Paper Boat: Drinks and Memories
The WARC Prize for Asian Strategy, Entrant, 2016
SUMMARY
This case study shows how Paper Boat, a beverage brand, stood out in the cluttered
Indian beverages market with an emotionally-charged campaign.
The Indian beverage industry is a competitive environment where international and
homegrown carbonated drinks, fruit juices and sports drinks fight for a 'share of throat'.
Paper Boat devised a campaign that appealed to its audience's nostalgia for a period of calm
and simple living, in contrast to the big recent changes in India.
A campaign film was created, depicting childhood memories that were brought to life by
drinking Paper Boat, which ran initially on YouTube, and was then repurposed for TVCs,
long copy print ads and illustration and story-led social media content.
Paper Boat grew its sales volumes by 179% following the campaign, making it one of the
most successful brands ever launched in India.
TOPICS
CONCENTRATES & CORDIALS
Campaign details
Brand owner: Hector Beverages Pvt. Ltd.
Lead agency: MullenLowe Lintas Group
Brand: Paper Boat
Country: India
Industry Fruit & vegetable juices
Media: Newspapers, Online video, Product sampling, Radio, Television
Budget: 1 - 3 million
Executive summary
This is a tale of how a small, unknown beverage brand rekindled the love for traditional
drinks vis-a-vis global brands, and in the process brought to life a slice of history.
'Paper Boat,' a brand from Hector Beverages, set out to create more than a ripple in the
cluttered beverages market. A market dominated by big, international carbonated drink
brands with financial fizz and marketing muscle, as well as prominent fruit juice brands
targeting health and fitness conscious audiences.
The only way to be different and make a splash was to ride on a whole new wave of
traditional flavours that are authentically Indian and thereby disrupt the market. Paper Boat
did just that, with a deeply insightful strategy and communication that targeted the country's
transitional generation, tapping into their nostalgia of childhood memories associated with the
unique and unforgettable flavours of traditional drinks.
From the very name to the flavours, packaging and communication, Paper Boat captured a
distinctive world of memories that didn't just make it stand out in the sea of sameness but also
generated a phenomenal degree of momentum in terms of demand and devotion.
Market background and cultural context
In a commercial sense, the Indian beverage industry has for long been dominated by
carbonated drinks. International brands like Coca Cola and Fanta were available in the
country even way back in the sixties and seventies.
Following their exit from the Indian market after the state of Emergency declared across the
country in 1975, home grown brands like Thums Up, Limca and Maaza, among others,
quenched the thirst for a cold beverage, till the global majors returned with even greater fizz,
post economic liberalization of the country in 1991. Today, the beverages space is sloshing
with big international carbonated drink brands, each fighting for a share of throat in the
Indian market, with a potent line-up of variants in their armoury.
But carbonated drinks are not the only players in the Indian beverage industry. In the last
decade or so, a few prominent brands like Frooti, Tropicana, Minute Maid and Real have
started populating the other end of the beverage spectrum the fruit based juices, targeted at
the health and fitness conscious audiences.
This was the turbulent Indian ocean of beverages that the brave new brand 'Paper Boat' was
hoping to set sail on, when it decided to ride on a whole new wave of indigenous flavours.
As a fragile new creation launched amidst a sea of big, established names, it's clear that Paper
Boat was up against wave upon wave of adversity on its maiden voyage.
The First Wave A Tsunami vs A Ripple
Global giants like Coke and Pepsi dominated the Indian beverages market with a slew of
brands and variants that catered to every taste and price point. While brand campaigns
created an aura for all the brands under the umbrella, individual promotions in turn added to
the equity of the mother brand.
In contrast, Paper Boat could only depend on a single brand in a single category.
The Second Wave Share of Throat and Voice
The sheer size of the competition meant that not only did they dominate the beverages
market, but with massive media budgets, were also able to control the communication. On an
average, the media spends of the competition were at least 25 times that of Paper Boat. To
add insult to injury, almost all the competitive brands were endorsed by A-list celebrities of
the country. That further enhanced the stature of the brands, while denying Paper Boat a
similar option.
The Third Wave Distribution Dynamics
With multiple brands and variants, the competition had a vice-like grip on the distribution
network.
Presence across every popular segment and price point enabled them to provide juicier
margins to the distributors, while also throwing in freebies such as chillers and signages.
Paper Boat was yet to learn to play this game, let alone win it.
The Fourth Wave Niche and Pricey
While the competition had a range of SKUs, starting from as less as Rs.6 (USD 0.08) and
Rs.10 (USD 0.14) to cater to a mass audience, Paper Boat had a single SKU priced at Rs.30
(USD 0.44). In Indian rupee parlance, Paper Boat was technically priced three to five times
more than the nearest competing brand. For a new brand with an unusual offering, it was a
formidable challenge to justify this high a premium.
The Fifth Wave Concept Tasting
The international brands had a tried and tested formula with regard to their flavours. Not only
were these sacrosanct and successful for the brands but also instantly recognized and
endorsed by their customers. Paper Boat on the other hand, was going purely by instinct, in
creating a concept rather than a drink, in order to leverage the love for a certain ethnic
nostalgia.
Our key challenge was to evoke relevance and love for a unique concept in a cluttered
beverage market.
Objectives
Paper Boat, at this stage, singlemindedly wanted to chase sales volume. Because, that is
what would help it fund its ambitious sail that is on a unique course.
The Single-minded Objective: Achieve a sales growth of '20%' from their existing base of
8,27,777 pieces/units.
This was a very ambitious target for a small, homegrown startup in a highly competitive
environment.
Insight and strategic thinking
The social and cultural landscape of India has remained pretty much static for centuries. Even
in the late 1980s, a trip to any part of the country would have revealed a socio-economic
condition almost frozen in time. Each new generation that emerged was only marginally
different in their mental make-up from the previous one, and exposed to ever so slight
improvements in their lifestyle and environment.
All that changed in a hurry, post economic liberalization in 1991. With sudden exposure to
consumerism and the accompanying prospect of bewildering choices, Indian society soon
found itself in a flux. Not only was there a drastic change in the quality and range of products
and lifestyles, there was also a clear transformation in the core values and beliefs of
consumers.
As a result, the generation that grew up in the 80s and 90s, the audience of our focus, had a
tough task on its hands trying to reconcile life. They were exposed first hand to colour TVs, a
plethora of satellite television channels, computers, internet, private airlines, a slew of
international brands and more. But their childhood reference points were still caught in a time
warp, with tales of Akashwani (India's oldest radio station), Doordarshan (India's only
television channel before the satellite revolution), Ambassador (India's home produced car),
Bajaj Chetak (India's home produced two-wheeler) and strenuous long train journeys. Not to
speak of a value system that was turning archaic by the minute.
The rapid transformation was not just from the old to the new, but kept churning relentlessly,
so that even what this generation grew up on vanished before their eyes in less than a decade.
This constant change in their environment and the need to adapt to newer and newer
products, technologies and lifestyles left them not just confused but also rootless in a way.
Besides, the perennially charged and fast paced lifestyles of the present have got them
yearning for the 'slow movement', of a more relaxed pace of life, taking walks down memory
lane and rekindling the embers of a dying era.
As the only generation in India's history that had seen more changes in a decade than what
occurred over many centuries, they were wistful for some comforting elements from the past.
Like the TV soaps they grew up on, the simple and innocent games that they played and the
homemade recipes of various traditional Indian foods and drinks.
As taste is strongly and intrinsically associated with food and drink, it served as the perfect
recipe to tap into 'nostalgic moments.'
Paper Boat was neither a carbonated drink promising youthful fun and excitement nor was it
a fruit juice goading the health-conscious to chase fitness goals. Its ethnic and traditional
flavours like aam panna (made from raw, green mangoes), jal jeera (made from cumin seeds),
aamras (made from mango pulp), kokum (made from mangosteen) and kala khatta (made
from shaved ice, topped with flavoured syrups) had an ever-lasting residue in the collective
conscience of a transitional generation, reminding them of their childhood memories.
Through the 'Taste of nostalgia' aboard Paper Boat, the idea was to make a harried and time
challenged generation sail to a more laid-back and graceful era.
Creative and/or channel execution
The craving for nostalgia amongst the transitional generation was satiated by communication
that was soaked in childhood memories from the past.
The very name 'Paper Boat' alluded to one's very first craft lesson and being allowed to step
out in the rain for the first time to make hope float. It captured a different world, with
different priorities.
Almost everyone from those days knew how to make a paper boat. Conversely, even today,
one could be transported back to those days by simply folding a piece of paper to make a
boat. In a way, a paper boat was the very essence of childhood and innocence.
Hence, it was only logical that Paper Boat's communication needed to be simple, evocative
and hark back to an earlier era when time stood still.
Surfing the digital wave on "YouTube"
Recreating childhood was easier said than done. It needed to capture an element of nostalgia
that was etched in the memories of an entire generation.
Our amazing voyage began with a three and a half minute long story run initially
on YouTube, titled 'A Paper Boat ride down the river of memories'. The film traced some
truly magical moments and memories from childhood. It was the most strategic channel to
catch our 'harried and hassled' audience who found little or no time to watch TV ads!
Evocative visuals aptly captured the age of innocence, from making paper boats, chasing
kites, catching the first drop of rain to enjoying the smell of fresh stationery. At the end, the
story reveals that these are the evergreen childhood memories that come flooding back to a
smart young man as he sips on a Paper Boat 'aamras (made from mango pulp)'at an airport
lounge.
Simple and endearing lines, penned by the legendary Gulzar (Ace Indian lyricist, poet and
Bollywood director), were used as a narrative. The task of further enhancing the flavour of
nostalgia was done by the soundtrack of 'Malgudi Days', one of India's most loved TV
series of the late 80s and 90s that also boasted of an iconic, memorable and eminently
hummable signature tune.
Setting sail on a sea of memories
The digital activity was followed by four TVCs in order to build affinity for the four variants
aamras (made from mango pulp), aam panna (made from raw, green mangoes), kala khatta
(made from shaved ice, topped with flavoured syrups) and jal jeera (made from cumin seeds).
Each of these films had a distinct narrative, exploring product-specific memories, with the
protagonists reliving their childhood as they sipped on these flavours.
Through the Print Campaign, we brought back the charm of long copy ads with nostalgic
poetry etched in the magical memories that surrounded the preparation and consumption of
these long lost flavours.
We also did an initiative on Facebook, with illustrations that were reminiscent of junior class
textbooks, further sweetening the flavour of nostalgia, triggering the mischief and fun-filled
memories associated with these drinks. Not just that, the page also brought back, games long
forgotten and the pranks that got us into trouble as kids and everything in between.
We told stories on Instagram, one picture at a time. A combination of cute doodles, two
lovely puppies called Hector and Beverages (named after the company Hector Beverages
which owns Paper Boat, the brand), little visual stories around the brand and childhood
memories tell the Paper Boat story on Instagram. We created a new visual every day for the
Instagram page. So a 'Jamun kala khatta' becomes superman, a "Ginger lemon tea' a little
teapot.
Testing the waters of new horizons
As the Paper Boat stories on multi-screens gained immense popularity, we upped the ante and
created more affinity by rewarding popular food bloggers that acted as powerful influencers
for the brand online. As a 'Diwali' (the biggest Indian festival) surprise, the new flavours of
the drink went out to them in a beautifully designed pack along with homemade 'Besan
laddoos' (ball shaped traditional sweets popular in Indian sub-continent) in a retro storage tin
box, keeping the idea of memories intact!
A voyage to rediscover childhood
We launched a special TVC on Children's Day (14th November, the birthday of Jawaharlal
Nehru, India's first prime minister is celebrated as Children's Day in India every year because
of his love for kids)) as a tribute to the never-dying child in everyone. The film story was an
endearing montage of moments when one can't help but relapse into their childhood version!
The film celebrated the unabashed child in everyone on Children's Day giving even the
adults, an opportunity to relive the child within them. It was widely appreciated and made for
an engaging conversation online.
A mission to make hope float
Strategic Brand Activation 1 "FloatABoat"
Keeping the story of goodness and innocence as the centrepiece, we also came up with a
unique 'Act' that urged people to make a paper boat in a simple 'how to make a Paperboat
tutorial' by a little school girl; upload it with the hash tag #FloatABoat to help raise funds for
the education of the underprivileged. It was a resounding success.
Strategic Brand Activation 2 "Tasty memoirs"
Another touching 'Act' was 'Tasty Memoirs,' an idea to bring the younger generation closer to
their parents. We called it the 'Postcard Campaign'. The image of a Postman bringing
a Postcard (a rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard intended for writing and
mailing without an envelope. And it cost just USD 0.00003 for a price-conscious Indian in
the pre-economic liberation era, serving as the cheapest mode of communication. It was
symbolic for Indians) home always brings a smile to our faces. So, we thought, what better
way of connecting people with their folks than through a postcard. We placed replicas of the
old red-coloured post boxes in select office canteens, all over the country. Right next to these
boxes, specially designed postcards (made by Paper Boat in conjunction with the state-owned
Indian Postal Service) were put up. All people had to do was write letters to their parents, on
these postcards, and put them in the 'post-box'. Paper Boat handled the postage and delivery.
Strategic Brand Activation 3 "Storyboat"
People were asked to choose their favourite flavour of Paper Boat and post a story that they
associated with that specific flavour. The best stories were selected and displayed on the
website for people to vote. These stories were displayed on the packaging of the specific
flavour associated with it and the winners got featured on facebook, Instagram and Paper
Boat website.
Performance against objectives
When history and geography conspire to make a drink universally favoured, the results are
destiny.
The Single-minded Objective: Achieve a sales growth of '20%' from their existing base of
8,27,777 pieces/units.
Result: Paperboat grew its sales volumes by a whopping 179% post the campaign making it
one of the most successful brands ever launched in India! It attained a sale of 23,09,664
pieces post campaign.
Paper Boat Sales Volume (In units) [Source: Client Data]
Share of Expense (In Millions) [Source: Client Data]
Also, our message was shared 15000 times giving us viral reach of 40 million on social
media, generating several positive conversations. [Source: Client Data]
ROI
Type of ROI figure:
Lessons learned
Getting the right brand name
Shakespeare said "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Perhaps not in Paper
Boat's case as calling it anything wouldn't have perhaps tasted or smelt as sweet. The name
'Paper Boat' is the most powerful element in the branding efforts of Paper Boat. In today's
cluttered, competitive world, a brand name should function as a total messenger that has the
potential to become a self-propelling publicity campaign, motivating word of mouth,
reputation, recommendation and media coverage. And Paper Boat ticks all those boxes with a
timeless, tireless, easy to remember name. The process of making a Paper Boat in monsoon is
the most innocent childhood memory of everyone in the universe. When you say Paper Boat,
you hear as well as see a Paper Boat and it seamlessly communicates the essence of the
brand.
Storytelling as a means to build the brand
At their most, storytelling and branding come out of the same starting point: emotions and
values. For Paper Boat, while branding is the goal, storytelling has always been the means
that drove the bond with its audience. Through heart-tugging moments of the past, Paper Boat
created, shared and spread timeless 'stories' that gave structure and a deeper meaning to not
just the product but symbolized the old world/legendary 'values' that one grew up with.
Today's world is filled with fancy buzzwords and short-lived theories of branding that are
good for selling hot air. 'Storytelling' is a product of the times but has deeper roots. It touches
upon something familiar but contributes to a new consciousness. Every brand should ask
itself the question what is the captivating story I can tell about my brand that will make a
difference to the lives of people?
The bigger the challenge, the bigger the opportunity
Everything which is unbranded but consumed today, presents an opportunity to start
something. At some stage it will become branded. Start-up companies in general think that
their new product is so brilliant and so unlike anything else out there, that they just need to
make it available and people will start clamouring over it. They overlook the importance of a
brand strategy/idea as the foundation for a successful launch and longevity. They mistake
product strategy for brand strategy, without realizing that a compelling brand is comprised of
so much more than a product idea. For Paper Boat, it's always the brand/brand idea that leads
the product in its voyage to the hearts of people. And it's the capital reason for its resounding
success.
Brands are product of culture, not marketing
Paper Boat wasn't limited by mindshare marketing approach that is good, at best, for brands
to stay course with functional claims fought on degrees of comparison in the category. Paper
Boat looked at itself as a facet of culture. With a cultural brand strategy approach it delivered
an innovative cultural expression for the brand. And cultural expressions always permeate
society, providing us with the building blocks with which we construct meaningful stories of
our lives.
TOPICS
CONCENTRATES & CORDIALS
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