Babasaheb Gawade Institute of Management Studies

SUBJECT MARKETING MANAGEMENT

TITLE
MARKETING PLAN FOR UNILEVERS AXE DEODORANT
Submitted To: Prof. C. D Souza Submitted By: Renita Dennis
MMS II A Roll No.14

Table of Contents
1. Introduction 2. Situational Analysis (PEST) 3. SWOT Analysis 4. TWOS Analysis 5. Porters Analysis 6. Competition Analysis 7. Consumer Analysis 8. Segmentation 9. Targeting 10. Positioning & Branding 11. Marketing Strategies Creative Strategy Media Strategy Public Relations Interactive/Online Retail Marketing Digital Media Strategy 12. Brand Format & Extensions 13. Marketing Mix

14. Sustaining Growth & Market Share Bibliography

1. Introduction An Icon for sure Axe is a success story that is so difficult to emulate. One can only marvel and enjoy. Axe has got every thing perfect for its success, it got its segments correct, and the targeting was exemplary and positioning: something to drool for. And more over Luck was on its side. Axe was born in France in the Year 1983 by Unilever. It was inspired by another of Unilever's brands Impulse. Impulse was a fragranced deodorant body spray for women that promised wearers male attention. Unilever were keen to capitalize on Axe's French success and rolled it out in the rest of Europe from 1985 onwards, later introducing the other products in the range. Unilever were unable to use the name Axe in the UK and Ireland due to trademark problems so it was launched as Lynx. The European launch of the deodorant was followed by success in Latin America and moderate impact in Asia and Africa. In the new millennium the brand has launched with great success in the U.S. and Canada. The company has also consolidated its deodorant portfolio by migrating other over-lapping male deodorants into the Axe brand such as South Africa's Ego brand. 26 years later, this brand is Unilever's Best selling brand worldwide. It has an iconic status in whichever market it has entered. Axe deo was launched in India during 1999 . It has become the leading male deodorant brand in India within just one year of its launch.

Hindustan Unilever offer Axe deo. Axe, the deodorant that is considered cool, fashionable and stylish by young men is available in more than 60 countries around the world, it is a world leader in male toiletries Axe has a mix that is completely harmonized globally - from its proposition and communication to the product, as available on the shelf.

2. Situational Analysis
Political/ Legal Environment

Axes Chocolate Deo Ad raises stink with Govt. THE AXE EFFECT focuses on the increased attention males receive from eager, and attractive, female pursuers simply because of wearing AXE deodorant and body sprays. To communicate this message, Axe uses dirty advertising which gets the brand into trouble with the government. For instance, the advertisement of Axe's 'Dark Temptations' deodorant shows a male model wearing the chocolate-smelling deodorant, eliciting objectionable reactions from women. Keeping in line with its crackdown on suggestive advertisements being televised, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) took strong objection to the promotional campaign of the brand, terming it indecent, vulgar and repulsive. The Ministry asked the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) to advise the advertisers "to refrain from airing the said advertisement".

A copy of the complaint had also been forwarded to the secretary general of Indian Broadcasting Foundation asking them to advise broadcasters to air the advertisement only after precautionary measures have been taken to avoid some objectionable portions. The advertisement was eventually pulled off the air. Economic Environment Axe caters to the medium and the high income class consumers. It targets the urban metrosexuals. It is priced at a premium. It has its market in developed and developing countries like France, United States, Canada, and other countries of Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa.

Social Cultural Environment Man's obsession with woman and woman's suspicion of man's motives for this obsession are deeply rooted archetypes that are well documented through the ages. However, it is as true today as it ever was that the course of true love never did run smooth. A mans interest in woman is greatest, but he lacks the charm or knowledge to know how to engage her as she would wish. Anything that promises to help young men attract women plays to a large and attentive audience. Advice in this area is not a new phenomenon as it was proffered over two millennia ago in the Kama Sutra which provided information to the young man on how to get the girl. Today's men's magazines such as FHM, Maxim and Arena are full of hints and tips on how to get the girl, although approaching a girl with the chat up line, 'My bed is broken, can I sleep in yours,' lacks some of the charm of those in the Kama Sutra. Keen to help men's confidence in this area, Unilever launched the Axe brand providing a fragranced deodorant body-spray that smelled so irresistible that it attracted members of the opposite sex. Mans desire for women will be of eternal existence in society and Axe has taken advantage of this desire. However, Unilever began to face a problem with its two brands having contradicting values. Unilevers brand Dove used around the world encourages women to look at beauty in a different way. It encourages them to recognise 'real' beauty. It boosts their self esteem. On the other hand, Axe revolved around young men who found that Axe could make them irresistible to women. The women in question were objects in every sense. The problem was the utter contradiction between the two efforts. Dove told women they

should embrace their own unique, if imperfect, beauty. Yet the Axe used the very types of unachievable 'beauty' that Dove seemed to want to eliminate.

Technological Environment Axe has recognised the technological advancement. It is aware that its consumers are techno savvy. Hence to reach its customers and to know them better, it has gone beyond the television advertisements to internet advertisements. To interact with its 60,000-user base it launched its website axeffect.com The content of axeffect.com is specially designed to take a guy from boredom into the land of Axe The land of seduction. The website has sections on the funkiest grooming trends across the globe which can make a man cool and very very Axey. It is a youth centric website rather than being an Axe website.

3. SWOT Analysis
Strengths It is the leading male deodorant brand in India, established leader in Europe and Latin America and world's most popular male grooming brand. It has a variety of fragrances thus ensures that the customers are constantly engaged with new fragrances and campaigns. It understands the emotions of men. Its effective advertisements help communicate with its target audience easily. Excellent track record of advertising awards, including 10 Cannes Lions. The active formula of Axe Deodorant gives continuous, effective protection against perspiration odors during the whole day. Customer Loyalty Customers are deeply attached to the brand that they want to own all the variants of the brand.

Weaknesses Its advertisements can hurt the opposite sex Axe has not set up an extensive manufacturing base in India as a result of which many of their products are imported from factories towards the east. This has pushed the prices of the deo spray up.

Opportunities Axe can easily diversify into new product lines It can establish new markets, thus increasing its global market share. It can set up its manufacturing base in India.

Threats Competition from Indian brands like Set Wet Zatak. In India, Axe may face government interference. The strong values of the Indian society may affect its brand image.

4. TWOS Analysis Opportunities With strong customer loyalty, Axe can easily diversify into new product lines It can establish new markets, thus increasing its global market share. It can set up its manufacturing base in India. Threats Competition from Indian brands like Zatak In India, Axe may face government interference. The strong values of the Indian society may affect its brand image.

Strengths
It is the leading male deodorant brand in India, established

leader in Europe and Latin America and world's most popular male grooming brand It has a variety of fragrances thus ensures that the customers are constantly engaged with new fragrances and campaigns. It

As a leading brand with a strong Position in the deodorant market, it can diversify into new product lines & enter new markets. Its brand variants definitely help gain customer loyalty and a bigger market share.

With a strong position in the market & being the leading deodorant brand, it can easily compete.

Its brand variants give it an advantage over its competitors. Moreover, it can retain its customers without loosing them to its competitors. Due to its emotional

understands the emotions of men Its effective advertisements helps communicate with its target audience easily With effective advertising, Axe enhances its brand awareness, thus gaining market share & can easily diversify.

approach, it is in a better position than competitors. Axe should take care not to violate culture; it should not cross limits in its ads. This will help curtail government interference.

Strengths Customer Loyalty Customers are deeply attached to the brand that they want to own all the variants of the brand. Axe can easily diversify due to its customer loyalty. It can take over its competitors with no problem.

Weaknesses Its advertisements can hurt the opposite sex

As a leading brand, its need to have a good corporate image, thus, respecting the opposite sex is essential. It should not cross the limits in the advertisements. It can invest in India by starting its manufacturing hub in India.

By respecting the opposite sex, it can avoid government interference & the strong values of the Indian culture may also not be affected. By establishing its manufacturing hub in India, it can reduce the market price of the deo sprays. This way it can easily get a competitive advantage.

Axe has not set up an extensive manufacturing base in India as a result of which many of their products are imported from factories towards the

east. This has pushed the prices of the deo spray up.

5. Porters Analysis

Threat from Competitors - Increasing/ High - Set Wet Zatak, Threat from New Entrants - Low - Wild Stone Gillette, Old Spice

Threat from Substitutes - Low - Cologne - Body Talc - Roll Ons

AXE DEODORANT

Bargaining Power of Suppliers - Low

Bargaining Power of Customers - Low

Porters 5 Forces for Axe

Threats from new entrants The level of threat from new entrants is very low such as Wils Stone. This is due to Axes customer loyalty & leading position in the market.

Threats from competitors The level of threat from the domestic competitors like Set Wet Zatak is increasing due to the high price of Axe. However, with its strong branding Axe clearly dominates the market. Among the three major deodorant body spray/cologne brands in the U.S., Unilever's Axe has quickly become the most popular, beating out competing entries from Procter & Gamble (Old Spice) and Gillette (Gillette Series).

Threats of substitutes Competition from substitutes like body talc for men like Avon is very low. Threat from cologne is medium. Men consider Axe more of cologne than a deo spray. They also prefer Axe to cologne as it is cheaper & suits all occasions. However, there are many target customers who still prefer Cologne. Threat from roll ons like Nivea Roll On is low as Axe Deodorant Roll on is available.

Bargaining Power of Customers Bargaining power of customers is fairly low as demand is very high for Axe deo spray of Rs. 150 for a net contain of 150ml. Customers are ready to pay a high price for Axe because it makes them feel irresistible & them a edge in the mating game.

Bargaining Power of Suppliers Bargaining power of suppliers is low as the demand from customers is very high. Thus, they need to stack their shelves with Axe deo sprays

6. Competition Analysis
Axe v/s. Competitors Competitive male grooming brands took notice of the new product form that Axe introduced to the US (deodorant body spray) and launched competitive (and in the case of TAG, Gillette's new body spray identical looking) products. Additionally competitors began to mirror the 'emotional' approach Axe had taken to communicating. Before Axe, the category spoke very rationally to guys, showcasing gloriously sweaty armpits and high tech solutions to keep you sweat free. Axe differentiated itself by speaking emotionally, with no mention of product efficacy in any communication. The promise of the 'Axe Effect' was incredibly simple. Spraying on this product can help get girls. Girls simply love the smell of it. The 'Axe effect' became part of their targets vernacular, and strong fragrance credentials were established for the brand. Among the three major deodorant body spray/cologne brands in the U.S., Unilever's Axe has quickly become the most popular, beating out competing entries from Procter & Gamble (Old Spice) and Gillette (Gillette Series). Axe has now like many companies set its sights on India and for a sector that many arent interested in, the competition from Indian brands has just begun and is on the way to becoming bigger. Axes entry into India was based on it simply testing the waters as such. The deodorant industry in India had been largely unorganized. Men-the gender Axe exclusively make products for have long relied on traditional methods to remove body odor and for many its not even been an issue.

But Axe knew that by creating awareness about their brand and what it could do, theyd be successful. Its a mantra that has worked. Axe initially relied on a system of flooding Indian shops with their deodorants. They simply relied on the shop owner to sell their product to any male who was looking for a deodorant. Axe werent novel using this method. It had and continues to be done even today by multinational deodorant brands like Nike and Adidas but the fact that they constantly reacted to the demand for the spray by increasing supply has helped them to become leaders in the field. Axe have however been hit by their pricing strategy. They have not set up an extensive manufacturing base in India as a result of which many of their products are imported from factories towards the east. This has pushed the prices of their spray up and its been this feature that rival deo sprays, especially Indian are looking to exploit. To combat this axe has launched a cheaper range of deos in India under the Rexona brand. Both Axe and Rexona are run by the Unilever group.

Axes Competitors The Zatak brand is seen as the direct competitor to Axe which is also doing well because its been pricing its products cheaper. Its also been around for longer than Rexona in the mens department. Pricing aside, theres the question of branding and this is where Axe clearly dominates. Their advertising campaigns are aimed at young men with catchy slogans and slightly provocative ads which as bold as theyve been, have been successful in pushing up their sales. Its also prompted their competitors to launch their own campaigns with Zataks latest campaign taking a bold dig at Axe in their own ads signifying for the first time in three

years that the smaller David is looking to slay the bigger Goliath. Whether this will happen is something to be seen. For Axe the way forward will require them to bring the prices of their products down and look to set up a manufacturing hub in India. For Zatak, its about consolidating their position without losing out their consumers to newer entrants.

7. Customer Analysis / Behaviour

Mike Bloom, senior vice-president for drugstore chain CVS Corp., says he has never seen such an explosive launch in the deodorant aisle, nor a product that drove as many young men to those shelves. "They're buying two to three cans at once," says Bloom. Axe understands its customers, the male demographic and reaches out to them with the right variants. It boost young guys self confidence and gives them a strong position in the mating game. Men of all ages from teenage boys to adults are the buyers of Axe deodorant. It is the leading male deodorant brand in India, established leader in Europe and Latin America and world's most popular male grooming brand. Its success, buyer satisfaction and customer loyalty can be best understood by some of the following customer reviews:

What I like about the Axe deo1. Axe Effect Really last long Catering to my office needs working round the clock sometimes (experts call it 24 / 7, makes your vocabulary sound sexy) , I feel the faint axe effect when I take a shower, 14 hours after I sprayed it on 2. It gives a refreshing and energetic feeling.

3. It is neither too loud nor too subtle. But after one sprays it on one self, ones presence becomes more appealing. 4. It is less expensive. In a way, It is expensive no doubt, but less expensive. I almost use a can a month, if used generously. 5. You can use it for any occasion. Usually some perfumes arent right for parties or functions. - Davie Boy (Employed at Dell)

I bought VooDoo as my first scent...I like it alot. Im very intrigued by some of the other scents and plan to buy them soon. Use it across the body...about a 2 second spray, and you should be good for awhile. The only thing I dont like about it is that its a tad pricey at $4 something a can. I would have bought more at once if it was a little cheaper. Overall, I would definitely recommend it. Smell is the sense that is remembered more than anything...I know I want to be remembered! - Mark Smith (college student)

The Dark Temptation is the best Axe deodorant spray. I got mine like a couple months ago while I was in Hawaii and when I got it I did not want to use it all...the chicks like it at my school, they tried to steal it from me one time. I really can't imagine why Axe wouldn't market this permanently, the stuff's great. Shay (high school teenager)

I have guys colleagues at work that wear many of the Axe products...not all at once though. I could follow them around all day! Love this product and its great scents! - Siren Singh (employee at Writers Ltd.)

Axe Deodorant Body Spray was targeted for Men but commercials and ads appealed to the teenage boys and now the Middle School hallways smell of AXE! Not only did I witness this first hand, my friend; the Algebra Teacher confirmed. Teenage boys across America are in love with AXE Body Spray, My 13 year old son included. He loves Axe. He uses the AXE deodorant, body wash and body spray. He applies it liberally and it all but gags me out of house and home. The scent is STRONG. Overwhelmingly strong. In defense of AXE, it does cover up the teenage boy sports sweat smell quite well. Crystal Bush (Mother of a teenage son)

I have tried most of the fragrances and not all of them are good, but I try it because I like the brand. That is the power of brand - Harish B (analyst & customer)

8. Segmentation
It is geographically classified across national boundaries like France, United States, and India, countries of Latin America, Asia and Europe. Further, it is classified within the national boundaries according to states. Then finally into urban and rural areas. The market is divided demographically, that is, male and female. Further, it is classified into age groups like 16 yrs and below, 16 25yrs. & 25yrs. and above.

9. Targeting
Axe is the naughtiest brand in the Indian market. The brand is targeted at male aged 1625. Internationally this brand targets male aged 15-25. It targets all 'Young at heart" naughty guys -pre-adolescent boys to aging men, from college students to corporate executive on the go.

10. Positioning & Branding

The master brand mission is 'giving guys the edge in the mating game'. The brand has its brand values of Cool, Fashionable and Stylish. And world over, the brand sticks to its core values. The biggest strength of this brand is the underlying message or the DNA which is that the brand users are high on Confidence and always for the Axe users, Girls Makes the First Move. The biggest competitive advantage of this brand is its complete monopoly over this brand proposition. All its campaigns revolve round this central theme of Seduction where Girl makes the first move. It has lot of subliminal implications. The brand assumes that Men want (Likes) to be seduced. That feeling (of being seduced) gives a big boost of self confidence to a man. Although many brands take this proposition, Axe just made it perfect. Moreover, its parent company is Unilever, which has a strong position in the fast moving consumer goods global market.

11. Marketing Strategies Creative Strategy

Developing the Right Positioning for Axe Instinctively, they gravitated to leveraging their fragrance credentials. The fragrance message had worked brilliantly for the body spray, proving to be a plausible, credible conduit to attracting the ladies. Media Strategy

Dirty Media Media needed to ensure Axes 'dirty message' reached a mass audience, and continued to surprise and delight guys, hitting them when they least expected it. A 'dirty media' strategy was devised to amplify the brands dirty messaging. The company wanted to hit guys as best as they could when they were either having 'dirty thoughts' or indeed doing 'dirty things'. Mass Media

Placement of the TV advertising including Baywatch, Blind Date, Laguna Beach, My Super Sweet 16, Next, The Real World, and Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Movie Placement in American Pie 3 and the Hot Chick. Print steered the creative to dirtier babe laden titles such as Playboy magazine, FHM, Stuff and Maxim. Television When Unilever first launched Axe in the U.S. in 2002 -- at a stroke inventing a whole new male grooming subcategory called body spray -- it relied more heavily on television. The first ads were certainly sufficiently racy to catch young guys' attention: They showed beautiful women ravishing store mannequins that had been sprayed with Axe. Unilever also deployed Axe Angels -- girl-next-door types who roamed store aisles lifting men's shirts and spraying them with Axe. Bom Chic A Wah Wah A new campaign for Axe body sprays which replaces the Axe Effect. The spots in this campaign again show women taken out of their normal routine by the effects of Axe body spray. In one execution, a woman is preparing for a date with her man but when

She arrives at the restaurant she is distracted by waiter carrying bread. She bursts out with the phrase Bom Chic A Wah Wah while undulating. Then she catches herself and looks embarrassed. A second execution has a woman teaching English to a group of foreign students when a teenager enters and she repeats the Bom Chic A Wah Wah and shimmy which the foreign students repeat. Others Newspaper Consumer Magazine Point of Purchase

Public Relations

Unilever spent $31 million on Axe from August 2002 through this August, per TNS/CMR. A noteworthy consumer promo includes the Axe mannequin it named "Quinn," who gets dragged to events like the VH1 awards show and other venues attracting young guys (Quinn first started appearing in TV ads as having so much charisma after being dosed with Axe, women can't keep their hands off of him). Unilever

also spent a lot of time building partnerships with under the radar young guy Web sites like Liquidgeneration.com, and College TV. Axe Launch in Canada The Axe account team at Edelman PR in Toronto and Montreal co-ordinated the Montreal leg of the tour with Montreal's Segal Promotions. They threw a huge street party at Crescent and De Maisonneuve streets from 7-11 p.m. on Nov. 30,2002. Canadian acts Treble Charger, the Rascalz and Montreal hip-hop rhymster Spek played free to an audience that Edelman senior account co-ordinator Patty Chung estimated at 10,000 in number. Quebec emcee Caroline Neron hosted the night and played interactive games with the audience. "We'll actually have Axe Angels and they'll be giving out samples," said Chung shortly before the event. "That's a big initiative of Axe - to actually get it in the hands of the consumer. We're not spraying it in the air. We give out samples at the end so people don't go spraying six different scents in everyone's face."

Interactive/Online

As Facebook and MySpace have grabbed media attention. MySpace has 59 million unique users, it offers advertisers targeting capabilities. Axe and many other trendy youth brands, such as have taken notice of both the numbers and the targeting. Axe has its ads flash on the webpage when the user is online. Online, Axe bought banners in Sports Illustrated at a time that their swim suit edition of the magazine was running and ran a unique insert in SI Swimsuit Issue. The cool web initiatives of this brand : Axe- feather Axe Effect Axe Phenomenon and also a blog called Evan and Gareth

Other Supporting Communications Programs Additionally, Axe dominated the time and place where guys are dirtiest: Spring break. Axe effectively owned two of the largest spring break destinations for college guys in the

country. Media bought at spring break included bar posters, hotel shower curtains, hotel mirror clings, floor stickers in hotel lobbies, cups in bars, bar napkins, elevator wraps, beach posters and bus wraps.

Retail Marketing in-store events

Another low-cost Axe innovation is retail placement. At Unilever's suggestion, mass outlets with greater space flexibility, including Wal-Mart and Target, have spread Axe beyond the deodorant section, placing it in manly aisles like automotive and electronics. Sampling on university campus Sampling handouts in cinema Health Clubs

Digital Media Strategy

Unilever started out allotting roughly 60 percent of its advertising budget to television, but it has since winnowed that down to about 30 percent, pouring more money into offbeat alternatives. "If my guy is spending 12 hours a week playing games and nine hours watching TV, I have to go to videogames," marketing director Kevin George explains. The streaming videos plus downloads from www.theaxeffect.com to cell phones and Sony PlayStations this summer, a video game, blogs, and chatrooms are all helping Axe keep its position as the top-selling male body spray,with 80% of the market. It targets young men and they are a uniquely challenging demographic for a marketeer. They attract a huge amount of attention from other brands, yet their active lifestyle and love of new technology means they are rarely at home sitting in front of the television waiting to see your ads. Therefore, Unilever and their ad agencies are downgrading the importance of the 30second TV spot. Unilever believes that if it can create compelling entertainment on the Net and in game venues where guys spend time, it can foster brand loyalty. "This is all about going beyond the 30-second TV commercial to create a deeper bond with our guy," says Unilever Marketing Director Kevin George There's a series of short videos on EvanandGareth.com, which follows two regular guys as they try to pick up chicks.Unilever is counting on the evanandgareth.com video blog to keep the buzz going. The consumer-goods giant enlisted Conductor, a Santa Monica

(Calif.) marketing firm that promoted the Spiderman films, to help launch the site in April, 2005. On May 18 an online video game called Mojo Master appeared; players could test their moves on virtual vixens using their home PCs. The result of all this Axe wielding? Besides the commanding market share lead, Mike Bloom, senior vice-president for drugstore chain CVS Corp., says he has never seen such an explosive launch in the deodorant aisle, nor a product that drove as many young men to those shelves. "They're buying two to three cans at once," says Bloom. Mobile networks provide access to a group of young consumers who dont spend much time online. According to Juniper Research, the number of users of mobile chat and dating services worldwide is expected to rise from 40 million in 2007 to 260 million in 2012, with revenue expected to exceed $1 billion in 2010.Axe has taken notice of both the numbers and the targeting. Unilevers Axe brand wanted to target 18-24 year-old males on a dating-oriented mobile social network to its extend,a new online mini-film was made.The spoofy five-minute video, The Axe Vice Naughty to Nice Program, about sex-hungry women, was created by Bartle Bogle Hagerty and appears on Axes Web site. The company worked with AirG and mobile agency Ad Infuse (with input from BBH and media agency MindShare) to develop a seven-week banner and video-sharing campaign that offers members of the 4-million-strong Hookt network free teaser versions of the video to share with friends. The mobile campaign was unveiled at the end of September, 2007. Why did the brand opt for the mobile platform on a social network? Axes strategy is based on going beyond TV, print and the PC to find additional consumers who would enjoy the video and bond with the brands personality. Axe found mobile social networks could target customers that online networks couldnt, offering a new level of personalization. We know our audience of young guys is mobile phone super-users who use phones not only for communication, but also entertainment, so we thought this could be a fun way to introduce them to their new vice video, says Sam Chadha, director of antiperspirants at Unilever. Digital media in general, including mobile

Social networks provide a fun area to play where we can create unique and surprising experiences for our guy, he adds. In the Axe social mobile campaign, banner ads showing the logo and images of a naughty girl appear at the bottom quarter of the phones screen only if the users profile says he is male, aged 18-24 and has a phone with video capabilities. The banner asks the member to sign up to receive five 30-second clips from the Axe video (one each week). Once the member provides his phone number and clicks the signup button, he gets a fullscreen picture from the video, a message that his first clip has been sent to his e-mail and the option to send the clip to other network members. Each user interaction is tracked, says Trevor Hamilton, director of national advertising sales at Ad Infuse Industry surveys suggest that Axe is a pioneer among advertisers that are studying how to use mobile social networks. Whatever the next stage of the Axe strategy is, look for it on the Internet and on cell phones, not on television.

Strategy for India

Axe deo was launched in India during 1999. The brand launch was very quiet and theoretically the brand was having the strategy of Slow Skimming i.e High Price Low Promotion. Axe at that time was the leading men's deo brand in Europe and was popular in India in the Grey market ( available in duty paid shops) .HLL may have launched this brand inspired by the volume of Axe sold in the Grey market. At that time, the deo market was a nascent one with an estimated market size of Rs 72 crore. HLL had the brands Denim and Rexona and was ruling the market. Axe was priced at a premium above the Denim brand which was positioned as a male deo brand.

Axe initially was launched in the fragrance Java, Alaska and Atlantic. HLL did not bother to fine tune its Promotional mix to Indian market but just imported the

promotions.... meaning, the company just ran the ads which was popular in the Europe and other markets. At that time, the product was also imported from Europe. And IT CLICKED.... rest as they say is History... Axe in 2002 was having a market share of over 35% and soon HLL phased out Denim brand to concentrate on this Star. The biggest competitive advantage of this brand is its complete monopoly over this brand proposition. All its campaigns revolve round this central theme of Seduction where Girl makes the first move. That feeling (of being seduced) gives a big boost of self confidence to a man. A lot of ads where girls are seen drooling over Hunks in Motorcycle or in Ready-mades, or even in Innerwears, but in most of the Axe ads, there are no Hunks, only very ordinary or even skinny kind of people getting assaulted by beautiful girls. That makes the brand more approachable. Had Axe used a Hunk, the promotions couldn't have been so effective. The brand managers were so wise that when they used a celebrity like Ben Affleck, they ensured that the brand is made approachable. Having said that, the males seen in Axe commercials are not Losers: the ads are careful to show them as confident (in one way or other) or a better term will be self assured. That is ultimate execution. The power of this Big Idea has ensured that Indian consumers lap up the foreign commercials without any hitch. There has not been any India centric ad for Axe especially in Television and Indian consumers are not complaining either. Along with these, the brand also ensured that customers are constantly engaged with new fragrances and campaigns. In 2005, Axe had a high profile launch of its new fragrance CLICK and before that there was Axe Land campaign and followed by Axe-Academy then Axe Voodoo and the latest one Phenomenon. Axe is one of the rare brands that have embraced new media to the maximum extent. The brand has started its Internet based marketing initiative in India with Axe Land which involved a virtual trip to the Axe world. Not only the brand uses TVCs to its advantage, the print ads of Axe won several accolades in various ad events. The creatives run along with the kind of flexibility that they get from the positioning. Besides Print, the brand also uses outdoors to its maximum impact. Axe is a classic example of 360 degree branding effort. One of the reports term the marketing strategy of Axe as "Adventurous Marketing". That is true because its risky because the brand deals with Girls & Seduction. Not always every one may like the theme or the campaigns.

In India especially there are self styled Cultural Policemen/Women who cries foul for anything and everything. It is really surprising that so far, Axe has escaped their AXE. That also shows that the ad agency is also careful about the concepts put across the Indian media. While in a more liberal markets, Axe tests new levels of " Adventures" , here the brand plays really safe. It also ensures the campaigns run in Indian media are accepted because most often its the entire family who watches the TV. Whatever the medium, the idea is the same. Says George, "Guys think about three things: Girls, girls, and girls."

12. Brand Format & Extensions

Brand Format Although Axe's lead product is the fragranced aerosol deodorant body spray, other formats of the brand exist. Within underarm care the following are available: Deodorant aerosol body spray, Deodorant stick, Deodorant roll-on, AntiFAT aerosol spray (Axe Dry), and Antiperspirant stick (Axe Dry). In 2009 the brand launched an 8-centimeter container called the Lynx Bullet. It is intended to be portable so that it can be carried in the pocket and used whenever and wherever needed.

Axe Shower Gels

Brand Extensions The brand has also extended into other areas such as shower gels, aftershaves and Eau de Toilette, skin care, shampoo and hairstyling products. Axe is the Number One Male Shower Brand in the Unites States Failed extensions include Barbershop and razors.

13. Marketing Mix

It has an iconic status in whichever market it has entered. It is also one of the rare brands which can boast of replicating its entire marketing mix across geographical boundaries. The campaigns that you see in India is what the entire world is watching. For those who propound Glocalisation , AXE is an exception.

Product
Features

Axe deodorant body sprays cater exclusively for men. Priced at a premium and promising to give guys an 'edge in the mating game' It provides long lasting protection through a new effective deodorant system. CFC free. The active formula of Axe Deodorant gives you continuous, effective protection against perspiration odors during the whole day. Offered in different varieties, the fragrance options vary from soft to vibrant and sensory stimulating. With the unique fragrance combination, the deodorant spray is offered as an alternative to cologne without the impact of a cheap smelling odor. The multiple fragrances of Axe are a major selling point. The smell that each scent of Axe presents is strong but not over powering, and offers a great alternative to cologne. Each scent is unique, making it easy to have multiple favorites. Provided in a variety of scents, AXE Body Sprays are not hypo-allergenic. As a result, individuals with sensitive skin types or sensitive to smell may not benefit from the use of the AXE Body Sprays.

Variants Axe delivers regular innovation, keeping the offering fresh and contemporary. From its launch, the yearly fragrance variant of Axe has played a key part in the success of the brand, by offering something new each year. The type of fragrance variants have evolved over time. From 1983 until about 1989, the variant names were descriptions of the odor of the fragrance inside and included Musk, Spice, Amber, Marine and Oriental.

From 1990 until 1996 geographic names were used such as Africa, Alaska, Java, Nevada and Inca. From 1996 to 2002 Axe took inspiration from Calvin Klein fragrances (also owned by Unilever at that time), using the same perfumer, Anne Gottlieb, to develop the fragrances to launch variants such as Dimension, Apollo, Voodoo, Gravity and Phoenix. From 2003 Axe advertisements showed clever ways they helped men get women. In 2003 the Pulse fragrance showed how it gave geeky men the confidence to dance to get women. This was followed by Touch, Unlimited, and Cylix and in 2007; Vice [was marketed on a theme of making "nice" women become "naughty". In 2008 a different direction was taken when a chocolate scented body spray, Dark Temptation, was released.

Axe yearly variant chronology Axe's list of yearly body-spray variants is as follows. This list does not include limited edition or short lived variants, as these are listed in a following table. Year 1983 Variant Name Amber, Musk, Spice Amber, Musk (Moschus in Germany), Spice Description Variant name is a description of fragrance inside. Variant name is a description of fragrance inside. Notes The first three variants that Axe launched with in France. In this year these three variants were used to launch the brand in UK.Musk is still available in France and Germany

1985

1987

Oriental

Variant name is a description of fragrance inside. Variant name is a description of fragrance inside.

1989

Marine

1990

Tempest

This was the first 'new' variant that Axe launched and started a strategy of a yearly new variants Still available in Austria, France, Belgium, and Spain only Discontinued

1991 1992

Mirage Nevada Variant name is taken from a geography Variant name is taken from a geography Variant name is taken from a geography Variant name is taken from a geography A warm spicy fragrance.

Discontinued Discontinued

1993

Java

Discontinued

1994

Alaska

Discontinued- Still Available in Germany Africa has consistently been the biggest variant in UK and still is in 2009 Discontinued

1995 1996

Africa Inca

1997 1998 1999

Atlantis Apollo Voodoo

An abstract variant An abstract variant An abstract variant

Discontinued Named after the Greek god Caused some controversy with Christian groups who objected to the use of black magic imagery The name references the myth of the Phoenix The advertising featured a man falling to earth Inspired by the Sony's PS2 Third Place advertising which is also targeted at young men This is the line up that Axe launched with in U.S. Used the "Make Luv" dance track which reached number 1 in UK.

2000 2001

Phoenix Gravity

An abstract variant An abstract variant

2002

Dimension Apollo, Kilo, Orion, Phoenix, Tsunami, Voodoo Pulse

An abstract variant

2002

Axe launches in U.S.

2003

2003

Essence

2004

Touch

A European variant suggests that it gives geeks added confidence so they can pull off crazy dance moves to impress girls and be irresistible. This US variant was about Man, part good part bad, and has an angel/demon icon. Touch is all about getting women so excited they get turned on just by looking at a man who is wearing this scent.

Used TV advertising that showed two sides to a man's relationship with women The TV advert features women getting more and more turned on

Year

Variant Name

Description

Notes

2005

Unlimited

Unlimited is all about China and kungfu and doing unlimited stunts to get girls This variant makes men so attractive to women they will need a clicker to keep score of the number of women who check them out

Mimics the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon Chinese kungfu film Uses Nick Lachey in the advertising who is outscored by a hotel worker who wears Clix. Axe gave away free clickers to promote the scent. The lynx version uses Ben Affleck in the advertising instead of Nick Lachey. Uses a Morgan Freeman look-a-like in the advertising that mimics the style of a crime film.

2006

Click or Clix

2007

Vice

2008

Dark Temptation

The Vice variant claims that it will turn 'nice girls naughty' thanks to the forbidden fruits in the fragrance. The phrase "virgo in flagrante delicto" is printed in mirrored text on the spray, body wash, and deodorant stick. A chocolate smelling fragrance that implies that because women like chocolate, they will find men who smell of chocolate irresistible.

Advertising features a man who turns into chocolate when he sprays himself with Axe. He then goes on to be eaten by a series of women.

2009

Instinct

Axe Limited Edition chronology Axe also launches limited edition variants from time to time that may be on sale for a few months or over a year.

Axe Limited Edition: AXE 3

Packaging Year 2007 Limited Edition Name 3 Description A pack of two cans of Axe. One is called 1, the other is called 2. Both should be sprayed together to make a new smell A burst of invigorating citrus notes on a clean masculine woody background! Prepare yourself with the cooling effects of AXE Shock shower gel with glacier water and deep sea mint Combines volcanic stone extract with other natural cleaners. A 'stimulating' mint smelling fragrance allowing the wearer to stay focused and get the girl. An antiperspirant, not available as bodyspray. Makes you the life of the party and ready to Samba 3 scents under the Proximity name. Lighter, more sophisticated fragrances targeted at less juvenile men. Retails higher than regular Axe range. Notes Spraying 2 cans together costs two times as much money

2007

Recover

One of the 3 scents released by AXE/LYNX under LIMITED EDITION. One of the 3 scents released by AXE/LYNX under LIMITED EDITION One of the 3 scents released by AXE/LYNX under LIMITED EDITION Advertising features a man that stays focused when he sprays himself with Axe.

2007

Shock

2007

Boost

2008

DRY Sharp Focus

2008

Fever

2009

Proximity: Amber, Bergamot, Vetiver

A fragrance infused with Brazilian hot mud and red dragon fruit extract. Retails higher than regular Axe range. Uses the marketing tagline, 'Discover the seductive power of understatement'.

The axe deodorant is contained in stylish bottle. Its the primary container of the axe; there is no secondary package for the axe deodorant. Axe uses a black can for its product that aims to signify masculinity and make men feel comfortable buying fragrances. Axe is incredibly convenient to say the least. The newest version of the bottle of Axe features a twist top. The new top manages to eliminate any "accidental spraying. Because of this new feature, the bottle can be easily thrown, without care, into a gym bag to offer The best fragrance option for those who are active. The metal of the Axe bottle prevents the bottle from breaking. Growing Use of packaging as marketing tool; 1. Self service 2. Consumer affluence: consumer is now willing to pay a little more for convenience, appearance and prestige of better packages. 3. Company & Brand Image: Instant Recognition 4. Innovation Opportunity Labeling On the bottle of the axe there is really stylish printing, stylish cap. All the information about the axe deodorant, the net volume, price, manufacture date and the variant are printed on the bottle.

Pricing
Axe is priced at a premium. Much less expensive than cologne purchases, the AXE Body Spray offers the budget conscious consumer an opportunity for not only convenient hygiene but also an avenue for saving money in cologne purchases. The price of all the variants of Axe is same. All the variants of AXE are in the same range, they just have different fragrance and flavor AXE DARK TEMPTATION Rs.150, net contain 150ml/96g AXE RECOVER- Rs.-150, net contain 150ml/96g

AXE AFRICA-Rs-150, net contain 150ml/96g

Promotion and advertising

Getting the girl has never been easier, thanks to the AXE effect. As devoted users know, women cant resist ANYONE wearing those great fragrances! Axe gets naughty with its soft-core promotion Soft-core porn has nothing on Axe body spray for men. Unilever's Axe took the men's grooming world by storm in 2002 and almost single-handedly created a new product body spray - by focusing on a typical young guy's fantasy: that a single whiff will arouse attractive young women who subsequently won't be able to keep their hands off of him. Exaggerated humor makes the message campy, without diluting the core message. In the spring of 2007, as the competition for young men's grooming dollars got stiffer, Axe revamped its product packaging and launched an umbrella TV and online campaign sporting the tag "Bom Chicka Wah Wah" - '70s-porn slang for a sexual encounter. In the ads, aroused women exclaimed the phrase to young grocery clerks, waiters and other men they didn't know. But by then, the ads for Old Spice and other rivals were starting to copy Axe's frat-boy approach. As a result, when it came time to introduce its new Vice line body spray, deodorant and shower gel, Axe sought to assert its position as an innovator. Commercial Review Assignment

Axe

The ad attracts people with its humor. The ad shows that if you use Axe then there will be seven Snow Whites instead of Seven Dwarfs, and all of the snow whites will be attracted to you. If a person is very thorough with a thing then they can say that the ad is depicting women as it shows women being completely overwhelmed by nothing more then just a deodorant.

Axe Yet another Axe deodorant ad that can be said is depicting women. Its not that people really believe that using ads will get girls all over you, but its just that they presented the ad using humor, and made something that attracts people very easily. "Our goal was to drive sales of Axe Vice products to 18-24-year-old men, to build buzz and to weave the Axe brand into the culture," says Sam Chadha, Unilever director of antiperspirants and deodorants. Working on the Axe brand that targets young men requires a very different approach from that seen in the rest of Unilever. For this reason several years ago when the brand became truly global and was centralised in London, the newly appointed global brand director introduced the Red Pill Philosophy. Paying homage to the film The Matrix, featuring Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne, he offered the Axe Team two possibilities. You take the blue pill, the story ends and you wake up safely in your bed Or you take the red pill and you let go of the safety ropes. Everyone who worked on the brand embraced the opportunity to take the red pill in order to follow the exciting road less travelled and take more risks. Essentially the Red Pill philosophy means that: 1. The brand leads and does not follow. 2. We are adventurous, but not irresponsible.

3. We trust our gut.

Unilever attributes Axes success to its tightly focused promotional efforts dramatizing Boy gets Girl benefits resulting from product usage. Axe received Clios 2006 Advertiser of the Year Award for its creative leadership; with its edgy individual commercials receiving numerous creative prizes--including 10 Cannes Lions. Axe marketing emphasizes on-line promotionsweb sites, instant messaging, blogs, and games. Additionally, Axe campaigns frequently involve collaborative promotions and orchestrated events carefully targeting adolescents and young adults. Taken together, Unilevers highly innovative and imaginative promotional efforts have generated a distinct high profile Axe image, while furthering brand equity. Moreover, Axes promotions have contributed to extensive--positive and negative press coverage and word-of-mouth communication both within and beyond its target market.

Place
Axes Global Presence

Distributors are in better contact with customers than the company. Wholesale distributors reported that Axe body spray led the men's grooming category in 2007. Nearly half of the top-10 best-selling deodorant brands for Imperial Distributors were Axe items, led by the body sprays, according to Al Jones, senior vice president of procurement at the company, which serves the eastern U.S. According to Unilever, the Indian model is a cushion against recession. It will continue to grow. The first thing Unilever did was to strengthen their three R&D centres, including the ones in Bangalore and Shanghai. They are emphasizing on research in this part of the world. Research plays a key role, as Unilever is driven by innovation. It does not see anything missing in terms of quality or innovation (in its Indian operations). What Unilever is now trying to do is to have a better organisation and structure so that they can make bigger innovations here for faster expansion around the world. For example, it launched the Axe Chocolate deo in 52 countries simultaneously. Axe is available at the retail stores, chemists, supermarkets, malls for easy reach of the customers. Axe has increased sales worldwide by successfully expanding distribution into one country after another; while the strategically timed introduction of new fragrances has increased overall market share.

14. Sustaining Growth

Axe global market share Country India 1999 28.6 AC Nielsen Argentina UK US 2006 deodorant share (%) India 1999 28.6 AC India 1999 28.6 AC Nielsen Nielsen 1986 20.2 1985 19.5 2002 13.5 Launch year Source India 1999 28.6 AC Nielsen IRI IRI AC Nielsen

Axe has increased sales worldwide by successfully expanding distribution over countries while the strategically timed introduction of new fragrances has increased its overall market share. Notwithstanding, competition from global marketers, i.e., Procter & Gamble, as well as from regional producers either promoting their own brand and/or supplying private label retailer brands remains intense.

As the market matures, Unilever must now address new market opportunities-Specifically ethnic multi-cultural markets located throughout the world--where it can realize incremental sales.

Thank You Bibliography

marketingpractice.blogspot.com/2007/07/axe-axe-effect.html

www.theindiastreet.com/2008/11/the-battle-of-the-deodorants.html ibnlive.in.com/news/axes-chocolate-deo-ad-raises-stink-with-govt/71879-3-1.html en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axe (Lynx) www.mouthshut.com/review/Axe_Body_Deoderant-40005-1.html www.rateitall.com/i-839843-axe-deodorant-body-spray-for-men-recovery.aspx www.scribd.com/doc/13893242/The-Axe-Effect www.iaaglobal.org/file.ashx?fid=08eff0a5-b79e-4e09-9824-4b3948190f63 JAM & JLT Magazine