We were given the assignment of researching the bottled water industry and then creating a hypothetical new water brand for General Mills. The end result was a product called Lotus. This deck includes our plans for brand strategy, management, activations, and measurements

1. Lotus
Kabeer Malhotra
Tatiana Seabra
Mayank Trivedi

2. Brand Strategy
Brand Management
Brand Activation
Brand Measurement
Agenda:

3. BRAND STRATEGY

4. BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY:
The following material provides key insights and brand strategy for General
Mills to succeed in the bottled water market:
 Majority of the market is concentrated in still, non-flavored water
 205 new product launches in 2013 including different flavors and vitamins,
adding value to the category
 Consumption increased 29% since 2002
 Currently there are no brands in the “mid” high-end section of the market
 Consumers are willing to pay for premium brands and packaging

5. GENERAL MILLS:
Mission: “Our mission is to make lives healthier, easier and richer. General
Mills is Nourishing Lives”
Nourishing
Lives
Nourishing
Communities
Nourishing
the Future
Source: General Mills Annual Report -2013
 147 year old company
 Present in more than 100 Countries and 6
continents
 $17.8 billion net sales
 100+ consumer brands
 60% increase in R&D
 $153 million in community contributions

6. MARKET OVERVIEW:
Source: Mintel Study 2013
 80% of category is still, non-flavored water
 Nestle, Coca-Cola and Private Label lead the bottled water market in the U.S.
 Supermarkets are the leading distribution channel
 205 new product launches in 2013 including different flavors and vitamins, adding
value to the category
 29% increased in consumption since 2002

7. MARKET OVERVIEW
Source: Statista
1.9
0.92 0.91 0.86
0.58 0.56 0.53
0.41
0.32
0.25
PRIVATE
LABEL
DASANI NESTLE AQUAFINA POLAND
SPRING
SMART
WATER
VITAMIN
WATER
DEER PARK OZARKA FIJI
Still water
0.33
0.27
0.16
0.14
0.08
0.05
0.03 0.02 0.02 0.02
SPARKLING ICE PRIVATE
LABEL
PERRIER SAN
PELEGRINO
LA CROIX FRUTIWATER TOPO CHICO CASCADE ICE POLAND
SPRING
ARROWHEAD
Sparkling water
2014 Top Leading Brands Sales (Billion):

8. COMPETITORS PRICE POINT:
Mainstream High End
 Lotus will offer a high end product however positioned within the mainstream and
very high end current selling products
 Lotus price points will be higher to mainstream water brands because of its swing
top glass seasonal bottle design and water source
$1.30 - $1.50 $2.80 - $3.0 $11 or +$3.50 -$4.0 $5-6 $7-10

9. BRAND STORY
A long time ago a young prince lived in a kingdom nestled high up in the Himalayan
Mountain, in an area we now know as Bhutan. On the prince’s 18th birthday he set off
alone on a hunting expedition, hoping to bring home a wild sheep to prove he was a worthy
successor of the throne.
After several hours the prince finally saw the shadow lurking in the distance and
approached the beast with his spear coiled for attack. Much to his dismay the creature
revealed itself to be a snow leopard. Alarmed the prince sprinted as fast as he could and
soon found himself lost in a forest as the sun began to set.
Wandering aimlessly in desperation the prince was about to lose all hope when he saw
something shimmering in the distance. He approached the beautiful sight and discovered a
small stream of celestial blue water. Tired and thirsty the prince immediately cupped his
hand and took a sip from the stream, his eyes immediately widening.
The water was the most pure taste he had ever experienced, and the prince knew that had
discovered a prize far more worthy than any animal he could have hunted. When the sun
rose in the morning he found his way home and told his father about the stream.
For hundreds of years the water source remained a secret known solely to royalty, passed
down from generation to generation. That is until now. We present you Lotus: the most
exquisite water on earth named for the purity, prosperity, and elegant beauty of the lotus
flower.

10. “Royal Himalayan Water: An Ancient Secret for Serenity”
Our brand idea positions Lotus based on the source of the product, the
Himalayan mountains, which gives the water its purity and nourishing
quality. The idea also reflects our brand story, which reveals that the
water was an ancient secret kept amongst royalty in a remote
kingdom. Lastly the idea includes the notion of serenity, which is the
benefit that Lotus provides and is an emotional state that our target
audience is seeking.
BRAND IDEA:

11. Proof Points
-Backed by General
Mills
-Purity of water
source
-Endorsement by
high-end
distributors (hotels,
airlines, etc)
Benefits
-Serenity
-Legacy
-Exclusive
Personality
-Authentic
-Exotic
-Regal
Attributes
-Himalayan
-Seasonal bottle
designs
-Ancient history
-Premium quality
BRAND POSITIONING:

12. BRAND PERSONA
James, 35
• Based out of San Francisco
• Just made VP at a successfully company in
the tech industry
• Travels business class once a month for
work and three times a year for pleasure
• Stays at high-end hotels and resorts
• Belongs to a country club where he plays
golf and squash
• Appreciates high-quality products with an
eye for design
• Drink of choice is Johnny Walker Blue on
the rocks
• Favorite television show is Mad Men

13. • The original of the water, the Himalayan
mountains, gives it a sense of
authenticity and purity
• The brand story, set in the old mountain
kingdom of Bhutan, associates the
brand with ancient royalty
• The customers are high earners who
are seeking a serenity during moments
such as a business trip, while shopping
at a high-end store, or while relaxing on
vacation/engaging in a leisure activity
VOICE GUIDELINES
Purity of water Ancient Royalty
High earners
seeking serenity
Marketing and other communications about Lotus should keep three concepts in mind:

14. SAMPLE MARKETING IMAGERY

15. BRAND MANAGEMENT

16. In order to maintain a clearly defined and consistent visual representation of the Lotus
brand, we have outlined the following guidelines for the company logo:
LOGO GOVERNANCE
• Logo consists of locked image of brand name placed below
lotus image. Both must always appear in gold
• Brand name must always appear in Ayuthaya font
• Logo can not be altered in any way and must appear on all
product as well as marketing/media
• Color palette consists of white and gold. In marketing and PR
communications black text may also appear
• Seasonal imagery on bottles and in marketing materials may
not interfere with logo Lotus

17. BOTTLE DESIGN
• Bottle is made of glass, designed to be shaped elegantly
• Opaque white represents purity and serenity, differentiates Lotus from
commoditized brands with transparent plastic bottle
• Name and logo appear in standard gold, and gold lotus image also
appears on bottle cap
• Instead of a plastic screw-on top we will use a cork top with a white base
so the logo can appear clearly
• Each season bottle is redesigned to include subtle, minimalist imagery
representing that season. It is imperative the the seasonal imagery is
not too elaborate to preserve the sleek, pure feeling that the white
bottle and logo give off
• Bottle size will be smaller than standard mid-to-low priced brands (i.e.
closer to 8.4 oz of Perrier than 16.9 oz of Poland Spring)
Bottle top
Lotus

18. SAMPLE SEASONAL IMAGERY

19. SAMPLE MESSAGING
“An ancient secret for those seeking
serenity”
“Escape from your day with a taste of
ancient royalty”
Lotus Lotus

20. BRAND ACTIVATION

21. TOUCH POINTS:
Internet
Airplane
Cultural
Centers &
B2B
Events
Charity
Upscale
Restaurants
Upscale
Hotel
Chains
Seasonal
Events Men & Women from generation X - Age 35-44, HHI
$110 - 150K
 Are more likely to travel business class on vacation or
work
 Professional: executives or entrepreneurs that have
stable business
 Consider themselves sophisticated
 Prefer high end products and are likely influenced by
the brand reputation and by their groups of friends
 Buy based quality and price
 Buy based on brands that reflect personal style
 Willing to pay more for a product when made by a
trusted company

22. KEY TOUCH POINTS:
Internet
Airplane
Cultural
Centers &
B2B
Events
Charity
Upscale
Restaurants
Upscale
Hotels
Seasonal
Events

23. 1) Trigger: Desire for
Lotus triggered when
potential customer
encounters touch point
(i.e. business class of
airline, charity event,
shopping in a store like
Bloomingdales)
2) Information
seeking:
Researches
water source,
reads brand
story
3) Active shopping:
Compares with
other brands of
water, or other non-
water beverages
5) Purchases water or
tries free sample given
at promotional event
Customer not converted:
Thinks taste is not worth
premium price, does not
relate to brand story and
positioning
4) Acceptance:
Enjoys Lotus water
and/or is engaged
in brand story and
imagery
6) Decides to
purchase Lotus again,
begins to seek
product out and
chooses it over other
water and non-water
beverages
7) Decides to not
purchase product in
the future, passes on
negative word-of-
mouth about Lotus
8) Becomes brand
loyalist or brand
ambassador; looks
forward to each
new seasonal bottle
BRAND ALIGNMENT

24. TACTICAL EXAMPLE- BRAND WEBSITE:
 Interactive Homepage Experience
 Season images experience will change according to each season
 Preview of the next season design and artists profile
 Brand Story
 Sponsorships/Events
 Where to buy

25. TACTICAL EXAMPLE- AIRPLANE & RESTAURANT:
(*)Target: restaurants the bottle used in the tables

26. TACTICAL EXAMPLE- SOCIAL MEDIA:
Social Media Campaign Instagram– “#MySerenity”
Use Instagram to promote Lotus main campaign
“#MySerenity” where consumers share their
serenity moments. The best 3 images will win a
trip for two to Himalaya during the summer to
relax and enjoy the Bhutan’s serenity

27. TACTICAL EXAMPLE- CHARITY:
As one of the companies focus is “Nourishing the Community” Lotus will promote
Charity events or Gala in main cities with donations or sponsoring the water for the
event, increasing the brand awareness and bringing new users.

28. BRAND MEASUREMENT

29. • Understanding of the brand
• Success of brand training
• Reflection of brand image
• Brand positioning integration
• Brand Education
• Brand Recognition
• Preference of brand
• Brand relatedness
• Social effectiveness
• Campaign effectiveness
• Brand Awareness
• Brand Reputation
• Brand Association
• Brand Strength and Stability
• Market Share – Value vs. Volume
• Marketing Spend
• Return on Investment
• Sales Channel effectiveness
• Sales over the year
Financial Benchmarking
InternalCustomer
Brand Measurement
BRAND EQUITY REPORT

30. THANK YOU!

31. APPENDIX

32. Statista:

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38. Statista: