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Horlicks gets new look, plans to turn into a mega brandHorlicks gets new look, plans to turn into a mega brandHorlicks gets new look, plans to turn into a mega brandHorlicks gets new look, plans to turn into a mega brand

By Anushree Bhattacharyya, afaqs!, New Delhi, October 22, 2010

The changed logo and redesigned packaging aim to bring about a unifiedThe changed logo and redesigned packaging aim to bring about a unifiedThe changed logo and redesigned packaging aim to bring about a unifiedThe changed logo and redesigned packaging aim to bring about a unifiednew look in all the products under the Horlicks portfolionew look in all the products under the Horlicks portfolionew look in all the products under the Horlicks portfolionew look in all the products under the Horlicks portfolio

GlaxoSmithKline has revamped its flagship brand, Horlicks, after a gap of seven years.The changed logo and redesigned packaging aim to bring about a unified new look inall the products under the Horlicks portfolio.

Puneet Das, general manager, marketing, GSKCH, in a conversation with afaqs!, says,"The brand has been in India for more than 100 years and has established a verystrong equity with consumers. Over the years, it has evolved to become a mega brand

worth more than Rs 1500 crore, with products under various categories such asbiscuits, nutribars and the most recent one - instant noodles.

"As it prepares to enter the new decade, Horlicks has undergone changes in look andfeel in keeping with the changing times, while maintaining the core values for whichthe brand has stood for across the years, thereby completing its transition from ahealth food drink major to a food and beverage brand focusing on the health andwellness category. This fits into the company's overall strategy to grow the brandorganically from strength to strength. It has been a natural progression for Horlicks,with its plethora of offerings, thereby cementing its place as a mega brand."

As part of the revamp process, GSK has replaced the old look of the brand with newpackaging and logo. With this, all products across the Horlicks portfolio have a unifiedlook. Talking about the use of each element in the new look, Das adds, "The new lookand feel has been arrived at after a lot of consumer research and the inspiration hasbeen taken from within the brand itself."

The 'Wave' on the packaging symbolises 'Activity' and 'Sfoorti' and the milk and wheatvisual establishes Horlicks as the Great Family Nourisher. The blue and orangecolours have been a part of the Horlicks brand over many years and are a dominantpart of the base Horlicks packaging. The logo of the Horlicks Nutrition Academy

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reinforces the brand's trust and equity in the consumers' minds and also reaffirms thescientific or expert credibility of the brand.

He further elaborates, "This common identity reinforces the trust in consumers' mindsacross the product portfolio. The packaging has been designed keeping in mind the

changing needs of the modern day consumers. Glass containers have been replacedwith plastic jars and the shape is also quite contemporary and easy to handle. The newlook has been designed to keep the brand young and in keeping with the consumers'demands."

The new packaging and the logo have been designed by Bengaluru based brandconsulting and design agency, Ray and Keshavan. Speaking on the big exercise thatwent behind the entire redesigning process, Sujata Keshavan, managing director, Rayand Keshavan, says, "We created the new look of Horlicks keeping the future plans inmind, as well as GSK 's outlook to turn Horlicks into a complete food and beveragebrand from a health food drink brand. So we created a master design architect, as perwhich GSK can launch any new product or sub-brands for which the design will beavailable automatically.

"For example, if GSK plans to introduce bread, the company can easily use the designcreated by us and launch it under the brand Horlicks. We have worked towardscreating Horlicks as the umbrella brand under which the company can introduce sub-brands."

Another initiative taken by the design agency was to create uniform sized jars ofHorlicks. Keshavan adds, "The malted drink is available in five different ranges,

starting from Junior to Mother's. While earlier, each range had different shapes ofbottles, we created one uniform shape. This will prove to be very cost effective for thecompany because earlier, it had to manufacture bottles of all shapes and sizes. Now,the cost per unit will decrease as the company will manufacture jars of one size andshape and will only have to change the packaging for each variant."

To promote the new look over the next 12 months, the company has kept a budget ofRs 300 crore. GSK plans a mass media campaign, which includes a range of televisioncommercials and nationwide activation. As part of the activation, consumers will haveto call and answer three simple questions on health, record their 'mauka' and stand achance to get their opportunity (or mauka) funded by Horlicks. Apart from this, the

company will create eye catching visibility at points of purchase.

GSK claims that Horlicks currently has 52 per cent market share in the health fooddrink category.

While the exact date of its India launch is not known, some of its commercials dateback to the early 1900s. Currently owned by GSK Consumer Healthcare Ltd in IndiaStatus:Status:Status:Status: Horlicks holds 58% of the Rs1,900 crore health food drinks market, and iscurrently a Rs1,000 crore brand in India

Brand storyBrand storyBrand storyBrand story: From a drink that was supposed to promote a good nights sleep to one

that can help children grow taller, stronger and sharper, Horlicks has come a longway. Simultaneously, its brand image, too, has changedfrom a fuddyduddy, boring

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health drink recommended by doctors to something that is nourishing, andenjoyable.In 1992, as its market share grew, the brand extended itself to a newproductHorlicks Biscuits. In 1994, it started singing the micronutrient story, followed by its smart nutrients campaign in 1998.

The brand underwent a massive transformation in 2003, when almost everything aboutit changedfrom the taste and flavour to the packaging. It also changed itspositioning: it was nourishing, yes, but also tasty.

Another turning point came in 2005, when the brand released a clinical study whichclaimed that children who consumed Horlicks were taller, stronger, and sharperthan those who did not. For the first time, the brand tried to communicate withchildren, not just their mothers.

Beginning a major advertising and marketing campaign along that theme, newvariants such as Horlicks Lite were launched, followed by the revamp of JuniorHorlicks in 2006, and Womens Horlicks in 2007.