Hungry kya? Go for Yogi Vitamla

M/s. Shrirang Kisanlal Sarda's amla snack not only fills a hungry stomach, it also enhances memory, gives energy and imparts a nice glow to your looks

For people on the move, eating right is very important. Having a pizza, a vada-pao or a dosa are definitely options, but these are introductions to unwelcome cholesterol as well. So, what if, there's a snack - which apart from filling a hungry stomach - also enhances memory, gives energy and imparts a nice glow to your looks?

Yogi Vitamla, a recently-launched healthy amla snack from M/s. Shrirang Kisanlal Sarda, precisely promises to do that.

The magical amla (gooseberry) fruit and its multiple benefits have been a part of the Indian consciousness for generations now. What's new this time 'round is that the same amla fruit with all its goodness can now be consumed as a snack at any time and at any place.

Munawar Syed, Director, Triton Communications said, "To gain instant acceptance and consumption of the brand, we positioned Yogi Vitamla as a ‘healthy snack'. But to position a health food as a snack was a paradox in itself. The agency, therefore, embarked upon the ‘Unbelievable, but true! A snack that's actually healthy' communication platform to entice the consumer."

"An individual can feel the urge for snacking at any point or at any place. So the media strategy - designed for the launch communication - was multi-pronged, focusing on providing maximum 'touch points' with the consumer".

To keep the brand within sight and to ensure a high recall-value, the consumer was bombarded with various ‘Unbelievable, but true' messages, while reading a newspaper, or traveling in a train, or driving a car, or even listening to the radio. "Moreover, to muster involvement of the consumer with the brand, we also designed exciting radio contests to reinforce the positioning of the brand," Syed added.

While the goodness of amla was well accepted by the older generation, the litmus test for the brand was to appeal to a younger population, who are naturally inclined towards snacking. Hence, the core target audience identified for the brand was teens and young executives.

"Focussing on the three main benefits of amla - enhancing memory, building up energy and beautifying hair and skin, the advertising depicted, in a youthful and light-hearted manner, how difficult feats could be achieved by snacking on Yogi Vitamla", Syed explained.

Apart from the advertising campaign, changes were carried out to enhance the taste of the product, that was launched in Mumbai in early July. Shrirang Sarda, partner, M/s. Shrirang Kisanlal Sarda, said, "The taste of the fruit wasn't very appealing even to the believers of amla. We took care of this by sweetening the taste of the fruit, making it more palatable, without disturbing its natural constitution."

What must be working for the brand is the fact that apart from M/s. Shrirang Kisanlal Sarda, there are no organised players in the market. Amla, for the first time, is being made available in a packaged branded manner.

Apart from Yogi Vitamla, the company also produces Yogi Kanthika, an ayurvedic medicine for throat ailments, and curiously, at least two well-known brands of beedis - Uut and Kadak.

Vitamla is available in different sizes, as handipacks for Rs 5, Rs 10, and a family pack for Rs 45. The company is planning to launch the brand in a phased manner to reach other metros in the country. "We are in the process of learning the adoption cycle of the consumer and would apply these learnings to launch the brand in newer markets." By January 2005, the product is expected to be available in six metros and that's when it will make its debut on television, company sources said. © 2004 agencyfaqs!