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Suman Layak & Anamika Rath
Calcutta/Mumbai, July 7: In order to create differentiation for its brands, the Rs 400-crore Polar Latex Ltd is launching a new brand of ice-cream flavoured condoms in the domestic market. Tonite, a brand popularised by Polar in the foreign market, will now be launched in India in seven different flavours. ``Vanilla, strawberry, butterscotch, chocolate, banana, orange and pineapple-for seven days of the week,'' says Arijit C Majumdar, Polar's head of marketing, for India. The flavours are surprises which can be discovered only on opening the individual sachets, and are not mentioned on the pack.
While Tonite focuses on the premium segment, Polar has launched two other new brands recently, Adam Super (middle) and Mard (lower), to grab a bigger share of the 1,700 million-pieces condom market in India. Also in the pipeline is the launch of a super-premium condom. The brands have already been launched in West Bengal and will be introduced in Mumbai in September this year.
Polar already has internationalbrands like Senorita, Play Girl, Adam, and Love Me, for the export market. Globally, the company is present in 26 countries. It has recently introduced alcohol-flavoured-rum, whiskey and brandy-condoms in the Russia market. While Adam Super is priced at Rs 7 for a pack of three, and Mard at Rs 5, Tonite is priced at a premium Rs 9. Polar Latex aims to sell 12 million pieces of Adam Super, 52 million pieces of Mard, and 10-12 million pieces of the ice cream-flavoured Tonite, in the first year. ``We are also hoping to sell another six million pieces of the super premium brand that we will launch soon,'' Majumdar adds.
From vans to vendors
Besides launching new brands, Polar Latex is also planning a major marketing initiative with twin objectives. One, to create a strong presence in the domestic market. Two, to contribute meaningfully towards the politically-correct (and strategically-prudent) cause of AIDS. Thus while Polar is targeting the urban market with lifestyle, happiness, comfort and pleasurethemes, in the rural market, the stress is on safety and security.Says chief executive and director, Kalyan K Chattopadhyay: ``The condom was seen with a stigma before. We are trying to present it as a pharmaceutical product.'' To drive home the point, Polar Latex changed its slogan four months ago from `Protection with pleasure' to `Turning a global concern into a business commitment.'
For promoting the new brands, Polar Latex is looking at two distinct strategies: for the rural market, the focus is on creating pull through consumer awareness, while in urban centres it will push sales through incentives for wholesalers and dealers.
To target the rural market, Polar Latex is hiring `Kripa' vans which will travel from village to village promulgating sex education and awareness. An initial marketing spend of Rs 1 crore has been budgeted for, for each state. In West Bengal alone, 17,000 villages are to be covered. Five vans have been hired, which will cover five villages each per day. While the ruralmarketing initiative has been rolled out in West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, the company will target Bihar and Maharashtra in the next two months.
For the urban market, the company is looking at 650 super distributors and C&F agents up from the existing 100 dealers. Polar Latex is also looking at indirect promotions through merchandising, price-offs and exchange offers, and network structuring. The marketing spend is estimated at Rs 2 crore per metro.
``We are avoiding television ads now. I believe the subject is still taboo in Indian homes and people do not feel comfortable with these ads-although my competitors are doing it,'' admits Majumdar. ``Advertising is an expensive affair so we are not looking at it,'' adds Chattopadhyay. The focus instead is on packaging and distribution and point-of-purchase advertising. The company is preparing danglers, posters, show boards and window displays for advertising.
At the retail level, the company is trying hard to expand reach through paan shops, pharmacistsand non-governmental organisations. Says Chattopadhyay: ``All this time the paan shops displayed porno stuff and made lots of money by selling any and every condom brand. But they always faced the risk of inadequate supply. Now, we want to offer the incentive of adequate supply and timely payment to them.'' In Calcutta, the company has already identified 720 such shops and 35 pharmacists, who will stock Polar Latex brands.
In addition, the company is open to sponsorships, events, workshops and direct marketing. For example, Polar plans to actively participate in condom melas organised by NGOs in states like Bihar. In fact, for the low-priced Mard brand, Polar is depending on the NGO channel to boost sales to truckers and sex workers.
AIDing the cause
Apart from just manufacturing and marketing condoms, the company is also establishing AIDS forums across the country. It is setting up two research centres-one in Mumbai and Calcutta each-for which other corporates are also being towed in. The Centrewould contact schools and colleges and impart education on safe sex and ways to limit the spread of AIDS.
The Centre would also deploy a team which would use the medium of humor/ laughter clubs/forums to bring AIDS-related issues in focus. Once a month, mega-events will be organised which will bring in celebrities and important personalities to talk on the subject, along with an entertainment programme. The company is considering Wizcraft or Backstage as event managers for these events.
Exports is another major thrust area. Polar Latex already exports about a dozen different brands to North America, South Africa, Russia, Sweden, Myanmar, etc. Next, Chattopadhyay is on his way to South Africa to strike ``another relationship building exercise''. Three months ago, Polar Latex went in for a marketing and manufacturing tie-up with a company in Vietnam. Says Chattopadhyay: ``We want to have different strokes for different countries.
"Prior to the launch of its domestic brands, Polar Latex was manufacturingcondoms which were sold under Government of India brands like Nirodh, Masti, Mithun, Tarang, Sawan and Bliss. Polar Latex manufactures 575 million pieces every year, of which around 240 million pieces are currently supplied to the Government of India-by adding two more lines to its existing five production lines, Polar Latex intends to expand capacity by another 120 million pieces. The domestic market is expected to grow to 2,500 million pieces per annum by 2003. ``We want to reposition ourselves from being a major government supplier to a focussed marketing organisation,'' says Majumdar. A taste of change, of course, are the new ice-cream flavours.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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This story was printed from Net Express located at http://www.expressindia.com. Net Express provides a portal to India, with news from The Indian Express and The Financial Express along with sites on travel and tourism, the entertainment industry, the power sector, the environment and much more.
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