Introduction
Of all kinds of snacks, chips are arguably the most sought for quick refreshments by children, teenagers, and also young adults. Chips could be part of one’s appetite during tiffin periods, short journeys, casual conversations, or any random occasions and at any random places. This product usually comes in potato flavor but many other flavors like shrimp, chicken, and cheese also entered the market. With increasing competition some foreign chips are also marketed in Bangladesh and now the consumers are open to several options to purchase a brand of chips according to their taste and preferences.
One of the local chips manufacturers is Bombay Sweets & Company Ltd (BSCL) who has been historically and currently successful in marketing its different brands of chips. More than a decade ago one of its hit chips was RING CHIPS. After such a long time BSCL re-launched the RING CHIPS in the market in 2008 but its popularity diminished relatively which is presumably due to increased competition and changes in consumers’ taste and preferences over the years. Hence, we are acting as hypothetical brand managers to try to restore the lost popularity of RING CHIPS through a new branding strategy.
Company Background
Bombay Sweets & Company Ltd. (BSCL) is a name associated with consumers for snack food for more than 6 decades in Bangladesh and abroad. It made its modest start in the beginning way back in 1948. Gradually it increased its popularity amongst the consumers through meeting their demands. Within 20 years, BSCL had 28 outlets throughout the country. Initially the company served its customers from their own outlets.
BSCL’s full line of quality snacks currently consists of more than 20 items including potato, corn and cereal based products. All are available in a variety of shapes, sizes and flavors. Its Potato Crackers and Mr. Twist are two brands of chips which were and still are pretty successful in gaining market share in the chips industry. RING CHIPS is the first chips introduced in Bangladesh by the Bombay Sweets Company Ltd.
Identification of Problems/Issues with the Brand
Current Campaign Analysis
The current campaign of re-launching the RING CHIPS is pretty much under low profile. After a decade this lovable product is back in town since 2008; but it’s not back with a bang! TV commercial was being telecasted in few channels at that time, but the way the RING CHIPS was re-introduced to the consumers is pretty naive. As a result, many of the consumers could not even recall the advertisement when asked. Hence, the campaign was not that successful in grabbing the consumers’ attraction to a large scale. We found several consumers who were not even aware of the fact that the RING CHIPS is available again in the market; despite its availability since 2008! And now, the first chips in Bangladesh is fighting for its existence in the mind of the consumers.
Besides, the distribution of the product is very poor. We have found many stores where RING CHIPS are not sold. Upon asking the reason, the retailers said that they do not keep the product because its price is too low i.e. Tk.6 compared to other chips that are priced in the range Tk.10-14. So in order to strengthen the distribution network sufficient incentives are to be provided to the retailers without increasing the price which is one of its competitive advantages.
So, in short, the main issues with the current campaign are:
Ø Low profile/insignificant promotion
Ø Re-introduction of the brand is pretty naïve
Ø Lacking brand awareness due to lack of brand recall
Ø Weak distribution network
Issue with Target Market
Bombay Sweets & Company Ltd should have done a better job in targeting the market more effectively. There has been no extra effort to make the consumers recall the sweet unique experience that they used to have during their childhood by putting the ring-shaped chips around their fingers and munching them one by one. Besides, over the years of its absence a new generation has come up who are yet to know about this product. The main target group of any chips is typically children of 5-14 years of age and no promotion is being done to attract them.
On the other hand, the ones who were its loyal consumers have now grown up and somewhat changed their taste and preferences due to exposure to more attractive and colorful packaging of foreign chips like Lays and Pringles. However, they are more expensive than the local chips like Potato Crackers and Meridian.
Issue with Positioning
The positioning of the RING CHIPS brand is only existent in the mind of those consumers who were familiar with it a decade ago. They perceive this brand in terms of the unique experience that they used to get by crunching the rings off the fingers. However, now that the RING CHIPS has re-entered the market and competing with other brands of chips, it was important for BSCL to position it more specifically this time since the market has changed a lot over the decade and consumers are now more difficult to attract with all the advertisement clutters present almost everywhere.
The positioning now has to be presented in such a way so that the new generation within the past decade can share the unique experience it is capable of providing and also the good old consumers can recall and perceive the brand the way they did in the RING CHIPS’ past golden years.
Issue with Product Image
The product image is mainly associated with the color yellow and the red bubbly character in the packaging. And of course, the inexpensive pricing (it was only Tk.3 before and now it’s Tk.6) and the product itself, i.e. the yellow ring-shaped chips, have its image in the mind of the consumers. However, the packaging of the product a decade ago is pretty similar to the packaging of the product today although the difference between their introduction times is more than an entire decade! The following images show the packaging of RING CHIPS at two different times:Packaging before in the 90s:
Packaging now since 2008:
As mentioned before, this similarity is only and just making its former consumers feel nostalgic but not necessarily inducing them to make a purchase. The market has changed; consumers’ taste and preferences have changed; so an extra effort is needed to again make the RING CHIPS stand out in a crowd of other brands of chips. Moreover, unlike the former consumers, the new potential consumers do not hold the same product image. Therefore, a more creative strategy is required to create and establish a stronger image.
Rationale to Support Change of Campaign Strategy
Segmentation
We as brand managers of the RING CHIPS would suggest the following bases of segmentation that should bring positive results upon changing the campaign strategy.
| Segmentation | Variable | Logical Breakdowns |
| Geographic | Districts | All districts of Bangladesh in both urban and rural areas. |
| Demographic | Age group | Primary target at 5-14 (children); secondary target at 15-25 (teenagers/ young adults) |
Geographic Segmentation:
One of the reasons for the RING CHIPS’ declining sales is poor distribution. It is not available in all stores at every corner. The RING CHIPS is mainly a mass marketing product that can reach every corner of Bangladesh. Thus our main districts of geographic segmentation are generally the urban areas like Dhaka, Chittagong, and Sylhet where consumers will be more vulnerable to our promotion mix. Beside urban areas, the rural areas will also be targeted where mostly price-sensitive people reside and hence this product, being priced lower than any other chips, should get a clear advantage.
Demographic Segmentation:
We will primarily focus on children between age 5-14 years and they are typically school-going children. They would be targeted and made aware of the unique way of consuming the RING CHIPS following the trend set by its matured consumers. Whereas teenagers and young adults of age group 15-25 years, who are already aware of this product, are our secondary target and would be reinforced through promotion to give rise to the nostalgic feeling of their association with the brand and eventually induce purchasing behavior.
Competitor Analysis
Competition has increased significantly compared to the period when Bombay Sweets was mainly the only chips manufacturer in Bangladesh. Now, beside several local chips manufacturers’ entrance into the market, there are also foreign chips which are being imported in order to have a bite of the market share by introducing different kinds of flavors.
In fact, internal competition among other popular chips of Bombay Sweets also exists involving mainly Potato Crackers and Mr. Twist. A lot of promotion is carried out for Potato Crackers which is basically running this product. However, Potato Crackers, Mr. Twist, and RING CHIPS have their own distinct position in the consumers’ mind.
Hence by promoting RING CHIPS, which has a good potential to dominate the market leader to a greater extent, Bombay Sweets can increase its customer base and profitability in the chips industry.
Keeping internal competition apart, there is high external competition. The following is the list of external competitors in the chips market:
| Manufacturer | Different Brands | No. of Flavors | Price(Tk.) | Quantity(g) |
| Akij Food & Beverage Ltd. | O’ Potato Chips | 1 | 8 | 20 |
| Haque Brothers | Pillow Chocolate Chips | 1 | 10 | 30 |
| Ispahani Food Ltd. | Puresnax Potato Crackers | 3 | 10 | 30 |
| Meridian Food Ltd. | Meridian Chips | 3 | 12 | 20 |
| (Foreign) | Pogo | 3 | 13 | 13 |
| (Foreign) | Lays | 3 | 14 | 13 |
| (Foreign) | Kurkure | 3 | 14 | 20 |
The key competitors of RING CHIPS are Meridian and Lays. RING CHIPS is priced only Tk.6 and its quantity is 20g. Meridian is priced twice as much for 20g and Lays costs even higher for a lesser quantity. Their strengths are that they taste better and they have multiple flavors. Meridian is the only chips that came up with unique flavors of shrimp and chicken. Meridian is also into promotion through advertisements and sponsoring of TV shows. Lays on the other hand is popular due to exposure of ads in the Indian channels.
Therefore, RING CHIPS ought to come up with modifiers to compete with these brands. The fact that they taste better can be offset by its much lower price advantage. Most importantly, it needs promotion to build the right association with the target market.
The following image illustrates the Facebook fan page of RING CHIPS which already has more than 10,000 fans:
Clearly, there is a high potential for RING CHIPS to grow bigger than any other competing chips and capture a major share of the market. All we need to do is promote this product creatively and revamp the brand to make it more competitive.
New Creative Strategy
Positioning
Be Crystal clear, be Consumer-based, and be Competitive. We as brand managers have taken these 3C’s of positioning into consideration. Our positioning would be understandable and precise, be relevant to the consumer, and be distinctive to gain a sustainable competitive advantage.
Point of Parity:
In the current market people expect chips to look good, taste good, and be available everywhere. Also to some extent, people expect to see different flavors of a brand of chips. Thus, the POP of RING CHIPS shall be to have an attractive packaging, have a good taste, have high availability, and also be available in different flavors.
Point of Difference:
RING CHIPS is unique in its ring-shaped chips and also its price (Tk.6) which is much lower than the competitors. But the ultimate POD of this product is that, it is the first chips of the country, which can be advantageous in terms of positioning itself in the consumers’ mind.
Depiction of Image:
We will capitalize on the ring-shaped chips and its unique way of consumption to portray an image implied towards consumers with fun-loving personality. In other words, the RING CHIPS would be perceived as a product of ‘Fun’.
Use of Brand Elements
The brand elements of RING CHIPS will be handled in the following manner:
Name: BOMBAY SWEETS RING CHIPS
The name is not changed since the consumers have an association with this brand name for a long time. Moreover, it is descriptive and also quite memorable, meaningful, and likeable to the consumers.
Logo:
The logo will stay the same as before. It’s simple, trendy, and still goes with today’s contemporary font style. The logo is shown below:
Slogan: GOT RINGS?
The slogan is short, catchy, and very much related to the product and its positioning strategy. With this slogan we are going for an experiential marketing where the target market will sense the desire of getting those ring-shaped chips around their fingers and hence will be induced to act in the form of purchase.
Character:
We would use the same red bubbly character, but this time it would be in a different stance. The character would extend its hands sideways showing off the rings worn in its fingers. In this way the character would tend to be more attention getting and well liked by the consumers. Also, the target market will recall and be aware of the unique way this product is consumed. The character is represented below:
Packaging:
The RING CHIPS has always been recalled to have a yellow packaging so we would make sure that this image is not distorted. However, a bit of contrast would be applied in the packaging color to make it look more trendy and eye-catching in the display among other brands of chips. The price of the product would be highlighted as it gives a competitive edge. The positioning of the fact that it’s the first chips of the country shall be mentioned. Also, the aforesaid brand elements would be emphasized on the packaging as illustrated below:
Branding
Brand image
Brand salience
Brand feelings
Brand resonance
Brand line/Modifiers
New Media Strategy
Mixture of Media
The primary target of RING CHIPS is children of age group 5-14 years. The following mixture of media shall be availed to reach them effectively. As for our secondary target of 15-25 years of age consisting of teenagers and young adults, these random exposures to ads targeted mainly at children should be sufficient to make them recall this brand once again. No other extra effort will be put to attract our secondary target since they already have some extent of brand resonance from the past.
Billboard:
Large billboards shall be displayed at prime locations where children are would be most vulnerable to our promotion. These locations include amusement parks (Fantasy Kingdom, Nandan Park, Shishu Mela, and Wonderland), schools, and shopping complexes. The display would portray a child with RING CHIPS in his/her fingers along with the slogan ‘Got Rings?’ which would induce the children to buy one as soon as possible. The billboard ad would roughly look like the one shown below:
Television:
We would be focusing on those TV channels which broadcast programs targeted towards children. Ads shall be delivered in the times of programs like ‘Sisimpur’ on BTV, ‘Golla-chut’ on Channel 1, popular cartoons on different channels, and other participative programs for children. The theme of the ad will be similar to the one used for billboard.
Magazines/supplements:
RING CHIPS advertisement shall be present in cartoon based magazines like Unmad and also in newspaper supplements like Rising Stars and Roshalo.
Online:
Facebook is very popular among all ages. We would deliver online ads through Facebook.
Promotional Mix
Various promotional tools can be availed to integrate our campaign into a successful one. RING CHIPS shall be marketed with the help of following promotion mix:
Point of Purchase Display:
Placement of the goods in the store is very important. In order to get RING CHIPS in an eye-catching place, they shall be displayed outside of the retail stores and hung up in a space separate from other brands of chips. And with modifiers and attractive packaging, RING CHIPS is expected to have much higher chance to win preference over its competitors in a buying situation.
Trade promotions:
As mentioned before, there are shops where RING CHIPS are not available as because the retailers do not want to keep them for its low price. So incentives shall be offered to the retailers; say for example, retailers who could sell 200 RING CHIPS in a month will be rewarded with attractive prizes. Also, deals and buying allowances shall be offered to the retailers.
Event sponsorships:
Through event sponsorships RING CHIPS can reach its target consumers directly and build instant awareness of the brand. Thus it shall sponsor annual school programs like sports to make this product available to children for free. In addition, random entertainment programs involving children would be sponsored by Bombay Sweets RING CHIPS.
Conclusion
So in all, considering the immense potential Bombay Sweets RING CHIPS has in becoming a dominant player in the chips industry, the brand development strategy proposed by us should hopefully be a tremendous success if implemented correctly. This chips was more or less a phenomenal product in the past, and now with changes in the market and preference of the target segment, the brand revamping is much needed to redeem its popularity.
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