"Squeezy pack will move honey from kitchen cabinet to dining table": Kunal Sharma, Dabur

Dabur tries to change the way Indians consume honey. Will a change in the package format impact consumption?

Most of our thoughts will go out to the consciously forgotten wide-mouth glass jar, carefully stored in the kitchen cabinet when we talk about honey. This one medium to large-sized jar could last months and was probably replaced only once it passed the expiry date or the outer wall of the jar was stained by the careless pouring of the sticky, sweet liquid.

Dabur Honey’s print ad featuring Jacqueline
Click on the image to enlarge

In a recently spotted ad in a national daily that read - 'Fitness is eezy with Dabur Honey squeezy', Dabur Honey's brand ambassador Jacqueline Fernandez is seen promoting the brand's modified packaging format for the product - a squeezy bottle.

Kunal Sharma

Kunal Sharma, Dabur India's category head for honey and glucose, tells afaqs! that the squeezy pack was launched a few years back following consumer insights and the growing need for a convenient format of honey, which was easier to use and reduced spillage. It takes inspiration from other formats available in the food category like tomato ketchup, sauces, cooking oil, chocolate syrup, juices etc.

Dabur Honey ad featuring Jacqueline

He says, "We believe the squeezy format will help Dabur in enabling consumers to replace sugar with honey on multiple occasions, making them healthier. Given its sleek design and convenience factor, the squeezy pack helps bring honey out of the kitchen cabinet and onto the dining table."

Dabur Honey squeezy pack ad released in 2013

In an ad film released in 2013, Dabur Honey targeted kids with the then newly-launched squeezy pack - structurally differently from the latest one. Sharma explains, "We had initially shown honey consumption through kids with the squeezy pack. However, as this format gains wider appeal, we have broad-based our communication to Dabur Honey's core proposition of fitness so that we can target a broader set of consumers."

One of the Dabur Honey squeezy bottle ads released in 2016

He adds, "The squeezy format is targeted at all regular, modern-day honey consumers, across age groups, who use honey for multiple occasions and want an easier format. Some of these consumers also use honey on-the-go. Our assessment has indicated that this format is also attracting new users to the category as it is a modern, easy-to-use format."

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Sharma also states that there is no syndicated data available for the honey category. "With the growing consumer awareness about fitness and health, the honey category is reporting healthy growth. The major challenge is to increase the relevance of honey in daily lives so it can become an integral part of regular usage habits," he shares.

Mullen Lintas ideated and executed the latest honey campaign built around fitness.

Dabur Honey ad Stay Fit, Feel Young - Mangalsutra

In the past, Dabur Honey was bashed for one of its ad films with viewers tagging it as 'blatantly sexist'. In the film, a possessive husband was seen adjusting the mangulsutra of his fit wife to symbolise that she was taken. The wife happily declared that jealous husbands look cute.

The honey category is dominated by brands like Dabur, Baidyanath, Patanjali Ayurveda, Khadi Gramodyog, and Himalaya. Other lesser-known Indian honey brands include - Mehsons Pure Honey, Himflora Gold, Gold Honey, and Umang Honey, among others.

According to reports by ResearchAndMarkets.com, the honey market in India was worth Rs 15,579 million in 2018, registering a CAGR of 10.9 per cent during 2012-2018. The market is further projected to reach Rs 28,057 million by 2024, at a CAGR of 10.2 per cent during 2019-2024.

Swati Garg

M G Parmeswaran

Swati Garg, senior business director, Carat India, opines that today, advertising has created a virtual world where brands are no longer just about a product but have extended themselves to a personality that resonates with the consumer on a daily basis. She says, "Advertising thus, has a command to show a reality that consumers can live and want to live like it's the on-going cultural norm. By showing multiple uses of a product in a commercial, the brand, in a way, is educating the consumer about its product, which will only ease the consumer's life."

Brand strategist and author, M G Parameswaran (Ambi) says, "Dabur Honey is the biggest honey brand in the country and they have been trying to expand the use of honey for the last two decades. Unfortunately, honey is a messy product to store and use. So the idea of easy-to-use packaging is terrific. It will make honey a lot more accessible and fun to use. However, I wonder if the use of a celebrity like Jacqueline Fernandez is such a good idea? Also, asking consumers to replace jam with honey (on bread) or sugar with honey (on cornflakes) is an old ploy that has had its use-by-date expire many years ago."

He adds, "Patanjali tried going after Dabur with a lower-priced offering and I am not sure they are still such a big threat to Dabur Honey. If that threat has receded, it may be worth Dabur's time to seriously understand the barriers of consumption, as far as honey is concerned. Is it price? Is it the image (honey is as high calorie-containing as refined sugar)? Is honey that healthy? Is it easy to use? The last hurdle is being handled by the current new pack launch. The other objections are as yet unanswered and if those are also addressed, Dabur Honey can hope to widen the consumption base dramatically."