Luxor Writing Instruments Private Limited - Marketing Pens in India

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Distributing Pens Contd...

These pens were put on display in special racks so that people could notice the complete range of pens. As the demand of Parker pens grew, they were made available in other urban areas of the country. In order to increase the reach of Parker pens, the low priced versions were made available in small stationary shops. LWIPL later opened exclusive outlets of Parker Pens in all major cities in India. When LWIPL launched Papermate pens in India, it changed its distribution strategy vis-a-vis that of Parker pens. The pens were targeted at a wider cross - section of people, which included students, executives and elderly.

Apart from relying on its existing sales force, the company tied up with Indian Shaving Products Ltd (ISPL)17 to distribute pens in the targeted one lakh retail outlets in the first year of its launch. While the sales people concentrated on traditional retail outlets such as stationary and bookstores, the tie up with ISPL ensured that the pens were available in FMCG outlets such as shops and supermarkets. This multi-pronged distribution strategy enhanced the reach of Papermate pens. Promotion and Positioning LWIPL promoted its products primarily through advertising in the print and television media. The company hired several advertising agencies in the past two decades. The first advertising agency hired by LWIPL in the 1980s was 'Creative Works18', to promote its Pilot pens. In the early 1990s, the company shifted to another agency, RK Swamy/BBDO. In 1996, the advertising account of Parker was awarded to McCann-Erickson19, while the Luxor and Pilot brands remained with RK Swamy/BBDO.

However, in 1999, when Papermate was launched, the account of all the brands in the LWIPL portfolio was shifted to McCann-Erickson. In December 2000, the advertising account was split again. Contact Advertising²⁰ was given the charge of Luxor, Pilot and Papermate brands, while Lowe²¹ was awarded the Parker brand.

However, in July 2002, the advertising account of Luxor, Pilot and Papermate brands was also shifted to Lowe. As a result, Lowe was made responsible for advertising of all brands in LWIPL portfolio. The theme of advertising differed according to the product brands. For instance, the advertising campaigns for Pilot brand stressed on the unique features of these pens.

During the 1980s, the advertising campaigns highlighted Pilot's dual features of a ball point and fountain pen. In the 1990s, the campaigns stressed on the technology used in making Pilot pens. The campaign created by Contact advertising in 2002, featured the famous television actor Shekhar Suman²², who highlighted Pilot's 'three dimple technology²³,' which helped in smooth writing. In July 2002, LWIPL felt that the students' memory had to be refreshed with respect to the Pilot brand.

An advertising campaign, 'Pilot - Reads well, Writes well' was launched. The campaign was very successful and within six months, the sales of Pilot pens increased by 30%. Explaining the advantages of Pilot pens, Pooja Jain, General Manager, LWIPL said²⁴, "Today, the gel fad is dying and the consumer is coming back to a more dependable and reliable proposition for value for money, which Pilot offers.

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17] It was a flagship company of Gillette and was later renamed as Gillette India Ltd.
18] Creative Works is the first full-service, retail based advertising and marketing agency serving small-to-mid-sized businesses, non-profit organizations and corporate departments.
19] McCann-Erickson is a US based advertising agency, which offers a wide range of communication services in strategic planning, brand development and direct marketing.
20] Contact Advertising is a US based marketing communications firm with operations spread all over the world.
21] A reputed global advertising agency formerly known as Lowe Lintas & Partners, India.
22] Shekhar Suman is a famous television personality in India.
23] A unique technology, which ensures constant flow of ink in the pen, enabling smooth and clear writing.
24] In an article titled "Luxor launches new TV ad campaign for Pilot," dated July 31, 2002 posted on www.indiainfo.com.

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