Why did contractors in Punjab not see the risk in dropping Fevicol?

Nationally, Fevicol was unshakeable. In most markets, contractors didn’t even consider alternatives. But in Punjab, competitors were luring contractors with incentives, and winning. Contractors switched despite knowing Fevicol was the stronger product. Years of trust, quality, and reliability messaging weren’t enough. Price wars were not an option. Fevicol needed to understand why switching felt so easy here when elsewhere it wasn’t even a decision.

Our team conducted contractor ethnographies in 3 cities, visited 12 homes, mapped 20 plywood & hardware stores, spoke to interior designers and sellers, and even attended contractor meet-ups to understand how adhesive choice really gets made.

Homeowners rarely thought about adhesives at all; design and cost dominated the early stages, leaving the decision entirely to contractors. Since Fevicol was the only brand they recognised, they assumed it was being used, and a quick reassurance from the contractor was enough to settle any doubt. Contractors, meanwhile, saw little reputational risk in switching: if a piece of furniture failed later, they never traced the blame back to glue. With no homeowner oversight and no personal stake, switching for a small incentive felt like an easy, low-risk choice.