SAHRANE: If you can't beat them, copy them badly.

Care for a Knock-off, anyone? I don't know really know where to start on this one. So I was walking down the street in search of some gum, found a kiosk, and while searching the stacked counter, I saw SAHRANE.  In all honesty, my first eye contact indicated to me a new line extension from SNICKERS, hmmm, but then ..... 

After a second or two while attempting to grab the pack, I realized that this is not a Snickers at all but more of a knock-off from Snickers. I was quite intrigued and confused. After holding it, I realized that although they literally copied the Snickers font exactly (which I am sure Mars inc., the owning company, has it patented to the brand), everything else is just WAY far off from Snickers. 

For starters, I HATE copycats. It just shouts out loud, WE REALLY CAN'T THINK BETTER! 
But putting my personal hate aside,  let's dissect this from a marketing front. Why do brands copy each other? In this case, this competitor, SAHRANE, is trying to steal share from a very successful brand like Snickers by providing an alternative option based on certain parameters.   

A-PRICE GAP

Sahrane chocolate bar is priced at 4 LE, while Snicker's current price in the market is 10.5LE on average. So it's more than 60% cheaper. Quite a market advantage, you might think, but only if the product holds up to its competitor in terms of quality (which we will talk about later).

B- PACKAGING 

I do like the Sahrane color combo. I think it's funky with the orange and blue and delivers an eye catchy pack on the counter. But I am really not sure about the dual branding on the side- "Star Kamara." I am not sure why it's there- it feels like someone just decided to leave their name there for some reason. 

The product picture on the bar is yet another attempt from the brand to copy Snickers. It's almost identical to the product shot on Snickers bar, just from a different angle. Again it shows how dull a competitor can be, and again, I am sure those images are registered by Mars inc. 

The package opening: when you open a Snickers, it's a very nice smooth, user-friendly tear and eat experience. With this copycat brand, it was a struggle to open it. It was very tightly glued and had cheap packaging paper that doesn't really give the same experience. 

C- QUALITY / TASTE 

This would be the real parameter for even an attempt to be a true competitor, and all I can say is EPIC FAIL. And this why this just doesn't add up at all. The product is so far off from a Snickers that it was just a joke to me. Yes, it has the same ingredients, but it's just way off from a taste perspective. It just doesn't cut it at all.  So I would have rather seen this Egyptian company position this chocolate bar as a completely different product/brand than try to replicate an icon in the chocolate industry. They have shot themselves in the foot, to be honest, because Sahrane is trying to benchmark themselves against a competitor without the most important product attribute- taste. 

D- THE BRAND 

Brands are brands for a reason. They don't become brands at launch. They develop their characters over time, which is why companies invest continuously over brands. This is why it's a journey and not a hit and run. This is the intangible value of the brand that plays a real role in the product. It is what truly differentiates it. In my first product launch in my marketing career, my brand was replicated by a fierce competitor after my launch by less than a month. It was a serious joke, but I wasn't laughing about it. I had to deal with legal battles with the company, ensuring that our strong distribution network blocks it off and fierce supply chain work with local manufacturers to stop sourcing them. The replicated brand died out in 6 months, but it didn't really die out just because of our efforts.  When we asked the consumers, the simple answer was, it's not the real BRAND. Consumers always know. 

I always like to give this example when differentiating.  A Fiat and a Porsche will drive you from location A to location B inside the city simultaneously. Still, your personal experience during that exact time will be completely different.

I hope you have enjoyed this week's blog. Please leave your comments below, and you can now subscribe to the blog by entering your email address. If you have any cases that you would like me to discuss or have any questions, please email me at Shereba@brandmeup.co. 

In the meantime, I am going to enjoy my real Snickers with a cup of coffee :) 

Until next time, let's BrandMup.