Keywords: thums up swot analysis
Launched in India by Parle Agro Pvt. Ltd. Now held by Coca-Cola. Until going out of India in 1977, Coca Cola was the nation's leading soda. It was around that time that the Chauhan brothers launched Thums Up, Parle's flagship cola drink. The "Tough Man's Cola" quickly continued to become a countrywide success, dominating smaller players like Campa Cola, Twin Seven and Two times Cola for over ten years. But all that changed in 1993 - for that was when Coca Cola re-entered the Indian market and Pepsi launched here too.
Background:
- Thums Up is a carbonated soda (cola) admired and biggest reselling brand in India, where it's valiant, red thumbs up emblem is widespread.
Earlier the custom logo of Thums Up was a red 'thumbs up' gesture of side with one-sided white sans-serif typography. This might later be personalized and customized by Coca-Cola with offering some blue strokes and a more advance and modern-style. The primary motive behind changing the company logo was to reduce the dominance of red shade in the signage.
Brand Personal information of Thums Up:
- Iconic, victory, party, proactive
- Happiness, fearless, excitements
- Thums Up, Red colorization, logo
- Macho, Masculine, daring, cool
- Masculine, high-risk, courageous
- Macho, refreshing, adventurous, joyfuluntitled
Stage at Product Life Cycle:
Thums Up has seen all the levels of product life cycle except decline stage, starting from advantages. Once the Brand was doing well, it was recinded from the marketplace since it was providing stiff competition to Coca-cola but Coke needed to draw out the brand again to strike all the promotional policy of Pepsi and it was created once more.
If we speak about current situation, thums Up reaches its Maturity stage. It has grown like anything, has prevailed in attracting increasingly more number of customers and today it has an enormous market talk about. The brand has prevailed in acquiring the minds of the consumers. Now, all the communication guidelines of the brand is focused on informing people that the brand is in the market and successful. The objective of the communication insurance plan of the brand is to remind people about the durability and position of the brand
SWOT Examination:
Weakness
- Negative Publicity
- Decline in cash for functioning costs
- No autonomy
Strength
- Strong brand image
- Good marketing tools
- Strong circulation channels
- Different taste
- Brand loyalty
- Reasonable price
Threat
- Cut- throat competition
- New entrants
- Government regulations
- Economic instability
- Health Issues
- Market instability
Opportunity
- Growing Market
- Acquisitions
- Innovation
- Overtake competitors
- Creative marketing tools
Market Situation:
Thums Up has savored a next to monopoly with a much more powerful market talk about often beating its other rivals like Camp cola, Two times seven and Dukes, but there have been many small local players who experienced their own market. It was one of the major marketers throughout the 1980s. In the middle-80's it experienced a brief hazard from a newcomer Increase Cola which all of the sudden disappeared within a few years.
Pepsi was the first company to come quickly to India In 1990, when the Indian administration allowed the marketplace to multinational companies. . . Thums Up proceeded to go against the worldwide large for a strong ambush with neither part giving any 1 / 4. When Pepsi experienced starred with famous bollywood celebrity like Juhi Chawla, to frustrate the Indian brand, Thums Up focussed on cricket sponsorship.
Things became even more difficult when Coca-cola re-entered India after its lack from 1977 to 1993. Now the fight became a three-way challenge.
But Things received transformed post liberalization, when Thums Up was facing unbendable and stiff competition from coke and Pepsi both. But After all this happening, owners of Parle Agro, finally sold Thums About Coca-Cola.
Relaunch of the product:
When Thums UP was sold off to Coca-Cola, it in truth tried to wipe out Thums Up, but down the road they sensed that Pepsi would be more benefitted than Coke if indeed they withdrew Thums Up from the marketplace and Coke decided to use Thums Up against Pepsi to thwart the brand. By this time around, Coca-cola got about 60. 5% share in the Indian soft-drink market but if indeed they could have withdrawn Thums Up from the market the market show would have remained 28. 72% only. Hence it once again launched Thums Up brand targeting the 30 to 45 calendar year olds.
In today's circumstance, amongst all the carbonated drinks Coca-cola occupies about 58% market talk about in India in which Thums-up is the top advertising brand with a market share of about 15% of the total CSD market where as Pepsi is the next brand with 36%.
Communication strategy after Re-launch--
After coming into again into the market the brand was re-positioned as a "manly" drink, stressing on its strong and bitter preference characteristics. Thums Up kick-started an forceful and aggressive campaigns directly concentrating on Pepsi's TV advertisements, showcasing the effectiveness of the drink in the desire that the representation of any "adult" drink would catch the attention of more young consumers. "Grow up to Thums Up" was a triumphant and amazing campaign done by Thums Up and for that reason campaign the marketplace share of the brand soared. The brand became unbreakable and resilient
Positioning:
Earlier Thums up was positioned as a relaxing cold drink, with having slogans such as Great and Happy Days are here Again" but after this it was around post-1996 that the brand decided to move towards a more idiosyncratic, manly placement.
Having all odds Thums Up has relished a market talk about of around 30% at that time, but Coca-Cola has always concentrated all its money and resources on promoting the Coke brand.
The latest thums up 2010 ad has an frame of mind that is "I'll do anything for Thunder" which ultimately shows the eagerness and adventurous nature of males.
The different kinds of positioning opted by the brand in several times are as follows:
- Time duration
- Brand positioning
- Tag line
- 1977-1980
Joy, Refreshment, Happiness
Happy days are here again
1981-1987
Masculine
I am the thunder.
1988-1992
Masculine
Taste the thunder
19993-1995
Back right out of the market
1995-2006
Confidence, masculine, Adventurous
Taste the thunder
2006 onwards
Confidence, Masculine, cheerful
Taste the thunder
Current Marketing plan
Even after 13 years, Thums up comes more than Pepsi and Coke. The brand has refused to expire because of its strongness and attitude involved in it. The brand personifies victory, achievement and celebration. Thums Up is our very own Indian brand. The brand is extremely popular between Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat, UP and Karnataka where Andhra contributes 30% of the total sales.
Coke has always promoted Thums Up 50 percent heartedly but even in the end mess up, the brand has stood strong and everlasting. Could be it is for consumers that they aren't willing to release the brand. This brand has got an iconic position. It is a vintage case where the customers possess the ownership of the brand.
If Coke would have promoted the brand generally in most reliable manner, Pepsi did not have an opportunity to enter and compete in Indian cola market. Coke might well have ruled and became the market head in India only with Thums Up.
Now, Coke is trying to truly have a distinct market for Thums Up. Coke is trying to play the regional game through which in those areas where sales of coke is strong, Thums Up is withdrawn gradually.
Thums Up Launches New Advertisement Campaign - Yeh Toofan
This summer season, Thums Up, one of India's most iconic and the greatest soft drink brand, is ready to storm admirers with a fresh 'Tastes the Thunder' communication initiative- 'Yeh Toofan'. In the latest plan, Bollywood Super Legend and Thums Up brand Ambassador, Akshay Kumar reminiscences about the several thunder filled action stunts for his favorite container of Thums Up. The communication requires the 'I can do Anything for my thunder' attitude to the next level, where Akshay sometimes appears, back in heavy of action, doing some adrenalin pumping action such as crashing through the windowpane of any exploding high surge, snatching a Thums Up bottle from jaws of a vicious alligator, taking on a mob of angry gangsters to swimming through strong rapids. This campaign first got previewed to the Thums Up lovers on Facebook and then produces on mass media channels.
Internet Marketing done By Thums Up:
Honestly, Thums Up is a brandname does not use the energy of internet marketing. Their main purpose is to attain out mass public by using mass media tools of advertising. They have got focussed more on TVCs and OOH press. In the field of internet marketing, I possibly could find only pursuing steps considered by the brand:
All the advertisings of the company are uploaded on YouTube.
They are using social media just as Facebook for understanding but the level is suprisingly low.
They are experiencing SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION to an extent because while looking for data related to Thums Up, I used to be getting the links related to Thums Up but nonetheless a lot can be carried out in this field.
All the latest posts about the brand come on internet on regular basis
There is not a split website of the brand. It comes under Coca-Cola as a sub brand.
What can be done-?
Now, as we can see that the business will not promote itself on internet and it seems also that there is no use of computer. Frankly speaking thums Up does great on the market but in this situation of cut-throat competition, a whole lot can be carried out on internet to build buzz and get competitive advantages. As we all concur that this age is becoming "word of fingers" rather than "person to person", Thums up as a big brand should utilise the energy of internet in current scenario.
Developing their own website: Thums Up should have its own website, where they can independently calculate the strikes by using web analytics. On their website, they can illustrate their latest advertisements, new packaging, record of the brand and all related information can be found on that website only.
Using Social Media: Thums Up being truly a youngsters product, must use communal media as one with their promotional tool. They can have software related to the brand; they can have games related to the brand. One idea can be that they develop a quiz related to the latest improvements of Thums Up and they offer prizes to the success.
Search Engine Optimisation: Thums Up uses this technique as promotion tools however, not in an effective way. WHILE I wanted the web marketing plan of Thums Up, I was getting every data related to Thumbs Up, which was very irritating. So, I think they should concentrate on this and make an effort to get the keywords as properly as is possible.
Search Engine Ads: Thums Up doesn't go for just about any ads on Google. I think they can have collaboration with any food place, restaurants etc and along with their ad, Thums Up can promote itself.
Email Marketing: Thums Up can use email marketing for increase in its sales. They can immediately contact the people who are involved and also have the authority to make decisions. For example, they can aim for colleges and all. Where they can connect to the higher power through emails and can obtain the orders. If indeed they allow, Thums Up can have its stall or counter-top in the universities and offices.
From a brandname that was nearly unchallenged to a brandname that was stifled, Thums Up stormed back after a in close proximity to loss of life experience. The brand shows that its durability lies not merely in its style but also in its performance. The grown up tag can be an enduring one and will probably counter Pepsi for some time to come.
