How far is too far?

What’s Marico up to?

This is one company with a few successful brands created over the years. Mostly, being pioneers in entering the market with a common product with extreme mass appeal. If you look the way a product, coconut hair oil was introduced in a market (country) where almost everyone is used to applying hair on their head. It tapped a very important segment of the market where a packaged hair oil product provided convenience and the promise of purity. But, today in order to tap the opportunity seen in brand extension, innumerable products have been created. Right from parachute advansed, parachute aftershower, parachute gel, parachute HOT oil. Why would somebody want something touching their skin and becoming hot? Its a horrible thought !!!


There is a famous example of things goin wrong as far as brand extensions go. Miller Beer. They had very successful core brand in Miller. They launched a brand extension called 'Miller Lite' in the 80's. Then, came a whole lot of extensions. There was still Miller High Life (hanging on by a thread) and Miller Lite, but also Miller Lite Ice, Miller High Life Lite, Miller Genuine Draft, Miller Genuine Draft Lite, Miller Reserve, Miller Reserve Lite, Miller Reserve Amber Ale and the very short-lived Miller Clear. The trouble was not so much that there were too many Miller brands (although that was indeed a problem) but that they were variations of each other, rather than a variation of one core brand. The problem of identity was their biggest problem. Whereas drinkers could go into a bar and say to the bartender, ‘I’ll have a Budweiser,’ causing little confusion, if they said, ‘I’ll have a Miller,’ the bartender would inevitably ask, ‘Which Miller?’





The other brand that they own - Saffola. The first ones to identify an opportunity in this segment for healthy oils. Today, again they resort to extending this brand to introduce cholestrol management and diabetes management products. Worst of all there was a product which was launched targetting the instant foods category !!!

‘Leverage is good, too much leverage is bad,’ says brand guru Tom Peters.

Has Marico lost confidence in its ability to create new brands??? Or is it guided (rather misguided) by the concept of play safe just to make short term gains. At least there are no visible attempts to come up with a new brand to expand its product portfolio.
Ultimately, at the end of the day, it’s a product’s or campaign ability to bring in the moolah consistently over a period of time that determines the success or failure of a brand.

I will try and put my views in this blog about some of the biggest brands that are in India today and are part of our everyday life. These brands had and continue to fascinate me from my childhood. Their evolution, their successes, their failures give an amazing insight into the way Indian companies have dealt with the economy opening up, competition from foreign co.s and their bid to globalize their products today, fearlessly.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the above article are in no way malignant towards one company. But, just a critique from whatever little understanding I have about marketing.