How Marico changed it’s Packaging to prevent it from Rats
Main Introduction
- Parachute oil is in our memories from our childhood when it used to be the first choice of so many people. Brands just serve their customers; they don’t let anyone know what hardships they go through while putting their products at the forefront.
- Initially, Parachute Coconut Oil was mostly sold in large 15-liter tin cans through wholesalers. During the late 1970s, distributors in Bombay started to experiment with small and more consumer-friendly packs. The motto of the packaging was to attract new customers.
- To keep up with the trend, the founder of Marico, Harsh Mariwala, decided to introduce Parachute in more economical and consumer-friendly plastic packaging. But this decision was waiting for a challenge: rats. These rats were the problem that forced these retailers to stock these plastic variants because the cans were soft and brittle, making them easy targets for rodents. Rats liked coconut oil, and they could easily eat in these cans making the bottles waste.
- The Marico team noticed that the plastic cans were vulnerable because the material provided a grip for the rats. This led to an innovation: designing a rounded plastic bottle with a hardened surface. The idea was that if the rats couldn’t grip the edges, they wouldn’t be able to hole through the bottle.
- In the early 1980s, Marico introduced these new rigid plastic packaging and undertook a unique demonstration to convince retailers of their effectiveness. They placed the new bottles around rats in a cage to prove that the new packaging could bear the rats’ attempts to break in. The rigid packs stood still, and the rats were unable to penetrate them.
- This demo convinced retailers to store the new bottles more and more to serve the customers, leading to a significant shift in the packaging of Parachute Coconut Oil. The transition to plastic made the product more consumer-friendly and addressed the logistical issues faced by retailers.
- Marico’s innovative stance on solving the packaging maniac not only overcame the immediate challenge posed by rats but also set an example for continuous improvement. Over the years, the company has continued to innovate its packaging solutions, such as developing bottles that prevent oil from getting solidified in colder climates.
- This case study shows how to understand consumer needs adapt to challenges and come back with innovative solutions. Marico’s ability to turn a rat problem into a packaging revolution is proof of the company’s commitment to quality and consumer satisfaction. Today, Parachute remains a leading brand in the coconut oil market, thanks to its fighting innovative spirit and dedication to continuous improvement.
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