Tic Tac has been a household name in India for several years now. Over the years, the brand has evolved its positioning to appeal to a broader audience while staying true to its refreshing taste and consumer palette. From being a product that was merely known for its minty freshness, Tic Tac has transformed itself into a fun and playful brand that connects with consumers in unique and innovative ways.
As the Marketing Head of Tic Tac in India, Zoher Kapuswala has been integral to the brand’s journey. He has spearheaded several successful campaigns that have helped Tic Tac grow year after year and establish itself as a market leader in the confectionery segment. The brand recently collaborated with Internet sensation Yashraj Mukhate for its latest digital campaign #TicTacLife.
MI speaks with Zoher Kapuswala about the journey of the brand in India and its key focus markets.
Let’s read…
Q) Tell us about the brand journey of Tic Tac in India?
Zoher: Tic Tac was one of the Pioneers in Preimmunizing the India Confectionery Category by creating an INR 10 price point in the market, thanks to its first-of-its-kind share-worthy format. Ever since the Brand has evolved over the years, along with the changing consumer needs.
Innovation has been at the heart of the Brand. It has been one of the first brands to launch traditional Indian flavors like Fennel. Tic Tac also launched a sub-brand Tic Tac Seeds, with crushed seeds inside, that epitomizes the Indian refreshment rituals, apart from the global leading flavors like Mint, Orange, and Red Apple. The Brand also ensures it stands out in the Impulse environment, by its innovative Shelf-ready packaging (like the Iconic Tree & the Wall-Hangers).
Also Read: Tic Tac gives a modern twist to traditional mouth freshner, introduces ‘Tic Tac Seeds’ in its new TVC
Overall, Tic Tac’s journey in India has been one of innovation and adaptation. The brand has successfully carved out a unique space in the Indian market by positioning itself as a fun, refreshing mint that appeals to the youth. With its continued focus on product innovation and targeted marketing campaigns, Tic Tac is well-positioned to continue growing its market share in India.
Q) How has the brand maintained its position in the competitive space? How did it evolve over the years?
Zoher: Tic Tac has always been focused on product innovation by introducing new flavors and formats. This has helped the brand stay relevant and cater to changing consumer preferences. We, as a brand, built a strong brand image through consistent branding and advertising. The brand has a unique identity that is instantly recognizable and memorable. We have successfully reached out to our target audience through targeted marketing campaigns. The brand has leveraged social media and other digital platforms to engage with its consumers and build a stronger online narrative. We have built a strong distribution network that ensures the products are widely available across different channels and locations. This has helped the brand to reach a larger consumer base and gain a competitive advantage.
Q) Tell us more about the brand campaigns (digital and print). Also, tell us about your future campaigns.
Zoher: In 2022, Tic Tac’s ‘Mouth Fresh, Mood Refresh’ campaign was launched in India and aimed to position the brand as a mouth freshener that refreshes the mood by providing a continuous release of long-lasting and refreshing experiences. The campaign included a series of TV and digital ads that helped deliver the brand’s positioning among youngsters. Tic Tac recently collaborated with Yashraj Mukhate for its digital campaign #TicTacLife. The idea behind the campaign was to tap into the current trend of user-generated content and leverage the creative talent of Yashraj Mukhate to create an entertaining and engaging jingle featuring Tic Tac through an influencer marketing campaign. The campaign aimed to portray Tic Tac as an inspiration for a refreshing transformation that brings alive the precious moments of fun and good vibes to further establish Tic Tac as the preferred refreshment amongst the youth of India. Overall, Tic Tac has launched several innovative brand campaigns in India that have helped to drive its brand narrative and engage with its target audience. These campaigns have been creative, quirky, and fun, which resonates well with the brand’s image as a refreshing and enjoyable mint.
Q) How are you taking the brand to Tier 2 -3 cities?
Zoher: One of our key priorities is to expand our brand presence in India’s Tier 2 and 3 cities. To achieve this, we have implemented several initiatives specifically designed to cater to consumers’ needs and preferences in these markets. For example, we have recently done an on-ground “Fresh and Crazy”(College Fresher’s day) activation in 64 colleges in 8 cities of UP, which is the biggest Indian state in terms of population and presents big business opportunities for Tic Tac. This was clubbed with a store seeding van activation, which helped us open new stores and increase our distribution and engagement with consumers and shoppers in small towns of UP. These activations helped us in increasing mental and physical availability among our target audience which is the young college students.
We have also partnered with local distributors and retailers to ensure that our products are widely available in these markets. We have also introduced smaller pack sizes and more affordable prices to make our products accessible to a wider range of consumers.
We have conducted extensive research to understand consumers’ unique needs and preferences in Tier 2 and 3 cities and have developed campaigns that resonate with them. Overall, our approach to expanding our brand presence in Tier 2 and 3 cities has been one of localization and personalized engagement. By understanding consumers’ unique needs and preferences in these markets and tailoring our strategies accordingly, we are confident that we can continue growing our brand presence and building a loyal customer base.
Q) What are your key focus markets?
Zoher: Our key focus markets are primarily the urban and semi-urban areas of the country. We have identified these markets as having high potential for growth due to their large consumer base and increasing disposable income levels. To cater to these markets, Tic Tac has implemented a targeted marketing strategy that focuses on reaching consumers in these areas through various channels. This includes leveraging social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to engage with our target audience and promote our products. We have also established a strong distribution network in these markets, ensuring that our products are widely available in convenience stores, supermarkets, and other retail outlets. Additionally, we have partnered with popular e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart to reach consumers who prefer to shop online. In terms of product offerings, we have introduced channel specific SKUs and specialized combi packs specifically tailored to the tastes and preferences of consumers in these markets.
Also Read: Tic Tac launches new TV campaign “Gentle Refreshment”
In short, an always on the go approach and innovative thinking have helped drive growth and maintain our position as a leading confectionery brand in India.
Q) What is the brand’s YOY growth?
Zoher: Constant product innovation coupled with varied marketing strategies has helped us achieve year on year brand growth in the India market. Tic Tac has continuously introduced new flavors and product variants, such as Tic Tac Spearmint and Tic Tac Seeds respectively, to cater to changing consumer palate. This has helped to keep the brand relevant and drive sales growth. We as a brand, have consistently implemented effective marketing strategies that have helped to build brand awareness and drive consumer engagement. The brand has leveraged various marketing channels, including social media and influencer marketing, to reach its target audience and promote its products. Tic Tac has also come up with some innovative in & out flavors like Popcorn, Cherry Cola and Banana in India to drive brand growth, that offered something new and unique to the consumers. Some other factors for year-on-year brand growth in the Indian market can be attributed to a combination of strong distribution network, and a focus on quality and consistency, by continuing to focus on these key areas, Tic Tac is well-positioned to sustain its growth in the Indian market.
