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Category: Brands

  • Innovation, customer-centric approach core to JHS Svendgaard’s marketing strategies

    Innovation, customer-centric approach core to JHS Svendgaard’s marketing strategies

    MUMBAI: One of the leading oral-care product manufacturers and exporters, JHS Svendgaard Laboratories Ltd, had an exciting 2018 with the company clocking in revenue of Rs 143 crore, besides adding some impressive clients towards its core contract manufacturing business of toothpaste, toothbrushes and mouthwash.

    Last month, the company even announced the expansion of its production capacity in South India to go beyond its current portfolio into other beauty items like creams, hair oils and shampoos. This will ease the company’s dependency on just the two northern plants.

    MD Nikhil Nanda, in an exclusive conversation with Indiantelevision.com, shared some insights into the marketing strategies of the company for the year that went by and what he is looking forward to in 2019. He also spoke on the evolving marketing scenario and how various brands are adapting to it.

    Edited excerpts:

    What was the year 2018 like for JHS Svendgaard and what are your plans for the coming year?

    We had a very exciting 2018 as we clocked in some good revenues and added new clients to our manufacturing business. Also, we saw our proprietary brand Aquawhite steadily gaining its market share in the category. Apart from that, we invested heavily in the kid’s range of Aquawhite™, which we are planning to launch in phases. The initial thrust is on Delhi/NCR market. The range has already been very well accepted at e-commerce platforms along with Big Bazaar, In&Out and leading outlets in Delhi.

    For the coming year, we have planned to invest in our newly launched character driven innovative and concept based kids range. We would like to create distribution benchmarks through the modern trade channel, e-commerce platforms and build our success through class A outlets in top cities around the country.

    What are the key marketing strategies that you are banking upon in 2019?

    As a company, we are driven by innovation and a consumer-centric approach. We want to consistently stay true to that and we believe that will be a strong reason for the consumers to accept us.

    Apart from the regular media and PR activities, we have recently signed Tiger Shroff as the brand ambassador for Aquawhite. He has a strong connection with the kids and we are sure the brand will thus be accepted by the audience at large. We are also looking at doing geography-targeted marketing through radio promotions in our key markets in order to engage our audience alike.

    According to you, how are the advertising and marketing trends evolving these days?

    Good content is ruling the market these days. Online video and paid search are driving the growth in global ad-spend, as advertisers focus on personalised and targeted communications. With advertisers now being able to use these channels to target with pinpoint accuracy and serve personalised messages, they are increasing both the efficiency and effectiveness of campaigns. Between 2018 and 2021, online video advertising will grow at an average of 18 per cent a year, twice as fast as other forms of internet display advertising and well ahead of any other channel. As per the recently launched Zenith’s Advertising Expenditure Forecasts, advertisers are now able to use personalised communication channels to serve targeted messages increasing the efficiency of campaigns.

    Can you present a brief on how ad-spends being made and managed between various media by the brands across categories in India?

    Currently, the ad-spends share stands at 45 per cent on television, 40 per cent on print, 10 per cent on digital and OTT, radio, OOH share the remaining 10 per cent. Growing allocation towards digital, radio, and OTT is being witnessed, but all this is still at an experimental stage. Having said that, I believe that, the CMOs have built considerable confidence in these new and emerging channels and thus they are increasing allocations. These segments are growing at much faster than traditional channels like television and print. OOH has literally lost its sheen and very large brands are able to afford and using as reminder media.

  • Budweiser Experiences launches first ever streetwear collection in India

    Budweiser Experiences launches first ever streetwear collection in India

    MUMBAI: Budweiser Experiences has unveiled its first-ever street-wear collection ‘BUDXSTREET’- in collaboration with five leading culture shapers in the country, namely VegNonVeg, Huemn, NorBlackNorWhite, Hanif Kureshi and Boxout.FM-in India.

    The collection is a dive into Budweiser’s archives and iconic styles of the past, giving the pieces a modern-day yet vintage feel. It focuses on exposing a new generation of consumers to the brand’s legacy through a contemporary fashion lens, while also catering to vintage collectors and lovers.

    AB InBev vice president marketing – South Asia Kartikeya Sharma said, “We are thrilled to launch BUDXSTREET in India, which is our platform to engage the rising street culture community in India. The synergies in the ideals and beliefs of the brand and that of the collaborators have enabled the curation of a collection that is not only exclusive but also inspirational and distinct. We are also very glad to see the enthusiastic response from the collaborators and community to this platform, and have a strong ambition for this in the future.”

    The collection will be exclusively available on www.budfactory.in, while the official launch event commemorating the release is slated for 19 January at One Style Mile, New Delhi.

  • Niine launches period tracker app in Hindi, English

    Niine launches period tracker app in Hindi, English

    MUMBAI: Made-in-India sanitary napkin brand Niine has launched, in collaboration with Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI), a period tracker app.  The app has been developed in consultation with medical professionals and is said to be the first to be developed by a sanitary napkin brand in India. The app is available on Google Play and iOS for download and works in Hindi as well as English language.

    As per the brand, the Niine Period Tracker is the solution for girls and women across India who want to move past the ‘taboo’, which menstrual hygiene is in the country, and become more aware of their body’s functions and their natural menstrual cycle. Offering convenience to women and girls, the app initially asks for the user’s age, date of last period and how long their averaged period lasts. Once this is complete, users are able to the keep a log which helps the app to generate its prediction for the following month.

    Speaking about the launch of the Niine Period Tracker app, Niine Sanitary Napkins CEO Richa Singh said, “The Niine Period Tracker app builds on Niine’s already formidable reputation as a challenger brand, now becoming the first sanitary napkin brand to launch a period tracker app. We are also leading the way in innovation in the field with the app’s Amazon integration, making it easier than ever to order sanitary napkins through the app when supplies are running low. With this app, we are giving women across India more control over how they manage their periods, and are helping them to learn more about how their own bodies work.”

    Discussing the significance of the app, Niine Sanitary Napkins founder Amar Tulsiyan said, “I am delighted that women and girls across India can now access the Niine Period Tracker, the first such app from a sanitary napkin company. This leap into the digital sector marks a significant moment for the Niine Movement. 71% of girls in India have no knowledge of menstruation before their first period. This can help to embed the stigma in later life, which is why it is important that they learn to have a healthy relationship with their menstrual cycle. Having the ability to track your own period is an immensely empowering resource for women, and I believe the app embodies Niine’s aim to spread menstrual hygiene awareness through education, enrolment and enhancement.”

  • 91% Indians to spend more on e-com sites in 2019

    91% Indians to spend more on e-com sites in 2019

    MUMBAI: Factors like growing traffic congestion across the cities are prompting more and more people to shop online reveals the business and brands predictions report 2019.

    Created by Kantar Media based on consumer insights, the report uses data and reference from various business units within Kantar and a host of syndicated studies such as- Target Group Index –Kantar IMRB, Global MONITOR 2018- Kantar Consulting, Kantar Worldpanel, eMarketPulse- Kantar IMRB. It outlines provide sharp insights to brands on what to expect from the market and solutions to reach out to the consumers in the most effective manner.

    The report further reads, “91 per cent of the people surveyed by Cashkaro.com said that they will spend more money on e-commerce sites in 2019. A massive part of that growth is expected to come from services, with specialized platforms gaining popularity over marketplaces. At-home service platforms like HouseJoy and UrbanClap have witnessed exponential growth in customers and service providers alike.”

    “There’s a massive B2B opportunity for food, beverage and grooming brands to fulfil the unique needs of the service providers – in the form of new products and new ideas,” it adds.

    Another key prediction made by the report reveals that 68 per cent of Indians agree that they are free to shape their identities and transform themselves in whatever way they want. Thus, brands and categories which recognise the consumer, for who they are and where they are, will flourish and user-generated content will grow by leaps and bounds.

    It also shared that brands will have to create a stable, positive environment, and enable support groups to change the discourse of negativity on media platforms as 47 per cent of Indians agreed to being feeling stressed these days. The percentage has increased from 39 per cent in 2017.

    Another interesting insight noted by the report is that 76 per cent of Indians are looking for new experiences and sensations that will liven up their everyday activities, reveals the business and brands predictions report 2019. The report further predicted that many brands will be leveraging the power of ‘senses’ to attract the consumers. “With gaming no more (being) a niche experience, it presents a fantastic opportunity for brands to both be involved in the game ecosystem and to gamify their user experience,” it read.

    Also, ‘digital detox’ is emerging as big business as 53 per cent of Indians (amongst those who use the internet) say that they wish social media had less of an influence in their lives.

    The report mentions, “The travel and leisure industry has much to feel optimistic about as more Indians seek physical and social in-person experiences. In the face of uncertainty and pessimism, this kind of reconnection and exploration provides platforms for stability. In 2019, we expect even more brands and industries to find opportunity in addressing the growing realization of the perils of technology engagement, particularly at a young age. Others will rekindle the nostalgia of relationships, memories, and places that allow us to rediscover ourselves.”

    Kantar Insights Division CEO—South Asia Preeti Reddy said, “At Kantar, we recognise that it is imperative to achieve a balance of human insight and data-enabled decisions in both the business world and our personal worlds. While data might give us the confidence to believe, our personal experience and foresight give us the guidance to act differently and courageously. In identifying the key trends and how they may manifest over the coming year, we have attempted to exhibit that spirit of digging deep and finding stability.”

  • Celebrating the self, Blenders Pride Fashion Tour 2018-19 arrives in Mumbai

    Celebrating the self, Blenders Pride Fashion Tour 2018-19 arrives in Mumbai

    MUMBAI: The 14th edition of the Blenders Pride Fashion Tour celebrated the self and the individual through its extraordinary new concept-‘Pride’, in Mumbai. Designer Rohit Bal showcased his collection ‘Gul-Dastah’ with showstoppers, Sidharth Malhotra and Diana Penty. 

    Pernod Ricard India chief marketing officer Kartik Mohindra said, “Instilled with a strong sense of positive pride, individuals today are driven by confidence and belief for attaining success. Pride, therefore, takes a center stage in defining their individuality, creating their own choices, and self-earned achievement. Blenders Pride Fashion Tour 2018-19, in its 14th edition, brings alive this exclusivity, by rejoicing in individuals who have created their own unique tales of pride and success.”

    Far removed from the traditional confines of mere success, the tour defined ‘Pride’ as an inner sense of achievement, of uniqueness and of individuality, all the things that are, in fact, meaningful for this generation.  Moving ahead from Mumbai, Blenders Pride Fashion Tour 2018-19 will conclude in Kolkata in January 2019.

  • MS Dhoni turns world upside-down in Orient Electric’s new ad for Aeroslim fan

    MS Dhoni turns world upside-down in Orient Electric’s new ad for Aeroslim fan

    MUMBAI: Orient Electric, part of the USD 1.8 billion CK Birla group, launched an integrated advertising campaign to promote Aeroslim, “India’s first smart ceiling fan”. Aeroslim fan is IoT-enabled and can be controlled via Orient Smart mobile app or by using voice commands via Alexa or Google Assistant. It is also the India’s first Inverter fan that ensures 40 per cent energy savings in comparison to ordinary fans.

    The new TVC features Orient's long-standing brand ambassador MS Dhoni. As per the brand, it follows the theme of turning your world upside down with the Aeroslim fan which flaunts a unique slim cylindrical design, aerodynamic blades, telescopic adjustable mounting, integrated underlight, and PU paint with superior hydrographic finish and unique power saving inverter technology.

    Talking about the newly launched TVC, Orient Electric Ltd head brand and corporate communication Anshuman Chakravarty said, “Aeroslim is world’s slimmest smart fan loaded with umpteen features and Inverter technology for saving energy. It can be controlled by the Orient Smart App or via voice commands using Alexa and Google Assistant. Our 360-degree marketing campaign for Aeroslim kicks in from today, starting on social & digital platforms eventually leading to a full-fledged campaign by February.  I am sure that our TV ad, featuring beautifully composed jingle and visuals, will capture the audiences’ attention and create a lot of excitement. We have also worked out a robust TVC campaign flanked by print & cinema.”

  • IWC celebrates new Pilot’s watches launch in Geneva

    IWC celebrates new Pilot’s watches launch in Geneva

    MUMBAI:  IWC Schaffhausen celebrated the launch of its new Pilot’s Watches with an exclusive gala evening at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in Geneva. Around 800 guests had the chance to admire a true icon of British aviation – the Spitfire – and ring in the year of Pilot’s Watches together with IWC. Among them were numerous prominent brand ambassadors of the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer such as Bradley Cooper, Rosamund Pike, Dev Patel, Adriana Lima, James Marsden, Karolina Kurkova, and Sonam Kapoor.

    This week at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva, IWC Schaffhausen unveiled its new Spitfire, TOP GUN and “Le Petit Prince” models. This year, the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer invited the international IWC family and guests to come together at an exclusive gala evening to live the dream of flying.

    The first of many highlights of the evening came when a real Spitfire landed spectacularly on site. Out strode British pilot Matt Jones, who intends to take off on a round-the-world trip in the Silver Spitfire next summer, starting in Goodwood, England.

    IWC is supporting the ‘Silver Spitfire − The Longest Flight’ project as its main sponsor. Musical highlights were provided by successful Icelandic quartet Kaleo, who performed some of their best-known hits such as ‘Way down we go’ as well as IWC‘s very own house band who came together especially for the evening.

  • Accenture finds 82% consumers prefer companies with shared purpose

    Accenture finds 82% consumers prefer companies with shared purpose

    MUMBAI: Accenture released its fourteenth annual ‘Accenture Strategy Global Consumer Pulse Research’ report. The ‘From Me to We: The Rise of the Purpose-led Brand’ revealed that 82 per cent Indian consumers prefer to buy goods and services from companies that stand for a shared purpose that reflects their personal values and beliefs, and are ditching those that don’t, according to new research from Accenture. The report has been created after conducting a survey on nearly 30,000 consumers from around the world, including 660 Indian consumers, to gauge their expectations of brands and companies today.

    Accenture India geographic unit and country senior managing director Anindya Basu said, “Technology and media have empowered consumers to take a stand on their opinions and beliefs, and this has had a profound impact on how they evaluate their brand associations. Price, product quality and customer experience continue to be important considerations but a brand’s purpose beyond profit has emerged as a clear differentiator.”

    Basu added, “This shift in expectations from ‘give me what I want’ to ‘support the ideals we believe in’ provides brands the opportunity to create stronger and more resilient customer relationships which generate more sales and greater customer lifetime value.”

    Other pointers highlighted by the report include that 81 per cent of Indian consumers want companies to take a stand on the social, cultural, environmental and political issues close to their hearts while 84 per cent say their purchasing decisions are influenced by the words, values and actions of a company’s leaders. Consumers are attracted to organisations that are committed to using good quality ingredients (84 per cent), treat employees well (70 per cent), and believe in reducing plastics and improving the environment (74 per cent).

    Furthermore, 84 per cent crave greater transparency in how companies source their products, ensure safe working conditions and their stance on important issues such as animal testing. 84 per cent of consumers believe their individual protest actions, such as boycotting a company or speaking out on social media, can make a difference in how companies behave. Forty-eight percent have been disappointed by how a company acted which betrayed consumers’ belief in what the company stands for, and 59 per cent have stopped doing business with the company as a result.

    Accenture Strategy managing director, customer insight and growth strategy Vineet R Ahuja said, “Understanding how to instill a sense of ‘brand belonging’ through a clear and relevant purpose is quickly becoming a prerequisite to stay relevant in today’s hyper-competitive world. To usher in the next era of engagement, companies need to focus on creating a community of loyal, engaged and valuable brand proponents. Involving customers, employees and the larger ecosystem of stakeholders to identify and shape shared values will be key.”

  • Sachin Bansal invests $21 mn in Ola

    Sachin Bansal invests $21 mn in Ola

    MUMBAI: According to a filing with the Registrar of Companies (RoC), Flipkart co-founder Sachin Bansal has invested around $21 million in the SoftBank-backed cab-hailing platform Ola in a Series J funding round. The move comes a week after it raised $74 million from existing investor Steadview Capital. The fund raised is expected to be a part of the $1 billion, the company has been trying to raise.

    The filing reveals that 70,588 fully and compulsorily convertible, cumulative ‘Series ‘J’ preference shares with a face value of Rs 10 have been allotted at a subscription price of Rs 21,250 at a premium of Rs 21,240.

    This is Bansal’s first major move after leaving Flipkart last May.

  • Qoruz now allows brands, influencers to connect directly

    Qoruz now allows brands, influencers to connect directly

    MUMBAI: Marketing technology company Qoruz has added a ‘Zero Commission Network’ to its platform, which will allow brands to directly engage with micro-influencers, experts, and celebrities for their marketing campaigns. Under the network, influencers will be able to share their campaign fee with the brands on Qoruz’s platform directly thus eliminating the dependence on agents for commission-based influencer outreach.

    The network will also be a host of celebrity agencies like Kwan, HC Media, and IOS India along with a vast list of verified popular celebrities among youths like Rannvijay, Karan Wahi, Hoezaay to name a few. The network holistically covers celebrities from various backgrounds such as sports, films, television, music, comedy, art and culture, and more.

    Qoruz co-founder Praanesh Bhuvaneshwar said, “Major brands across the world acknowledge the value of influencer marketing and making it an important pillar of their external communication strategy. The new feature added by Qoruz will help brands plan their campaigns at the most optimal cost, using a single interface. With our approach, we are certain to become the partner of choice for more brands and their communication partners for their influencer marketing campaigns.”

    Apart from cost-effective influencer discovery, quick and easy outreach, Qoruz’s proprietary AI-powered, multi-contextual engine also offers data-rich analytics about audience demographics, content and overall campaign performance. To add more credibility, Qoruz manually verifies influencers registered on its platform. Some of the well-known clients of Qoruz include PepsiCo, Future Group and MSL, Edelman.