Marketing Strategy of Nirma Washing Powder

Nirma Group of companies is based in west India, in Ahmedabad state of Gujarat and was founded in the year 1990.

They are known for making products ranging from cosmetics, soaps, detergents, salt, soda ash, LAB and Injectables.

#NirmaFact – Karsanbhai Patel, an entrepreneur and philanthropist of Gujarat, started Nirma as a one-man operation.

Currently Nirma employees over 15,000 people and is available in every nook and corner of India. It has a turnover of over Rs. 3500 crores and is one of the top most players in the soap and detergent category in India. It is associated with the FMCG industry and is one of the top most home care brands in the country.

#NirmaFact – In 1969, Dr. Karsanbhai Patel, a chemist at the Gujarat Government’s Department of Mining and Geology manufactured phosphate free Synthetic Detergent Powder and started selling it door to door.

nirma hrithik ad
Source: Nirma India

 

› History of Nirma:


Nirma was launched in the year 1969 and was sold locally before it became a company in the year 1990. It was priced at Rs. 3.50 per kg. and was pale yellow in color. Ruppur a small town in Gujrat was the home town of Karsanbhai Patel and the demand for this yellow powder became very high there.

#NirmaFact – While Nirma was selling at Rs. 3.50 per kg. It’s stiff competitor Surf by HUL was selling at Rs. 15 per kg!

Nimra is named after the daughter of Karsanbhai Patel – Nirupama. Nirma became so popular that a minimum of 20 packets were sold on a daily basis just by word of mouth publicity. By 1985, Nirma washing powder had become one of the most popular, household detergents in many parts of the country.

In the 1999, Nirma saw a boom. It became a very popular brand of soaps, detergents and personal care products. Nirma was and is still known for its strong distribution network in India. It has 400 distributors and is available in over 2 million retail outlets in the country.

In the year 2007, Nirma purchased the American raw materials company Searles Valley Minerals Inc. – making it among Top-7 Soda Ash manufacturer in the world.

The girl on the Nirma logo is designed by an artist called Mr. Khanvilkar who resides in Pune.

Within three decades Nirma became a Rs. 17 billion company and Karsanbhai Patel’s policy of ‘giving customer the quality product at the right time at a low-price rate’ was a huge success.

 

› Competitors of Nirma:


Nirma faces stiff competition in the country today. It has made many variants to its products to keep up with other brands and has used technology to survive in the market as well.

Currently, Nirma faces competition from:

  • Surf
  • Tide
  • Wheel Active
  • Ariel
  • Henko

The brand Nirma:

Started off in one small room, Nirma has become a very popular and successful brand in the last three decades. The company had multi-locational manufacturing facilities, and a broad product portfolio under an umbrella brand – Nirma.

Nirma countered competition from HUL at a very early stage and targeted the middle- and lower-class markets of the country with the detergents and toilet soaps. Later and today, Nirma has changed its strategy and makes products for both the sections of the society – Lower class and Upper class. It has launched a segment of premium products to target this section of the society.

In the year 2000, Nirma had 15% share in the toilet soap category and 30% share in the detergent market.

 

› Product Line of Nirma:


Nirma has very strong brand equity and hence has been able to create its niche. The formula used by the brand to create soaps and detergent is phosphate free and is environment friendly. The immense success of detergent powder led to the launch of detergent cakes in the year 1987.

Today, Nirma makes the following products which are available in every part of the country:

  • Nirma Green Detergent Powder
  • Nirma Popular Detergent Cake
  • Nirma Popular Detergent Powder
  • Super Nirma Washing Powder
  • Nirma Detergent Cake
  • Nirma Washing Powder
  • Super Nirma Detergent Cake
  • Nirma Yellow Washing Powder

 

› Promotions and Marketing by Nirma


Nirma has had a very aggressive marketing and promotional strategy since the very beginning. It includes both ATL and BTL activations. They have been very prompt in doing TV commercials as well as print media. They are also very actively present on digital platforms and have a good social media presence as well.

The Nirma girl who was recently removed from the product packaging has been very prominent and is remembered by everyone. Nirma has very catchy jingles which have been with the brand for decades.

‘Doodh si safedi Nirma se aaye, rangeen kapda bhi khil khil jaye’ and ‘Hema, Rekha, Jaya aur Sushma sabki pasand Nirma’ have been two of the most popular jingles of all time.

The current tag line of the brand is ‘Naye Zamane Ke Ziddi Daagon Ke Liye’ and the current brand ambassador is Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan.

“The brand has been positioned as an advance washing powder for the new generation Indians. We definitely didn’t want to show the stereotypical shot of women washing clothes in our ad. Hence, we decided to feature a male celebrity. Dance and action sequences are two activities celebrities do that very often lead to sweat and stains. We chose dance, since it not only connects well with the new generation but also builds on the parent brand ‘Nirma washing powder’ campaign defined by a great jingle and the famous dancing girl mascot” – Anand Karir, creative mentor, advertising agency Boing

 

#Classic Advertising by Nirma: Nirma Super Detergent Soap Cake

This has been one of the most popular ads by the brand which is popular and known to people even today. It was launched in the year 1989.

 

#Sangeeta Bijlani for Nirma

This ad was very popular as it introduced the jingle ‘Doodh si safedi Nirma se aaye, rangeen kapda bhi khil khil jaye’

 

# Hema, Rekha, Jaya Aur Sushma Nirma Ad

This ad introduced the tagline ‘Hema, Rekha, Jaya aur Sushma sabki pasand Nirma’

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