ITC Foods bets big on `Sachin Fit Kit' range

At a time when brand endorsement as a concept seems to be losing its traditional appeal, ITC Foods has tried to look at it differently — by making Sachin Tendulkar a part of its product development process for its `Sachin Fit Kit' range of healthy products.

The company on Thursday launched its range of healthy biscuits, co-created by Tendulkar, under the Sunfeast brand. The `Sachin's Fit Kit' range consists of two products — multi-grain biscuits and vitamin and protein enriched biscuits. Tendulkar is said to have shared his dietary regimen, which has helped him to be fit for the last 17 years, with the product development team of Sunfeast.

While the vitamin and protein biscuits are reportedly enriched with the entire vitamin B family and additional proteins, the multi-grain biscuits are packed with "six nutri fibres" — barley, oats, ragi, jowar, corn and wheat.

The company has created a few television commercials with the theme `Champions of tomorrow' for the new range of nutrition biscuits. The TVCs, directed by Mr Prahlad Kakkar, will be launched coinciding with the cricket world cup, of which ITC Foods is an associate sponsor.

According to Mr Ravi Naware, Divisional Chief Executive, ITC Ltd - Foods Division, there are more "novel" ideas in the pipeline. However, he did not disclose details.

Four months ago ITC Foods struck a partnership with Tendulkar, "which will operate on the basis of how the product performs, but we expect it to continue at least for another 5-6 years," said Mr Naware.

ITC hopes this new range will help Sunfeast gain a double-digit market share in the biscuits segment. Currently, Sunfeast has an 8 per cent share in the Rs 6,000-crore biscuits market.

Mr Naware said the company is looking to add more products to the Fit Kit range.