Gold Flake
A premier cigarette brand from ITC, one of the largest conglomerates in India.
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A 20 cigarette pack of Gold Flake Kings | |
| Product type | Cigarette |
|---|---|
| Produced by | ITC Limited |
| Introduced | 1970s |
Gold Flake is a signature Indian brand that has been in the market for over a century. Starting off as a cigarette for the truly “Khandani”, leveraging heritage, this brand is one of the largest sold in India with variants that suit just about every economic strata. It was then known as the best plain cigarette you can buy.
It is sold in various varieties, including Gold Flake Kings (84 mm), Gold Flake Kings Lights (84mm), Gold Flake and Gold Flake Lights. This brand is owned, manufactured and marketed by ITC Limited, the leading cigarette maker in India.
Product positioning
Gold Flake, by ITC is one of the largest sold cigarette brands in India. The brand’s legacy goes back over a century to the time of plain cigarettes. Gold Flake remained the same starting in 1912 going up to 1979 – however, both its demand and users kept on increasing with time and is still growing.
1971 saw a big change in the Gold Flake portfolio with the introduction of Gold Flake Kings, this brand new avatar came with the equity of Gold Flake and the position of heritage along with the premium feel of royalty. Each piece of communication for the brand too stood the test of time just like the brand itself. “Worth Its Length In Gold” ran from 1971 to the late 70s, this was followed up by gracious people that ran from 1988 to 1993 and this was followed up by “Celebrate the Feeling” and “Always Smooth, Always Mellow”.
Originally, Gold Flake was produced by the Bristol company of W.D. & H.O. Wills, from 1901 part of Imperial Tobacco.
Brand Philosophy
Gold Flake as a brand has evolved its philosophy over time. The brand has evolved from heritage, to royalty, to the product benefit of smooth and mellow taste while remaining true to the brand legacy.
Consumer Persona: The Gold Flake consumer is the one who believes in heritage and long standing values. These are people who choose value and taste over all else.
History
Gold Flake was produced by the Bristol Company of W.D. & H.O. Wills, from 1901 part of Imperial Tobacco. Gold flake was neither a brand nor a process of manufacturing cigarettes. The word "goldflake" refers to cigarettes made using 'bright rich golden tobacco'. Gold Flake has a century old history, starting all the way back in 1912, spanning till today. The brand has always been positioned with heritage, legacy and value being the prime factors. After 1912, the biggest change in the brand was in 1971 with the introduction of Gold Flake Kings, followed up with the launch of Gold Flake Kings Lights in 1999.
ITC launched the brand Gold Flake in India in the sixties. The source of the positioning of Gold Flake can be traced back to its early days. In the seventies, India was a country of the genteel rich. People aspired to be honourable and genteel. The lifestyle of the upper class was what the customers aspired for.
The initial ads said, "Wherever you go they're good", "Having fun wish you were there", "Worth its length in gold", then came the Gracious People Campaigns – "for the gracious people" as the headline followed by, "A touch of Gold", with the headline "A tribute to the gracious people". Gold Flake had been traditionally positioned as a premium cigarette. It targeted adult, male SEC A category smokers. It was meant to be a cigarette for the elite and the rich – the gracious people of India. It did not differentiate itself specifically from other brands. The brand was compared with Gold for the quality and purity of experience. Advertising emphasised this comparison to gold. The statement – "For the gracious people" – summed the core of the brand.
The gracious people as defined by the brand were the premium class they were successful, elegant, and responsible, and had a sense of purpose. The consumer was bounded in the Indian ethos and roots. He was perceived to be unapproachable and sociable only in his high class.
After the introduction of lights as a category, the brand also introduced the positioning of Honeydew Smooth – giving the brand a recognizable differentiator, this positioning was backed by the dew drop symbol. With smoothness being the biggest claim the brand used symbols like the silk scarf, feather, paint brush, violin, marble vase, hour glass and shell as visuals to reiterate and associate back with smoothness. After this, the brand reinvented its image and positioning with a new campaign that moved away from the well-established Honeydew campaign. This was the “Go smooth” campaign. The campaign was successful in connecting to the Gold Flake consumer and retaining the long-standing loyalty.
Gallery
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Gold Flake pack of 10
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Smith's "Albion" Gold Flakes Cigarette Card of Frank Foster, part of the 1912 Cricketers series
Gold Flake Variants and Price Range
In spite of the change in the target customers, the brand will still be positioned as a premium cigarette brand. As of 2013, Gold Flake is targeted the adult as well as the youth smokers. It extended beyond the SEC A category to the SEC B as well. The product did not boast any USP. It still differentiated itself on the purity and quality of its experience. The comparison with gold stayed, but the target audience the brand was reaching out to, was supposedly larger. The brand stood for a celebratory attitude. "Celebrate the feeling" was the new message. This was simply an extension of the previous message "For the gracious people". The ITC has also launched its smallest size which is of 64 mm and price is 25 rs for 10 sticks.
One pack of 10 cigarettes cost accordingly: (Price varies from time to time and place to place)
- Gold Flake Kings - ₹125
- Gold Flake Kings Lights - ₹125
- Gold Flake Premium FT -₹96
In the Republic of Ireland the market for Gold Flake has declined and it can be difficult to obtain.
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gold Flake (cigarette). |