Hashmi Kajal

Media Management

Submitted to:
Mr.Mustafa Hussain
Submitted by:
Ambreen Pirani
Huda Malik
Yumna Ziaullah
Zufah Ansari

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History of Hashmi

Hashmi Surma/Kajal has perhaps one of the richest histories in terms of locally
manufactured products in Pakistan. About 2 centuries ago, Hakim Mohammad Hashim
developed the product Hashmi Surma which, as he had discovered, had amazing
curative and therapeutic properties to heal and protect eyes. The company, Mohammad
Hashim Tajir Surma, was established in 1794 in Bareilly, India and was shifted to
Karachi after the inception of Pakistan.

Amongst the various qualities of Hashmi as a brand is the consistent quality it has
continued to provide over the two centuries, due to which it still enjoys the position of a
household brand in Pakistan and India both. So much so, that the idea of a beautiful
eastern woman remains incomplete without the touch of Hashmi Kajal. Over the years,
Mohammad Hashim Tajir Surma has adapted to the changing environment, transforming
its production processes using state of the art technology.

On May 3rd, 2006 Hashmi Kajal came under public scrutiny when The Department of
Health in New York warned the public to avoid using Hashmi Kajal as it contained
dangerous levels of lead in it. However, it was later found out that the harmful products
were actually fake copies of the product since the original Hashmi Kajal/Surma is made
from pure and herbal products that do no harm to the eyes. Despite the clarification,
many people still continue to believe that Hashmi Kajal/Surma is dangerous to use.

Problems identified with Hashmi Kajal

One of the main problems with Hashmi Kajal is that people from the upper and upper
middle class refuse to accept the brand. Consumers from the niche and middle class
perceive hashmi as a product made for the lower class, reasons being the low price of
all the kajals and lack of awareness of hashmi kajal’s herbal ingredients used and the
brand’s international recognition.

Secondly, there is a lack of brand ownership, that is, people from the upper and upper
middle class who use hashmi kajal, refuse to accept that and hence do not own up for
the brand. Another problem with Hashmi kajal is counterfeit products sold under the
name of hashmi but deprived of the consistent quality offered by hashmi kajal. Many
people also have an uncertainty about the origin of the product and still believe that it is
an Indian product.

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Situation Analysis

In the market today, Hashmi's Kajal is known for its consistent quality and worth for
money, making it a good substitute for the expensive eye cosmetics which are now
available. With 216 years of experience, Hashmi is trusted for their loyalty to natural
ingredients and has established a relationship with their customers through the excellent
quality of their products.

This is the image that Hashmi has formed and maintained. Hashmi’s Kajal is also
considered to be therapy for the eyes due to its many benefits of being an all herbal
product, giving it a competitive edge and making it one of the most consumed eye
cosmetic products locally.

Although Hashmi may not be a leading brand internationally, it is still well recognized for
their variety of kajals and the unique effect it creates after application, which is
generating positive word of mouth for people of all ethnicities and nationalities. This has
enabled Hashmi to break out of the cliché of kajals only being limited to Pakistani or
Indian women, hence, opening a new market for them.

Hashmi's Kajal is mainly catering to women of the lower middle class of Pakistan as its
products are at an affordable price, allowing women of all socio-economic sectors to
purchase it. However, women of higher socio-economic sectors are now moving towards
kohl and prefer to be associated with international brands. Due to this, the current
market share of Hashmi is shrinking as there is a social stigma attached with using local
brands or products which are being used by the lower social class.

This being the reason, Hashmi is repositioning themselves to cater to the upper and
upper middle class of all ages by attempting to communicate with them and inform them
of the benefits using Hashmi's Kajal and clearing out any misconceptions about the
product. In order to communicate its originality and authenticity, it has provided herbal
reports and proven benefits on its company website.

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SWOT Analysis

Strengths Weakness

Herbal ingredients Lack of acceptance

Trust in brand because of experience in eye Outdated packaging

care and therapy
Misconceptions about origin
International recognition

Affordable prices

Easy availability

Opportunities Threats

Change in eye makeup trends (dramatic eye Competition from international brands
makeup)
Controversy about kajal containing lead
Change in lifestyle (health focused)

Target Audience

By revamping the image of Hashmi Kajal in the minds of consumers, the new target
audience that hashmi kajal now aims for is the upper and upper middle class. Although
many consumers are from the upper and middle class, they refuse to accept the brand
since they perceive Hashmi as a product for the lower class. Through PR activities,
Hashmi Kajal is paving the way for brand acceptance and ownership.

Target Influencers

Important target influencers identified for Hashmi Kajal are famous ophthalmologists who
are able to guide people by explaining the benefits of herbal ingredients for the eyes,
famous beauticians, celebrities and models; beauty tips writers of famous magazines.
The active and passive influencers are shown in the following impact map:

High impact on end

target customers 4
 Household/local Beauticians Famous beauticians

Friends and family Beauty tips segments hosts

Cosmetic shop retailers Fashion and beauty magazines

Influencer Low profile beauticians Celebrities and models Influencer

is passive is active

General Public Beauty and health related journals

Low impact on end

target customer

PR Considerations and Assumptions

Our planned PR strategy would be based on the following considerations and

assumptions:

• Mohammad Hashim Tajir Surma (the company) has the adequate budget and is
willing to invest in the plan
• The security situation of the country is stable and conducive to the plan we have
made
• The product Hashmi Kajal is something that the upper middle class would be
willing to buy instead of internationally acclaimed branded kohl pencils
• The brand Hashmi Kajal has a well-established customer base even amongst the
middle and upper middle class which refuses to ‘own’ the brand
• The possible endorsers that we have identified would be willing to endorse
Hashmi Kajal

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 • Owing the well thought of and clearly timed plan, Hashmi will get a clear position
of a premium local brand in the minds of the Pakistani women
PR Objectives

 Brand positioning: The aim of brand positioning is to alter the perceptions of

consumers from believing that Hashmi Kajal is a brand for the lower class, to a
broader outlook of acceptance by the upper and upper middle class. The tools used
for achieving this are:

• Event: Fashion show to revamp the image of Hashmi Kajal, inviting

celebrities, models and media.

 Encouraging Interaction: The main objective of the PR activities is to bridge the gap
between Hashmi Kajal and its consumers. For building strong relationships with
consumers, the following tools were used:

• Social Media: With the help of Face book and Hashmi Kajal’s own blog,
there is a direct link with the consumers for feedback and queries.

• Competitions: Two competitions held, to offer an opportunity to creativity and

originality.

• Event: To be held in various universities, thereby encouraging the

participation of students.

 Creating awareness: Some PR activities are focusing on attracting consumer’s

attention and making them aware of the benefits of Hashmi Kajal as well as how
Hashmi contributes to the society as well. The tools used for this are:

• Articles: Highlighting benefits of herbal products for the eyes.

• PR Advertorials: To communicate activities of Hashmi Kajal on Women’s Day

and Independence Day.

 Generating goodwill: In order to maintain the trust and loyalty of consumers by

making them believe that Hashmi Kajal cares about the wellbeing of people,
activities that generate goodwill are:

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 • CSR Activity: Hashmi Kajal’s support to the Depilex Smile Again Foundation
founded by Mussarat Misbah.

• Workshop: Intended to support the under privileged classes of the society.

PR Activities Time Line

YEAR
2010/11 Activities
First 3 weeks: Hashmi Kajal displays on selected pedestrian bridges all
July over Karachi.
Last week: Fashion show by Hashmi, followed by a press release of the
event.
August Pr Advertorial: Independence Day & Hashmi’s association.
Mid Aug till the end of Aug: competition
September First week : Activation of Face book group
3rd week : Hashmi Advice Blog
Last Week : Articles regarding the popularity and usage of Herbal
cosmetics
October 2nd week : Appointment of brand Ambassadors/spokes model for
Hashmi followed by a press conference +Press release
November 01-20th Nov: Collaborating with TV channels on morning shows

December CSR activity: LRBT concert/carnival

Dec15th onwards: Photography Exhibition in the beauties of Pakistan.
(era wise) (two day event)
January Mid Jan Hashmi Fashion police (4 week activity) at universities and
Colleges
February Article on cosmetics and international brands.
CSR Activity: Make up workshops and certificate courses for
underprivileged career oriented women
8th March PR advertorial on Women’s Day
March 22nd March onwards: Competition-for Brand Ambassador through a
competition
23rd march: PR advertorial

April CSR activity : PR through Brochures-Mussarat Misbah-Women suffering

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 from domestic violence awareness campaign

May Talent hunt –Intern with a makeup artist

June Last GRAND DINNER –COME EXPERINCE THE NEW BLACK