Jam
It
Creating niche markets for ready-to-eat food is passé as ITC
Foods Division cooks up a brand new segment. TFPJ discovers their spice
‘n’ jam game plan
When
ITC Foods Division decided to enter the food business it was a strategic
decision to develop new product lines by synergising its core competencies
in building brands, understanding the Indian consumer’s requirements
and its strong distribution network. Today, ITC Foods has forayed into
the ready-to-eat category with its flagship brand Kitchens of India
(KOI)comprising of confectionery business ‘Minto’ (targetting
the adult confectionery market) ‘Candyman’ (the hard-boiled
sweets segment), ‘I’ their snack venture and staples selling
with the umbrella brand ‘Aashirvaad.’ ITC made its entry into
the branded biscuit market on July 28, 2003 with the launch of ‘Sunfeast’
range of biscuits in Kolkata and Hyderabad. The initial offerings included
‘Glucose, Marie’ and‘Cream’ segments provided basic
as well as value added options to the consumer. Few of the new products
in the ‘Sunfeast’ series hitting the market soon are ‘Strawberry
Cream, Pineapple Cream’ and ‘Sunfeast Coconut’, all in
100 gram packs with MRP of Rs 12 per pack. ITC’s plan is to complete
the entire range of biscuits, including crackers, by March 2005. More
recently the ITC Foods Division bagged the National Excellence Award-King
of Ready-To-Eat Products from Mumbai-based Wisitex Foundation. The award,
conferred at the Maharashtra Agri Food 2004, was in recognition of the
company’s marketing and distribution efforts in the food processing
industry. ITC Foods Division was recognised for the deployment of modern
food processing plants with innovative packaging technology for the
manufacture and supply of fresh and packed processed food products.
All products of ITC available in the market today, have been crafted
based on consumer insights developed through extensive market research.
Apart from the current portfolio, several new and innovative products
are under way in ITC’s state-of-the-art product development facility
at Bangalore. The company is aiming at Rs 500 crore turnover by the
end of the Financial year 2005-06. To achieve this the company is working
on a strategy to increase export of its ready-to-eat items to the US,
UK and various European countries. Recently, ITC Foods has ventured
into a novel concept of offering KOI as a gifting option. Keeping up
with the festivities, ITC Foods has introduced two new dishes - Shahi
Jamun and Khoya Mutter to its existing list. The products are available
in exclusive treasure chests containing two delicacies of the consumer’s
choice. Furthermore this treasure chest can be customised with the desired
corporate message and logo printed on it.
Spice ‘n’Jam
In keeping with the reputation of creating niche
markets, ITC Foods’ latest venture is the Kitchens of India Fruit
& Spice Conserves, developed jointly with foodie Karen Anand. This
is the company’s first ...
....C
O N T D
TO
READ FURTHER... SUBSCRIBE TO YOUR
COPY TODAY!!!
