The Godrej Gameplan

IIPM’s 36th Glorious Year of Academic Excellence

The yesteryears locksmiths have made a huge effort to shake the rust off their staid brand image... Will the ‘Preity’ magic work for them?

The name that once was an indomitable leader of the Indian white goods industry – Godrej & Boyce – is making an effort to come back into the reckoning. The makeover may have been kicked off post the dawn of the new millennium, but recently these activities have been renewed with a fresh vigour. Even the mother brand, after its logo change (which from the monotone red, is now vibrant and colourful) denotes that Godrej is no longer satisfied with just being a trustworthy brand, instead being contemporary and hi-tech is the new mantra.

The new-look Godrej is a welcome relief from the Godrej of yesteryears. The dull TVCs then were supported more by technical details of products than anything else. Remember the PUF ads, where a sturdy man (dressed like Spiderman) used to describe the technical details of Godrej refrigerators to the Indian junta. “The guiding principal for all Godrej communication has been to stay away from gimmicks that would mislead the consumer,” affirms Priyanka Udeshi, Design AVP and Client Service Director, JWT. She adds that innovations and technology were always stated up front and all claims made in the commercials were backed by research. The strategy, at that time, enabled Godrej & Boyce to create an edge against other desi players (like Allwyn and Kelvinator) and helped the consumer goods major to dominate the market. However, with the entry of the Korean chaebols in the late 1990’s, Godrej’s empire was shaken up. Outshined by the slick ads of foreign players, brand Godrej started to loose its sheen. Even senior officials from Godrej & Boyce accept that they had lacked in promotion and branding activities as compared to the new foreign entrants in the market. But no more! “We felt that the time has come to reposition and change our branding strategy. The bid was to showcase the stylish side of the brand and connecting it to generation next,” reminisces Kamal Nandi, VP-Sales & marketing, Appliance Division, Godrej & Boyce.

Hence begun the process of rejuvenating the brand, as reflected in recent ads. The company began with roping in a brand ambassador for the first time (the ‘bubbly’ Preity Zinta), and followed it up by unleashing a series of ads that showed the colourful side of the brand. “Preity’s association with the brand has been well thought in terms of brand fit and hence has been re-validated time and again,” elaborates Priyanka. More recently in 2006 – Godrej launched the Eon range as its imagery driver, keeping in mind the shifting purchase parameters and lifestyle trends of the Indian youth. Preity has been the face of this brand extension too.

And it’s not only via advertising that Godrej plans to remain relevant to today’s customer. In order to move with the times, last year, Godrej Eon launched the widest variety of colours in its product range. This year too, the Godrej camp plans similar innovative offerings. Explains Priyanka, “A recent example is the launch of the new Godrej Edge refrigerators that deliver fastest ice making, coupled with five star energy ratings,” adding that the range is all set to be advertised in a product centric fashion.

Godrej may be reinvigorated and looking to give a tough fight to rivals that dare to cross its path, but hey, while Godrej has been planning and plotting its comeback and stylish makeover, competition has not been sitting idle either.

Angshuman Paul

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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