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Tag: Coca-Cola

  • Shocked by the retrograde budget proposal, says Indian Beverage Association

    Shocked by the retrograde budget proposal, says Indian Beverage Association

    MUMBAI: Taking a cue from Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, who has been pushing for higher tax on tobacco products, the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley took a step further from not only increasing excise duty on tobacco, but targeted the aerated drinks as well.

     

    With an eye oncreating a healthier India, the FM has taxed aerated drinks containing sugar, while exempting fruit juices and other aerated drinks like soda.

     

    “I also propose to levy an additional excise duty at 5 per cent on aerated waters containing added sugar. These are healthy measures and I hope everyone would welcome them from the point of view of human and fiscal health,” Jaitley said in his speech.

     

    However, the move hasn’t gone down well with the industry.

     

    On the hike,  an Indian Beverage Association (IBA) spokesperson says, “We are extremely shocked by the retrograde budget proposal of a 5 per cent hike in excise duty on aerated drinks with added sugar.”

     

    The players point out that the soft drinks industry is already one of the highest taxed categories in the country. The combined impact of CENVAT and state VAT rates reaches 34 per cent in eight states in the country. “Coming on top of the current 12 per cent rate, the additional 5 per cent duty increase will be tantamount to a 40 per cent increase in the central excise duty which would hit the industry hard and cause a major slowdown at a time when demand growth for the industry has been sluggish,” elaborates the spokesperson.  

     

    The IBA rebuts the increase by saying that the carbonated soft drinks (CSD)  industry is a key segment of the food processing sector in India. It is a significant user of agri products and, with its high labour intensity, contributes significantly to agricultural growth and employment. With a ratio of direct to indirect employment of 1:4, similar to that of the software industry, the industry’s developmental impact is not adequately appreciated. Currently, it employs over 300,000 people, and if there is a conducive environment for growth the industry has the potential to grow at double digit rates and can contribute more than a million additional jobs over the next decade.  

     

    “It must also be understood that in a country where options of safe, convenient and hygienic beverages are rather limited, CSDs play a very important role in meeting the hydration needs of people. With this hike in excise duty, the industry will have no option but to increase the price of its products. An increase in price will also fuel the growth of beverage options from the spurious and unorganised sector which, on the one hand, pose significant risk to public health and on the other, will take away tax revenue from the government,” adds the spokesperson.

     

    Parle Agro CMO and JMD Nadia Chauhan says, “In the wake of current hike, we will be evaluating our cost efficiencies for Cafe Cuba, whilst closely observing the change in dynamics of the CSD market. Our immediate focus is to work out a strategic approach that works best in serving consumer interest as well as maintaining the organisation’s operational cost. Whether we will be adjusting our price points, reworking volumes or fine-tuning marketing expenses is a key decision that will be taken basis analysis of all the key factors that determine our pricing strategy.”

     

    As per a report by Euromonitor International, soft drinks off-trade value sales continued to record further growth in 2013 in India. The year also recorded many new launches in flavours across categories including juices, powder concentrates, and carbonates. Leading companies such as Coca-Cola India and PepsiCo India introduced various new flavours across the year. Smaller domestic companies including Hector Beverages and Pioma Industries also followed the suit.

     

    The IBA has urged the government to reverse this hike as it will retard the progress of an industry which can have a significant positive impact on India’s development, particularly in the changed governance scenario in the country.

  • Give the Coke bottle a second life; use its cap optimally

    Give the Coke bottle a second life; use its cap optimally

    NEW DELHI: Coca-Cola has launched a new activation campaign as part of its global sustainability programne aimed at upscaling used Coca-Cola bottles to encourage consumers to re-use and recycle plastic.

     

    ‘2nd Lives’ is a project being done with Ogilvy & Mather China and has been rolled out first in Vietnam with select Asian markets to follow.

     

    ‘2nd Lives’ includes a line of 16 innovative caps which can be screwed onto bottles after consumption, transforming them into fun and useful objects, such as a paintbrush, water squirter and pencil sharpener, among others. The bottle caps are gifted to customers upon purchase of a Coke bottle.

     

    “We are always looking for better solutions to reduce the use of plastic and increase recycling around the world. The variety of our ‘2nd Lives’ caps shows that there are many creative ways to re-use plastic simply and practically, and also supports our global sustainability programme. We have created fun tools with Coke bottle tops, bringing small moments of happiness into people’s lives. We hope to make a positive impact and empower people to lead happier lives,” said Coca-Cola ASEAN director integrated marketing communications Leonardo O’Grady.

     

    ‘2nd Lives’ was piloted in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in March, with an expected 40,000 bottle caps to be gifted throughout the country this year. The campaign is set to launch in Thailand and Indonesia at a later date.

     

    “The idea has universal appeal and can therefore be replicated in other markets, beyond Asia. These unique bottle caps are changing consumers’ behaviour and mindsets with an incredibly simple, yet clever, idea. It’s not about high tech capabilities, just creative thinking,” said Ogilvy & Mather Beijing executive creative director Juggi Ramakrishnan.

  • Sponsoring sports events gaining currency in the east

    Sponsoring sports events gaining currency in the east

    KOLKATA: The trend of companies looking at sponsoring sports events to generate brand recognition, though at a nascent stage yet, is catching on in the east like it has in other parts of the country. A case in point is Just Sportz Management, a motor sports events organizer which saw participation from the likes of Indian Oil, Ambuja Neotia, JK Tyres and Coca Cola in 12 events organized by it.
     

    What’s more, the Himalayan Drive organized in January saw the state governments of West Bengal, Sikkim and Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) come forward, even if for the sake of giving a push to tourism in these states.

     

    From July this year till the beginning of 2015, there are plans to organize three sports car rallies i.e. Car Rally for the Blind, TSD Rally and Himalayan Drive 3 to get sponsorships from state governments and sports and non-sports companies.

     

    Just Sportz Management believes that sports motor events make a great platform for some businesses to market campaigns in other regions of India, and it is common to see non-sports companies sponsor such events.

     

    “Though it is nascent in the eastern region, it will catch up here with improved sentiments in the economy and companies looking at alternative ways to generate brand recognition,” Just Sportz Management director Tamal Ghosal told indiantelevision.com. “We aim to ink a number of new sponsorship deals with various brands for our forthcoming events.”

     

    Ghosal said that the company’s Facebook page had got over 1,200 likes till date and apart from undertaking various above-the-line (ATL) and below-the-line (BTL) activities, they would also focus on online marketing activities.

     

    Just Sportz Management director Siddharth S. Bose said that they intended to promote motor rallies of various types, motor cross, drag races and motor gymkhanas and making motor sports more acceptable and popular was their passionate objective.

     

    A city-based marketing expert said that sports as a property would be one of the major interests among corporates looking at increasing their marketing spends here. “The value of these sponsorship deals is generally high,” he added.

     

     Just Sportz is not only into motor sports, the company also espouses noble causes like celebrating the inevitable certification of India as a polio free country.

  • Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages elevates Gaurav Chaturvedi

    Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages elevates Gaurav Chaturvedi

    MUMBAI: Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, the company owned bottling partner of The Coca-Cola Company in India, has appointed Gaurav Chaturvedi as the new Human Resource vice president.

     

    Chaturvedi is currently the zonal VP, operations, Andhra Pradesh, the largest zone for HCCBPL in sales terms.

     

    Chaturvedi will take charge from 15 April and continue to report to HCCBPL CEO T Krishnakumar. This is the first time in two decades since Coca-Cola’s re-entry into India that a senior operations manager has been designated to take over the Human Resource responsibilities in the company. Chaturvedi replaces P V Ramna Murthy, who has decided to pursue opportunities outside the company.

     

    Speaking on the appointment, Krishnakumar said, “The bottling business is exemplified by intense operations where people are the most important asset and hence it helps to have a person who has worked through operations to be head of the people’s function. Gaurav has spent 16 years in various parts of operations of HCCB and hence is an excellent fit to manage the people’s function and take it to the next level of excellence”.

     

    Chaturvedi joined Coca-Cola in 1997 and over the last 16 years has held positions of responsibilities across functions and geographies. During the course of his career with the Coca-Cola System in India, he has headed a large plant (Wada), a sales territory (Nasik), two bottling units (East UP and West UP), and set up the Operational Excellence function across the country.

     

    As a part of the vision 2020 for India, HCCBPL is focusing on becoming a world class organisation, building a culture of execution excellence and driving returns.

     

    India is a key growth market for The Coca-Cola Company and the company envisages India as amongst the top five markets at the end of 2020. India is currently, the seventh largest market for The Coca-Cola Company, globally.

  • Coca-Cola launches ‘The World’s Cup’

    Coca-Cola launches ‘The World’s Cup’

    MUMBAI: With just over two months left for the biggest football bonanza to start, The Coca-Cola Company has launched a campaign to celebrate the game as a force for social good. This is the largest marketing programme in the history of the cola company.  

     

    Through ‘The World’s Cup’ campaign, Coca-Cola will create unrivalled access, participation, empowerment and conversation with the goal of delivering the most accessible and inclusive FIFA World Cup ever.

     

    ‘The World’s Cup’ will be brought to life through a number of key elements: 

     

    • ‘One World, One Game’ television and digital film created in partnership with Wieden + Kennedy Sao Paulo, brings to life the stories of four football teams from four different corners of the world who have each overcome life’s challenges through their love of the game.

     

    • ‘Where Will Happiness Strike Next’ documentary-style short films will share stories of passionate football fans that are using the game to help them triumph over adversity, in turn inspiring others to use the power of football to overcome difficulties.  At each film’s climax, the stars are surprised by Coca-Cola and a special viewing of the FIFA World Cup Trophy.

     

    • The official music anthem for the Coca-Cola 2014 FIFA World Cup campaign features vocals from Brazilian born David Correy and sounds from Monobloco – a Brazilian street band.

     

     

    • The Happiness Flag – constructed from photos and tweets submitted by fans from around the world – will be seen on-pitch prior to the opening match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Sao Paulo on 12 June.

     

    • FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola on a journey spanning more than 92,000 miles and visiting 90 countries to encapsulate the true spirit of the campaign.

     

     

     “Just as Brazil is everyone’s country and Coca-Cola is everyone’s drink, the FIFA World Cup is everyone’s cup,” said The Coca-Cola Company executive VP and chief marketing and commercial officer Joseph Tripodi, about the brand’s new campaign for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.  “Through ‘The World’s Cup’, Coca-Cola wants to celebrate real people playing football, demonstrating how the game is a force for a more inclusive and connected world.”

     

    “Coca-Cola prides itself on celebrating the power of football and the ability of the sport to bring the world together.  Football is for everyone, regardless of geographical and social boundaries, that’s why this year we are launching ‘The World’s Cup’,” added Tripodi.

     

    The visual identity for ‘The World’s Cup’ campaign will be featured on all brand communication during the tournament and represents happiness, togetherness and celebration.  For the first time, the design was created in collaboration with a street artist, employing the unique style and talent of Brazilian artist Speto.  It features the colour and characteristic designs of Brazilian street art with the faces of four young people from Brazil reproduced in Speto’s signature graphic style.

     

    The Coca-Cola Company has had a long-standing relationship with FIFA since 1974 and has been an official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup’ since 1978. Coca-Cola has had stadium advertising at every FIFA World Cup’ since 1950 and is a long-time supporter of football at all levels.

  • McDonald’s, the marketer of the year

    McDonald’s, the marketer of the year

    MUMBAI: Winning a Cannes Lions is every brands and agency’s ultimate vision. And, for McDonald’s it has been a common phenomenon.

     

    Since 1979, it has won 77 Lions and this year, it has been made the Marketer of the Year by Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

     

    The award is presented to ‘brands that have distinguished themselves by inspiring innovative marketing of their products worldwide across multiple platforms and who embrace and encourage creativity in their brand communications produced by their agencies’.

     

    Lions Festivals CEO Philip Thomas said, “McDonald’s consistently places creativity at the heart of its advertising and communications, and that has resulted in the brand receiving many Lions at the Cannes Festival. McDonald’s and its agencies have taken creative risks to produce meaningful work, and they see award-winning content earning higher returns – a success story that will, we hope, inspire other brands. We look forward to congratulating the team from McDonald’s by presenting this very important Creative Marketer of the Year Award in Cannes.”

     

    The award will be presented to McDonald’s on 21 June in the Palais des Festivals, Cannes, France.

     

    McDonald’s senior executive vice president and global chief brand officer Steve Easterbrook says, “McDonald’s is honoured to be named Creative Marketer of the Year. This award recognises the enduring and inspiring relationships we have with our agencies around the world. It’s a nod to our creative heritage and the power of the brand to connect with customers around the world with a local accent. Our restless energy moves us to uncover new ideas, and pursue excellence in insight, positioning, idea and craft. The honour of winning Creative Marketer of the Year at Cannes Lions recognises the hard work of many people throughout the McDonald’s system.”

     

    Last year, the award was presented to Coca-Cola.

  • Coke’s slurp shuts noisy movie goers

    Coke’s slurp shuts noisy movie goers

    MUMBAI: In an era when marketing isn’t just showing advertisements on television or putting on newspapers, brands are finding ways to reach out to its customers.

    Every now and then, a brand engages in customer engagement initiatives to get audiences to notice it. The same was done by Coca Cola in Denmark, a couple of weeks back but with a twist. The exercise, this time, embarrassed the customers.

    In a cheeky manner, the cola giant along with its creative agency Saatchi Denmark helped encourage moviegoers to keep quiet by showing their noisy antics in a mock film trailer.  

    In India too, brands are leaving behind even global brands when it comes to engagement especially on the social media. The reason behind engagements is really simple: brands are no longer just about building awareness; they also need to bring themselves to the forefront of consumers’ consciousness by engaging with them. Engagement now is about clutter breaking and loyalty creating.

    For example, in 2013, Coca Cola had installed high-tech vending machines in the malls of Lahore (Pakistan) and New Delhi (India) – two cities separated by only 325 miles, but seemingly world apart due to decades of political tension. The brand then invited shoppers to set aside their differences and share a simple moment over a Coke.

    Click here to watch the video

    Japanese two-wheeler maker Yamaha saw a rise in its sales in the month of February, thanks to customer engagement programmes. New product launch along with innovative ongoing customer-centric activities boosted the volumes to an all new level, the company had said, then.

    Such stunts are increasingly used by brands to gain traction globally. Irrespective of where the stunt or activation was held (in this case, Copenhagen), chances of it going viral globally are high if the central idea and execution is great.

    However, with Indians being too touchy, Coke’s Slurp won’t work in India. Unless the audiences can laugh at itself, such initiatives can be harmful.  

    To think of brands which would use similar engagement programs is for telecom service providers. With most of the Indians lacking phone etiquettes, the telcos can think of coming up with something different. Hope Airtel or Vodafone are listening.

  • Hakuhodo Percept gets Bhaskar Ghosh on board as National Client Services Director

    Hakuhodo Percept gets Bhaskar Ghosh on board as National Client Services Director

    MUMBAI: Bhaskar Ghosh joins the senior leadership team at the Delhi headquartered Hakuhodo Percept, as National Client Services Director.  The former Branch Head of Rediffusion- Delhi, brings with him a wealth of experience gained over 20 years, creating new conversations for brands such as Domino’s Pizza, Coca Cola, Spice Jet, Nokia, Dabur and Sony, to name a few.

     

    He takes on a national role, with key focus areas being to strengthen Hakuhodo Percept’s client relationships, put in place best practises in account management, and create opportunities for new businesses and growth across branches in India.

     

    Speaking about this development, Elvis Sequeira – Executive Director, Hakuhodo Percept said: “ It’s been a long, long courtship, and am happy that we’ve got Bhaskar on the team. We’ve been slowly re-engineering ourselves over the last couple of years, getting fabulous talent on board to head Planning and Creative, so really this was the final missing piece in our plan. Bhaskar is a wonderful mentor for young talent and an inspirational leader who loves to roll up his sleeves and get things done. I believe that clients, brands and people have a lot to gain from Bhaskar’s talent, involvement and style of functioning.”

     

    Bhaskar Ghosh’s previous stints have been with Contract, Grey, Bates, Leo Burnett and TBWA. He is a Commerce Honours Graduate from Delhi University and has an MBA from the University of Bedfordshire, UK.

  • Dentsu wins three awards at AdFest 2014

    Dentsu wins three awards at AdFest 2014

    MUMBAI:  Dentsu Inc Tokyo has achieved a triple win at AdFest 2014 by winning Agency of the Year, Agency Network of the Year and Interactive Agency of the Year awards.

     

    AdFest 2014 was held in Pattaya over the last weekend and had ‘Co-Create the Future’ as its theme.

     

    The agency won the three awards in the Special Award category which aim to recognise outstanding agencies, production companies and advertisers and are compiled from the tally of AdFest Lotus Awards won during the festival.

     

    Other agencies which won awards under the category were Hakuhodo Tokyo (Direct & Promo Agency of the Year) and Illusion (Film Production House of the Year, for the second year in a row).

     

    The Advertiser of the Year was presented to Coca-Cola.

     

    AdFest president Jimmy Lam said: “This year’s Lotus winners raise the bar for the industry and are indicative of the trends to come. Over the last three days, AdFest 2014 has welcomed the region’s brightest creative talent to this year’s festival – creatives who will now go on to ‘Co-Create the Future’ together.”

     

    Founded in 1988, AdFest, an annual advertising festival celebrating and raising the standard of creativity, this year the festival aimed to bring together a group of experts that have successfully co-created with others.

     

    This year, 1,063 delegates attended AdFest from 49 cities in 28 countries.

  • Farhan Akhtar and Deepika Padukone celebrate the little joys of life with Coca-Cola

    Farhan Akhtar and Deepika Padukone celebrate the little joys of life with Coca-Cola

    MUMBAI: This New Year, the brand universally synonymous with happiness, Coca-Cola,gives a refreshing new twist to ‘Open Happiness’ and urges consumers to revel in the joys of life- big and small. The new campaign ‘Choti ho ya badi, har khushi mein Coca-Cola’, featuring the country`s heartthrobs and youth icons Farhan Akhtar and Deepika Padukone seeks to embrace and celebrate all the little moments of happiness that life throws up.

     

    This campaign is another step in the company’s journey of taking Coca-Cola where it really belongs – the masses, the people at large. Coca-Cola’s great refreshing taste, its values; all resonate across the length and breadth of the country. This initiative is directed at helping the country’s fastest growing soft drink brand, Coca-Cola, tostay firmly on its course to the company’s Vision 2020.

    The new campaign, which brings together Farhan and Deepika for the first time for a television commercial, spreads the Coca-Cola promise of happiness through a series of delightfully charmingads directed by the celebrated Anurag Kashyap. The campaign sees the two actors liven up the screen with their chemistry and engaging interactions in some everyday situations which have them cherish and rejoice the little joys of life with a bottle of refreshing Coca-Cola.

    Speaking on the new campaign, Debabrata Mukherjee, VP – Marketing & Commercial, Coca-Cola India, said, “Coca-Cola is a brand that stands for optimism and happiness. With our new campaign, Choti ho ya badi, har khushi mein Coca-Cola’, we have translated the brand’s happy energy into a series of commercials which capture the essence of finding moments of joy in our day to day lives. The language is very colloquial; the situations are every day, so that every consumer in India can relate to it and feel happy about the celebratory situations. The message is very simple – celebrate your moments of happiness, small or big, with a bottle of Coca-Cola”.

     

    He further added, “We are very happy to have both Farhan Akhtar and DeepikaPadukone join the Coca-Cola family. Our communication for Coca-Cola this year focuses on reaching the masses and both Deepika and Farhan slipped into the roles of “everyday people” with great ease. They are great role models and very inspirational for millions across the country”

     

    Speaking about the campaign, newly appointed Coca-Cola brand ambassador, Actor Deepika Padukone said, “When I think of brand Coca-Cola the feeling of optimism and joy immediately resonates. I have been a huge fan of Brand Coca-Cola, one of the most aspirational and iconic brands in the world and I am glad to have finally got the opportunity to be associated with it. I have thoroughly enjoyed this experience and working with Farhan, Prasoon, Anurag and the entire team at Coca-Cola has been absolutely incredible. The beauty of brand Coca-Cola is the fact that it stands for values, which are very simple yet very powerful. Values which each and every individual in any part of the world will identify with. I am glad to play my part in delivering Coca-Cola’s message of ‘Happiness’ to one and all in a very ‘Refreshing’ and engaging manner”

     

    Speaking about his experience and association with Coca-Cola, Farhan Akthar said “What stands out about brand Coca-Cola is its universal appeal. No matter where in the world you are, Coca-Cola is synonymous with celebration and joy. I am extremely excited to partner with Coca-Cola and to bring this joy to millions of consumers across the country. The entire team behind this campaign has made the experience tremendously enriching for me. I had a wonderful time shooting for the campaign which has given me an opportunity to portray a distinctly new character. A campaign which will connect with the way people including my fans, far and wide, celebrate their moments of happiness – big or small. All in all, just like Coca-Cola, it has been a very ‘refreshing’ experience.”

     

    Anurag Kashyap who has directed the campaign, said, “The campaign pays ode to the ethos of brand Coca-Cola of celebrating moments of joy no matter how big or small. I loved the concept of taking the cosmopolitan and undoubtedly glamorous icons such as Deepika and Farhan and putting them in extremely rustic scenarios that appeal to masses across the country.The campaign is very fun, happy, and bubbly, just like the effervescence unique to a Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola has given us some iconic campaigns in the past that I have thoroughly enjoyed I hope this campaign receives the same appreciation.”

     

    The campaign has been scripted by Prasoon Joshi and his creative team at McCann Erickson. The film has been produced by Producer Guneet Monga’s Golden Gaddi Films and directed by acclaimed director, Anurag Kashyap. The music of the campaign has been created by Mikey McCleary and Vishal Khurana.

     

    In addition to leveraging mass media advertising, the integrated communication plan includes roll-out of an array of touch points including  out-of-home (OOH) media, digital, behind the label promotion, point of sale merchandise and on-ground initiatives across all key markets.

     

    Commenting on the Campaign, Prasoon Joshi, CEO and Chief Creative Officer, McCann World Group India says, “The concept of happiness is universal, and the joy that one look or a smile from that special someone invokes is universal and not constrained by demographics. Similarly, Coca-Cola delivers the promise of happiness universally; whether you are in small town or a metropolitan city you can celebrate the little joys of life with a refreshing bottle of Coca-Cola. It’s this thought that served as the inspiration for this campaign. We have Farhan Akhtar and Deepika Padukone, two young and highly successful actors that have captured the imagination of the whole country essaying characters that you and I could bump into on the streets of Chandigarh or Allahabad or any other city. “

     

    Coca-Cola 2014 Thematic TVC- Feat Farhan Akhtar and Deepika Padukone