Shoop Noodles Term Paper
Shoop Noodles Term Paper
Shoop Noodles Term Paper
Group Members:
Shameel Irshad
Fatima Majid
Shaharyar Naeem
Nizam Shah
Section E
Acknowledgements
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Shan Shoop Noodles
The authors are indebted to Ms. Numrah Nadeem for the support and guidance she provided
during the course of this research. Without her honest efforts and constructive feedback, it would
not have been possible to write this research paper. The authors also wish to acknowledge the
efforts of the Teaching Associate, Ms. Zarish Sarfaraz who made sure to keep all the researchers
Table of Contents
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Acknowledgements 2
Executive Summary 4
Repositioning Statement 8
Conclusion/Summary 18
References 26
Appendix 28
Executive Summary
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This research paper entirely revolves around the re-launching of Shaan Shoop Noodles in the
instant noodles market. It eventually takes into consideration all the initial factors that
contributed to Shoop Noodles failure to stay in the market. It also proposes new variables like
new flavors, effective supply chain management etc which would further increase the probability
of Shaan Shoop Noodles being successful in the market. The paper also employed the use of
Primary research that involved distribution of the questionnaire in the target market to get their
overview regarding the initial knowledge of Shoop noodles they had alongiwth getting their
worthy feedback on the new commercial that has just been realeased into the market, “Hum
Andar sai Bachay haien”. We hope and expect that our hardwork would be worthy to
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Shan Shoop Noodles
Sikander Sultan started the Shan spice business in 1991 in a single room. As of today over a 100
products are being exported to 65 countries with an annual turnover of 1.5 billion. Shoop noodles
itself were launched in 2012. Its main aim was to provide a new, unique and flavored variety of
instant noodles so the consumers could tantalize their taste buds and also satisfy their hunger and
cravings instantaneously. Furthermore, Shoop Noodles was made with 50% more wheat protein,
with the same packaging size of 60g as of its competitors. Initially it was launched with seven
exciting flavors which included Chicken, Masala, Spicy Lemon, BBQ, Ketchup, Thai Lemon
Shoop noodles symbolizes convenience, quality and health. It has positioned itself as cheap
instant noodle brand as compared to others in the market but at the same time also healthy one. It
is the only local brand which has significant involvement in the instant noodles market. Children
are the core target of the company but it’s not just mainly the children and teenagers but its target
is mainly people of all age groups. Furthermore, it has been positioned in such a way that it is not
By repositioning this product, the team aims at the target market viewing the product in equal
terms with the leading names- Maggi(Nestle) and Knorr(Unilever)- in the market. Consumers
should be aware of health advantages that the product provides, but not only the health benefits
There is work need to be done on the repositioning of the product. The product is less costly
compared to its competitors but the taste is not getting a positive response from the market
either. Consumers are perceiving it as a low quality product. Therefore, work on innovation and
value addition should be done so it can be established as unique brand preposition in consumers’
mind. Also that consumers should consider it one of the high quality products in the market. For
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that Shan will have to change its lower budget allocated to product costs and advertisements to a
higher one.
There were some misjudgments made by the company while launching Shan Shoop Noodles.
The company did not allocate enough budget, there was a lack of resources allocated to its
initially launch given the fact that Knorr and Maggi had an extremely strong position in the
market and therefore penetrating it as a new entrant would have been quiet difficult. Also they
did not work on building the product image based on brand equity as Shan is already a well-
known brand. Shoop Noodles could have been a tremendous success if they had focused on the
Also there has been a constant change in advertisement strategies for the product. Advertising is
no longer about selling products and hopes. It has become more challenging. TV commercials
now carry a message that has to have a positive impact, a trend which is going in traction. The
ads of Shoop Noodles have failed to connect with the audience despite having catchy jingles.
The reason behind it was the theme and misjudgment of the age groups. Particularly one ad,
which was introduced by the name ‘Hum Andar se bachay hain’, could not really have an impact
on the audience as the two segments shown in the ad did not have enough age difference to let
the ad line cash in. It would have had more impact if the older generation were older by a lot
more years than was shown in the ad. Also putting senior citizens in the older category might
Therefore, we can also conclude that a change in advertisements needs to be done in such a way
that the ads connect with consumers of all age groups and not just children which has been a
problem previously.
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Perceptual Map
After Repositioning
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Repositioning Statement
Shan Shoop Noodles is an instant noodle brand for children, college students and urban dwellers
with a busy lifestyle who are looking for a wholesome, healthy, tasty, economically convenient
and instant meal that can be had even on the go. Unlike other instant noodle brands, Shoop
noodles provides four different variants in both, 2-minute stove as well as cup noodles that are
easily available at grocery stores and small retailers across the country with the aim of becoming
Segments
Shoop segments its market based on the geographic and demographic variables. To begin with
the geographic, there are two broad segments, urban and rural populations. Shoop targets the
market in town regions, especially in metropolitan cities as the majority of urban people have a
busy lifestyle such as unmarried white-collar workers and university students. Instant noodles
become their best alternative to a home cooked meal which provides them with the fastest,
healthy and cost effective way to not only fill their stomachs but also satisfy their cravings for
Under the demographic variable, Shoop segments the market based on age, targeting the
millennial age-range customers such as university students who live in hostels. According to Pew
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Research Center located in Washington D. C., millennials are the young adults born between
1981 and 1996 (Pew Research Center, 2018). However, there are no precise dates for when this
group starts or ends. Demographers and researchers typically use the early 1980s as the starting
birth years and the mid-1990s to early 2000s as the ending birth years. Instant noodles become
On the other hand, in terms of income, there are three main segments: high, mid and low income
groups. Shoop target market includes individuals belonging to all socioeconomic classes, from
the children of individuals belonging to high income group living in hostels or in their own
apartments or houses away from home for whom these noodles are a convenient and easy to
cook meal to individuals in the low-income group as instant noodles is a cheap alternative for a
meal. In short, Shoop is targeting the customer with a busy lifestyle and millennial age-range
irrespective of the income group to which the individual belongs. The reason for targeting this
Pakistan in 2016, 70 percent of instant noodles are being consumed by children, teenager and
young adults.
Competition
Instant noodles are not really a part of Pakistan’s traditional Cuisine but it is becoming more and
more popular in recent years. Initially, instant noodles were introduced in Pakistan as a healthy
and tasty meal alternative for children. However, the popularity is also gaining momentum
among young adults and others, especially teenagers and college students. Secondly, the lifestyle
is diversifying in Pakistan, busyness makes it more attractive to people because it only takes
minutes to prepare and yet you can have a complete meal which is very cost effective as well.
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The very first introduced instant noodles in Pakistan was Maggi, a product of Nestle that was
introduced in 1992. Maggi was more popular in early days but as soon as Knorr, a brand of
instant noodles from Unilever, was introduced in 1993, it became more popular because of its
Knorr currently holds 55% market share of instant noodles in Pakistan while Maggi stands at
35%. Shan Foods introduced Shoop noodles in the market in 2012 but it failed to gain popularity
in the market despite Shan’s reputation as a brand in Pakistan. The main driver in Shoop noodles
failure to compete with big timers like Maggi and Knorr was a lack of availability in outlets
across the country and a poor marketing strategy. However, it still managed to cover a handsome
portion of market share considering the amount of effort or the lack thereof that was put in.
Knorr noodles have become the number one choice among kids in Pakistan over the years. On
the other hand, Maggi noodles are more popular in markets other than Pakistan including India,
Bangladesh, Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, United Kingdom, and New Zealand. In India,
Maggi Noodles once held 90% market share which gradually decreased to 63% before the
nationwide ban was imposed on it due to health hazards by Food Safety and Standards Authority
of India. But according to Fortune’s report published in 2016, the Nestle India debacle was due
to a conspiracy against Nestle which cost it almost half a billion. Such cases have not been seen
in Pakistan. Nestlé’s market share has, however, still declined as a result of the increasingly
deteriorating quality of the noodles and their comparison with what Knorr has to offer, resulting
in Maggi constantly losing on customers. This provides a great opportunity to Shan Shoop
noodles to enter in the market particularly at a time when Knorr and Maggi are only offering two
flavors each: Chicken and Masala/Chatpatta. In a situation where the barriers to entry have been
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greatly lowered, there is a lot of potential for Shan Shoop Noodles to capture a larger chunk of
market share than what it is currently catering to by developing an effective marketing mix.
Trends
The instant noodle market in Pakistan finally entered the high growth stage after remaining in the
introduction stage for almost 15-20 years. Since foraying into local market about a couple of
decades back, generally speaking, instant noodles manufacturers in Pakistan are still facing the
challenge of a lack of broader acceptance. However, it seems that instant noodles market has
finally entered into the product growth stage after passing through introduction phase. Faisal
Nadeem, an official at Nestlé Kabirwala, describes the dynamics of Pakistan instant noodles
market saying that the general acceptance of instant noodles among people is set to expand in the
days to come.
“Looking at the data on how the noodles category has evolved in many of the countries in South,
Asia it is observed that the market grows steadily for a couple of decades and then exponential
growth takes place,” Nadeem observed. “This is reflective of the fact that tastes develop
gradually and noodles start becoming part of the food repertoire in the country,” he said adding,
“Pakistan is now in the phase where the noodles category is expected to go through a period of
high growth. The market for instant noodles has been growing at an average rate of 15 percent
per annum in the last three or so years. It is expected that this trend will gain momentum in years
to come.”
Presently, the estimated annual market size of instant noodles market is Rs. 6 billion based on
market capital. On a specific question about market share of Nestle Pakistan, especially if it is
compared with Indian market, Faisal Nadeem said, in India, Maggi has existed for over 35 years,
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10 years more than the time it has existed in Pakistan. The major growth spurt in instant noodle
“Also, I believe the difference can also be put down to the difference in eating habits. In India,
noodles are eaten as a meal while, in Pakistan noodles are more of a light meal in between lunch
and dinner because people in Pakistan normally don’t consider anything that is not meat, roti and
Research shows that more than 80 per cent of noodles consumption takes place between 4 pm
and 8 pm. This is reflective of the fact that Pakistan’s population, in general, categorizes instant
noodles as a ‘light meal’ that serves as a shortcut for briefly satisfying the tummy’s emptiness
rather than just a snack or an appetizer on one side or even a full meal on the other end of the
spectrum.
Keeping in view growing focus of people on health related issues, question about nutritional
value of noodles does exist. However, instant noodles in the Pakistani market are manufactured
by companies like Nestle and Unilever that pride themselves on being the world’s top nutrition,
health and wellness companies. The use of brand equity plays a very important role in portraying
instant noodles as a healthy meal alternative and therefore, consumers do not think much of it.
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The element of consumer behavior in the chosen target segment is such that people perceive
different products differently. When we talk about individual behaviors of one mass target
segment of consumers, we can see how each consumer has a different perception of whichever
product they are consuming. In the case of ‘Noodles’, we have noticed a pattern of diversity in
how people like them (with respect to consumption). Some people like it cooked with a lot of
water and some often experiment by adding spices of their own. In this respect, we can easily
judge how the use of sensory threshold has an impact on the way you consume a certain product.
The cluster you create to put similar types of consumers involves the element of emotional,
physical and behavioral responses and the way you want them to be posed. Referring back to the
explanation of segments and the relevant target markets earlier in this report, the focus is on both
demographical and geographical elements of Shaan Shoop Noodles which are consumed all over
Pakistan just because of the way they have been positioned. The instant judgment of a product
being up to the mark after knowing about the company that produces it is an example of
‘perceiving’ something based on reputation and brand image. This instant judgment is present in
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the subconscious segment of the human brain which helps you throughout the time you perceive
a certain product. The human brain reacts to certain vivid memories and improves overall
cognitive decision making. This ability then leads to large scale consumption of your favorite
product that is Shan Shoop Noodles. Certain age groups from the cluster of this segment in
Pakistan show variety. Talking about different income groups in Pakistan, the affordability of the
product is directly proportional to the revenue it generates or in simpler terms, consumption. The
smaller packet is of Rs. 20 and the bigger packet is of RS. 30. This price range attracts the
consumer since the perceived risk of monetary issue is comparatively low in reference to other
brands of noodles. The essence of purchasing something and being satisfied to an extent that the
consumer repurchases is all present in Shan Shoop noodles and this trait makes it an everyday
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The professional way to launch a product is to prepare an effective marketing strategy. The
variables upon which the marketing strategy is dependent upon are product, price, placement and
promotion. Shoop Noodles initially were not able to create a place in the market because of a
poor marketing strategy. On the subject of repositioning of Shoop noodles in the market the
1. Product
Shan Shoop Noodles were launched by Shan back in 2012. The initial flavors being offered were
Chicken, Masala, Spicy Lemon, BBQ, Bombay Biryani, Thai Lemon Chili and Ketchup.
Initially, Shoop Noodles drastically failed to attract any customers or to make a mark in
the market despite offering such a wide range of flavors. It now plans on repositioning
itself in the market by relaunching with just 4 flavors: Chicken, Masala, Lemon Chilli
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and Tikka. This is a smart number to go with because it is more than what the
competitors are offering but still not big enough to result in cannibalization.
Since Shoop Noodles target market is going to be children, college students and busy urban
dwellers, Shan Shoop noodle’s is going to re-enter the market with two different product
lines in terms of packaging, 2-minute stove noodles and 2-minute cup noodles. Cup
Noodles were initially introduced in Pakistan by Kolson in three different flavors, Shan
intends to leave a mark in the market by introducing a separate product line of Cup
Noodles with new and better flavors (all four: Chicken, Masala, Lemon Chili and Tikka)
as compared to Kolson. In addition to this, the packaging initially being used by Shoop
noodles was of low quality. This gave off an impression of it being a low quality product
as a consequence of Shan compromising on its quality just for the sake of money. As a
result, consumers would occasionally drop it out of their consideration set when they
would be thinking of making a purchase. Hence there forth Shoop has decided to employ
the use of high quality packaging material and also decided to redesign its packets, for the
purpose of giving off an impression of a high quality brand. Shan Shoop noodles initially
used to provide flavors in liquid form, having received negative feedback from its initial
customers. Shan has decided to discontinue them and provide flavors in a powder form
from now onwards. The 2-minute noodles packets would be reusable having a zipper on
the top making the packets to be used for collecting coins or other small items, promoting
the sense of avoiding unnecessary spending of money and instead saving it in these small
packets. The packets would be redesigned; color scheme would be made more modern to
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2. Price
Knorr and Maggi have a significant share in the instant noodle market and a strong consumer
base. For this specific reason Shoop intends to re-enter the market with its new flavors
priced the same as its competitors have priced their products. Consumers when coming
across a high end product with new flavors and that too at the same price as compared to
Secondly Shoop Noodles would also focus on providing discounts to its customers. To develop
brand loyalty for its products Shoop Noodles would focus on providing its regular
customers with brand loyalty card. Customers who get this card would get to try new
flavors that are to be launched in the market beforehand. Also this card would be used to
3. Placement
Placement was the main issue that prevented Shan Shoop Noodles to stay and grow in the market
initially. Its supply chain was not effective enough. The manufacturing facility of the
product could not keep up with the production in amounts that would have been enough
to compete in the market with Knorr and Maggi. As a result, Shoop noodles faced
outages at various stores. Now Shan Shoop Noodles has decided to devise an effective
supply chain system which would focus on maintaining the production level and ensure
that the products never face outage at any of the stores. Secondly the product would be
placed along with its competitors on the main/front shelves. It will also open up a
department in each of the province whose sole function would be to ensure its delivery in
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every target store, making sure that a steady supply is maintained across every major and
4. Promotion
For the purpose of promotion of its product Shan Shoop Noodles would employ the use of Push
and Pull strategy which focuses on first creating hype about the product in the market to
attract consumers and then later onwards supplying your product to the market. For this
purpose, Shan Shoop Noodles would employ the use of TV ads and billboards. It will
also send out early samples in the form of PR packages to different bloggers and food
vloggers to get them to give their reviews about the product and tell their followers
regarding Shoop’s different variants. It will also employ the use of opening up small
stalls in major malls and grocery stores, making people try out any of the variant of
Shoop’s instant noodles for free. Print and Social media advertisements will also be used.
Regular TV commercials will be aired in between evening and night time, as the target
market, which constitutes of children, teenagers and/or students and working class of
young adolescents are found to be using these mediums excessively at this time period.
Shan Shoop noodles would also use the medium of emails. It will regularly email its customers
who have signed up for the newsletters, making them aware of the new products in
development, discounts or any event concerning the product coming up. It will also
employ major celebrities as its brand ambassador and also sponsor different sports
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Conclusion/Summary
1. Demographics
Under the demographic variable, Shoop segments the market based on age, targeting the
millennial age-range customers such as university students who lives in hostels. The responses
showed that majority of the consumers purchasing Shoop noodles were in fact millennials
(72.5% of 20-25) which are either living away from home or are in need of quick meals in their
busy life. The responses confirmed that Shoop in fact is targeting the right age group for their
product since younger customers are more likely to purchase instant noodles as compared to
older customers.
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2. Competition
The respondents were asked to choose their favorite brand of noodles in Pakistan and 65% chose
Knorr and 27.5% chose Maggi which reflects exactly the market share of Knorr (55%) and
Maggi (35%) in Pakistan. Only 2% of the respondents chose Shoop as their favorite brand which
showed that competition in the market is one of the main reasons why Shoop has yet to find
success. Shoop has covered 11% of the market share in Pakistan but it can gain more success and
popularity if it uses competitive advantage by introducing new and exciting flavors which Maggi
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3. Trend
Instant noodles in Pakistan have been in the introduction stage for quite a few years now and
have only recently entered the growth stage. The responses show that only 2% consume instant
noodles daily which proves that the instant noodles market is still expanding. 47.5 % are
consuming it monthly and 32.5% are consuming it weekly which proves that the instant noodle
market is still growing and it still isn’t considered as a daily meal for consumers.
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4. Product Flavors
Originally Shan Shoop Noodles offered seven different flavors which included Chicken, Masala,
Spicy Lemon, BBQ, Thai Lemon Chili, Bombay Biryani and Ketchup but none of these flavors
stood out in the market and failed to bring much revenue. The survey showed that 60% of the
respondents didn’t even know that Shan Shoop offered seven different flavors and 27.5% were
surprised to find out that they did. This shows that Shan Shoop Noodles failed to launch its
different flavors in the market. In order to change that Shan Shop Noodles is going to change its
flavor names to bring more appeal to them and are going to introduce one new flavor.
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5. Packaging
When asked if consumers would prefer a noodle cup instead of the traditional noodles 42.5%
agreed that they would buy that instead. 12.5% were not sure and 7.5% were uncertain if they
would prefer that option. Shan Shoop is planning to introduce a cup of noodles with eight
different flavor packs to cater to students and people on the go so that they expand their
market.
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The packaging initially being used by Shoop noodles was of low quality. This gave off an
impression that the noodles weren’t as good because the packaging of a product is what most
consumers judge at first sight. 30% of the respondents didn’t like the packaging and 22.5%
didn’t even remember it which means the packaging wasn’t memorable as it should be. 20% of
the respondents weren’t sure if they liked the packaging. In order to fix this Shan intends to
employ the use of high-quality packaging with a better color scheme which would also be
reusable.
6. Placement
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Placement was the main issue that prevented Shan Shoop Noodles to stay and grow in the market
initially since its supply chain was not effective enough. Only 42.5% respondents were aware
that Shan Shoop noodles were being sold at grocery stores. 17.5 % weren’t sure at all and 12.5
didn’t even remember if they were being sold at grocery stores or not and 27.5% were certain
that they could not find this product at the grocery store.
7. Advertisement
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Shan Shoop Noodles introduced its product through a T.V. commercial “Hum Andar Se Bachay
Hain” which 50% of the respondents have seen and 37.5% have not seen, the rest are either
When asked if they liked the Advertisement 27.5% agreed that it can be improved and 7.5 %
hated it. Only 20% of the respondents agreed that they loved the Ad and the rest of the 45%
didn’t have an opinion about it. This proved that Shan Shoop needs to improve its promotion and
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they intend to do that through employing a push and pull strategy, introducing PR packages and
References
Ali, L. (2018). Campaign Watch-A Review of Latest Advertising Campaigns. Aurora. Dawn
News.
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Hasan, M. (2018). Instant Noodles Market Finally Enters into High Growth Period. The News
International.
Zeb, Y. (2019). Knorr Noodles beats Maggi with 55% Market Share. Research Snippers News.
Appendix
Questionnaire
1. Age
a. 15-20
b. 20-25
c. 25-30
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d. 30-40
7. If yes, then do you think they are as good as Knorr or Maggi instant noodles?
a. They are the same
b. They are better
c. No, they’re not as good
d. I have not tried them
9. Do you believe that Shoop noodles will do better in the market if the name was
changed?
a. Yes, definitely
b. No, I like the name
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c. Maybe
d. Not Sure
10. Did you know that Shoop noodles initially offered 7 different variants/flavors?
a. Yes
b. No
c. Really? They did?
d. Maybe
11. Have you watched Shoop noodles’ ‘Hum Ander Se Bachhay Hain’?
a. Yes
b. No
c. I don’t recall
d. Maybe
13. When you go for grocery shopping, do you find Shoop Noodles with Knorr and
Maggi on the shelves?
a. Yes
b. No
c. I don’t recall
d. Maybe
15. Would you prefer an instant noodle cup over the traditional 2-minute noodles that
are to be cooked on the stove?
a. Yes
b. No
c. Not sure
d. Maybe
16. Would you consider this brand of noodles “an everyday option”?
a. Yes
b. No
c. Maybe
d. I don’t know
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