Bisleri's Limonata Campaign Banks Over 50% On Digital, Ropes In Aditya Roy Kapur As Brand Ambassador

Bisleri International ropes in Bollywood actor Aditya Roy Kapur as the brand ambassador, revealing in a new campaign #DoubleTheChill for 'Limonata', its limey minty carbonated soft drink. The collaboration aims to connect with Gen Z audiences by leveraging Kapur's immense popularity among younger consumers and amplifying brand awareness for Limonata's blend of lime and mint.

On the rationale behind the brand association with Kapur, Tushar Malhotra, Director of Sales and Marketing at Bisleri International explained to BW Marketing World, “When we look at Limonata, the product USP is that it has the freshness of lime and the coolness of mint together, which is a very distinct proposition in the world of just fizzy lemon or lime brands. On the other hand, Aditya's personality and vibe resonate with the brand completely. Hence, he was the perfect fit for the brand.” 

Kapur's popularity will be leveraged extensively through digital content creation, including reels and influencer collaborations. Malhotra elaborated, “This is going to be a digital-first campaign for us, we'll be going live on Instagram and YouTube. There are a lot of digital reels planned with Aditya, which will also be live. We are also going to be present in the T20 World Cup.”

The campaign will also have a strong on-ground presence with 500 co-branded delivery trucks, 10,000 dealer goods and activations at college events and music concerts targeting Gen Z audiences.

From Water To Carbonated Soft Drinks

Bisleri's foray into the carbonated soft drinks segment is a move fuelled by its extensive distribution network and the legacy of its Chairman, Ramesh Chauhan in creating soft drink brands. 

“If you look at our distribution coverage, especially with distributing over 300,000 outlets, plus, we are very strong in quick commerce today. So from a synergy perspective, we are already going to the outlets by consumption of carbonated beverages happening. That was a perfect synergy for us as far as category is concerned”, Malhotra remarked.

“The category is huge in terms of value which we are seeking. In April and May this year, we've grown more than 30 per cent over last year, so the category is accelerating for us”, he added.

Bisleri ventured into the carbonated soft drinks market in 2015 and recently refreshed its portfolio with the introduction of Limonata (limey minty cooler), Pop (a fizzy orange drink), Rev (cola drink) and Spici Jeera (a spicy cumin-flavoured drink). 

Positioning To Marketing

To effectively reach and engage its target audience, Bisleri plans to strike a balance between traditional and digital marketing channels for Limonata. “Digital first - bulk of the investment will be on digital. More than 50 per cent of our investment will be on digital. Another 20-30 per cent on TV, another balance on trade and experiential will be on top of this”, Malhotra revealed.

Experiential marketing plays a crucial role in Bisleri's strategy, encompassing audience engagement, product trials and content creation for dissemination across digital platforms and influencer collaborations.

The multi-phase campaign starts in summer, continuing through the festive season using TV, digital, outdoor and experiential methods to establish Limonata as the go-to summer refreshment.

Bisleri is also employing programmatic buying and ROI-based mechanisms with quick commerce and ecommerce partners to ensure effective campaign dissemination.

The brand's growth strategy for its carbonated soft drinks portfolio differs from its approach to the traditional water segment in terms of product positioning and marketing initiatives. “When you look at Bisleri, it's all about hydration which we did in the 'Drink It Up' campaign with Deepika Padukone. We have a big sports marketing program with display, partnerships with IPL teams, Dubai marathons, ISL, Ultimate Table Tennis and Taekwondo International Tournament, spreading the message of hydration and performance”, Tushar explained.

For the carbonated soft drinks portfolio, Bisleri's Limonata's focus is on refreshment and entertainment, focussing on Gen Z. “One of the category codes that Gen Zs look forward to an ad is entertainment. The communication that you make has to be entertaining, creative and witty. That's what we attempted with this campaign as well. It's not just talking about the product proposition but bringing it alive in a very creative way”, Malhotra highlighted.

Bisleri aims to position Limonata effectively by leveraging trends and the product's unique proposition of combining lime and mint flavours.

Long-term Visions & Growth Strategies

Looking ahead, Bisleri has ambitious growth targets for its overall product portfolio and the carbonated soft drinks category. “We are looking to become a Rs 5,000 crore brand soon. That is our vision. As far as the category is concerned, we want to break the Rs 500 crore mark. We keep investing behind the four brands that we have and they are on a good path and we continue to accelerate them”, Malhotra affirmed.

While summer is a crucial period for beverage sales, Bisleri's growth strategy encompasses multiple efforts including marketing initiatives, distribution expansion and new product introductions. “We've got multiple efforts to drive revenue. While season is one of them, there are a lot of other factors we look at from our perspective in terms of our marketing efforts, our distribution efforts and introducing new products”, Malhotra concluded.

Reema Bhaduri

BW Reporters The author is the Editorial Lead at BW Businessworld. Majorly writes on marketing, advertising, experiential marketing and retail. She closely looks upon the vertical of BW Marketing World and BW Retail World.