Introduced more than a decade ago, Jeeru masala soda was an instant hit in the niche market. Given its continued popularity, its makers, the Daman-based Xotik Frujus Pvt Ltd. decided it was time the brand was given a younger persona. The new brand, J, has used a range of six exciting, bold and playful colours for the logo that it believes will ensure exclusivity, an eye-catching aesthetic and a look that sets it apart from the rest of the bottles on the shop shelf, and a bold shape of the letter ‘J’ that is unique and memorable in its own way.
Decoding consumer needs
Jeeru realised that today’s consumer, especially its target group for beverage in the age group of 15 to 35 years, are a set of consumers who are part of the emerging India that sees huge possibilities of it being a global superpower, a set of consumers who keep a watch on what’s happening globally but also want global brands to adapt to their taste and style.
They are also a set of consumers who do not want to copy or adopt what their previous generations liked—they want to change the trends, they are bored of the old tastes and they do not want the traditional colas. They prefer diet cola and do not want the same old beer which their fathers and grandfathers consumed, which led to the birth of craft beer and flavoured wines.
Jeeru took a cue from these consumer trends to change the identity of the brand. Since Gen Z does not connect with the jeera or cumin-flavoured drink category in which it operates, Jeeru decided to
revamp completely.
Since today’s youth believes in capturing the power of now, living in the present and fully embracing the experience, Jeeru became J to symbolise these attributes and probably became the world’s first brand name with a single letter. Considering that masala soda is an emerging trend, the new J is positioned as a masala soda and not a jeera drink.
Targeting Gen Z
Xotik has created a new logo and look for Gen Z—those born between 1996 and 2010—but insists that the product is for everyone. “Our loyalists of Jeeru are across the country and we want them to try out the new J which is enriched with the goodness of apple juice and more than just a jeera masala soda. J is the new masala soda and we encourage consumers to try it and wait for more such ethnic flavours from Xotik in next two years,” said Anjana Ghosh, chief executive officer, Xotik Frujus
“The new logo represents the spirit of Gen Z, a generation that is confident, ambitious, tech-savvy and known for being assertive yet diverse. The new logo J is all about embracing novelty, vibrancy and minimalism with a touch of playfulness,” said Ghosh, adding, “Shifting from a full name to a single letter, J, is part of the brand’s vision to create a distinctive identity while highlighting simplicity. It gives the brand a more trendy, contemporary feel without losing touch with its roots. Since the brand aims to attract the next generation and increase its reach, a single letter is often easy to communicate with and can be adapted to different markets and languages.”
Market trends
The current top markets for the brand have been the east and west—Mumbai and Pune and parts of Maharashtra—and a marginal presence in the north and some parts of the south. “With the new J we aim to spread the product in over 3.5 lakh retail outlets in over 25 states across all geographies,” shared Ghosh.
According to industry reports, today the non-alcoholic carbonated beverage market stands at Rs 70,000 crore of which the ethnic masala soda segment is approximately Rs 20,000 crore. This is the category Jeeru wishes to tap into and gain leadership in with new improved J.
New drinks with distinctly Indian flavours such as aam panna or kala khatta have been doing reasonably well, and hence Ghosh feels that the new J with “improved goodness of apple juice” will win over taste buds across the nation this summer.
“Given the search is for something fresh and out of the box, Xotik has created this ‘avant-garde’ experience to the new target audience with J, which is why this complete rebranding aims to make it an aspirational and trendy youthful drink and thus connect better with the youth in this season,” said Ghosh
Speaking about the reason for Jeeru transforming to J, she said, “This is a first-of-its-kind brand that has been named after a single letter, a deliberate decision against convention in true Gen Z fashion. Beyond barriers of language, space and place, J is a deliberately abbreviated sound that is whole on its own yet being the beginning of more to come.”
J’s marketing bets
Xotik has formulated a year-long plan of various campaigns, trials and activities to create brand visibility and generate awareness. With a catchy song, Ja Apna Scene Hai, sung by young rappers, to aggressive OOH campaigns, print and other on-ground activities, J aims to bring forth the new innovations and ethnic range of products as part of any development at Xotik Frujus.
Digital and social media as well as consumer engagement with brand collaborations are being conceptualised to create high-value brand visibility and awareness. “We are planning to spend approximately Rs 20 crore on various marketing activities. Our focus is to make the product available and well penetrated is all the 5-lakh-plus population towns and then focus on spending huge sums on above the line marketing. Current budgets are parked for mostly for below the line marketing and digital,” revealed Ghosh
By adding a health angle with the apple juice, the brand has separated itself in the cluttered jeera category, and has earned the potential to create and lead a new category of masala sodas.