Thums Up- Taste the thunder
Rupa Datta grew up in a tony neighbourhood in south Kolkata. Like many
teenagers of her age in Kolkata, she used to really enjoy a bottle of Thums
Up after dinner at home. But life changed for her when she moved to
Delhi in the mid-1990s, and she could not indulge in her favourite drink as
the brand was not readily available. Rupa would not settle for another
cola and her family had to scout markets to buy a bottle of Thums Up.
Such loyal following, a strong taste, and consistent positioning, has helped
Thums Up rule the Rs 7000-crore carbonated drinks market with a 15.8 per
cent market share that is followed by Sprite (14.2 per cent), Pepsi (13.7 per
cent), and Coca-Cola 8 per cent). The mass following for Thums Up,
especially in markets like West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, forced Coca-
Cola to renew its focus on Thums Up, which had got diffused after Coke
bought Parle's beverages business in 1993 and began pushing its brands.
In 1993, when Coke entered India, Thums Up had a 36 per cent market
share versus 26 per cent for Pepsi but many marketing experts believe
Coca-Cola did a hara-kiri by trying to push its brands at the cost of Thums
Up. The result: Coke India ceding ground to Pepsi, as Thums Up's market
share began to take a precipitous dive. That's when Coke realised its
mistake and began pushing Thums Up again. What makes it click?
''Thums Up has a unique, spicy flavour that goes well with the Indian
palate while the positioning of the brand, on the platform of masculinity,
has been consistent. These two things complement well,'' says Anand
Singh, director, marketing, Coca-Cola India. While the positioning has
been consistent, the brand is trying to evolve from a 'rugged macho
brand' to a brand with a wider appeal and, yet retain its masculine
appeal
Thums up was introduced by the Chauhan brothers, Ramesh and Prakash,
in 1977 when Coca-Cola exited India. Its bold new flavour clicked instantly
with Indian customers. The Chauhans first tried varia