The Axe Effect.

Gillette: The best a man can get.

Old Spice- The mark of a man.

Nike- Just do it.

Amul- The taste of India

Each time you hear these brands being called out, you associate it with a promise it has made to you. A promise that is so distinct and so deeply entrenched that Wilkinson can never quite convince you that its blade and shaving systems are the best you can have.

A Reebok has forever been chasing Nike.

An Axe stands out for its audacious claim of how it makes women behave when they smell the fragrance.

So how did these brands get there? How did they get so intimately attached to their consumers that they build a lifelong association.

Other than being a tea-loving country, India is also one of the largest producers of regal quality tea after China. Assam, the North-eastern state of India and the biggest tea-growing region, can be credited for driving India to attain the world’s top-most position for decades together. In fact, the market size of tea amounts to about USD 15,988 mn as of 2022.

Several local and international brands made their way into this highly competitive and conventional industry, without much success.

Vahdam Teas, a brainchild of Bala Sarda, is one that made a mark.

The 29-year-old fourth-generation entrepreneur and tea pioneer is the first to establish the country’s largest digitally-native, global wellness brand by making the finest teas and superfoods available to consumers in over 104 countries.

Surf Excel is the leading detergent brand in India today. Despite many competitors in this segment, the Surf Excel brand has managed to stand out. Its market position is largely held due to its marketing strategies. These are strategies that are innovative and have set a benchmark for other brands as well – be they detergent or other FMCG brands.

As we dissect the marketing strategy of Surf Excel, let’s do a small history lesson of the brand as well.

Category extension or brand extension can pass off well if the existing brand has gained market leadership. If it is trusted by the consumers, chances are they will give the new product a go. The success thereafter depends on the quality of the product itself. In Dyson’s case, they have been able to hit it out of the park because each of their appliances is designed with an innovative feature.

Brands are always vying for attention through advertisements – the race is tough with limited attention span of consumers and expensive media tearing brands apart. The need, therefore, is to be incisive in one’s approach when it comes to key messages of the brand.