Message in a bottle

Remember the good old days of Campa Cola and RimZim? After being edged out by substitutes, they survive only in pockets of Delhi and in the memories of loyalists

June 29, 2014 05:54 pm | Updated 05:54 pm IST - New Delhi

Although globalisation has affected every facet of our existence, one of the most brutal blows was dealt to the indigenous beverage industry in India. A walk through the dusty by-lanes of Shankar Market in Connaught Place makes this apparent. Consumed by emptiness, the Campa Cola factory here now wears a hollow look.

While most people have forgotten the beverage, there was a time not too long ago when, for an entire generation, Campa was shorthand for anything dark and fizzy. A cheaper alternative to Coke and Pepsi, many still use Campa Cola in weddings and large events.

“We sell around 3-4 cartons of Campa weekly, most of them for weddings,” says 51-year-old Naresh Sharma who owns a stall near the Campa Cola factory. “Our main customers are people who get out of Shivaji Bridge Station. They don't have preferences, all they want is something refreshing,” says Vikas who sells more Campa Cola than Coca Cola.

We sought to buy two carbonated drinks, a Campa and a Coke, to differentiate the tastes, but to our amazement they hardly differed. If one were to remove, or exchange, the wrappers around the respective bottles, it would be even more difficult to tell them apart. Irony struck when a Pepsi truck stood in front of the paralysed and fatigued Campa Factory. The truck was supplying the popular beverage to shops around.

Explaining why the beverage was edged out by rivals, one of the employees says, “Campa largely used glass bottle packaging but one of the reasons for the decline of the business was the emergence of plastic bottles.”

Another factor which contributed to the decline of Campa in the city was the scale of mass media involvement. “We don’t do the same level of advertisement which other companies do, which can also be viewed as a reason for us falling behind in the competition,” the official continues.

The company now has two plants — at Chhattisgarh and Haryana — where the production takes place. On being asked about the plans, the officials say that the company is planning to boost their sales by catering to and focusing mainly on lower middle class.

The nineties economic liberalisation that led to the decline of Campa Cola in the market, also deprived people of its taste. Many memories were created with Campa Cola, whose mention alone sometimes brings a smile on faces.

A matter of taste

As soon as RimZim made an unplanned exit from the Indian beverage scene, the market got flooded by close substitutes. But even then, consumers felt a lack. “Almost all the Banta makers tried to make the drink with comparable taste, but none got near to developing a name for themselves among customers,” says Rajesh Chaurasia of Sunder Pan Bhandar.  

While the big shops have banished the beverage and its lookalikes from their refrigerators, people who still yearn for its taste are left at the mercy of small confectionery stores, which are not easy to locate. “Even today people ask for RimZim and all we can provide them is not the brand, but its proxy,” Sharma adds.

The USP of the drink was its ingredients. When Indian masalas such as cumin and pepper got carbonated in a drink, it appealed to our palate. Many found in it an alternative to homemade masala shikanji, kanji and jaljeera. “We used to have the drink mostly post-dinner, but when the dinner became too heavy it became more than a necessity,” says Jyoti Kumar, who recalls Rimzim as a classic digestive drink with perfect proportions of flavour and fizz.

RimZim, along with brands such as Limca, Thumbs Up, Maaza, Citra and Goldspot, was a part of Parle Agro business house, before being sold to Coca Cola by its owner Ramesh Chauhan in 1993.

Coca Cola announced the revival of the brand in 2012. While coke’s official website does not acknowledge the brand, another group site for distribution coke2home.com offers pet bottle for sale (400 ml) at 5 per cent discount. However, this online distribution system caters to only six cities — Ahmedabad, Bangaluru, Chennai, Gandhinagar, Mumbai and Hyderabad.

Retailers recall that while Coke was initially selling RimZim in Delhi, it now appears to be completely phased out from Delhi distribution circuit. “There are very few agencies left who deal with Coke’s RimZim, they initially launched with 600 ML pet bottle priced at Rs.25, now they sell only 400 ML variant priced at Rs.22,” says Raju, who owns a small juice and beverage shop. “It was in my shop till the time it was Rs.25 but when they priced it Rs.22, I did not keep it further … who will have the change of 8 rupees to give back?” he continues.

“Why would anyone shell out 20-25 rupees for a taste that is now almost ordinarily available in 10 rupees,” Raju adds, pointing towards the edge that Rimzim lookalikes have over the original.

After having the near death experience in terms of availability, the beverage seems to come out of coma. It will take more time to fully revive. Meanwhile, its loyalists still recall it in various forms to fill the void it left behind.

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