Vidya Balan to be face of Dabur Uveda; creative duties with Bates 141

The FMCG major has introduced its ayurvedic skin care range, Uveda, for which Balan seemed to be an apt fit, garnering 86 per cent votes to be the face of the brand

Dabur, the FMCG major, is going strong on its skin care portfolio. With Gulabari already a part of its skin care range for almost eight years and the Fem acquisition falling into place, an ayurvedic range was only a step away. The new range, Uveda, launched at the Dabur headquarters at Sahibabad (UP), has roped in Bollywood actor Vidya Balan as the face of the brand. According to the results of a research, 86 per cent of the respondents voted in favour of Balan as the face of the new brand.

The creative duties for Uveda have been awarded to Bates 141, which also handles the Gulabari range. The media duties will be handled in-house by the specialist media division, Adbur.

Vidya Balan to be face of Dabur Uveda; creative duties with Bates 141

For the time being, Uveda will be marketed in Delhi (NCR) and Maharashtra (Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Nasik and Aurangabad). Informed sources claim that in the second phase, the range will see an expansion in terms of the product offering.

"The name Uveda stands for Veda for you; Veda for the woman of today; Veda in the modern format," explains Minoo Phakey, category head, skin care, Dabur.

The television commercial for the brand is still in the process of completion and is scheduled to go on air towards the end of this month. Print and outdoor will also form a part of the communication mix.

The skin care market in India is estimated to be worth Rs 2,200 crore. It is a cluttered and highly competitive market, with strong contenders such as Unilever, Emami and Procter & Gamble. However, Phakey is confident that Uveda will make a mark in the segment and says, "The current offerings form more of a superficial layer over the skin, without showing effective results. Our product stands for efficacy and treating the skin from within." She emphasises that the product benefits will be highlighted in the communication.

On an average, Indian skin care brands spend about 15-20 per cent of their sales revenues on advertising. The category itself is a high spender as compared to other FMCG categories, which usually have ad spends in the range of 10-15 per cent. Fairness skin care products form a major part (almost 50 per cent) of the skin care segment.

With Gulabari already in place, will the brands cannibalise each other? "No," says Phakey, "Gulabari is strong for its rose equity; Uveda will stand for the ayurveda equity, which is totally distinct."

Although Gulabari was launched in 1995, it was formally positioned as a skin care product only in 2001. Before this, it was actually used as a flavour enhancer for edible items and even for medicinal purposes.

In a conversation with afaqs!, Phakey compares the international skin care market to the Indian one, saying that the international market is mature. "With products such as anti-ageing and the likes, we know that they are way ahead of us. However, in India, with these products finding entry gradually, we can see the market maturing at a slow pace."

With several strong players, including some in the ayurveda territory, what lies ahead for the new brand? "We seek to strongly compete against cosmetic brands as that would bring out the true differentiation between them and Uveda," says Phakey.

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