‘You decide' is what Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) is telling consumers by giving them an informed choice between its Rin 1 kg pack at Rs 70 or Procter & Gamble's Tide 950 gm pack at Rs 80. But unlike in 2010, when both the brands got into a comparative ad war on television, the battleground is print now.
Procter & Gamble (P&G) has already approached the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) terming HUL's latest ad as ‘derogatory'. Mr Alan Collaco, Secretary General, ASCI, said, “ASCI will take up the case and the decision should be taken in the next 2-3 days. P&G has said that the ad is not a fair comparison as its product is superior to Rin. The ad this time is factual.''
In fact, even HUL is defending itself on ‘factual' grounds. “The advertisement is totally factual and represents the price of the two brands. The advertisement helps consumers to make an informed choice,” said the HUL spokesperson.
Surfactant facts
Meanwhile, Mr Bharat Patel, former Chairman of P&G and currently Head of Marketing Committee, ASCI, said, “Comparative ads are a new thing in India and for all you know, P&G would be out with another ad tomorrow. Comparing Rin and Tide is like comparing apples and oranges. In detergents, the pricing depends on the amount of surfactants used (which reduces the amount of detergent used for washing), and it is not easy to find how much has been used in these brands as it could range between 10 and 25 per cent.''
The last time such comparative ads between Rin and Tide broke out in 2010, both the companies headed for the courts. Even then, Rin's share was under threat from P&G's Tide as the latter had introduced a cheaper variant (Tide Naturals). Both Rin (Yellow Fighter) and Tide are positioned on the ‘whiteness' platform, promising to remove ‘yellowness' in clothes.
Retailers in Mumbai claim it is Tide powders which continue to sell more than Rin. In bars, Tide significantly trails behind Rin. According to a South Mumbai-based retailer, “Both P&G and HUL pay almost similar margins at 5 per cent for their detergents. However, Tide is ahead of Rin in the powder segment while Rin sells more bars than Tide.''
Considering HUL is giving away a free 179 gm Rin bar worth Rs 10 with the 1 kg pack, it may just help HUL recover some of its Rin powder share.