CASE STUDY Launching Ariel

Introduction of the case study:

In MAY 1997, Mr. Tahir Malik (Assistant Brand Manager for Ariel) wants to launch a
surf detergent in Pakistan. He wants to launch a powerful and well performance
oriented detergent in the market. He started for surveys and start struggle for
identifying the market segments in which he want to launch that. The surf which he
wants to launch was named ARIEAL.
During the process of launching the ARIAL, Mr. Tahir Malik faced very critical issues
in the market segments. He becomes very much upset to start his work. Because he
caught in very hard problems before starting his survey. Mr. Tahir also wants to take
a solid decision for launching ARIAL. But whenever he want to make decision, on
the same time, any problem came again. After a long time, his manager ordred his
to take serious decision for finalizing the marketing plan for the launch of Ariel.
The launch would be a culmination of almost two years of extensive research and
development efforts that Malik and other team members had put in. In addition,
Ariel would be P&Gs first entry in Pakistan in a product category that was extremely
important for P&G worldwide. Both P &G headquarters in Cincinnati and the regional
head office in Brussels were kneely following up on this launch. Ariel was scheduled
for launch in less than two months.
P&Gs goal is to be the finest consumer goods company in Pakistan Pakistan offers
one of the greatest opportunities for growth that P&G has in the world. Ten years
from now we should be many times larger than we are today, and I am confident
that we will be. And even then well have enormous opportunities. We are in
Pakistan to build a great business over time.
Mr. Tahir Malik starts his survey in the consumer markets and focus on the people
who were using the soaps for washing the clothes. After a part of time, he take
decision to launch the ARIAL. For launching ARIAL, he decided to make an
advertisement. He selected different rural women and showed them on TV. Mr.
Tahirs decision for advertisement was not good. It was so expensive. Therefore, he
thought that his launch of ARIAL is not in good time. So that, he did not launch the
ARIAL on that time.

Define the Problem:

Procter and Gamble, Pakistan (P&G), faced some critical decisions as he finalized
the marketing plan for the launch of Ariel. The launch would be a culmination of
almost two years of extensive research and development efforts that Malik and
other team members had put in. Ariel was scheduled for launch in less than two
months.
KEY ISSUES:
Strategy used for launching Ariel
Unique Selling Point of the Detergent
Positioning of the brand
Long term relations with customers
Novelty of the product
Tradition of the customer
Strong position of soap
Communication Strategy
Packaging of detergent
Market share of profit
Well enriched of competitor
FRAME WORK OF ARIEL LAUCH:
1. Strategy used for launching Ariel:

Short time to launch the product

Finance problem

Marketing problem

Stability in the mind of customer

2. Unique Selling Point of Detergent:

Customer care

Relation with customer

New product

Detergent were used for special clothes

3. Positioning of the Brand:

Unawareness of people

Conviction in housewives

Competitors image in the mind of consumer

Difficult to change beliefs

4. Long term relation with customer:

Price issue

Quality of the product

Sales promotion of the product

Marketing Mix

5. Novelty of the product:

Higher cost

ATL / BTL Advertisement

6. Tradition of the Customer:

Income level of people

Customer satisfaction with already available products

People are not satisfied with the detergents

Maximum wash with the use of detergent

Lower price of soap

7. Strong position of soap:

Soaps users were very demanding

Cheap prices

Pretty Good

Goods for maximum washes

8. Communication Strategy:

Presentation of brand

Performance oriented

Promotion

Door-to-Door Marketing

9. Well enriched of competitor:

Already strong in market

Well awareness of people

Low price

Good imagination in the mind of consumer

Alternative Solutions:
As malik seemed that in his survey, Pakistani homemakers took their laundry very
seriously. I suggest some alternative solution:

Maintain good relationship with customer

Provide necessary information about ARIEL to customer

Done promotion in successful way

Create smaller keeping units of ARIEL

Presentation of brand

Lower price of ARIEL

Maintain successful distributor channel

Selected Solution to the Problem:

When we provide necessary information about ARIEL to customers that he is not
harmful for human skin and also different enzymes are added in their formulation
strategy for different staining agents in this way consumer must think about try to
purchase the ARIEL. When consumers try ARIEL for washing he much impressed his
cleaning power and done promotion in such a way that go to the school, colleges,
universities for cleaning challenge and where show the performance of ARIEL in this
way youth also try to convince the parents for uses the ARIEL.
Analysis of Data:
Malik seemed that in his survey, Pakistani homemakers took their laundry very
seriously and also she was more performance oriented than price oriented. Also
homemakers took a lot of pride in providing clean clothes for their families. Clean

clothes seemed to reassure women that they were good MOTHERS and
HOUSEWIVES. Malik also noticed that none of the competitive brands contained any
enzymes at all. Malik used real life testimonial (RLT) approach to advertising appeal
would be used.
Expected Results and Rationale for the solution:
CONCLUSION:
As the survey reveals that mostly people are price sensitive and want good results
at lower cost so it was difficult for Ariel to lower their prices as it was providing good
quality with bluing agent, digester, enzymes. Competitors were also a problem as in
1997 lever brothers made a profit of Rs 831 million on sales of Rs 15.24 billion.
Lever had two brands. Surf for premium segment and sunlight for economy
segment. Colgate also carried abroad assortment of personal, fabric and home care
products earned a profit of Rs 58 million on sales of Rs 1.2 billion. They also make
different products for different segments. Ariel was also facing problem. In
communication strategy that how to are people about the product and how to
motivate them. So for this Malik and his team armed with camera person, spent
three months in various public places and try to motivate people by different Ariel
challenges. They conduct a survey in which they showed a difference between Ariel
and other cleaning products. Packaging was also a issue for the Ariel team. For this
they explored two approaches, first they could use poly bag packing. Secondly they
could pay around the size of SKUs. Competitors SKUs were available in 20 or 40
grams. Research suggested that 80 grams Ariel was good enough for days wash as
it will reduce the cost as well.

SUGGESTIONS & RECOMMEDATIONS:

1.

Advertising should be better.

2.

They should sure their USP in the advertisement.

3.

Usage of enzymes should be more clear.

4.

They should move to compact formulation.

5.

Ariel should consume less time in judging consumer behavior.

6.

They should try to develop their pre-purchase behavior by convincing them.

7.
They must ensure the post-purchase behavior by creating long term good
relation with
their customer.