Could you tell us your thoughts on the latest campaign? What was the brief given to the agency, and what does the brand hope to accomplish from the campaign?

The entire campaign by Dabur Chyavanprash this year is based on a very strong consumer insight. We came to know that there is an increased trend of over-dependence on medicines, even for common ailments. This is quite an interesting insight because when we speak to consumers, they know that these medicines can have potential side effects, but still they're over-dependent on them. That's when we realised that there's a huge relevance for Dabur Chyawanprash here.

During the pandemic period, the need for immunity was heightened and we saw a significant surge in demand for Dabur Chyawanprash. We saw a lot of new consumers entering the category during that time. In fact, the penetration of the category increased by nearly 100%. Post-pandemic, it is coming down from those levels which it had reached then. But the category has been able to retain a lot of gains they made during the pandemic. Maybe not all of it, but a majority of the gains, mostly in terms of household penetration and distribution as well, have been retained.

Can you elaborate on the go-to-market (GTM) strategy that you are using to increase penetration?

Penetration amongst the urban Indian population even after the pandemic is still in single digits. There are different times of the year, or during seasonal changes, there is a tendency to fall sick. This is when consumers resort to over-medication or self-medication. We now have a strong claim against the ill effects of PM (Particulate Matter) 2.5, that Dabur Chyawanprash protects your lungs from its ill effects. So, our GTM is to build the significance of Dabur Chyawanprash to fight against such health threats. Our entire marketing strategy is to keep building on the relevance of Dabur Chyawanprash, and the importance of immunity amongst the audience.

Can you share the media mix for your latest campaign in terms of percentage of distribution?

The percentage-wise distribution of the media mix will be difficult to share. But I can share with you the trends. Nowadays digital is growing a significant share in our media mix, as over the years the medium has definitely gained more and more importance. However, in the case of chyawanprash, TV is still the lead medium. So, you will see this campaign going live across all mediums. It started with television and will also be seen in print, outdoor, and digital.

Dabur Chyawanprash has been a household name for generations. But are you planning to establish a connection with younger people when it comes to using traditional products?

It’s true that Dabur Chyawanprash has been there for generations. But in the meantime, we are connecting well with the younger audience as well. That is why we are very active on digital and all the newer platforms. We are roping in a lot of influencers as well across the country to spread our message. E-commerce and e-pharmacy are also becoming very prominent as sales channels. The campaign that we have launched this year also binds well with the younger audience, because they face this issue, and they're well aware of the side effects of medicines.

The FMCG and packaged food sectors have witnessed some significant highs and lows through the pandemic and the period after it, due to high inflation and changing consumer sentiments. Do you see the market outlook on FMCG improving in the coming days? How’s Dabur dealing with the soaring inflation, and rise in input costs?

This is a very recent trend, and hence it is very difficult to comment on it right now, but we are quite hopeful that going forward we will start seeing an uptick in overall consumer demand. There are signals that inflation is also cooling down a bit. Post-festival, now entering into the winter season, we are quite hopeful that consumer demand will pick up.

Cost optimization has always been a continuous process at Dabur, and we keep doing various initiatives, both at the operating side, as well as the marketing side, rather than compromising on the cost.

What’s the marketing roadmap ahead for the flagship brand?

The roadmap that we have carved out for ourselves is not only to keep building the core Dabur Chyawanprash, but also to work on a portfolio to give the brand a premium tag, and promote value-added variants like Chyawan-prakash, which is the sugar-free chyawanprash, targeted towards consumers who are pre-diabetic, diabetic, or are sugar conscious, and also ‘gud chyawanprash,’ which includes jaggery. We are also coming out with newer formats like tablets, powders, etc., which should be more acceptable for the younger audience.

Can you also share the objective/ intent behind roping in celebrities such as Akshay Kumar as the brand ambassador for the campaign? Can you share some thoughts on that? 

Akshay Kumar is known for his awareness around health, staying fit, and has a mass appeal. His lifestyle is quite relatable with Dabur Chyawanprash brand, as he’s into Ayurveda, yoga etc.  This association has helped both Akshay Kumar as a brand and Dabur Chyawanprash as a brand, because it's a natural fit between the two.