Reinventing Bisleri

<< Previous

From "Pure and Safe" To "Play Safe" Contd...

In September 2000, Bisleri launched its Play Safe ad campaign. In the print ad, a lady in a bikini is shown lying face down, soaking up the sun. A part of the lady's body is shielded by a bottle of Bisleri with the message: Play Safe on the bottle. The television version of the ad ran for 45 seconds. The film opens with a couple sitting on a beach in front of a bonfire. The girl suddenly starts running and is followed by the boy.

As she collapses on the sand, she whispers something in his ear which sends him back to the bonfire. He rummages through the bags, but can't find what he is looking for. He rushes to the nearest chemist's and picks up a huge carton. Back at the beach, he opens the carton, and finds 500 ml Bisleri bottles inside. The girl quenches her thirst, almost in ecstasy, as the boy watches her with a comical expression on his face. Then comes the message: Play Safe. The campaign targeted the youth and hoped to convey a social message: young people need to make sure they are safe even when they are having fun. The ad campaign saw a shift in positioning from "pure and safe" to "play safe." According to Ambience D'Arcy, the shift had been necessitated by the fact that every new entrant in the mineral water market adopted the purity. Said Chauhan, "Our observation is that people consume mineral water not for the minerals, but for safety. Hence the word "safe" is critical."

Will Bisleri Ever be a Rs. 10 Billion Brand?

Parle Bisleri's aggressive marketing was aimed at making Bisleri a Rs 10 billion brand by 2003. However, new entrants into the branded water market like Pepsi and Coca-Cola were equally aggressive in marketing their brands. In August 2001, Kinley launched an ad campaign with the tag line Boond boond mein vishwas (Trust in every drop). The ad focussed on trust in relationships. The 40 second commercial opens in a rural setting, showing cracked earth and a young boy waiting for rain. A Kinley truck arrives and sprinkles water all over.

The boy's face breaks into a smile. The ad also shows a father running behind his son's school truck to hand over a Kinley bottle. Commenting on the ad, Pandrang Row, executive creative director, McCann-Erickson, Kinley's ad agency said, "We were trying to show images where people had to trust the water they were drinking, or giving their children. Kinley is the water you use when you need to be able to trust what you're drinking or giving someone to drink."

In late 2001, Coca-Cola announced that it would enter the bulk segment where Bisleri was a dominant player. The 20 litre bulk water packs would be targeted at institutional and home segment. Kinley's brand positioning of trust and purity would be maintained. With the entry into the bulk segment, Coca-Cola aimed to garner a market share of 40% by 2002. Sanjiv Gupta, Senior Vice-President, Coca Cola India said, "We are aiming to be either number one or a close number two within a year."

Analysts felt that with the cola giants shifting their focus to branded water in India, Bisleri would be the worst sufferer. Chauhan was already planning to sell a 49% stake in Bisleri. However, according to some analysts; he would wait till 2003 when Bisleri was likely to touch a turnover of Rs 10 billion, before selling out the 49% stake. Others felt that given the pace at which Kinley and Aquafina were eroding Bisleri's marketshare, 2003 could be too late. What remained to be seen was whether Bisleri's new positioning would help it to increase its turnover to Rs 10 billion by 2003.

---