STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

INTRODUCTION
(ZARA)

STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

COMPANY PROFILE
Hilal is the largest manufacturer of candies and bubbles in Pakistan.
Hilal has been synonymous with excellent quality confectionery products for the
past fifty years. Over the last half century, the company has diversified its
product range, with a variety of popular new confectioneries for consumers all
over Pakistan to enjoy. Hilal Confectionery is a market pioneer and leader with
their classic range of candies and bubble gums - now newer, improved, and
innovative products like chocolates, wafers and powdered drinks have also had a
substantial impact on the marketplace. The extensive Hilal portfolio includes, but
is not limited to, such recognizable products such as Amras Candy, Chooran
Chatni, Khopra, Pan Pasand and Ding Dong at one end, to Milker Bar Bar, Line
Up, and Sun Sip at the other end.

Hilal is an ever-advancing company, with its vision firmly entrenched in the

future. The company has been busy looking at new ways in which to approach its
market, and in line with such an innovative approach, is now consolidating the
launch of packaged cakes, produced on the finest imported machinery. Taking
into account Hilals stellar track record and appreciation from the customer base,
Kake is destined to be another one of Hilals Halo brands.

STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

Hilal Started Business in 1952. Presently Hilal is the largest confectionary

producer, in the country. Hilal is renowned for Candies; Kings Sister Concern of
Hilal manufactures Chocolate products, Chewing Gums "ZOOOM", Bubble Gums
"DING DONG", and Jellies "PIZZA". The promotional campaign and advertising
developed strong association in the minds of consumers. Hilal has given
franchise to kings in order to produce products under the name of Hilal.
Hilal is Pioneer in Presenting Traditional Flavor. Hilal feels proud to say that they
are pioneer in presenting the traditional flavors for better customer satisfaction
through the modern manufacturing techniques. Chooran Chattni, Hajmola Imli,
Super Imli, Super Sour, Aamrus, Khopra, Pan Pasand, Hajmola Adrak, and
Chatpata Adrak

are

the

best

examples

of

Hilals

traditionally flavored candies. In response to consumer,

Hilal has played its role to compete, in quality conscious
market. Through continuous research and development for
that quality consciousness Hilal is manufacturing the
products by using the latest technology to fulfill the market
demand. Hilal in its own well modern equipped lab does
testing process and through expertise it launches good
flavors to market. Hilal manufactured hard candies for
almost 38 years from 1952 to 1990. In 1992 Hilals mega launch was PAN
PASAND, then they started candies

likeCHURAN CHATNI, HAJMOLA

CANDY, KHOPRA CANDY and AMRAS.

Then in 1993 Hilal started manufacturing bubble gums, major launch was DING
DONG & it was a very good success. After that HILAL started chocolate
business and its first chocolate was CHOCO 4 and mega success was
MILKER BAR BAR which was launched recently in 2004, then FRESH UP
was launched in 1995 .In 1996 Hilal started jelly business, major launches were
PIZZA & EGG jelly.

STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

In the year 2004 Hilal started powder business under the brand name of
SUNSIP; mega launches were THANDA ORANGE, LIMOPANI and BODY
CHARGER , LIMO PANI was a superb success.
The Company believes that success requires the highest
standards of corporate behavior towards their employees,
consumers and the societies of the world in which we live.
This is HILALs road to sustainable, profitable growth for
their business and long-term value creation for companys
shareholders and employees.
Hilal has a portfolio of brands that are popular across the
globe; its major global customers are Afghanistan, Congo,
Bangladesh, Ivory coast, Jordan, Lebanon, Maldives, New Zealand, Saudi
Arabia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and United Kingdom.

STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

HILALS MISSION
Hilal confectionary (Pvt) Ltd is the largest manufacturer of candies and bubbles in
Pakistan, their mission statement is:

To achieve customer satisfaction in response to changing market

trends

To innovate within existing products and technologies according to

market trends

To maintain its high market share and market leadership

To be accessible to all segments in the market

To constantly maintain its high quality standards

Hilal Confectionery (Pvt) Ltd has always given priority to consumer preferences
in the market, appealing to different market segments inclusive of all
demographic segments. Given the companys focus on high quality, food safety,
nutritional value, and consumer appeal, Hilal has achieved the title of market
leader in the Pakistani confectionery market.

STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

HILALS VISION STATEMENT

Hilal along with its ancillary concerns, currently

holds the title of market leader in confectionery,
and it envisions to not only maintain this position,
but also to replicate this success in new product
categories also. Being number one means having
to anticipate the customers needs and desires. No
one does this well than Hilal.

STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

MARKETING
ENVIORNMENT OF THE
COMPANY
(ZARA)

STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

ANALYSIS

OF

MICRO

ENVIRONMENT
COMPANY
Hilal has very centralized decision making. There is no as such innovation in
marketing. They use third agency for marketing but the final decision rests with
the Managing Director (MD). There are two departments under MD:

Sales

Marketing

Their marketing has moved Limopani positioning from a mere power drink to a
refreshing drink for all occasions, emphasizing on a particular benefit of
KABHEE BHI KAHIN BHI
There are 450 people working in sales department under GM sales. They have
regional controllers, town controllers to promote their products. Limopani is
available all over Pakistan in both urban and sub-urban areas. They also have
finance and administration department.

STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

MARKETING INTERMEDIARIES
Distribution firms: They have their distribution firms to stock, invest and move
goods from factories to ware houses.
Marketing service agencies: They use third agency to promote and target their
product to their markets and they are delivering the best of quality and service.

CUSTOMERS
Their customer market is the consumer market which consists of households and
individuals who buy goods and services for personal consumption.

STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

ANALYSIS

OF

MACRO

ENVIRONMENT
Hilal Confectionery Ltd operates in a large macro environment of forces that
shape the opportunities and pose threats to the company. These forces are
examined below to show how they affect its marketing plan.

DEMOGRAPHIC FORCES
VARIABLE

TYPICAL BREAKDOWNS

Density

Urban, Sub-Urban, Rural

Age

6 to 45 and above

Gender

Male and Female

Income

Rs.6000 and above

Occupation

All

ECONOMIC FORCES
Hilal has positioned Limopani as a premium brand catering to all market
segments since majority of population of Pakistan are white collar people who
like to maintain a standard in low income. Consumers today have become very
price conscious. Therefore, Hilal keeps Limopani prices at a minimum, charging
very little brand premium in their bid to remain competitive and maintain market
share. Hilal prefers to price its products in such a way that all targeted
consumers are able to buy it easily.
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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

CULTURAL FORCES

Hilal is a company, which is persistence of cultural values. It has been known to

produce traditional flavors and the launch of Limopani proves it. It does not only
relate to the older generation but also relates to the youngsters of today. Before
the launch of Limopani people were used to the home made form of this drink.
But powdered form of this traditional drink, Limopani, will make its mark in the
instant everything culture, where everything is instant, from instant food to instant
information to instant drinks.

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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

ANALYSIS

OF

MARKET

SEGMENTS
Market segmentation refers to putting together people with similar needs in
distinct groups of buyers on the basis of needs, characteristics or behavior that
might require separate products or product mixes.

SEGMENTATION FOCUS
HILAL has used strategies for Sun Sip Limopani, which was best suited. They
did not have enough resources to attack TANG upfront. They focused on the
segments which were ignored by tang. Since TANG was positioned as a
premium brand, there was no credible brand for the middle and lower class of the
society. HILAL capitalized on this weakness and targeted the lower, middle and
upper middle class of the society for it. That is the main reason why Limopani
was launched in sachets. Moreover Limopanis main focus is on teenagers as it
is refreshing and energetic drink and basically its target audience is general
public.

SELECTION OF TARGET MARKET

Sunsip Limopani is using an undifferentiated or mass marketing strategy. For
this they have ignored market segment differences and they are targeting the
whole market with one offer. HILAL has designed Limopani and its marketing

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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

program which appeal to the largest number of buyers. It relies on mass

distribution and mass advertising.

SEGMENT MARKETING
There is no single way to segment a market. A market has to try different
segments variables alone and in combination to find the best way to view the
structure.
Actually, the target market of Limopani is everybody. HILAL has segmented the
market on the following basis:
Geographic
Demographic
Psychographic
Behavioral
MAJOR SEGMENTATION VARIABLES FOR CONSUMER MARKET

GEOGRAPHIC
COUNTRY
REGION

Pakistan
North
Urban

South
Suburban

East
Rural

West

DENSITY

DEMOGRAPHIC
AGE
FAMILY SIZE

6 19 years

20 - 30 years

30 - 45 years

45 and above

Single

Couple

Couple with children

Extended Family

Male

Female

GENDER

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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

INCOME
Rs. 6,000

Rs. 10,000

8,000

20,000

Educated

Uneducated

Rs. 20,000 50,000

Rs. 50,000 and

above

EDUCATION
Illiterate

PSYCOGRAPHIC
SOCIAL CLASS
Upper middle Class

Middle Class

Lower Class

Trend -- conscious

Cultured.

energetic

PERSONALITY

BEHAVIOURAL
OCCASIONS
Regular.

Occasional

Special Occasion

Refreshing

Energetic

All seasons

Regular users

Potential users

First time users

Non users

Strong

Absolute

Preference

Desirous

BENEFITS
USER STATUS
USAGE RATE
Light

(Single

glass per day)

Medium(2-3
glasses per day)

LOYALTY STATUS

None

Medium

READINESS STAGE

Aware

Liking

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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

POSITIONING
(SARAH)

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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

POSITIONING
Positioning is the perception of what a brand stands for in the minds of actual
and potential customers. It defines the core expectations customers have of the
brand.
Market Positioning defines how a company wants the target segments to see
their brands in a competitive market, and then deliver to the expectation that
have been built.

POSITIONING OF LIMOPANI
HILAL feels proud in saying that they are pioneer
in presenting the traditional flavors for better
customer

satisfaction

through

the

modern

manufacturing techniques. HILAL has always been

on the move keeping in mind the consumers
preference

and

changing

taste.

They

have

positioned themselves as one of the leading companies in the industry providing

good quality at affordable price according to the customers needs and wants.
HILAL has positioned Limopani as offering quality & taste at competition based
price. They have been able to capture a chunk of market from their competitors.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
HILAL has positioned Sun Sip Limopani on competitive advantage of traditional
flavour of lemonade as compared to TANG. HILAL has differentiated Limopani
on the basis of PRODUCT DIFFERENTIATION.

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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

VALUE PREPOSITION
Value propositon refers to the full mix of benefits upon which the product is
positioned. Sunsip limopani is positioned on the following characteristics:

As an instant drink.

A drink which everyone can drink at any time.

As a refreshing drink.

Associated with lifestyle.

Provides traditional taste of lemonade.

Keeps you cool.

The SUNSIP brand has established Limopani as energetic instant and

refreshing drink.

POSITIONING STATEMENT

KABHEE BHI.. KAHEEN BHI.

UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION

Their unique selling proposition (USP) is providing an instant drink at any time
any where.

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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

MARKETING MIX
PRODUCT (SARAH)
PRICE
DISTRIBUTION
SAROASHA
PROMOTION

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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

PRODUCT
Product Form
LIMOPANI is the first energetic drink to introduce the traditional flavor of
lemonade in the market. Sun Sip Limopani is basically an instant drink; the basic
idea behind Limopani isany time any where. Hilal entered the market because
they realized TANG was not catering to 100% of the market.

LEVELS OF PRODUCT

Augmented
Actual

Core
There are basically 3 levels of products:
a) Core Product: It means benefits the consumer seeks from buying the product.
Limopani is affordable, refreshing drink that delivers what it promises.

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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

b) Actual Product: It may have as many as five characteristics that are quality
level, features, design, brand name and packaging.
Limopani is energetic, instant, enriched with vitamin C, 100% synthetic, all
seasons and high quality drink at economical prices under the brand name of
SUNSIP, highly associated with lifestyle and occasions.
c) Augmented Product: It is around the core and actual product by offering
additional consumer services and benefits. Hilal does not offer any after sales
service for Limopani.

CLASSIFICATION OF LIMOPANI
Limopani falls into the class of consumer product. These are products that are
bought by final consumers for personal consumption. Consumer products include
convenience product, shopping product, specialty product and unsought product.
Limopani is a convenience product.

MARKET CONSIDERATIONS FOR LIMOPANI

Marketing considerations

Convenience product

CUSTOMER BUYING BEHAVIOR

Frequent Purchase, Little Planning, Little

Shopping Effort

PRICE

Low price, Affordable

LOCATION

Convenient locations, widespread distributions

PROMOTION

Mass promotion

LIMOPANI DECISIONS
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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

ATTRIBUTES

BRANDING

PACKAGING

SUPPORT
SERVICE

LABELING

ATTRIBUTES OF LIMOPANI
Quality: High quality, Limopani is performing its functions well (performance
quality) by delivering what it promises (conformance quality).
Features: Energizing, instant, enriched with vitamin C, for all seasons, traditional
taste of lemonade.

BRANDING
The SUNSIP brand is a name-turnedsymbol. The name sunsip was initially just
a name in the industry. But it quickly gained
a name and a loyal following for itself.
Through excellent traditional taste, sunsip
caught for itself a large market share from
TANG, the market leader at that time.
Continued innovation through its Research
and

Development

department

helped

sunsip to become a consumer preferred product within a short period of time.

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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

PACKAGING

They are following general trend in packaging by

following major industries in powder business (TANG). A fully automatic facility is
established at Korangi industrial area where packs are produced. At this facility
limopani is packed in hygienic conditions, untouched by human hands, the
packing technology keeps it fresh. Limopani is packed in primary containers.
Limopani is available in sachets, boxes, jars and finally now also in tin containers
to cater all segments and all occasions.
Hilal has used bright green and yellow colours for the packaging in order to
associate with the natural colour of Lemon.

LABELING
Labeling identifies the product or brand, on limopani the name sunsip is printed
which identifies its brand name. Limopani labeling describes several things about
it like:
LABELING

How to make
it

Full Brand Name

Ingredients

Kings logo

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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

Made by KINGS FOOD (sister concern of HILAL ).

Produced at sector 15, Korangi industrial area, Karachi.

Ingredients.

How to make it.

Finally the attractive graphics of limopani with the picture of lemon indicating it is
a pure lemon drink.
PRODUCT SUPPORT SERVICE
No product support service is available.

Product line of LIMO PANI

Product line: A group of products that are closely related because they function
in a similar manner and are sold to same customer groups, are marketed through
the same outlets or fall within given price changes.
HILAL produces five lines of powder drink:

Limopani

Body charger

Shakerz

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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

Thanda Orange

Thandai

LIMOPANI in BCG Growth-Share Matrix

The BCG growth share matrix displays various business units on a graph of
market growth rate v/s market share relative to competitors.

Limopani is high growth and high share product of Hilal. Its a star. It is
generating cash but the market is growing rapidly so heavy investment is needed
to finance its growth, which is provided by HILAL cash cows (choco4, churan
chatni and ding dong etc).
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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

It is a major launch and its market attractiveness is high with HILAL strength in
the market. Eventually it is expected that in coming 5 years it will become a cash
cow when its industry matures.

PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE

A new product progresses through a sequence of stages from introduction to
growth, maturity and decline. This sequence is known as product lifecycle. The
following figure shows the course that a products sales and profits take over its
lifetime.

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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

Limopani is in the growth stage of product life cycle.

In the year 2004 the company decided to launch the brand. At present limopani
is in the growth stage of life cycle. As it is in the growth stage HILAL is
seeking to maintain its position and capture more market share.
The impact of limopani life-cycle characteristics on objectives and marketing mix
is as follows:

OBJECTIVES WITH REGARD TO MARKETING MIX:

CONSIDERATION

OBJECTIVE

Offering basic product, trying to

PRODUCT

establish its quality

Competition based price

PRICE

Intensive distribution
DISTRIBUTION

Situational
ADVERTISING
SALES PROMOTION

Using heavy sales promotion

BRAND DEVELOPMENT

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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

LIMOPANI

EXISTING BRAND

Hilal had created a new brand name Sunsip by entering a new product category
of instant drinks for which none of its previous brand name was appropriate.
Limopani is energetic drink and associated with energy (brand positioning
Sunsip ------ energy)

PRODUCT CATEGORY

New

Existing

LIMOPANI

New

Existing

Line
Extension

Brand
Extension

Multi
Brands

New
Brands

LINE EXTENSION

After the superb success of sachet launch of limo pani, hilal has introduced
additional package sizes under the same brand sunsip. It has introduced jars and
cartons to introduce it as an occasional drink.

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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

PRICE
LIMOPANI PRICING APPROACH
HILAL has adopted Competitive Pricing approach. They have adopted this
pricing approach on competitor's on-going rates with less attention to their own
cost. Compared to their major competitors, Hilal is offering product differentiation
as traditional taste of lemonade (as people were used to of home made drink of
this type) for same prices. Limopani promises to deliver traditional taste at same
prices.
Hilal has used this method to compete with their competitors. If they offered high
price, consumers would not have purchased it. On the other hand, if they offered
low price, consumers would have considered it as a low price product. Therefore,
they adopted the competitive pricing approach to send a message that Limopani
is at par with its competitors in terms of both quality and price.
This pricing method has been extremely successful and has helped Hilal to
achieve its objectives.
List Prices of different package sizes of Limopani
PACKAGE SIZE

PRICE

Sachet(26.8 gms)

Rs. 6

Economical Pack (225gms)

Rs. 60

Economical pack (450gms)

Rs.100

Glass jar (250gms)

Rs. 110

Tin pack (900gms)

Rs.180

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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

Hilal had set the initial price low in order to attract large number of buyers quickly
and to win large market share. This is why they launched Limopani first in
sachets in low price matching their major competitor so that consumers can
easily try it.

FACTORS AFFECTING PRICING OF LIMOPANI

Internal
factor
Marketing
Objective

PRICING
DECISIONS

External
factor
Competitors
Price

INTERNAL
Marketing objective
Limopanis marketing objective is to cater all market segments, its a drink for
any time any where. Due to this they have set their prices as easily affordable
by all markets that was the main reason of sachet launch of Limopani.
EXTERNAL
Competitors price
The major factor affecting its pricing strategy is competitors price, they have set
prices following the general trend of its major competitor Tang, because setting
lower prices would result in bad image and high prices would result in low sales.

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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

DISTRIBUTION
CHANNEL LEVEL
FACTORY

DISTRIBUTOR

RETAILER

DISTRIBUTION
Distribution refers to the steps taken to move and store a product from the
supplier stage to a customer stage in the supply chain. Distribution is a key driver
of the overall profitability of a firm because it directly impacts both the supply
chain cost and the customer experience. Distribution creates time and place
utility.

Intensive

Exclusive

Selective

Distribution

Distribution

Distribution

Since drink is a convenient product, Hilal uses intensive distribution to make sure
that the product is widely available at as many outlets as possible.

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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

DISTRIBUTOR ORIENTED PROMOTIONS

The company offers incentives to distributors against which they are expected to
achieve certain sales target.

ASSORTMENT
Limopani is easily available all over Pakistan. Sachets are available at every
road corner store as well as at all big general stores, whereas Limopani cartons
and jars are available exclusively at big general stores and all grocery stores. e.g
Aghaz, Naheed, EBCO and Mottas for Karachi.

LOCATIONS
It is available all over Pakistan in all provinces, in urban, suburban and even in
rural areas.

INVENTORY
They depot all the stock from factory to distribution centers, these centers
invest and stock their goods and finally deliver to retailers.

TRANSPORTATION
They are using trucks for transporting goods from factory to distribution centers.

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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

PROMOTION
Hilal being the market leader has a very aggressive promotion strategy.
Limopani takes out product promotions by its exclusive time checks on Radio
and various Television channels. Its emphasis is on the major chunks of the
market size, therefore to stays on its consumers mind it involves in effective
advertising campaigns on Print and Electronic media, bill boards at different
places which is also a part of its promotion strategy.

PROMOTION MIX STRATEGY

Initially Hilal adopted the pull promotion strategy that called for spending a lot on
advertising and consumer promotion to build up consumer demand. The
company promotes Limopani as a product which can be consumed by everyone
to satisfy their needs.

TARGET MARKET
Limopanis target audience is basically the general public. On a more detailed
note it targets the lower middle class and middle class. It tries to draw in potential
customers,

while

trying

to

keep

the

current

consumers

happy.

COMMUNICATION OBJECTIVE
Initially, Hilals communication objective was to create awareness and knowledge
about Limopani, an instant drink that replaced traditional method of making
Lemonade.

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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

MESSAGE DESIGN
MESSAGE

Emotional Selling
Proposition: positive
emotional appeal
concerning love & joy.

Attractive and
popular models,
displaying
naturalness in their
roles.

Print ad; uses bright shades of green,

depicting an instant energy drink.
Tv ads: quality family time is spent in a
happy home, while drinking Limopani.

Multi-sided presentation:
relates to younger
generation as well as older
one.

The great thing about the product is its name, Limopani

The launch TVC of Limopani Caveman implied on the old trusted form of lemon
mixed with water. Hilal established Limopani as a brand composed of natural
ingredients. The message was overtly established through an ancient setting that
transformed into contemporary situation. The follow up TVC based on the
Family was the effort to establish that Limopani is meant for all age groups.

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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

Currently, Limopani TVCs depicts a homely environment of love and

togetherness which shows that this instant drinks is meant for customers of all
ages and for all occasions. It basically targets families as a whole. Therefore, an
emotional appeal is being used to draw the audience. Later when sugar was out
of the market then Limopani was promoted it as a drink which does not require
addition of sugar. At present their TVC focus on scorching heat of summers.
Their ads show that it is only instant drink that is refreshing and can be used any
where like in shopping mall, farm houses, beaches etc. Moreover during month
of Ramzan Hilal especially advertises it as a perfect drink for Iftaar.
In billboard ads, the color theme is bright green. The captions are large and there
is huge, attention grabbing picture of laughing, content family and the picture of
the product itself is also very eye catching. The fonts are equally distributed and
homogenous throughout. All the characters are well known models therefore, the
audience feel associated with the product.

COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
Limopani uses a non-personal communication channel, i.e. print media, display
and broadcast media.

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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

ADVERTISING
Brands are not only sold as physicals
attributes but rather sold as perceptions;
there fore the role of advertising can
never

be

ignored.

The

success

of

Limopani goes to advertising agencies as

they not only created a high brand image
but also replaced the brand name as
generic word Limopani. In the month of May 2004 even if some one havent
watched TV they could not have missed to observe that a brand had been
launched nationwide, because of effective use of Billboards.
Limopani made effective usage of TV
commercials on selective TV channels.
Their

ads

reinforced

the

different

occasions of the usage of the product.

The idea of having Limopani in a sachet,
anytime and anywhere was a great idea,
just add water to the mix and there you
have it, the freshness of Limopani. The
idea and execution was very well done in a very fresh, funky and out of this world
manner that appealed to the young as well as the old.
The designs of the billboards were very eye
catching with hoardings put up in every
nook and corner of Karachi. Excellent
photography

and

execution

and

the

treatment of the product as well as the

models were A class. According to the
theme the colors used for billboards were
very good.
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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

Currently, Hilal advertises Limopani mostly through Radio and Television ads. Its
objective is to satisfy all types of customers by focusing on their different need.
For this they promote Limopani as
a product which can be consumed
at any time, whether u are out
shopping, exercising, studying, or
hanging out with friends. Their ads
show love, care and affection
among family and friend. The ads
show that family and friends can
spend good quality time together
and can refresh themselves by having Limopani.
Apart from focusing Limopani as a refreshing drink in their ads, Hilal is also
highlighting their customers. Their recent ads deliver the message that
Customer is always right. This is inline with their mission of satisfying their
customers.

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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

COMPETITOR
ANALYSIS (LUBNA)

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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

ANALYSIS OF COMPETITORS
Competitors are the major threat faced by every company in a market.
Companies need to keep a careful check on its competitors. They have to keep
into consideration that what other competitors is offering, at what prices, what
quality, what benefits etc.

Limopani was a new concept but it has captured a very large market. However,
all major powdered drinks are its competitors.

COMPETITION
For ease in analyzing competition, competition can be divided into four types:
BRAND COMPETITION
Competition that exists between several brand of the same company or different
company in the same industry is called brand competition. Limopani faces tough
competition from Tang, as it acquires a dominant place in the market. At a lower

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STRATEGIC MARKETING AND PLANNING

side it faces competition with Energile, Kwikool and Suncool. Recently, a new
powder drink Frutility has been introduced in the market.
INDUSTRY COMPETITION
Competition that exists between several industries offering same product is
called industry competition. Hilals major industry competitors are Kraft Foods
who are producer of Tang and now they would face competition tough from
National Foods who have come up with a powder drink recently called Fruitility.
FORM COMPETITION
All different products that are satisfying the same need is called form competition.
Limopani have form competition with Energy Drinks (Red Bull, Bomba, Caution,
Blue OX, etc), Frooto, Mitchells Squash etc
GENERIC COMPETITION
On the Generic side Limopani is competing with every consumer product that are
available in the market from Candies and Bubble gums to powdered drinks.

SUNSIP LIMOPANI AS MARKET CHALLENGER

In Pakistan Hilal dominates the confectionery product market. Limopani being a
market challenger is giving a tough competition to brands like Tang and has been
able to gain a respectable market share.
COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES
Competitive strategy is the formal strategy that describes the method to destroy
the competition in a business environment.

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Introducing Limopani in market was a risky because major competitor Tang,

enjoyed market leadership and acquired a dominant place in the market. Hilal
focused of segments which were ignored by Tang. Since Tang was positioned as
a premium brand, there was no credible brand for the middle and lower class of
the society. Limopani capitalized on this weakness and targeted the middle ad
upper middle class of the society. In order to counter this they introduced
Limopani in sachets to attract customers from all social classes.

COMPETITORS AND MARKET SHARE

PRODUCT

MARKET SHARE

TANG

40%

LIMOPANI

20%

ENERGILE

9%

KWIKOOL

5%

OTHERS

26%

TANG
Tang is the global leader in Krafts
powdered soft drink portfolio. By
providing a nutritious, real fruitflavored drink at an affordable price,
Tang has gained great popularity in
Latin America and emerging markets
in Central and Eastern Europe and
Asia, including People's Republic of
China.

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ENERGILE
Unilever Pakistan Limited is the largest fast
moving consumer goods company in Pakistan.
Energile belongs to powdered drinks Rafhan
Bestfood Ltd which is owned by Unilever.
Energile is the only energy drink produced and
marketed by Unilever. Over the years it has
been able to retain a constant share how ever
with growing consumptions and competition it
is facing serious challenge to retain its
customers. Energile with its new variants has
not been able to register in the minds of it hard
core consumers and with the launch of Limopani it is losing cutomers in the rural
market also.
SUNCOOL AND KWIKOOL
Suncool and Kwikool were introduced in the competition after the launch of
Limopani but they could not acquire dominant market share because of its low
value.
FRUITILITY
Recently, National Foods has introduced a new powder drink by the name of
Futility. Because National Foods is a well known brand among consumers,
Limopani will have to face a tough competition from them in the future.

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PERCEPTUAL MAP OF THE BRAND

COMPETITION FACED BY THE COMPANY
HIGH PRICE

TANG

FOSTER CLARKS
LOW
QUALITY

HIGH
QUALITY

LIMOPANI
ENERGILE
KWIKOOL
SUNCOOL
FRUITILITY

LOW PRICE

The position which Limopani holds in the minds of the target audience is of high
value. It offers people more value than just a flavored drink; however the
competitors lead in the area of perceptions, as TANG is considered to be the best
and of most high value. In reality the prices of Limopani and Tang are some
what same but still it is not considered as a premium brand.

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SWOT ANALYSIS
STRENGTH

Sugar free

Effervescent

Small pack convenient for shoppers, takes less space

Aluminum foil safe / hygienic

Economical, easy to buy

Separate foils, consumers can buy one or two sachets

Refreshing and soothing effect

Balance formulation provide supplement of mineral and vitamin c

Easy to make and easy to serve

WEAKNESSES

No previous experience

No brand image

OPPORTUNITY

Growing Market

Health awareness

Export in Myanmar, Bangladesh and India

Future line extension in different flavors like pineapple, strawberry etc

Less chances of WTO impact

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THREATS

Lower price brands

Increased cost of advertising

Imported raw material

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CONCLUSION
Kings Food (Pvt.) Ltd, the company behind Limopani, saw the huge market of
flavored powdered energy drinks with only few major players life Tang and
Energile. In Pakistans generally hot weather, lemon juice is traditionally
consumed in water to provide refreshment from the sweltering heat of the sun.
you will often find thailay walas near bus stops or populated places selling
these drinks, locally termed as sikanjbeen or nibopani. Thus Kingd food gave
birth to Limopani as a direct competitor of Tang and Energile in powdered
energy drinks market. Since its launch, Limopani has captured 20% market
share and has been a great success.

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RECOMMENDATIONS
Limopani has well defined segments and the products are targeted and
positioned accordingly. However, according to our analysis, there are certain
areas where Limopani can avail a lot of opportunities.

Sun Sip should increase their product length of powder drinks by

introducing flavors which are more popular among the masses these days,
such as strawberry, pineapple etc as Limopani is a great success.

There is a large segment of people at work who need drinks to refresh

themselves. Limopani should focus on this segment and capitalize on it,
targeting middle level companies and banks.

Limopani is following the price trend of their competitors due to which

they are losing on their costs, therefore they should adopt a cost based
pricing approach.

Frequent surveys should be conducted in order to assess the brand as is

seen by the consumers. .

Limopani can build more brand awareness and brand preference by

sponsoring well-regarded events for example, art shows, cricket
tournaments etc.

Limopani should also focus on seeking international opportunity such as

launching the product in India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal etc.

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