Is The Pulse Candy Success Story For Real?

Posted on August 22, 2016 in Biz and Eco

By Ishan Arora:
It is said that- A great brand starts with a hero product and Pulse candy has shown its heroism
for the DS group in all possible ways.
Launched in 2015, Pulse candy not only caught the attention of people but gave a headache to
many marketers. An industry where people make impulsive purchases and lack brand loyalty,
Pulse brought in a revolution as many people became addicted to the brand and even paid a
premium to buy it.
In an industry where people used to prefer flavour over the brand, Pulse candy changed the
perception of many. It took the category from impulse-driven to Pulse-driven as was evident
from the fact that the brand generated revenue of 100 crores in the first eight months.
Now the question is- Was it a marketing gimmick by the company, to show inflated figures,
create a hype and gain more customer traction, or was it the reality due to the greatness of the
product that the candy did so well?
Lets analyse

Key Facts About PulsePass Pass Pulse Candy is a Dharampal Satyapal Group product, who are also the makers of
Rajnigandha, Pass Pass and Catch Spices.
The product was conceptualised in 2013, and the company spent as many as two years in
research and development before releasing the product in early 2015.
Pulse candy earned a whopping 100 crore in the first eight months, equalling the record of
Coke Zero. The company initially launched the product in only three states- Rajasthan, Gujarat
and Delhi.
The DS Group spent no amount on advertising and promotions and the candy gained traction
through word of mouth publicity.
Initially, the company couldnt even meet the soaring demand and was able to meet only 60-70%
of it, and people paid a premium to buy the product.
Owing to the success of Pulse Kacha Aam, the company launched a new flavour Guava with
Tangy Twist in February 2016.

Pulse Candy Success Factors

Right Product
DSG put in a lot of time and hard work in coming up with the right product. After an extensive
research and market study, the company realized that raw mango was eaten by people of all ages
across India.
Hence a product like Pulse would cater to all the segments, thus maximizing the chances of
success. Moreover, to make things exciting for the consumers, the company added an element of
surprise in the candy (which changes its taste from sour to sweet towards the end). All these
factors made sure that customers became addicted to the candy and consumed it day in and day
out.

Strong Distribution Hold

The key success factor for any low involvement-FMCG product is the distribution channel. If the
company can strengthen the products reach and visibility, the chances of it being accepted by
the customers are high.
DS Group- the creator of Pulse, already had a strong presence at outlets through the strength of
its flagship product Rajnigandha (leading Pan Masala brand with over 70% market share).
Capitalizing on the extent of their reach, the company was able to maintain a strong distribution
hold for Pulse within a short span of time.
From a pan stall to a big retail shop, and from urban to rural areas, the candy was sold
everywhere within the first few months of its launch.

Attractive Packaging
In the candy industry, which lacks brand loyalty and most of the purchases made are impulsive
in nature, packaging plays a vital role in the purchase decision.
Pulse candy with its bright colored packaging not only increased its visibility but also attracted
the attention of customers getting them to at least try the candy once (and eventually most of
them became addicted to it, resulting in more sales).

Word Of Mouth Promotion

Word of Mouth is one of the most cost efficient and effective ways of promoting a business.
DSG spent no amount on advertising and promotions, and the candy gained popularity through
word of mouth (probably because its a great product).
Many people referred the candy to their friends and relatives. People even went to the extent of
making Pulse Fan Communities on FB. Some even called it The Pulse of the Nation.

I remember, in my college, during one of the lectures, I gave an example of the candys success
story and how well it was doing. Soon after that incident, I saw many people buying Pulse candy
in bulk from a nearby shop. Definitely, my word of mouth suggestion had played its trick!

Value for Money

Though many big players were selling candies for 0.5, Pulse sold it for 1. To justify the price,
the weight of the candy was increased to 4gm from the industry standard of 2.5gm.
Also, the candy gave its customers dual taste (sour and sweet) with an element of surprise. All
this made sure that people found it a value for money product.
The above point is also evident from the fact that when the demand for the candy was on the rise,
due to capacity constraints, DSG was able to fulfil only 60-70% of the demand.
As a result, people were paying extra to buy the candy (many Kirana shops charged up to 1.5).
This clearly shows the willingness of the consumers to purchase the candy.

The Road Ahead

Lee Iacocca once quoted When a product is right, you dont have to be a Great Marketer and
Pulse candy has proved the validity of this quote.
Earning 100 crores in first eight months and that too without any advertising sounds like an
unimaginable task, and many would not even dream of such a start for a candy priced at 1.
But Pulse has proved that with extensive R&D, a great product or/and a remarkable innovation
anything is possible. The greatness of the product is evident from the fact that various segments
liked it- kids, college going students, smokers or working professionals.
Pulse candy aspires to be among the top 3 candies in India, the difficult part of the candys
journey has just begun. With many similar candies now catching up on its development process,
it would be interesting to see what road map DSG chooses for its heroic brand.
Whatever happens in the future, Pulse candy has evinced one thing for sure If your product is
great you dont need to advertise it.