Grab, Taste & Pop…
One often finds a companion to watch movies with or spare time with. Why not grab a popcorn tub and have some quality time alone? One such popcorn brand is 4700 BC, which offers a premium segment experience to its customers.
Beginning in 2012, the young brand initially offered gourmet popcorn, but as time passed, they expanded into ecommerce, airlines, railways and retail, bringing new pouches, microwave popcorn, protein pops, and microwave popcorn with over 18 new flavours. Leaving a trail of footprints, there are currently 23 stores in four metropolitan cities that are carrying the 4700 BC Popcorn with a registered turnover of four crore in 2021–22.
Unlike other brands, 4700 BC is known for its clutter-breaking content, which makes the brand more appealing.
Marketing With Creativity
To reinvent their business and to give a creative spice to the festive campaign, Chirag Gupta, Founder, 4700 BC, posted an announcement regarding the change of the brand name. He took to the LinkedIn platform and commented, "This rebranding exercise might be challenging but probably fruitful for the future. Never have I ever doubted the possibilities I could attain with this not-so-familiar name, and just like the brand name, we have continued to pursue innovation in everything we do."
Guess what? The changing of the brand name was actually a "marketing gimmick". As they were examining their competitors, the company realised that the festive campaigns in the market looked monotonous and non-experimental. It was then that they recognised this opportunity and decided to seize it. "We wanted to create an ad portraying the product as a powerful element. Hence, the idea of gatecrashing with Mr. BC came up, " Gupta commented.
A character named Mr BC stands out from the rest of the crowd in the new campaign. He is a misfit, eccentric, and bizarre character who arrives at a party holding the 4700BC tin and has a blast. The centric thought behind the campaign was to ‘Make the Most of the Present’ and carry a 4700 BC gift along to have fun.
Based on the deeper understanding of the customers' requirements and the flavours of popcorn, the company even names the products accordingly. Gupta remarked that their flavours are unique and, hence, so are their names. So the team carries out in-depth research while naming. For instance, the product Protein Pop was named because it is rich in protein and is crunchy and popped. Earlier, the product was called Makhna, but the desi name did not match the product as it was flavoured with international ingredients. In addition, it was not called fox nuts since it may give the impression that it contains nut, which may cause allergic reactions among cosnumers.
Gupta pointed out that smart copywriting, a consistent palette, and barefaced self-love support the premium snacking experience with a "creator" brand archetype—a tonality we plan to continue to follow.
Adding Sparkle to Festive
It’s interesting to note that during this festive season, the company did not roll out a specific campaign pertaining to the festival. Their aim was to create a campaign that would have longevity and cost optimisation.
All of the 4700 BC’s efforts came to nought when they created a buzz among the consumers and gave a different spin to the entire gifting culture in the festive months. 4700BC is rewiring itself for the stellar Diwali festival to ensure that they provide the consumers with the best. The company has introduced Pataka Popcorn, which is classy and wacky.
The packaging of the product also gave a festive feel, as the design was filled with firecrackers and rangoli. According to Gupta, the vibrant colours and patterns seen during Diwali, as well as the splendour of fireworks in the night sky, inspired the packaging. This is the type of package that truly makes you feel festive and adds to the experience of gifting.
A Dash of Entertainment & Pop
In the digital terrain, where millennials and the GenZ are most active, the company believes that the only way to build themselves on social media is not to sell but educate and inform. Gupta attributed that they use social media marketing to appeal to audiences by being subtly promotional, but always eye-catching and providing entertainment and sports information, which influence snack-eating behaviour.
The company is spending time and effort on maintaining a connection with these two generations, as Genz will not be tapping into traditional culture, but as a brand they need to address other cultures, which are unique. The average age of the brand and marketing team is 22–23, bringing a variety of skills to the table, ensuring seamless content creation that resonates with core consumers without falling on its face.
Leading to this strategy, it has resulted in a 5–3X saves to like ratio on social media. The content assets are based on movies, music, sports, or pop culture in general. As per him, the approach of being a recommendation platform and not mentioning Popcorn in those assets was a conscious decision.
Awaiting Ahead
The newly launched Mr BC will be an integral part of the company which straddles a multitude of popcorn flavours. Success begets success. Gupta is confident that the new product launches across various categories and re-inventing a current category will maintain the brand’s position in the market. The company will continue with the entertainment and sports content, which will attract consumers in droves.
As the company has grown over the years, they are now in the process of building a brand beyond popcorn.
With affirmation, Gupta said that they adapt to festivals and will come up with special product packaging every season. He added, "We plan to sustain a 'Creator' archetype brand, with luxury and premiumness being at the core of the positioning. Our brand voice will always be bold, classy, and wacky."
