Vinod Jain, after completing his chemical engineering course from IIT Kharagpur, joined a multinational company. However, he realised that he did not like to be boxed in. Being a risk taker and a self-starter, he dreamt of his own venture that, over the years, would positively contribute to and affect the lives of other people. So, he founded Safechem Industries. Today, he proudly owns Safed and a host of other brands. A few years ago, Jain’s son Ritum Jain joined Safechem Industries as CEO.
BLAZE TO BRILLIANCE Finding a place for Safed in the market was not an easy task. The brand had to fight the might of the multi-nationals. There was a swirl of impediments and it was thus important to etch a robust blueprint of progress. To establish a solid footing, Safed introduced a concept: assured quality with assured gifts at a reasonable price. Distribution took place in every nook and corner of West Bengal, particularly in the rural belt. Meeting and exceeding customer’s expectations gave Safed supremacy in the rural markets. That’s how the journey began 30 years ago.
FAITH FACTOR A cleaner tomorrow is the mission of Safechem Industries. Vinod Jain feels that good hygiene would help rural India to ward off many diseases. According to him, the brand should not only offer detergent powder at an affordable price but must make itself available even in the remotest parts of rural India. To bring in better hygiene awareness, Safechem Industries is today engaged in free sampling of Safed in the remote corners of eastern India where households are reluctant to use detergent powder. Trust and business exist together in Vinod Jain’s venture as he strongly believes in the spirit of values.
ENGAGEMENT THAT ENTHRALS In 2011, packaging, the prime face of the brand, got a complete changeover. This was followed with a campaign ‘Nazar Na Lag Jaaye’ which stems from the insight that your everyday clothes can also become an object of envy. A model wearing ‘NimbooMirchi’ pendant to resist ‘BuriNazar’ off her clothes was the central theme of the campaign. The music track ‘Nazar Na Lag Jaaye’ made the TV campaign an overnight hit as it was nostalgically related to the lyrics of the famous song sung by Mohammed Rafi. In 2014, Safed marked its foray in detergent industry with launch of a high voltage campaign ‘Safai Ka Superstar’. A new packaging was designed and introduced with premium imagery.
INNOVEDGE Innovation makes brands better, powerful and profitable and it is especially true for Safechem where innovation has always been a corner stone of the business strategy. To create an enriching user experience, the Safed R&D team was asked to create a truly delightful quality washing powder that not only cleaned stains but also kept clothes soft and protected the colour of the fabric. The task was ‘Quality Unchallenged’. After working on a number of factors, the Safechem R&D team came out with an optimised formulation to enhance the all round efficiency.
BRAND PROMISE The main weakness for most of the affordable detergents is the perception of performance. Safed offers a delightful marriage of both. The Safechem team makes sure that the Safed brand consistently delivers its promise and thus creates optimum brand value. The brand strives to create positive experiences every day, in every home.
FACTOIDS
1. Their packaging design is not separate from the product. Particularly the description of all washing instructions with interactive visual imagery comes out like a voice of a well wisher.
2. Their benefi ts are at par with premium products but are priced at the price range of a popular category. As a result, brand Safed becomes a success.
3. When the stain-removing feature was adequately tested and introduced, brand Safed created a milestone in the popular price segment for the fi rst time.
PROMISE BEACON
1. 1983: The year in which the company was established
2. 2010: A pivotal year as renewal of marketing, sales and distribution took place with the single point agenda of adopting a customercentric model
3. 2012: The organisation swiftly set up their rural market expansion eff orts to reach far fl ung rural markets. The total distributors appointed in Eastern India reached a fi gure of 500
4. 2013: Brand Safed became one of Eastern India’s largest selling detergent brands
5. 2014: Safechem plans to set up another production unit to double its capacity
