Pulse: Its ‘masala bomb’ explodes the candy jar

The Pulse Candy manufactured by the DS Group reported a whopping Rs 100 crore sales within 8 months of its launch! This equals the sales of India’s leading soft drink brand product, Coca-Cola Zero. None of its rivals knew that this new sour and sweet candy was all set for an onslaught. Pulse Candy was originally called the ‘Pass Pass Pulse’. It is a hard candy that is marketed under the brand ‘Pass Pass’.

Interesting facts about Pulse –

• The Pass Pass Pulse Candy is a Dharampal Satyapal Group product. They are also the makers of Rajnigandha and Catch Spices.
• The company’s product was initially launched in three states – Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Delhi.
• Word of mouth publicity helped Pulse gain traction. The company spent ‘zero’ on advertising and promotions.
• Initially, the company couldn’t meet the soaring demand. It was able to cater only to 60-70% of the orders.

Success story –

• Right Product: Raw mango is eaten by all age groups in India and hence the DS Group knew success was inevitable. A surprise element in Pulse was added to make consumers habituated to it, i.e. the taste changing from sour to sweet towards the end.
• Strong Distribution: The DSG already had a strong presence across outlets owing to its flagship product, Rajnigandha which had more than 70% market share. This opportunity was capitalized and Pulse was available everywhere within a few months of its launch.
• Packaging: The eye-catching green color played an effective role in increasing the visibility of the product compared to its competitors across stores.

Coming up of the tangy candy –

The Noida-based DS Group initially launched the hard-boiled candy in a ‘’Kachcha Aam’ (raw mango) flavor. Suiting the taste palate of Indian consumers, the central core of the candy is a mix of tangy salt and spices.
Priced at Rs 1 per 4gm, the candy is now available in varied flavors.
An internally dedicated team worked on it for two long years and the tangy candy finally hit the ‘Pulse’ of Indian consumers in mid-2015 with the Kachcha Aam flavor.

Pulse took the market by a storm. It became a headache for the competitors. People started indulging in impulsive buying which then became a habit.
The addicted consumers were ready to pay a premium for the small candy.
The success of Pulse did not stop here and in December 2016, it was launched in Guava and Orange flavor pan India. In the same year, the DS Group started producing 300-400 tonnes of Pulse per month.

Many people thought that the candy was just a ‘temporary fad’ and would fizzle away in no time. However, the notions were proved wrong.
After a year in March, the overall sales of Pulse clocked ₹300 crores, surpassing the sales of Oreo and Mars Bars. After witnessing the unprecedented success of the candy, the manufacturer – DS Group – plans to set up stores in the US, UK, and Singapore.

Pulse is one of the leading candies sold in India. With many new flavors and brands of candies brewing, it would be interesting to see what road map DSG chooses for its heroic brand.