Marie biscuit goes Vedic with new variant 'Veda'

ITC Foods' biscuit brand Sunfeast recently announced its newest addition, Veda Marie Light. The new offering was announced at the end of November. But what does a 'Marie' biscuit have to do with the Vedas? Well, it has an Ayurveda connection, in that the new biscuit contains Ayurvedic ingredients like tulsi, ginger, cardamom, ashwagandha and mulethi.

ITC has, over the years, diversified its 'Marie' portfolio into Marie Light Rich Taste, Marie Light Oats, Marie Light Orange, Marie Light Vita and most recently, Veda Marie Light. There is a key aspect worth noticing about the new launch. Around the same time last year, Unibic Biscuits India introduced its Ayurveda influenced "Chyawanprash fortified" Chyawanprash Cookies.

Unibic's plan was to cash in on the 'health' factor. Also, reports suggest the period from November to February contributes 3/4th to the total Chyawanprash market in India. So could ITC be applying the chyawanprash market model on its 'Veda' variant of Marie? And why choose the Ayurveda vehicle in the first place?

Expert speak:

"This launch is an interesting extension to the Sunfeast Marie franchise. Given many more consumers are inclined towards health and wellness choices – ITC Foods giving them an option with natural ingredients makes for a welcome addition. Using natural ingredients with strong Indian cues for wellness is an innovative break in this category. Brand extensions like these build awareness and excitement around the core franchise – Sunfeast Marie, and is likely to drive overall volumes in this category," says Lloyd Mathias, business strategist and former PC marketing head for Asia of HP.

"I am not sure ITC’s launch timing is linked to the winter spike in Chyawanprash sales, but ingredients like tulsi, ginger and cardamom have a positive correlation to health in the winter months and could be a good reason for consumers to try out the new variant," Mathias adds.

Creative consultant L Suresh says, "Biscuits as a category don't find the right space for themselves on the health platform, because of the 'maida' (refined flour) association. Besides, there's always that age-old question of how anything produced in a factory could be healthy for us. But we are living in strange times where, on the one hand, Ayurveda is being packaged and promoted as a brand, and on the other, brands are promising the goodness of Ayurveda and hoping for a healthy rub-off. It is true that Marie biscuits find favour with the senior audiences as a popular accompaniment with tea, but I doubt if they will buy into the goodness quotient of the new variant."

"Secondly, Ayurveda seems to have become a popular go-to route that every brand wants to take. It began with Vicco brands (skincare), then moved on to toothpaste and soap, and now, seems to have reached teatime snacks. And while others have used Ayurveda for brand extensions or variants, brands like Lever Ayush and Patanjali have based their entire product portfolio on the ancient sciences, with mixed results. To me, that's an indication that merely touting the benefits of natural ingredients does not ensure success," he adds.

"I would think that Sunfeast's vision for Veda would extend beyond seasons. Besides, if the idea was to cash in on this winter, they're probably a little late because it's already here. Again, Chyawanprash is considered a health supplement, so I doubt if a biscuit can or will gain a similar niche in the customers' minds," Suresh explains.