The rise of Hemas Consumer Brands (HCB) is a success story in the home and personal care segment in Sri Lanka. Its powerful local brands have repeatedly proven themselves to be the proverbial ‘David’, standing up fearlessly against the ‘Goliath’ of multinational FMCG companies. HCB’s brands have not only competed successfully but also captured competitors’ market share from global brands. Its ability to dominate in such a fiercely competitive arena rests squarely on its capacity for innovation. Bringing the full power of its innovation to the fore, HCB held an ‘Innovation Day’ which showcased every aspect of its innovation journey by organizing an international-level event attended by all its internal and external stakeholders to engender a strategic springboard for innovation and big ideas.
The objective of the ‘Innovation Day’, held at Trace City was to showcase the Company’s innovative culture, the talents of the R&D Team and to reveal the sheer volume of effort behind the scenes for each product. The event featured a variety of stalls, several webinars and live interactive sessions that showcased and exhibited over 150 products and packaging formats. Global reputed supply partners known for their product innovation which mirrors HCB’s journey participated at the Innovation Day, joining in from various parts of the world. Wayamba University also sent a team to showcase the power of natural ingredients and held a discussion booth at the venue. Collaboration has been key to HCB’s success. Impressed by the power of the ideas showcased at the event, HCB’s senior management selected several innovations to be fast tracked and launched. This inclusive approach to innovation has been transformative for HCB’s brands.
Dumindu Bandara – Senior Scientist-Innovation, from the HCB R&D team commented, “We are simply delighted by the impact of the Innovation Day which showcased to the world exactly what goes into building successful brands like HCB has done. As scientists working in the R&D centre, we were so pleased to step out and share our passion for innovation with so many people at the event. After attending such events overseas, we envisioned an event that would be even better and we are delighted to see that it was such a success. More importantly, the scale of the event and the ideas generated create excitement about our future and boost innovators to keep doing their work to uphold the company’s commitment to excellence.”
Besides innovation, the ability to customize products to suit local consumer needs has been pivotal in its innovation journey. The depth of consumer understanding and insights held by HCB lends it a critical advantage backed by R&D and technical support. Some of its key localized innovations include Clogard, one of the country’s first toothpaste brands to blend a local ingredient into its formula; Kumarika Hair oil, which features a root inserted into the bottle for the first time to highlight its benefits; and laundry brand, DIVA, where each variant was blended with fragrances of Indigenous flowers for lasting fragrance.
Most recently, Hemas Consumer Brands launched Vivya which blends natural and scientific ingredients and Prasara featuring a range of products developed under the local doctrine of ‘Hela Osu’. This harmonious blend of science and nature is a competency only HCB possesses, and ingredients like Sri Lankan heirloom rice and others are exclusive to Sri Lanka, adding a touch of uniqueness to HCB’s offerings.
HCB’s R&D centre is an ideas hub and a centre of excellence which collaborates closely with the brands team and external experts. The R&D team has evolved to become highly consumer focused and consumer driven to be able to marry technology with the needs of consumers.
Azmara Mannan, Marketing Manager – Baby Care said, “The Innovation Day event organised by HCB was a truly transformative experience for us as not only did it provide us a diverse audience for our packaging solutions but we also gained insights into the latest customer trends. More importantly, we were able to grasp how critical the entire value chain is for a brand to succeed and the critical role that R&D plays in brand innovation. We are proud to be associated with a home-grown company like HCB which has pioneering ground breaking innovations to Sri Lankan consumers that can be proud of.”
The Innovation Day is but one manifestation of the drive to innovate and grow to fulfil consumer needs that are nurtured at HCB. The Company aims to add more such experiences to its calendar to reinforce a culture of innovation that becomes a talent magnet and fuels big ideas. From introducing new fragrances and fresh packaging to novel product formats and sustainability interventions, the R&D team stays abreast of emerging trends and best-in-class industry practices, both locally and globally. HCB is on a transformation journey and is clearly a leader and not a follower in the home and personal care segment of the FMCG market.