Bringing the legacy of Bel, a 150-year-old food brand available in 130 odd countries, to India is no mean feat. Especially when the name is The Laughing Cow Cheese (TLC). Alamjit Singh Sekhon, Commercial Director of Bel, India, was the first employee of Bel in India back in 2018 when the brand made its splash onto the Indian FMCG scene. Understanding the pulse of the audience and exploring new markets with interesting engagement activities have helped TLC reach close to 10,000 retail doors across Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata.

The brand started afresh with the imagery of a Laughing Cow as the center of attraction to amaze a culture wherein the cow is considered holy. Gradually, TLC offered a product range that was curated for the Indian palette and climatic conditions. 

Power of 5 – How India Loves its Cheese

A lot went into engineering a delicacy that will be thoroughly healthy and most importantly, Indian. “Food is a very personal choice. Serving customers in 130 odd countries, we deal with various nutritional requirements. The Indian range was made keeping in mind the macronutrient deficiencies here. From a nutritional stand point, anything we have in our cheese would have 5 nutrients such as Vitamin A, Vitamin D, B12, calcium, and naturally enriched protein,” says Sekhon. 

TLC entered a market where cheese consumption and penetration were limited to slices, cheese cubes, and blocks that can be grated. Sensing the large headroom to be filled, the brand introduced two products, namely the bread spread and a cheese sachet. In doing so, TLC increased the utility of the products by making it fit to be stored anywhere in an air-conditioned room, instead of storing them in freezers. Pricing the cheese sachets affordably at Rs 10 each, TLC had a breakthrough in consumer trials where the starting price of any other cheese product is Rs 75-80. 

Noteworthy Collaborations

Mad over Donuts (MAD), the largest donut chain in the country, partnered with TLC to create a savory donut, which is a flavorful departure from the usual recipe for sweet donuts. “We gave their consumers the TLC experience with cheese donuts. From the recipe stage to the final touch, it was co-developed. It was a win-win for TLC as it got exposed to a clientele that doesn’t mind paying premium for high-quality products,” Sekhon maintains. The brand has also partnered with Britannia to get a phenomenal market reach through biscuits.

Next came the collaboration with Kidzania, in which TLC approached families with children to explore cheesemaking in a fun-filled and educational experience for the kids. “At the Kidzania mini factory, we showed how kids’ favorite TLC cheese is made from milk. We also raised awareness about good eating through edutainment,” Sekhon adds.  

Ideation, Activation, and Execution

TLC began its operations with a customized data management system that helps navigate product distribution at outlets, their geo-locations, and the app, which provides insights about inventory movement. E-com takes about 25 percent of its sales share. Tracking stock availability through pin codes is an important aspect of TLC ensuring that no pin code gets the ‘out of stock’ flash. The brand uses the data to help retail partners deliver better as according to Sekhon, out of stock is out of sale. 

Cookies and other data from retail channels are used by TLC to kick-start new life-cycle journeys. The extensive consumer trial programs in large-format retail stores provide a wholesome experience with TLC champions dressed up with like chefs for sample tasting. The conversion rate through such engagements is as high as 80 percent. TLC also reaches out to consumers online and offline with curated communication offers of other products that the consumer is yet to try, with discounts. Constant nurturing of leads helps TLC gain market share and earn customer loyalty. 

Besides, a unique ATL network helps TLC reach out to consumers at their doorsteps. In case of Mumbai, for instance, the brand has partnered with the unorganized community of vendors who deliver bread, pav, egg, and other dairy products in the morning. TLC continues to provide a sachet of cheese inside every packet of Kwality brown bread, and have received good traction. 

At the center of all these activities exist the promise of uncompromised product quality and TLC has extended support in every means necessary to their distributors to deliver the wow factor. “Cheese has to be chilled. Wherever our distributors lacked infrastructure, we gave them our chillers. We also took note of minute details such as the temperature during product sampling. Right from the distributor to the retailer, we monitor data about how the product is stored and raise awareness to improve the same,” says Sekhon. 

Available Wherever Cheese is Sold

The Laughing Cow is well on its way to gain better market penetration through B2B business and is buckling up in the price-sensitive cheese segment. Sekhon believes that although tier 1 cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru are the main markets, cities such as Pune have shown surprisingly good consumption. Keeping a tab on emerging markets, TLC has an interesting program with an Amazon reseller, through which chilled cheese packs and sachets are sold in remote cities of Uttar Pradesh and other states. 

“Almost half of the Amazon sale is coming from the Amazon reseller in cities where we don’t have a wide presence. We are inching closer to developing a countrywide reputation of spreading joy through cheese, which is surely an ally for the Indian mother to delight the kids and have a happy, smiling family,” Sekhon infers.