Published Online:December 2024
Product Name:The IUP Journal of Case Folio
Product Type:Article
Product Code:IJCF041224
Author Name:Priyanka Rawal and Ankush Sharma
Availability:YES
Subject/Domain:Management
Download Format:PDF
Pages:49-57
On August 15, 2024, as India was celebrating its 78th Independence Day, Devanshi Shinde (Devanshi), Chairperson and Managing Director, DS Products (DS), was deeply thinking about the marketing strategy and growth of DS in its new avataar. Her team had worked hard to come up with a ‘go to market product’ for the target market. Devanshi decided to have a meeting with her core team next morning to discuss the marketing strategy and growth orientation for its line of products. The sanitary pad market in India was at a mature stage. It was dominated by Whisper brand from P&G and Stayfree brand from Johnson & Johnson, which held 51% and 24% market share respectively.1 DS was a late entrant in the highly competitive sanitary napkin industry. DS followed penetrative pricing strategy for positioning and achieving sales targets. To survive in this market, the company joined hands with M D Hygiene Pvt. Ltd. which would provide them with a sustainable competitive advantage. To make this business collaboration fruitful the company positioned itself as the lowest price brand in the market to increase its market share. Should M D Hygiene work on social media campaigns or promotional offers for dealers to garner a share from the existing players? Which marketing initiatives would help them sustain in a market dominated by established branded players?
DS Products (DS), a Mumbai, Maharashtra-based company, started its operations in 2018 as part of ‘Make in India’ initiative. DS began as an initiative to impart knowledge and hygiene to those who knew their importance and others who did not. The March 8, 2018 was the day the company took the most important step in the presence of the then MLA of Mira-Bhayander, Geeta Jain, and the former Maharashtra First Lady, Amruta Fadanvis. The acronym DS in the company moniker was derived from the founder’s name Devanshi Shinde. Devanshi did her diploma in textile engineering and graduation in biomedical engineering. She started the venture while pursuing her diploma at one of the reputed institutes in Mumbai. The organization promoted female health and hygiene by organizing awareness camps at schools, colleges, social events, and community centers. The company regularly donated sanitary pads to nongovernment organizations (NGOs) working for girl child welfare and municipal schools. The motto of company was “ripples of trusted quality”.