Reference no: EM133118296

Case Study: Repositioning Maggi

Nestlé India Ltd. (NIL), the Indian subsidiary of the global FMCG major, Nestlé SA, introduced the Maggi brand in India in 1982, with its launch of Maggi 2 Minute Noodles, an instant noodles product. With the launch of Maggi noodles, NIL created an entirely new food category - instant noodles - in the Indian packaged food market. During the 1990s, the sales of Maggi noodles declined, and this was attributed partly to the growing popularity of Top Ramen, another instant noodles product. In order to improve sales and attract more consumers, NIL changed the formulation of Maggi noodles in 1997. However, this proved to be a mistake, as consumers did not like the taste of the new noodles. In March 1999, NIL reintroduced the old formulation of the noodles, after which the sales revived.

Over the years, NIL also introduced several other products like soups and cooking aids under the Maggi brand. However, these products were not as successful as the instant noodles. In the early 2000s, Maggi was the leader in the branded instant noodles segment, and the company faced little serious competition in this segment. In the early 2000s, NIL started introducing new ‘healthy' products in accordance with the Nestlé Group's global strategy to transform itself into a health and wellness company.

NIL also adopted the same strategy for the Maggi brand with the launch of the Maggi Vegetable Atta Noodles (Vegetable Atta Noodles), a ‘healthy' instant noodles product made of whole wheat flour and vegetables (instead of refined flour), in 2005. The Dal Atta Noodles were another variant of Maggi's healthy instant noodles. Because of its first-mover advantage, NIL successfully managed to retain its leadership.

Question 1. Analyse three benefits that NIL derived by repositioning Maggi.

Question 2. What do you learn from the case above?