Brands
Emami urges men to be interesting with ‘He’
MUMBAI: Metrosexuals have busted what was once a predominantly female bastion – cosmetics. Reason why more and more such companies are entering the Indian market; deodorant manufacturers being one of them.
Joining comparatively new entrants like ITC’s Engage and Vini Cosmetics’ Fogg and veterans including Axe and Park Avenue is the Rs 1821 crore FMCG major Emami’s brand new deodorant ‘He’. With the pan-India rollout of ‘He’ currently underway, in the initial phase, the deodorant will be available across all markets with a special focus on 23 top cities including metros, mini metros and tier I and tier II cities in the north, west and east. ‘He’ will be introduced in Hyderabad and Bangalore in the second phase.
So what made Emami enter an already crowded turf? “It is a big and growing category and hence, has the potential for differentiated offerings. We don’t believe in entering any category or launching any product just for being there. We only enter a category when we are able to get the right mix for the launch of any product and have the strategy in place to attain success,” says Emami director Harsha V Agarwal.
Agarwal argues that the deodorant segment has dynamic prospects as the level of penetration is very low. Also, in this category, not too much brand loyalty is exhibited by consumers as there is a multitude of me-too brands to choose from. Importantly, ‘He’ makes a differentiated promise to the customer of ‘being interesting’ as opposed to ‘being normal’ which is ‘boring’. Adding to the appeal is an unique fibre mould packaging which is sure to attract customers’ attention.
‘He’ will be launched in six variants—Smart, Confident, Extrovert, Recharge, Ruler and Magician. What’s more, actor Hrithik Roshan has been roped in as brand ambassador. “Hrithik is the youth icon, popular amongst the youth and teenagers both. He is different from the run-of-the mill actors and has never hesitated to take up interesting and challenging roles, resulting in many blockbuster films,” says Agarwal about the choice of ambassador. As for the name ‘He’, he says, “It is short, synonymous to masculine, so an apt name.”
Emami is undertaking an extensive social media marketing campaign #WhoisHe in the pre-launch phase. The launch is supported by 360 degree integrated communication including digital media. The campaign featuring Hrithik has been conceived and developed by Leo Burnett.
According to a brand consultant, there is enough space in the market. Pricing will play a factor if people will pick it up from the shelf.
Brands
Himanshu Khanna joins CKA Birla Group as group chief marketing officer: report
Former Raymond lifestyle CMO to lead group-wide brand and marketing strategy
MUMBAI: According to a media report citing industry sources, senior marketing leader Himanshu Khanna has joined CKA Birla Group as group chief marketing officer.
Khanna moves from Raymond Limited, where he served as chief marketing officer for the lifestyle division since August 2021, overseeing the marketing transformation of the company’s nearly $1 billion lifestyle business. His tenure featured a sharper consumer focus, a digital-first operating model and large-scale retail and brand modernisation.
At Raymond, Khanna led brand strategy and growth across a broad portfolio including Raymond suiting and shirting, Park Avenue, ColorPlus, Parx, Ethnix by Raymond, ready-to-wear, Raymond Home and Raymond made-to-measure. His remit also covered retail marketing, digital marketing, consumer insights, visual merchandising and brand protection.
Before joining Raymond, Khanna was business head for the FMCG division at RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, with full P&L responsibility. During this period, he scaled the snack brand Too Yumm!, drove rapid revenue growth, led the integration of Apricot Foods following its acquisition and executed a business turnaround.
Khanna’s career spans over three decades across global consumer companies, with senior leadership roles at Beam Suntory, Wrigley, PepsiCo, Cadbury and Nestlé.
Widely regarded as a seasoned marketing operator, Khanna is a familiar presence at leading industry forums and is considered among the most in-demand marketing leaders in the country.
