Parle Agro: The cool quotient

Parle Agro’s popular fruit drinks, Appy Fizz and Frooti, have got some star power for the very first time. Appy Fizz, the sparkling apple drink, is being endorsed by Hindi film actor Saif Ali Khan, while the television commercials for the mango drink Frooti will have south star Siddharth promoting the drink. The overall direction of communication for the two brands will remain unchanged. For Appy Fizz, Saif Ali Khan is expected to bring in ‘the cool quotient’, while Siddharth has the task of strengthening the south market, the biggest in the country for beverages. The packaging for both these brands has been upgraded by integrating a quick response code to create an engaging experience for the consumer.

Parle Agro’s latest initiatives are well timed. Summer months contribute about 60 per cent of a year’s the total business for the beverages and cool drinks category. “We wanted someone who hails from the south but has a following across the country. Siddharth fits the bill perfectly,” says Nadia Chauhan, joint managing director and CMO, Parle Agro , which is into beverages, snacks and water. The last Appy Fizz commercial was created over two years back. The brief that was given to the agency, Creativeland Asia, was to highlight that Appy Fizz is ‘a cool drink to hang out with’. The task is done in the latest ad by the wisecracking duo of Saif Ali Khan and the giant animated Appy Fizz bottle.

According to Parle Agro, the non-alcoholic beverages market in India is one of the fastest growing beverage segments with a CAGR of about 20 per cent. The carbonated/ aerated drinks account for about 30 per cent of the total non-alcoholic beverages market in the country, and the segment is showing signs of maturity. Still drinks, on the other hand, is a high growth segment. Rising health consciousness among the consumers is fuelling demand in this segment which is growing at 35 to 40 per cent annually.

The fruit-based beverage market, valued at Rs 5,000 crore, dominates the still drinks market. Frooti, which blazed a trail of sorts when it was launched in 1985, enjoys a commanding 85 per cent market share in the mango drinks category.

“While apple is one of the most commonly available fruits in India, an apple drink was unheard of. When we entered the apple drink segment with Appy over two decades ago, we built a new category,” claims Chauhan. Today Appy has a market share of close to 65 per cent. “Appy Fizz is a one of a kind product in the Indian beverage market, which till date does not have a competition,” adds Chauhan.

Besides Frooti and Appy, Parle Agro’s fruit based beverage portfolio also includes Grappo Fizz, LMN (Emergency Lemon Refresher) and Saint Juice. Parle Agro plans to spend around Rs 40 crore on marketing this year. About a year back, the company launched its drinks in returnable glass bottles to drive sale in the rural markets.