How to Make a Powerful Brand Around FMCG

How to Make a Powerful Brand Around Your FMCG Item: An In-Depth Analysis of the Biscuit Industry

The Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector is perhaps the most competitive business in the world. Be it shampoos or soft drinks, snacks or sanitizers, there are simply hundreds of products competing for consumer Mindspace day in and day out. Among those, biscuits (cookies) have a place in the hearts of people. They are inexpensive, delicious, and simple to disperse, being a household staple everywhere, and particularly in India and other emerging economies.

Yet, standing out within the biscuit market is no mean feat. Scores of brands overwhelm the shelves, each providing variant shapes, tastes, price levels, and guarantees. So, how do you construct a successful brand on your FMCG product—particularly biscuits?

This blog delves into the strategies, the rules, and the marketing secrets behind building a winning FMCG brand, with the biscuit category taken as the best case in point.

1. Understand Your Consumer Deeply

Know Your Audience

Your market for biscuits runs from children to seniors, from rural villages to metropolitans. First, determine who you’re marketing to:

Do you sell low-cost glucose biscuits for rural communities?
Do you market cream-filled snacks for school-going children?
Are you introducing high-fiber oat cookies for health-conscious urbanites?

Market Research

Employ surveys, focus groups, and data analysis to see what motivates your consumers:
Taste (sweet, salty, buttery)
Packaging preference
Brand image
Price sensitivity

Knowing your customer will assist in personalizing every element of your branding, from name to color scheme.

2. Develop a Unique Value Proposition (UVP)

Identify What Differentiates You

Ask yourself: Why would someone purchase your biscuit over a popular brand like Parle, Britannia, or Sunfeast?

Your UVP might be:

Health-based: “Zero sugar, gluten-free cookies”
Taste-based: “Cookies prepared using 100% genuine butter”
Ethical: “Product of women-owned bakeries”
Affordable: “Same great flavor at half the price”

Whatever it is, make it bold and consistent across all platforms.

3. Name and Brand Identity

Select a Memorable Name
A great brand name for biscuits should be:
Easy to remember
Fun to say
Relevant to the product or feeling

Examples:

Treato
Crunchi
HappyBite
Oaty

Design a Strong Logo & Visual Language

Your brand must be immediately recognizable. Use colors, fonts, and mascots that resonate with your target group.

Bright, playful colors for kids

Earthy, natural tones for health brands

4. Competitive Pricing Strategy

In the FMCG industry, pricing has a gigantic say in driving buying decisions. Here’s how to address it:

Know the Price Brackets

The Indian biscuit market boasts multiple prevalent price points:

Rs. 5 packs: Rural and mass-market consumers (volume game)
Rs. 10–20 packs: Mid-range consumers (most competitive segment)
Rs. 30–100+: Premium and urban buyers (specialty cookies)

Strategies:

Penetration Pricing: Penetrate the market with a cheaper price to get people in the door and drive volume.

Value-for-Money: Provide more biscuits or superior quality at the same price.

Premium Pricing: If your product has a differentiated benefit, don’t hesitate to charge more.

Example:

Oaty can charge Rs. 50 per pack for its 100% oat cookies while spreading awareness about the health benefits through social media and packaging.

5. Packaging that Sells

Design with Purpose
Good packaging is more than looks. It should:
Protect the product
Be easy to carry and open
Clearly state the brand and UVP
Trends in Biscuit Packaging:
Resealable packs
Green materials
QR codes for recipe suggestions or brand histories

Example:
A children’s brand can have collectible cards within every pack to encourage repeat buys.

6. Channel Strategy: Distribution & Placement

Get on Every Shelf
Traditional Retail: Kirana stores, wholesalers, supermarkets
Modern Trade: Reliance Fresh, DMart, Big Bazaar
E-commerce: Amazon, Flipkart, BigBasket, Blinkit

Focus on Visibility:

Negotiate shelf positioning, adopt eye-level fixtures, and invest in retail signage such as wobblers, banners, and merchandise displays.

7. Marketing & Promotions

Offline Promotions:

Free samples in schools and malls
Combo offers (Buy 2 Get 1)
Posters in kirana stores

Online Promotions:

Instagram reels with influencers
YouTube videos with recipe suggestions using your biscuits
WhatsApp groups for local buyers and customers

Seasonal Campaigns:

“Festive Gift Packs”

“Back to School Snacks”

“Healthy Resolutions January”

8. Build Trust & Consistency

Maintain Quality:

The largest brand-killer is taste or freshness inconsistency. Spend money on quality control.

Communicate Consistently:

Employ the same tagline, colors, and packaging theme globally.

Tagline Examples:

“Bite Into Happiness”

“Crunchy Goodness in Every Pack”

9. Monitor, Learn, Improve

Use Data to Drive Decisions:
Which SKU is selling the most?
Which ad campaign worked best?
Where are customers complaining?
Use insights to adjust your strategy, from product size to ad messaging.

Breaking into the Biscuit Business: A Complete Guide for Startups and Distributors in India

1. India Biscuit Market Overview

Market Size & Growth

India is a top consumer of biscuits in the world. The Indian biscuit market size stood at more than ₹40,000 crore as of 2023 and grows at 8-10% each year. Demand for healthy and premium biscuits has grown enormously post-COVID.

Key Segments:

Glucose Biscuits – Mass-market, low-cost offerings (Parle-G, Tiger)
Cream Biscuits – Positioned towards children and youngsters
Health Biscuits – Multigrain, low-sugar, high-fiber (e.g., Nutrichoice)
Premium Cookies – Nuts, butter cookies, chocolate chips (e.g., Unibic, Hide & Seek Fab)

2. Best-selling Biscuit Brands in India

Top Brands:

Parle-G – Most dominant in the value category
Britannia – Balanced between value and premium segments
Sunfeast (ITC) – Strongest presence in cream and health categories
Unibic – Premium and health cookies
Patanjali / Anmol / Priyagold – Struggle on rural reach and price

Emerging Startups:

Open Secret – Health snack-centered
The Whole Truth – Clean-label biscuits with open ingredients
Munchilicious / Mo’s Bakery – Online-first, premium cookie brands
Startups are doing well in health, organic, and online-first categories.

3. Steps to Launch a Biscuit Brand

A. Product Development

Choose your segment: health, children, budget, or luxury
Prioritize taste, shelf life, and ingredients
Check for FSSAI and packaging regulations

B. Branding & Packaging

Choose a distinctive, identifiable name
Employ colors in line with the brand personality (green = healthy, red = fun, gold = premium)
Invest in high-quality packaging: air-tight, nice-looking, informative

C. Pricing Strategy

Be aware of your target price range (Rs. 5, Rs. 10, Rs. 20, Rs. 50+)
Penetration pricing for new product launches
Provide better value: more biscuits, free sample, combo packs

4. How to Appoint Distributors for Your Biscuit Brand

Distribution is the backbone of any FMCG success. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Define Your Distribution Model

Traditional model: Company → Distributor → Retailer → Customer
Modern trade: Direct tie-ups with supermarkets
Online: Amazon, Flipkart, BigBasket, own website

Step 2: Find Distributors

Use B2B platforms like 1ClickDistributors, IndiaMART, or GetDistributors
Go to food expos and FMCG networking events
Utilize LinkedIn or WhatsApp groups dealing in FMCG distribution

Step 3: Qualify the Right Partner

Ask:

Do they handle food/FMCG?
What is their retailer reach?
What areas do they serve?
Can they accommodate special packaging requirements or cold storage needs (if any)?

Step 4: Distributor Onboarding Kit