Brands

From AI-driven appliances to heartfelt gifting

Published

1 year ago

October 28, 2024

Mumbai: The festive season, especially around Diwali, brings an escalation in consumer sentiment, with people keen on shopping, gifting and celebrating. For brands, this period is prime for connecting with consumers on an emotional level while driving sales. From tech giants to fashion labels, brands are creating special festive editions, offering discounts and curating unique campaigns to tap into the celebratory spirit.

Digital campaigns remain a staple, with brands utilising AI, influencer collaborations, and personalized ads to enhance visibility and reach. This time of year sees a spike in video content, as brands craft narratives that reflect the joy and togetherness of festivals. Social media, email marketing, and festive-themed apps further amplify these campaigns, ensuring brands stay top-of-mind during the festive shopping frenzy. By blending tradition with innovation, brands successfully align with consumers’ festive aspirations, driving both connection and conversion.

On leveraging the festive season to boost sales of products, Godrej Appliances – head of marketing, Swati Rathi said, “Festive sees heightened consumer interest in appliances as consumers look at home renovations and upgrades. In line with this premiumization trend, we have been doing placements of our new premium front-load washing machines and large capacities frost-free refrigerators with a gamut of localised store launches, large scale partner meets and digital and store promotions targeted at intending consumers.

This season also sees a marked interest in festive offers. We have accordingly crafted a bundle of unparalleled offers this year ranging from cashbacks, extended warranties to easy EMIs. We are offering a five year comprehensive warranty worth Rs 7990/- completely free on all our split air conditioners and the highlight is that unlike other offers in the market, this has no hidden costs.

To take these offerings to the consumers we are focusing on ground visibility and digital promotions targeting in-market audiences. The campaign is a mix of multiple levers including video promotions, influencer and social promotions, e-commerce promotions and high impact ground visibility. We have also gone beyond Diwali and focused on topical, more regional festivities like Durga Puja in Bengal, Navratri in west, Karwa Chauth and going forward Chhath Puja in Bihar with a mix of on ground and digital initiatives.”

On innovations introduced this year, she said, “This year, we’ve introduced several innovations and expanded our product lineup to meet the evolving consumer preferences for aesthetic, smart, and energy-efficient appliances. Earlier this year, we introduced the Eon Vogue series of wood-finish refrigerators and air conditioners, which was met with great enthusiasm. As part of our festive season strategy, we are offering an even more extensive range of appliances featuring intelligent AI technology. These appliances, such as washing machines and refrigerators, are equipped with built-in sensors that optimize performance based on various factors like ambient weather, food load, or water level, making them more user-friendly and resource efficient. Our approach to AI technology is in line with our larger philosophy of Things Made Thoughtfully – which revolves around delivering relevant technology that adds genuine value to consumers through greater convenience or through resource conservation. We have also expanded our offerings in larger capacities, with products like 400+ litre frost-free refrigerators, 10 kg front-load washing machines, and 2.5 Tr. air conditioners. The marketing initiatives to take these new launches to consumers have also been a diverse mix of buzz and reach creation and more targeted messaging amongst intending buyers.”

Dairy Milk has long been associated with gifts. On noticing major shifts in consumer gifting trends during festivals in recent years, Mondelez India VP – marketing, Nitin Saini said, “We are cautiously optimistic about the festive season. Our diverse portfolio has enabled us to navigate this period with balanced growth across consumer cohorts. The festive period is a key driver for our gifting portfolio, with Cadbury Celebrations leading the charge. Our focus has been on activating this portfolio with innovative gifting options, tailored to the evolving preferences of our consumers by offering a wide price and pack range. We have further elevated the premium gifting portfolio by introducing Cadbury Silk and Bournville packs to meet the growing demand across the spectrum.

He further said that, “As we move into the heart of the festive season, our focus is on connecting with consumers wherever they are-whether through digital platforms, in-store experiences, or by facilitating the special moments they share with loved ones. Our investment strategy reflects this dual approach, ensuring we’re present across the right touch points while delivering the emotional connections consumers seek from an iconic brand like Cadbury Celebrations. For instance, to enhance our storytelling and brand connect, this year’s Diwali campaign, ‘Message pe muh meetha nai hota,’ emphasizes the significance of in-person connections in an increasingly digital world. Cadbury Celebrations urges families to move beyond virtual greetings and rediscover the warmth of togetherness, aiming to create lasting memories through meaningful, face-to-face interactions that celebrate the true essence of the festive season,” he concludes.

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Brands

Netflix India names Rekha Rane director of films and series marketing

Streaming giant bets on a seasoned marketer who helped build Amazon and Netflix into household names

Published

3 days ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Netflix has put a proven brand builder at the helm of its films and series marketing in India, naming Rekha Rane as director in a move that signals sharper focus on audience growth and cultural cut-through in one of its most hotly contested markets.

Rane steps into the role after seven years at Netflix, where she has quietly shaped how the platform sells stories to India. Her latest promotion, effective February 2026, crowns a run that spans brand, slate and product marketing across originals, licensed content and new verticals such as games.

A strategic marketing and communications professional with roughly 15 years’ experience, Rane has spent much of her career building technology-led consumer businesses and new categories, notably e-commerce and subscription video on demand. She was part of the early push that introduced Amazon.in, Prime Video and Netflix to Indian homes, then helped turn them into everyday brands.

At Netflix, she most recently served as head of brand and slate marketing for India from March 2024 to February 2026, leading teams across media and marketing for global and local content portfolios. Before that, as manager for original films and series marketing, she led IP creation and go-to-market strategy for titles including Guns and Gulaabs, Kaala Paani, The Railway Men* and The Great Indian Kapil Show, spanning both binge and weekly-release formats.

Her earlier Netflix roles covered product discovery and promotion in India and integrated campaign strategy to drive conversations around the content slate, product awareness and brand-equity metrics.

Before Netflix, Rane logged more than three years at Amazon in brand marketing roles in Bengaluru. There she handled national and regional campaigns for Amazon.in, worked on customer assistance programmes in growth geographies and contributed to the go-to-market strategy for the launch of Prime Video India.

Her career began well away from streaming. At Reliance Brands in Mumbai, she worked on retail marketing for Diesel and Superdry. A stint at Leo Burnett saw her work on primary research for P&G Tide, mapping Indian shoppers’ paths to purchase. Earlier still, at Orange in the United Kingdom, she rose from sales assistant to store manager, running a team and owning monthly P&L for a retail outlet.

The arc is telling. As global streamers fight for attention in a crowded Indian market, executives who understand both mass retail behaviour and digital habit-building are prized. Rane’s career sits at that intersection.

For Netflix, the bet is simple: in a market spoilt for choice, sharp marketing can still tilt the screen. And with Rane now leading the charge, the streamer is signalling it wants not just viewers, but fandom.

Brands

Orient Beverages pops the fizz with steady Q3 gains and rising profits

Kolkata-based beverage maker reports stronger revenues and profits for December quarter.

Published

3 days ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: A fizzy quarter with a steady aftertaste that’s how Orient Beverages Limited, the company that manufactures and distributes packaged drinking water under the brand name Bisleri closed the December 2025 period, as the Kolkata-based drinks maker reported improved revenues and a healthy rise in profits, signalling operational stability in a competitive beverage market.

For the quarter ended December 31, 2025, Orient Beverages posted standalone revenue from operations of Rs 39.98 crore, up from Rs 36.42 crore in the previous quarter and Rs 33.53 crore in the same quarter last year. Total income for the quarter stood at Rs 42.24 crore, reflecting consistent demand and stable pricing across its beverage portfolio.

Profit before tax for the quarter came in at Rs 3.47 crore, a sharp improvement from Rs 1.31 crore in the September quarter and Rs 0.39 crore a year ago. After accounting for tax expenses of Rs 0.79 crore, the company reported a net profit of Rs 2.68 crore, nearly three times the Rs 0.99 crore recorded in the preceding quarter.

On a nine-month basis, the momentum remained intact. Revenue from operations for the period ended December 31, 2025 rose to Rs 117.66 crore, compared with Rs 106.95 crore in the corresponding period last year. Net profit for the nine months climbed to Rs 5.51 crore, more than double the Rs 2.18 crore reported in the same period of the previous financial year.

The consolidated numbers told a similar story. For the December quarter, consolidated revenue from operations stood at Rs 45.06 crore, while profit after tax came in at Rs 2.06 crore. For the nine-month period, consolidated revenue touched Rs 133.57 crore, with net profit of Rs 4.49 crore, underscoring the group’s improving profitability trajectory.

Operating expenses remained largely controlled, with cost of materials, employee benefits and other expenses broadly aligned with revenue growth. The company continued to operate within a single reportable segment beverages simplifying its cost structure and reporting framework.

The unaudited financial results were reviewed by the Audit Committee and approved by the Board of Directors at its meeting held on 7 February 2026. Statutory auditors carried out a limited review and reported no material misstatements in the results.

In a market where margins are often squeezed by input costs and competition, Orient Beverages’ latest numbers suggest the company has found a reliable rhythm not explosive, but steady enough to keep the fizz alive.

Brands

BCCL profit jumps 53 per cent in FY25 as tax bill shrinks

Revenue rises 4.3 per cent to Rs 10,209.33 crore while deferred tax gain lifts bottom line sharply

Published

3 days ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

NEW DELHI: Bennett, Coleman and Company (BCCL) has posted a sparkling set of financial results for the year ended 31 March 2025, proving that there is still plenty of ink and gold left in the ledger.

Revenue from operations climbed a steady 4.3 per cent, reaching Rs 10,209.33 crore compared to Rs 9,786.44 crore the previous year. When you sprinkle in other income, which rose 8.9 per cent to Rs 949.36 crore, the total income for the media behemoth hit a healthy Rs 11,158.69 crore.

While the income grew at a modest pace, the bottom line tells a far more dramatic story. The real headline is the 53 per cent surge in annual profit. How did they pull off such a feat? While Profit Before Tax (PBT) saw a gentle nudge upward of 2.7 per cent to Rs 1,610.00 crore, it was a vanishing act by the taxman that really did the trick.

Total tax expenses plummeted by 32.4 per cent, dropping from Rs 468.76 crore down to Rs 316.97 crore. This was largely thanks to a swing in deferred tax, moving from an expense of Rs 156.02 crore in FY24 to a benefit of Rs 39.44 crore this year.

Total income rose from Rs 10,658.55 crore in FY24 to Rs 11,158.69 crore in FY25, marking a 4.7 per cent increase. Total expenses grew at a slower pace, up 3.0 per cent from Rs 9,306.06 crore to Rs 9,581.45 crore. Profit before tax inched up 2.7 per cent, moving from Rs 1,567.02 crore to Rs 1,610.00 crore. However, the standout figure was net profit, which jumped sharply by 53.0 per cent, climbing from Rs 1,042.03 crore in FY24 to Rs 1,594.73 crore in FY25.

Despite the rising costs of doing business across the globe, BCCL kept a tight grip on the purse strings. Total expenses rose by just 3.0 per cent to Rs 9,581.45 crore. By keeping costs lower than the rate of income growth, the company ensured that the final figure, a net profit of Rs 1,594.73 crore, was nothing short of a front-page sensation.

In a world of shifting digital tides, it seems the BCCL ship is not just steady, but sailing into significantly wealthier waters.