Sprite, a sparkling drink, from the stable of Coca-Cola, entered the Indian market in 1999. In the year 2009, Sprite overtook Pepsi to capture No 2 slot in the Indian soft drink market. It became an interesting battle for Coca-Cola as Sprite’s next fight for the top slot was with Thums Up, which was yet another brand under its own portfolio.
The Challenge
The challenge, however, for the brand was ‘how to continue to be a challenger brand’. Srinivas Murthy, Vice President – Marketing (Flavours & Thums Up), Coca-Cola India, believes that once a brand succeeds in the market place, the next challenge for the brand was “how to widen share and lead over the nearest competitor,” as he feels, “If a brand stops being a challenger it loses its DNA.”
The Strategy
Sprite entered the Indian market as a pretence buster. It came with freshness as its brand promise and created a space for itself among teenagers with catchy taglines like ‘Bujhaye Only Pyaas, Baaki All Bakwas’, ‘No Gyan, Only Sprite’, ‘Seedhi Bath, No Bakwaas’, and then ‘Clear Hai’.
As Sprite overtook other players, the next challenge for the brand was to sustain its momentum and strengthen the ‘brand love’ among its TG. But, it was a tough task for the brand to change the marketing communication that was already working in the market.
So, the brand decided to bring a campaign that would reflect on living style of today’s teenagers, to make the brand philosophy a part of their life. Accordingly, it came up with a refreshing communication which was based on mundane situation which today’s fast changing consumers, especially the teenagers, could identify with.
Srinivas Murthy, Vice President – Marketing (Flavours & Thums Up), Coca-Cola India
Though the brand wanted to widen its consumer base, it didn’t want to expand its TG and completely focused on pre-teens as its target consumers. “For Sprite, we have a very particular TG which is teenagers. We believe that making a product for everybody is not a right marketing strategy as it overall results in a lower brand connect,” Murthy says.
Across its communication in different media vehicle, the brand ensured that there was a tight role of the product. “One thing we have always ensured is that what a product we have and how it is connected to what we are saying and what our philosophy is,” says Murthy.
The Implementation
The brand came up with a virtual space called ‘University of Freshology’ that promised solutions to deal with difficult situation in everyday life. This campaign brought a new spell of freshness to the bran.
The campaign message captured the insight from its TG who, according to Murthy, are very optimistic and “highly trust their instinct”. They have also got the freedom to do what they like and passionate about. They are increasingly looking for forums like Facebook to put up what they want world to see of them. They are smarter than what they were 10 years back, and that they are using this ‘smart quotient’ to negotiate with everyday realities.
Sprite cashed on to this ‘smart quotient’ to become a part of its TG’s life. It created a new integration across the product and its philosophy by focusing on routine problems that teenagers face in their everyday life.
But all along its journey, Sprite ensured that there was always a connection between what it said as its philosophy and how it was expressing its brand as ‘a product and refreshment it offers’.
For example, one of the smart thoughts coming from ‘University of Freshology’ shows how having Sprite can help one get a refreshing idea to avoid boring talks of one’s girlfriend.
The Result
In the last 12 years, Sprite has evolved while provoking positive and progressive thinking among teens. This has made the brand a favourite not only among the teens in urban and metro consumers but also among rural teens. Also, the brand closely stands behind Thums Up in the race for the highest share in the soft drink market in India.
The humour and fun that ‘University of Freshology’ brings through its communication is creating yet another level of brand connect with its TG and also appealing consumers across different age groups.
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