BRAND IMAGE MEASUREMENT OF HAPPYDENT Submitted to Prof. S. Govindrajan
Submitted by: Anton Babu Ayan Dasgupta Gaurav Kayal Ishita Goel
CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................ 3 HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF THE BRAND ............................................................................................. 4 STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL DATA COLLECTION AND EVALUATION ................................................... 6 INSTRUMENTS FOR DATA COLLECTION .................................................................................................. 8 Laddering: Qualitative Research Model adopted ............................................................................... 8 Brand Asset Valuator (BAV) .............................................................................................................. 15 ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................................................... 18 QUESTIONNAIRE ADMINISTERED FOR QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH (A SCREENSHOT) ...................... 23
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Happydent, a brand from Perfetti Van Melle India is being tracked in the project. The brand tracking was done though a combination quantitative and qualitative methodology. In quantitative, a suitable adaptation of Young and Rubicam’s BAV has been used to identify the performance of the brand in its category across 82 respondents through online questionnaire. Apart from this, 17 responses were taken where respondents rated Happydent and other products of their choice in the same product category on same questions. For qualitative analysis of the brand, laddering interviews were conducted and Attributes‐ Consequences‐Values identified and plotted on the Hierarchical Value Map. Belonging, Self Esteem and Societal Conformance was included in most ladders. These value orientations in a person’s ladder have served as the basis for classification in terms of segmentation and advertising strategies to be followed. With most respondents exhibiting a sense of belonging – to the society or their peer group to be specific – as their ‘value orientation’, the scenario for the advertisement i.e. the vehicle by which the value orientation is to be communicated becomes all too clear. (For example, based on the fact that “whitening” is perceived as a desired consumer benefit Happydent took the liberty of dramatizing whiteness to a degree of unbelievable, a fantastical exaggeration). The BAV indicates that the brand is a leader in its category, given the fact that it has high ‘esteem’ (in terms of the one of the four broad dimensions that the BAV evaluates a brand). Even though the brand has low ‘differentiation’ as compared to ‘relevance’, it is perceived as a better product by consumers because of its health utility.
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HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF THE BRAND Chewing gum is one of the most popular traditional confectionary items which have endured the test of time through suitable product evolution & innovation. Typically, chewing gum is made of Chicklet, a natural latex product (that is why the brand name‐ Chicklets). If we look at the per‐capita consumption of chewing gum in India it is only 8 per year as compared to 2000 per year in U.S.A & 1000 in Russia. The current size of the Indian chewing gum market is estimated to be about 1000 Crores (INR)thus it offers huge opportunity to companies like Perfetti & Wrigley in terms of market & new product development. Perfetti launched the brand `Happydent’ in 1970 along with Alpenlibe, Big Babol and the brand has been growing ever since. The parent company of Happydent, Perfetti Van Melle was established in March 2001 through the merger of Perfetti S.P.A and Van Melle NV. In 2001, Perfetti Van Melle India introduced the functional gum category to India by way of Happydent White, a chewing gum containing ingredients (baking soda) that provides the benefit of keeping teeth naturally white. In this category, Happydent competed with strongly entrenched brands with high awareness and big spends. The brand was sailing along but could not really shake the competitors. In early 2006, Orbit White (Wrigley’s) stepped up, with marketing inputs. It has been as serious potential threat to Happydent White. The category of chewing gums is an impulse purchase and so ads play a very important role in market share. Based on the fact that “whitening” is perceived as a desired consumer benefit Happydent took the liberty of dramatizing whiteness to a degree of unbelievable, a fantastical exaggeration‐ Thus was borne the bizarre idea of a human bulb—a man who is a professional bulb since his teeth are so white. Spontaneous recall more than doubled to 16 percent, from the previous 8 percent in 2005. Market share simply doubled and trebled. Total brand awareness scores of HAPPYDENT doubled and grew dramatically to reach the 90 percent level. Gross national volume grew by 102 percent over 2005 figures. Happydent has also been successful in increasing health awareness amongst consumers thus making functional gums the most exciting sub‐category within confectionery. What adds to the excitement is the fact that functional aspects bring some level of “planning” in Brand Image Measurement
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the purchase procedure from the customer’s side. This is good news as it means incremental business for confectionery‐players with increased relevance to the customer and possible addition in the monthly grocery list. To tap into this opportunity Happydent has tried innovative pricing and a new packaging (pocket bottles) which carry aesthetic appeal which tends to increase per‐customer‐throughput . The launch of products like Protex Happydent which is claimed to prevent tooth decay due to the presence of a special ingredient called 'Xylitol' and Happydent White which contains sodium bi‐carbonate helps to keep teeth clean & white helped to leverage its position in this segment. The latest variety is Happydent wave which is already making the waves in the market.
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STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL DATA COLLECTION AND EVALUATION Successful data collection and evaluation, of any type, can be enhanced with some preliminary planning and thought. We set the following ground rules to s to increase the likelihood of a successful evaluation. Knowing Your Audience ‐ Prior to designing an evaluation and determining what data collection techniques will be used, it is important to recognize who the audience for the evaluation results will be. Since most of the respondents were from within the campus between the age group of 20‐27 the questions were framed in accordance with it. Deciding What Exactly will be Evaluated ‐ Given the limitations, we focussed on obtaining "actionable" results. Determining Costs and Schedules‐ There wasn’t much of a costing to be done but it was very important to come up with a schedule for the completion of the project detailing the key tasks that will have to be done over the duration of the study. Identifying the Appropriate Study Participants –Since chewing gum is a product mostly used by age group 15‐25 we were able to get respondents from within the campus. Developing, Pretesting, and Refining Data Collection Instruments ‐ Qualitative data collection techniques require data collection instruments that make sense to the participants. One useful approach followed was to have the data collection instruments reviewed by a group of individuals who are members of the user group from which you will be obtaining the data. Administering Instruments Appropriately The logistics associated with administering data collection instruments can be formidable. Yet overlooking any of these details can seriously affect evaluation outcomes. Key concerns are: getting the full participation of all subjects, providing a forum for participants to discuss issues and concerns that the moderator does not bring up, and documenting participants'
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comments completely and accurately. To minimize these concerns, the following may be helpful: •
Arrange for a pleasant setting to conduct the focus group, surveys, transaction logs, interviews, etc., and typically, provide some refreshments and amenities
•
Consider the order and development of topics to be discussed in the session
•
Record and analyze the content of the session while it is occurring (e.g., use note takers, audio or video recorders, etc.)
•
Manage and moderate the session in a positive and productive manner (prevent individuals from dominating or disrupting the session)
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INSTRUMENTS FOR DATA COLLECTION Laddering: Qualitative Research Model adopted WHAT IS LADDERING? •
Laddering is an interview technique used in semi‐structured interviews.
•
Laddering is a method that helps you elicit the higher or lower level abstractions of the concepts that people use to organize their world.
•
The method is performed by using probes. Probing means to “peel back the layers” of the informant’s experience.
•
Laddering and probing is used to: “understand the way in which the informant sees the world” (Reynolds & Gutman, 1988).
WHEN IS LADDERING USED? Laddering is used within two streams of research: Consumer research and organization research •
Consumer research to elicit consumers’ preferences towards certain products or services.
•
•
Consumers’ preferences are categorized into three dimensions: ‐
Attributes of a product/service
‐
Consequences
‐
Values
Organization research to elicit values and decision making structures in organizations. –
The laddering method can be used to elicit values among managers or employees (e.g. work conditions among employees).
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–
Preferences are categorized into means and ends
WHY USE THIS TECHNIQUE FOR OUR RESEARCH? •
The laddering interview technique is a structured approach.
•
You get to know what is important to the informants and why it is important; the values.
•
The high degree to which the method can provide the appropriate data
•
The relatively less amount of time required to collect and analyse the data
•
Low Costs associated with collecting and analysing the data.
•
Low Level of commitment and involvement required of interviewees
•
Requirements for training in the method – Even though Laddering becomes more effective with experience the formal training required is relatively less
•
The informants are able to relate to this way of thinking (e.g. focus group interview).
RATIONALE OF OUR LADDERING TECHNIQUE: A couple of the interviews done using this technique and the reason for asking such questions are given below: INTERVIEW (1) Interviewer: You indicated that you are likely to consume a mouth freshener after a long, stressful day at work, why is that? Respondent: Well, when I am stressed out I tend to have a ‘bad feeling in the mouth’. Having a mouth freshener – a chewing gum mostly – kind of rejuvenates me. Interviewer: How does getting rid of a ‘bad feeling in the mouth’ rejuvenate you?(Reason: Evoking the Situational Context) Respondent: See, what happens is that after a long tiring day (something like attending 6 lectures in a day) is that your muscles are all tensed up; so chewing gum (kind of) unlocks the intensity brewing inside... Brand Image Measurement
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Interviewer: So you mean a chewing gum will do, its ‘mouth‐freshening’ features are not that important to you? Respondent: Yes kind of, but a mouth freshener allows for a cool, refreshing feeling as well. Interviewer: What is the benefit of feeling rejuvenated after having gone through a long, tiring day? Respondent: You just feel instantly better. Interviewer: Okay, let me phrase this differently, you’ve mentally exhausted yourself after a hectic day and you have a mouth freshener (say) in the evening and you feel better. Does that help in any way? (Reason: Communication check) Respondent: I can’t really say, but then being an MBA student means you have a myriad other activities to attend to so maybe there is a need somewhere. Interviewer: A need for what? Respondent: A need to be on your toes at all times, to keep the energy levels high and put in your best in everything else you do. Summary Ladder for the above is as follows: V
Sense of accomplishment (putting in one’s best in everything)
C
Rejuvenates
C
Releases pent‐up energy (unlocks the intensity brewing inside)
A
Cool, refreshing feeling
INTERVIEW (2) Interviewer: When do you generally prefer consuming a mouth freshener? Respondent: To freshen my breath after smoking; my way of maintaining good oral hygiene. Interviewer: Do you consider any other alternative to a freshener if ti’s not available? (Reason: Postulating the absence of an object) Respondent: Yeah it need not always be a mouth freshener, I could opt for pan masala, meetha masala etc. Interviewer: When did you start thinking that it was advisable to have a mouth‐ freshener/chewing gum after a fag? (Reason: Age‐Regression Contrast Probe) Respondent: I guess I just saw others doing so... Brand Image Measurement
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Interviewer: Would you say it is important to not have bad breath when in the company of friends, especially if they do not smoke themselves? Respondent: Frankly, I would not really care. But then, on second thoughts, I wouldn’t want others to figure out that I had just had a ‘sutta’, simply because I was carrying bad breath Interviewer: Would you suggest your friends to have a freshener after a Smoke? (Reason: Projective technique) Respondent: Yes, I think I would. Interviewer: Do your folks at home know that you smoke? Respondent: No, but then I cut down on this habit of mine when I am at home. Interviewer: Somehow one gets the feeling that it’s not really a case of ‘bad‐breath‐ riddance’ that compels you to have a mouth freshener post a fag? Respondent: You are right; actually you avoid that irritating feeling in your mouth. Interviewer: Why should that be important to you? Respondent: Of course it’s important; otherwise I just don’t feel very confident when interacting with others. Summary Ladder for the above is as follows: V
Self Esteem (feel more confident when interacting)
C
Avoid an irritating feeling in the mouth
C
Not carry bad breath
A
Freshens the breath, good oral hygiene
LADDER FREQUENCIES FOR ATTRIBUTE‐VALUE LINKAGE
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The above table includes a summary by attribute and value for respondents whose ladders extended to values level. ‘Belonging’ was included in most ladders, with ‘societal conformance’ and ‘self‐esteem’ following in decreasing order of frequency. One can also summarize from the above findings that the attributes that consumers of candy‐mouth fresheners look for, are their mouth‐freshening and whitening capabilities in most cases (This indicates why Orbit and Happydent which focus on the ‘whitening’ attributes in their advertisements are the market leaders in this product category). Thus valuable information is provided in terms of (a) segmenting consumers with respect to their values orientations for a brand and (b) as a basis for advertising strategies. The benefit of laddering as in this case would be the interesting insights it provides for advertising strategists. With most respondents exhibiting a sense of belonging – to the society or their peer group to be specific – as their ‘value orientation’, the scenario for the advertisement i.e. the vehicle by which the value orientation is to be communicated becomes all too clear. For example, Based on the fact that “whitening” is perceived as a desired consumer benefit Happydent took the liberty of dramatizing whiteness to a degree of unbelievable, a fantastical exaggeration. (Thus was borne the bizarre idea of a human bulb) This supposedly resulted in a doubling of the market share. Even in the new ad these companies focus on these attributes and our analysis shows that these are indeed the attributes which needs focus. Since chewing gums are an impulse purchase the importance of advertising strategy can never be understated.
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Hierarchical Value Map
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Brand Asset Valuator (BAV)
Brand Image is defined as consumer perceptions of a brand and is measured as the brand associations held in consumer’s memory. The Brand Asset Valuator, a proprietary tool developed by advertising agency Young & Rubicam, measures Brand Image by applying four broad dimensions: Differentiation, Relevance, Esteem, and Knowledge. These four core aspects of the brand are called ‘Pillars’. The four pillars can be clubbed into two‐directional indicators‐ Brand Vitality: This is a combination of Differentiation and Relevance. As these pillars are indicators of where the brand is likely to shape out in the future, Brand Vitality is a leading indicator. Brand Stature: This is a combination of Esteem and Knowledge. It gives a sense of the brand’s present and past. Brand Stature tends to, over time, mimic brand strength and is thus a lagging indicator. The BAV is an ideal tool for advanced brand analysis such as managing brand portfolios, positioning/repositioning exercises, understanding target audience etc. BAV's database is the result of the world's most extensive research project on branding, based on data on 30,000 brands across 400,000 consumers in 48 countries through 240 studies. Quantitative Research Model to test the current status of the Brand (using a suitable adaptation of the BAV model) Core Aspects of a
Rationale
Sample Questions
Brand: ‘The Pillars’ i.
How does Happydent help in fulfilling
the
need
for Relevance is simply a
freshening your mouth (post a measure of how well suited
RELEVANCE
meal or after a smoke etc.)? ii.
How aware are you of the the consumer’s life. “health
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the brand’s offering is to
pay‐off”
(dental Page 15
benefits)
that
Happydent
delivers? iii.
How has Happydent fared in terms of “cutting through the Indian mindset that chewing gum
is
not
a
socially
acceptable etiquette”? iv.
Is Happydent suitable for all age groups and not just children?
i.
How unique do you think is Happydent’s Selling
USP
(Unique
Proposition)
as
compared to its competitors? ii.
How willing are you to pay a premium for Happydent?
DIFFERENTIATION
iii.
How successful according to you has Happydent been in breaking through the clutter that is there in the market for candy‐mouth‐fresheners?
iv.
Differentiation is a measure of
how
consumers
distinct perceive
the a
particular brand to be. It is this difference that enables the brands to charge a premium.
Is Happydent an innovative brand as compared to its competitors?
i.
Would you say that Happydent is a ‘trustworthy’ brand as compared to its competitors?
ESTEEM
ii.
Would you associate ‘high quality’ with Happydent as opposed to other similar products?
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Esteem is a function of positive brand experience and brand communication and essentially the regard that the consumer has for the brand.
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iii.
Do you believe that what Happydent claims are its product
features
(oral
whitening etc.) are authentic? iv.
Would
you
consider
Happydent to be a leader in the product category of candy mouth fresheners? i.
How familiar are you with the ‘brand’ called Happydent?
ii.
Some brands makes you
How aware are you of the feel like you know the latest product variations and brand as you would a close
KNOWLEDGE
promotions carried out by friend.
is
called
knowledge. This in effect is
Happydent? iii.
This
How would you rate your a culmination of the other knowledge
about
brand three pillars.
Happydent’s history? Note: The set of sample questions referred to in the above table are not an exhaustive compilation and other questions were also asked to ensure maximum quality of responses. Additionally, a similar questionnaire was also administered to the same respondents asking them to rate their preferences for other brands in the ‘candy‐mouth‐fresheners ‘category. This essentially provides us valuable information on how audiences are consuming brands within the same product category.
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ANALY YSIS ADMIN NISTERING TTHE QUESTIIONNAIRE The queestionnaire developed for the Brand Asset Vaaluator Mod del was adm ministered o on two sets of cconsumers – •
First Set of consumer b base were 8 82 in number, and thosse who resp ponded to tthe questionnaaire for the brand Happ pydent (in contrast to tthe competition that exists in the industrry)
•
The Second d set of consumer basee was 17 in number. Th hey were assked to nam me 3 other brand ds in the “m mouth fresh hner” segme ent apart fro om Happyd dent. They then responded to the same questionn naire (as administered on consum mers in the ffirst set) 4 brands (Haappydent and three otther brands named by them). for all the 4
Note: Itt must be noted that, aall the consu umers whosse responsees were con nsidered vallid were users off Happyden nt. The queestionnaire consisted o of four categories namely, Relevan nce, Esteem m, Knowledgge and Differen ntiation, each having 8 8 sets of queestions each h. EVALUA ATION OF TTHE RESPON NSES The datta set of 82 consumerss was used ffor “Brand U Understand ding”. Following graph sh hows the co omparison o of the four ccategories aas discussed d above ‐
68.0 00 66.0 00 64.0 00 62.0 00 60.0 00 58.0 00 56.0 00 54.0 00 52.0 00
Series1
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The next step was to obtain the Brand Stature and brand Vitality values. Brand Stature value was obtained as a percentage product of the Brand Esteem and Brand Knowledge values. The Brand Vitality value was obtained as a percentage product of Brand relevance and Brand Differentiation. The results were obtained on a 100 point scale (percentage). Brand Stature Brand Vitality
74.87341 85.03106
The results indicate the following – •
The brand vitality is high. This is due to high brand relevance or in another words, the brand enjoys personal relevance among the customers and a lower (but still high) brand differentiation score. Many of the respondents, interviewed pointed out that easy availability is one reason why they have opted for Happydent.
•
The brand stature is relatively lower. The major contributor here is the brand esteem itself. Brand knowledge is comparatively far behind. This indicates that the consumers don’t have considerable knowledge about the, but hold it in high esteem and thus are willing to learn about it more.
Differentiation and Relevance of a brand taken together say a lot about a Brand’s strength (Brand Vitality). These two pillars point to the brand’s future value, rather than just reflecting its past. Differentiation measures the distinctiveness or Margin opportunity of the brand. Relevance measures the appropriateness or “Brand Appeal” of the brand. The following graph shows the comparison between the percentage scores of differentiation and relevance for the brand Happydent in the “candies mouth freshner’s” industry.
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66.50 0 66.00 0 65.50 0 65.00 0 64.50 0
Series1
64.00 0 63.50 0 63.00 0 62.50 0 62.00 0 diffe erentiation
releevance
As can b be inferred from the graph, the reelevance of the brand iis significantly greater than the Diffferentiation n, indicatingg that the brrand has be ecome comm moditized. Its uniqueness has faded aand price haas become tthe primaryy reason to b buy the brand. This is aan unhealth hy pattern n for the braand. Esteem and Knowledge together create B Brand Statu ure, which iss a “Report Card” on a brand’s past performance which determines the current pow wer of the b brand. Esteem measures tthe Reputattion & Resp pect or the aability of the brand to keep customers. Knowleedge on the other hand d measures the depth o of understanding or “A Affinity with h the brand”.. The following grap ph shows the comparison between n the percentage scorees of Esteem m and ppydent in the “candiess mouth freeshner’s” ind dustry. Knowleedge for thee brand Hap
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64.00 0 63.00 0 62.00 0 61.00 0 60.00 0 59.00 0 58.00 0 57.00 0 56.00 0 55.00 0 54.00 0
Series1
Esteem E
Kno owledge
As it can be inferreed from the graph, the esteem of the brand is greater th han the knowledge, which im mplies that the custom mer would liike to know w the brand better. Con nsumers havve the motivattion to find out more aabout the brrand. This iss considered a healthy pattern forr the brand. d was plotteed between Brand Vitality on the YY‐axis and B Brand Stature on Next, a power grid the X‐axxis. As it can n be seen, tthe brand “Happydent”” lies in the top right quadrant – w which denotess “Leadersh hip” in the ccategory.
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This possition indicaates that th he Brand is aa leader in its categoryy, given the fact that it has high estteem. Even though thee brand has low differe entiation as compared to relevancce, it is perceivved as a bettter productt by consum mers because of its health utility. The datta set of 17 consumerss was used ffor “Category Understaanding”. The responses for consolidateed and the aaverage was taken outt for each off the four dge, relevan nce, esteem m and differeentiation. B Brand Staturre parameeters, namely, knowled (producct of brand esteem and d brand kno owledge) an nd Brand Vittality (produ uct of brand d relevan nce and bran nd differenttiation) valu ues were caalculated forr each of th he brands. The highest value o obtained fo or Brand Vitality and Brrand Staturee was taken n as 100th percenttile for the ccategory, an nd percentiiles for rest of the bran nds were calculated hencefo orth. It was observed that Happyd dent scored the maxim mum score fo or Brand Vittality and Braand Stature in the category, and hence is the Leader as ffound out b beforehand..
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QUESTIONNAIRE ADMINISTERED FOR QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH (A SCREENSHOT)
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