Sirona Hygiene Private Limited: Branding in an Intimate Hygiene Space

Sirona Hygiene Private Limited (Sirona Hygiene) started operations in 2015 with its launch of PeeBuddy—a portable urination device for women. For Sirona Hygiene, the first four years had been extremely satisfying, as the company was able to launch five unique products and 15 differentiated products across its three brands—PeeBuddy, Sirona, and BodyGuard. Each brand had its own unique value proposition and operated in a different product space. The company’s founder was looking for additional funding as he moved toward achieving his mission of tripling the company’s growth by 2022. When it came to investor mindsets, most investors were traditional in their thinking and sought to invest in single brands. As such, the company’s founder was considering consolidating all of the brands under the corporate brand—Sirona Hygiene. Brand articulation, strategy formulation, and fundraising were all interlinked, and to steer the firm to its next journey, a sequential path was imperative. The question was clear, but there were no straight answers.

This case is intended for use in graduate- and executive-level marketing courses. The case can be used in a basic marketing course at the graduate level to acquaint students with internal and external market forces. The Catch-22 situation that the protagonist faces while needing to make important and complex branding decisions would be very useful in an advanced marketing elective. The case can also be used in executive-level programs, where students bring considerable experience and would greatly benefit from understanding how to juggle and balance complex issues to arrive at a workable business solution. After working through the case and assignment questions, students will be able to<ul><li>conduct a macroenvironmental analysis of the market structure by examining political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, legal, and environmental factors;</li><li>assess the industry and competitive forces using frameworks such as Porter’s five-forces model; conduct a microenvironmental analysis of a firm by examining (a) a company’s business philosophy and processes, assessing the philosophy and processes for possible strengths and weaknesses, with the aim to strategize to achieve future goals; (b) the firm’s current marketing strategy; and (c) the company’s current financial health; and</li><li>understand how a firm makes strategic branding decisions as well as the implications that these decisions have on the company’s positioning stance and future marketing strategy.</li></ul>

• Product line, Brand Strategy, Startup