Interview 4

Name- Siddhant Sharma

Age- 23 years

Product Category- Milk Malt Beverages

Hello, Siddhant. I am Anubhav from IIM Udaipur. I am conducting this interview as a part of
qualitative research work for Consumer Culture Lab.

I. Would you like to tell me something about yourself?

R. Right now. I am currently studying. So I was working before that. I am preparing for CAT this
year.

I. Okay, and where are you from?

R. I am from Delhi. I was born here.

I. So, you have been in Delhi only since childhood?

R. Yes I was born here and even my graduation. I I did hotel management. I completed the two years
from Delhi.

I. If someone has not been to Delhi then how would you describe this place to him or her?

R. Anybody who has not been here?! I would say the one thing that sets us apart is probably the food
because Delhi was formed like very recently if you consider the grand scheme of other states, so a lot
of people from different states have come up there. So you probably get the best of every world so
you so you get to see a mixture of people, different cultures and there is no bias. I would say as
compared to any other because everybody is a here. So food is one thing. And the second thing is like
people from different states. They celebrate their own Festival. So I mean you can find people to feel
at home here. So it's not any awkward for anybody else.

I. And what is the favorite thing that you like in this?

R. I personally like the fact that everything you might need is very close by. Well, the like everything
is like at a stone's throw distance and it's not just the case for me probably for everybody. So, so you
don't have to go far to try something new. So, I hope it's very small.

I. Okay, and who all are there in your family?

R. I live in my parents and my grandmother?

I. Okay. So today we'll be talking about your childhood experiences with milk melt beverages.
So, you know, I would like to I would like you to begin thinking about your childhood and the
earliest experiences that you have had with this milk malt beverages category.

R. Honestly, the last I remember, it was like when we were in school so our school had like come up
with this scheme to promote these beverages, right? They had a vending machine on every floor and
every kid like go by like coupons or things so so grown-up like even in school even during your lunch
break or the other breaks between two lectures. So we could like rush to the vending machine and
they all the big line because at that time it was very popular. So a lot of kids used to wait in those lines
and it had a variety of options. So, there's one for everyone. That's the earliest thing I remember.

I. Okay. So you're saying that you started I consuming this through your school. So have you
not consumed it at your home?

R. I have but like that's the one I remember and where I used to get into it much more because at
home it was like a one-time thing. It was never something I was like I used to ask for it or something.
But when they introduced it in school, that's when I started asking me at home as well. From there. I
bought like introduced into it very heavily.

I. So what is something that interested you in these things?

R. The fact that like it's a very good like substitute to plain old boring milk and I still cannot drink
milk till this date and honestly, I still consume it like sometimes so I think it's like a very good
substitute for kids because milk regular plain milk is kind of an acquired taste. It's not for everyone.
So the fact that they are like a variety of options to make something which is necessary into
interesting. I think it's good.

I. So what you're saying is that since you know, the taste of the milk is not that great. So this
made the taste very great.

R. Yes.

I. What all people come to your mind when I talk about milk malt beverages?

R. I would say like kids. Who play outside very much. Those that need energy. I would say like who
would come back home and would be the right sort of sort of market for these tapes and as per
conversations I honestly the conversation usually revolve around if anybody has tried new flavors or
anybody is of big fan of a particular brand. So that's what I would say but I think like to name one I
think Bournvita is kind of classic that everybody likes.

I. Okay, and you used to consume it with a set of friends in the school?
R. Absolutely. We used to like wait outside in lines because the lunch break was actually very short,
right? So you have to consume your lunch. You have to be fast. You have to wait at the vending
machines. So we'll do a bunch of friends has to be there every time.

I. You said you got to know about this product and then you later got interested in this and then
told your parents about this thing.

R. Yes. Yes.

I. So do you remember how your mother or your father felt when you told them about this
product or you wanted to consume it?

R. I think they were ready to accept it because I never liked milk so I have never drank it, so they
understand that milk is healthy there is anything out there that can make me drink milk. So I think I
like they were ready to accept it.

I.So, what do you remember or you cherish the most from that experience?

R. I like I live in a society. So all my life I have type had people neighbours or everything we used to
play inside the society grounder. So every single day we used to meet at the evening and the this used
to be like a pre-thing before going out you have to do this. So I really enjoy that. Plus a plus the taste
of it is actually very good.

I. So you consume this product before going..?

R. Before going.. Yes.

I. How did it help you in playing?

R. Probably milk in general as a lot of benefits. I personally don't know about the benefits of the
product by I think it helps you give a lot of micronutrients so I think its a great thing that everybody
should consume daily. So I mean the product basically makes something that is good for you,
interesting to consume. So, I think it's just an excuse to drink milk.

I. Okay, are there any categories that you see you think can be compared with milk melt
beverages? I mean like some people don't consume these beverages but they like to have biscuits
because it also like improves the taste of milk. So I mean something like this that can be
compared to this?

R. I don't think like it compares to it. Like if it makes sense for other people was as far as I know like
I don't think like these additional things would be in the same category as is malt drinks.
I. But like you say tea or coffee. I mean, these are also Beverages and you know substitute milk.
So what are you equally like interested in these all things as well or where you only specific
towards malt drinks?

R. No..No.. Growing up I was only like a milk drinker .I'm not that drinker for tea or anything. But
right now like I don't think kids would be moving towards your coffee at that age. And I don't think
like growing up people would still consume these things. Also, often at times you might read articles
on the internet where somebody might say, these are actually not healthy for your kids. So I don't
think parents would allowed it for their kids at that stage. Hmm. So that's why I think the kids would
only consume that particular drink and growing up you would switch to like tea or coffee. So I don't
think they like cross over there the same time.

I. Okay. So if I ask you that were there any Brands like you already have mentioned bournvita?
Yeah, but any particular brand that you strongly associated with this category.

R. I would say like the brand to lead the run should be bournvita and Horlicks. But I personally like
Bournvita so I’ll stick to that. Anything else??!! I don't know.. I think they all pretty much do the
same thing. I believe it's just about like what brands launches new flavor so you might want to switch
to that switch to that. But I I personally only like bournvita. I don't switch to other brands.

I. What is the reason that you don't switch to other brands?

R. I think they nail the taste down in the first try. I really don't like the taste of other products.

I. Okay, and have you been consuming only Bournvita since you were a child?

R. I have been I think. As far as I remember, I only thing I consumed one.

I. So when these counters were set up in your school that were offering these drinks were they
also offering only bournvita or other categories as well?

R. No..No..they had like seven to eight different options. I have tried other things only because I
think they had like different flavors. So one of them would be vanilla. wanida so I have tried them but
I think bournvita is a go to.

I. Do you remember any ads of this product that you saw in those days?

R. Ugh..advertisements.. I don't think I can recall any. But I have seen where they majorly talked
about like how nutritious it is or it how it helps in giving like your daily vitamins but I cannot recall
anything in particular.

I. It could be anything related to Pi. kaging or the brand ambassador or any sports person?!
R. I think they get sports people for this. I think they got like Sachin Tendulkar to do one. I believe
they even like they handed out like different like small gifts along with if you buy a particular
product. I think it was Milo. He was a brand ambassador and used to handout signed bags or
something every time you buy one. So that was like a good marketing strategies. Those kids at that
age really look up to people and I think it's very good if they see someone they recognize like
advertising for a drink.

I. If I put you in a hypothetical situation and I just tell you that if your parents find out that the
prices of other products like boost or Complan were lower than as compared to BournVita and
they bring that product into the house, then will you be very much willing to even try those
products?

R. I would be willing to try. I would try out. You see because I don't think like that age I would get a
much enough say as to what products to buy for the house or and I don't recall being like ask I don't
ask for that particular product, but I think is like they just found out that I like this particular product.
So they stick stick to it. But honestly like a majority of them, I would like… I don't want to switch to
them. What if it's like a very big difference in prices or anything, so I would.. I would change
somebody else but not for like a fraction of the price.

I. So if I ask you that if you have tried multiple brands since your childhood then will bournvita
be in those top categories or not?

R. It would be. Honestly, I think it's like I don't think like everyone else’s taste is even comparable to
what it is. It's kind of like a go to and I don't like experimenting. So I would like sticks to something
that I do like and I do think it's good. So, I honestly would not be ready to switch that easily. So,I
would consider to be up there.

I. Okay, and do you still consume the product?

R. No, not for a very long time but like on and off.

I. So why do you think your consistency decreased?

R. I think like this particular product is marketed towards kids. So what I key, like I don't see a lot of
advertisements only focusing on adults know if it's marketed as sort of like a child’s drink, I don't
want consume it as I'm like an adult. I don't think they even mark it as an adult strength. And right
now like I am sort of grown into the space of like regular plain milk. Obviously bournvita does
thousand times better but growing up I think I've grown accustomed to plain old milk, so it's not
something I would like by but if I see it on an aisle and has a good discount then I might.

I. How has your experience/ bond with the product changed over the years?
R. I think like as a child, I really like that product particular product. It has not changed. So it's just
that my growing up it's not like if you consider it to a living person out there is does that you see a lot
less of that person and eventually you like separate away that that it is kind of like that. I mean, I don't
I don't want it to go away, but I don't drink it anymore.

I. Do you think that Bounvita should be marketed towards adult people as well?

R. I do think that like if I don't think like a lot of people would like the taste of regular milk. So I do
think like it should be marketed as an adult’s drink.

I. If Bournvita could be available as an alternative drink to tea or coffee, then people would
prefer it?

R. I do think that. I think like tea and coffee is kind of like an addiction and I think the people only
drink it for their daily dose of caffeine. So, I don't think like bournvita contains caffeine. So it would
not be an alternative to it. But I do think that people would buy it just a sort of nostalgia factor.

I. So, if I ask you if you could change something about the product in the past, what would it
have been to make it even better for you?

R. I think like they should Market it as a like a multiple product. Like upon its just as like a addition
to milk, right? So if there is anything they can like come up with different uses of that product or
anything else that could be done with that product. That I think would be because at that stage you
really like experimenting and if you can like make two to three different drinks with one particular
product, that would have been better.

I. And if you could change something about the product in the present then what would that be?

R. I would say like if they make like pre-made drinks. I don't know if they're out there like they
should add to milk and sort of like a ready to go drinks.

I. When you don't have to like boil it or something?

R. I mean it's just like a pre-packaged in tetra pack, a pre-made bournvita drink.

I. Like coldrink?

R. Yes. Yes. Yes like that.

I. Okay. Why do you say so?

R. I think like because I personally don't like cold drinks. I don't think a lot of people do. They slowly
started to realize that it's actually bad for you. So I do think that people have sort of shifted towards
other drinks. So if there is anything like a flavored milk so that would be a better option and a
healthier option for people.
I. Can this also be attributed to the reason that as you start growing old you have any less time
to spend on the things like that and you want instant availability of these products?

R. Yes. Yes. Time is like a very big factor. People don't have time these days they just want like
ready to eat, readily available food. You just want to grab and go so I do think Like it could be great.
And also a lot of people like like me slowly grew apart from these kind of drinks. They don't consume
these drinks anymore when they grow into an adult, so to see something that they recognize and that
they used to like in the childhood I think that they would pick it as a sort of nostalgia factor. Take a
pre-made drink, but they don't want the hassle of actually like buying a pack, buying milk separately
and then mixing them up. If there's something that like pre-made, readily available I think they would
pick it up first.

I.Is there anything else that you would like to mention?

R. I think I would say that like every single child at one point in their life have consumed these drinks
irrespective of where they come from. So I would just say like it's an it's a great thing for kids. I don't
know about the nutritional factor. Hmm. But as far as the taste goes as I have said before I think it
makes something that is very important for your body, taste interesting and delicious. So I think it's a
great choice for when you were a kid, but if it could be in some way turned into an adult drink

like marketed for an adult student so I would like to try that once. So that would be like my only
recommendation is to do anything to now deliver on the same page that they promised like 10-15
years back so that would be amazing.

I.Okay, so, you know, we're pretty much done with this topic and I just want to take some last
comments from you. Is there anything else that you want to share with me on this topic?

R. I would just say that like I personally haven't tried other brands. I don't think a lot of people have
done the same thing. So, I personally like missed out on other brands. I didn't even check if they were
doing anything new. So, I would just say that that the other brands like really do something different
to get the product out. And on top of that I can the only flavor I can recall is the chocolate. So
anything they can like introduce new flavors to it. So new flavor should be out I think. Like there
should be like everything for everybody, like some people might not like chocolate. So if there could
be like new flavors out there and if they could be marketed heavily on top of that, and right now if
they can make something for adults. I think that would be like a really good thing.

Okay, so thank you so much again for sharing that's interesting stories with me. It was a pleasure
chatting with you today. I appreciate your patience throughout the research. Thank you so much.