Successful Brand: Fevicol

Fevicol: The Success Story

In any market, there are very few brands that enjoy the status of becoming synonymous
with the category that they represent. In India, Fevicol is one such brand. This remarkable
success story began in 1959, when the Parekh Group decided to enter into the adhesive market
through Pidilite Industries by introducing Fevicol. Initially the brand was positioned as an
industrial product with its primary usage was in woodworking and secondary application in
footwear and upholstery. Only after tasting success in these markets did Pidilite industries
decided to leverage on the popularity of the brand and, in 1970s, introduced Fevicol in various
packaging and sizes targeted towards the retail customer. This began the transition of the image
of this brand from an industrial product to all-purpose glue. Today, even though the primary
target of the company is carpenters, Fevicol is extensively used even by the common man,
particularly school students, professionals and educational institutions.
After the brand was introduced, the first 26 years elapsed in building a brand and
establishing the trust of consumers. This was mainly achieved by maintaining its product quality,
connecting with carpenters, evolving its packaging and establishment of a formidable
distribution network. In 1960s the company recorded sales of Rs. 1 crore which increased to Rs.
10 crores in 1983. By this time, the Fevicol brand was fairly established. Thereafter, with
introduction of new small sized SKUs (Stock Keeping Units), deepening of distribution network,
and a series of brilliant advertisements, the company was able to create a pull for its brand that
led to a strong increase in its sales from Rs. 10 crores in 1983 to Rs. 1,000 crores in 2006, 100
times sales in 23 years.
The success of any brand is can rarely be attributed to a single factor. An accomplished
brand is associated with a number of key success factors. The Unique Selling Proposition has
been the ease of application. This did the magic of gaining attention at the time when the brand
was launched since this was at a time when unwieldy natural adhesives (which needed to be
melted before use) were the norm in the wood furniture making industry. Since, consistent
quality, widespread distribution networks, and excellent customer relationships have all
contributed to the success of this brand. Fevicol time and again has come up with innovative
ways to engage with its target audience. The brands reputation for its consistent focus on quality
was propagated through word of mouth publicity, and has led to the brand enjoying a high level
of trust among its target audience. Pidilite organizes 'International Creative Contest' in which
800,000 students from 3000 schools participate. Of these, 1000 schools introduced craft lessons
in their schools thereby boosting their sales.