Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Poppins – Truly Eternal But…….

People tend to cherish childhood memories. Old habits live with us all the time even if dormant. Given a chance we do romance with our past. Reading through the pages of an autograph book or a glimpse of an old photo brings in nostalgia and warmth in us. What if when a brand travels with you in all phases of your life without much change in its form? It sounds fantastic.

Poppins popped into the market in the year 1950. Since its inception, it maintained a clear edge over its competitors. The rainbow filled candy (borrowing the words of Parle) was definitely a clutter breaker. A pack of Poppins had 10 candies inside with different colours which attracted kids. Parle with the aggressive promotion was able to register a place in the minds of the consumer. 'Ram & Shyam' comic strips for Poppins which have featured in books like Champak, Chanda Mama, Chacha Choudhary, Amar Chitra Katha, and Tinkle were a massive success.

Over the years, Poppins accompanied consumers in all walks of their life. 10 candies for just INR 20 made it a value – for – money brand that everyone can afford. Since there existed limited competition in those days, the journey was smooth for Poppins. Barring competition from Gems, it was able to position itself as the most sought-after candy among kids. Every brand in order to sustain should evolve. I suspect whether Poppins was late in it. Are the youth of today prefer Poppins?

In 2008, Poppins came with a “for all ages” proposition but lacked persuasion. Gems, the major competitor for Poppins with its value – for – money proposition as well as with eye-catching colours was quick to reposition as a brand for all ages (“Raho Umarless” campaign https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap5LitH6OJk). The new generation is now attracted towards Gems than Poppins. The sweet candy market today is highly competitive which also restricts the path of Poppins.


I personally believe that Poppins is Truly Eternal, but it needs more nurturing as it is beyond the so-called Product Lifecycle. It still possesses the brand strength to surpass any competition and sustain for more years to come.

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