See how “Word-of-mouth” marketing helped a firm make 1 Billion.

The candy that outperformed the competition and blue-chip brands such as Oreo and Mars bars. Pulse has demonstrated that no form of marketing outperforms product marketing strategy, there is one type of advertising that truly stands out “Word of Mouth.”

Pulse officially known as Pass Pass Pulse was launched in 2015 by Dharampal Satyapal Group (DS Group). The lone instruction from the Vice Chairman of DS Group to his R&D team working on Pass Pass pulse candy “If the product is tangy, then your eyes should close automatically to relish it, or else it is no fun.”

With pulse, the idea was to bring some innovation to the hard-boiled candy segment. During the development phase, the company realized that Kaccha Aam (raw mango) is the flavor that is preferred by people across India, across all age groups. Raw mango is usually eaten with a mixture of salt and spices to give an additional flavor.

As Rajasthani and Gujarati cuisines have a similar tanginess to Pulse, the company decided to test-market it. The exercise proved to be so successful that it had to be converted into a full-fledged launch. The main factor that makes FMCG products is distribution. DS Group founder of Pulse already had a strong presence in the market because of their flagship product Rajnigandha which has the highest market in the pan masala brands. The brand managed a pan-India presence by tying up with contract manufacturers in Telangana, Uttarakhand, and Gujarat.

There was no proper marketing or launch event done by Pulse. They used word-of-mouth marketing strategies in cost-effective ways to promote the product. Pulse didn’t spend money on advertising and promotion. The candy’s unique taste coupled with word of mouth made this product popular. The company then started to explore social media for reach, while in-store promotions and outdoor advertisements of selected locations. Its fans were active in the online world and suggested a catchphrase “Pulse of India.”

With their unique content, they continue to engage the audience. Even people went and made Pulse fan community on Facebook. This helped Pulse to gain popularity and brand loyalty in India. Pulse has surpassed all competition and beaten all the records by crossing the 100 crore mark in just 8 months and the candy made Rs 300 crore in sales in two years. This figure has equaled the record of heavily advertised Coke Zero by Coca-Cola.