Super Shampoo Case

Snehashish
231174
The case talks about how Mr. Suresh Venkataraman, an effective marketer of
industrial items, hit upon a thought of getting into the business of consumer products and the
shampoo business specifically. The aspect that captivated him the most was the utilization of
single use packaging. Likewise he thought about how with the creation of sachets, cleanser as
a class was changed from an expensive item to a reasonably affordable one. Along these
lines, disregarding being from Coimbatore, a city known for its textile businesses, he chose to
get into the shampo business. Venkataraman additionally had a firm conviction that the rural
business sector offered a gigantic potential for consumer products.
Venkataraman often wondered why several brands of shampoos did not have a brand
name that was simple to understand. He decided to name the product Super Shampoo. He
selected the name Super as it was easy to pronounce and had an English overtone that was
considered a part of the aspirations of rural consumers. Moreover, the word Super was
amplified by the media to celebrate film stars by projecting them as superstars. The word
super triggered a superior image amongst whatever it was competing against in a specific
context.
Challenges

Addressing the established brands of shampoos

Competing against the advertising blitzkrieg of the established brands
Understanding the diversity of cultures between urban and rural consumer
Low per capita income
Sales Management & Media channel
Liberalisation and globalization survival of new Indian brands

Recommendation
To succeed in rural market the company will need to adapt the 4Ps of marketing to the 4As
in their strategy Awareness, Acceptability, Availability and Affordability.
Product Strategy:
The packaging of the product should be in colourful and decent sachets in order to
attract the rural consumers. The rural consumers are more concerned with the utility of the

products. The brand awareness and loyalty in rural areas is quite high. Therefore, first a brand
value must be created among the rural customers. The SKU must be in sachets of 7.5 ml or
bottles of 25 ml to 40 ml. Super shampoo must be marketed as a cosmetic product.
Distribution Channels:
Most manufacturers and marketers do follow a distribution arrangement for a village
with the population of at least 5000 people. While it is essential to formulate specific
strategies for distribution in rural areas, the characteristics of product, its shelf life and other
factors have to be kept in mind. Access and availability are important, there should be deep
distribution and easy availability. Availability is the biggest challenge.
Pricing Strategy:
The per capita income of consumers in rural areas is quite low as compared to urban
areas. Therefore, the price of the product in rural market should be lower than that of urban
market. Also refill packs can be introduced as they reduce the price. It should be in the range
of 50 paise to Rs. 2.
Promotion Strategy:
In rural markets, TV, radio, print media and cinema are not that popular. Therefore,
new and innovative modes of promotion strategies should be adopted. One strategy could be
promoting the product at village haats, melas and mandis. Also, leaflets, in local languages,
describing the product could be distributed among the villagers. The advertisements etc.
should be focussed on the influencers with a lot of emphasis on the cognitive benefits. Word
of mouth publicity by the educated youth of the village and the trusted grocers have a great
impact on the consumer psyche. The brand communication should be such that it effects both
the cognitive and affective stimuli.