The commercial, targeted women, children and men, is clutter cutting in its visual palate and its drama.  It combines a wholesome humour with a stunning visual drama that travels the distance from comic books to high tech graphics in 60 seconds !.   The message ` STAY PROTECTED' comes out loud and clear.  

“We wanted to communicate the core of our brand,” said Ramesh Chauhan, Chairman BIsleri  “and this Television Commercial speaks the message loud and clear.  We are delighted at the way the commercial has turned out and we are looking at investing about Rs180 to 200mn to support this commercial over the next few months itself.”

Read on for an interaction with Shraddha Nathani, Brand Manager, Bisleri International:

At what rate is the branded packaged water market growing?

The bottled water category is growing at a rapid pace. The branded market is  40 % of the category and non-branded contributes to 60% of the market. The category is growing at a rate of 30%.  Bisleri is the market leader in mineral water in India with a  60% market share within organized mineral water category.

Protection and purity are often spoken about and advertised. How do you ensure that the customer gets a product which assures protection and purity, especially the last mile of your supply chain.

Our quality team follows stringent hygiene protocols and constant quality checks. There are absolutely no compromises made in the packing process which ensures that Pure water reaches our consumer.  All our plants are audited, recognized and rewarded. All I can say is Trust Bisleri….And Stay Protected

Tell us about the new TVC. Is it an attempt to regain some lost market share? -

It's a Brand Film. We felt that Bisleri needed a strong brand idea in order to refresh the brand in the consumers mind. 'Bisleri is synonymous with safety and purity. We wanted an idea that would build on these brand values, going a step forward from our earlier brand idea, Play Safe. We wanted disruptive advertising that would linger in the minds of the consumer -  and that's what our brief said.

The team is geared with a two- phase launch plan. In the second phase the campaign gets a boost with radio, Online and social media. The campaign aims to refresh the brands image in the mind of the consumer and thus help the sales team

What is your marketing spend for the coming year?

We have a marketing spend to the tune of Rs500mn.

Tell us about your manufacturing units. What is the capacity.

We are planning to set up at least 1 or 2 plants per month. To set up a plant we identify a location; we analyse how much investment and infrastructure will be required; how much area will be covered and thereafter we gear up the production capacity.

Each of this plant is expected to service a radius of 100 to 150 km.

Five of our plants are coming up this month in places like Ratnagiri, Thane, Nasik, Kolhapur & Pune. In all we have 52 plants today.

Comment on your distribution network. What are your expansion plans?

Bisleri is already enjoying market share of 60 to 75% in the bottled water industry.  Our closest competitor is way behind in this segment.  However, we would be increasing our distribution network and will be consistently acquiring more and more market share.

Today, distribution is a major challenge. Bisleri is a bulky product with thin margins. We have succeeded in penetrating into the interiors but our efforts are to penetrate into deep pockets.  We have more than 500 vehicles in Mumbai alone to reach the demand of today’s busy consumers.

 How is your international Vedica Natural Mountain Water doing?

Vedica is a premium brand with medical values.  It is a natural mineral water directly bottled from its natural source which is in Uttranchal in the Himalayas

Vedica will cater to the premium segment i.e A or A+ segment. It will be available at the 5 star hotels, super malls, high end restaurants, corporate sessions etc. It is doing pretty well and contributes to Bisleri’s 3 to 4% volume turnover.

You were looking at the Middle East countries. What is your strategy here? Would you have manufacturing units there?

We are in talks with beverage makers and bottlers in various countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, United Arab Emirates and Oman to franchise our brand name.  We have already started our export in Singapore and we are in talks with other countries as well.  We will keep you updated as and when the deals gets finalized.

 Comment on your financials. What is the outlook?

Our present turnover is Rs500 crores and we are looking for a good growth this year too.