The sweetest story ever told… or heard

What makes a successful brand?

• Carves out a distinct role in the consumer’s life

• Constantly delights the consumer year after year

• Consistent value proposition• Local expressions of universal needs

Elicit a ‘WOW’ at any given time

Cadbury Dairy Milk The Real Taste of Success

What does CDM stand for world-wide?

Brand Promise

Cadbury Dairy Milk is the most delicious, best tasting chocolate.

A moment of pure magic.

CDM is Chocolate

Brand Character

Cadbury Dairy Milk encapsulates an enormous breath of emotions, from

shared values such as family togetherness (fun, wholesome,

reliable), to the personal values of individual enjoyment.

It stands for goodness.

The Indian Chapter

The Challenge

• Get people accustomed to chocolates- primarily seen as a western taste

• Do so by reaching out to the masses in a land where mindsets and preferences are as diverse as the country itself

CDM in the 80’s

• Brand was considered as a surrogate of parental affection for their children

• The chocolate goodness (appetite appeal) was being harnessed

The Expression

CDM positioned as ‘The perfect expression of parental love’

‘Sometimes a Cadbury can say it better than words’

1980 TVC

Category audits in early 1990’s

• Chocolate are meant for kids only

• Seen as an indulgence product

• Negative associations– Too much was bad

– Bad for health

Key Issue

With communication consciously addressing kids, consumption also got

restricted within the same segment resulting in brand stagnation

Marketing Challenge

To expand the consumer base by making CDM aspirational and desirable

to the adult segment

The Unshackling of CDM in 1994

Communication Task

To increase category relevance, give consumers a taste of life the Cadbury

Dairy Milk way - real, fun and free.

Integrate the "real" chocolate of Cadbury Dairy Milk to "real" feelings.

What was the consumer saying??

Extensive brand audits on the consumer pulse revealed that Cadbury Dairy Milk moments were spontaneous, carefree,

special, real moments.

So, what if these ‘moments’ were brought back to life even for adults?

The atmosphere at that time…

The new resurgent India.

The era of globalization had sowed the seeds of ‘I wanna break free’ syndrome

Avenues for freedom for expression were more than welcome

The BIG idea

Cadbury Dairy Milk-

The chocolate for the kid in all of us.

The Communication

The Real Taste of Life.

Brand Positioning

CDM is the perfect expression of spontaneous, happy, joyous feelings.

Eating CDM provides the ‘Real Taste of Life’ experience.

RTOL TVC

And the result…

‘94 v/s ‘93

Category 12 43

22 52

Brand 31 54

Moulded segment

Parameters ‘95 v/s 94

‘Vol. Gr. ‘Vol. Gr.

Legitimising of CDM in 1998

In 1997

• Hurdles at a competitive level

– Launch of Kit Kat which was considered as young, trendy, future, exciting, smart

– Threat from imported premium moulded brands like Lindt, Ritter, Van Houten

• Hurdles at the communication level– “Real Taste of Life Campaign” cut ice

with the metro audience, – The barriers of Middle/Bottom end

consumers still remained to be addressed

– As a result, brand growth rate was slower than the chocolate market growth

In 1997

What next???

The “Indianisation” of the brand

To increase width of consumption by entering

the Indian mind-space -

Make CDM part of Indian customs and mores

What next???

CDM to be the Real Taste of

Everyone's Life.

For Regular users

Position CDM as the gold standard in taste amongst chocolates

Creative Idea I will do anything to eat my CDM

The twin platforms

For Infrequent users

Position CDM as the chocolate meant for everyone

Chocolate = CDM

Creative Idea You don’t need any special reason

to eat CDM

For Regular users

The executions

Train TVC

For Infrequent Users

The executions

Cyrus TVC

The result...

Vendor TVC’s cut ice among both heavy as well as marginal user

The strategy helped increase brand penetration (specially in smaller towns)

leading to a brand growth of around 40%

The result...

Volumes grew by 34% post ad exposure (i.e Jul-Dec ‘00) vis-à-vis

pre ad period (i.e. Jan-Jun ‘00)

Overall CDM volumes of 2000 grew by more than 30% over 1999

Parallel initiatives

Beefed up distribution system (grown by over 60% over past 5 years)

Increased points of contact

(Bringing CDM closer to the consumer)

The third discontinuity

CDM in 2002

Competitive Environment

• Influx of several brands at various price points offering greater perceived value

• While attitudes towards chocolates softened, consumers flirted with options

The Challenge

Reinforce pre-eminence of the brand

The Execution

Product

Range of new, international pack formats – a CDM for every need

CDM for every need

• For chocoholics -

CDM Chunky

• For Connoisseur -

- Bournville

- Fruit & Nut

CDM for every need

• Gifting - Gift packs

• In-home consumption

• ‘Muh Meetha Karna’

The Execution

Communication

Reinforce relationship of brand in the consumer’s life

CDM in 2002

I eat CDM when I am happy, sad

CDM is always there with me

CDM mere mun mein rahata hai

CDM is almost like an ideal companion

Consumer Speak

Insight

The Brand Platform

I need a friend who sees me through all my

emotions

CDM uplifts my spirits like a true

friend

Sailor and Tennis TVCs

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

93 95 97 99

Index sales

The Sweet Taste of Success

A brand that captures your mind gains behaviour.

A brand that captures your heart gains commitment.

Scott Falgo

100%

89%

85%

84%

68%

99%

84%

77%

64%

8%Bonding

Advantage

Performance

Relevance

Presence

Commitment to the brand - India

CDM Intl. Choc. Brand in India

Source: IMRB U&A Study

CDM India – a global benchmark

Today, India is the second largest market for CDM in the world

The Indian case-study has been designated as the "blueprint for success" for all international markets to emulate.

But there are newer challenges

Strike a balance between the CDM enlistment (in non-metros) and the

increasing usage in Metros

Drive CDM ‘Ultimate Chocolate Experience’ values across the Mega Brand Range

Make CDM a part of the Indian shopping basket

Our goal

Ensure a CDM in very pocket

Lesson

A Brand is a Brand is a Brand

As long as it connects with the consumer, remains relevant & excites her, it doesn’t matter

whether it’s Indian or not

Thank you

Care for some chocolate?