Odonil Block: The New Smell of Status of India

Source: WARC Prize for Asian Strategy, Entrant, 2016

Downloaded from WARC

This case study shows how Odonil, India's leading air-freshener brand, managed to increase sales and
create new relevance for its 50 year old product.

In a competitive but declining market, Odonil's iconic air-freshener was lacking differentiation from
the exotic new international brands that were flooding in to the category.
In a bid to assert itself as the market leader, Odonil devised a campaign that played on India's
ingrained social status anxiety, by associating the brand's products and good bathroom habits -
the habits that are indicative of a successful social and economic life.
Various humorous and regionally aware TVC were released and re-used on digital and social
media platforms.
Following the campaign, Odonil managed to increase its brand perception as a superior product
and its market share by 27%.

Campaign details
Brand owner: Dabur India Ltd
Lead agency: Mccann Worldwide India
Brand: Odonil
Country: India
Industry Cleaners and Detergents, Sundries
Media: Online video, Packaging & design, Radio, Social media, Television
Budget: 500k - 1 million

Executive summary
This case demonstrates how Odonil, India's leading air-freshener brand, managed to increase sales and create
relevance for its 50 year old product – the simple air freshener block .

In a nation where Air Freshener is considered a whimsical purchase on basis of exotic fragrances, attractive
pricing deal or unique format, the Odonil Block has to establish itself as a household neccesity. In addition to low
category relevance, the Odonil Block had to reinstate its market leader status as it had been facing some
serious competition from international brands and their innovative formats. Through its bitingly humourous,
localised campaign, Odonil not only managed to increase its market share by a whopping 27% and was a clear
winner in terms of imagery.

Market background and cultural context

The Odonil Block is a simple, square slab of fragrance that has quietly perked up Indian homes for over 50
years. It is a household name that tried its best to keep pace with the evolving times and tastes of the India
consumer through its advertising. However,in the recent years, it faced some serious heat – there came a time
where its very existence was in question for various reasons.

Air Care in India: A whim of Aromatic Indulgence

Air fragrance in India is a minuscule segment in the total home care segment that includes insecticides, floor
cleaners and other stuff. Within this segment valued at 3349 L (Sept 15), there are several international and
domestic brands with various offerings: sprays/aerosols, electric air fresheners, gels & candles, car fresheners,
bathroom fresheners, and domestic room fresheners. Also, this segment was witnessing a slump in growth: -1%
in Sep 2015 (Nielsen)

Clearly as a category, air fresheners weren't a priority for the Indian homemaker's list.

Homegrown Odonil Block grappling with the presence of International Brands and Innovative Formats

Odonil is the leader in the air freshener category. However, within the category, there was a proliferation of glitzy
international brands (such as Airwick, Ambipur, Glade) with exotic fragrances, attractive packaging and unique
formats. And then was the 50 year old Odonil – an established homegrown air freshener brand.

The Odonil Block, for long stood for a simple solution product - 'malodour-removal'. Meanwhile, the consumer
was being lured by premium international brands and their exotic promises.

Odonil needed to make its presence in a cluttered category trying hard to woo the consumer.

As part of a low-involvement category, Odonil had to powerfully reinstate its position in order to find a meaningful
role in the consumer's life.

#1: Compel Consumers to consider bathroom fragrances as a necessity, not as a whim.

#2 Reinstate the relevance of Odonil Block amongst its international competitors and exciting formats

In a category which boasted of 'exoticness' and 'newness' in fragrances, the 50 year old Odonil had to prove its
might and proclaim its position.

Objectives
Chiefly, Odonil's objective was to re-craft the purchase motivation of air-freshener to the Indian consumer to
establish relevance in the category and strengthen the brand.

#1 Increase Market share.

Faced a slow growth in sales owing to the perfunctory nature of the category, Odonil's need to create a demand
for wider acceptance – Add robustness to sales.

#2 Create a desirable imagery for the Brand to combat the "premium-ness" of international brands.

Create a strong aspirational appeal.

Insight and strategic thinking

The truth about the affluent Indian household

The affluent Indian household is highly status-conscious and eager to display its prosperous lifestyle, largely for
societal approval. We decided to tap into the high status-consciousness of India through a campaign that
indicated true social class is reflected through an odour-free bathroom.

Bathroom pride as a showcase of one's lifestyle

In recent times, the bathroom has acquired much significance in India as a lifestyle marker.

The erstwhile oblivion space of daily rituals; today stands for a sensational personal space which spoke
volumes for one's status. With the bathroom being an extension of the consumer's high end lifestyle – an insight
bathroom fittings brand heavily cashed on - Odonil decide to work on this insight to stimulate a need for
bathroom fragrance by making them odour-consciousand project Odonil as a brand befitting their status.

We decided to change the conversation about bathroom pride

Through this shift in conversation, Odonil effectively tapped into the high Status-Anxiety of the country to make
them consider Odonil as a household neccesity:

"Your social standing is judged by how your bathroom looks'

'Your social standing is judged by how your bathroom smells'

No Odonil = No Class

Creative and/or channel execution

Key campaign message: no odonil in bathroom = no class

While most air-care advertising tends to be indulgent with focus on freshness and nature of fragrance, Odonil
decided to amplify its heritage of "Odour-Removal" in a novel way by talking about 'Odour Free Bathrooms'.
From the usual indulgent, exotic, escapist codes of air-care advertising, Odonil decided to shift to social codes.

We changed the conversation in Air Freshener advertising by focusing on what a lack of air fragrances speaks
about your status. We skipped a preachy tone and instead chose social ridicule as our mode of communication.

'Bathroom mein Odonil nahin hai?' (No Odonil in the bathroom?) became a key determinant in judging one's
standard of living through our campaign. There was an outright social shaming of people who were not
particular about bathroom odours. It was carefully aimed at making customers question themselves – "Am I
crassy rich or classy rich?"

Our entire campaign drove home one message - Money doesn't equate sophistication, which is reflected
through discerning habits not merely through possession.

This was set in action by pinpointing the "faking" of cultural credentials, attacking conventional symbols of
'having arrived in life' to provoke a need for air freshener in the home. It played on the "log kya kehenge" (how
will people judge us) fear deeply ingrained in Indian society.

Hard-hitting jabs at the facade of refinement with a strong regional touch

We created caricatures of 'affluent' consumers across India who associate affluence through possession yet
failing to accommodate Odonil in their fancy lifestyle indicating a lack of sophistication.

Region-specific status symbols were identified– Delhi for its big cars and lavish social gestures, Bombay for its
posh addresses, Chennai for its fascination for American-returned IT engineers etc.

Our two pronged strategy:

Odonil = odour free bathroom = basic social etiquette=truly cultured, discerning consumer

Various 30 sec – 45 sec TVC were released during Dec 14- March 15 in various languages (Hindi, Marathi,
Tamil, Andhra, Punjabi) with a quirky yet hard-hitting Tagline – Sabyaat aadyat aapno, Bathroom mein Odonil
Lago. (Adopt sophistcated habits, use Odonil in the Bathroom). These were released on Youtube and FB too

This was supported with a social media hashtag, with #Ihatesmellyloos running on the Facebook page.
Performance against objectives
#1 Increase Market share

Steady Growth in Sales for Odonil - clocking a 27% increase in market share

(Dec 14'-Sept 15)

#2 Create a superior imagery for the Brand to combat the "premium-ness" of international brands:
Odonil block as the most endorsed brand with Superior fragrance.

It was also differentiated on making air fresh and meant for daily use, along with some emotive aspects like 'for
people like me' and 'sign of healthy living' with brand scores at an all time high.

ROI
Type of ROI figure:
ROI figure: 27% increase in market share

Lessons learned
With the Sabyaat aadyat aapno, Bathroom mein Odonil Lago (Adopt sophistcated habits, use Odonil in the
bathroom), Odonil successfully managed to create a need for air-fresheners in India. Instead of the usual
escapist dream-like air-freshener advertising which lured consumers with their exotic promises, Odonil changed
the conventions of air-freshener advertising in India to hit consumers hard and question the authenticity of their
status.

By targetting the Indian consumer's status-anxiety, Odonil managed to recraft the Indian's consumer motivation
to help make an otherwise fanciful air-freshener category, a social necessity.

© Copyright WARC 2016

WARC Ltd.
Americas: 2233 Wisconsin Ave NW, Suite 535, Washington, DC 20007, United States - Tel: +1 202 778 0680
APAC: 20A Teck Lim Road, 088391, Singapore - Tel: +65 3157 6200
EMEA: 85 Newman Street, London, United Kingdom, W1T 3EU - Tel: +44 (0)20 7467 8100

www.warc.com

All rights reserved including database rights. This electronic file is for the personal use of authorised users based at the subscribing
company's office location. It may not be reproduced, posted on intranets, extranets or the internet, e-mailed, archived or shared electronically
either within the purchaser's organisation or externally without express written permission from Warc.