Cadbury’s Dairy Milk – The Rebel Leader
CDM is undeniably the leader brand of not only the Cadbury’s basket but also the chocolate segment as a whole and is in a sense almost generic to the category in the country. CDM must therefore through its media posture be the brand champion and carry the brand message. With half the advertising spends of Cadbury’s, CDM must build on the brand equity through a premium marketing strategy that reflects in the media communication and positioning as well. This would translate to large and continuous brand presence. Television is the advised primary medium of communication as it has mass reach, a favourable image, high prestige value and is attention getting while having low cost per exposure for a high absolute spend.
The media will go hand-in-hand with the advertising in reaching the
expanding target audience the brand is reaching out to. Herein, the media
must also supplement the youthful exuberance and rebelliousness of the
advertising communication. Caution should be maintained not to dent brand
equity while increasing penetration in smaller towns by using locally targeted
media channels in a manner that will allow capitalisation of the ‘premiumness’
of the brand.
5 Star – The champion companion
5 Star fills up all the gaps CDM leaves within a relatively similar demographic framework. 5 Star is not burdened with carrying forward the brand image and is responsible for penetrating all the places CDM cannot reach with its product, its communication and its media. In the sub-category of an chocolate bar it is by far a leader but by no means should this be excuse for a laxity in its advertising as it is responsible for generating significant revenues.
With a large ad spend and established image it can afford to go in for
a pulsing media-scheduling pattern. 5-star as a brand has a decidedly male
personality which should be kept in mind while targeting with through media
channels. Being a more down-to-earth brand, media will include local channels
and the ‘reliable’ image of the brand will be propagated through media
with permanent borderline presence with sporadic bursts in visibility where
and when deemed necessary.
Perk – The girl next door
Lower media spends and a focuses TG restrict the brand while beneficially
lending it the necessary focus and direction in its communication. The
media posture is lent by the advertising proposition in this case. Definitely
urban, decidedly young, Perk has a personality everyone in the TG can relate
to at an individual level. The brand itself is an expression of the product
and the media should effectively go hand-in-hand with the same. Bringing
Perk closer to home, media communication should be directed at its audience
in a bright, friendly manner. The target audience is the primary decider
of market prioritisation and media mix. This is the ideal brand for consumer
promotions and tactical marketing and innovation. The media thus is also
allowed similar luxuries. Highly recommended strategies include BTL activities
such as college events and outdoors advertising as well as duly selected
channels in press and radio.
Milk Treat – Children’s Superhero
A strategic brand n the Cadbury’s inventory, it is the only brand facing
competitive ad spend from Nestle in its sub-category and so must build
on its strengths and plug its weaknesses within its restrictions. The target
audience is well-defined and an entirely different gamut with regard to
communication strategies including media vehicles. The primary target is
school-going children and though mothers as buyers are enticed by the advertising
message of ‘goodness of milk’ it is primarily the children who act as influencers
and are to be spoken to through the advertising and consequently the media.
The media again acting as a support of the advertising proposition and
being a high-visibility strong presence and recall value brand with the
TG. A comparatively tight budget calls for media innovation, which may
include reaching out directly to school-children via direct marketing strategies
to supplement other media channels. This can be kept in mind while considering
the implementation of the media posture.
Cadbury’s Equity Posture – ‘Chocolate’ all over
Cadbury’s communication, like its brand personality is a reflection of the relationship it shares with its consumers. Cadbury’s Dairy Milk is the brand leader and in effect the mouthpiece of the Cadbury’s range, through which it successfully attempts to remain the almost generic leader of the category, defining its own territory and the segment it operates in. Media priority therefore is CDM, which is the brand image and should therefore be the prime-mover in retaining top of the mind recall through its advertising and media channels. 5-Star serves as a backup to the same and being the second largest brand consequently also speaks through similar media channels in terms of communication though it varies purposefully in scale of operations and style of communication.
Perk and Milk Treat complete the brand by filling in all the segments.
Milk Treat battles for the younger non-adult segment, which used to serve
as the bastion of the chocolate market. Perk effectively furthers the cause
of the Cadbury’s brand through its own communication within the larger
picture and is the youthfulness in a brand that is all about life.