Client Name

Continental Biscuits Limited (CBL)

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Farah Naz

SBS Thought Leadership Areas

Behavioural Studies

SBS Thought Leadership Area Justification

The ELP is based in the Behavioral Studies thought leadership domain of IBA School of Business Studies. Instead of looking at sales in a vacuum, the project looks at the “Psychology of Respite. We harnessed the “Dunking Insight” and discovered that for a tea consumer in Pakistan, physical product integrity (structural durability) is a direct proxy for emotional reliability. Mapping the transition from “Digital Fatigue” to “Analog Anchor”, we applied behavioral principles to take Zeera Plus from commodity to a functional reset tool.

Aligned SDGs

GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

Aligned SDGs Justification

The project contributes to “SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth” and “SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.” The research adds to the economic and industrial resilience of a sector growing at 8% per annum, whilst reviving a legacy brand. Moreover, the focus on ingredient-based extensions creates sustainable supply chains and strengthens the local food processing network.

NDA

No

Abstract

Zeera Plus the largest cumin-based biscuit from Continental Biscuits Limited has an unchallenged status within Pakistan’s approximately PKR 221 billion biscuit market; however, the brand is unable to transition consumer brand recognition into actual purchasing behavior among millennial aged consumers who are between the ages of 25-35. Older demographics have demonstrated long term habituated loyalty towards the product while millennials exhibit passive engagement with the brand -primarily selecting the product due to convenience versus preference. This research studied the root cause of the generation gap in purchasing behavior regarding Zeera Plus biscuits, specifically examining consumer perception, evening chai consumption behaviors, retail execution quality, competitive positioning and viability of extending the brand.

The data collection period for the research took place between March and May 2026 and consisted of a multi method approach that included: 6 focus group discussions, 2 in-depth interviews, a survey of 153 participants from five different cities using a structured questionnaire format, a follow up brand extension survey consisting of 57 participants and retail audits for 28 retailers in Karachi.

Several consistent trends existed across all methodologies. There was almost universal awareness of the brand; however, only 37% of respondents expressed active brand insistence. Furthermore, there was relatively low levels of sustained Millennial loyalty recorded at 6.7%. Additionally, a common time frame for evening teatime served as an authentic emotional experience for respondents regardless of their age and therefore represented an underdeveloped area of positioning potential for Zeera Plus. Lastly, product integrity including the ability to endure when dunking into chai appeared as a defendable marketing advantage over primary competitor Click. A notable level of interest for line extensions in cardamom flavor under the architecture of Plus was observed.

Collectively, these results indicate that the greatest probability for Zeera Plus to achieve relevancy with millennials would be to position itself in relation to the tea break as a deliberate daily respite from work/other responsibilities, but not to alter either the visual or cultural identity of the product.

Document Type

Restricted Access

Document Name for Citation

Experiential Learning Project

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