Bates Enterprise bags Marico’s soap brand, Manjal

Marico has aligned its soap brand, Manjal, with Bates Enterprise. The agency of record (AOR) for the Manjal business is Madison. Marico recently acquired the herbal soap brand, Manjal, from Kerala based Oriental Extractions.

Marico owns another soap brand, Camelia, which is also handled by Bates Enterprise. Manjal is thus the second soap brand under the Marico flagship.

Saugata Gupta, head of marketing, Marico, says, “We are quite satisfied with the way Bates Enterprise has understood the need of this category. Therefore, we decided to align the Manjal business also with it.”

The media mix for the campaign will include television, print, below-the-line and other marketing programmes. Subhash Kamath, CEO, Bates Enterprise, says, “The campaigns for Manjal will focus on the South Indian market.”

When asked, Gupta was reluctant to divulge the cost incurred in acquiring the new brand. However, he feels that herbal or Ayurvedic products add a new flavour to the portfolio for FMCG companies. Both Camelia and Manjal belong to this category.

For the record, Marico is a leading Indian consumer products business group. Its products include coconut oil, hair oil, anti-lice treatment, premium refined edible oils and fabric care products. The company is also into services in the beauty and wellness space.

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