Category: Brands

Mumbai: Blissclub, the leading activewear brand for Indian women, is thrilled to introduce Big Bliss Drop – a monthly event introducing all its new launches in a single day. Set to take place on 17 August, the first edition of Big Bliss Drop promises to be exceptional, featuring a diverse range of styles.

In a market where activewear is rapidly evolving, Blissclub stands out by seamlessly blending comfort, performance, and style tailored to Indian women. One of the highlights of this drop is the limited edition ‘Flow Collection,’ showcasing four distinct styles of pants: Wide-leg, Flare, Capris, and Straight Pants. Starting at just Rs. 1499, these styles come in an array of soothing pastel hues. The collection epitomises the concept of versatile “everything” pants that effortlessly transition from workouts to lounging, and can even be dressed up for various occasions. As a brand, they wanted to introduce new silhouettes which add versatility of function & style to her wardrobe at a sweet price point.

In addition, the Big Bliss Drop introduces an exciting addition to Blissclub’s high-impact category – the ‘Power-Up Training Pants.’ For active women engaged in diverse indoor and outdoor workouts – such as jogging in the park and rigorous gym training – the Power-Up Pencil Pants are engineered to excel. These innovative pants keep wearers sweat-free in all environments, offering sun protection and featuring a stable waistband that remains in place during vigorous activities.

Mumbai: The Famous Orders platform has seen global success at McDonald’s, from Travis Scott Meal to BTS Meal. Customers in India are in for a delicious treat as McDonald’s India – North and East has introduced the Kartik Aaryan Meal, which includes Kartik’s favorites from the menu. The Kartik Aaryan Meal includes his favourite, go-to menu items from McDonald’s – the classic McAloo Tikki Burger, delicious Cheesy Fries, ever-so favourite Pizza McPuff with a Regular Beverage, served as a 4-piece meal. To the fans’ delight, the 4-piece meal will be served in a special Kartik Aaryan-themed, QR-code enabled packaging offering fans an opportunity to take a virtual selfie with their favorite celebrity.

Kartik Aaryan is McDonald’s India – North and East brand ambassador, and extremely popular among youth and families. This unique association presents an opportunity for Kartik’s fans to experience the Bollywood star’s go-to McDonald’s order and feel even closer to him.

Talking about the launch, McDonald’s India – North and East managing director Rajeev Ranjan said, “What unites all our customers, fans and famous celebrities, is that everyone has their go-to McDonald’s order! We are super excited about this collaboration with Kartik to bring his favourite go-to McDonald’s order for our customers. Our delicious food served in an exclusive packaging inspired by Kartik’s own style, with opportunities to engage with him, will help bring our customers closer to their favourite superstar.”

“I am thrilled to see my favourite McDonald’s go-to order come to life,” exclaimed Aaryan. “I have always been a McDonald’s fan and having a meal at McDonald’s named after me is truly a big moment! For many years, I have enjoyed the McAloo Tikki burger, beverages and Pizza McPuff. And to add my recent favourite – Cheesy Fries, the combination makes for a delicious, perfect go-to meal. I am very excited to share my McDonald’s go-to order with my fans. I truly hope people will enjoy my favourite McDonald’s order as much as I do.”

The Kartik Aaryan Meal is now available across McDonald’s restaurants in North and East India or through Swiggy, Zomato or Magic Pin), as well as via take-away, or drive-thru for a limited time.

Mumbai: What would you do with the ‘Power of Infiniti’ at your fingertips, that lets you simply zap your way to your Licious favs, that too, with infinite benefits? Watch how an ardent Licious fan enjoys her newfound superpower of ‘Infiniti’ and effortlessly triumphs at mealtimes with an extensive spread of mutton handi, fish fry, crispy chicken, kebabs and more. All this, ‘cause she’s got the power – of Licious Infiniti. Your most-loved meat and seafood brand, Licious, today announced its Infiniti Program – a rewards-based program that offers infinite benefits upon ordering from the Licious App. The program marks the brand’s 8-year anniversary and aims to gratify consumers for their unwavering love and patronage. As the name suggests, Licious Infiniti offers delights as assured cashback, free delivery and money-back guarantee, with absolutely zero terms and conditions attached. If this doesn’t get your Licious-party started, watch the campaign film here and groove along as you dig into crispy prawns and chicken curry.

Licious VP Santosh Hegde tells us more about the Licious Infiniti program & its film, “Licious has always been a part of celebrations & special occasions with its consumers. With Licious Infiniti we are giving our consumers another reason to engage with the brand as we celebrate our 8-year anniversary. And what could be better than gratifying our consumers’ love & loyalty than with infinite benefits & unconditional meaty offers. Much like the Licious fan in the film, we aim to empower our consumers with the Infiniti program and delight them further with rewards as they zap their way to juicy, delectable Licious products.”

The film opens on our protagonist wondering what she should order from Licious, a scene that perhaps most of us can relate to. As she’s browsing through the App, the playful beckoning of Licious Infiniti entices her to tap on it, and she finds the ‘Power of Infiniti’ on her fingertips, quite literally! The scene suddenly transforms and there is a definite zing in the air. What happens thereon is every Licious fan’s dream come true – she zaps away her Licious favourites, plate after plate, because she’s got the power! From fish fry, crispy chicken to chicken curry & mutton handi – the meaty delights just keep coming, as the rewards from Licious Infiniti go on and on and on. The party continues as the family gathers over the dinner table, digging into the wide spread of choices of meat and seafood delicacies. As a rather bewildered child exclaims “Kya jadoo hain!”, our empowered protagonist  reveals the secret source of her newfound power to be Licious Infiniti. Amidst much drool & delight, the film concludes with details of Licious Infiniti and its many benefits.

Mumbai: TAM India has released a report on advertising on news genre for the period Jan-Jun 2023.

During the first half of 2023, there was a decline of six per cent in advertising volumes within the news genre. In contrast, the period between January and June 2022 experienced a slight increase of five per cent compared to the same months in 2021.

Services, food & beverages and building, industrial & land materials/equipments retained their first, second & third positions during Jan-Jun’23 compared to Jan-Jun’22. ‘Personal Accessories’ was the only new entrant in top ten list of sectors during Jan-Jun’23.  The top ten sectors together added 80 per cent share of ad volumes during Jan-Jun’23.

The top ten categories together added 27 per cent share of ad volumes in Jan-Jun’23. Apart from cement and building materials/systems, all the categories in the top ten list witnessed positive rank shift during

Jan-Jun’23. Cars ascended to second position during Jan-Jun’23 compared to Jan-Jun’22.

Reckitt Benckiser (India) & Hindustan Lever retained their first & second positions during Jan-Jun’23 compared to Jan-Jun’22. The top ten advertisers together added 22 per cent share of ad volumes during Jan-Jun’23. Reckitt Benckiser (India), Patanjali Ayurved, GCMMF & Lalithaa Jewellery Mart observed positive rank shift during Jan-Jun’23.

During Jan-Jun’23, more than 6.8K brands were present on TV. Notably, three of the top ten brands belonged to ‘Reckitt Benckiser (India)’.

‘Cars’ category saw highest increase in ad secondages with growth of 71 per cent. In terms of growth percentage among top ten categories, biscuits witnessed highest growth of two times during Jan-Jun’23.

During Jan-Jun’23, ‘Hindi News’ was the leading subgenre for advertising with 19 per cent share of ad volumes. Top five channel subgenres accounted for 57 per cent share of ad volumes during Jan-Jun’23.

Mumbai: Bisleri and the five-time champion Mumbai Indians announced a three-year partnership deal. As an official hydration partner, Bisleri will be seen promoting a healthy and fit lifestyle to its large consumer base and driving youth connections. The association is set to begin with the 2023 cricket season.

Commenting on the collaboration, Bisleri International vice chairperson Jayanti Chauhan said, “As a progressive brand, Bisleri has always advocated the importance of staying hydrated. Through this association, we would like to celebrate the spirit of sportsmanship, performance, and the strong connection hydration has with being healthy and fit. We are pleased to partner with one of the country’s favourite teams, the Mumbai Indians, on this journey and script a powerful success story.”

“We are happy to have Bisleri on board as we go into the new season. This partnership is a testament to the shared commitment to excellence and will work together to build a strong affinity with our much-loved MI Paltan across the world,” added Mumbai Indians spokesperson.                                                                                                                                                                             

Wavemaker India played a key role in establishing the partnership for Bisleri with the franchises. “This marks the beginning of a collaboration of a brand with 50 years of legacy and the most followed league in India. With Bisleri being the hydration partner to these top teams, we believe it is an excellent platform to connect with the fans,” said Wavemaker India chief client officer & office head, west Shekhar Banerjee.

Bisleri has also partnered with last year’s winning team, the Gujarat Titans, and a series of marathons across the country as part of its efforts to promote hydration messaging. It aims to reach a wider audience and strengthen its brand connection, especially among millennials and gen-z.

Mumbai: One of India’s leading sleep solutions brands, Duroflex, has made senior-level appointments in its team. Rajat Rastogi has been roped in as the chief financial officer and Rajesh Kumar Dash as the product and category head. These appointments are in line with the company’s vision, which aims to go public in three or four years. As a significant member of the executive leadership team, Rastogi will be overseeing all aspects of finance and accounting as the company heads towards growth.

Rastogi has over 20 years of corporate finance experience across a variety of industries, from FMCG to e-commerce. Previously, he held the role of finance head at Udaan.com and has also worked at Livspace, Flipkart, Coca-Cola, and Fosroc Chemicals.

Rastogi’s core strengths are financial reporting for statutory compliance, business performance measurement, and financial modelling & forecasting. As chief financial officer at Duroflex, Rastogi will be responsible for ensuring the organisation’s strong financial health. He will oversee FP&A and controllership functions, lead funding discussions, work with department heads to analyse financial data, and develop the company’s financial strategy. He will also consult with the board of directors and business heads of Duroflex.

Dash is a product and marketing expert with 20 years of experience in P&L, product & category management, portfolio management, and life cycle management.

He has previously worked with Youkraft, Zee TV, Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting, Pentair India, and T-Net Japan. An ardent advocate of consumer-centricity, Dash will lead product and category management at Duroflex.

Commenting on this appointment, Duroflex CEO Mohanraj J said, “We are pleased to welcome Rastogi to the Duroflex family. His extensive experience across multiple industries will contribute to our growth and help us develop a strategic roadmap for our IPO. We look forward to working with him to become a prominent sleep solutions organisation with our aggressive expansion plans.”

Rastogi said, “I’m very excited to join Duroflex. Over the past few years, they have grown remarkably, thanks to the agile leadership team and focused efforts towards becoming India’s sleep expert. I look forward to working with the team and collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to accelerate the company’s strategic growth and path to profitability.”

Dash said, “I am excited to join Duroflex. The organisation’s culture is based on a strongly held and widely shared set of beliefs that are supported by strategy and structure. They have some of the smartest minds with strong technical expertise, a data-driven mindset, passion for products, and strategic thinking. I am excited about being part of the growth journey of Duroflex to become the most admired brand in the sleep and comfort industry.”

Mumbai: Muthoot Homefin (India) Ltd. (MHIL), Muthoot Finance’s wholly owned housing finance subsidiary, announced that it aims to improve its leadership in order to become the most trusted institution that enriches the lives of lower middle-income (LMI) households by providing formal housing finance and achieving financial inclusion.

Alok Aggarwal joined MHIL as its new CEO after previously serving as the MD & CEO of National Trust Housing Finance Ltd. He will oversee MHIL’s future growth plan as its new CEO and address the enormous unmet demand for retail home loans. He will also be concentrating on growing the home financing industry, particularly in tier 2 and tier 3 cities.

Speaking on the appointment of Aggarwal, Muthoot Finance chairman George Jacob Muthoot said, “There exists a significant gap between the housing demand and availability of housing finance to the underbanked/marginalised section. Muthoot Homefin remains focused on bridging this divide and fulfilling the housing dreams of people at the bottom of the pyramid. The pandemic also further reinforced the need for housing, with real estate emerging as a resilient asset class. As a result, the demand for retail housing loans has continued to witness strong traction. With Aggarwal joining the leadership team, we aim to capitalise on his expertise to spearhead the growth in housing finance business and also contribute significantly towards the Government’s mission of ‘Housing for All’.”

With 20 years of expertise under his belt, Aggarwal has produced outstanding results and enhanced the performance of the businesses in a variety of markets, including mortgage, auto loans, personal loans, and retail investment products.

He is a veteran who has experience in establishing relationships with all stakeholders, including regulators, commercial banks, rating agencies, board members, peers in the sector, and employees. He is well-versed in the rules and policies under the NHB and RBI standards.

Aggarwal formerly held executive positions with companies like Equitas Bank, Fullerton India HFC, Magma Housing Finance, Lodha Group, and Tata Capital.

Aggarwal earned his MBA from the ICFAI Business School in Hyderabad as well as a bachelor’s degree in commerce with honours from the University of Delhi.

Commenting on the new role, Aggarwal said, “I am thankful and excited to become a part of the Muthoot Group and lead Muthoot Homefin. The Muthoot Group is trusted widely and being a part of the larger Muthoot group ecosystem, Muthoot Homefin can leverage on the strong brand presence of the parent, its reach to over four crore customer base and also access to lower cost of funds. While we are seeing increasing demand trends across many states, demand remains strong especially in states like Maharashtra and Gujarat. The collection efficiency was largely stable during the pandemic, and hopefully with no fresh waves on the horizon, we expect healthy collection efficiency in the upcoming quarters. From an AUM of Rs 1,420 crore, we aim to grow our loan book at 10-15 per cent by the end of FY23. We further plan to improve our branch penetration across the remote locations in the country by opening 50 new branches in FY2023. Apart from a strong offline presence, we will also be actively tapping tech-savvy customers with our strong digital presence.”

“We remain committed towards growing and supporting the housing finance business of Muthoot Homefin. Although the demand for housing loans has been steady during the pandemic, we had adopted a cautious stance towards growing the housing finance business due to the challenges customers faced on the cash flow front. Now with the pandemic behind us, we are witnessing buoyancy in the affordable housing sector across all the key states that we are present in. Given the improvement in the overall operating environment, we aim to further tap the opportunity in the retail housing segment and grow the business. It is a great pleasure to onboard Aggarwal as the CEO and I am confident that his vast experience in leading the housing finance segment in previous organisations will help us in becoming a leading player in this space. I am happy that he joins our team at a really good time as we are focused on expanding our services to new geographies and customers,” said Muthoot Finance managing director George Alexander Muthoot.

MHIL’s loan portfolio stood at Rs 1,420 crore as of H1 FY23. Total revenue for Q2 FY23 stood at Rs 39 crore, and profit after tax was Rs 2 crore for the same period. MHIL’s credit rating has been upgraded to AA+/stable by Crisil Ltd., which will allow them to raise funds even more competitively and further pass on the benefits to their end customers to help them own their dream home.

Mumbai: Kimberly Clark brings a fresh new identity for its iconic brand Huggies with the relaunch of Huggies Complete Comfort in India. Based on extensive consumer research, the relaunch focuses on the core proposition of 5-in-1 comfort which includes key attributes like softness and absorption. The brand is going to embrace an all-new visual language via its packaging design across the range that spotlights the brand’s key attributes and consumer benefits.

To mark the relaunch, Huggies has rolled out its new campaign, ‘We got you, baby’ that promises to make the world a more comfortable place for babies. Conceptualized by Ogilvy India, the endearing launch film uses the baby’s voice as a creative device to highlight their discomforts with diapers. Huggies comes to their rescue by providing five comforts in one diaper that includes bubble bed softness, 12-hour absorption, triple leak guard, breathable material, and a comfy fit waistband. 

Kimberly Clark India marketing director Saakshi Verma Menon said, “Huggies as a brand has always strived to go the extra mile to make the world a more comfortable place for babies. Through extensive consumer research, we realized that babies need complete comfort with multiple benefits in one product. We are proud to introduce the new ‘Huggies Complete Comfort’ to our Indian consumers to help babies and their parents navigate the unknowns of babyhood. Our research showed that nine out of 10 moms feel that Huggies is more comfortable than their regular diaper which reinforces the trust that consumers have in this iconic brand.”

On the campaign, she added, “We are launching a digital-first campaign across platforms where mums today are spending most of their time. The content is hyper-personalised and contextualised to specific consumer cohorts for heightened relevance and engagement. 

Also, as a challenger brand in India, it is imperative for us to break the clutter and stand out as a preferred brand. Our creative partners at Ogilvy have cracked an enjoyable and distinctive way of landing the key message which is sure to cement our position in the hearts of our consumers.”

Commenting on the film, Ogilvy India chief creative officer Sukesh Kumar Nayak said, “To get the attention of parents, in our new campaign for Huggies, babies go on a protest to boycott incomplete diapers that do not have full comfort. Voicing their displeasure in a disruptive narrative, babies seek a diaper that provides more than the usual fare of dryness, for one which actually gives complete comfort.  

As the baby’s wingman, Huggies helps babies word their unspoken needs with a message that is playfully irreverent and memorable to ensure their problems are heard loud and clear. And solved with the new Huggies Complete Comfort diapers which will never allow babies to settle for incomplete comfort.”

 The Huggies Complete Comfort range is now available in offline stores and on e-commerce platforms.