Pulse – The Pulse of India

Raw mango pieces filled with chilli powder and salt always activate our taste buds and we under no circumstances stop eating it. This habit is fairly common across India. It always pumps in a fresh energy in you. Raw mango sellers are very common in the roadsides of India. But can we carry a raw mango always? What if a candy serves the purpose?

Pulse, launched in February 2015 by DS group is an innovation in the candy space. Even though brands like Candyman, Alpenliebe, and Cadbury Chocoliars are present in the Hard – Cooked Candy (HBC)category, powder- filled candy is a clear distinction. Pulse has this tangy taste that a customer expects. The two variants of Pulse Kaccha Aam (26 per cent) and Mango flavour (24 per cent) together claim 50 per cent share in the HBC market.   

Since raw mangoes are consumed by people of all age groups cutting across geography, it has been launched for a mass market rather than for a specific segment. Concurrently, it is treated as an anywhere, anytime candy.

The price was also fixed higher for Pulse. While all the other candy at that time was charged 0.5 paise, Pulse was available only for Rs. 1 with a slight increase in weight (4 Grams for per candy). Thus a value – proposition is also painted.  The positioning is based on experience of eating. All the other candy have a uniform experience while Pulse gives a perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavour(Named as Masala Bomb).

The brand communication was given later which also aligns with the brand promise. My take is that innovation is the core of success for any brand even if it is a candy. The biggest challenge is that they have competition not only from Parle Kaccha Mango Bite but also from cheap imitations.