Fair and Handsome free essay sample

Emami has also set us its overseas Branches in UK UAE. Emami Products are available in Nepal since 1997. Himani Boroplus Antiseptic Cream and Himani Navratna Oil have become category leaders over the period. â€Å"Fair and Handsome† cream for men is a product of Emami Ltd, in association with Activor Corp. USA. The cream claims to have a unique formula which makes skin fairer in just 4 weeks. It has double strength peptide complex which makes the product suitable for tough male skin, which is 3 times more exposed to suns UV rays, 5 times more exposed to pollution, 2 times more exposed to stress factors, compared to women. Male skin is also damaged by abrasive action of shaving blade and hence after shave application of this product was also said to be useful. Emami Fair and Handsome is targeted at Urban Male consumer between the ages of 15-35. The skin-lightening industry is worth at least ? 100m in India and the Fair-and-Handsome-for-Men range is the latest product from one of the markets big players. LAUNCH Fair and Handsome was first launched by Emami Ltd in Nepal on 19th Nov. 2005. In India,the launch was done after testing the product in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The post launch research done in INDIA indicated that 73% consumers reported improvement in complexion, 78% found it to be an effective after-shave moisturizer 75% found effective oil control. The domestic skin-lightening cream industry is valued at over $190m a strong indicator of the great Indian obsession with fair skin. Until now, skin-lightening creams have been aimed almost exclusively at women. However in a research conducted on the use of fairness creams, it has been found by the company that more than 25% of fairness cream users are men. Its an open secret that 30% of Fair Lovelys sales are driven by men Emami also explains that there is growing consciousness towards personal grooming among men all over the world. The bottom-line is: Men are no longer shy of admitting they want to look good. Emami has realized there is a ready market for a product like this,especially in a country full of dark-skinned people. Emami expects that this new brand will fulfill a latent consumer need. Editor of mens magazine, Mans World, Jerry Pinto, says most dark-skinned men are as insecure as women and go to equal lengths, to achieve lighter skin. I dont think men share this notion of tall dark and handsome, he says. In India, its tall, fair and handsome. A look at the matrimonial section is a very good way of seeing how men look at themselves. † Indian Men never thought beyond an aftershave lotion and a perfume or body deodorant. But now they’re going to beauty parlors. Good and healthy looking face is the key of attracti on. According to India Daily , Emamis fairness cream for men, Fair and Handsome, has almost become an inspiration for others; such as â€Å"Nivea for men†. Fair and Handsome clocked sales of Rs 16 crore in the first 11 months of its launch and is expected to generate as much as Rs 65-70 crore in the current fiscal, according to Emami Director Mohan Goenka. Telegraphindia says, market research now reveals that 32 per cent (some estimates say 28-30 per cent) of the buyers of fairness creams are men, not women. 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. Brand Perception: Below,we have identified some key parameters that Emami Ltd used to project a strong â€Å"male† image for their brand. A)PACKAGING Fair And Handsome Fairness Cream for Men is available in three sizes viz, 9ml, 30ml and 60ml. It is also available in a 9ml trial pack. The colors used are silver, black and orange which give a bold and macho look to the product. The illustration on the cover pack is that of a before-and-after effect of using the cream. The pack also contains a leaflet of instructions. Clearly,the manufacturers have gone to great lengths to ensure that the consumer is satisfied with the product. The designing of the carton has been done effectively, and the visuals attached are definitely eye-catching. B) ADVERTISEMENTS The brand is being positioned as the fairness cream that can make men handsome and also attractive to girls. The brand uses the tagline: â€Å"Be fair Be Handsome†. THE AD: Theres a man who has no luck with the girls. He has markedly darker skin than his friends and the girl he is after rejects him because of his dark skin. Then suddenly out of nowhere, Shahrukh Khan, hands over a cream to the hapless chap, along with some mild admonishment. Within a few weeks, the young man has turned much lighter-skinned and confident. As he strides down the road, the girls start flocking to him and chanting: Hi handsome, hi handsome. Khan comes back into view with the product, Fair and Handsome. The Ad is very misleading as it reinforces the idea that you’ve got to be fair if you want anything in life. Through the commercial, the brand gives an impression that the users are having a lack of confidence and feels insecure and have less self esteem. Again the brand assumes that Fairness gets women attracted towards men. Most critics say that the message is lousy; but the commercial has certainly been effective in boosting sales. In most shopping malls across the country,men are no longer shy of picking up a fairness cream along with their groceries. Emami has instantly become a market leader in this category. C) BRAND AMBASSADOR One of the biggest heart throbs of Indian cinema, Shahrukh Khan was made the brand ambassador of Emami Fair and Handsome. In spite of Shahrukh being hesitant in endorsing a fairness cream, his contract with Emami required him to do so. Although this step was condemned as â€Å"immoral† by many critics,Emami has banked on his huge celebrity status to raise the profile of their product. The truth is that the cult of media personalities especially cricket or Bollywood stars is a massive phenomena in India and so brands are much more partial to celebrity endorsements. Shahrukh Khan is the face of today’s youth; a symbol of the emerging metrosexual man; an icon associated with style, panache, power and success. By choosing Shahrukh Khan to endorse Fair and Handsome,Emami has attempted to connect good looks with achievement. Just as Shahrukh is a role model to actors in later generations,Fair and Handsome boasts of being the first ever fairness cream for men – hence setting an example for other skin-care brands. Shahrukh is also has a world-wide fan following,which makes it easier for Emami to promote Fair and Handsome in foreign markets. D)OTHER PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES Emami has made great attempts to establish a strong brand image for Fair and Handsome in the mind of the male consumer. Fair and Handsome has had the first mover advantage and is already recognized solely as a â€Å"male cosmetic product†. As a part of further promoting its identity as an exclusively male brand,it has a special webpage designed for men called www. fairandhandsome. et where they provide information on the benefits and use of the cream,as well as skincare tips for men. Emami also had an all-India â€Å"Mr. Fair and Handsome Contest† for men on 30th October 2007 in Mumbai. CONCLUSION Although Fair and Handsome has been criticized for its â€Å"fair skin gets you more† image, the brand has to be appreciated for creating a category. It is true that men use creams meant for women. Hence there is logic in creating a brand for men in this category. Clearly, the largest section of the market lies in South India due to greater incidence of dark skin. The largest segment of the market lies in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. This may be a move by Emami to capitalize on the existing demand for men’s cosmetics and it is entirely justified. The Ads however could have been more subtle. Some Ads for women’s fairness creams have already been taken off air for sending the wrong messages. Despite all this, Fair and Handsome has gained the first mover advantage and has been established as a men’s cosmetic brand, mainly because of its uniqueness. Other FMCG giant have also followed suit: For example, HUL has extended Fair and Lovely into mens category with a variant Menz Active. International brands such as Nivea and Loreal also have moved into this segment. However the initial hype surrounding Fair and Handsome has died down considerably. This suggests that people bought the product mainly out of curiosity and not for its brand value. (Big Bazaar in Mumbai sold over 170 pieces of Fair and Handsome in the first week). Thus Fair and Handsome should introduce variants and extend their brand into other categories such as shampoos, shaving gels and deodorants.