The Times of India ( 23/05/2014) has a disturbing news for all Axe ( brand) fans. According to the report, the brand which had an iconic status and which was a market leader in the Rs 2100 crore Indian deo market has slipped into 3rd position. ( Source)
According the newsreport, Fogg is the leader in the deo market with a share of 17% and the second player is Park Avenue with a market share of 8%. Axe has been relegated to third position with a share of only 6%.
The reason is very simple. Axe failed to differentiate !
How ironic isn't it ? The brand which virtually built the deo market in India and ruled for many years but then fail at marketing !
To top it , the brand comes from one of the best marketing companies in the world - HUL .
The brand should have seen the writings on the wall . There were a plethora of brands copying the " seduction" theme . But the brand put up a brave face and refused to react . Soon Axe lost its mojo .
I am not saying that Axe should have changed the basic proposition but it should have drove the agency guys to come up with break-through campaigns ( I know its easy to say) But rather than reacting strongly at the competition , the brand steadily imported its global advertising to the Indian market and watched its share go down the drain.
Usually when I criticize the HUL, I get nasty comments about being an armchair critic . But let me stick out my neck and say that Axe failed in marketing and that is sad !
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