Brands

The attention grabbing gimmick of comparative advertising

Published

8 years ago

November 10, 2017

MUMBAI: The advertising world is a fiercely competitive place with brands waiting to pounce on an opportunity to grab as many eyeballs as they can. If you thought it is the survival of the fittest here, you could be wrong. Wit and smartness are needed for success. While some brands stick to creative storytelling, others resort to a more aggressive form of marketing, i.e., comparative advertising.

If you’ve noticed brands taking potshots at rivals through their advertisements, usually alluding that their products are inferior to its own, voila you’ve got yourself a case of comparative advertising or advertising war. Audiences can clearly comprehend the attack since in most cases they tend to name rivals.

Merely showing exaggerated claims of oneself don’t get categorised into comparison. Only when a brand degrades or insults another brand does it cross over to the territory of indulging in an ad war.

Mindshare India chief product officer M A Parthasarathy says that challenger brands tend to adopt the strategy of comparative advertising. “The success of such campaigns often depends on how tastefully or crassly is it executed. It works better when done occasionally or selectively, and not as the main communication from the brand.”

Some brands do that to show the superiority of their product, while others do it pull down their rivals. Glitch planning director Ramya Nagesh points out that brands opt for this kind of advertising solely for attention. “It gives consumers a look into what brands believe in the most about their products and their brand. In this crowded marketplace, it feels like a breath of fresh air when done right but can get stale really soon,” she adds.

The history of comparative advertising dates back to the beginning of the advertising world and ever since, brands have been mocking and taking a dig at each other. The latest incident is an ad created by Samsung Mobile that mocks Apple users. Teasingly titled ‘Growing Up,’ the video follows an Apple fan from his first iPhone in 2007 all the way up to 2017, when he finally decides to make the switch to Samsung Galaxy 8.

The ad has received mixed reviews where some found it funny and have applauded Samsung’s gut to mock Apple users while a certain set thought it was distasteful.

Though such ads are healthy for the marketing industry as long as they are done right, Publicis India managing director and chief creative officer Bobby Pawar notes that at times it is interesting to see such a face-off which is a tactic to get your name plastered in the news. With the right narrative, it can create a controlled controversy that gets people talking and even taking it in the right stride at times. “In the latest Samsung-Apple face-off, Apple is perceived as a thought leader brand whereas Samsung is trying to be the cheeky challenger,” he adds.

Though comparative advertising isn’t the norm of Indian advertising, some brands had the courage to take on their opponents. Indiantelevision.com brings to you a couple of comparative ads that may or not have resulted in higher sales but definitely created a higher brand-recall.

Rin v/s Tide:

Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) launched its much controversial commercial for Rin in 2010, which made a direct jibe at P&G’s Tide detergent, and raised many eyebrows. The TVC made a no holds barred comparison between Rin and Tide, going on to claim that Tide is incompetent of fighting stains and providing whiteness like Rin.

Colgate v/s Pepsodent:

In this commercial, Pepsodent blatantly used Colgate’s name claiming 130 per cent better protection. Colgate took offence and filed a petition in the Delhi High Court, which was later rejected. The brands have ever since been taking a dig at each other time and again.

Amul ice-cream v/s Vadilal ice-cream:

Early this year, Gujarat Milk Marketing Federation Limited, which sells its products under the Amul brand created a campaign where it insinuated that others ice creams were made out of Vanaspati. HUL and Vadilal took Amul to court as the latter suggested its rivals are actually selling ‘frozen dessert’ in the name of ice-cream.

Times of India v/s The Hindu:

In the year 2012, Times of India launched its ‘Wake Up to The Times of India’ campaign to show Chennai how readers are being put to sleep by a boring news daily, which is also its main competitor in the southern market, The Hindu. The latter wasn’t easy on Times Of India either and came up with a brilliant advertisement to get back at it.

Patanjali v/s HUL and RB:

On 2 September this year, Patanjali launched its campaign that directly targetted HUL’s products like Lux, Lifebuoy and Pears along with Reckitt Benckiser’s (RB) Dettol. In the ad, Baba Ramdev was seen asking consumers to reject chemical based soaps and adopt natural and herbal soaps instead. HUL and RB took Patanjali to the High Court filing a defamation case and the ad was pulled out of TV channels and the internet after the court’s order.

Related Topics:M A Parthasarathy Mindshare India Ramya Nagesh Samsung Galaxy 8

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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.

Brands

BCCL profit jumps 53 per cent in FY25 as tax bill shrinks

Revenue rises 4.3 per cent to Rs 10,209.33 crore while deferred tax gain lifts bottom line sharply

Published

4 weeks ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

NEW DELHI: Bennett, Coleman and Company (BCCL) has posted a sparkling set of financial results for the year ended 31 March 2025, proving that there is still plenty of ink and gold left in the ledger.

Revenue from operations climbed a steady 4.3 per cent, reaching Rs 10,209.33 crore compared to Rs 9,786.44 crore the previous year. When you sprinkle in other income, which rose 8.9 per cent to Rs 949.36 crore, the total income for the media behemoth hit a healthy Rs 11,158.69 crore.

While the income grew at a modest pace, the bottom line tells a far more dramatic story. The real headline is the 53 per cent surge in annual profit. How did they pull off such a feat? While Profit Before Tax (PBT) saw a gentle nudge upward of 2.7 per cent to Rs 1,610.00 crore, it was a vanishing act by the taxman that really did the trick.

Total tax expenses plummeted by 32.4 per cent, dropping from Rs 468.76 crore down to Rs 316.97 crore. This was largely thanks to a swing in deferred tax, moving from an expense of Rs 156.02 crore in FY24 to a benefit of Rs 39.44 crore this year.

Total income rose from Rs 10,658.55 crore in FY24 to Rs 11,158.69 crore in FY25, marking a 4.7 per cent increase. Total expenses grew at a slower pace, up 3.0 per cent from Rs 9,306.06 crore to Rs 9,581.45 crore. Profit before tax inched up 2.7 per cent, moving from Rs 1,567.02 crore to Rs 1,610.00 crore. However, the standout figure was net profit, which jumped sharply by 53.0 per cent, climbing from Rs 1,042.03 crore in FY24 to Rs 1,594.73 crore in FY25.

Despite the rising costs of doing business across the globe, BCCL kept a tight grip on the purse strings. Total expenses rose by just 3.0 per cent to Rs 9,581.45 crore. By keeping costs lower than the rate of income growth, the company ensured that the final figure, a net profit of Rs 1,594.73 crore, was nothing short of a front-page sensation.

In a world of shifting digital tides, it seems the BCCL ship is not just steady, but sailing into significantly wealthier waters.