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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

Executive Summary In January 2016, Axe (known as Lynx in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand) launched "Find Your Magic," a global marketing campaign that represented a significant strategic pivot from the brand's previous advertising approach. Owned by Unilever, Axe had built its brand identity over two decades on hyper-sexualized advertising featuring the "Axe Effect"—the premise that using Axe products would make men irresistible to women. The "Find Your Magic" cam

Executive Summary Procter & Gamble (P&G), founded in 1837, operates one of the world's most extensive consumer goods portfolios, with particular dominance in personal care. As of fiscal year 2024, P&G's Beauty segment, which encompasses much of its personal care portfolio, generated $15.6 billion in net sales, representing approximately 18% of total company revenue (P&G Annual Report 2024). The company manages over 10 major beauty and personal care brands globally, including

Company Background BharatPe was founded in March 2018 by Ashneer Grover and Shashvat Nakrani as a fintech company focused on enabling digital payments and lending for small merchants in India. According to an interview with Ashneer Grover published in Inc42 in August 2019, the company's core value proposition was to provide merchants with a single QR code that could accept payments from multiple UPI apps without charging any merchant discount rate (MDR). The company positione

Executive Summary Brooke Bond Red Label, owned by Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), is one of India's leading tea brands. This case study examines the brand's communication strategy centered on promoting social harmony and inclusivity, particularly through its long-running advertising campaigns that address social issues. The analysis focuses on publicly documented campaigns and their strategic positioning in the Indian tea market. Company Background Hindustan Unilever Limite

Executive Summary FabIndia is an Indian retail company founded in 1960 by John Bissell, an American working with the Ford Foundation in India. According to multiple press reports and company statements, FabIndia operates as a community-owned company connecting rural craft producers with urban consumers. The company sells handcrafted products including apparel, home furnishings, and personal care items sourced from artisan communities across India. As reported by The Economic

Executive Summary Myntra, acquired by Flipkart in 2014, has pursued a private label strategy as a core component of its business model in India's fashion e-commerce market. This case study examines Myntra's approach to building and scaling private label brands, based exclusively on publicly documented information from company statements, executive interviews, and credible industry reports. Company Background Myntra was founded in 2007 as a personalization platform before pivo

Executive Summary Apple Pay represents a significant milestone in the evolution of digital payments and financial technology. Launched in October 2014, Apple Pay transformed the way consumers interact with payment systems by leveraging Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, biometric authentication, and the iPhone's installed base. This case study examines Apple Pay's impact on consumer payment behavior, its strategic positioning within the fintech ecosystem, and the broa

Executive Summary In 2019, Procter & Gamble's feminine hygiene brand Whisper (marketed as Always in Western markets) launched the "Touch the Pickle" campaign in India, directly confronting a widespread cultural taboo that restricts menstruating women from touching pickles and entering kitchens. The campaign represented a strategic shift in menstrual hygiene marketing in India, moving from product-feature communication to cultural advocacy. This case examines the campaign's ap

Executive Summary Airbnb's "Belong Anywhere" campaign, launched in July 2014, represented a fundamental repositioning of the company from a transactional accommodation marketplace to an aspirational brand centered on human connection and belonging. This case study examines the strategic rationale, execution, and outcomes of this brand transformation using only verified, publicly available information. The repositioning coincided with Airbnb's evolution from a startup to a glo

Executive Summary Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd. has been a dominant player in India's packaged drinking water industry since its entry in 1965. The brand transformed from an imported glass-bottled product to India's largest-selling packaged drinking water brand, with "Bisleri" becoming virtually synonymous with bottled water in Indian consumer vocabulary. This case study examines Bisleri's journey in building consumer trust through product safety, distribution reach, and br

Executive Summary Tata Cliq, launched in May 2016, represented Tata Group's entry into India's competitive horizontal e-commerce marketplace. Operating under Tata UniStore Limited (a subsidiary of Tata Industries), the platform positioned itself as a multi-brand online retailer competing against established players like Amazon India and Flipkart. Unlike pure-play e-commerce companies, Tata Cliq leveraged the conglomerate's extensive offline retail partnerships and brand equit

Executive Summary BigBasket, founded in 2011 by VS Sudhakar, Hari Menon, Vipul Parekh, VS Ramesh, and Abhinay Choudhari, emerged as India's largest online grocery retailer by pioneering an inventory-led model in a market traditionally dominated by hyperlocal and marketplace approaches. The company's strategic focus on controlling its supply chain through owned warehouses, direct sourcing from farmers and manufacturers, and technology-enabled logistics distinguished it from co

Executive Summary In May 2016, KFC India faced a significant reputational crisis when a customer in Kolkata allegedly found worms in a chicken dish, triggering widespread media coverage and public outcry on social media platforms. The incident posed a direct threat to the brand's core value proposition—food quality and safety—in a market where KFC had been operating since 1995 and had established approximately 350 restaurants by 2016. The controversy required immediate crisis

Executive Summary Nike and Adidas represent two distinct approaches to global sportswear brand positioning. Nike, headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, and Adidas, based in Herzogenaurach, Germany, have pursued different strategic paths in building their brands globally. This case study examines their publicly disclosed positioning strategies, focusing on brand philosophy, athlete partnerships, product innovation approaches, and geographic expansion tactics. Company Background

Executive Summary Tinder, the globally recognized dating application owned by Match Group Inc., entered the Indian market in 2013, positioning itself at the intersection of technological advancement and evolving social attitudes toward relationships and dating. India represents a complex market characterized by traditional arranged marriage norms, conservative family structures, and rapidly changing youth behavior driven by urbanization, smartphone penetration, and internet a

Executive Summary Amazon entered India in 2013 via Amazon Seller Services Pvt. Ltd., launching Amazon.in as a marketplace that connected third-party sellers with customers. Its India strategy centered on navigating strict FDI rules that bar foreign e-commerce firms from holding inventory or selling directly to consumers, while competing intensely with Flipkart. As reported by The Economic Times and Business Standard (2013–2020), Amazon operated formally as a marketplace but

Executive Summary Airbnb, founded in 2008, transformed short-term rentals by creating a two-sided marketplace connecting hosts with travelers. According to Airbnb's S-1 filing (November 2020), "Our platform is built on trust. Guests must trust hosts to provide them with a place to stay that is accurately represented. Hosts must trust guests to treat their homes respectfully." This case examines how Airbnb designed its review system to establish digital trust at scale. Company

Executive Summary Tinder, the location-based dating application owned by Match Group Inc., entered the Indian market in 2013. The platform's communication strategy in India has involved navigating cultural sensitivities around modern relationships, dating, and technology-mediated matchmaking in a market traditionally dominated by arranged marriages and family-driven partner selection. This case study examines Tinder India's publicly documented communication approach, market p

Executive Summary Spotify, founded in 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon in Sweden, became the world's largest audio streaming platform despite competing against Apple, Amazon, Google, and regional players with deeper resources. By Q3 2024, Spotify reported 640 million monthly active users and 252 million premium subscribers across over 180 markets, according to company shareholder letters. The company differentiated through a freemium model, algorithmic personalization,