Polar scripts novel condom marketing

Polar Pharma India is exploring innovative marketing initiatives to push its condom brand, Adam. In line with its positioning of condoms as a lifestyle product, the company has introduced a kit branded 'Chill-out'.

The kit contains chewing gum, tissue, cigarettes and of course, condoms. Besides India the company is also tapping markets like the US and Europe. The company is also in talks with hotels to provide the kit as a part of the essential pack that are kept in hotel rooms for guests.

"Condom is a product that has least brand loyalty. We are, therefore, outsourcing our distribution and marketing channels in every state. We are looking at a synergy between direct marketing and retail to sell our products," said Krishan Gupta, chief executive officer of Polar Pharma.

The group is also trying to make the buying process more comfortable. "We have put pictures of fruits and other objects that are not obscene on the packs. This should make it more comfortable for customers to pick up the packs. The education campaigns run by the Government have also helped producers by helping the masses understand that condoms are a necessity and not something to be wary of," Gupta said.

More interestingly, Polar is pushing the Chill-out kit as a flip-top pack which is priced below Rs 10. The packs would be sold by teams of sales persons at nightclubs and pubs.

Company executives say that as the pack contains other items which the customer might use at any time, the use of the condom in the pack, thus, does not become mandatory.

The customer can use it when he needs to, but he might use the other items in the pack at the time of buying it, explained Gupta. Alternately, the company is also looking at institutional sales.

The company hopes to earn Rs 4.5 crore in the first year. Polar Pharma plans to take its 'treat each state as a country' policy, whereby it has outsourced its marketing and distribution to localised marketing agencies in various states, countries in the United States and Europe.

The company expects sales worth from its conventional retail channels, in addition to the dollar one million through innovative sales.