In a digital era, why Zed Black puts 80% of its marketing spend on TV

If you see MS Dhoni with folded hands on an agarbatti’s (incense stick) packet, that’s Zed Black for you. While the brand did not expect the association to explode the way it did in several parts of the country, especially in rural markets, consumers simply ask for "Dhoni wali agarbatti".

The idea behind onboarding him as a brand ambassador was to build a unified national identity. As the brand’s director Anshul Agrawal explains, “As the brand grew, it became difficult to maintain different identities in every region. We wanted someone who connected across India and beyond. Dhoni’s values, his calmness, and his small-town roots resonated with Zed Black.”

Zed Black is the flagship brand of Mysore Deep Perfumery House (MDPH), founded in 1992. Introduced in 2000, today the brand contributes 98–99% of the company’s total sales.

Before appointing Dhoni as the brand face in 2017, the company worked with regional and national celebrities, including Bhagyashree and Hansika Motwani. Today, the Zed Black 3-in-1 pack priced at Rs 12, featuring Dhoni, is the company’s bestselling SKU. 

Additionally, the company is eyeing Rs 800 crore in FY26, with the Rs 1,000 crore milestone expected “very soon-hopefully next year”. Agarbatti contributes ~65% to revenue, while dhoop and puja products contribute ~35%.

Pan-India presence and core markets

Zed Black is present in every state and counts itself among the top three players across India. Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh remain its strongest markets, supported by 40 depots and more than 4,000 distributors.

The brand takes a broad view of its target audience: “Anyone who prays – and even those who don’t, because we want to make them believe in prayer,” Agrawal says, referencing the brand’s long-running Prarthna Hogi Sweekar campaign.

He observes strong momentum in India’s puja and fragrance markets. “Anything related to perfume or aromatic experiences is doing great. There is growing faith, and consumers want more variety and better scents around them,” he adds.

Both premium and value segments are performing well, with the company introducing high-value packs as well as higher-priced offerings.

Exports growing at 40–50% annually

Zed Black’s export business, which started seven years ago, has been expanding at 40–50% annually and now contributes around 5% of the topline. The brand has its office in New York handling US operations; other regions operate through distributors.

Agrawal says that the export portfolio is significantly different from what the company sells in India, with fragrances such as coffee, watermelon, strawberry or water-based scents doing well internationally. Indian consumers prefer traditional notes such as mogra, chandan, and gulab.

Zed Black aims to expand into 100 countries and open more global offices as part of its long-term roadmap, according to him.

Marketing strategy: TV first, digital minimal

Despite the industry’s rapid shift toward digital, Zed Black allocates over 80% of its marketing spend to TV, 15% to print and the remaining 5% across digital, BTL and on-ground activities.

“We are conservative and rely on media we can track. Since we operate pan-India, TV offers better cost efficiencies and strong perception value,” he adds.

The brand has been increasing its presence in GECs and cricket programming and recently co-sponsored Goriya Chali Gaon on Zee TV. For region-specific festivals, such as Ganesh Chaturthi or Durga Puja, Zed Black prioritises BTL-led sampling activities at pandals and high-footfall venues.

While MS Dhoni has been the face of Zed Black since 2017, the company brought in Hrithik Roshan in 2020 for its Dhoop brand Manthan. The Hrithik partnership, now in its fifth year, continues to drive growth in a category that is especially strong in North India.

Where the brand sells: 95% offline, 5% online

Zed Black remains firmly rooted in general trade. As much as 95% of its revenue comes from offline channels – kiranas, wholesalers, and local distributors.

The company operates 40 depots and works with over 4,000 distributors in India to ensure availability of its products even in small towns and villages. Online sales account for just 5%, and even within that slice, consumption patterns differ from traditional offline buyers. 

On e-commerce platforms, the company sells premium or bundled offerings priced between Rs 300 and Rs 400, while quick-commerce platforms such as Swiggy Instamart and BigBasket Now (with Blinkit integration planned) move smaller premium packs between Rs 100 and Rs 200. 

A case study at Harvard Business School

Zed Black’s journey from a modest incense manufacturer to a national household name has also found its way into academic corridors.

A case study written by a professor at the S. P. Jain Institute of Management & Research and published by Ivey Publishing, was recently selected by Harvard Business School. The study examines how a low-tech, low-price product in a category with virtually no entry barriers scaled to selling 20 lakh packets every day.

For the company, the recognition is a validation of its methodical, long-term approach rather than any single breakthrough moment.