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Case Study of Godrej: Brand that Went for a Makeover to Succeed

In 2008, the Rs 9,000-crore Godrej Group did something it has never done before: changed its brand identity. Flanked by daughter and executive director and president, marketing, Tanya Dubash, chairman of the Godrej Group Adi B Godrej, unveiled the group’s colourful new logo before the media and said, “With our new initiatives, we are targeting a growth of 25-30% annually. The purpose of the whole exercise is to make the Godrej brand relevant and contemporary. Tanya is the chief architect of the project.”

And that’s not all. The Group has drawn up a fresh marketing strategy to rejuvenate the Godrej brand both in the domestic and in the international markets. According to Godrej, “Since we are on a global growth path, we wish to have a new brand identity that has an international appeal. Currently, 20% of our total revenues come from the overseas market.”

It’s not difficult to see why the head of India’s foremost business group is keen to change popular perception of the group. His fast moving consumer goods enterprise, Godrej Consumer Products took its first tentative step in the global business arena in October 2005, when it snapped up the Middlesex-based Keyline Brands in an Rs 130 crore deals. Keyline Brands, which has a personal care range that complements that of Godrej (talcum powder, shaving cream, hair colour), was expected to give Godrej brands a no-fuss entry into mom-and-pop stores and supermarkets of countries like the UK. The aim, as stated by the Group then, was to earn at least 50% of its revenues from businesses outside India by 2010.

But why is the Group looking to the West? The answer is simple. The market for personal grooming categories is far bigger. For instance, the size of the hair colour market in India is just around Rs 550-600 crore. In the UK, it is at least five times that size. Of course, Keyline’s hair colour brands are not that big. But what it offers is a readymade distribution channel.

In a bid to forge a link between brand investments and business results, the group has created dedicated teams to generate ideas for growth. For starters, the group has set up a strategic marketing group to manage the Godrej brand as one entity. “We have also formed a FMCG Portfolio Group to leverage cross-business synergies to achieve our goal, Vision 2012, a tripling of revenues. Also, we are looking at propriety consumer insight to develop brand positioning and growth model,” informs Dubash.

This aggressiveness was long overdue. Among the largest family-owned businesses in the country, the Group’s legacy of innovation dates right back to early days when it started its journey from a garage-like shed adjacent to Bombay Gas Company Works manufacturing locks. Godrej quickly became a household name, and went on to become a national symbol of innovation offering an array of products that ranged from security equipment to soaps produced, for the first time, from vegetable oil.

According to an industry analyst based in Mumbai, increasingly, Indian conglomerates with global footprints are opting for monolithic brand identities that synergies group companies and create international appeal. Jagdeep Kapoor, chairman and managing director, Samsika Marketing Consultants, thinks the Godrej Group’s effort is well-timed. “The group has chosen the right time to release its new image riding on the excitement generated by the IPL matches.”

To drive home the positioning, the Godrej Group is getting ready to launch an aggressive multi-media ad campaign in a week. Advertising major JWT India has designed the Godrej Group’s new advertising campaign. “We will be launching a corporate film to showcase our new positioning. In fact, our new mass media campaigns will show how we have changed,” informs Dubash.

Not everyone is impressed though. A leading brand consultant based in Mumbai says, “A logo change by itself is not enough. A logo is what a logo does. What I mean is, what it will do in terms of actual implementation will decide the value of the logo.”

United colours of Godrej

Prior to the move, the group’s different companies sported corporate logos in different hues and sizes. While Godrej Agrovet had its logo in green, Godrej Consumer Products sported a blue logo. Other companies in the Godrej fold (Godrej Properties, Hershey Godrej Beverages & Foods, Godrej Global Solutions, Godrej Hi Care, Godrej Sara Lee and Godrej &Boyce Manufacturing) also sported different logos in different colours till last year. In 2007, the group had harmonized the corporate logos of its eight companies under a single entity in blazing red.

A four-pronged strategy

The Godrej group has identified four businesses as Hero Businesses:

• Personal Grooming: The idea is to invest in hair colours as a marquee category in its personal grooming portfolio through specific projects in the next six months. Leverage strong brands like Cinthol.
• Properties: The Group plans to build its presence in the real estate market as a brand that actually “delivers on imagination across a portfolio of residential and commercial projects”.
• Furniture: To drive growth in the home and office business and focus it as a lifestyle brand.
• Appliances: The objective is to benefit from the group’s technological capabilities.

Lock, stock and barrel

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Godrej Industries Marketing Strategy 2024: A Case Study

This article dives into the Godrej Industries Marketing Strategy for 2024, exploring the comprehensive marketing strategy that has positioned Godrej as a significant player within various competitive landscapes. This marketing strategy case study highlights the company’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and quality—elements that serve as the backbone of its business operations. By focusing on strategic branding, digital marketing, and promotional tactics, we aim to uncover the unique approaches Godrej employs to effectively meet consumer needs while enhancing market presence.

The case study also emphasizes how Godrej Industries segments its target audience based on various factors including income class, profession, age, and region. This insightful segmentation enables the company to tailor its marketing campaigns for maximum impact, ensuring that messaging resonates with specific consumer groups.

Through these methods, Godrej not only optimizes product positioning but also establishes robust relationships with customers, further driving the company’s success in a competitive market. Stay tuned as we delve deeper into this pivotal case study.

Key Takeaways

• Godrej Industries employs a comprehensive marketing strategy to strengthen its market position.
• Innovation and sustainability are core elements of the company’s marketing philosophy.
• Target audience segmentation drives tailored marketing campaigns for increased effectiveness.
• Digital marketing strategies include leveraging social media and SEO for enhanced visibility.
• Promotional tactics involve influencer partnerships to broaden reach and build brand awareness.
• Strategic investments in innovation have solidified Godrej’s reputation across various sectors.

Introduction to Godrej Industries

Godrej Industries, a prominent part of the Godrej Group, stands as a hallmark of excellence within the Indian conglomerate landscape. Established over 125 years ago, this company has effectively navigated various sectors of operation, making significant contributions across industries, including consumer goods, real estate, chemicals, agriculture, and financial services. Headquartered in Mumbai, India, Godrej Industries boasts an impressive reputation for quality and innovation, reflecting its adaptability to changing market dynamics.

Historically, Godrej Industries introduced the world’s first vegetable oil soap, setting a benchmark for innovation. Its legacy includes earning trust through manufacturing India’s first indigenous typewriter and producing 1.7 million ballot boxes for the nation’s first elections, showcasing remarkable capabilities in large-scale production. The conglomerate further demonstrated resilience when it overcame a devastating explosion at the Bombay docks, ensuring the reliability of its safes.

The establishment of subsidiaries, such as Godrej Consumer Goods and Godrej Agrovet, emphasizes the company’s focus on addressing pressing challenges. Godrej Agrovet, for instance, plays a vital role in confronting India’s agricultural crises. Prominent achievements include acquiring Translektra, positioning Godrej Industries as a leader in household insecticides across India and Indonesia, alongside a successful expansion into African and Latin American markets through strategic acquisitions.

Godrej Industries celebrated its centenary year with a commitment to sustainability, maintaining a dense cover of mangroves in Mumbai that spans three times the size of New York’s Central Park. This reflects a dedication to corporate responsibility and environmental stewardship. With a revenue of ₹33,000 crore (US$4.0 billion) recorded in 2023 and a workforce of approximately 28,000 employees, Godrej Industries continues to make significant strides within the competitive business landscape.

Understanding the Godrej Industries Marketing Strategy

The Godrej Industries marketing approach is a comprehensive framework designed to engage consumers effectively. This strategy showcases meticulous segmentation, targeting, and positioning methods that reach various customer demographics across Godrej’s diverse product lines, including consumer goods and real estate. The company emphasizes building customer relationships by understanding essential needs and preferences.

In its marketing tactics , Godrej utilizes a mix of demographic, geographic, and psychographic variables. Such an approach allows the brand to identify and connect with distinct target segments based on factors like income class, behavior, and age. The emphasis on tailoring offerings through selective and differentiated strategies ensures that each product resonates with its intended audience.

Strategic planning plays a vital role in guiding Godrej’s marketing efforts . By leveraging data-driven insights, the company thoroughly analyzes market trends and consumer preferences. This analysis facilitates informed decision-making, enhancing the effectiveness of their campaigns. As a result, the marketing strategy aligns closely with the firm’s mission: “To help people live better lives by helping them realize their potential.”

Brand Positioning of Godrej Industries

Godrej Industries has effectively navigated brand evolution to solidify its standing within the market. By adapting its brand identity since 2008, the company has embraced contemporary trends while retaining its core values. This transformation not only modernized the Godrej brand positioning but also aimed for substantial growth targets, notably an annual increase of 25-30% in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) segment under Godrej Consumer Products Limited.

Evolution of Brand Identity

Starting with significant shifts in brand perception, Godrej emphasized innovation and sustainability. The positive performance metrics, such as a 114% increase in PBDIT and a 69% increase in net profit during Q1 FY 2008-09, reflect this focus. The Chemicals division reported a 40% revenue growth, with exports contributing substantially. Such impressive figures highlight the success of Godrej’s brand evolution strategy, appealing strongly to various consumer demographics.

Target Audience Analysis

Understanding target audience insights further enhanced Godrej’s marketing campaigns. Nearly 70% of surveyed young consumers were attracted to Godrej due to its latest marketing strategy. Notably, 81.25% of those aware of the strategy indicated a shift toward Godrej products. This shifting consumer base drives the need for informed analysis of demographic trends. The integration of innovative marketing tactics has allowed for a deeper understanding of consumer demographics, ultimately refining Godrej’s outreach and reinforcing brand loyalty.

Innovative Product Development and Innovation

Godrej Industries showcases a robust commitment to product innovation, integrating sustainable practices into its core product development strategies. This alignment not only enhances the environmental aspect but also drives consumer satisfaction. As the company embraces a future focused on eco-friendly offerings, it sets new benchmarks for the industry.

Commitment to Sustainability

The focus on sustainable practices is evident in various aspects of Godrej product development. By prioritizing eco-friendliness, Godrej Industries addresses critical environmental challenges. The company’s recent innovations reflect efforts such as the “Tik Tik Plastic 2.0” initiative, aimed at combating plastic pollution through responsible product design. This commitment enhances the brand’s image and aligns with consumer expectations for sustainable products.

Examples of Recent Product Innovations

Godrej Industries continues to introduce impactful products across diverse sectors, reinforcing its reputation for quality alongside environmental consciousness. Recent innovations include:

• Magic, a cost-effective powder-to-liquid handwash, democratizing sanitation access during the pandemic.
• Concentrated fabric conditioners designed to minimize packaging waste while delivering effective performance.
• Unique formulations and fragrances that set Godrej’s product offerings apart in competitive markets.

These initiatives not only demonstrate God’s innovative approach but also reflect the company’s substantial investment in research and development, approximately 1% of sales. This commitment ensures that Godrej remains a leader in product innovation while maintaining its focus on sustainability.

Digital Marketing Strategies for 2024

Godrej Industries has adopted a dynamic approach to digital marketing strategies that leverage multiple platforms to enhance engagement and visibility. This strategy focuses on enhancing the Godrej social media presence while integrating SEO techniques with effective content marketing to drive brand awareness and customer interaction.

Utilization of Social Media Platforms

Godrej Industries actively utilizes various social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. These platforms help in communicating brand messages effectively, encouraging user engagement and interaction. The aim remains to foster a community around the brand that resonates with its core values and offerings. Additionally, user-generated content plays a vital role in strengthening the brand identity and credibility.

SEO and Content Marketing Techniques

The company employs advanced SEO techniques to improve search visibility and attract organic traffic. By optimizing their website and content with relevant keywords, Godrej Industries ensures higher rankings on search engines, making it easier for potential customers to discover their products and services. Content marketing further supports this strategy by providing valuable information that educates and engages the audience, positioning Godrej as a thought leader in its industry.

Market Segmentation and Consumer Insights

Godrej Industries employs comprehensive market segmentation strategies to cater to its diverse audience effectively. By analyzing demographics and utilizing psychographic analysis, the company develops targeted marketing messages. This ensures that products resonate with consumer needs and preferences. Understanding these elements fosters a deeper connection with the audience and enhances overall engagement.

Demographic Segmentation Strategies

Demographic segmentation at Godrej focuses on key indicators, such as income, age, and profession. This categorization allows the company to tailor marketing messages that appeal to specific groups. The segmentation process results in improved consumer insights, guiding product development and promotional strategies. Key demographics include:

• Age groups ranging from young adults to senior citizens
• Income levels from low to high income
• Profession categories including students, professionals, and homemakers

Psychographic Analysis of Consumers

Psycho-graphic analysis delves deeper into consumer motivations, lifestyles, and purchasing behaviors. Godrej Industries focuses on understanding consumers’ values, interests, and preferences. This approach provides valuable consumer insights, informing product positioning and marketing strategies. It captures aspects such as:

• Brand loyalty and attachment to products
• Lifestyle choices that influence purchasing patterns
• Social and environmental concerns driving consumer decisions

Competitive Analysis in the Industry

Conducting a thorough Godrej competitive analysis provides crucial insights into the competitive landscape of various sectors. Founded in 1897, Godrej Industries has a rich history and operates in industries such as consumer goods, real estate, and chemicals. This diversity allows the company to evaluate its market positioning relative to competitors like HUL, P&G, and Tata.

Understanding industry benchmarks is vital for Godrej as it strives for growth. Competitive analysis involves identifying strengths and weaknesses compared to rival firms. Godrej has set ambitious goals, aiming for a market share of at least 25% in new categories it enters. In the refrigerator segment, the company has achieved approximately 20-23% market share, illustrating its capability to leverage brand strength.

The company targets diverse customer demographics, with a retail audience typically aged between 20-60 years. By employing a mix of demographic, geographic, and psychographic segmentation variables in its marketing strategies, Godrej effectively reaches various consumer segments. This comprehensive approach ensures adaptability in the competitive landscape.

Through innovation, Godrej focuses on growth categories to strengthen market positioning. Investing in research and development allows the company to introduce new products and enhance its competitive stance. These strategic adjustments, informed by an ongoing competitive analysis, are essential for maintaining its status as a leading player in the industry.

Distribution Channels Used by Godrej Industries

Godrej Industries employs a comprehensive approach to distribution channels, leveraging both traditional and modern methods. The Godrej supply chain is strategically designed to facilitate the efficient movement of products while upholding high-quality standards. A cornerstone of their product distribution strategies involves a direct outreach to over 1.3 million retail outlets across India, demonstrating their extensive reach and commitment to the market.

In addition to urban distributors, Godrej has made significant strides in rural markets, expanding their distribution presence to approximately 5.8 million outlets. This rural penetration has proven advantageous, as growth rates in these areas surpass those of traditional urban trade, reaffirming the effectiveness of tailored distribution strategies.

Retail partnerships play a crucial role in Godrej’s operational framework, with initiatives such as the ‘Unnati’ program enhancing collaboration with distributors. Partner engagement fosters targeted planning and ultimately delivers higher returns on investment. Godrej’s innovative e-commerce capabilities further diversify sales channels, pivoting the company towards a digital landscape where online shopping is increasingly favored by consumers.

In international markets, the distribution network in Indonesia contributes around 40% of Godrej’s total business, showcasing their adaptability to varying market conditions. By embracing predictive analytics and data-driven decision-making, Godrej Industries continuously refines their sales performance and aligns with consumer trends.

Promotional Campaigns and Advertising Techniques

Godrej Industries has established itself as a formidable player in the marketplace through its innovative promotional campaigns and effective advertising techniques. With a rich history of over 120 years, the company continues to adapt to the evolving market dynamics while engaging effectively with its audience. Recent promotional campaigns have successfully elevated brand visibility and fostered consumer interaction.

Successful Campaigns in Recent Years

The efficacy of Godrej’s promotional campaigns lies in their ability to resonate with the target audience. Recent initiatives leveraged digital platforms to enhance brand engagement and awareness. The campaigns focused on storytelling that highlights the company’s diverse product offerings across various sectors, including consumer goods and real estate. These efforts led to a notable increase in customer engagement and contributed significantly to marketing success .

Influencer Collaborations and Partnerships

Godrej influencer partnerships have played a crucial role in amplifying campaign reach. By aligning with popular personalities, the company enhanced its credibility, allowing it to connect with consumers on a more personal level. These collaborations have resulted in campaigns that are relatable and engaging, further solidifying Godrej’s position in the market .

The integration of various advertising techniques, including social media marketing and personalized digital ads, complements the influencer strategies. These techniques create memorable experiences that encourage brand loyalty. The blend of innovative promotional campaigns and strategic partnerships illustrates the company’s commitment to achieving sustained marketing success.

Building Customer Loyalty

Godrej Industries demonstrates a strong commitment to building customer loyalty through engaging and innovative strategies. The company actively implements customer engagement initiatives that foster interaction between the brand and its customers. This approach not only cultivates long-term relationships but also encourages customers to feel a deeper connection to the brand.

Customer Engagement Initiatives

Engagement initiatives at Godrej are designed to involve customers at multiple levels. The company utilizes a robust feedback system, allowing them to gather valuable consumer insights. This system assesses customer satisfaction and identifies areas for improvement. By prioritizing interaction, Godrej enhances customer loyalty and retention rates. Such initiatives address customer needs promptly, showcasing the brand’s dedication to supporting its users.

Feedback and Continuous Improvement Strategies

Continuous improvement is essential for retaining customer loyalty in a competitive marketplace. Godrej Industries integrates the feedback obtained from its customers to adapt and refine its product offerings and services. This commitment to a feedback system ensures that the company remains responsive to evolving customer expectations. Consequently, the brand can demonstrate its promise of quality and reliability through consistent enhancements in its offerings.

Challenges Faced in Marketing Implementation

Godrej Industries navigates a landscape filled with various marketing challenges that impact its overall strategy. Rapid changes in consumer behavior reflect shifting preferences driven by demographic changes, lifestyle adjustments, and sustainability concerns. The FMCG sector is particularly sensitive to these dynamics, where companies like Godrej must continually adapt their offerings.

Implementation hurdles arise from intense competition among industry giants such as ITC Limited and Hindustan Unilever. Differentiation through innovation, quality, and effective marketing strategies is essential for success. Furthermore, rising raw material costs create additional obstacles, necessitating careful supply chain management and seeking alternative sourcing options to maintain profitability.

Supply chain disruptions, driven by factors such as natural disasters or global pandemics, can lead to significant product shortages. As demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic, such crises prompted firms to employ adaptive marketing tactics, including customized communications and strengthened supply chains.

Another notable aspect of Godrej strategy execution involves addressing regulatory compliance. Firms must adhere to laws regarding product safety, labeling, and advertising, requiring continuous updates to marketing protocols in response to regulatory alterations.

Building customer loyalty in a volatile economic environment presents further challenges. Consumer confidence has been influenced by economic uncertainties, urging companies to adopt flexible pricing strategies in response to changing consumer sentiments. These obstacles require Godrej to remain vigilant and innovative in addressing the continuously evolving market landscape.

The marketing strategy of Godrej Industries for 2024 emphasizes a comprehensive framework tailored to foster innovation, customer engagement, and sustainable practices. Over the past few years, Godrej has seen notable growth, with a reported Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 3.68% in revenue, slightly surpassing the industry average. This marketing strategy summary showcases how the company strategically positions itself across various segments, including household insecticides and hygiene products, which have achieved impressive year-on-year growth rates exceeding 14%.

Looking ahead, the future outlook for Godrej Industries reveals a commitment to enhancing its market presence through a well-defined Go-to-Market strategy. With the aim of increasing direct and indirect coverage outlets significantly, the company is poised for substantial growth, aiming for double-digit increases in the coming years. Additionally, the e-commerce segment is expected to play a vital role, potentially accounting for 8-10% of total business in the near future.

In summary, Godrej Industries’ success is driven by its ability to adapt and innovate within a constantly changing market landscape. Through robust promotional tactics, detailed market analysis, and a focus on customer loyalty, the company is well-positioned to navigate emerging challenges while maintaining its significant standing in the industry. This holistic approach not only reinforces Godrej’s industry positioning but also lays the groundwork for continued prosperity and relevance in the global market.

What is the primary focus of Godrej Industries’ marketing strategy for 2024?

How does godrej industries enhance its brand positioning, what role does product innovation play in godrej industries’ strategy, which digital marketing tactics does godrej industries employ, how does godrej industries approach market segmentation, what strategies does godrej industries utilize to analyze competition, how does godrej ensure broad distribution of its products, can you provide examples of recent successful promotional campaigns by godrej industries, what initiatives does godrej industries implement to maintain customer loyalty, what challenges does godrej industries face in marketing implementation, related posts:.

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Nina Sheridan is a seasoned author at Latterly.org, a blog renowned for its insightful exploration of the increasingly interconnected worlds of business, technology, and lifestyle. With a keen eye for the dynamic interplay between these sectors, Nina brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her writing. Her expertise lies in dissecting complex topics and presenting them in an accessible, engaging manner that resonates with a diverse audience.

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Innovation focused business strategy of Godrej

In 1922, Godrej – the makers of the world’s first vegetable oil soap Chavi, amidst the Swadeshi fervor, introduced Godrej No. 1. This breakthrough by Godrej, given that the European soaps were generally made of animal fat against the principles of non-violence & vegetarianism in India, received endorsements by the likes of Rabindranath Tagore, Annie Besant, and C. Rajagopalachari. 

This was amongst the first of many brushes with success for Godrej in the fast-moving consumer goods space, having struck a chord with the masses. GCPL ranks first in household insecticides in India and Indonesia and currently expanding its footprint in Africa. It is the number one player in hair color products in India and Sub-Saharan Africa and among the leading players in Latin America. Godrej stands second in air fresheners, soaps, and liquid detergents in India, and first in air fresheners and wet wipes in Indonesia, according to their annual report 2020-21 . 

The FMCG industry has witnessed myriads of disruption on the back of innovative products from the house of Godrej. Few examples – Good Knight Fast Card (the first 1 rupee insecticide product), Godrej Expert Rich Crème (first hair color crème in a sachet in India), or Aer Pocket (First paper-based gel bathroom air freshener), Goodknight Fabric Roll-On (first fabric dot-based insect repellent), Godrej Protekt Magic (first powder to liquid handwash), Hit Anti Roach Gel (innovative gel solution to destroy roach nest). 

Such innovative products have resulted from the design-led thinking at the heart of GCPL’s brand strategy. Started by Nisaba Godrej, the design-led thinking of the combined entity was given a structure, known as ‘RIDE’ – Research & Development, Innovation, Design, and Expertise – where all teams come together, bringing in new perspectives to product formulations, packaging, and marketing communication.

The company has refashioned its approach by accelerating its innovation pipeline, ramping up internal capabilities, investing significantly in R&D and sharing learning across geographies to create more exciting products. Former MD, Vivek Gambhir

IDEO excelled in using design thinking strategy in complicated products to simplify deliverables that could be worked on in excruciating detail. How?

Innovation Strategy of Godrej

In an interview in 2014, Nisaba Godrej, who oversees innovation strategy, stated that  Godrej spends up to 1% of sales on R&D.  GCPL’s Innovation is a two-pronged approach: in-house and collaboration based. The former cashes in on the in-house expertise and know-how. At the same time, the latter capitalizes on external tried-and-tested technologies, which, when married to GCPL’s scale, reach, and equity, deliver trailblazing yet relevant products to value-seeking consumers.

The  key highlight and, in some cases, the foundation of these product innovations  is the unconventional targeting of the bottom and middle sections of the economic (and quite often social) pyramid, attempting to give them a taste of premiumization at affordable rates. 

Frugal innovation focuses on delivering more value at lower costs to more people .  It is about adopting a mindset of simplicity and meager cost without compromising the quality of the user experience, stripping away the extras, and delivering simple, hardy, and less resource-intensive products of good quality. 

While innovation has traditionally meant the development of new products with more advanced features at premium prices, in emerging markets, for products to appeal to the millions who don’t have millions, companies have begun realizing the need of mastering the art of  frugal innovation.

For Godrej, the hair color industry pioneers, the ideology of constantly innovating and making hair color with care accessible to the masses proved to be a recipe for renewed success. The portfolio has seen experiments with new formats and packaging for years and GCPL struck gold.

In 2012, India saw its first crème hair color launched in convenient pre-measured sachets, making hair coloring extraordinarily suitable. The disruptive pricing made upgrading almost irresistible, forcing competitors to play catchup with their offerings. 

Take the example of another dominant space for GCPL, the Rs 3600 crore- household insecticide category. Around 56% population of the country (the figure as high as 70% in rural India) does not use mosquito repellent. Godrej identified consumers’ need to move away from the coil format and understood the hindrance of high pricing of non-coil designs and an insufficient supply of electricity.

Hence GCPL introduced the Good knight Fast Card in 2018. A paper-based mosquito repellent for Re 1 that does not require electricity, the strip burns for three minutes and keeps away mosquitoes for four hours.  Looking back, this innovation seemed to have been hiding in plain sight.

Godrej- Continuing product diversification to solve real problems

An inspiration from its Indonesia business, the product was substantially modified for the Indian market giving birth to one of the fastest-growing products for the company.

An instant hit across rural areas where power supply is erratic and inadequate; the innovation was a step in the right direction away from the mosquito repellent coils. Hence, it sold like hotcakes and touched a  Rs 100-crore turnover in less than a year. 

The focus on innovation helped Godrej soar in its  core categories  and  discover its footing in adjacencies , thereby broadening its portfolio and driving additional sales. Case in point, the air care category. Did you know that GCPL was selling Ambi Pur through a joint venture with US-based Sara Lee?

However, they exited in 2010 when Sara Lee sold its personal care business to Procter & Gamble, bringing the 15-year-old partnership to an end. Cut to 2012, Godrej announced its re-entry into the air care category with a new brand, ‘aer.’ 

This was  their independent foray into the Rs. 300-crore category which ironically, they had been instrumental in developing for the past decade and a half.  This lifestyle category was then growing by 20%.   The  launch of Godrej Aer  funnily involved Nisaba Godrej clarifying at press conferences that it wasn’t a spelling mistake.

Little did the competitors know that GCPL aimed at spelling out a revolution in the air freshener category – home, car, bathroom. The brand promised  contemporary design, an on/off feature, and gel technology at the core of the products . The category was mainly restricted to block and room freshener spray formats. 

The innovation was combined with a focus on  experiential marketing . The idea was to spread fragrance via print and awaken a fragrance brand’s sense of smell. Perusing the Bombay Times on September 18, 2012, the readers experienced a pleasant aroma.  The front page in The Times of India led the reader with a slug stating, ‘Fresh news and fresh aer in Bombay Times today. Check it out . The fragrance effect in the supplement was created through a fragrance spray technique at The Times of India Press, while Godrej provided the fragrance mix of the brand essence. Other such features followed this  in print  in the rest of the metros. 

In 2016, Godrej aer pocket was launched to redefine bathroom fragrances with power gel technology in a paper-based format and propagated it with the tagline, Happy Bathrooms! As reported by BusinessWire in 2020, overall, the bathroom segment had grown historically at a  CAGR of over 9%.  In the car freshener category, the Godrej Aer click and then Aer twist launched in 2017 overtook incumbents’ market leadership in no time.

Disneyland is not famous for its world-class rides or high-end retail merchandise. Disney is famous for its integrated experiential marketing strategy. How?

All in all, the innovative click, twist, and spray formats coupled with slim-gel, clever gel technologies distinguished Aer on the lines of design and fragrance and put GCPL in the first spot in air freshener products in India and Indonesia. Currently, the air freshener industry in India is estimated at Rs 1,200 crores, and  GCPL succeeded in commanding more than 50% market share in this segment by 2020 , according to their 2019-20 annual report. As of  2020,  air fresheners were amongst the fastest -growing products in GCPL’s portfolio at 35% CAGR.

An anecdote here from my B-school days might add to the point I am trying to make. Godrej Aer came up during a pre-placement talk, as did its clever gel technology. I still remember the speaker saying, “How hard is it to imagine a spill-proof solution for a drive on Indian roads?” There it was again,  in plain sight .

Staying true to its principle of constantly innovating, the latest addition to the portfolio is  Godrej aer smart-matic  – India’s first-ever mobile-enabled fragrance diffuser. The device is Bluetooth-enabled and can be controlled via a mobile app available for Android and iOS. With this feature, the consumer can adjust spraying schedules and get timely notifications about refill and battery replacements. 

Yet again, hand wash was not a GCPL dominated category. The category was still finding its feet due to its perception of being expensive, keeping it out of reach, or considering many households.

An innovation that managed to break this barrier and take the category by storm was Protekt Mr. Magic, the first-ever powder to liquid handwash. Its disruptive pricing of Rs 15 (for refill), one-third the cost of existing liquid handwash refills, aimed to nudge the Indian households across segments and geographies to adopt this innovative format. The handwash market in India was pegged at Rs 740 crore in 2018, with a CAGR of 15 percent . So, the market was wide open and the opportunity lucrative. 

Interestingly, the COVID wave significantly commoditized the category of handwashes. The penetration of hand washes went up to 32.9% during January-September in 2020 from 11.9% a year ago. Even with the dynamics shifting tremendously, leaving little to no differentiation among competitors, Mr. Magic still manages to stand out in its format as well as pricing. 

Godrej: Building a Culture of Innovation

As has been sufficiently established and displayed from the various examples so far, the culture of Innovation at GCPL has shown itself up repeatedly and been able to generate brand equity constantly. The 124-year “young” Godrej group has done this by developing several internal initiatives and physical spaces over the years, such as their  Innovation Centre, The Hubble, the Global Design Lab, and Godrej India Culture Lab . The element of innovation in culture does not cease to exist outside of GCPL but extends to other arms of the Group’s businesses and has done wonders over the years. 

As a resounding testament to the communication leg of innovation, the following  corporate video can summarize Godrej’s commitment towards this element of their culture. At the risk of beating the word “innovative” to death here, allow me to sign off by giving you the address of the “wonderland” where all this magic seems to happen, albeit in an unconventional fashion. 

Shweta Sharma is a Key Account Manager and has experience in FMCG sales across GT and MT channels. She finds joy in solving problems and keeping the team together. Eternally curious about marketing strategies - great campaigns, new product launches et al, Shweta also has a penchant for English literature and public speaking. Her leisure time comprises a cozy reading chair, a book and copious amounts of coffee.

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• Tofler explains

Godrej – A story of Success and Innovation

Godrej is an Indian multinational conglomerate that was founded in 1897 by Ardeshir Godrej and Pirojsha Burjorji Godrej. The company is engaged in many businesses like – consumer goods, real estate, furniture, industrial engineering, appliances, security, and agricultural products. Over the years, Godrej has become one of the leading multinational conglomerate companies in India and has expanded its business globally. The company’s geographic influence actually goes beyond Earth because a lot of India’s space projects are currently powered by its engines.

Godrej has a turnover nearing INR 5500 Crores at the end of the fiscal year 2022. The corporation works in a variety of industries, including agriculture, consumer goods, industrial engineering, real estate, appliances, and furniture.

Godrej Industries Limited’s  operating revenues range is Over INR 500 cr for the financial year ending on 31 March, 2022. Its EBITDA has increased by 180.70 % over the previous year. At the same time, it’s book net worth has decreased by -2.82 %. Other performance and liquidity ratios are  available here .

The history behind Godrej:

Godrej was founded in 1897 by Ardeshir Godrej and Pirojsha Burjorji Godrej. The company started as a lock-making business in India. Ardeshir Godrej had previously tried his hand at making safes but was unsuccessful. He then decided to focus on locks and was able to create a lock that was unpickable. This lock became very popular and helped the company to grow.

Pirojsha Burjorji Godrej was Ardeshir Godrej’s brother and was instrumental in expanding the company’s business interests across various sectors. He was also a philanthropist and contributed to various social causes.

1. A Humble Beginning:

The story of Godrej Group began with a simple idea – to manufacture locks that were sturdy, reliable, and affordable. Ardeshir Godrej’s commitment to quality and innovation led to the creation of the iconic ‘Nav-Tal’ lock, a groundbreaking product that set the foundation for the Group’s future ventures. The success of the Nav-Tal lock showcased the potential of the Godrej brand, and it marked the beginning of their journey towards becoming an industrial powerhouse.

2. Diversification and Growth:

The Godrej Group’s ability to adapt and diversify has been a key factor in its enduring success. After establishing a strong presence in the security solutions sector, the company ventured into various other industries, including consumer goods, furniture, appliances, real estate, agribusiness, and more. Each expansion was backed by a commitment to quality and customer-centric values, helping the Group gain the trust of consumers across India and beyond.

3. Innovation and Sustainability:

Innovation has been at the core of Godrej’s success story. The company has consistently invested in research and development to create cutting-edge products that cater to evolving consumer needs. From the world’s first soap made from vegetable oils to eco-friendly refrigerators and sustainable agricultural practices, Godrej has been a pioneer in incorporating sustainability into its business model.

4. Global Recognition:

With a strong focus on excellence, innovation, and ethical practices, Godrej has not only made a mark in India but also earned recognition on the global stage. The Group’s products are exported to over 80 countries, and its international presence has helped establish India’s credibility in the global markets.

5. Ethical Leadership and Governance:

The success of Godrej can also be attributed to its strong leadership and ethical business practices. The Group has maintained high standards of corporate governance and transparency, which have built a strong foundation for sustained growth and trust among investors, employees, and customers.

Key factors behind Godrej’s success:

Godrej’s success can be attributed to many factors. One of the key factors is that the company has always been able to adapt to changing market conditions and consumer preferences. The company has also been able to diversify its business interests across various sectors, which has helped it to mitigate risks and maintain a stable growth rate.

• Adaptability to changing market conditions and consumer preferences
• Diversification of business interests across various sectors
• Focus on innovation

How Godrej has contributed to society:

Godrej has been actively involved in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives that focus on addressing critical social, environmental, and economic needs of the marginalized/underprivileged sections of society. The company has adopted a shared value approach that helps solve these critical problems while strengthening its competitive advantage.

Godrej Industries Limited (GIL) is committed to the Godrej Group’s ‘Good & Green’ vision of creating a more inclusive and greener India. The company’s CSR policy focuses on aligning its CSR strategy with the Godrej Industries Group’s Good & Green vision and goals. 

The success story of Godrej Group is a testament to the power of perseverance, innovation, and ethical leadership. From manufacturing locks to becoming a diversified conglomerate, Godrej’s journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. The company’s commitment to excellence, sustainability, and social responsibility sets a shining example for businesses worldwide.

As Godrej continues to evolve and adapt to the changing times, it will undoubtedly inspire future generations of entrepreneurs and leave an indelible impact on the world of business and beyond.

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The untold Godrej story—from making locks to rockets

The homegrown company has played a key role in nation-building

It was at the turn of the century―1897. The year Bram Stoker’s Dracula offered a blood drinking afterlife; Oscar Wilde was released from prison for gross indecency; the Battle of Saragarhi―much before its very nationalist Kesari (filmic) avatar―was fought to be lost; and a young Parsi, Ardeshir B. Godrej, set up a lock factory that was key to India’s safe future.

“We cannot call it a startup, but in a way it was,” said Vrunda Pathare, head of Godrej Archives. Till Ardeshir chose to go the security way, factory-made locks were imported; Indian locks were handmade. His was the first made-in-India endeavour that changed not just the lock landscape, but also our history. By 1908, Godrej had patented the first springless lock in the world. And by 1911, when King George V and Queen Mary became the first monarchs to set foot on Indian soil, their valuables were stored in Godrej safes―an endorsement that was as solid as the safes.

It is Monday morning―the heat is as thick as the sugar in the Irani chai Mumbai is famous for. The Godrej Archives at Plant 19A of the Godrej and Boyce headquarters in Vikhroli is open. Workers, in blue uniforms, are at work in a shed next door. The clang of metal with the factory siren provides the background score for researchers―a reminder that the past is a hammer tap away from the present. From the patent of the first lock to the first-ever made-in-India typewriter―beating the competition from the imported Remington―to keeping records of its aerospace and defence achievements, the archives trace the progress of Godrej. But dig deeper, and these objects, be it the steel cupboard―an essential part of the Indian trousseau―or the office chair, which became a staple in corporate India, or the ultra-low temperature freezers for storing Covid-19 vaccines, also hold a nugget of the country’s history that lies off the beaten track of mainstream history.

And, it began with a tiny metal object designed to resist theft, but instead became the symbol of resistance―the Godrej lock. Getting Ardeshir to open up for an interview was as difficult as picking his pioneering lock (one version even had a sort of a lie detector). The only surviving interview of his is the one he gave The Herald on April 27, 1927, which referred to him as a “crank”. His passion for his product, and his patriotism, clearly shows. “Ye asses and donkeys, ye foolish children of India, what have you done for the Swadeshi industries?” he said. “If you see your mother bleeding in so many parts of her body, will you leave her alone and enjoy living your life at her cost?” He was 62 then and had spent more than half his life choosing to manufacture in India and for India. He refused to pose for a picture for the newspaper. The journalist notes that he was fiddling with scent bottles during the interview.

Perfume was part of another pet project― swadeshi soap, a sort of patriotism test by bubbles. Soap would perhaps never have been counted as a symbol of independence. But Godrej’s No. 2 certainly was, at least for Ardeshir. At the 1906 Calcutta session of the Congress, all attendees vowed to boycott British goods. The first vegetarian soap was thought of by Ardeshir. Much before its Cinthol, which had the rugged Vinod Khanna as the model, and Crowning Glory, with the glorious mane of Dimple Kapadia, Godrej’s vegetarian soap was endorsed by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. No ekla chalo mantra for this bar, it also had a supporter in Dr Annie Besant. Soon, it became part of households across India, outselling Lux, White Rose, Cuticura and Windsor. Godrej No. 2 was followed by a rose-scented No. 1.

Swept up in the spirit of freedom, Ardeshir, who had failed as a lawyer, knew that business could be for change and embraced swadeshi as a mantra. There was an attempt to manufacture surgical instruments for hospitals at a fraction of the price. It had come to naught. He was unwilling to do the only request the hospital had―print ‘Made in England’ on the instruments. True freedom for India, Ardeshir felt, was to be self-reliant. It was personal as much as it was political.

When his locks were ready for the market in 1901, he found that British-owned papers refused to carry advertisements objecting to the phrase ‘as good as imported variety’. Only Indian papers like Kesari, Tribune and Bombay Samachar chose to carry his advertisement (he later donated Rs 3 lakh to The Tilak Swaraj Fund in memory of Kesari founder Bal Gangadhar Tilak). Posters were put up at eating houses, railway stations and meeting houses. By 1902, he had used his expertise of the impregnable to create safes. And to prove just how safe they were, they were tested by fire.

The remnant of a Re 1 note―rescued from the Godrej office in Lalbaug―is a tangible testimony to the effectiveness of the safe. It is also a reminder of how the story of Godrej is enmeshed in the fabric of the city by the sea. The note is a witness to the deadliest fire that Bombay, a century before it became Mumbai, ever saw. In 1944, SS Fort Stikine docked at Bombay. It was at the end of World War II, and the ship was a floating tinder box carrying ammunition, spares for ships and aircraft, gold bars, besides a fighter plane and flammable cargo (cotton bales, cartons of oil, resin, scrap iron and sulphur) from Karachi. As the ship was waiting to be unloaded, a small fire started on April 14. While the crew on the ship tried to douse the fire, two explosions were heard by 4pm (the impact was so severe that it was registered on the seismograph). It took the fire department three days to bring the fire under control. The official death toll stands over 700. It took over 8,000 people seven months to remove five lakh tonne of debris and get the docks back in working order. April 14 is now observed as National Fire Service Day.

“What was kept in the Godrej safe was all that could be retrieved from that fire,” said Pathare. “So, there are all these stories that say that some safes were flung into the air, but still they only got a dent. Everything that was inside was intact. This is the Rs1 note that was found in one of the safes.”

This is not the only impact that the company has had on the city’s landscape. In the 1960s and 1970s, as Bombay strove to challenge the sky and create office space at Nariman Point, the inching up was supported by Godrej. “At that time, Godrej was into the business of architectural fabrication, which was mostly steel windows and door frames,” said Pathare. “If you go to the campus of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research at Colaba in Mumbai, you will find that all the window frames with aluminium, and the louvres of the library were provided by Godrej.” This Godrej imprint can be found in other important buildings not just in Mumbai, like the Air India building and the Oberoi hotel, but also in other parts of the country, she added.

If the fabric of freedom was handspun khadi, it also had the strength of steel. The Godrej Archives is witness to a changing India―from being an intrinsic part of the country’s Swadeshi Movement against colonialism to being intimately tied with the vote in free India. The first general elections were very much a test for India in the grand experiment of democracy. They lasted five months, from October 1951 to February 1952. It was also very much a trial for Godrej, which was responsible for manufacturing the ballot boxes. India’s first election was a mammoth exercise, with 1,874 candidates and 53 parties. India’s population was 36 crore, and close to half―over 17 crore―were voters. The task was daunting. The Vikhroli plant―Ardeshir’s brother Pirojsha purchased it in 1943, as the mill areas in Lalbaug and Parel were proving too small for dreams―that stood in the middle of green fields operated round the clock to create ballot boxes as tamper-proof as their safes. “Mr Thanewalla, who oversaw Plant 1 (in Vikhroli), said that workers would sleep at the plant, as this was a very important order for them,” said Pathare.

The archives hold in its collection the advertisement of 1951― ‘Every Vote Counts’―that mentions that 12.83 lakh boxes were made then as well as a note on the locking mechanism used. There was a lot at stake. The boxes had to be not only tamper-proof, but also waterproof and vermin-proof. After creating more than 70 prototypes―the number reveals just how invested they were in the process―they arrived at the perfect box.

“We have a circular regarding railway wagons dispatching ballot boxes to different parts of India,” said Pathare. “The internal locking mechanism was a patented invention, as we are told. The locking mechanism was made for these ballot boxes because the external locks were more expensive than the manufacturing cost of this box, which was Rs5. So they thought of reducing the costs by providing the internal locking mechanism.” One could just put a seal on the box when locked internally. A Godrej worker named Nathalal Panchal developed this mechanism, she added. It is a name that is not even a footnote in the country’s history, but nonetheless known, thanks to Godrej’s oral history―passed down by employees over the years and now recorded in the archives (Godrej is one of the first few corporates to invest in preserving its history).

Steel was at the heart of new India―outside buildings, in homes and also to build dreams beyond the stars. And, it is here that the typewriter, the first machine that embraced and defined officialdom, helped lay the foundations. It is lessons learnt from this machine that helped cement the company’s relationship with India’s space journey―from developing high-precision satellite components for an Indian Space Research Organisation launch in 1985 and later being a crucial part of ISRO’s many missions, including Mangalyaan and Chandrayaan, to building critical parts of the Tejas light combat aircraft, to developing the new automated assembly line for the Pinaka rockets for the Indian Army in 2020 and even the cladding of the BrahMoS.

• How Godrej Industries is spreading its wings
• 'India can be great for manufacturing': Nadir Godrej

But it all started with the first swadeshi typewriter in independent India in 1955. The typewriter became a symbol of changing demographics in offices, ushering in a generation of women typists by offering them a chance at a career outside homes. “Naval Godrej (Pirojsha’s son) was the man behind the typewriter,” said Pathare. “He went to his father, saying he wanted to make a typewriter. Pirojsha, for whom quality was important, asked whether we would be as good as Remington, as it was a standard for quality in typewriter manufacturing.”

It was a challenge, as it took quite a while and many avatars before the bestseller was discovered. From being providers of locks and safes, the company had moved to precision engineering. “At that time, none of the Indian companies were manufacturing typewriters,” said Pathare. “That is why, Pirojsha was actually sceptical. We had never manufactured such parts, as our expertise till then was in sheet metal work. This was a risk. This machine had some 1,800 to 2,000 smaller parts.”

Yet, Naval, who joined the company at 17 without going to college, was confident they could pull it off. Pathare recounted a conversation with S.M. Vaidya, who used to head Godrej Aerospace. He was asked what his favourite machine was, and they thought he would pick something from the space industry. “But he mentioned the typewriter,” said Pathare. “The typewriter marked the beginning of precision engineering, as this machine gave us the confidence for the precision required in aerospace.” This helped the company take flight.

The Godrej story, however, is grounded in day-to-day living, too. It is very much represented by the two essential products that became part of middle class India: the fridge and the steel almirah. These two moved the company from outside spaces into homes. “It was only around the 1960s when the middle classes started emerging,” said Pathare. Yet, it was also a time of restrictions. The production of cupboards was limited and people had to book their Storwel almost nine months in advance. “People were ready to wait because by then Godrej was becoming [a symbol of trust],” said Pathare. “People were ready to invest, even if it wasn’t really a very cheap product. But this was in that generation. They wanted to buy a product, invest in it.”

The cupboard or the fridge often moved from being just a gadget to a memory. At the Godrej Archives, one of the first few models of the fridge on display is very much a sentimental acquisition. It was transported from Chandigarh a few years ago. The customer had chosen to hang on to it even though it was not frost-free. Godrej launched the first model of the refrigerator in 1959. With its heavy door―which takes an effort to pull, as it was not meant to be opened at a whim―there was also a key; everyone did not have access. The fridge represents a time gone by, where things were meant for a lifetime. Much like the cupboard, now celebrating a century of existence.

“If you have seen the TV advertisements from the 1980s, you will notice that they work with these emotions, and show what a cupboard really means,” said Pathare. So, how did the cupboard end up being a non-negotiable part of the trousseau? Pathare has the answer to that: “I was speaking to a customer, and she mentioned that it was like creating a space for your daughter in that new home. That is why parents gift cupboards. They have no idea what kind of space has been created for the daughter in the new house. So this is for her.”

The swadeshi soap continues to sell in independent India. Godrej Soaps was renamed Godrej industries. The company has branched into chemicals, agriculture, finance and real estate. It continues to make soap. Godrej & Boyce continues to keep valuables safe. It makes locks, consumer durables and industrial products, and keeps pushing the frontiers of Indian science in space and defence under the leadership of its chairman and managing director, Jamshyd Godrej. His niece and executive director Nyrika Holkar is expected to succeed him.

• Unlod stories of Godrej

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About the Company

Godrej Consumer Products is a leading emerging markets company. As part of the over 123-year young Godrej Group, GCPL operates in the domestic and international markets in the 'personal and household care' segment. Their products include soap, hair colourants, toiletries and liquid detergents.

Established in 1897, Godrej Group is an Indian conglomerate company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, managed and largely owned by the Godrej family.

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Mumbai, india, completion rate, inside-out customization, customer support.

As the COVID hit the world, GodrejCP realized their need to keep agile and to keep their employees engaged. As a company that acknowledges and wants to promote the need for employee inclusion in their functioning, they were worried that their current employee engagement tracking tools are becoming obsolete. Moreover, they didn’t want censored feedback collection. Godrej was using Amber chatbot, which is set to monitor employee experience across the organization every three months. Though the process went smoothly, and they had no hiccups, the chatbot lacked some major value propositions they were looking for. The chatbot was primarily managed, and controlled by the service providers, and not by Godrej. From creating questions to generating reports, Godrej had to depend on their service provider. Secondly, the bot was incapacitated to guarantee anonymity to the respondents or to add advance customization.

The world was going through an ambiguous situation, and Godrej didn’t want to risk having blindspots, or for valuable ideas & suggestions to get lost in the process. Godrej wanted to make the employee feel like they were having confidential conversations with their Chairperson, Nisaba Godrej, rather than automated bot chats or surveys. Their need for personalization hence was of utmost importance. They also wanted the platform to be mobile-friendly, & device agnostic to ensure a pleasant survey experience.

GodrejCP had to move away from the tools they were already using - Amber, & Willis Towers Watson employee engagement tool. They tried PeopleStrong, & one other chatbot tools before ending their search with SurveySparrow. With a mobile-first approach, the white-labelling capabilities of SurveySparrow were exactly what they were looking for. Godrej was truly able to personify the chatbot and make it very light & intuitive. The bot was able to give the feel of a 1:1 to their teams when interacted with

They needed a robust real-time data collection tool with the flexibility of a simple crowdsourcing tool, and SurveySparrow was able to match those expectations. Godrej had found their best bet to integrate the voice of employees into their functions, effortlessly. The level of customization, offered in response management helped them to take actions on crucial insights, faster.

Being in the FMCG industry, Godrej appreciated the design sensibility, & the ease of use helped to drive response rates.

SurveySparrow being a no-code platform, the administrator was able to handle the entire process with little to no help- It was a delightful, self-serve experience.

Godrej was able to go live within 15 days, as they planned. And, they were definitely able to drive more engagements & uncover better insights, after using SurveySparrow. Almost 70% more responses were collected & most importantly the employees felt heard, which was the most important reason they had for adopting SurveySparrow. They were able to gather many great ideas, and suggestions from their employees across the world to help them put together strategies to help Godrej successfully ride out the pandemic & all the uncertainties associated with it. This initiated better collaboration between the teams & the leadership. The leadership had a better understanding & the possible solutions were evident because of it.

SurveySparrow truly has become GodrejCP leadership’s personal listening tool.

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Precise Marketing Strategy of Godrej Industries – With Detailed Explanation

By Aditya Shastri

In our previous blog, we studied the marketing strategy of Tata Chemicals . In this blog, we are going to study a detailed case study on the marketing strategy of Godrej Industries , a chemical industry company.

The main objective of this case study is to learn and gain insights into Godrej Industries and the marketing strategy of Godrej Industries and how it become India’s leading manufacturer of oleochemicals. 

Marketing is the most powerful tool that can either make a company or break it. In this digital era, marketing switched from offline to online mode catering to the right audience at the right moment in time. If you are also wondering to learn a new era of digital skills then do check out our Free Masterclass on Digital Marketing 101 by our CEO and Founder, Karan Shah.

We will cover the entire marketing strategy of Godrej Industries in this blog. Let’s start by outlining the company’s history, target market, and online presence before digging into the details.

About Godrej Industries 

The company was founded in 1963 by an enthusiastic and determined businessman, Ardeshir Godrej. Today, the company is listed on the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) with the stock name GODREJIND. The company owns a 23.8% stake (as of 31 March 2018) in Godrej Consumer Goods which is an FMCG subsidiary. It owns a 56.7% stake (as of 31 March 2018) in Godrej Properties, a real estate development firm. It also owns a 58% stake (as of 31 March 2018) in Godrej Agrovet which is an agri-business company.

Quick Stats on Godrej Industries –

What’s new with Godrej Industries

Check out below some of the current news about Godrej Industries:

• Godrej Industries launched the financial arm of the business: Godrej Capitals
• June 2023: Godrej Industries and Bhamla Foundation in collaboration with Hungama Music Launch Tik Tik Plastic 2.0  Anthem to Combat Plastic Pollution
• Godrej Electricals and Electronics has secured orders of more than Rs.2000 crore from power transmission, solar projects, and railways.

Now that we have got quick insights about the company let us now focus on the marketing strategy of Godrej Industries.

Marketing Strategy of Godrej Industries 

Let’s learn and gain insights into the marketing strategy of Godrej Industries.

Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning

The needs of the growing population could be catered to if and only if the target audience is segmented based on similar characteristics. The company uses various demographics, including income class, profession, age, region, etc.

Godrej Industries segments into –

• Godrej Agrovet
• Godrej Chemicals
• Godrej Consumer Products
• Godrej Capital
• Godrej Properties
• Godrej Infotech
• Godrej Aerospace

Godrej uses a selective and differentiated targeting strategy for the offerings of different group companies. Godrej mainly caters to the age group of 20-60 years.

To give you a better understanding check out the buyer’s persona of Godrej Industries given below:

Buyer’s Persona

Profession:

Business man

• Innovation and sustainable growth.
• Ethical and responsible partnerships.
• Quality and reliability focus.
• Diversified investment interests

Interest & Hobbies

• Industry trend reading.
• Business networking.
• Potential philanthropy.
• Leisure travel for perspective.
• Wellness pursuits.

Pain Points

• Sustainable business challenges.
• Quality and supply concerns.
• Market adaptation pressures.
• Strategic investment alignment

Social Media Presence

Godrej is efficiently positioning its brand following the user-based and value-based strategy to highlight its overwhelming relationship with the consumer for years.

Traditional Marketing 

Godrej spends a huge sum of money when it comes to advertisement and promotional expenses. This marketing strategy of Godrej Industries helps them to connect with customers and help build up a good relationship with them. Primary promotional activities include Television advertisements, newspapers, magazines, billboards, hoardings, and distribution of Pham plates in strategic locations. Over the years, Godrej has roped onto famous personalities and Bollywood stars to play the role of their brand ambassador.

Godrej is involved in various Corporate Social Responsibility projects, which gives them trust among consumer and government enterprises. Activities include GoGreen projects which help revive the dwindling Mangrove cover. They are also involved in educational activities. They are also manufacturing innovative products like smokeless mosquito repellent cards and huge investments in green buildings. Hence, this summarizes the marketing mix of Godrej Industries.

Digital Marketing Strategy of Godrej Industries

Following are some digital marketing tactics used by Godrej Industries:

Social Media Marketing

Godrej Industries is active on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Linkedin. It has the maximum number of followers on Facebook out of all the social media handles.

• Facebook – 746K
• Instagram – 22.7K
• LinkedIn – 313K
• Twitter – 16.2K
• Youtube – 13.6K

They post promotional and informative posts to connect better with their consumers.

SEO Strategies

As per SEO rankings, if the number of keywords is less than 500 then it is bad, above 1000 is good and 10000+ is amazing. So we can see that the domain has 2,796 organic keywords which directly indicates that the SEO of the company can be considered as good. 

Secondly, organic traffic is also a measure of SEO rankings if 20K+ people are visiting their website monthly then is termed as amazing. Godrej Industries has 9K+monthly visits so it needs to work hard on bringing organic traffic to its site.

Influencer Marketing

Godrej Industries has a strong grip over influencer marketing tactics. They have collaborated with many celebrities from different backgrounds. Anushka Sharma, a famous Bollywood actress, worked with them on their TV campaign for their hair color brand. Considering the impact of this digital era, they also collaborated with another Bollywood actress and chef, Tara Deshpande for their campaign contest #SahiShuruaat asking their audience to share the food items that connected them to their partner.

E-commerce Strategies

Godrej sells all its products on its official website and it also aims to sell its products to the consumer through online marketplaces like Flipkart, Amazon, and Snapdeal. They are utilizing different digital platforms to their best. Moreover, they are available in the nearest shops, malls, and stores which encourages the consumer to buy their product and this makes them more trustworthy.

Mobile Apps

Godrej Industries has different mobile apps for different work. They have developed their well-equipped system to combat Android, IOS, and Windows with specialized features for tablets, mobile phones, and PCs. 

Some of the applications developed by the company are as follows:

• Godrej Aer Smart Matic 
• Godrej Yoddha 
• Godrej Inventory Application
• Training Godrej Yoddha 
• Godrej Bandhan

Content Marketing Strategies

The main aim of Godrej Industries is to capture a big portion of the market. Keeping that in mind, they are very active in Television run ads and somewhat on social media. They are well known for the market they are capturing and thus, run advertisements focusing on every household in the country. Being budget-friendly, they get more attention from the public and more consumers for the product. Godrej is fairly active on its social media handles and along with that, there are various websites that post blogs and articles about Godrej industries.

Marketing and Advertising Campaigns of Godrej Industries

Godrej Industries Limited’s brand-neutral lifestyle platform, Godrej L’Affaire, launched the intriguing digital video #RespectAllBandhans on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan to encourage people to treat all relationships with love and respect.

Influencers like Simone Khambatta, Shashank Sanghvi, and actor/RJ/TV host Salil Acharya are included in the video, and they powerfully portray the idea of daily sharing of love and respect for everyone.

Godrej launched a new tv ad in which the actress Anushka Sharma was discussing the problems of greying hair and discouraging posts on social media with her friend. But the actress assures her that it’s not a ‘badi problem’ and can be solved with little money.

As per the CMO of Godrej Consumer Products, their collaboration with actress Anushka Sharma is helping them to amplify the awareness of the category as well as their product across rural and urban markets.

The company launched its campaign ‘#CookingGoodness’ together which celebrates the Diwali(2021) festive season by showcasing the power of cooking to bring families together.

Cooking builds a bond and acts as an emotion in India which made the campaign successful. When families cook food together then it’s not only about the food, rather it’s more about sharing their experiences. Moreover, the lockdown due to Covid-19 also brought the families together and they were looking to eat healthy home-cooked food.

Competitor’s Analysis of Godrej Industries

• Tata : Founded in 1868, Tata Group is an international conglomerate that deals in Automotive and Transportation, Energy and utilities, Financial Services, Retail, etc. Learn the marketing strategy of Tata Group to get more insights about the brand.
• Aditya Birla Group : Founded in 1857, the company specializes in manufacturing a range of products: chemicals, conglomerates, metal products, telecommunication, etc. To know about the marketing strategy of Aditya Birla Group check out our blog.
• Adani Enterprises : Founded in 1988, it is a conglomerate company that has expertise in defense and aerospace, solar manufacturing, oil, and foods, etc. Check out the marketing strategy of Adani Enterprise to know what steps it takes to sustain the new market trends.
• Bleach Chem : Founded in 1987, it is a diversified company in the chemical, transportation, healthcare, and energy sectors.
• International holding company : Founded in 1988, it is a holding company with investments in diversified businesses.

To beat this competition it is necessary for the marketing strategy of Godrej Industries to be developed very efficiently so that it can sustain the growing competition.

Example of a campaign that faced viewer’s backlash

The TVC was of Godrej’s  “Good Knight Aerosol”, The actors in the TVC were shown breathing the aerosol, which was portrayed as aromatic.

“The visual depiction of a girl inhaling a mosquito repellent spray shows a dangerous act which is likely to encourage minors to emulate them in a manner that could cause harm or injury,” warned ASCI.

Hence, the company later modified the ad in response to the backlash.

We can say that the marketing strategy of Godrej Industries is a key component of the success of the company. Therefore, the marketing strategy of Godrej Industries needs to be well bought out so that there is no criticism from the viewers.

This brings an end to the insightful marketing strategy of Godrej Industries.

What’s Unique in the Marketing Strategy of Godrej Industries?

Godrej Industries is known for its high-quality and budget-friendly products. The extensive marketing strategy of Godrej Industries helps to retain their consumers with the trust and love they got the consumers over decades. They have several options in the market to remain ahead of their competitors and give cut-throat competition to them. 

The brand value of the company has grown over the years as they have prioritized customer satisfaction and worked a lot on it. As a result, they have achieved a good market cap and expanded to 18+ countries across the globe. Godrej has widely used digital marketing with the changing circumstances in society and is now present on the most used e-commerce websites.

Just as Godrej Industries has used demographics to its best and covered a huge market within years. Similarly, one can also make the best use of digital platforms to expand their business. Digital Marketing is increasing day by day with the increase in the number of smartphone users and the increase in population.

It gives the focused approach to cater only to the customers or future customers of the company/brand. Nowadays, startups, as well as MNCs, are looking for digital marketers so that they can bring traffic to their websites and make them profitable.

With the increasing demand for digital marketing, learning it from scratch to an advanced level with industry experts is a must. If you would like to develop and upskill yourself in this domain then do check out our 4-Months Digital Marketing Course and 11-Months Digital Marketing Course.

If you like such in-depth analysis of the companies like the marketing strategy of Godrej Industries find more such insightful case studies on our IIDE Knowledge Portal .

Thank you for taking your precious time to read this marketing strategy of Godrej Industries and do share your thoughts on this case study in the comments section below.

Author's Note: My name is Aditya Shastri and I have written this case study with the help of my students from IIDE's online digital marketing courses in India . Practical assignments, case studies & simulations helped the students from this course present this analysis. Building on this practical approach, we are now introducing a new dimension for our online digital marketing course learners - the Campus Immersion Experience. If you found this case study helpful, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Aditya Shastri

Lead Trainer & Head of Learning & Development at IIDE

Leads the Learning & Development segment at IIDE. He is a Content Marketing Expert and has trained 6000+ students and working professionals on various topics of Digital Marketing. He has been a guest speaker at prominent colleges in India including IIMs...... [Read full bio]

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The Godrej group is one of the leading business groups in India with a legacy of over 100 years and a turnover of more than 3.3billion USD. GoJiyo is world’s first browser-based virtual world launched by the Godrej group.

Business Objective

To build a deep relationship with the brand’s consumers of tomorrow by creating immersive, technology driven experiences that ultimately drive belief in the brand promise of a brighter life.

Our Approach

Intensive consumer research led to defined ‘archetypes’ that signify the multiple interests and personalities of this audience & Customer Centria created the virtual interface to satisfy their aspirations which would in the end significantly impact real world brand choice & decisions.

Proposed Strategy

India’s first ever browser based 3D virtual world – ‘GoJiyo’ – A borderless world where people can engage and interact with each other as Avatars, form communities and tribes and live out every real world aspiration in the most exciting ways.

End to End Solution

• Our in depth study of consumers, led to the creation of six distinct regions within this world tailor-made to the aspirations of different archetypes
• Backed by a global team of pioneers in this space & the right technology platform (UNITY) for the Indian context, we were able to provide an experience that was both rich and simple to use
• To encourage a mass of early adopters, Customer Centria developed & executed a comprehensive marketing strategy beginning with a teaser campaign & thereafter sustained by region specific promos through videos, rich media banners, online PR & extensive social media initiatives

Business Value

• Percentage of target consumers intending to purchase Godrej products / pay premia for them went up from an average of 70% to an average of 80% post the GoJiyo campaign
• Aided brand awareness for any Godrej product was no. 2 in the country for the period of promotion with GoJiyo being the only new brand in the top 10 list amongst people online
• Within two years of its launch, GoJiyo has built a community of over 1.2 million engaged users

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