CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

MBA II
SECTION B

Submitted By
Anum Masood
Fatima Arif
Bitch
Ahsen Mukhtar
Abdullah Arshad
Abdur Rehman
Jahanzeb Talat
 Dated: 30th November 2013

Introduction

Nestlé

Nestlé Pakistan Ltd is a subsidiary of Nestlé S.A. - a company of Swiss origin headquartered in
Vevey, Switzerland. It is a food processing company, registered on the Karachi and Lahore stock
exchanges and operating in Pakistan since 1988 under a joint venture with Milk Pak Ltd and took
over management in 1992. For ten years in a row, the company has won a place among the top
25 companies of the Karachi Stock Exchange.

Nestlé Pakistan operates in many ways but people, products and brands are the main flag bearers
of the Company’s image, and the company continues to enhance the quality of life of people.
Nestlé believes in creating shared value and is committed to the communities it works and lives
with. In Pakistan, the company is working closely with the communities in areas related to
Nutrition, Water and Rural Development, and continues to enhance the quality of life of people
throughout its value chain.

Nestlé Pakistan today is the leading Food & Beverages Company in Pakistan with key focus on
Nutrition, Health and Wellness and reaching the remotest of locations throughout Pakistan to
serve the consumers. In line with Nestlé’s global philosophy, Nestlé Pakistan is proud of its
commitment to excellence in product safety and quality and to providing value and aims to be
the leading Nutrition, Health and Wellness company. As a socially responsible corporate, the
company always focus on environment friendly operations, ethical business practices and our
responsibility towards the communities.

Vision

Nestlé’s global vision is to be the recognized leading Nutrition, Health and Wellness Company.
Nestlé Pakistan subscribes fully to this vision of being the number one Nutrition, Health, and
Wellness Company in Pakistan. In particular, we envision to;
  Lead a dynamic, passionate and professional workforce – proud of our heritage and
positive about the future.
 Meet the nutrition needs of consumers of all ages – from infancy to old age, from
nutrition to pleasure, through an innovative portfolio of branded food and beverage
products of the highest quality.
 Deliver shareholder value through profitable long-term growth, while continuing to play
a significant and responsible role in the social, economic, and environmental sectors of
Pakistan.

Mission

"To positively enhance the quality of life of the people of Pakistan by all that we do through
our people, our brands and products and our CSV activities."

Ambition

"To be the leading Nutrition, Health and Wellness Company in Pakistan."

BRANDS

Overall, Nestlé owns close to 8,000 brands with a wide range of products across a number of
markets. Brands are categorized by their targeted markets.

 Ambient Dairy
 Chilled Dairy
 Beverages
 Bottled Water
 Culinary & Food
 Baby Food
 Breakfast Cereals
 Confectionary
 Nestlé Professional
Confectionary:

POLO

'POLO’ more popularly known as “The mint with the Hole” is Nestlé's iconic refreshment
brand. The peppermint flavored polo was first manufactured in the United Kingdom in 1948 by
employee John Bargewell at the Rowntree's Factory, York, and a range of flavors followed. The
name ‘Polo’ is reportedly from the word ‘Polar’ and is to symbolize the cool and fresh feeling
one gets from sucking a Polo. It appeals to urban youth with its iconic imagery & clever
communication.
The Polo mint is a British institution - 'The mint with the hole'. Everyone is familiar with Polo
and can clearly distinguish the brand from other products. The pack has its own distinctive color
and shape. A Polo is approximately 1.9 cm in diameter, 0.4 cm deep and has a 0.8 cm wide hole.
The original Polo is white in color with a hole in the middle, and the word 'POLO' embossed
twice on one side around the ring, hence the popular slogan The Mint with the Hole. Polos are
usually sold in individual packs of 23 mints, which measure about 10 cm tall. The tube of Polos
is tightly wrapped with aluminum foil backed paper.

Mint competition

Polo has traditionally been the market leader in mints in the United Kingdom. However, during
the late 80s and early 90s this position was slipping. Polo's problem was that it had gradually lost
its value as a product in the eyes of consumers. When this happens it affects the position of a
product in the market place. This was as a result partly of strenuous competitive activity, partly
because of a lack of innovation in the Polo brand itself and partly because advertising had not
bound people sufficiently to the brand.

Target markets
As the market for mints has grown it has also become more diverse. In the past there was only
one Polo which was targeted at the general public of mint eaters. There tended to be a single
message which was put over through advertising and promotion to this market. . To extend the
total market for Polo mints each of the products needs its own 'marketing mix' which enables it
to be focused at the appropriate target market.

SWOT of POLO

Strengths

From the stand point of the product itself the key strength point that POLO has is its design. This
design of the candy is unique generally referred to as the ‘mint with a whole’ At the time of the
launch as well and most of the previous campaigns that have been conducted, this factor has
been highlighted time and again.

Along with the mint flavor this feature was responsible for ensuring that the POLO name stands
out from the crowd.

Consumer perception is a major deciding factor in the success of a product or brand. As being
marketers we all know that the choices that are made by the customers are not calculated and
rational in majority of the cases. The perception of a specific brand makes all the difference in
the world. When it comes to POLO, it has the backing of the strong brand name of Nestle
backing. Nestle has the trust of the customers and given the nature of the food products, the
customers are ready to trust the quality and have the perception that the required standards are
met by the company. In re-launching the POLO brand, this trust factor can and should be
capitalized on to ensure success.

Despite the high end name of Nestle associated with POLO, the cost of the product is not at the
higher side of the line. This can be used to the benefit of the product here, by positioning it as a
quality brand with all that the customers require and yet the cost being on at the lower end.

The original mint taste. This is the biggest strength for POLO. One of the reasons that they lost
their market was because of the loss of this original taste that they introduced in the market. At
the time of its launch and introduction in the market, POLO had a sort of first mover advantage
as there were not many alternatives to the mint candy. Added to that even a few local alternatives
that were indeed there were not able to compete with the brand name of Nestle. The result was
that for the mint candy POLO was the preferable choice.

Packaging of POLO is also a strength as to date, in the mint candy options the color scheme and
the packaging style has not been copied or repeated so this is still the original and unique trade
mark.

Weaknesses

When it comes to the weaknesses of POLO, the major area in which they have lagged is that of
marketing. It does not matter how good your product is, until and unless you presented it to the
customers and show them how the product can add to their life, they are not going to bother
about it. This is especially true in today’s market where there is so much competition which has
resulted in a lot of clutter as well. It is very important that the attention of the consumer is
attained in order to ensure that they retain the product’s position which will then translate into
the purchase decision.

It is very important that the marketing team behind POLO make extra effort to reach out to the
customers. For that, the segments that they have marked needs to be catered to accordingly as per
their specific segment’s needs. The key mint factor needs to be highlighted as per the needs of
these different groups. At the moment this is not being done.

The additional sweet taste overpowering the mint which was the initial USP, is another
weakness of the product at the moment. In order to cater to the tastes of a diverse group of
customers, the single product was manipulated, the result being that none of the segments got
what they were looking for in their mint candy.

This is one of whose weaknesses which can be turned into a strength by the company if they go
back to their original taste and for the expansion add variety to their product line to ensure that
they have a wide range of customers to which they can cater to then. The additional flavors that
are being added, then also require a proper look as it is suggested that they be managed as per the
local tastes in order to ensure that they end up being a success story. The launch of one fruity
flavor was not covering the need of the customers.
Opportunities

The product that the company has in the form of POLO has a lot of potential; despite the fact that
now there is a lot of competition in the market as well. As stated earlier as well the label of high
quality is a given thanks to the Nestlé’s backing. However, this aspect needs to be established in
the minds of the customers. This is not what is being done by the company. The result being that
even today there is a large chunk of customers who recognize POLO but are not able to link it to
Nestle, unlike the other products of the same brand name whom customers can place under the
umbrella with great ease.

A well placed marketing strategy is going to be a key opportunity for the re-launch of POLO.
The key USPs of the product need to be highlighted and the focus needs to be on the original
taste here. As far as the forums are concerned for the marketing, it is suggested that along with
the traditional forums, the new media forums be used as well, as these now better cover the
major chunk of the market segment that is being targeted.

Addition of separate flavors is another major source on which the company can capitalize and
fully exploit the potential of POLO. The additional flavors need to be added to ensure that those
segments who are going to prefer a sweeter taste, they can have the sort of candy that they like.
A key factor to keep in mind here is that the flavors need to be according to the taste of the local
market and not one shot serves all, like the attempt made by the addition of Fruity.

Threats

At the time of the launch of POLO, it had the advantage of the first mover of sorts. However, this
strength was not capitalized on properly, resulting in the addition of a number of competitors in
the market now, both local and international.

Another aspect of the addition of the threats in the market include the fact, that the competition is
not just with other mint candies but with candy chewing gums as well. Now some are going to
consider this to be an indirect threat. Whichever way it is, these are the key realities of the
market and the features that have contributed a great deal to the decline in the overall market
share of POLO.

The additional fact here is that the local competition has grown a lot in the gap and has taken
root in the customer’s mind. There is no evidence of the loyalty to local brands as such in this
specific case, so it is all going to boil down to the quality of the mint and the resulting freshness
that the use of POLO is going to provide to recapture the lost market.

Current Positioning

The current positioning of POLO has not been revamped since its launch which is one of the
many contributing factors to the decline in the profits. This positioning has remained stuck to the
‘mint with the hole’. This USP could be better used if additional features of the product are
reinforced to the customers with regular intervals.

Market Segmentation

In order to have a clear picture as to where the product stands, it is important that the market
segmentation is defined in the right manner. Any ambiguity at this level is going to cause a lot of
problems with regards to designing the right kind of marketing strategy for the product.

Given this theoretical concept, here we will be applying that to POLO’s market segmentation.

Age

Starting off with the category of age, the bracket that is going to be catered to is between 10 to
50. From the age of 10 the kids are old enough to develop a taste for mint, which is not really a
preferable taste for kids younger than this. They are otherwise more inclined towards candies
which are sweeter. In the long run with the addition of extra flavors this age segment can then be
added as well late on. For now however, it is going to be between the given range.

Teenagers, young adults and adults are the segments that are fully adapted to the taste of mint
and prefer it as well. The usage is going to vary from person to person but this is a safe estimate
from the view point of designing a marketing strategy.
Gender

As far as gender is concerned, the mint candy is targeting both the genders equally. There are no
masculine or feminine features specifically associated with the product in the current scenario
and this factor we intend to keep in the new strategy that we are going to design.

Social – Economic class

The SEC categories that the product is being targeted at includes, SEC A, B & C. This is one of
those products that is going to fit in all these categories without having to make any modification
for each of the segment. The price of the product is already in an affordable range. The purposes
that this candy serves, is the requirement of all the stated sections.

SEC A and B who are considered in general to be really class conscious are not going to see the
price as the demeaning factor because the parent brand name that is supporting POLO is that of
Nestle, a brand name which has a lot of power among these segments of society.

Benefit of POLO

The key benefit of the use of POLO is the freshness that the mint provides. This mint is also
going to help the users to ensure that they have a fresh breath all the time. In case they have
some doubts all they need to do is get one of the candies out of their pockets and they can regain
their confidence.

Other than these specific practical benefits, there is the element of fun involved as well. The
candy is going to be hands on for those who prefer the mint taste over the other flavors of the
candy. At the end of the day, this is the candy that is going to freshen up your mood.

Usage situation

The usage situation is unique to each customer. However, there are a few general trends that can
be deduced. Those who prefer the flavor of mint are going to be heavy users of the candy, as
these individuals are those who are in the habit of having a refreshing candy in their mouth.
After the heavy users, the list of moderate to light users is there. These include the individuals
who are going to use the candy when they want to give an extra dose of freshness to their
mouths, or while they are out with friends and there is a round of POLO being circulated.

In the segment of teenagers to young adults, the consumption is going to be heavy because these
segments prefer to keep such candies on them all the time for random consumption. They are
going to be using it at times, when they have nothing else to do.

Issues with the Brand

As far as the issues with the brand out concerned from the external side of the things, it becomes
difficult to see as to what the issues are. Therefore, we decided to adopt an approach where we
first looked at the internal causes and then moved out towards the external research.

Starting with the internal research, the best source that we were able to get in touch with the
individuals involved in the campaign of POLO themselves at Nestle. As per the information that
was collected from there, the main issue that the company faced was the slow response of the
customers towards POLO’s re-launch attempt.

The segments that were being targeted should have resulted in a better response as they were
being considered to have a broad range. This however, was not materializing into the profits
figures that were being expected.

To further add to the product line, then the Fruity version of POLO was introduced but that too
did not get the expected response from the customers and the trend remained on a slow track.

From the external perspective, which is elaborated in detail from the extensive research that we
conducted, the customer’s were showing a slow response because they were not getting the
benefits out of the product that they were expecting. Then when there was no change at the front
of POLO and when at the same pace there was the addition of other competitor brands that were
actually giving the customers’ the sort of mint that they wanted. As a result the POLO went into
a decline, despite a strong start.
Marketing Mix

The 4Ps of the marketing mix which include, Product, Price, Place & Promotion can help look at
the issues that are being faced by POLO in yet another detailed manner as well. From this section
the marketers can see as to the areas that they need to cover in order to re-launch the brand in a
successful manner and not to repeat the mistakes of the past.

Product

At the product level the issue that the customers’ were facing was the fact that the original mint
taste was lost in their opinion and that there was a sweet touch to the newer version of POLOs.
Taking away the original taste with which the customers form an association is a big know. The
famous case of COKE can be used a reference point. A major chunk of branding includes the
bonds and perceptions of the customers. Making changes in that front is not advisable. So, it is
suggested that keep the original mint taste for POLO and for catering to the market that prefers
the sweeter tastes, there needs to be addition of variety after researching as to the preferred
flavors of the customers.

Price

The price aspect of POLO is up to the mark. Given the competition that it is facing, the current
price of Rs. 20 for a single pack of POLO is a very competitive one. Therefore, we won’t suggest
any sort of change over here.

Place

Place is a key aspect of the marketing mix. The customers need to be able to have access to the
product without any issues. Given the nature of the product in this case, this factor becomes even
more essential. The more the customers are going to have access to the product, the easier it is
going to be for them to have it reinforced and the chances of repeat purchase increase as well.
Since the decline of the brand, the company has not done much to ensure its availability. Unlike
its presence in the initial days, POLO is not a frequent sight in the candy sections of the retail
stores anymore.
Promotion

In the department of promotion as well, the graph has been on a decline on the whole. The initial
start was catch and people still remember that tag line of ‘hole wali goli’, but after that there has
been no new innovation to capture the attention of the customers. In the extremely competitive
environment of today, there is a need to stand out of the clutter and make sure that the customers
are able to remember you at the time of their purchase. For this it is important that new
campaigns are launched frequently to keep the customer’s precious attention.

Questions asked in the Focus Groups & Interviews

Focus Group Questions For Consumers

1. What comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘mint’?
2. What are the ways in which you use your mint candy?
3. What is your preferable choice for a mint candy?
4. Given the choice between a mint candy and a gum which one is going to be your
preference?
5. List out the associations that you have formed with the candy or the gum?
6. What is your first memory of having a mint candy or gum?
7. Given that you have mentioned having mint during travelling, kindly, mention the brands
that you have used over time.
8. POLO came up as one of those brands in your mentions that you used to pick initially
before shifting on to other brands, what were your reasons for this shift.
9. Please further elaborate on the base idea that you have stated, that POLO has lost its
freshness.
10. Coming to the idea of sweetness, don’t you think that in our country there is a general
trend towards having a sweet tooth, specifically with regards to candies, hence the
addition of sweetness by the company?
11. If POLO goes back to its original mint taste then will you be willing to give it another
chance in your preference list?
 12. Fruity was launched to cater to a more diverse market, as you guys have mentioned that
you want your pure mint taste, does a separate product appeal you in any manner as a
separate candy?
13. Is POLO easily available on the retail shops from where you used to buy?
14. Is packaging of POLO convenient for you to have it with you anytime?
15. Let’s add another aspect to this discussion here. POLO has always focused on its mint
with a whole in its campaign, what is your take on that as consumers?
16. What are your suggestions for POLO to rebuild its image among the customers?

Interview Questions with the Retailers

1. How do you decide to keep a product on your shop?

2. Is there any way in which you conduct your own research with regards to the demand of
the consumers in your area?
3. Do you have any system through which you cater to the specific needs of the consumers,
if they put out the demand for any specific product that you have not kept at your store?
4. What are the incentives that are offered to you by the companies to place their products
with you?
5. Do they use any additional options to ensure that you promote their product or that you
place it in a prominent enough place?
6. Let’s be a bit more specific with regards to perishable items, as how to manage their
placement in your store?
7. In the category of candies, what is the level of demand for POLO?
8. Has the demand situation of PHJMOLO always remained the same or has there been a
shift over time?
9. In your opinion as a retailer, what are the causes for the decline in POLO’s demand?
10. What was the response to the Fruity version that the brand came up with?
11. What is the status of the competition against POLO?
12. Which are the main candies that are giving POLO the key competition in the market right
now?
13. Do you think that the product quality of the competitors is better than that of POLO?
 14. What are the specific benefits that are given by Nestle to the retailers to keep their
product at their stores?
15. In your opinion is the marketing methodology of the Nestle with regards to POLO is
good from a retailer’s point of view?
16. What are the suggestions that you have for the re-launching of POLO?
17. Will you be willing to give a second chance to POLO if a re-launch is organized by the
company?

Questionnaire for Customers

1. What is your preference for a mint candy?

a) Fresh up
b) POLO
c) Soft Mint
d) Mentos
e) Hoest

2. When do you prefer to have your mint candy?

a) Anytime
b) During Travelling
c) With Friends
d) After eating
e) After smoking
f) Other

3. On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being the least & 5 being the most) what is the acceptable
sweetness level in a mint candy?
1 2 3 4 5

4. On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being the least & 5 being the most) how do you rate POLO as a
mint candy?
1 2 3 4 5
5. Should POLO add more varieties to its fruity category?
a) Yes
b) No

6. In your opinion should POLO go back to its original ‘mint taste’ or go for some new
mint version?
a) Original mint taste
b) New mint version

7. On a scale of 5 rate the marketing campaign of POLO, where 1 being the least
effective & 5 being the most effective

8. In your opinion is POLO making enough progress to reach out to the customers?
a) Yes
b) No

9. Is POLO available at your regular retail store?

a) Yes
b) No

10. What changes do you want to see in POLO’s campaign and the product? (Open
ended question)
Research Findings

Analysis of the Customer’s Focus Group

The focus group that we conducted gave us a clear picture of the current standing of POLO. The
members of the focus group were representative of the age group that we have stated earlier.
Every customer is going to have his or her own opinion about the brand but there did emerge
some general trends and patterns and these are going to make the base of the analysis that we are
going to present here.

From the stand point of the customers, there are a few key things that came up time and again.
The major one, of which is the fact that POLO lost its mint factor for them with time. On further
probing it was revealed that the customers of mint are of the opinion that with time a lot of sweet
was added to the product. Now, not everyone is a fan of the mint flavor and many people use it
for different purposes. However, the key factor remains that when people are using mint, they are
doing it for the sole purpose of having access to that distinct mint flavor. Manipulation with that
flavor is not going to benefit the brand and the decline in POLO is one proof of that.

The other main analysis point that came up from the discussion was the availability of POLO.
There was a time when POLO could be seen everywhere in the candy section of the shops.
However, this is no longer the case. The ease of the availability of the product is itself a sign of
the decline in the status among the other brands.

The third key aspect that came up was the fact that the POLO campaigns don’t grab the attention
of the customers. In fact there are no proper campaigns to keep the brand name fresh in the
minds of the customers. Brands need to be built, they are not going to develop on their own. For
that a lot of innovation is required and it also has to be repetitive on the various available forums
so that the customers are in touch with them all the time. These are the sort of things that are
going to aid in the repeat purchase of the product.
Analysis of the Seller’s Interviews

The results of the seller’s interview brought out similar themes that were seen from the focus
group of the customers. This reflective behavior showed that the key issues were the same and it
was for the internal management to pick up the trends and work on them for the development of
a success story.

Retailers that were interviewed, explained that the trend in the POLO sales has been on a decline
in general. On asking for reasons, as they are the best judges of the behavior patterns of the
customers, the answers ranged from the high competition from local and foreign products to the
lack of the push factor from the company’s size.

The competition that is out there in the market is not just successful because of a better product
but also because they are trying to ensure that the customer is accustomed to the product at the
maximum touch point levels. Nestle is not putting that sort of an effort in the case of POLO.
Being one of the giants in the market and having the needed resources it is a big question mark
as to why they are not putting their weight behind the name of POLO to ensure that it fares better
in the market. Unlike the case of the other products, the retailers are not given any incentives to
keep POLO or stock it in a better and prominent shelve space to promote contact with the
customers.

The tastes of the product line of POLO is also a feature that is causing the decline and needs to
be maintained. The competition is doing a better job at providing the favor that the customers are
looking for in their candy. The other products that were added to the category also did not do
anything special for the customers, in order to ensure that the declining sales rate be improved in
the intended direction.

A holistic approach is required at the product front to ensure that the situation can be improved.
Analysis of the Questionnaire’s Findings

Following is the summary of the results of the questionnaire that was administered and the
analysis that we have been able to conclude from them.

1. What is your preference for a mint candy?

Mentos 25 42%
Polo 16 27%
Cool 5 8%
Mint
Soft Mint 2 3%
Hoest 5 8%
Fresh Up 7 12%

Our Survey results showed a marked preference for Mentos candy with 40% followed by Polo
Mint at 29%. The other product offerings scored lower on the percentage scales relatively. With
Soft Mint being the least preferred by the respondents.

For Polo to lead it will have to take over Mentos in consumer preferences.
2. When do you prefer to have your mint candy?

Anytime 15 25%
During 14 23%
travelling
With friends 9 15%
After eating 9 15%
After smoking 7 12%
Other 6 10%

The respondents mainly preferred consuming mint candies anytime 25% and during travelling
came a close second with 23%. With Friends was 15% which shows that consumers are affected
by social and peer groups.

3. On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being the least & 5 being the most) what is the
acceptable sweetness level in a mint candy?

1 8 13%
2 16 27%
3 26 43%
4 8 13%
5 2 3%

43% of the respondents preferred moderate levels of sweetness in their mint candies with the
trend appearing to be for less sweet. Only 3% wanted their mint candies to be extra sweet. Thus,
it can be inferred that Polo might have to lower its sweetness scales to attract the right
consumers.

4. On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being the least & 5 being the most) how do you rate
POLO as a mint candy?

1 6 10%
2 10 17%
3 9 15%
4 20 33%
5 15 25%

On a scale of likability Polo scored a high of 58% respondents who liked the mint candy. 27% of
the respondents either disliked or strongly disliked Polo with 15% being indifferent towards the
mint candy. The brand needs to work on its product offering to win over the 15% and try to
capture the consumers from the 27% dislike segment as well.

5. Should POLO add more varieties to its fruity category?

Ye 31 52%
s
No 29 48%
52% of the respondents want Polo to add more flavours to its Fruit Polo line. This could be a
good opportunity for the brand to revitalize itself and offer a different product to its consumers.

6. In your opinion should POLO go back to its original ‘mint taste’ or go for
some new mint version?

Original Mint 21 35%

flavour
New Mint flavour 39 65%

65% of the respondent’s want a new mint flavor along with the original flavor which again
indicates the brand’s need to move into a greater variety for its product.

7. On a scale of 5 rate the marketing campaign of POLO, (1 being the least

effective & 5 being the most effective)

1 24 40%
2 22 37%
3 12 20%
4 2 3%
5 0 0%

Polo’s marketing campaign is ineffective with over 77% of the respondent’s hardly being able to
remember the last time they saw an advertisement of Polo anywhere. This brings home the point
that to refresh its brand Polo needs to step up on its marketing campaign.
8. In your opinion is POLO making enough progress to reach out to the
customers?

Ye 3 5%
s
No 57 95%

Polo is not reaching out to its customers at all with 95% of the respondents reiterating that Polo
is almost nowhere to be seen.

9. Is POLO available at your regular retail store?

Yes 16 27%
No 27 45%
I don't 17 28%
know

45% of the respondents did not see Polo being sold at their regular stores while 28% being
unsure about the product being offered. This shows a lack of promotion and advertising of the
brand at the stores which is just decreasing the brand’s value.
10. What changes do you want to see in POLO’s campaign and the product?

Increased availability 15 25%

More advertising/ 19 32%
promotions
Original Minty flavour 6 10%
Less Sweetness 4 7%
Different packaging 4 7%
More variety 12 20%
Other 0 0%

32% of the respondents mainly wanted more advertising and promotions of Polo to bring it to
their notice while 25% wanted increased availability at popular and nearby retail stores. More
variety in the Product offering was also required by 20%.

The overall results mainly highlighted the trend that although consumers prefer Polo to other
candies and their rating of it as a popular mint candy is on the high side but its unavailability and
ineffective campaigning are taking a toll on the brand as consumers turn to other brands and
product offerings.
Perceptual Position Map

A two determinant attribute format has been used to formulate the perceptual map for the mint
candies available in the market. The determinants are:

1. To what extent does the consumer prefer the product compared to other products; and
2. The market price of the products
The scores of these two determinants have been obtained from a consumer survey and a simple
combination of the scores placed the product offerings on the map.

The scale for the determinants on the axises was from 1 to 9 with 1 being the lowest, 9 being the
highest and 5 being the equal mix of both. The following data has been calculated from the
percentage of answers in the survey and from our market research:

  Horizontal Attribute   Vertical Attribute

1= Low Price 1= Low Preference

Product Offering
5= Equal mix of both 5= Equal mix of both

9= High Price 9= High Preference

Polo 9 6.78

Mentos 9 9

Soft Mint 2.25 1

Cool Mint 6.75 1.71

Fresh up 5 2.57

Hoest 1 1.71

The perceptual map shows that Mentos is the leading preference of the consumers even though it
has the same price as of Polo which is on the high side. Polo is percieved as being relatively high
priced and having slightly higher than moderate levels of consumer preference. The rest of the
product offerings are relatively low priced and have low consumer preference levels.

New Strategy Designed for POLO

POLO SE KHOLO!!

The basic concept of the campaign is to communicate to the consumer that, why should they buy
Polo??The previous campaign of Polo did not communicate to the consumer the benefit they get
after buying Polo. It just differentiated the product on the basis of physical aspects “the
holewaligoli”.

In this campaign we are basically proposing the idea that Polo can be a solution for difficult
situations that youngsters (our target market) face in their daily life. The campaign differentiates
the product on the basis of intrinsic benefits.There can be several implications or adaptations of
the big idea as it is very broad and can encompass a lot of different aspects of life. KHOLO
(open) can be implied in both a direct and an indirect way.

The direct implications include the aspects that Polo can actually open (kholo). E.gGalla (throat),
Aankhain (eyes), Dimagh (mind-freshness), munh (mouth – bad breath).The indirect
implications include, Jhakka (shyness or ice-breaking)kholo.

In the whole campaign the “Product is the Hero”. TVCs are also on the same theme. They give
the consumer a message that if they don’t use Polo they might end up being embarrassed.We
have also associated new promises with the product that by using Polo it will help the consumers
open their mind(damaghkholo), have fresh breath (munhkholo), boost confidence
(jhakkakholo) and help u be active minded (aankhainkholo).

The new strategy also involves widening and deepening the target market by using
differentiated marketing. This enables the company to alter ingredients of the marketing mix
such as where and how it advertises its products, the outlets it sells its products at, and gives it
the flexibility to charge different prices for the variants of this where appropriate.

In developing Polo through differentiated marketing it has been necessary to do two things.

 It has been essential to stress the core strengths of Polo

 Creating the character of the variants in their own right.
 Motivating and relevant reason to buy and eat Polo.
  Develop a marketing activity to support the re-launch of Polo as refreshing, modern, and
relevant.
 Complete a new ‘Brand Ambition Framework’ for Polo.

The Polo's core strengths which have needed to be stressed are:

 Its unique physical form - it is this which distinguishes Polo most tangibly from other
mints.
 Polo's 'friendly' reputation, built up over many years through humorous advertising.

To regenerate sales volume and rejuvenate brand interest, new Polo variants have added to the
range. Polo has been a successful product for many years. Its continuing success will depend
upon further innovation and change which is taking place to make a good brand an even better
brand along with innovative campaigning and regular bombardment of consumers with visual
stimuli’s through advertising, promotional activities and sponsoring.

Campaign Idea

 To re-launch the Polo brand in the market, around a 10000 Polo candy packets will be arranged
at various outlets which will not have the logo "POLO" on the wrapper. Instead the candy will be
accompanied with a sticker for customers to print their own names on the packet. The lucky
customers can then take pictures of their "logo" and publish it on social websites with the
hashtag #mypolologo.
A similar campaign, to further connect to the consumers on a personal level by embossing the
most common names of people on the candy itself. This will add to the light fun that people are
going to experience at the time of consumption. Experiences like these are going to ensure that
the repeat purchase is encouraged among the customers.
The Social Media

For the majority of the people these days, social media is a very important aspect of their lives.
There are many jokes that make the rounds, as people are getting more and more involved in the
virtual world compared to the real world. Now, we are not going to be promoting any further
virtual involvement at personal level, the fact remains that if you are not present online then you
are not present at all. This is absolutely true for the brands these days as well. Social media
presence is a must. Apart from the fact that this is a must have, it is also the cheapest way in
which you can have access to the largest audience that is available out there.

The best part of social media marketing is that there are no limitations as to how you want to
engage with your customers. The trend has shown that the more creative and innovative you are,
the more positive response you are going to be able to generate.

For POLO’s social media presence, the idea is to engage the consumers in a fun manner. So
there is going to be pages of POLO on the following sites:

 Facebook
 Twitter
 Instagram
 Tumblr

These sites comprise from social networking sites to blogging forums and to picture sharing
forums. One idea is to connect the above mentioned engraved POLO campaign and the blank
wrapper’s campaign to be shared on these forums by the consumers. To further continue with it
there can be multiple competitions that can be arranged and some POLO souvenir given as the
winning prize.
In order to build an online community these forms are not going to be restricted ones. They are
going to be moderated to ensure that no one is crossing the line but the consumers in general will
be given a free hand to share the stuff that they want to. These can include their POLO stories to
their just for fun videos that they made themselves. The key theme on these forums is going to be
linked to the initially mentioned one of ‘POLO se KHOLO’ – ‘Fun ka darwaza Kholo

Conclusion

We will conclude with the following quote by Walter Landor: