'All Out' - Marketing a Mosquito Repellant

            

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Themes: Marketing Mix
Period : 1989-2003
Organization : Karamchand Appliances Private Limited
Pub Date : 2003
Countries : India
Industry : Home Appliances

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Case Code : MKTG060
Case Length : 9 Pages
Price: Rs. 300;

'All Out' - Marketing a Mosquito Repellant | Case Study

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What Lies Ahead Contd...

There were also doubts about the efficacy of mosquito repellants. In 1998, studies conducted by the Malaria Research Center (MRC)7 found that none of the leading brands provided 100% protection against mosquitoes. Also, in the 653 households surveyed in eight cities, 193 people complained of various health problems linked to mosquito repellants.

They suffered from breathing problems, headaches, eye irritation, skin rashes, suffocation, itching, bronchitis, cold and cough, asthma, nausea, throat and ear pain. Of the 286 doctors questioned, 50% reported cases of acute toxicity following the use of these repellants.

Though these problems concerned the industry as a whole, specific complaints against All Out had also begun to surface. All Out's advertisement in 2001, claiming that the brand had 'Extra MMR' had been severely criticized.

The Director of the Central Insecticide Laboratory (CIL)8, Dr V Ragunathan said, "The advertisement was designed to sound as though MMR was a wonder substance that would eliminate the mosquito menace. In reality, the term is just an abbreviation for 'mosquito mortality rate'. If you look at the product and packaging, there is no mention of what exactly it contains. It contains a variant of a toxic compound called d-Allethrin, and 'Extra MMR' would only mean more toxic components."

All Out also faced criticism for some other aspects of its advertising strategy. Reports indicated that television viewers were unhappy about the brand's advertisements before every song, dance and fight sequence in all the films being telecast. Experts said that now that the brand was firmly established, repetitive advertising was not advisable, and could even prove counterproductive.

KAPL's biggest competitors were large multi-product companies, with the financial muscle to introduce and sustain long and costly advertising and promotional campaigns. In spite of its success, KAPL remained essentially a single product company. With the product and the brand facing various problems, it was difficult to predict how long All Out would remain the leader in the vaporizer segment of mosquito repellants.

Exhibits

Exhibit I: The Mosquito Menace

7] MRC, based in New Delhi is involved in malaria research.
8] CIL was established by the Government of India under Section 16 of the Implementation of Insecticides Act, 1968. It functions as a referral laboratory for quality control of pesticides, besides carrying out pesticide residue analysis and investigations in medical toxicology.