Boroline is a heritage Indian brand with a steady market but is considered a ‘tr

Question

Boroline is a heritage Indian brand with a steady market but is considered a ‘traditional’ product. The skin cream market has seen lot of innovation and Boroline has lost its pre-eminent position in its category as newer brands and product types have fragmented the market into differential use types for different creams. You have to conduct secondary search of data and a couple of focus group interviews (or a small sample survey via email) on the basis of which you define a target segment (or segments – either existing or new) and suggest a new (integrated) marketing communication strategy (including the brand positioning whether existing or a new one that you propose), which you think will suitably help the brand compete with the newer brands and categories. Provide the rationale for your choice of (new) target segments with respect to the demographic; psychographic; benefit sought or behavioral determinants of segmentation. Validate this by the findings from secondary data and focus group/survey that you have conducted. Concentrate on Advertising; Sales Promotion and Public Relation within your marcom-mix.

Explanation / Answer

Introduction: In a world filled with chemical based products full of paraben and harmful toxins, it would not be wrong to say that there are fair chances for Boroline to establish itself as a pioneer in the traditional skin care business.

Boroline has established itself as an antiseptic cream and commanded 100% market share since its foundation. However, the same has not been the case towards early 1990s when the brand faced extinction from the Indian market. 2 years later in 1992, the brand reinvented itself and was reintroduced itself in the market. Indians welcomed the brand with open arms but somehow Boroline could not continue charming the Indian audience due to a number of reasons. With the introduction of a plethora of newer brands and categories in the Indian markets, Boroline could not compete with its traditional approach. The below mentioned are a few reasons for the brand’s downfall since 1990.

Competitive strategy:

Boroline has an element of stickiness which Emami used to dissuade its customers from the brand. Emami came out with a light cream in an interesting packing which helped it woo the customers from Boroline.

2. Product attribute:

The main attribute which stuck with Boroline was its ’antiseptic’ tag. New age consumers did not feel good about applying a antiseptic cream over their face and conveniently shifted to other perfumed competitor’s products

3. Marketing channels:

The marketing channels and the distribution list for Boroline were not up to the mark. The product did not do extensive research on new age channels like e-commerce and mobile devices.

The brand can still gain access and the below given is a marketing and communication strategy which shall help the brand regain its position.

Brand Repositioning: The age old brand has to get a makeover. Boroline has been hugely rejected on the basis of its packaging and the attribute of sticky nature. The brand should reinvent itself and show off with its new look and at the same time it should do away with its negative image. The basic composition of Boroline consists of boric acid which is an antiseptic, Lanolin, which soothes cuts or bruises and Zinc oxide which acts as a sunscreen on the skin. The brand has to reposition itself on these properties.

Educate the user: Most of the products available in the market have huge amounts of chemicals that may cause cancerous affects on the skin. Boroline can educate the user about its useful composition and with its use, the consumer could do away with many additional products like moisturizer, sunscreen and astringent.

Use of antiseptic cream on face: New age users have only known their mothers using Boroline when they had cuts on their skin. They have the notion that Boroline has to be used as an antiseptic cream as they have known it since their childhood. The antiseptic tag has to be removed or altered so that the product could be accepted as a skin care cream

Target segment:The maximum audience who use personal care products belong to the age category of 18-35 who are more cautious about their looks. To cater to this segment of population, Boroline has to make a foolproof strategy which appeals to the younger generation.

Diversify the portfolio of products on offer:

Every brand has a number of products which cater to the various needs of consumer. Be it acne or dark spots or ageing or dry skin, a product has to make itself available as a solution to the specific problem that the user is facing right away.

Although, it is not possible to reinvent any brand overnight, it is definitely achievable in the long run. Boroline has fair chance of success, given its good image in the minds of Indians consumers since a very long time.

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