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Tag: festive season

  • Big ticket items are driving growth in the consumer durables industry this festive season: GfK

    Big ticket items are driving growth in the consumer durables industry this festive season: GfK

    Mumbai: The pandemic effect appears to be waning as buying momentum for home appliances and electronics has improved in 2022, more so for premium products.

    According to GfK market intelligence offline retail tracking, the top five consumer durable goods that contributed the most volume to growth during the festive season of 2021 compared to their annual sales were televisions (28 per cent), microwave ovens (28 per cent), vacuum cleaners (25 per cent) and washing machines (25 per cent). Based on past trends, these four products are expected to drive the growth of the consumer durable industry during this festive season as well.

    GfK head of market intelligence India Anant Jain said, “As a result of the epidemic outbreak, consumer goods sales have been facing challenges for the past two years, but now things appear to be returning to “normal.” The fact that certain significant industries experienced strong double-digit growth in Q1 of 2022 is proof that the offline market has received a stimulus with shoppers moving back to the market to shop. For select categories, like washing machines, microwaves, televisions, and vacuum cleaners, the festive season accounts for more than 25 per cent of their annual sales. Additionally, electric water heaters also sell more than 30 per cent of their annual volumes during the festive months. With a 17 per cent volume gain over the prior year in July 2022 and a 21 per cent increase in value for major domestic appliances, consumer durables enjoyed a good start to the second quarter of 2022 (AC, refrigerator, washing machine, microwave).”

    The second half of the year also looks promising for consumer durables due to the upcoming festivities in October. Every major manufacturer, retailer, and e-commerce platform is promoting their festive deals. Volume increased by 16 per cent year on year in October 2021. Sales of all major domestic appliance products are influenced by the festive season, especially during the Diwali months of October and November, and contribute roughly 17–19 per cent of all sales annually. This percentage is more for small domestic appliance categories, at about 21-23 per cent. During the forthcoming festive season, healthy growth and recovery of the early months lost owing to the third wave in January and February ’22 is anticipated.

    As businesses compete for customers by offering incentives, some trends have emerged in the retail landscape. In addition to standard regular discounts, marketers are enticing customers with exchange offers, lucky draws, cashback, gift sets, and extended warranties. The trend of premiumization is expected to continue this festive season as Indian consumers continue to seek products that provide superior performance and user experience.

    According to GfK’s assessment of industry expectations, some features and innovations are beginning to gain traction as ways to draw customers to new product launches. For instance, the industry anticipates products where design and personalisation come together to create the best possible customer experience. Consumers have responded favourably to smart appliances, which require minimal maintenance and have a wide range of capabilities. Some of the new features in products like refrigerators, which include voice commands to play music, check the weather, manage one’s calendar, and perform other daily tasks. Another example would be washing machines that use AI to detect load size, fabric types, and soil levels and will auto-adjust the optimal wash cycle and amount of detergent.

    There is similar innovation in the television category, where it is expected that laser TVs may eventually replace PTVs because they use 30 per cent less energy than PTVs of comparable size (>75 inches), have a better recyclability concept (87 per cent recyclability), and require less material across the supply chain.

  • Dark clouds start to clear from theatres: Inox Leisure to witness double-digit growth

    Dark clouds start to clear from theatres: Inox Leisure to witness double-digit growth

    Mumbai: It’s good! The cloud seems to be clearing up for the multiplex operator Inox as it expects to grow by double digits for Q3 FY’22. The fear of covid strained the growth of all multiplexes in the country in the last two years, and Inox was no different. As theatres have opened up, the multiplexes are leaving their gloomy days behind and maintaining a very positive outlook for the future.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Inox Leisure COO Anand Vishal said, “The box office growth for Q3 FY’22 as compared to Q3 FY’19 will happen on two accounts. Inox screens are up by 20 per cent compared with the same period in 2019. We are now at 705 screens compared to 585 screens in 2019. The plan is to add three more screens during the festive season in Delhi, Mysore and Andhra Pradesh. Ticket prices have improved by 10 per cent. It is another matrix. And with the lineup that is there, we will see strong double-digit growth in this quarter (Q3 FY’22).”

    He emphasised that the overall multiplex industry will also witness good growth. Inox had posted its best-ever performance in Q1 FY’22 due to the theatrical blockbusters from the South and growth in strong audience footfalls. It has reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 57.09 crore for Q1 FY’22, led by rising footfalls at cinema halls.

    He also noted that comparing the Q3 FY’22 quarter with Q3 FY’21 would not be a fair comparison. That is because there were capacity restrictions. In Maharashtra, for example, theatres were operating with 50 per cent capacity restrictions via alternate seating arrangements. Now there are no capacity restrictions. 

    Inox Leisure’s ad revenue growth

    The multiplexes’ advertising revenue is yet to pick up momentum as compared to 2020. He said, enumerating his views on ad revenue growth, “Advertising revenue will be nearly the same as what it was pre-pandemic. The premium categories advertise with us as they want to talk to the relevant audience.” 

    He also stated that revenue from food and beverages has increased by 30 per cent. The expectation is that per-person spending will improve by over 30 per cent in Q3 FY’22 as compared to Q3 FY’19. “These are the broader matrix for revenue mapping,” he explained.

    Earlier, Inox Leisure’s CEO Alok Tandon said that the growth in ad revenue is expected to bounce back from the Q3 FY’22 and Q4 FY’22 due to the festive season.

    Inox’s ad revenue growth has shown a declining trend recently. In Q1 FY’22, it fell to Rs 30 crore as against Rs 47 crore in Q1 FY’20. 

    The market scenario during the festive season

    In terms of markets, Vishal expects the South to take the lead in terms of ticket revenue growth during the festive season. Viewing trends in the South are higher than in the Hindi-speaking market. “But having said that, in the pre-pandemic period, consumption was also higher in the South. We expect the Hindi market to improve. The South will also improve,” he said.

    He is confident about the Hindi movie market, though some films underperformed and disappointed in Q2 FY’22. “We do not control the software. But having said that, the line-up for Hindi films is looking very good. Look at Ram Setu and Thank God, which is a Diwali release. Tamil and Telugu content over Diwali is looking very good.” 

    Other movies he pointed to which could do well include Merry Christmas and Cirkus. On the Hollywood front, he said that Avatar: The Way Of Water was big. Also, there is Black Adam and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

    On the promotions front, he said that the aim is to boost the inclusive movie-watching experience as Diwali is a family-gathering season and demands splurges during this time. “We will make an inclusive plan for our consumers where we give them offers and benefits to come to Inox. You can expect a Diwali bonanza for families and people who have indulged in movies.”

    Talking about the success of National Cinema Day, he said that it was done to thank loyal patrons. The pandemic disrupted business and no regular operations happened. There were three waves of covid. Lower ticket pricing was the cinema industry’s way of saying thank you to customers. “The success of National Cinema Day showed that the cinema viewing habits of the consumer are still there.” This day, he said, brought in new customers to Inox as ticket prices were drastically lowered. “A lot of people came to Inox for the first time,” Vishal mentioned. 

    Dynamic ticket pricing

    Further, he added that ticket pricing is also based on the movie, not just the timing or the day. He noted that when Brahmastra was released, the ticket prices were higher compared with other movies. “It is a product that we pay for. Let me give you an example. If Avatar: Way Of Water is playing and another movie is also playing, then the two movies will be priced very differently. If Thank God is playing and another movie is playing, then the pricing will be very different. These three movies cannot be compared to other movies.” He also added that it is important to get the weekday pricing right as the aim is to get all segments of society to watch movies at Inox. This is how dynamic pricing works. Weekday prices for Brahmastra started at Rs 100 in some places.

    He also pointed out that the premium ticket pricing for Brahmastra was a maximum of 10 per cent compared to other movies. Seeing the demand, the consumer’s elasticity is important. The price elasticity ranges from Rs 100-500 depending on the day of the week and the audience segment being targeted. Of course, Insignia screens are expensive because one Insignia seat takes up three seats on a regular screen. “The Insignia experience and service are very different, and it comes at a cost. If a regular seat costs Rs 150, then an Insignia seat will be Rs 350.” Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and, to an extent, Karnataka are price-capped markets. Other markets are more price dynamic. In Delhi, there are price cards and pricing slots that are approved by the authorities.” Mumbai will have pricing from Rs 100-500 depending on the location. What you charge in Nariman Point cannot be charged in Dahisar. Pricing is also a function of the location, not just the film. You also have to see the pricing of the competition theatres.” 

    Content offerings beyond movies

    He said that beyond films, Inox also targets different consumer sets. For this, it focuses on sports, music, concerts, school contact programmes and e-sports activation. The plan is to do deals to show matches from the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup and the Fifa World Cup. The good news is that this does not cannibalise the attendance of the movie-going public. The consumer of a sporting event is different from the one who consumes film content. The idea is to create a market, not cannibalise it. Why not give people the opportunity to watch sporting events on a big screen? Sports are a very integral part of our marketing plan. Music is also important. Inox is doing a screening of Coldplay on 29 October. “For e-sports, the core target age is 18–25. Inox has a partnership with the E-sports Federation of India (ESFI). These games are healthy games that have been approved and are up to international standards. Matches are screened. The aim is to also find talent to represent India on international platforms.”

    In terms of in-cinema advertising, he said that premium brands use Inox and that avoids wastage. Cinema, he said, is the answer.

    These brands are not focusing on mass reach. It is about relevant reach. Otherwise, it becomes a waste of money. Inox provides relevance for brands like Manyavar, he explains.

    “More than eyeballs, it is the quality of the footfalls we provide that counts. A mobile phone advertiser with a Rs 20k product wants to target the person who has that spending propensity. The advertiser is only targeting a certain audience segment and so it cannot go to the television all the time.” These brands use cinemas, but they will only use premium cinemas like Nariman Point and Atria. They know the target group visits these locations. The likes of Audi and BMW only pick up Insignias and premium cinemas. “The aim is to talk to the direct and relevant consumer,” he added. 

    Licensing & merchandising

    The licensing and merchandising activities started in June 2022. This, he said, is building and is about targeting a community. “Fans who are loyal to franchises like Avengers, Marvel, sports fans, and people who love Inox as a brand can buy something. We wanted to get into this space. We knew it would take time, but traction is building. We hope to do Rs 4-5 crore in sales in the next 12-15 months.” It has a partnership with Macmerise, which supplies the merchandise. They have some Hollywood rights and also some sports rights like IPL. They also develop Inox-branded products like t-shirts, cups, mugs, headphones, and watches.

    Spending on food & beverage

    Talking about the food and beverage strategy, he explains, “These spends have shown a drastic improvement for us and the industry. People are indulging in eating more food items. That is a very healthy sign. It is about what the consumer wants. Inox does have offerings beyond popcorn and Coca-Cola. It is not a blanket offer. The offering in the South is different from Gujarat and in the North. We focus on what people in a region like to eat. For instance, people in the South like to eat puffs. Samosa is very strong in the West as a market.”

  • “We expect cinema advertising to reach close to 80% of its pre-pandemic level”: PVR CEO Gautam Dutta

    “We expect cinema advertising to reach close to 80% of its pre-pandemic level”: PVR CEO Gautam Dutta

    Mumbai: While the fiscal second quarter June-September has been subdued due to the underperformance of Bollywood (apart from “Brahmastra”), multiplex operator PVR is counting on a much better performance during the festive season. It is planning a slew of initiatives to cash in on the season, which will see a return to normalcy in this period after a gap of two years.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com PVR CEO Gautam Dutta said, “With an objective to encash on the blockbuster releases during the festive period, PVR will be running many promotions from 10–31 October across its products and services. This would entail special offers on ticket booking, PVR e-gift cards, Diwali gift hampers, and ‘V Pristine’ by PVR for its loyalty base of 1.46 crore privilege members. These will be announced on the PVR social media handle and in our cinemas.”

    Talking about the growth in revenue that PVR expects during the festive season compared to the same period last year, he says that after a rousing start of FY23 with Q1 doing amazing numbers and breaking all-time records in the history of cinemas, Q2 has become subdued, marked by the underperformance of some movies. “We are extremely optimistic about the festive season ahead, as this will be the first time in two years that cinemas will be operating without restrictions. Substantiating these expectations is a big line-up of movies that would hit the theatres, and the rolling back of the usual eight-week theatrical window that has been reintroduced since 1 August.”  

    When asked about inflation being a challenge, he said that in the first quarter of FY23, there has been a strong growth of 23 per cent in average ticket price (ATP which is Rs 250) and 32 per cent growth in average F&B spend per patron (which is Rs 134) as compared to the pre-pandemic period. He added that the spending ratio of F&B to ATP has also increased from 49 per cent to 54 per cent. “This shows that patrons have accepted the increase in ticket prices and there has been an increase in their spending on F&B. The contribution of recliner seats to overall footfalls and occupancy has also increased, indicating that patrons are willing to pay a premium for a more luxurious moviegoing experience. There was a strong bounce-back in theatrical admissions with 2.5 crore patrons visiting our cinemas during Q1 FY23.” 

    Festivals, Gautam explained, are a time when families bond with each other, while cinema is primarily a family entertainment medium, so they complement each other. What encourages him is the fact that there is a festive atmosphere and people are in a buoyant mood and like to eat out and watch movies with their families. Speaking about the big releases lined up across languages, he noted, “There is an exciting movie line up in the October to December period covering all languages and genres, released in multiple formats and appealing to all segments of the audience. These include “Vikram Vedha” (Hindi), “Kantara” (Kannada), Mani Rathnam’s “Ponniyin Selvan” (Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada), “The Woman King” (English), “Ticket to Paradise” (English), “Goodbye” (Hindi), “Doctor G” (Hindi), Warner Bros “Black Adam” (English), “Ram Setu” (Hindi), “Har Har Mahadev” (Marathi, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada), “Prince” (Tamil, Telugu), “Thank God” (Hindi), “Phone Bhoot” (Hindi), Disney’s “Black Panther – Wakanda Forever” (English), “Uunchai” (Hindi), “Drishyam 2” (Hindi), “Bhediya” (Hindi), Disney’s “Avatar; The Way of Water” (English), “Cirkus” (Hindi).””

    When queried about the scene in terms of in-theatre advertising, he pointed out that there has been a gradual improvement in advertising revenue with a 68 per cent recovery in Q1 FY23 as compared to the pre-pandemic Q1 FY20. “Given the fact that we have some big films slated to release in the upcoming festive season, it will serve as an opportunity for us to revive advertiser interest and drive brand partnerships and retail opportunities. Q3, which includes the holiday season, is traditionally a good quarter for advertising surges, and we expect the same this year. We expect cinema advertising to reach close to 80 per cent of its pre-pandemic level and will bounce back and hit pre-Covid levels by the end of Q4.” 

    Offering further perspective, he said that PVR plays with fair equivalence vis-a-vis traditional media in terms of enjoying brand confidence and presence across various sectors of product categories. “Mostly all the relevant and sizable categories are on board with us. FMCG, telecom, e-commerce, ed-tech, BFSI (including fintech), consumer durables, automobiles, apparel, accessories, and jewellery, media entertainment, real estate, and so on are dominant categories. Some mainstream brands include Apple, Oppo, Cred, One Plus, Facebook, Whatsapp, Pepsico, Coke, Dyson, Kotak, Pepsi, Coke, Tata CliQ, Dettol, HDFC, Nippon , WOW etc.”

    On the ticket price front, he pointed out that the pandemic caused unprecedented damage to the film exhibition industry. It has practically remained shut or been allowed to operate partially for two years. In normal course, there would have been a marginal increase in ticket prices every year to match inflationary trends. There has been an increase in ticket prices since there was no increase in ticket prices for two full years. “Our average ticket price for FY 21-22 has been Rs 235, which is marginally more than Rs 204 in the pre-pandemic FY 19-20. Ticket prices are capped in three states, namely, AP, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, where we can’t do much. Moreover, they vary as per the category of the movie, show times during the day, weekdays and weekends.”

    In terms of where the growth is coming from, he reveals that over the last decade, the number of malls has increased dramatically. Previously, the development was happening in metros and tier I cities—they are now finding their way into tier II cities as well. “The expansion of multiplexes will also be aided by this deepening footprint. Moreover, there is a lack of out-of-home entertainment options in tier II and III as multiplexes continue to remain the cheapest form of similar leisure activity in India as compared to theme park visits, dining out, and vacations. With such indicators in place, our recent expansion to Narsipatnam, Rourkela, Patiala, and Nizamabad clearly shows our vision and commitment to strengthen our presence beyond metro cities.”

    He added that the company has revived its capex plans in a significant manner and is on track to open a total of 125 new screens during FY23. “We have opened 20 screens across four properties since the start of FY23. We recently opened our six-screen cinema at Hinjawadi, Pune, which includes a P[XL] auditorium that marks Pune’s first multiplex with an extra-large screen. About one-third of the new screen additions in this fiscal year will be in tier II and III cities. The company plans to enter nine new cities during the year.”

  • Indian Performing Right Society targets Rs 60 crore revenue from public performance, says CEO Rakesh Nigam

    Indian Performing Right Society targets Rs 60 crore revenue from public performance, says CEO Rakesh Nigam

    Mumbai: During the past two Covid infected years on-ground events took a severe hit. This had an extremely negative impact on the revenues generated from live events and public performance of music. However, with normalcy returning The Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS) CEO Rakesh Nigam is optimistic about generating revenue of Rs 60 crore from public performance for the current fiscal. The revenue generated will increase from fiscal 2019-2020 (pre-covid), which was Rs 52 crore. The overall revenues generated at IPRS from across verticals for the fiscal are pegged to be above Rs 300 crore.  

    “IPRS has started engaging with a lot of people. We have taken a proactive stand with the users, who are also coming out of the pandemic. We will consider giving them discounts and ask them to pay for music.  People are now positive about taking licences. We have boosted our on-ground team to meet the growing requirement. We have adopted a 360-degree approach and are trying to motivate people to get licences to play music in public. We also try and give discounts to coerce them to take licences.”

    He adds that there is more advertising taking place on digital platforms like YouTube which will benefit the music industry. There is a revenue share and so there will be income growth. However for subscription-driven OTT platforms or music used for television, there won’t be an impact from ad revenue. The festive season has more of an impact on public performance and on anything that is driven by revenue share. “The festive season for us in public performance is a full six-month period. It starts in October and goes on till March. In the summer, things slow down and during the rainy season not much happens. Apart from this, in October corporate events, general events, parties, etc., all start taking place.

    The mood today is very positive. We expect a growth in consumption, which was on a standstill for the past two years.  As malls have opened, footfalls in theatres have increased. Things are looking bullish across the country. Recently, malls had stopped using music to cut down on costs and save every penny. Now they are willing to spend money and take licences. They use music in the background to create the right ambience.,” Nigam points out further.

    “The fervour is across the country. Everyone is waiting to go out and break the shackles, be free and enjoy. So, retail sales are going up. Malls are quite positive. The mood picked up in August. The festive season is Diwali through Christmas.” IPRS, he says, has started engaging with clients. They had asked for discounts in the previous two years which the IPRS had agreed to help during a very difficult period.

    In terms of the growth in the number of artists and music publishers, the growth has been over 50 per cent, he says. “During the lockdown, we made everything digital. We made the online application process as smooth as possible. Only the signature on the statutory documents has to be done offline. We have also held digital seminars and campaigns to reach out to music creators and publishers to tell them that IPRS is a society to extend support. We also reached out to music authors and composers who felt the brunt of Covid. We gave financial support. This sent out a positive message that we are an organisation that does not just collect royalties. We also help when it is required. As a society, we help the less privileged members. We gave financial relief to a lot of members during the pandemic. As a result of all our initiatives to help and support we have also grown in numbers. From 4,000+ we are now a community of over 9000 songwriters, composers and music publishers from across the country. We have seen this growth in the past three years. During seminars, we focused on the fact of learning and earning. We educated people on the new things that are shaping the music industry and careers of those associated with it. How can they be at par with things happening around beyond music creation? What is happening on platforms like Youtube? What is metadata? And all that is relevant for them to reap the best benefits as a creator and publisher.”

    IPRS also aims to educate music users through our campaign that speaks about fair pay and fair play of music. #LicenseLiyakya? is the message. “Why not pay fairly for the usage of music? This encourages creativity. 90 per cent of people online listen to music. We are bullish. Why not ensure that you subscribe and pay for music? That is how we have come up with the campaign. If there is no music at your event, how will it sound? Please help us serve you better by paying for the music. This will encourage authors and composers to create better music for them.” In terms of IPRS members, he said that they can play their role by letting copyright societies like IPRS know where their music is being played. “They also have to push to see that those places obtain a licence as that will only benefit the music creators and publishers.”

  • Melorra launches its festive campaign ‘#HarGharMelorra’

    Melorra launches its festive campaign ‘#HarGharMelorra’

    Mumbai: Melorra has launched its new ad campaign “#HarGharMelorra” to mark the beginning of festivities this season. It has already established itself as one of India’s finest every-day jewellery brands with a presence in over 26,000+ pin codes across India, the U.A.E., the U.S.A., the U.K., and Europe and is still expanding. The brand will be launching a new collection every Friday, with a total of 75+ designs every week.

    The ad campaign reiterates Melorra’s promise to adorn every Indian woman, giving this festive season the option to pick and choose from its wide range of designs for every single day of the festivities ahead.

    It pans out across various cities of the country, including Roopnagar, Vijayawada, Asanasol, and Pune, where women from all age groups and backgrounds can be seen soaking in the festivities while flaunting their trendy, everyday-wear gold jewellery, perfectly capturing the zest and fervour of the festive season.

    The fact that gold jewellery lovers are no longer confined to buying their favourite pieces just because they stay in a remote area has been amply highlighted and the spotlight focused on Melorra’s reach across every nook and corner of the country, where consumers can get their choice of jewellery delivered right at their doorsteps.

    The ad campaign has been released in English, Hindi and other regional languages, celebrating the festive spirit and its reach pan-India as well as in the global markets. The brand has been expanding across the length and breadth of the country and is looking at marking up to 350 experience centres pan India by FY ’26. With its seamless choosing and buying experience, including the touch, feel, and trial of jewellery, Melorra is fast emerging as one of the most preferred brands for everyday gold wear, not confining jewellery to just special occasions.

    Speaking about the campaign, Melorra founder & CEO Saroja Yeramilli said, “The purpose of our ad campaign is to let our customers know that we are available across the country at the click of a button. Our customers are in every nook and corner of India, and we want to reiterate that we put in all our efforts to make modern jewellery, which is lightweight and easy on the pocket, available to everyone. We at Melorra want to reach every Indian and provide them with options to go with their contemporary wardrobe.”

    After two years of the Covid spell, this year people are going to be celebrating in a big way, with friends and family. With our four different festive collections, Melorra is all geared up to be part of these celebrations. We have seen a growing demand for lightweight gold jewellery that women can wear every day with their daily wear wardrobe. Our “#HarGharMelorra” campaign is another step in this direction, allowing us to reach out to the most remote markets while also increasing access to our entire range of products to a wider range of customers. Our designs are inspired by global fashion trends and are just the perfect choice for every occasion, be it festive or simple everyday wear. Every Friday, we release a new collection and have over 18,000 gold and diamond designs available. Our aim is to amalgamate the passion that Indians have for gold with the change in perspectives and palates that comes out beautifully in our designs,” she said.

  • JKCement celebrates the true spirit of Diwali with ‘#AndarSeSundar2.0’ campaign

    JKCement celebrates the true spirit of Diwali with ‘#AndarSeSundar2.0’ campaign

    Mumbai: JKCement WallMaxX has unveiled the new phase of its “#AndarSeSundar” campaign ahead of the festive season. The latest campaign recognises the hard work and selfless dedication of the painting community, who are nothing short of superheroes when it comes to transforming our homes and making them holiday-ready.

    The campaign is conceptualised by Kandid Kanvas & Social Cloud, while the production house is Bombay Film Company.

    Since the festive period is one of the peak seasons for home renovations, our painter partners have their schedules clogged and even have to devote extra hours to make sure that there is no hindrance in the plans of the homeowners. While they are busy meeting their duties, there are times when they are unable to make it to their homes for the festival celebration with their families.

    The campaign highlights and appreciates the gesture of donning hats and recognises the efforts of all the nameless painters who make our homes “#AndarSeSundar,” especially during the festivals. The campaign was conceived based on findings from recent market research, which revealed that 62 per cent of painters leave their families to work in the city. The research also revealed that only 49 per cent of them get the opportunity to visit their hometown more than two times a year! Most of them prioritise lighting up someone else’s home during the festivals and, in return, go back to an empty abode far away from their families.

    The key intent of the campaign was to recognise and appreciate the real heroes behind the beauty of our festivities, the painters, who sacrifice their family time to make our homes “#AndarSeSundar.” Through this campaign, JKCement WallMaxX wants to ignite the real festive spirit in society, which at large includes inclusivity for all in the celebrations and happiness.

    The film showcases an emotional story that defines how empathy and humanity can make anyone’s festival ‘sundar.’ It tells the story of a painter who found it almost impossible to go home to his daughter for Diwali celebrations as he had to honour his commitment made to a young couple who were celebrating their ‘Pehli Diwali.’  The twist in the tale happens when the young couple makes sure that he reaches his village on time to celebrate Diwali with his family. The campaign film has touched millions of hearts and has garnered a viewership of four million within three days of its launch.

    Speaking on the campaign, White Cement Business head-branding Indranil Lahiri said, “We feel the insight-driven campaign is more impactful, especially when it addresses an issue. The inception of the campaign happened when we discovered that a lot of our influencers (painters) expect something beyond financial gains from the homeowners who avail of their services. That something is nothing but the recognition of their hard work and acknowledgement of the fact that they have to let go of their festive celebrations in order to make the homeowner’s abode festive-ready. “#AndarSeSundar 2.0″ is our humble initiative to thank the painters, who give up on their special moments for us to create cherishing memories during the festivities and to encourage others to follow the path of kindness to make this world a better place.”

    To perfectly encapsulate the essence of the film, JKCement WallMaxX came up with a song to resonate with the mood of the audience at every stage of the film. The music was composed by ‘Indian Ocean,’ a group of master musicians who through their music have always stood up for humanity, empathy, and virtue.

  • redBus launches new brand campaign featuring Allu Arjun

    redBus launches new brand campaign featuring Allu Arjun

    Mumbai: redBus has launched its first digital-first brand campaign, with its brand ambassador Allu Arjun, ahead of the festive season. The brand aims to present itself at the heart of intercity bus travel, amid the upcoming festive occasions and holidays.

    As part of the campaign, the world’s largest online bus ticketing platform has rolled out two ad-films with Allu in the lead and delivering the message of bringing your loved ones and dreams closer with redBus.

    redBus undertook extensive research across 15 cities by reaching out to hundreds of people from different walks of life to identify the emotional and cultural anchors that it needed to create the theme for the campaign.

    Directed by Trivikram Srinivas, the brand has unveiled two 45-second and 30-second ad films. The films depict slice-of-life situations like a logistics manager at a storage facility or a mother-daughter duo running a small eatery.

    The first film depicts a helpless father who misses out on the joys of being a part of his infant child’s formative months. As he dreads the prospect of chasing a bus to get home, even to see his child take the first steps, a red bus arrives on the scene and pulls up to drop off a very special passenger. The father is awestruck as Allu Arjun alights from the bus and treads a red carpet towards him with a swagger befitting the actor. Allu comforts the anguished father in a breeze with his cinematic charisma, as he speaks of the benefits of booking a bus ticket on redBus, which could help improve the time the man spends with his family.

    In a similar construct, the second film comprises a mother-daughter duo managing a small eatery. The hardworking daughter is also very talented, making her mother proud, who now wishes to see her enrol at a college in the city for higher studies. The daughter is apprehensive as her mother would have to manage the weekend rush at the eatery all alone while she spends valuable time in queues to obtain a bus ticket for the trip. The same red bus arrives here too, with the swashbuckling Allu Arjun strolling up to the two to defuse their tension by asserting a list of benefits that come along with booking a bus ticket on redBus. Allu finishes both the films with a powerful tone, exclaiming—”redBus: Apno ko, sapno ko, kareeb laye.”

    The narrative of the films thus implies redBus’ strong bond with its customers by being culturally relevant to ‘Bharat’ as well as having a strong connection with individual emotions and aspirations through extremely relatable storytelling.

  • Fujifilm Instax launches festive campaign ‘Print your moment’ featuring Milind Soman

    Fujifilm Instax launches festive campaign ‘Print your moment’ featuring Milind Soman

    Mumbai: Fujifilm India has kickstarted its festive season campaign with celebrity Milind Soman.

    The campaign, which is currently live across out of home and digital platforms, aims to highlight the timeless significance of printed memories, with the slogan “Print your moment.”

    As part of the campaign, Soman can be seen having fun with different Instax cameras and recreating a photograph he cherishes using multiple quirky and classic cameras from the Instax series.

    The campaign will run for 30 days till this year’s Diwali across Instax’s social media channels, websites, and across select locations, including at metro stations in Bangalore, Mumbai, and Kolkata and at the Delhi airport. It will also be echoed across radio stations.

    Speaking on the campaign, Fujifilm India optical devices & Instax division general manager EID Arun Babu said that, “With the festive season around the corner, Instax aims to reiterate the unparalleled role that printed memories play in special moments. We are proud to have continued our partnership with the multi-talented star, Milind Soman, who used Instax prints in the most fun and unique way in the film. With this, we look forward to furthering our message of cherishing memories with print.”

  • Flipkart launches sell-back program ahead of the festive season

    Flipkart launches sell-back program ahead of the festive season

    Mumbai: Flipkart is enabling a “sell-back program” ahead of the festive season. The programme offers a safe and convenient option to sell old phones to network partners. Customers can truly upgrade via the sell-back program by selling their used mobile phones while receiving the right buy-back value in their bank account.

    As a part of this program, an objective 10-grade system will guide the partners in valuing the used phones. The process is seamless and hassle-free with attractive value, quick payment, speedy doorstep pick-up, and a safe and secure sales network for customers.

    The programme was launched following extensive research. If we talk about the data, India is the second largest smartphone market and the fastest growing market for second-hand smartphones in the world. In 2021, around 25 million smartphones were traded in the second-hand market and are expected to rise to 51 million units at a valuation of $4.6 billion by 2025, as per a report by IDC and the Indian Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA).

    Around 70 per cent of people don’t sell their old phones, mainly because of the lack of a trusted platform that can provide good prices, the convenience of selling, and assurance of data safety. With this, the launch of the “sell-back program” is a significant step in that direction. With the acquisition of Yaantra, which has a robust device quality assessment capability, Flipkart has strengthened its foothold in the re-commerce industry.

    Commenting on the launch of the program, Flipkart senior vice president & head-new business Adarsh Menon said, “As the festive season approaches, more people look at options to upgrade and purchase the latest devices and mobiles. Consequently, there has been the emergence of an ever-growing market for re-selling devices that are highly unorganised, unsafe, and difficult to navigate. With the “sell-back program,” we hope to offer our customers a safe, convenient, and environmentally friendly option that guarantees the best value and prompt payment. We have received strong adoption and interest for this program, which witnesses approximately one crore customers every month from across the country. At Flipkart, we consider it a priority to work towards bringing smart tech-enabled solutions to customers and helping in reducing the generation of e-waste, which is a crucial step in creating a sustainable economy.”

  • Ad spend to remain bullish this festive season

    Ad spend to remain bullish this festive season

    Mumbai: After two Covid-impacted years, the mood among consumers and advertisers for the festive season is a lot better. Media agencies expect a decent uptick in ad spends.

    The overall sentiment is positive. iProspect India executive vice president Kaushik Chakraborty explains, “Unlike the last two years, this festive season will be far more exciting. We can expect brands to encash on the positive sentiment. While media spends will be primarily driven by TV and digital, print and OOH spends will also grow,” he tells Indiantelevision.com.

    He explains further that there has been a robust growth in ad spends during festive seasons in the last three years. “In 2021, the growth was more than 20 per cent as compared to the previous year. Although the inflationary pressure will impact overall consumer sentiments, we can expect a 10 per cent plus growth in media spend this festive season.”

    The key categories that will witness a strong push in demand are e-commerce, automobiles, e-wallets, BFSI, and retail.

    “Normally, festivities contribute around 40 per cent of AdEx. A similar trend will continue this year. The bulk of the spending will happen till Diwali, and post that, advertisers will rationalise spending,” he says.

    When asked about the impact of startups being under pressure to conserve cash, he points out that startups contribute less than 13 per cent of overall AdEx. “Traditional advertising players will contribute during the festive seasons, while seasonal advertisers will continue their spending.”

    IPG Mediabrands chief investment officer Hema Malik says that ad spend growth will be 10-15 per cent. Print, radio, cinema and out-to-home (OOH) are bouncing back. She expects the print media’s festive season ad spend growth to be over 50 per cent. “This will be the first festive season in three years without restrictions. The festive season will be celebrated in full-swing on-ground. Earlier, there were issues with masks, fewer places to visit and timings. The market should see a good pick-up currently.”

    However, Malik highlights that television ad spends during the festive season will be flat due to the Indian Premier League (IPL) that happened last year. The annual advertising budget was diverted to IPL promotions. Also, the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup in Australia will take place after Diwali, which is an appropriate time and cooling-off period for advertisers. Hopefully, things will pick up in the advertising market and advertisers will likely increase their spending.

    “Companies discontinue campaigns after Diwali and take a break. There will also be a struggle due to the disappointing IPL viewership recently and also the mediocre performance of India in the Asia Cup. It will be difficult to watch the Twenty20 World Cup on television. The challenge for television is that viewership has been steadily declining. The numbers are unexplainable. It is becoming a deterrent to price revisions. This has been a perennial issue for a couple of months now,” Malik tells Indiantelevision.com.

    Elucidating further on the startup situation, she says, “Startups are facing a slowdown that is another challenge for television and digital media. Big sports properties will come under pressure. Other categories will fill up the gap, and selling inventory will not be an issue. The issue is whether those companies would be willing to spend as much as startups who have a target reach.”

    Filling up inventory is never an issue for television, Malik explains further. It is yield maximisation that will be the challenge. The startup issue will also have an impact digitally. “The dampener is the startups and new-age companies that are under a slowdown this year. That is impacting the advertising mood and AdEx growth, she adds.

    She adds that a few categories are firing, but not all. She expects categories like confectionery, paint, and jewellery to do well. “They will come back in full force. Retail is expanding into more areas. E-commerce will also be there,” she concludes.