Electrolux Kelvinator unveils Washy Talky; allocates Rs 8-10 crore as ad spend

Electrolux Kelvinator Ltd (EKL) has taken on the task of easing the life of the harried homemaker. Washy Talky, the new washing machine brand from the company, actually tells the user how to operate the washing machine stepwise. "The entire wash process of is explained so simply, even a maid or a child can operate it," says Anand Bhardwaj, executive vice-president, marketing and marketing services, Electrolux Kelvinator.

Designed, developed and manufactured at Butibori, near Nagpur (Maharashtra), India, Washy Talky is the world's first bilingual washing machine - doling out instructions in Hindi and English. Priced at Rs 16,000, the Washy Talky is a top-loading, fully automatic machine with 6 kg capacity, targeted at the mature consumer. As part of the first phase of the launch, the company plans to market the brand in all the major metros (Delhi being the biggest washing machine market) and then extend the brand in smaller towns. By the year-end, to tap the market in the south, EKL would launch Washy Talky in Tamil and, most probably, in Telugu as well.

EKL's advertising agency O&M has sprung into action to highlight the unique features of Washy Talkie. While EKL has earmarked Rs 8-10 crore on the communication for Washy Talky's, the total ad spend on all the EKL brands this year would be in the vicinity of Rs 25 crore.

The launch campaign of Washy Talky will leverage print, the outdoors and radio to begin with. The television campaign will break in October. Pitched as the ‘world's first talking washing machine', Washy Talky has two radio spots already on air, which talks of the brand as a technological marvel.

The company has set itself a sales target of 12,000-15,000 units of Washy Talky by next year-end. The Electrolux Kelvinator brand now has five brands in the top-loading variety of washing machines, with Washy Talky being the latest. In the fully-automatic category, the company has one more brand besides Washy Talky, which goes by the name Digiwash. In the semi-automatic category, the company has two kinds of machines. In twin tub variety has two brands Digitron and Luxury, with Libra is the sole brand in the single tub segment.

The launch of Washy Talkie comes close on the heels of the merger of Electrolux and Kelvinator in May this year under the umbrella brand Electrolux Kelvinator. This was part of its third phase of the company's restructuring. Post this realignment, the product portfolio of EKL stands like this. The Electrolux Kelvinator brand will span refrigerators (frost-free and direct cool) and washing machines (top loading, fully- and semi-automatic machines) and will soon be extended to other home appliance categories. The Electrolux brand will straddle top-of-the-line refrigerators, dishwashers, cooking ranges, microwave ovens and front-loading washing machines. The Allwyn brand will continue to market a range of refrigerators targeted at consumers seeking value-for-money products. The Maxclean range of washing machines will be phased out.

For EKL the agenda is to close the calendar year with a market share of 10 per cent in washing machines. Currently, in the one million units per year washing machine market (of which 90 per cent comprises top-loading models and 10 per cent front-loading models), EKL has a close to 5 per cent share market share. The company hopes Washy Talky will lead its campaign for a bigger share of the market as the brand ambassador for EKL. "Washy Talky will help in creating the right image for EKL," hopes Bhardwaj. © 2002 agencyfaqs!