Case Study Competition

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EVENT FORMAT

Stage 1: Participants of each college must battle it out amongst themselves to decide the best
team. Campuses are free to decide their evaluation criterion.

Stage 2: The Best Entry from each college must be uploaded on www.rb.com by 23:59:59, 3rd
November, 2011. This may be routed through the Placement Team/General Secretary.

Stage 3: Grand Finale – Held at North Campus, Delhi University for the best 6 teams on 17th
November, 2011.

RULES AND REGULATIONS

1. Event is open to the Full Time Programs (both years) of the following B-schools

S. No. Name of the institute

1 IIM A
2 IIM B
3 IIM C
4 IIM L
5 IIM K
6 IIM I
7 IIM R
8 FMS
9 MDI
10 IIFT
11 IMT
12 IIT DMS
13 NMIMS
14 SP Jain
15 JBIMS
16 SIBM
17 SCMHRD
18 MICA
19 IIT Bombay
20 XIMB
21 ISB
22 IIT Kharagpur
23 IIT Roorkee
24 NITIE
25 XLRI

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2. Maximum number of members in a team is two. Each team can submit a maximum of 1 entry.

3. No participant should be part of more than one team.

4. Any number of teams from an institute can take part in this event and can submit their entries
to their institute by 27th Oct 2011. However, only top entry must be sent to us at the end of the
campus evaluation round.

5. The Top entry from each college is required to be uploaded on www.rb.com latest by 23:59:59
PM, 3rd November 2011 with the file name as Veet_<Institute>

6. Each entry should be in the form of a detailed (not an executive summary) word document
(2003 format) named as: Veet_<Institute>_<TeamName>

7. There are no word limits. However, teams are advised to be succinct.

8. The font must be Calibri, size 11, single line spacing

.
9. Members of the final selected teams would be reimbursed 3 Tier AC Tickets (both ways). The
selected teams would be required to submit original tickets for the same.

10. The decisions of the panel of judges will be final and binding on all the participants.

PRIZES

 1st Prize: Rs 1 Lakh

 2nd Prize: Rs 60,000
 3rd Prize: Rs 30,000

All the 3 winning Team members will also get Pre-Placement Interviews from Reckitt Benckiser.

CONTACT DETAILS

1. Karan Kapoor

karan.k12@fms.edu
+91 9999193654

2. Chitrang Desai

chitrang.d12@fms.edu
+91 8800395334

Keep checking www.rb.com/in for more updates.

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Veet: From Sticking to knitting to knitting to stick*
*Case developed by Dr Harsh V Verma, Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi, for
Reckitt Benckiser India Ltd.

Opportunity is a matter of perception. It is not for every eye to spot opportunity. Only a
perceptive eye can achieve this feat. Hair removal market in India has remained quiet and sleepy
for very long until RB (Reckitt Benkiser) forayed into it with its Veet brand in 2006. And in a
short span of seven years of its launch the brand transformed the category from a meager Rs 50
crores to Rs 350 crores creating a seven fold jump. The brand went on to become not only
market leader but a dominant player leaving the incumbent brands far behind. It certainly is a
remarkable marketing feat. But success is intoxicating. Success fuels desire to succeed further.

For Rajneesh, marketing manager (personal care business) and Sandeep, brand manager (Veet),
this certainly has been a milestone reached, but they both seem to concur that this market
leadership of Veet is not an end itself rather a beginning. Though Veet’s claim to fame has been
hair removal or hair depilation, this is not the only knitting to which the brand must stick for
ever. How far can the brand go if it sticks to its territory of hair removal, certainly not very far?
Both Rajneesh and Sandeep intuitively feel that Veet masks huge potential to become a mega
brand simply if it manages to transcend its current product domain. Sticking to knitting is fine
but it is also limiting. But a brand like Veet can grow leaps and bound if the brand finds new
knitting. Amidst this conviction, there is confusion as to what course the brand should take and
how.

The Company

Reckitt Benckiser is a multinational corporation with presence in over 180 countries. Its origin
dates back to 1823 when Johann A. Benckiser laid its foundation. With over 150 years of
existence the company is founded on British and German heritage. The company has
distinguished itself for bringing innovative solution to meet customer needs. Reckitt Benckiser
(RB) came into existence after the merger of Reckitt & Colman and Benckiser in 1999. This
merger created world’s top house hold cleaning solution provider. RB operates in a number of
high growth categories considered to be at the core of its business strategy: fabric care, surface
care, dishwashing, home care, health care, personal care and food. Four of the top amongst these
in terms of revenue are fabric care (22%), health care (26%), personal care (20%) and surface
care (17%). The company has operations in 60 countries, sales in 180 countries and has had net
revenues in excess of 6.5 billion pounds last year.

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Reckitt Benckiser India Ltd (RBIL) is a fully owned subsidiary of Reckitt Benckiser Plc.The
year 2010 saw the company achieve very strong financial results despite not so positive
economic conditions globally. Net revenues grew by 9% to £8,453m and adjusted operating
profit was up by 18% to £2,231m. This performance, following a number of years of strong
growth, is a testament to the global strength of the Company's strategy and execution, and the
quality of its employees and their leadership.

RB has strategically built an impressive brand portfolio in the above categories. Most of its
brands consistently figure on the shopping list of customers worldwide. RB’s brands stand apart
from others by combining an irresistible combination of innovation and value for money. A total
of nineteen power brands drive company performance including Airwick, Dettol, Clearasil,
Disprin, Harpic, Lisol, Mortein, Vanish, and Cherry Blossom. Most of these brands enjoy top
positions in their respective markets. These are either number one or two in their categories. For
instance, Lisol is a number one disinfectant brand in the US. The other brands that lead the
category include Dettol (antiseptic), Vanish (fabric stain remover), Harpic (toilet cleaner) and
Cherry Blossom (shoe polish).

For RB India like other countries where it operates, most of its brands are top performers in their
respective categories. A good innovative product when combined with ingenious marketing
methods creates a mix par excellence. For instance a great marketing feat is achieved when an
antiseptic brand like Dettol was completely transformed into to a health brand. Dettol subtly and
strategically moved away from antiseptic yet leveraging its core benefit to become a brand
embracing new product categories like toilet soap, shaving cream, talc, plaster and hand wash.
Company’s toilet bowl cleaner brand Harpic enjoys market leadership with a share close to 75%;
glass surface cleaner Colin tops the category with about 88% share and mosquito repellent brand
Mortein dominates the market with about 20% share. One of its recent launches, Vanish a fabric
stain remover, went to create and dominate the fabric stain remover category. Most of these
brands are either number 1 or number 2 in their respective categories in India

The company’s products need a wide distribution set up in order to reach their target customers.
Some of the products typically fall in the fast moving consumer categories which require
servicing a wide market area. RBIL uses its common distribution channels for distribution of its
products which enjoy wide and deep reach in Indian market. This is one of the important
strengths of the company. The channel system of the company is managed by its well structured
sales force which is accountable for ensuring supply and sales of company’s entire product
portfolio of more than one hundred and fifty stock keeping units.

Quick way to leadership

Veet brand was launched in India in 2004 and within a very short span of time it went on to
become the category leader. At the time of its launch the total category sales stood at Rs 50
crores. Seven years later in 2010, Veet became a Rs 350 crore brand registering a seven fold
increase in seven years since the time of its launch. Like many of the other RB brands, Veet is
the number one depilatory brand in the world. It reigns at the top of the heap in the hair removal

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products category. Following the global footprints, in India too, Veet has emerged as the top
most hair removal brand.

Prior to the launch of Veet, hair removal market was in a state of dormancy. Only a few brands
competed in this space. One of them has been the Anne French brand from Wyeth Consumer
Healthcare. India. This brand has been present in India for over four decades and as a result of its
long existence in the market it developed a close connection with hair removal. Being probably
the first mover and having been present in the market for a long period, the brand was not
aggressively promoted. Its communication, few and in between stressed on the ease with which
hair could be removed. The brand simply promoted how the product could be used to remove
hair conveniently. The advertising of the brand followed an illustrative or demonstrated approach
to explaining the prospective customers as to how hair could be removed by simply applying
Anne French cream on the body to get rid of unwanted hair. The central idea centered on the
product functionality.

A period of long presence in the market can both be a burden and an advantage for a brand. It
can be interpreted as heritage and hence excellence which could be leveraged to build brand
strength. At the same time long existence can also imply ‘old’, ‘obsolete’ and of ‘yesteryears’. It
is in this context that a long standing brand requires a careful and tactful manoeuvre. Anne
French’s reality was somewhat similar. It was a brand with time of its side but it was not
contemporized as time passed by. The result was a brand which enjoyed high recall and
recognition and continuous support of customers.

Rajneesh, Marketing Manager (personal care) is joyous over the feat that Veet managed to
achieve:

We studied the category and found immense potential waiting to be exploited. There were
few players, at top Anne French followed by others like Fem. Anne French was known
nationally with high recall and recognition in the target segment but here was a brand
which was stuck in a time capsule. The brand was entirely promoted on the plank of
product functionality. It focused on the ease of hair removal. But the brand image was not
modernized to meet evolving desires and aspirations of target customers. Time or its long
existence in the industry had rendered it fuddy-duddy meant to be used by only older
customer. It was like „my mom‟s brand, not for me‟.

The writing on the wall seemed very clear. The category was shouting out loud for players to
join and provide what children of a liberalized era wanted. Liberalization and its consequent
impact on consumer economy and consumer psychology fueled the growth of segments closer in
outlook with any developed market of the world.

Sandeep, Brand Manager (Veet) concurs with Rajneesh:

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 There has been a subtle shift from sustenance led consumption to pleasure seeking. People
want excellence in product functionality, but this is only the starting point. Now customers
are willing to pay more if the brand delivers something beyond product functions. If a
brand can rise up in the value ladder and forges a connection, it would certainly be
rewarded. Consumption Consumers are making a transition from sustenance to
indulgence. We had a brand in our portfolio which led the depilation market world wide.
And the Indian market seemed just right for its launch with only one issue that needed to be
resolved and that was what approach the brand should take to take on the then existing
players.

Further examination of the category threw up other interesting insights. The products available in
the hair removal category had not evolved with time and thus as a result these formulations were
inferior to the ones marketed elsewhere. These were not improved over time. In a way these were
primitive. This category suffered from lack of innovations. It was not just the product, even the
marketing, especially communication did not convey any sense of excitement. The brands stuck
on to the matter of fact reason centric copy, more like sponsored information. Ads showed how
application of the product allowed easy hair removal. Relying too much on the ‘reason why’,
communication failed to activate emotional triggers. This probably has been due to the fact that
product like this is not openly talked about. Hair removal deals with private parts and to promote
this aggressively could have violated the sense and sensibilities of people twenty thirty years
back. But things had moved on, yey brands did not.

Veet needed a strategy by which it could directly connect with its customer better and at the
same could set itself apart from other brands in the category. Rajneesh explained how Veet
carefully negotiated this challenge:

We were particular about making our objective of achieving brand leadership through
innovation both in product and branding. Veet is a world class product with a superior
innovative formulation. So we scored better on this count. However communication was a
challenge. Instead of focusing on product functionality, we brought what customers seek
by using a product like this at the centre of our brand building. Our strategy was to
develop further on from superior hair removal and make a transition to benefits and we
chose beauty and the confidence that comes as a result as the rallying point in our
communication. We got our brand endorsed by Katrina Kaif, one of the top actresses in
Bollywood. Katrina‟s endorsement allowed the brand to develop strong linkage with
words like the „beauty‟, „attractive‟, „success‟ and „modern‟. The ads showed how using
Veet makes skin smooth and attractive. Katrina was shown as arresting the attention of
the opposite sex after product usage and gesticulating „V‟ for victory at the audience.

The brand communication found an instant connection with its target customers. It built
resonance by relating with below the surface desires to be beautiful and ultimately be attractive
to the opposite sex. Hair removal’s instrumentality in achieving higher order goal made the

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brand an instant hit. It did not take much time for the brand to emerge as the category leader (see
exhibit 1). Veet managed to put action into a sleepy category with the result that both the
category and the brand expanded impressively (see exhibit 2)

Market Reality

Veet’s emergence as the dominant player in the hair removal category is certainly an appreciable
achievement. But a perceptive glance at the market also reveals that there lies phenomenal
opportunity to catapult the brand on to a higher valuation if the total market expands. First of all
the category is not yet fully penetrated. Hair removal penetration is relatively lower in India as
compared to other markets of the world. Only about a 68% percent of the people do depilation
compared to above 80% in developed countries like the US, France and Spain. Hair removal
penetration is even lesser for arms and legs at 40%. Secondly there is tremendous scope to
multiply per capita consumption if customers who visit to salons for depilation could be shift to
self depilation. The ‘salon only’ market is larger in North and West India.

The usage of hair removal products is related to age. Its consumption goes down with age. The
user of the category tends to be younger, single and educated. More than half (54%) of the
women in the age group of 15-34 years use hair removal products and this percentage drops to
39% for 34-44 years age group. This goes down further to 18% for 45-65 years age group. The
category consumption is also related to social grade. People in the higher social group are greater
users of hair removal products. The Indian market is not much different when it comes to
product usage concern. Hair removal product penetration/usage in terms of body parts is similar
to that in other countries. The application areas for hair removal products are face, underarms,
arms, stomach area, bikini line, upper legs and lower legs. The top three application areas in
India are underarms, bikini area and face. This is in line with other markets. The Indian customer
differs from the others with respect to usage on legs. Upper leg and lower leg usage in India is
11% and 24% which is much lower than 59% and 93% in other markets.

Hair removal products are very intimate and personal. The path between Veet and customer is
not straight and simple. It is full of myths and psychological barriers. Rajneesh explains:

The industry offers hair removal solutions in the form of waxes, creams, and razors. And each of
these products comes with their own perception baggage, some parts of which are positive and
some negative. Razor is quick but difficult to use and does not give the smooth effect. Wax is
cumbersome, messy, time consuming but is perceived to remove hair from the root, effect lasts
longer and gives smooth effect. Creams are easy to use, gives smooth skin but people perceive
that creams make skin dark and these are chemical formulations. This perceptual bias works
against creams, hence against Veet.

The usage of hair removal products can be broadly classified into two categories. Creams are used
mainly for Underarms and bikini area. This is hygiene depilation. Arms and legs depilation is guided by
the consideration of beauty. These are exposed part of the body and hair on them makes the person

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unattractive. This is beauty depilation. Data on the product usage and application area is give in exhibit 4,
a careful glance reveals that there is a scope for Veet to become bigger if it penetrates into application
area where waxes and razors are used more. Sandeep, the brand manager for Veet articulated the
challenge:

The brand can become bigger if a shift in the product usage type is achieved. Wax is dominantly
used for beauty depilation. There is an opportunity for a brand like Veet to expand by shifting
people from wax to creams. Cream usage is higher for hygiene depilation. The usage of razor is
also high for underarms and bikini area depilation. Hair removal for beauty involves bigger
quantity usage hence this shift promises big opportunity.

Waxing is predominantly a parlour activity. It is not simply the process of getting rid of unwanted hair for
beauty purposes for which parlors are visited. Factually waxing is time consuming, messy, painful and a
joint process. With all its negatives waxing looks like an inferior solution to customer needs compared to
creams. Creams are neither messy nor painful. They save visit to parlour and are empowering. Therefore
a shift from wax to cream is logical. Reading this opportunity a cold wax strip variant of Veet was
launched. The anticipation was that the market would explode and target customer would lap it up. By
this extension it was expected that Veet would steal a large market away from parlours. The ready to use
cold strip version of Veet was met with only part success. Instead of getting into a permanent routine, it
ended up being a solution only for emergency situations.

One man’s reason is another’s unreason. There has to be something more than simply hair removal in a
visit to a beauty parlour. Had it not been so then cold wax strip of Veet would have become a blockbuster
success. Waxing and hence a visit to a parlour is rooted in the psycho-social reality of women. A visit to a
parlour apparently involves planning, taking time off, and undergoing the pain, yet the shift to creams is
not easy to achieve. There is something more, highlights Rajneesh:

A beauty parlour is not simply a functional space. It is cherished for its own psychological and
social significance. Women do not simply visit for waxing rather their visit is combined with
other beauty routines like eye brow shaping, pedicure and manicure etc.. Besides these „reasons
why‟ there are other implicit needs which parlours satisfy. Parlours are pampering places. The
beauty routines performed on customers by the staff creates an uneven power equation where the
women assume power over the server. It gives a great feeling. Parlours are also exclusive
meeting places with friends; the interactions with staff evolve from a professional relationship to
a personal relationship. Here people can freely gossip, exchange ideas and learn beauty tips.

Beauty parlours are not only direct competitors to Veet but also bad ones. In order to protect their market
and perpetuate dependence, parlours are also myth generating places. Customers hold parlour staff as
knowledgeable and expert. Directly or indirectly a bad word about creams is spread such as creams are
harsh chemicals and therefore the skin can get damaged, usage of creams leaves dark spot and creams
remove hair from surface without taking them off the roots. This has been obstructing the brand’s growth,
Sandeep feels:

Veet comes in different sizes. The international 100 gm which sell the most in western countries
does not move that fast here. Veet also comes in a 60 gm pack, which is about 25% contribution.
A small pack of 25 gm was launched to facilitate trials. But this variant went on to become the

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 largest seller. The sale of smaller pack implies that first of all people do not use cream for beauty
depilation (arms and legs) because it requires larger quantity. Secondly this pack too is kept to
meet unexpected emergency situations. Getting people to use Veet for beauty depilation is an
important marketing challenge.

New Knitting

All through Veet has been guided by the understanding that for customers ultimately hair removal is not
an end itself. Customer ultimately wants to look and feel beautiful and to be attractive to others.
Accordingly brand’s communication strategically focused on benefits such as smooth skin and beauty and
kept the hair removal in the background. Quite unlike other brands in the category which rallied the idea
of hair removal and ease or product functionality, Veet built its equity based on emotions (‘confidence
that comes with smoothness’). The ad execution typically followed a concept very similar to beauty
brands use celebrities or attractive model as emotion triggers. It is in this context Katrina Kaif who
epitomizes success, beauty and sensuality, played a significant role. Veet’s strategy combining an
innovative superior product with excitement and glamour of a beauty brand paid off very well. Leadership
surely is satisfying but this can’t be everything. Explains Rajneesh:

There have been many instances when a successful brand went on to become a mega brand by
crossing over its existing product boundary. For instance, Dettol evolved from being solely an
antiseptic lotion brand. It has become a dominant health and hygiene brand and accordingly
apart from antiseptic lotion it enjoys a wider range of products in its fold such as bathing bar,
talc, shaving cream and hand wash. On almost similar lines, one of the bathing bar brands,
which for a long period of time was exclusively sold for its „1/4 moisturizing cream‟ has gone on
to become a much bigger brand. The brand now sells shampoo, lotions and creams along with its
original product ,a bathing bar. The brand essence of „1/4 moisturizing cream‟ was
reinterpreted as „less damage or damage free‟ to support products in other categories. One
option for Veet is to be content with its leadership and stick to its knitting and build volumes
within this space. Second is to make a transition to becoming a bigger beauty brand or find a new
knitting. Does Veet have a legitimate right to do so?

Examples are illustrative. A lot can be learnt from examples but blindly following the success model of
others is full of risks. But then there are many good examples in the industry which show how some
brands move on with time by not just withstanding the challenges unleashed by change, but rather by
proactively converting these into business opportunity (see exhibit 5).

Within the hair removal market, Veet is marketed in different variants both in terms of sizes (25, 60, and
100 gm) and types to suit application and skin type (normal, dry, skin and suprem essence). Same is the
case for its wax strips. These are marketed in three variants-for normal, dry and sensitive skin. This
strategy to extract volume by market penetration has contributed to Veet’s leadership in the hair removal
market. It is a critical time for the brand. It probably is a time for the brand to make a transition. Its equity
could be leveraged to build business in other categories. This is only possible if the customers find the
brand relevant in the beauty space. The body routine includes primarily four care areas: face, body,
fragrance, and bath (exhibit 6). There are a number of brands worth emulating, points out Sandeep:

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 Brands like Ponds, Vaseline and Dove are particularly instructive. Pond‟s earlier was cold
cream, Vaseline was known exclusively as petroleum jelly and Dove was a bathing bar. Consider
now, all of these brands have made a very successful transition into becoming multiproduct
brands. The time probably has arrived for us to explore new pastures for Veet by transforming it
into a beauty brand. Optimism is fine, but wrong moves sometimes can backfire and erode the
equity of a primary brand. We certainly do not want the brand to make a blind move.

For Veet to succeed in new product categories the brand must add a relevant and differentiating
dimension. In this context Veet has cultivated equity based on ‘smooth skin benefit’ supported by
aspiration and attraction created by its celebrity endorser. The following statements summarize
customers’ feelings towards the brand:

“Veet makes our skin feel smooth after using it”; “Katrina fits the brand as we all want our skin
to be like hers”; “Veet has better fragrance as compared to other players” ; “I generally don‟t
require to apply cream afterwards, it has some moisturizing lotion”; “Veet is an international
brand” ; and “It‟s less painful than waxing and less risky than using razor. It doesn‟t make our
hair hard”

On the whole the brand comes across as sophisticated, premium and international. Endorsement by
Katrina Kaif has contributed to the creation of brand’s personality as glamorous, stylish, and
sophisticated. The values associated with the brand are: good fragrance works in three minutes, easy to
use, and leaves the skin smooth.

Optimism and Caution

Veet enjoys a clear functional advantage over its rival brands in its home category of hair removers. It
also enjoys equity based on non-functional aspects. The Exhibit 7 provides a critical look at the brand.
Veet’s functional value delivery runs common across competitive brands except that its fragrance makes
it different. The associations such as ‘international’ and ‘sophisticated’ are relevant for a select set of
customers which makes its appeal limited to a premium niche. Other customers may find it difficult to
relate with the brand. The glamour and sex appeal added by its endorser may be perceived as superficial
in the absence of credible credentials as a beauty brand. Exhibit 8 shows the imagery associated with the
brand. The brand conjures images of confidence, carefree, glowing, glamorous, and smooth and supple
skin. Do these associations make the brand ready to take a plunge into the beauty space? These
associations do create lure and temptations but this is insufficient. The brand must offer some
differentiated value to customers to create pull.

Since its launch, Veet has managed to establish its credibility in the hair removal space with ‘smooth
skin’ benefit. The growth trajectory for the brand can take three forms: first, extending the core range of
hair removal product by launching different hair removal products and moving up to premium formats
(product centric). This has already been done. Second, the brand can move into new product categories
beyond its core product domain by directly stretching on the core proposition of ‘smooth skin’ (benefit
centric) and retaining the association of hair removal. Third, this is an indirect path to grow the brand.
This would involve exploring brand growth avenues by extending the brand into beauty category. This
can only be achieved when the brand connections are based on non-product or abstract considerations like
‘smoothness and beauty’ (see exhibit 9).

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Personal care consists of a number of routines. These include caring for the face, hand, hair, and skin (see
exhibit 10). The overall depilatory market is limited to a small portion of the total personal care market.
Sticking to the depilatory market severely limits by its size and growth prospects. Veet can grow if it is
able to branch into other underleveraged segments of the personal care market. The feeling that runs
through the team behind the brand is that of optimism and caution. Both marketing manager and brand
manager at Reckitt Benckiser agree:

There is an opportunity for transforming Veet into a „beauty brand‟. But this is not a cake walk
either. Specifically we need a road map with a complete milestone plan for the next five years for
making Veet a beauty brand. There are very specific issues which need to be addressed: first of
all what needs to be done to move Veet‟s equity from being a „hair removal brand with some
smooth skin connect‟ to a „true beauty brand ‟. Second, the new segments in which Veet can enter
in the personal care space. Third, what new products with relevant product differentiators could
be launched in new segments? And finally, what specific initiatives must be undertaken so that
this transition is smoothly achieved?

It has been a long time since anything like this has been initiated. Everyone agrees on the point that there
is an opportunity waiting to be exploited by Veet but at the same time doubts also cloud thinking. Global
marketing head of Reckitt Benckiser who is expected to arrive in India for a review meeting has posted
the following concerns:

Veet has all along been a depilatory brand known to provide „smooth skin‟ benefit, how is the
brand going to be seen by customers in other categories? There are strongly entrenched players in
the beauty market. What blueprint does Veet have to succeed against these giants in the beauty
space? What differentiating value would Veet bring to beauty customers in order to push the
purchase trigger? Success in hair removal market does impose and create a baggage on the brand
which may hinder its smooth transition to beauty category. What tactical maneuvering would this
require? And above all it is very critical to choose the right category and right now it is unclear as
to what categories are more suitable than the others.

Apart from the above concerns, it is important to spell out what the brand should do to exploit its equity
in the interim period before new products are launched. How should the brand build further on its beauty
appeal and take it to a higher level so that later the brand is not seen with skepticism in the beauty
category? Apart from the transitioning issue, right now what can be done to make Veet even a bigger
brand in its home turf of hair removal?

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Exhibit 1: Brand communication

Super Model Copy Gesture Copy

Style statement Copy Disco Copy

• Progressive steps towards ‘Beauty Brand’
communication:
– Phase 1: Focus on emotional benefit (instead
of functional benefit) of ‘Confidence that
comes with Smoothness’
– Phase 2: Production values and storylines
similar to other beauty brands
Suprem’ Essence Copy

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 Exhibit 2: Veet and HR Market

HR Market Trend y
gor
Cate
th in
3500
G row 3105
ust
3000 Rob 2633
2500 Veet‟s 2177
Sleepy category,
Entry
INR Mn

2000 1882
Not Much Action
1500
1024 1070
1000 822 792
514 590
355 359 398 416
500 198
0 0 0 8 100
0
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Mkt. Value VEET-Value

Exhibit 3: HR Penetration by Body Part is in line

with other markets apart from legs
• Arm & leg hair removal is higher among young women  driven by the garment preferences of
the young; higher SEC groups also follow this pattern
• Arms & Bikini Line showing apparent growth

Trend vs 2001
Face 69% 68%

Underarms 83% = 94%

Arms 31% 18%

Stomach 4% 14%

Bikini Line 82% 81%

Upper Legs 11% 59%

© 2009 Ipsos

Lower Legs 24 % = 93%

Q2 Which of the following parts of your body have you ever removed hair from?
Q2 Which of the following parts of your body have you ever removed hair from? Base: all respondents

14
Exhibit 4: Hair removal product and application area

Exhibit 5:The Journey of a few brands to „Beauty

Brand‟ Status!
Other bath Shampoos & Started out as a Non
Soaps products (shower Conditioners face product - Seen as
gels etc) a “Moisturization
brand”

Started out as a face

Cold product – Seen more
Cream Body Lotions Face Washes
as a brand delivering
“Soft Skin”

Moisturizing Body lotions / Men’ grooming Started some what in

jelly Whitening creams Face Washes the face domain: Seen
as a delivering
“Moisturized skin”

Started out as a
Cosmetic
Face Washes Body lotions cosmetic product –
Range Seen more as a beauty
brand

Beauty Brands not just about cosmetic credentials but about a “strong
skin benefit” which can remain relevant across categories

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Exhibit 6: Normal Beauty Routine of an Indian Girl
Face Products: Full Body Products: Fragrance based Prod: In bath products:
• Skin lightening cream, • Moisturizers
FaceW, Moisturizers, (+Nourishing Body • Deodorants (Aerosol • Soaps
Cleanser, Face packs lotions) & Sticks) • Shower gels
• Cosmetics, Pimple • Skin lightening cream • Perfumes • Shampoos
creams • Hair removal Products

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 Clear
Long
Efficient Fragrance hence functional
Lasting
hooks

These values are equally owned by competition though Veet has marginal edge in the
area of fragrance

International Sophisticated but Niche

The brand has a premium association which distances consumers – not as relatable

Katrina Sexy but Glamorous

The glamour quotient lends a superficial, alluring edge to the brand  Katrina plays the
role of a celebrity in the communication which ads to it’s niche imagery

• Exhibit 7: Strong premium & glamour associations provide a launch pad for
Veet to enter into new “Beauty Categories”

Exhibit 8: IMAGERY OF VEET

• Veet imagery rooted in HR category but has
potential to make the move to a beauty brand
• Operating outside HR category can strengthen the
smooth skin cues

Smooth, Stands Out

supple skin The collages portray an image of
Confidence
the brand which is:

- International
Glamorous - Sleek
- Alluring
- Sexy
- Associated with smoothness

The imagery suggests a brand

that tempts but doesn’t offer
substantial value or differentiation
within the category

The imagery is strongly layered by

Glowing HR category codes
Carefree Attracts
skin 29

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Exhibit 9:Veet Brand Stretch: Proposed
Roadmap
2. In-Direct
Stretch

2. Direct Product X
Product Y
Stretch

Product A
1. Core Range Product B Product A
Extension Product B

Veet Veet
Veet Veet
Premiu Premiu Veet
CWS CWS Veet
m m Premiu
/ Wax Formats / Wax Formats CWS
m
/ Wax Formats

Veet Veet
Cream Cream Veet
s s Cream
s

Linkage (Umbrella Benefit

Linkage (Physical Linkage (Product Truth):
& Brand Personality):
Product): Hair Removal Smooth skin
‘Smoothness’ & ‘Beautiful’

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Exhibit 10: Attractive opportunities for Veet!

 Indian Hair Removal market small compared to some other personal care
segments which Veet can be possibly enter
 Many under leveraged segments in Indian personal care market which Veet
may be able to enter and pioneer like it did in the case of the HR market;
e.g
 In India Body care: Hair Removal market ratio 1:1, very different from other
developing markets; Middle East: 4:1, Brazil: 12:1, China: 7:1

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