Let me take you back in time. It’s the typical Indian summer of 2015. The whole nation is in the grip of intense heat waves. It’s boiling in this part of the year in India. Even the birds are scrambling to find shade and water. Ice cream and coconut water vendors are making a killing as they keep getting sold out in a matter of a few hours only.

Amid all this hullabaloo, I am comfortably relaxing on my couch and relishing my Maggi as I am enjoying my high-school summer break. As I was randomly scrolling through the TV channels, I stumbled upon news channels that caught me off-guard.

The news reporter, Arnab Show-swami, is shouting from the rooftop that the government of India has banned the sale of Maggi with immediate effect as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) deemed it unfit for human consumption due to the high amount of MSG (Mono-Sodium Glutamate) in it. MSG which is linked due several fatal diseases is already banned in Europe and North America.

Just like me, everyone else in India is fond of Maggi. It is a comfort food that one can have in any meal, be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Just have a word with hostellers and you will find out that they swear by this 2-minute noodle. Go to the mountains in India and chat with the tourists, they will tell you how much they enjoy their Maggi and tea at the roadside stall on a foggy morning.

The Maggi ban left the entire nation in utter shock and disbelief. Young Indians took to social media to express their angst and ire against the brand, others kept glued to the news channels. It became a major household discussion at that time. The company officials scrambled to contain the disaster but there was little left to salvage. It was all out in the open. The Nestle owned brand had to recall their stocks worth several hundred thousand rupees from every nook and corner of the Indian market.

Nestle’s Scramble to Salvage the Disaster -

Nestle knew they had made a mess, and it was not going to be easy to win their loyal customers back. After being thrown out of the game for nearly 4 months and having endured an unquantifiable dip in the amount of trust and millions of dollars in losses, Maggi got its act together and secured a green signal from the food regulators and made a remarkable comeback in the Indian market. But the question is how did they win the finicky Indian customer back after such a fiasco? Well, the answer lies in the power of honesty and marketing. The first-ever support came pouring in from one of India’s most loved comedians, Vir Das. Mr. Das took to Twitter to express his love and support for the instant 2-minute noodle. Consequently, others followed suit. We could see huge campaigns on the brand’s social media handles with hashtags #WeMissYouToo. The campaign was a huge hit. There were hundreds and thousands of Maggie lovers, who expressed their excitement on social media to have their favorite comfort food back on the table. Snapdeal, a huge player in the marketplace space (obviously not today😜), jumped on the bandwagon and launched Maggi’s welcome kit in collaboration with the brand and named it #DilKiDealWithMaggi. To their surprise, 60000 units sold out in a matter of a few minutes only. This shows how Maggi bolstered and inspired confidence in Indian consumers’ minds even after such a massive debacle.

Fast-forward to 2024 -

Sach bolne ke to poore number milne chahiye na!

Image source — Maggi’s YouTube channel

Cut to 2024, Maggie dominates the instant noodle segment in India with a whopping 60% share across tier 1, 2 and 3 cities. Maggi introduced 5 new quirky flavors, including “Mango Tango” and “Spicy Choco-Chili.” While not every flavor was a hit (the “Tandoori Tofu” didn’t exactly set taste buds ablaze), fan favorites like “Cheese Burst” and “Masala Magic” flew off the shelves, boosting sales by 40% in the flavor-focused category.

Key Takeaways –

Nestle is the undisputed market leader in the space with 80% share but they became complacent, at least in the quality check segment. With great power comes great responsibility. We should and we did hold the brand accountable for taking the quality checks for granted. A brand as humongous as Maggi should have strict guidelines in place when it comes to manufacturing and supply chain management. There should be stringent multiple quality checks to make sure that the health of its customers is not compromised. Incidents as big as this should draw the attention of parents and educational institutes alike and they should start educating young minds on the importance of mindful eating habits. Educating kids about reading food labels will bring about drastic changes in the nation’s health. The future of the nation should have a clear understanding of the difference between home-cooked food and packaged food.

As they say “Good health is the best accessory; wear it proudly, and you’ll never go out of style!”

Maggi-nificent Comeback: How India Noodles Through the Fiasco and Slurps, Yet Again!

Nestle’s Scramble to Salvage the Disaster -

Fast-forward to 2024 -

Key Takeaways –

Blow Your Trumpet