Parachute Advanced Hair Oil Vs. Veola Hair Oil

Parachute Advanced Hair Oil vs. Veola Hair Oil

Category- Hair Oil

Companies- Marico vs. Bajaj Herbals

Campaigns- Khubsurat hai badhna vs. your best friend

In this post first time I am going to compare the deeds of two brands as they are from the same category i.e. hair oil & also came up with the new campaign at the same time.

Let’s analyse the hair oil market in India.

If you think hair oil is an old-economy product which people stop using once they move up the income chain, then you would be surprised to know that the hair oil market is of around Rs. 3000 crores (against Rs. 2300 crores market of shampoos). Its annual growth is around 25% in spite the fact that many working women don’t use it as regularly as before. Further there is lots of scope to expand as still 50% of the population is using unbranded hair oil.

The overall hair oil market is divided into 4 sub categories.

1. Coconut hair oil

2. Amla hair oil

3. Light or fragrant hair oil (e.g. almond oil)

4. Cooling hair oil

Both the brands are from different sub categories, Parachute represents coconut oil while Veola represents amla hair oil category.

I was just analysing the propositions offered by brands in this category and got very different perspective. What do you think shampoo is the competing or the complementary category to the hair oil?

I think when it comes to the value propositions they are competing. Initially hair oil brands were offering strength & health of hairs and then shampoos too started to position themselves in this space. Hair oils then started proposing glow and beauty of hairs, shampoos followed the same. And finally when hair oils are moving towards the cooling effect, shampoos also started to offer the same. Hence I feel both the categories are competing with each other when it comes to the proposition (consumer benefits).

But when it comes to the time of use of these products they seem to be complementary. Now a days women use hair oil once or twice a week before going to the bed and they use shampoo next day to wash their hairs. So the hair oil is perceived to strengthen the hairs and shampoos are perceived to clean and soften the hairs.

Parachute is still striking the chord with the proposition of hair growth & I think it is rational when all others are struggling with new things to lure consumers. It is necessary to stick to your basics when there is lots of confusion going on in the market.

Veola is a new entrant in the market. And when you are entering in the crowded market you should enter with the strong differentiation in terms of product or price or distribution or promotion. Here Veola failed in product as well as price differentiation and I couldn’t find the data regarding distribution. It is positioning on the proposition of beautiful hairs (emotional benefit).

Now we will see how they are communicating their proposition to their target.

In the hair oil category, due to product’s generic nature, it would be erroneous to position the product on product benefits. Hence most of the hair oils communicate emotionally with the help of consumer benefits. And both the brands (Parachute & Veola) are doing the same but the way of communication is different.

The TVC part of the campaign of Parachute works on the thought that growing as a process is gradual; everyday and beautiful. That it is the everyday experiences and realizations that help a young girl mature towards the beautiful person she is growing into. And I think this is the apt communication when you are targeting young girls. It really strikes the chord with target group by emotionally connecting with them.

Former Miss Asia Pacific and actress Dia Mirza has been chosen to be the face of Veola Amla Hair Oil. In the TVC part of the campaign she portrays the role of an art student trying to seek the attention of her handsome art instructor. But she fails to do so as her professor ignores her. She then discovers her best friend, Veola, which makes her hair soft, shiny and thick. The art instructor starts noticing her after this transformation and finds it difficult to take his eyes off her. The commercial ends with Dia Mirza walking away with confidence and the man of her dreams. According to me it is done-to-death concept not only in hair oil commercials but also in shampoos and other beauty care products. Hence Veola fails to differentiate in promotion too.

Moral of the story: Though you are in the same category with the same proposition, the success depends on how you communicate that proposition.