5 Qs With Coca Cola's Arnab Roy On Limca Book of Records' 30th Year

Commemorating its 50th year in India, Limca has launched a special edition of Limca Book of Records (LBR) that marks 30 completed years of the India chapter. This year’s edition honours and celebrates the undefeated spirit of COVID-19 frontline warriors who have courageously led the battle against the pandemic, with a spotlight on their selfless acts of kindness along with showcasing the extraordinary talent and achievers across the country as always.

This year’s Limca Book of Records is a combined edition of two challenging years and celebrates stellar victories and accomplishments in human endeavour, structures, education, defence, government, science and technology, adventure, business, cinema, the natural world, literature, and the arts. Featuring over 4,000 records, the latest edition has masterfully leveraged distinct display pages, reader-friendly infographics, and charts to make it more visually appealing. Along with fascinating new records, the 2020–22 edition also includes Record Rewind capsules of earlier records and Super 30 features highlighting milestones and achievements over the past three decades.

Celebrating this 30th edition with us, Arnab Roy, Vice President- Marketing, Coca-Cola India and South West Asia speaks on Limca’s relentless spirit of moving ahead, brand's positioning and the overall landscape.

Excerpts:

Q1. Tell us a bit about the journey of Limca Book of Records. What makes this 30th Edition of the book stand out?

Since the inception of the Limca Book of Records 30 years ago, the book has stood as a testimony to the stellar achievements by people in various fields such as science and technology, adventure, human endeavour, structures, education, defence, government, business, cinema, the natural world, literature, and the arts. 

We are thrilled to witness the achievements of Indians from all walks of life and all parts of the country. This year’s edition also honours the undefeated spirit of COVID-19 frontline warriors who have courageously led the battle against Covid 19, with a spotlight on their selfless acts of kindness along with showcasing the extraordinary talent and achievers across the country. 

This edition also celebrates the astounding achievements of India’s green warriors - who looked beyond themselves, to focus on the environment and our planet in a new environment and sustainability section. They steered sustainability campaigns, focused on waste management, and undertook recycling and other environment-friendly missions. Besides the ‘Environment and Sustainability' and ‘Combating Covid-19’ sections, the book also contains sections on ‘100 Years of India at the Olympics’, Thrilling 30s’ and ‘Our States and Union Territories'.

A few highlights from this edition of the book are the Vande Bharat mission that became the world’s largest repatriation exercise, while Noccarc Robotics, a start-up by Nikhil Kurele and Harshit Rathore developed low-cost portable ventilators; Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council for Medical Research developed Covaxin while the Serum Institute of India manufactured Covishield, both approved vaccines that join the gallery of accomplishments on display in the Limca Book of Records.

Q2. What do you see as the way forward for the LBR, for future editions?

Over the course of 30 years, the Limca Book of Records has successfully identified people who have the spirit to excel and follow their goals with single-minded passion. It lays emphasis on the unique achievements of our citizens and is a salute to all those people who want to do something different and be remembered for their distinctive deeds. Being the first of its kind in the country, this book has been an instant hit with people from all generations.  

The book has been well-received over the years and the proof can be seen in the ever-increasing number of record-holders and record-breakers that approach the book each day. 

Just like with this special edition, we hope to explore newer avenues and scout for the ‘real heroes’ of India in the future as well.

In the coming years, the Limca Book of Records will develop its social media platform to amplify stories of grit & determination, and bring alive the spirit of perseverance through popular youth-centric platforms.

Q3. Please expand on Limca’s journey and brand positioning through the past 50 years in India. How is the current market demand looking like for the brand?

Limca has for long stood as the ultimate thirst quencher and is widely acclaimed for its unparalleled ability to instil a feeling of freshness in the minds and bodies of its consumers. This year, as we celebrate 50 years of the brand since its foundation in 1971, Limca has evolved from a traditional ‘lime and lemony’ drink to a refreshing beverage that provides full-body rejuvenation and energy.

Limca’s new brand positioning pays an ode to the ‘doers’ in life and their relentless spirit of moving ahead and looking forward no matter how difficult the circumstances. 

Limca, as a brand, resonates the spirit and imagery of ordinary, everyday people of India (earthy, self-made) and has a long, deep-rooted Indian connection, catering to regional markets including Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This year, the brand is seen to become more intrinsic and functional in nature with the overarching aim of reaching a wider set of consumers.

The brand will stand as the “great rejuvenator” that inspires Indians and keeps them going despite all odds. It will refresh consumers in Everyday Moments when they are hit by tiredness and are looking to physically recharge and replenish with a rejuvenating drink to keep them moving.

Q4. What kind of demand are you witnessing for the hydration category drinks in India? What potential do you see specifically for this category, going forward?

Our ‘Beverages for Life’ strategy recognises consumer diversity and believes in giving consumers more beverage choices and packages they want, for the occasions they want. All categories are important to us and all brands will have a distinct role to play in consumers’ lives. Hydration is a growing category in India. In order to cater to the growing demand for hydrating drinks, Coca-Cola has launched beverages including Powerade and SmartWater.

Over the years, Limca has evolved from being a traditional ‘sparkling’ drink to ‘the ultimate rejuvenator and refresher’. Lime-Lemon based replenishment is the core benefit of Master Brand Limca - designed specially to provide rejuvenation to consumers sweating it out on their day-to-day activities in real life. 

The company is witnessing good growth across all categories. In the Asia Pacific market, in which India falls, Coca-Cola's Unit case volume grew 16 per cent led by sparkling flavours and the hydration category.  As we move ahead, we will continue to focus on capturing moments of consumption by expanding the portfolio so that our brands and products become the most preferred choice for the consumer.

Q5. How has the Coca-Cola Company evolved its marketing & communications strategies?

Coca-Cola remains grounded in its purpose to craft meaningful brands and offer its consumers a choice of drinks that refresh in body and spirit. At the same time, the organisation is also clear on the vision for the next stage of growth, to Emerge Stronger, guided by the purpose to Refresh the World, Make a Difference. 

At Coca-Cola, we want to bring consumers the brands and choices of drinks they love. Our communication also has always been around recognising real moments from consumer lives and narrating their stories across all our brands. Keeping up with the requirements in the new normal, Limca too has evolved to offer heightened hydration to the ‘doers’ of the country. 

We believe brands and their advertising need to be highly empathetic in such challenging periods. Credible, authentic communication will help win hearts at the end of the day and hopefully drive a base of loyal consumers.