Executive Post Graduation Program in Management Specialization: Marketing Management D1: Consumer Behaviour and Marketing Research Faculty:

Prof.Sudarshan Seshanna Assignment 1 Caselet: 1

The healing strip trusted for generations 10 marks.

Band-Aid, the 86 year-old adhesive medicated strip-bandage brand has been a retailing success and has become generic to the category. Band -Aid by Johnson & Johnson (J&J), an ideal first-aid solution to treat minor cuts and bruises was launched in 1978 in India. Band-Aid was successful because it identified the unarticulated need of households for wound care. But to reach the dominant position in India was not easy. Band -Aid had to fight tradition rather than the competitors to succeed. Traditionally, Indian consumers prefer not to cover minor cuts and bruises because there is a feeling that wounds should be kept open in order to heal faster. Further, Indian consumers typically have used traditional methods to heal wounds, particularly, tincture iodine, consi dered as the best solution for cuts and bruises. Children would resist this because the pain of the tincture was felt to be excruciating when tincture iodine was applied to cuts. Band-Aid also comes with red-colored medicine inside on the strip, which resembled the color of iodine. This had enabled an early adoption of the brand and Band-Aid was called "Laldawawalipatti", which became the USP. Had the medicine color not been red, Band -Aid would have had a tough time convincing mothers to adopt the product. Children became strong influencers of the use of the brand since they were relieved of the pain of tincture iodine. Band-Aid also tried to educate mothers about the possible problems in keeping the wounds open because of dust infections caused by it. This also boosted the brand acceptability. One of the major factors that aided the success of this brand was the distribution strength of J&J. Band-Aid was a mass market product and hence it has to be there at every shop in the market. Band -Aid was a brand that changed with time and it keenly watched the consumers and tried to identify their needs. The company had valuable consumer insights that created the first water-proof adhesive medicated bandage strip in India. The main weakness for Band-Aid bandages was that it used to come off easily when wet. This prevented the category usage to a certain extent. The water -proof variant made the brand usable in any condition. This innovation catapulted the brand popularity to newer heights. Band-Aid focused on the area of application and was clever enough to

come out with various sizes and shapes, which comes from the insight that different wounds in different parts of the body need different shapes. For example, a small cut in the forehead needs a round Band -Aid. These insights made the brand a market leader in the category with a market share of over 60%. Johnson & Johnson also saw an opportunity for the brand in the traditional cure for cuts. In India, turmeric is used as a medicine for cuts and blemishes. Band-Aid launched a turmeric variant of the plaster much to the delight of Indian consumers. The brand was also promoted heavily. Band -Aid was the first in the category to advertise in electronic media. Band -Aid was the first product endorsement of Sachin Tendulkar. In itially positioned as a wound -care brand, Band-Aid was repositioned as a product that encourages children to be active. Children have the innate desire to be active and Band -Aid makes sure that cuts and bruises will not hinder that desire. Band -Aid has been lying low in the media for a while. The brand has already become generic to the category. Being generic has its share of problems for the brand because when the customer uses the brand as a generic name for the category, the retailer can offer him any brand in the category. There are many local players in the market who gain by a brand major becoming generic. Competition is also from players like Handyplast and Dettol. Although the Indian wound -care market is estimated to be around Rs. 512 crore, the domestic adhesive bandage category is small at Rs. 25 crore. The brand is currently being positioned on Continuous Care". The positioning is pitting this brand against the ointments and other external applications. The concept is to educate the customers that use of plasters will heal wounds better than the use of ointments.

1. Explain and analyse how J&Js product brand, Band -Aid, was successful in identifying the unarticulated needs of consumers for wound care and in meeting these needs successfully. Answer:- Operating in over 50 countries with more than 100,000 people, Johnson & Johnson USA hasbeen ranked 4 times in the Fortune Top 10 list of the most admired companies in the US.Johnson& Johnson (J&J) India, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson USA, is one of t he leadingplayers in the Indian pharmaceutical and consumer products business. It has employee streng th of over 1,800. It started business in India in 1947 in Bombay with Johnson s Baby Powder, and,over time, introduced other products like toothbr ushes, Johnsons Baby Cream and Prickly HeatPowder. At present this companyis celebrating the 100 years of Baby Celebration. Briefing about this world class company, we can have a glimpse on the following points:-Global Manufacturer of Pharmaceuticals, Consumer Produ cts and Medical Devices. Listed in Fortune 500 Companies Ranked 1stamong 50 top Pharmaceutical companies 230subsidiary companies with operations in over

57countries. Well-known consumer products are theBAND-AIDBrand line of bandages, Medications , JOHNSON'S BABY Products Produced its first product in1886 Incorporated in 1887 ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON served as the first President of the company. In 1910, JAMES WOOD JOHNSON succeeded him as President.William C. Weldon is the President (since 2002 Onwards SEGMENTS OF BUSINESS Johnson & Johnson is organized into three business segments:Consumer Pharmaceutical Medical Devices and Diagnostics Consumer J&j manufactures and markets a broad range of products used in the fields like: -Baby and Child CareSkin Care Oral and Wound Care Womens Health Care Nutritional and Over -the-counter (OTC)Pharmaceutical Products

Brand Prism of BAND-AID 1) Physical Qualities or Physique This is the physical and tangible part of the brand.BAND -AID has good adhesive qualities which serves its basic purpose of sticking well onto the wound. Also its a small strip with the antiseptic and medicated solution at itscentre which helps cover the wound and the good quality adhesive makes it stay tilllong . The small size (Band) of BAND AID works in its favour as it is enough to cover thesmall wounds. Also since the colour of the strip matches the skin colour, it does not lookvery odd on the body of a person. This makes it more usable since it does not look toobig or odd, especially if it is put on the face or forehead. 2) Personality or Character Brand BAND-AID carries a strong personality with itself sincethe product comes from Johnson & Johnson and has good quick healingcharacteristics.The ease of use, portability and easy availability character of the brandgives a good impression of the brand personality. 3) Values or Culture Coming from Johnson & Johnson, which has a legacy of more than100 years in the market, BAND-AID gets a lot of values attached to it. Values like trust,effectiveness, quality, assurance are the most prominent features of BAND AID. Being aJohnson& Johnson product, BAND-AID brings the same culture of purity and trust as thecompany has. Johnson & Johnson and in -turn BAND-AID signifies a serious product of health care and is perceived as reliable and dependable. Johnson & Jonson and BAND -AID representUSA and its professionalism and quality.

4) Relationship The 100 year long relationship of Johnson & Johnson with health carehelps the brand BAND-AID convey its message to the consumer.Johnson&Johnsonsignifies dependability in its field and a product from such a company, backed by its longrelation with the health industry, gave BAND -AID a relatively easy establishmentplatform. The Relationship here s ignifies trust and quality of the product BAND-AID.BAND-AIDs latest tag line Sticks with you through the years signifies its longlastingness and conveys to its users that it has been with them for a long time and willcontinue to be. 5) Reflection BAND-AID appeals to almost all the classes of people. Because the productBAND-AID is not so expensive and generally affordable, it reaches all the sections of thesociety. The long legacy of the brand has made it generic with its category. The averageuser of the produ ct, who likes taking care of himself/herself even in case of smallwounds definitely uses BAND -AID. The brand BAND-AID reflects a consumer who likeskeeping first aid at hand and is cautious about ones health. In 1978, BAND -AID came upwith a jingle saying I am stuck brand BAND-AID because BAND-AID stuck on me.

6) Self-Image Since a long time, BAND-AID has tied up with Disney, Barbie, Hello Kitty etc.and other superhero characters like Spider man to attract the kids and create a self image within themselves. Kids that like these characters and relate themselves withthese also like using BAND-AID because of these characters endorsing BAND-AID.Byusing these characters BAND-AID helps the kids build up a selfimage of themselves. Forexample a kid thinking of himsel f as Spiderman and using BAND-AID

2. What insights of consumer behavior can be identified and analysed in the case let? In India, Band-Aid was launched in the year 1978 USP and POSITIONING strategy (in India): Band-Aid was successful because it identified the need in the households for wound care. But to reach the dominant position in India was not easy. Band -Aid had to fight the tradition rather than the competitors to succeed. Traditionally, Indians prefer not to cover the cuts and bruises because there is a feeling that wounds should be kept open in order to heal faster. Further, Indian consumers typically used traditional methods to heal wounds. In earlier days most of the

households had the bottle of tincture iodine which was considered as the best solution for cuts andbruises. Kids used to hate this because the pain will be excruciating when tincture iodine is applied to cuts. Band -Aid comes with red coloured medicine inside (Benzalkonium) which resembled Iodine. This had enabled early adoption of this brand and Band-Aid was called " LalDhawaWaliPatti" which became the USP . Had the medicine color was not red, Band-Aid would have tough time convincing mothers . The Kids also loved the brand since they were relieved of the pain of Tincture iodine.Band-Aid also tried to educate mothers about the possible problems in keeping the wounds open because of dust infections caused by it. This also boosted the brand acceptability.Band-Aid was a brand that changed with time and it keenly watched the consumers and tried to identify their needs. The company had valuable consumer insights that created the first water proof band-aid in India. The main weakness for bandages was that it used to come off easily when wet. This prevented the category usage to certain exten t. The waterproof band aid made the brand usable in any condition. This innovation catapulted the brand popularity to newer heights. Band Aid focused on the are a of application and was clever enough to come out with various size and shapes. This comes from the insight that different wounds in different parts of the body needs different shapes. For example, a small cut in the forehead needs a round Band-Aid.

The consumers in India were first not to very sure of how this band aid would work effectively as they were mentally attached to the very old method of treatment as mentioned above. So it took time for them to realise its uses and once J&J did their part of the marketing and brought out the product awareness people started using it, and also the brand J&J pl ayed a major role on the physiological mind set of the Indian people as it was a brand well recognised and known by people for its quality products in various field.

Caselet: 2 Disposable Tissue Wipes Take on the Mighty Handkerchief 10 marks.

The disposable tissue wipes brand, Kara, from the Aditya Birla Group was launched in 2008 with novel positioning and celebrity power. Skincare wipes are an emerging consumer category in India. Consumers are yet unfamiliar with the idea of using paper tissue instead of our very own handkerchief. But this trend is visibly changing with the new generation being open to the idea of carrying tissue wipes instead of the handkerchief. This is the trend that Kara wanted to

see and capitalize on. The brand sports a new positi oning and a tagline. The new positioning of Kara is very interesting since it pitches itself as a marketing alternative to the ubiquitous handkerchief. The brand roped in two celebrities to endorse it - Sharman Joshi and Anushka Sharma. The brand has moved away from the earlier positioning of feel good to hygiene. This is a major shift in the positioning platform of this brand. For that purpose, the brand had pitted itself against handkerchief use stating in its promotions that using a handkerchief to wipe the face is unhygienic in tropical weather conditions. The promotions feature advertisements showing the celebrities highlighting the unhygienic nature of the hanky and encouraging consumers to use Kara Skincare wipes instead. The brand is talking about three basic benefits cleansing, nourishing and deodorizing. Kara Skincare has Cucumber, Aloe Vera and Mint Oil as ingredients to support the claim. The current attempt of Kara is interesting and the brand has the confidence to take on the generic competitor, the humble handkerchief, head -on in the marketplace. The fact is that many consumers are unaware of the unhygienic nature of the handkerchief and believe that since the product is washable and re-usable, hygiene -related issues are thus taken care of. The big question is whether consumers will actually see the tissue wipes as an alternative to the handkerchief for wiping perspiration and dirt off the face and hands. The answer is both a yes and a no. An emerging segment of consumers do exhibit hygiene and endorse the use of skincare wipes and young consumers have started using wipes because of convenience. These segments will adopt the idea first and then there is a chance of more consumers adopting this product. Another interesting aspect of Kara's strategy is its focus on both the genders. When launched, Kara was focusing on the female segment but now it is explicitly targeting the male segment through Sharman Joshi. The brand also is not projecting itself as a hip-hop brand so that it does not alienate the larger segment of consumers. The strategy of fighting head -on with generic competition is a very risky but bold strategy. Here the brand is trying to create parity with the handkerchief. The rationale is that Tissue Wipes are a new category and brand and category competition is not what should be addressed at this stage. Making this category into a mainstream is the challenge that Kara faces and it has done the homework well.

1. Explain and analyze how the product brand Kara is targeting the un articulated needs of consumers for carrying tissue wipes instead of the handkerchief. Kara Skincare wipes is a new product to hit the Indian market. The brand is now running heavy print campaigns announcing the launch.Kara Skincare wipes can

be called as India's first branded skincare wipe product. Skincare wipes are popular in the west but in India the category is a new one. Although Indian consumers are familiar with the products which are imported, its the first time that an Indian company enter this seg ment. Kara means care . The brand also marks Aditya Birla Group's foray into the Indian FMCG market. According to reports, Wipes market is worth around Rs 30 crore( source : Ginni filaments website).Kara Skincare wipes is positioned as am essential skincar e accessory. The brand is being launched in five variants Refreshing Deep Pore Cleansing Toning Moisturizing & Sunscreen Wipes The brand is targeting the young lady professionals who often needs to meet lot of people.The brand aims to create a new categ ory of wipes in India . Hence the challenge is to educate the TG about the usefulness of this product. This task is cut out for Kara since the TG is already exposed to such products. The only task is to inculcate the habit of buying and using the wipes. Th e product is relevant in the Indian market for two reasons. One is the climate which necessitates such a product and second is the growing number of lady professionals . The brand has the tagline " At your best. Always " which clearly communicates the core brand positioning. The brand is being promoted as the anytime solution to look good. Kara has a good potential to create and own a new category. The brand already has the first mover advantage. But the category does not have much entry barriers. It can face stiff competition from cheap imports. But Kara has the financial backing of Birla group and the investment in building this brand will pave the way for another successful marketing story. 2. Explain how Kara is attempting to create differentiation in a generic category by creating a new product segment for the consumers. After a long period of silence, the tissue wipes brand Kara from Aditya Birla Group is back in action. Launched in 2008 with much fanfare, the brand went into a long silence throughout 2010. The product was not even visible in the supermarkets and were silent across media. Now the brand is back with a bang with a new positioning and celebrity power. The brand also had a trademark issues with Dabur's Kaya brand since Kaya also had tissue wipes which was later settled ( source).Skincare Wipes are an emerging category in India. We Indians are not yet familiar with the idea of using paper tissue instead of our very own hand kerchief. But this trend is visibly changing with the new generation being open to the idea of carrying tissue instead of the hanky. This is the trend that Kara wanted to see and capitalize.

It can be said that the brand went in for a relaunch. The brand sports a new positioning and a tagline. The new positioning of Kara is very interesting since it pitches itself as an alternative to the ubiquitous hand kerchief. The brand also have roped in two celebrities to endorse - Sharman Joshi and Anushka Sharma. The brand had moved away from the earlier positioning of " feel good " to hygiene. This is a major shift in the positioning platform of this brand. For that purpose, the brand had pitted against hand kerchief saying that using hand kerchief to wipe the face is a " bad habit " since we use hanky for lot of unhygienic purposes (as highlighted by the ads) . The ad features these celebrities highlighting the unhygienic nature of the hanky and encouraging people to use Kara Skincare wipes. The brand is talking about three basic benefits - Cleansing, Nourishing and Deodorizing. Kara Skincare has Cucumber, Aloe Vera and Mint oil as ingredients to support the claim. The current attempt of Kara is interesting and the brand has the guts to take on the generic competitor hanky head -on. The fact is that many consumers are unaware of the unhygienic nature of hanky and we believe that since it is washed daily , hygiene is taken care of. The ads highlight is issue nicely. The brand currently has adopted the tagline " Face Refresh KarneKa Specialist " ( Specialist for refreshing your face !). The big question is whether the consumers will actually see the tissue wipes as an alternative to hanky - atleast for the use of wiping the face. The answer is both yes and no. There is a section of our society which already is open to such extra-conscious about the hygiene. Most of the young girls have started using wipes because of convenience factor. These people will adopt the idea first and then there is a chance of more consumers adopting this product. The brand had earlier tried to position itse lf on the feeling good platform highlighting the benefits but consumers did not respond warmly to it. This may have prompted the brand to take an aggressive approach. The direct comparison with hand kerchief will definitely make consumer look at this bran d seriously. Another interesting aspect of Kara's strategy is its focus on both the genders. When launched, Kara was focusing on female segment but now it is explicitly targeting the male segment through Sharman Joshi. The brand also is not projecting itself as a hip-hop brand so that it does not alienate the larger segment of the society . So the brand had put the characters of the ads as common folks . The strategy of fighting head -on with generic competition is a very risky but bold strategy. Here the brand is trying to create a parity with the hanky . The rationale is that Tissue Wipes is a new category and brand and category competition is not what should be addressed at this stage.

Making this category into a mainstream is the challenge that Kara fac es and it has done the homework well.