What Konkona does best: Women's Horlicks

40 per cent of the projected annual sales would be invested for communication. Only 30 per cent of the amount allotted to marketing would be spent on traditional mediums of communication, and the rest 70 per cent would be allotted to digital advertising, direct marketing and consumer activation

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (GSKCH), the global FMCG company, showing interest in the women's health category, launched Women's Horlicks in the market, a week back. In line with its effort to make consumers aware of this product, it is gearing up to launch a television campaign within this week. The TVC features actress, Konkona Sen Sharma, as the protagonist.

Shubhajit Sen, vice-president, marketing, GSKCH, India, says, “We have signed a contract with the actress and she is the brand ambassador for the product. In the film, she plays a real woman,and herself, in many ways.” The TVC will be showcased in eight languages including Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu across major TV channels, during programmes watched extensively by women.

“The objective behind this advertisement was to make it very real, something to which a modern Indian woman can relate to and realize how important it is to value oneself amidst all the roles they play. Konkona being a face to today’s woman has brilliantly depicted the story we want to communicate”, added Prashant Pandey, vice-president, JWT.

The TVC shows Sharma waking in the morning, and beginning her day with preparing a list of things to do. She is shown taking up one task after another- from household chores, to office responsibilities. As the day passes, she has a glimpse at the notes that she had made at the day's start for the tasks that she had to do, and she realises that she forgot about herself – a voice over plays, “Aaj is badi si list ne choti si baat ka ehsaas dilaya...apni hi list main apna naam nahi...” She is shown holding a pack of Women's Horlicks in her hand, followed by a shot of her sipping a cup of the drink. The camera cuts to her jogging on a track, then doing yoga and talking into the camera– she says, “Because your body needs you, too.” The film ends with a product shot, and the baseline- “Because your body needs you, too.”

This is Sharma's first tryst with advertising. On her first TV commercial for Women’s Horlicks she says, “I am glad that my first TV commercial is for a product like Women’s Horlicks, which is designed specially keeping in mind the daily nutritional need of a modern Indian woman. As a Bengali, Horlicks has been an integral part of my growing up years; therefore I also have an emotional connect with the brand.”

An advertising burst in print is already on the roll- advertising in magazines is about to begin, too. Sen without revealing exact figures, says that 9-10 per cent of sales is allotted to marketing and advertising activities. Like any other launch, there will be an overspend in advertising for the product, he adds.

Sen brings to light that 40 per cent of the projected annual sales would be invested for communication. Only 30 per cent of the amount allotted to marketing would be spent on traditional mediums of communication, and the rest 70 per cent would be devoted to other forms of advertising such as digital, direct marketing and consumer activation. Retail trade, he says, in their case, would not be used for building up on sales as they are not taking the hard sell route, but for grabbing mind space of consumers. Sen says that the spends on traditional media for Women's Horlicks, is much lower than the spends that are allotted for the company's traditional products.

The other activities include on-ground consumer promotions. GSKCH has initiated a large Doctor Engagement Programme where in the company will reach out to physicians, dieticians and nutritionists to educate them about the benefits of the product. The company has also developed an innovative website, www.indianwomenshealth.com to provide relevant and credible information to the consumers on topics such as pregnancy, menstruation, breast cancer, healthy living, reproductive health, contraception, healthy diet and more. The content for this website has been rendered by a panel of nine eminent doctors.

GSKCH is an associate of GlaxoSmithKline plc. of the U.K, a global science based healthcare company. It has a marketing and distribution network in India comprising over 2,200 wholesalers and direct coverage of over 5,15,000 retail outlets. Its flagship product, Horlicks, is a widely regarded and highly respected brand for over 100 years. The company also manufactures and markets Boost, Viva and Maltova and in addition markets and distributes a number of products in diverse categories, which include prominent household names such as Eno, Crocin and Iodex.