1. Unleashing The Potential of Hair Oil
An exploratory study of oiling and hair, scalp & root care
Apoorv Sharma
IMT Ghaziabad
June 2010
Under guidance of
Comal Hâté-Malik
Market Intelligence & Consumer Insights Manager
2. Background
The age old tradition of oiling hair in India, is associated with multiple
health and beauty benefits.
Believed to work at various levels, in order to deliver this wide array of
benefits, hair oil is the only hair care product that is believed to provide
“complete” care, as it is also strongly associated with scalp & root care
– a pre-requisite to healthy, beautiful hair.
Hence, hair oil is the largest and one of the fastest growing segments of
the Indian hair care market (1 bn units). Monopolised today by a few,
well-established hair oil brands.
L'Oreal would like to understand the nuances of the oiling ritual and tap
into the “deep rooted” beliefs associated with it, in order to break into
this segment of the hair care market with innovative, value-added
offerings and highly relevant propositions
3. Objectives of the Study
I. Understanding the various hair care practices
followed by Indian women, for their scalp and
roots, with specific focus on oiling and massage.
II. Understanding consumer perceptions about the
contribution of the scalp and the roots to hair
health & beauty and the role of hair oil therein.
III. Mapping of the Hair Oil , Scalp Care & Root Care
Offerings
4. Consumer Segment Characteristics
• Demographics: 25-34 years, Educated, Females
• SEC: A2 & B1
• Geographic: Urban
• Psychographic: High involvement
• Usage-Related:
o Frequent (at least once a month)
o Infrequent (less than once a month)
o Lapsed (not used in last 12 months)
Total questionnaires administered: 84
5. *After each attribute was assigned weights based on the rank given
High co-relation between hair health and beauty.
Consumers value “health” more than the “look” of hair
Definition of beautiful hair
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350 316
272
248
186
170
107 101
41 31 26 20
WeightedScore
6. Very Straight
7%
Quite
Straight
29%
A little wavy
32%
Very Wavy
17%
Curly
13%
Very Curly
2%
Perceived Hair & Scalp Condition
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Normal Dry Oily
49
36
15
51
25 24
Hair Scalp
Figures shown in percentages
Almost half the consumers perceive their
hair type to be “wavy” and their hair & scalp
condition to be normal
Perceived Hair Type
Perceived State of the Hair & Scalp
7. Thin
26%
Thick
26%
Medium –
neither thick
nor thin
48%
Perceived Thickness
Perceived State of the Hair
Perceived Length
Majority consumers describe the thickness of
their hair as “medium”. While 1/4th each
describe it as either thick or thin.
6%
67%
27%
Very short (above the ears)
Short (at ear level or lower but above the
shoulders)
Medium ( below ears upto shoulder
length)
Long (longer than shoulder length, upto
waist length)
Very long (longer than waist length)
9. Common Hair-related Problems
Rank Problem Occurrence Top 5 Treatment Steps Avg. Satisfaction
Level
1 Hair Fall
(38%)
All Year Round
(more in Monsoons)
Use Hair Oil
Changed my brand of
shampoo/conditioner
Switched to a brand that specifically
treats this problem
Use home remedies
Am eating right – Cut out Junk Food
A little dissatisfied
2 Dry Hair
(26%)
Summer/Winter Use Hair Oil
Changed my brand of
shampoo/conditioner
Started using additional branded hair
care products at home
Drinking more water
Satisfied
(%) – No. of consumers suffering
10. Rank Problem Occurrence Top 5 Treatment Steps Avg. Satisfaction
Level
3 Dandruff or flaky
Scalp
(21%)
Winter Use Hair Oil
Changed my brand of
shampoo/conditioner
Switched to a brand that specifically
treats this problem
Use home remedies
Satisfied
4 Thinning hair
(suffering from hair
loss, leading to
exposure of scalp)
(18%)
All Year Round
(more in Summers)
Use Hair Oil
Switched to a brand that specifically
treats this problem
Taking vitamins/nutritional
supplements
Drinking more water
Exercising
A little dissatisfied
Common Hair-related Problems
(%) – No. of consumers suffering
11. Rank Problem Occurrence Top 5 Treatment Steps Avg. Satisfaction
Level
5 Frizzy, fly away hair
(18%)
All Year Round Changed my brand of
shampoo/conditioner
Switched to a brand that specifically
treats this problem
Use home remedies
Using specific branded hair care
products recommended by my hair
dresser
Started using additional branded
hair care products at home
Neither satisfied,
nor dissatisfied
Common Hair-related Problems
Hair Fall & Thinning of hair are year-round 2 problems,
for which consumers have no satisfactory solution
(%) – No. of consumers suffering
13. Products Used in the last 12 months
Product Frequency of Usage (Avg.) Key Benefits Sought (Top 3)
Shampoo
(98%)
2-3 times a week Cleansing
Care
Nourishment
Hair Oil
(85%)
Once a week Strength
Nourishment
Care
Hair Conditioner - Rinse Out
(80%)
2-3 times a week Treatment/Solving Hair Problems
Care
Beautification
Hair Conditioner -Leave In
(18%)
2-3 times a week Protection
Care
Beautification
Hair Serum
(13%)
Once a week Protection
Care
Beautification
Hair Treatments (Branded)
(8%)
Once in 2-3 months Styling
Nourishment
Beautification
Hair Color
(7%)
Once in 2-3 months Styling
Beautification
Hair Cream
(2%)
Once a week Care
Nourishment
Protection
14. Shampoo
USAGE FREQUENCY & BENEFITS SOUGHT
11%
6%
77%
6%
Frequency of Usage
Daily (Once a day) 4-5 times a week
2-3 times a week Once in a week
Benefits Sought
Styling
Treatment/ Solving Hair Problems
Strength
Protection
Beautification
Nourishment
Care
Cleansing
4
12
16
17
18
22
32
77
*After each attribute was assigned weights based on the rank given
Most women shampoo their hair 2-3 times per week.
Perceived primarily as a cleansing product - not strongly associated
with treatment/ problem-solution despite benefits claimed.
15. Hair Conditioner (Rinse Out)
USAGE FREQUENCY & BENEFITS SOUGHT
Benefits Sought
Daily (Once a
day)
9%
4-5 times a
week
4%
2-3 times a
week
61%
Once in a week
15%
Once in 15
days
5%
Once a month
5%
Infrequently –
Once in 2-3
months
1%
Frequency of Usage
Nourishment
Styling
Strength
Protection
Beautification
Care
Treatment/ Solving Hair Problems
9
11
12
13
28
33
36
*After each attribute was assigned weights based on the rank given
Used less frequently than shampoo. Perceived to solve hair problems.
Also, to neutralize the shampoo’s chemicals (Mentioned by almost all users)
16. Hair Oil
USAGE FREQUENCY & BENEFITS SOUGHT
Daily (Once a
day)
4%
4-5 times a
week
1%
2-3 times a
week
41%Once in a
week
30%
Once in 15
days
9%
Once a month
8%
Infrequently
– Once in 2-3
months
7%
Usage
75% women use hair oil at least once a week. However, seasonality is a factor.
Primarily for Strength & Nourishment.
6
45 48
27
23
10
18
1
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Key
Benefits
17. Home Remedies
Remedy Avg. Frequency Benefits
Yoghurt/Curd (30%) Once a month Conditioning (26%)*
Softens Hair (23%)
Anti-dandruff (19%)
“Dryness Treatment, Coolant”
Mehendi/Henna (27%) Infrequently – Once in 2-3
months
Covering greys (30%)
Conditioning (13%)
Nourishment (8%)
“Less Hair fall, Shine, Cooling”
Lemon Juice (21%) Once a month Shine (50%)
Reduces dandruff (36%)
Cleansing (28%)
Conditioning (8%)
Egg White/Egg Yolk (15%) Once a month Makes them silky (31%)
Smooth (15%)
Proteins (13%)
“Adds sheen to the hair, softens
them”
Aloe Vera Gel (13%) Once in 15 days Strength and softening (31%)
Nourishment (6%)
“Medicinal, smoothens hair (used
with oil)”
*The percentage of consumers who use the remedy/mentioned that benefit
18. Home Remedies
Remedy Avg. Frequency Benefits
Tea Water Extract (8%) Infrequently – Once in 2-3
months
Darkens Henna color (43%)
Provides shine (28%)
Beer (7%) Infrequently – Once in 2-3
months
Softens (33%)
Shines (33%)
Great conditioner (33%)
Smoother (17%)
Others (Neem, tulsi, hibiscus)
(3%)
Infrequently – Once in 2-3
months
“Makes hair black, thick, improves
density”
*The percentage of consumers who use the remedy/mentioned that benefit
19. Product Hair Roots Scalp
Shampoo 66% 4% 30%
Hair Conditioner
(Rinse Out)
87% 4% 9%
Hair Oil 10% 69% 21%
Level at which it works
Comparison of Product Action
While Shampoos & Conditioners are perceived to work primarily on hair -
Hair Oil the only regular hair care product perceived to work at 3 levels.
20. Product Action of Hair Oil
Hair
10%
Root
69%
Scalp
21%
Level at which it works
• Most of the consumers believe that hair
oil works on the hair, scalp & roots
• When asked to choose one, the majority
think oil penetrates well within the
roots and hence provides maximum
benefit.
• A significant few also believe oil helps
cleansing the scalp and hence provides
the right base for hair to grow healthy
• Only about 10% of the total
respondents were unable to distinguish
between the roots and the scalp.
22. Consumer Speak
“All problems such as thinning of hair,
oily hair, dandruff, etc. stem from scalp
problems…
“You should take good care of the
scalp to avoid hair problems or infections”
“If the scalp is clean there will be no
dandruff problem and hence we will
have healthy hair”
“The skin of the scalp is thick and hair
bearing and contains numerous
sebaceous glands. These glands play
vital role in growth & nourishment of
hair.”
Importance of Scalp Care
High co-relation between clean, problem-free scalp and healthy, beautiful hair.
Also seen to play a role in hair nourishment & growth of hair.
Neither Important nor
unimportant
Quite Important
Very Important
1%
38%
61%
23. Consumer Speak
“Hair roots are as important as the roots
of a tree. If you need the tree, or the hair,
you need the roots to be tended to”
“Like a building’s foundation is important
for its stability; strong roots are important
for luscious long smooth beautiful hair.”
“Strong roots lead to strong hair.
If roots are weak, the hair falls, and that
issue is more severe than any scalp issue”
“When it comes to hair, the beauty is not
only skin deep. A beautiful hair can only be
achieved through a healthy root.”
Importance of Root Care
Direct & strong co-relation between strong hair & strong roots.
Hence, while scalp care is more prevention, root care is all about enhancement of hair.
Neither Important nor
unimportant
Quite Important
Very Important
6%
30%
64%
24. Benefits
Anti-Dandruff
Shampoo
(36%)
Prevents dandruff (98%)
Makes scalp healthy (56%)
Hair Oil
(30%)
Massage scalp to keep it
soft and stimulate hair
growth (58%)
Conditioner
(12%)
Cleans the scalp (48%)
“Prevents entanglement”
Hair Protein
Capsules
(7%)
“Shiny healthy hair”
Serum and
Hair Mask
(5%)
Protection (67%)
Benefits
Hair Oil
(31%)
Nourishes my hair and
makes it soft and silky
(65%)
Helps hair growth (55%)
Shampoo
(8%)
Cleaning (78%)
Strength (29%)
Conditioner
(Leave-In) (5%)
Makes roots stronger
(26%)
Eggs and Aloe
Vera Gel
(4%)
“Eggs give protein and Aloe
Vera is generally good for
hair and roots”
Henna
(2%)
“Penetration provides
cooling”
SCALP CARE ROOT CARE
Products For Scalp & Root Care
25. Other Scalp & Root Care Activities
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Brushing
Massage
Rinsing
with water
Wearing a
hat/cap
Avoid
wearing a
helmet
Exfoliating
40
59
37
11
4
1
30
37
18
7
3
1
Scalp Roots
Massaging & Brushing are the two hair care activities
that are perceived to benefit the scalp & the roots
27. Initiation Into Category
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
As a baby/ child In school When I got
married
81
17
1
While the mother is the initial decision-maker, majority of consumers continue the habit,
showing concern over “experimenting” with their hair
28. In school
10%
In college
58%
When I
started
working
26%
Summer
3%
When I
was
traveling
3%
40% hair oil users have lapsed out of the category at some point of time -
Majority, while in college.
However, half of them have gone back to oiling later
When did this
happen?
The reasons
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
8 8
3
2 2 2
3
1 1 1
Lapsing
29. Reasons:
• “Hair felt rough &
unmanageable”
• “My hair had started
suffering, so decided that it
was time to start oiling
again.”
• “I started having hair
problems. There is too much
pollution to not take care of
your hair”
• “Because I noticed some grey
strands, and because the hair
fall became severe”
• “Hair became dry without it”
In school
8% In college
16%
When I started
working
40%
When I got
married
4%
When I started
greying
4%
When I started
having hair/
scalp problems
16%
Other issues
(Winters/Not
Traveling)
12%
“Re-Initiation”
When They Re-Start
30. A Light/ Non-
sticky oil
18%
A value-added oil
21%
A cooling oil
1%
Ordinary Coconut
Oil
60%
Popular Hair Oils
Pure Coconut oil is the most popular hair oil – used by 60% of the women.
TYPE OF OIL
31. Natural ingredients 85%
Another branded hair oil 6%
An unbranded hair oil 2%
What do they mix? Natural
Ingredients
Amla 12%
Lemon juice 6%
Neem 6%
Shikakai 6%
Aloe Vera 6%
While only 18% mix something else into their hair oil,
Amla is the most popular natural ingredient to be mixed as it is believed to provide
a “cooling effect” to the scalp (mentioned by 86% of the Amla users)
Mixing of Oils
32. 55%
8%
5%
4%
3%
3%
3%
3%
3% 1% 1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%1% 1% 1%
Parachute Coconut Oil Bajaj Almond Homemade Oil
Sesa (Ayurvedic) Dabur Amla Dabur Vatika
Figaro Hair Oil Mahabhringraj Vatika Coconut Oil
Almond Drops Oil Ayurvedic Castor Oil
Dabur Almond Hair and Care Mustard Oil
Olive Oil Parachute Hairfall Therapy Shanti Amla
Til Oil (Hibiscus) Vatika Almond Oil Vatika Value Added
Popular Brands
Parachute a clear market leader, its pure Coconut Oil being the most popular & trusted.
A common response by consumers was “I use it simply because my mom also did”
33. Frequency of Usage
Daily
(Once a day)
3%
More than
once a day
1% 4-5 times/ week
1%
2-3 times/ week
33%
Once a week
30%
Once in 15 days
14%
Once a month
9%
Infrequently
– Once in 2-3
months
8%
Less than
once in 3 months –
Only on special
occasions
1%
2/3 rd women oil their hair at least once a week.
34. 49% of all women
interviewed feel
they do not oil their
hair frequently enough.
39% of frequent users
think they oil their
hair frequently
enough.
67% of infrequent
users think they do
not oil their hair
frequently enough.
However, half of them believe that they do not oil their hair often enough.
- An opportunity to supplement hair oil with other “oil replacement” products?
Frequency of Usage
35. Hair Oil Usage
USAGE OCCASIONS
37%
24%
17%
22%
Overall
Only on weekends
Both weekends and
during the week
Whenever I don’t have
to step out of the house
Whenever I have the
time
27%
33%
19%
21%
Frequent Users
Only on weekends
Both weekends and
during the week
Whenever I don’t have to
step out of the house
Whenever I have the
time
58%
4%
13%
25%
Infrequent Users
Only on weekends
Both weekends and
during the week
Whenever I don’t
have to step out of
the house
Whenever I have the
time
Infrequent users clearly prefer applying oil only on weekends
36. Hair Oil Usage
USAGE OCCASIONS
Rank Trigger % of
Consumers
1 Before every shampoo 70%
2 Whenever I have the
time
37%
3 Whenever my hair
feels bad
28%
4 Whenever I have a hair
problem
17%
5 Whenever my hair
looks bad
16%
Rank Trigger % of
Consumers
1 Before shampoo 33%
2 Whenever I have the
time
30%
3 Whenever my hair
feels bad
16%
4 Whenever I have a hair
problem/headache
10%
5 Whenever I feel tired/
Whenever I very
stressed/
Whenever I can’t sleep
7%
Frequent Users Infrequent Users
With Frequent users using Hair Oil more as a “habit”, the infrequent ones went for
Hair Oil only when they felt they “needed” to – ???? what does this mean???
My interpretation - Triggers not very different for frequent & infrequent users.
Oiling a precursor to washing hair – provided time permits
37. 90%
9% 1%
Self
Mother
Parlour lady
At a salon/ parlour
Both
At home
1
8
91
0
50
100
Pour it directly on
the head from the
bottle
Take it out on
your hand and
apply with your
fingers
Take it out into a
bowl/ katori and
apply it with your
fingers
Take it out into a
bowl/ katori and
apply it with
cotton
6 62
24
8
Consumers say it should require “least effort” -
application should be as convenient and time saving as possible
Hair Oil Usage
APPLICATION
WHERE? WHO?
HOW?
38. Part % of Users Why?
On scalp/ roots & hair
lengths – from root to tip
86%
Every part of hair is oiled (46%) ????
“So that it nourishes hair from the ROOTS and they
become long and healthy”
“ROOTS help in length, SCALP so that there’s no
dandruff. HAIR LENGTHS because oil makes them soft
and black”
“Hair oil provides nourishment to hair, so I prefer to apply
it on the whole length of the hair “
On scalp/ roots only –
not on hair lengths
12%
“So that ROOTS become stronger to avoid hair loss”
“Because I believe that hair get nourishment from
ROOTS only. And also hair does not look oily”
On hair lengths only –
not at roots/ on scalp
2%
“That’s where I want the direct benefits”
Hair Oil Usage
APPLICATIONON WHICH PART?
High co-relation between the roots, nourishment & hair growth/ strength
39. Hair Oil Usage
HEATING
Why? (Ranked by popularity)
“Makes oil more effective” (79%)
“In winters oil becomes hard and difficult
to apply” (67%)
“Makes it easier to seep into roots” (54%)
“To open up hair pores when applying”
(36%)
“Feels easy to massage” (24%)
Always
8% Often
8%
Sometimes
27%
Rarely
11%
Never
44%
Only in
Winters
2%
Heating
While some believe that heating the oil makes it more effective,
majority consumers don’t always heat the oil
40. Why? (Ranked by popularity)
“Makes hair stronger, increases blood
circulation which makes hair healthy”
(92%)
“Massaging improves absorption” (75%)
“Increases coverage” (49%)
“Relieves headache, relaxes me” (35%)
“So that it reaches the hair roots and
nourishes the scalp too” (28%)
Always
47%
Often
26%
Sometimes
13%
Rarely
3%
Never
10%
Only if
someone else
applies it
1%
Massaging
Hair Oil Usage
THE MASSAGE
Almost half the number of users make sure they massage the oil to derive
maximum benefits
41. Rank*
1 Prevents dryness of hair 62%
2 Prevents dryness of scalp 36%
3 Stops/Reduces hair-fall 26%
4 Prevents/ Repairs hair
damage
24%
5 Nourishes hair 24%
Rank*
1 Prevents dryness of scalp 35%
2 Stimulates hair growth 38%
3 Promotes blood circulation 32%
4 Improves penetration of
the oil
19%
5 Prevents dryness of hair 14%
*Based on cumulative weights assigned on the basis of consumer ranking
THE MASSAGETHE OIL
While prevention of dryness is a key benefit - attributed both to the oil & the massage,
the oil is seen to deliver hair related benefits.
While the massage is perceived to facilitate action on the scalp/ roots - by improving
penetration of the oil - to stimulate hair growth and improve circulation
Hair Oil Usage
BENEFITS ATTRIBUTED
42. Avg. On
Weekdays
Avg. On
Weekends
2-3 hours Overnight
• Most women believe that oil needs to be kept at least 10-12
hours (Overnight) to derive maximum benefits.
• 85% of the hair oil users think they keep oil in long enough.
• The rest feel they should keep it on for more time:
“So that it’s absorbed properly”
“So that it gets time to seep into the roots and spread around the
scalp”
“Acts as a conditioner, and cools the entire body”
Hair Oil Usage
TIME LEFT ON
43. 61%
25%
4%
1%
9%
Use the same shampoo but
shampoo more times (2-3 times)
Use the same shampoo and the
same number of times, but use a
greater quantity
Use a different shampoo for
removing oil
Do not use a conditioner after
shampooing (like I normally use)
Don’t do anything differently vs.
when I have not used hair oil
While majority currently use their regular shampoo for oil removal,
they expressed the need for a shampoo specifically made for cleansing hair oil
Hair Oil Usage
OIL REMOVAL
44. Problems Associated With Oiling
Rank Frequent Users % age of
Consumers
ranking
amongst
Top 5
1 Oil removal takes too long 11%
2
Oiling is too messy - stains
walls, pillows, furniture, clothes
46%
3 Makes my face look oily/ greasy 50%
4 Makes me feel sticky / dirty 40%
5 The oiling process is too tedious 31%
Oil removal emerging as the # 1 problem amongst both groups
Similar problems perceived by both freq. & infrequent users.
Rank Infrequent/Lapsed Users % age of
Consumers
ranking
amongst
Top 5
1 Oil removal takes too long 23%
2 Makes my face look oily/ greasy 37%
3
Oiling is too messy - stains
walls, pillows, furniture, clothes
47%
4 Makes me feel sticky / dirty 47%
5 The oiling process is too tedious 33%
Re-work calculation
45. Satisfaction
Level
% of
Consumers
Why?
Very satisfied 9%
Helps in nourishment, rejuvenating. Don’t expect anything more fancy
from my hair oil
Gives proper conditioning, soothing calm and strength
Satisfied 60%
Makes my hair manageable and soft
Helps smoothen hair, but doesn’t solve hair problems
Neither
satisfied, nor
dissatisfied 27%
No long term benefits
Because, though the severity of hair fall has reduced after I used my
MOUB oil but my hair lacks life and vitality
A little
dissatisfied 4%
Mostly problems like flaky scalp n dandruff re-occur in a day or two
It is nourishing, works on the roots, but does not aid any shine or lustre
Overall Satisfaction
WITH CURRENT HAIR OIL
Majority consumers are quite satisfied with their hair oil.
46. Ideal Hair Oil
Color % of Consumers
Colorless/Transparent/Clear 35%
Texture % of Consumers
Non-Sticky 18%
Non-Greasy 6%
Thin / Light / Smooth 5%
Fragrance % of Consumers
Fresh 6%
“Sweet-smelling, Flowery, Soothing, Appealing”
Product Action % of Consumers
Rinses out quickly 20%
Shouldn’t look like you’ve applied
oil / Completely absorbing
5%
Gives shiny look 3%
Shouldn’t solidify in winters 3%
47. Ideal Hair Oil
Hair Care Benefits % of Consumers
Makes hair soft and silky 17%
Stops greying 15%
Makes hair strong 15%
Reduces dryness 14%
Shiner and smoother 10%
Accessories / Tools % of Consumers
Massager 26%
Roll-on, applicator, or application
kit
8%
Soft brush for application (that
avoids fingers)
5%
Ingredients % of Consumers
Anti Dandruff 24%
Anti Greying 12%
Anti hair loss 8%
“Herbal Ingredients, Vitamins for Hair”
48. Ideal Hair Oil
Innovative features/benefits
“Shampoo which accompanies to wash oil”
“Spray”
“Can provide thin book on hair styling /hair
treatments”
Packaging % of Consumers
Handy 48%
Easy to Carry (Travel Friendly) 26%
Attractive 12%
“Should be convenient during winters, Spill-free, Transparent bottle”
Size
Medium (100 ml)
Price
Rs. 75 – 150 (average)
49. If there was one innovative
feature you could have…
Easy to cleanse –
comes off completely
in 1 shampoo
16% Rinses out with
water – no need
to use shampoo
4%
Quick penetrating –
delivers benefits in 5
minutes
20%
Invisible –
disappears
completely into hair
and scalp on
application for a non-
oily look
42%
Serum Texture - Does
not look and feel like
a hair oil
8%
Protects hair from
hard water problems
10%
“INVISIBLE LOOK” & “QUICK PENETRATION” were the most appealing ideas
Consumers also expressed the need for a shampoo which was specifically made
for cleansing out hair oil
51. Conclusion
Current situation
• The consumers consider hair oil more as a “nourisher” or
“nurturer”, rather than a “treatment” and trust it to prevent
several hair problems
• Expectations from hair oil are more oriented towards health,
and use other hair products to enhance the "look"
• There is a clear need gap, where the consumers face
problems such as hair oil removal, and the oily/greasy look
you get after application
52. Conclusion
Competition
• Market flooded with competition in the “hair oil” segment,
with clear domination of Parachute
• Key decision maker – Mother (for the typical Indian female
who started using hair oil since childhood)
• Difficult to change consumers’ preference from existing “hair
oil”
• Solution: Beneficial to tap a new segment with a “New hair oil
format”, which can address the problems associated with the
current format
53. Conclusion
New Product
• New Format: Mimics the oiling ritual i.e. can be heated, and massaged
like oil and provide the perceived benefits thereof - minus the perceived
drawbacks of hair oil.
• Consumers may not want viscosity of hair oil; they would rather prefer a
no-frills product that satisfies its basic function of keeping hair healthy
• It's recommended to go for a natural/herbal/medicinal platform which
clearly talks about healthy hair and offers good value for money
• It terms of benefits, emphasis on roots should be given (since consumers
can relate easily to it)
• Packaging can in the form of a simple-to-use kit (targeting the modern
users who don’t have the time, and yet want to reap all benefits of hair
oil on-the-go)
