Please give us an overview of Brand Kurkure as one of the eight brands of PepsiCo India, and how it has fared over the last couple of years. What have been the highlights, according to you?
Over the last 20+ years, Kurkure has become one of India’s leading brands in the salty snacks category with its irresistible taste, superior quality, and quirky story-telling. We are at the forefront of regionalization and committed to building the brand through familiar, local flavours and consumer-centric communication.
The past couple of years had all of us face a new reality – new behaviours and consumption patterns evolved that pushed us to re-evaluate and re-strategize. We had launched our ‘Ab Laga Masala’ campaign in 2020 that highlighted how the snack is the perfect companion for consumers to transform the element of fun and quirk into their daily lives, based on the insight that a sense of monotony has set in during the pandemic in people’s lives. We also launched two limited-time flavours – ‘Out of Control Chaat’ and ‘Uncensored Tadka’ – that offered a burst of surprising sensations.
We even unveiled limited-edition festive hampers in 2020 that were exclusively curated by one of India’s most popular designers, Masaba Gupta. The unique hamper contained a special collectible tray with Kurkure packs, making it another key highlight for us in the past few years. With innovative solutions like these, Kurkure continues to be one of India’s most loved snack brands.
Tell us about the latest Kurkure innovation – Kurkure Chatpata Cheese. What is the idea behind this fusion flavour and how are you introducing it to audiences?
As a brand that always captures the pulse of the nation, Kurkure offers innovative products to suit the evolving tastes of our consumers. Our research highlighted that along with India’s constant known love for masala, there is a growing affinity for dairy-flavoured snacks amongst Indian youth. This led us to build on a fusion flavour that is distinct and drives re-appraisal in the highly commoditized collect category.
We’ve expanded our portfolio with the all-new Kurkure Chatpata Cheese and introduced it as a unique combination of international cheese and chatpata masala, which is just ‘two much fun’. The fusion flavour is available at Rs 5, Rs 10, and Rs 20 across all leading retail and e-commerce platforms in India.
How did you arrive at the concept of promoting ‘relatable family moments’ through the ‘Videsi Mein Desi Chatpatapan’ campaign to promote Kurkure Chatpata Cheese and what has been the response to it?
Kurkure has always been the family-entertainer that adds a spark of quirky masti into the everyday lives of consumers through our wide array of delicious product offerings and innovative story-telling. Our stories explore the unconventional yet relatable modern Indian family scenario, which captures and encourages new-age thinking.
The all-new Kurkure Chatpata Cheese stems from the iconic and widely loved platform, ‘Cheetos Cheddar Cheese and Jalapeno’ that has been customised to create the perfect jugalbandi of international cheese and Indian chatpatapan – leading to the unique concept of ‘videsi mein desi chatpatapan’.
And what better way to showcase the unison of these fusion flavours than through one of India’s most celebrated events, i.e., marriage?
Our TVC for Kurkure Chatpata Cheese doesn’t capture the premise of just any ordinary marriage but illustrates the traditional workings of an unconventional pairing through our chatpata take on the modern Indian family. From viewers, consumers to industry experts, our TVC was celebrated by many.
You just introduced ‘Videsi Mein Desi-Pun’ Instagram filters in Hindi and Telugu. Tell us about the strategy to build on the regional connect for the brand?
As a brand that takes pride in being home-grown, we understand that the need to pay attention to the changing preferences and behaviour of consumers across the country, especially in the regional markets. When Kurkure Chatpata Cheese was launched earlier this year, we got positive feedback from our consumers and saw growing sales in the southern market. Thus, to build a stronger connect with regional markets in the South, we came up with an interactive idea that not only highlights the new flavour but also celebrates the fusion between our languages.
The easy-to-use filters engage users to guess quirky literal translations of commonly known English idioms, songs and movie titles in Hindi and Telugu. They open with a branded frame and placard with numerous translations, rapidly switching every four seconds, challenging the user.
What next from Brand Kurkure? What are the consumer insights actually going into innovation for the brand?
We are excited to share that our filters have been loved by users all over the country. With over 2,000 influencers who showcased their quirky side, we’ve attained engagement of over 10 million on Instagram. And while we could’ve possibly ended the campaign with these strong numbers, we felt that there was still scope for us to increase product visibility. Thus, staying true to our masaledaar persona, we roped in Bollywood film-maker and celebrity, Karan Johar, for a playful activation like no other.
In line with the product TVC, we launched a mock-up of a unique match-making platform created specifically for desi and videsi matches, known as desividesijodi.com, for which Karan Johar acted as the brand ambassador. This announcement piqued the curiosity of his audience as his Instagram reel received mixed reactions from the public as many users encouraged the ‘East meets West’ angle while some were wary of what Karan Johar had in store.
Even famed Bollywood director, Farah Khan, was quick to comment on his reel! But when it was time for him to disclose this collaboration with us, many fans were disheartened as they genuinely believed that they had found the perfect platform to meet their ideal match! Fans were also impressed by Karan Johar’s ability to keep a secret and prank his followers. This activation strengthened the banter and engagement with our new-age consumers around the all-new Kurkure Chatpata Cheese.
Which are the top performing markets for Kurkure? Which markets are targeted for growth? Going forward, what will be your main focus areas as you chart the future strategy for the brand?
While we are already present across markets as leaders, the North and East regions have been one of the fastest growing markets for Kurkure in the past year. We are confident that the quality and reach of our products will continue keep us ahead in the game.
What would be the percentage contribution of Brand Kurkure to the overall annual revenue of PepsiCo India?
As a company policy, we are unable to share numbers/segment specific details. However, we can share that Kurkure, and its various flavour innovations and new offerings are immensely loved by its consumers and so, we will continue to deliver robust growth across all portfolios.
