Rebranding is much more than just a revamped logo and packaging; it is much more than a ubiquitous new television commercial. It is about the strategic placement of the company’s goals, the product’s benefits and intelligent publicity from the media to propagate the new message.

The birth of Liril saw a great soap that became synonymous with a lemony fresh retreat. Lowe Lintas did an amazing job that cut through convention at that time, by introducing a “swimsuit model” for the first time, dancing under a beautiful waterfall. (Interestingly, the falls are now known as ‘Liril waterfalls’ in Kodaikanal.) Every brand evokes a ‘feeling’ in the audience and brand Liril was about tingling, dreamy, lemony freshness. Liril was a success for more than 25 years, though it was priced at a premium. Sadly, once the market leader in the premium freshness soap category, it gradually tumbled and has almost vanished among today’s multitude of competitors in the same category.

Plenty of soap brands today are talking about freshness at different levels. But Liril would have a higher credibility as it has historically associated itself with transforming the daily bath routine into a refreshing getaway. The best way to rebrand Liril would be to adapt to the current trend while keeping the historical promise of “freshness” in essence.

Retaining old positioning

The repositioning of Liril to Liril 2000 was a failure. The advertising was also unexciting after the series of lively and fun commercials. This confused people and caused them to dissociate with the brand as they felt that it wasn’t the same Liril they once enjoyed. Liril should stick to its substantial initial positioning as it supports both the composition of the product and its benefit: lemon = freshness.

Many of the customers feel they connect to the old positioning rather than the new one. Customers today do look forward to product innovations, but at the same time, like to retain some key elements of the product. The current product line is distanced from that core element. It might pay to be nostalgic as customers enjoyed the old soap more and there’s a market for good brands that can be relevant in their marketing without ruining the original appeal.

Target group

Currently, a small Liril2000 sells for ₹26. Liril can perhaps move to the affordable price segment as the soap carries no particularly premium elements. If HUL can bring Liril’s price down by a few rupees – say to ₹23, it can focus on larger customer base. HUL can penetrate better through the elusive rural market as well as the urban markets as everyone enjoys the fragrance of lemon .

There aren’t many soap brands that communicate to a wide audience segment. Most of the brands communicate to a niche segment, for example Santoor, Lux and Dove cater to women and Dettol, Cinthol focus predominantly on men. Although in a typical Indian family, all the members might use the same soap! Liril should refocus on being women-centric and propagate the earlier communication strategy of being the ‘refresh’ button by “revitalising the tired, multi-tasking woman by giving her a rejuvenating bath-time” which is definitely very relevant now more than ever!

Communication

Most of the FMCG brands rely heavily on communication due to aggressive competition. Liril can only restore the brand image if it can exploitATL (Above the Line) communication, primarily television, radiospots and billboards. New media can also be explored, along with good activation executions at prime locations such as malls. Packaging plays a crucial role in choosing soaps. Attractive matte laminated packs withholding the green and yellow as the colours embody cheer and cleanliness and would draw all eyes.

A good product can always regain its brand equity!

The author is pursuing her MBA at Amrita School of Business, Coimbatore.

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Published on February 25, 2014