4700BC
The Gourmet Popcorn
Cracking into any industry often follows one of two paths:
First, there's the journey of breaking through as a commodity, something people realize they need or want.
Then, a second segment emerges, offering a superior or luxury version of the same item, commanding a premium price.
Let's take cars, for example. Once they became affordable and people recognized their safety and convenience, they became a staple of everyday life.
Soon after, a market for luxurious, high-end models emerged with significant growth.
This pattern repeats across various industries – from gadgets to apparel.
This shift from essential to extravagant is a captivating aspect of consumer behavior and market evolution.
Now, consider popcorn.
Last week, we explored how Act II introduced popcorn to India, making it a household snack staple.
Today's story is about 4700BC, a brand that made the people buy premium popcorn, 50 times more expensive, stating its legacy as a premium popcorn and becoming a million-dollar brand!
How did the story start?
For Indian consumers, popcorn is a simple, easily available snack costing as little as Rs. 20 sold by streetside vendors with typical Indianized flavors. For many years, the Indian market was not accustomed to the concept of gourmet popcorn.
This was until 2013, when two childhood friends decided to transform a humble snack into a gourmet popcorn brand – 4700BC.
So, what did the popcorn brand do to get consumers from across the globe, interested in 4700BC? Let’s get a taste of their ‘secret sauce’, aka their brand marketing strategy, to spice up a simple snack like popcorn.
The First Mover Advantage
The prevailing gap in the Indian market for gourmet popcorn inspired the entrepreneur duos to take the leap with 4700BC.
However, launching the first gourmet brand in India was not an easy feat. It involved a thorough research of the international markets, importing high-end machines, setting up makeshift kitchens, and batches of product tasting and testing established its first store in Delhi
Being acknowledged by the country’s largest multiplex chain – PVR in 2015, with a 70 percent stake for Rs. 5 crores, was a bright feather in their cap. This led them to setting up a gourmet popcorn factory as well.
Embracing Global Palate
With the value proposition being gourmet, 4700BC has rightly entered the market with exotic flavors such as Himalayan Salt Caramel, Nutty Tuxedo, Sour Cream, Hawaiian BBQ Cheese, and Wasabi.
Moreover, unlike other standard popcorn on offer made with “butterfly” corn kernels, 4700BC made use of “mushroom” corn. The latter, being an imported variant, resulted in larger pieces of popcorn that are convenient to coat with toppings like molten chocolate or caramel. Thus, resulting in 4700BC managing to outshine popular snacks in its segment."
Forging Impactful B2B Relationships
Traditionally a D2C brand, 4700BC eventually leveraged B2B relationships and partnered not only with PVR but also with corporate clients like IndiGo, Amazon, Marriott Hotels, Google, Microsoft, and Lufthansa.
They introduced festive-special hampers for corporates to gift their employees, realizing their vision of making popcorn a favorite snacking companion – whether in cinema halls or elsewhere.
As a result, the brand has expanded its presence through all major trade channels, eCommerce stores, airlines, cinemas, institutions, railways, and retail chains across major cities in India and beyond.
Unified Brand Positioning
4700BC is placed in the market as a ‘Creator’ archetype brand, positioned in the premium/ luxury category.
For a long time, the brand marketed itself as a premium snack through its products’ visual language, but of late, the linguistic communication has been sharpened as well.
The fact that popcorn is gluten-free, packed with antioxidants, made of whole grain, full of fiber, helped them position their products as healthier alternatives and target an audience that is willing to pay for healthy snacks.
This message along with a coherent and strong digital marketing strategy has helped them accelerate growth.
Brand Marketing
4700 BC has adopted a unique strategy for social media marketing as well.
To connect with millennials and Gen Z, the driving forces behind pop culture, the brand's marketing team has an average age of 23-24. This youthful perspective allows us to curate content that deeply resonates with our core consumer base.
Some of the standout content on their Instagram page includes popcorn recipes, event calendars, and 'best of' lists featuring movies and other popular content that resonates with their target audience
Fun fact before we conclude: Ever wondered why it's named 4700 BC? Well, it draws inspiration from the fascinating history of popcorn, with its oldest evidence discovered in the ancient caves of Peru, nearly 6700 years ago i.e. around 4700BC!
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