The news of WHO listing the sugar substitute aspartame as a ‘possible carcinogen hazard to humans’ [Business Standard July 18 2023] brought back memories for me about trying to market a sugar substitute to a consumer who was not yet ready to embrace a new concept.
As a young Group Product Manager at Boots Company in the mid 1980s I was tasked the job of revamping the sugar substitute brand Sweetex [a global brand of Boots Company UK] and relaunch it in India. The brand had been marketed in the 70s but the controversy around saccharine sodium [the active ingredient in Sweetex] made the company go slow and put the brand on go slow mode. But by mid 1980s indication was that the controversy had died and the affluent consumer was showing some signs of becoming calorie and weight conscious. The brand’s packaging had to be changed to make it more consumer friendly. Consumer research showed that the diabetic did not need to be told about sugar substitutes [anyway they will get exposed to the television message being beamed out], the key target consumer was the youngish weight conscious metro men and women. The ad that that got made [Ad agency-Trikaya; Film Producer/Director – Prahlad Kakkar] had a nice jingle that went ‘No squeeze. No wheeze. No sugar in my coffee please. It is a sweeter life without calories’. The ad had a very urban upmarket swing to it. After sorting out the roadblocks laid by Doordarshan [captured in my book Nawabs Nudes Noodles – India Through 50 Years of Advertising] Sweetex ad went on air. After investing in the brand a full year we realized that the brand sales did not amount to much. The increase in sales in year 2 was did not justify continuous investments. Two years later the company decided to cut all above the line support. The brand’s promise was ahead of its times.
The brand that managed to crack the sugar substitute market in India is Sugar Free from Zydus Wellness. Right from the brand name to the packaging, various variants, and focused advertising, Zydus managed to build Sugar Free into a Rs 150+ crore brand [as per industry reports]. I suppose from 1985 to 2020 we are talking of a time span of 35 years and a lot has happened around us. Affluent consumers are today a lot more calorie and weight conscious. And they are digitally savvy being exposed to international trends. Diet drinks have grown in size too and they have added to the noise around calorie consciousness.
We all know that to manage your weight and your calorific intake you need to do a lot more than just switch from sugar to Sugar Free. But still what role does a sugar substitutes play?
B J Fogg’ model of consumer behaviour could provide an answer. B J Fogg is the founder director of the Stanford Behaviour Design Lab. His model proposes that our behaviour is governed by our motivation and our ability, with the right triggers [B=MAT]. Something we are highly motivated about, even if the effort is very high, we will still do it. For example, taking the Covid shot when it first became available needed effort, but motivation was high so all of us got the shot as soon as we could. But there are many things where motivation may not be that high. For instance, losing weight may be on our new year resolutions. But effort needed is huge: change the dietary habits, cut out sugar / rice / high calorie foods, exercise regularly etc. B J Fogg’s model says that there are several triggers that help us to get ahead of the motivation / ability curve. Marketers know this well. Hence when a new product is introduced they give you samples to try out. They reduce the effort [improve your ability] to try the product.
I think a sugar substitutes plays a similar role in the life of someone who is trying to cut down on his or her calorie intake. The mere fact that they have switched from sugar to a sugar substitute is a constant reminder to them to watch out on their calorie intake. Carrying a small pack of Sugar Free in their bag calls for little effort, but it is also a gentle nudge not to over indulge. Hence these products play a useful role in helping those who are so inclined to manage their calories.
Tiny Habits a wonderful book by B J Fogg tells us that good habits can start with tiny steps. It is likely that someone who is using a sugar substitute as a token will one day truly become calorie conscious. And it is here that warnings like those from WHO, though well meaning, can cause a set back to the weight / calorie control movement. It is easy to say avoid sugar. But we all know that we need the sugar-shot. And we also crave for that ‘sweeter life without calories’.
Appeared originally in Business Standard July 2023