products viz., BoroSoft Dry Skin Soap and BoroSoft Thick Lotion for Dry Skin.