ITV

Category: Marketing

  • Marico sells Sweekar to Cargill in brand restructuring plan

    MUMBAI: The Marico Group is restructuring its brands basket. As part of its plans to focus on beauty and wellness, the FMCG major has sold its refined sunflower oil brand ‘Sweekar‘ to food and agricultural products company Cargill India for an undisclosed amount.


    Under the deal, the trademark and copyrights of Sweekar will be transferred to Cargill with immediate effect.
     
    Marico will, instead, concentrate on Saffola as its wellness platform vehicle in the refined edible oils and health foods space.


    Said Marico consumer products business CEO Saugata Gupta, “In our focused journey of sustainable profitable growth, we recognised that Sweekar has limited fitment in Marico’s portfolio.However, with its legacy of a loyal franchise spanning two decades and the consumer connect that it commands, we believe it would be of value to Cargill, who can sustain and nurture it as a leading brand.”
     
    Added Marico chief finance, HR and strategy Milind Sarwate: “This divestment is a logical sub-set of a portfolio strategy aimed at sustainable profitable growth.”
     
    Cargill produces and markets sunflower oil locally under its NatureFresh and Gemini brands.

  • Sameer Aasht moves to Percept H as VP, strategy planning

    Sameer Aasht moves to Percept H as VP, strategy planning

    MUMBAI: Percept H has roped in Sameer Aasht as VP, Strategy Planning. He replaces Sujay Nanavati who quit the agency in December 2010.

    Aasht moves in from Rediffusion Y&R, where he was strategic design consultant. He is also the founder of Alma Mater Biz Solutions, an interior consultancy firm, and has been empanelled as design consultant for National Institute of Design‘s micro, small and medium enterprises initiatives.

    Says Aasht, “My initial understanding of Percept is that it is one of the few agencies which is future ready and truly understands the potential of young India. Unlike most agencies struggling to crack a conventional campaign in traditional media, Percept is ready to enable paradigm shifts through strategic action and brand innovations.”

    In his career spanning nearly a decade, Aasht has worked with agencies such as TBWA India, Publicis Ambience and Contract advertising. He also worked at Jet Airways for two years as international marketing manager.

    Aasht has strategised various brands including Jet Airways, HSBC, Nivea, Cadbury’s, Asian Paints, Unilever’s Elle18, Westside, Nerolac, Samsonite and Times of India & Ficci.

  • Reckitt Benckiser to launch a campaign for the youth

    Reckitt Benckiser to launch a campaign for the youth

    MUMBAI: Health and personal care company, Reckitt Benckiser, is launching a campaign to create awareness amongst graduates and people early on in their business careers.

    The company that owns brands such as Dettol and Mortien said the aim of the campaign is not to sell more products but to sell the company to people who are planning a career in fast moving consumer goods.

    The campaign will be primarily on-line and on-campus. Reckitt Benckiser uses gaming technology on mobile and Internet to reach people in nine markets across all continents. The company had also launched a “poweRBrands” game last year, which enabled players to go into consumer goods company and rise to become global president.

    The campaign is aim to engage student, professional and sports communities online and offline. Reckitt Benckiser will also deploy its brands – Durex, Clearasil, Veet and others – to connect with people and deliver engaging campaigns on campus.

    Chairman and managing director Chander Mohan Sethi says, “Reckitt Benckiser’s culture is very different to most organisations. We only suit people who like freedom to act, a fast pace, enough exposure to make their mark and who are deeply commercial and agile. We offer a heart thumping place to work, and that’s not for everyone, but for the 20 per cent who would love us, they need to know who we are.”

    The ten markets are Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Italy, Pakistan, Russia, UK and US.

  • Nike launches TVC featuring team India

    Nike launches TVC featuring team India

    MUMBAI: Nike has launched “Bleed Blue Pledge”, a 60-second new television commercial created by JWT Bangalore.

    The teaser made its premiere on Nike’s Cricket Facebook page 23 March. The broadcast premiere has taken place today during the quarterfinal play on ESPN. The TVC will also air on Star Sports, Star Cricket, and other sport, entertainment, and news channels.
     
    The ad features cricket athletes such as Zaheer Khan, Virat Kohli, S. Sreesanth, Sachin Tendulkar, M.S. Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir talking about the tenets of the game.
     
    Also, Nike’s YouTube channel (http://youtube.com/user/nikeindia) features interviews with Zaheer Khan, Virat Kohli, and Sreesanth and through the Nike Cricket Facebook page.
     
    Said Nike India marketing director Sanjay Gangopadhyay, “There is no better voices to speak to the fervor and love for cricket held by this nation than those of the incredible athletes of Team India. ’Bleed Blue Pledge’ is unique because it allows these players to express their passion and commitment to the game in their own words. They are testifying to what they believe in.”
     

  • Berkshire India selects Metal for brand building

    Berkshire India selects Metal for brand building

    MUMBAI: Berkshire India, the majority owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, has selected Metal Communications as its brand building and marketing communications partner.

    Metal will help Berkshire India build and grow the brand in the distribution of motor insurance space to begin with. It will be responsible for all brand building and marketing communication and services work for Berkshire India.
     
    Berkshire is entering in the Indian market in the insurance sales and distribution space as a corporate agent for Bajaj Allianz General Insurance.

    Berkshire India will sell insurance products through its online portal berkshireinsurance.com and telemarketing channel, beginning with auto insurance. 
     
    Berkshire India CEO Arun Balakrishnan says, “We interacted with advertising agencies in India and zeroed in on Metal as the team brought in the right degree of enthusiasm backed with skill sets. We feel that building a brand in the online insurance industry requires an out of the box approach and feel that Metal would be the right partner for that.”
     
    Metal Communications VP Ambarish Ray adds, “This is a great opportunity for Metal to not only work with one of the world’s most admired companies but also tackle some unique challenges in the sector. Traditionally, insurance has been sold in India and not bought. With its direct model… it is all set to change the game.”

  • Unilever sells Sanex to Colgate-Palmolive for $940 million

    Unilever sells Sanex to Colgate-Palmolive for $940 million

    MUMBAI: Unilever, the consumer goods firm that owns brands such as Dove, Lipton and Hellmann‘s, has entered into an agreement to sell the global soap maker Sanex to Colgate-Palmolive for $940 million while buying Colgate-Palmolive‘s laundry detergent brands in Colombia for $215 million.

    European Commission asked Unilever to part from Sanex for anti-trust reasons after the Anglo-Dutch company acquired it when buying U.S. group Sara Lee‘s personal care business in 2009.

    The acquisition of Colgate-Palmolive‘s laundry detergent brands is subject to regulatory approval and the completion of the Sanex disposal to Colgate-Palmolive.

    In 2010, Sanex had garnered net sales of €187 million, mainly from Western Europe.

  • Lenovo launches new products; to launch mass media campaign

    Lenovo launches new products; to launch mass media campaign

    BANGALORE: With the launch of a new range of laptops and desktop computers based on the 2nd generation Intel core processors, Lenovo India has become one of the first PC manufacturers in India to introduce PCs powered by Intel’s powerful ‘Huron River’ platform.

    With a view to targeting the youth, the brand has come up with long term and short term strategies that includes mass media campaign across television, print and the digital media. It started a teaser campaign a couple of days ago and with the new academic year beginning soon, it has planned a back to school campaign to target schools and colleges for its computing products.

    Amongst the products launched today are some with interesting features like hardware TV, one key TV, multi-touch, options for a 3D enabled experience, inbuilt JBL speakers etc.

    In 2006, Lenovo achieved tremendous brand awareness and sales branding on Kaun Banega Crorepati. Lenovo intends to be visible on television screens on programs and news channels, but since most brands have followed this trend, the brand plans to do this in a different and interesting way, company sources claim.

    The long term strategic initiatives for its consumer business include Lenovo’s plans to significantly enhance channel capacity; improve the end-to-end execution and operations; increase profitability by driving higher mainstream and premium mix; improve supply chain efficiency, and inventory management. To this effect, Lenovo plans to up its number of exclusive outlets to 400 by the end of March and to 1000 by the end of the next fiscal.

     

  • WC: 40 matches deliver 2.07 TVR

    MUMBAI: The first 40 matches of the cricket World Cup have deliveered a TVR of 2.07 compared to 1.95 for the same period in 2007. Of course, India was elminated early in the 2007 World Cup and so interest had waned.


    India playing more matches this time has led to an improved performance.
     
    The match where Pakistan beat Australia got a TVR of 2.28 and a reach of 40 million, accordinmg to Tam Sports data. It had a peak TVR of 5.07. Compared to this in 2007 an England versus Australia Super Eight encounter got a rating of 2.02 and a reach of of 31 million.
     
    The importance of a match is playing a role. England‘s must win match aaginst West Indies got a rating of 2.23 wioth a peak TVR of 7.08. 45 million viewers tuning in for that duel. Compared to that, the Sri Lanka versus New Zealand encounter deliverd a lesser rating of 1.17 with a reach of 37 million. These two teams had qualified for the quarter final stage.
     
    Interestingly, non India match ratings this time have dipped slightly to 1.13 compared to 1.27 in 2007. Reach, though, is up. The New Zealand versus Sri Lanka match in 2007, for instance, got a rating of 1.69 and a reach of 30 million. This time ariound an encounter between the sides gave a TVR of 1.17 and a reach of 37 million.
     

  • Bates 141 promotes Dheeraj Sinha as Regional Planning Director

    MUMBAI: Bates 141 India Chief Strategy Officer Dheeraj Sinha has been promoted as Regional Planning Director. He will continue to work out of the Mumbai office and will report to Regional Chairman Tim Isaac.


    Commenting on the appointment, Bates 141 Regional Chairman Tim Isaac “Dheeraj is one of our brightest stars. He is keen to work on a larger canvas and to be involved where it is most needed and helpful to the network and our planning community. I am positive that he will rise up to this leadership challenge to play a significant role in helping us achieve our business vision and goals,” Isaac added.
     
    Sinha had joined Bates141–which is a part of the WPP group–in 2005 as Vice President, Strategic Planning. Before that, he worked at Euro RSCG as Planning Director for eight months. He also worked McCann Erickson as Associate Planning Director for nearly five months.


    As Regional Planning Director, Sinha will be an integral part of the Regional Leadership team, working in partnership with Tim Isaac, Regional ECD Sonal Dabral and Managing Partner David Meredith to deliver on the business plan for the network.
     
    “At Bates 141, we are undergoing a creative renaissance and in Sinha well-deserved new role, I am sure he will be of great help in raising the bar of our strategic thinking and subsequently our creative product,” said Dabral.


    Sinha’s functional responsibilities include the development and management of a planning community, delivering business-anchored thought leadership, as well as driving the agency’s reputation at creative and effectiveness awards. He will also work closely with the country heads on new business and brand opportunities.


    “We want to build Bates 141 as the agency with solid thinking and sparkling creativity. I see this as an opportunity to be a part of some breakthrough work with our clients across the region. I look forward to working closely with the regional leadership team and country heads to get us closer to our vision as The Change Agency,” said Sinha.
     
    Sinha’s experience spans a wide spectrum of telecom, finance, FMCG, media, automotive, consumer durables, IT, tourism and food businesses. He has worked on the brand strategy for several multinational and Indian brands, including Fiat, Virgin Mobile, MasterCard, LG, Reckitt Benckiser, AIG, DBS, TVS Motorcycles, Max Bupa, Marico, Dabur, and Cavin Kare.


    Most recently, Sinha – who has a Post Graduate Degree in Communications from MICA and a Graduate Degree in Economics from Delhi University – launched a book called “Consumer India – Inside the Indian Mind and Wallet”, a practitioner’s account of how a new India is shaping up and what it wants in life and in consumption.
     

  • Maxx Mobile appoints Ignitee Sports as sports agency for IPL-4

    Maxx Mobile appoints Ignitee Sports as sports agency for IPL-4

    MUMBAI: Ignitee Sports, the sports marketing arm of Ignitee Digital Solutions, has signed an annual contract with Maxx Mobile to handle its sports management for the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League.

    According to the contract, the agency will manage the on-ground implementation and execution of the ‘Maxx Mobile Strategic Time-Out and Play Off Sponsorship‘ for IPL-4.

    Says MAXX Mobile business head Sajal Roy, “We were looking for an agency that has the required expertise to handle a large-scale sports event like the IPL and Ignitee Sports were found to do full justice to the event.”

    It is because of the increase in the number of matches during the IPL, a specialised agency like Ignitee Sports has become important, feels Roy.

    Avers Ignitee Sports president Anand Yalvigi, “I am sure that our association with Maxx Mobile will go a long way in proving that indeed the sports marketing business in India can attain such heights of excellence.”

    Yalvigi also said that the idea was to promote the business of sports management with innovative ideas.