Sometimes, it just takes one success story to show that risks are a part of business. It doesn’t always have to be about following the market. Sometimes, it is about asking what you can do differently, what else you can bring to the table and, most importantly, what new flavours you can offer people. Many brands take risks, but only a few manage to make it big.
Do you remember Pulse candy? The Re 1 candy that became an instant favourite now stands as a Rs 750 crore business, in just a few years. Its spicy, tangy and salty flavour was very different from the sweet candies that dominated the market. Pulse is success reminds us what can happen when a Re 1 candy enters a market full of established favourites and chooses to play by different rules.
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Launched by DS Group in 2015, Pulse was nowhere near the taste offered by other candies on the market at the time. While others had a sweet profile, Pulse was raw, tangy, spicy and salty. In fact, its original raw mango flavour was something people didn’t know they needed back then. It tugged at their heartstrings. Pulse gradually expanded into guava, lychee, orange, pineapple and tamarind, continuing to build variety around the same distinctive identity.
The brand then spread rapidly through word of mouth, social media and viral reviews. Of course, its affordable price, distinctive packaging and wide distribution further gave it an advantage, helping it reach consumers without depending heavily on traditional advertising or celebrity endorsements.
Today, Pulse has reportedly grown into a ₹750 crore brand and now reaches around 35 lakh outlets across India, while also looking toward international markets.
According to a report published by PTI, Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, DS Group, said, “Pulse revolutionised the confectionery market by challenging the notion that candies were solely for children. It strategically tapped into an overlooked demographic, the adults, thereby significantly broadening the consumer base for impulse confectionery. Why should kids have all the fun? That was the premise. We leveraged our keen understanding of local palates and unmet consumer needs, allowing Pulse to redefine the segment and establish itself as a trendsetting brand with remarkable consumer loyalty. Even our packaging and design for Pulse were clutter-breaking.”
Indeed, its one-of-a-kind story proves that you don’t always have to blindly follow what’s happening in the market. Sometimes, offering a different product can help you stand out.
