Marketing Strategy of Himalaya

May 29, 2019 By Hitesh Bhasin Tagged with Tagged With: Strategic Marketing Articles

It all started in 1930 when the idea of contemporizing the Ayurveda by

Mr. M. Manal gave birth to the company Himalaya. It opened its first
office at foothills of Himalaya in Dehradun in the year 1932, since then
the company has been promoting and distributing Herbal
Ayurvedic products across the globe.

In the year 2016 company has rechristened its logo as “Himalaya, since
1930”, in order to create the global identity communicating the rich
legacy of the brand and history of over 86 years.

Page Contents

Segmentation, targeting, positioning in the Marketing strategy of Himalaya–

Himalaya has the bouquet of healthcare products which are segmented

based on the customer groups and usage such as personal care products
for customers of all ages, nutrition and wellness products which are
health supplements for deficiency of minerals & vitamins primarily for
children & old age consumers, mother care, and Baby care products.

Since the brand have the presence in different product categories,

therefore it uses differentiated targeting strategy so that although the
product categories are defined by the brand the offerings will differ
based on the geographic region the product is catering to.

Himalaya has positioned itself as an herbal brand giving health &

wellness of the customer prime importance while doing business and
formulating products best suited to the changing times.
Marketing mix

SWOT analysis

Mission-“To make herbal wellness a part of every home”

Vision- “Not available”

Tagline-“Since 1930”

Competitive advantage in the Marketing strategy of Himalaya–

Increasing share of other business:

In the year 2004, 97% of the revenues of the company were coming from
Ayurveda medicines with the revenue of about ?200 crores at that time
which over the years have increased to? 1800 crores with only 34%
being contributed by the Ayurveda medicines and rest from other
businesses of the company.

Rich Portfolio of offerings:

The herbal wellness company & drugmaker has more than 300 products
across categories such as face washes, toothpaste, shampoos, pain-relief
balms, body lotions, soaps, lip balms, ayurvedic drugs for humans and
animals as well as nutrition products. In some of the product categories,
it gained first-mover advantage like in products such as lip balm, face
washes etc. with herbal benefits.

Related: Michael Porter's Five forces model for industry analysis

BCG Matrix in the Marketing strategy of Himalaya-

The company operates in the business segments such as Personal care,

Wellness & nutrition products, Pharmaceutical products, and Animal
Health.

Himalaya launched the personal care segment in 1999 with brand

name as Ayurvedic concepts which later on renamed as Himalaya
Herbals. The segment commands 42% market share with lip care and
face cleansing among top offerings and is, therefore, is Stars in the BCG
matrix.
Liv.52 the leading producer of a pharmaceutical portfolio with ?250
crores is among the top 10 selling drugs in India. The other offerings of
the brand in this business are not that successful and are, therefore, is
the question mark in the BCG matrix.

The wellness & nutrition segment is Star in the BCG matrix as the brands
have approx 250 products with a global presence.

Distribution strategy in the Marketing strategy of Himalaya–

The Company have shifted its manufacturing facility from Mumbai in

1975 to the outskirts of the Bangalore city. The 80,000 square feet EU-
GMP-certified manufacturing and R& D facility is spread across the 28-
acre land. The standardization of manufacturing process of the company
has helped it in spreading its wings in more than 91 countries globally.

The products of the company are distributed through a mix of channels

such as authorized distributors, retailers, E-commerce websites, Medial
stores and Pops & mom stores. The products of the company are
prescribed by more than 400000 doctors globally.

Brand equity in the Marketing strategy of Himalaya–

The brand has been synonyms of Ayurveda and is known for head-to-
heal herbal healthcare products. The brand has won awards & accolades
over the years such as Guardian Health & beauty Awards 2015, Watsons
HWB 2015, Best foot care cream award by Women’s weekly, Beauty Hall
of Fame award (2015) for Lip Balm. The company had operating revenue
of $ 28 billion (2017).

Himalaya have its official Blog which not only helps the brand in
promoting its products but also helps in creating awareness about health
hazards in the changing time and medicinal benefits of the herbal
medicine offered by the company.
Competitive analysis in the Marketing strategy of Himalaya–

Most of the companies operating in Ayurvedic & herbal industry have

strong Backend of researchers and recommending doctors to which
Himalaya is not an exception. The company has more than 290
researchers who do clinical and lab testing of the offerings on regular
basis in order to provide distinctive and competitive product in the
market.

Related: Marketing Strategy of Fevicol

The company competes with the companies such as Dabur, Reckitt

Benckiser, Zandu, Patanjali and many more.

Market analysis in the Marketing strategy of Himalaya–

Himalaya operates in the market where several companies are offerings

similar kind of generic products, the only differentiation is the benefits
and the branding that the companies do to make the offerings more
acceptable in the market.
 Continuously it has been striving & venturing into new segments of the
business to lessen its dependency on pharmaceuticals segment and
broaden its revenue from personal care, Wellness & nutrition, and other
FMCG products.

Customer analysis in the Marketing strategy of Himalaya –

The customer of the company are from all the age groups starting from
infants for whom there are baby care products i.e. baby kits & diapers,
moms/children/ Old age customers there are wellness and nutritional
products, pharmaceuticals products for all age groups of customers, and
Personal care products.

Customers of the brand are inclined towards Ayurveda and products

which don’t have side effects use the products of Himalaya as it is safe
and efficacious.

CASE STUDY: How ‘Himalaya’

gripped Digital Marketing to grow its
Brand Performance?
23/11/2016

What you will find in this Case Study?

• The Himalaya story
• Marketing plan for the Company
• The Marketing Mix 4 Ps
• Digital Marketing as a part of its strategy
• Social Media Marketing
• TV commercials
• My Lakshya Campaign
• Conclusion

The Himalaya Story

The Himalaya Company was founded in 1930 by M. Manal with a vision that they want to
serve humanity by launching Ayurvedic products and to unravel the mystery behind the 5,000
year old system of medicine.
The company started its operations in Dehradun; later spread its wings to Mumbai. In 1975,
the company set up an advanced manufacturing facility in Makali, Bangalore, India.

81 years ago, on a visit to Burma, M. Manal got inspired and found that a villager pacifies the
restless elephants by feeding it the root of the plant, Rauwolfia serpentina .
He was fascinated by the plant’s effect on the elephants; he made an extensive research on
plant roots and scientifically was proved that roots had some characteristics to heel the
animals.

After detailed research, the company launched Serpina, the world’s first anti-hypertensive
drug in 1934.
These days Himalaya is using modern medical science techniques to rediscover and unravel
of Ayurvedic secrets.

From the discovery of the company has focused on developing safe, natural and inventive
remedies that will help people lead wealthier, healthier lives.

Marketing Plan for the Company

Himalaya Company’s marketing strategy can be defined as one of the most comprehensive
yet important in the present times. Himalaya’s biggest marketing strategy was shift from
focusing Ayurvedic ideas to herbal personal care. Leading marketing approaches of
Himalaya are high quality, wellness, and uncompromised service with a smile. They are able
to supply the products needed main by the customers at all times by keeping high standards.

Himalaya’s 4Ps Marketing Mix

The company is using marketing mix combination of 4Ps which stands for Price, Product,
Promotion and Place.
Product
Product includes of product variety, Quality, design, features, brand name, packaging, sizes,
services, warranties, and returns. In short everything that is essential for a product to stand
out in the eyes of its target audience .
Example: Himalaya Neem face wash is a product of great quality, has an exclusive tube
design which makes it very appropriate to use and provides satisfying service to its
customers.
Price
Price is an attractive component of any product. Price consists of the list price at which it is
itemized, discounts that the product offers and other concessions that it gives.

Himalaya products are reasonable and are available in various small and medium size
packets which are very convenient to carry.
Promotion
Promotion includes the sales promotions, product promotions, advertising, public relations
etc. The company promotes and advertises its product to make it reach to the masses and
make people aware of the qualities and effects of the product.
Famous Personality endorsements are a big attraction for the customers to relate with the
brand at much higher levels.

Example: Himalaya Neem face wash pitches itself as the teenagers’ product which satisfies
to the teen’s pimples and acne problems.

Object 1

Place
Place covers the channels, coverage, locations, magazines etc. wherever the product can be
promoted .
Himalaya products manage to cover sufficient channels and magazines for its promotions
and have achieved to place it among the top 3 or 4 brands.
Digital Marketing as a part of its strategy
Digital Marketing is significant for Himalaya’s continuous growth. In fact Himalaya is one of
the pioneers of the companies that have a presence on the Internet . At Himalaya online
business is not just another task but a critical one at that.
The key elements of Himalaya digital strategy is to engage with customers, attract new
customers, provide helpful solutions and expert advice to address our customers’ personal
care problems and build awareness for brand Himalaya and vast range of solution based
herbal products.
The website interface is very nicely done. Himalaya decided to go in the trend of an online
store. This allowed customers who chosen online shopping to purchase what they need.
This has been a very fruitful part in Himalaya’s over all business.
Social Media Marketing
Himalaya has widespread presence over social media . Its Facebook fan page with 2 million
like & 8K followers on Twitter and a strong community boasts about its active engagement.
The company has also moved beyond social platforms to look at other digital platforms
such as YouTube with 8K subscribers and microsites.
The company entered the men’s grooming segment recently; they launched a new
microsite ‘HimalayaForHim’ to facilitate different kinds of conversations with the male
consumers.

Recently, they launched ‘Cocoa Butter Body Lotion’ Facebook page dedicated to the flagship
personal care product – #PurestCare. Here, Cocoa butter body lotion is positioned as your
best friend who understands skincare problems in this winter season and offers solutions.
The choice of the digital medium depends entirely on the product at least as far as their
personal care portfolio is concerned, digital is imperative . The Company will experiment and
push the boundaries for brand Himalaya.

TV Commercials
Online marketing helps us strengthen the message and reach out to a wider audience . It also
allows for greater creative investigation and deeper conversations.
A couple of months back they launched Fairness Cream – Himalaya Natural Glow Fairness
Cream and supported it with a TVC that shows a high-achieving young girl being troubled by
skin problems. The character in the commercial is already an achiever and the product steps
into her life to solve her skin problems. They wanted to carry the confidence of the character
into their online communication as well. The campaign planned centred on the ‘Challenge
Accepted’ theme.
 Object 2

My Lakshya Campaign
Himalaya’s ‘My Lakshya campaign’ to enable people live their dreams, is using digital and
social media to reach out to the young urban consumer. The company took a step further to
explore a campaign that ties into the soul of brand Himalaya – a problem-solver and an
enabler. This gave birth to ‘My Lakshya’, an exclusive campaign that redefines the value of
living your dream.
Launched with a video that captures the value of fulfilling one’s dream and aims to bridge the
gap between passion and career, the response has been fairly impressive. Social media is
being leveraged effectively to spread the word.

The film, created by Web Chutney and directed by Sharad Kalawar took about six months
from conception to execution and the core insight came from research interviews. ‘My
Lakshya’ gives young adults an opportunity to pursue a career of their choice.
 Object 3

Conclusion
• Himalaya is considered one of the best brands in the personal care segment .
• The complete re-branding exercise and reorientation in the marketing strategy worked out
well for the company.
• As in the market they are launching Himalaya’s products. They have large number of products
or competitors in the market.
• They are committed towards their nation and people and nature as Himalaya is the natural
herbal company so they are trying coming with new products to give value to the costumers
and no doubt to the nature . They are trying to open the secrets of nature.
• The company will try to maintain the brand loyalty of the product .
• They have make marketing plan according to demand of their customers and in future they
will do the same.
• The company allocate 5% of total marketing spends for personal care to digital.
• Their digital campaigns focus on raising awareness for their products.
• The company has consumers in 67+ countries which rely upon Himalaya’s products.
• Himalaya products have been endorsed by 300,000 doctors around the globe.
• Confirmation of Himalaya’s dedication towards high quality and consistency in herbal care
reveals as company was awarded with an ISO 9001:2000 certification in 2003.
History & Marketing
Strategies of Himalaya
Brand
With their range of over 500 herbal products, Himalaya continues to win hearts and
offer well-being to consumers across all walks of life. The Himalaya brand
represents wellness and care. Their range of head-to-toe healthcare and personal
care products spans the entire wellness spectrum, offering gentle, safe and
efficacious care.
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– ‘Khush Raho, Khushaal Raho’

Company Name: – The Himalaya Drug Company

Founder: – M. Manal

How It All Started

Mr. M. Manal, the founder of Himalaya, in 1930 was a curious man. Once
riding through the forests of Burma saw restless elephants being fed the
root of a plant, Rauwolfia serpentina, which helped pacify them.
Fascinated by the plant’s effect on elephants, he wanted to scientifically
evaluate its properties.

He had no money just a passion which led him to achieve its vision. He
borrowed money by pawning his mother’s jewellery to buy a hand-
operated tableting machine. He spent his days learning about herbs from
local Ayurveda healers and his nights working on the machine to make a
few hundred tablets. His vision was to ‘bring the traditional Indian
science of Ayurveda to society in a contemporary form’. It took years to
get success and it was possible only by his patience, strength and
passion.

He felt that if people were provided with safe and effective herbal
medicines, the acceptance level will increase on its own and they will use
it as a part of routine. He believed that herbal medicines should be
assessed on the same quality and effectiveness parameters as
conventional medicine. This was possible through actual research. This
was a dream with many obstacles. But he continued on despite of the
hurdles.

Launching

A person’s passion and dedication always brings the positive outcome.

After 4 years of rigorous research the herb Rauwolfia serpentina,
Serpina®, the world’s first natural antihypertensive drug was launched
in 1934. In 1955, Himalaya launched Liv.52, a liver formulation that
makes sure optimum liver function.

It is their flagship brand and a top selling herbal medicine. In 1999,

Himalaya entered the personal care segment under the brand name
‘Ayurvedic Concepts’. This was unchartered territory which brought with
it new challenges and new opportunities for learning.

Starting off operations in Dehradun way back in the 1930s, the company
later expanded to Mumbai and across the country. In 1975, the company
grounded an advanced manufacturing facility in Makali, Bengaluru, India.
In 1991, the company relocated its R&D facility to Bengaluru. They
operate in over 90 countries, their products are prescribed by 400,000
doctors worldwide, and millions of customers trust them for their health
and personal care needs.

Marketing Strategy and Interesting

Facts behind its Success.
Logo: – The Himalaya logo is a visual definition of its brand identity. The
leaf that forms the crossbar of the letter H evokes the company’s focus
on herbal healthcare. The teal green colour represents closeness to
nature. The orange is symbol of caring through warmth, vibrancy and
commitment.

Innovation: Bringing ideas out of the lab and into the real world is the
kind of innovation they pursue. It motivates them to discover new
medicines and develop new products that make life healthier for people.
Continuous investments in research & development has resulted in
increased productivity and better quality of drugs, medicines, medical
instruments, hospital equipment, and other medical supplies used in
medical industry.

People: – Himalaya’s founder firmly believed that the success of an

organization depends on the quality of its people. With strength of
incredible 5,000 employees worldwide, including a team of over 200
passionate and energetic research scientists, Himalaya is creating a
perfect work space. They had practiced and promoted non-
discrimination. They continue to attract people who are talented, driven
and inspired by their vision to bring health and wellness to the lives of
the people.
Branding: –

To focus on launching differentiated products using the company’s herbal

positioning. With product trials such as sampling, information
dissemination, advertorials and word-of- mouth publicity, marketing is
mainly focused on attracting the customers, creating awareness for the
products and increasing availability in each corner. All these efforts over
the year have made strong brand image and global presence. Himalaya
is recognised as pioneer in herbal industry across the world.

Campaigns

Some most eye-catching campaigns by Himalaya

1.Himalaya launched its first brand campaign “Khush Raho

Khushaal raho”.

Mr. Philipe Haydon, CEO, The Himalaya Drug Company, said that Herbal
brands today are gaining preference, and consumers are increasingly
considering herbal solutions as their first choice. With their range of over
500 herbal products, Himalaya continues to win hearts and offer well-
being to consumers across all walks of life. They are extremely proud to
unveil the first-ever brand film bringing to life the Vision of Brand
Himalaya.

2.Himalaya Lip Care’s new campaign “Ek Nayi Muskaan”

helps raise awareness for children with clefts.
Through Muskaan, Himalaya Lip Care has been aiming to raise
awareness about cleft lip and supporting free cleft treatment for
underprivileged children, in partnership with international cleft charity,
Smile Train. Through their partnership with Smile Train, Muskaan aims to
help raise awareness about cleft and ensure that more children receive
the cleft care they need at a younger age. A smile is an expression of
happiness, and with “Ek Nayi Muskaan”, they intend to create more
smiles by helping children achieve their dreams and live a fulfilling life.

Object 4

3.Himalaya’s New digital

campaign #BecauseYouNeedTakingCareOfToo.
It launched digital campaign #BecauseYouNeedTakingCareOfToo for
its brand new personal care product line ‘Himalaya FOR MOMS, India’s
first herbal mother care range. The products include Soothing Body
Butter (three variants- Rose, Lavender and Jasmine), Toning Massage Oil,
Anti-Rash Cream and Nipple Care Butter. The video captures the
emotions of a mother whose daughter is entering motherhood. The core
idea behind the campaign is the insight that once a baby is born, moms
have little time left to look after their personal care needs and self-care is
neglected. The video is an attempt to emphasize its importance with the
help of safe and herbal product range for mothers.

Object 5

Conclusion

Himalaya has earned the equity and trust of millions of consumers for
the last eight decades, Himalaya remains committed to solving
consumer problems through its herbal products backed by science and
research.

With their range of over 500 herbal products, Himalaya continues to win
hearts and offer well-being to consumers across all walks of life. The
Himalaya brand represents wellness and care. Their range of head-to-toe
healthcare and personal care products spans the entire wellness
spectrum, offering gentle, safe and efficacious care.