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Category: Brands

  • BARC Week 33 : HUL remains top advertiser

    BARC Week 33 : HUL remains top advertiser

    Mumbai: The top-ten advertiser list for Barc Week 33 was led by FMCG giant Hindustan Unilever with ad volumes of 4393.11 (‘000 secs). The second position was secured by Reckitt Benckiser India which registered total ad volume of 4143.51.

    Cadburys India was at the third spot, though at 838.96 (‘000 secs) its ad volumes were significantly lower than that of RB. Godrej Consumer Products, and Brooke Bond Lipton India stood fourth and fifth respectively. UNSP-GEN-PERSONAL Greetings/Announcement was the new entrant at number six. It was followed by Procter & Gamble, Asian Paints (I), Colgate Palmolive India and ITC.

    Among the brands, RB’s Brand Dettol dominated with four products including Dettol Toilet Soap at the first position (643.18), Dettol at the second, Dettol Antisepctic Liquid at fourth and Dettol Liquid Soap at the sixth spot. Independence Day Greetings and Asian Paints Royale Glitz broke the monotony of the FMCG dominated list at number three and seven, respectively.

    Horlicks, Lizol, Harpic Power Plus 10X Max Clean and Clinic Plus Shampoo were also among the top-ten most advertised brands.

  • GUEST COLUMN: FMCG companies took to apps, bet big on direct-to-consumer reach

    GUEST COLUMN: FMCG companies took to apps, bet big on direct-to-consumer reach

    Mumbai: The eruption of COVID-19 has left millions and millions of businesses scurrying for survival. Although somewhat less affected than some categories, the FMCG companies also faced headwinds for some time. And to counter these headwinds, technology has been the single most important intervention that they have employed during these trying times. And of the technologies, applications enabling a direct route to the consumer as well as other businesses in the value chain have been most prominent.

    While placing their faith in these applications, FMCG companies have also recast their value chains weeding out unnecessary elements at various levels allowing themselves greater leverage vis-à-vis their vendor partners and establishing a more direct connect with their end-consumers. And among FMCG firms, food companies, or those with prominent food product portfolios have been particularly noteworthy for taking the app route.  A step ahead of general trade, modern trade, or even traditional e-commerce channels, these apps have been popular yet necessary go-to modes for these companies.

    The big B2C advantage

    How does B2C prove to be advantageous for FMCG companies? Until now, customer-relationship building and acquiring customer insights were largely the preserve of the retailer community. However, what B2C apps do is that they facilitate a direct and one-on-one company-to-consumer relationship, with the former no more having to make efforts to establish bonding with a faceless consumer. On top of allowing deeper end-consumer insights for companies and brands, they can catalyse more relevant and individualised product and service propositions by the brand to the consumer thus leading to a more enriching customer experience which in turn would drive increased customer acquisition, conversion, and retention for the brand. And needless to say, the power balance between the brand and the retailer is further shifted in favour of the brand and away from the retailer.

    B2B applications not too far away

    However, this taking to applications has not been limited to B2C channels. FMCG companies have also incorporated apps in their business processes directly targeting retailers and kirana stores who offload their products and serve as a last-mile seller/supplier to end-consumers. Identifying and prioritising retailers who delivered top volume businesses, the companies made sure that the retailers continued to place orders for their products, and even more efficiently using these applications than they did before. In fact, thanks to Covid, the earlier forecasts projecting a contribution of around 10 per cent digital channels in the total FMCG market in the next ten years in the country has been advanced to next three to four years now. And at the same time, cutting out or minimising the role of distributors especially in terms of selection of retail outlets, the brands have reclaimed their power vis-à-vis the latter while effecting greater streamlining and consolidation of their distribution systems.

    Proliferation of new products

    While pivoting to digital technologies, B2C and B2B apps, the FMCG companies have also realigned their product portfolios in a major way capitalising on the shifting consumer preferences and behavior in times of the pandemic. And as part of this realignment, there has been a proliferation of new and innovative products which have been introduced to the market in the last few months. With health and hygiene being a predominant consumer focus, as many as 3,000 products in the health and hygiene category have been estimated to be launched in the September quarter alone last year. Earlier, in the April-September quarter, as many as 9,700 new products were launched by FMCG companies. Mindful of and in response to the country-wide lockdowns in place and customers being confined to their homes, 125 products were introduced in-home cooking segment alone during March-August 2020 in categories including ketchup, jams, cheese, and milk powders.

    Exploring alternative channels of distribution too

    Even as D2C apps gain traction, the FMCG companies are also exploring tie-ups with new-age delivery startups, food-tech service players, food aggregators, hyper-local apps, and courier firms to have their products delivered to the doorsteps of the end-consumer. In fact, some FMCG companies are also making product-specific tie-ups with delivery platforms and micro delivery platforms.

    Digitisation not limited to distribution: Influencer marketing gets a boost

    Rising uptake in apps and the broader digitisation has not only been confined to retail and distribution but also advertising and marketing. And riding on the increasingly entrenched position of social media and its consumption, influencer marketing has become a big part of FMCG’s digital marketing strategy in recent years. According to a report, globally, nearly a fifth (19 per cent) of FMCG companies have raised their influencer spending significantly as compared to pre-COVID-19 levels. And within India, during the festive season campaign alone, influencer marketing saw a 20 per cent jump in campaigns. A digital marketing agency has estimated India’s influencer market at $75-150 million a year, as compared to the global market of $1.75 billion, which is only set to get bigger in the coming months and years.

    Other technologies that could aid the B2C momentum

    At the same time, apart from apps, there are several related B2C technologies and platforms that could add teeth to the ongoing B2C drive. They could range from customer data platforms to data management platforms to marketing automation tools to business intelligence and data visualization tools to social listening tools, among others.

    So, in the future, there is no doubt that the B2C apps as part of an FMCG company’s digitisation program will acquire a more permanent dimension. Notwithstanding a resurgence of Covid in certain states, now with vaccination underway and revival of consumer sentiment in urban India, FMCG businesses including food companies are set to see greater activity and growth.  

    (Manish Aggarwal is director, Bikano, Bikanervala Foods Pvt Ltd. The views expressed in the column are personal and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)

  • Brands pin hopes on Onam sales to tide over COVID gloom

    Brands pin hopes on Onam sales to tide over COVID gloom

    Mumbai: Kerala’s biggest festival of the year- Onam is finally here, flagging off the start of the festive season for the rest of the country. After some lacklustre years marred by natural calamities and floods, and followed by the pandemic in 2020, there is a lot of hope riding on the ten-day harvest festival this year. For businesses and brands across the state, Onam is poised to mark the revival of the shopping season.

    “Not just last year, but the last three years have also been a washout,” says Malayala Manorama VP – marketing & advertising sales, Varghese Chandy. “The Kerala floods impacted sentiments for 2018-19 and COVID-19 impacted sentiments for 2020. Even 2021 has been impacted by the pandemic but I must say that it’s turning positive. The reason being, there is a lot of pent-up demand and COVID-19 restrictions have been eased.”

    Kerala government has eased the lockdown protocols for the duration of the festival, providing a much-needed shot in the arm to retailers and businesses in the state. Effective till 23 August, all markets and shops across the state can remain open six days a week from 7 a.m to 9 p.m.

    “I am seeing that shops are full of customers and people are going out to buy things they could not buy for a long time. Onam is the season for shopping and it is the first large festival to kick off the festive season. This will incentivise consumers to buy what they want,” says Chandy. “The white goods, brown goods, and e-commerce categories are active. Since the CBSE, ICSE and Kerala State Board results have been announced, the education category is also very active.”

    On the movies front, Malayalam films have taken a backseat because theatres are still not open. However, lots of movies are moving to OTT platforms and finding a new audience.

    According to Mathrubhumi Group head- media solutions (TRD), Naveen Sreenivasan, there was a lot of uncertainty in July, but advertising picked up as markets opened up for the festive season, and it now looks poised for a “safe but healthy Onam”. “We are experiencing a build-up of advertising, and advertising from local brands and retailers are also picking up. Industries such as FMCG, consumer durables, retail, e-commerce, and automobiles are bouncing back which is a positive sentiment for the season,” he concurs.

    On the presence of digital brands on TV sustaining through Onam, Sreenivasan says that the brands and advertisers are well aware of the significance the festival holds as a marker of the beginning of the festive season in the country. Hence, they will make sure to capitalise on this opportunity to reach out to their TG at every level. “Companies prefer this time of the year for launches and sales drives to attract consumers at large; and TV news, with high reach especially in Kerala, is always impactful. Digital brands have certainly increased their advertising share for this season as well,” he adds.

    The opening up of retail will give businesses a chance at recovery after the bludgeoning dealt by the pandemic, also serving as an impetus for consumers to make purchases ahead of festivities. This uptick in consumer sentiment is also reflected in the numbers put out by the Retailers Association of India (RAI) in its latest Retail Business Survey. The survey indicated that retail businesses in South India have shown a sharp comeback in July 2021 with sales at 82 per cent of the pre-pandemic levels (July 2019), as against 50 per cent sales in June 2021. It further expects a significant recovery in sales in the upcoming festival season, provided restrictions on modern retail are relaxed across the country.

    Brands too have taken note of the cautiously celebratory mood in the state this year and have gone all out, launching new campaigns and festive deals across the board.

    Fashion e-tailer Myntra announced the launch of its first mega-brand campaign in Kerala, featuring its new brand ambassador, South superstar Dulquer Salmaan, ahead of Onam. The brand hopes that Dulquer’s presence in the campaign will strengthen Myntra’s men’s wear category and help in building brand salience with consumers across the state and beyond. It is implementing a 360-degree approach, leveraging TV, digital and social platforms to deliver the campaign ad film in Kerala.

    Short video app, Moj too has launched an Onam celebration campaign with prominent Malayalam actor and celebrity Anu Sithara called #MojOnaghosham to turn the spotlight on celebrating Onam virtually. The ten-day-long campaign is being hosted by the actor and will see participation from popular Moj creators who will be seen celebrating the festival in all its regional fervour. Since a community celebration is not feasible amidst the COVID-19 restrictions, #MojOnaghosham has been designed to reciprocate the madness around the physical celebration of the festival in Kerala, by taking cues from the community-driven celebrations.

    Moj senior director – content strategy, Shashank Shekhar said, “The #MojOnaghosham campaign has received great engagement so far and we are sure it will add more joy to the grand celebrations that our creators are planning. The campaign was designed on the premise of the traditional Onam celebrations with people participating in competitions organised by the local communities. Our attempt is to replicate the experience virtually and the challenges are modelled on cultural nuances that connect our community to the essence of the festival.”

    With the uptick in the consumer sentiment in the state, gold and diamond retail chain headquartered in Kerala’s Kozhikode, Malabar Gold & Diamonds, also kicked off the latest edition of its ‘Brides of India’ campaign featuring its celebrity brand ambassadors, Anil Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor last week. The campaign will be played on TV and OTT platforms with plans to occupy print media space too later.

    Ahead of Kerala’s biggest festival, Snapdeal announced its brand campaign ‘Brand Waali Quality, Bazaar Waali Deal’ in the southern markets, including Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, which are a significant customer base for the e-tailer. The campaign that targets savvy, value-conscious buyers of fashion, accessories, homeware, and more, will be LIVE across all social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and OTT entertainment networks like Hotstar and MX Player.

    Taking a unique approach in the Malayalam speaking market, Snapdeal will run the campaign with Youtube Creator Promotions and Facebook Branded Content Ads only and has partnered with 30+ creators/influencers like Kalidas Jayaram, Ahaana Krishna, and Shamees Kitchen to create 100+ content pieces that will reach out to relevant audiences in Kerala & other southern states during this festive times.

    Adding flavor to the Onam celebrations, DTH brand DishTV has also announced a slew of attractive offers to delight its new and existing customers as it joins the Onam celebrations in Kerala. Regional TV channels, not wanting to miss out on the Onam frenzy, have announced world television premieres of the latest Malayalam films.

    Home appliances brand, Haier India also announced exciting offers on its products across categories this Onam season.

    In times that have been challenging in many ways for the world at large, the festive season holds a promise of hope for both brands as well as consumers.

  • Amway India onboards Mirabai Chanu as brand ambassador

    Amway India onboards Mirabai Chanu as brand ambassador

    Mumbai: FMCG major Amway India, through Emmanuel Global Consultancies, has partnered with Olympian Saikhom Mirabai Chanu as the brand ambassador to promote Amway and its Nutrilite range of products. 

    Chanu will spearhead brand campaigns focused on its foundation range such as Nutrilite Daily, Omega and All Plant Protein amongst others, across platforms. The association with the Olympic medalist is in line with Amway’s focus on consolidating its health and nutrition category, especially targeting women and youth in the country, the company said in a statement.

    Amway India CEO Anshu Budhraja said, “Amway and Nutrilite symbolise the best of entrepreneurship, opportunity, women empowerment, nutrition, and wellness globally. Our association with Mirabai Chanu is a natural choice. She exemplifies our values of hope, commitment, self-empowerment, healthy living; and her commitment to fitness is unparalleled. This makes her the perfect partner to further amplify our ethos of helping people live better, healthier lives.” 

    “Our association with Ms Chanu is also a tribute to our incredible women leaders who have been leading from the front and re-imagining the future, for themselves, for their families, and ultimately for the society at large. Comprising over 60 per cent of direct sellers, women and youth are at the heart of this incredible organisation and are the enablers in helping us drive the commitment towards entrepreneurship to empower the women and our women,” he added.  

    Amway India chief marketing officer Ajay Khanna commented, “As the nation prepares to build their health and strengthen their immunity, we are delighted to welcome Mirabai Chanu to the Nutrilite family. Her unmatched dedication to fitness and youth appeal resonates well with Nutrilite’s world-class image offering the best of nature and the best of science for optimal health.” 

    Speaking about the brand association, Mirabai Chanu said, “Nutrilite is an iconic brand, recognised globally for its plant-based approach to dietary supplements. As a professional athlete, I am always looking for ways to improve my fitness and thereby, my game. Hence, proper nutrition through a balanced diet is extremely important for me. I am excited to join hands with Nutrilite –which is the world’s top vitamins and dietary supplements brand, committed to making people’s lives healthier.” 

  • HUL leads top ten advertiser list in Week 31: BARC

    HUL leads top ten advertiser list in Week 31: BARC

    Mumbai: Hindustan Unilever Ltd was the top advertiser across genres in BARC week 31 (31 July – 6 August), with ad volume of 5487.39 (‘000 secs). Grabbing the second position was Reckitt Benckiser (India) Ltd (3213.56).

    The top two brands were followed by Brooke Bond Lipton India Ltd, Cadbury’s India Ltd, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd, Colgate Palmolive India Ltd, Ponds India, Marico Ltd, ITC Ltd, and Lakme Lever Ltd in that order.

    Among the top ten advertised brands across genres Dettol led the tally with ad volumes of 514.79 (‘000 secs). Horlicks stood second at 406.82 (‘000 secs).

    The remaining list was dominated by FMCG brands including Vimal Elaichi Pan Masala, Dettol Toilet Soaps, Lizol, Clinic Plus Shampoo, Harpic Bathroom Cleaner, Surf Excel Body Wash, and Close Up Ever Fresh in that order again. Edtech brand WhiteHat Jr was an exception at 10th position.

  • Cashify onboards Rajkummar Rao as brand ambassador

    Cashify onboards Rajkummar Rao as brand ambassador

    Mumbai: Re-commerce marketplace Cashify on Tuesday announced that it has brought on board Rajkummar Rao as its first brand ambassador. The actor has signed a multi-year contract with the company and he will promote the products across digital media platforms through campaigns and promotional activities exclusively for the smartphone buyback category.

    The association with the actor comes at a time when the company is on a business expansion spree from online to offline, after having recently raised $15 million from Olympus Capital and has acquired UniShop to diversify its omni category services to users.

    The company said the partnership is expected to give a strong face to the brand’s philosophy as Rao personifies the brand ethos, which is reliability, responsiveness, approachability, and dynamic personality.

    “Rao is an exemplar of a self-made actor, someone who is extremely versatile in his choice of work and roles, delivering credible, authentic content for audiences. His story is an inspiration to the ‘aam aadmi’ of India and resonates with the spirit of our brand and aims to engender the same level of trust and dependability in our products and services,” said Cashify CEO and co-founder Mandeep Manocha.

    Manocha said at Cashify all refurbished devices go through multiple checks before making it to the end-user who gets a six-month warranty benefit as well. “We as a brand are constantly pushing the boundaries, as we aspire to be relevant and truly connect with our customers, much like the renowned actor,” he added.

    Speaking about the brand association, Rao said, “With the onset of COVID-19 pandemic, the concept of a distributed workforce and distance learning became a reality. Work, studies, and shopping all shifted to digital and have pushed users to buy second-hand gadgets but there were people who could not afford it. Cashify efforts in democratising technology by making it accessible to all by its various campaigns are commendable. As a brand ambassador, I seek for brands that I relate to and can be impactful for, and this partnership makes me fulfill that very purpose.”

  • The Sleep Company ropes in Anil Kapoor as brand ambassador

    The Sleep Company ropes in Anil Kapoor as brand ambassador

    Mumbai: D2C mattress maker The Sleep Company has introduced Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor as its first-ever brand ambassador.

    The brand looks to amplify its national presence through a slew of collaterals as well as digital campaigns which will be headlined by Kapoor and released this month, a statement said. “His dynamic personality and active lifestyle make him the perfect fit for The Sleep Company that believes that the start to a healthy lifestyle begins with sound sleep”, it added.
    “Having Anil Kapoor on board with The Sleep Company as brand ambassador is an absolute dream. His personality and lifestyle completely resonates with our product and we are thrilled to extend our relationship with him from customer to now, the face of the brand,” said The Sleep Company founder, Priyanka Salot. “With this association, we hope to leverage his unique brand of fun, quirk, and class to further amplify The Sleep Company’s unique value proposition and technology.”

    “If the last year and a half has taught us anything it’s that we need to take care of our physical and mental wellbeing, with sleep being critical to that self-care,” Anil Kapoor said. “It’s important for me to be able to believe in a brand first, before endorsing it and The Sleep Company is one such brand that I have full confidence in. I am excited to be associated with the brand and as a customer first, I can, without a doubt say that their patented SmartGRID mattress is truly a Eureka moment in sleep and comfort solutions.

  • Rediffusion appoints Suraj Nagappa as digital lead for south

    Rediffusion appoints Suraj Nagappa as digital lead for south

    New Delhi: Rediffusion SmartMedia has appointed Suraj Nagappa as the senior vice president. He will now take over as the agency’s digital lead in the south. Nagappa will be based out of Bangalore, and will also oversee the Chennai market, the agency said on Monday.

    With over two decades of experience in digital media strategy and planning, Nagappa has previously worked with Dentsu International, Dentsu Media, Ogilvy India, Omnicom Group, IPG Media Brands and Mediaturf Worldwide. He was last working with Isobar, a Dentsu agency which he joined in October, 2017. As head of South, he was responsible for generating insights as well as recommendations for different channels (display, SEM, email campaigns) based on data extracted from Google Analytics.

    On his new role, Nagappa said, “Rediffusion is readying a completely new team of domain experts in this space and together we hope to move the needle substantially for brands. There are so many opportunities today to more cost-effectively and cost-efficiently target consumers, which can benefit brands through the right use of tools and digital techniques.”

    Rediffusion joint president, Navonil Chatterjee said, “Suraj has many years of good digital experience. Being based in the hub of India’s Silicon Valley – Bangalore – he is ideally located to access and service all the new age brands coming out from Bangalore.”

  • MPL Sports unveils all-new sportswear collection

    MPL Sports unveils all-new sportswear collection

    Mumbai: MPL Sports, the official kit sponsor of the Indian Men’s, Women’s, and Under-19 Cricket Team, Thursday unveiled its all-new sportswear collection made for cricket fans.

    This comfortable and affordable range, spanning both performance and lifestyle wear, includes an official stadium jersey, training gear, and graphic tees. The pieces reflect the colours and iconography of the national team and feature exciting adaptations of unmistakable player styles, the brand said in a statement.

    Commenting on the launch, MPL and MPL Sports’ SVP – growth and marketing Abhishek Madhavan said, “Through our partnership with BCCI, our goal is to provide cricket fans with a wide range of affordable, quality merchandise that they can sport to flaunt their pride; this new launch underscores this commitment. In conceptualising the pieces, we took the official Team India jersey and added a modern flair for style and versatility, to give fans more than one way to support the team. This range—which is by far the most comprehensive official assortment in the Team’s history—will appeal to every single cricket fan who wants to rep the Team India colours while expressing their personal style.”

    The new range, along with the Team India retro limited over jersey, can be purchased on the MPL Sports website.