The Himalayan Times_PERSPECTIVES
February 28, 2016

Healthy Appeal

Dabur Honey's health benefits behind its sweet success

Soni Rai
Kathmandu

Healthy body and healthy mind has become the mantra of life with special focus on eating habits. Among numerous factors, honey has proven to be one of the important components of diet for a healthy lifestyle. From starting your day with a healthy dose of honey to using it as a natural healer, this golden nectar is now an important part of our meals. In the Nepali market, Dabur Honey is one of the renowned brands of Dabur Nepal Pvt Ltd ( DNPL), established in 1992 that has successfully stood the test of time. Dabur honey is synonymous with health and purity not only in the local market but globally as well. The guiding force behind Dabur’s growth and success has been the wealth of nature and its limitless capacity to support life. With the overall vision of eco- sustenance, DNLP was set up as an independent Group company in 1992. This new company, set amidst the verdant greens and towering mountains of Nepal, has managed to establish a unique bond of technology and preservation.

TRUST AND LOYALTY

 Abhaya Prasad Gorkhalee, Head of Marketing, Dabur Nepal Pvt Ltd, says, “ Consistent trust in the brand and loyalty towards the product is one of the core strength of our brand.” Dabur Honey not only assures purity but also consists of anti- oxidants, vitamins, and essentials minerals, which is important for a healthy body to support immunity power.

He states that Dabur Honey persistently focuses on quality maintenance because slowly consumers are moving towards healthy living styles and make no compromise on what they consume. Though there are many players in the market, Gorkhalee believes that Dabur honey has its own brand advantage.

He says, “ At Dabur, we focus on educating consumers’ about the health benefits of the products we sell. For instance, Dabur Honey raises awareness about how one teaspoon of honey daily can do wonders for your health.” According to him, the brand focuses on educating consumers’ through advertorials about the benefits of consuming honey. This is where the appeal of the brand lies, he shares.

QUALITY AT ITS BEST 

Gorkhalee says, “ Although marketing is important the brand’s focus is majorly upon quality and purity of the product. The brand enjoys 70 per cent of the total market share in Nepal and we continuously strive to make our products better.” He further states that though the demand of Dabur Honey is not seasonal they do see a slight increase in sales during the winter season.

According to him, the brand appreciates what their loyal consumers are in search of, which is why they give special care to packaging. The new ‘ eazee squeeze’ pack is easy to use and is quite in demand in various supermarkets. Regular bottles are available in different sizes of 50 gm, 100 gm, 250 gm, 500 gm and 1 kg whereas the ‘ eazee squeeze’ pack is available in 400 gm in different retail shops and supermarkets.

Similarly, the brand is coming with new marketing strategies with the interesting tagline, ‘ Drop sugar, switch to Dabur Honey’ in which they are promoting the healthy habit of using honey instead of sugar.

Dabur Honey claims to be a healthy product with various benefits from increasing metabolism to natural healing. Gorkhalee concludes, “ Because of these undeniable benefits the demand for honey in the market is always high.”

The Himalayan Times_PERSPECTIVES

March 6, 2016

Himalayan News Service                    

Kathmandu 

 A sip of the home grown

Local tea brands take an encouraging leap forward

Tea is the most consumed beverage in all households and there are plenty of variety and brands in the market to choose from. Nepal produces teas that are unique in appearance, aroma and taste. In Nepal one can find two types of teas — Orthodox tea which is flavourful, light in colour, and is produced in less quantity and CTC tea which is strong in colour, subtle aroma and produced in high quantity. Some of the well known local tea brands are Rakura, Tokla, Shakun and Muna.

ATTENTION TO DETAIL

Neeraj Rathi, Owner of Rakura Tea, says that he envisaged a brand that would encompass the nation’s finest teas and worked towards promoting and creating more appreciation on a collective level, around the globe. He says, “ It would have to stand tall amidst the finest brands of the world and yet be different. A vision that would create lasting sustainability and rejuvenate the whole Nepali tea market.” According to him, every feature of the Rakura brand of teas has been carefully researched, contemplated and executed.

From their collective tea experience of a 100 years in only selecting, perfecting and packaging the finest teas either from their own estates or through joining hands with other finer tea- producing estates to their gamble in using the latest technology in tea bags where the flavour of their teas would disperse from five sides instead of two or their pledge to using only the best food safe raw materials in packaging, their aspiration has always been to present consumers with the finest Himalayan tea experience. 

Rathi shares, “ We deem that it’s not just about drinking quality tea but our attention to details that strive to amaze you.” Rakura Tea understands the flexible demand and consumers’ need to have a variety of options in one brand. Some of Rakura brand of teas currently consists of 11 varieties of teas in both certified organic and conventional form through 18 SKUs divided into three segments, namely the SUPREME line of premium loose teas, CLASSIC Line of premium tea bags and Premium Natural Tea infusions in tea bags. Classic Green Tea and Classic CTC ( milk tea) sees the most demand in the market, Rathi says.

QUALITY MANAGEMENT 

Shakun Tea has been in the market for 32 years now and focuses on quality management from plucking raw tea leaves to final packaging. CEO of Shakun Tea, Ashwini Agrawal says, “ More than production, tea’s sampling and proper testing is more important to conserve the natural flavour and colour of the final tea.” In his view, brand can be upgraded through advertising in print media or audio- visual media but the most crucial part is awareness among consumers about local tea.

He says, “ The demand for CTC tea is high in the local market because consumers in Nepal like to drink milk tea with strong colour and flavour. Teenpate Special tea, Teenpate Illam Caddy and Nepal Caddy are some of the most sought after teas in the market.” 

LONG LASTING IMPRESSION

Muna Tea present over 30 years in the Nepali market has been a brand of choice for consumers in terms of quality and taste. Dinesh Saria, Director of Muna Tea, says, “ We always try our best to cater to all segments of Nepali society with our various brands like Muna, Welcome, Bihani and Royal Assam. Our pricing is also different for our different brands. So this helps supply to small tea hawkers to high end customers.” According to Saria, their signature brand is Muna, which is one of the oldest brands in Nepal.

It has a huge mass following, especially in the remote towns and villages. He says, “ There are markets where our Muna brand still holds 90 per cent market share. Then our relatively newer brand is Welcome Tea which was launched around a decade ago. It is popular in many urban markets and holds majority sales in some towns like Hetauda and Dharan. Our other products are Bihani Tea and Royal Assam. Royal Assam is our most premium tea which caters to tea lovers and tea- connoisseurs looking for a quality cup of CTC tea. We blend Nepali tea with the world famous Assamese tea to get this premium blend.”

 When consumers understand that the quality maintained in international tea brands are also maintained by local tea brands then Nepali tea brands definitely takes an encouraging leap forward, he says. Saria says, “ Very soon we are looking forward to launching our Green Tea segment. Our Green Tea is certified organic tea coming from the best gardens in Nepal. This will be a very healthy option for consumers who are weight conscious and health focused. We are also looking to innovate and automate in our back- end processes to give world class look and feel to our products.” 

BRANDING AT ITS BEST 

Harsh Sanghai, Senior Associate, Tokla Tea says, “ Our brand advantage is its persisting quality maintenance in every product. The brand speaks about trust, that’s why Tokla never compromises in branding.” Tokla Tea enjoys 25 per cent of market share by producing varieties like Tokla Gold, Tokla Rich and Tokla Premium Long Leaf Green Tea. According to Sanghai, they are more focused on in- store advertising like placing eye- catching displays of Tokla through attractive packaging and through wet sampling so that customers can provide immediate response.

“ Tokla Tea is not only limited to operating locally but also exports to countries like Australia, America, Russia and India. Our Tokla Premium Long Leaf Green Tea is becoming more popular among consumers because our green tea consists of powerful antioxidants which help consumer to overcome various health problems,” he adds.

All local tea brands are easily available in different outlets of departmental stores like Bhat Bhateni Supermarket, Saleways Department Store, Salesberry et cetera .

  

The Himalayan Times_PERSPECTIVES

March 20, 2016

 

When woes replace wows

Advertising industry still trying to strike a balance

Soni Rai 

Kathmandu 

According to the Advertising Association of Nepal ( AAN), the total annual business of the advertising industry in Nepal is above Rs five billion. However, the industry being capital centric is not a good sign. The flow of recognition of mass media such as newspapers, magazines, television commercials ( TVC), radio advertisements, et cetera from consumers’ point of view is limited outside the valley, which automatically hinders the growth of the advertising business.

Capital centric

 “ The advertising industry at present is improving but the bitter truth is that it is Capital centric and has limited scope,” says Tripti Dhungana, Head of Department of Public Relations at Prisma Advertising. “ Advertising industry is moving at a fast pace and annually the profit margin is 10 to 15 per cent,” says Santosh Shrestha, President of Advertising Association of Nepal ( AAN). Shrestha also says, “ The blockade had an adverse effect on the advertising industry which led to 60 to 70 per cent decrease in revenue.”

 Sekhar Chettri, Managing Director of V- chitra Advertising says, “ the blockade resulted in increase in operational cost and most of our regional activities were paused, we could not work on our projects and campaigns.” 

According to Dhungana, because the economy is yet to find balance after the blockade, the fate of the advertising agencies is still in a limbo. She shares, “ Due to the blockade there were no product launches, even during the festive season there were no special offers for customers. There were no sales and there weren’t many products for us to market.” 

Challenges ahead 

Shrestha shares, “ The main challenge faced by the advertising industry right now is unhealthy competition among agencies, low industry margin, lack of high skill manpower and unfavourable government policies.” He also adds that the perception of clients is a major problem faced by advertising agencies as advertisers see advertisements as expenses rather than long- term investment. According to Chettri, the lack of understanding between clients and agencies is the main challenge.

Dhungana further adds, “ As we have a niche market in advertising, we fail to analyse the target audience properly. For instance, Close- up focuses on teenagers, Pepsodent focuses on children, eventually both are toothpaste but they have target markets which make connections with the consumers.” She believes that once the target market is analysed half of the advertising industry’s problems will be solved.

Why consumers don’t acknowledge the industry? 

Dhungana shares, “ Consumers believe in what they see, for instance, in a band people recognise the lead vocalist but they ignore other members. Same goes with our industry. Consumers recognise the advertisement but they won’t bother to find who were the brains behind it.” Chettri believes that slowly but surely consumers will recognise advertising agencies for the work they do. He shares, “ Value for money ( VFM) varies from client’s perception, whether s/ he is a trader or a brand maker. We need more of people/ client to belief on ad agencies rather than just focus on selling objective.” 

What’s ahead

“ Exploration and creativity is what the advertising industry always demands. In the advertising industry people are not restricted to think, for instance, if you are launching a new product you should have the information about that very product in detail and in depth,” says Dhungana. She further explains that the advertising industry has a bright future if people are willing to explore and come up with creative ideas and understand what the client and consumer actually wants. Shrestha informs that soon AAN will be coming up with a personality training course for people interested to explore the world of advertising. This help and training will also be extended to those who wish to make a career in this industry.

Clean feed and dubbing issues 

According to Shrestha, they are still lobbying with the government for a clean feed policy and the process is ongoing. He says, “ For now a clean feed committee has been formed and we are hopeful that the committee will bring a positive change in the advertising industry.” Dhungana is of the opinion that everything has its pros and cons.

The good point of foreign language dubbing is that multinational companies are entering the local market which somehow brings opportunity whereas, in dubbing only the voice- over is recorded which is a loss of opportunity for many.“ To ask for a ban in any policy is not a part of the solution because 98 per cent of our economy depends on foreign products, so it’s wise to take a diplomatic stand rather than to advocate for any kind of ban policies,” believes Dhungana.

The Himalayan Times_ Perspectives

April 10, 2016

What’s COOKING ?

Tall on gas and short on action, inaction by authorities to blame for LPG crisis

Soni Rai

Kathmandu

T he long line of consumers with empty cylinders in front of every LPG dealer and distributor proves that consumers are still plagued by the unsolved cooking gas shortage. Yet nobody in authority seems too bothered to solve this major problem of a basic necessity. “ It’s been days since I have been queuing for gas and have to return empty handed as the gas doesn’t arrive at the dealer’s distribution point,” says a resident of Basundhara. “ As I have to go to work and cannot wait the whole day, I have to manage without gas,” says Asha Bishowkarma, a resident of Maharajgunj.

According to the Nepal L P Gas Industry Association, the current problems faced by consumers is to be blamed directly on an inactive and unconcerned government, as market demand is not being fulfilled by Nepal Oil Corporation ( NOC). There is no proper Act for LPG in Nepal and this is the reason behind the chaos and black marketing while NOC distributors and dealers play the blame game.

 THE ROOT PROBLEM

 Baburam Humagain, General Secretary of the Forum for Protection of Consumer Rights Nepal, says, “ Consumers are facing huge problems related to acute shortage of LPG. Consumers with high purchasing power and business establishments prefer to buy new cylinders ( at a premium) instead of waiting in the queue. So there is no real problem for those who can afford to buy a new cylinder in the black market.” According to him, gas dealers obviously prefer to sell new cylinders at a premium to those who can afford, such as restaurants and industries. This has led to a trend of hoarding and encouraging the buying of new cylinders rather than refilling old ones.

“ There should also be a provision that consumers be allowed to buy and refill any brand cylinder from any gas dealer because ultimately quality, quantity and price of all are the same,” he says adding that if one gas company is not supplying then consumers should be allowed to exchange it easily for another. “ The practice of paying extra for a new cylinder must be stopped as it only helps to expand the market of a particular dealer,” he says.

CLUELESS AUTHORITIES 

He further says, “ Right now the government is clueless and says that the shortage is because people are hoarding it due to a sense of insecurity.

However, the government is weak and yet to come with a policy or inform consumers about a solution to the current crisis.” According to him, if the gas dealers and the government work together to ensure smooth supply then the problem can be solved very soon.

Gokul Prasad Dhital, Director General at the Department of Supply Management and Protection of Consumer Interest says, “ In Nepal there are 6.2 million cylinders in circulation. It takes times to refill it and send them back to the market.” However, he admits there are problems with dealers not supplying gas in an effective way and encouraging people to buy new cylinders by paying extra.

“ We are investigating and sending our supply management team to dealers to properly evaluate the situation. They are deployed to find out whether consumers’ are getting cooking gas or not,” adds Dhital. “ In some places our supply management team have distributed cylinders to consumers who haven’t got cylinders for many days. It has been brought to our notice that some dealers hoard cylinders. Soon we will hold them responsible for these misconducts,” he assures. However, till date not a single dealer has been booked or seriously taken to task, despite obvious discrepancies in distribution.

Dhital also says that they are in continuous discussion with NOC about how to ensure smooth flow of LPG to dealers. He insists that for proper supply of LPG there must be the implementation of a card system. For instance, blue cylinders for business purpose and red cylinders for household consumer purpose.

SUPPLY DOES NOT MEET DEMAND 

Kush Prasad Mally, Vice- President of Nepal L P Gas Industry Association, says, “ Every winter the demand for LPG rises by 20 per cent, which is an indicator for the government to increase supply, but this never happens.” According to him, from mid November to February every year the problem of LPG shortage arises. “ NOC is a state- owned entity and should charge according to global market prices. Instead they try to show consumers that they are supplying LPG at a loss and hence supply does not meet demand,” says Mally, adding that even LPG storage facilities are inadequate.

He points out, “ There are approximately 25,000 LPG dealers in the country yet there is no fixed policy that they abide by which leads to black marketing. The only solution is proper policy and inspection by the government.” According to him, the government should encourage the private sector to come up with business plans so that private companies too can import LPG according to the increasing demand of consumers. Due to lack of proper policy the private sectors are hesitant to invest and the government has not been able to ensure smooth supply.

MORE PROMISES 

Mukunda Ghimire, Spokesperson of Nepal Oil Corporation, says, “ The monthly demand for LPG is 25,000MT. In catering to this demand we try to bring at least 30,000MT. However, the demand has now soared to 40,000MT and we are working on importing LPG as per the new demand.” According to Ghimire, NOC does not own any LPG bullets for importing and transportation of gas. If NOC has its own LPG bullets it will help decrease the problem of gas shortage. “ As the demand for the LPG is 40,000MT we need at least 60 LPG bullets. Right now we are importing 45 Indian LPG bullets which are not enough to fulfil market demand,” he admits.

Ghimire opines, “ We also don’t have any storage for LPG right now and with 53 bottling plants we only have storage capacity of 5,500MT which is certainly not enough.” He further adds, “ We plan to start a new storage plant in Kavre with storage capacity of at least 30,000MT.” While every little effort will make a big difference, it remains to be seen if all the tall talk converts to action. Otherwise as usual it’s just gas that stirs the cauldron till the next crisis evolves.

The Himalayan Times_PERSPECTIVES

March 27, 2016

Taste the difference

The official beer partner of Euro 2016 offers a chance to live it live! 

Soni Rai
Kathmandu 

Gorkha Brewery Pvt Ltd which holds more than 70 per cent market share of Nepal’s beer market has successfully created a niche for themselves over the past 20 years. The company introduced Carlsberg, one of its premium brands, in 1995 in the Nepali market. Carlsberg, one of the most iconic brands of Gorkha Brewery, is also present in more than 150 countries worldwide. Carlsberg beer contains five per cent alcohol and comes in three bottle and can sizes — 650 ml, 510 ml and 330 ml.

HOW IT ALL STARTED 

Carlsberg Laboratory made its first major scientific breakthrough when Dr Emil Chr Hansen developed a method for propagating pure yeast. The propagating method revolutionised the brewing industry. The samples of the yeast were then sent to breweries around the world by request and young brewers came to Carlsberg to learn the skills. After that the new Carlsberg yeast — Saccharomyces Carlsbergensis — was applied in the every brewing process.

FLY TO FRANCE

 Carlsberg, the official beer partner of the UEFA EURO 2016 started their two month long campaign ‘ Live it Live’ from March worldwide and in Nepal. Baibhav Sharma, Head of Marketing, Gorkha Brewery says, “ As Carlsberg is the official beer partner of UEFA EURO 2016 we want to offer a once in a life time experience to our consumers and football fans through our campaigns,” adding that the campaign is visible in over 3000 outlets all over Nepal which includes premium restaurants, supermarkets and departmental stores.

The winner of the campaign gets a chance to watch the EURO 2016 match between Italy and Sweden live on June 17 in France. EURO 2016 is officially starting from June 10. A coupon will be available with every purchase of Carlsberg beer wherein the buyer has to fill in his details and that of the outlet’s and drop it in the drop box. A lucky draw contest will be held on May 3 and the winner announced. A drop box is available in every outlet where consumer can drop their filled out coupons.

Sharma shares, “ We will be selecting only one winner through the lucky draw contest and the winner can choose a partner to take along with him to France to watch the EURO 2016.” MAINTAINING BRAND VALUE “ The brand’s unique selling point is its brand name itself. We maintain its international standard in terms of price and quality. It also uses special aromatic herbs which are not found in other beers in Nepal.

The brand’s association and with the Barclays League, Liverpool and Euro Cup adds more value to its name,” says Sharma. He further says, “ Carlsberg enjoys over 99 per cent market share in the premium segment.” According to him, Carlsberg’s mantra for success lies in its adherence to the three A’s — appreciation, aspiration and appeal. Sharma shares, “ Consumers recognise Carlsberg because they appreciate it, we are associated with different football leagues which are a result of aspiration and the concept of providing beer towers in different outlets and restaurants appeals consumers. These three A’s are the principles we follow at Carlsberg,” he added.

MARKET SEGMENTATION

 Sharma believes that branding market segmentation is very important, in terms of consumers’ education. He shares that outlet segmentation is equally important to know their consumer’s preference in terms of the type of place they want to hang out. According to Sharma, their target consumers are above 24 years, who have disposable income to spend, and can go to premium outlets.

INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION

 According to Sharma, integrated marketing communication is very important in terms of advertising and marketing. For instance, people see advertorials in newspapers which increases the brand’s visibility. Advertisement, he believes, subconsciously plays a vital role in creating a positive image.

He mentions, “ We use print advertisement, outlet advertisement and digital platforms as well. In terms of consumer effectiveness, outlet advertisement is more effective it directly influences the consumers at a point of purchase.”

 TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT

 On being asked about the quality they maintain, Sharma says, “ There are two types of quality test when it comes to total quality management, one we send samples to Carlsberg international research agencies and the second is international agencies pick up the samples from any of the outlets randomly. Apart from this, Gorkha Brewery has Empty Bottle Inspector system in which if any of the bottles has any defect the system automatically break the bottle. We assure the packaging is safe.” 

THT- Perspectives
April 17,2016

Cool brands in heated competition

The hottest clothing brands fighting to offer the coolest summer look

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu

Our lifestyle has always been influenced by how we present ourselves and the statement we make has a lot to with what we wear. Renowned clothing brands like Wrangler, Lee and Jeanswest are flourishing in the market with stylish denims for both men and women. These brands are popular with customers and this summer clothing brands are pushing their summer fabrics that ensure a cool and comfortable look.

Travel in your jeans

Wrangler is an enduring American clothing brand offering clothes which is for the spirit of people who work hard, have fun and recognise courageous individuality. In 2013 Wrangler as a brand entered the Nepali market. Vivek Sharma, Director of Wrangler Nepal, says, “ Wrangler has already created a brand name for itself all over the world and in terms of quality it has never compromised.” He says that they have targeted all age groups of customers from adults to the middle- aged, specially in terms of jeans for both men and women which is their brand advantage. “ We have different collections of jeans such as ‘ Tough gear jeans’ — this is twice as s tronger than any other pair of jeans, ‘ Water and oil repellent jeans’, and ‘ Sun shield denim’ — which reflect UV rays, making the fabric cooler in summer.” He says the brand continuously focuses on giving something new and different each year to customers as a part of their brand strategy.

According to Sharma, even a recognised brand faces tough competition in the market and their constant persistence and variation in the clothing line makes them different from others. He also adds, “ We regularly focus on customer service by keeping a database of our customers so that they can be updated with the latest news related to the brand.” This is what makes the brand different and helps in increasing brand loyalty among customers.This summer the brand is offering ‘ Traveller jeans’ to customers. They are comfortable and made of soft fabric which is perfect for travelling, says Sharma.

For every season

In Nepal, Lee has been around since 2011 offering an entire clothing line for men and women.

Earlier the brand was more focused on work wear and business clothing but has expanded to fashionable denims with casual clothes as well. Dilip KC, General Manager, Lee jeans Nepal, says, “ Lee is for those who want better fits, styles, finish and choices in their clothing style.

We are more focused on jeans and t- shirts and we introduce our clothes lines according to the seasons.” He informs that this summer Lee has come up with ‘ Denim Delight’ which is much smoother, looks like jeans but is more stretchable and thus is more in demand in the market.

According to KC, they import their products from India and Vietnam. “ Following the latest fashion in our clothing line, using suitable fabrics according to the season and durability are the unique selling points of our brand,” shares KC. “ Different collections, styles and fits like loose, regular, relaxed, skinny and slim jeans are favourites among customers,” he says.

He further shares that customer service is very important when it comes to maintaining a brand name. “ It’s not about one time sales, a brand should have the capability of retaining customers which is only possible by providing a quality product with good service. Satisfying our customers with the latest products is our marketing strategy,” he says.

Price is right

Jeansweat is an Australian brand which was launched in 2010 in Nepal. It operates in the casual clothes segment with denims playing an integral part in the product range. This brand has been loved by customers for their product, customer service and reasonable pricing. This apparel chain is owned and operated by Glorious Sun.

Achal Kumar Agarwal, Director, Jeanswest for Nepal, says, “ We do lot of online marketing for Jeanswest and have different discount systems for regular customers as this helps increase sales.” He informs that in Nepal, word of mouth advertising is the key to increase sales. “ We focus on men and women clothing. We have a strong brand presence when it comes to women’s clothing whereas very few of brands concentrate on women, this is our strong selling point,” he says.

According to Agarwal, Jeanswest is competitive when it comes to pricing. This pricing strategy helps to pull the customers. He says, “ Our brand’s USP is reasonable pricing compared to other brands.” He informs that the brand usually uses fabrics like lycra and dupont. For this summer season the brand is coming with summer fabrics which absorbs sweat. They are very strong in both the jeans and tshirt segment, says Agarwal. For men they have jeans, casual pants, shorts, t- shirts and shirts; for women they have skirts, shorts, jeans, t- shirts and blouses. “ This wide product range has helped our brand sustain in the market,” says Agarwal.