Abstract

The caselet discusses the transformation of Horlicks from a health drink meant for the elderly and the infirm to a nourishment drink for young children. It also describes the various strategies adopted by GlaxoSmithKline Beecham (GSK) such as introducing sub-brands and variations in the product range, improving the packaging, and advertising campaigns, etc., to change the image of the Horlicks brand. How the company diversified its target market in a bid to attract new consumers also forms a part of the caselet.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Why GSK wanted to change Horlicks’ current positioning
• The various positioning strategies undertaken by GSK. How important is positioning for the continual survival of an FMCG company?
• The role of 4 Ps in a positioning strategy.

Keywords

GlaxoSmithKline Beecham (GSK), Horlicks, positioning, repositioning, sub-brands, relaunch, packaging, communication campaign, brand's personality