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Category: Brands

  • Tata Motors expects festive season to pump up sales; launches Tiago NRG

    Tata Motors expects festive season to pump up sales; launches Tiago NRG

    MUMBAI: Tata Motors has launched its newest addition to the passenger vehicle family – The Tiago NRG. It has extended the Tiago brand with an all-new SUV inspired vehicle, positioned as the ‘Urban Toughroader’.

    Tata Motors CEO and MD Guenter Butschek said, “In line with our brand promise ‘Connecting Aspirations’, we want to be in sync with the growing trend of bringing to market more SUV like vehicles. With this launch, we are extending the Tiago brand and increasing our presence by entering into newer segments and tapping new sets of buyers. This launch is a step towards our Turnaround 2.0 journey, as we continue to focus on winning sustainably’ in the PV business.”

    The company does not want to limit the brand to a set demographic and target audience and rather aims to appeal to audiences in big cities and small towns.

    Tata Motors head of marketing for passenger cars Vivek Srivatsa expects the festive season to perform well considering that the last two months have been slow for the market. “We expect a catch up to happen between October-December,” he said.

    On the distribution front, the car will be available with 300 dealers and another 300 EOS (extension outlets) to tap in a large set of audience across 300 towns in India. 

    The marketing campaign for the car is scheduled to go live from October with an extensive use of TV, print, digital and selective OOH. Srivatsa believes in the power of OOH as it will enable them to highlight the look of the car.

    In order to tap into more customers during the festive season, Tata Motors is set to launch a hatchback and a sedan within the next three months.

    The formerly launched Tiago stands in the top 10 brands in the country. The car has a market share of around 10 per cent as of 2018 and has grown steadily from a customer base of 3000 per month to 8000 per month.

    While manual cars are often the most bought, people are increasingly choosing automatic cars as it allows them to drive with ease. Although Tiago NRG does not have an automatic variant yet, Srivatsa mentions that the company will look at the market response for the car and then decide on whether it is a viable option to launch an automatic variant of the car or not.

    The earlier launched Tiago cars do come in an automatic variant and interestingly, 20 per cent of Tiago cars on road are automatic. The company is positive and bets big on automatic cars as the way ahead.

    Powered by the 1.2L Revotron petrol engine and the 1.05L Revotorq diesel engine, the Tiago NRG will be available with 5-speed manual transmission. It will come in three attractive colour options – Malabar Silver, Canyon Orange and Fuji White, with dual tone infinity black roof and roof rails.  The car is priced at Rs 5.49 lakh for the petrol version and Rs 6.31 lakh for the diesel version, ex-showroom Delhi.

    Tiago NRG will have to face stiff completion from Hyundai and Toyota who have similar cars in the market that are priced between Rs 5.5-8 lakh. 

  • Dettol launches new aloe vera soap

    Dettol launches new aloe vera soap

    MUMBAI: Dettol, the leader in antiseptic soap category, has launched Dettol Aloe Vera soap, enriched with soothing Aloe Vera that keeps your skin protected from germs. External environmental elements like pollution and dust carry various germs and results in skin problems. The new Dettol with soothing Aloe Vera soap promises to provide Protection from 99.9 per cent germs.

    Reckitt Benckiser South Asia Health chief marketing officer Pankaj Duhan says, “We realise that skin problems are on a rise and one of the prime reasons for this is germs. With decades of proven expertise in germ kill, Dettol has now introduced the same trusted protection with soothing Aloe Vera to take care your skin.”

    “With this launch we are connecting with discerning consumers who are seeking protection from germs and looking for natural ingredients in a product that is gentle on the skin. We are hopeful to create a positive market response with this new launch,” he adds.

    Dettol Aloe Vera soap is suitable for all skin types that comes in single pack of 100 gm at Rs 39 and 100 gm multipack of 3 at Rs 112.

    It is available across, grocery stores departmental stores, pharmacists in India and leading e-commerce websites.

    Reckitt Benckiser is the global leading consumer health and hygiene company. RB has operations in over 60 countries. B has world leading Powerbrands which include household names such as Dettol, Harpic, Lizol, Veet, Durex, Strepsils, Mortein, Vanish, Air Wick, Enfamil, Nutramigen, Nurofen, Strepsils, Gaviscon, Mucinex, Scholl, Clearasil, Finish, Calgon and Woolite.

  • Royal Stag becomes associate sponsor for Asia Cup 2018

    Royal Stag becomes associate sponsor for Asia Cup 2018

    MUMBAI: India’s cricket lovers are in for a sporty and luxurious treat this cricket season as Royal Stag makes it large in the international cricket space – bagging its spot as the associate sponsor for the upcoming Asia Cup 2018.

    Watching a live cricket match between India and Pakistan is always a dream for any cricket fan. Strengthening its association with cricket, the iconic brand provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to cricket enthusiasts across the country to travel to Dubai and get a chance to witness India take on Pakistan live at the Asia Cup. Fans can participate in the ‘India’s Largest Fan’ contest by Royal Stag and be among the 100 lucky winners from India to see the live clash between the two arch-rivals in Dubai.

    Cricket is more than just a sport in our country and Royal Stag is all set to provide this opportunity to the die-hard cricket worshippers by fulfilling their wishes of witnessing an international Indo-Pak match and cheer for the men in blue in Dubai cricket grounds.

    Pernod Ricard India chief marketing officer Kartik Mohindra says, “Royal Stag’s ‘India’s Largest Fan’ contest is the perfect opportunity for our patrons to fulfill their dream of watching India play Pakistan live at the cricket stadium and we will leave no stone unturned in making this a once in a lifetime experience for them. Cricket is worshipped like a religion in India and we understand the passion people have for the sport in this country. Our association with Asia Cup 2018 will further reinforce our association with cricket. Royal Stag has always lived up to its brand philosophy of ‘Make it large’. With India’s Largest Fan, we hope to give cricket lovers a ‘money can’t buy experience’ in Dubai, truly making it large in full glory.”

  • Ahead of the festive season, Amazon Pay expands availability of EMIs on Debit cards

    Ahead of the festive season, Amazon Pay expands availability of EMIs on Debit cards

    MUMBAI: Ahead of the festive season, Amazon Pay today announced the expansion of EMIs on Debit Cards with ICICI and Axis Bank. Amazon Pay already offers EMI on Debit Card with HDFC bank and this expansion will benefit several million additional customers. These customers can now fulfill their shopping aspirations during the festival season and don’t have to wait to save up.

    As the festive buying commences, this launch makes  shopping more affordable for a larger set of Indian customers who want to buy high value items but don’t have credit cards. Debit Card EMIs allows eligible customers of the partner banks to shop on Amazon.in with installments using their pre-approved limits, removing the need to make full payment at time of purchase. 

    “We are thrilled by the overwhelming response from our pilot with HDFC Bank and this expansion is a step in line with our commitment to increase financing options and being the most affordable destination   for our customers. The expansion on Debit card EMI offerings will now include several million more customers who use Debit cards and want to pay for their purchases later via EMIs. Customers with HDFC, ICICI and Axis debit cards can use this offering and make purchase decisions instantly without the hassle of saving up or delaying their purchases” says Vikas Bansal, Director, Emerging Payments, Amazon India

    “At Axis Bank we have always been committed to help  customers in their ‘digital journey’ through our sustained focus on making our offerings more innovative, safe and convenient and our partnership with Amazon Pay to offer our EMI on Debit Card program will further strengthen our efforts towards this aim. Along with Credit Cards EMI this offering will give another option to our customers to buy products more affordably.” said Sanjeev Moghe, Executive Vice President, Cards and Merchant Acquiring, Axis Bank Ltd.”

    “ICICI Bank has always been at the fore-front of providing enhanced experience to its customers. As we approach the festive season, we believe this initiative will empower millions of our debit card customers to buy products of their choice and pay in easy EMIs. The move reaffirms our commitment to offer improved convenience and rich experience to our customers across the range of products and services,” said Sudipta Roy, General Manager and Group Head- Unsecured lending Cards & Payment Solutions, ICICI Bank

    EMI on Debit cards is now available for millions of customers of HDFC, ICICI and Axis bank who have been pre-approved by their banks. These pre-approved customers don’t even need to submit any additional documents or require to keep minimum balances in their account in order to avail Debit EMI facility. Amazon Pay has further simplified the shopping experience for customers by integrating this solution in the checkout flow. After adding eligible products to cart, customers can save their Debit card on the payments page and select their preferred EMI option. Customers have to validate the payment using One time password (OTP) and follow simple steps to complete the purchase. The minimum cart value to avail Debit card EMI is INR 10,000 for HDFC bank and INR 8,000 for ICICI and Axis Bank. Customers have the flexibility to repay the loan in EMIs spread over a tenure of 6, 9 and 12 months.

  • Tiger Shroff and Mojostar launch PROWL’s collection of innovative active-wear products!

    Tiger Shroff and Mojostar launch PROWL’s collection of innovative active-wear products!

    MUMBAI: Marking a major milestone in India’s ongoing active-wear revolution, leading Bollywood star Tiger Shroff and Mojostar have unveiled the PROWL collection in Mumbai. Hosted at Verbena Brewpub & Skygarden, the event showcased PROWL’s extensive range of innovative active-wear products, designed specifically for today’s #ReadyToMove generation, in a grand celebration of the joy of uninhibited movement.

    The launch of the PROWL collection also ended months of anticipation around the brand co-created by Tiger Shroff, a youth icon for fitness and athleticism, and Mojostar, India’s first ‘house of brands’ which aims to transform the way retail brands are perceived in the country. The collection on display strongly reiterated PROWL’s brand promise, #ReadyToMove, with a product range tailored for a high-activity lifestyle with maximum style and optimum functionality.

    Speaking on the launch of the collection, Tiger Shroff said, “Fitness, fluidity, and fashion are the three mantras I live by, and I feel that the PROWL collection delivers on all three counts. The brand is tailor-made for the evolving requirements of today’s young, physically-active Indians who want to be fit and fashionable at the same time. I am confident that the PROWL product range will be well-received by our target audience and will promote the benefits of an active lifestyle amongst youth.”

    Jiggy George, Managing Director – Mojostar, added, “PROWL was designed with one goal in mind: to address the existing white space in the Indian active-wear segment with differentiated products designed specifically for today’s young, physically-active generation. We have been building up to this moment, and the reception that we’ve received so far has been exceptional. We are confident PROWL will be the brand of choice amongst India’s style- and fitness-conscious youngsters. Our exclusive partnership with Amazon India will additionally ensure that PROWL products are seamlessly available to all aspiring fitness and fashion enthusiasts across the country.”

    Arun Sirdeshmukh, Business Head at Amazon Fashion, further added, “Amazon Fashion today is a preferred destination for our customers for all their fashion needs. In line with our vision, to offer exciting, much loved celebrity lines, we are thrilled to launch Tiger Shroff’s signature active wear line, ‘Prowl’ exclusively online on Amazon Fashion at the onset of the festive season. Tiger Shroff is a fitness icon, who is admired for his divergent style and we are delighted to further expand our portfolio of celebrity endorsed brands with this special offering. Additionally, celebrity brands and athleisurewear have been well received by customers across the country this year. With a selection of top fashion brands at the best prices and convenient trust-worthy delivery we look to make this a special celebration for our customers.”

    The PROWL range is exclusively available for purchase at the brand website, www.prowlactive.com and on Amazon Fashion. Its wide range of offerings include T-shirts, Tanks, Shorts, Sweatshirts, Joggers, Track-pants and Compression wear starting Rs. 999/-.

  • Onida’s resurrection ahead of festive season

    Onida’s resurrection ahead of festive season

    MUMBAI: Onida, a brand that was once seen in every Indian household, seems to have lost its sheen in today’s competitive market. This was primarily due to the entry of new players. With liberalisation in 1991, Samsung, LG and other multinational consumer goods companies launched in India with much fanfare and Indians were hooked on to them. Soon, Indian homegrown companies started seeing a dip in sales and most of them exited the business sooner or later.

    Just when Onida was on the brink of getting hazed out from consumer’s mind, the company decided to relaunch in June 2018. The brand made a comeback with its much loved/hated devil. Though Onida spent a magnanimous budget of Rs 20-30 crore on advertising across television, print, outdoor and digital, it failed to convert those audiences into customers.

    Earlier this month, Onida appointed Pratyush Chinmoy as head of marketing with key responsibilities intended towards planning and execution of marketing strategies, brand and category management, marketing communication and working on building a strong brand presence.

    Chinmoy has been appointed while the business is trying to rebuild itself after having lost a fair share of customers over the years. In order to tap in new customers and allure them with products and offers, Chinmoy’s immediate focus will be the upcoming festive season, a time when people loosen their purse strings.

    In order to start afresh in the eyes of the consumer, Chinmoy has appointed new faces in the marketing department, has new ideas about product lineups and a new media mix to connect with Gen Z.

    Before joining Onida, Chinmoy has been a part of bigger brands like Asian Paints and Reliance Industries. While he has experienced being a big fish in a small tank, in his second innings, he is a small fish in a much larger tank. The task to resurrect Onida will be challenging for him as he has to push these products to new consumers.

    Speaking about the challenges of scale and capital, he says, “The challenge for me will be to connect with Gen Z who haven’t seen our (Onida’s) previous ads. Another challenge will be to communicate with this generation with the limited budget that we have as we can’t spend on every media out there and only have to do select targeting.”

    India has over 330 million middle class consumers who can only afford mid range products and this is the perfect target audience for the brand.

    Old ad:

    New ad:

    All these years, the company resorted to print media for better ROI at low investment. But with the advent of digital and social media, Chinmoy doesn’t want the company to be left out. In its second innings, the company will use a mix of media to segment its reach. While Chinmoy now wants to use digital to target youth, he says that going forward it will be a mix of all media channels so that the exposure is on all income ranges. Traditional media like print, radio and TV will help the brand in reaching a mass audience.

    The consumer durables market in India was valued at $14 billion in 2017 whereas the TV industry was valued at $9.2 billion. For the company, TV will be its focus area as the growth trajectory in the TV segment is around 15-18 per cent.

    Onida holds a mere 8-9 per cent of the total market share in air conditioner space and the penetration for air conditions in India is as low as 5 per cent which comes majorly from urban areas and metros. The segment contributes to 45 per cent of the company’s turnover, i.e., Rs 370 crore. Mirc Electronics MD Vijay Mansukhani expects it to double this year at Rs 700 crore and reach Rs 1500 crore by 2020

    It’s a test for Indian brands to show their worth in this foreign cluttered market. Chinmoy said, “Personally, I believe that it’s a general perception that international companies have better products, which is not true. Indian brands have great R&D spends and they understand the nuances of Indian audiences and their needs. Patanjali crossed Rs 5000 crore mark and soon after, Hindustan Unilever Ltd launched Ayush. However, the good news is that the consumer mind is changing and shifting towards homegrown brands.”

    It was only last month when Onida launched India’s first TV certified by Google that competes with international brands including Samsung and TCL in the same category. Onida launched its first Google Android 4K UHD Smart TV exclusively on Flipkart with a starting price of Rs 52,000. This was the first time that the brand launched a product exclusively online and the results, according to the company were overwhelming.

    Now with a new face and a new team, it will be interesting to see whether Onida will be able to recreate its old magic.

  • Australian Open, Infosys announce 3-year technology partnership

    Australian Open, Infosys announce 3-year technology partnership

    MUMBAI: Infosys, a global leader in consulting, technology and next-generation services announced a strategic three-year partnership with the Australian Open on 10 September 2018.

    The Australian Open, one of the world’s popular sports and entertainment events, has continued to evolve its digital experiences in recent years. 

    Infosys CEO and MD Salil Parekh said, “This partnership is about creating new ways of experiencing the Australian Open. We’re really excited about the opportunity to showcase how digital technologies can enhance the boundaries of this tournament, to change the way the Australian Open is watched, analysed and played. This association with Tennis Australia also reaffirms our strategic commitment to the region where we partner with some of the leading enterprises in driving their digital transformation agenda.”

    Infosys, as the official digital innovation partner of the Australian Open, will leverage its expertise in emerging technologies like big data and analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) as well as Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR and AR), to provide unique, innovative and engaging experiences for fans. 

    Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said, “Partnering with Infosys is an exciting next step in our ongoing quest to innovate the Australian Open and engage new audiences across the world. We have long understood the importance of using data and insights to improve connections with our fans, players, coaches and the rest of the tennis community and we look forward to working with Infosys to change the way we all experience our great sport in the future.”

  • Foodpanda gains significant momentum; logs in 3 lac orders a day

    Foodpanda gains significant momentum; logs in 3 lac orders a day

    FMUMBAI: Foodpanda, the food delivery company today announced a major milestone of achieving 3 lac orders a day. The company has seen a substantial increase in the business owing to the recently introduced offerings and its quick ramp up of delivery logistics. The company is also on a steadfast track to fulfil its earlier commitment to hire 60,000 delivery riders in the next couple of months.

    In addition to the independent app and website for the platform, Foodpanda will soon be integrated within the Ola app to reach to an additional customer base of 150 million in the country. Foodpanda’s technology centre, launched earlier this year, is working with the teams at Ola to seamlessly integrate food ordering experience on the Ola app to further boost Foodpanda’s growth and enable its reach to millions of untapped consumers across the country. Starting with the key markets, the integration will be rolled out in the entire country in the next 1 month. Actively leveraging data sciences, the team is also working on customising the experience for users that will make their successive order journeys more intuitive and less time consuming.

    Commenting on the milestone, Bhavish Aggarwal, Co-Founder & CEO, Ola said, “The milestone that we have achieved in such a short span of time is a testament to our passion and commitment towards creating the best food experience for our customers. We have a unique strength of a customer base of 150 million, which we have been able to delight with several industry leading innovations in the past. Integration with Ola’s platform will help Foodpanda leverage these assets along with our deep understanding of Indian customers, large scale distribution and logistical & technical prowess.”

    The recently introduced The Crave Party features industry’s first offerings of Desserts from the most loved brands at just Rs 9 followed by attractive values for popular categories of Snacks starting at Rs 19 and Biryani starting at Rs 79.

  • Have a green “Ganesh Chaturthi” with Snapdeal

    Have a green “Ganesh Chaturthi” with Snapdeal

    MUMBAI: This Ganesh Chaturthi, Snapdeal is offering a choice of terracotta Ganesha idols, which are made of entirely of clay and have no paint-based embellishments. These idols dissolve in water without leaving any harmful residue.

    The commonly used idols are made of Plaster of Paris  (PoP) and are decorated with paints having high lead and mercury content. PoP chokes water bodies, while the toxic colors make the water acidic, disturbing the plants and marine life ecosystem.

    In addition to Green Ganeshas, Snapdeal’s Ganesh Chaturthi store also has all other festive requirements including Puja essentials, festive dresses, utensils for the feast, musical instruments and Ganesha merchandise. The curated store will offer a selection of over one-lakh products across 20 categories.

    This specially curated store will provide customers a wide range of unique products at an attractive price points with up to 80% discount on the selected range. HDFC and SBI Bank users will get an additional instant 10% discount.

    Here are some glimpses of the curated store:

    Puja Essentials: The curated store presents a wide range of puja essentials from Puja Thali set, Ganesha idols, Diyas, incense sticks and Dhoop all with discounts of up to 80%.

    For prayers and chants: – The online store offers unique range of musical instruments, speakers, microphones, flood lights etc. to make your homes and pandals reverberates with melodious devotional songs and Aarti dedicated to Lord Ganesha. All these at prices starting from Rs.299.

    For your taste buds: – Festivals brings opportunity to share sweets, delicacies with family and friends. Products like dry fruits, jaggery, modak, coconut flour etc. are easily available on Snapdeal Ganesh Chaturthi store at attractive discounts of up to 60%.

    Festive Attire: – The store offers widest range of traditional clothing at attractive price points and discounts upto 40% -70%.

    Gifting Options: The online store offers an extensive range of gifting options for your loved ones from starting range of Rs 299 along with attractive discounts of up to 70%.

  • We don’t believe in online discounts: Skechers South Asia CEO

    We don’t believe in online discounts: Skechers South Asia CEO

    MUMBAI: Marathons are passé! Walkathons seem to be the new sought after activity for every health and fitness enthusiast.

    Riding on the walkathon wave, Skechers, an American performance and lifestyle footwear brand has announced its first edition of Skechers Performance Mumbai Walkathon.

    The walkathon initiated/organised by Skechers India will take place on 7 October 2018 which also happens to be the World Walking Day. The motive behind initiating the walkathon is to educate people about the benefits of walking.

    Skechers chief executive officer for South Asia Rahul Vira says, “Our dedication has always been to the enthusiasts of all levels, ranging from beginners in the sport to the elite athletes. Walking one mile a day can burn up to 100 calories. Something as simple as a daily brisk walk can help you live a healthier life. By bringing in a wide range of walking shoes we want to inspire people and invoke the need to be on the move and stay fit, through which people would experience walking from a different perspective altogether.”

    Interestingly, Skechers also has a dedicated category for walking shoes and Vira thinks it’s a perfect synergy with Walkathon. “I wonder why nobody thought of doing it earlier where people would come together to just walk! Skechers has been the brand that created walking as a category and it just made perfect sense to align it with walkathon,” he said.

    The sports company does not want to partner with any other brand or association for its walkathon and wants to rather do it all by itself.

    Every brand needs a face in today’s day and age but the sports company does not believe in going through the same route. Although international singer Camila Cabello is Skechers’ global brand ambassador, the company is not looking at having an India brand ambassador anytime soon.

    “We don’t have a set target audience and want to target everyone from the age of 5 to 65. Anyone who wants to buy a comfortable shoe or apparel is our consumer,” said Vira. “Initially when we entered the market, we were heavily present in the west but now have a presence across north, south and even mini metros and rural.”

    Online  is the go-to medium for every marketer out there as it helps a brand in reaching a mass audience and increases its distribution and sale. People love to shop online as it allows them to go through a large portfolio of products, saves them time and they get deals and discounts on the products.

    However, it’s rare that you will find Skechers products on discount online. A pair of shoes that you buy online and offline will always cost you the same. Why is that you ask? Simply because the company does not believe in the online model and wants to keep out of the discounting game. Vira says, “Our presence online was limited but since we’ve made our terms clear about not wanting to discount, we have increased our presence online. That is because we don’t want price to be a deciding factor for consumers. We haven’t gone all out on e-commerce because it’s driven more towards discounting and we don’t want to do that.”

    Skechers in India faces stiff competition from international giants Nike and Adidas that are amongst the top two brands in India followed by Puma and Reebok which are lower priced. Priced at a mid-premium range, Skechers may find it difficult to carve a niche for itself. Recently D:fy was launched in India with its mid-premium range of products. But with the increasing competition and entry of newer players in the market, it sure is an interesting space to watch out for.