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Tata Starbucks will be celebrating 10 years in India this year. It has introduced a range of beverages to cater to Indian tastes, including Cardamom Chai, Masala Chai and Filter Coffee at its outlets in Bengaluru, Bhopal, Indore and Gurugram. So what took the brand 10 years to ‘Indianize’ its offering, introduce an entry level Picco size for its beverages and what are the company’s expansion plans for the India market. Storyboard 18 caught up with Sushant Dash, CEO, Tata Starbucks to find out more.

<strong>You have introduced an Indianised Starbucks menu. How has it fared and what is the consumer reaction to it?</strong>

What we are doing as a pilot in these four cities are three things. First part is the launch of a new size Picco. It is 6 oz. It is the first time that we are launching it in India and it is specific to the Indian market. The reason behind launching a smaller size is that in India the amount of beverage that we consume even when we have chai at home or when we go to a ‘tapri’, we don’t consume huge quantities of liquid. The share of stomach that Indians are used to is much lower as compared to what the West is used to. So there are some people who want a smaller size beverage. That was the idea.

The second thing is that we realized that when people come in groups, there will be somebody who doesn’t want the offering that we have or the coffees that we have and want something that is more familiar. So what better than ‘filter coffee’ and ‘masala chai’. So that is the reason why we did the second set of launches which is three items-filter coffee, tea in two variants: masala chai and cardamom and milkshakes. Milkshakes again, many times we see only on weekends families come together with kids and Indian families do not want their kids to have tea or coffee. The idea was to provide for that, hence milkshakes.

Similarly in terms of food, one of the complaints that people had about our food was that portion size was way too large many times. And many people when they come between two meals or after lunch, they don’t want to have a huge portion of dessert or sandwich. Hence we have launched three categories of food-bite size, which is for these in-between occasions. The other thing which again solves one of the consumer issues is that when people come in groups they want to share. What we have also launched is something called 'shareable'. And the last thing we have launched is freshly assembled sandwiches. And yes, some of the items that we have do have regional flavors.

So I would look at it as, the core still remains but a few more items that makes Starbucks more familiar to the Indian consumer and makes it more inclusive.

<strong>It has been 10 years since Starbucks entered India. What took you so long to ‘Indianise’ the offering?</strong>

There is always a good time to do this and this might be the right time for us. When you have a new brand come into the country, there are certain expectations. Mainly a brand like Starbucks, which many people have experienced, people know about. So, I think in the first phase you need to establish what the brand stands for in terms of its core competence. What the brand is known for. Because if we had not done that and made the brand strong enough then I don’t think we would have won the right to go ahead and do the new thing. That’s the fundamentals of marketing.

<strong>What does it take for a global brand to Indianize?</strong>

You need to remain true to what the brand stands for at the core. We will always be about coffee, we will always be about food that goes as a supplement with coffee or food that Starbucks is globally known for. You can’t compromise on that. I cannot become ‘hot tea’ or ‘Indian tea house’ in that sense. That is not what Starbucks is. This can only be the periphery. This can be to give comfort to the Indian consumer or those who come in a group who don’t want the core offering to provide for them.
<blockquote>“What we have always believed is that Indians are value conscious, they are not price conscious. I don’t look at Picco size from that perspective. Yes, in a sense, it could be a secondary benefit that the entry price point now at Starbucks becomes lower than what it used to be. And hence there could be more comfort. Because there was a perception that Starbucks is very expensive”</blockquote>
<strong>How challenging is it to draw that line?</strong>

It is a challenge. Which is why we have launched it only in four cities we want to learn. It is a learning experience for us. While we know what the consumer wants. But how we do it, that balance is very important to get. Hence, the pilot.

Is Picco also introduced to make the offering more affordable and reach out to a larger audience?

I think for us the more important point was the consumer insight that many a time, I find my drink too big. That is a truer insight, price is more of a value connotation. We have always believed that Indians are value conscious; they are not price conscious. I don’t look at Picco size from that perspective. Yes, in a sense, it could be a secondary benefit that the entry price point now at Starbucks becomes lower than what it used to be.

<strong>10 years of Starbucks, 30 cities and 280 stores. How do expansion plans stand?</strong>

Last year was the highest number of stores that we opened. We opened 50 stores in the calendar year. We will continue with the expansion. Growth is one of the things we believe in. We believe in expansion both in the cities that we are currently in and we will continue to look out for opportunities in the near future.

<strong>How are the global macro-economic factors and inflationary headwinds impacting your business?</strong>

Inflation has been a part of business reality since the second half of last year. Logistics, supply chain has been an issue because of various macroeconomic reasons. In terms of coffee bean prices, there has been an inflation there. Inflation has been to the range of 8 to 10 percent. We have to live with that. And we will have to live with the fact that it is a part and parcel of what is happening across the board. It is not just something that is affecting us, it is a part of the reality of the larger ecosystem.

<strong>How are you dealing with it as a company?</strong>

So we have looked at a lot of areas to optimize. We have to ensure that we are as competitive as we can be and try to absorb as much of the inflationary pressures and not pass it on, to the extent that we can. That is what we have been doing till now. We will wait and watch as we go forward.

From coffee to masala chai: Decoding the Indianisation of Starbucks

<strong>MAST
TTK Love Depot - #PleasureIsAllYours
Agency: The Glitch</strong>

NSFW. But this ad hits the right spot, in a manner of Mast &amp; Meh logospeaking, with its well-crafted messaging that doesn’t sideline products and benefits while spotlighting an inclusive narrative around love, sex and pleasure. An ad for a brand of sexual wellness and pleasure products which is not sleazy and/or cringe-inducing? We can hardly believe it.

<strong>MEH
Urban Company - Introducing Roll-on Waxing
Agency: Taproot Dentsu</strong>

Actor Yami Gautam and her friend are in a conversation where the latter highlights the rashes she developed after using ordinary wax. Gautam points out the presence of colophony that leads to rashes on skin, and the focus immediately shifts to Urban Company’s roll-on wax which is 100% colophony free and has unique temperature control. Too clinical, in our view. And just a little less painful to watch than a wax job.

<iframe title="Urban Company | Introducing Roll-on Waxing ft. Yami Gautam| Salon at Home" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UwI71cKFR6g" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

<strong>MAST
Solana Ventures | Solana Global Hackathon
Agency: SuperteamDAO (Devaiah Bopanna, Tanmay Bhatt, Anirudh More and Puneet Chadha)</strong>

Just 90 seconds of iconic actor and OG comedian Johnny Lever delivering the same line in different characters and moods - angry dad, drunk uncle, news debate panelist, classical singer, etc. The creative folks behind this film have mastered the use of nostalgia in advertising by deploying eighties’ and nineties’ celebrities in commercials. From a broader advertising lens, it seems formulaic. But you can’t disregard the entertainment value. Besides, this is not too shabby for a first, very desi, mainstream ad for a global hackathon.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AdSafari?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AdSafari</a> | Indian actor and comedian Johnny Lever lends his acting chops to <a href="https://twitter.com/solana?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@solana</a>. Check it. ??</p>
Storyboard18 Ad Safari <a href="https://twitter.com/moneycontrolcom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@moneycontrolcom</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Solana?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Solana</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/SuperteamDAO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SuperteamDAO</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/devaiahPB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@devaiahPB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/thetanmay?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thetanmay</a> <a href="https://t.co/XvvXPjKPeC">pic.twitter.com/XvvXPjKPeC</a>

— Storyboard18 (@BrandStoryboard) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrandStoryboard/status/1547110706004520960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<strong>MEH
Volkswagen Virtus - Hello Goosebumps
Agency: DDB Mudra Group</strong>

A husband just returning home sees his car in the driveway. He excitedly drops his bags and skips the family reunion to take the car for a wild spin, only to return to a wife directing disapproving glances at him. Volkswagen is a brand with a rich heritage of great advertising - from the iconic Think Small for Beetle to the award-winning The Force (Passat) commercial and talking newspaper ad (made in and for India). The latest crop of commercials pale in comparison if you have any knowledge of the brand’s body of work. But most viewers don't, we assume. And in that case this ad does a good job of driving home the point about what the experience of driving a German-engineered car feels like. Goosebumps inducing. But can we say the same about the ad?

<iframe title="New Volkswagen Virtus" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q_S9BMvfHAc" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

<strong>MAST
Tata Starbucks - #ItStartsWithYourName
Agency: Edelman Asia Pacific and India</strong>

A good cup of coffee is often like a warm hug and this new 360-degree campaign from Starbucks tries to capture that exact sentiment. One of the two characters in the ad film is homesick and misses her mom. This is when she walks into a Starbucks and to cheer her up her colleague gets her nickname written on her coffee cup. A sweet story summing up the narrative of inclusivity and warmth the coffee chain is trying to set for every new customer that walks into the shop. It also spotlights the most distinctive feature of a typical Starbucks experience - your name on a cup.

<iframe title="Starbucks | #ItStartsWithYourName" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bTTj5Jj3Ok0" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

<strong>MEH
Godrej No. 1 Soap - Tum hi ho No1
Agency: Creativeland Asia</strong>

We thought we had moved on from an age where soaps and fairness creams are the secret of a woman’s success. This film for sandal and turmeric soap shows a husband (played by popular TV actor Shaheer Nawaz Sheikh) mesmerized by his wife’s beauty while she’s at work baking cakes in her shop. In this case the man is not just stunned by the beauty but also the fact that the soap made his wife beautiful and apparently No1 in everything she does. This kind of plot might seem out of place today but clearly it was considered relevant and good enough to sign off on.

<iframe title="Get Prakritik Nikhaar with Godrej No. 1 Soap | Tum hi ho No1 | Shaheer Sheikh" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O5zkIxeXT3Q" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

<strong>MAST
Pepsi Black - Max Taste Zero Sugar
Agency: Pack Films Pvt. Ltd</strong>

Recreating a classic film is always risky business. But this ad does a fine job of remixing the old. Actress Jacqueline Fernandez helps recreate Pepsi’s iconic 1992 spot starring supermodel Cindy Crawford. In the 2022 version, the woman rides up to a petrol station on a bike, instead of a sports car. And the transfixed onlookers aren’t kids but young men in the newer spot. The film is, of course, packed with old ad tropes - sweltering weather, a parched super-attractive female protagonist and the cola that quenches her thirst. We can’t help but wonder how many younger viewers are aware of the Crawford connection. And without that context how many would think the 2022 ad objectifies women? Drink for thought.

<iframe title="Pepsi Black - Max Taste Zero Sugar" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oan-LH2NKFM" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

<strong>MEH
Go Mechanic - ‘Shaant Sharman Shaant’
Agency - In house</strong>

Automotive service and maintenance platform GoMechanic's new ad featuring actor Sharman Joshi begins with Joshi’s car getting rear-ended and the actor stepping out of the vehicle looking furious. At this point one would expect a possible argument but as bizarre as it may sound Joshi ends up asking the driver to dance and relax because apparently accidents keep happening. We get the importance of creating intrigue to hold consumer attention but this one seems forced.

<iframe title="Why Is Sharman Joshi Angry? ? #ShaantSharmanShaant @GoMechanic" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/klNxULjP2zE" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

<strong>UGH
Fire-Boltt - “India’s #1 Wearable Watch Brand” on Virat Kohli’s wrist</strong>

Here’s the thing. Mistakes in ads are more common than one would imagine. Helen of Troy had the face that launched a thousand ships. But Helen has nothing on a misplaced punctuation mark in a copy that has sunk a thousand ads. A catastrophic spelling error. A bad photoshop job. Mistakes happen. Most go unnoticed because the ads are unremarkable. Some go viral because of the mistake and become remarkable. Fire-Boltt’s print ad falls in the second category. An #EpicFail.

Mistake #1: “India’s #1 Wearable Watch Brand”

<iframe src="https://www.linkedin.com/embed/feed/update/urn:li:share:6953911700500660224" height="951" width="504" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" title="Embedded post"></iframe>

Mistake #2: Wildly bizarre stats displayed on 'India’s #1 Wearable Watch Brand'.

<iframe src="https://www.linkedin.com/embed/feed/update/urn:li:share:6953930010143379456" height="991" width="504" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" title="Embedded post"></iframe>

These Linkedin users do a perfect job of explaining the many issues with this ad. Such a good job that boAt’s founder Aman Gupta liked the post, as another user pointed out in the comments section.

We heard the ad was made in-house. (Correct us if we’re wrong.) This is all the argument one needs, for now, to make the case for bringing on board advertising agencies. Experts make fewer foolish mistakes.

By the way, on the company’s website Fire-Boltt is ‘India’s No.1 Wearable Watch Brand’.

Also, it's only fair to point out that boAt, on its website, says it is 'India's No. 1 Wearable Watch Brand'.

Mast & Meh - The best and worst ads this week

Tata Starbucks will be celebrating 10 years in India this year. They recently announced a partnership with Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee to launch limited edition merchandise. We speak with their CEO Sushant Dash on this as well as expansion plans and affordability.
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Tata Starbucks CEO Sushant Dash on their expansion strategy in India

TATA STARBUCKS