hanti Amla hair oil, from the Rs 850-crore Marico Industries, is the No 2 player in the Rs 270-crore amla hair oil market in India (the total hair oil market in India is valued at Rs 600 crore) with a 13 per cent share. What makes the Shanti Amla story interesting is the fact that since its launch in 2001 the company has spent just about Rs 15 crore on its advertising and promotions with only about Rs 45 lakh going into rural marketing. Yet, the bulk of its volumes have come from the rural markets, according to its rural marketing agency RC&M; (Rural Communication & Marketing). "The trick has been in targeting," says a Mumbai-based brand consultant.

Shanti Amla was meant to be Marico�s answer to Dabur Amla hair oil and Bajaj�s Brahmi Amla Kesh Tel (there are other players in the amla category but their appeal is largely regional). With a retail price of Rs 15 for a 100-ml bottle against Dabur Amla�s Rs 24 for the same SKU (stock keeping unit), Shanti Amla was launched first in the markets of the north with specific focus on Uttar Pradesh. Right at the outset, Marico assigned RC&M; to orchestrate its entry into the heartlands of India. Starting out with the brief of converting mustard oil users to amla, RC&M; worked out a three-year plan for Shanti Amla in keeping with its positioning, which was, "Goodness of Amla at an affordable price." ... more