Himalaya Herbal

Himalaya HerbalSanjay Chandwani with FSM studentsQuestionsWhat are the major findings about the involvement levels of consumers in the oral care category that can be understood from the participants responses regarding their habits and practices with respect to the category?

How many respondents (in percentage) exhibit high and low/medium involvement with regard to the oral care category, and express high/low cognitive and affective associations with regard to each of the brands ? How are the involvement levels associated with each of the brands?

How does low category involvement affect brand attitude? Explain the inconsistency in those instances where brand attitude overwhelms category involvement.

How many consumers expressed consistency between the strength of their cognitive beliefs and the strength of their affective beliefs associated with their respective brand choices? How can any inconsistencies in the same be explained?QuestionsTaking into account the category-level and segment-level analyses, what kind of implications are relevant at the segment level (for each segment)? How do consumer beliefs relate to the positioning of brands in each segment?What kind of recommendations would you provide for the Himalaya brand after taking into consideration the responses to questions 1-5?What should the positioning dimensions of Himalaya be, and how can it be differentiated? How can Himalaya create an attitude towards its ads/brand to convey its differentiated proposition?

Question 1:Summary of habits and practicesFrom Exhibit 6: Table 1 Only 36 per cent of the respondents brushed twice a day (i) either low awareness of the need to brush twice a day for healthy teeth, (ii) or of low involvement in the category. Given that existing brands focus more on the benefits of their respective brand rather than on driving oral health education, it is likely that the former is true. Also, 74 per cent had never visited a dentist. Only 13 per cent of the respondents visited a dentist as frequently as recommended, i.e., once in six months.Those consumers who had been to the dentist regularly claimed that their dentists had not really recommended toothpaste brands often; but in those cases where the dentists did recommend a brand, six out of seven respondents switched!!!!!Question 1 contd84 per cent of the respondents claimed they had not had oral care problems. The statistics by WHO indicate that 90 per cent of Indian adults have problems; this shows that the risk involved in this category is relatively low, as consumers do not seem to be strongly impacted by their lack of oral health maintenance. Consumers do not go to the dentist as a preventive but as curative measure.When data is broken down according to the benefit segments, most of the parameters remain the same, except the practice of brushing twice a day. 68 per cent of the respondents in niche category brushed twice a day, as opposed to 36 per cent in the overall group. mostly users of Colgate ActiveSalt and Colgate Sensitive, both offer curative benefits. It can be inferred that awareness and the increased involvement in oral health for these consumers resulted from the problems they faced. This is evidence of the change in consumer involvement as a function of potential risk.

Question 2Summary of involvement with category and attitude towards brandsExhibit 6: Table 2: Only 41 per cent of the respondents expressed high involvement. A significant number of consumers did not express extremely low involvement with the category; their responses indicate a moderate to low involvement, since the category was considered daily essential,59 per cent expressed a relatively low to moderate involvement with the category and product benefits.The cognitive and affective associations indicate an interesting pattern. Exhibit 6: Table 3: 69 per cent of the total respondents had strong cognitive beliefs about their respective brands, whereas only 53 per cent had strong affective beliefs. It could be inferred that brands in the toothpaste category have established their functional benefits better compared to their emotional benefits in their advertisements. Pepsodent is an example of a brand that uses strong emotive cues in its communication, with the use of children in humorous settings; however, the other brands, talk about specific functional benefits of their products. Key involvement drivers for toothpaste categories based on Exhibit 5The set of statements in Exhibit 5: Table 1: Key drivers by which category involvement was expressed at the total category level. The mean values in the last column are directionally indicative of levels of involvement.Although the mean values for category involvement items such as Toothpaste is essential for me and Toothpaste is beneficial to me indicate high levels of agreement, consumers across categories also expressed a strong inclination towards the feeling Toothpaste is mundane to me. This indicates thatalthough consumers use this category regularly and acknowledge that it is an integral part of their lives, they feel that this product (and possibly other related products like toothbrushes)r may not get them involved, given the low perceived risk in the oral care category.

Top drivers for category involvement at the overall levelOffered benefits of healthy teeth and healthy gums. Protection against cavities was also rated as important, possibly because cavities are a common manifestation of poor oral care and require expensive and painful treatment.

A similar problem that led to greater involvement was a toothpaste that could prevent pain when eating hot and cold things. It can be inferred that although the consumer might not be aware of core oral care problems such as plaque, tartar, gingivitis, and periodontal diseases, they acknowledge and try to prevent the more visible or directly experienceable aspects of these underlying ailments, which increases their involvement.

Other drivers of category involvementYet another key element- presence of natural ingredients in the toothpaste, may or may not be manifested in individual segments, or map on exactly to the attitude towards a brand. This probably indicates that there might be a relatively low level of awareness of the segment and the benefits of natural/herbal toothpastes. Hence, although a large percentage of the consumers might have expressed this as a key category driver, they did not use products that were necessarily natural. From an emotional point of view, a key driver for involvement with the category seemed to be the need for the toothpaste to keep consumers childrens teeth healthy. This has been addressed by several brands that use children in their advertisements.

Key involvement drivers by segment based on Exhibit 5The set of statements in Exhibit 5: Table 1 : key drivers by which category involvement was expressed by the respondents at a segment level. The mean values in the first four columns are directionally indicative of levels of involvement.

In the freshness category, apart from the category drivers that were highlighted earlier, certain cosmetic benefits were highlighted as important. These include the need for a toothpaste to taste good, and the importance for the toothpaste to give one a dazzling smile and whiter teeth. Some of these could have been derived from the awareness of this categorys typical brand communication, and others by product features such as cooling crystals that add to the pastes taste and flavor. The drivers for the herbal category were in line with the overall benefits and the brands unique proposition of using natural ingredients. The overall oral care segment, being the most generic in functional benefits, mapped almost exactly onto the total category involvement drivers such as protection from cavities, healthy teeth, and healthy gums. In the niche problem-solving segment, apart from the importance of fundamental drivers, significant importance was given to the prevention of sensitivity while eating different types of foods.

Question 3:Low category involvement and high brand attitude according to various segments and overall categoryIn certain segments, for some consumers, the brand attitude may be relatively strong on cognitive and affective beliefs despite low category involvement.

Exhibit 6: Table 5: The percentages of such consumers by segment. Exhibit 5 provides the mean values, which allows a better understanding of the connection between category drivers and attitude statements, and helps explain the inconsistency in those instances where brand attitude overwhelms category involvement.Question 3 contd.Freshness segment: 66 per cent of the low-involvement consumers had a high brand attitude. This can also be examined in the key involvement parameters and the top attitude drivers. Although theirs was a freshness brand, the important category drivers for these consumers did not match their highly rated brand benefits (freshness, confidence to come closer, etc.). However, both these key brand benefits were strongly associated in the cognitive and affective attitudes of these consumers towards the brand as indicated by the average values.

Herbal segment: Less than half the consumers who had low category involvement in this segment had high brand attitude. The top averages were for category drivers that were in line with the brand benefits, although the consumers gave more importance to natural ingredients rather than specifics such as herbal or Ayurvedic. The importance given to healthy teeth and gums was also relatively high in the association with brand (cognitive belief section); similarly, aspects such as feeling in control and protected by an expert had high scores in affective associations in line with brand communication. Hence, involvement was mostly consistent with attitude. this segment.

Other segments and involvement3.Overall oral care segment: Similar to the herbal segment, this segment had only 46 per cent of low involvement consumers expressing high attitude towards the brand. Category drivers such as cavity prevention and healthy teeth were in line with the cognitive beliefs for the brand. However, some other benefits that this brand did not primarily offer were also category drivers. Certain drivers that the brand consistently used in its communication (recommended by dentists, can reach where a toothbrush cannot reach, decay protection, etc.) were relatively low on cognitive beliefs. Overall, the affective beliefs for this segment were also low, indicating that although there was low category involvement, brand attitude did not trump it significantly.

4.Niche (problem-solving segment): 89 per cent of the low-involvement consumers in this segment expressed high brand attitude. The problem-solving nature of this segment indicates that even when consumer involvement is low, the brand comes out strong on the merit of its distinctive superiority and its impact on the consumers mind. Cavity prevention, healthy teeth, and protection from sensitivity rated high in this segment; therefore, involvement was clearly in line with the problems faced by the consumer. Although other beliefs existed for this brand, all the key cognitive and affective drivers that the brand strived to achieve in its consumers minds were well entrenched.

Question 4: Relationship between cognitive and affective brand beliefsExhibit 6: Table 4 Maps the comparison between the strength of the cognitive responses and that of the affective responses for respondents in all categories. The objective is to verify whether the brand has successfully established the link between its cognitive and affective benefits in the mind of the consumer.

46% of the total respondents had a consistently strong belief for both the cognitive as well as the affective aspects of the brand. This segment would also be likely to map onto the high-involvement segment, as these consumers knew the functional benefits of the brand, and those benefits had successfully been associated with the emotional benefits that the brand wished to communicate. Around 24 % had neither strong cognitive beliefs nor strong affective beliefs with respect to their brand; these consumers mapped onto the low- to moderate involvement segment.Q 4 continued..Among the rest, there was an inconsistency observed between the cognitive and the affective beliefs for about 30%. One possible reason for strong cognitive beliefs to go together with weak affective beliefs could be as follows. The toothpaste category is one of the oldest and most advertised categories in the Indian FMCG market, and over the years, the communication by the key brands has consistently been functional.Moreover, their single-minded focus on the key benefit proposition (protection against decay, fighting germs, etc.) has resulted in consumers developing a high recall of brands functional benefits without establishing a deep connect.If there is little connect, consumers will not perceive much differentiation among brands. Weak cognitive beliefs but strong affective belief can result from low involvement with category, where consumer is not seeking a very specific brand benefit as he does not comprehend these but is rather influenced by the feel of the ad and peripheral cues like use of humour, drama, etc.Q5: Implications at segment level and consumer beliefs related to positioning of the brandExhibit 6- Table 1 to 4: Segment based differences in consumer behaviour

Freshness segment- driving its functional and emotional benefits in its advertising. Involvement is low as the benefit is not unique because it is offered by all toothpastes as a generic benefit

Herbal- Focus is on features (natural ingredients) and not so much on benefits which are generic. Very little emotional connect with consumers

Oral care- Much advertised, but no focus on consumer education, depiction of children but it is the adults who suffer from dental problems due to improper oral care. Benefits communicated but none superior to the other

Niche problem solving segment- Most effective as it establishes a clear link between feature, benefit and the problem it solves. Perceived risk of wrong choice is high and impact noticeable so, trust high, emotional connect high Brand level analysis and strength of brand positioningThe leading brands for each segment (with at least 60 per cent share of consumers) are: Freshness segment was led by Closeup; The herbal segment was led by Dabur Red; The overall oral care segment was led by Colgate Dental Cream; and the problem-solving segment was led by Colgate ActiveSalt. To evaluate the strength of the brands positioning in the consumers mind, the cognitive and affective strengths of the consumers responses for these key brands were examined (Exhibit 6: Table 6).Over the years, Closeup has successfully established its cognitive benefit of freshness, and hence its positioning is clear in the consumers mind. It has also consistently used the imagery of romance and closeness targeted at young adults, and the current campaign line Paas Aao reinforces the same.Hence, the affective aspects are also strongly entrenched in the consumers mind.

Brand level analysis and strength of brand positioningDabur Red is not as well established in the consumers mind on either the cognitive or the affective aspects. This is partly because Dabur Red is not as significantly advertised as compared to the brands in the other segments. Additionally, Dabur Reds advertising campaigns have highlighted the product features; however, the benefits are generic to the category, and are similar to what the overall oral care segment has to offer. Moreover, there is very little emotional component in Dabur Reds advertising.Colgate Dental Cream is one of the most advertised brands in the oral care category, and it has the highest market share in the toothpaste category. This fact, coupled with its consistent communication over the decades about its decay prevention benefit, has led to the establishment of a sound cognitive belief among its consumers. Aspects like endorsement by dentists also come out strongly with Colgate Dental Cream. However, there is very low emotional connect with the brand, as it does not speak to the consumer uniquely; it is more functional in its approach, despite the use of children in its storyboard.Clearest positioningColgate ActiveSalt has the most effective positioning in the consumers mind. Its campaign with the salt in your toothpaste concept is distinct and unique, thereby resonating strongly in the consumers mind. It also depicts a problem that consumers can relate to toothache and hence this builds an affective connect that makes the consumer feel taken care of and reduces their worries about oral care problems.

Q6: RecommendationsThe three broad approaches that are derived from the data after examining the current communication ofthe brands in this category are:a. Driving a core benefitb. Driving inward-directed emotionc. Developing category involvementDriving Inward directed emotionInward emotion are associated with trust and security in using the brand for the well being of the consumer rather than what the product leads to. Given that the toothpaste category is a low-involvement category that is not intended for conspicuous consumption, this might be a more relevant route. This can be explained by examining the communication of brands like Closeup or Colgate MaxFresh, which use confidence as a route to acceptance as the emotional benefit, while brands like Colgate ActiveSalt or Colgate Sensitive focus on the secure feeling of freedom from pain and worry that using these brands promises the consumer.Although inward emotions can be either positive or negative, given that the perceived risk for the brand is currently low and that Himalaya is new to the market, a negative emotion that associates neglect with suffering might be detrimental to the brand. However, Himalaya can use the positive emotion associated with the benefits of the brand that can enhance the pleasure of enjoying various kinds of food (based on its current positioning). The imagery thus developed would also differentiate Himalaya from other brand associations.Driving category involvementHasnt happened in toothpaste, has happened in shampooHence, despite instances where brand attitude overwhelms category involvement, attitude without involvement is difficult to sustain, especially if switching costs are perceived to be relatively low. Sometimes, the consumers loyalty is only due to inertia, and eventually the consumer might lose the connect with the brand in the low-involvement category when they do not perceive significant differentiation or superiority.Although it might be more logical for a pioneer in the category to take charge of primary advertising to develop the category without losing its share to the competition, another way to perceive this is that since Himalaya is launching a new range of high-end oral care products under the HiOra brand, it should strongly consider developing HiOra as a leading brand in the currently niche problem-solving segment.This segment has a higher receptivity and attitude, and hence it would be easier to speak to this segment about the fundamentals of oral health before driving the brand. Unlike Sensodyne, for instance, which is distinctly clinical in its approach and treatment, and hence does not have a presence in the nonniche segment. Q7: Positioning, differentiation, creating positive attitudeTarget audience differentiation: Himalaya has successfully differentiated itself from a lot of other brands by targeting its communication towards all adults, rather than focusing on households with children. By speaking to adults, Himalaya is looking at a slice of the market that is not really targeted by the other brands.Emotional benefit based on existing cultural orientation of the brand: The concept of using the imagery of adults is very unique, and is even more powerful when it is linked to the concept of food consumption. The love of food is a very strong Indian concept. Himalaya has taken a very strong first step in distinguishing its positioning, by occupying the space of love of food. Although Pepsodent had used this to some extent, the fact remains that it had been used largely in the context of children, whereas in reality, adults love food just as much as children do, and have even more opportunities to succumb to their cravings.Moreover, food is one of the biggest points of receptivity (inward ) in a consumers mind when they think of their oral health (apart from when they have a problem). They want to make sure that they can enjoy all types of food without restrictions or fear of spoiling their oral health.Perception/Positioning map Exhibit 4 shows that brands are clustered around several key points. There is heavy clustering in the economy tier, where brands strike a close balance between driving functional benefits (like herbal ingredients), while using emotional cues such as a paste for the family in their communication. The freshness segment is the strongest on emotional benefits; the other segments have not significantly tapped into this type of communication, although brands like Pepsodent and Himalaya have used cues such as the imagery of children and the freedom to eat all kinds of food to drive a greater emotional connect. Moreover, there are several brands that lean towards functional communication, most of which are clustered around the premium tier. However, there is a huge gap in the emotional communication-themed brands in the premium tier, and this seems to be a space where Himalaya can strengthen itself.Q7Taking into consideration Exhibit 4 and the need for differentiation, the following dimensions are recommended: premium value of the imagery, and imagery relevant to the target audience (which could range from adults to families with children).Exhibit 2 and Exhibit 3 in the case study indicate that the Closeup and Himalaya brands have a dominant lifestyle orientation for their respective themes, despite being associated with some functional benefits (Colgate ActiveSalt also has a lifestyle orientation to a certain extent). The inward emotion can be used in conjunction with the lifestyle imagery to enhance the premium imagery associated with the Himalaya brand. Mass imagery relies on the direct portrayal of the functional benefits. Colgate ActiveSalt conveys its functional benefit using some amount of premium imagery (as shown in Exhibit 2 of the case study).Q7Exhibit TN-1, Suggested Positioning for Himalaya Dental Cream, summarizes these observations.Himalaya needs to convey its functional benefit (preventing dental problems) through rich imagery involving adults. This kind of lifestyle imagery needs to have love of food as its theme.

Himalaya also needs to ensure that the lifestyle imagery portrayed stays within the permitted limits. This can be observed from Exhibit 2 in the case study, where the intention to kiss is strongly conveyed by the romantic theme, but the act itself is not overtly shown (roses are used strategically to hide the couples from view). Such cultural sensitivity in the Indian context, which has become more permissive than earlier, still needs to be taken into consideration.

Supplementing the brand with the HiOra line As was highlighted earlier, there is still an opportunity to drive the category, educate the consumer, and strengthen the brand on the points of high receptivity, through HiOra, Himalayas premium range