Daily piyo, Healthy jiyo.

YAKULT

Marketing communications head (India)

Shefali Sapra

YAKULT- TODAY

• Today, Yakult is sold in 31 countries, although its bacteria cultures are provided from a mother strain from Japan regardless of production location.

• Yakult is marketed in different sizes. In Australia, Europe, India, and Indonesia, Yakult comes in 65mL bottles.

YAKULT- HISTORY

• Yakult is a Japanese probiotic milk-like product made by fermenting a mixture of skimmed milk with a special strain of the bacterium Lactobacillus casei .

• It was created by Minoru Shirota.

• Yakult has also introduced a line of beverages for the Japanese market that contain Bifidobacterium breve bacteria, and has also used its lactobacilli research to develop cosmetics

• After its introduction in Japan and Taiwan, Yakult was first sold in Brazil in 1966, due to the large number of Japanese immigrants in the country, before it was marketed elsewhere.

YAKULT (AUSTRALIA)

YAKULT- BRAZIL

YAKULT- MEXICO

YAKULT- THAILAND

300 ML PACKING IN TAIWAN

GLASS BOTTLE PACKAGING (1968)

PACKAGING VARIES GEOGRAPHICALLY

• Japan, Philippines and South Korea, 80 ml bottles are available.

• In Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan and mainland China, and the United States. It is also available in Hong Kong where it comes in 100 ml bottles.

MAIN CONTENTS OF YAKULT

• Standard Yakult (excludes variations such as in Yakult Light) contains:

• Sugar (sucrose, dextrose) to balance sourness with sweetness.

• Skimmed milk powder

• Natural flavors

• Live Lactobacillus casei Shirota strain, 8 billion per 65 mL bottle (concentration of 108 CFU/mL)

• Water

QUALITY AND COMPARISON

• Standard Yakult contains 18g of sugar for every 100g, but comes in 65 mL bottles. This concentration is higher than the level defined as “HIGH” by the UK Food Standards Agency.

• As a comparison Coca-Cola and orange juice are in the range of 10g of sugar per 100g, but with a serving size usually greater than 250 ml, while Yakult is served in much smaller doses.

YAKULT- UNIQUE DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

• Yakult has roped in actress Kajol as brand ambassador and has an army of girls to home-deliver Yakult on scooters, plans to launch a low-sugar variant of Yakult.

• The Yakult Ladies, key components in the company’s distribution system, are young, dynamic women propagating good health and spreading cheer wherever they go.

• This system has been specifically created to help customers fully understand the health benefits of probiotics, along with a free sample, to help familiarize them with the delicious taste of Yakult.

YAKULT AVAILABLE IN LEADING MEGA STORES

ORGANIZATIONAL CHART

YAKULT LADIES

• There are more than 240 trained Yakult Ladies operational in Delhi & NCR, Jaipur, and Chandigarh and the number is expected to cross 500 by December 2012 with Mumbai and Pune.

• There are 80,000 Yakult Ladies across the globe, working through regional marketing offices or ‘Centres’. Internationally, this system has been the backbone of distribution for Yakult in more than 15 countries.

• Each Yakult lady is given extensive training and then allocated a specific area for propagation and delivery. Usually she delivers up to 200 bottles every day and earns a commission on every bottle sold, thus becoming financially independent.

YAKULT LADIES

YAKULT- SIMPLIFIED

What are the challenges you face in penetrating specifically in India?

Besides doctors, most consumers do not know much about probiotics. Making them pay Rs 10 for a 65 ml bottle is a challenge.

Yakult needs to be stored at a controlled temperature of below 10 degrees Celsius. This is why Yakult have been prompted to provide coolers at many stores.

THE INDIAN PACKING FOR YAKULT

• Has the Yakult Ladies system made inroads as an alternate distribution channel?

• They deliver around 100-150 bottles a day across New Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur and Chandigarh.

• Globally, Yakult choose women over men because they are generally health conscious and are more accepted by families.

• Yakult have gradually developed relationships with the families they home deliver.

THANK YOU.