The Marketing mix of Bisleri analyses the 4Ps of Bisleri’s marketing strategy, which includes the Product, Price, Place, and Promotion of Bisleri bottled water and soft drinks. Bisleri is a public limited company founded by an Italian “Signor Felice” in 1965. It deals in bottled water. Later, “Ramesh Chauhan” of Parle bought this company, but he decided to continue with the brand name of the Bisleri soda water so that its unique identity could continue.
It is one of the market’s most prominent manufacturers, occupying nearly 36% of the share. Bisleri mineral water bottles are readily available in the Indian Subcontinent, as the brand has made tremendous inroads with thirteen franchisees and eighteen manufacturing plants all over the country. The company has set up its headquarters in the city of Mumbai. Bisleri faces competition in the market from the following companies and their brands.
About Bisleri
- Type: Packaged drinking water brand
- Industry: Beverages
- Founded: 1965, India
- Founder: Ramesh Chauhan
- Headquarters: Mumbai, India
- Area served: India
- Current CEO: Angelo George
- Number of employees: Over 12,000
- Major products: Packaged drinking water, soft drinks, energy drinks, and other beverages
Table of Contents
Bisleri Product Strategy
Bisleri, renowned for its bottled water products, offers a diverse range of beverages in its product mix. The new Product Mix of Bisleri in 2023 is as follows (Source).
- Packaged Drinking Water: Bisleri’s flagship product is its packaged drinking water, which is available in sizes ranging from small 250 ml bottles to large 20-liter cans, catering to individual and bulk needs.
- Mineral Water: Bisleri also offers mineral water, enhanced with added minerals for those seeking additional health benefits.
- Sparkling Water: The brand has introduced sparkling water, catering to consumers who enjoy carbonated beverages. It serves as a refreshing alternative to traditional soft drinks.
- Vedica: Bisleri’s Vedica is natural mineral water sourced from the Himalayas, positioned as a premium product in their lineup.
- Fonzo: Bisleri Fonzo is a mango-flavored beverage offering a non-carbonated fruit drink option in their beverage portfolio.
- Spicy: This is a range of club sodas with a spicy twist, catering to consumers looking for a unique taste in their carbonated beverages.
- Limonata: A lemon-flavored carbonated drink, Limonata is part of Bisleri’s venture into flavored sodas.
- Urzza: Bisleri’s energy drink, Urzza, is aimed at consumers seeking an energy boost. It’s positioned as a non-caffeinated energy drink alternative.
Bisleri’s product mix caters to various consumer preferences, from their staple bottled water to flavored and carbonated beverages, reflecting their expansion beyond traditional water products.
Bisleri Place Strategy
Bisleri has realized that availability is the key to success, and for the success of this concept, the distribution channel has to be up to the mark. The brand strategy has been to create a direct distribution system at the national level. Presently, Bisleri has more than eighty thousand outlets used as retail shops in the whole country, and amongst this number, twelve thousand outlets are alone in Mumbai and Delhi. The company has invested heavily in procuring at least 2000 trucks for safe and convenient transportation of products.
The company has set up eighteen of its manufacturing plants all over the country. It has bottling plants in various cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Goa, Bangalore, Mumbai and Jaipur. It has decided to hire its salespeople for proper handling and distributive facilities. This is so because the brand wants its distribution network in places with a manufacturing plant for cost-cutting and efficient management processes.
Bisleri is one of the front-runners in the industry today because of its strong network, which consists of absolute distribution strength. To penetrate deeply into the southern region, the company has decided to increase its distribution channels.
Bisleri bottles are available in every nook and corner of India. From the small shops to the paanwallas at every corner, one can easily find a Bisleri bottle to quench their thirst. The glass bottles are also available at malls, cinema halls, restaurants, airports, railway stations, and every imaginable place. Hence, availability is not a factor for this product, and the credit goes to this brand’s highly efficient distribution network.
Here’s the Place Strategy of Bisleri.
- Extensive Distribution Network: Bisleri boasts a vast distribution network across India, including urban, semi-urban, and rural areas. This ensures that Bisleri products are available in various retail outlets, from supermarkets to small local shops.
- Online Presence and Home Delivery: Recognizing the importance of digital platforms, Bisleri has established an online presence, offering home delivery services through its website and mobile app. This caters to the convenience of modern consumers who prefer shopping online.
- Partnerships with E-commerce Platforms: Bisleri products are also available on major e-commerce websites, enhancing their accessibility to a broader customer base who shop online for groceries and essentials.
- Direct Sales to Businesses and Institutions: Bisleri directly sells to businesses and institutions, supplying bulk orders of water and beverages to offices, educational institutions, hospitals, and hospitality establishments.
- Strategic Placement in High-Traffic Areas: The company ensures that its products are prominently displayed in high-traffic areas like airports, train stations, and bus terminals, catering to the needs of travelers and commuters.
Bisleri Pricing Strategy
In India, most people belong to the middle class; therefore, the brand has adopted a reasonable pricing policy. Water is available at every corner, and to sell and market it, one has to keep the pricing policy of soda water at a minimum range.
The brand realizes the basic idea is to generate as much volume of sales as possible, as this will automatically result in more significant revenues. Until and unless consumers can buy the product at a convenient place and affordable rates, it will not reach every part of society.
To meet consumer expectations, Bisleri has kept pricing policies simple. It has recently increased its rates to a minimum raise under its competitive and reasonable pricing policy because all its other competitors were also selling their products at that price range.
Bisleri’s pricing and distribution strategy reflects its dominant position in the bottled water market and is carefully tailored to meet diverse consumer needs. Here’s an expert analysis of their approach:
- Competitive Pricing: Bisleri sets its prices competitively, ensuring they are in line with or slightly lower than its competitors. This strategy is crucial in retaining market share in the highly competitive bottled water industry.
- Volume-Based Pricing: The brand offers different sizes of water bottles at various price points. Smaller bottles are priced for individual consumption and convenience, while more giant cans are priced economically, catering to households or businesses with bulk needs.
- Psychological Pricing: Bisleri often employs psychological pricing tactics, such as pricing products at just below round numbers (e.g., Rs. 19 instead of Rs. 20). This strategy effectively makes products appear more affordable to cost-sensitive consumers.
- Dynamic Pricing for Online and Home Delivery: For sales through their online platform and home delivery services, Bisleri may use dynamic pricing, adjusting prices based on demand, delivery location, and operational costs.
- Premium Pricing for Specialized Products: For specialized products like mineral water and sparkling water, Bisleri adopts a premium pricing strategy. These products are positioned as higher-end options than regular bottled water, reflecting their added value.
- Promotional Pricing: Bisleri uses promotional pricing strategies, including discounts, special offers, and bundle deals, particularly during festive seasons or marketing campaigns, to attract customers and boost sales volume.
Bisleri Promotion Strategy
A good product goes a long way in taking the company forward, but without proper communication between the consumers and the brand, even the product will not be able to save the company. Bisleri realizes this concept clearly and hence has gone for persuasive activities to increase its visibility in the consumer market. In one of the first promotional print media ads, a butler held two Bisleri bottles with a punch line: “Bisleri is very, very extraordinary.”
This helped capture the public’s imagination and paved the way towards bisleri soda success. Bisleri’s marketing objectives and advertising policies include personal selling, specific advertising in different mediums, public relations, and sales promotions. Bisleri has set up an aggressive media plan with ads on hoardings, billboards, vehicles like trams, trucks, and every interface a consumer can connect with.
All its ads are on the radio and shown on television channels. Its slogan, “Pure and Safe,” has become very popular amongst consumers. Bisleri decided on “sealed cap bottles” to distinguish itself from other companies. It proved a major coup for the brand as it claimed 100% purity because refilling the bottle without tampering with the seal was impossible.
All its campaigns at this point stretched on the purity point and about the patent for breakaway seal. Later, the brand changed its tagline to “Play Safe” with bold ads to attract the younger generation. Bisleri has decided to opt for high packaging standards to promote its products.
Point of purchase advertising is critical for a brand like Bisleri. Also, Bisleri gets top marks with its innovative hoardings and POP material. All consumers need to know is that they are getting water at this shop, and that’s what bisleri marketing mix the POP material targets.
Some Recent Video ads and Print ads of Bisleri are:
Bisleri Greener Promise – YouTube
Bisleri International’s new campaign showcases its resolve to upcycle used plastic: Best Media Info
Liked this post? Check out the complete series on Marketing Mix