Most Trusted Brands 2015: Here’s what Tata Salt did right to get to the
second spot
Rumours of shortage of salt in Dimapur, the commercial hub of
Nagaland, created panic among consumers in the state. It was not too long
ago that the eponymous 'desh ka namak', Tata Salt, was in the midst of a
controversy: when two radio spots were termed scams at the Goafest Abby 2013.
What was surprising is the agency's perfidy was outed by none other than the
client Tata Salt showing the advertising industry that it took its rather lofty
tagline very seriously indeed. We assume the same degree of attention to its
consumers has led it to win a trophy more prized than anything any ad award
body can hand out runnerup in the BE Most Trusted Brands Survey, following a
startling rise to 2 from 16 in 2014 and 28 in 2013.
Helping it along is first mover advantage: it pioneered branded salt in India when it was launched in 1983 and today occupies more than half of the market. As per Richa Arora, chief operating officer, consumer products business, Tata Chemicals, "We have created a singular brand identity across all products in the Tata salt portfolio viz Tata salt, Tata Salt Lite and Tata Salt Plus (double fortified salt); so irrespective of which salt the consumer chooses to buy, there is a reinforcement of a consistent brand identity." Very few brands in India, across categories, can lay claim to be 'desh ka.' And the ubiquitous salt brand can stake claim to that unique aspiration.
The brand to its credit has not been sitting easy on the laurels of owning a humongous marketshare and has been actively pursuing growth through a variety of initiatives. For instance it has upped the on-ground visibility of the brand at the last mile of truth - the retail store. From being kept at the back of the shop, in the store room, to being visible on shelves it has rolled out structured visibility programmes in select 10 lakh plus population strata towns. The focus is on the nuts and bolts like merchandising norms, standardized POPs, display windows at key outlets, etc all of which have helped it remain at the top. Availability has been enhanced in lockstep across segments by deploying smaller SKUs (1/2 kg and 100g) drive distribution reach in lower pop strata towns, as they offer an affordable entry option for new users who current go in for local or regional brands. In a country like India, which is more like a continent, it is essential to treat key states/regions as distinct markets, with initiatives tailored to their unique characteristics, shares Arora. Accordingly, in some of its significant markets in the South, the efforts have been around boosting the equity of Tata Salt by creating communication packages with relevant messaging, packaged in a regional flavour and appeal. Alongside the team working on the ground, to facilitate increased distribution and coverage. For instance in Andhra Pradesh, locally popular celebrity chef 'Sanjay Thumma' was chosen as the 'expert' to help communicate the brand's superiority in terms of consistency of saltiness.
In a world where brands mostly resort to either Bollywood or cricket, Tata Salt broke the mould and opted for the lady boxer from Manipur Mary Kom to represent it's 'desh ka namak' positioning, something that has helped it remain top of mind in a category that is not particularly high involvement. As per Satbir Singh, chief creative officer, FCB Ulka (the agency behind the campaign) there were two reasons for the high connect and recall, "The Indian idiom of 'desh ka namak khaya hai' captured the dominant sentiment of doing something for the nation." Added to that was a much loved female star from a sport not generally known for women and from a largely underrepresented part (in advertising, for sure) of our country, helping it cut through clutter superbly, he says. The journey to the top of the trust-mountain for the salt brand has been a rather sweet one.
Helping it along is first mover advantage: it pioneered branded salt in India when it was launched in 1983 and today occupies more than half of the market. As per Richa Arora, chief operating officer, consumer products business, Tata Chemicals, "We have created a singular brand identity across all products in the Tata salt portfolio viz Tata salt, Tata Salt Lite and Tata Salt Plus (double fortified salt); so irrespective of which salt the consumer chooses to buy, there is a reinforcement of a consistent brand identity." Very few brands in India, across categories, can lay claim to be 'desh ka.' And the ubiquitous salt brand can stake claim to that unique aspiration.
The brand to its credit has not been sitting easy on the laurels of owning a humongous marketshare and has been actively pursuing growth through a variety of initiatives. For instance it has upped the on-ground visibility of the brand at the last mile of truth - the retail store. From being kept at the back of the shop, in the store room, to being visible on shelves it has rolled out structured visibility programmes in select 10 lakh plus population strata towns. The focus is on the nuts and bolts like merchandising norms, standardized POPs, display windows at key outlets, etc all of which have helped it remain at the top. Availability has been enhanced in lockstep across segments by deploying smaller SKUs (1/2 kg and 100g) drive distribution reach in lower pop strata towns, as they offer an affordable entry option for new users who current go in for local or regional brands. In a country like India, which is more like a continent, it is essential to treat key states/regions as distinct markets, with initiatives tailored to their unique characteristics, shares Arora. Accordingly, in some of its significant markets in the South, the efforts have been around boosting the equity of Tata Salt by creating communication packages with relevant messaging, packaged in a regional flavour and appeal. Alongside the team working on the ground, to facilitate increased distribution and coverage. For instance in Andhra Pradesh, locally popular celebrity chef 'Sanjay Thumma' was chosen as the 'expert' to help communicate the brand's superiority in terms of consistency of saltiness.
In a world where brands mostly resort to either Bollywood or cricket, Tata Salt broke the mould and opted for the lady boxer from Manipur Mary Kom to represent it's 'desh ka namak' positioning, something that has helped it remain top of mind in a category that is not particularly high involvement. As per Satbir Singh, chief creative officer, FCB Ulka (the agency behind the campaign) there were two reasons for the high connect and recall, "The Indian idiom of 'desh ka namak khaya hai' captured the dominant sentiment of doing something for the nation." Added to that was a much loved female star from a sport not generally known for women and from a largely underrepresented part (in advertising, for sure) of our country, helping it cut through clutter superbly, he says. The journey to the top of the trust-mountain for the salt brand has been a rather sweet one.
http://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/food-entertainment/personal-care-pet-supplies-liquor/most-trusted-brands-2015-heres-what-tata-salt-did-right-to-get-to-the-second-spot/49919327
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