Catch the stars when young!

IIPM - Admission Procedure

Now tweens offer prodigious potential for marketers in India

How many of us reading this article have grown up viewing the Boost commercials starring cricketers like Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar & Virendra Sehwag crooning the famous lines, ‘Boost is the secret of my energy’? Well, the answer is ‘most of us have!’ Even today there would only be a handful who would dare to resist the cup of steaming drink that promises to refresh, nourish & energise you after a hard day at work!

In an eon, where brands continuously keep tinkering with their tagline and brand ambassadors, Boost ever since its debut in 1974 in the Indian markets as a protégé of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), has focused its brand communiqué consistently on the game of cricket, which has been the cornerstone of Boost’s brand promotions. In 1986 Kapil Dev was roped in as the brand ambassador for Boost and as a cricketer, Kapil was considered an icon by many. The baton was then passed to the baby-faced teenager, Sachin Tendulkar in 1989. The Little Master has since then remained steadfast in his support for Boost. He also roped in his opening partner Virendra Sehwag as brand ambassador in 2001, with millions going gaga over the on-screen chemistry between the opening duo. And in a nation where the game of cricket is a religion, GSK aptly identified cricket as the vehicle to boost the sale of Boost. Soumitra Karnik from J. Walter Thompson (the agency which has created many memorable commercials for Boost) proffers, “Being associated with the game of cricket has nothing to do with other sports such as tennis or hockey being inferior or anything of that sort. It is just that cricket as a sport is more followed than others in our country.”

Not wanting to stagnate in the market, from time to time, Boost has ‘boosted’ its presence in the market through product innovation & packaging. The ‘shrink-sleeved’ packaging was pioneered by Boost in the year 1999, for which Boost won the prestigious World Star award. When it comes to innovation, Boost is a front runner in the Health Food Drink (HFD) category. In November 2002, Boost came out with ‘Power Boosters’ – a concept which not only revolutionised the HFD category but also infused fresh life in Boost; the brand then captured the position of number one brown HFD.

Interestingly, Boost has never changed its tagline, ‘Boost is the secret of my energy’ (the most recalled ‘sign-off’ in its product segment) and has always restricted itself to a handful of stars. Karnik reasons, “Boost has always associated with top performers and it is difficult to have a copy of someone like Sachin Tendulkar and we have used individuals rather than the entire team in our campaigns.” Be it the promotional campaign for ICC World Cup 2003 or the unfurling of Choco Blast in 2006, Boost surely has a trick or two up its sleeves to capture the minds & souls of millions.

Having concertedly stuck to a single tagline and a well-conceived association with cricket and of course a great tasty product... it doesn’t take a lot to hit upon the secret to Boost’s energy.

The first & foremost reason is India’s demographics, which indicate that tweens form a major chunk of India’s population. According to Cartoon Network Generation Next report, 84% parents allow kids to accompany them while shopping. And just glance at their annual revenues – Rs.364 crore per year (pocket money + gift money)! Out of this, Rs.291 crore is spent, an impressive income-expenditure ratio. Naresh Gupta, National Head, Planning, Grey Worldwide, states, “Tween is the ‘make a category’ audience. They are the largest & most open group. They adopt new brands, new appeals willingly & live for the brand.”

Moreover, their growing interaction with technology & access to information makes them aware of brands much faster & response times are much lower. As Malini points out, “In changing India, parents realise that they may not have been exposed to things as much as their kids have and hence encourage and even rely on them to be an influencer in major household decision making.” Adds Titus Upputuru, Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather, “Owing to their acquaintance with technology, they end up playing teacher/guru to their parents. Roles are changing....” The tween is also much more sensitised and responsive to brand ‘stimuli’ and media promotions. No wonder, these little stars are grabbing the eyeballs of marketers today.

Edit bureau: Pallavi Srivastava

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
When IIPM comes to education, never compromise
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM is A World of Career
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!

Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
• Rashmi Bansal (Publisher of JAMMAG)