Desh ka namak — Tata Salt unveils new brand positioning
August 14, 2002

Tata Chemicals Limited, the pioneers and undisputed leaders in the packaged-salt category, today unveiled Desh ka namak, its new brand positioning and advertising campaign for Tata Salt. A paradigm shift from the rational (right brain) advertising approach to the category, the Desh ka namak platform will see Tata Salt take an emotional (left brain) platform, which has the potential to be a big category clutter-breaker.

Unveiling the new positioning platform, Kapil Mehan, vice president, sales and marketing, Tata Chemicals, said, "Although advertising for the salt category in India has traditionally focused on detailing the functional properties of the various brands, Tata Salt, as the category leader, is best equipped to take on the broader and more fundamental emotional aspects associated with salt.

"The new positioning juxtaposes the pungency of the product itself against the honesty and integrity of ordinary Indians, reinforcing the brand's leadership position, both in the marketplace and in the minds of Indian consumers. All of which reiterates the brand's commitment to millions of Indians."

With the intrinsic equity and strength needed to shoulder such an emotional platform, Tata Salt has reaffirmed its leadership position by changing the category paradigm of health and taste. While Tata Salt has thus far been positioned on the rational aspects of 'purity', its new positioning places this very proposition within the larger context of the consumer's life, encompassing both rational and emotional manifestations of purity.

Over the past year, Tata Chemicals has put in place a strong brand-management, marketing and sales team. Effective marketing initiatives are being backed on the ground by a team of large clearing and forwarding agents and distributors, with a focus to service the market in an enhanced manner and ensure greater market penetration.

Coinciding with the launch of its new marketing thrust for Tata Salt, Tata Chemicals has also unveiled the Desh ko arpan programme, which is committed to championing socially relevant causes for underprivileged children. Through the Desh ko arpan programme, Tata Chemicals Limited will contribute 10 paise for every kilo of Tata Salt sold, to a worthy cause.

On the basis of the current monthly sales of nearly 300 million packs, the monthly contribution is expected to be in the region of Rs 30 lakh. Child Relief and You (CRY), the trust that works for underprivileged Indian children, has been chosen as the beneficiary for this maiden effort.

The money raised will support 6 child development initiatives across the country, touching the lives of over 12,000 children. Announcing this special initiative from the company, Mehan said, "Our new advertising platform and the Desh ko arpan campaign have strong synergies and the common belief in the power of ordinary individuals to make a difference.

"More importantly, Desh ko arpan provides millions of Indians, who are buyers of Tata Salt, a genuine opportunity to make a contribution that will transform the lives of underprivileged children across India."

Commenting on the launch of the programme, Ingrid Srinath, Director, resource mobilisation, CRY, said, "We are proud to be associated with Tata Chemicals. The relationship is a live example of how corporates and development organisations can work together to change the lives of our most vulnerable citizens — our children."

Established in 1939, Tata Chemicals Limited is one of India's leading manufacturers of inorganic chemicals and fertilisers. Part of the Rs 400-billion (US$ 9billion) Tata Group, the company owns and operates the largest and most integrated inorganic chemical complex in the country at Mithapur, Gujarat. The fertiliser complex in Babrala, Uttar Pradesh, is known for its world-class energy efficiency standards, and has won several awards in the fields of environmental conservation, community development and safety.

Tata Chemicals is today widely acknowledged as the leader in the chemicals and fertiliser industries. The company has a turnover of about Rs 1,500 crore and employs some 3,000 people.

	Tata Chemicals plans to target 40-50 per cent share of voice during the campaign.
	In the first phase, the new TVCs to be launched across all major channels.
	The new campaign will be aired in 6 languages.

As consumer acceptance of Tata Salt grew, so did the attractiveness of the category to potential manufacturers, both large and small. The last 19 years have seen the launch of scores of new brands of packaged, iodised salt, including over half-a-dozen national brands. However, Tata Salt continues to be the undisputed leader in the category.

Tata Salt's historical positioning as the 'pure salt' is rooted in the fact that it is manufactured using the vacuum evaporation technique, which renders its end-product much purer than the more commonly used refining technique of washing the salt with water and adding some more chemicals.

For the Indian consumer, the reputation of the Tata name was an equally strong certification of the product's quality. Furthermore, the proof of purity lay in their experience of a distinctly 'saltier salt', relative to those offered by other brands. All of this has translated to a superior value proposition for the consumer, and a dominant market share for the brand.