How to Sell Anything in India? Cycle Pure Agarbatti Detailed Business Case Study

Think School
24 Jan 202320:04

Summary

TLDRThe video recounts the inspiring journey of Narayan Ranga Rao, the founder of Cycle Pure Agarbatti. It delves into how he built a 1,500 crore business empire by selling incense sticks globally, starting in post-independence India. Despite adverse market conditions, Ranga Rao innovated by improving product quality and using unique marketing strategies. His dedication, empathy, and persistence were key factors behind his success. The video highlights important business lessons, emphasizing cultural sentiment, product excellence, and the power of empathy in creating a lasting brand.

Takeaways

  • 🌍 India's independence brought tragedy with 17 million people displaced, creating tough conditions for business.
  • 👨‍💼 Narayan Ranga Rao, despite humble beginnings, founded Cycle Pure Agarbatti, a brand that now sells incense sticks in 75 countries.
  • 💡 Ranga Rao identified a market gap: poor quality incense sticks that didn't burn properly and lacked strong fragrance, leading him to innovate with better products.
  • 🔬 Rao invested in books on perfumery from Germany, mastering the art of creating high-quality fragrances using synthetic substitutes.
  • 🧠 His unique marketing strategy involved lighting incense outside stores, creating demand among customers who in turn pressured shopkeepers to stock Cycle products.
  • 💼 Rao’s son, Murthy, improved product variety by introducing '3-in-1' incense packs, addressing customer preferences and boosting sales.
  • 🚀 Cycle Pure grew into a 1,500 crore business by mastering the art of fragrances, building customer trust, and consistently innovating its product line.
  • 🛡 The brand's success came from understanding customer sentiment, especially the cultural importance of agarbatti in Indian households.
  • 🏆 Cycle has expanded into global markets, benefiting from its unique fragrances and brand heritage, while building barriers to entry for competitors.
  • 💖 The company prides itself on social responsibility, including empowering women, offering parental leave, and maintaining carbon neutrality.

Q & A

  • What was the significant event that occurred in India at the stroke of the midnight hour?

    -India gained its independence.

  • What challenges did India face immediately after gaining independence?

    -India faced the aftermath of partition and the India-Pakistan war, with around 17 million people displaced.

  • Who is the central figure in the story of the business empire discussed in the script?

    -The central figure is the late Mr. Narayan Ranga Rao.

  • What was the humble beginning of Mr. Narayan Ranga Rao's business?

    -Mr. Ranga Rao started his business by selling sweets and trying multiple jobs and businesses before finding his calling with agarbati.

  • What was the unique selling proposition of Cycle Pure Agarbati that set it apart from the competition?

    -Cycle Pure Agarbati focused on superior fragrance quality rather than just the quantity of incense sticks, offering a better burning experience and a variety of unique fragrances.

  • How did Mr. Ranga Rao overcome the lack of information on perfumery during the early days of his business?

    -Mr. Ranga Rao spent 600 rupees to import three volumes of perfumery books from Germany, which helped him understand and create superior fragrances.

  • What was the innovative marketing strategy used by Mr. Ranga Rao to introduce Cycle Pure Agarbati to the market?

    -He lit his incense sticks outside stores during peak hours, creating interest and demand among customers, which then pressured store owners to stock his product.

  • How did the second generation of the Ranga Rao family contribute to the growth of the business?

    -Murthy, the son of Ranga Rao, went to France to study the art of perfumery and introduced new products like the 'three-in-one' Cycle Pure Agarbati to cater to changing customer preferences.

  • What is the 'three-in-one' Cycle Pure Agarbati and why was it successful?

    -The 'three-in-one' Cycle Pure Agarbati contains three different fragrances in a single pack, offering variety and convenience to customers, which increased sales and customer loyalty.

  • How has the Cycle brand maintained its competitive edge over the years?

    -The brand has maintained its competitive edge by continuously innovating with new fragrances, having a vast catalog of ingredients, and focusing on customer empathy and market understanding.

  • What are some of the social initiatives taken by the Cycle brand?

    -The Cycle brand has supported women empowerment, provided paternity leaves, covered employees under insurance, and became the first carbon-neutral company in their industry.

Outlines

00:00

🌙 The Dawn of Freedom and the Rise of an Empire

India's journey to freedom came at a heavy cost, with millions displaced during partition. Amidst this chaos, a man named SRI Ranga Rao, a humble individual from a small town, pursued his dream. This story unfolds how Rao transformed his small venture into an incense empire that united the nation through prayer, especially during post-independence challenges.

05:00

📈 The Birth of a Business Vision

Ranga Rao, despite the severe economic conditions post-independence, managed to launch a premium agarbathi brand. His deep understanding of cultural traditions and his passion for fragrances gave him a competitive edge. The older generations, though living in poverty, never compromised on offerings to deities, making agarbathis an instrument of hope rather than just a fragrance product.

10:01

🚀 Seizing Market Opportunities with Fragrance Innovation

Ranga Rao identified three major gaps in the agarbathi market: poor product quality, weak fragrance, and lack of innovation. He and his wife pawned jewelry to fund his dream of creating the best incense sticks Mysore had ever seen. His love for fragrances and experimentation led to mastering the art of perfumery through trial and error. This foundation set the tone for Cycle Pure's dominance in the incense industry.

15:01

💡 A Genius Marketing Strategy

Ranga Rao's marketing genius was evident when he used a simple yet highly effective strategy to get retailers to accept his premium-priced product. By lighting his incense sticks outside stores, he created demand from customers, forcing shopkeepers to carry his product. This tactic allowed him to command premium pricing for his agarbathis, a rare feat in the incense market.

🛠 Building Customer Empathy and Market Understanding

Murthy, Ranga Rao's son, adopted a hands-on approach by spending hours in stores, observing customer behavior. He realized that customers craved variety in fragrances, which led to the introduction of the 'three-in-one' agarbathi pack. This product innovation not only solved the issue of irregular sales but also became a massive hit in the market, with customers appreciating the diverse fragrance options.

🏆 Unmatched Product Innovation and Market Leadership

Cycle Pure's competitive advantage lies in its vast catalog of 300 fragrance ingredients, making it nearly impossible for competitors to mimic their products. The company’s innovation, like the introduction of four fragrances in a single product, kept them ahead of the competition. Their understanding of customer preferences and continuous product diversification enabled them to expand to over 70 countries globally.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 A Legacy of Innovation Passed Down Generations

Ranga Rao’s family continued his legacy, with each generation contributing to the growth of the business. The third generation, led by Arjun Ranga, carried forward the legacy by creating original fragrances and marketing strategies, expanding the company to new heights. Their customer-centric approach and constant innovation ensured the brand’s dominance in the global agarbathi market.

🤝 A Business that Gives Back to Society

Cycle Pure has not only focused on business growth but has also prioritized social responsibility. Over the past 75 years, the company has supported thousands of women through employment, implemented inclusive policies like paternity leave, and has been certified as a carbon-neutral company. Their commitment to making a positive impact on society reflects their mission to be a 'good company' first.

📚 Business Lessons from Cycle Pure Agarbathi’s Success

The rise of Cycle Pure teaches valuable business lessons: cultural relevance can add immense value to a product, extraordinary products serve as their own marketing tools, and empathy and persistence are key attributes for success. By understanding customers and identifying market gaps, Ranga Rao built a 1500-crore empire that stands as a beacon for future generations of entrepreneurs.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Independence

India's independence from British rule in 1947 marked the country's newfound freedom. However, this also led to significant challenges, such as poverty and the partition, as highlighted in the video. The businessman's story begins in the context of these difficult post-independence conditions, showing the resilience needed to succeed during this time.

💡Agarbatti

Agarbattis, or incense sticks, play a central role in the story. In Indian culture, especially in South India, agarbattis are more than just fragrance tools; they symbolize hope and devotion, often used in religious rituals. The main character, Ranga Rao, built a successful business empire around creating premium agarbattis.

💡Ranga Rao

Ranga Rao is the central figure of the video, a simple man from Mysore who transformed from a sweet seller into the founder of Cycle Pure Agarbatti, a leading incense stick brand. His determination and innovative strategies helped him build a successful business in challenging market conditions.

💡Cycle Pure Agarbatti

This is the incense stick brand founded by Ranga Rao. The company became a global leader in the agarbatti industry, selling products in over 70 countries. Cycle Pure's success is tied to Ranga Rao's vision of providing superior fragrances, quality, and customer satisfaction.

💡Fragrances

Fragrances are essential to the success of Cycle Pure Agarbatti. Ranga Rao invested time and resources into perfecting the art of perfumery, sourcing knowledge from Germany to decode and master scent creation. This differentiation in fragrance quality set his products apart from competitors.

💡Market Gaps

Ranga Rao identified three major market gaps in the incense industry: poor quality fragrances, incense sticks that didn't burn completely, and a lack of innovation in fragrances. By addressing these gaps, Rao was able to position Cycle Pure as a premium brand in the market.

💡Sandalwood

Sandalwood, a key ingredient in incense sticks, was abundant and affordable in Mysore during the time of Ranga Rao's business launch. The availability of this high-quality resource contributed to the unique fragrances offered by Cycle Pure Agarbatti, helping distinguish the brand from its competitors.

💡Empathy and Persistence

Empathy and persistence are highlighted as key traits in Ranga Rao's business success. He constantly engaged with customers and retailers to understand their needs and worked tirelessly to innovate and improve his products. His commitment to both product quality and customer satisfaction helped him build a lasting brand.

💡Perfumery Books

Ranga Rao imported books on perfumery from Germany, which were critical in learning how to create high-quality fragrances. At a time when such knowledge was scarce in India, these books allowed him to master the art of scent composition, making his incense sticks superior to others.

💡Marketing Strategy

Rao's innovative marketing strategy involved lighting his incense sticks outside stores to attract attention and create demand without directly pitching to retailers. This subtle but effective tactic made shopkeepers realize the value of his product, helping Cycle Pure break into the market and command a premium price.

Highlights

India gained independence amidst a tragic partition that displaced 17 million people.

Narayan Ranga Rao, a humble man from a small town, founded Cycle Pure Agarbatti in 1948 during a time of extreme market adversity.

Despite economic hardships, agarbattis were viewed as instruments of hope and prayer in Indian households, particularly in South India.

Rao identified three major gaps in the market: poor quality fragrances, incense sticks that did not burn completely, and a lack of innovation in fragrances.

Rao used a genius marketing strategy by lighting incense sticks outside stores, enticing customers to demand the product from shopkeepers.

Cycle Pure Agarbatti became successful due to its focus on superior quality and innovative fragrances.

Rao imported three volumes on perfumery from Germany, becoming one of the first to understand the science of synthetic substitutes in agarbattis.

Cycle’s three-in-one fragrance pack, introduced by Ranga Rao's son, Murthy, solved the problem of irregular sales by offering variety in a single product.

Cycle Pure Agarbatti's market strategy helped it stay ahead of competitors and became one of the best-selling agarbattis in India and internationally.

The brand's three-in-one fragrance pack sold 6 billion sticks in 2021 alone, representing 50% of the company’s sales volume.

Rao's dedication to empathizing with customers was passed on to the next generations, ensuring continuous product improvement and market leadership.

Cycle's wide catalog of 300 ingredients provides a vast variety of unique fragrances, creating a competitive advantage that is hard to replicate.

Cycle became the first incense brand to advertise on TV and associate with cricket, expanding its visibility and market reach.

The company promotes women empowerment by supporting over 25,000 women in the workforce and offers benefits such as paternity leave and insurance for employees.

Cycle Pure Agarbatti has been certified as a carbon-neutral company, showcasing its commitment to environmental sustainability alongside its business success.

Transcripts

play00:01

at the stroke of the Midnight Hour when

play00:05

the world sleeps India will awake the

play00:08

life of Freedom most people wanted

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Independence but what came after that

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was tragic some 17 million people were

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displaced

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SRI and ranga Rao a simple man from a

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small town but with a big dream sent um

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[Music]

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today that humble cycle has traveled to

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many countries and has United India in

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prayer hi everybody today's episode is a

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very very special episode because today

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we are going to learn about one of the

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most underrated business maharajas of

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India this is a story of a man who went

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from being a sweet seller to building a

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1500 Crow business Empire which now

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sells agarbatis not just in India but to

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75 countries all across the world and

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the reason why this case study is very

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very special is because this Legend

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started his business way back in 1948

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during a time when the conditions in

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India were so bad that most people were

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struggling to even survive because

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during that time India just got

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independence it was just recovering from

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the horrors of both partition and the

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india-pakistan war now my question to

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you is during such a terrible Market

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condition where more than half of the

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country is in poverty what do you think

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about starting a business when let alone

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investors even having a three-time meal

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was a big deal would you think about

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risking your savings to start a business

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but guess what even in these terrible

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market conditions this man went on to

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build a premium agarwathi brand and

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eventually turned it into such a

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humongous business Empire that today it

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stands as an inspiration for the next

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gen generations of India this

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businessman that I'm talking about is

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none other than the late Mr Narayan

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ranga Rao and the brand that he built is

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what we all know today as cycle pure

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agarbati the question is how on Earth

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did this man manage to build a business

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Empire in the terrible market conditions

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of 1950s India what were his business

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strategies that enabled him to beat his

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competition and build a 1500 Core

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Business Empire by selling agarbatis and

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most importantly what are the business

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lessons that we need to learn from the

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iconic rise of cycle pure aggravity

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[Music]

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this is a toy that dates back to 1948

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Mysore by this time rauji was 36 years

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old and by this time he had tried

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multiple jobs and businesses he used to

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buy and sell sweets used to repair

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timepieces took tuitions and even

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learned typing and shorten and both

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these skills were very very rare skills

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during that time but somehow raoji could

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not find his calling in any of these

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fields but this is when rauji saw a

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great opportunity with agarwatis now the

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question over here is out of all the

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things that he tried why did he

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specifically choose agarbatis

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well first of all he loved fragrances in

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general and the second part of this

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answer lies in the importance and value

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of agarbatis in our older Generations

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life you know guys if you speak to your

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grandparents most of them were extremely

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poor back then so just to make ends meet

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they would literally compromise on every

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single purchase that they made they

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would pour water into milk and curd to

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increase the quantities they would have

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only two to three sets of clothes and

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have these clothes passed on to the

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younger siblings just so that they can

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save money for food and shelter but you

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know what in spite of all these

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compromises there was one thing that the

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older generation never ever compromised

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on and that was the offering to God in

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case of South India the older generation

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would never compromise on the coconut

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the prasadam and the akalbatis and while

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most of us might look at agarbatis as a

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mere instrument of fragrance to our

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older generation it was an instrument of

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hope that complemented their prayers and

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more specifically in South India in the

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evening time it is the Sandhya Kalam

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whereby people pray to Lakshmi who is

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the goddess of wealth and if you

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remember our grandparents often scolded

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us for sleeping in the evening and even

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insisted on cleaning the house just so

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that the goddess of wealth can come to

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our house and this is when those two

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sticks of agravatis played a vital role

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in their culture not as instruments of

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fragrance but as instrument of Hope to

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welcome the goddess of wealth

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this is the reason why agarbatis were

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extremely important and a very big

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opportunity to start a business with the

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best part was that Sandalwood which was

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the main ingredient for agarbatis it was

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very affordable in Mysore back then and

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the maharajas patronized with the making

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of agarbatis and fine fragrances and

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this is when ladies and gentlemen ranga

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Rao found three major gaps in the market

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number one most of these agarwathi

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companies were solely focused on the

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quantity of the incense sticks and not

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on the quality of the fragrances and

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this was the reason why they gave out

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agrabatis in a pack of hundred with

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extremely thin and low quality sticks

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secondly these sticks neither gave out a

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strong essence of fragrance nor did they

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burn completely and they just stopped

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burning abruptly so again you had to get

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a Matchstick and then light them and

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lastly nobody was keen on innovating

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with different and Superior Quality

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fragrances in fact these companies were

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so complicent that these incense sticks

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were packed in tin containers so instead

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of investing money into making better

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fragrances they were wasting their money

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on Packaging

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this is the reason why rangaraji decided

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to enter the market with a vision to

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sell the best incense sticks mysur had

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ever seen and as we often see in case of

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many successful entrepreneurs his wife

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pawned her jewelry to provide the seed

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fund for his audacious dream this is how

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ranga Rao started his quest to establish

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a name for itself in the markets of

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Mysore and now most of us would think

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that what is the big deal with making

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incense sticks and this is exactly what

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I thought too but guess what as it turns

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out decoding great fragrances is an art

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that requires a lot of Acumen and a lot

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of experimentation and it's not like

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decoding Electronics so just to give you

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a context back in the 1980s if you

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wanted to decode an IBM PC all you have

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to do was open it up check the parts by

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the exact same specification of parts

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and assemble them that's it that's all

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you needed to do to make an IBM clown in

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the 1980s and this was the reason why

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many people including Michael Dell

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became millionaires during that time but

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when it comes to fragrances you have to

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do all the decoding without even seeing

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the product so just with the smell you

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have to decode three types of notes in a

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single fragrance so if it is Jasmine you

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can't just go to the store and say give

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me Jasmine flavor ingredients you have

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to actually break it down into three

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notes the top note the mid note and the

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bass note in case of a Jasmine flavored

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agrabathi you need the essence of Early

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Morning Dew as your top note you need

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the rose note as the mid note and then

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you need a Musky Essence as the base

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note and once you figure out these notes

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you have to find the ingredients and the

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proportion of these nodes that will give

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you the perfect Aroma and this requires

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a lot of permutations and combinations

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now the question we heard is no one

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would reveal these secrets right then

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the question is how did ranga Rao learn

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all this well as it turns out there is

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another crazy story behind it and like

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we saw this is a story that dates back

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to 1948 to 1950 and during this time

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books or information on the knowledge of

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perfumery was not available in abundance

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and most aggravathi manufacturers

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counted only on Forest produce and

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natural oils and they knew nothing about

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aromatic substances and obviously every

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manufacturer had kept this process a

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secret and would not reveal it to anyone

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so you know what rangaro did he spent

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600 rupees and imported three volumes of

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pouches books on perfumery and guess

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what he imported them all the way from

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Germany and you know what it took six

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months for him to get these books

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because back then there was no internet

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and international shipment was

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practically a nightmare

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but you see the return on investment

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from these books was nothing short of

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extraordinary

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these books became the reason why

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rangaro became the first manufacturer in

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India to realize the importance of using

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synthetic substitutes in order to make

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agarbatis that do not just rely on

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Forest produce this is how through a lot

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of permutation and combinations Raji

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mastered his product and this was the

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first phase of rauji's business growth

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and this is where he faced the Second

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Challenge which was marketing now you

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know out of all the case studies that

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I've done in the past the one problem

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that every entrepreneur faced in the

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initial stages is the problem of

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breaking into the dealers so there are

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always bigger plays in the market to

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give out better margins because of which

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these entrepreneurs struggled a lot to

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get their product onto the retail

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shelves of India

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but surprisingly raoji did not just get

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accepted in the market easily but also

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sold is aggravathi at three times the

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cost of conventional agarbatis and that

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too right from the early days itself

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while other companies sold a pack of 100

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sticks for one rupee our raoji sold just

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30 sticks for the same one rupee and

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that too without giving extraordinary

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margins to the dealers the question is

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without a big fat budget without a name

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in the market how is it even possible

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that somebody can sell a new product at

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three times the cost and how the hell

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did the dealers agree to pay this Hefty

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price well as it turns out drowji used a

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genius marketing strategy here instead

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of going to the stores to pitch his

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product one by one he simply went to

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each of these stores during the peak

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hours lighted his incense takes right

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outside the store and left that's it and

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what happened next was very very

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interesting as more and more customers

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came to the store they loved the

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fragrance so much that they immediately

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asked the shopkeeper if he had these

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boxes of incense sticks so the

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shopkeeper had no other option but to

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deny them then again on the second day

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Raji again went to these stores lighted

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his incense sticks and was just about to

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leave but this time the shopkeepers

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stopped him and they asked them to sell

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these boxes of agarbatis to them but

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rauji replied by saying I know this is

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great man but then I cannot sell you

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these agarbatis because you cannot offer

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them so just enjoy the free steak and

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after saying this he just left and the

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next day again many customers who came

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to the store asked for the agarpatis but

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again he refused to sell the sticks now

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do you realize how frustrating it would

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have been for the shopkeepers some

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random kid comes up lights up a stick

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with a fantastic fragrance and even

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though it could reap profits for both of

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them they had to embarrass themselves by

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denying the customers so now on the

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third day when rauji went to light his

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Stakes the shopkeepers gave him an

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ultimatum and they told him dude you

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either sell us these boxes or don't like

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them at all but even then rauji doesn't

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agree to sell so now he gives them only

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two sticks and tells them I will give

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you two sticks use this for your house

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and not for the shop about the selling

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bit we'll talk about it later so now

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many of these shopkeepers went home and

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lighted these sticks and this time their

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wives and neighbors Loved These

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fragrances too

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now this is when ladies and chairman the

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shopkeepers realized that they need the

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product more than this product needed

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their shelves

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so the next day when the shopkeepers sat

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down with Raji for placing the order

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there was no pitching no bargaining at

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all and with most of them it was a

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straight sale

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this is how cycle biography became one

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of the rare products that commanded

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their spaces in the shells of Mysore and

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not so surprisingly it was a big big hit

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now the question over here is this is a

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strategy that could just get you an

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entry into the market right but what

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about after the computer started

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catching up what did cycle do special to

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stay ahead of its competition

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well the first thing that raoji did was

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to inculcate an extraordinary sense of

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humility and empathy into the second and

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third generation that came into the

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business to tell you about it the son of

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Raji whose name is Murthy he took out

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the business after him and went to

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France to study the art of perfumery and

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when he returned he saw that the sales

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of the incense sticks was slowing down

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and moreover they had become quite

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irregular now had it been some

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conventional businessman who came from

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abroad and owns a million dollar

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business he would ask his marketing team

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to look into the matter and if these

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marketeers were sincere they will run

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through the data do some white color

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work and come out with some insights and

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if they're not this entire matter would

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just get lost in a pile of gentle

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reminders

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but you know what guys this man doesn't

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do any of this he directly goes to the

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market and talks to the retailers and as

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it turns out even the retailers did not

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know why cycle sales were so irregular

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so after that murtiji literally spent

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hours in different stores just to see

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how the customers behave and interact

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with incense products and then he would

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talk to the customers to understand

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which fragrances they preferred which

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brands they preferred and what was the

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reasoning behind their purchase and

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that's when he came to know that it's

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not like the customers do not like cycle

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it's just that after using the same

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fragrance throughout the month they

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needed a change so they shifted to other

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brands and then came back to cycle again

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this was the reason why the sales were

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so irregular for cycle all across the

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state so to fix this problem murtiji

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came up with the idea of something

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called three in one cycle bureaucratic

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whereby they put in three fragrance of

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incense sticks in the same packet and

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guess what suddenly the sale started

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increasing the question is why well

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because it gave them three major

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advantages that no other computer was

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giving out number one the customers who

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loved cycle bureaucrati wanted to keep

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trying new fragrances so now they had

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the opportunity to try three flavors in

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a single packet secondly the second type

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of customers who loved one specific

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fragrance would then buy the entire pack

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which increased sales and more

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importantly for the first time customers

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it was a very very convenient option to

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buy three fragrances in a single packet

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so in a way the ease of acquiring new

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customers increased and this product

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turned out to be such a big hit that

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even today that is after more than 40

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years the cycle pure31 agarbati is one

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of their best selling products in the

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market whereby they sold hold 6 billion

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sticks in 2021 alone that is almost 50

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percent of their entire sales volume and

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today almost every successful agarbati

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manufacturer has copied Cycles three in

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one model and they've launched their own

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duplicate three-in-one products in the

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market

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so not so surprisingly the cycle brand

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went one level further and reduced four

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fragrances in a single agarbati which

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again made it difficult for the

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competitors to catch up this is the

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power of the future CEO himself spending

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hours on ground with the customers to

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try and understand the market

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and this Acumen again got passed onto

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the third generation whereby While most

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children were having fun during their

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summer vacations the ranga kids were

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doing unofficial summer internships in

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the labs whereby they would learn the

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art of perfumery

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this was the first barrier of entry for

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other competitors the second barrier to

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entry for cycle biography is the huge

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catalog of 300 ingredients that they

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have now if you remember from our

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Jasmine example just like musk rose and

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Morning Dew there are 300 ingredients

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that cycle Bure has managed to crack and

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master so these permutations and

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combinations enable them to bring such a

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vast variety of fragrance that's almost

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impossible for a newbie or competitors

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to mimic so even though the barrier to

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entry in this industry is very low even

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if someone starts selling incense sticks

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they may sell conventional flavors like

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Jasmine and Rose but not unique

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fragrances like cycled Woods Heritage

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Lia flute and Rhythm this is what makes

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cycle an extremely competitive brand not

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just in India but even in the

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international markets this is the reason

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why they are going strong in more than

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70 countries all across the world and

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then of course it's the brand value and

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trust that cycle has built over the past

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75 years by giving products with unique

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fragrances and sticks that burn Non-Stop

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of end to end and today rauji's third

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generation led by Arjun ranga continues

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to further his legacy by being in-house

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perfumers creating original fragrances

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by deploying genius marketing strategies

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like being the first agarwathi brand to

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advertise on TV the first in the

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industry to associate with Cricket by

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creating an omni-channel sales network

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and by diversifying the product

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portfolio aggressively and ambitiously

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they have taken the company from 400

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crores in Revenue in 2007 to 1500 crores

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as of 2022. this is how by finding the

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appropriate Gap in the market through

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raoji's genius sales technique with an

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extraordinary level of dedication

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towards empathizing with the customer by

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passing on the same level of dedication

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and Devotion to the next two generations

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cycle today stands as a 1500 crore

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business Empire with an obsession to

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sell the best incense Stakes the world

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has ever seen and last and most

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importantly while growing this business

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Empire the cycle brand has always made

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sure to go beyond their limits to

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empower and benefit the society as a

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whole because at the end of the day they

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don't want to be a big company they want

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to be a good company first for example

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to promote women empowerment they have

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consciously supported one lakh women

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over the past 75 years and currently

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support 25 000 women at work both

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directly and indirectly similarly While

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most companies just give out maternity

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leaves cycle along with maternity leaves

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even gives out paternity leaves of 21

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days for the fathers on top of that all

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direct employees are covered under

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insurance and lastly they are the first

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company to to be certified as a carbon

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neutral company

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this is how by finding the appropriate

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gaps in the market through his genius

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sales strategy with an extraordinary

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level of dedication towards empathizing

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with the customers and by passing the

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same level of dedication and Devotion to

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the next two generations Raji built a

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1500 Crow business Empire by selling the

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best incense Stakes Mysore had ever seen

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and this brings us to the most important

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part of the episode and that are the

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business lessons that we need to learn

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from the incredible rise of cycle pure

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aggravating

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lesson number one more often than not we

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assume that the value of a product is

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directly proportional to the tangible

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aspects of the product or the utility of

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the product but you see there are some

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products in every audience category

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where the value of the product goes Way

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Beyond the tangible aspects because of

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culture and sentiments and if you could

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only identify that for your audience you

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can command a premium in the market in

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this case While most sellers saw

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agarbati as just another instrument of

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fragrance rauji saw it as an instrument

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of Hope for an ordinary family's dreams

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as a result he was able to command a

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premium and dominate the global

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agarwathi market lesson number two if

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your product is extraordinary even in

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this crowded hyper competitive world

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that we live in the product itself will

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serve as your most powerful marketing

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tool and wherever this extraordinary

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value is showcased the right way

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negotiations will no longer be the cause

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of friction in this case because of

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raoji's simple yeah yet genius tactic of

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lighting agarbati is outside the retail

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stores the shopkeepers struggled for the

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product and not otherwise and more

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importantly when they realized the value

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of cycle negotiation was no longer a

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problem and last and most importantly

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like I've said a dozen times in the past

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empathy and persistence are the

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attributes that can turn a commoner into

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a king in this case the empathy and the

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Persistence of raoji gave rise to one of

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the greatest brands in India which we

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all know today as cycle pure agarbati

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that's all from my shadow today guys if

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you learned something I will please make

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sure to hit the like button in order to

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make YouTube bubba happy and for more

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such insightful business and political

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case studies please subscribe to our

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Channel thank you so much for watching I

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will see you in the next one bye bye

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awesome

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[Music]

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Related Tags
EntrepreneurshipBusiness StrategiesIncense IndustryPost-IndependenceNarayan Ranga RaoIndian BusinessSuccess StoryCycle AgarbathiInnovationEmpathy in Business