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Executive Summary Colgate-Palmolive India's "Smile Karo Aur Shuru Ho Jao" (Smile and Get Started) campaign represents a documented shift in the brand's communication strategy from product-centric messaging to behavior-focused emotional engagement. Launched in 2019, the campaign moved away from traditional functional benefit communication toward addressing psychological barriers that consumers face in daily life. This case study examines the strategic repositioning, creative e

Executive Summary ITC Limited, a diversified conglomerate, entered India's branded atta (wheat flour) market in 2002 with the launch of Aashirvaad. At the time of entry, the packaged atta market was nascent, with Pillsbury (later acquired by Godrej) being the primary organized player. ITC's entry was based on consumer insights gathered through extensive market research that identified specific unmet needs in the category. Within two decades, Aashirvaad became India's largest-

Executive Summary Uber Eats, the food delivery arm of Uber Technologies Inc., entered the Indian market in 2017 and exited in January 2020 by selling its operations to Zomato. This case examines a market exit strategy executed through an all-stock transaction that allowed Uber to maintain strategic presence in India's food delivery sector while discontinuing direct operations in an intensely competitive market. Market Entry and Context Uber Eats launched in India in May 2017,

Executive Summary Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has evolved from a South Korean electronics manufacturer into one of the world's most valuable and recognizable global brands. According to Interbrand's Best Global Brands 2023 report, Samsung ranked as the fifth most valuable brand globally with a brand value of $91.4 billion, behind only Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Google. The company's brand-building journey spans multiple product categories including smartphones, televisio

Executive Summary The competition between PhonePe and Google Pay (GPay) represents one of the most significant product-led rivalries in India's digital payments ecosystem. Both platforms leveraged the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), launched by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2016, to democratize digital payments across India. This case study examines their strategies, execution, and market outcomes using only publicly documented information. Market Con

Executive Summary The Coca-Cola Company launched its "Open Happiness" campaign in January 2009, representing one of the most significant global marketing initiatives in the company's history. According to The Coca-Cola Company's public communications, this campaign marked a strategic shift in brand messaging, moving away from product-centric advertising toward emotional engagement centered on the universal theme of happiness. The campaign was implemented across more than 200

Executive Summary Dettol, owned by Reckitt Benckiser Group plc (now Reckitt), emerged as one of the most prominent hygiene brands during the COVID-19 pandemic. The brand's response to the crisis demonstrated how established trust, strategic communication, and product availability could be leveraged during a public health emergency. This case study examines Dettol's positioning strategy during the pandemic period (2020-2021) using only verified, publicly available information

Executive Summary Amul, India's largest dairy cooperative, has built a distinctive brand presence through its topical advertising strategy centered around the "Amul Girl" mascot and culturally relevant commentary. The Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets Amul products, has maintained this advertising approach since 1966, creating what is widely recognized as one of India's longest-running and most successful advertising campaigns. This case stu

Executive Summary Mamaearth, launched in 2016 by Ghazal and Varun Alagh, emerged as India's first brand to be certified plastic-neutral. Initially positioned as a direct-to-consumer (D2C) digital-first brand, the company expanded into offline retail channels as part of its growth strategy. This case study examines Mamaearth's documented offline penetration approach based on publicly available information from company disclosures, regulatory filings, press releases, and verifi

Executive Summary In 2022, Flipkart launched "Kidults," a distinctive brand mascot campaign featuring playful, child-like animated characters in adult scenarios. This case study examines how India's leading e-commerce platform deployed a creative device to enhance brand recall in a competitive digital marketplace. The campaign represented a strategic shift in Flipkart's communication approach, moving from celebrity endorsements and functional messaging to character-based stor

Executive Summary Tata Motors, India's largest automobile manufacturer by revenue, executed a significant brand transformation in its passenger vehicle division between 2016 and 2020. After years of declining market share and poor brand perception in the passenger car segment, the company launched two vehicles—the Tiago (January 2016) and Nexon (September 2017)—that marked a strategic shift in product design, quality, and customer positioning. This case study examines the pub

Executive Summary Raymond Limited, established in 1925, is India's largest integrated manufacturer of worsted suiting fabric with a significant presence in the branded apparel and retail segments. This case study examines how Raymond has navigated evolving cultural norms around formalwear consumption in India, particularly the shift toward casual and smart-casual dressing that accelerated during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis is based exclusively on verified pu

Executive Summary Founded in 2012 by Falguni Nayar, Nykaa (FSN E-Commerce Ventures Limited) transitioned from a niche online beauty retailer into a dominant omnichannel force in India’s Beauty and Personal Care (BPC) and fashion markets. Strategically entering a fragmented BPC market with low online penetration, the company positioned itself as a trusted multi-brand platform focused on authentic products and content-led customer engagement. While starting as a digital-first e

Executive Summary Uber Technologies Inc., founded in 2009, revolutionized urban transportation through its ride-hailing platform that connects riders with drivers through a mobile application. Central to Uber's business model is its dynamic pricing algorithm, commonly referred to as "surge pricing," which adjusts fares in real-time based on supply and demand conditions. This case study examines Uber's surge pricing strategy using only verified, publicly available information

Executive Summary Ariel's "Share the Load" campaign, launched by Procter & Gamble (P&G) in India in 2015, represents a landmark example of purpose-driven marketing that addressed gender inequality in household labor distribution. The campaign evolved from a corporate social responsibility initiative into a sustained brand platform that combined social advocacy with commercial objectives. According to various marketing publications and industry reports, the campaign achieved s

Executive Summary McDonald's Corporation, the world's largest fast-food chain by revenue and restaurant count, has faced significant challenges since the early 2010s as consumer preferences shifted toward healthier eating options. This case study examines McDonald's strategic response to declining sales and changing market dynamics through menu innovation, ingredient transparency, and brand repositioning. The analysis focuses exclusively on publicly documented information fro

Executive Summary PhonePe, founded in December 2015 by Sameer Nigam, Rahul Chari, and Burzin Engineer, emerged as India's largest Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platform by transaction volume and value. According to the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) data from November 2024, PhonePe processed 7.04 billion UPI transactions worth ₹10.65 lakh crore, representing approximately 48% of total UPI transaction volumes in India (Economic Times, December 2024). The comp

Executive Summary Maggi Masala-ae-Magic is a seasoning product launched by Nestlé India as an extension of its flagship Maggi brand. While Maggi noodles have been a household name in India since 1983, Masala-ae-Magic represents the company's strategy to leverage brand equity into adjacent categories within the Indian culinary space. This case study examines the publicly available information regarding this product's positioning, market context, and strategic rationale within

Executive Summary Google Pay (GPay) India represents a strategic case of market entry and rapid scaling in India's digital payments ecosystem through the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). Launched in September 2017 as Tez before rebranding to Google Pay in August 2018, the platform leveraged India's public digital infrastructure to achieve significant market penetration without building proprietary payment rails. This case study examines Google Pay's market approach, competit

Executive Summary One97 Communications Limited, operating under the brand name Paytm, represents one of India's most significant digital transformation stories in the fintech sector. Founded in 2010 by Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Paytm evolved from a mobile recharge platform to become India's largest digital payments ecosystem before facing regulatory challenges that fundamentally altered its business trajectory. This case study examines Paytm's journey from launching India's first