Cola giants go to war in India with lemons
April 6th 2009 06:21
A few years ago the media was agog with stories on Colas having high levels of pesticides in them. How high was high no one ever knew but there was a panic in the market and people switched over to drinking neembu paani instead or lemonade as it is lesser known. Today the pesticide story long forgotten the Cola giants of India have begun a war of their own to establish their own brand of neembu paani in the market. There are several players and their strategy is varied. But the war of the lemons has definitely begun in India.
The fruit juice wallahs in the country had rejoiced when the Cola companies were battling the media to regain their market territory. The Cola companies are now getting their own back. Lets see who all are in the Neembu business. There is Catch the failed Cola giant who managed to position its product as safe during the height of the Cola controversy in schools etc and deals with Paan wallahs as it also is a well known manufacturer of pan masala. The company retails its products through paan wallahs, only its soda sells through grocery stores. Now Merinda is also selling neembu pani and giving it a desi profile. Apart from the biggies there is Seven Up with a neembu look and so on.
Then take the case of the small players whether it is Hello or some local bottled water supplier they are selling neembu pani in glasses, in plastic bottles and so on, the seals can be ordinary as there is no need to carbonate the drink. The prices range from Rs 7 onwards and for the needy in summer it is a divine drink.
At the rate the Cola giants are going for each others throats, it seems it is only a matter of time when Pepsi and Coke will start entering the field of dry fruits and pan masala too with their own brands. Soon their signature tune could be muh mey Pepsigandha kadmo mein duniya. The lemon war however continues unabated. How corporate can we get?
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