ITV

Category: Brands

  • The Shamrao Vithal Co-operative Bank adopts a new and fresh logo

    The Shamrao Vithal Co-operative Bank adopts a new and fresh logo

    MUMBAI: SVC Bank (The Shamrao Vithal Co-operative Bank Ltd), lndia 1S one of the top 3 leading multi state scheduled bank today announced a change in its brand logo. This change reflects the bank1S vision for future expansion of the business which includes reinforcing its position as one of lndia1S leading co-operatives.

    Commenting on this, Mr. Suresh Hemmady, Chairman, SVC Bank said “We are extremely optimistic and confident that we are equipped to meet new challenges for business expansion and growth. Our new brand logo is also aimed at garnering recall among todays youth who are an impart ant and crucial segment of our audience. It represents the banks  core values of trust and progress as it takes a step forward. This change enhances the banks status in the country and provides the differentiation needed  to stand aut in a competitive and crowded marketplace.”

    It is a combination of •s• & •v and also the upward spiral signaling growth which culminates into the new logo of SVC Bank heralding a new age of prosperity  for the bank and its customers.

    The new logo element conalllta of 3 banda:

    SVC Bank will usher a crisper and sharper image whilst retaining all the values the bank stands for.

    This announcement comes at a time when SVC Bank witnessed its net profit crossing the landmar1< figure of Ra.100 crorea,with total business crossing Ra.17,500 crorea in FY14 -an increase of more than 16% as compared to FY13.

    Mr.Shrinivas Joshi, MD,stated •The new brand logo is crisp and signifies an organization with a strong focus on ethical business practices. It reinforces SVC Bank’s commitment to provide the vary best of banking services to ensum customer satisfaction.The mbranding represents our ambitions and shows how the bank has evolved into a dynamic and leading bank in mcent yea  S.,.

    The year 2014 has marked well over a century of growth for the bank and its customers. The bank added 17 new branches over the last year taking the total count of its branches across the country to 157. The bank now has a presence in 9 states across the country comprising Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat,Goa, New Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan – the newest addition.

  • Breezer – INDI MIX launched at Hard Rock Cafe by Sunny Leone with MTV Splistvilla launch

    Breezer – INDI MIX launched at Hard Rock Cafe by Sunny Leone with MTV Splistvilla launch

    MUMBAI: The world’s favourite ready to drink beverage, BREEZER introduces BREEZER IndiMix in India. This launch marks the first time a global beverage brand has introduced truly Indian flavours. Two new flavours that are ‘Refreshingly Indian’, Nimbu Paani and Aam Panna are now available across Haryana, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Goa and Karnataka.   The rest of India can expect to have these delicious treats available very soon with another 8 locations launching in the coming month.

     

    BREEZER’s new flavours, Aam Panna and Nimbu Paani create a synergy of the best of India mixed with the west where BREEZER originally hails from. Sunny Leone, top Bollywood star, was an ideal person to launch BREEZER IndiMix as she is the ideal face to represent BREEZER’s truly Indian flavours with a global sensibility.

     

    To mark the exciting launch of BREEZER Indi Mix, a star-studded party was held at Hard Rock Cafe in Gurgaon along with MTV Splitsvilla’s season 7 launch. Bollywood Goddess, Sunny Leone was the special guest of the glittering night and helped mark the launch of the refreshingly Indian, BREEZER IndiMix while celebrating the season launch of MTV Splitsvilla. Sunny Leone was seen revelling with MTV stars, Nikhil Chinapa and Rajiv Laxman, all of whom portrayed their refreshingly Indian side.

     

    The leading Bollywood star looked stunning in a green studded dress styled by Hitendra Kapopara and Bhakti Joshi looking every inch the superstar she is. Also seen at the event were renowned TV personalities Nikhil Chinapa and Rajiv Laxman along with VJ Gaelyn Mendonca and Chef Kunal Kapoor among others. New contestants of MTV splitsvilla season 7 were also seen enjoying the new flavours of BREEZER and toasting the launch of the new season of MTV splitsvilla.

     

    On this momentous occasion, Manish Seth (Director of Sales & Marketing, BACARDI India) says, “We are thrilled to announce the launch of BREEZER IndiMix. These two new flavours are refreshingly Indian and happen to be the first time in India wherein such flavours have been incorporated in an alco pop. This is our twist on two local favorites, both of which are synonymous with being Indian. Aam Panna is a well-balanced spice mix with the flavor of raw mangoes while Nimbu Paani brings a sweet and salty flavour to Breezer. BREEZER has been the mainstay of the Ready to Drink category for many years and today we are proud to have flavours which are special to India, arguably the first time any company has done this in this segment.”

     

    BREEZER IndiMix is now available in Haryana, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Goa and Karnataka.

     

    For more information on BREEZER, visit http://www.breezerindia.com/

  • To bring the TG closer, we had to get our act together: Vaibhav Kumar

    To bring the TG closer, we had to get our act together: Vaibhav Kumar

    MUMBAI: Who loves scorching sun? If you thought the reply was none then you are highly mistaken. There are brands that wait for the summers more than the school kids. New campaigns, products are launched during the period to leverage the season.

     

    Similarly, Mother Dairy in a hope to connect with the youth launched its Happy Food, Happy People campaign, this year. The objective behind the campaign was to give a new face to the brand. The brand which has strong relationship with parents and children, now wants to tap the young adults.

     

    Conceptualised by Ogilvy & Mather, the campaign depicts how the taste by Mother Dairy lifts one’s mood due to guilt free indulgence and makes him/her happy.

     

    Mother Dairy CMO Vaibhav Kumar shares the secrets behind its success and the new relationship that the brand is out to create…

     

    With so much competition, how would you position yourself in the market? What has been your USP? What would you say is your advantage over others?

     

    Mother Dairy’s core value remains firm at providing the customers with best quality products and fair returns to farmers. The company has been serving consumers for nearly 40 years and has created a niche for itself with its world class quality, pure, safe and innovative products. We believe our best proposition is with our quality of products and the promise we offer which reflects in our new positioning of ‘Happy Food Happy People’.

     

    The products we offer come with a lot of insight developed through innovations, consumer preferences, health benefits and value for money. The result of this is evident through the quality of our product line available. Products such as Mishti Doi, Fruit yoghurt and Classics range of Ice Cream have set benchmarks for industry and loyalty from consumers.

     

    What are the marketing activities that you undertake to build your brand?

     

    We engage in various marketing activities throughout the year. Both ATL and BTL activities are planned as part of our 360 degree campaign. We engage with customers on ground, media via TVC, radio, print etc.

     

    With the new campaign we will focus on ATL activities like TVC, radio promotion, social media engagements etc. supported by BTL activities like in-store promos, flyers, catchment promos, hoardings etc.

     

    What are the key insights behind your marketing activities?

     

    The key insight behind our marketing initiatives with this new campaign is to bring the young adults closer to brand and further build on our mass appeal. The company over the years has been admired as the household name with the entire family. But somewhere we felt the youth connect was also imperative to give it a mass appeal. This was also relevant from our range perspective, as the entire offering from our dairy product division is so youthful which is healthy and most importantly offers the guilt free indulgence, a must for today’s generation.

     

    Can you elaborate on the latest campaign and the concept behind it?

     

    For our new positioning we have drawn a lot of learning from various audiences specially Young Adults and their consumption patterns. And this is how we came out with this campaign to connect the young audience.

     

    The Happy Food in our campaign defines Mother Dairy’s commitment to offer pure, hygienic and adulteration free great quality products which has been the strength, differentiator and heritage of the brand over years. And the Happy People defines the guilt free indulgence by consumers with our innovative & healthy products that offer great taste and hence this belief of Happy Food Happy People.

     

    What is the thought process behind launching this campaign now?

     

    As a brand we have been offering our consumers with quality product with great taste and value for money over the years. While the brand has created a space and strong relationship amongst the Indian Families, which will continue in times to come, there was a need to create brand relationship with young adults – the new emerging consumer of Young India.

     

    Therefore, a new campaign with messaging of Happy Food Happy People came out to connect with the young adults bringing them closer to the brand. Today’s young adults are aware consumers and decisive on what to consume and what not. Since a brand like Mother Dairy offers pure, safe and healthy products, there was a conscious need to bring them closer and this campaign will help in getting our acts together.

     

    How important is digital platform for your brand? How can one optimize on the medium?

     

    Since our target and positioning is towards the young adults, digital medium will be a key area to focus and is certainly an important part of our strategy. We are targeting special campaigns specifically for social media and high visibility zones on the internet. In addition, we are engaging with customers through various online promotion programs and initiatives.

     

    Who do you see as your biggest competitors?

     

    Mother Dairy as a brand with close to 40 years of trust, purity and safety has built a strong connect with the masses and the same is evident from the response we get from consumers every time we launch a new product. The Company with its strong heritage enjoys loyalty amongst the consumers and has been growing steadily creating new benchmarks with our range for others to follow.

     

    What are your biggest challenges today? One learns more from failures than successes. Can you share any such phase or incident in your brand marketing that helped you learn and reach a higher pedestal? Please share, if any.

     

    The biggest need of the hour is to keep pace with changing consumer needs both emotional and functional. We lost track somewhere in our consumer journey and hence became less relevant to young adults (our target group) and this obviously resulted in our market performance. Having learnt from it, we have now stepped up the accelerator on innovation leading to relevant products for our target audience and a new brand positioning moving away from the not so relevant ‘Maa jaisa koi nahin’ to a more relevant ‘Happy Food. Happy People’. The first signs of a turnaround for us seem to be coming in with this change in product portfolio and proposition based on learning from our earlier mistakes.

     

    What is the future of the dairy industry in India? How can the industry grow in the coming year?

     

    The dairy industry is growing steadily and has good future ahead. We see huge potential in the industry as it has a lot to offer on health front, which will grow with rising consumer awareness. We see innovations as key drivers for growth going ahead, the company which can offer innovative products keeping customer preferences intact coupled with value for money will see a runaway success.

  • Britannia FY-2014 ad and sales promo spends up 13 per cent; PAT up 52 per cent

    Britannia FY-2014 ad and sales promo spends up 13 per cent; PAT up 52 per cent

    BENGALURU: Indian food industry major Britannia Industries Limited (Britannia) advertisement and sales promotion expense (ASP) in FY-2014 at Rs 603.65 crore (8.7 per cent of Net Total Income from Operations or Op Inc) was 13 per cent more than the Rs 534.28 crore (8.6 per cent of Op Inc) that the company spent in the previous fiscal towards this head. However, in Q4-2014, the company’s ASP was 5.9 per cent lower at Rs 146.19 crore (8.1 per cent of Op Inc) than the Rs 155.28 crore (8.7 per cent of Op Inc) in Q3-2014 and 0.4 per cent less than the Rs 146.76 crore (8.9 per cent of Op Inc) in Q4-2013.

    Note: 100,00,000 = 1 crore = 100 lakh = 10 million

    In FY-2014, the company reported a 11.8 per cent jump in Op Inc to Rs 6912.71 crore from Rs 6185.41 crore in FY-2013. For Q4-2014, Britannia’s Op Inc at Rs 1812.44 crore was 1.1 per cent more than the Rs 1793.01 crore in the immediate trailing quarter and was 9.7 per cent more than the Rs 1651.66 crore in the year ago quarter Q4-2013.

    Though in rupee value terms, Britannia’s ASP over eight quarters starting with Q1-2013 till Q4-2014 shows an upward linear trend, in terms of percentage of Op Inc., ASP expense seems to have flattened out linearly to about 8.7 per cent of Op Inc over this period (which is also the average ASP in terms if percentage of Op Inc over the 8 quarters).  Over a five year period starting FY-2010 till FY-2014, the company’s ASP spent has been trending upward linearly, both in terms of rupees spent and in terms of percentage of Op Inc. Please refer to Fig. 1A and 1B below.

    Fig. 1B below is quite interesting. During the eight quarters under consideration, the two curves representing percentage changes of Op Inc and ASP between two corresponding quarters (Q-o-q) run side by side, except between Q1-2014 and Q2-2014 where they intersect. This suggests that a change in ASP spends definitely effects the Op Inc, a dip in ASP results in a dip in Op Inc growth, and an increase in ASP results in an increase Op Inc growth.

    Britannia reported PAT of Rs 395.35 crore (5.7 per cent of Op Inc) in FY-2014, which was a phenomenal 52.4 per cent more that the Rs 259.5 crore (4.2 per cent of Op Inc) in FY-2013. For Q4-2014, the company’s PAT at Rs 108.12 crore (6 per cent of Op Inc) which was 7.8 per cent more than the Rs 100.32 crore (5.6 per cent of Op Inc) in Q3-2014 and 17.2 per cent more than the Rs 92.26 crore (5.6 per cent of Op Inc) in Q4-2013. Across the eight quarters and the five years under consideration, PAT curves and ASP curves in terms of percentage of Op Inc run side by side and are almost parallel. The company’s PAT has been climbing upwards from 3.4 per cent of Op Inc in FY-2010 to 5.7 per cent of Op Inc in FY-2014. Across the eight quarters under consideration, PAT has climbed from 3.4 per cent of Op Inc in Q1-2013 to 6 per cent of Op Inc in Q4-2014. As mentioned above, ASP in terms of percentage of Op Inc seems to have flattened out. Please refer to Fig 2 below:

    Commenting on the performance, Britannia managing director Varun Berry said, “Overall, It’s been a good year with double digit revenue growth and a solid profit growth. This is the result of disciplined effort that focused on the primary building blocks of business viz. supporting our brands, an empowered and passionate front-line organisation delivering increased distribution depth in urban and width in rural India, consistently high product quality and improved operational efficiency. Toughening economic environment called for a focus on fundamentals and we did that. We have established a great platform to take our organization to greater heights.”

    The board of directors has recommended a dividend of 600 per cent or Rs 12 per equity share of Rs 2 each.

    Click here to read the full report

  • Castrol goes all out on digital this FIFA season

    Castrol goes all out on digital this FIFA season

    MUMBAI: Castrol, one of the official sponsors for 2014 FIFA World Cup has rolled out a new digital and social media campaign.

     

    The campaign titled ‘Castrol Activ Cling on to Football’ seeks to leverage Castrol’s global sponsorship and enhances football fan’s experience of the ongoing sports tournament. The digital campaign that kick started on 18 June with a planned football Google hangout in India, is executed by FoxyMoron.

     

    Football fans in India got the opportunity to join the hangout and express their views by participating in a discussion with a panel comprising celebrities like Abhishek Bachchan, Bhaichung Bhutia, Paul Masefield and Gaurav Kapoor.

     

    Castrol India vice president marketing Soma Ghosh said, “Football is fast gaining ground as one of the most popular sports amongst Indian urban youth and the 2014 FIFA World Cup is a great opportunity for us to leverage our position as one of its official sponsors.  Whilst most advertisers and marketers are vying for attention of the television viewing audience, Castrol is focusing its activation around the ‘second screen.’ Castrol Activ with Actibond technology is one of our pioneering brands and will be at the center of the action in our digital and social media campaigns.”

     

    Another initiative which Castrol brings to this tournament is ‘Castrol Activ Cling on to Kick Off’ – an interactive voice response (IVR) based activity – which will ensure football fans don’t miss any of the games by sending reminder SMS messages and giving ‘wake up’ calls.

  • Etihad Airways to telecast all FIFA matches live at 30,000 feet

    Etihad Airways to telecast all FIFA matches live at 30,000 feet

    NEW DELHI: The United Arab Emirates airline Etihad Airways is to be beam live every FIFA World Cup football match live on all of the air carrier’s long haul aircraft during the month long tournament.

     

    All 64 games will be transmitted live at 30,000 feet on the airline’s modern, wide-bodied fleet of planes by IMG Media using Etihad Airways’ state-of-the-art interactive inflight entertainment system, E-box, powered by Panasonic technology.

     

    The E-box screens are installed in seats for every class of cabin – first, business and economy – so for flying football fans, no-one need miss a goal being scored. Etihad Airways chief commercial officer Peter Baumgartner said, “The FIFA World Cup is the biggest and most exciting sporting event in the world and I’m delighted that all of our guests will be able to watch every match while they fly with us on their long-haul business or holiday flights.” 

     

    He added, “I hope that they sit back, relax and enjoy the great football action. Etihad Airways non-stop daily flights from Abu Dhabi to Sao Paulo have been in operation since June and there has been great demand from British, Dutch and Belgian expatriates living in the UAE capital and connecting markets because their national teams play matches in the Brazilian city in the next two weeks. Etihad Airways employs 49 of Brazilian nationals as cabin crew, many of whom will work on board flights between Abu Dhabi and Sao Paulo during the World Cup.”  

  • Jabong.com Ties Up Exclusivly with Blue Saint, British Menswear

    Jabong.com Ties Up Exclusivly with Blue Saint, British Menswear

    MUMBAI: Blue Saint, a hip, British menswear brand has entered India through an exclusive tie up with Jabong.com- India’s leading online fashion destination. Breaking the stereotype of West and East Fashion, Blue Saint will launch its collection for the youth of India-the fifty one chinos. The brand’s designers, who have travelled the world to meet youngsters of different genres, have come up with this exclusive collection that is inspired by the synergy between fashion, music and travel. Blue Saint’s launch collection includes fine fitted Chinos available in more than 51 shades, providing young street casual wear for the younger men, in the age group of 16 – 24 yrs.

    Bringing a colorful revolution to your closet, Blue Saint, will have shades of blue, browns, khakis in addition to yellows and red. From over 51 shades to choose from, Blue Saint on Jabong will transform the way you style. If you are thinkingto what to pair your colored chinos with, Jabong, will offer a solution to that as well. Style and guiding tips are an added point with the launch of this acclaimed brand. Get set to nail your complete look, and revamp your wardrobe, that too, without burning holes in your pocket!

    The brandtook cues from grunge, punk, and indie styles; hence, by the choice of colours, prints and even fabrics, they captured the spirit of youth in its collection.The stylish casual wear is apt for any outing, whether it’sclubbing, hanging out with friends or any evening step out, Blue Saint’s clothing will make sure that you stand out in the crowd.

    Talking about the collaboration, Arun Chandra Mohan, Founder and CEO, Jabong.com said, “We are really excited as we continue to bring international fashion for our customers through Jabong.com. We feel that the young Indian men are now really discerning in their choice of clothes, hence, they are on a constant look out for the latest trend and styles. At Jabong, Fashion means accessible to all, restricted to none! With this mind-set, weintend to widen our portfolio with more and more global brands, and offer a lot of variety to our shoppers.

    Speaking on Blue Saint’s debut in India, Akshat Kedia, Blue Saint, said, “Weknow the young Indian male is really fashion conscious. To continue our determination to reach global consumers, Blue Saint, has been expanding rapidly over the last few months. India, as one of the fastest growing economies of the world, has been on our radar for some time, and now with our successful venture with Jabong, we have the right partner to address the fashion needs of Indian consumers. Jabong’sinsight into the Indian men’s fashion market combined with the appeal of Blue Saint will enable us to build a strong business in India.”

    150 pieces from the latest collection are already up for grabs and are priced at Rs1499/- onwards

  • Taj A Flavor of Darjeeling – Taj’s richest flavor

    Taj A Flavor of Darjeeling – Taj’s richest flavor

    MUMBAI: Brooke Bond Taj Mahal has been a forerunner in setting the standard of fine tea in India. Over the years it has pioneered  innovations and provided superlative connoisseur experiences. Enhancing its brand commitment towards master-craftsmanship, , Taj Mahal has launched its richest and most premium blend – Taj A Flavor of Darjeeling. Taj Mahal continues its connection with well-known personalities of Indian classical music by associating with Sitarist Niladri Kumar for its new premium variant.The young maestro has also composed “Raag Darjeeling” – a fitting tribute to Taj A Flavor of Darjeeling.

     

    The brand has always been personified by icons who symbolize perfection, passion and unmatched finesse. To capture the essence of the new variant, Taj A Flavor of Darjeeling was unveiled during an enthralling evening of Indian classical music. The music programme was beautifully crafted by young maestro Sitarist Niladri Kumar. Madhuri Dixit Nene the current brand ambassador, also attended the event and added further splendour to the evening. 

     

    On the eve of the launch, Krishnan Sundaram, General Manager, Tea, Hindustan Unilever Limited. said, “Taj Mahal tea has been India’s most loved premium tea brand and it has been our consistent endeavour to improve our offering. Taj A Flavor of Darjeeling,is definitely our most premium offering and we are confident that we will improve the tea drinking experience for our growing consumer base. This launch is also special as it sees us continuing our collaboration with Indian classical music with Niladri Kumar, Rahul Sharma and Ayaan Ali Khan personifing our brand commitment.”

     

    As the face of the brand, Niladri Kumar said, “I have been a Taj Mahal tea loyalist, and it is indeed my pleasure to be associated with it. Taj A Flavor of Darjeeling is also special. I have composed the Raag Darjeeling, in honour of the superlative flavour and experience related with Taj Mahal’s newest offering.”

     

    Enriched with long leaves of pure Darjeeling tea and carefully sourced finest tea leaves from choicest tea gardens in India, Taj A Flavor of Darjeeling promises to make your tea drinking experience extra  special as it is created with a great amount of precision and passion. Every sip promises to reflect great craftsmanship of our master blenders and truly become a connoisseur’s delight.

  • Pinterest’s new pitch to advertisers; impressive or run of the mill?

    Pinterest’s new pitch to advertisers; impressive or run of the mill?

    MUMBAI: Today, disruption is the operative word and brands of all hues are harnessing the digital medium to create cutting-edge communication. However, online audiences are very impatient and want things instantly – things that can sustain their interest, considering they have a short attention span to boot.

     

    An online platform that has endeavoured to help consumers curate and share things they love is Pinterest. Founded four years ago by Ben Silbermann and Evan Sharp, Pinterest has caught the attention of marketers with the launch of its various ad inventories over the past six months.

     

    According to a report published in Reuters last month, Pinterest has raised a new $200 million round of funding that gives it a valuation of $5 billion. The company last raised money in October 2013 at $3.8 billion valuation in a round led by Fidelity Investments.

     

    The social media platform stated in the report that it would use the capital to invest in technology, develop its advertising program further, and expand internationally. Pinterest said it has raised a total of $764 million so far from the time of its inception.

     

    Pinterest also introduced a new advertising tool called ‘Promoted Pins’, in January this year. According to digital experts in India, the social media platform tested the inventory in multiple phases. It was just last month that the platform made a small roll out with a group of brands in the U.S. This comprised ABC Family, Banana Republic, Expedia.com, GAP, General Mills, Kraft, lululemon athletica, Nestle’s few products, Old Navy, Target, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and Ziploc.

     

    While on an average it takes around $30 to $40 to advertise on Pinterest, according to experts, with ‘Promoted Pins’, Pinterest aims to improve functionality, generate revenue and serve additional content around the pin. The company also aims at generating between $1 million and $2 million per campaign from its big advertising partners.

     

    To address the large chunk of small and medium-sized businesses Pinterest is going to take a different route and opening up ‘Promoted Pins’ to more businesses in a very Facebook-like advertising model. Instead of paying by impressions, like on Facebook, with Pinterest’s this inventory, brands only pay when people click through to their brand website.

     

    It is learnt that Pinterest is also prepping up to open a data firehose by the name Business Insights API. With this, companies will be able to customize their online campaigns based on user insights.

     

    Pinterest’s move is being likened to what Facebook initiated only to be taken over by Twitter later. Indiantelevision.com spoke to social media experts to understand what this means to an emerging market like India.

     

    Digital Quotient strategy and planning head Girish Mahajan opines that though Pinterest has gained a lot of momentum worldwide, in India, its power is yet to be fully realized. “This is mainly because Indians constitute only eight per cent of the entire Pinterest user base. But if your business is fashion, interiors, arts or F&B, Pinterest could be an interesting tool to make shopping easier and fun,” he says.

     

    “If a brand wants greater engagement of a particular target audience say women, in that case, Pinterest can prove to be tremendously influential. Visual is Pinterest’s strength, a very important factor for retailers. Also when compared to other social media tools, the amount of time required to run digital campaigns on Pinterest in less. Promoted Pins are available on an invite-only basis; it is essentially a CPM-based model. Pinterest is aiming for e-commerce bucks unlike Facebook and Twitter. The platform will evolve more into a second base for e-commerce sites other than FB or Twitter. At present in India, advertising options are not fully available but in the near future, we will witness people leveraging this tool better,” Mahajan added.

     

    According to RAPP India president Venkat Mallik ‘Promoted Pins’ will work well but only if brands handle them well. “If the promoted pins are overly ‘salesly’ they are likely to get rejected. The visual of promoted pins needs to look like content that is generally interesting to people with related interests and then have a sales message may be one layer down. There are a number of theories about the kind of pictures that get the largest amount of likes and repins and some of those could potentially serve as guidelines on how to make promoted pins work better as well,” mentioned Mallik.

     

    Facebook’s buying of Instagram last year added a lot of value especially in a market like India.  According to social baker Nike, MTV and Starbuck are the top brands in Indian on Instagram.  Ignitee social media head Nikhil Kharbanda says that many Indian brands prefer Instagram to Pinterest because of the former’s reach and subtle advertising option such as sponsored post/video. Though Instagram doesn’t release numbers according to many international news reports, the application has doubled its user base in the last one year.

     

    “The way ahead in creating effective communication on social media is to bet high on image marketing. It can be noted that currently, Indian brands are interestingly using Instagram in their digital media mix but I am positive that with platforms such as Pinterest introducing affordable advertising options, there will be much more action seen from brands in this space,” adds Kharbanda.

     

    Whether Pinterest will be able to make a dent on Instagram’s popularity with Indian brands, only time will tell…

  • Oris Aquis Red Limited Edition

    Oris Aquis Red Limited Edition

    MUMBAI: A keen supporter of the Red Sea Environmental Centre’s work to protect one of the world’s top diving sites, Swiss watch  manufacturer  Oris  is  delighted  to  unveil  the  new Aquis  Red  Limited  Edition.  Dedicated  to  the  ongoing support of marine life projects, the latest addition to the Aquis collection celebrates Oris’ commitment to preserving this idyllic seawater inlet.

     

    Nestled between Africa and Asia, the Indian Ocean’s Red Sea is not only one of the world’s top diving sites but also boasts one of the planet’s most diverse ecosystems. A delicately balanced and thriving subaquatic environment that homes over 1,200 species of tropical marine life, the conservation of this lush underwater paradise is overseen by the RSEC.

     

    Oris’ new Aquis Red Limited Edition is dedicated to the important role played by the RSEC. Revamping its sportive Aquis case design with striking red accenting, Oris’ new specialist diving watch clearly displays its allegiance to the Red Sea on its numerals, second hand and the minute-scale upon its unidirectional top ring.

     

    Combatting the wetsuit compression caused by underwater pressure and the need for adjustments whilst below the surface, Oris’ safety anchor and sliding sledge clasp keep the watch attached to the wrist and easily adjustable at all times. Water- resistant to 300m and limited to only 2,000 pieces, the new Oris Aquis Red Limited Edition is presented in a special set.

    A tribute to the Red Sea’s wondrous depths and a call to arms for its preservation, this stunning timepiece is the ideal diving companion for those looking for an eye-catching aesthetic underpinned with an environmental consciousness.