Thread by @stockifi_Invest

Story of How a tangy innovation made a breakthrough in the Indian candy market and became a national sensation in a short period

Mega Thread on The Pulse Candy @PassPass_Pulse

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1) Pulse Candy is a Dharampal Satyapal Group product, the makers of famous Rajnigandha, Pass Pass, and Catch Spices.

2) It is said that 'A great brand starts with a hero product,' and Pulse candy has shown its heroism for the DS group in all possible ways.

3) Launched in 2015, Pulse candy caught the attention of people and puzzled many marketers.

4) Normally, people are given candies instead of loose change from shops. But with Pulse, people were buying it in bulk.

5) In an industry where people make impulsive purchases and lack brand loyalty, Pulse brought in a revolution as many people became addicted to the candy and even paid a premium to buy it.

6) When many people thought that the candy was just 'hype' and would dwindle gradually, it proved everybody wrong by clocking Rs 300 crores in sales in 2017 and surpassing giants like Oreo and Mars Bar.

7) It is available in Kachcha Aam, Guava, Orange, Pineapple, and Litchi flavors.

8) The product was conceptualized in 2013, and the company spent as many as two years in research and development before releasing the product in early 2015.

9) In an industry where people used to prefer flavor over the brand, Pulse candy changed the perception of many.

10)It took the category from impulse-driven to Pulse-driven, as it was evident that the brand generated revenue of ₹ 100 crores in just the first eight months.

11) The company initially launched the product in only Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Delhi.

12) The DS Group spent no amount on advertising and promotions, and the candy gained traction through word-of-mouth publicity.

13) Many people referred the candy to their friends and relatives. People even went to the extent of making 'Pulse – Fan Communities' on FB. Some even called it 'The Pulse of the Nation.'

14) Initially, the company couldn't even meet the soaring demand and could only complete 60-70% of it, and people paid a premium to buy the product.

15) Owing to the success of Pulse 'Kacha Aam,' the company launched a new flavor, 'Guava with Tangy Twist,' in February 2016.

16) In 2017, the candy clocked Rs 300 crores of sales and surpassed brands like OREO (Rs 283 crore sales, launch year-2011) and Mars Bars ( Rs 270 crore sales, launch year-2011).

17) DSG put in a lot of time and hard work in coming up with the right product.

18) After an extensive research and market study, the company realized that people of all ages in India consume raw mangoes.

19) During that time, kaccha aam (26%) and mango flavor (24%) claim a 50% share in the HBC market.

20) Hence a product like Pulse would cater to all the segments, thus maximizing the chances of success.

21) Moreover, to make things exciting for the consumers, the company added an element of surprise in the candy (which changes its taste from sour to sweet towards the end).

22) All these factors ensured that customers became addicted to the candy and consumed it day in and day out.

23) The key success factor for any low involvement-FMCG product is the distribution channel.

24)If the company can strengthen the products' reach and visibility, Its chances of being accepted by the customers are high.

25)DS Group- the creator of Pulse, already had a strong presence at outlets through the strength of its flagship product – Rajnigandha (leading Pan Masala brand with over 70% market share).

26)Capitalizing on the extent of their reach, the company maintained a strong distribution hold for Pulse within a short period.

27)From a pan stall to a big retail shop and urban to rural areas, the candy was sold everywhere within the first few months of its launch.

28)In the candy industry, which lacks brand loyalty and most of the purchases made are impulsive, packaging plays a vital role in the purchase decision.

29)Pulse candy, with its bright colored packaging, increased its visibility and attracted customers' attention, getting them to at least try the candy once (and eventually, most of them became addicted to it, resulting in more sales).

30)Though many big players were selling candies for ₹ 0.5, Pulse sold it for ₹1.

31) To justify the price, the weight of the candy was increased to 4gm from the industry standard of 2.5gm.

32) Also, the candy gave its customers a dual taste (sour and sweet) with an element of surprise. All this made sure that people found it a value for money product.

33) At one point, people were paying extra to buy the candy (many Kirana shops charged up to ₹ 1.5). This clearly shows the willingness of the consumers to purchase the candy at a premium.

34) Realizing Pulse's huge potential, DS Group is starting to sell Pulse in stores in Singapore, the UK, and the US and may also consider patenting its 'masala bomb' formulation.

35) Their campaign was launched digitally by popular influencers Avneet Kaur, Surbhi Samriddhi, and Abhishek Nigam.

36) Lee Iacocca once said ''When a product is right, you don't have to be a Great Marketer'' and Pulse candy has proved the validity of this quote.

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