Lesson in expanding the market & being relevant from over century-old Figaro

The baby care sector has grown in a big way over the years. Catering to indulgent parents, the baby care sector is pegged to grow at a CAGR of 16.9% to reach $5,407.43 million by 2027, according to Data Bridge Market Research. One of the main reasons behind such growth is the change that has been witnessed in the lifestyle and size of the families, with the increase in the number of nuclear households and a shift in the attitudes of the families regarding child rearing. Hence, the baby care sector presents enormous opportunities. In order to tap into this growing market, Figaro Olive Oil has launched Figaro Baby, its newly introduced range of baby care products.

The goodness of olive oil has been celebrated by Figaro Olive Oil for over a century, and it is exported worldwide. The brand journey began in the year 1919, when a firm named Brugier founded the Figaro brand, specialising in the production and selling of olive oil, olive oil soap, and olives. Rafael Trujillo and Euvaldo Martinez Brugier, a Sevillian trader, were the founders and their areas of expertise were olive and olive oil sales. Rafael was also known to be one of the best olive oil tasters of his time. Figaro has been maintaining its commitment to health and quality for over 100 years and has been a pioneer as well as a champion of olive oil in the Indian market, offering consumers with high-quality, chemical free, pure olive oil for over forty years.

In conversation with Adgully, Satarupa Majumdar, Marketing & Innovation Director - India & Middle East, Deoleo India (Figaro & Bertolli Olive Oil), sheds light on how Figaro believes in celebrating the beautiful relationship that exists between a mother and a baby with the goodness of olive oil. About the uniqueness of the product, she reveals, “The Figaro Baby massage oil offers effective baby skin care solution that results into 84% improvement in moisturisation.” Excerpts:

How has the journey been for Figaro so far in the Indian market? What made Figaro venture into the baby care sector?

Figaro Olive Oil has been an essential part of Indian households for decades now due to our perpetual commitment to quality and health. Being a pioneer of olive oil in the Indian market, our consumers have developed a deep sense of trust in the brand that has enabled us to take the next big step. Having been in the market for forty years, it has helped us a great deal in understanding the mindset of the Indian consumers.

Our foray into the baby care segment is a result of this study while keeping in mind the changing needs and requirements of the consumers. Moreover, massaging the baby with olive oil has been a long-standing tradition in India that creates a stronger bond between the mother and the baby. Figaro Baby, an extension of Figaro Olive Oil is a baby skincare range rooted in the enriching qualities of natural olive oil that celebrates this bond between a mother and the baby. Designed categorically for a baby’s skin, the range currently includes baby massage oil and baby lotion that are curated to improve the moisture levels of baby’s delicate skin.

What are your key motives behind creating awareness around Figaro Baby within your consumers?

Figaro Baby celebrates the beautiful relationship/ bond between a mother and the baby with the goodness of olive oil. As mothers today are more cautious than ever while purchasing or using anything on their baby, we have introduced products that are developed with natural olive oil and Vitamin E. With Figaro Baby, we are focused on reaching a much wider demographic of consumers, the young mothers who wants to give the best care to their babies.

The Figaro Baby range is reasonable for consumers between the premium and value segment keeping in mind today’s mothers who prefer quality over quantity and only want the best for their child. And to best cater to today’s/ new age consumers, digital medium is going to be our central marketing vehicle for disseminating relevant information and executing brand campaigns.

What are the challenges Figaro Baby faced while extending into the new market?

While we have been in the industry for a long period of time yet understanding the market with changing consumer needs is an ongoing process. Tapping into a new market can be tricky, especially amidst a global pandemic, which is what delayed the Figaro Baby brand launch. Like all other businesses, the baby care industry too was impacted by the pandemic crisis wherein, the customers i.e., the parents became extremely particular about the kind of products they buy for their babies.Moreover, being a household brand in India for decades, it has been challenging yet exciting to create a distinct consumer base for our new product category, Figaro Baby that solely caters to baby care needs.

What makes Figaro Baby a cut above the rest?

Figaro Baby is a specially curated range, designed categorically for a baby’s delicate skin with olive oil at its core. The Figaro Baby massage oil offers effective baby skin care solution that results into 84% improvement in moisturization. Rooted in the enriching qualities of olive oil and Vitamin E, the products are dermatologically tested and free of parabens and mineral oil, making it perfectly suitable for baby skin. Figaro Baby is an extension of Figaro Olive Oil with a strong focus on catering to the needs of new age parents and babies.

How has the baby care industry evolved over the years?

The baby care industry is growing at the rate of 11.11% according to the compound growth report. It has changed dramatically in the last decade, and we expect it to grow further now with the emergence of digital platforms and new parenting trends post the Covid-19 pandemic. The market for baby care products is shifting in tandem with the current expansion pace. Moreover, the choices of parents have also evolved with the changing times as they are extra careful while using anything on their baby. Nowadays, parents look for trusted brands offering natural, effective, and premium products as they wish to provide the best care to their babies.

What are the goals of Figaro Baby for the upcoming five years?

Our commitment to quality and wellness will continue with the launch of our new brand– Figaro Baby and with this, we aim to create a positive impact in the lives of our consumers. Our objective for the coming years is to provide a wider range of safe and effective baby products to our consumers. We will continue to invest in developing olive oil-based product range that will further enhance consumer experience.