ITV

Category: MAM

  • HUL’s ad spend up 15.7% to Rs 28.3 bn in FY’11

    HUL’s ad spend up 15.7% to Rs 28.3 bn in FY’11

    MUMBAI: For broadcasters who are clamouring for increase in advertising rates, there is a piece of good news.

    Hindustan Unilever, the largest ad spender in the country, has upped its spending on a consolidated basis for the fiscal ended 31 March 2011, more than offsetting Marico‘s marginal drop.

    India‘s largest household products and consumer goods maker has increased its spend on advertising and promotions by 15.68 per cent to Rs 28.33 billion during the fiscal, up from Rs 24.49 billion in the year-ago period.

    Ad spending on a standalone basis also rose 15.59 per cent to Rs 27.64 billion for the fiscal, from Rs 23.91 billion.

    However, HUL has cut down its standalone ad spend for the fourth quarter, albeit marginally. The company, which owns brands such as Dove soap, Clinic shampoo and Closeup toothpaste, spent Rs 6.23 billion towards advertising and sales promotion, down from Rs 6.26 billion a year ago.

    For the quarter, HUL increased brand investment in the personal products and food segment.

    “A&P spends, at Rs.6.23 billion, remained competitive at 12.7 per cent of sales, with increased brand investment in personal products and foods,” the company said in a statement.

    The company said net profit in the fourth quarter ended March fell to Rs 5.69 billion, from Rs 5.81 billion a year ago.

    The company‘s cost of goods sold went up by 290 basis points in the quarter.

    Marico had earlier announced a marginal drop in its ad spend for the fiscal. The company, which manufactures hair-oil brand Parachute, had spent Rs 3.46 billion towards advertising and sales promotion for the year ended 31 March 2011. In the previous fiscal, Marico had an ad spend of Rs 3.51 billion.

  • P9 helps Tata Photon associate with Fast and Furious 5

    MUMBAI: P9 Integrated, the 360 degree entertainment marketing company of Percept Ltd, has created co-branded association for Tata Photon with Fast and Furious 5, the latest film of The Fast and the Furious film franchise.


    In this alliance, P9 Integrated has worked on the concept of “getting more time through more speed”. With Tata Photon‘s tagline ‘Get Speed Get time‘, P9 Integrated made the commercials keeping speed in mind as it is also integral with the theme of Fast and Furious 5.
     
    Speaking on the association, P9 Integrated COO Pritie Jadhav said, “P9‘s endeavour has always been to create a perfect marriage for the brands and the movies they are associating with. The idea of making any co-branded association successful is to make sure it is not just beneficial to the brand but also to the movie during promotions.”


    P9 Integrated has created three commercials of 30 seconds, 15 seconds and 10 seconds each for the association. The whole visual was created using shots from the movies, animations and product shots. Along with these shots of character from the film, speeding moments and racing cars were also used.
     
    Said Paramount Pictures, Head of Marketing Jacinto Fernandes, “We are happy to partner with Tata Photon for Fast & Furious 5. The film itself is a big franchisee and it‘s a win-win situation for both. The film is already a big hit worldwide and we are expecting that the film will be the biggest blockbuster movie in India this summer.”
     
    P9 also worked on the association of Fast & Furious 4 with Bajaj Pulsar and Force India F1.

  • Disney India appoints Avinash Pant as executive director – marketing

    Disney India appoints Avinash Pant as executive director – marketing

    MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company (India) has appointed Avinash Pant as executive director, marketing.

    Pant will report in to Walt Disney Company (India) MD Mahesh Samat.

    In his new role, Pant will be responsible for building the Disney brand by driving the company’s marketing strategy, coordinating all Disney business marketing efforts and providing leadership in developing key global and local franchises in India.

    He will also oversee corporate communications as well as the creative design cell and live events functions. 
     
    Pant moves in from Coca-Cola where he spent 14 years working across various functions and gained tremendous experience in marketing and in building brands. He also has experience in strategic marketing, category and brand management, innovation, media planning and buying, consumer activation and sales.
     
    Samat said, “We are focused on building a family entertainment brand in India. Avinash will be charged with creating and maximizing opportunities for families to enjoy and connect with Disney’s creativity and content.”

    “India is one of the most exciting and rapidly changing markets in the world. This role represents an exciting opportunity to increase Disney’s brand presence here and connect with our consumers in a deeper, richer and more relevant way,” Pant added.

  • Leo Burnett ropes in Rajesh Mani as ECD — Mumbai

    Leo Burnett ropes in Rajesh Mani as ECD — Mumbai

    MUMBAI: Leo Burnett has roped in Rajesh Mani as executive creative director at its Mumbai office.

    Mani moves in from Ogilvy and has 12 years of experience.

    At Leo Burnett, Mani will be working on various brands such as Bajaj Electricals, Tata Capital, Tashi, HPCL and Vedanta.

    Says Leo Burnett NCD KV Sridhar, “Being a Humankind Agency we are always eager to work with creatives who have human stories to tell in simple ways. Mani is completely that kind of person and it will be a pleasure to work alongside him on some of our key clients.”

    Besides his five-year stint at Ogilvy, Mani has also worked at Temple Advertising in Bangalore and Triton Communications in Mumbai.

    Mani added, “At Ogilvy I worked on one of the best brands in the country — Vodafone. Now it was time to seek new challenges and expand my horizons. Pops gave me an opportunity to do just that. I am happy and excited to come on board.”

    Mani’s most recent was being the BlackBerry Boys campaign, which he co-created with Rajiv Rao and wrote that hugely popular song ‘Blackberry boys’.

    Moreover, Mani was also part of the core team that launched zoozoos. His other internationally acclaimed work was for the global launch of Lenovo X300 laptops with a film that was showcased during the Beijing olympics titled ‘the flying sumos‘.
     

  • Jishnu Sen promoted as Grey Group India president & CEO

    Jishnu Sen promoted as Grey Group India president & CEO

    MUMBAI:Jishnu Sen has been promoted as the president and CEO of Grey Group India.

    In his new role, Sen will continue to report to Grey Group Asia Pacific chairman and CEO Nirvik Singh.
     
    Sen joined Grey India four years ago as the head of its Mumbai office. Under his stewardship, Grey Mumbai grew significantly to establish itself as the flagship office in India.

    In 2009, Sen was appointed COO of the entire Grey India operation. 
     
    According  to Singh, “Jishnu is an exceptional leader. With his forward thinking, sharp mind and deep passion for the industry, I am confident he will continue to strengthen Grey Group India’s position in the marketplace. With this team, Jishnu has already built a terrific new business track record which includes wins such as Reliance Communications, Ferrero, Honda and Fox International Channels, to name a few.”

    Over the last year, Sen has made a number of key appointments to raise the leadership, creative and strategic planning mettle of Grey India. With his support, Grey Digital India also won the Digital Agency of the Year at the first ever Indian Digital Media Awards. 
     
    Sen said, “I am excited by the possibilities that lie ahead for Grey Group India. The agency has earned a solid reputation particularly in recent times, and I stay committed to the company’s vision of delivering truly famous and effective work for our clients. I firmly believe that with Grey Group India’s formidable talent and integrated communications offering, we are well poised to continue to deliver superior results which our clients need to succeed in today’s increasingly competitive environment.”

    Prior to joining Grey Group India, Sen held various positions with JWT and Y&R across India, Singapore, Hong Kong and the United States. His diverse portfolio includes brands such as Colgate, Pepsi, Pizza Hut, ITC, GlaxoSmithKline, ESPN, STAR Sports and the Indian Army.

    Grey Group offers a total communications approach in India through Grey (advertising), Grey Digital, Grey Public Relations and G2rams (activation).

    The agency has clients such as Reliance Communications, Honda, Volkswagen, Adani, Bharti AXA, Britannia, Deutsche Bank, Ferrero, Godrej Sara Lee and GlaxoSmithKline.
     

  • Mudra West wins BBC Top Gear account

    Mudra West wins BBC Top Gear account

    MUMBAI:Mudra West has won the creative duties of Worldwide Media‘s (WWM) BBC Top Gear magazine.

    This will be Mudra‘s fourth win of a brand from the stable Worldwide Media (WWM), a joint venture between The Times of India Group and BBC Magazines UK. In 2009, Mudra West had bagged the accounts of Lonely Planet, Filmfare and Femina.

    For the motoring media brand‘s account, there was no incumbent agency and neither any pitch involved. 
     
    Lonely Planet magazine and BBC Top Gear publisher Debolin Sen says, “We are pleased to have Mudra West on board as our very able creative partners. They are a young, bright, dynamic and a committed team. I look forward to their continuous contribution to the brand in 2011, in what will be the year of BBC Top Gear in India.”
     
    Mudra West president Arijit Ray adds, “We work very closely with the worldwide media team on Lonely Planet, Filmfare and Femina. It is our pleasure to have got the opportunity to contribute towards charting the journey of an iconic motoring media brand like BBC Top Gear in India. We look forward to working closely with the brand team to create a distinctive imagery for the magazine, amongst car lovers and auto enthusiasts.”
     
    Owned by BBC Worldwide, Top Gear started as a television show in the UK in 1977. In 1993, the brand was extended to the new BBC Top Gear Magazine launched in the UK and currently is published in various international markets.
     

  • RBNL announces senior appointments in sales team

    RBNL announces senior appointments in sales team

    MUMBAI: Reliance Broadcast Network (RBNL) has announced key appointments in its sales team.

    The company has appointed Gargi Kaul as national sales head, television and Soumen Datta is elevated as regional sales head, west for television, reporting into Kaul.

    Additionally, Jayant Bhokare has been appointed as Big Connect, south regional head.

    In their new roles, Bhokare will work closely with Praveen Malhotra on the sales mandate. Kaul will work with the newly appointed business head for the television business, Nikhil Mirchandani, and Praveen Malhotra.

    RBNL EVP- Sales Praveen Malhotra said, “These appointments have been done keeping in mind the aggressive growth of Reliance Broadcast Network businesses. This is a fresh, well experienced and able team and we are confident that they, together with the teams will create unprecedented value for clients and shareholders alike.”

    “The closure of these critical senior sales positions aligns the team to leap to the next growth level,” RBNL said in a statement.

    Kaul has over 18 years of experience in television sales. She has worked with TV Today, Sony Entertainment, ESPN Star Sports, Ten Sports and Dubai Sports City.

    Prior to joining RBNL, she handled key IPL projects with Pioneer Digadsys Services as the head of sponsorship sales and chief of operations.

    Kaul said, “Am happy to join Reliance Broadcast. The right approach and attitude is the key to success at all times and I would look at re-enforcing the same as I am inducted in this fast growing multimedia organisation.”

    Meanwhile, Datta has worked with companies including Konica Minolta, De Beers, Ogilvy, and Times of India over the last 11 years. In his new profile, he will be looking after the sales in the west region for the television businesses. Before taking on this new mantle, he was working as a key member of the Big Live team.

    Datta said, “It’s a great to get an opportunity to expand my horizon within this dynamic organisation. I look forward to continue adding value to the business.”

    For Bhokare, it is second inning at RBNL. Earlier he played an integral part in the initial setting up of the Big Street business. In his current role, he will be heading the revenue function for all verticals of Reliance Broadcast Network for the entire southern region. His last assignment was with Explocity where he was the business head.

    With 18 years of experience, Bhokare worked with leading media houses ranging Times of India, Star TV, Radio City, Jupiter Entertainment Ventures and Decathlon in various capacities. Bhokare said, “I am happy to return to RBNL. This is an excellent opportunity and I look forward to a great stint.”
     

     

  • Cheil Worldwide SW Asia launches TVC for Samsung Hero 3G

    Cheil Worldwide SW Asia launches TVC for Samsung Hero 3G

    MUMBAI: Cheil Worldwide SW Asia has released a new 30-second television commercial for the Samsung Hero 3G enabled handset.

    The ad aims to change the perception that 3G-enabled handsets are very expensive.

    The Samsung Hero 3G is a 3G enabled phone with features such as video calling and mobile TV providing access to social networking sites, and priced at Rs 4,000.

    In the spot, a group is seen enjoying various aspects of the phone such as its camera, music download, video download, mobile TV and video telephony, whilst they are in the sky.

    In this commercial Cheil aims to highlight the excitement of discovering the new technology and brings alive the fun of living life on the 3G super-highway.

    In the days to come Samsung has lined up a range of products and Cheil Worldwide is involved in building communication across 360-degree consumer touch points, for creating buzz for the brand.

     

  • 3net in marketing alliance with Xpand 3D & Sony Electronics

    MUMBAI: 3net, the 3D network from Sony, Discovery and Imax in the US, has announced strategic launch partnerships with Xpand 3D and Sony Electronics.


    The multi-year agreement will align 3net with each of the partner‘s respective marketing, sales and product teams to develop mutually beneficial multimedia promotions, programme sponsorships, short form programming and integrated marketing initiatives.
     
    The joint announcement was made by 3net president and CEO Tom Cosgrove, Xpand CEO Maria Costeira, and Sony Electronics president and COO Phil Molyneux.
     
    Cosgrove said, “We‘re extremely pleased to have two industry leaders in the dynamic 3D market onboard as our network launch partners. Our three companies are breaking new ground with content, products and technology solutions for the emerging 3D space, and each of these individual partnerships will allow us to leverage our joint capabilities to further the development of both the industry as well
    as our respective business interests.
     
    Costeira noted, “With our glasses and 3net content, that viewing experience can be equally compelling on the laptop, the cinema and in the living room. We are very pleased to join with innovation and imagination leaders Sony and Imax and Discovery to enable and promote this exciting new forum and we look forward to it becoming a new stage for great content.”

  • Skechers’ new shape-ups spot with Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner

    MUMBAI: Footwear manufacturers and marketers, Skechers, has launched a new shape-ups spot featuring model and actress Kim Kardashian and her mother, reality show star and entrepreneur Kris Jenner.


    The new commercial will support the company’s exclusive marketing and distribution partnership with Pairs Retail in India, which plans to add nine more exclusive Skechers stores across India by the end of the year.
     
    The 30-second television commercial will be the first to feature the duo promoting their fitness regimen. Skechers’ first shape-ups spot showed Kardashian dumping her personal trainer for her new “training partner”.
     
    Says Kardashian, “My mom and I are thrilled to be joining the Skechers family to help promote health and wellness. shape-ups have already impacted my fitness routine for the better. I am always on-the-move and never know exactly when I can fit in my next workout. Skechers shape-ups help me get the most out of every step.”
     
    Skechers’ shape-ups fitness footwear line offers a variety of styles and specialised features to meet the varied workout needs of every individual.