Once a nostalgic fizz from the ’70s, Campa Cola is back—this time riding the power engine of Reliance, which is orchestrating its return with a pricing playbook as familiar as it is formidable. The brand’s resurrection in a tightly packed beverage battlefield, where global titans like Coca-Cola and Pepsi have long ruled, has taken the industry by surprise—but not entirely.
Experts say the battle was bound to be waged on price. “You cannot identify new spaces to sell your beverages where Pepsi and Coke are not selling as they (such spaces) don’t exist. The only way you can take their space is by incentivising dealers, by making sure there is a price advantage,” explained Ankur Bisen from a consulting firm. It’s a strategy Reliance knows well—think Jio.
With its re-entry in 2023, a year after the 2022 acquisition, Campa Cola didn’t waste time reinventing the wheel. It simply priced its bottles at ₹10, challenging long-standing industry economics. Volume, not margin, is the mantra. Despite thin profit layers after logistics, taxes, packaging, and retailer commissions, Campa has already captured a 10% market share, emerging as a challenger that legacy brands can no longer ignore.
“Disruptive pricing, backed by higher retailer margins, is rapidly gaining shelf space and consumer mindshare, especially in value-driven rural segments,” remarked Avinash Chandani, a partner at a global consultancy. The ripple effect? Legacy brands are trimming prices, rethinking pack sizes, and sweetening dealer incentives.
Meanwhile, to stay competitive, older players are reverting to returnable glass bottles (RGBs) to save costs, while newer brands—including Campa—lean into PET bottles to maintain affordability. Yet, the real hurdle lies not in price tags but in logistics. Established names are already entrenched across 4 million retail outlets, with double-digit growth in rural and urban reach annually. Campa, while accelerating its bottling operations, still has miles to go in terms of matching that vast reach.
Harish Bijoor, a branding expert, summed it up: “Reliance will have to expand its back-end supply chain because the demand is only going to soar given that it has already hit ₹1,000 crore in the cola market.” With a summer hotter than ever and a rise in small-pack outdoor consumption, the thirst is real—and rising.
Affordability may have cracked the surface, but evolving consumer tastes—leaning toward health-focused, low-sugar, and functional beverages—will demand more from Campa Cola in the chapters ahead.
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