Introduction

  

Water is the most important necessity for life. The drinking-water needs for individuals vary
depending on the climate, physical activity and the body culture. But for average consumers
it is estimated to be about two to four litres per day. The growing number of cases of water
borne diseases, increasing water pollution, increasing urbanization, increasing scarcity of
pure and safe water etc. has made the bottled water business just like other consumer items.
Scarcity of potable and wholesome water at railway stations, tourist’s spots, and role of
tourism corp. etc. has also added to the growth.
  Almost all the major international and national brands water bottles are available in Indian
market right from the malls to railway stations, bus stations, grocery stores and even at
panwala's shop. Before few years bottle water. Was considered as the rich people's choice,
but now it is penetrated even in rural areas. The growth and status of Indian Bottled Industry
in comparison with Western or Asian market, India is far behind in terms of quantum,
infrastructure, professionalism and standards implementation. The per capita consumption of
mineral water in India is a mere 0.5-liter compared to 111 litres in Europe and 45-liter in
USA.   Also As per UN study conducted in 122 countries, in connection with water quality,
India's number was dismal 120. In comparison to global standards India's bottled water
segment is largely unregulated. 
  Former President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has urged youngsters on July 17, 2010 to be
aware of water conservation techniques to avoid grave water crisis in future."It is so sad that
today, people are forced to buy water in plastic bottles. I am told that bottled water industry is
worth nearly 10000 crore rupees and even big companies like the Coke and Pepsi are
involved in this bottling of water and making money. So, it is imperative that we ought to
save water," he added. 
  Do not be surprise if today's bottles water industry becomes next Oil industry by 2025. 

Bottled Water Industry in India 

A few years back, the mineral water market had been crawling at the rate of 3-4%, or even a
lower figure. Indians carried drinking water in earthen pitchers, plastic or PUF bottles. But
increasing cases of typhoid and other waterborne diseases began to be reported. In addition to
this, liberalization happened and the mineral water industry began to be stirred and shaken.
The market started growing an astounding rate of over 100% per annum. The fact that there
were very few players in the market meant that their business grew by leaps and bounds.

NOW, the Indian market is estimated at about Rs 1,000 Crore and is growing at whopping
rate of 40 per cent. By 2010, it will reach Rs 4,000 -5,000 Crore with 33 per cent market for
natural mineral water. 
  According to a national-level study, there are more than 200 bottled water brands in India
and among them nearly 80 per cent are local brands. In fact, making bottled water is today a
cottage industry in the country. Leave alone the metros, where a bottled-water manufacturer
can be found even in a one-room shop, in every medium and small city and even some
prosperous rural areas there are bottled water manufacturers. 
 While India ranks in the top 10 largest bottled water consumers in the world, it’s per capita
per annum consumption of bottled water is estimated to be five litres which is comparatively
lower than the global average of 24 litres. Today it is one of India's fastest growing industrial
sectors. Between 1999 and 2004, the Indian bottled water market grew at a compound annual
growth rate (CAGR) of 25 per cent - the highest in the world. The total annual bottled water
consumption in India had tripled to 5 billion litres in 2004 from 1.5 billion litres in
1999. Global consumption of bottled water was nearing 200 billion litres in 2006.     
In the branded segment, Parle’s Bisleri is the market leader with a share of more than 45%.
Parle Agro’s Bailley comes a close second with market share of 15%. Other major players in
the market are Yes of Kotharis, Ganga of T-Series, Himalayan, Hello, Nestlé’s Pure Life,
Pepsi’s Aquafina, Coca-Cola’s -Kinley Prime, and Florida etc.
Sensing the opportunity that this segment holds, MNCs began to draw up plans to enter the
market. Today the market is proving to be yet another battlefield for an ongoing battle
between the Desi’s and MNC’s. Last year the industry had around 170 brands. This figure is
over 300 presently. The major foreign players are Coca-Cola promoted Kinley, Pepsi’s
Aquafina, Britannia’s Evian, Nestlé’s Perrier, Herbert sons and DANONE International.

History of Bisleri in India

Mineral bottled water in India under the name 'Bisleri' was first introduced in Mumbai by
Bisleri Ltd., a company of Italian origin in 1965. Mineral bottled water were in glass bottles
in two varieties - bubbly and still in 1965 This company was started by Signor Felice  who
first brought the idea of selling bottled water in India.
  Parle bought over Bisleri (India) Ltd. In 1969 and started bottling Mineral water in glass
bottles under the brand name 'Bisleri'. Later Parle switched over to PVC non- returnable
bottles and finally advanced to PET containers.
Ramesh Chauhan, chairman, Parle Bisleri created a market out of pure water. Excerpts from a
conversation with Prerna Raturi:
Can I be honest? When we bought Bisleri mineral water from the Italian company, Felice
Bisleri, in 1969 -- the company had been unable to market bottled water and wanted to exit
the market -- we too did not see any potential for the product at that time.
As a soft drinks company, we had Thums Up, Gold Spot and Limca (cola, orange drink and
lemonade) but no soft drink company was complete without a soda. So we merely used the
name and launched Bisleri soda with two variants -- carbonated and non-carbonated mineral
water.
But three decades ago, what could we say about a category that had no market? We didn't
know our target group. Then, since bottled water is colourless, tasteless and odourless, it was
not an easy product to advertise.
Thus, the earlier brand building efforts focused on Bisleri being healthy with adequate
minerals. The Italian name added a dash of class to it. The first print ad campaign captured
the international essence and showed a butler with a bow tie, holding two bottles of Bisleri.
The punch line was, "Bisleri is very very extraordinary" (the spelling of the punch line was
designed to capture the consumer's attention). The campaign was successful and we were
being noticed as someone who catered to the need for safe, healthy drinking water.
However, the real boost to mineral water came in the early-to-mid-1980s when we switched
to PVC packaging and later to PET bottles. The PET packaging did not just ensure better
transparency -- we could now show sparkling clear water to the consumers. It also meant
better life for the water.
Since 1995 Mr.Ramesh J.Chauhan has started expanding Bisleri operations substantially and
the turnover has multiplied more than 20 times over a period of 10 years and the average
growth rate has been around 40% over this period. Presently it has 8 plants and 11
franchisees all over India. Bisleri command a 60% market share of the organized market.  

Products of Bisleri

Bisleri with added minerals:-

Bisleri mineral water contains minerals such as magnesium sulphate and potassium
bicarbonate which are essential for healthy living. They not only maintain the pH balance of
the body but also help in keeping you fit and energetic at all times.

VEDICA natural mountain water from the Himalayas:-

Lauded as today’s “Fountain of Youth”, Vedica natural mountain water from the Himalayas
resonates with the energy and vibrancy capable of taking you back to nature.

Bisleri Fizzy Soda:-

The new Bisleri Fizzy Soda in an astonishing bottle. Hold it close!!! It has the right mix of
minerals and uses the Bisleri pinpoint combination, to get the great fizz and yet not change
the taste of the whisky. Get fizzy!!! With Bisleri fizzy soda.

4P’S OF MARKETING {MIX MARKETING}

4p’s of marketing is the base of marketing. The decisions in marketing namely depends on
mix marketing .This concept give sense to the owner that in what way product can be
produced in market. A manufacturer can capture the market by applying 4p’s systemically.

4p’s of marketing is as under:

1. Product
2. Price
3. Place (distribution)
4. Promotion
There are two types of promotion-
1. advertising
2. sales promotion

1 .Product
.Product

Product is anything that is offered to satisfy needs and wants of the customer. So that they
can easily survive.

2. Price

When ever company launches a product in the market they have to fix certain price according
to the product so that customer buys the product economically.

3. Place (distribution)

Place is also called distribution. If a company launches a product in market it should be made
available conveniently so that the consumer can easily buy it. If distribution is not proper in
the market the product may fail.

4. Promotion

Promotion is the mode of communicating with the customer. This is the area where people
get to know about the product.

There are two types of promotion.

1. Advertising: In advertising the product is promoted by the means of advertisements such as

TV adds newspapers etc.

2. Sales promotion: In sales promotion the product is promoted through sales such as
discounts on products etc.

4ps USED IN MARKETING OF VEDICA

PRODUCT: Vedica natural mountain water from the Himalayas

SOURCE: Vedica natural mountain water is the only water from an aquifer which gushes to
a height of 5 meters

Above the ground level. Vedica water is bottled at the source in the Himalayas, in the most
hygienic conditions.

TASTE: Natural mineral waters tend to taste dull and chalky due to high content of calcium,
magnesium and bicarbonates.

Vedica has lower calcium and Magnesium content, which prevents the chalky taste.

ALKALINE: Vedica has the highest pH which makes it more alkaline.

PRICE: The Company decides its price on the basis of decided segmentation of the product,
as Vedica is segmented for niche peoples and not for masses the price of the product is
high as compared to other brands. The price of Vedica is MRP Rs.25 for a litre which is
much high than other brands which is 12 Rs per litre.

PROMOTION: As the product is aimed for niche and not for the masses the promotion of it
is carried in premium Newspapers and Magazines like lonely planet etc. The marketing team
of the product also carries its promotion in parties of corporate and VVIP peoples.

PLACE: This product is not available with each and every whole sellers and retailers but is
distributed in certain leading stores which also keep international branded mineral water. It
also distributed to the places where VVIP people visits very often like corporate meetings and
parties.

MARKETING MIX USED BY BISLERI

The set of controllable tactical tools- product, price, promotion, and place (4 Ps), that the firm
blends to produce the response it wants, in the target markets. 
The 4Ps 

PRODUCT
The main product of the company is the mineral water by the name of Bisleri Mineral water.
Other than mineral water the company has also the soda water under its brand name called
the Bisleri Soda Water. The concept of bottled mineral water was introduced in India, first by
Bisleri, and that is the reason, it has become a generic name for the mineral water. Bisleri has
become a perfect synonym of the mineral water for the Indian consumers. 
The main challenge facing the company or any other player in this mineral water industry is
that there is no scope of invention and innovation in the product, which can be added as the
additional benefits of the product. It is just water after all. This is what the Indian customers
think of the bottled water. If we are talking about a product like television we can think that
the innovations could provide extra benefits derived from the product. For example other than
its core usage the product can provide for Internet facilities using conversion. 

PLACE
Place stands for the company activities that make the product available to the target
customers. To make the product available to the target consumers a good distribution network
has to be there to support the good quality of the product. Here in the case of the mineral
water industry the distribution network is the important factor in being competitive and the
catch lies in making water available to maximum number of places in the country.

PRICE
Price is the sum of values that consumer exchange for the benefits of having or using the
product or service. Price is the only element in the marketing mix that produces revenue. All
other elements represent costs. 
In India, where the majority of the population comprise of the middle-income group and
lower income groups it is not hard to understand that pricing is one of the most important
factor in the buying decisions.
Bisleri has met the expectations of the consumers in terms of pricing the product and also
making the product available in variations of litres, making Bisleri both convenient and
affordable. The company is following a very aggressive pricing. Its product is available at a
very reasonable price. 
 

PROMOTION
Modern marketing calls for more than just developing a good product, pricing it attractively,
and making it available to the target customers, companies must also communicate with their
customers, and what they communicate should not be left to chance. 
A Company’s total marketing communications program- called its Promotion Mix consists of
specific blend of advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, and public relations tools that
the company uses to pursue its advertising and marketing objectives. 

MARKETING STRATEGY
It is complete and an unbeatable plan designed specifically for attaining the marketing
objective of a firm. The marketing objective indicates what the firm want to achieve. The
marketing strategy provides the design for achieving them the linkage between marketing
strategies and over all corporate success is indeed direct and vital.

FORMULATING THE MARKETING STRATEGY-

Formulating the marketing strategy consists of two main steps-

1- Selecting the target market-

It does not fully bring out the import of the inseparable linkage between the two. When the
selection of the target market is over an important part of the marketing strategy of the firm is
already determined, defined and expressed.

2-Assembling the marketing mix-

Assembling the marketing mix means assembling the four P’s of marketing in the right
combination.
The firm has to find out how it can generate the best sales and profit. It plans different
marketing mixes with varying levels of expenditure on each element and tries to figure out
the effectiveness of each combination in terms of the possible sales and profit.

ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN:
While designing the advertisement campaign, it is necessary to keep in mind the opinion
leaders. Youth are the opinion leaders of the present time. And thus it becomes necessary to
design the campaign keeping the youth in mind. The opinion leaders would further trickle
down the message to the less active members of the society.
This is exactly what Bisleri is doing. Bisleri has started an advertisement campaign stressing
the point of purity and flaunting the patent right the company has over the breakaway seal.
The company has tried to put the message across louder, by using the ad campaign that
catches the eye of everyone, specially the youth. 
 CONTENT OF THE CAMPAIGN CARRIED BY BISLERI:

Every brand needs a good advertising campaign to establish itself in the market. So it
becomes very imperative to look at various ad campaigns that Bisleri undertook to build itself
as a brand. Bisleri started its game plan with the punch line of ‘Pure and Safe’ and used the
same catch-line for advertising. But with the advent of many new players, all claiming the
purity, it became very imperative for Bisleri to differentiate its product so as to stand out in
the market Bisleri that was looking for a differentiator decided to make the breakaway seal
the symbol of purity. The tamper-proof seal was developed, around which the communication
was woven. The campaign stresses the safety provided by the breakaway seal by illustrating
the ease with which conventionally sealed bottles can be refilled and recycled.
The objective with the campaign would have been to highlight the tamper-proof seal and
create doubt in the consumer’s mind of the purity of the other brands. That is, Bisleri is the
only one that guarantees purity and keeps you Safe.
To conclude: We find that new advertisement campaign of Bisleri is eye catching. This is
what the company should do. And also the company should make the message clearer to the
customers that it has the patent right over the breakaway seal. In the survey we found that the
consumers are aware of the breakaway seal but are not aware that the company has the patent
right. 
 SOME EMERGING FACTS OF THE COMPANY:

Brand image:

 Overwhelming popularity of ‘BISLERI’ and the fact that it pioneered bottled water in
India, has made it synonymous to Mineral water and a household name. When you
think of bottled water you think of’ BISLREI’.
 More than 70% of the market is acquired by Bisleri.
 The company does not consider any competition in the market.

Purification process:

 Bisleri is the only brand which undertakes double ozonisation as a part of its
purification process.
 Bisleri has 6 steps purification process they are as follows:
1. OZONISATION
2. SAND FILTER
3. CARBON FILTER
4. REVERSE OSMOSIS SYSTEM
5. MINERAL INJECTION
6. OZONATION

BISLERI cares:

It has helped in the construction of 27 check dams, deepening of 42 ponds and

construction of 110 low cost housing projects. These check dams have contributed
to saving 10,000 million litters of water annually for the surrounding villages.