PRESENTED TO:MR.

PRADEEP JOSHI PRESENTED BY:SEEMA SALONI NAMITA

Case Overview
This case presents a review of the changes happening in

consumer behavior, competition, and the broader marketing environment, and offers a plan of action for the future of Sugar Free brand. Sugar Free as a brand has come a long way in twenty years of its existence. It has transformed from an ethical brand of sugar substitute for diabetic patients to a FMHG (fast moving health goods) brand for calorie-conscious, busy, and healthy lifestyle-seeking urban dweller. Sugar Free is now preparing to enter the next phase of lifecycle where it is up against the better featured products as well as the marketing savvy and deep pocketed competitors. Stakes are high for Sugar Free due to environment changes in terms of category acceptance, evolved consumers, and heightened competitive activities.

CONT
On marketing communications front, it is contemplating to

embark upon a new brand endorser strategy and has roped in Bipasha Basu one of the leading actresses of Indian cinema, known for her fitness consciousness. The new TVC featuring Bipasha Basu presents Sugar Free as a symbol of health-oriented lifestyle as opposed to the product benefit of lowering the calorie intake, highlighted in all previous communications. As it moves forward, Sugar Free has to carefully evaluate its TVC theme, brand communication strategy, IMC approach, and brand interaction opportunities to leverage its current strengths and exploit the situation in its favour.

CONT
The new TVC featuring Bipasha Basu presents Sugar

Free as a symbol of health-oriented lifestyle as opposed to the product benefit of lowering the calorie intake, highlighted in all previous communications. As it moves forward, Sugar Free has to carefully evaluate its TVC theme, brand communication strategy, IMC approach, and brand interaction opportunities to leverage its current strengths and exploit the situation in its favour.

Cont..
In Phases I, II and III, consumers were under the idea that

Sugar Free is meant only for diabetic patients and should therefore be prescribed by doctors. But after changes in Law permitted it to be sold as an Over the Counter (OTC) item, the company decided to move Sugar Free from Medical to the Cosmetic Division and then into Consumer Product Division and accordingly designed a strategy to give it a new look, with a message to the society about the usages of Sugar Free.

Way Forward for Sugar Free The team from the ad agency and the VP and his team needed to discuss whether to go ahead with the TVC? What should be the future advertising strategy?
The company must go ahead with the TVC. The objective

must be to increase awareness of Sugar Free and impact an attitudinal shift among the target audience from Sugar Free as a medicinal/chemical based product to a healthy competitor for sugar. Currently, Sugar Free is considered as a specialized product. It needs to be free from the medicinal image which precipitates purchase behavior of use with prescription and a perception that there could be side-effects if used regularly.

CONT
The current target audience comprises 12 million fitness

conscious people residing in metros and big cities. Fitness-conscious people across cities in India need to be targeted. This will imply additional investment in distribution to make the product available across the country through organized retail and select grocers. The company must cater to corporate clients including Business to Business (B2B) segment, comprising sweet shops and manufacturers, caterers, hotels, and restaurants. It can even persuade restaurants, sweet shops, and hotels to feature a Sugar Free sweet option in the desserts section.

Should the company continue an endorser strategy?

Choice of actors such as Bipasha Basu, Malaika Arora, celebrity chefs such as Sanjeev Kapoor and popular sweet mart owners for endorsing Sugar Free Gold and Sugar Free Natura respectively add immense value to the brands path from an unknown state to building a certain brand attitude. The ad campaign with celebrities should be able to create awareness, and generate enough knowledge among viewers, leaving them wanting more. The advertisements must result in increased search engine hits, blogs, and increased traffic at retail store shelves carrying Sugar Free.

The brand Sugar Free had followed a transition from a diabetic drug to a table-top sweetener and then to a fitness partner; so, how should the brand communications move forward?
Sugar Free has transitioned from a diabetes drug to a table-

top sweetener and then to fitness partner. At each stage, Sugar Free has acquired an addition to its image without altering the previous one. Moreover, the identities of a brand as a prescription drug for diabetes, tabletop sweetener, and fitness partner are complementary. It is both an advantage and a disadvantage to be known as a brand that is born out of a pharmaceutical company. A product that has a medicinal image has an implicit message to be consumed in prescribed quantity as mentioned earlier.

Cont.
One of the ways to suitably alter the medicinal image of Sugar Free is to broaden its acceptance and consumption by relating it to its commodity partner. It is important that consumers are made aware and educated of the differences between sugar and Sugar Free just as salt and milk have transitioned from commodities to brands in the Indian market.

How the 360 degree approach can be applied to Sugar Free brand communications? What innovations can be brought in so that each opportunity of brand interaction can be exploited for its advantage? The advertising campaign must be able to generate awareness enough awareness to build curiosity leading them to know more about the brand, get convinced to replace sugar with a healthy alternative, prefer Sugar Free Gold and Sugar Free Natura respectively among the competing brands in the market, and finally make a purchase and continue to purchase this brand.

Cont.
TV is a necessary medium for advertising to uncover unique

opportunities for the masses. It would be useful to advertise in TV programmes based on the target segments viewership data followed by print, OOH, and online interactive forums. Any information seeker should be able to access honest convincing information about sugar and Sugar Free. Bipasha Basu as a brand ambassador has a positive appeal for the elite and is aspirational for general public. The advertising strategy must include measures to engage the customers more through print and online media. Sponsoring events and associating with large and premium college campuses across cities would enable catching customers young. It is required to tap both online and offline media.

Cont.

This product has an image of being medicinal and made up of chemical ingredients to enable its functioning. Hence it is not perceived as an easy extension to sugar. It is seen more as a low-calorie ingredient for sweets and beverages which might be equally harmful in some other way if it is used regularly in place of sugar. Online media can be used to engage in interactions and clarify apprehensions about Sugar Free and its ingredients. Sugar Free must exist on all new media social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, blogs, and chats. This 360 degree approach can ultimately benefit from increasing return on marketing investment for Sugar Free. It would be advantageous to target B2B sector and ensure that the food items are prefixed with Sugar Free as Sugar Free chocolates, Sugar Free cake and so on. One could draw mileage from the brand name.

360 Degree Brand Communication

This 360 degree approach can ultimately benefit from

increasing return on marketing investment for Sugar Free. It would be advantageous to target B2B sector and ensure that the food items are prefixed with Sugar Free as Sugar Free chocolates, Sugar Free cake and so on. One could draw mileage from the brand name.
The only apprehension is that of the brand becoming

generic. The company can mention the names of all outlets that market Sugar Free sweets on the website.

In summary, Sugar Free should:

Expand target audience to include B2B

Have discounts and promotions for bulk purchases (Sugar Free is perceived to be expensive when compared to sugar.) Draw mileage out of the brand name
Position itself as a primary competitor for sugar Integrate online media into the advertising campaign

Recommendations
Sugar Free should achieve 360 degree communication

objectives by: Developing brand awareness in rural area through wellness programmes Increasing category demand in terms of small packs and schemes Changing customer belief or attitude through medical team Enhancing purchase actions Encouraging repeat purchases through retail programmes/promotions Building customer traffic through surveys Enhancing firm image through employee brand activity Increasing market share through sales team Increasing sales through awareness

tHANK YOU