Case Study

Parle Products: The Journey Business Perspectives and Research

9(1) 159–181, 2021
of Budget Brand Toward © 2020 K. J. Somaiya Institute of Manage-
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DOI: 10.1177/2278533720923519
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A. Shivakanth Shetty1, Kerena Anand1 and Raghavendra A. N.1

Abstract
Parle Products has been one of the foremost pioneers of the biscuit and confectionery industry in India.
Since its inception in 1929, Parle has been synonymous with quality, nutrition, taste, and affordability in
India. Having more than 40 brands across different product categories in its portfolio, Parle Products
has come a long way. Due to the enormous success of brand Parle-G, the mother brand Parle has been
associated with values of affordability and quality. Parle has always been a strong player in the value
segment and thus customers associate all brands of the company as being the affordable brand with
quality. While the industry peers such as Britannia and Indian Tobacco Company (ITC) have positioned
themselves as a champion of premium segments, Parle Products is still known as an affordable or budget
brand among Indian masses. Considering the increasing demand for premium biscuits among the new
generation of consumers, Parle Products has introduced the new division Parle Platina in 2017. But
the transformation of “value” or “budget” brand into the luxury and premium brands is not easy, as
the legacy of value brand among the masses is not easy to shake off. This becomes more difficult and
challenging in a highly fragmented, competitive, and price-sensitive biscuit market like India. Another
problem for the Parle Products is to hit the sweet spot between the mass market and the premium
demographic which the brand is currently missing out in a highly fragmented and competitive Indian
biscuit market.

Keywords
Premiumization, budget/value brand, segmentation, premium brands and brand transformation

Introduction
The launching of the ambitious Parle Platina division in 2017 to manage its premium brands has put it
into the limelight in the highly fragmented biscuit industry.

1
School of Business and Management, Christ University, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.

Corresponding author:
A. Shivakanth Shetty, School of Business and Management, Christ University, Bangalore, Karnataka 560029, India.
E-mail: sivakantha.setty@christuniversity.in
160 Business Perspectives and Research 9(1)

The imperative of legacy brands like Parle shifting toward premiumization is caused partly by fierce
competition in the mature mass biscuit market and partly by the changing consumer behavior of
customers. The rising disposable income, increasing standard of living, urbanization, exposure to the
mall culture, consumerism, exposure to the overseas living, and return of the expatriates to the home
country tilted the balance toward the premium biscuits and cookies. Hence, it becomes necessary for
Parle to grow via premiumization to generate sales growth and to address and engage the consumers with
varied tastes and preferences. Thus, the decision to launch Parle Platina (a premium division of Parle
Products) has been heralded as a bold and innovative strategy by many, but left it with humungous
challenges in converting a “value” or “mass” Parle brand into a premium brand. Although the brand
recall of Parle is high, it is still known for its “value for money” brands and still possesses the “mass
brand” image among the consumers. The success of the premium Platina division will be entirely
dependent on the shedding of a mass brand image at the shortest possible time, without compromising
the revenue being generated by the mass brands such as Parle G biscuits. Moreover, being dependent on
mass brands such as Parle G brand as a revenue generator and heavily spending on the advertisement and
promotion of Platina division will confuse the consumers and the positioning of the brands too while
rivals are very much settled and categorize leaders in the premium segment. Hence, Mr Mayank Shah1
was faced with the challenge of leveraging the “value” and “mass” legacy of Parle brand for revenue
generation and at the same time to promote and position Platina division as premium and luxury brand.
The major challenge and dilemma before Shah are to achieve the task of the transition of “value” and
“mass” brand of Parle into a premium brand through its Platina division in a high price-sensitive,
fragmented, and low margin biscuit industry in India. Another problem for Shah is to hit the sweet spot
between the mass market and the premium demographic which the brand is currently missing out in a
highly fragmented and competitive biscuit market in India.

Indian Biscuit Industry: A Profile

Unlike the biscuit industry in the United States and Europe, the biscuit industry in India is still at its
nascent stage and is just around 80 years old. Indians in those days of the early part of the twentieth
century were not enthused to consume factory-made food products including biscuits, as a result the
entry of biscuit as a consumable food item made its entry bit late in India when compared with other
countries. The reason is that biscuit was considered to be a sick man’s diet in those days. The first biscuit
factory was established by Parle in 1938 and this is the year Parle launched its most successful and iconic
brand Parle Gluco. Since 1938, the perception and attitude of Indian consumers toward biscuits have
seen a total transformation as present biscuit consumption is popular among different age groups. The
maximum demand for biscuits is from industrial states such as Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra,
and Uttar Pradesh, where the working-class population would like to start their day with the consumption
of biscuits along with tea.
The organized biscuit sector is dominated by Parle Products, Britannia, and Indian Tobacco Company
(ITC), which cover almost 70 per cent of the market share in the Indian biscuit market. Apart from these
three dominant players, there are minor but important players such as Bakeman’s Champion, Priya,
SmithKline Consumer, Kellogg’s, Sara, Heinz, Excelsia (Nestle), and United Biscuits (Table 1 and
7–16). On the other hand, the unorganized sector consists of small bakery units, cottage, and household-
type manufacturing of biscuits and confectionaries without brand and packaging and serving the needs
of the local market. The Indian biscuit industry was valued at around US$4 billion in 2016 and expected
to grow to a double digit for the next few years. The Indian biscuit market is expected to be valued at
around US$7.25 billion in the year 2022.
Shetty et al. 161

Market Size, Growth, and Segmentation

• The Indian biscuit and cookies industry has been growing at an impressive rate of CAGR of 10
per cent since 2015.
• India is currently the world’s third largest biscuit-consuming country in volume.
• The highest market share among biscuits is held by glucose biscuits with 25 per cent.
• Unlike other FMCG products that lack penetration in both urban and rural areas, biscuits and
cookies have one of the highest penetration percentages among the FMCG goods (94 and 83 per
cent, respectively).
• The Indian biscuit market is 80 per cent organized and 20 per cent unorganized. The North and
Eastern part of India is driving the maximum consumption of biscuits in India.
• Parle Products, Britannia, ITC, Surya Foods, and Agro are the dominant players in the Indian
biscuit industry (Table 2).

Table 1. Market Share in Biscuit Industry of India: 2018

Market Share % Value FY 2016–2017 FY 2017–2018
All biscuits (in crores, `) 28,097 31,687
Britannia Industries 30.4 30.8
Parle Products 28.6 29.1
ITC 10.6 10.2
Anmol Industries Limited 4.9 4.4
Surya Food and Agro 4.5 4.6
Saj Industries 3.1 3.2
Mondelez International 1.4 1.5
Glaxo SmithKline 0.8 0.8
Others 15.7 15.5
Source: The Economic Times (2018).

Table 2. Top 10 Biscuit Companies in India

S. No. Name of the Company Established

1 Parle Products 1929
2 Britannia Industries 1892
3 ITC Sunfeast Biscuits 2003
4 Priya Gold Biscuits 1993
5 Anmol Biscuits 1994
6 Horlicks Biscuits 1893
7 Dukes Biscuits 1995
8 Cremica Biscuits 1978
9 Bisk Farm Biscuits 2000
10 Rose Biscuits 1987
Source: The authors.
162 Business Perspectives and Research 9(1)

Recent Trends and Opportunities in the Indian Biscuit Market

Biscuit industry in India has been growing at an impressive rate but still the per capita consumption of
biscuits is one of the lowest in the world. The average per capita consumption of biscuits in India is just
2.1 kg against more than 10 kg in the developed part of the world such as the United States and Europe.
But enabled by the rising income levels, burgeoning middle classes, rapid urbanization, and exposure to
the lifestyles abroad, biscuit consumption in India is increasing slowly but steadily. This rise in the
consumption of biscuits is more visible in the case of luxury and premium biscuit segment which is
growing at a rate of 15–16 per cent for the last few years. Irrespective of the impressive growth rates
recorded in the Indian biscuit industry, this sector is not without its own set of challenges and problems
to face. The ever-rising prices of raw materials, changing government tax rules and regulation, highly
fragmented market, the intensity of competition, and increased selling costs are some of the challenges
being faced by the biscuit manufacturers in India.
• The rising level of disposable income, urbanization, change in lifestyles, and exposure to the
lifestyles in abroad are triggering the demand and growth of the premium biscuit segment in India.
• Biscuit manufacturers in India too are trying to meet the need for new and younger customers by
experimenting with new flavors, ingredients, and packaging to attract their attention and increase
their market share (Table 7–16).
• The rise of the health consciousness among upper-middle-class and lower-middle-class consumers
contributing to the popularity and demand for healthy biscuits and cookies such as high fiber
biscuits, digestive biscuits, etc.
• One new trend to be witnessed in the Indian biscuit market is the popularity and demand for
organic foods and organic ingredients and this opportunity in the market is readily exploited by
the biscuit manufacturers in India.

Critical Success Factors of the Indian Biscuit Industry

• The next wave of growth in the biscuit industry is going to arise from rural India aided by the
lower-class and upper-middle-class consumers.
• The Indian biscuit market is going to witness lots of investment and expenditure in the distribution
in rural India and advertising in urban India. This fragmented and highly competitive market is
going to witness the launching of lots of newer brands and products.
• The growth of premium and luxury biscuits and cookies is going to increase in both urban and
rural areas of India.
• Although e-commerce is on the rise in the Indian market, standard grocers are still the main and
pivotal distribution channel for biscuit manufacturers in India. The sales of biscuits through
e-commerce are still negligible but set to increase their share in the coming years.

Challenges of Indian Biscuit Industry

• The imposition of 18 per cent of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on all biscuit segments in 2017 is
the biggest challenge for all the biscuit manufacturers in India. This higher tax rate is going to
affect their final pricing, demand, and net profit in the long run.
Shetty et al. 163

• The highly fragmented and fiercely competitive market.

• Too many brands and none of the brands have achieved that kind of critical mass to be a successful
brand.
• Higher advertising and selling costs due to increasing competition.

Parle Products Private Limited

The House of Parle was established by Mr Mohanlal Dayal Chauhan in 1928 and it started its first
factory in 1929 with just 12 employees making confectionaries. The iconic biscuit Parle-G was first
baked in 1938, and initially it was named as Parle Gluco (Table 5). This was the pioneer and first Indian
company to introduce biscuits in the Indian market. Initially, its main customer base was British expats
than the local Indians who were reluctant in eating factory-made products due to lack of familiarity with
them. After independence, which is barely 9 years later, Parle Gluco had established itself as a strong
brand among Indian consumers.

Figure 1. India’s Top 10 Brands (2014–2015)

Source: IMRB Kantar Worldpanel Brand Footprint Report, 2016.
164 Business Perspectives and Research 9(1)

Figure 2. Top 10 Food Products Brands in India: 2017

Source: Brand Equity Survey, 2017.

After the independence of India, Parle still retained its pioneering position in the Indian biscuit
industry (Figures 1 and 2; Table 3). Apart from manufacturing biscuits and confectionaries, Parle now
owns more than 40 brands across different product categories (Table 2). Many of the successful brands
from the stable of Parle are category leaders in different product categories such as biscuits, confectionaries,
healthy snacks, rusks, and chocolates (Table 4). At present, Parle owns around 45 per cent of the market
share of the biscuit industry and 15 per cent of the confectionery market in India (Table 6). In 1950,
1960, and 1970, Parle was split into Parle Products (led by Mr Vijay Chauhan, Mr Sharad Chauhan, and
Mr Raj Chahuan), Parle Agro (led by Mr Prakash Chauhan and his daughters Ms Schuhana, Ms Nadia,
and Ms Alisha), and Parle Bisleri (led by Mr Ramesh Chauhan), respectively. After conquering the
Indian market, Parle has made its entry into the international market, gaining fast acceptance and
popularity across South Asian, Southeast Asian, US, and European markets.

Table 3. List of India’s Top FMCG Brands in 2018

Rank (Approximate) Brand Name CRP (in Million) CRP (% Change) Penetration % (Change in pp.)
1 Parle 4,623 14 71.9
2 Amul 3,605 7 17.8
3 Clinic Plus 3,201 3 81.1
4 Britannia 2,552 10 60.8
5 Ghadi 2,100 5 46.2
6 Aavin 2,027 18 3.4
(Table 3 continued)
Shetty et al. 165

(Table 3 continued)
Rank (Approximate) Brand Name CRP (in Million) CRP (% Change) Penetration % (Change in pp.)
7 Nandini 2,016 1 4.4
8 Tata 1,764 7 68.8
9 Colgate 1,497 1 86.5
10 Wheel 1,457 1 59.3
11 Lifebuoy 1,305 −3 70.5
12 Anmol 1,166 −4 23.4
13 Milma 1,135 2 2.4
14 Vijaya 1,114 10 3.0
15 Fair & Lovely 1,017 7 65.0
16 Nirma 968 3 45.5
17 Mother Diary 956 4 2.5
18 Dabur 860 3 64.4
19 Maggi 854 75 38.4
20 Surf Excel 831 32 48.2
Source: Kantar Worldpanel Brand Footprint Report, 2018.
Note: CRP stands for consumer reach points.

Table 4. Parle Portfolio of Brands

S. No. Brands: Biscuits

1 Parle-G, 20–20, Magix, Krackjack, Monaco, Golden Arcs, Parle Marie, Milk Shakti, Parle Hide & Seek
Bourbon, Parle Hide & Seek Fab, Top, Parle Gold Star, Happy Happy, Simply Good, Namkeen Coconut,
Cheeslings, Parle-G Gold
Brands: Confectionaries
2 Melody, Mango Bite, Londonderry, Poppins, 2 in 1 Eclairs, Mazelo, Kismi Toffee Bar, Kaccha Mango Bite
Brands: Snacks
3 Mexitos Nachos, Parle’s Wafers, Full Toss, Parle Namkeens, Parle Rusk, Parle Cake
Source: The authors.

Table 5. Milestones in the Journey of Parle

S. No. Milestones in the Journey of Parle Year

1 Mohanlal Dayal founded the House of Parle 1928
2 Parle factory started with confectionary “Gold Star” mint and “Pepper Mint” 1929
3 Launched biscuits with “Parle Gluco” followed by “Parle Monaco” 1938
4 “Marie” and “Cream Cracker” followed after “Parle Gluco” and “Parle Monaco” 1938
5 Automated wrapping machines installed for toffees, candies, and peppermints. 1942
6 First packaging used was wax paper for “Parle Gluco” 1942
7 Launched “Cheeslings”—a first of its kind 1956
(Table 5 continued)
166 Business Perspectives and Research 9(1)

(Table 5 continued)
S. No. Milestones in the Journey of Parle Year
8 Launched “Jeffs” jeera biscuits and “Kismi” (elaichi-flavored toffee) 1963
9 Launched “Poppins”-flavored candies in an innovative roll-packaging format 1966
10 Received first Monde Selection Award 1971
11 Launched India’s first sweet and salty biscuit: “Krackjack” 1972
12 Launched “Melody” Chocolaty in a unique single-twist wrapper 1983
13 Launched “Mango Bite” candy in a mango-inspired single-twist wrapper; became an instant 1986
hit among the kids
14 Most innovative product “Hide & Seek” molded choco chip cookies launched after 9 years 1996
of research and development
15 Moving with time, it introduced Western snacks (Parle’s Wafers and Full Toss) 2008
16 Launched 20–20: one of the most successful brands of Parle 2008
17 Parle-G continues to become the largest selling brand of biscuits 2011
18 Enters the traditional snacks segment 2012
19 Parle Rusk enters the untapped rusk segment 2013
20 The launch of Parle Platina Division to manage premium brands 2017
Source: The authors.

Table 6. Trivia about Parle-G

S. No. Trivia about Parle-G

1 192—The number of times you can go around the Earth (Earth’s circumference) if you line up all the
Parle-G biscuits consumed annually, end to end
2 400 million—The number of Parle-G biscuits produced daily
Parle-G sells more than 100 crore packets across sizes every month, or 14,600 crore biscuits in the
entire year, that is, 121 biscuits each for the 1.2 billion Indians
3 If a month’s production of Parle-G biscuit is stacked side by side, the distance between the Earth and the
Moon of 7.25 lakh km can be covered
4 Parle-G biscuits are sold in more than 5 million retail outlets
5 4,551—Parle-G biscuits are consumed per second
6 Parle-G produces 13 billion biscuits in a month. That can give each Facebook user 26 biscuits each month
7 16,100 tons of sugar is used to produce 13 billion Parle-G biscuits. It can cover the world’s smallest city,
that is, The Vatican in Rome which is 0.2 square miles
8 37,000 tons of wheat is required to produce 13 billion Parle-G biscuits
9 The Parle-G girl on the pack has been existing even before the biscuit was named as Parle-G; earlier, it
was called as Parle Gluco
Source: The authors.
Shetty et al. 167

Platina Division of Parle Products Private Limited

In the last one decade, the Indian biscuit industry has witnessed a metamorphosis as there has been
steady and impressive growth in the demand for premium biscuits and cookies, triggered by the increased
disposable income, urbanization, exposure to the global lifestyles by frequent globe trotters. Across the
world, consumers are gradually seeking for a taste of an extravagant life with more and more brands
seeking to “premiumize” their products. The brands aligning themselves with the new cultural rendering
of premiumness are experiencing strong sales growth in many markets around the world. As consumers
move upward in the economic ladder, their affinity to premium brands grows to achieve a certain level
of success. They buy premium products for both rational and emotional reasons, but the latter resonates
more strongly in emerging markets where ambitions for status and achievement are high. Premium
biscuits have seen an overhaul over the years due to consumers’ increased standard of living and rapid
urbanization. They also look for more variants and quality products because of their overseas exposure
and become Westernized in their behavior. Therefore, mainstream brands have a ripe opportunity space
to provide premium products that are still affordable.
This premium segment of biscuits is growing at an impressive rate of 15–20 per cent per annum and
currently account for 60 per cent of the Indian biscuit market and set to grow faster. As a result, many of the
Indian and foreign biscuit companies in India have set up their own premium divisions to launch a premium
brand of cookies and biscuits. This shift by the Indian and foreign biscuit companies is logical as the premium
variants of biscuits, cookies, and snacks keep up the profitability and drive the growth in revenue and market
share. For example, Britannia, the first one to make a foray into the premium segment, earned a net margin
of 9.81 per cent in the year 2016 and Parle net margin stood at just 5.3 per cent. Therefore, to get a foothold
and get a bigger market share in the ever-growing premium segment, in the year 2017, Parle Products Private
Limited has formed a new division called Parle Platina that will handle its premium products.
The logic behind the launching of the new division is stemmed from the fact that Parle Products is
known for its “value-for-money” brands, whereas the new, indulgent, premium, and aspirational brands
are needed to be handled and marketed differently. The aim of the new division is to establish a strong
foothold in the premium segment by consolidating indulgent and aspirational products from Parle’s
current portfolio including Hide & Seek biscuits, Milano cookies, Mexitos Nacho chips, and Simply
Good range of nutritious products (Table 7 and 8). Speaking about the newly launched Parle Platina
division, Shah, Category Head said that Parle Platina stemmed from the extensive research that showed
that Parle needed a rejuvenated approach to reach consumers in the premium segment. While the products
in this range exude our core values of trust and great quality, they also offer indulgence, premium taste,
and a feeling of aspiration. The products in the Platina division contain ingredients that are carefully
selected and sourced from around the world, making every bite a delight. Through this campaign, we
want consumers to recognize that Parle caters to consumers with varying and evolved tastes and
preferences. The company is also aiming to step up the investment for increasing the distribution of its
premium products. The premium products currently provide 15 per cent of the total revenue and are
expected to provide at least 25 per cent of the total revenue at the end of the fiscal year.
Parle products are ramping up the direct distribution of the Parle Platina product range to about 2
million outlets from the current 1.4 million outlets in the top 30–40 metros across the country. Apart from
this investment, Parle Products also makes investments on distribution and brand building initiatives for
the Parle Platina range of products. The setting up of the Parle Platina division has made Parle Products
more ambitious in the premium and luxury biscuit segment as it intends to grab 50 per cent of the super-
premium biscuit market in the next 1 year. At present, the premium biscuit segment is dominated by
Britannia, Parle, and ITC.
168 Business Perspectives and Research 9(1)

The Launch of Nutricrunch Range under Platina

Parle Platina also recently launched Nutricrunch-a healthy range of biscuits with an array of offerings
like Nutricrunch Digestive, Nutricrunch Honey & Oats, Nutricrunch Lite Cracker. The launch of a
healthy range of products is inspired by the growing demand for healthy snacking options among
Indian consumers. Parle Platina’s Nutricrunch range of biscuits is made from the finest wholesome
ingredients and the goodness of natural produce. Nutricrunch Digestive is one of the only biscuits in
India that is enriched with superfood jowar offering multiple health benefits like high fiber content,
high antioxidants count and diabetes management. Additionally, Parle’s extensive research prior to the
launch resulted in each Nutricrunch pack incorporating the unique health benefits of the respective
variant prominently on its face. This has been designed to ensure that consumers have easy access to
the information they often seek while buying healthy foods. Nutricrunch range of biscuits, priced at
` 20 per 100 g offers consumers yet another innovative offering through Parle Platina and set to reshape
the healthy snacking category in India.
Speaking about the launch of the Nutricrunch range of biscuits, Shah commented It is a well-
established fact that Indians are getting extremely health conscious and are constantly looking for
wholesome products that offer multiple nutritional benefits. With Nutricrunch, we plan to offer consumers
a healthy snack that is not just high in fiber but also aids multiple lifestyle issues prevalent in today’s
fast-paced world like weight management, sugar control, cholesterol management, and nutrient
deficiency. With its quality ingredients and unique taste, Nutricrunch epitomizes a quality living and is
Parle’s promise of health and wellness to its customers

Table 7. Parle Products Price Range

S. No. Category Individual Brand Variants Under Parle Platina
1 Hide & Seek range
   
   
   
   
2 Milano range
   
   
   
   
3 Nutricrunch range
   
4 Mexitos range
   
   
   
5 Friberg range
   
Price Range (in Rs.)
1 Hide & Seek Classic Chocolate Chip 10, 30
2 Hide & Seek Cafe Mocha 10, 30
3 Hide & Seek Black Bourbon (Choco + Vanilla) 5, 12, 25
4 Hide & Seek Creme Sandwiches 25
5 Hide & Seek Choco Rolls 25, 46
1 Milano Chocolate Chip Cookies 15–30
2 Milano Minis-Bite-Sized Cookies 60, 80
3 Milano Center-Filled Dark Choco Cookies 35
4 Milano Center-Filled Mixed Berries Cookies 35
5 Milano Center-Filled Choco Hazelnut Cookies 35
1 Nutricrunch Digestive Marie 5–15
2 Nutricrunch Lite Cracker 15–45
1 Mexitos Salsa Tomatino 30
2 Mexitos Classic Salted 50
3 Mexito Nacho Cheese 50
4 Mexitos Smoky Jalapeno 50
1 Friberg Extra Dark Chocolate 550
2 Friberg Creamy Milk Chocolate 550
(Table 7 continued)
Shetty et al. 169

(Table 7 continued)
S. No. Category
   
   
   
Source: The authors.
Individual Brand Variants Under Parle Platina Price Range (in Rs.)
3 Friberg Organic Dark Chocolate 550
4 Friberg Blackberry & Ginger 550
5 Friberg Caramel & Sea Salt 550

Table 8. Product Categories and Brands Under Parle Platina Portfolio

S. No. Category/Range Individual Brands Variants Under Parle Platina

1 Hide & Seek range
2 Milano range
3 Nutricrunch range
4 Mexitos range
5 Friberg range
Source: http://www.parleproducts.com/platina-products
Hide & Seek Classic Chocolate Chip
Hide & Seek Café Mocha
Hide & Seek Black Bourbon (Choco + Vanilla)
Hide & Seek Crème Sandwiches
Hide & Seek Choco Rolls
Milano Chocolate Chip Cookies
Milano Minis-Bite-Sized Cookies
Milano Center-Filled Dark Choco Cookies
Milano Center-Filled Mixed Berries Cookies
Milano Center-Filled Choco Hazelnut Cookies
Nutricrunch Digestive Marie
Nutricrunch Lite Cracker
Mexitos Salsa Tomatino
Mexitos Classic Salted
Mexitos Nacho Cheese
Mexitos Smoky Jalapeno
Friberg Extra Dark Chocolate
Friberg Creamy Milk Chocolate
Friberg Organic Dark Chocolate
Friberg Blackberry & Ginger
Friberg Caramel & Sea Salt

Table 9. Britannia Biscuits: Brands and Price Range

S. No. Category/Range Individual Brand Variants Price Range (in `)

1 Good Day
   
   
   
   
1 New Good Day Cashew 5, 10, 20, 30, 60
2 New Good Day Butter 5, 10, 20, 30, 60
3 New Good Day Nuts Cookie 5, 10, 20, 30
4 New Good Day Pista Badam 5, 10, 20, 30, 60
5 New Good Day Choco Chip 30
(Table 9 continued)
170 Business Perspectives and Research 9(1)

(Table 9 continued)
S. No. Category/Range Individual Brand Variants Price Range (in `)
    6 New Good Day Choco Nut 30
    7 Choco Chunkies 50
    8 Choco Nuts 30
    9 Wonder Berries and Nuts 30
2 Crackers 1 50–50 Sweet and Salty 5, 10, 20
    2 50–50 Maska Chaska 5, 10, 20
    3 Time Pass 10, 20
    4 Top 10
3 Nutrichoice 1 Oat Cookies 20, 60
    2 Digestive Wholesome Wheat 25, 55
    3 Digestive 5 grains 55
    4 Cracker Simply lite 45
    5 Cracker Nature Spice 45
    6 Thin Arrowroot 60
    7 Nutrichoice Essentials 60
    8 Nutrichoice Digestive Zero 60
    9 Nutrichoice Oats Chocolate and Almond 60
Source: The authors.

Table 10. ITC Sunfeast Biscuits: Brands and Price Ranges

S. No. Category Individual Brand Variants Price Range (in `)

1 Health Bites 1 Marie Light 5, 10, 15, 25
    2 Milk Biscuits 5, 10, 30
    3 Glucose 10, 20
    4 Farmlite 50
2 Light “n” Fun 1 Snacky 10, 25
    2 Nice 10, 25
3 Cream Delight 1 Dark Fantasy 30, 60
    2 Dark Fantasy Yumlife 140
    3 Bounce Dream Cream 5, 10
    4 Bounce 5, 10
    5 Bourbon Bliss 5, 10, 20
4 Cookies 1 Hifi Cookies 30
    2 Mom’s Magic 30, 40, 10
Source: The authors.
Shetty et al. 171

Table 11. Priya Gold Biscuits: Brands and Price Ranges

S. No. Category Individual Brand Variants Price Range (in `)

1 Biscuits 1 Marie Lite 10, 20, 50, 60
    2 Snakker Choco Sandwich 60
    3 Choco Chekkers 60
    4 Cheese Cracker 60
    5 Digestive 5, 10, 20, 50
    6 CNC 5, 10, 20, 50
    7 Snacks Zigzag 40
    8 Jeera Top 45
    9 Cashew Chatpata 45
    10 Cheez Bit 45
    11 Bollywood Masala Cracker 20, 40
2 Club Creme 1 Club Creme Choco 10, 20, 60
    2 Club Creme Elaichi 10, 20, 60
    3 Club Creme Orange 10, 20, 60
    4 Bourbon Cream 10, 20, 60
3 Butter Biscuits 1 Butter Bite 10, 20, 60, 100
    2 Butter Bite Cashew 10, 20, 40
    3 Butter Bite Badam Pista 10, 20, 40
    4 Butter Delite 10, 20, 60
    5 Butter Lite 10, 20, 60
    6 Butter Milk 10, 20, 60
4 Puff Biscuits 1 Puff-Choco Vanilla 10
    2 Puff Tangy Lemon 10
    3 Puff Strawberry Milk 10
5 Cookies 1 Italiano Premium Butter Cookies 35, 50
    2 Italiano Premium Coconut Cookies 35, 50
    3 Italiano Premium Choco Cookies 35, 50
Source: The authors.

Table 12. Anmol Biscuits: Brands and Price Range

S. No. Category Individual Brand Variants Price Range (in `)

1 Crackers 1 Twinz 20
    2 Dream Lite 5
    3 2 in 1 5
    4 Jadoo 25
    5 Veg Munch 10
(Table 12 continued)
172 Business Perspectives and Research 9(1)

(Table 12 continued)
S. No. Category Individual Brand Variants Price Range (in `)
    6 Butter Twins 10
    7 Top Magic 10, 20
    8 Snack It 10
    9 Tip Top 5, 10
    10 Mexi Bite 5, 10
2 Cream 1 Mango Mazaa 10, 20
    2 Choco Mazaa 10, 20
    3 Yummy Chocolate 20
    4 Yummy Orange 20
    5 Yummy Milk 20
    6 Yummy Elaichi 20
    7 Lemon Mazaa 10, 20
    8 Fruit Mazaa 10, 20
3 Health 1 Marie Plus 30
    2 Vita Marie Plus 30
    3 Thin Arrow Root 30
4 Sweet 1 Smiley’s Cashew Cookies 30
    2 Smiley’s Butter Bake 30
    3 Baker’s Bix 25
    4 E-Time 10, 20
    5 Milk Made 10, 20
    6 Coconutty 10, 20
    7 Golmol 10, 20
    8 Dilkush 20
    9 Butter Bake Kaju 10, 20
    10 Jeera Dhamal 10, 20
    11 Hit & Run 20
Source: The authors.

Table 13. Dukes Biscuits: Brands and Price Range

S. No. Category Individual Brand Variants Price Range (in `)

1 Cookies 1 Coco Kukkies 10, 25
    2 Kaju Kukkies 10, 25
    3 Butter Kukkies 10, 25
2 Cream 1 Chocolate Buzz 10
    2 Milk Buzz 10
    3 Orange Buzz 10
    4 Orange Cream 4 Fun 5, 10, 30
(Table 13 continued)
Shetty et al. 173

(Table 13 continued)
S. No. Category Individual Brand Variants Price Range (in `)
    5 Strawberry Cream 4 Fun 5, 10, 30
    6 Pineapple Cream 4 Fun 5, 10, 30
    7 Chocolate Cream 4 Fun 5, 10, 30
    8 Bourbon 10, 20
3 Anytime 1 Top Butter Crackers 25
    2 Spicee 25
    3 See Saw 5, 15
    4 Scotbake 5, 10
    5 Salt Kiss 5, 10
    6 Nice 25
    7 Merry Milk 10
    8 Marie Break 10, 12, 30
    9 Digestive 20
Source: The authors.

Table 14. Cremica Biscuits: Brands and Price Range

S. No. Category Individual Brand Variants Price Range (in `)

1 Health 1 Digestive 10, 30
    2 Oat Meal Cookies 10, 30
    3 Digestive Cornflakes 10, 30
    4 Marie Classic 10, 30
2 Creams 1 Bourbon 25
    2 Twin Creme 10, 25
    3 Magicreme 10, 25
3 Crackers 1 Ajwain Cracker 25, 35
    2 Kalonji Cracker 25, 35
    3 Jeera Lite 20
    4 Krack Bite 5, 20
    5 Party Cracker 15
4 Cookies 1 Golden-Bytes Butter 10
    2 Golden Bytes—mixed nuts 10
    3 Coconut Cookies 10
    4 Cashew Cookies 10
    5 Coconut Crunchies 10
    6 Butter Cookies 10
    7 Butter Gold 10
5 Glucose 1 Glucose 10, 25
Source: The authors.
174 Business Perspectives and Research 9(1)

Table 15. Biskfarm Biscuits: Brands and Price Range

S. No. Category Individual Brand Variants Price Range (in `)

1 Semi-sweet biscuits 1 Googly 10, 25
    2 Googly Sesame 10, 25
    3 Googly Twist 10, 25
    4 Marie 5, 10, 20, 30
    5 Sugar free Marie 5, 10, 20, 30
    6 Vitamin Marie 5, 10, 20, 30
    7 Atta Marie 5, 10, 20, 30
    8 Thin Arrow Root 5, 10, 20, 30
    9 The Top 20
    10 Top Gold 20, 30
    11 Top Herbs 30
    12 Zero Added Sugar Petit Beurre 25
    13 Almond Thinz 10
    14 Milk Thinz 10
2 Sweet 1 Heylo Butter Cookies 25
    2 Heylo Cashew Cookies 25
    3 Butter Biscotti 25
    4 Eat-fit Multigrain 40
    5 Eat-fit Digestive 40
    6 Elaichi Wonder 10
    7 Atta Milkuit 10
    8 Nice 10, 25
    9 Coco Malai 20
    10 Jeera Wonder 40
    11 Glucose Champ 10
3 Cracker 1 Crispy Cream Cracker 25
    2 Masala Cream Cracker Sugar-free 25, 35
    3 Cream Cracker Sugar-free 25
    4 So Sweet 20
    5 Half Half 5, 10
    6 Spicy 10, 25
    7 Snackies 25
Source: The authors.
Shetty et al. 175

Table 16. Rose Biscuit: Brands and Price Range

S. No. Category Individual Brand Variants Price Range (in `)

1 Biscuits 1 Rose Marie 5, 12, 25
    2 Rose Saltino 5, 10, 40
    3 Rose Twister 5, 40
    4 Rose Salty 2, 50
    5 Rose Marie Delite 2,5
    6 Rose Chaipiyo 2, 5
    7 Rose Crazybites 2
    8 Rose Chandamama 2, 50
2 Cookies 1 Rose Butter Cookies 2, 5, 10, 40, 50, 60
    2 Rose Chai Cookies 2, 40
    3 Rose Milk Cookies 2, 10, 40
    4 Rose Fruit Cookies 10, 10, 50
    5 Rose Choco Cookies 2, 12, 50
    6 Rose Osmania Biscuits 40, 60
    7 Rose Kaju Cookies 60
Source: The authors.

Challenges Ahead
Although the optimism exhibited by Shah is valid, the acceptance of such premium biscuits is very less
in rural India wherein Parle is still known as mass or value-for-money brand and its loyal customers are
highly price sensitive, despite their higher disposable income when compared with the last few decades.
Whereas, in the urban markets where premiumization of the biscuit market is on the ascendancy, Parle
is a late entrant when compared with its rivals who are well entrenched themselves as first movers in
the premium segment of biscuits and cookies. On the other hand, the other bigger challenge before
Shah is that their coveted market share in the mass biscuit market is also under threat due to rising
prices of raw materials and rising taxes on the biscuit industry. Likewise, the image of the Parle brand
in the mind of customers is mass and, in short, “relevant for all.” For a mass brand such as Parle to go
through the transformation of premium brand demands huge costs, change of imagery, a carve of nice
in the premium category of biscuits. As premium brands are not built overnight, this process of
transformation from mass to premium brand demands the provision of emotional attributes and
aspirational benefits to the customers and it could be a long-drawn process. The shedding of the mass
brand image involves lots of costs in terms of promotion and advertisements affecting the profitability
of a company such as Parle. So what is the way forward for Shah? Should he be content and in the
comfort zone of being a market leader in the mass biscuit market? Should he chase the premiumization
dream through Platina division?
176 Business Perspectives and Research 9(1)

Teaching Note

Case Synopsis
Parle products have been one of the foremost pioneers of the biscuit and confectionary industry in India.
Since its inception in 1929, Parle has been synonymous with quality, nutrition, taste, and affordability in
India. Having more than 40 brands across different product categories in its portfolio, Parle Products has
come a long way. It is a brand that has made Indians habituated for consuming biscuits. The biscuits
business of Parle Products contributes to around 84 per cent of its business today. The name Parle is
always synonymous with its iconic brand Parle G and has always been closely associated with the Indian
masses for around 80 years. Due to the enormous success of brand Parle-G, the mother brand Parle has
been associated with values of affordability and quality. Parle has always been a strong player in the
value segment and thus customers associate all brands of the company as being the affordable brand with
quality. While the industry peers such as Britannia and Indian Tobacco Company (ITC) have positioned
themselves as a champion of premium segments, whereas Parle Products is still known as an affordable
or budget brand among Indian masses.
Considering the increasing demand for premium biscuits among the new generation of consumers,
Parle Products has introduced the new division Parle Platina in 2017. But the transformation of “value”
or “budget” brand into the luxury and premium brands is not easy, as the legacy of value brand among
the masses is not easy to shake off. This becomes more difficult and challenging in a highly fragmented,
competitive, and price-sensitive biscuit market like India. Another problem for the Parle Products is to
hit the sweet spot between the mass market and the premium demographic which the brand is currently
missing out in a highly fragmented and competitive Indian biscuit market.

Case Teaching Objectives and Placement

This case is written to help the students to understand the perils and challenges involved in premiumization
when a brand like Parle, which is known for its value for money and affordability, attempts to premiumize
its offerings to move up in the value chain. Specifically, this case attempts to make students understand
the importance of having a long-term branding strategy in a highly competitive biscuit market dominated
by strong domestic and foreign competitors. This case can be used in MBA, undergraduate, and executive
education courses on strategic management, marketing strategy, and branding strategy.

Teaching Objectives
The following are the objectives of this case:
• This case offers insights into the theory of premiumization, how to spot the opportunities for
creating premium brands, strategies for the creation of premium brands, how to move up in value
chain by creating premium brands and pricing decisions.
• This case offers varied arguments in favor and against companies pursuing “low cost” versus
“premiumization” in the context of the biscuit industry in India.
• This case provides a detailed narration about the challenges and perils of mass brands trying to
become premium brands.
Shetty et al. 177

• This case highlights the importance of having a long-term branding strategy for biscuit companies
in a highly competitive, fragmented, and dynamic biscuit market in India.
• This case provides a deep analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of adopting volume
(affordability)-based growth and value (premiumization)-based growth in the Indian biscuit
industry.

Assignment Questions
1. Is Parle still largely perceived to be a “mass” brand?
2. Is premiumization suitable for a legacy brand like Parle?
3. Can Parle shake off its “mass” and “budget” image and transform itself into a Premium Brand?
4. Will consumer perceive Parle brand as premium and worth a higher price?
5. Is the creation of Parle Platina as a new division will pay off in the long run?

Overview of Classroom Discussion

1. 0–5 min: Introduction
2. 5–15 min: Readings Discussion
3. 15–25 min: Question 1: Is Parle still largely perceived to be a “mass” brand?
4. 25–35 min: Question 2: Is premiumization suitable for a legacy for a brand like Parle?
5. 35–45 min: Question 3: Can Parle shake off its “mass” and “budget” image and transform itself
into a Premium Brand?
6. 45–55 min: Question 4: Will consumer perceive Parle brand as premium and worth a higher
price?
7. 55–65 min: Question 5: Is the creation of Parle Platina as a new division will pay off in the long
run?
8. 65–90 min: Wrap up and Conclusion

Discussion Plan

Is Parle Still Largely Perceived to be a “Mass” Brand?

The name Parle is always synonymous with its iconic brand Parle-G and has always been closely
associated with the Indian masses for around 80 years. Due to the enormous success of brand Parle-G,
the mother brand Parle has been associated with values of affordability and quality. To shun off its
“mass” image and “value” brand, Parle has made series of efforts and launched a premium version of its
biscuits. For example, “Parle G Magix” in double tastes of “Cocoa” and “Cashew” was launched in 2002
and in the same year; “Parle G Milk Shakti” was also launched for the southern markets with the flavors
of honey and milk. But Parle could never shake off the “mass or budget brand” image attributed to it by
the masses and is still considered to be a low-cost product targeted toward the general population. Parle
has always been a strong player in the value segment and thus customers associate all brands of the
company as being the affordable brand with quality. While the industry peers such as Britannia and ITC
178 Business Perspectives and Research 9(1)

have positioned themselves as a champion of premium segments, Parle Products is still perceived to be
a “budget or mass” brand.
To shake off the “budget or mass image,” Parle has launched an advertising campaign “Naam to
Suna Hoga” aligning all its existing premium brands with the mother brand Parle. The idea behind
the advertising campaign was to let the equity of the mother brand rub off on bigger and premium
brands. It was followed up with an advertising campaign for the confectionery range with the
campaign title “Naam Toh Yaad Rahega” to align its confectionary range of brands to align with the
mother brand “Parle.” These two advertising campaigns have resulted in an increased advertising
budget up to 15 per cent and almost around ` 20 crores were spent on its new luxury and premium
division, Parle Platina. However, this change in image is creating a lot of challenges for the company
entering into the premium segment. For example, Hide & Seek is finding it difficult to slot itself
between economy and premium brands. Even in terms of advertisements, Hide & Seek, which was
earlier known as an economy brand, is unable to get slotted into the premium brand portfolio.
Therefore, it is safe to say that Parle Products still earns its maximum revenue from its flagship brand
Parle-G and Parle Products name is synonymous with its flagship brand Parle-G and still continues
to be perceived as “mass” brand.

Is Premiumization Suitable for a Legacy Brand like Parle?

The only way for a legacy brand to be relevant to the changing times and consumers is to evolve with
their customer by contemporizing and renovating their brand portfolio. One of the most tools of
contemporizing for the legacy or heritage brand is to premiumize its brand portfolio. Premiumization is
an attempt in upgrading the perceived or real quality of its offerings to the new age and new band of the
customer base. But this premiumization is a double-edged sword for the legacy brands, as it can cut both
ways. Legacy brands achieve different and multiple meanings based on their usage, consumer perceptions,
perceived value, and real value in the minds of the consumers. Some of these traits of legacy brands can
work for premiumization and some may work against the process of premiumization, such as having a
reputation as the “mass” brand or “budget” brand. This kind of image for a brand can be a liability for
the legacy brand aiming to be the premium brand. Moreover, it was empirically proven by various
studies that premiumized legacy brands do not generate the level of interest viral word of mouth that
brands born premium do.
In the case of Parle Products, they have chosen the middle path as they have launched a new division,
Parle Platina, to manage and grow a portfolio of luxury and premium brands. They have also smartly
launched timely advertising campaigns to popularize their new luxury division in the much popular
Indian Premium League (IPL) Cricket Championship. Moreover, unlike stand-alone legacy brands
trying to become an overnight premium brand, Parle Products has launched new brands under its new
luxury division and shrewdly leveraged the legacy of “mother brand” Parle Products in their advertising
campaigns. Moreover, the newer and younger premium brands are being shielded from the “budget” or
“mass” image of Parle-G by the Platina division. Therefore, consumers will gradually accept Parle as a
premium brand pays the higher price than any other contemporary premium brands of biscuits (Figures 1
and 2; Table 3).
Shetty et al. 179

Can Parle Shake Off Its “Mass” and “Budget” I mage and Transform Itself into a Premium
Brand?
Parle Products has dominated the mass market like a colossal in the Indian biscuit market. Its affordable
price and high-quality biscuits helped the company to ward off competition for nearly 80 years since its
inception. But in the last few years, consumer preference saw a sharp switch as they were looking for
premium offerings aided by their increasing disposable income and rapid urbanization. According to the
Nielsen, Global Premiumization Report 2016, 54 per cent of consumers define premium products by
their high quality, 52 per cent of consumers say buying premium makes them feel good, and 42 per cent
of consumers will pay a premium for organic or all natural ingredients. The industry peers such as
Britannia and ITC have taken the first initiatives and positioned themselves in the leadership position in
the premium category. For some point of time, it seemed like Parle Products was unable to understand
the changing behavior of consumers and not able to connect with the new, young, and discerning
consumers.
Buoyed by the surging premium segment, which is growing at 15–20 per cent and with the intention
of meeting the demands of the new, young, and discerning consumers, Parle has launched a new division,
i.e., Platina to establish a strong foothold in the premium segment. Parle Platina was spun off from Parle
Products as a separate division to get a strong foothold and later increased its market share in the premium
segment. Four of Parle’s 40 plus brands have been incorporated into the Platina range. These include
Hide & Seek, Milano, Mexitos, and Simply Good Health range of products in different variants. Being
bullish on the growth of the new division, Parle has allotted 50 per cent of its marketing budget to Platina
and made significant investments in special distribution projects centered in metros and big cities across
India. Encouraged by the positive feedback among the consumers and masses about its advertising
campaign and good feedback received on its new brand launches, Parle is hoping to acquire 50 per cent
of market share in the super premium biscuit market in the next 1 year, that is, 2019.
Parle Products by launching a separate division Parle Platina dedicated to managing the premium
brands has shown prudence in separating the value or mass brand Parle-G from the premium brands in
its portfolio. On the other hand, Parle has roped in Ms Twinkle Khanna as brand ambassador for Platina
Range and the advertisements use humor to drive home the message. The enrollment of Khanna as a
brand ambassador is expected to hit a chord with the urban-working professionals and millennials, a
segment Parle Products is trying to attract for its Platina range of products (Figures 1 and 2; Table 3).

Will Consumer Perceive Parle Brand as Premium and Worth a Higher Price?
It is a well-known fact that conventionally Indian consumers are very price conscious and bargain
hunters but the newfound prosperity, the rise in disposable income, rapid urbanization, and traveling and
exposure to the different parts of the world have made them aware of luxury and premium categories of
products and services. Hence, a sizeable section of the Indian masses is willing to experiment with
premium and luxury goods and services. As a result, the share of money spent on premium and luxury
brands is increasing continuously across all categories of products including the premium biscuits. For
example in the case of the biscuit category, 45 per cent of all biscuit buyers purchase both a discount as
well as a premium biscuit. At present, premiumization is also not limited to only the upper affluent
consumer, with rising aspirational and increasing disposable incomes. We do see premium variants
180 Business Perspectives and Research 9(1)

reaching the basket of lower-middle and upper-middle-classes consumers although the penetration levels
might not be as high as an upper affluent consumer.
Since that Parle Products has established a separated dedicated new division Parle Platina, granted a
separate advertising budget for investing in the distribution channels and brand building activities, a
newly appointed brand ambassador (Khanna) to deliver the brand messages to the targeted customer
base, and a new whole range of newer brands with the superior quality ingredients and packaging (e.g.,
Hide & Seek, Milano, Nutricrunch, Mexitos, and Friberg range of chocolates) will definitely evoke a
sense of premiumness among the consumers. Moreover, the newer and younger premium brands are
being shielded from the “budget” or “mass” image of Parle-G by the Platina division. Therefore,
consumers will gradually accept Parle as a premium brand and will be ready to pay the higher price just
like for any other contemporary premium brands of biscuits.

Is the Creation of Parle Platina as a New Division will Pay Off in the Long Run?
The creation of Parle Platina is definitely going to pay off in the long run as the Indian biscuit industry
is already witnessing a metamorphosis and consumers are moving toward from budget products to the
premium and luxury products aided by the higher prosperity and disposable incomes. At present, the
Indian biscuit market demonstrates a highly fragmented and sluggish market for glucose biscuits but
presents an exciting growth opportunity for premium product players such as Britannia and ITC. KV
Sridhar, veteran adman, founder, and CCO at Hyper Collective, observes that while there is a brand
affinity for Parle Products even today, “if a legacy brand does not reinvent, it runs the risk of remaining
merely as a legacy.” Harish Bijoor, brand guru and founder, Harish Bijoor Consults, said, “A company
which has grown into a behemoth of more than 10,500 crores in terms of size, faces many challenges.
One among them that Parle was facing is that it was seen as an old company with a set of tried and tested
products, which the new generation considered jaded.”
Therefore, the company had to reinvent for a robust future. Both Bijoor and Sridhar opined that Parle
Products should have made this split much earlier. They added that with the strong manufacturing,
distribution, and market understanding, Parle Products has nothing to worry about. The company has
over 100 manufacturing facilities across India and access to about 7 million outlets.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of
this article.

Funding
The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Note
1. Mayank Shah, 43, Category Head (at Parle Products Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai, Maharashtra, India) is responsible for
marketing and promotional strategies for Parle Products Private Limited.

Reference
The Economic Times. (2018, September 5–11). Brand Equity, p. 1.
Shetty et al. 181

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