Avocado Soap and Tea Tree Ylang-Ylang Essential Oils

Toilet soap made ​​from basic ingredients avocado, coconut, ylang-ylang and tea leaves. Materials derived from nature is natural and sought more and more popular, because it is not believed to contain chemicals that can damage the skin and reduce the beauty of the skin.

Beautiful skin does not necessarily white, what matters is that diligent and optimal treatment, in accordance with the conditions and circumstances of the skin. understand and identify your skin type, dry, normal, oily or combination, so it will be easier for you to perform maintenance.

50 Easy April Fool's Day Pranks

April Fool’s Day is one of the best days of the year. On no other day are you “legally” allowed to play jokes and pranks on your friends, family and co-workers and have a built-in excuse. Some people will go to great lengths to pull off elaborate gags on those around them but sometimes it’s just as fun to play smaller, simpler pranks on as many people as possible throughout the day. That’s where

Bacon Flavored Air

At last, I no longer have to breath in this stupid "plain" flavored air.

Science has finally brought us a bacon inhalant called the BaconAir. The manufacturer says it's filled with “Himalayan oxygen” and that the “bacon enters (the) bloodstream in seconds.” Don't worry, it's kosher. And, yes, it's real.
Via Source

The Chinese Shirt Roll

So I guess rolling up your shirt is a fad among Chinese men. Sure hope it catches on here. I'm going to look so awesome.

Redditor InternetKing spent a summer in China documenting a hot new fashion trend that is all the rage: the Chinese Shirt Roll. Can't wait to bust my own roll out this summer.
More pictures can be found here, and here.

Source Via

TVS Wego : Body Balance !

Brand  : Wego
Company : TVS Motors

Brand Analysis Count : # 477

TVS is on a roll these days. The company's fortune multiplied ever since it broke up with its partner Suzuki in 2001. The company made a strong comeback in the two wheeler market with TVS Victor and later created a place in the market through TVS Apache motorcycle.

In 2011, the company has entered into gear-less scooter segment with the high profile , high decibel launch of TVS Wego. Wego is a unisex scooter  with a engine capacity of 110 CC and priced around Rs 42,000. The brand directly competes with the market leader Honda Activa. TVS has already built a strong equity in the 60cc scooterette market with its market leading brand TVS Scooty.

TVS Wego is in the market at the right time. The scooter market in India is growing at a scorching pace and dominated by one big brand- Activa. A large growing market  dominated by a single player is always an attractive option . There is always a space for a second brand provided it can offer a differentiated value proposition to the customer. 

In the Indian scooter market, the competitor is Honda and it is not an easy task to offer a value proposition that beats Honda. Many players have accepted defeat in this market including the erstwhile market leader - Bajaj Auto. Hero Honda is another strong contender with its brand Pleasure which is mainly targeting the lady commuter.

TVS has created a worthy challenger to Activa by launching Wego. Going by the reviews, there is a general consensus that Wego will be accepted by the consumers. More importantly , the brand was able to find a worthwhile differentiation to fight the market leader. Wego was launched at the right time when Honda is struggling to meet the demand for Activa. The long waiting period of Activa will force many customers to look for alternatives and this offers tremendous opportunity for Wego.

Wego is well styled and adequately powered scooter and is priced along the market going rate. The brand has found a unique differentiator  and has called it Body Balance . During the Bajaj Chetak era, balance was a critical issue since the engine of Bajaj Chetak was placed on one side and caused considerable imbalance. Vespa which was the competitor of Chetak was considered to be more balanced since the spare tire was kept on the other side to balance the engine weight. 

Although modern scooters like Activa and Pleasure doesn't seem to have such an issue, the body balance focus of Wego seems to be a relevant differentiator because balance have association with stability and safety.

The website of Wego explains the body balance in a detailed manner. Unlike the other scooters, Wego has a front inclined design which gives better stability while riding. The brand chose this feature as its USP and is going all out to promote body balance as its USP.

So the opportunity is right, the product has right features and has found a reasonable differentiation and the next critical stage is to communicate the value proposition to the consumers.Wego has really disappointed in the brand communication stage.The television campaign of Wego is one of the worst ads that I have seen in recent times ( strictly personal opinion ). 

One and only best thing about the ad is that it creates a strong association between the brand and the Body Balance feature. So in that perspective, the ad does its job. But on all other counts, be it creativity, execution , the ad is totally lost. The ad can be viewed once but not worth watching second time. 

Watch the ad here : TVS Wego Body Balance

I still don't understand why that old lady is carrying a monkey doll ???

My personal opinion is that  such features are best explained using a rational theme. Here in this case, the brand has tried to use humor  and hyperbole to convey the concept of body balance and the viewer is clueless about how this body balance works in practice.The counter argument would be that a normal user will checkout the website or showroom and find about the explanation about body balance and the campaign is just to bombard the consumer with this term . So to be fair to the brand, the ad works at some level but at the cost of refinement and creative execution. 

Unlike Hero Honda Pleasure, Wego has positioned itself as a unisex scooter for modern day couples. The entire communication is targeting couples . 

Wego can offer quite a challenge to Activa. Activa is currently struggling to meet the demand and the long waiting period can cause many customers to look at Wego. Activa recently launched a print campaign assuring customers of speedy delivery once they ramp up their operations. 

The success of Wego largely will depend on the performance of the product on road. The real customer reviews and word of mouth will be the acid test for this brand. 

RECHARGE OURSELVES

German Flag

I knew it Germany! Nice try. Also, when did IKEA start spelling their name IKIA? Oh China, you so crazy!
Via

Watermelon!

Black Eyeliner

To make the garnish on the eyelids, precisely at the base of the lashes you can use eyeliner. The color is black, green or blue, adjust with makeup. There are such forms of eyeliner brush with a tip-like hair, some are shaped like a marker, which is more easy to you, because simply make a line only, no need to fear the spilling. Except if you are already accustomed to wearing them. Good luck.

Celebrate Spring - 5 things to do with £10

Inspired by the wonderful Learn Vest Daily which is an American blog I like very much I have decided to put together my version of their latest post.

Imagine you are putting away all your heavy, dark winter coats and getting out lighter weight spring jackets and jumpers, you check the pockets and, hey presto, you find a crumpled up £10 note.  So you now have £10 to spend, why not try a couple of these ideas.  Well after such a brutal and cold winter that seems to have really dragged on and on I have decided after a week of balmy sunshine, it is now officially SPRING.  Get a head start and try some of these slightly frivolous ideas - have fun!

1. Catch a breeze

Get yourself some pretty, sheer curtains to freshen up your room, great deal from this supplier, a real bogoff!

Amazon, buy one get one free

2. Paint a spring canvas

Pick up a medium size blank white canvas (ready made), you can get these for around £2.99 in most factory shops, pound shops etc.  Buy yourself 3 little tester pots of emulsion paint from any DIY store in bright, zingy spring colours and get to work.

Using a ruler, draw some faint stripes on the canvas using a pencil
Dont worry too much about how far apart each stripe is, just make
sure that it is straight and that each stripe is an equal distance from the last one.  Using a paint brush, carefully paint each stripe in.  Remember, sometimes the bolder and wider the stripes are the better the finished result.  Take the stripes over the edge and paint the sides of the canvas too.  Allow to dry (you may need to do 2 coats), and hang.

 3. Spice up your kitchen

How long have you had that thyme in your cabinet?

If the answer is, "Since forever," it might be time to restock, since spices can lose their potency after a few years. Luckily enough, you can replace most of your favorites in one ten pound swoop.

4. Try something new

How about learning something new?  There are a huge number of websites out there with fantastic ideas and inspiration, go on give it a go.

My favorite blog spot is Tipnut they are totally wonderful.  You can sign up to their daily updates and they always come up with some fantastic things, cooking ideas, gardening tips, thrifty way of making your money last and some fantastic craft projects all gathered from far and wide.  Wow I would love that job, spending my days researching creative blogs to feature.  The one I want to share with you is from How Stuff Works.  Its a really simple but lovely baby blanket that is a real doddle to knit, even if you have never knitted anything in your life before.

How lovely is this? You can make this really easy blanket in no time

Did you know, knitting has had a real resurgence and is now seen as a very cool thing to be able to do.  How times change. When I was young and silly back in the 70s, it was decidedly uncool to knit. The only acceptable excuse for knitting during that decade was that you were "old" (meaning over forty). If you were a girl who knitted, you were automatically deemed a social misfit. You had no friends who were not absolute nurds, and it was set in stone that no one worth knowing would ever go out with you. You were condemned to woebegone spinsterhood complete with several cats. No one who was anyone dared to flaunt her knitting prowess back then. I exaggerate only slightly.  But now......  a totally different story.  The new  knitting craze seemed to coincide with the dawn of the millennium and suddenly young and trendy women were taking up their needles, starting knitting cafes and 'Bitch & Stitch' groups.  Whether its trendy or not, I don't care, it is very therapeutic and really fun, go on give it a go.

AND FINALLY

5. Chillax!

 I bet you thought this was going to be about soap?  Well, this is a soap free blog post for a change. Go on, relax, put up your feet and use your newly discovered wealth to buy yourself the nicest bottle of wine that you can find.................

Or in our case a couple of pints of the best beer in the world, from the best pub in the world -

 

The Bridge Inn, Topsham, Devon 

The beer from The Bridge Inn, Topsham is used to make the famous and now classic Naturally Made Soaps soap bar Bridge Inn Beer Bar

Thanks to everyone there for the help and support Naturally Made Soaps has received over the years - Oh and a few pints too!

There you see, I couldn't help but make one little soap reference in this post, you knew I would didn't you?

How about sharing with us what you would do if you found that elusive £10 that you didn't know you had?

101 Pringle Flavors from Around the World (Mostly USA and Japan)

Pringles are a potato chip-like snack food. They are enjoyed in over 100 countries, with over a billion (US Dollars) is sales anually. I personally love the cheese flavored "Cheez Ums," but there are hundreds of flavors. Here are 101 different flavors from around the world, some ordinary, some strange.

1 Bacon & Cheese Potato

2 Bacon Ceaser Salad - Sounds pretty good.3 Bacon Ranch
4 Bangkok

Now That's Nifty is on Facebook

Now That's Nifty is now on Facebook. Make sure to "like" NTN, and tell your friends.

35 Strange Doritos Flavors From Around The World (But Mostly Asia)

10 Lesbians Who Look Like Conan O'Brien

35 Strange Doritos Flavors From Around The World (But Mostly Asia)
Roe & Mayonnaise? Yogurt & Mint? I just threw up in my mouth a little.

10 Babies Dressed As Mr. T
The first one is by far the coolest.

Rebecca Black Performs On Leno
Don't watch it, it can't be unseen.

The Secret Messages in 12 Logos

Skin food Salmon Eye Set

1 Set skin food for the eye makeup with the basic ingredients of salmon. Fish oil and protein contained in salmon will make your eye makeup on to be complete to help tighten the soft folds under the eyes, eye bags disguise related to age, fatigue or lack of sleep.

The shape is soft so that it can be smeared on the lower eyelid. If you are patient, then you will get satisfactory results. Skin of the face or around the eyes in particular should also get the extra care, so as not to disturb your beauty appearance. Good luck.

Brand Update : Sprite Started Preaching Gyaan !

This summer Sprite has launched a series of campaign under the banner of University of Freshology. This heavily invested high decibel campaign is interesting because it has subtly changed the basic DNA of Sprite ( Indian context). 

Sprite belongs to the sparkling beverages segment which is having a market size of 700 million unit cases and the brand has a market share of 14% . ( Source afaqs). The brand had crafted a special place for itself by differentiating itself as a plain thirst quenching drink.

Sprite gained much traction in the market by promoting simplicity. While the other soft-drinks brand including Coke spend lot of time building hype and building castles on air, Sprite did a contra - thinking and projected itself as a drink that quenches thirst . That plain non-reverence take on the other brands made Sprite a huge hit in the market . 

Sprite was launched with a famous tagline "Bhujaye only pyas , baaki all bakwaas" ( Sprite quenches thirst while rest talk nonsense) .Over these years, the brand experimented with different taglines which were not quite successful as the first one. The brand never the less maintained its posture of a no-nonsense softdrink which was its DNA.

The recent taglines were " All taste, No Gyaan " and "Seedhi baat, no bakwaas, clear hai "

The current campaign of Sprite talks about a hypothetical " University of Freshology " . The University presided by the brand and a fictitious professor will teach youngsters to tackle difficult situations like :-

 How to ogle at girls when you are sitting with your girlfriend ?

How to handle difficult questions especially from papa or mom ? 

etc etc.

Watch the campaign here : Sprite roommate

                                          Sprite Girl friend

                                            Sprite ogling 

Even though the campaign looks quite interesting, there is nothing fresh as far as the big idea is concerned . The idea of a University is pretty stale and has been in the market before in the form of Axe Academy and Horlick's Nutrition Academy  etc. The positioning strategy of a brand posing as an expert is old fashioned strategy.

Here there are two significant changes that has happened interms of brand's positioning. The brand has moved from its core positioning as a Thirst Quencher to Freshness Provider. Thirst and Freshness, although related, are two different platforms. Thirst is a basic need while Freshness is a broader concept  ( benefit). So by shifting focus from thirst to freshness, the brand has made a  significant change in its positioning.But the current positioning has a problem. Another brand from Coca Cola stable - Limca has the positioning based on Freshness. The imagery of water splashing is shown in the commercials of Limca also.Limca has the tagline " Fresh Ho Jao " meaning " Be Fresh " . So is Sprite taking the place of Limca  ? Can two brands from the same company in the same market have same positioning ? Which is more fresh  - Limca or Sprite ? Is Limca on its way out ??? Has the company looked at the similarity in positioning of the brands in their portfolio ? 

Another significant shift is with regard to the brand personality of Sprite. All through the life, Sprite has been a ruthless critic of preaching. It had made sarcastic parodies and spoofs of brands which tried to show off or preach to customers. At one point of time, Sprite even had the tagline  "All Taste No Gyaan " means All taste No Preaching. It is saddening to see such a brand starting a university to teach some Gyaan to the consumers. This is a huge backtracking from the much publicized, much liked DNA of Sprite as a plain Thirst Quencher. The new ads of Sprite even shows the professor having a board which shows Freshology Lessons  ( Gyaan) ! What a paradox.

It is confusing why Sprite thought of such a big shift interms of the brand DNA ? The concept of a honest thirst quencher is a platform which is very strong and relevant. The scope of creative execution was also plenty. Since the brand has strongly associated with that platform, it also acted as a clear differentiator for the brand. If a consumer is asked  about Sprite, he would definitely say that its a clear drink that quenches the thirst , which is a powerful place to occupy in the consumer's mind. I feel that the brand has taken a huge risk in diluting the core positioning and altering the brand personality. The damage will be hard to repair.

Another factor which I have noticed is the audience or the TG which the brand is talking to. Sprite, in its commercials has always been male dominated. In all the campaigns except the Sania Mirza ad, main characters were male but the brand was never perceived to be a drink for men because the ladies were not shown in poor light. But in the latest two campaigns of Sprite, the brand has taken potshots on girls directly which is also a risky move for a gender- neutral product like a softdrink. There was no need to show girlfriends as jealous or boring unless the brand decides to target only male consumers. All though these issues may seem petty, its better to be careful.

The brand also has changed its tagline to " First Drink, Then Think " which may not have much relevance to the brand outside the context of the current campaign. The tagline is neither catchy nor worth remembering unlike the earlier taglines.

All those which has been discussed in this post are changes which have long-term effects. The shift in the core DNA of the brand will dilute the brand's equity which was built over the last 12 years. There is a clear sign of confusion in the brand's vision about its Manthra and Positioning. I think the brand should  First Drink and Then Think ... Clear Hai ?

Related Brand

Sprite

Karate Kyle

There is only one man who would have a fighting chance against Chuck Norris, and that is Karate Kyle.Via

ساعة الأرض ٢٠١١

Coming to you soon. . . .

Enough Is Enough!!

Wolrd's Greatest Picture

Rat tail. Spandex pants. Muscle shirt. Ballet slippers. What more needs to be said.
Via

Babies are Better in Celophane

Hey, if it is good enough for gift baskets, it is good enough for babies. Air is overrated.
Via

Honda Jazz : Why So Serious !

Brand : Honda Jazz
Company : Honda

Brand Analysis Count : # 476

Honda Jazz is an interesting marketing story. The brand, which is from world's renowned automobile company, is struggling to find its space in India's automobile market. Indian passenger vehicle market is seventh largest in the world and despite the recession, the market grew at a rate of  25.6 % in 2010. According to an estimate from ICRA, the passenger vehicle market in India is expected to touch 2.5 million units in 2011. 

The small car segment is the largest segment in the Indian passenger vehicle market with a contribution of 79% of volume sold. The small car segment is classified as A1 and A2 segments with A2 segment denoting the premium hatchback cars. The market is dominated by Maruthi , Hyundai and Tata Motors with Ford and Chevrolet gaining marketshare at a rapid place.

Honda Jazz was a much awaited small car from Honda. The brand was launched in India in 2009 quickly disappointed the consumers with its arrogant pricing. Before going into the marketing practices, a quick look at the history of the brand. Jazz had its origins way back in 2001. Jazz is the Indian version of Honda Fit which  has achieved commendable success in other markets. Everyone expected Jazz to create a new segment of premium hatchback but alas.

When Honda  announced the intention to launch a hatchback, analysts were Gung-ho  about the prospects. Main  factor behind the excitement was the huge success of Honda City which created unmatched brand equity for Honda cars. 

Honda Jazz was undoubtedly the best looking hatch on the road ( personal opinion). The car is sexy and sporty and the Honda tag ads tremendous equity on Jazz. But despite all these, the sales was lukewarm. The main reason being the arrogant pricing.

Jazz was launched at a price point of Rs 6.98- 7.33 lakhs making it one of the most expensive mini hatchbacks at that point of time. The brand was priced around 2-3 lakhs premium from the nearest comparable hatchback . 

Another significant dampener to the success of Jazz was that its price was almost near the price of the best selling Honda City. While City was 1-2 lakh more than Jazz, potential buyers could easily stretched their budget to own the best sedan in the Indian market. Jazz being a petrol car also lacked the economy factor which is a significant criterion for Indian consumers. 

Honda seemed very laid-back about this issue. The company was in an arrogant mode and displaced this issue with an attitude " if one wants to buy Jazz, let him pay this price ". And consumer opted not to pay that price. 

The company never admitted that Jazz sales were low or below expectations and maintained that they were happy at the sales figures. In my personal opinion, Jazz had the potential to be the next Swift and lost an opportunity to become one. Its ambition of creating a super-premium hatchback also was not realized because of close pricing with Honda City.

Jazz was launched with a positioning of a sporty hatch . The brand had the tagline " Why So Serious " . The brand invested very little in terms of promotions .

Watch the launch campaign  : Honda Jazz

There was nothing great in the launch campaign and the company did not do much to strengthen the positioning of Jazz as a sporty car.

Recently there was lot of activity around the brand. Honda launched a spruced up version  Jazz X with a new campaign " Bring Back the Feeling ". The campaign was clutter breaking and focused more on the feeling of exhilaration rather than rational product features.

Watch the campaign here : Jazz 

The new campaign is not going to do much for the brand. Having said that the market has matured and consumers are now open to spending more on premium hatchbacks. Lot of upmarket hatchbacks are now on road which is a good news for Jazz. But the fact that Jazz is petrol is still the Achilles heel for the brand. 

Am still confused about rationale behind the pricing of Jazz. Honda is a master marketer and why did the company chose to play down the potential of Jazz ? It is common sense to anyone looking at Indian market to observe that pricing Jazz and City in a close range can be suicidal for Jazz. 

Any ideas ??

Cosmetics : 7 Blush on 3 in 1

Blush packaged in 3 places which consists of 7 color choices, which will help improve the appearance of your cheek at once beautiful face. Use the appropriate time, events and conditions skin and your face shape. Thus blush this would cover the lack or weak points of your face. Black spots, spots, or acne scars is a very disturbing appearance, many people are not confident because of it. So, we need a special expertise to cover the stain pulse, namely with the blush from MAC.

Georgous new products are almost ready...

I have been so very busy, yes I know, I always say that but it really is true.  The sales side of things is very quiet at the moment, well just starting to pick up at markets, so I have been making the most of the break from wrapping and packing, I've been playing in the lab!

After a long time fiddling around with different ingredients and measurements I have finally come up with, what I think is, the perfect Bubble Bath Crumble.  Its so easy to use, just pick it up, crumble in under running water and hey presto an unbelievably bubbly, sweet smelling bath treat with lovely extra oils and glycering of course.  It makes the bathroom smell fab and there is easily enough in each one for 3 big baths.  Heres a sneak preview.....

This one is scented with Patchouli, Ylang Ylang and Vanilla, very, very sexy!

And this one is a sweet floral mix of Frangipani and Linden Blossom

I still have to play with the colours and scents, it's quite hard to get the colour right when the mixture is dry but Im getting there.  They should be on sale soon.  I will definitely be doing some "give aways" so watch out for more info.

I have also redesigned my Chocolate Orange cupcakes to make them more natural, no more melt and pour now at all!!  I have used dried orange slices instead of the usual melt and pour orange, lemon and lime slices I used to make and I am very happy with the look.  To counter the slight lack of colour I have used Sweet Orange essential oil in the icing with a tiny bit of steeped tumeric and it looks beautiful,  I just hope the colour sticks.  I will let you know of course!!

One last thing I thought you might like to see, the latest pictures of my lovely Lola.  She came and stayed the weekend with me and decided that the best place to read her books was Blues bed!!  sorry the quality isnt great, I took them on the iphone but I did giggle when I found her.........

Do let me know what you think of the new crumbles and if you have any ideas for what to call them I'd love to hear.

Dhathri : Evolution of a Corporate Brand

Corporate Brand  : Dhathri

Brand Analysis Count : #475

Kerala- the state where I belong , is famous as a consumption market with little or no manufacturing activity. The state, which is an ideal test market for most of  the consumer products, is dominated by trading & service business rather than manufacturing. Hence the number of brands that originate from Kerala is very less compared to other states.Kerala is well known for Ayurveda. The land is rich in terms of a very well organized and reputed ayurvedic treatment centers. An emerging brand in this genre is the brand Dhathri.

Dhathri Ayurveda Pvt Ltd  was started by Dr Sajikumar, a trained Ayurveda Doctor, in the early nineties. Dr Sajikumar belonged to a reputed family of Ayurvedic practitioners with a rich tradition tracing back to two centuries. Initially Dr Sajikumar's treatment centre was known as Warrier's Hospital and Pachakarma centre which later became Dhathri.

The origin of the brand Dhathri happened in 2005. Dr Sajikumar launched a hair oil under the brand name Dhathri. The hair oil quickly captured the market's attention and the brand became a blockbuster hit. The success of Dhathri hair oil prompted the company to launch a slew of products first in the hair-care segment and later in skin-care market. Interestingly the company decided to use Dhathri as the brand name for all the products across categories.

Along with the FMCG products, the company also ventured into wellness market through the launch of ayurvedic services like slimming centers under the brand Dhathri ABS clinics. Dhathri is now a Rs 250 crore company with interests in FMCG, traditional ayurvedic medicines , clinics and wellness centers.

Dhathri as a brand  is strongly associated with hair-care. The brand has followed a celebrity endorsement route towards brand building. All the launches from Dhathri is endorsed by celebrities and the consistent heavy investment in promotions has ensured that the brand had a top-of-mind recall among the consumers.The success of hair-care products prompted the brand owners to enter the skin-care segment. Dhathri extended itself by launching face-packs, skin creams and related products. Over a short period of time , the brand became an umbrella brand endorsing a plethora of products across various categories.

Watch the ads here  : Dhathri Facepack endorsed by Kavya Madhavan

                                 Dhathri hair oil endorsed by Samyukta Varma

                                 Dhathri endorsed by Usha Uthup

                                  Dheedhi shampoo endorsed by Revathi

Dhathri hair oil has positioned itself on effectiveness platform. The brand has the tagline " It really gives results " reinforces the promise of effectiveness of the product.

Later Dhathri ventured in to the shampoo and soap market with the launch of new brands - Dheedhi and Dhin. Later a toothpaste brand ( Mavila) was also launched. The company also added health-care products like Chyawanprash , diabetic supplement and a family nourisher ( Winsmart) under the Dhathri brand or endorsed by Dhathri.According to a news report, Dhathri has now 20 varieties of herbal products under its brand-line.

Along with these developments, the company adopted Dhathri as the corporate brand name and adopted the name Dhathri Ayurveda. In November 2010, Dhathri began to look at markets beyond Kerala and launched its hair care products in Tamil Nadu.

It is really good to see a regional brand spreading its wings and venturing into a highly competitive national market. But along with those good feelings comes certain thoughts on the current marketing practices of Dhathri.

There is no doubt that Dhathri has grown fast. I feel worried when brands grow fast and become too ambitious. The wide and unrelated products in the portfolio of Dhathri is a matter of concern as far as the brand is concerned. The company although has stated in their website that Dhathri is an umbrella brand , too much unrelated products will dilute the core brand.

Another important branding funda that Dhathri missed was the  core brand strategy . Dhathri has evolved from a hair-care brand to an umbrella brand but this evolution is not seen in the core brand Dhathri. When ever a brand moves from a product-focused brand to an umbrella brand, its DNA changes. The brand owners need to create a new positioning and set of brand values for the umbrella brand. The positioning and brand values of the umbrella brand should be in a  broader platform  so that the new umbrella brand can endorse a diverse set of products.

Now every product in the Dhathri brand portfolio uses the name without any common thread tying itself to the core brand. The company has left it to the consumer to create a distinct position for Dhathri which I feel is dangerous. 

Ideally Dhathri should have created a core brand strategy that should revolve around Ayurveda. The Dhathri umbrella brand should have a unique set of values and brand elements including a tagline that exemplifies its positioning. The umbrella/corporate brand should also have a set of campaigns for creating its own place and then only it should proceed to endorse other products. Each product will have their own campaign highlighting the product features and the umbrella brand will give credibility to individual products. Ideally individual products need to have a sub-brand which could later be developed as a standalone brand.
Now I think no one can answer this most important question " What is Dhathri ? " is it a soap, shampoo, hair care, skin care , food supplement or ayurvedic company that produces all these ?? As a  consumer, for me Dhathri is strongly associated with haircare products and rest of the products have secondary significance. It is important for this brand to comeout of this vague definition and project an individual powerful identity which can be used to endorse products across categories. Once that position is created rest becomes more easy.

The large number of products in the portfolio also may further create problems. The funds for brand promotion is limited and too many products will stretch the company's resources. Most of the products in the ayurvedic market are promotion driven and the growth will show as long as the brand invest in the ads. Larger the products, the thinner will be the investment for each products. This is a vicious cycle which has killed many startup brands which expanded fast riding on the success of one or two launches. 

Dhathri is aiming for a national launch and in that process may rub shoulders with powerful brands like Dabur , Himalaya etc. It is important for the brand owners to get the brand architecture correct before taking the leap.

Brand Update : Comfort finds comfort in Madhuri Dixit

The fabric conditioner brand from HUL- Comfort has roped in the former Bollywood Diva Madhuri Dixit as the brand ambassador. The former Bollywood superstar was on a hiatus after her marriage is now on a comeback trail.

Comfort which is the niche brand from HUL was rolled out nationally in 2010 after a long period of test marketing. The brand was soft launched in some southern states as early as 2008 and it took a long time for HUL to decide national roll out. 

It is interesting to see Madhuri Dixit endorsing a product like Comfort. Interesting because she was endorsing the flagship soap brand Lux during her peak stardom days. Now she has come back on a new role of a homemaker endorsing a very small brand from HUL. 

As discussed in my earlier post on this brand, Comfort is a niche brand and the usage base is restricted to certain segments of the Rs 12700 crore Indian fabric care market. The product is priced at a premium and will be attractive to those homemakers who would like to add some extra care  to their clothes. The campaign also addresses customers in the same platform. 

The inclusion of a celebrity endorser will enhance the visibility of the brand and is expected to bring in many first-time users. Unlike the western markets, washing is not considered a chore in India. For Indian homemakers, washing clothes is a serious activity. They take pride when the clothes are meticulously clean and shining. This unique cultural trait is the opportunity that Comfort is trying to tap.

There are many factors that prevent the growth of such specialist product categories. The main reasons being inertia and price. These premium pricing coupled with the extra effort involved in using the product often make consumers postpone the patronage of such products. HUL hopes that the endorsement from Madhuri Dixit will expand the usage base for Comfort and bring in lot of new users into its fold.

Related Post

Comfort

Sensodyne : For Sensitive Teeth

Brand : Sensodyne

Company : Glaxo Smithkline Beecham ( GSK Asia)

Brand Analysis Count : 474

In line with the strategy of bringing in global brands from its portfolio, GSK has launched its toothpaste brand Sensodyne in India. This is GSK's second foray into the Indian oral care market. Earlier the company had launched its toothpaste brand Aquafresh which was later withdrawn from the Indian market.

Sensodyne is a global leader in the premium toothpaste category ( specialist toothpastes) in various markets like USA. The brand has been around since 1960 came into GSK fold in 2001. GSK bough the brand from its original owner Block Drug Company INC.

Indian toothpaste market is worth around Rs 2750 crore and is segmented into Economy, Popular and Premium segments ( Source : Rediff). The economy segment in worth Rs 530 crores, popular segment is the largest segment with a size of Rs 1930 crores and premium segment constitutes 8% of the market with a size of Rs 260. The urban market for toothpaste is valued at around Rs 1850 crores. 

The premium segment of toothpaste market consists of products which has therapeutic benefits. The brands in this category are Colgate Sensitive, Pepsodent Sensitive, Meswak , Glister etc. These toothpastes are priced significantly higher (>30% ) than the popular segment .

Sensodyne is a toothpaste for sensitive teeth. According to media reports, around 17% of individuals in India suffer the condition of sensitive teeth. Sensitive teeth is a condition where the individual suffers sharp pain while consuming anything that is hot or cold. Since the awareness about remedy for this condition is low, most consumers avoid consuming foods that causes this pain. The fear of going to dentist and possibility of painful interventions often prompt individuals to manage the situation rather than taking remedial action. This is perhaps the most important challenge that Sensodyne faces in cracking the Indian market. 

The brand is operating in a niche. A niche is defined as a narrowly defined customer group seeking a distinctive mix of benefits. Niche is can be called as micro-segment which is small, profitable, with less number of competitors where the consumer is willing to pay a premium for the offerings. Usually niche brands commands a premium since it satisfies some distinct set of consumer needs. All these descriptions fit the category in which Sensodyne operates. The market is also expected to grow fast once the awareness sets in.

The brand is currently running a campaign in visual media with the aim of creating awareness about the condition of sensitive teeth and projects Sensodyne as the dentist's most preferred choice for this condition. Globally also Sensodyne is positioned as Dentist's choice for sensitive teeth. Along with the Above-the- Line promotions, Sensodyne is also conducting brand awareness programs among the key influencer - dentists. The brand is also conducting events called ' Chill Tests ' among consumers to spread the awareness of the condition of sensitive teeth. Sensodyne is banking on the promise that it provides relief in two weeks. 

In India Sensodyne competes with Colgate Sensitive. Colgate Sensitive has the first mover advantage over Sensodyne and has more brand visibility across channels. It will take a little while for Sensodyne to shake the position of Colgate Sensitive. 

Jawbone #285: Pickle Pincher

We're back with a new show! On this episode, we talk about pickles, frozen quetzels, Emerald Wednesdays and a wrap up of Geek A Week. Also, PAX East this week! Thanks for sticking with us! Enjoy the show!

AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION: Is taking a few pickles (or in my case, thinking about taking pickles) stealing? Post your answers in the comments.

Download now.

Soap Making Class by Celebrating Handmade

"Do you know that dishwashing water from your house contributes to ocean pollution?
If everyone of us takes a little more care, we can keep our oceans clean and blue. So lets start by
making your own household soap!

You and your whole family will appreciate the switch to these natural soaps!
You'll be so amazed by how well your handmade products clean and how great they smell that
you'll never use synthetic commercial cleaning products again.

Participants will learn to make their own soap mould and about 800g of soap, which they
can take home to cut afterwards. "

Soap made during class can be used for washing hands,mopping the floor, washing shirts, undergarments ,dishes.

Class Title : Handmade Household Soap

Taught by : Patty

Date : 12 March 2011 (SATURDAY)

Time : 3pm - 6pm

Class Language : English & Mandarin

Class Fee : RM80 per person OR RM150 per pair (inclusive of materials)

Class Deposit : RM30 (this fee is non refundable in the case of absentee)

Maximum Participants Capacity : 4 - 12 person

REGISTRATION DATELINE ON 5 MARCH 2011! CLICK HERE

Bring along 1 empty milk cartons (1000ml size) to store your soap!

TO REGISTER, EMAIL CELEBRATING HANDMADE AT lvbeii1604@gmail.com

100 + Best American Sitcoms of All Time

Sitcoms, or situational comedies are a cornerstone of television. I've composed a list of what I think to be the best 100+ sitcoms of all time. Of course I've probably missed some, and of course you aren't going to agree completely, but remember that lists are subjective and far from perfect.

111 The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1959-1963)

110 Chico and the Man (1974-1978)
109 California Dreams

The Most Incredible Sword Fights in History

Sword fights are awesome. Two men (or women I suppose) with large pieces of sharp metal trying to hack each other apart is my idea of a good time, and I'm sure you agree. Inigo Montoya vs. the Dread Pirate Roberts anyone? Yes please.

Onlyknives.com has gone to great effort to detail the most incredible sword fights in history; including historically significant fights, fights between martial

NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR UK AND EUROPEAN DISTRIBUTION

I am so excited to be able to pass on this great news!  It seems everything has been happening all at once for me.  I know that is often the case but it has left me a little bit breathless and a little bit scared too, if I'm being honest.

Naturally Made Soaps is branching out.....  I already distribute soaps to outlets in France, Germany and Spain and that is going nicely, all the people receiving my soaps in these countries say that they are being received very, very well and, now that I have my fab new workshop set up (see this post), I am ready to take it one step further.

I have been asked many times if I offer opportunities for distribution of my soaps and I have always hesitated, my workshop was too small, I didn't have the curing space and I just felt unsure if I was ready.  

My Wedding work has been going well, I have been lucky enough to receive some great orders from brides wanting my soaps as favors both cupcakes and Soap Bar Minis, the website is ticking along nicely also I have had such fun with Farmers Markets and other direct selling opportunities.  I now feel ready........

Launching the new NMS Portugal range is the beginning of the European expansion.  If you have not had a look yet, click the link and let me know what you think.  I still plan to make my soaps by hand from start to finish and on a small scale to ensure a high quality and a consistently beautiful finish.  Although my products are my own and I am not currently making soaps for anyone else I am very happy to talk to distributors who might be interested in Naturally Made Soaps coming up with custom blends and soaps that suit their own country and culture - just like  NMS Portugal There would be a minimum order quantity for this service though.

I think its probably good to give yourself butterfly's once in a while and push the boundaries - what do you think?  It is all part of my marketing strategy for this year so I'm not doing anything I had not planned for in advance - still, makes the old ticker beat a bit!!