If a recent commercial showing the Indian cricket team captain cheering for World Cup countries other than India has left one as confused as the Chote Nawaab, Saif Ali Khan, PepsiCo India’s star brand Lay’s brings in the clarity with a campaign for the cricket world cup in February.
The campaign unveils Lay’s new range of “Flavour World Cup 2011”, thereby kick-starting a strong 360-degree communication across the country. This launch offers six international flavours from six prominent cricket-playing countries. PepsiCo India claims it to be its strongest campaign ever in India with substantial investment flowing in its marketing and advertising. The campaign has already rolled out and is being showcased on both social and digital media.
As per recent industry reports, the total market size of potato chips is 70,000 tonne per annum and growing at a healthy 28 per cent, while it is valued at Rs 1,900 crore. Frito-Lay India leads the potato chips market with 54 per cent volume share, followed by Balaji Wafers with 16 per cent, ITC’s Bingo with 8 per cent, Haldiram with 6 per cent, Prakash Snacks and Parle with 4 per cent each.
Vidur Vyas, marketing director, PepsiCo India, says: “Lay’s has always been the number one retail consumer spend brand riding on the back of innovation and consumer engagement programmes. These sports events provide us with the platform to connect with the consumers, who participate with great enthusiasm in such campaigns. This time also, we are offering them a chance to taste all the six international flavours and vote for their favourite flavour through SMS or email. One lucky winner everyday would get the chance to walk with the captains in the total 49 matches of the ICC World Cup 2011. This experience is something that money cannot buy.” The consumers will also win mobile phones every hour and home theatres every 12 hours. The flavours include Australia’s Herb ‘n’ Lime, South Africa’s Peri Peri Sauce, Sri Lanka’s Sweet Onion Sauce, England’s Grilled Cheese, West Indies’ Hot & Sweet Chilli and India’s Magic Masala. The flavours would be available at three price points -- Rs 5, 10 and 20 -- in smallest of towns.
Chittaranjan Dar, chief executive, foods, ITC, says: “We don’t normally focus our strategies around some event. It’s a 12-month consumption product. Our edge is to provide variety and taste in all our flavours of Bingo. It doesn’t mean that we will be virtually absent from the World Cup. Rather, we are focusing on the crowd that watches cricket on TV. They prefer to munch on snacks while watching these matches live on TV. ” The 360-degree communication for Lay’s new flavours has aggressively started on television. The company is also promoting it through outdoors, print, radio, modern trade outlets, stores, on-ground promotions and mall activation. This is also being advertised through social and digital media like www.laysflavourcup.com.
With this launch and subsequent campaigns, the company aims to grow the brand share in people’s hearts. Says Vyas: “Event-focused branding is an effective marketing strategy to excite the consumer about any launch. It works even better if we offer something unique that is engaging and experiential. We are a global corporation and we pick and borrow ideas from other countries to devise strong marketing strategies. We are also considering the upcoming IPL matches as an opportunity and would come up with innovation and strategy around that time.”
PepsiCo India will produce these flavours for four-five months and then, depending on people’s response, consider producing a few of the most popular flavours. “Since we are a youth brand, we are targeting the 15-25 years age segment. In the initial week, we plan to hit two lakh outlets. We aim to target about one million outlets with these flavours,” adds Vyas. Lay’s operates through 8.5 lakh outlets.
Ruchira Jaitly, VP, marketing, Frito Lay India, says: “Since India is hosting the event, our key focus for marketing is definitely India. We have seen Indians participating in such campaigns with a lot of zeal, cricket being close to their heart.” The campaign would last for 13 weeks.
