%Brand Story &
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Ujala
and the family happy
and proud.”
The company was
very clear of its target
consumer; the
average homemaker
Safedi ka Naya Rang with a monthly
household income within the Rs.
1500 bracket. Elaborating target
- Vibha Iyer customer characteristics, Dasgupta
adds, “ She is a small town dweller,
Brand History homely, one who cares for her
Any keen follower of the Indian The origin of Jyothy Laboratories family. She washes the clothes at
corporate scene will soon realise lies in a proprietary concern home and is thrifty with the
that many Indian brands have been founded by the current Chairman household budget. Hence, value
successful in not only standing up and Managing Director- for money is paramount for her
to the competition from MNCs, but Mr.M.P.Ramachandran in 1983. and since she buys in small
have beaten them hollow. Nirma Jyothy Laboratories has originally quantities, per unit price also
might have the first recall. But been engaged in the production acquires significance. She
another equally high recall Indian and marketing of a liquid fabric considers her neighbours’ and the
brand is Ujala. Read the following whitener product called “Ujala” dealer’s recommendations vital
article to have a better since 1983. and constantly seeks her
understanding of the brand. Mr. Ramachandran, with an husband’s appreciation which
added interest in Chemistry was
9
adds a fillip to her existence.” R.
dissatisfied with the fabric Ravi, Sr. Vice President,
ith its catchy
whiteners available in the market Marketing, Jyothy Laboratories
‘Aaya naya
then. Hence, he came up with the adds, “ Economy of use was our
Ujala..chaar
formula for Ujala as a fabric platform and the conveniently
boondon wala’ ad
whitener to compete with the packed product was available in
jingle, the
existing brands. He launched it different sizes ranging from 30 ml
product created
first in Kerala in 1982 and then to 250 ml. As the jingle suggested,
such a rage in the late nineties, that
extended it to the national market. only four drops were required to
even today, seven years after its
whiten clothes post wash.”
national launch (in October 1997),
Brand Positioning
Ujala is able to whitewash the
Brand Promotion strategies
As Arindam Dasgupta, Situations
sheen off other brands in the
Advertising, Jyothy Dwelling on the strategies adopted
whitener segment. Ujala’s success
Labs’ ad agency to promote the brand, Dasgupta
is a story of smart marketing and
expounds, “Ujala was says, “ We wanted the brand
pricing coupled with a prudent
positioned as the differentiation to be based on
understanding of the market. Its
Value For Money function combined with a clear
success has helped the relatively
liquid optical fabric brand personality.” He adds, “ We
small Jyothy Laboratories to
whitener with also had to devise a strategy that
effectively create a category for a
Insta-Whitening would break down the attitudinal
liquid fabric whitener and
System barriers of going against trying a
successfully pull customers away
technology that new brand. We decided to devise
from bigger competitors. Ujala has
makes everyday the communication around the
not only stood up to multinational
wear clothes family and also to give it an
market leader Robin Blue, but has
spotlessly bright aspirational tinge. An integrated
in fact changed the colour of white!

%Brand Story &
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marketing communication whiteness due to the violet ‘magic’ cornered a whopping 60 percent
strategy was followed to position formulation.” market share while Reckitt is still
the brand and create strong brand Therefore, the ads used a struggling with a meagre 6
values.” strategy of comparison to show the percent. Also Ujala is marching
Difficulties .aced superiority of Ujala over other ahead despite selling 75 ml liquid
brands and demonstrate the use of packs at Rs.8, while Reckitt is
Before Ujala was launched, the
the product and the quantity to be pushing its stuff at Rs.7.”
common perception was,
used. School going children were Jyothy Laboratories’ official
whiteners had to be blue in colour
used to establish brand good will. website proudly asserts (see
and powder in form. So, the
Media mix included television, following figures), “Ever since its
challenge before Jyothy
print media and outdoors. Press, national launch in India in October
Laboratories was to break this
for example, particularly the back 1997, the market share of Ujala has
mindset, as Ujala was a purple
covers of women’s magazines were been consistently on the rise.
liquid. The challenge was
used as a secondary medium. According to AC Nielsen figures,
successfully surmounted through
Radio is still being used as a Ujala’s share in the overall fabric
the tagline ‘Safedi ka naya rang.’ In
order to drive home the message
better to its target audience they
used the mother-in-law in their ad
as the symbol of a blocked mindset.
The conversion of the mother –in-
law to Ujala was seen as the
triumph of the modern over the
traditional product. The value for
money aspect, which was
reminder medium. These were whitener market has gone up from
promoted as a brand differentiator,
supplemented with the use of 26.6 percent in September 1998 to
was also cleverly used through the
dispensers, direct mailers, promo over 65 percent in February 2001
jingle ‘chaar boondon wala’.
ads, outdoors - all carrying the onwards.”
Dasgupta mentions about another
basic four Violet drops, Insta-
misconception that had to be
Whitening SystemTM , and slogan
cleared, “ We had to circumvent
Did You Know?
line.
the problem of the misconception
Ujala was ranked 55th in the
that like neel, the colour purple too
Convincing Results Economic Times Most Trusted
would remain on the clothes. We
Brands Survey, 2004.
also had to establish the key benefit To quote the Economic Times
of the perceptible difference in dt.30th Jan, 2001 “Ujala has
Expansion strategies
Jyothy Laboratories has not rested on the laurels it has won. The company has leveraged on the understanding
it has gained about the mindset of lower income consumers to expand its product categories. Today, Jyothy
Laboratories Limited is a multi-product public limited company well on its way to becoming a diversified,
national-level FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) company.
The products it offers include:
Ü Fabric care- Ujala Detergent Washing Powder
Ü Mosquito Repellent and Household Insecticides- Maxo Cyclothrin mosquito Repellent
Ü Air Care – Incense sticks / Aroma sticks- Maya Incense and Aroma Sticks
Ü Surface Cleaning Preparations- Exo Dishwash Bar
Ü Ayurvedic (Herbal) personal Care Products – Jeeva Ayurvedic (Herbal) Soap.