GOOD KNIGHT LAUNCHES INDIA’S FIRST ANTI-MOSQUITO FABRIC ROLL-ON PERSONAL REPELLENT

GOOD KNIGHT ENCOURAGES KIDS TO STEP OUTSIDE WITH THE CAMPAIGN – “KHUL KE JIYO GHAR KE BAAHAR” - LAUNCHES INDIA’S FIRST ANTI-MOSQUITO FABRIC ROLL-ON PERSONAL REPELLENT

by Shrutee K/DNS

Mumbai, September 29, 2016:  Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. (GCPL) today announced its foray into Out of Home (OOH) personal repellent category under its flagship brand Good knight. The new range has innovative formats that are easy to use and protects against mosquitos outdoors. The highlight of this range is Good knight Fabric Roll-On, India’s first format that just needs 4 dots to be applied on clothes and protects for 8 hours against mosquitoes outdoors. Additionally, the range also includes Good knight Cool Gel and Good knight Patches.

Sunil Kataria, Business Head-India and SAARC, GCPL said, “While there is an alarming rise of vector borne diseases like Dengue and Chikunguniya across the country, there is a lack of awareness that the mosquitoes that spread these diseases, usually bite during the day. Another reason for low adoption for outdoor and personal mosquito repellents has been the lack of innovative products. No product in the market can make it amenable for users to use everyday. Keeping these in mind, we have launched the new Good knight outdoor personal repellent range of products, which are not only easy and safe to use; but also give 8 hours of protection against mosquitos. With this new launch, we are confident creating a new consumer habit of using outdoor repellents everyday.”

He further added “ Good knight believes that parents should encourage their kids to step out of home, as it plays an important role in their development. Hence, this also formed the base of our new campaign slogan – ‘‘Khul ke jiyo ghar ke baahar’, a campaign which encourages gids to play outdoors unrestricted.”

The campaign “Khul ke jiyo ghar ke baahar” was launched with a panel discussion that had celebrity parents, Lara Dutta and Mahesh Bhupathi, Dr. Mukesh Sanklecha - Consultant Pediatrician at Bombay Hospital, and Sunil Kataria. The panelists discussed how imperative it is to safe-guard children from mosquito bites since they are the most vulnerable. The discussion highlighted the criticality and urgent need to leverage schools, educators and parents and kids to develop the good habit of using personal repellents daily, as that is the best way to protect kids outdoors.

Speaking on the occasion, renowned pediatrician Dr. Mukesh Sanklecha said, “The ongoing Dengue and Chikunguniya health scare in the nation has led to parents either cutting down on the child’s outdoor playtime, or constantly trying to prevent them from stepping out of home. What will put the parents mind at ease is a quick, safe and effective solution that can keep their kids protected from mosquitoes outdoors. They need to ensure that mosquitoes and vector-borne diseases do not hinder children’s outdoor time, which is essential for their overall growth and development.”

Expert says that indoor activities, though they may be fun, can be detrimental because they do not promote adequate physical and mental growth. Outdoor play contributes to cognitive and social/ emotional development. A study[1] of 690 children in the 8 to 16 age group, conducted across five metros, including Mumbai and Delhi, has found that 12% voted for parks, while 20% picked shopping malls as their favourite go-to destination. The findings revealed that 31% teenagers (15-17 years) like to spend their leisure hours in covered outdoor spaces, while 28% spend time indoors at home. When at home, they either watch television or play video games.

Lara Dutta, a doting and an active mother herself reflected on how things have changed and how necessary it is for parents to encourage their children to play outside. “As a mother I am continuously worried about my child’s well-being and safety whenever she is out of the protective environment of the home. Given the present scare of Dengue and Chikunguniya, we are extra cautious and want to give our daughter the best protection every time she steps out.  Good knight’s new Fabric Roll-On ensures that she is protected for a long time in an easy to use and convenient way.”

Mahesh Bhupathi added, “Both Lara and I always ensure that our daughter leads an active and sporty life and doesn’t confine herself indoors. Honestly, this does get hard at times like these when the newspapers are filled with news on Dengue and Chikunguniya. My endeavour is to teach her to stay safe at all times whether from injuries or diseases when she’s out of home. Good knight’s new range does put our minds at ease and helps us to encourage more mobility and outdoor experience for our daughter.”

The Personal Repellents market in India is pegged at Rs 126 crore but only forms 2.9% of the overall Insecticide market. Only 1.1% of the households in India use personal repellents because of multiple factors like poor sensorial, unsatisfactory consumer experience and perception of it being harmful for kids. Good knight’s new range is designed to address these concerns with 100% natural actives and child safe products.