Cobra, a leading brand of pepper spray, was created by word of mouth. Customers still call up and speak directly to the brand’s owner.

It’s not that Singh, the son of a defence officer, had too much of a choice. After setting up a unit that was meant to manufacture industrial paints in canisters, Singh found he was allergic to certain chemicals used in the process. With the equipment idling in his factory, he began researching adjacent categories. The body spray category was crowded. Pesticides were an option too.

But it was a statement from a senior police official in Bangalore, exhorting women to use chilli powder to ward away criminals, that clinched the deal in favour of pepper sprays. A meeting with the commissioner was encouraging. “When we meet the next time, you should come back with the product,” the official reportedly told Singh. With such words of encouragement, there was no looking back, reminisces Singh.

Twelve years later, Cobra is India’s leading pepper spray brand, meant to protect women from anti-social elements. Along the way, the company diversified into riot- and mob-control equipment and recently also signed an agreement with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to co-develop non-lethal weapons.

But Cobra did not exactly taste success from the word go. Even as early as 1999, Singh had tried to bring out pepper spray in a lipstick-like container. With a spray range of just 2-3 ft, the product was a non-starter.

Even the later product, with spray range exceeding 8 ft, faced other hurdles. As there was little awareness about pepper sprays, Singh decided to place ads in newspapers. But he got responses from all the wrong people. Anti-social elements started calling up, as they saw the product as a weapon to aid criminal activities.

To counter that problem, in the initial days Singh sold only to consumers who placed orders and the product was delivered to their address. “By doing so, we at least had proof of their residence,” he says. But there were not enough takers. “Customers were not interested.” Gradually the product began selling through word of mouth.

Cobra was available in two versions. One, priced ₹499, for individuals; and a professional version, priced ₹599, for security guards and so on. To give buyers confidence, Singh displayed his mobile phone number on every can — to advise consumers if the product was accidentally sprayed. That move helped increase orders and, soon, corporate bookings started coming in.

Of course, Cobra’s success would have made Singh popular among members of the fairer sex, something that he does not deny. He does get his share of fan mail. But he also recalls a stray instance of someone calling up to threaten him for trying to be a hero to women in distress. Selling nearly two lakh units a year, Cobra might be India’s largest pepper spray brand, but Singh is in no hurry to expand operations. Barring a single office in Bangalore, the company has no other branches. “It was always intended to be that way,” he says. The Cobra will move at its own pace.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Features / by Prasad Sangameshwaran / March 06th, 2014