Brands
Cinthol won’t go hyper-aggressive with offers: GCPL’s Urshita Nema
MUMBAI: India’s famous soap brand Cinthol, owned by Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL) is gearing up its effort to connect to consumer for its freshness portfolio as the heat after monsoon kicks in. The popular brand held an interesting day filled with fresh adventure, in association with the cricket sensation, Shubman Gill as part of its #TurnDownTheHeat campaign of Cinthol Lime & Cinthol Cool soap variants.
“We have done a 360 degree here. It starts with TV campaign; the TVC is on all of national channels. We are also doing regional media taking Maharashtra and West Bengal channels. Along with TV, we started this digital campaign, which has thought and led to activation campaign where Shubman Gill came in as the celeb and he started asking about what is your adventurous spree to turning down the heat along with Cinthol Lime and Cinthol Cool,” GCPL personal care generale manager marketing Urshita Nema shared the details of the campaign.
“Cinthol as a brand has done a lot of outdoor activities and we got responses from across the nation. We picked up the winners and then we had micro-influencers to lead the campaign. Multiple influencers started posting their pictures may be with a parachute, diving in the waterfall and we tried to involve them in the campaign,” Nema added.
Nema also added that Cinthol’s target is practically youth oriented and while the brand has been there for years, it has been refreshing itself constantly to connect with its TG. But she also added that TG is more about psychography and people who are young by heart, who love to go out for sports and adventure, they are also the brand’s TG.
Talking about current focus of marketing initiatives, Nema shared that they are focusing on ‘hyperlocal marketing’ right now. She explained that while they divide the term, one of it has to be rich media and TV will be there.
“But when we have to connect to our TG, we look into the relevance of which market we are working. Cities in North, West like Delhi, Bombay all these cities’ digital connect is very good. So, we have taken up this as digital friendly. We have few states where we are doing experiential marketing campaign like Ola, Uber tie-up. We gave fresh lime wipes. So, it depends on market what we pick,” she added.
Nema also pointed out that where consumers are going is practically digital savy. While the brand also understands internet rates are coming down, everyone is hooked onto digital, they are going digital with micro-influencers, OTT platforms like Hotstar, Voot.
GCPL posted its second-quarter financial result on Wednesday and the soap segment’s revenue declined by 4 per cent year-on-year and the brand’s overall ad spend sharply fell down by 22.1 per cen year-on-year. In an exception, India’s recent economic slowdown has affected FMCG brands also which are usually more immune to slowdowns. While asked about the impact of the slowdown, Nema said that slowdown news is correct but there are markets like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu which are still growing.
Due to weak demand, FMGC major HUL slashed prices of Dove, Lux, and Lifebuoy soaps recently and Wipro Consumer Care, the maker of Santoor soap, also cut the price of the soap. While Neema was inquired if Cinthol is also thinking of a similar move, she answered that the brand is ready to react to competition anytime.
“But I would say we are not in a stage where we have to go hyper-aggressive to counter competition with offers. The brand pull for Cinthol is very high. We would say we are least impacted in the situation,” she added.
Brands
Jubilant FoodWorks faces Rs 47.5 crore GST demand, plans appeal
Tax authorities flag alleged misclassification of restaurant services
MUMBAI:Â Jubilant FoodWorks Limited has landed in a tax tussle after receiving a GST demand of Rs 47.5 crore from the office of the additional commissioner of CGST and central excise in Thane, Maharashtra.
The order, issued under the provisions of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, relates to an alleged incorrect classification of certain services under the category of restaurant services. According to the tax authorities, this classification resulted in a short payment of goods and services tax for the period between the financial years 2019-20 and 2021-22.
The demand includes Rs 47.5 crore in GST along with an equal amount as penalty, in addition to applicable interest. The order was received by the company on March 13, 2026.
In a regulatory filing to the BSE Limited and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited, the company said it disagrees with the order and believes its arguments were not adequately considered.
The company is preparing to challenge the decision and plans to file an appeal. It added that once the redressal process is complete, the demand is likely to be dropped.
Despite the sizeable figure attached to the notice, the company said it does not expect any material impact on its financials, operations or other activities.
The disclosure was signed by Suman Hegde, EVP and chief financial officer, who confirmed that the company received the order at 19:06 IST on March 13 and has already initiated steps to contest it.
The development places the quick service restaurant major in the middle of a tax debate that could hinge on how certain restaurant-linked services are classified under GST rules. For now, the company appears ready to take the matter from the tax office to the appeals desk.
