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from four sides, the freezers in Godrej Pentacool cooled from five sides and outperformed competitors.

Godrej Pentacool Frost Free Refrigerators had another product plus: they were the only Refrigerators that were 100% CFC, HCFC and HFC free while the others in India were only 100% CFC free. Other interesting features like a door chime and a fully integrated rust-proof polypropylene base helped combine the functional with the aesthetic. Designed in Europe and armed with these revolutionary features the Pentacool series set a new benchmark. They also marked the resurgence of Godrej and the beginning of the brand rebuilding exercise.

Product
The Pentacool series was a stunning launch. It once again established Godrej as the pack leader. But, to retain this hard-fought eminence more needed to be done. The new task at hand was to change the paradigm and revamp the entry level and mid- end Direct Cool as also enhance the Frost Free segments. Godrej undertook a series of aggressive initiatives. In a bid to drive penetration and increase its width of distribution, Godrej upgraded the capacities of its entry-level models in the Direct Cool segment. The launch of 170L Champion, 180L Super Star, 180L Cold Gold Matrix, 180L and 215L Cold Gold Infiniti saw a shake up at the entry level of the Direct Cool category which helped up- grade the entire market from the traditional 165 litre model to the 180 litre model. It also introduced a top of the line 425L Frost Free model. The latest introduction is the new range of Godrej Pentacool Refrigerators with electronic cooling systems and a stunning stainless steel finish.

Recent Developments
In 2001, Godrej conducted an extensive triggers and barriers research. It provided significant insights into consumer behaviour not least of all the fact that Refrigerators are no longer purchased on the back of rational benefits. It showed, embarrassment in front of guests, pester power, the emotional crutch of being seen as a good homemaker and hostess and the need of the husband to be seen as a good provider, as key drivers in this market. Clearly, in this new environment, the Refrigerator needs to be positioned differently: an enabler to the housewife and a value proposition to the husband to justify the investment. Godrej made a paradigm shift in its strategy. It moved beyond demographic segments and targeted the key psychographic motivators in a bid to come closer to the consumer. The results were immediate. At the same time the company improved its distribution and re-emphasised its leadership status. It introduced special programmes, like 3 2 ka 1, targeting key accounts to improve its share of trade amongst the countrys top 250 distributors. At the same time to draw closer to the consumer, Godrej introduced the SmartCare initiative as a one-stop shop for all service-related needs with 24 hours a day seven days a week, call centres across the country, supported by a common toll-free number. Godrej also undertook in 2001, a number of unique and innovative Micro Marketing initiatives, tailored to suit different regions: special communications for Onam in Kerala, Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharashtra, Durga Puja in Kolkata with each orchestrating a central theme, resulting in a larger than life presence for Godrej.

The company plans to keep up an aggressive pace and approach to new product development in Refrigerators and Washing Machines in order to continue to wow its consumers and be seen as second to none in the industry. In Washing Machines, the company has doubled its market share from 4% to 8% in two years and is slated to launch a revolutionary new technology in this category. It has also introduced a new range of Air-conditioners under the brand name Godrej SmartCool and is also working on introducing Microwave Ovens. Overall the plan is to emerge as a full line appliance company through new products in the other related white goods categories.

Promotion
In the early 1980s, the advertising from Godrej came to symbolise the values that the brand stands for today: Trust. In 1989, the introduction of PUF came alive with a Superman like mnemonic. This changed the product and the advertising paradigm in the category. Then came the launch of Frost Free Refrigerators. Frost freedom became a new way of living since the Refrigerator defrosted automatically and required no assistance from the housewife. Advertising for Godrej Pentacool was arrived at by evaluating both functional and image-related aspects in the communication strategy. The functional strategy was to make Godrej stand for superior delivery of the basic benefit: Cooling. The image strategy was to make the brand young and energetic. To achieve this it signed up Priety Zinta as its brand ambassadress. Priety Zinta is seen as young, modern, very likeable, vivacious and aspirational. The advertising campaign paid rich dividends and the Internal Advertising Tracking data showed that Godrej had made huge improvements on the aspect of `pride of ownership. It was also seen as more relevant to todays consumer. Its current positioning is based on the fact that the task for Godrej is not just to gain brand preference through a unique product offering but also to revitalise the brand in the consumers mind. Yesterdays pioneer to todays aspiration sums up the communications task. A recent Need Segmentation Study shows that with the evolution of the category, consumers are shifting towards higher order needs like preservation and customisation. In this context, the Godrej brand proposition is Specialised Cooling that Preserves Freshness. The big revelation is that while competition has treated preservation merely as a feature, consumers are looking for sensorial cues of freshness. The advertising idea for Godrej is, therefore, Khana Rakhe Fresh Khane Tak (Keeps food fresh till you eat it).

Brand Values
The enduring essence of the brand has been trust and reliability. Today, it is also seen as modern and dynamic aspects that appeal to the younger generation. In many ways Godrej has been able to bridge the great divide between generations. It bonds well with both.

Things you didn't know about Godrej Refrigerators


Godrej is Indias first appliance company to sell ten million appliances. Godrej was the first company to introduce 100% CFC, HCFC, HFC free Refrigerators. It was also the first company to launch designer Refrigerators draped with vinyl sheets that you could change. Godrej launched Refrigerators in India way back in 1958. www.godrejappliances.com

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