Promotion

Integrated marketing communications(IMC)
IMC is an approach to brand communications where the different modes work together to create a seamless experience for the customer and the communication is presented in such a way that the brand's core message is reinforced.
All aspects of marketing communications advertising, PR, digital, sales promotions work as a unified force towards the goal of a stronger brand and better sales.

Relispray uses IMC which majorly integrates different elements from ATL and BTL to communicate the core message of Relispray and project it as a Trusted brand which keeps pain miles away from you

Above The Line (ATL) 
Above The Line promotions are impersonal communications using conventional mediums such as TV, radio, OOH, print and cinema to communicate to the masses. 

Relispray carries out ATL promotions through Television commercials(TVCs)

Relispray Ad

The message that Relispray wants to convey through its commercial is that Relispray keeps the pain miles away from you. Also wants to inform consumers about the DEEP DAMAGE REPAIR TECHNOLOGY, how it works i.e. how it penetrates through the muscles and gives relief.

Below The Line(BTL)
BTL uses unconventional methods to target individual and specific group and thus is a personal communication method. It is aimed at driving an immediate or a little delayed incentive to purchase.
Sales promotions, direct mails, point of purchase, road shows, telemarketing, in-store promotions and activations for the various activities in BTL.

Product Placements : In show placements have been done various shows like Big Boss on Colors, Dil Dosti Dance on Channel V, Roadies on MTV, etc.Point Of Purchase : In store advertising like putting up standees,  branding the medicals board, placements of the product in the shelves. Events : Relispray has been associate sponsorer for various events like Standard Chartered Marathon, Kingfisher Corporate Football League, Toon Cricket Of Kids. Sales Promotion and Trade promotions are few techniques that are used.

The Five M's Of Advertising

MISSION

An advertising objective is a specific communications task and achievement level to be accomplished with a specific audience in a specific period of time.

The advertising objective of the latest ad of Relispray was to inform consumers of its Deep Damage Repair Technology

Relispray Ad

MONEY

FACTORS AFFECTING BUDGET DECISIONS :

1.Stage in the product life cycle : As discussed earlier Relispray is in its Maturity stage, it is an          established brand and so the advertisement budget is low.

2.Market share and consumer base : Relispray has the 2nd highest market share in the Pain reliever Sprays category and hence has less advertising budget.

3.Competition and Clutter : There are only three players in the spray category. Not much competition and so advertising expenditure is less.

4.Advertising frequency : It has an obvious impact on the advertising budget. There's enough awareness and hence not much frequency is required.

5.Product substitutability : Relispray being the 1st pain reliever spray has already established its unique place in the consumers mind and so at this moment it is ok to spend less on advertising.

Approx media spend of Relispray in 2013 was 4 Cr.

MESSAGE

MESSAGE GENERATION AND EVALUATION  : The message that Relispray wants to convey through its commercial is that Relispray keeps the pain miles away from you. Also wants to inform consumers about the DEEP DAMAGE REPAIR TECHNOLOGY, how it works i.e. how it penetrates through the muscles and gives relief.

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT AND EXECUTION : Relispray TV commercial

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY REVIEW : The ad is ASCI approved and does not overstep social or legal norms.

MEDIA

CHOOSING AMONG MAJOR MEDIA TYPES : The selection of the media depends on the the target audience media habits, product characteristics, message requirements and cost.

Taking the above mentioned factors into consideration Relispray out of the major media types only advertises on Television. As the cost per exposure of television is low as compared to the other traditional media.

REACH, FREQUENCY & IMPACT : The reach and the frequency of the 2013 campaign of Relispray is mentioned below :

REACH : 68%

FREQUENCY : 5.7

ALTERNATE MEDIA OPTIONS :

1. Product Placements : In show placements have been done various shows like Big Boss on Colors, Dil Dosti Dance on Channel V, Roadies on MTV, etc.

2. Point Of Purchase : In store advertising like putting up standees,  branding the medicals board, placements of the product in the shelves.

3. Events : Relispray has been associate sponsorer for various events like Standard Chartered Marathon, Kingfisher Corporate Football League, Toon Cricket Of Kids

DECIDING ON MEDIA TIMINGS AND ALLOCATION : Relispray uses the Flighting type of advertising. Flighting means using a seasonal pattern. Relispray advertises only from November to January

MEASUREMENT

As Relispray is promoted majorly on Television ,the effectiveness of the campaign is measured through TAM.

Distribution

Distribution is the process of making a product or service available for use or consumption by a consumer or business user, using direct means, or using indirect means with intermediaries.

An industrial distribution channel on the other hand, handles the transfer of goods between the various hierarchical levels in a B2B space.

Distribution model of Relispray

DISTRIBUTION OF RELISPRAY

ü  Maharashtra and Gujarat the distribution is strong.

ü  In north and south of India the distribution is moderate.

ü  In East India the distribution is very less.

Pricing

Pricing is a vital component of the marketing mix that determines revenues. It is essentially the process of determining the factors driving value perceptions in exchange for its products or services.                                           

                                      

The following steps are generally taken into consideration while determining the price:-

Step 1: Selecting the price objective

In this phase the company decides where it wants to position its product in the market. The 5 key pricing objectives are survival, maximum current profit, maximum market share, maximum market skimming and product-quality leadership.

As Relispray enjoys a fair market share since 20 years, survival and product-quality leadership are important.

Step 2: Determining Demand

After careful analysis of price sensitivity and elasticity, estimation of demand curves through surveys, price experiments and statistical analysis, a consensus is reached regarding the level of demand that can be expected from the market.

Pain relievers being a perfectly inelastic good, the change in price of the overall category does not impact the demand as the need for the product is inevitable.

Step 3: Estimating Costs

To set a price that covers all costs and overheads and manages to yield a profit, the company needs to figure out how the pricing would vary with varying levels of production. Factory costs, Advertising costs and distribution costs are the primary drivers when estimating costs.

Factory Costs – Relispray has an edge over the competitors when it comes to factory costs as all the production processes including manufacturing and packaging are in-house.

Advertising Costs – The strong and trusted brand image of Relispray helps in minimizing advertising costs as the sole purpose of advertising currently is to retain brand recall.

Distribution Costs – The current distribution expenditure is enough to help Relispray have a strong distribution base in the west and north. However, maximizing reach in the south and east is required to drive larger volume.

Step 4: Analyzing Competitor Costs, Prices and Offers

The introduction or change in price of an existing product will always provoke a response from customers, competitors, distributors, suppliers and even the government. It is essential for the company to anticipate and predict these responses and set price accordingly. Pricing parity is important while catering to a broad category and Relispray has a similar pricing strategy. MRP’s of Competitor Brands:

Step 5: Selecting a Pricing Method

This step is one of the most crucial phases in the pricing process. Whether to go for elementary markup pricing, target-return pricing, perceived value pricing, value pricing, going-rate pricing or auction-rate pricing plays a huge role in shaping the product’s future in the market.

Relispray’s pricing decisions involve a target-return pricing approach considering the price parity and the category buying behavior.

Step 6: Selecting the Final Price

The final price must take into account the brand’s quality and advertising relative to the competition since these are key factors that influence consumer buying behavior.  Also, the reaction of suppliers and distributors to the set price needs to be taken into account and some level of gain and risk sharing pricing policy needs to be in place so that the perceived level of risk is low. Finally, the price must always be consistent with the company’s pricing policies and under no circumstances should alienate customers.

Relispray SKU options and price:

     

Product Mix

Product Mix means the full set of products offered for sale by an organization. The product mix includes all product lines and categories.  Some of the key elements of product mix of Relispray can be viewed through the parent company Midas Care Pharmaceuticals  for better understanding.

                                                  

The Dimensions of Product Mix are :

Product Width :  The different number of product lines that a company offers to its customers is the width of the company.

                                              

Product Length : The length of the product mix refers to the number of the products in a category.

 
  

Product Depth :  The number of products within the product line refer to the product depth in product mix

CONSISTENCY: Consistency  refers to how closely are the products of the product line related to each other in terms of taste ,price, production, distribution etc. which distinguishes one product of that company from the another product of the same line or category

Marketing Mix

The Marketing Mix : The marketing mix is a business tool used in marketing and by marketers. The marketing mix is often crucial when determining a product or brand's offer and it is often associated with 4 P's i.e.

1.      Product

2.      Price

3.      Place

4.      Promotion

Product:

 “A bundle of attributes (features, functions, benefits, and uses) capable of exchange or use; usually a mix of tangible and intangible forms. Thus a product may be an idea, a physical entity (a good), or a service, or any combination of the three. It exists for the purpose of exchange in the satisfaction of individual and organizational objectives.”

        

RELISPRAY is a new to the category product. It is the 1st pain reliever spray in India launched in 1986 by Midas Care Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd. one of the leading pharmaceuticals company in India.

Promotion:

The various communication techniques such as advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, and public relations/product publicity available to a marketer that are combined to achieve specific goals.

The success of RELISPRAY has been the result of sound product quality  and astute advertising. It uses various promotional tools to promote the product.

Price:

The formal ratio that indicates the quantities of money goods or services

 needed to acquire a given quantity of goods or services

Place:

Distribution is the process of making a product or service available for use or consumption by a consumer or business user, using direct means, or using indirect means with intermediaries.

    

            

DISTRIBUTION OF RELISPRAY

ü  Maharashtra and Gujarat the distribution is strong.

ü  In north and south of India the distribution is moderate.

ü  In East India the distribution is very less.

Competitor Analysis

Competition is the rivalry among sellers trying to achieve goals such as increasing profits, market share, and sales volume by varying the elements of the marketing mix: price, product, distribution and promotion.

                                                                                                                         

DIRECT COMPETITORS

Direct Competition : Direct Competitors of Relispray are Volini and Moov with market shares of 53% and 23% respectively

                    

                       

Indirect competitors

INDIRECT COMPETITORS

Indirect Competitors of Relispray are Rubs n Balms, Gels, Ointments, Tablets eg. Himani Fast Relief, Moov, Amrutanjan,Tiger Balm, Volini Gel, Pain reliever tablets.

Product Life Cycle & Industry Life Cycle

PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE & INDUSTRY LIFE CYCLE

PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE

Product life cycle is the market span of a product from its introduction till the time its demand drops to zero. A business analyst uses product life cycle to analyze and map the common stages of commercial products.

As shown in the diagram  there four stages in the product life cycle

From RELISPRAY's perspective the product life cycle can be seen as follows:-

(i) INTRODUCTION: RELISPRAY was launched in the market in 1986 by Midas Care Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd. At that time the pain reliever spray market was unexplored in India and it was a major challenge to inform potential consumers.
Challenges: High risk venturing out into unexplored territory. Low profits, slow sales growth and  high expenses to build product awareness and increase sales & consumption. Relispray as a brand had to face a challenging task of introducing the Indian consumer to the possibility of purchasing and using a pain reliever spray, which at that time was non-existent. 
Opportunities: Early mover advantage. Being a category creator has an advantage of reaping long-term dividends. Early adopters were bound to purchase and increase the sales at the initial stage for RELISPRAY

(ii) GROWTH:  RELISPRAY after a successful launch in a matter of two decades had rapidly rising sales and profits, and thus entered a growth stage. In this stage, the advertising and promotional costs reduced and the emphasis was more on customer loyalty and retention. To sustain market share growth RELISPRAY introduced new variant RELISPRAY NITRON catering to a specific target audience
Challenges: Build trust, maintain consumer loyalty, improve product quality and keep the prices low.
Opportunities: Grabbing a strong foothold in the market as the instant pain reliever. Increase the reach through improved distribution network.

(iii) MATURITY: With Sprays like Volini by Ranbaxy and Moov bu Paras Pharmaceuticals  as well as alternatives such as Moov Gel, Volini Gel, Zandu Balm, Tiger Balm etc competition intensified and rate of sales growth declined. Despite heated competition, Relispray sales volume stabilized and it continues to hold the position in the market. Change in its marketing strategy can be seen in the price promotions and discounts, which now are an integral part of Relispray selling strategy to beat the competition.
Challenges: A new breed of alternatives emerging in the segment. Fierce competition evolving. Ranbaxy's Volini due to its aggressive marketing push has eaten away a large piece of market share pie and has a rapidly growing sales volume, providing a threat.
Opportunities: Growing disposable incomes of the middle class Indians and rise in the number of people wanting instant relief still provide an ample opportunity that can be utilized by REISPRAY

(iv) DECLINE : Sales fall in the decline stage of the PLC which may occur due to a number of reasons : technological advances, shifts in consumer tastes and increased competition. Relispray continues to have an impeccable track record and is still far away from the decline stage.

CONCLUSION
Relispray can be seen as product that has evolved through the years through the development, introduction, growth phases and is currently in the maturity phase of the Product Life Cycle(PLC).

INDUSTRY LIFE CYCLE

The Pain Reliever Industry consists of :

ü  Rubs & Balms

ü  Gels & Ointments

ü  Sprays

ü  Pain Reliever Tablets

The advertising spend of the industry is approx 210 Crores. (Source Map)