Catch Salts & Spices (Catch Foods), a part of DS SpiceCo under the Dharampal Satyapal (DS) Group, recently changed its brand proposition from the earlier #Catch Ka Koi Match Nahin to #Kyunki Khana Sirf Khana Nahi Hota, and roped in actors Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar as brand ambassadors to elevate the new proposition.
Here, Sandeep Ghosh, Business Head, DS Spiceco Pvt. Ltd, talks about the brand and its new tagline.
How do actors Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar add value to the latest campaign under the tagline ‘Kyunki Khana Sirf Khana Nahi Hota’, and are there more ads coming up in the series?
The decision to onboard Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar as the new brand ambassadors was aligned with the brand’s ideology. Apart from Akshay Kumar being known to have worked as a chef early on in his career, he is also the perfect family man striking the right balance between his personal and professional lives. This reflects the brand’s philosophy of striking the right balance of taste and quality. Bhumi Pednekar is one of the leading actresses who has shared the screen with Akshay in multiple movies. Their chemistry plays the key role in elevating the narrative. Around our new positioning, #Kyunki Khana Sirf Khana Nahi Hota, we have planned a series of ad films depicting the role of food across different emotions and relationships, further establishing the concept.
Give us a sense of the size of the business and the scale of operations. How have you strategized the marketing plan for Catch Foods to build the brand in future?
Catch has been a leading spice brand in the country with marquee products like sprinklers, which created a whole category in the industry. The brand clocked around Rs 750 crore revenue in the last financial year and has been consistently growing with a CAGR exceeding 20% over the last five years. With multiple manufacturing locations and a robust distribution reach exceeding five lakh outlets spread across the country, Catch is ambitiously strategizing to dominate the Indian kitchen space with differentiated products that bring purity, taste, and convenience as key drivers. The brand is putting in substantial investments in brand building (marketing), technology, innovation and R&D, which will help it evolve along with the needs of the consumer.
What is the USP of your product portfolio when compared to other market players like MDH, Badshah, Everest, TATA Sampann, ITC Spices, etc.?
Catch products are created post a deep understanding of the needs of the consumer. Decades ago, we solved the basic need of delivering free-flowing salt and pepper on the consumer’s table in a humid environment by launching our sprinklers range. Catch blends are developed after years of consumer research and repeat iterations to arrive at a particular taste which can cater to consumers of different regions. Catch grinders have a ceramic grinder, unlike the others, which have a plastic head, ensuring uncontaminated freshly ground seasoning in customers’ dishes. Recently, we sourced the finest pink rock salt with unmatched colour and quality. We will continue to create more such products based on evolving consumer needs. The brand has also built a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, to churn out quality products.
What are your new product launch and expansion plans, going forward? What will be your priorities in the next year?
The company's priority over the next few years has been spelt out thus:
Build the brand portfolio with expansion and extension of existing and newer categories aimed at fulfilling the requirements of evolving consumers. This includes products that are convenience and innovation-driven, e.g., culinary paste, cuisine-based blends, etc.
Expansion of distribution reach, with a focus on expanding the rural footprint, along with a significant presence in the alternative channels, i.e., modern trade, and e-commerce, especially in the South and Western regions of the country.
The brand is continuously focused on generating trials and increasing household penetration so that more and more consumers experience our offerings.
What can you tell us about your experience in the company over the last two years – the challenges you faced and overcame, insights gained from market visits and consumer feedback, etc?
The past few years have been difficult not only for the company, but for mankind itself. Though we have got a grip on the challenges posed by the pandemic, newer hindrances arose in the form of the ongoing war in Ukraine. This has resulted in unprecedented inflation in commodity prices, which has put grave stress on managing our bottomline. Disruption of the logistic network has also resulted in a stressed timeline to meet delivery schedules, etc. From my interactions with consumers, I gained the insight that ‘Spices are all about taste, and taste preference varies from region to region’. Being one of the top three national players in spices, we have to maintain the balance in our products to cater to taste preferences across regions. We also have to develop and launch certain region-specific products; for example, Shahi Garam Masala, created specifically for the East market. We have to take care of the evolving taste buds of the modern consumer, now acclimatized to international cuisines. Pasta Masala and Schezwan Paste are two of our offerings to address these requirements.
