The sweetest story

ever told… or heard

What makes a successful brand?

• Carves out a distinct role in the

consumer’s life
• Constantly delights the consumer year
after year
• Consistent value proposition
• Local expressions of universal needs

Elicit a ‘WOW’ at any given time

 Cadbury Dairy Milk
The Real Taste of Success
What does CDM stand for
world-wide?
 Brand Promise

Cadbury Dairy Milk is the most

delicious, best tasting chocolate.
A moment of pure magic.

CDM is Chocolate
 Brand Character
Cadbury Dairy Milk encapsulates an
enormous breath of emotions, from
shared values such as family
togetherness (fun, wholesome,
reliable), to the personal values of
individual enjoyment.
It stands for goodness.
The Indian Chapter
 The Challenge
• Get people accustomed to chocolates-
primarily seen as a western taste

• Do so by reaching out to the masses

in a land where mindsets and
preferences are as diverse as the
country itself
 CDM in the 80’s

• Brand was considered as a surrogate

of parental affection for their children
• The chocolate goodness (appetite
appeal) was being harnessed
 The Expression
CDM positioned as
‘The perfect expression of parental love’

‘Sometimes a Cadbury can say it

better than words’
Category audits in early 1990’s
• Chocolate are meant for kids only
• Seen as an indulgence product
• Negative associations
– Too much was bad
– Bad for health
 Key Issue
With communication consciously addressing
kids, consumption also got restricted within
the same segment resulting in brand
stagnation
 Marketing Challenge

To expand the consumer base by

making CDM aspirational and desirable
to the adult segment
The Unshackling
of CDM in 1994
 Communication Task
To increase category relevance, give
consumers a taste of life the Cadbury
Dairy Milk way - real, fun and free.

Integrate the "real" chocolate of

Cadbury Dairy Milk to "real" feelings.
 What was the consumer saying??
Extensive brand audits on the consumer
pulse revealed that Cadbury Dairy Milk
moments were spontaneous, carefree,
special, real moments.

So, what if these ‘moments’ were brought

back to life even for adults?
 The atmosphere at that time…

The new resurgent India.

The era of globalization had sowed the

seeds of ‘I wanna break free’ syndrome

Avenues for freedom for expression were

more than welcome
 The BIG idea

Cadbury Dairy Milk-

The chocolate for the kid in all of us.

The Communication
The Real Taste of Life.
 Brand Positioning
CDM is the perfect expression of
spontaneous, happy, joyous feelings.

Eating CDM provides the ‘Real Taste

of Life’ experience.
 And the result…

‘Vol. Gr. ‘Vol. Gr.

Parameters ‘94 v/s ‘93 ‘95 v/s 94

Category 12 43

22 52
Moulded segment

Brand 31 54
Legitimising of CDM
in 1998
 In 1997
• Hurdles at a competitive level
– Launch of Kit Kat which was
considered as young, trendy,
future, exciting, smart
– Threat from imported premium
moulded brands like Lindt, Ritter,
Van Houten
 In 1997
• Hurdles at the communication level
– “Real Taste of Life Campaign” cut ice
with the metro audience,
– The barriers of Middle/Bottom end
consumers still remained to be
addressed
– As a result, brand growth rate was
slower than the chocolate market growth
 What next???

The “Indianisation” of the brand

To increase width of consumption by entering the
Indian mind-space -
Make CDM part of Indian customs and mores
 What next???

CDM to be the Real Taste of

Everyone's Life.
 The twin platforms

For Regular users

Position CDM as the gold standard in
taste amongst chocolates

Creative Idea
I will do anything to eat my CDM
 For Infrequent users
Position CDM as the chocolate meant
for everyone
Chocolate = CDM

Creative Idea
You don’t need any special reason
to eat CDM
The executions

For Regular users

The executions

For Infrequent Users

 The result...
Vendor TVC’s cut ice among both heavy
as well as marginal user

The strategy helped increase brand

penetration (specially in smaller towns)
leading to a brand growth of around 40%
 The result...

Volumes grew by 34% post ad

exposure (i.e Jul-Dec ‘00) vis-à-vis
pre ad period (i.e. Jan-Jun ‘00)

Overall CDM volumes of 2000 grew by

more than 30% over 1999
 Parallel initiatives
Beefed up distribution system (grown by
over 60% over past 5 years)

Increased points of contact

(Bringing CDM closer to the consumer)
The third discontinuity

CDM in 2002
 Competitive Environment
• Influx of several brands at various
price points offering greater perceived
value

• While attitudes towards chocolates

softened, consumers flirted with
options
 The Challenge

Reinforce pre-eminence of the

brand
 The Execution
Product

Range of new, international pack

formats – a CDM for every need
 CDM for every need
• For chocoholics -
CDM Chunky

• For Connoisseur -
- Bournville

- Fruit & Nut

 CDM for every need

• Gifting - Gift packs

• In-home consumption

• ‘Muh Meetha Karna’

 The Execution
Communication

Reinforce relationship of brand in the

consumer’s life
 CDM in 2002

The CDM uplifts

Brand my spirits
Platform like a true
friend

I need a friend who sees

Insight me through all my
emotions
I eat CDM when I am happy, sad

Consumer CDM is always there with me

Speak CDM mere mun mein rahata hai
CDM is almost like an ideal companion
 The Sweet Taste of Success
450
400
350
300
250
200 Index sales
150
100
50
0
93 95 97 99
A brand that captures your mind
gains behaviour.

A brand that captures your heart

gains commitment.
Scott Falgo
 Commitment to the brand - India
CDM Intl. Choc. Brand in India

Bonding 68% 8%

Advantage 84% 64%

Performance 85% 77%

89% 84%
Relevance

100% 99%
Presence

Source: IMRB U&A Study

 CDM India – a global benchmark

Today, India is the second largest market

for CDM in the world

The Indian case-study has been

designated as the "blueprint for success"
for all international markets to emulate.
 But there are newer challenges
Strike a balance between the CDM
enlistment (in non-metros) and the
increasing usage in Metros

Drive CDM ‘Ultimate Chocolate Experience’

values across the Mega Brand Range

Make CDM a part

of the Indian shopping basket
 Our goal

Ensure a CDM in very pocket

 Lesson

A Brand is a Brand is a Brand

As long as it connects with the
consumer, remains relevant &
excites her, it doesn’t matter
whether it’s Indian or not
 Thank you

Care for some chocolate?