P Political -

E - economical

S socio Culture

T technical - Pulse was conceptualized in 2013 and the product team dedicated almost two years on it before it's launch which happened 6 months earlier. They
realized that kaccha aam was eaten across all ages around every part of the country in some way or the other.

On top of that , they capitalized on the fact that kaccha aam is eaten with a mixture of salt and spices to add more flavor to it which led to the foundation of Pulse.

E ecological

L Legal Earlier VAT 5% , GST 0%

Competitor analysis
In February last year, the DS Group - manufacturer of brands such as Rajnigandha (Pan Masala), Baba (Tobacco) and Catch (spices) -- entered the
candy segment with Pass Pass 'Pulse'. Today, the Kaccha Aam-flavoured hard-boiled candy with a tangy twist, which fans also call the 'magical core' or
the 'masala bomb', is a Rs 100 crore brand (as of January 2016)

The Various Competitors INCLUDE

Rajnigandha (Pan Masala)

Tic tac
Pan Bahar
Happy Dent
Orbit
Spray Mint mouth freshner
Local Products

Baba (Tobacco)

Catch (spices)

MDH Masale
EVEREST Masala
Local players

Parle

MANGO BITE is the main Competition

First company to introduce the raw mango flavoured hard boiled candies in india.

Improved product called Spicy parle kaccha mango bite launched to regain top position in HBC segment once again.BC Market
segment
Perfetti Van Melle

20 % marketshare in HBC Segment.

Alpenliebe which leads in the caramel category 3 main flavors mangofills , chocoliebe , creamfills

They have a strong distribution network

High Promotional budget

Constantly Innovating with recent entry into the lollypop segment with chupa chups

KOPIKO

Kopiko premium hard boiled candy with a distinct coffee flavor

Its tag line include toffee that Makes You Stay Awake

Not Much market share but increasing at a fast rate.

LOCAL TOFFEE

The other major substitutes are local candies that come in similar packaging as Pulse and thus the consumer gets confused about the authenticity of
the company.

AND OTHER INCLUDE

Chlor-mint

Poppins

Melody

Pan Pasand

Mango Bite
CUSTOMER ANALYSIS

Type: People with both sweet and salty preferences (specifically Indian tastebuds)

Age Group: All age groups (young and old)

CURRENT POSITIONING OF PULSE

Within a year of its launch, Pulse contributed over Rs 150 crore to the DS Groups kitty. A mere
drop when seen against the approximately Rs 7,700 crore that the group clocked in FY16, but
significant considering the time frame, and the fact that it came from a hard-boiled candy priced
at Re 1.

Indian customers usually buys candy in single pieces, but in the case of pulse candy,
consumers are buying in bulkfive to 10 in one go. At present, DS Group produces 300-400
tonnes of Pulse candy each month. Once Pulse reaches most top towns, DS Group plans to
start promotions and a brand-building exercise.
With the rising demand of Pulse it started selling at a premium, it had to be supported well
through the distribution. More than 80% market coverage, frequent refillment, and overall tight
distribution norms helped Pulse be available ate every nook and corner of the city. Launch in
Rajasthan and Gujarat was followed up by launch in UP & Delhi. At 2015 end, a new Guava
flavor of Pulse candy was launched in the market. The company crossed 100 Crore mark in
January this year which was set to be achieved by the end of March.
With nearly no advertising and minimal merchandising, Pulse is a story of product being the
ultimate winner. The best strategy for D S group is still to develop a product that speaks for
itself, maybe it Pass Pass or Catch mineral water. The journey of Pulse has just begun and it
rightly aims to be among the top 3 candies in India.

1) The Candy has already done Rs. 50 Crores in sales in the last 6 months and is expected to
cross Rs. 100 Crore mark by the end of March.
2) They produce around 300 - 400 tonnes of Pulse Candy every month.

3) Already featured their presence in over 850,000 retail outlets across the country.

4) They did zero budget Marketing for their product. Or better would be to say they did not do
marketing at all.

Consider each of the 4 points of every section discussed. You will come to a fascinating
question i.e. "How the Hell did they do all of that without Marketing ?"

Well they left everything in the hand of famously short-formed " WoM" ( Word of Mouth
Publicity )