Fair and Handsome is a pioneer brand from the house of Emami.

In 2005, the company forayed into the men’s fairness category, which was the first for any FMCG company in India at that time. They created

Fair and Handsome, a marketing history in the category of men’s fairness creams.

Today it is the largest brand in the Men’s Fairness category and second largest in overall fairness category in India. With the launch of Fair and

Handsome, fairness no longer remained exclusive for the eves of the country and provided the men an opportunity to break free from being

the users of women’s fairness creams, and still look fair. The launch of Fair and Handsome was based on researches that found that the texture

of man’s skin is different from that of a woman and therefore they need a special product designed exclusively for them.

The cream was a runaway success doing business of Rs 30 crores in the very first year. Emami roped in the Bollywood Badshah Shah Rukh Khan

as the brand ambassador in 2007 who has been associated with the brand for the past 6 years Even after competitors launched similar

products in the market, Fair and Handsome continued to rule the market in the Men’s Fairness Cream category.

[- PRACHI SHASTRI

ROLL NO. 50

PGDM COMM.]

Fair and Handsome has been especially formulated for tough male skin by Emami skin care experts in association with Actiogen Corp, USA

headed by Dr. Chanda Zaveri, a USA based internationally renowned scientist and protégé of 2 times Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling.

Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning:

Segmentation: First fairness cream for men in India.

Targeting: Young urban men and teenagers who belong to middle or upper middle class with skin care and fairness as their prime concern.

Positioning: World’s no 1 fairness cream for men.

How Fair and Handsome communicated with and convinced their target customers:-

It convinced men that they are generally more exposed to sun and dust. Fairness creams primarily targeted towards women may not be

effective for them. Male skin is 20% thicker than female skin with larger pores and more melanin production making them more prone to

darker skin. Fair and Handsome with its 5 Action Fairness system for the tough male skin provides:

Oil Control

Sun Protection

Dark Spot Reduction

Sweat Control

All Round Fairness

The brand ‘Fair and Handsome’ is one of the power brands from the house of Emami. It is a very popular brand in the men’s skin care category

in India and also enjoys a leadership position internationally in the Men’s Fairness category.

On their Facebook page, FAH promotes various activities which interest men such as outdoor programs, morning exercises, attention to detail,

music, IPL matches, etc.

Why men need skin care?

A study revealed that most women think men who groom their skin appear more confident. Experts explain that it takes less than 10 seconds

to form a first impression about a person. And over 90% of the impression is based on appearance. The first impression could make or break a

job interview, a first date, or a critical business deal.

Emami knows that men love outdoor activities in the sun like biking, and don’t mind getting dirty or sweaty.

Over exposure to sunlight, sweat, pollution and dirt is the main reason behind dark and aged looking skin in men. Men sweat much more than

women, hence a skin care routine becomes even more important for men.

Fair and Handsome understands men’s skin best, hence it is specially formulated for Men who want ZYADA.

The make-over:

In a bid to expand its presence in the personal care segment and the men’s fairness market, Emami relaunched Fair and Handsome cream

with new packaging, positioning and TVC. The relaunch has seen an Advertising and Marketing (A&M) spend of 20 per cent of the total sales of

the brand for the current financial year.

The re-launch of the new Fair & Handsome is supported by a 360 degree integrated communication. Riding on the brand equity of its endorser

Shah Rukh Khan, the Rs. 1,700 crore FMCG brand has had a numero uno run, with market share volume clocking in at 58 per cent of

the Rs. 329 crore men’s fairness market in FY 2012-13.

With the Indian middle class expected to increase ten-fold to 583 million by 2025, the Indian consumer market is at the threshold of becoming

the fifth largest in the world, offering vast opportunities for the personal care segment. According to the company, the transformation in Fair

and Handsome is expected to be a category driver and boost sales substantially.

Mohan Goenka, Director, Emami said, “When we launched Fair and Handsome in 2005, the then consumer insight revealed that 30 per cent of

fairness cream consumers were males. There was a yearning for men’s fairness cream, but no available option.”

Recent research reveals the men’s fairness category has evolved and men want more from fairness products, resulting in the advanced

formulations in the new advanced Fair and Handsome.

Goenka further commented, “With the launch of the new Fair and Handsome, we aim to capture a sizeable market share in the booming

men’s grooming product category, with a substantial increase of 40 per cent in our A&M spend for the brand over last year.”

Promotion campaign

Developed by Situations Advertising and produced by Raj Kumar Hirani’s Canvas Films, the new TVC has been directed by Shakun Batra of ‘Ek

Main aur Ekk Tu’ fame. The new TVC revolves around the theme of Shah Rukh Khan’s ascent to the pinnacle by virtue of his pursuit for zyada

(more) from life. The campaign went on air in early July 2013 nationally. The campaign was supplemented by a modern trade and point of

sales approach to connect with customers nationally along with print, outdoor and digital promotions.

The re-launch

The re-launch will comprise a new look and feel for the product, positioning it as a one-stop solution for not just enhancing fairness, but also

delivering additional benefits. The product is enriched with the goodness of deep action peptides, which penetrate inside men’s tough skin,

giving it a luminous glow. The objective of the campaign is to strengthen the leadership position of the brand by aligning the premium quotient

with the long-standing trust and efficacy it has already achieved.

Expanding its Rural reach on the distribution front, Emami directly reached 6 lakh retailers in towns and villages with population of 10000

through its project SWADESH.

Market Survey:

Emami went for serious customer research which showed that 25-30% of customers of Fairness creams were men. That customer insight paved way for a specialized brand for men. Fair and Handsome is targeted at young urban men aged 15- 35. The brand was launched with much promotion across visual media.

Advertising Strategy:

In the face of emerging competition Emami has moved aggressively to promote Fair & Handsome by roping in Bollywood icon ShahRukh Khan

as its brand ambassador.

The campaign for Fair and Handsome is considered as one of the lousiest campaign by men. Here the main character is depicted as a fool who gets into a ladies hostel to steal a fairness cream, which he could just go to a supermarket and buy.The brand is being positioned as the fairness cream that can make men handsome and also attractive to girls. The brand uses the tagline: Be fair Be Handsome. Whether the campaign is lousy or not, after two years of launch, fair and handsome is worth Rs 45 Crore now commanding a market share of over 30-40% in the segment.

The brand has to be appreciated for creating a category. It is true that men use creams meant for women. Hence there is a logic in creating a brand for men in this category. The total fairness market is estimated to be around Rs 900 crore and men's segment is around Rs 160 crore. Although Fair and Handsome has gained the first mover advantage, already competition is hitting up, but unlike Fair and Handsome ( FAH), other brands are little subtle in positioning their brands as a fairness cream.‘Handsome' is the new mantra for Indian men!Emami Ltd, the personal care and healthcare major, introduced a contest that will give India its very first ‘handsome' winner of a male beauty pageant organized in Mumbai. The contest aims at redefining the concept of looking good and feeling great and revolutionizing it by adding new dimensions to it. The magnum opus witnessed a marked difference in the way male looks have been re-defined.Emami covers all the states with 29 depots across India and enjoys a wide distribution network comprising 2500+ distributors and a direct coverage of 4.15 lacs outlets. To felicitate this distribution strength, Emami has1200+ strong and motivated Sales Force including both direct & indirect manpower operating in the market.Modern Trade: With the change of scenario in retail market the Company has drawn an extensive coverage plan for targeting customers in modern format outlets effectively selling in the market directly or through exclusive distributors. A specialized Sales Force has also been developed to service these ever growing Modern Retail outlets. Currently, the Company is covering over 4000+ key accounts.In order to bring in complete retail focus to the business through direct reach and distribution, the Company has also undertaken an aggressive plan to identify Focus Sates in the country. The objective behind this is to increase strong numeric distribution, reduce dependency on wholesale, initiate extensive BTL activities, strengthen rural coverage and introduce smart sales force to counter any competition.

Price:-

60 gram- INR 100

SWOT Analysis:

STRENGTHS:

1. Created the category of fairness creams for men. Hence, first mover’s advantage

2. Endorsed by popular Indian movie star, hence enhanced nationwide recall

3. The product is available in sizes of 9ml, 30ml and 60ml, customised for various pockets.

4. Good availability and distribution owing to parent company

5. TVCs and print ads help brand boost visibility.

6. Cheaper pricing than other competitor creams.

WEAKNESS:

1. The brand has a limited market share compared to international leaders

2. Allegations of false results of using fairness creams hurts brand image

OPPURTUNITIES:

1. Largest player in the men’s fairness cream category, can leverage on that

2. Growing interest in personal grooming amongst Indian men.

3. The growing Indian economy and the growth in disposable income have led to strong demand for fairness creams

THREATS:

1. A lot of competition emerging in the segment with all the major players targeting men.

2. These brands face the issue of the reluctance of men to be seen using a cream because cosmetics traditionally are viewed as a

category meant for females.

STRONGEST COMPETITORS OF FAH:

1. Garnier Men Powerlight Oil Control Fairness Cream:

To theblooming Indian market of image conscious and quality seeking male customers, Garnier has launched Garnier Men PowerLight Oil

control which belongs to the exclusive range of male skin care products.

Price:-

50gm – INR 170.

Shelf Life:-

30 months from Pkd. Date.

Endorsed by: Famous Indian Film Star JOHN ABRAHAM

2. Fair and Lovely for MEN:

This cream’s revolutionary VitaMAX Complex and UV filters work intensively on tough male skin to give you visible fairness, visible spot

reduction, and Triple Sunscreen UV protection.

Price:-

50gm- INR 90

Endorsement by: Famous Indian Cricket Player VIRAT KOHLI

Recommendations:

1. Fair and Handsome’s advertisements are not much appealing to men. In fact their initial advertisements were

considered to be “Lousy” by men. They can work on making their TVCs more manly so that more no. Of men get

attracted to it not only in India but also worldwide.

2. They do not showcase the ingredients which are used to make the cream whereas all their competitors do. This is a

major drawback of their TVC. They should try including that instead of just concentrating on their brand

ambassador.

3. As a brand ambassador, Fair and Lovely for Men and Garnier Men Powerlight have used young celebrities who

connect to the young male crowd more than a senior actor.

4. To increase their market share internationally, they can appoint a famous foreign celebrity to promote the product.