Mr Jamsetji Tata was the first Indian to own and operate a soap plant when he purchased OK Coconut Oil Mills in 1917\u201318. OK Mills not only manufactured coconut oil, but also cold-process laundry soap. It was renamed Tata Oil Mills Ltd. Co. (TOMCO)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
OK was TOMCO’s new brand designed to compete with Lever Brothers\/ Unilever Lifebuoy – the most popular brand. It was promoted first as a value brand. It was an interesting marketing approach for OK soap to try to compete with Lifebuoy by presenting itself as a low-cost, daily solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When branded bathing soap bars first started making their way into Indian households, OK Soap entered the market. The OK soap, however, boosted sales of its primary rival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The name alone was already misleading. There was no experience angle to it<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite being advertised as a “common man’s soap,” its cheap cost was nonetheless a major selling point. The ad did its job of increasing brand awareness, but it gave the wrong impression that the product was only meant for poor people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At first, soap was successful in eating away at Lifebuoy’s market share, but Lifebuoy quickly recovered by switching up its advertising tactics. The first Lifebuoy products had a drab red hue and a foul odour. With the launch of new product lines, Lifebuoy swiftly refocused its efforts, moving the brand’s emphasis from pricing to cleanliness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The advertisements for the OK soap did surprisingly well. According to one of them,\u00a0\u00a0OK soap will make its user bloom like a lotus flower. The size was further emphasised. The ad’s headline read, “Ok nahane ka bada sabun,” while the featured male participant looked straight into the camera while declaring, “Sachmuch kaafi bada hai.” It was an uncomplicated commercial that highlighted cost-effectiveness. Another commercial for OK Soap was titled “Subah subah kamal khile.” The central theme of the ad is that using OK soap would cause its user to flourish like a lotus flower. The size and cost of the soap being sold were also underlined in the ad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n