Brand Yatra: Nirma – Successfully straddling the rural-urban divide

September 10, 09

Tasneem Limbdiwala

Brand: Nirma
Past Agency: Purnima Advertising Agency
Current Agency: Purnima Advertising Agency & TapRoot India

From Nirupama to Nirma

Think of Nirma and the picture of a little girl twirling around in her white
frock with the familiar jingle ‘Washing powder Nirma’ comes to mind. One of
the most recognisable Indian brands, Nirma’s story is a classic example of
the success of Indian entrepreneurship in the face of stiff competition. Nirma
took on the might of giant multinationals and wrote a new chapter in the
Indian corporate history.

Nirma’s success is synonymous with its advertising and marketing strategy.

When Karsanbhai Patel, the founder of the brand, started selling his
detergent powder, he decided to call it Nirma, derived from the name of his
daughter Nirupama. In the early years, the Nirma packet featured a lady
washing a garment. Later, however, the design was changed and an image of
his daughter was featured on the pack. The white dancing girl, featured in
Nirma’s television advertising, is perhaps the most enduring image of the
brand.

Nirma created an entirely new market segment in the domestic marketplace and quickly emerged as
a dominant market player. The brand rewrote marking rules and its success story became one of the
widely discussed case studies in B-Schools across the world.

The magic that Purnima started

Purnima is the advertising agency that has been handling brand Nirma’s creative and media
mandate for the last 30 years and has been consistently focussing on the value-for-money angle. Its
simple and catchy jingle – ‘Dudh si safedi Nirma se aye, rangeen kapda bhi khil khil jaye’ – has
continued to echo in the drawing rooms of middle-class Indian homes through the decades. While
the jingle stresses on the product, it also salutes the savvy and budget-conscious Indian housewife.

The jingle, which was first aired on radio in 1975, was broadcast on television in 1982. It is one of
the longest running jingles and the spot has seen very few changes since the time it was first aired.

The various extensions

As its journey continued, Nirma went ahead with category extension with new products in the
premium segment. It entered into new line of toilet soaps. In 2000, the company also entered into
the hair care segment with a product called Nirma Shikakai.

Since the launch of Nirma detergent powder in 1969, the Nirma portfolio has expanded to include
fabric care products, personal care products, food products, packaging and chemicals. However, the
underlying philosophy remains consistent – to deliver value-for-money products to consumers.

The re-evolution period

Though the brand has maintained a low profile yet iconic brand status, in 2009, brand Nirma got an
image makeover as TapRoot India, the venture group of Agnello Dias and Santosh Padhi, took over
the reins of the advertising mandate.

The brief given to the agency by Nirma was to create an advertisement that matched up to the
increasing aspirational levels of its customers, but giving it a modern look. Thus, the ‘Jayas, Hemas
and Sushmas’ of the world were replaced by Russian ballet dancers, performing underwater to some
opera music in the background. The original Nirma jingle also got a modern twist.

It’s like the ‘Tortobbit’

Commenting on brand Nirma, TapRoot India’s Santosh ‘Paddy’ Padhi, said, “For me, Nirma is like
the ‘Tortobbit’. The brand has gone the tortoise way, slowly and steadily, and zapped aggressively
as and when required.”

He further said, “Change is very important, as that’s what leads to progression. It is needed for all
of us, right from people to brands to nations as well. If the change is implemented in a right way
and at the right time, then the change works for a longer period of time.”

According to Manan Soni, Director, Purnima Advertising, “Every individual is a potential customer for
Nirma. Hence, the communication conceived is also in such a way so as not to segregate or focus on
a particular group of consumers. In future, too, our advertising strategy will be based on similar
lines. We believe in creating campaigns that are aspirational and always positive in nature, more
enjoyable and joyous in mood.”

Breaking the cliché rule

The detergent space has always been a bit crowded with various
brands, but when it comes to marketing and communication of the
brand, Nirma has its own set of beliefs. Soni explained, “We have
stayed away from demo ads and also ads comparing product A to
product B. We focus on our product. Nirma will always offer value
for money products and we will stay away from demo ads and
create communication around aspiration for all individuals.”

Adding to this, Paddy said, “Brand Nirma has never believed in

showing a cliched animated product demo/ or comparison of stain/
dirt, which is used by 80 per cent of the players in the category. In
fact, they never ever send a script for research. They know the
brand and their consumers very well, which they passed on to use
it in terms of what need to be communicated.”

In line with this thought process, the recent two campaigns have been conceptualised for Nirma
detergent and Super Nirma.

Keeping contact with its roots

Brand Nirma evolved from a small town, and it is from there where the brand was spotted and went
to become a national name. So, is the brand still crucial for the rural markets or have their TG now
shifted to the bigger towns? For Soni, rural market is extremely crucial for Nirma, and he believes
that the same applies for most mass brands in India. He said, “Rural India is changing and so are
their preferences and lifestyles. Buying power is increasing in rural India and semi-urban India. In
terms of volumes, they generate huge volumes for Nirma. However, urban is equally important, as if
you see, rural population is migrating to urban areas and hence, the consumers are the same, only
their location changes. Thus, our communication does not suggest a rural or urban touch, but is
more neutral.”

An onlooker’s perspective

On the lessons to be learnt from brand Nirma’s yatra, Sumanto

Chattopadhyay, Executive Creative Director, O&M, said, “When it
first came, Nirma shook its competitors and the Nirma girl stole
every housewife’s heart. As of today, I believe, they are at a
crossroad, and so they need to reinvent themselves, because the
market itself has become much more evolved. What Nirma now
needs to do is innovate from the product level and go for a more
radical change. A brand has to constantly refresh its
communication, and this is one of the lessons creative agencies can
learn too.”