Indian School of Business

ISB066

December 20, 2016

Tanuka Ghoshal | Geetika Shah | Arun Pereira

Reinventing Officer’s Choice Whisky: Spoiled for Choice

INTRODUCTION
Ahmed Rahimtoola, Head of Marketing at Allied Blenders and Distillers (ABD), looked down at the
three creative pitches on his desk, mulling over the critical decision he needed to make. Which of these
pitches, submitted by three leading agencies in the country, should he select? It was a particularly
significant decision, the final step in the complex brand reinvention process for ABD's flagship brand,
Officer’s Choice Whisky (OCW), and he needed to get it right. It was October already, just three months
away from the proposed launch in January 2009. How should he go about the process of selection and
ensure that he did so in a systematic manner, taking into account all the crucial aspects that had been
highlighted in their extensive market research?

THE CASE FOR BRAND REINVENTION OF OCW

In 2008, Officer’s Choice Whisky (OCW), the flagship brand of Allied Blenders and Distillers (ABD),
was selling 6.6 million cases per year with a 15% share of the regular whisky segment. ABD had brought
in industry veteran, Deepak Roy, as Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in 2007 to
spearhead its business and catapult the company into the “big league.” With a vision for ABD “to be the
most admired spirits company,” Roy set a number of tasks. The first among these was to ensure that
OCW reached market leadership within a three-year period. At that time, Bagpiper Whisky from United
Spirits Ltd. was the market leader, selling over 6.63 million cases more than OCW annually, that is,
double its volume.

Soon after joining ABD, Roy called the management team together and highlighted some of the key
challenges the brand faced. He said:

Officer’s Choice has been a steady horse for the company, but now the brand will have to
gallop ahead to establish ABD as a formidable player in the Indian alcobev [alcoholic
beverages] space. It has a large consumer franchise, but is it gaining new consumers,
which will serve the brand (and ABD) in the long run? Can India’s youth identify with OCW?
Is the heritage of the brand an impediment or an opportunity? Are lapsed users of the
market leader Bagpiper turning to OCW or to the new kid on the block—Imperial Blue? If
we are not able to increase the consumer base for Officer’s Choice, then newer brands
with more relevant propositions such as Imperial Blue, will continue to be a threat to OCW.

Professor Tanuka Ghoshal, Geetika Shah and Professor Arun Pereira prepared this case solely as a basis for class discussion.
This case is not intended to serve as an endorsement, a source of primary data, or an illustration of effective or ineffective
management. This case was developed under the aegis of the Centre for Learning and Management Practice, ISB.

Copyright @ 2016 Indian School of Business. The publication may not be digitised, photocopied, or otherwise reproduced, posted
or transmitted, without the permission of the Indian School of Business.

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Moving on to the task at hand, Roy added, “In our case, OCW equals ABD as 99% of the volume
and value contribution of ABD comes from OCW. So anything that makes OCW vulnerable, makes ABD
vulnerable. We need to relook at the entire marketing mix in order to take OCW, and with it, ABD, to
the next level.”

Roy and the management team knew that they had to address these issues at the earliest. The need
of the hour was an extensive brand reinvention exercise for OCW. How should Officer’s Choice
reposition itself, repackage itself and reconnect with consumers?

The starting point of this exercise was to commission an exhaustive qualitative research study to
better understand the consumer profile of the regular whisky drinkers’ segment, OCW’s strengths and
weaknesses, and its brand perception versus other brands in the segment. The research results
indicated that the brand was low on salience and unable to connect with consumers at an emotional
level. OCW's communication was not differentiated enough and its packaging lacked a contemporary
feel. Further, the price-value perception of the brand was low compared to competing brands.

With a detailed client brief, ABD then opened the pitch for the repositioning of OCW to the top
advertising agencies in India. Three agencies, all of which were among the best in the country, had
come back with their presentations. Now, the ABD team had the challenging task of deciding which of
the three contained the magic formula for making Officer’s Choice the market leader in whisky brands
within the next three years.

ABOUT ABD
Allied Blenders & Distillers, formerly known as BDA Ltd., was a leading Indian-made foreign liquor
(IMFL) company engaged in the manufacturing, marketing and sale of alcoholic beverages in India. It
had been set up in 1988 by Kishore Chhabria, Chairman of ABD and a stalwart of India’s alcoholic
beverages industry with over 25 years of experience under his belt. With 27 bottling units (three of which
were company-owned), ABD had a pan-India presence. It was managed by a professional team under
Roy's leadership. Before joining ABD in 2007, Roy had spent more than 23 years in the alcoholic
beverages industry and over 13 years as the CEO of various successful brands in the spirits sector.

In FY08, ABD recorded a turnover of INR 6.76 billion for all its brands. The key brands in the portfolio
were Officer’s Choice Whisky, Officer’s Choice Brandy, Wodka Gorbatschow and Class Vodka.

THE INDIAN WHISKY MARKET IN 2007-08

The Indian whisky market was the third largest in the world, after China and Russia. It was also one
of the fastest growing markets with a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of +12% since 2001.
Locally produced versions of Western spirits (or hard liquor) were known by the acronym IMFL, which
stood for Indian-made foreign liquor. Indian-made whisky was not only the biggest market segment
(contributing 60% of spirits volumes and 70% of value), but was also growing quickly, averaging +20%
growth per annum.

Whisky, as a category, was segmented primarily on the basis of price. At the low end were the
“cheap” and “medium” brands, which were more like commodities. In these segments, generally
speaking, there was no brand building activity, and products were bought purely on the basis of price.
The next was the “regular” whisky segment, the largest chunk of the entire whisky category, in which
Officer’s Choice operated. Next, in ascending order of price, were the “deluxe, “premium” and “super
premium” segments, and finally “Scotch” at the top of the category (see Exhibit 1).

Within the regular whisky segment, there were many brands competing with Officer’s Choice, such
as Bagpiper, Old Tavern, Director’s Special, Green Label, Gold Ribbon, 8PM and AC SEKC (see Exhibit
2a). United Spirits Ltd. (USL) was the dominant player, with over 50% market share of the segment.
The national brand was Bagpiper from USL, the global leader in terms of volume, with nearly twice the
volume of Officer’s Choice. It was also a brand that had very high aspirations and was positioned on
the platform of "bonding," with a very popular tagline (see Exhibits 2b, 2c and 2d). It had successfully

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used celebrity endorsements from Bollywood actors in its advertising campaigns over the years. The
other strong brand in the segment was Imperial Blue from Seagram’s, known for its quality, immaculate
packaging and successful advertising with its “Men will be Men” platform. Over time, it had begun
weaning away younger consumers in the market (see Exhibits 2b and 2c).

Whisky was strongly associated with fun and togetherness. It was imperative that whisky brands
communicated with heightened imagery to enter the consideration set of consumers. The emotional
associations of whisky, which included success, fun, togetherness, badge value (i.e., the imagery or
non-verbal values that consumers associated with the brand) and confidence, were most effectively
brought alive via a dynamic medium like television. Static media such as outdoor advertising or retail
visibility typically served as reminders for consumers at vital touchpoints.

Surrogate Advertising in the Alcobev Category

The rules and regulations governing the advertising of alcobev products in India were very stringent
and did not allow for creatives that could visually showcase the brand in all its glory. In such a scenario,
alcobev companies had, over the years, created alternate lines of business (i.e., brand extensions) with
the same brand name (e.g. Officer’s Choice packaged drinking water, Bagpiper soda, etc.). This
strategy enabled a company to communicate its brand name to consumers, albeit with the use of a
different category, thereby establishing the brand name, reinforcing it and also layering on brand cues
for consumers. Companies employed all the usual modes of advertising, such as television commercials
(TVCs) and print/ outdoor channels, for the surrogate brand to communicate the emotional message of
the alcobev brand. This practice of utilizing an alternate line of business to advertise the alcobev brand
was used by almost all alcobev companies in India, and some of the surrogate brands had become big
businesses in their own right.

OFFICER’S CHOICE WHISKY

Officer’s Choice Whisky was launched in 1988 and positioned in the regular whisky segment. A
smooth whisky with a finely balanced malt blend, Officer’s Choice was ABD’s flagship brand with a 20-
year heritage.

Officer’s Choice Whisky had attained the third position among the top 15 brands of whisky in India
in Impact (2007) and had been ranked the fifth largest whisky brand in the world in the Millionaires Club
supplement (2006)1. Drinks International's Millionaires Club (2007) adjudged Officer’s Choice as the
17th largest regional brand and also the 19th fastest growing regional brand in the world. Millionaires
Club (2006) and Impact (2008) rated Officer’s Choice among the top 50 spirit brands in the world.

The brand was positioned on the platform of "Dare to do things differently" and creatively expressed
as "Challenge yourself". The communication centered around acts of derring-do by an "Officer," whom
consumers were supposed to see as their alter ego fighting their own insecurities and fears (see Exhibit
3).

Market Research Study in April 2008

When Ahmed Rahimtoola, a senior marketing professional with more than 15 years of experience
in advertising and marketing, came on board as Head, Marketing at ABD in 2007, he was presented
with detailed market research on Officer’s Choice, which had been commissioned by the erstwhile
marketing team. This detailed brand equity study had been aimed at understanding the strengths and
weaknesses of the brand, identifying the consumers of Officer’s Choice and understanding their
relationship with the brand. The study also spoke to consumers of competitive brands such as Bagpiper
and Imperial Blue to gauge their perceptions about Officer’s Choice (see Exhibits 4a-4k).

1
Impact & Drinks International's Millionaires Club are UK-based trade magazines.
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The major objectives of the study were to:

x Map the psychographic profiles of OCW, Bagpiper and Imperial Blue consumers to identify key
drivers for brand choice and need gaps
x Obtain the core values of OCW that made up its brand equity vis-à-vis the competition
x Identify cues that would enhance the power of the brand and make it more relevant to current,
past and potential consumers
x Identify meaningful positioning platforms

As Rahimtoola observed:

One of the key insights coming out of this market research is that the brand Officer’s
Choice, although growing, is also showing some signs of vulnerability. The brand is low
on visibility and has stopped talking to the consumer. Also, the communication is not very
differentiated and operates within the basic category codes 2 of the liquor industry. It is
failing to fan the needs and aspirations of the consumer. The packaging is also a weak
point, particularly because it hasn’t been changed since the year the brand was launched.
So it is being considered stale, old, dull, boring and stuck in a time warp. The brand,
somehow, seems to be lacking vibrancy and dynamism, which are very important from the
consumer's point of view. The brand value perception on Officer’s Choice is seen to be
low, vis-à-vis competing brands like Imperial Blue and Bagpiper.

Moreover, OCW's image as a very old and long-established brand had worked against it where
youth were concerned; they did not connect with the brand. As Rahimtoola explained:

Nearly 60% of India was under the age of 30. Ironically, because of the heritage that the
brand enjoyed, the youth connect was missing. Consumers said that this was the brand
that their fathers and grandfathers liked, and somehow they couldn’t connect with the
brand at an emotional level. The brand had consumer franchise, but it lacked emotional
equity. This was one of the big challenges that we had to address.

OCW’s brand stature among its own users was very high; the brand occupied a unique position for
the consumer who was seeking self-respect and the respect of others. However, there were signs of
the beginnings of an erosion in stature, primarily for the following reasons:

x Imperial Blue was capturing the imagination of even the core OCW consumer, who was now
looking at life through different lenses
x The brand was no longer salient; there was no new communication or activity around the
product and other elements of the marketing mix, leading to an image of OCW as staid and
unexciting
x It was no longer the main challenger to Bagpiper as Imperial Blue was gaining ground in the
category

All in all, there was an urgent need to rebuild the identity, value and standing of the brand by:

x Being more visible (e.g. through TV commercials and promotions)

x Being seen as innovative (through new packaging, product and communication differentiators)
x Rethinking the brand identity beyond the conventional interpretation of masculinity and
attempting a different expression of masculinity

2
Common identifiers, behaviors, associations and situations that are associated with the category through past
advertising.
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Commenting on the stiff competition they were up against, Rahimtoola said:

Bagpiper is the Big Daddy in the regular whisky segment. It has a rich heritage of
association with top Bollywood celebrities spanning decades, making it the "Lux" 3 of
alcobev brands. The associations lend stature and imagery to the brand, which is difficult
to counter. It is a very heavily advertised brand. And to be fair to the company, their
execution on the ground in terms of availability as well as visibility is good. In short, it is a
brand that has not left any loopholes for competing brands to capitalize on. Besides this,
USL has five other brands in the same segment, which it could leverage to its advantage.
Imperial Blue is the new kid on the block, but shows a lot of promise in terms of both blend
and imagery. The blend, coming from Seagram, has won rave reviews from consumers
and it will be a key hook for winning new consumers. Their positioning around "Men will
be men" is irreverent and will definitely catch on with the youth. They are in a position to
get a lot of new entrants into the category.

BRAND REINVENTION—THE 3-PILLAR STRATEGY

The team decided to tackle the brand reinvention exercise with a three-pronged strategy:
repackaging, repositioning and reconnecting with consumers. According to Rahimtoola, “these three
pillars were identified as essential for taking the brand to the next level and meeting our immediate
objective of becoming market leaders.”

Pillar 1: Repackaging

The ABD team realized that going ahead with repackaging OCW was not going to be a
straightforward task. Rahimtoola said:

OCW was a 6 million cases brand. If we changed something in the packaging, would the
loyal consumers move away? Would the new packaging definitely get consumers to switch
from the competition? Would it be able to attract new users to the category? These were
some of the issues and concerns that we toyed with. It was obvious that any repackaging
exercise would require further extensive market research.

As a first step, the team decided to gather additional insights about OCW's existing packaging. The
feedback they received was that it was staid, sober, dull, lacking vibrancy and dynamism, in that it had
not evolved with time. Another concern was that the current packaging did not bolster the “premium”
claim of the brand.

The team began by hiring one of the best design consultancy firms in India to create a new identity
for the brand. The brief was to upgrade the packaging to have good shelf appeal and be seen as more
modern, contemporary, dynamic and stylish, with a “new age” look.

At the same time, ABD was clear about staying true to some of the core aspects of the brand. They
made it clear to the agency that the new packaging should not move away from such core brand design
elements as the font, the epaulette and the color red. OCW research had shown these to be critical
aspects of the core brand. Rahimtoola explained, “We gave these brand identifiers as mandates to the
agency so that the existing consumer franchise would realize that this was the same Officer’s Choice,
but in a smarter get-up.”

The agency came back with recommendations for changes to be made to the bottle structure, shape
and cap. To add to the sensory experience and the authenticity of the brand and at the same time
create a sense of ownership, the brand name was embossed on the back of the bottle. The "OC" mark
was also reworked into a crest with intricate crafting, a cue signifying elegance and heritage. The crest

3
“Lux” was a global brand from Unilever available as a range of products that included beauty soaps, shower gels,
shampoos, etc. It was a leading brand, enjoying an iconic status in the Indian market.
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was also intended to allow for easy interpretation by the audience and serve as a direct connect (see
Exhibit 5).

After launching the new design, the company did an exhaustive study to gauge consumer reactions
to and perceptions of the new OCW bottle vis-à-vis the existing OCW, Bagpiper and Imperial Blue
bottles. Commenting on the results, Rahimtoola said, “The new OC bottle came out as a winner and
the consumers gave us the thumbs-up. In terms of decoding the new packaging, it was perceived as
vibrant and dynamic, with a look of 'today' and an 'officer’s kind of style'. So we went ahead and
launched the new packaging.”

Pillar 2: Repositioning

The existing communication for Officer’s Choice was created around the positioning of “Challenge
yourself.” Depicting men who boldly confronted daring new situations, this kind of advertising was used
by many brands in the whisky segment. The category codes of whisky advertising had always centered
around success, achievement, bonding and masculinity. Therefore, one of the main drawbacks of
OCW's positioning was that it was not really differentiated. Further, this platform was losing relevance
as this rendition of masculinity was not in tune with modern thinking. Officer’s Choice was also being
seen as a brand for the individual rather than for social bonding.

The research had thrown up another very valuable insight. It found that for the regular whisky
consumer, a "sense of recognition" was a key motivator and only the "right" actions and choices gave
him an edge in his peer group. Elaborating on ABD's interpretation of the research findings and the
inferences they drew from it, Rahimtoola said:

The real insight we got from the research was a better understanding of the consumer.
The brand was not reflecting the consumer’s real needs, desires and aspirations.
Research told us that the OCW consumer is a man of limited means. He is probably a
clerk in a government company … someone who has not really made it big in life. His life
revolves around his work and meeting the needs of his family. Also, since he is slightly
older in age, he is slightly pessimistic about life. He does not believe that he has a bright
future. But one of the key things that differentiates him from others is that he seeks
recognition and believes that he can get this recognition and admiration by the good deeds
he does in society. So being a do-gooder is something that is very important for him to
earn respect and admiration, which are his key motivators in life. We further probed and
tried to understand why he drinks Officer’s Choice. While taste generally came up as the
first response, we found that at the subconscious level, the title “Officer” had a very strong
role to play. There was a very strong bond with the word "Officer" and it gave the consumer
the status, recognition and admiration that were otherwise lacking in his life.

Therefore, the most defining pillar for the whole brand reinvention exercise was the repositioning of
Officer’s Choice. Based on the deep insights gained from the research, ABD developed a detailed client
brief (see Exhibit 6). Three top agencies pitched for the assignment and got down to the task of
interpreting the research to design a suitable campaign presentation.

Roy had been explicit about his expectations from the repositioning:

Disruptive—that’s the one word I am looking at in terms of the new campaign for Officer’s
Choice. With a strong brand like Bagpiper on one side and our limited resources on the
other, we will have to make the idea of our campaign the hero; no Bollywood celebrities
for us. This campaign will need to be disruptive to shake consumers out of their reverie
and reintroduce them to Officer’s Choice. It will need to announce loudly to all the new
entrants to the category that Officer’s Choice needs to be their first port of call. It needs to
fill the existing consumers’ hearts with pride to be associated with Officer’s Choice.

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Pillar 3: Reconnecting with Consumers (Engagement)

Related to the whole repositioning exercise was the need to connect to consumers in a more direct
manner. The team was planning to reach out and touch consumers through large experiential
properties, cultural connect programs and ground-level visibility to give the brand a larger-than-life feel.
Once the new positioning was ready to launch, Rahimtoola would need some bright, out-of-the-box
ideas to create high-impact visibility at the ground level. Further, he would be looking for innovative
ways to amplify the new positioning statement through TVCs, radio spots, outdoor and other traditional
media. In other words, he was looking for a comprehensive integrated marketing communication (IMC)
strategy, or a 360-degree campaign, around the selected positioning platform.

THE DECISION: MAKING THE CHOICE

Rahimtoola’s thoughts returned to his more immediate concern. The three agency presentations
showcasing their proposed campaigns were lined up for the coming week. Despite several years of
experience, Rahimtoola knew that he could not go by gut feel alone. He said:

We needed to break the campaign latest by January, 2009. This was it; this was when my
mettle as a marketer was going to be tested. I was clear in my mind—for me, the creative
needed to meet the following criteria: It had be born out of a strong consumer insight, it
needed to be disruptive—‘differentiate or die’ was something I strongly believed in—it
needed to be relevant, and most importantly, it had to help win heart share4 because, with
the resources on hand, winning mindshare 5 would always be a challenge.

Clearly, the new creative had to deliver on several fronts. In addition, it would be important for OCW
to create an experiential connect with consumers and build on the emotional connect created by the
campaign. Which creative would lend itself best to the third pillar of engagement and on-ground
visibility? Rahimtoola realized that he needed to carefully decide the criteria on which to evaluate the
agency presentations; yet, which were the critical aspects to be considered?

Choosing the winning pitch was a critical decision for the future of the Officer’s Choice brand and
Rahimtoola was anxious to make sure that his evaluation and eventual “choice” would be the right one
for the brand and the company.

(Refer to “Agency Creatives.pptx” (Product No. ISB068) for the three agency presentations.)

4
Share of heart refers to creating and maintaining an emotional bond or relationship with consumers.
5
Share of mind refers to consumer awareness of a product or brand.
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EXHIBIT 1

WHISKY SEGMENTATION

Price band
(in INR) Segments Brands
900-1400 Scotch Whisky Teacher's, Black Dog, Black & White, Johnny Walker
500-550 Super Premium Antiquity, Peter Scot
450-550 Premium Blender's Pride, Signature, Royal Challenge
300-380 Deluxe Royal Stag, McDowell's No.1, Masterstroke
180-200 Regular Officer’s Choice, Imperial Blue, Bagpiper, 8PM, Director’s Special, Gilbey's
Below 180 Cheap Haywards, Original Choice, Royal Choice

Note: Indicative maximum retail price (MRP) for 750ml in Mumbai as of 2008.

Source: Shared by the company.

EXHIBIT 2a

INDUSTRY DATA—REGULAR SEGMENT (2007-08)

Brand Market Share (%)

Officer’s Choice 15.32
Bagpiper 32.22
Director’s Special 8.41
Green Label 3.94
8 PM 8.16
Imperial Blue 7.41
Aristocrat Series 5.15
Others 19.39

Source: Shared by the company.

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EXHIBIT 2b

COMPETITIVE COMMUNICATION: A SNAPSHOT

Brand Tagline Positioning Areas Occupied

Officer’s Choice Challenge yourself Khatron ke khiladi (Those who play with
danger)
Bagpiper Khub jamega rang jab mil baithenge teen A drink to enjoy with friends
yaar, aap main aur Bagpiper
(Life will be colorful when three friends sit
down together—you, me and Bagpiper.)

Green Label Kuch paana hai, kuch kar dikhaana hai Brand for achievers—desire to succeed
(The need to attain something, the need to
achieve something.)

8PM Aath ke thaath Relieves you of stress

(Luxury after eight)

Imperial Blue Men will be men Understands the inherent nature and habits
of men

Aristocrat Whisky Kuch bhi ho sakta hai Anything is possible

(Anything is possible)

Director’s Special Happy ending Reward

Source: Shared by the company.

EXHIBIT 2c

KEY COMPETITORS

BAGPIPER
` Growing at a CAGR of 12%
` Celebrity-led advertising over the years
` Positioned as a “drink to be enjoyed with friends”
` Strong association with movies
` Brand personality: strong, masculine and rugged

IMPERIAL BLUE
` Growing at a CAGR of 28%
` Riding on the rich heritage of Seagram
` International standard packaging
` Positioned on the “Men will be men” platform (innately male)
` Highest share of voice (SOV) in the regular whisky segment , primarily driven by TV
` Brand Personality: youthful, stylish and confident

Source: Shared by the company.

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EXHIBIT 2d

ADVERTISING CREATIVES OF COMPETING BRANDS

“You, me and Bagpiper” “You, me and Bagpiper” “Life will be colorful…”

Sources:
Bagpiper TVC. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVECN0dhOoM, on October 10, 2015.
Seagram’s Imperial Blue TVC. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAdqj-ZZac8, on October 10, 2015.
(Shared by the company)

EXHIBIT 3

EARLIER OCW ADVERTISING CREATIVES

Source: Shared by the company.

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EXHIBITS 4a-4k

MARKET AGENCY RESEARCH FINDNGS

Refer to the slide deck titled Market Agency Research Findings.pptx (Product No. ISB069)

Source: Shared by the company.

EXHIBIT 5

EARLIER AND NEW PACKAGING

Earlier Packaging New Packaging

Source: Shared by the company.

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EXHIBIT 6

OFFICER’S CHOICE (OCW) CLIENT BRIEF

Although the Officer's Choice brand has managed to show stupendous growth, recent research
conducted by the management has thrown up some facts. Salient points of the research are:

x OCW’s stature, although still high among its own/ current users, is showing signs of
vulnerability.
x Its static image and lack of saliency/ visibility is seen as the root cause for its dwindling image
and growing base of lapsed users. The brand is seen to be losing momentum on dynamism
and a new age image.
x New entrants like Imperial Blue are weaning away consumers with attractive packaging, out-
of-the-box innovations, youthful and seductive imagery, salient advertising and a smooth
product experience.
x OCW is seen as too mature, serious and purposeful. Among the recent entrants, there is a
lurking anxiety that the brand is aging.
x The price-value perception for OCW is medium, unlike Bagpiper and Imperial Blue (where it is
high).
x The brand name Officer’s Choice is integral to the brand and the value it has come to symbolize.
It unequivocally conveys status, class, respectability and a sense of control.
x The communication (Challenge yourself) is relevant to OCW drinkers as it reflects their fantasy
of being heroic/ brave without having to prove themselves. However, lapsed users don’t find it
relevant as they see the brand's rendition of masculinity as not being modern, and further regard
it as alienating (i.e., focused on the individual) given that one of the associations of the whisky
category is socializing.
x The absence of a reward is also significant. There is no glamor, no "girl", no new friend; again,
it is seen to be more a brand "for oneself" rather than for social/ group bonding.

The OCW Consumer

Demographics
Sex: Male
Age: 21-35 years
SEC: B +, C (See slide pack (Exhibits 4a-4k) for a note on the Socio-economic classification system)
Geographic location: Metros/ mini metros/ "A" class towns 6

Psychographics
x A hard-working individual who lacks individuality and tends to be reserved
x Life revolves around work and family demands
x Highly pessimistic—fears the future even if he is doing well
x A follower, lacks authority and slips into nostalgia quite frequently (the past seems easier to
manage than the future)

His Life Script

x Insecure—cannot see the big picture
x Guilt driven—everything takes on a moral tone
x Pessimistic—negative events tend to overwhelm
x More problem wallowing than problem solving

6
The Government of India uses a classification system that ranks Indian cities on the basis of their population to allocate
House Rent Allowance (HRA) to public servants employed in different cities in the country. Based on the
recommendations of the Fifth Central Pay Commission of India, cities were divided into categories A-1, A, B-1, B-2 and C.
http://finmin.nic.in/the_ministry/dept_expenditure/notification/hra_citiesclassification/03-10-1997.pdf .

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His Self Image

CURRENT SELF IMAGE DESIRED SELF IMAGE
Self-absorbed Go-getter
Craving admiration without effort Respect
Automatic authority Recognition
Adjusts easily Conventionally successful

“Paper Tiger to Real Tiger”

His Role Models

Baba Saheb Ambedkar (Indian social reformer and politician): Respected and revered despite all odds
Dhirubhai Ambani (Indian industrialist and tycoon): Rags to riches

His Dreams and Aspirations

His dreams and aspirations revolve around having a huge amount of money, friends who never lie,
more education, a career that brings fame, acceptance, good health, and a big house with enough room
for friends and privacy for oneself, an escalator, plasma TV, home theater, high-end laptop, mobile, etc.

His Fears and Conflicts

His fears are facing risks, jealousy, being disliked and unaccepted, failure, change and losing respect.

The Task
Develop a brand communication that addresses the current user. Create a fresh appeal for the brand
so as to deliver a higher emotional pay-off and be well differentiated from the competition.

Agency deliverables

Identify a property (an event or a program) to associate with Officer's Choice

1 whisky
2 TV campaign
3 Print campaign
4 Outdoor campaign
5 POP—posters, danglers, streamers, shop standees
6 Any other innovations

Suggested Route 1:

An Officer
HARD ATTRIBUTES SOFT ATTRIBUTES
Discipline Ethical
Attitude Moral infallibility
Courage Caring
Focus Selfless
Respect Sacrifice
Winner all the way One who can do no wrong

An officer conjures up many positives in the Indian psyche; his selfless service to the nation and the
sacrifices he makes as part of his job elevate him in the eyes of regular consumers. He is also
considered an individual who can do no wrong and is morally right in all his deeds and actions. These
aspects also add to the respect that an officer gets from society.

Reinventing Officer’s Choice Whisky: Spoiled for Choice | 13

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Marrying the hard attributes with the soft attributes to convey an "officer":

“Niswaarth seva, hamesha sahi baat

Isee se badhti hai Officer ki izzat”

(Selfless service, always correct

This increases the Officer’s respect)

Suggested Route 2:

Officer's Choice
CHALLENGE YOURSELF WINNING MATTERS
Masculine Challenging
Adventure Ambitious
Daring Victory
Attitude Admiration
Discipline Celebration

Every little achievement by an individual in life is a reason for celebration; all that matters is winning.
A transition from an aggressive to progressive personality.

“Jeetenge har jung”

“jeet hamari hai”

(We shall win every war…Victory is ours)

Source: Shared by the company.

14 | Reinventing Officer’s Choice Whisky: Spoiled for Choice

This document is authorized for use only in Prof. Dhananjay Singh's Brand Management-2020 at Institute of Management Technology - Hyderabad from Jul 2020 to Oct 2020.