The bar soap industry in India is highly orgai&ed with an annual growth rate of 13% and over RS 9,193 Crores in 2007. The industry is fragmented to a moderate extent with a few international players having large market share and few local players occupying minor share. The largest companies in this segment are HUL, Wipro, Godrej, Nirma, and Reckitt Benkiser. The bath and shower products form bulk of this industry with a contribution of Rs 8,678 Crores1. The soap industry in India is classified into three categories based on the price
Product overview:
Lifebuoy is one of the oldest brands of soap bar that is market by the Unilever group. The original Lifebuoy was first produced in 1895 in the UK. Though the soap is no longer produced in the UK, it is still produced in many countries around the world and is the market leader in every Asian market that it is sold. The brand is very popular among the rural population with more than 50% of its sales in rural Asia. With a goal to provide affordable and accessible hygiene and health solutions to everyone. Lifebuoy sponsors a Health Education Program in India and has reached more than 70 million people with this initiative.
Marketing history of lifebuoy
Lifebuoy was launched in India in 1935. Originally Lifebuoy was positioned as a masculine soap with sports and fitness as the background theme in its advertisement. The epic 1992 football advertisement with the jingle 'Lifebuoy hai jahan, Tandurusthi hai wahan' (Wherever Lifebuoy is, health is there) positioned it as masculine soap. The soap contained carbolic acid which gave it its typical red color and odor.
Lifebuoy went through a major brand repositioning in 2002 when it shed it masculine image and positioned itself as a family soap. The company changed the colour, shape and odour of the soap to appeal to all members of the family. The company adopted a new jingle 'Koi Darr Nahin' (No Fear)(sample adv) with 100% protection against germs as