Category: MAM

  • Cartoon Network Enterprises partners with Random House

    Cartoon Network Enterprises partners with Random House

    MUMBAI: Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE), the global licensing and merchandising arm of the US television network, has announced a partnership with Random House Children‘s Books to create a full line of books based on the top-rated action-adventure series, Generator Rex.

    The deal between the two companies builds on a long-standing partnership with Random House, Inc. that includes other popular Cartoon Network brands including Ben 10 and Bakugan (Del Ray Manga).

    The Random House Children‘s Books programme will bring to market content-rich titles centered around Rex, a 15-year-old typical teenager with abnormal powers – including the ability to make his fists the size of boulders, sprout a jet pack out of his back and turn his legs into a lightning-fast motorcycle, among other talents.

    Random House will launch their book programme in Summer 2011 with a Step into Reading levelled reader and a deluxe 3-D storybook. Additional readers, storybooks, and activity books will follow.

    CNE senior VP Christina Miller says, “Generator Rex is driven by action-packed storytelling and strong characters that excite fans and leave them wanting more. Random House, and the publishing category as a whole, are key components to further expanding the Generator Rex universe into an immersive world that tells Rex‘s story off screen in a fun and engaging way.”

    Random House/Golden Books Young Readers Group editorial director Dennis Shealy said, “Cartoon Network is a favorite among families, and Generator Rex is a powerhouse TV show with everything kids like: fast-paced action, sarcastic humor, creepy villains and monsters?and my personal favorite: Rex‘s talking monkey sidekick. Combine that with some of Random House Children‘s Books‘ strongest formats, and you‘ve got a recipe for retail success.”

    Random House joins other partners for the consumer products launch of Generator Rex that currently includes Mattel as the brand‘s global master toy partner, Activision, for interactive, Hallmark for party goods and social expression, Hybrid Apparel and DC Comics.

    Additionally, CNE will release the first title in the Generator Rex home entertainment franchise on October 19 with Warner Home Video distributing. Additional partners for the brand will continue to be announced in the coming weeks.

    Cartoon Network has committed to at least 40 episodes of the series, and has also created an online game, Generator Rex: Nanite Master, featured at CartoonNetwork.com that has had more than 6.9 million game plays since its launch in March, as well as a show page and a Facebook fan page.

  • Gautam Gambhir is brand ambassador of Beverly Hills Polo Club

    Gautam Gambhir is brand ambassador of Beverly Hills Polo Club

    NEW DELHI: Cricketer Gautam Gambhir is the brand ambassador for Beverly Hills Polo Club, the well known International brand in casual fashion.

    Signing on Gambhir highlights BHPC’s commitment to become a dominant brand in the youth category.

    Gambhir will be integrated into BHPC’s programmes in India and will be leveraged through multi-faceted marketing initiatives, including, consumer promotions, online support, store launches and public relations to endorse BHPC’s trendy and casual fashion apparels and accessories.

    RPG Enterprises Vice Chairman Sanjiv Goenka said: “Gambhir is one of the most promising players in the Indian cricket fraternity today. He is a perfect fit for our brand as he personifies the style, energy, confidence, contemporariness and versatility which are core attributes of Beverly Hills Polo Club. Having established ourselves in the field of fashion and lifestyle, Beverly Hills Polo Club is now poised to scale new heights with this association”.

    Talking about his association, Gambhir said, “BHPC‘s wide collection of apparel and accessories is a perfect match with my personality and reflects my preference for refined comfort and stylish elegance. The collection is exclusive, has a global feel with its Californian intonation and contemporary style. Hence a perfect fit for today‘s fashion forward youth.”

    The event also witnessed a fashion show where the newly appointed brand ambassador Gambhir walked the ramp with popular models like Joey Mathews, Krishna Somani, Amanpreet Wahi, Aanchal Oberoi and others, showcasing the extensive collection from the BHPC portfolio.

    Beverly Hills Polo Club, an exclusive tie–up with the retailing arm of RPG Enterprises, Spencer’s Retail Ltd., is strategically developed by Spencer’s for the Indian Market with a focus on making international fashion more affordable. The product range for the Indian market currently consists of: iconic graphic T-Shirts, Polo Shirts and Jeans, plus Fashion Accessories, Bags, Wallets, Eyewear, Fragrances, Caps and Watches for Men and Women. Currently BHPC operates 14 standalone stores in Delhi/NCR region, Mumbai and Punjab.

  • Suvarana ropes in Group M’s Nathan as national head for sales

    Suvarana ropes in Group M’s Nathan as national head for sales

    BANGALORE: Star’s Kannada offering Suvarana TV has roped in Vinod Nathan as National Head-Sales.

    In this role, Nathan will be responsible for the entire gamut of sales activities across locations for Suvarna TV, and regional heads will in turn report to him. He will be based out of Bangalore, reporting to Suvarna business head Anup Chandrashekharan.

    “Suvarna has been on rapid growth path in last 1 year with over 100 per cent growth; Sales is a key area at this junction and we found the right person in Vinod as he has expertise and experience in both media planning and media sales,” said Chandrashekharan.

    Nathan brings to Suvarna 14 years of experience in media planning and media sales. Before moving to Suvarana, he worked with agency Group M Media (Mindshare) as Director, Client Leadership.

    A post graduate in marketing and broadcast management, Vinod started his career with Times Group (Times Publishing House Ltd.,) where he spent about eight years, then moved on to work at Zee Telefilms (2003 to 2006). He joined Mindshare in 2006, where he worked on some of the leading brands including IBM, United Spirits and Landmark Group.
     

  • Horlicks transforms from health food drink to food & beverage brand

    MUMBAI: GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare has transformed Horlicks from a health food drink to a wholesome food and beverage brand.

    Horlicks has undergone a makeover to adopt a unified identity in the look and feel across the product portfolio.

    GSKCH managing director Zubair Ahmed said, “We are very excited with the opportunities in the health and wellness category prevalent in India today. It has been a natural progression for Horlicks from an HFD towards a food and beverage brand with its plethora of offerings, thereby cementing its place as a Mega Brand. Horlicks has seen unprecedented growth in the last 3-4 years. With a 52 per cent share in the HFD category, this move will further strengthen the equity that the brand enjoys amongst consumers “.

    As part of the revamp, the brand is also investing in an extensive mass media campaign across TV, print and mobile marketing. A nationwide activation campaign will also be announced this month as part of which consumers will have to call and answer three simple questions on health, record their ‘mauka‘ and they might stand a chance to get their opportunity/mauka funded through Horlicks.

    “The new look and feel has been arrived at after a lot of consumer research and the inspiration has been taken from within the brand itself. The Wave on the packaging symbolizes Activity and ‘Sfoorti‘ and the Milk and Wheat visual establish Horlicks as the Great Family Nourisher. The Blue and Orange colour have been a part of the Horlicks brand over the last many years- Blue signifies the Dynamism/ Sfoorti and Orange signifies the association of the brand as the nourisher of the family. The logo of the Horlicks Nutrition Academy reinforces the brand‘s trust and equity in the consumers‘ minds and also the fact that Horlicks has been backed by science and endorsed by experts” said GSKCH executive VP-Marketing Shubhajit Sen.

    Horlicks has emerged as an over Rs 15 billion mega brand with products under various categories like biscuits, nutribars and the most recent one being instant noodles.

     

  • Sony launches slew of festive offers to up sales by 50%

    Sony launches slew of festive offers to up sales by 50%

    MUMBAI: Consumer electronics company Sony India is celebrating the festive season with a bouquet of offers and has targetted sales growth of 50 per cent over the same period last year.

    Sony has introduced a 3D festival offer which is a Lucky Draw Coupon Scheme. On the purchase of any Sony product, the customers stand a chance to win several Sony 3D products. 100 first prize winners would get 3D Bravia package which is inclusive of 3D TV, 3D Blu-ray player, nine software titles with 3D content and two pairs of 3D glasses. 500 second prize winners would receive 3D PlayStation3 while 1000 third prize winners would receive 3D Cyber-shot cameras.
     
    Sony has also introduced bundle promotion offers on 3D Bravia TVs which it says provide the customer with a complete set of hardware and software requirements to ensure an uninterrupted 3D viewing experience. Sony‘s entry level model of 40 inch Bravia 3D TV will be available at a price of Rs 1, 23,900 and will be bundled with 3D Blu-ray player, nine software titles with 3D content and two units of 3D glasses.

    Sony has also introduced the Home Theatre Combo offer which extends discounts up to Rs 4000 on combined purchase of any Bravia LCD TV with select Home Theatre systems. The scheme also offers Free HDMI cable and Installation service along with purchase of Home Theatre System. On the purchase of Sony Blu-ray Disc Player, consumers get two Blu-ray titles of Michael Jackson‘s This is It and The Last Legion free.

    The Cyber-shot category has also extended its promotion offers wherein the consumers can chose any camera from the Cyber-shot range starting at a special Diwali price of Rs 5,990 and avail the bundle offer of 4GB Memory Card and Carrying Case free of cost during the festive season. Sony has also introduced new Handycam models starting at Rs 14,990 along with a Free Carry Case.
     
    The company adds that to ensure that all these offers are even lighter on the customer‘s pocket, the payment procedure is made convenient and affordable by Zero Percent Finance Offer and Zero Processing Fee. Sony is offering EMI offers on Select Credit Cards as well.

    Sony India GM marketing Tadato Kimura said that given the bouoyant consumer sentiment the company is expecting at least 50 per cent growth in sales vis-?-vis last festive season. “We are getting lot more queries on our festive offers as compared to last year and we expect this curiosity to convert into purchase in the coming days. We have already recorded increase in customer footfalls vis-?-vis last year and it is increasing steadily as Diwali is approaching.
     
    “The prime focus of our activities this festive season would be the recently launched range of 3D products which include 3D Bravia, Cyber-shot, Home Theatre System, Blu-ray Player and PlayStation. Additionally, we have an equally exciting line-up in our other categories which include Bravia TVs, Vaio laptops, Cyber-shot digital still cameras and Walkman MP3 players.”

    He adds that the company has allocated a budget of Rs 450 million towards marketing and communication activities during the festive season. “We have launched a 360 degree communication campaign which includes television commercial, print advertisements, online promotion, out-of-home and shop- front activities”.
     

  • MoneyGram in sponsorship deal with ICC

    MUMBAI: MoneyGram International, which offers money transfers, has signed a long-term sponsorship agreement with the International Cricket Council (ICC).

    As per the agreement, MoneyGram will have a presence at all ICC cricket tournaments around the world from 2011-2015. More immediately, MoneyGram will be a local partner level sponsor of next year‘s World Cup.

    This is MoneyGram’s second foray into sponsorship of the sport. The company had sponsored the ICC’s Twenty 20 World Cup 2010, held in May in the West Indies.

    MoneyGram International senior VP, CMO Juan Agualimpia says, “MoneyGram is delighted about our long-term sponsorship with the ICC. MoneyGram’s brand and services are well known in ‘cricket countries’ and we are glad we can align ourselves with the heritage of the sport and bring ourselves closer to our customers.”

    MoneyGram regional director of South Asia Harsh Lambah says, “I know our network of over 30,000 agent locations throughout India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are equally excited to be aligned with the World Cup through MoneyGram as their money transfer provider.”

    India, which has the largest base of cricket fans in the world, is one of the largest money transfer markets in the world with more than $48 billion in remittances sent to India in 2009, according to the World Bank.

    MoneyGram ‘s presence in the region provides a service to the more than 25 million non-resident Indians all over the globe who continue to have links to India.

     

  • Scarecrow Communications gets two more accounts from Religare Group

    MUMBAI: Scarecrow Communications has bagged the creative mandate for Religare Securities and Religare Health Insurance.

    Scarecrow also handles Religare Arts Initiative and is working on the Religare Enterprises‘ wealth management business, Religare Macquarie Wealth Management, which has a tie up between Religare and Australia‘s Macquarie Group.

    Oglivy India, the incumbent agency of Religare Securities, will continue to handle Aegon Religare Life Insurance, Religare Asset Management and Religare Finvest.

    Manish and Raghu, founder directors of Scarecrow Communications, during their Contract Advertising days were also responsible for the launch and subsequent campaigns OF Aegon Religare Life Insurance, besides managing the wealth management and arts interests at Scarecrow.

    One of the founders of Scarecrow Communications, Manish Bhatt, is already in Jaisalmer shooting a commercial for Religare Securities.

    Subhrangshu Neogi, director, brand and corporate communications, Religare Enterprises confirmed the story.

    Religare Arts Initiative will be handled from Scarecrow‘s Delhi branch and the Mumbai branch of the agency will take care of the Religare Macquarie Wealth Management.

  • Neo to spend Rs 50 mn on India-NZ series marketing campaign

    MUMBAI: With the three test match and five match ODI series between India and New Zealand kicking off on 4 November, Neo Cricket is launching a Rs 50 million marketing campaign spaning television, print and social media.

    A company source says that the theme of the campaign is India‘s quest for the Perfect 10. “Since 2008, India, Australia and England have been tied at nine undefeated/wins for Test matches. One more win or a draw would see India go ahead. That is where the campaign‘s theme comes from. We are also focussing on the fact that this series will be Mission Domination for India. Since the start of the year, India has done well beating South Africa and Australia.

    We even won the Asia Cup. There are also a lot of records up for grabs. Tendulkar is looking for his 50th Test century. Dravid is looking for two catches to reach 200 catches in Test cricket which no Indian has done.”

    The broadcaster is also doing contests using Facebook, Youtube and Twitter. Merchandise and match tickets will be given. He says that the broadcaster‘s Facebook page has grown manifold since May in terms of visits. They are also looking at programme integration similar to what was done for the Australia series. Fans can send in videos, emails and these will be incorporated into the shows, Dial C For Cricket and Extra Cover.

    The source while not disclosing revenue figures, says that six sponsors have come on board. The co-presenting sponsors are Airtel, Havells and Tata Photon. The associate sponsors are Lava Mobile, Intel and Royal Stag Mega Cricket.

  • Percept to manage wrestler Sushil Kumar’s brand endorsements

    Percept to manage wrestler Sushil Kumar’s brand endorsements

    MUMBAI:Percept Talent has signed up with celebrated World Champion wrestler Sushil Kumar as an ‘Exclusive Talent‘.

    Under the terms of agreement, the company will be solely responsible for strategising and managing Kumar‘s brand endorsements, media activities and media rights, brand and image management, digital rights and licensing and merchandising rights and all promotional activities in the arena of wrestling.

    Percept Talent CEO Rajnish Sahay said, “Sushil is a shining star in the world of wrestling, and we are extremely fortunate to have him on board with Percept. We will adopt an aggressive, proactive, 360-degree strategy for an ace talent like Sushil and ensure all avenues of reach and exposure are explored and capitalised upon. Percept Talent will seek out new opportunities and avenues in the rapidly changing sports, entertainment, media and digital landscape to ensure that Sushil receives unparalleled exposure across the global arena.”

    Kumar recently made India proud by winning the Gold medal at FILA 2010 in Moscow and has gone on to become the highest-ranked wrestler on the international circuit. Apart from this colossal feat, Kumar has achieved many accolades including winning the bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics. In July 2009, he was awarded with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India‘s highest honour in Sports.

    Kumar has also been lapped up by National Egg Co-ordination Committee (NECC) as its brand ambassador by way of a three-year deal.

  • Aegis to launch iProspect  in India

    Aegis to launch iProspect in India

    MUMBAI:Aegis Media will bring into India the world‘s leading search engine marketing company, iProspect.

    iProspect will start operations in Mumbai and Delhi on 27 October and will add on Bangalore and other cities from the first quarter of 2011.

    iProspect has been instrumental in helping many of the world‘s most successful brands maximize their online marketing ROI through natural search engine optimization, paid inclusion management, pay per click advertising management, shopping feed management and numerous other related services.

    Announcing the launch, Aegis Media chairman India and CEO South East Asia Ashish Bhasin said, “I believe that search marketing, both SEM and SEO, will be the key drivers of communications in the years to come, in India.

    “We are lucky to have iProspect as a part of our Aegis Media family. iProspect as a world leader in search, will give Indian clients an opportunity for the first time to get a world class search marketing product in India. iProspect will be a part of our Power Brands in India and Shamsuddin Jasani will oversee it at the India Executive Council level.”

    Already, through the rapid success of Isobar India, an impressive roster of iProspect‘s clients like Adidas, Reebok, Tourism Australia, UTI Mutual Fund, Rayban, Philips, Perfetti and others, have search as an integral part of their digital campaigns. iProspect will now further embellish that as well as target ‘Search Only‘ clients.

    With the strengths that India has in the IT and knowledge sector, iProspect India will soon  start doing off shoring work from USA, Europe and Asia Pacific.

    iProspect, founded in 1996 and acquired by Aegis in 2004, is considered a thought leader on the world stage of search. It has 28 offices in 22 global markets.