Paper Boat: Riding on a wave of nostalgia
In this video, Neeraj Kakkar, co-founder of the Paper Boat brand and Shripad Nadkarni, an investor in the brand, talk about the magic formula that got people hooked and which helped them create a new beverages segment—ethnic drinks
22 September 2016· 1 min read
Traditional Indian drinks brand Paper Boat launched in 2013 and has tasted success in a very short number of years—in the process carving out an entirely new segment in the beverages industry.
In this video, Neeraj Kakkar who dreamt up the idea and Shripad Nadkarni who converted it into a brand, talk about the brand philosophy they live by; their magic formula for getting people to prefer Paper Boat; the things they had to unlearn along the way—and what they have learned from tech companies and Zara.
(Kakkar is the co-founder and CEO at Hector Beverages, the company behind the brand. Nadkarni is an independent investor. He is co-founder of brand consultancy MarketGate and was marketing head of Coca-Cola India in an earlier stint. Kakkar too has worked at Coca-Cola.)
‘Alive’ and ‘authentic’ were the two attributes that Nadkarni determined Paper Boat ought to have. “Every single thing we have done since then—communication, packaging design, recipe, processes, ingredients—is with these two words in mind,” says Kakkar. “Alive for us is contemporary, young, fashionable, cool. Authentic is pure, natural.”
Nadkarni says what has helped Paper Boat is that it was able to tap into something deep in the consumer’s psyche—“a longing for simpler, uncomplicated times”.
“Products are easy to replicate.” He says. “The kind of feelings consumers have and they articulate about the brand shows that it's a much loved brand beyond the product.”
“There is authenticity beyond the product as well,” Nadkarni adds. “There is authenticity of emotions. If you tap into a powerful human emotion, you don’t need a lot of money, but you need consistent work. And that is what has helped Paper Boat.”
Another way they hold to the “authentic” promise is by having a tight control over the ingredients, recipes, and processes—that’s why they chose to set up their own manufacturing plants, says Kakkar.
On what they have learnt from tech companies? “Keep adapting all the time based on feedback,” says Kakkar. And from Zara? Keep interest alive by introducing seasonal/festival products that are on shelves for a short time.
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Rajesh Srivastava
Corporate Veteran, Thought Leader | Educator & Bestselling Author
Rajesh Srivastava earned his engineering degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, in Kanpur, and studied management at the Indian Institute of Management, in Bangalore. He has over three decades of experience creating value in fields as diverse as the alcoholic beverage industry, food and commodities, personal care, lifestyle industries, education & publishing. He has conceptualised, launched, and nurtured over fifty products which enrich the lives of Indian consumers’ every day. Brands he has promoted include Bagpiper, McDowell Signature, Royal Challenge, Blue Riband, Blue Riband Duet, Captain Cook, Park Avenue Personal Care Products.
In 2002, he was named President of J. K. Helene Curtis Ltd, a Raymond Group Company. Over the next three years, he steered it to a 33% revenue growth (CGR) and doubled profits, despite operating at a time when the FMCG industry was recording a near-flat growth.
Mr. Srivastava also writes for journals and appears in broadcast media on topics of market analysis and trend recognition. His articles and columns have been published in Mint, Telegraph, Outlook, Mid-Day. He has also been interviewed as a business and marketing analyst on BBC World, Aaj Tak, and CNBC.
He has been invited as a keynote speaker, by premier schools, business schools, hospitals and corporates such as IIM Calcutta, IIM Bangalore, IIM Sambalpur, IIM Nagpur, IE Business School, Spain, Jamna Bai Narsee International School, Mumbai, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, Godrej & Boyce, Tata Telecom, Indian Oil Corporation, ICICI Bank, Crompton Greaves, Alstom India, Marico’s Ascent Foundation, AGC Networks Limited, Valmont Corporations, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, S&P Global, BSH Home Appliances and John Deere.
He has also been conducting customised workshops for many of the finest corporates including Mercedes Benz, Siemens India, Reliance Industries Ltd., Citibank, and Credit Suisse.
In 2011, he was named the Chief Operating Officer of S. P. Jain School of Global Management - Dubai, Singapore, and Sydney. He has been awarded the Best Professor Award for two consecutive years - 2009 & 2010. He also served as Adjunct Faculty at IIM Indore between 2008 to 2015.
He practises as an Independent Consultant and coaches CEOs.
Penguin Random House has published his two books, ‘The New Rules of Business’ & ‘The 10 New Life-Changing Skills’. Both have become national bestsellers.
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