Horlicks gets new flavours

The new ones as well as the existing product, Horlicks Regular, now come in a new glass container. The chocolate flavour is not really new, as way back in 1991 the company launched its Chocolate Horlicks.

It was only last year that GlaxoSmithkline Consumer Healthcare had positioned the brand as an immunity enhancer. And early this year the company relaunched the Junior Horlicks brand.

Says Sucheta Govil, marketing general manager, nutritional healthcare: "The brand is now relaunched with the core essence of 'pleasurable nourishment' embodying modernity, youthfulness, vibrancy and vigour."

Can the Horlicks team pull it off? It is a Rs 800-crore (the total sales of Horlicks in India) question that is being asked about this product that is in production in the country since 1960.

Brown scores over white The health food drink segment is classified into two categories — white liquid (Horlicks, Viva, Complan, Milo) and brown liquid (chocolate based drinks: Boost, Bourvita). For both the white liquid, South and East India are a major market while the brown liquid has its presence felt in North and West India.

The reason is simple. Milk-deficient South and East preferred white liquid powders (Horlicks, Viva, Complan) as the drink could be prepared with hot water whereas the milk-flush North and West preferred the chocolate drinks that taste good in milk. Further, South in general is a coffee-drinking market and for the people products like Horlicks are generally reserved for special guests/relatives and for the sick and convalescing.