Gimme something

In rural India, Eveready basks in the reflected glory of Amitabh Bachchan's approval.

Hear this: Eveready's market share has grown by about 5 per cent in the past one year, with Amitabh Bachchan as its brand endorser, and the company is happy to hand him much of the credit.

Says Ravi Grover, executive vice president, sales and marketing, Eveready, "Mr Bachchan has definitely helped in forging a connect with the masses and has brought a zing to the brand."

The actor's "Kuchh toh hai extra" ("something sure is extra") tagline for the brand may not be anywhere near the high-octane wave generated by its "Gimme Red" campaign of the mid-1990s, but it works with the target audience.

Some 60 per cent of Eveready's Indian sales are in the rural market, where batteries are consumed in large quantities (torches, radios and so on).

Eveready commands a 47per cent share of the Rs 1,500crore batteries market in India, and has always had a firm grip on rural sales through a deeply penetrative distribution network to rival that of Hindustan Lever.

Explains Grover, "'Gimme Red' is more urban oriented "" we felt that the new tagline will help in reaching out to the masses as well."

And in that, few can match Bachchan's appeal, popular as he remains in every conceivable socio-economic bracket (especially among the millions of the mass market).

If the context is correct, celebrity endorsements can work in any setting, according to Anand Halve, brand partner, Chlorophyll. "A popular brand ambassador does go down well in the rural market," he says, "although it need not be the main reason for a company's success."

The context here doesn't seem out of whack. Eveready's new campaign has the Big B featuring in four ads to showcase "extra power". Says Grover, "We are confident that the campaign will lead us to further growth."