Goldspot and Limca were some of the most popular drinks in India by the mid-1970s - everyone loved the tangy orange taste, and it was an instant hit with the kids.
If I remember correctly, the Gold Spot craze was maddening. "Hey, ek Gold Spot lana' became a thing, even in the movies.
Parle duly acknowledged the phase and spent copious amounts of money on print ads to lure all sections of peop
Despite having only a handful of competitors, GoldSpot faced enormous challenges from Coke. It had very recently entered India and was spending massive amounts on marketing.
Parle knew that while it had the upper hand in market share for kids, it was performing lowly in catering to adults.
To counter this, GoldSpot launched nationwide campaigns and paired with strategic locations and ATL campaigns, to get back on its feet.
But more hardships came along the way!
Both Coca-cola & Pepsi entered the Indian market when the policies were devoid of localization.
Aghast, the Indian parliament released a set of regulations that asked all multinational companies to hand over 60% of the equity in their local subsidiaries to Indian partners, causing Coca-Cola, Pepsi — along with Mobil, Kodak, and 54 other companies to leave.
The Parle group took charge of the situation and introduced Thums Up, Gold Spot, Limca, Sprite, and RimZim in the market.
Years later, when India entered a slow phase of economic isolation, government opened doors for foreign brands, allowing both Coke and Pepsi to re-enter.
Pepsi entered the market with a bang, but with an Indianized version - Leher Pepsi, and Parle sold Gold Spot along with Thums Up, Limca, Citra, and Maaza to Coca-Cola in 1993.
Facing too much demand and an ethical challenge to survive in a market, Coke had to continue with Thumbs Up & Limca - both that gelled well with the spicy Indian food.
And this is how your favourite cold drink brand from the 90s was killed.
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