Flamingo, the flagship consumer healthcare brand from Ascent Meditech has been ramping up its marketing efforts as it looks to tap into a younger consumer demographic. The parent company, having been in the business of offering pain management solutions since 1991, has been proactively introducing new products across its categories led by its flagship brand. Having charted an ambitious growth path with the appointment of Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan as brand ambassador in 2019, the brand forayed into the personal protection space during the pandemic. The brand’s product-focussed campaigns for heat belt, knee cap, lumbar sacro belt and cool pack featuring the actor have resulted in the organisation’s revenue growth by nearly 40 per cent YoY.
Flamingo recently kickstarted a 360-degree campaign with the launch of three TVCs- the latest one being released a little more than a week back-, showcasing brand partner Hrithik Roshan using the brand’s pain-navigating products. The campaign overarches the brand’s motto of ‘An Aid for a New Life’ and aims to engage the millennial consumer, as well as engage with its existing audience base. With its 400+ range of products spread across orthopedic soft goods, healthcare, mobility, wound-care and personal protection, the brand is all set to launch its products in India’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns in the present year. Recognising that Covid-19 has completely changed the marketplace dynamics, the brand plans to have an undivided focus in developing the alternate channels.
Since taking over as the company’s VP – sales and marketing in October 2019, Rakesh Kumar has worked closely with brand Flamingo, even as his expertise across sectors like FMCG and Healthcare in various multinational companies and two-decades-plus work experience has helped the brand identify new sales opportunities and create innovative marketing strategies. Notably, the brand ‘Flamingo’ bagged ET’s best healthcare brand for 2019 and CNBC’s most trusted brand of country for the year 2020.
IndianTelevision’s Anupama Sajeet caught up with Rakesh Kumar for an exclusive interaction on the brand’s evolving consumer demographic and brand image post-teaming up with Hrithik Roshan. Kumar also shared his thoughts on being one of the early movers in the competitive domestic Healthcare market and the expansion plans adopted by the brand in 2022.
Edited excerpts:
On the celebrity collaboration and the impact it has created on the brand image
The ethos of brand Flamingo matches with the overall personality of Hrithik Roshan, who himself has fought many personal battles and emerged stronger every single time. This association has only made the partnership strong resulting in evolution of the brand across a period of three years.
During the initial years, focus by brand Flamingo was restricted to senior citizens however we have expanded our audience basket now to include today’s millennials. This holds true with Hrithik Roshan being our brand ambassador whose appeal cuts across all age groups. The brand enjoys a very fruitful association with the Bollywood superstar and our product- focussed campaigns for Heat Belt, Knee Cap, Lumbar Sacro Belt (L.S Belt) and Cool Pack featuring the actor has resulted in organisation’s revenue growth by 35-40 per cent year on year.
On the new-age marketing strategies adopted by the brand
Understanding the consumers are the crucial puzzles every marketer has to solve. If the understanding is right, other elements of the marketing mix fall into place automatically. In the period of over three decades since our existence, consumer behaviour has changed drastically and there has been a tremendous growth of the millennial population, who are tech savvy. Virtual experience of our offerings has become critical in making final purchase decisions. Along with it new age marketing research techniques help in unearthing critical data points and further remarketing it to the end consumer.
When it comes to tapping the influencer marketing segment, Hrithik is already a revered influencer with whom the brand enjoys a successful association and his influence has been availed for our OTC (over the counter) range of products. Additionally, a big Rx (medical prescription) portfolio is driven by healthcare professionals.
On gauging consumer behaviour to enhance brand connect
Here at brand Flamingo, the bricks of regular market research help the marketing team in gauging the ever changing consumer behaviour. It was earlier believed that offerings by brand Flamingo are surgical in nature and accordingly target audience (old age) and distribution channels were defined. However, thorough research threw light about the millennial population and the sedentary lifestyle they were leading. This gave a window of opening of offering selected pain management solutions to a large growing population as a preventive way of protection plus making certain offerings available in trendy colours. It is also to be noted that in the space of support offerings, Flamingo is the only brand who with the tools of market research is expanding the overall market.
Defining the right target audience and developing appropriate communication for awareness/realisation forms the heartbeat of the Marketing team managing the brand Flamingo. Keeping in mind the nature of pain management solutions that brand Flamingo offers, the marketing vertical comprises teams managing the Rx business (through doctors’ influence), OTC business, digital and the overall marketing communications.
On how the Flamingo’s brand image has evolved over the years
The indigenously developed India’s first electric Heat Belt was marketed under brand Flamingo to cater under the ‘Therapy’ section. Despite the perennial problem of electricity, the brand believed in its vision and over time consumers shifted their user behaviour from hot water bags. Completing the segment of ‘Therapy’ brand Flamingo also introduced Cool Pack to offer convenience and reduce swelling and pain.
The brand then diversified into the ‘Compression’ segment and introduced Orthopaedic Soft Goods for the human musculoskeletal structure viz. Knee Cap, L.S Belt, Stockings etc, before entering into the Wound-care and Mobility Aids segment. The innate need among consumers for protection and being independent has helped Flamingo diversify into the Personal Protection and hygiene segment.
On the brand’s ad spends allocation across media
Brand Flamingo operates in the problem solution category and have traditionally preferred and invested in the visual medium viz. print and television to communicate about the pain problem and resultant pain relief solution (product). However, the pandemic has drastically changed consumer behaviour and their media consumption. We are fully sensitive to new age e-commerce and accordingly digital spends are also getting prioritised. Thus we have charted our ad allocation through diverse media interfaces such as television (across GEC, films, music and news channels), print (in major dailies), digital (promotions over social media networks), BTL (activities to be executed in chemist shops across India) and DTH networks.
On the pandemic’s effect on the brand’s productivity, sales & revenue
The global pandemic has its impact across industries and brand Flamingo was no stranger to it. Mobility is inbuilt in the ethos of brand Flamingo and when mobility itself is restricted due to lockdown brand metrics did look uncertain for some-time. However, there is always a silver lining at the end of the tunnel and the pandemic presented an opportunity to expand our net of protection and enter into the ‘essential’ category with FlamiMask and Flamitizer. This strategic decision clubbed with increase in lifestyle disorders due to practice of work from home drove the healthcare market and helped Flamingo in its recovery process. The pandemic also facilitated us in maintaining our relationship with channel partners (read, chemist) and empathy in times of distress only made the relationship healthier and stronger.
On the brand’s Target audience & consumer demographic and expansion plans for 2022
Brand Flamingo has evolved over the years and so has its target audience. During the initial years, our focus was restricted to senior citizens however we have expanded our audience basket now to include today’s millennials. In terms of demographics, we target individuals (31+ years) residing in metros and Tier 1 cities of India. As part of expansion plans, brand Flamingo is looking to expand the distribution of pain management solutions to 1.5 Lakhs chemist shops across metros, tier 1 and 2 towns. Apart from this, the brand is also increasing its Healthcare Professionals coverage to 15K thereby increasing the awareness of the various pain management solutions.
