Revamp mode: Boost gets a new boost

Boost, the malt based health drink by Glaxo Smithkline Consumer Healthcare (GSKCH), has been revamped. With a new look, design, packaging and brand campaign, the brand has taken a U-turn from just talking about consuming the drink – it is encouraging children to take up sports.

The brand, which has been around for almost three decades now, has always been positioned as an energy drink. While not walking far away from the equity built by it, the brand now emphasises why one should take up sports. A television commercial has been released to communicate the message.

For the last 25 years, Boost has positioned itself on how drinking it helps one to play better. In a slightly different communication, the brand will now highlight sport, with the brand name getting prominence at the end of the commercial. Earlier, the brand presence dominated the advertisement, where the association of being good at sports because of Boost was leveraged.

Sen adds that apart from the children, this is also a message for the mothers to motivate their children to play, explore and learn the spirit of team work and develop other qualities.

Sachin Tendulkar has a long association with Boost. He has endorsed the brand since 1991 and continues to be on board, along with MS Dhoni, Virender Sehwag and Ishant Sharma. In its early days, ace cricketer Kapil Dev endorsed the brand – he was appointed brand ambassador in 1985 and was with the brand for four years. The tagline, Boost Is the Secret of Our Energy, has been with the brand since 1985 when Kapil Dev endorsed it.

According to GSK, Boost commands a 13.5 per cent market share in the category of health drinks, in an overall pie approximately worth Rs 1,800-2,000 crore. The category has other players such as Horlicks (which has a leadership share), Cadbury Bournvita and GSKCH's Viva and Maltova (which have a cumulative share of 3 per cent in the market).