Brand

Brand-Tracker-of-Sunsilk-to-Calculate-the-Brand-Image Essay Executive summary Sunsilk is one of the worlds most popular hair care brands and is currently marketed in more than 50 countries. It was launched in India in 1964 . Over the decades it has been revamped, constantly keeping it contemporary with the changing times and consumer preferences. Objective: To enable brand image measurement of Sunsilk. Methodology: The two models developed are: 1 Model used Instrument of data collection Sample size Brand asset valuator model Questionnaire 25 respondents 2 Model used Instrument of data collection Sample size Reynolds and Gutman’s â€Å"Laddering Method† Laddering/ depth interview 8 respondents Findings: 1. From Brand asset valuator model The survey revealed that shampoo is a product in which consumers care about their choice between different brands. For the BAV analysis, Sunsilk’s competitor brands are Clinic Plus, Garnier, Pantene and Fiama Di Wills. On the four primary dimensions of the BAV model, the results for Sunsilk are: Knowledge: Sunsilk comes second in knowledge with an 80 percentile. Clinic plus enjoyed the top position because of its mass appeal and the association of Clinic (Clinic All Clear with anti dandruff. . Sunsilk is high on knowledge because of various reasons. It is an old brand; it is a product of Unilever. Sunsilk has always taken many initiatives to reach customers like the Sunsilk Gang of Girls, promotional campaigns like ‘life can’t wait’. Customers were offered free hair care and styling consultations by Sunsilk hair e xperts Jawed Habib and Samantha Kochhar. Thus, Sunsilk is high on knowledge. Presently, Sunsilk is trying to move up the value chain by being a mid premium brand and not a mass market brand. But our survey reveals that respondents still view Sunsilk as a mass market brand. Esteem: Sunsilk is not very high on esteem, enjoys third position with a 60 percentile. The reason probably could be it is seen more as a mass product and lesser as a premium product. Shampoos like Garnier are seen more as a premium product. Differentiation: Sunsilk is second on differentiation with an 80 percentile. There are a variety of reasons due to which Sunsilk enjoys differentiation. It does different things like the gang of girls, offers expertise of hair care experts like experts Jawed Habib and Samantha Kochhar. Relevance: Sunsilk brand is highest on relevance. This could be on account of various reasons. Sunsilk is a popular brand, a Unilever product, used since many decades. It is a quality product at affordable price. Moreover, it has wide variety of variants to cater to different consumer preferences. The product is relevant among wide masses because of its quality, affordability and constant innovation Conclusion from the BAV model: Sunsilk is more towards a leadership brand. When we see Sunsilk’s Brand Stature, it is second highest in knowledge, but not high on esteem. When we see Sunsilk’s Brand Strength, it is second highest in differentiation and highest in relevance. Thus the brand has high growth potential. 2. From laddering method Laddering provides a way to probe into the consumer’s deep underlying psychological and emotional reasons that affect their purchasing decisions. There were 7 attributes, 8 consequences and 5 values that were identified from the depth interviews. Some important findings were: a) Most respondents stated that out of the listed attributes, the label or brand of the shampoo was important. This was because they associated a premium brand with superior quality and indicated it as being crucial as a status symbol. b) The monetary value of a shampoo was also considered important as this was again associated with quality. ) A light colored liquid shampoo was preferred as lighter shade liquids are considered chemical free and â€Å"pure† by the respondents. This was further associated with being beneficial for hair and connected to selfesteem by the respondents. d) An attractive bottle was associated with quality by the respondents. e) Out of the values iden tified, self –esteem was considered the most important by the respondents. Conclusion from laddering- Thus, laddering has helped to understand in-depth underlying motivators Table of Contents Executive summary History of the brand evolution over time Instruments of data collection Presentation of findings History and evolution of Sunsilk over time Sunsilk is one of the worlds most popular hair care brands and is currently marketed in more than 50 countries in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa. Sunsilk was launched in India in 1964 with huge fanfare emulating the launch of the brand in Europe a decade earlier. Over the decades it has been revamped constantly keeping it contemporary with the changing times and consumer preferences. As early as 1960, the brand introduced a tonic shampoo especially for dandruff. This made it the first such product for dandruff cure in India. The 2-in-1 shampoo with an in-built conditioner and the Black shine shampoo for long hair were among the key products sold in the1980s. Specialised variants like Sunsilk Purple with ceramides for damaged hair were introduced in the early 1990s. A sub-brand, Sunsilk Salon treatment for expert hair care was also introduced about the same time. Research conducted in the early 1990s indicated that most women across the country still hesitated to shampoo their hair frequently for fear that this might damage their hair. To correct this popular misconception became the new mission. The user was assured that hair becomes stronger and more beautiful with every wash. A range of shampoos to meet specific hair needs and problems were introduced. These included Sunsilk Black Shampoo (with melanin from plant extracts), Sunsilk Pink Shampoo (with essential oils from flower extracts) and Sunsilk Fruitamins (vitamins from fruit extracts). The launch of Sunsilk Naturals in October 2003 follows extensive RD to make the variants highly customised. The brand now uses popular and trusted natural ingredients to deliver relevant and tangible consumer benefits. Customisation has been the core of the product strategy for Sunsilk. Sunsilk was the first brand in India to introduce a Curl Control shampoo to impart manageability to curly, wavy, flyaway hair problems. The brand has constantly evolved, innovated and changed with the times. Sunsilk as a brand has metamorphosed from being a plain hair beauty brand into a customised hair care brand. The concept of brand ambassadors originated with the panel of Sunsilk Hair Experts. Many leading hair experts have endorsed the brand: Naina Balsaver in the 1980s, Coleen Khan in the 1990s and the atest team of experts, Samantha Kochhar and Jawed Habib. What separates the Sunsilk panel from any other is the fact that the panel of experts do not merely endorse the brand, they also share the Sunsilk experience with consumers and interact with them and help seek solutions to their problems. Sunsilk communication has been true to its values. The brand demonstrates a perceptive and sympathetic understanding of women, how she feels when she is faced with hair problems and how elated she feels at the end of the conflict. The communication idea has always been to capture the emotional drama in a girls life that results out of a particular hair problem Sunsilk sponsored Femina Miss India 2003. On July 17, 2006, Sunsilk launched Gang of Girls (GoG), an online social networking website. GoG was open only to girls and had various features including blogs, expert advice on hair care and fashion. Sunsilk attempts to represent the woman of today, one who is erudite, spirited and in with the times. While Sunsilk is rooted in nature, it is a young and modern brand which connects with the woman of today and her aspirations and dreams. Instruments of data collection 1. BRAND ASSET VALUATOR MODEL To diagnose a brands health, four primary dimensions and their relationships are examined. These dimensions are: a) Differentiation- measures the degree to which a brand is seen as different from others. The brands perceived distinctiveness is the heart of the brand, its core force. It sets the brand apart from competitors, allows the brand to command premium prices, and serves as the leading indicator of both brand vitality and brand decline. b) Relevance- measures the brand’s appeal. It is heavily correlated with household penetration; reflecting product, pricing, promotion, packaging, and placement. c) Esteem- measures how well the brand is regarded and respected. It reflects its popularity and perceptions of its quality. d) Knowledge- measures how familiar and intimate consumers are with the brands. It is the result of successful relevant differentiation and the achievement of high esteem. Brand differentiation and relevance combine to determine â€Å"brand strength†. These two pillars point to the brand’s future value, rather than just reflecting its past. Esteem and knowledge together create â€Å"brand stature†, which is a barometer of its past performance. Model used Instrument of data collection Sample size Brand asset valuator model Questionnaire 25 respondents In the questionnaire, Sunsilk’s competitors are Clinic plus, Pantene, Garnier, and Fiama di wills. QUESTIONNAIRE 1. How much do you care about your choice between different brands of shampoos? a) Care b) Somewhat care c) Don’t care 2. Name five brands that come to your mind when you think of shampoos that give â€Å"Soft, thick, strong and shiny hair†. ) ____________________ b) ____________________ c) ____________________ d) ____________________ e) ____________________ 3. Identify the shampoo brands from the taglines mentioned below: Sl. No. 1 2 3 4 5 Nature and Science Hair looks thicker as it grows longer Grow longer, stronger hair Hair that flows with health For Hair that shines with all it strength Taglines Brands 4. Rank the following samp les in order of preference of the product design (where 1 being most preferred and 5 is least preferred). Refer to sample graphics below. Sample A B C D E Rank 5. Identify the brands from the respective product design. Refer to sample graphics above. Sample A B C D E Brand 6. Identify the shampoo brands from their advertisements: Sl. No. A B C D E Advertisements Video clip 1 Video clip 2 Video clip 3 Video clip 4 Video clip 5 Brands 7. From the samples displayed, indicate the shampoo brands that come to your mind on inhaling the fragrances. Samples A B C D E Brands 8. Which brands would you like to be most associated with (in order of preference) and why? Ranking scale: 1-5 (1 being the most preferred and 5 the least) Brands Sunsilk Clinic Plus Garnier Pantene Fiama Di Wills Rank . For each of the following shampoo brand, please tell me , if you feel there is another brand, quite similar in offerings Brands Sunsilk Clinic Plus Garnier Pantene Fiama Di Wills Yes/ No 10. What prominent feature (for each brand) comes to your mind when you think of the following brands? Sl. No. 1 2 3 4 5 Brands Pantene Clinic Plus Garnier Sunsilk Fiama Di Wills Prominent feature/ USP 11. For each of the following chara cteristics, please tick the brand that it applies to. (Multiple responses can be given) Clinic Plus Sunsilk Pantene Garnier Fiama Characteristics ?The Establishment in the 1960's EssayThe results of the survey are- The table indicates points. Brand Esteem Questions Associate Promise Trust Sub Total Percentile Clinic Plus 57 3 1 61 20 Pantene 83 4 1 88 80 Fiama 50 4 1 55 40 Garnie r 95 6 3 104 100 Sunsilk 75 3 3 81 60 Survey shows that Garnier is highest on esteem. Sunsilk is not very high on esteem. The reason for this could be that Sunsilk is perceived as a mass market brand. People view Sunsilk as a popular hair care brand and a brand which is relatively reasonable. But the shampoo market has witnessed entry of many new premium brands. Sunsilk is a popular, widely used product, but not a product which would be completely trusted. It is seen more as a mass product and lesser as a premium product. Shampoos like garnier are seen more as a premium product. Brand Stature Esteem and knowledge together create brand stature, which is a report card on past performance. Thus, it can be seen that Sunsilk is high on knowledge, but not very high on esteem. Differentiation For measuring differentiation of Sunsilk, the following questions were asked. Respondents were asked to identify the shampoo brands from the taglines mentioned. This has been taken as differentiation, because, if a consumer can identify the tagline of a particular shampoo, then it means that this particular brand is differentiated in the consumer’s mind. In this, the shampoo being identified the maximum number of times would get the highest marks and the remaining would follow accordingly. The next question was on fragrance. Fragrance is an important characteristic of a shampoo. If the respondent can identify the fragrance of a particular brand, then, the brand is differentiated in the mind of the consumer. Another question was where the respondent, had to identify, if for a particular shampoo brand, there is another brand quite similar in offerings. The brand, for which maximum number of respondents felt there are not many similar offerings, would get maximum points. In the last question on differentiation, we laid down the various characteristics of shampoos. The characteristics listed were – easy rinsing, after use effect, pleasant fragrance, no damage to hair and minimal skin/eye irritation. These are characteristics of shampoos which are very important for consumers. It is these characteristics which set one shampoo different from another . The brand, which had the highest number of these characteristics would score the maximum marks. The results of the survey are- The figure indicates points. Questions Tagline Fragrance Unique Characteristics ( rinsing, etc) Sub Total Percentile Brand Differentiation Clinic Plus Pantene Fiama 5 5 5 25 14 10 8 11 11 40 50 44 78 40 80 60 70 20 Garnier 7 18 14 63 102 100 Sunsilk 4 18 6 70 98 80 Garnier is highest on differentiation Sunsilk is second on differentiation, with an 80 percentile. There are many reasons for Sunsilk to enjoy differentiation. Sunsilk Gang of Girls (GoG) is an online social networking website. The GoG initiative had generated immense interest among the target audience, media and analysts. In November 2006, it was reported that the site had generated 200 million hits and got on an average 12 million to 13 million page views per month. By March 2007, the number of registered members had crossed the half million mark, with about 30,000 gangs. In our survey, we asked few questions on the gang of girls. The results are as follows- The figures indicate the number of respondents. Multiple responses were allowed. From the above graph, it can be seen that 18 respondents felt that Sunsilk gang of girls is unique, 17 felt that it gave a digital cool to the brand, 14 found it to be informative and 8 found Sunsilk gang of girls as a source of fun. Thus, respondents have shown positive response towards Sunsilk gang of girls. Thus the gang of girls would have helped Sunsilk to differentiate from other brands. Another area where Sunsilk has managed to differentiate has been as a hair care expert. Sunsilk has brought the concept of the Sunsilk Hair Expert, a professional trained in the art of hair care and styling, to which one could turn to with any hair care problem or issue. Customers are offered free hair care and styling consultations by Sunsilk hair experts Jawed Habib and Samantha Kochhar. The respondents were asked questions on Sunsilk’s initiatives as a hair care brand. The responses have been as follows. The figures indicate the number of respondents and multiple responses were allowed. The above graph indicates that 13 respondents feel that Sunsilk employs many hair care experts, 10 feel that Sunsilk regularly conducts hair tests and 14 feel that Sunsilk provides tailor made solutions. Thus, Sunsilk has high differentiation. Its various initiatives have helped it to be seen different from competitors. The survey even tried to understand how the respondents perceive the price of different brands. Price is an important differentiator; therefore, it is important to see how consumers perceive the various prices. Characteristics Unaffordable Expensive but affordable Value for money Inexpensive Sunsilk -1 18 4 Pantene 2 8 5 Garnie r 5 14 3 Fiama 5 10 3 1 Clinic Plus 12 14 The majority of respondents feel Sunsilk is a value for money. Relevance For measuring relevance of Sunsilk, the following questions were asked: The respondents were shown five bottles of shampoos with the names removed. The respondents were asked to rank the samples in order of preference of the product design. Design of a bottle is important for the consumer. The product design, being ranked one would get the maximum points. The next question was where the respondents had to name brands they would like to be associated with. If a consumer would want to be associated with a brand, then the brand would be relevant for the consumer. In the last question on relevance, the respondents were asked a series of questions on why would they purchase a shampoo. The following were askedSunsilk Fiama Clinic Plus Garnier Pantene Characteristics The brand has high quality (for e. g. it’s a complete hair nourisher) The brand is appropriate for my hair and satisfies my needs more than the others The brand is innovative The brand has many variants The brand is enriched with active natural ingredients Multiple responses were allowed. The results of the survey are- Brand Relevance Questions Ad Associate Purchase Sub Total Percentile Clinic Plus 41 57 27 125 20 Pantene 85 83 33 201 60 Fiama 76 50 27 153 40 Garnie r 70 95 67 232 80 Sunsilk 80 75 63 218 100 It is seen that Sunsilk brand is highest on relevance. This could be on account of various reasons. Sunsilk is a popular brand, a Unilever product, used since many decades. It is a quality product at affordable price. Moreover, it has wide variety of variants to cater to different consumer preferences. The product is relevant among wide masses because of its quality, affordability and constant innovation. Brand Strength Differentiation and relevance combine to determine brand strength. They point to the brand’s future value Thus, it can be seen that Sunsilk has highest brand relevance and the second highest brand differentiation. Thus the brand has strong growth potential. Bringing the four together- D, R, E, K Brand Asset Valuator Model Thus, in conclusion it can be said that Sunsilk has growth potential. When we see Sunsilk’s brand stature, it is second highest in knowledge, but not high on esteem. There has been entry of many premium brands in the shampoo industry. To fight premium brands, Sunsilk innovated, tried to move up the value chain. They increased prices by 10%, expanded range of hair care products. Their efforts have been to be make Sunsilk a mid premium brand, otherwise, they would lose out the huge growth of aspirational customers across India. However, the survey shows that Sunsilk is still perceived as a mass brand. Brands like Garnier have higher esteem. Brands like Garnier occupy a premium image in the consumer’s mind. Therefore, there is more regard for Garnier. People are familiar with Sunsilk, but it is more of a mass brand and not a brand which is held in very high regard. When we see Sunsilk’s brand strength, it is second highest in differentiation and highest in relevance. Thus the brand has high growth potential. 2. Presentation of findings and conclusion for laddering method There were 7 attributes, 8 consequences and 5 values that were identified from the depth interviews. These are: Attributes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Branded (premium product) Expensive Light liquid colour (Transparency) Slick packaging Fragrance Larger size Brand ambassador Consequences Quality (superior product) Accessory/ Sophistication Fewer side effects/ manageable hair Natural ingredients/ chemical free Presentable, positive outlook Non-oily, bouncy, light hair Hygiene, no dandruff or itchy scalp More quantity Values Self-esteem Belonging Status symbol Accomplishment Sense of achievement Family 1. Most respondents stated that out of the listed attributes, the label or brand of the shampoo was important. This was because they associated a premium brand with superior quality and indicated it as being crucial as a status symbol. 2. The monetary value of a shampoo was also considered important as this was again associated with quality. 3. A light colored liquid shampoo was preferred as lighter shade liquids are considered chemical free and â€Å"pure† by the respondents. This was further associated with being beneficial for hair and connected to self-esteem by the respondents. 4. An attractive bottle was associated with quality by the respondents. 5. Respondents stated that fragrance was important for a shampoo as soothing fragrance was associated with feeling lively and confident. Also, a soothing fragrance was associated with a cooling effect. 6. A few respondents stated that a larger size bottle was convenient as shampoo was used regularly. Besides, it was economical and could be used by the whole family. 7. Lastly, a brand ambassador was of significance to the respondents. Many considered a shampoo to be of high quality and sophisticated if a well know celebrity was associated with the product. Also, the shampoo was then treated as an accessory and added to the esteem of the person. - Bibliography www. sunsilk. com www. sunsilkgangofgirls. com www. icmrindia. org youtube. com www. lifecantwait. com www. moneycontrol. com www. hindubusinessline. com www. domain-b. com