Merwans: Repositioning a Mumbai Legacy for Bengaluru Taste Buds

Merwans: Repositioning a Mumbai Legacy for Bengaluru Taste Buds
  • Client: Merwans Confectioners Pvt. Ltd.
  • Industry: Bakery & Confectionery
  • Service: 360° Brand Management
  • Location: Mumbai → Bengaluru Expansion

The Challenge

Merwans — a 90+ year-old legacy bakery brand from Mumbai — entered the Bengaluru market claiming to serve “authentic Karnataka taste.”
The problem? Bengaluru locals didn’t relate to that message, and existing brand loyalists expected Bombay-style bakery classics.
The result: a mismatch in expectations, confused positioning, and weak early traction.

Our Objective

  • Fix the brand disconnect between what was promised and what people expected.
  • Make Merwans relatable to Bengalureans, without losing its Mumbai identity.
  • Create a launch strategy that drove interest, relevance, and high footfall.

Our Strategic Shift

We repositioned Merwans not as a “local” bakery with Karnataka roots, but as Bengaluru’s gateway to authentic Mumbai-style bakery classics — buttery mawa cakes, Irani-style puffs, soft rolls, and indulgent pastries — all at an affordable price point.
Key Insight: Instead of pretending to be local, we made “being from Bombay” the USP.

What We Did

  1. Brand Repositioning: Crafted messaging around “authentic Bombay flavours now in Bengaluru” — targeting foodies, nostalgia-driven Mumbaikars, and Gen Z/Bengalureans eager to try iconic flavours.
  2. Content Strategy: Created campaigns around “What Bombay Tastes Like” and “Flavours You Grew Up With (Even If You Didn't)” to drive FOMO and curiosity.
  3. Market Research & Feedback Loops: Ran soft pre-launch sampling to gather feedback and tweak communication + menu highlights accordingly.
  4. Influencer & Launch Strategy: Invited top Bangalore food bloggers to relive the Bombay bakery experience — leading to high social reach and local validation.
  5. Social Media Management: Consistently pushed product stories and value messaging: “₹200 for 2? That’s very Bombay.”

Results

  • +60% increase in daily footfall within 4 weeks
  • 3x boost in local Instagram mentions and saves
  • 35% increase in sales post repositioning
  • Reclaimed control of brand narrative before it diluted
  • Featured by top publications + 50+ influencers organically posted