AFTER PASTA, WHAT IS NEXT

Well, after the Chinese noodles, pizzas, and Italian pasta, what is the next food trend that is going to woo Indian consumers. Surely, it the Doughnut, a popular snack among kids and youngsters in the US. Doughnut is a sweet baked item. The product already has made its inroads into Indian market. Doughnut has to undergo slight change to suit to the Indian palate. Simply said it is going to be indianized just like pizza which was offered in local taste and flvaors to suit to Indian consumers.

Singapore based, Doughnut Baker already entered india in 2007 with one store in Bangalore and plans to open up nearly 100 stores in a span of 2-3 years across major metro cities like Hyderabad, and Chennai etc.Currently, Doughnut Bakers offers 22 different varieties starting from Rs.30 to Rs.70 for the premium ones. Another International player Krispy Kreme plans to enter india.

So friends, here is an opportunity for new entrepreneurs to start the business through franchise. Otherwise you can alone start a store with your own brand but it requires expertise in terms of producing original flavor or else, if one is having a bakery, start offering Doughnut to your consumers before somebody else do it.

DS Group Launches One Minute shake "YOMIL"

DS Group, a fast growing diversified conglomerate, with popular FMCG brands like Catch and Pass Pass, announced the launch of its powdered milk drink ‘YOMIL’ (one minute shake). The company, which had launched ‘Piyoz’ brand in June this year plans for expanding its powdered beverage portfolio with the launch of YOMIL. The company claims that YOMIL, is first of its kind product in the powdered beverages with milk base. With ‘YOMIL’ one can create refreshing flavored milk shakes in one minute just by adding water. YOMIL does not require milk or sugar and is a rich source of energy with the goodness of Protein and Calcium too.

The product offers consumers  convenience (in one minute) and offers value-for-money with  the goodness of a milk shake which is the USP of the product. The product is currently available in four Indian flavors i.e  Choco Milky, Milky Mango, Milky Rose and Milky Kesar Badam. DS Group may position its product as a compact, convenient  and healthy alternative to the carbonated drinks. 

YOMIL is available throughout India right from grocery stores to modern retail outlets. Each sachet of Rose and Mango flavor is priced at Rs 6 for one serving and at Rs 12 for two servings, while the Chocolate and Kesar Badam flavors are priced at Rs 7 for one serving and Rs 14 for two servings. The product will be retailed through Group's existing distribution channels with existing portfolio.

LUX EXTENDS TO DEO

HUL, the leading FMCG gaint in India has extended its Lux brand to deo.   In recent times, one can observe huge brand activity in deo market, with new brands being launched, which witness growing market along with competition. The deo market is estimated to be around 1300 crores growing at 40%. Growth in this segment can be attributed to growing population and increasing spending on personal care products among youth.

HUL is a pioneer in creating deo segment with its Axe brand and still want to main its leadership. It has also got anti perspiration deo Sure and Dove. Lux brand has soaps and shampoos, bodywash. Despite of that why HUL extends Lux to deo.

The main reason could be to avert competition by launching its product and to retain its market share. Moreover, HUL might be worrying about the deo launches by its competitors in this category. HUL might be of the view that LUX huge equity will help boost the sales of the new brand. But it has to remember that its previous experiences of brand extension to deos are not successful. Instead of diluting brand equity of existing brands, the company can focus on launching new brands.

TATA Unveils TATA Water Plus-Nutrient Water

TATA  UNVEILS "WATER PLUS": A NUTRIENT PACKAGED DRINKING WATER

In an attempt to expand its market share, TATA Global Beverages Ltd., and PepsiCo india's   joint venture, NourishCo has launched India's first nutrient packaged drinking water on the brand name “TATA water plus”. The company boasts of the only water of its kind in india.

Tata water plus is nutritionally rich in minerals and promotes everyday health. The water contains bio-available nutrients that are easily absorbed by the body. TATA water plus  available in two variants - Zinc and Chromium which are known to enhance immunity and improve health. Priced at Rs.16 for 750ml pet bottle. Initially the product will be rolled out in Tamilnadu covering 20 towns and later in other parts of the world. NourishCo, claims that the product was developed in collaboration with international scientists and indian nutrition experts to reduce nutritional gaps among indians.

Vespa: Rel-aunch

Vespa has made its presence again in the Indian market with new brand identity with the launch of an all new 125 cc model under the brand ‘VESPA’. What is more interesting here, is how Indian consumers will welcome this brand second time.

 

Going back to the history, vespa initially entered india with the formation of JV between bajaj auto and piaggio, later with LML. The brand has no smooth ride in Indian market with one or two exceptions. The brand could not bring volume sales which led to the demise of this brand.The main reason behind the re-launch of vespa, is that Indian scooter market is growing at a CAGR of 20% and the market is estimated around 2.5 million units. Another reason could be, the increasing interest shown by the consumers towards the scooter segment and increasing scooter sales(Honda activa, TVS wego, pleasure).

What surprises one is the brand positioning. As read somewhere, the brand tries to create new market-lifestyle scooter segment, which falls under psychographic segmentation. And the target market is youth who wants to be different & distinctive through their fashion. The brand has tagline”Fashion Unchanged”. Deliberately the brand uses funky colors to represent youthfulness.

The brand has done really well in terms of design, look and style and the firm is confident on its brand sales in india. The Italian company believes that vespa is the revered and bestselling brand around the world and confident that Indian fashion and style conscious consumers will make vespa, a grand success.

The new Vespa comes with 125cc, four stroke, 3-valve single cylinder air-cooled motor that delivers 10.06PS of power @ 7,500rpm and 10.6Nm of torque @ 6,000rpm. It weighs 114kgs with a fuel tank capacity of 8.0 litres and with a price tag of Rs. 66,661 (ex-showroom Maharashtra). 

Typically, price conscious Indian consumers look for value/utility while making a purchase decision. This could be a challenge for the company to communicate value to the consumers. The brand seems to be expensive and can be made affordable to see the brand a grand success.