<FONT COLOR="#FF0033"><B>Effies 2006:</B></FONT> Cashing in on that sense of guilt

For as long as one can remember, oil brand Saffola has symbolised a healthy heart to its target audience. But with the launch of a new variant in 2004, Saffola Gold, things changed a bit. At the Effies 2006 case study presentation round, McCann-Erickson executives brought this to light, saying that for the first time, Saffola shifted gears from being a curative brand to being a preventive one. The TG, too, was refined; sufferers of heart diseases were no longer the sole ones targeted. Those who wanted to change their lives and make themselves healthy became a core focus area. In the first year of its launch, this shift led to a 17 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) increase in volumes.

However, that brought with it a new marketing challenge: taking the brand beyond affluent people in the metros to consumers elsewhere as well, who are much less conscious of the heart risks they are facing/likely to face. But this widening of the consumer base had to be done without sacrificing what Saffola stood for.

It was discovered that the average Saffola man is one who is not really suffering from a disease, but is facing the first few signs of his indulgent lifestyle. Within this bracket, there are two distinct kinds of men. The first kind is in a constant state of denial – aware of his poor health, but highly passive about it. The second kind is what people refer to as the ‘foodie’ – a person in complete indulgence mode, but stricken by guilt whenever he indulges.

The strategy was, therefore, to launch two separate TVCs for each of these types of men, to lower the rationalisation barrier that they tend to put up. For the ‘denial’ type, the ‘Abhi Toh Yeh Jawaan Hain’ TVC was rolled out, with an additional focus on the 25-45 year old SEC AB housewife, for whom cooking may not be of central importance, but her husband’s health is.

For the ‘guilt’ type, the ‘Samosa, Jalebi’ ad was released, which showed men guiltily chanting the names of calorie-rich dishes they probably had had the previous night, while exercising the next day. Further, other activities such as radio spots and the tie-up with Radio One (then GO 92.5FM) fuelled the brand further. A reality show was launched on radio under the tie-up, in which RJ Jaggu lost 10 kgs in three months to promote health consciousness amongst listeners. Celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor was roped in for an event on healthy eating.

The impact of the campaign was encouraging: There was a 50 per cent increase in volumes for Saffola Gold. The campaign went down particularly well with those who have high blood pressure problems.

© 2006 agencyfaqs!