The document discusses a case study conducted to understand how to convert bar soap users to liquid hand wash users and increase penetration of Lifebuoy's liquid hand wash segment. Surveys were conducted online and in-store. Key learnings showed urban users prefer liquid hand wash while rural users still prefer bar soap due to perceptions of liquid hand wash being costlier and less effective. Proposed strategies included highlighting liquid hand wash's germ protection and value for money. Additional strategies suggested a kids-focused antibacterial variant of Lifebuoy, tie-ups with schools for product placement, and engaging kirana stores for trials to boost the brand and new variant.

1. LIFEBUOY SUPERFAST HANDWASH CASE
STUDY
Team Name: Indian Express
Team Members
Sarvasidhi Phaneendra Kumar
Tarun Gupta
Varun Yadav

2. Target Areas
Focus area 1
Conversion of Bar soap users into Liquid Hand wash users.
Focus area 2
Suggesting innovative ideas for Marketing of Lifebuoy Liquid Hand wash segment.
Focus area 3
Suggesting a new variant, to increase the penetration for Liquid Hand Wash
category for Lifebuoy. Also, to give the appropriate launch strategy.

3. Approach: Online Survey/Field Visits
Field Visit (FV): A visit to Big Bazaar, Reliance Mart & 3
small retail stores was made and the customers were asked
a set of questions. I total of 103 people were surveyed
during field visits.
Online Survey (OS): An online survey using conditional
questioning was circulated among several colleges &
companies. A total of 127 people responded to the survey.
*The questionnaire for both the surveys was same.

4. Question Set 1
1. Do you use Liquid Hand 2. Rate Liquid hand wash 3. Bar Soap unhygienic
wash over soap for Vs Bar shop in terms because it is touched
cleaning your hands? of germ protection during use by different
and cleansing power? people whereas Liquid
hand wash provides
exclusivity of usage.
Agree/Disagree?
Field Visit Field Visit: Germ Protect Field Visit
26% Bar
41% 44% 47% Agree
Bar soap Liquid
Liquid Hand Wash 53% Disagree
59% Equal
30%
Online Survey
Online Survey Online Survey: Germ Protect
8% 16%
19% 19%
Bar
Agree
Bar soap
Liquid
Disagree
Liquid Handwash
Equal
81% 84%
73%
Focus area 1

5. Learning
Deduction:
• Consumers from online survey showed a greater inclination towards usage of liquid hand
wash over bar soap where as consumers surveyed at retail stores and small kirana stores
showed a higher propensity towards usage of bar soap.
• Consumers from online survey rated liquid hand wash to be more effective in cleansing
power and complete germ protection ,where as a majority of consumers surveyed at
retail stores and kirana stores were unaware of the efficacy of complete germ protection
and therefore preferred bar soap.
• Consumers who were the part of the online survey agreed more to the fact that it is
unhygienic to use a bar soap as it is touched by others also where as majority of
consumers who were surveyed at retail stores and small kirana stores were indifferent
and still preferred bar soap.
Strategy Insight 1A:
•There is a greater tendency among urban India to use a Liquid Hand wash. Hence a strategy
needs to be devised to increase the exposure of Semi urban India to Liquid Hand wash.
•Efficacy of Complete germ protection in comparison to a bar soap for a Liquid Hand wash
needs to be highlighted.
Focus area 1

6. Question Set 1 (Contd.)
People using Bar soap instead of Liquid Hand Wash, were asked another set of questions:
1. Is pricing the major factor 2. Do you perceive that 3. Do you think Bar Soap
for choosing Bar soap Bar soap and Liquid lasts longer than a Liquid
over Liquid Hand Wash? Hand Wash are Hand Wash?
equally effective in
germ protection?
Field Visit Field Visit 3% Field Visit
10%
28%
Yes Yes Yes
No No No
72%
90% 97%
Online Survey Online survey Online Survey
11%
23%
Yes
42% Yes
No Yes
No
58% No
77% 89%
Focus area 1

7. Learning
Deduction:
• Consumers who preferred bar soap over hand wash in the online survey were not as
price sensitive as consumers who were surveyed at retail stores and small kirana stores.
The consumers at retail stores and small kirana stores perceived hand wash to be a
costlier substitute to soap.
• Then our question probed at their perception about the efficacy of bar soap over liquid
hand wash as these questions were directed towards consumers who preferred bar soap.
More consumers surveyed at retail stores and small kirana stores were indifferent and
they perceived both liquid hand wash and bar soap as equally effective.
• The consumers who preferred bar soap over liquid hand wash both in online survey and
who were surveyed at retail stores and small kirana stores were of the view that bar soap
lasted longer than liquid hand wash.
Strategy Insight 1B:
• Perception over the effectiveness & longer lasting bar soap need to be addressed.
• Pricing plays a crucial part in a consumer choosing one brand over another, when the
brands are offering substitute products.
Focus area 1

8. Solution – Strategy Insights 1A+1B
Solution 1 has been derived from a case study that was conducted at Harvard for the
Economist magazine. According to this solution, the pricing for Liquid Hand Wash and
Bar soaps should be like this:
Product Rupees
Liquid Hand Wash (a) 65 Hypothetical
Bar Soap (b) 20 rates
Liquid Hand Wash+ Bar Soap (c) 65
Two important things to take care:
1. The pricing of (a) & (c) should be same or almost same.
2. All (a), (b) & (c) should be displayed at the same place. So that the customer can
see all 3 at the same time.
In the case study, it was found that 84% of the people ended up picking the option (c),
considering it to be a better value proposition.
If the product (a) was removed from the above set, then the same percentage reduced
to 24% for option (c), and 76% people bought the option (b).
Hence the above strategy can work perfectly to convert bar soap users into Liquid Hand wash
users also.
Focus area 1

9. Solution – Strategy Insights 1A+1B
Solution 2 is based on the perception among people that Bar soap lasts longer and is cheaper then
the liquid hand wash.
We believe that the Hand wash can last longer and hence eventually will be
equally competitive in terms of pricing with a Bar Soap because :
1. There is no wastage of soap while using hand wash through the bottle.
2. The Bar soap is moist after use, which leads to wastage of soap during next use.
3. The refill packs of 200 ml are almost of the same price as an equal weight soap bar.
Hence, we propose a line to be written on the Liquid Hand wash bottles, that is :
Lasts longer than your soap
This line will immediately hit the perceptions in users mind about Bar soaps
lasting longer and being cheaper, which will in turn make users try Liquid Hand wash.
Focus area 1

10. Question Set 2
For the people who agreed to using Liquid Hand wash in question set 1, another set of questions were asked:
1. Your most preferred brand 2. Given a condition to 3. Does price play a crucial
of Liquid Hand Wash? switch from your factor in deciding your
current brand, which brand of Hand Wash?
brand will you prefer
to switch to?
Field Visit Field Visit Field Visit
21%
45% Lifebouy 43% Lifebouy Yes
55% Others 57% Others No
79%
Online Survey
Online Survey Online Survey
41% Lifebouy 46% Lifebouy 39% Yes
Others 54% Others No
59% 61%

11. Learning
Deduction:
• Lifebuoy is not the most favored brand of Liquid Hand Wash and it’s biggest
competitor is Dettol.
• People not using Lifebuoy currently, were given a condition to switch their
brand, Lifebuoy was chosen by % of the people as their most favored brand to
shift.
• Price plays a crucial part for picking up the brand of Liquid Hand wash for 60% of
the consumers. Lifebuoy is priced at Rs. 54 for 215 ml, hence the approx price for a
250 ml of Lifebuoy is 63.
Strategy Insight 2A:
• Since Lifebuoy is the most preferred brand to shift to by a customer of competitor
brands, hence come up with a strategy to shift them to Lifebuoy.
• Make Lifebuoy Price competitive.
Focus area 2

12. Question Set 2 (Contd.)
Forming questions to understand Lifebuoy’s placement against it’s biggest competitor Dettol ?
1. Rate progress modernity as 2. Rate packaging design 3. Rate the Overall perception
offered by these 2 brands and usability of the of the brands?
(lifebuoy & Dettol) ? following brands?
Field Visit Field Visit Field Visit
33% Lifebouy
48% Lifebouy 40% Lifebouy
67% Dettol 52% Dettol Dettol
60%
Online Survey Online Survey
Online Survey
45% Lifebouy
46% Lifebouy Lifebouy
47%
55% Dettol
54% Dettol 53% Dettol

13. Learning
Deduction:
• Lifebuoy is considered to be a less progressively modern brand.
• There is no distinction/positive in packaging design of Lifebuoy w.r.t other
brands.
• The overall perception of Lifebuoy is slightly weaker then its biggest competitor
Dettol.
Strategy Insight 2B:
• To project Lifebuoy as a Progressively modern brand.
• Make significant improvement in packaging design.
• Make use of the other products in HUL kitty to improve the overall perception
of the lifebuoy brand.
Focus area 2

14. Solution – Strategy Insights 2A+2B
Solution 3 is based on the data collected above that given a chance to people to shift from their
current brand, Lifebuoy came out to be the most preferred choice. To capitalize on this we propose:
Lifebuoy Refill packs given free with Surf Excel
This will have the following benefits:
1. Customers who do not use a Liquid Hand wash currently, will be tempted to buy a bottle
since they already have a refill pack.
2. People who are currently not customers of Lifebuoy, will use the refill from Lifebuoy in their
presently favored brand bottle. This will give people a chance to use Lifebuoy liquid hand
wash and hence possibly shift to Lifebuoy as the favored brand.
Focus area 2

15. Solution – Strategy Insights 2A+2B
Solution 4 is designed to make the brand “Lifebuoy” relate to the people from different regions of
India and the world.
We propose Lifebuoy coming up with packaging of Liquid Hand wash bottles in:
Regional Languages
This will have the following benefits:
1. People who are not acquainted with “English” will also be driven towards the
brand.
2. Customers from the region will be able to relate better to the brand.
Focus area 2

16. Question Set 3
1. What is most important 2. Rate you perception about
characteristic that you the suitability of these
look forward to in a brands with respect to
Liquid hand Wash? kids?
Field Visit
Field Visit
Anti bacterial
20%
38% Skin Care 33%
6% Cooling fresh Lifebouy
13% Sun block Dettol
67%
Natural Ingredients
23%
Online Survey Online Survey
15% Anti bacterial
4%
40% Skin Care
45% Lifebouy
10% Cooling fresh
55% Dettol
Sun block
31% Natural Ingredients
Focus area 3

17. Learning
Deduction:
• We asked consumers about what is the most important characteristic they look forward to
in a liquid hand wash, that in turn may be a deciding factor to buy one. The consumer of
online survey preferred Anti-bacterial and Skin Care as the most important variant.
Whereas surveys at retail stores and small kirana stores insisted more on Anti-bacterial
characteristics and were indifferent to skin care and natural ingredients.
• When consumers were asked as to which brand (Lifebuoy/Dettol) do they perceive more
suitable for kids. Our online survey showed that people were more or less satisfied by both
the brands with Dettol having an edge; and survey at retail stores and small kirana stores
consumers perceived Dettol to be more suitable for kids as they perceive it to provide more
protection.
Strategy Insight 3A:
• The new variant should have Antibacterial/Skin care characteristics.
• Placing the new variant for Kids will indeed lead to penetration for Lifebuoy brand.
Focus area 3

18. Solution – Strategy Insights 3A
Solution 5 is based on the results of the survey that we got from Question set 3, we suggest the
new variant for Lifebuoy to be :
Lifebuoy
Antibacterial Soft Wash
for Kids
This variant will have the following benefits:
1. The above variant plays on the psyche of the people, telling then that this variant will
give better protection against bacteria/germs.
2. The addition “Soft Wash” will convey that it will be tender to the skin.
3. Positioning this variant for kids, will positively reinforce mothers to buy this variant for
her kids because variant specifically focuses on Kids. We can also use tag lines like
“ Give your Child the protection he needs”
Focus area 3

19. Solution – Launching Strategy
Solution 5 (a) Since the variant focuses on Kids, the best place to launch this product is by :
Tie-up with Schools
Lifebuoy Liquid hand wash dispensers can be placed in schools toilets, mess area etc.
Product displays across malls & retail stores
Product displays will help the family as a whole to get aware of the product.
This above marketing strategies will have the following benefits:
1. Both the marketing strategies are cost effective, with good a impact to expenditure ratio.
2. The above strategies are focused approach towards our target segment
Focus area 3

20. Solution – Launching Strategy
Solution 5 (b)
Antibacterial
Soft Wash
for Kids
Lifebuoy
Since we are focusing on a target segment for whom the biggest selling point will be
the variant, hence we propose the variant name to be the focus, so the first thing that
the customer sees is the Variant Name and then it is verified by Lifebuoy as a brand
with Lifebuoy written towards bottom.
Focus area 3

21. Solution – Launching Strategy
Solution 5 (c)
Engaging the shopper
The below strategy can be used for launching of the new variant as well as
to increase the penetration of the existing variants. A free trial kiosk can
also be provided in malls, where users can given a trial of the new variant.
Focus area 3

22. Solution – Launching Strategy
Solution 5 (c)
Engaging the shopper: Kirana Stores
The kirana stores can also have innovative ways of products display like some
mentioned below. An unmanned free trial kiosk can also be provided in kirana
stores in the form of dispensers, where users can come a take a free trial of the
variant.
Focus area 3

23. Words of Wisdom
Above we have given a 5 solution strategy targeting the 3 focus areas outlined in
the beginning of the presentation.
There is a way to do it better, find it.
Thomas Edison
Thank you
Would Be Awaiting a Positive Response…