Dettol: Managing Brand Extensions

This case is about evolution of a parent brand and its subsequent extensions into different product categories. Dettol as a brand has immense trust and loyalty from the consumers. Since the 1930s when Dettol was introduced in India, it has occupied a distinct position in the mind of its consumers. To achieve fast growth and leverage the strong brand equity of Dettol, Reckitt Benckiser India Limited (RBIL) rolled out a number of brand extensions. Some of these extensions such as Dettol soap and Dettol liquid hand wash became phenomenal successes, but most others failed to perform. The case deals with the questions of why some extensions achieve great success while others fail miserably.