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Tag: luxury brand

  • Fire-Boltt signs MS Dhoni as its new brand ambassador

    Fire-Boltt signs MS Dhoni as its new brand ambassador

    Mumbai: Fire-Boltt has appointed Mahendra Singh Dhoni as its new brand ambassador. Dhoni is the latest addition to the brand’s highly aggressive marketing & endorsement plans for India.

    The legendary cricketer will be the leading face of the brand and take part in a variety of marketing, advertising, and endorsement activities for Fire-Boltt, which has once again taken the top spot in the Indian smartwatch market with a market share of 28 per cent.

    Dhoni is known for his reliability, and the partnership will not only allow the brand to aggressively expand its footprints across the country but will also strengthen its identity as the most reliable smartwatch brand in India.

    The association with MS Dhoni will further help Fire-Boltt reach a wider audience, not only in India but across the globe. This partnership will play a crucial role for the brand as the smartwatch market is growing at a rapid pace, and the brand aims to set a benchmark in the smartwatch industry in the near future.

    Talking about his association with the brand and the smartwatch, Mahendra Singh Dhoni said, “Fitness plays an important role in my life. Being an athlete, consistency is important. Fire-Boltt’s range of smartwatches assists people in performing the right amount of workouts. I’m glad to be associated with a brand that has a global appeal.”

    Commenting on this partnership, Fire-Boltt founder and CEO Arnav Kishore asserted, “We are extremely passionate about the addition of MS Dhoni to our group of inspiring ambassadors; he is a natural fit for the brand. The impeccable personality of MS Dhoni and his continuous fame marries well with our vision to carve a niche for ourselves in the fit-tech space. MS Dhoni is one of the most respected cricketers in the world, and he remains an idol for aspiring cricketers across the globe. The association with this iconic wicketkeeper, captain, batsman, or one may say a living legend reflects our unwavering commitment to offering people the best solution to their smartwatch woes.”

    “The ethos of Fire-Boltt to foster a holistic experience for each & every customer has been deeply imbibed in all the initiatives that we undertake here, and MS Dhoni embodies Fire-Boltt’s fitness heritage seamlessly. From the factory level to the top management, true & cohesive efforts are reflected in all of our products, communication, branding, and customer relations. With this association, we wish to accentuate our capabilities and become a household name just like Mahendra Singh Dhoni,” added Fire-Boltt co-founder Aayushi Kishore.

  • Revenant Esports signs Cybeart as its official gaming chair partner

    Revenant Esports signs Cybeart as its official gaming chair partner

    Mumbai: Revenant Esports has signed the gaming merchandise company Cybeart as its official gaming chair partner for the upcoming season.

    Throughout this partnership, Cybeart will design customised chairs exclusively for tournaments, as well as for Revenant’s bootcamp and numerous gaming rosters and creators.

    Speaking of this partnership, Revenant Esports founder and CEO Rohit Jagasia said, “We are delighted to be associated with a brand like Cybeart that has made a name for itself due to their superior quality products and creativity. Gaming chair sponsorships are essential for gamers or creators of any esports organisation as it is one of the fundamental products associated with their craft. This association is going to enhance the gaming experience of our gamers and creators. We are looking forward to teaming up with Cybeart and aiding the growth of both brands in our respective capacities and countries.”

    An exclusive partnership with a renowned esports organisation will make Cybeart’s vision of making a huge impact in the Indian gaming community a reality. This is one of Cybeart’s many exclusive partnerships.

    With a licencing agreement with Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP), the company has previously launched a variety of gaming chairs featuring characters from DC Comics, Mortal Kombat, and The Batman 2022 movie.

    Cybeart founder and CEO Krutik Patel added, “Being a gamer and living abroad for the past few years, I have been closely monitoring the gaming ecosystem in foreign regions and also the currently booming Indian Esports Industry. I’ve always had the urge to introduce the brand to my own country and bring a change to how esports is perceived in India. With both brands working towards the same goal, we are thrilled to partner with one of the leading esports organisations, Revenant Esports, as part of our vision to revolutionise the Indian gaming industry.”

  • World’s top 50 luxury brands lose over $7 bn in value this year: Report

    World’s top 50 luxury brands lose over $7 bn in value this year: Report

    Mumbai: The total value of the world’s top 50 most valuable luxury and premium brands has declined by five per cent year-on-year, according to the Brand Finance Luxury & Premium 50 2021 report. As the world grapples with the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic, these brands witnessed a downturn from $227.1 billion in 2020 to $219.5 billion in 2021, it said.

    Apparel brands dominated the ranking, with 30 brands featuring and accounting for 62 per cent of total brand value, but brand values suffered, nevertheless, due to Covid-19. German auto giant Porsche retained the top spot with a brand value of $34.3 billion, considerably ahead of second-ranked Gucci (brand value down 12 per cent).

    French leather luxury goods brand Celine bucked the trend to emerge as the fastest growing brand, up by an impressive 118 per cent, according to the report. Despite the pandemic’s impact on travel and tourism industry, two hotels managed to check into the ranking for the first time, with Shangri-La in 29th and Intercontinental in 35th position in the report.

    American luxury design house Coach, specialising in handbags, luggage, accessories, and ready-to-wear has recorded the biggest drop in brand value this year in the apparel subsector, falling 31 per cent to $4.7 billion. While performances across the board have been impacted by the pandemic, with the majority of brands recording a brand value loss this year, the brand’s sales and profits have taken a hit over the previous year. Coach’s parent company, Tapestry, has however, cited that forecasts across its brands are looking more positive than anticipated thanks to triple-digit e-commerce growth and a strong rebound across the Chinese market.

    In addition to measuring the overall brand value, the report also evaluates the relative strength of brands, based on factors such as marketing investment, customer familiarity, staff satisfaction, and corporate reputation. According to these criteria, Ferrari (up 2 per cent to $9.2 billion) is the world’s strongest luxury & premium brand – and the second strongest brand in the world. The auto-maker reacted proactively to the pandemic, initially shutting down production and then reopening with a focus on creating a safe working environment. This both minimised disruption and reinforced the brand’s reputation as a high-quality and responsible firm, as per the report.

    Sitting behind Ferrari as the second strongest luxury & premium brand is Rolex, up by one per cent to $7.9 billion. Despite the challenges of the last year, the market for luxury watches has shown remarkable resilience to the pandemic turmoil, with demand remaining stable, demonstrated by Rolex’s website traffic experiencing a surge over the previous year.

    “As predicted, the Covid-19 pandemic has damaged brand values across the luxury & premium sector with the total brand value of the world’s top 50 most valuable down five per cent year-on-year,” says Brand Finance valuation director Alex Haigh.  

    It is not all doom and gloom though, he notes, adding that the pandemic can be used as a catalyst for change across the industry, through growing e-commerce channels or through brands’ responses to the increased consumer demand for social and sustainable action.

    German automaker Porsche, for instance, is striving towards pushing the boundaries and redefining the future of the sportscar. As part of the brand’s ‘Strategy 2025’, the auto giant aims to maintain the traditional aspects that the brand is known for, as well as undertaking the shift towards sustainability through the launch of the Taycan. Porsche celebrated strong sales of the Taycan, which totalled over 20,000 units sold last year, despite a six-week pause in production due to the pandemic. This impressive result means that over 10 per cent of Porsche’s sales are now from its EV models.

    As holidays are cancelled and people are instructed to work from home, the hospitality industry has reached an almost complete standstill both from tourism, as well as corporate travel and hotel brand values, have suffered as a result.  Home to five-star luxury properties with elite postcodes and addresses across the Middle East, Asia, North America, and Europe, Shangri-La – despite the challenges – is the highest-ranked hotel brand in 29th position. The hotel recorded an encouraging recovery across mainland China over the last year with demand being supported by an uptick in domestic leisure travel.