The Hindu Business Line : Modi Revlon tailors dye for Indian manes

"But due to the growing consumer base and demand for the segment in the country, we decided to launch a brand that was specific to the wants of Indian women," said Mr Deepak Bhandari, Director-Marketing, Modi Revlon, a 74:26 joint venture between Modi Mundi Pharma and the US-based cosmetics giant.

Color N Care, priced at Rs 120 per packet, will be available in six shades - Natural Black, Brown Black, Medium Brown, Darkest Brown, Burgundy and Light Brown.

"This brand will primarily be for grey coverage and not fashion colouring and has been made available only in India.

"Currently, the market is only captured by foreign brands that do not have any India-specific products," said Mr Umesh K. Modi, Chairman, President and CEO, Modi Revlon.

The total organised hair colour market in India is about Rs 200 crore, 60 per cent (Rs 120 crore) of which is the mass-market colour segment.

While the total market is growing at around 35 per cent, the mass market is growing at 40 per cent on a year-on-year basis.

Faces competition

The new brand, Color N Care, will now be fighting for market share in a space dominated by Garnier, Wella and Schwarzkopf Palette in the domestic market, with its USP being the use of coconut oil in the product for a nourishing effect.

"We have a two-phased roll out plan for the brand to build up our position in the mass market hair colour segment. While the first year, we only plan to educate consumers about the benefits of the product, the second year on, we will break onto the marketing scene with a 360-degree approach," said Mr Bhandari.

Marketing moves

On marketing initiatives, the company plans various below-the-line activities and use the print medium to promote the product, while in the second year, the campaigns will be expanded to television campaigns.

More outlets

The company also plans to add 25,000 outlets to its existing 25,000 distribution outlets to build upon its mass products portfolio that would also include its fragrances brand Charlie and the fairness lotion brand Touch and Glow. The total ad spends for Color N Care will be Rs 5 crore for 2007-08.

"In the first year, we plan to capture 10 per cent market share and in the next year, we will both double our ad spends and market shares," said Mr Bhandari.

Modi Revlon is also in the process of launching its other hair colour brand Top Speed, in the premium segment across the country, having already test-marketed it in the southern part of the country.

Fragrances

"While our immediate focus is on expanding the hair colour market, our next big focus area will be the fragrances market.

"For this we are already in the process of setting up a manufacturing facility in Modi Nagar, near Delhi. From this new facility that will be operational by the third quarter of the current fiscal, we will be building up on our existent fragrances brand Charlie, both in the body spray and perfumes category," said Mr Bhandari.

Market size

The total market size of the fragrances market in India is around Rs 250 crore, 65-70 per cent of which is body sprays.

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