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Tag: marketing

  • Adidas, Rohit Sharma partner to launch a sustainable apparel collection for the Indian market

    Adidas, Rohit Sharma partner to launch a sustainable apparel collection for the Indian market

    Mumbai: adidas and Rohit Sharma have signed a collaboration to launch their first-ever collaboration in sustainable apparel for the Indian market. This collection comes in continuation of adidas’ and Rohit’s long-standing partnership and commitment to end plastic waste. Rohit has been committed towards this cause in partnership with adidas, as was witnessed during the past two editions of the IPL, where he used the global stage to showcase specially crafted shoes, highlighting the cause and spreading awareness around marine plastic pollution.

    The stylish and sustainable collection will comprise an array of products ranging from training t-shirts, training pants, shorts, track suits, polo t-shirts, round neck t-shirts, sweatshirts, and lounge pants. The collection has been designed by leading experiential designer Aaquib Wani in collaboration with Rohit. The limited edition collection will be available in select stores and on adidas.co.in.

    Speaking at the launch, Indian Cricket Captain Rohit Sharma said, “Marine pollution is one of the biggest challenges mankind faces today. Oceans are key to our survival, and it is a world like no other and must be protected. My association with adidas over the years has been a major step towards spreading awareness for the cause, which is why I am proud to collaborate with them for this collection. Ending plastic waste is a priority for us both, and this collection is a result of unparalleled commitment and effort towards saving the oceans.”

    Sharing his thoughts at the launch, adidas India senior director Sunil Gupta said, “Sustainability has been one of the core values for adidas over the years. We have been on a mission to help end plastic waste, and all of our efforts ladder up to this goal. We believe that collaboration, creativity, and eco-innovation are the winning formulas to save our oceans and end the global plastic crisis. As our sustainability ambassador, Rohit has always been at the forefront of our quest to end plastic waste, which is why this collection marks a milestone for our partnership. It is through this partnership that we aim to spread awareness and inspire millions out there to join us in our effort to end plastic waste.”

  • Leo Burnett India goes hyperlocal, launches LB Regional to help brands maximise reach

    Leo Burnett India goes hyperlocal, launches LB Regional to help brands maximise reach

    Mumbai: Publicis Groupe owned Leo Burnett India has announced the launch of LB regional-a specialised division that aims to help brands maximise their reach with national audiences by understanding region-wise insights. LB regional will help brands create localised content to build relevance with national audiences.

    Often, marketing campaigns miss cultural nuances and appropriate generalised stereotypes of different communities. Leo Burnett Regional aims to break this cycle and help brands create region-appropriate content by bringing in experts from each region, making content more relatable and relevant. The specialised division currently focuses on five key languages-Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Punjabi, and Bengali-and has a team of creatives and writers who are experts in each of them. 

    “To succeed in today’s times, brands need to win in regions, not just nationally,” said Leo Burnett South Asia CEO and BBH India chairman Dheeraj Sinha, speaking about the launch of the division. “Often, brands have opportunities or problems that are typical of certain regions. We have to deploy region-up thinking, using insights from that region’s context, to be able to solve these. Also, there is a growing demand for local, vernacular, Indianised content, which, if done right, presents a big opportunity for brands to grow their audiences.” 

    “With this in mind, we have created this division which helps brands think and create regional-level solutions. We have already created local level interventions for some brands and have seen great results in going region-up rather than national-down in our thinking and creation,” he added.

    The strategy and thinking is backed by an in-depth quantitative survey undertaken by Leo Burnett India, spanning across ten states (Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Chandigarh, Kerala, and Delhi), with 2,805 respondents across different age groups (18-30, 31-45, and 45+ age groups). The survey covers attitudes and sentiments across seven categories: food, mobility, finance, life motivations and relationships, health, and fashion.

  • Domino’s faces FSSAI heat as viral video raises question mark on its hygiene standards

    Domino’s faces FSSAI heat as viral video raises question mark on its hygiene standards

    Mumbai: Days after a Twitter user posted a video allegedly showing poor hygienic practises followed at a Domino’s outlet in Bengaluru, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has swung into action. The authorities on Wednesday issued a spot memo to food business operators seeking an explanation regarding “unhygienic food handling practices” at the pizza outlet reported in the complaint.

    An improvement notice was also issued based on “inspection observations” which are to be complied with within 15 days, reported news agency ANI. Further necessary action will be taken against the multinational pizza restaurant chain by the designated officer (state licensing), Bangalore Urban District, as per the provisions under the FSS Act upon receipt of the explanation, said ANI in a tweet. 

     

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    The FSSAI crackdown comes on the back of a complaint raised by a Twitter user against alleged unhygienic practises being followed at the pizza brand’s outlet. The user had posted a picture last month, allegedly of a Domino’s outlet in Bengaluru, showing a mop and a toilet brush hanging in close proximity above the pizza dough.

    The user who identifies himself as an IT graduate wrote: This is how @dominos_india serves us fresh Pizza! Very disgusted. Location: Bangalore.

    He also tagged the FSSAI, the ministry of Health, the Karnataka health minister, and the union health minister.

     

     

    The Twitter user named Sahil Karnany followed it up with a video on 14 August, captioning the tweet, “Here is the video of the scene.”

    The tweet soon became viral, with several other netizens responding to it, some of them sharing their own bad experiences with the pizza brand.

    Soon after, the FSSAI took notice of the tweet. Responding to Karnany’s tweet on Tuesday, the official Twitter handle of the agency wrote, “FSSAI has taken note of the incident. The response of the FBO has been sought and appropriate action shall be taken in the matter as per the regulatory provisions under the FSS Act, 2006.”

     

     

    Meanwhile, Domino’s India has issued an official statement saying the brand adheres to “world-class protocols for ensuring the highest standards of hygiene and food safety.”

    “An incident involving one of our stores was recently brought to our notice. We want to assert that this is an isolated incident, and we have taken the strictest action against the restaurant in question. Please be informed that we have zero tolerance for violations of our high safety standards,” the pizza restaurant chain further stated.

  • Home Credit India announces leadership appointment; Ashish Tiwari named chief marketing officer

    Home Credit India announces leadership appointment; Ashish Tiwari named chief marketing officer

    Mumbai: Home Credit India has announced the appointment of Ashish Tiwari as its chief marketing officer (CMO). This decision was made with the continued focus on omnichannel marketing, led by a digital-first approach.

    Ashish brings over two decades of rich experience across various sectors, He has been practising brand marketing, digital transformation, technology and data analytics.

    Prior to this, he was the chief marketing and digital officer of Generali India, where he was in charge of the company’s brand engagement, PR, and digital.

    As a brand communication and product/consumer marketing specialist, Ashish’s diverse industry experience includes stints with Hero Cycles where he led digital transformation across the Hero Group.

    With a specialisation in digital and social media from IIM Bangalore, Ashish has worked with some prominent brands, including HCL, Jubilant Group, and Vodafone.

    Welcoming Ashish, Home Credit India chief executive officer Ondrej Kubik said, “We are delighted to have a dynamic leader like Ashish joining Home Credit India. With business objectives and consumer marketing being redrawn, Ashish, having successfully led digital transformation projects, with rich marketing and diverse industry experience, makes him the right choice for fulfilling Home Credit India’s new approach. I welcome him again and with him onboard, I am sure we will be able to redefine the Home Credit brand and connect with consumers in the endeavour to fulfil aspirations.”

    Speaking about his recent appointment with Home Credit India, Ashish said, “I am very excited to explore and experience yet another new and vibrant industry—consumer finance. In the post-Covid world, consumer lending is undergoing a lot of influx with new-age digital lending modes shaping up. Having served over 14 million borrowers, Home Credit India has been doing a remarkable job of enabling credit penetration and financial inclusion in the country. As Home Credit focuses on digital transformation and explores new ways to connect the brand with new evolving consumers, I am honoured to join its journey and look forward to contributing to its renewed growth and success.”

  • Amazon buys robot vacuum maker iRobot for $1.7 billion

    Amazon buys robot vacuum maker iRobot for $1.7 billion

    Mumbai: Amazon is all set to expand its collection of smart home appliances. It has announced plans to acquire the vacuum maker, iRobot, for approximately $1.7 billion.

    iRobot is famous for its list of smart home appliances, including the Roomba vacuum, the Astro robot, and the Ring security camera, among others.

    GlobalData Retail managing director Neil Saunders said, “The move is part of Amazon’s bid to own part of the home space through services and accelerate its growth beyond retail. A slew of home-cleaning robots adds to the company’s tech arsenal, making it more involved in consumers’ lives beyond static things like voice control. The latest line of Roombas use sensors to map—and remember—a home’s floor plan, offering a trove of data that Amazon could potentially integrate with its other products.”

    Amazon will acquire iRobot for $61 per share in an all-cash transaction, including iRobot’s net debt. The company has total current debt of approximately $332.1 million as of 2 July.

    This is not the first time that Amazon has made a move in this space. It has been aggressively tackling the robotics space in the decade since it acquired Kiva Systems. Last year, Amazon also unveiled the Astro Robot at an introductory price of $1,000.

    Speaking about this acquisition, Amazon Devices SVP Dave Limp said, “We know that saving time matters, and chores take precious time that can be better spent doing something that customers love.”

    He also added, “Over many years, the iRobot team has proven its ability to reinvent how people clean with products that are incredibly practical and inventive—from cleaning when and where customers want while avoiding common obstacles in the home, to automatically emptying the collection bin. Customers love iRobot products—and I’m excited to work with the iRobot team to invent ways that make customers’ lives easier and more enjoyable.”

    iRobot CEO Colin Angle commented, “Since we started iRobot, our team has been on a mission to create innovative, practical products that make customers’ lives easier, leading to inventions like the Roomba and iRobot OS.”

    “Amazon shares our passion for building thoughtful innovations that empower people to do more at home, and I cannot think of a better place for our team to continue our mission. I’m hugely excited to be a part of Amazon and to see what we can build together for customers in the years ahead,” he added.

    The deal is subject to approval by shareholders and regulators. Upon completion, iRobot’s CEO, Colin Angle, will remain in his position.

  • GUEST ARTICLE: How is B2B influencer marketing emerging as a trend in the marketing space?

    GUEST ARTICLE: How is B2B influencer marketing emerging as a trend in the marketing space?

    Mumbai: Influencer marketing is extremely popular in the B2B arena, owing to the fact that customers trust experts more than advertisements. However, the worldwide pandemic has brought new challenges for B2B marketers. Marketing strategies have shifted as the customer and industry environments have changed post-Covid. Companies are also seeing lower marketing spending, which is expected to continue. In addition to such market dynamics, marketing teams are under growing pressure to continuously offer business value and significant outcomes.

    Gartner’s annual CMO Spend Survey has found global marketing budgets now equate to just 6.4 per cent of overall company revenue, down from 11 per cent previously. As a result, marketers must accomplish more with less. These challenging times create a compelling opportunity to redesign influencers in the B2B marketing strategy and think creatively, tactically, and comprehensively. Companies may establish high-impact, scalable, and long-term relationships that add value to the organisation. B2B influencer campaigns have greater reach and confidence with possible buyers, who are more receptive and accepting of information coming from a neutral and reputable source.

    Without a question, the B2B marketing sector will be quite fascinating in the next few years. The reliance on digital interaction, experience, and an increasing tendency toward B2B e-commerce will undoubtedly continue. Data from Salesforce’s seventh annual State of Marketing report shows that 44 per cent of B2B marketers have ‘completely changed’ their marketing channel mix since the pandemic began to meet new challenges. Furthermore, content will continue to play a prominent role, experiences will be everything, and the function of influencers in digital media will become much more significant. B2B marketers must shift away from brand-centric marketing experiences and toward customer-centric marketing experiences.

    Advertisers are increasingly looking for experiences that can attract, engage, and transform the buyer in the driver’s seat. Some B2B marketers are already successfully leveraging partnerships with the industry’s most trusted voices, aka influencers. The reach and efficacy of B2B influencer marketing in obtaining brand awareness and buyer attention are now significantly greater than traditional marketing tactics. 84 per cent of B2B marketers work with influencers to create brand awareness and 69 per cent of B2B marketers work with influencers to help generate new leads (according to the State of B2B Influencer Marketing Research Report). This is why, as part of their brand marketing, prominent businesses from a wide range of industries are partnering with leading industry influencers across both digital and traditional platforms.

    Due to the significant digital change in B2B buying choices, the relevance of engaging influencer marketing has grown in the industry. Buyers rely on these trustworthy sources to educate and influence their purchasing decisions. The B2B marketing business anticipates a stronger focus on digital engagement, experience, and growth in the next few years. Content will continue to play an important part in this area, and experience and impact will be more prominent than ever. Considering this trend, B2B companies must leverage influencer relationships to build experiences that attract, engage, and convert customers in a way that promotes long-term trust and loyalty.

    People have shown an interest in learning more about influencer marketing during the last several years. B2B marketers should be on the lookout for this possibility because it will be a trend in the near future. As the primary source, it will be one of the fastest-growing client acquisition strategies. Working with recognized influencers in the company may give considerable prospects for promoting to prospective buyers.

    People have raised an interest in learning more about influencer marketing during the last several years. B2B marketers should be on the lookout for this possibility because it will be a trend in the near future. As the primary source, it will be one of the fastest-growing client acquisition strategies. Working with recognized influencers in the company may give considerable prospects for promoting to prospective buyers.

    The author of the article is The Girlfriend Box co-founder Vaibhav Pathak.

  • Weekend Unwind with: Thought Blurb Communications managing director & chief creative officer Vinod Kunj

    Weekend Unwind with: Thought Blurb Communications managing director & chief creative officer Vinod Kunj

    Mumbai : With yet another weekend upon us, it’s once again time to unwind with our special series ‘Weekend Unwind’. Where we take a peek into the mind of a corporate head through a fun lens in an attempt to get to know the person behind the title a little better.

    In this week’s edition, we have Thought Blurb Communications managing director & chief creative officer Vinod Kunj sharing with us his musings on the daily rigmarole that life and work has to offer. Having worked with a clutch of big names in adland like Saatchi & Saatchi, Enterprise Nexus (now Bates), FCB Ulka, Lowe Lintas and Rediffusion DY&R in a span of thirteen years, Kunj was ready to take the entrepreneurial plunge. His last stint as an employee was in the Mumbai office of Capital Advertising, a Delhi-based ad firm, heading its creative department.

    Kunj then teamed up with his life partner, Razia, even as the couple leveraged their individual strengths- his in advertising, and hers in design- to launch their own advertising agency, Thought Blurb Communications – “a one-stop shop for advertising, designing, strategy planning and activation services” in the year 2007.

    So without further ado here goes…

    Your mantra for life

    ‘You are what your deep driving desire is.’ From the Upanishads.

    A book you are currently reading / plan to read

    ‘Daily Rituals’ by Mason Currey on the routine that more than 160 creative people followed throughout their lives.

    Your fitness mantra, especially during the pandemic

    Yoga for 30 minutes every day.

    Your comfort food

    Fish curry and rice. (like more than 30 million Malayalee brethren)

    When the chips are down a quote/ philosophy that keeps you going

    ‘This too shall pass.’

    Your guilty pleasure

    A Single Malt with a dash of Perrier and a cube of ice.

    When was the last time you tried something new?

    I am in advertising, if I do not try something new everyday, I would be extinct!

    A life lesson you learnt the hard way

    That you lose a battle at the precise point you stopped trying.

    What gets you excited about life?

    People! Every single person I meet. Each one is such a mystery and it’s so much fun trying to figure them out knowing fully well that I won’t.

    What’s on top of your bucket list?

    Launch an app. I have been planning to for a long time now!

    One thing you would most like to change about the world

    Do we still need organised religion to bring us closer to God!

    An activity that keeps you motivated/ charged during tough times

    A nice long drive into the countryside, preferably the hills.

    What lifts your spirits when life gets you down?

    A good piece of creativity by one of my colleagues or a peer. A nature trail also has the same effect on me.

    Your go-to stress buster

    Classical Indian music or a Kishore Kumar song.

    If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?

    Leap before you look!

  • GUEST ARTICLE: 96% of NFT projects will fail, and why?

    GUEST ARTICLE: 96% of NFT projects will fail, and why?

    Mumbai: The year 2020 was unprecedented in many ways, but what was undeniably phenomenal was the rise of the crypto world, drawing new users to it. However, this dramatic escalation of the crypto world has seen another new market in the digital sphere-the NFTs, which has gathered much attention and somewhat spread like wildfire, which no one can stop. Nowadays, it can be seen that celebrities from around the world are getting into the NFT space and the press is flooded with success stories.

    It may seem that investing in NFTs is the quickest way to earn money. But, just like any other thrilling experience, there will definitely be challenges involved. As per various reports, it has been analysed that 95 per cent of investors lose money since they lack proper research and, therefore, they follow short-term projects which have no value. Amidst the crypto crash this year, it appears that the bloodbath in the crypto market has affected NFT sales too. According to a report in The Guardian, NFT sales reached a 12-month low mark in June 2022.

    Reasons why most NFT projects will fail

    A majority of NFTs (about 96 per cent) will come crashing down hard, not just temporarily, but permanently, because the creators lack experience in implementing their roadmap in the proper way or are unable to cope with emerging issues in order to establish a long-term and sustainable business. Several NFT projects are just a quick way to grab the cash with no real value or utility backing the digital asset. The main issue with the NFT marketplace is poor marketing strategy; the supply presently outweighs demand, as does the lack of actual value and utility backing NFTs, which in turn will affect the sentiment around the project.

    While large brands, companies, and innovators start exploring the NFT space and incorporating the technology themselves, they will soon begin to realise what a valuable NFT looks like when compared to all the useless NFTs presently overflowing the markets.

    The reality that modern-day NFT creators and investors fail to recognise is that, with the help of NFTs (a digital technological space), one can either build a brand from the ground up or increase the trust, value, and transparency of existing brands. In contrast, NFT creators have created nothing more than just a picture, which has little to no actual value or utility at all. The creators are not even building a brand or developing a strong intellectual property, failing to deliver quality, and even providing nothing to their customers besides the NFT itself. People need to understand that just because someone is an artist doesn’t mean the person will be a successful NFT project person.

    In addition to that, these days’ news regarding NFTs that are making headlines are mere stories about people making huge profits by selling and purchasing NFTs. These types of news tend to create the impression that either NFTs are a get-rich-quickly scam or that any NFT can easily make you a million dollar profit, while both are just untrue to a certain degree. It requires a lot of hard work and talent to benefit from the NFT business.

    There’s more to understand on NFTs!

    Going by the present market scenario, it seems that rug pulls have become the go-to scam of the NFT ecosystem, and as a result, several projects are facing difficulty in gaining the community’s confidence. Moreover, projects are failing due to a poorly organised team with no experts, poor synchronicity, and also a lack of adequate financial planning. Many NFT ventures are unable to maintain an engaged and vibrant community of supporters, which is probably the numero-uno factor behind building a project. Plus, there is a lack of uniqueness when a project is simply a copy of an existing one with the same features, benefits, and processes or if it does not grab the attention of the audience; thus, they are not able to make it to the live market.

    Currently, the NFT space is a perfect example of an overhyped market driven by greed. It’s not an easy task to head an NFT project, and in most cases, it is a tough grind to stand out and survive past launch. NFTs are just going to be another way of branding and marketing a business. Although most NFT projects are failing, that doesn’t imply that all of them are worthless. There are still some projects worth your attention, and you can definitely make profits if you understand the logic behind failing projects so that you can act in the opposite way.

    Therefore, the next time someone is thinking about purchasing an NFT, the advice is to do the research, don’t spend more money than you can afford to lose, and only purchase NFTs that spark interest. You must have the ability to build a legit business out of social media. All you need is to be extra careful when diving into this unregulated platform.

    The author of the article is JorrParivar creator, founder, and operator Digital Pratik.

  • Bharti Land appoints Cherryn Dogra as the chief marketing officer

    Bharti Land appoints Cherryn Dogra as the chief marketing officer

    Mumbai: Cherryn Dogra joined Bharti Land on Wednesday as chief marketing officer. She will be leading the marketing function with Bharti Land for the upcoming commercial projects in NCR.

    She brings on board seventeen years of experience in identifying customer needs, customising product offerings (alcobev and real estate alike) and exponentially taking the customer lifetime value up for both multinational and indigenous organisations with innovative marketing strategies.

    She recently moved on from Emaar India, where she was heading the marketing function and was a part of the India leadership team. Prior to Emaar India, she was with DLF.

    Cherryn has been driving the marketing strategy for years. She has worked in the alcohol industry with UB, William Grant India, and Pernod. In her previous stints, she had worked in individual contributor roles as well as managed large teams, which gives her the dual advantage of having championed ownership and mentorship in both.

  • Zee Media appoints Joy Chakraborthy as new chief business officer

    Zee Media appoints Joy Chakraborthy as new chief business officer

    Mumbai: He’s hoping to bring some joy to Zee News. Veteran broadcast executive Joy Chakraborthy has hopped on board Zee Media as its chief business officer. His task: oversee advertising, distribution, sales and marketing at the news network. Chakraborthy has over 27 years of experience in the media industry with a core competence of ad sales and revenue generation.

    His last employment was with the Manish Shah promoted Goldmines Telefilms as its CEO, a post he held for eight months.

    Prior to that  he was the CEO of Enterr10 Media and even before that with TV Today.

    It is a homecoming of sorts for Joy as in the past he held the position of executive director at Zee Group.  He has had experience with the print medium too as director of the Times of India group. He served as president-TV18 and executive vice president-Star TV in the early 2000s.

    He is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School and a graduate from National Defence Academy.