TABLE OF CONTENT

1. Introduction to Paper Boat ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3

1.1 History---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3
1.2 Products ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4
1.3 Production ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5
1.4 Marketing ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5
1.5 Brand Name & Logo ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6
1.6 Inspiration----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7
1.7 Vision ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8
1.8 Marketing Approach --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8
1.9 Social Media Approach ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8
1.10 Components ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8
1.10.1 Product ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8
1.10.2 Price --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9
1.10.3 Competition ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9
1.10.4 Place -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9
1.10.5 Promotion ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9
1.10.6 Storytelling Approach ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9
1.10.7 Customer Centricity ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9
1.10.8 Multi-Media Campaign------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10

2. Paper Boat’s Integrated Marketing Communication & Communication Process -------------- 11

2.1 #FloatABoat Campaign Strategy ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11
2.2 Video Advertisements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 12
2.3 Twitter Posts ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13
2.4 #FloatABoat Campaign’s Success ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14
2.5 Key Learnings------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 14

3. Creative Strategies--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15
3.1 Advertising --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15
3.2 Sales Promotion -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15
3.3 Publicity------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16
3.4 Personal Selling --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17
3.5 Public Relations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17

4. Integrated Marketing Communication Models in Paper Boat -------------------------------------- 18

4.1 AIDAS Model ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 18

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 4.1.1 Attention -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19
4.1.2 Interest ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31
4.1.3 Desire ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31
4.1.4 Action ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31
4.1.5 Satisfaction ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 31

5. Transition in Advertising Models of Paper Boat-------------------------------------------------------- 32

5.1 The Disruption ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 32
5.2 The Challenge ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 33

6. Paper Boat’s Advertisements & Public Relations Agency -------------------------------------------- 35

6.1 Maxum -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 35
6.2 Karishma Lintas --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 35

7. Suggestions & Recommendations regarding Paper Boat’s IMC ------------------------------------ 37

References----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 38

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1. Introduction to Paper Boat
Paper Boat is a brand of traditional Indian beverages and foods produced and marketed
by Hector Beverages, which is headquartered in Bangalore, India.

Paper Boat was launched by Hector Beverages in August 2013. The product consists of a
range of traditional, indigenous Indian drinks such as Aam Panna, Jaljeera and Aam Ras.
The drinks were initially offered in single serving, flexible pouches; the company has
since then expanded to one liter Tetra Pak cartons as well.

The company aims to preserve traditional recipes while using innovation to make the
ethnic Indian drinks accessible to an urban market. Paper Boat does not use artificial
coloring or preservatives in its products.

The company is funded by N.R. Narayana Murthy-led Catamaran Ventures, Footprint

Ventures and Sequoia Capital, among others other investors.

1.1 History
Hector Beverages was founded in 2009 by Neeraj Kakkar, Neeraj Biyani, Suhas Misra and
James Nuttall.

The company's first product was a protein drink called Frissia, following which the
energy drink brand, Tzinga was launched in 2011.

In March 2013, the company launched Paper Boat, a fruit pulp based beverage brand
and shifted its focus to the ethnic drinks segment. The Paper Boat brand aimed to bring
back traditional drinks of India into the modern context.

The idea for the brand is said to have taken birth during one of the office lunch that the
co-founders would have together in the early years. Mishra's mother would pack him a
flask of Aam Panna everyday and once while reaching out for the drink, as they were
mulling over business ideas, a brain wave to commercially produce ethnic Indian drinks
that were hitherto unavailable in the market struck. And the idea for Paper Boat was
born.

The brand launched with Aam Panna and Jal Jeera drinks and later added a wide range
of ethnic drinks to its portfolio including Aam Ras, Chilled Rasam, Kokum, Jamun Kala
Khatta, Chilli Gauva and Neer More.

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The company went through a few organizational changes when co-founders Misra and
Nuttall left the company in 2014 and 2015, respectively, leaving Kakkar and Biyani at the
helm.

In 2016, in a bid to increase in house consumption of the brand, Paper Boat launched
500 ml Tetra Prisma Aseptic (TPA) packs of its two most popular drinks, Aam
Ras and Anar. The 500 ml packs were discontinued in 2017, when the brand expanded
its offering by launching its drinks in 1 liter Tetra Prisma Aseptic cartons. This move
widened the brand's reach to the multi-serve category.

Paper Boat expanded to the traditional food segment in 2016 by launching the Indian
snack, peanut chikki. Sticking to the core brand philosophy, Paper Boat foods aims to
provide ethnic Indian snacks in contemporary, modern packaging.

1.2 Products
Paper Boat offers a range of fruit based ethnic drinks such as Jal Jeera, Aam Panna, Aam
Ras, Alphonso Aam, Jamun Kala Khatta, Chilli Guava, Nimbu Pani, Kokum, Neer
More, Kanji, Sugarcane juice, Lychee Ras, Apple and Orange. It also has a range of milk
based beverages including Neer More, Butter Milk, Badam Milk and Thandai. The brand
also launched Coconut Water in 2018.

Apart from these, Paper Boat produces two seasonal drinks associated with Indian
festivals, Panakam (available during Ram Navami) and Sherbet-e-Khas (available during
Eid).

In its one liter Tetra Pack cartons the brand delivers Aam Ras, Jamun, Anar, Apple,
Guava, Mixed Fruit, Pineapple, Cranberry, Tomato and Lychee Ras.

The drinks are manufactured in ultra hygienic production facilities and do not contain
preservatives or artificial coloring. Aam Ras, one of the brand's most popular drinks,
contains 45% mango pulp and is made from naturally ripened mangoes.

Peanut chikki was Paper Boat's first venture into ethic Indian snacks. Paper Boat chikki is
a Fair-Trade product, a certification that ensures that everyone involved in the making
of a product is fairly employed and paid. The company procures its groundnuts directly
from a farmers’ collective near Rajkot in Gujarat at the Fairtrade minimum price.

Paper Boat chikki has three other variants: crushed peanut, sesame and Rajgira peanut.

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Following the launch of chikki, the brand has also launched a range of ethnic Indian
foods including Banana Chips, Aam Papad, Bakarwadi, Namak Para, Gur Para and
Shakar Para.

1.3 Production
Hector Beverages presently has two manufacturing facilities, one in Mysuru and one
in Manesar, Gurgaon, and can produce up to ten million of the pouches per day.

The company's first production plant was established in Manesar in 2010. However,
with increase in demand, the Manesar plant couldn't keep up the production. The plant
also did not have the facilities for the manufacture of coconut water and sugar cane
juice, drinks that the company was looking to launch. This led them to set up a second,
larger manufacturing unit in Mysuru, Karnataka in 2014. While the Manesar plant has a
production capacity of 80 bottles per minute, in the Mysuru plant, it is 380 bottles per
minute.

1.4 Marketing
As a brand based on age-old recipes and memories, Paper Boat’s marketing strategy
revolves around nostalgia, childhood and innocence. The brand name Paper Boat and
the tag line, ‘Drinks and Memories’ is aimed at re-connecting the consumers to their
childhood. Paper Boat's beverages such as Aam Panna and Jal Jeera are drinks that their
consumers grew up drinking and carry a strong association with their childhood. The
brand’s campaigns try to evoke those childhood memories and remind their consumers
of their innocence.

Paper Boat’s television advertising campaign consisted of a series of simple, evocative

ads that reflected the brand idea of childhood nostalgia. The ads were set to an
adaptation of the music of RK Narayan’s iconic Malgudi Days. Paper Boat’s debut
campaign was penned and narrated by renowned poet and lyricist Gulzar, while the
later campaign was written by lyricist Swanand Kirkire.

Apart from its television ads, the brand has also released a range short films celebrating
childhood memories and nostalgia. ‘Ride Down the River of Memories’, ‘Waiting for
Ma’, ‘My Struggles with the Treasure Chest’ and ‘Hum honge kamyab’ – are all short
films aimed at bringing out the child in everyone. In 2016, Paper Boat released 'Rizwan -
Keeper of the Gates of Heaven,' a 3.30 minute film created by the creative agency,
Humour Me. The film narrates the story of an old man named Rizwan who reminisces

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about his childhood and is a celebration of innocence, bravery and love. The video used
animation, narration and strong characterization to tell a moving tale.

Paper Boat has a strong presence on social media with compelling digital marketing
campaigns. It has over 340K following on Facebook and 18.8K followers on Instagram.
While its Facebook campaign showcases illustrations celebrating childhood memories,
the brand’s Instagram page uses doodles, visual stories and creative projects to tell the
Paper Boat story.

As an extension of its marketing campaign, Paper Boat has also ventured into book
publishing. It has published reprints of the classics, Three Men in a Boat and Jungle
Book, which were given away with the beverages as part of gift boxes and sales offers.
In 2017, the brand published Half Pants Full Pants by Anand Suspi, a collection of real-
life tales about growing up in Shimoga.

1.5 Brand Name & Logo

Your first craft lesson.

Your first rain when you were allowed to go out.
Your first sense of accomplishment.
Your first sense of loss as it drowned.
Your first life lesson about staying afloat in harsh circumstances.
Your first science lesson about buoyancy.

A paper boat implies a lot of firsts. But it also signifies a different world. With different
priorities. Maybe it implies a Tagore poem of the same name. Or maybe it tells us that
no matter who you are, where you lived or what you’ve done in your life, you remember
how to make a paper boat, right?

So the real question is: “Why not paper boat?”

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1.6 Inspiration
Any drink can be made to taste good. Or feel nutritious. But how many drinks tell a
story? Because when companies get together and dole out a drink to the parched
populace, it’s practicality. But when history and geography conspire to make a drink
favoured through the ages, that’s destiny.

A culmination of efforts. Modified through trial and error. Perfected with every passing
age. From a king’s royal cook to a soldier’s flask to a peace offering made by warring
clans to a mother conjuring something special for her son’s return to a grand
celebration of harvest. Everyone had something to contribute. And it’s their additions
(and subtractions) that ultimately made their way into food carts in village fairs.

And while we’ve all experienced the joy of tasting these drinks at these carts at one
point or the other, we’ve also experienced the often awful gastronomical aftermath of
these little joys.

Our inspiration lies in emulating these tastes and experiences standing tall on a
benchmark of hygiene and safety. Getting the good moments out to you while avoiding
the unpleasant bits.

So go on ahead, make new memories. We’ll watch your back.

Once Upon a Time: History is basically a collective memory of a people. And we realize
that history is a sum of parts. And some of those parts, are delicious. It all began when
fours guys who are history buffs (and beverage buffs!) sat down to have lunch on a hot
Indian summer. They would always share their lunch and one of them would always
bring a flask of delicious homemade aampanna with him.

Among the four of these history (and beverage!) enthusiasts, one comes from a far
away land - A land of bald eagles, of bowls that are super and of cars that are Nas. He is
quickly taken to the idea of commercializing this raw mango ale.

"I want to commercialize this raw mango ale", says the man from the far away, hitherto
unknown land. "Aye!" the remaining trio heartily agree. "Woof!" goes the company dog
who the narrator of this tale forgot to mention until now. And thus began the journey of
Paper Boat. A journey of going back in time and bringing to fore, liquid traditions.
Drinks, that the many civilizations of this subcontinent inspired. Drinks, that are practical
and delicious. Drinks, that are a product of generations of trial and error. Drinks, that
are sadly being lost to the excesses of urban life.

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We hoped that Paper Boat, much like the Tagore poem, would send these drinks, these
culinary messages to those who have never tasted such concoctions. And of course to
those, who long for the days gone by. Of homemade Aamras, Jaljeera, Kokum,
Aampanna, Kala Khatta and many other secret recipes.

Moral of the Story: If you could make people taste memories, you should.

1.7 Vision
The energy drink market is approximately estimated to be Rs 500 crore and growing at
40 per cent a year and the company wants to capture a major share in this market.

Paper Boat’s brand proposition is ‘Drinks & Memories’ and with this Paper Boat
company endeavor to bring back childhood to those from whom it had been snatched.
Human beings belonging to any age group, each of us have a child within us and have
many childhood memorable stories. Paper Boat, the company that makes drinks one
usually have at home like aam panna, golgappe ka pani, jamun kala khatta and kokum,
wants us to go back to our childhood days and relive those childhood memories again.

1.8 Marketing Approach

Paper Boat’s marketing strategy moves around nostalgia and simplicity in its storytelling
campaign. The campaign was focused on the urban population mainly people of the age
group of 20 to 40.

1.9 Social Media Approach

Paper Boat’s beautifully utilized social media for sharing stories with its fan following.
The platforms Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube mainly use content to interact
with the customers. The content story moves all around its brand philosophy, “Life still
is Beautiful”.

Every activity from flying kites to running behind rickshaws, from playing indoor games
to making Paper Boats became a point of conversation.

1.10 Components
1.10.1 Product
Paper Boat created an enjoyable moment with its unique blend of ‘Drinks and
Memories’. Most of the ingredients used are naturally found spices and condiments

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which have differentiated it from other brands in the soft drink segment. Its sweet and
salty flavor has helped the brand reach to the heart of the diabetic capital of the world.

1.10.2 Price
The price strategy of PaperBoat products has also helped in gaining the customer for the
brand. Price strategy with 5 10 15 20 25 30 is the pricing strategy of the company.

1.10.3 Competition
The product of PaperBoat is as like home-made product. But there is something
different about PaperBoat products that it has gained that much attention across the
country. Paper Boat is mainly in competition with non-branded products. Thus this is the
reason for the brand to decide the price of each and every product wisely. PaperBoat
has created a difference in the beverage segment by attaching people with emotion.

1.10.4 Place
Hector Beverage is more retailers friendly and offers retailers 5% more profit margin as
compared to its competitors. Choosing best place for their products is the top most
among strategy of the company. They have tied-up with Indigo airlines to sell their
products on-board. Keeping their products in school canteen is also in their strategy as
their products are considered healthy for children.

1.10.5 Promotion
Paper Boat’s advertising is done through print as well as digital channels including
newspapers, social media and most importantly by positive word of mouth promotion.

1.10.6 Storytelling Approach

What worked very well for Paper Boat on social media was in getting their fans and
customers to share their childhood stories and moments on social media. It helped
PaperBoat in brand building.

1.10.7 Customer Centricity

Paper Boat primarily focused on their products rather than focusing on the brand
philosophy. Working on this strategy, the company was able to develop a more
customer centric product. Doing this, the brand got connected with its customers and
their lives as it made their lives meaningful with childhood stories.

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1.10.8 Multi-Media Campaign
PaperBoat launched a multi-media campaign, which includes a three-and-a-half-minute
long video dishing out pure nostalgia.

To get connected with the lives of the people, the brand collected heart touching and
thoughtful childhood memories and beautifully joined some other stuff from old
childhood memories.

Paper Boat released an advertisement narrated by Gulzar and moving around “Maigudi
Days” is in sync with the brand’s philosophy of “Drinks and Memories”.

#FloatABoat Campaign: To participate in the #FloatABoat campaign, one only needed to

make a paper boat and upload the picture of paper boat on the PaperBoat site or on its
social media pages like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram with hashtag #FloatABoat.

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2. Paper Boat’s Integrated Marketing
Communication & Communication
Process
Integrated Marketing Communications is a simple concept. It ensures that all forms of
communications and messages are carefully linked together.

At its most basic level, Integrated Marketing Communications, or IMC, as we’ll call it,
means integrating all the promotional tools, so that they work together in harmony.

Promotion is one of the Ps in the marketing mix. Promotions has its own mix of
communications tools.

All of these communications tools work better if they work together in harmony rather
than in isolation. Their sum is greater than their parts – providing they speak
consistently with one voice all the time, every time.

Paper Boat’s brand proposition is ‘Drinks & Memories’ and with this Paper Boat
company endeavor to bring back childhood to those from whom it had been snatched.
Human beings belonging to any age group, each of us have a child within us and have
many childhood memorable stories. Paper Boat, the company that makes drinks one
usually have at home like aam panna, golgappe ka pani, jamun kala khatta and kokum,
wants us to go back to our childhood days and relive those childhood memories again.

Paper Boat indulged in so many way to communicate their message to their consumers
& achieved huge success.

2.1 #FloatABoat Campaign Strategy

#FloatABoat has the right blend of a cause campaign, one that will not only help
establish Paper Boat’s brand proposition of ‘Drinks & Memories’, but also bring back
childhood to those from whom it had been snatched. Paper Boat launched the
#FloatABoat Campaign during monsoon season with objective of tying up childhood,
paper boats and schooling with a common thread. The brand tried to bring the three
together for its cause campaign aimed to educate needy children.

Commenting on the launch of the initiative, Neeraj Kakkar, Founder and CEO, Hector
Beverages, said that “the monsoons were the perfect time to roll out this campaign and
relive innocent moments. In a world that is getting hectic by the minute, it serves as a

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reminder that there are still a few simple pleasures that can re-capture the magic of
childhood – like making and floating a paper boat.” He added, “This is also our little
initiative to gift a bit of childhood to people who really need it.”

The company was aiming to receive a minimum of 10 lakh uploads in 2-3 months.”

To participate in that initiative one only needed to make a paper boat, upload a picture
of their paper boat on the Paper Boat site or on their social media pages like Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram and hashtag the post as #FloatABoat.

For #FloatABoat, Paper Boat had teamed up with Parivaar, a West Bengal-based
humanitarian service organization that works for the development of less fortunate
children like orphans, girl-children and children from tribal areas. And every image of
paper boat that was shared on any social network, the brand donated Rs. 20 towards
children education.

In the second part of the campaign, a letter was delivered to customers who purchased
the product through Amazon and Paytm. This letter educated the reader about the
cause and also gave them a playful reason to make a paper boat.

2.2 Video Advertisements

In 1.46 min video of rainy a day while the children were allowed to play outside the
class, their parents attended a special class. The class was not regular parent’s teachers
meeting but instead parent’s were handed 2 scrap papers each. And to the parent’s
surprise they were asked to make paper boat out of those. As expected only few of
them succeeded in making paper boats. The teacher then called the children inside the
class and asked them to help their parents make paper boats.

At the end an audio is played saying, “Do you still remember how to make paper boats?
Make one and stay like a child with every fold.” Through the audio company asks people
to upload those paper boats online as #FloatABoat and for every boat uploaded Rs.20
would be shared for children education. The company also requested people to spread
the word and participate for a good cause.

While Social networks reflected user response to the campaign the brand’s social media
pages were inviting people to be a part of the campaign, #FloatABoat has caused many
timelines to be jammed with paper boats.

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2.3 Twitter Posts
Done eating bhel? Love letter came back to you? Want to dress up an *awful* report
card? Simple! Just #FloatABoat!

Your boat counts! Cast your boats for #FloatABoat!

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2.4 #FloatABoat Campaign’s Success
 The videos loaded on YouTube got more than 40 thousand views in mere 5 months
and the emotional touch stays on with large number of viewers.

 Company plans to roll out a lot more variants, at least 25 variants in total.

 The brand now is available across 20,000 retail outlets including coffee chains such
as Barista Lavazza, airlines such as Indigo and Jet Airways and hotels such as Westin
and Trident.

 231 boats were uploaded onto the site by mid July’15.

 The Paper Boat donations will go to approximately 805 children, housed by Parivaar
Ashram.

 Company has two plants in Manesar and Mysore has plans to set up a third plant.

2.5 Key Learnings

 Campaign turned out to be Timely, Engaging & Memorable.

 #FloatABoat has the right blend of a cause campaign and establish Paper Boat’s brand
proposition of ‘Drinks & Memories’.

 Through the campaign company also brings back childhood to those who had
distanced from it.

 With social networks brand fans and consumers got involved in a good cause, in a fun
way.

 Making paper boats was a win-win for the brand as well as consumers.

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3. Creative Strategies
3.1 Advertising
For the first one-and-a-half years, Paper Boat was very silent in terms of advertising as
they focused more on learning from the consumers. They wanted to get their product
right and according to the consumer’s tastes, they changed our products.

Later, in 2014, they began their advertising journey with Print campaigns and then
shifted to Television and Outdoor. Their choice of medium solely depends on the
objective of the task.

Earlier in the year, they rolled out their debut multi-media campaign. That gave them
good results. During that year, they also experimented with Outdoor in Bengaluru and
achieved desired results.

Starting 2015, they have increased their focus on digital as plan to use it as their key
medium to connect with the audiences. They are running 12 month digital programs
and are active on social media platforms. They have also, recently, executed some
campaigns on Instagram. However, in terms of spends, TV still leads.

Talking about your advertising strategy, Paper Boat’s TV campaigns have always focused
on memories and nostalgia. Their campaigns showcase innocence, which is what the
brand stands for. It is not nostalgia.

Consider this example, a 28-year-old looking at the sky would think of career, pollution,
high rise and multiple other things. However, when the same guy was an eight-year-old
and was looking at the sky, he saw the marvel of stars, sun, moon, vastness of sky. So,
this is the difference, of simplicity and innocence. We try to remind people the
innocence, which they had at the age of eight.

Paper Boat aim to bring that child alive in everyone, which has innocence and a high
level of curiosity. So, the way Paper Boat is doing it for the last campaign is taking the
memories. Their endeavor is not to talk about nostalgia but the child in people.

3.2 Sales Promotion

Paper Boat created excitement among the consumers through distinctive branding and
advertising. In 2015, Paper Boat launched its first advertising campaign, circa. Unique
product packaging and marketing techniques to attract consumers. A well-known design
and Brand consultancy, Elephant Design was sought for help with strategic design and

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brand naming. It has adopted trendy design, packaging and brand name which has built
up the brand awareness. The promotion was based on emotional appeal to consumers
by revoking the pleasant childhood memories associated with traditional beverages.
Hence the tagline is ‘Drinks and memories’. Paper Boat has strongly connected with the
consumers and have huge following. Since its conception, Paper Boat has been active on
social media and have kept in touch with the consumers. For the television commercials,
they have partnered with the agency Lowe Lintas and produced many catchy ads. Their
digital film ‘Rizwan-Keeper of the Gates of Heaven’ was made by Humor Me Pvt. Ltd.
And was immensely applauded.

3.3 Publicity
One rainy day, an August afternoon, when you had just come home from school,
completely drenched. Tearing a page from your math notebook, you ran outside to
make a tiny boat and launch it into the biggest puddle you could find! Mom would then
call your name and haul you inside to dry up… Warm and in fresh clothes, she would
hand you a glass of your favourite home made drink which you’d happily gulp down!

Paper Boat came to us with a range of simple and healthy drinks, which promised
familiar tastes, with a side of nostalgic childhood memories. We needed to
communicate the brand idea of natural, unadulterated drinks from the past, in a
contemporary format.

What is more reminiscent of childhood than the paper boats you launched into puddles
in your backyard, always torn from the last page of a school notebook? We named this
brand Paper Boat. It was inspired by a well-known Jagjit Singh gazal “Woh Kagaj Woh
Kagaz Ki Kashti Wo Barish Ka Pani” by Sudarshan Faakir.

We wanted to make the Paper Boat drinks an experience, make them stand out from
ordinary drinks, so we decided to go with standee pouches, with a look and feel like
paper.

We built the visual language to communicate simplicity and purity of the drinks, with
colours inspired by nature, simple visual landscapes and a conversational tone… Leaving
you feeling nostalgic, something that the brand is all about.

In 2013, Paper Boat was placed silently across retail outlets in major metros, with no
advertising or promotions. The packs disappeared so quickly, the client had to revise
their capacity plans!

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In just three years AFAQS ranked Paper Boat among 2016 top 10 buzziest brands of
India.

And 2017 Interbrand recognized Paper Boat as a breakthrough brand.

3.4 Personal Selling

Paper boat in the initial stage started selling on airlines and in 5-star hotels.

3.5 Public Relations

Launch Ball Activities, Affiliations With Other Youth, Cultural Festivals, Health Awareness
Campaigns, Sponsorships, Fair Trade Week- Paper Boat Chikki is a fairtrade-certified
chikki which means that the peanuts and processes they use all go into bettering the
lives of farmer and their communities.

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4. Integrated Marketing Communication
Models in Paper Boat
4.1 AIDAS Model
AIDAS is an acronym that stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, Action & Satisfaction.
The AIDAS model is widely used in marketing and advertising to describe the steps or
stages that occur from the time when a consumer first becomes aware of a product or
brand through to when the consumer trials a product or makes a purchase decision.
Given that many consumers become aware of brands via advertising or marketing
communications, the AIDAS model helps to explain how an advertisement or marketing
communications message engages and involves consumers in brand choice. In essence,
the AIDAS model proposes that advertising messages need to accomplish a number of
tasks in order to move the consumer through a series of sequential steps from brand
awareness through to action (purchase and consumption). At last, the amount of
satisfaction that the consumer feels after the purchase of product.

The steps proposed by the AIDA model are as follows:

 Attention - The consumer becomes aware of a category, product or brand (usually

through advertising)

 Interest - The consumer becomes interested by learning about brand benefits & how
the brand fits with lifestyle

 Desire - The consumer develops a favorable disposition towards the brand

 Action - The consumer forms a purchase intention, shops around, engages in trial or
makes a purchase

 Satisfaction - The amount of satisfaction & dissatisfaction after the purchase. Whether
the consumer is willing to purchase again.

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4.1.1 Attention
Paper Boat is engaging its customers & building a brand on emotional connect by
bringing alive the childhood memories through the advertisements.

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4.1.2 Interest
With such childhood memories, Paper Boat gains attention of its consumers &
stimulates interest in them to spark the desire or likeability for the brand. With slogans
such as ‘Life is still beautiful’, the brand is trying to make people relive their innocence &
memories with drinks named on the basis of childhood memories.

4.1.3 Desire
Now that consumer develops interest in the brand, it increases the desire to try the
product. Paper Boat is a product which touches the emotional side of a person & desire
to taste & relive the childhood is something everybody wants.

4.1.4 Action
After indulging wholly into the desire to try the product, Paper Boat provides packaging
that attracts the customer again after the first purchase. Paper Boat tetra packs have
one liner puns written at the bottom which intend to make the consumer laugh.

4.1.5 Satisfaction
Satisfaction or dissatisfaction is the result of overall experience with the Paper Boat &
the desire the purchase again. Paper Boat, through its advertising & packaging, has been
successful in flowing the high satisfaction level within their consumers.

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5. Transition in Advertising Models of
Paper Boat
Its winning formula: ethnic flavours, snazzy packaging, funky digital marketing focussed
on stirring nostalgia through storytelling

When Neeraj Kakkar and his team at Paper Boat decided to launch Kanji, a tangy
probiotic drink popular in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, they were surprised to find that the
original recipe had been modified due to unavailability of the key ingredient: purple
carrot.

With orange and red carrots having taken the Indian market by storm, farmers had
virtually stopped cultivating the variety needed to make Kanji. And the substitute was a
combination of orange carrots and beetroot.

After an intensive search across geographies, they learnt that purple carrots were being
cultivated in southern Turkey. Hector Beverages, the parent company of Paper Boat,
imported its seeds in 2014 and began cultivating in Udhagamandalam (formerly Ooty).
Now, the first crop is ready, and Hector Beverages is looking to add Kanji to its portfolio
by this winter.

“We want to be the reference taste for every beverage we launch. We also believe that
if there is something better-tasting than our product, we will stop selling it,” says
Kakkar, explaining why he didn’t settle for the carrot-beetroot combination for his Kanji.

And that is one of the pillars of the company’s disruptive business idea, which has
helped Paper Boat become the preferred drink for many despite entering a market
crowded by the Pepsis and the Cokes, as late as in 2013.

5.1 The Disruption

Paperboat created a new category of branded ethnic-flavoured drinks when it burst on
the scene, and its packaging too set it apart from the crowd.

Devangshu Dutta, chief executive at retail consultancy Third Eyesight, says Paper Boat’s
innovative products and packaging have been a force of ‘creative disruption’, and the
company has been able to back that up with distribution.

“Paper Boat’s traditional Indian flavours and its differentiated packaging give it a unique
look at retail stores. The company has clearly gone after market share and taken a
penetrative approach. Whichever geography they choose, they are going after it very

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aggressively. It is clear that they want to be a deeply penetrated mainstream product,”
he says.

But making a mark wasn’t easy. Retailers were wary of stocking the products, fearing
they wouldn’t be sold. And that’s when Paper Boat’s deployed its second disruptive
strategy: a no-questions-asked return policy. “We gave our retailers the freshest of
products and refunded them in full in case of returns,” says Kakkar.

Most large companies, in contrast, only refund a percentage of the money. But Paper
Boat’s ‘insurance’ cover on returns ensured that its Aam Panna, Gol Gappa and Aam Ras
beverages adorned every retailer’s shelf.

The third pillar of Paper Boat’s success has been customer-centricity: it sources the best
quality raw materials from across the country. “We have invested in quality function.
Our aim is to be better than MNCs because being equal to them has no meaning,” says
Kakkar.

Another factor, which Kakkar believes has worked well for the brand, is its
communication strategy. “Be it communication on TV or social media, we have followed
the same distinctive tone of nostalgia and innocence. Once you speak the same
language, people remember you better.”

The stories that the brand narrated were reminiscent of the way IndiGo airlines lovingly
created stories for its Airwiches (sandwiches on air). Tellingly, Paper Boat beverages are
served on board IndiGo, bringing two great storytellers together at 30,000 feet.

Paper Boat relies heavily on digital marketing, and its digital campaigns are as funky as
the brand. On Instagram, it tells its brand story using creative doodles, videos and
photographs, cleverly using two puppies named Hector and Beverages to add fun to the
storytelling.

“We are digital first and mass media second. We use the cheapest way to reach out to
people,” says Kakkar.

5.2 The Challenge

But according to Harish Bijoor, CEO of the Bengaluru-based brand consultancy that goes
by his name, “Paper Boat’s communication is good, interesting and different, but it is
niche -- and that is a negative.”

“Niche marketing is good as an early entry strategy, but if a brand wants to appeal to a
slightly larger mass, which has the money, it cannot remain niche,” he says.

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Today, ethnic flavour drinks have a nearly 50 per cent share of the Rs2,000-crore juices
category. Already, other brands – Dabur Hajmola, Cocofly – are emerging, with ethnic
flavours similar to Paper Boat’s. Copy-cats typically eat into the market share of the
incumbent. Going forward, Paper Boat may have to reach out to a larger audience in a
tone familiar to them.

Dabur’s Hajmola Yoodley is surprisingly capturing public imagination. It’s seen more on
modern trade shelves (which is not surprising, given Dabur’s FMCG distribution
strength) and is piggybacking on the familiar Hajmola brand, which helps with customer
connect.

Dutta believes that Paper Boat’s geographic footprint can grow over time, as has been
the case with some other players. “They have an adequate presence in certain
geographies and they are not as strong in some others just like many other FMCG
brands. I think it is a matter of time before they expand,” he adds.

Paper Boat, meanwhile, is also keeping a close tab on costs. It replaced tetra packs with
a flexi pouch that uses just 8gm of plastic as against 25gm for a pet bottle, making it
cheaper by at least 50 per cent. “Even transportation costs go down with this
packaging,” Kakkar points out.

And profitability, he says, is not a concern. “Ours is not a cash-burn business. We

continue to invest in growth and advertising (at the cost of profitability),” Kakkar adds.

For now, the company has settled down to a strategy of having some year-long products
like Chilli Guava or Aam Panna and other temporary launches once a year like Thandai
during Holi, Panakam during Ram Navmi and Kanji for two months in winter.

So far, Paper Boat seems to have got its mix right. Its ability to continue to juice out
success from its differentiated strategies will, however, be tested over the next few
years.

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6. Paper Boat’s Advertisements & Public
Relations Agency
6.1 Maxum
Hector Beverages holds a vision to expand the brand Paper Boat in more than 50 cities
in the current year.

Speaking on the development, Parvesh Debuka, marketing head of Paper Boat, says,
"My love affair with Maxus began some time ago. I was impressed by their charm (and
the data analytics). I think it will be fun working together."

Maxus is a global communications consultancy that woks on communications strategy,

digital marketing, direct response media, social media, data analytics, media investment
management, content and sports marketing, marketing ROI evaluation and CRM for
marketers. It is part of Group M and claims to have a talent team of 2,500 people across
55 markets.

Sanchayeeta Verma, South head, Maxus, says, "We are extremely delighted to have
Paper Boat with us. Our vision is twofold - one to make the drink extremely popular and
increase its visibility and second would be to communicate its brand proposition of
memories through an effective media mix and creative strategies. Our approach will be
both strategic and tactical."

6.2 Karishma Lintas

Karishma Lintas has bagged the creative duties of Paper Boat following a multi-agency
pitch. Paper Boat is a juice brand launched in August 2013 by Hector Beverages.
Neeraj Kakkar, CEO, Hector Beverages, said, “Design thinking is at the crux of Paper Boat
and we believe that the same applies for Karishma Lintas. With a very clear mandate in
mind, we decided to appoint Karishma Lintas as the creative agency for our brand.
Backed by a strong team and disruptive ideas we were very confident about our choice
and the quality of deliveries. Karishma Lintas understands our brand sensibilities and
their work has been inspiring." GV Krishnan, executive director - South, Karishma
Lintas, said, “We admire the vision and purpose of brand Paper Boat aspiring to reduce
cynicism in society and to reaffirm faith in life. Through our creative solutions, we
genuinely believe that we could win the heart of every Indian by emotionally connecting
with his childhood memory and serving them a delicious traditional Indian drink to

35
savour. We’ve had inspiring and transparent discussions with the founders of Paper
Boat and are excited to create an awesome portfolio going ahead for Karishma Lintas.”

36
7. Suggestions & Recommendations
regarding Paper Boat’s IMC
 Paper Boat can extend the relevance of its Advertisement to Children as it is a drink
which is all about Childhood Memories.
 The promotion strategy could consist of advertisements which relate Paper Boat with
taste & healthy drink.
 Paper Boat can start campaigns to create brand awareness on whole new level by
touching emotional or nostalgic strings of people’s heart along with taste & health
consciousness.
 Paper Boat should focus on creating fan following in social media platforms.
 In packaging, Paper Boat should come up with gift packs where all the variants are
packed together.
 Paper Boat should consider the need to increase the consumption of drink in monsoon
& winter to keep the brand visible & connected throughout the year.

37
References
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_Boat

2. https://www.afaqs.com/news/story/48946_Paper-Boats-latest-campaign-takes-you-
on-your-dream-journey

3. https://dsim.in/blog/2016/07/27/case-study-how-paperboat-is-building-its-brand-
story-with-superb-marketing-strategy/

4. https://www.campaignindia.in/article/pick-of-the-week-paper-boat/438882

5. http://www.elephantdesign.com/branding-paperboat/

6. https://www.campaignindia.in/article/karishma-lintas-bags-paper-boats-creative-
duties/421673

7. https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2016/07/paper-boat-business-secret-to-success/

8. https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/how-paper-boat-rowed-against-
the-tide-to-find-success/article9231260.ece

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THANK
YOU!

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