Senthuran

Hair oil segment is classified broadly as natural oils and perfumed hair oils/creams. Approximately 55 per cent of the total market for hair oil products are with natural oil brands, such as, Parachute, Shalimar, Cococare, Nihar, Anmol, etc. The balance is with perfumed hair care products, which is further sub-classified as: heavy hair oil (Dabur Jasmine, Bajaj Amla), light hair oil (Hair & Care, Dabur Special), cooling hair oil (Banphool, Keshraj), hair tonics/creams (Clinic Active, Brylcreem) and coconut based oils (Clinic Plus, Parachute Herbal).

Marico, one of the major player in the branded coconut hair oil segment, fired the first missile during July 1996 by launching a three-day mass media advertising warning consumers that a particular brand of hair oil (to be read as Clinic Plus Hair Oil from Hindustan Lever Limited) was 'not pure coconut oil'. The ad copy says : "When they say plus, they mean 42 per cent coconut oil plus 58 per cent paraffin"; and "When we say Parachute, we mean 100 per cent coconut oil. When you use coconut oil, don't buy diluted, buy 100% pure." The base line of the ad: "100% coconut oil. 0% Paraffin."

Hindustan Lever Limited (HLL) promptly approached MRTP Commission and within four days obtained an exparte interim stay order on the Marico campaign. And it issued a notice in public interest by the first week of August with the head line: "Misleading advertising by Parachute Coconut Oil stopped by the MRTP Commission."

In the second round of coconut oil ad war, HLL released an ad with the message: Misleading advertisement by Parachute coconut oil stopped by the MRTPC. However, on the same day of HLLs ad, Marico released an improved ad. Marico continued with the same position of purity of its hair oil. In the place of bottle with the + sign, there was a large Parachute bottle. Base line of the previous ad got transformed into the headline: 100% coconut oil. 0% paraffin. The copy in large point said: This symbol stands for 100% purity.

Further, Dabur joined the game during mid August 1996 with a campaign. It's copy: "Dabur Vatika Hair Oil. Neither Paraffin nor Cooking Oil. Just Pure Coconut Hair Oil enriched with Henna, Amla and Lemon." The ad also mentions at the bottom: "Notice issued in the interest of healthy and beautiful hair."

It is paradoxical that the same HLL which approached MRTP Commission in 1996, has been adopting advertisement strategies for quite some time, which directly affect the Indian sensibilities, especially the coconut heritage of Kerala. For example, HLLs TV commercial for Clinic Plus brand of coconut hair oil depicts characters which are shown in the act of impressing upon a girl child that using pure coconut oil is not desirable and that using HLLs product (which is only half-pure coconut oil) is a better proposition. The girl child in the advertisement is shown to be ridiculed by her schoolmates as Chipku Chipku just because she is using pure coconut oil. The child is later shown to be changing her preference and start using HLLs product in place of pure coconut oil. In general HLL seems to be attempting to lower the self-esteem of users of pure coconut oil so that they move to other products. This is highly deplorable. There are several examples in India, especially in the state of Kerala, of great leaders, male and female, in various walks of life, who have been regular and proud users of pure coconut oil.

It is unfortunate that a company such as HLL (or its ad agency) is not aware of the fact that coconut oil has been used in India for several centuries and has assumed an important place in Indian psyche, culture and hair care. Pure coconut oil has properties which have been proved medicinally, and it is also included in several Ayurvedic scriptures as beneficial oil in its natural form. It is certainly an ethnic product of Kerala, which promoted good health. In complete disregard to these facts, HLL is seeking to run down pure coconut oil. This is just to promote HLLs product, which contains about half mineral oil that does not have the same properties as pure coconut oil. In fact, HLL is giving a false impression that diluted coconut oil provide the same benefits as pure unadulterated coconut oil. The Clinic Plus product pack speaks of healthy hair, when in fact, the proportion of pure coconut oil providing health is only half. This is nothing but playing a trick on the consumer.

It is not in the interests of Kerala to let coconut oil and its users be ridiculed in such a crass manner. HLL must be aware that not only does the coconut oil industry provide employment to several thousands of people especially in Kerala, but also supports many small-scale industries. While promoting the products of HLL, it can not be insensitive to such a large strata of the Kerala economy and society.

HLL is using children in its TV commercials, by which it tries to ensure that a generation of consumers would reject coconut oil and get misled into using HLL products. HLL should follow ethical trade practices, which are in conformity with the culture and sensibilities of Kerala.

To sum the Aftermath of War:

· Ad wars is an indication of higher level of competition which seeks superior creative quality.

· Question unanswered: Does such comparative advertising work in a functional product category such as hair oil where

awareness levels do not determine brand shares?

· Such an advertising offensive may yield short-term gains but ultimately the player will have to fight it out on the basis of

its superior functional performance and creative execution.