The expectation from Parle Kismi’s new campaign is to enhance Parle’s brand value and further strengthen its position in the market by building on to the overall equity of the brand, said Krishnarao Buddha, Senior Category Head at Parle Products
Parle aims to strengthen its market presence and increase its overall market share through the new campaign launched for its toffee brand, Parle Kismi, titled “#HarKismiMeinHaiKiss”. Currently, in the toffee space, Kismi leads with a dominant market share of about 35%, Krishnarao Buddha, Senior Category Head at Parle Products, said.
The TVC:
The nationwide campaign highlights the role of Parle Kismi as a catalyst for love. The TV commercial, conceptualised by Rediffusion, portrays the innocence and sweetness of romantic relationships presenting cute and endearing moments shared by a teenage couple.
“The short-term objective of the campaign is to generate excitement and raise awareness among our target audience, which falls in the age group of 15-25 years. In the long term, our primary goals are to strengthen the image and reputation of the Kismi brand. We aim to position Kismi as an enabler of meaningful human relationships and romance,” Rao said.
“We will predominantly utilise television as the main medium for our campaign, ensuring broad reach. Additionally, we plan to extend our campaign to digital platforms. As a starting point, we launched the ad during the IPL playoffs on the digital (JioCinema) platform. Once the TV campaign is concluded, we will further reinforce it through various digital channels. Within the digital sphere, we will leverage multiple platforms such as social media, OTT (Over-The-Top) platforms, and short-video platforms to maximise our reach and engagement,” he added.
The expectation from this campaign is to enhance Parle’s brand value and further strengthen its position in the market by building on the overall equity of the brand, Rao stated.
The campaign is planned to run for a duration of four to six weeks on television, followed by an additional four to six weeks on digital platforms.
“Our aim is to make a significant impact on consumers’ minds through this extensive duration. The primary objective is to establish a strong top-of-mind awareness and achieve a high level of visibility,” Rao said.
“Currently in the toffee space, Kismi leads with a dominant market share of about 35%. Through this campaign, our aim is to expand our market presence and increase our overall market share. By the end of this year, we expect to gain at least 2% of market share,” he added.
Furthermore, he went on to say that the candy market holds significant potential with a category size of approximately Rs 15,000 crore, which is a substantial figure. Parle’s strategy in this segment is focused on becoming a prominent player, adopting the approach of being a large fish in a small pond.
When considering the market segment for toffees, after Kismi, the brand that stands out in the toffee category is Coffy Bite. There are numerous local players in this segment as well but there is no strong brand as such in this space, Rao stated.
As per Rao, “The significance of both rural and urban markets for Parle as a brand cannot be overstated. We recognise the immense value and importance of these markets. Fortunately, Parle has established strong accessibility to rural markets, allowing us to effectively reach smaller markets. This is particularly advantageous considering our product is priced at just Rs 1, with a previous price point of 50 paise until last year. We are actively expanding our distribution networks across various geographical regions and exploring different channels to ensure wider availability of our products.”
“As far as Parle’s growth trajectory is concerned, we have been growing at a very fast pace as compared to others in the space. Our objective for this year is to achieve a growth upwards of about 25%. Moreover, we are determined to sustain this growth momentum over the next three to five years,” he added.
In light of the buoyancy in consumer demand post-covid, Parle has devised strategies to leverage this trend and expand its consumer base.
“Our approach involves exploring various channels, including e-commerce, to maximise our reach. Despite some reports suggesting that UPI (Unified Payments Interface) has had a negative impact on confectionery sales, I hold a different perspective. Nowadays, people are even using UPI for smaller transactions, demonstrating a rapid embrace of digital payment systems and a shift towards a digital economy,” Rao said.
