MAM

Create your dream space: Godrej Interio’s summer showcase

Published

3 years ago

May 17, 2023

Mumbai: Furniture plays a vital role in enhancing the aesthetics and functionality of our living spaces. Furniture and interior aesthetics go hand in hand to create captivating spaces that reflect our personal style and enhance our living environments. Whether it’s a cozy home or a dynamic workspace, furniture serves as both functional elements and artistic expressions, defining the ambiance and character of a room. From sleek modern designs to timeless classics, furniture plays a pivotal role in transforming empty spaces into inviting havens.

Indiantelevision.com caught up with SoCheers Films director Jitendra Hirawat and Godrej Interio head of marketing communications Sumit Bhojani to know more about Godrej Interio’s latest summer carnival campaign.

Among the leading names in the furniture industry, Godrej Interio stands out as a renowned brand known for its innovative and stylish furniture solutions. With a rich legacy and a commitment to quality, Godrej Interio offers a wide range of furniture products that cater to diverse needs and preferences.

Jitendra Hirawat is head of SoCheers Films, largely responsible for the exponential growth of the division over the last six years. He is the driving force behind SoCheers Films expertly understanding the brand message and conceptualising ideas which communicate it to the audience.

Sumit Bhojani is head of marketing communications for the Godrej Interio division of Godrej and Boyce. His core responsibility areas include driving content and creative strategy, generating consumer insights for the category, leveraging social & digital media for reach and engagement, conceptualising and executing media (digital and traditional) campaigns across the brand funnel.

Edited Excerpts:

On the main strategy and idea that you’ve used to capture the audience’s attention and keep them engaged throughout the 20-second film

Jitendra Hirawat: As a filmmaker, I believe that storytelling is a powerful tool that can effectively convey a brand’s message to its target audience. For the ‘summer carnival’ campaign, we wanted to create a relatable narrative that would engage and entertain viewers while amplifying the extensive range of furniture available in the sale. For this campaign, our strategy was to employ humor and storytelling to capture and maintain the audiences’ attention throughout the 20-second film. The narrative depicts a couple returning home to discover kids making a mess of their furniture, leading to a sense of chaos. However, the clever plot twist reveals that the husband had orchestrated the chaos to replace the furniture during the sale. The use of humor and storytelling serves to entertain viewers while highlighting the sale as an excellent opportunity to upgrade their furniture.

On ensuring that the campaign effectively communicates the extensive range of furniture available at the summer carnival

Jitendra Hirawat: To effectively communicate the extensive range of furniture available at the summer carnival, we carefully selected furniture products that would appeal to our target audience and highlighted them in the campaign film. The campaign film masterfully blends relatable story with humor to convey the message that the sale is so good that any excuse to buy new furniture is justified. The campaign artfully presents a vast collection of furniture as the couple visits the Godrej Interio showroom which is filled with a vast variety of furniture, ranging from exquisite bedroom furniture to sleek kitchen furniture and comfortable living room

furniture. Thus, ensuring that the audience doesn’t miss out on the crux of the campaign along with the relatable story.

On ensuring that the humor in the campaign is culturally sensitive and doesn’t unintentionally offend any specific groups or individuals

Jitendra Hirawat: It’s really important to be mindful of the cultural differences in our society. To make sure that our campaign is respectful of everyone’s culture and doesn’t hurt anyone’s feelings, we do a lot of research on the audience we’re targeting. We also made sure to pick a

relatable story about an everyday Indian family to avoid any unintentional offense. Lastly, we review the script and final video with a diverse group of people to make sure we’re not missing anything. We always strive to create content that is both entertaining and culturally appropriate for everyone.

On the campaign differentiating Godrej Interio from its competitors in the furniture market

Sumit Bhojani: The furniture market in India has been growing steadily over the years, driven by a rising middle class, increasing disposable income, and a growing preference for branded furniture. According to a report by ResearchAndMarkets, the Indian furniture market is expected

to grow at a CAGR of around 12 per cent during 2021-2026. However, the market is still highly fragmented, with a large number of unorganised players accounting for a significant share of the market.

In a highly competitive market, effective communication strategies are as important as product offerings in differentiating a company and breaking through the clutter. Our summer carnival campaign had clear objectives and communicated the sale offer effectively using engaging storytelling that leads seamlessly into the sale callout, resulting in strong recall value.Our

product range has high-quality, feature rich, aesthetically pleasing products, showcasing our commitment to design excellence and quality. This sets us apart from our competitors in the market.

On aspects of this campaign leaving a lasting impression on the target audience and help build brand loyalty for Godrej Interio

Sumit Bhojani: Everyone loves a good deal, especially when it comes to buying furniture for various purchase occasions. Offers can add significant value when making a purchasing decision. The ‘offer reveal’ in the campaign film is particularly noteworthy, as it incorporates a surprise

planned by a husband for his partner, adding a fun and charming element.

Our main message to our existing customers and potential ones is to encourage them to visit our stores and experience the wide range of offerings and the superior quality of Godrej Interio furniture. We believe that the loyalty of our customers is built on their positive experiences with our brand.

On Godrej Interio maintaining transparency in its pricing strategy to build trust with customers regarding its cost-effectiveness

Sumit Bhojani: At Godrej Interio, we believe in three core values: high quality, great design and superior value. We never compromise on the quality of our products or designs. Our prices are set to reflect the level of design expertise that goes into creating each piece of furniture along

with the quality that comes from the strength of our manufacturing excellence which is the hallmark of the Godrej brand.

Brands

Netflix India names Rekha Rane director of films and series marketing

Streaming giant bets on a seasoned marketer who helped build Amazon and Netflix into household names

Published

4 weeks ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Netflix has put a proven brand builder at the helm of its films and series marketing in India, naming Rekha Rane as director in a move that signals sharper focus on audience growth and cultural cut-through in one of its most hotly contested markets.

Rane steps into the role after seven years at Netflix, where she has quietly shaped how the platform sells stories to India. Her latest promotion, effective February 2026, crowns a run that spans brand, slate and product marketing across originals, licensed content and new verticals such as games.

A strategic marketing and communications professional with roughly 15 years’ experience, Rane has spent much of her career building technology-led consumer businesses and new categories, notably e-commerce and subscription video on demand. She was part of the early push that introduced Amazon.in, Prime Video and Netflix to Indian homes, then helped turn them into everyday brands.

At Netflix, she most recently served as head of brand and slate marketing for India from March 2024 to February 2026, leading teams across media and marketing for global and local content portfolios. Before that, as manager for original films and series marketing, she led IP creation and go-to-market strategy for titles including Guns and Gulaabs, Kaala Paani, The Railway Men* and The Great Indian Kapil Show, spanning both binge and weekly-release formats.

Her earlier Netflix roles covered product discovery and promotion in India and integrated campaign strategy to drive conversations around the content slate, product awareness and brand-equity metrics.

Before Netflix, Rane logged more than three years at Amazon in brand marketing roles in Bengaluru. There she handled national and regional campaigns for Amazon.in, worked on customer assistance programmes in growth geographies and contributed to the go-to-market strategy for the launch of Prime Video India.

Her career began well away from streaming. At Reliance Brands in Mumbai, she worked on retail marketing for Diesel and Superdry. A stint at Leo Burnett saw her work on primary research for P&G Tide, mapping Indian shoppers’ paths to purchase. Earlier still, at Orange in the United Kingdom, she rose from sales assistant to store manager, running a team and owning monthly P&L for a retail outlet.

The arc is telling. As global streamers fight for attention in a crowded Indian market, executives who understand both mass retail behaviour and digital habit-building are prized. Rane’s career sits at that intersection.

For Netflix, the bet is simple: in a market spoilt for choice, sharp marketing can still tilt the screen. And with Rane now leading the charge, the streamer is signalling it wants not just viewers, but fandom.

Brands

Orient Beverages pops the fizz with steady Q3 gains and rising profits

Kolkata-based beverage maker reports stronger revenues and profits for December quarter.

Published

4 weeks ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: A fizzy quarter with a steady aftertaste that’s how Orient Beverages Limited, the company that manufactures and distributes packaged drinking water under the brand name Bisleri closed the December 2025 period, as the Kolkata-based drinks maker reported improved revenues and a healthy rise in profits, signalling operational stability in a competitive beverage market.

For the quarter ended December 31, 2025, Orient Beverages posted standalone revenue from operations of Rs 39.98 crore, up from Rs 36.42 crore in the previous quarter and Rs 33.53 crore in the same quarter last year. Total income for the quarter stood at Rs 42.24 crore, reflecting consistent demand and stable pricing across its beverage portfolio.

Profit before tax for the quarter came in at Rs 3.47 crore, a sharp improvement from Rs 1.31 crore in the September quarter and Rs 0.39 crore a year ago. After accounting for tax expenses of Rs 0.79 crore, the company reported a net profit of Rs 2.68 crore, nearly three times the Rs 0.99 crore recorded in the preceding quarter.

On a nine-month basis, the momentum remained intact. Revenue from operations for the period ended December 31, 2025 rose to Rs 117.66 crore, compared with Rs 106.95 crore in the corresponding period last year. Net profit for the nine months climbed to Rs 5.51 crore, more than double the Rs 2.18 crore reported in the same period of the previous financial year.

The consolidated numbers told a similar story. For the December quarter, consolidated revenue from operations stood at Rs 45.06 crore, while profit after tax came in at Rs 2.06 crore. For the nine-month period, consolidated revenue touched Rs 133.57 crore, with net profit of Rs 4.49 crore, underscoring the group’s improving profitability trajectory.

Operating expenses remained largely controlled, with cost of materials, employee benefits and other expenses broadly aligned with revenue growth. The company continued to operate within a single reportable segment beverages simplifying its cost structure and reporting framework.

The unaudited financial results were reviewed by the Audit Committee and approved by the Board of Directors at its meeting held on 7 February 2026. Statutory auditors carried out a limited review and reported no material misstatements in the results.

In a market where margins are often squeezed by input costs and competition, Orient Beverages’ latest numbers suggest the company has found a reliable rhythm not explosive, but steady enough to keep the fizz alive.

MAM

Washington Post CEO exits abruptly after newsroom cuts spark backlash

Leadership change follows layoffs, protests and a bruising battle over trust.

Published

4 weeks ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: When the presses are rolling but patience runs out, even the editor’s chair isn’t safe. The Washington Post announced on Saturday that its chief executive and publisher Will Lewis is stepping down with immediate effect, bringing a sudden end to a turbulent two-year tenure marked by financial strain, newsroom unrest and public backlash.

Lewis’s exit comes just days after the Bezos-owned newspaper announced sweeping job cuts that triggered protests outside its Washington headquarters and a wave of anger from readers and staff. While newspapers across the US are grappling with shrinking revenues and digital disruption, Lewis’s leadership had increasingly come under fire for how those pressures were handled.

The Post confirmed that Jeff D’Onofrio, a former Tumblr CEO who joined the organisation last year as chief financial officer, has taken over as CEO and publisher, effective immediately. In an email to staff, later shared by reporters on social media, Lewis said it was “the right time for me to step aside.”

The leadership change follows the announcement of large-scale redundancies earlier this week. While the Post did not officially confirm numbers, The New York Times reported that around 300 of the paper’s roughly 800 journalists were laid off. Entire teams were dismantled, including the Post’s Middle East bureau and its Kyiv-based correspondent covering the war in Ukraine.

Sports, graphics and local reporting were sharply reduced, and the paper’s daily podcast, Post Reports, was suspended. On Thursday, hundreds of journalists and supporters gathered outside the Post’s downtown office in protest, calling the cuts a blow to public-interest journalism.

Former executive editor Marty Baron described the moment as “among the darkest days in the history of one of the world’s greatest news organisations.”

Lewis defended his record in his farewell note, saying “difficult decisions” were taken to secure the paper’s long-term future and protect its ability to publish “high-quality nonpartisan news”. But his tenure coincided with growing scrutiny of editorial independence at the Post.

Owner Jeff Bezos faced criticism for reining in the paper’s traditionally liberal editorial page and blocking an endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris ahead of the 2024 US election. The move was widely seen as breaking the long-standing firewall between ownership and editorial decision-making.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, around 250,000 digital subscribers cancelled their subscriptions after the paper declined to endorse Harris. The Post reportedly lost about $100 million in 2024 as advertising and subscription revenues slid.

While the wider newspaper industry continues to battle declining print advertising and the pull of social media, some national titles have stabilised. Rivals such as The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times have managed to build sustainable digital businesses, a turnaround that has so far eluded the Post despite its billionaire backing.

As Jeff D’Onofrio steps into the role, the challenge is stark, restore confidence inside the newsroom, win back readers who walked away, and prove that one of America’s most storied newspapers can still find its footing in a brutally competitive media landscape.