A PROJECT REPORT ON MARKETING

STRATEGIES OF GD PHARMACEUTICALS PVT LTD

-------- PRODUCT BOROLINE ---------

Submitted By: Submitted To:

Maumita Bhaumik Dr. Baisakhi Mitra

Class/Roll no: MFM/714 Professor, Marketing Management

Sem: II’ 2020 Mira Road, Mumbai

INDEX

TOPICS PAGE NO.

COMPANY PROFILE……………………………………………….03

PRODUCT DETAILS………………………………………………04

PRODUCT HISTORY………………………………………………05

MARKETING STRATEGIES………………………………………06

FINDING, SUGGESTIONS& CONCLUSION……………………16

BIBLIOGAPHY ……………………………………………………19
 COMPANY HISTORY

GD PHARMACEUTICALS PVT LTD

GD Pharmaceuticals is the happy outcome of the

heady nationalistic wave that had engulfed all

Indians during the pre-independence era. Its

founder, Gourmohon Dutta, belonged to the rich

merchant class of Calcutta.

A practical patriot, he was convinced that the best

way to help India was to contribute to her economic

self-sufficiency. To actively do this, he decided to manufacture product of a quality equivalent to

their foreign counterparts.

It was a daunting task. Many dissuaded him against this venture. But Gourmohon Dutta followed

his heart. With a glorious dream of free and self-sufficient India in his heart, he started

manufacturing medicines. One of them would be the legendary green tube-Boroline. It had a

humble beginning in his house in 1929. The celebrated journey had begun.
 BOROLINE

Boroline is an over the counter antiseptic

perfumed cream sold in India. The brand was

launched in 1929 in Kolkata by Gourmohan

Dutta, a Bengali merchant. Over the years,

the brand's popularity soared, and it became

an icon of national economic self-sufficiency

in a nation that was still under the British

rule. It is still one of the more popular brands in India.

It is meant to be used for cuts, cracked lips, rough skin, and to treat infections. .

It is manufactured by G D Pharmaceuticals Private Limited and was created in 1929. G D

Pharmaceuticals over the years introduced and successfully marketed three more popular and

effective products in India:

 Suthol - an antiseptic liquid which takes care of all skin problems.

 Eleen - a perfumed light hair oil with the goodness of amla (Emblica officinalis) & vitamin

E.

 Penorub - a medicated ointment which treats all sorts of aches, sprains, cramps & gives

relief from arthritis

 PRODUCT HISTORY

The history of Boroline's is India's nationalistic pride and struggle for independence. Founder,

GourmohanDutta belonged to Calcutta's merchant class. He was already an established trader of

imported goods, when the patriotic Swadeshi movement sweeping India, gnawed at him. He was

convinced that the best way to help his country was to contribute to her economic self sufficiency.

To realise this goal, he decided to manufacture products of a quality equivalent to their foreign

counterparts. It was a daunting task. Many of them were against him from this venture. But Dutta

stand still on his decision. He stopped importing goods and started manufacturing medicines. One

of these would be the legendary green tube – Boroline. The celebrated forward march of this

product had a humble beginning in his house in 1929.

To establish the brand identity, the logo was watchfully developed. The elephant signifies

steadiness and strength. Moreover to the merchants, the elephant deity – Ganesha – has an

auspicious significance.

Keeping these values in mind, Dutta chose the elephant as Boroline's logo, hoping that it would

grant luck and success, for his venture. The logo caught on instantly. In the rural heart land and

for the millions who cannot read, Boroline is still known as the 'hathiwala cream' (cream with the

elephant logo).
 MARKET

Throughout the year – but most significantly in winter – thousands of people reach out for a tube

of Boroline. The multipurpose tube of boroline is solution for minor nicks, chapped lips, cracked

feet and a tonic for dry skin. Number of reasons to purchase, competition multiplies four-fold,

coming up from even those offering relief on any one of these counts. This brand from Kolkata-

based G D Pharmaceutical Limited has restored and inspired the entire over-the-counter (OTC)

antiseptic cream market in India commanding an annual sale of 2.8 million litres valued at more

than Rs. 180 crore (US$ 37.50 million). In this evolving segment Boroline, with its traditional

quality and an unswerving commitment to consumers is the eminent front-runner with a market

share of 21% (Source: ORG-Marg). The brand has made deep furrows across the country's

distribution landscape, throwing up impressive data in its journey. Boroline enjoys a dealer

penetration of 34.20% and directly services more than 300,000 retail outlets (source: internal data).
 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

In keeping with the environmental concerns of the day, Boroline has switched to recyclable

packaging, thus contributing its bit to the conservation of natural resources. However, it is in the

area of extending its brand franchise, by entering the hair care market with a brand called

Boroline's Eleen that Boroline has of late, excelled. This premium, herbal light hair oil, has, within

five years, become one of the leading brands in its segment. The established medicinal value of

Boroline has also been extended to a modern pain relieving formula called Boroline's Penorub,

while Boroline's Suthol – an epidermal antiseptic – has been developed to soothe skin irritation,

rashes, itches and infections. Boroline's vision is focused on its ultimate goal of integrative

medicine – combining modern chemistry with the science of ancient Indian Ayurveda. The

company believes that the amalgam of the old and the new has the potential to create safe, user-

friendly, value- added products. The first steps in this development have already been taken with

the setting up of the Boroline Herbal Garden – a state-of-the-art research facility in Kolkata.
 PROMOTION

Boroline's brand image is the brain child of the founder's son, Murari Mohan Dutta. A marketing

genius, he pioneered concepts that were years ahead of their times. In the late 1950s, Boroline had

surged with concepts like brand image, rural marketing and event sponsorships. The brand took to

the streets during festivals, cheered players in the grounds during cricket and football matches and

launched a blitz of newspaper, magazine, radio and outdoor promotions. Boroline was everywhere,

with everyone. It simply became a part of people's lives.

Since 1982, every four years, Boroline has sponsored the Jawaharlal Nehru Invitation International

Football Gold Cup. In terms of image building, Boroline has kept pace with the times. The

changing strap lines reflect the course of promotional platforms of Boroline through the decades.

In the 1950s, Boroline was a ‘tender face cream’. In the 1960s, it changed to ‘Boroline for the skin.

The skin needs Boroline’. In the 1970s, the brand became more aggressive through ‘Boroline has

no substitute’.

In 1976, ‘Boroline turned 50 – Not Out!’ In the early 1980s, Boroline was ‘the hard working cream

that protects your skin’. In the late 1980s, it became trendy with ‘in a world full of surprises, thank

goodness you can count on Boroline’.

In the early 1990s, to highlight its first-in-the-category status, Boroline was portrayed as ‘The

Original’. In the later half of the 1990s, it stood for ‘Boroline skin, healthy skin’.

In early 2000, the brand values were summed up with ‘Boroline – works wonders’. The basic

philosophy for the promotion of Boroline has been to emphasise its intrinsic worth. To preserve
its jealously-guarded national image, Boroline has doggedly refused to sell the product by luring

consumers with free gifts.

 SKIN CARE MARKET

India is one of the fastest growing markets for skin care products, and the target of most cosmetic

majors is women between 18-35, with a monthly income of Rs. 10,000 and above. Indian cosmetic

industry is heading for a complete makeover, rediscovering the long forgotten herbal formulas and

beauty secrets. Those in the business say the going has never been better for the Indian beauty

industry. Estimated at Rs 1800 crore, the industry is growing at 25 percent annually, while the

growth rate of herbal cosmetics sector, estimated at Rs 400 crore is much higher - at 40 per cent.

The natural and ayurvedic sector has seen a phenomenal growth in the last 2-3 years. The Indian

cosmetic companies are just trying to rediscover, what was lying forgotten and untapped for a very

long period. As confirm by the Debashis Dutta, the Managing Director and also the grandson of

the founder in the year 2017 over 88 years boroline cream remain unchanged from texture to

fragrance: product to packaging .(Able to sustain the quality)

More and more companies are entering this lucrative market with a wide range of products. This

market surely works on the doctrine "Consumer is the King". The leading players in this industry

are Hindustan Lever Ltd., Ponds India Ltd., Lakme, Emami Ltd, Cavincare Ltd, Godrej Consumer

Products Ltd., Lotus Herbals India Ltd., Procter and Gamble Hygiene and Healthcare Ltd., Cadila

Healthcare Ltd. The latest entrant in the skincare market is Amway India Ltd.
 SEGMENTATION-TARGETING-POSTIONING

Segmenting:

Segmentation is grouping of customers by certain criteria such that consumers within that group

will respond similarly to a marketing action.

Targeting :

Targeting is choosing the particular group to whom you are going to sell the product.

Positioning: Positioning is choosing the most appropriate marketing mix for the target audience.

SEGMENT MARKET —————-» CHOOSE TARGET(S) —————-» POSITION

PRODUCT

BOROLINE SEGMENTATION

 Geographic Segmentation: Eastern region of the country-west Bengal, Orissa, Arunachal

Pradesh

 Demographic Segmentation: 20- 70+ age group.

 Behavioral Segmentation: Dividing the market according to knowledge and attitude

towards the product. The knowledge and attitude about skin care cream were indifferent

from people so boroline dint need any effort to capture the market.
TARGETING

Boroline targeted those groups which are more conscious about their skin and were ready to adopt

and new remedy form the old ayurvedic techniques. Demographically, boroline targeted middle

age group people.

POSITIONING

Boroline targeted the product by keeping housewife into consideration. The tagline of boroline

was ‘the hard working cream’ in context with the amount of work housewife and mothers do. Soon

boroline was passed from generation to generation and it started positioning itself as the household

cream of India
 MARKETING MIX

Marketing mix is a business tool which is used in marketing and by marketers. Marketing mix

Includes 4 P’s of marketing i.e Product, Price, Position, Promotions.

Product:

Product is an item which satisfies the interest or demand of customers/consumers. It can be a

tangible good /service or intangible goods/service .In case of Boroline, it is the answer for people’s

demand of antiseptic cream. Boroline is a well-accepted product and need not need any kind of

introduction. Boroline comes under skin and beauty care category have been an old player in the

market.

Price:

Price of the product is a substitutions for quality and at the same time determines the affordability

the user. Boroline has catered to common people and hence,its prices were always feasible.

Boroline was always affordable even for rural people and still remains the same with no

compromise in quality.

Promotions:

All of the methods of communication that a marketer may use to provide information to different

parties about the product. Promotion comprises elements such as: advertising, direct marketing

and sales promotions. Promotion for a brand is done for creating awareness for the seeker. Boroline

being the only Indian brand and 1st of its kind during independence era, its dint need much of its
promotions. But after facing tough competition, boroline had to use advertisement as the medium

to engage with their customers.

Position:

Positioning is last and the utmost important aspect of marketing. It is important to position your

product well. Boroline was always projected and positioned as household cream for all problems.

It was positioned as ”hathi cream” showcasing what will be the benefit your skin. Your skin will

be as tough as an elephant’s
 Marketing Communication Mix

Advertisement:

Any paid form of presentation in electronic, digital or print media is called communications

through advertisement. Boroline never needed much of advertisement for the promotions of its

product but in last one decade, boroline has used some celebrities in advertisement

Sales promotions:

A variety of short-term incentives to encourage trial or purchase of the product. Till now boroline

has not adopted any such large scale sales promotions.

Events and Experiences:

Company sponsored activities and programs designed to create demand. Boroline recently realized

that to capture the market back, it has to use a way of communicating with their consumers directly.

They came up with a beauty contest i.e Glosoft Popular face contest, which is to promote their

product which not only protects the skin but italso makes our face glow.

Interactive marketing:

Online activities or programs which are used to engage consumers more. Glosoft competition is

on of the example used by boroline for interactive marketing.

Word of mouth marketing:

People to people, oral or written or electronic communication which relates the merits of the product. Boroline

till now survives because of word of mouth marketing only. Boroline has never compromised in quality and

earlier became a household name. Therefore boroline probably has the most strong word of mouth promotions.
 FINDINGS

 Boroline is most selling product of GD Pharmaceuticals.

 Boroline is Market Leader in Anticeptic Cream Segment.

 Most of the Boroline Users are satisfied with it..

 Users are satisfied with the price range of products.

 Television advertisement of most favorable for the Boroline so far.

 Boroline widely use in Eastern and North eastern region.

 Product feature highlighted in the commercial and signature tune has appealed to most of

the respondents.

 Presence of product feature & Functions, exposure of social life & relationship, presence

of creative design and jingle in an advertisement are more preferred by people.

 SUGGESTIONS.

 Company need to promote other brands too.

 Company is missing the print media advertisement.

 Company should work hard for digital marketing and advertisement

 Company should launch new attractive advertisements for all brands.

 Packaging of the product should be changed with a new face.

 People are aware of Boroline(Eastern and North-Eastern region), so company should

advertise heavily to stimulate purchase.

 Awareness of Boroline should be created all over the country

 Various promotional activities such as canopy, outdoor billboards, Contest in various part

of country need to be done.

 Celebrity endorsement should be there who can relate with the product.

 Fresh advertisement for TVC and print ads needs to be designed with high frequency.
 CONCLUSION

GD Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd. is the first Indian company to manufacture an antiseptic cream and

the name of the product was ‘Boroline’.. Time passed by and the Product transformed into a Brand.

It reigned the Indian marketing with 100% market share. Mainly the North, East and West India

completely fell in love with the Brand.

People, the customers and the consumers, invested their trust and loyalty in this brand. In return

GD Pharma maintained the Best Quality, Texture, Perfume, Packaging and the overall Heritage of

being there for 88 long years. Every year the price hiked for everything but Boroline. The Boroline

people as they call themselves, never emphasized on profit margin. It is the satisfaction and delight

of crores of people which drove the whole team to work harder and better to retain the essence of

Boroline Antiseptic Cream.

But the market scenario changed. Many companies entered the lucrative antiseptic cream market

with their products. They came up with charming perfumes and a new value proposition – “non

sticky antiseptic cream”! Many a consumers found it interesting. They were a little annoyed by the

sticky nature of Boroline. Even they were delighted to experience the flowery perfume of some

new antiseptic creams.

We as a consumer and customer of brands, never dive deep into the real value propositions of each

brand and try to sort out the really useful propositions from the nonsense ones. This is the problem.

But from view of marketing terms its ot fair to blame the customers straightforwardly. The

responsibility lie on orgaanisaton to educate our customers about these. The more knowledgeable
the consumers are the easier to show them the core value of the brand. Once they realize it, we

don’t need to push them or pull them to buy the product any more.

The problem with Boroline was, consumers knew it very well that the product by quality is

excellent. But they do not feel proud of using Boroline. Because its perfume is too strong, and the

its too sticky structure. The correlation is almost like the good old house wife. The husband knows

it very well that no one can cook food and take care like her, yet hesitate to introduce in social

parties. (showing off)

The Boroline is not being able to connect to the younger generation. Even the mid age office going

people also don’t use Boroline as they use Boroplus during the winter season. Even if they use

they don’t use it during day time. They use it only during night time. In this era of pure

consumerism, young consumers think that Boroline is a good old product, “granny brand”. Useful

but obsolete!

The Brand Awareness is quite high in the eastern, north-eastern and western India. But the Brand

Relevance is painfully low. Only a certain number long time loyal customers are still sticking

around the brand. Even a certain percentage of Gen Y and Millennials consumers do not like using

antiseptic creams on their face as all-round winter cream. They use antiseptic cream only when

they get any cut or wound or bruised skin problem to heal quickly. While Gen Z are unknown to

this product.

The boroline product is Bengali best friend. In every Bengali house the boroline is must.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

 Company’s brochure

 www.boroline.com

 wikipedia.org/wiki/Borolineq

 www.mouthshut.com/.../Boroline-Anticeptic-Face-Cream-reviews-

 https://the print.in/features/brandma/boroline

 devangsolankidaiary.wordpress.com

 Different Magazines like India Today, 4p’s of Marketing etc.