Selling Liquid Gold: The Think-Smart-Spend-Less Marketing Behind India's Iconic Olive Oil Brand

This article explores the unique, engagement-based marketing techniques that went behind the creation of the leading brand of olive oil in India: Leonardo. Launched in 2003 by Dalmia Continental Pvt. Ltd., Leonardo was the first Indian brand of olive oil and pioneered the use of this healthy medium for Indian cooking. Leonardo's marketing strategy was aimed at breaking this category out of a hitherto niche segment, selling a relatively expensive product to a price-sensitive consumer, educating her on its health benefits and gaining entry into one of the most fiercely guarded spaces in the Indian household: the kitchen. It was achieved through an array of thrifty below-the-line marketing initiatives that connected directly with the consumer and sparked the olive oil revolution in India. Himani Dalmia, who entered this family business from an unconventional, literary background, and rose within the company's marketing ranks in step with the rise of the brand, offers a perspective on the out-of-the-box marketing techniques that made this ‘small’ company outstrip FMCG majors in a category that is now populated with over three-dozen brands. Firmly established as the leading brand of olive oil in the country, Leonardo was acquired by Cargill India in 2014. Dalmia presents lessons from the journey and plans for replicating the success of Leonardo Olive Oil with their new flagship product: Hudson Canola Oil.