Cadbury Bournvita launches a Rs 5 sachet but is the malted drink late to the scene?

The most potent and poignant impact of financial hardship is on a household's groceries list. Many 'now expensive' items are struck off the list and more affordable alternatives are added in their place; compromise becomes the key to the puzzle of what to add and what not to.

Cadbury Bournvita's new ad talks about this situation. A lady is seen trying to figure out the month's grocery list while a voiceover echoes her thought – These times are tough and full of compromises. A shot of the grocery list with crossed-out items proves it.

A zoomed-in shot tells us she's thinking of striking Bournvita off the list. But, she then looks at her daughter juggling a football and decides against it. “But when it comes to making you stronger... I've never comprised before. I never will,” says the voiceover and we then see Bournvita's new sachet that is 'Chota pack, Badi Taakat' costing only Rs 5.

Cadbury Bournvita is a malted drink that made its debut in India in 1948 and is one of India's most popular drinks especially among children and a few adults too. But, what's interesting to note here is the introduction of the sachet, which by the way isn't unique (Horlicks did it a while back) and its costing. It ticks the box of an affordable variant during the hard financial times we're living but has it missed the bus?

Lubna Khan, brand strategist, (she worked on Horlicks when she worked at JWT) said that sachets bring new customers, who have an affinity for the brand but were previously hesitant due to price, into the fold remarks Khan but adds, “This is, however, a catch - up move on the brand's part - rival Horlicks has had sachets in their portfolio for the last few years.”

Khan remarks that the piece of communication leads us to infer that Bournvita sales have been impacted due to the economic slowdown, and therefore "they are launching sachet packs to retain customers and keep Bournvita's place within the household spends, even at a reduced status." This is a wise move on the brand's part since even in their core markets, Bournvita is seen as additional nutrition, rather than essential.

Ruchira Jain, founder, 'Elevate Insights' a boutique insights consultancy (she was director, beverages and PO1 Insights at PepsiCo where she spent 10 years) told us, "While one can see the logic from a marketer's point of view, not sure this will really help much. The pack is relevant for the infrequent taste led user vs the core audience."

Regarding the advertising, Jain said they should have stayed with the larger proposition of fuelling dreams. Just like say in the shampoo category where you sell the aspiration on TV and let consumers pick the pack basis his/her budget on the shelf.