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Tag: Maruti Suzuki

  • Lowe Lintas names Shayondeep Pal as Delhi creative head

    Lowe Lintas names Shayondeep Pal as Delhi creative head

    MUMBAI: Lowe Lintas has named executive creative director Shayondeep Pal as its creative head in Delhi. Pal takes over from Shriram Iyer, who was recently named Mullen Lintas NCD. 

     

    Pal will report to Lowe Lintas chief creative officer Arun Iyer.

     

    Pal has been part of the creative team in Delhi for more than six years and is involved in the creative execution of a number of campaigns for clients in the region like OLX, Micromax, Hindustan Times, Maruti Suzuki, Google and Pernod Ricard.

     

    Iyer said, “Delhi has been surging ahead with creative offerings that are top-notch and Shayondeep Pal has had an integral role to play in its success. With a creative firepower that’s palpable and the thirst to do more, I cannot wait to see what he has in store to drive the office in Delhi. I wish him the best in his new role at the agency.”

     

    Pal has been the creative lead on Micromax for the last four years and has worked on campaigns like Sliver 5 with Hugh Jackman, Qube, Canvas HD and Canvas 2. In fact, he has also directed a few commercials for Micromax. 

     

    He has also worked on the Hindustan Times campaign ‘You Read, They Learn,’ which went on to win an award at Cannes Lions in 2013.

     

    Pal said, “I am lucky enough to be part of a great team in Delhi. The opportunities are endless and I want to approach it with an open mind. The great thing is that the mandate is clear: how to make our brands famous and therefore, how to make our people famous. I want to make this place a talent magnet where people would line up to join us. One clear approach would be to look at the creative output from a holistic angle – through new media, unexplored media and not just 30-second commercials.”

  • Dentsu Creative Impact strengthens team with several senior level hires

    Dentsu Creative Impact strengthens team with several senior level hires

    MUMBAI: Dentsu Creative Impact, creative division of Dentsu Aegis Network, has made a host of new talent acquisitions.

    The beefing up of the team has happened across functions, ranging from strategic planning to account management and creative. The appointments come in the wake of the recent client wins such as Maruti Suzuki, Carlsberg and a set of soon-to-be announced brands.

    In the creative function, the agency has roped in Sundar Iyer as copy ECD. Iyer will form the creative leadership team along with ECD Sumitra Sengupta and Art ECD Deepak Singh, whose appointment was announced a few months back. Both Iyer and Sengupta join in after their recent stints at JWT.

    On his new role and expectations, Iyer said, “Great work can only come from collaboration, which seems to be inherent to the way this agency functions. It’s a place that doesn’t have to unlearn to be ready.”

    Sengupta added, “Two months, and Dentsu Creative Impact has already broken my preconceived notions about it. It’s a great place to work at this time. The client is open to innovations, actually demanding it and I’m working at the best place that can provide it.”

    On the account management side, Dentsu Creative Impact has roped in Arvinderjit Singh as vice president, who along with vice president Hindol Purkayastha, will bolster the function and bring in greater depth and strength.

    Speaking about his new role, Singh said, “The sands of engagement as a creative partner have shifted and our industry is going through tremendous change. Working with an agency like Dentsu Creative Impact that not only recognises change but embraces it, is very exciting.”

    Purkayastha added, “It’s rare we get a chance to build and create internal ecosystems to mirror our client needs. This is exactly what we are doing around our clients. I am also excited on utilising Dentsu’s strengths in digital and new media to create advertising that actually touches people’s lives.”

    In strategic planning, Shveta Singh has been appointed as vice president. She will work with strategic planning senior vice president Kartikeya Srivastava. Shveta said, “For me, crossing over the digital divide was the next logical step because the future will have no such divide. A new approach to strategic planning is the need of the day. And, Dentsu came across as the right place with the right vision and a set of people who are already breaking the mould of traditional agency planning.”

    Talking about the new team additions, Dentsu Creative Impact Group CEO Narayan Devanathan said, “Great work happens when people commit to constantly raising the bar. At Dentsu Creative Impact, we’re doing that by first raising the bar on the talent we’re bringing together, across functions. Across Creative, Account Management, Planning, we have a first-rate second rung in place at Dentsu Creative Impact to sustain the momentum that we have going now.”

    Echoing a similar sentiment Dentsu Creative Impact branch head senior vice president Amit Wadhwa said, “It’s been great going for Dentsu Creative Impact especially in the last year or so, and one way we can really continue this upward journey is when we have the right people around. And when we were looking to expand our team this was precisely the thought in our head. We are excited about the fresh thinking and energy that all these guys bring and I am looking forward to working with all of them.”

  • Colors celebrates new age talent in ‘India’s Got Talent 6’

    Colors celebrates new age talent in ‘India’s Got Talent 6’

    MUMBAI: With a number of adrenalin pumping performances, Colors is back with sixth season of its reality show – India’s Got Talent.

     

    This season, India’s Got Talent will celebrate new age talent like never before and revel in highlighting the quirkiest hunarzaades that reside in the country.

     

    Slated to go on air from 18 April, the show will be aired over the weekend at 9 pm.  Talent gurus Karan Johar, Kirron Kher and Malaika Arora Khan will return for the third consecutive season together. Produced by FremantleMedia, the show will be hosted by Nakuul Mehta and Bharti Singh. The channel believes that talent resides in every individual; it is the multiplier for energy, determination and hard work and Colors provides a platform for people to flaunt their hidden flair.

    The channel has roped in a volley of sponsors including Maruti Suzuki as the presenting sponsor, OLX as the powered by sponsor, whereas Amul Macho, Layyer Wottagirl and Ultratech Cement have come on board as the associate sponsors.

     

    With the Golden Buzzer up for grabs gifting the hunarzaade’s a direct entry into the semi-finals, talent will go beyond the four walls of the studio and explore the outer landscape to showcase newer elements including an ‘underwater’ act, a rustic ‘mela’ setup amongst others to bring out the vivid and vibrant colors of life and create the perfect backdrop for oodles of drama touching unparalleled peaks of entertainment.

     

    Colors programming head Manisha Sharma said, “Our focus, this season, is to highlight the hunarzaades – whose talent have the ability to enthral viewers but who have been largely unacknowledged in their growing years. The talent we have seen are those, which have had the courage to follow their heart and vie for success. Karan Johar, Kirron Kher and Malaika Arora Khan are the three jewels in the India’s Got Talent crown, which have sieved out the best of the best talent over the years, and we are pleased to see them raise the bar this year as well. Be it the Golden Buzzer or just leaving the judges spellbound, this edition of India’s Got Talent will feature new-age and techno talent that will leave viewers awe-struck.”

     

    Judging gets tougher, as talent speaks volumes about itself through acts that go beyond convention as they raise the degree of difficulty to create mind-boggling moments.

     

    Touted as the tough-to-please judge, Johar said, “Talent needs to inspire while creating a certain level of thrill in the mind of the viewer. And of course, any good talent needs to entertain. As a judge, I choose to utilize the India’s Got Talent platform to give performers a creative opinion about the degree of complexity they add to their performances. This is my third year judging this show and I am looking forward to seeing how the participants this year surpass the benchmarks set by those who have rocked the stage in the past. They say talent speaks for itself and I am waiting eagerly to see what the talent has to say this year.”

     

    Kher, who has been the part of the show since its inception six years back, added, “It feels wonderful for having been associated with India’s Got Talent for its entire tenure because there are so many new and exciting elements, which ensure that there is never a dull moment on the sets. It feels like home to me. India’s Got Talent is known to encourage new kinds of talent every time. For me, it is an opportunity to truly understand the real and aspirational India through this show. It is the first-hand connect with the viewers that I enjoy the most about this show. It is going to be yet another exciting season and I am really happy to be back.”

     

    Khan opined, “India’s Got Talent is such a larger than life show that it is a challenge for us as judges because inevitably we are caught in moments where one participant is better than the other. We get to see exceptional performances every year. This season, too, I am looking forward to having some fun with many more such mind blowing acts. Bring it on, India.”

     

    As new age talent takes the forefront, the look of the show will adopt a similar flavor. The techno and grunge feel of the sets will highlight the raw appeal of the hunarzaade adding to the overall viewing proposition. Adding a personal touch to the show, home videos of the contestants showcasing their journey of talent discovery will also be aired. Colors will also have a ‘Khulasa’ segment, which will reveal some personal quirks of the judges.

     

    FremantleMedia MD Anupama Mandloi said, “India’s Got Talent has evolved over the years to become a show that defines talent in its true form. This year, our approach is to focus on talent and their ability to transcend thought boundaries to present the unexpected. With talent and an element of challenge being the spotlight, we are looking forward to defying traditions and welcoming a new wave of talent that will be India’s answer to the world.”

     

    Marketing push

     

    To enhance engagement and involve viewers at every stage of the show, an integrated marketing and digital campaign has been chalked out incorporating multiple mediums including television, mobile and cinema amongst others.

     

    The digital campaign will have a fun-filled ‘Challenge Pappu Campaign’ wherein the character of Pappu will throw challenges at the viewers and in the process bring out some of the most outstanding talents to the fore on social media.

     

    With extensive mobile penetration in smaller towns, the promos of the show will be pushed via MMS across key markets along with YouTube. The show will also be promoted during the Indian Premier League (IPL) through  Starsports.com and Hotstar.

  • MobiKwik appoints Saurabh Srivastava as chief marketing officer

    MobiKwik appoints Saurabh Srivastava as chief marketing officer

    MUMBAI: MobiKwik, a mobile wallet with over 15 million users, has appointed Saurabh Srivastava as its chief marketing officer. He will be a part of MobiKwik’s core leadership team.

     

    Srivastava, previously ixigo.com VP – marketing & product strategy, has more than 13 years of experience in consumer centric businesses. He has worked with brands like Goodyear, Maruti Suzuki, Dainik Jagran, GroupM and DDB in the past.

     

    MobiKwik founder and CEO Bipin Preet Singh said, “Saurabh brings with him the experience of working with a variety of consumer brands both in the physical and online space and at different stages of their lifecycle. His experience of nurturing and growing brands, ability to understand consumer internet markets and drive data led consumer insights to achieve brand leadership are skills that will help MobiKwik reach the next level of growth. We welcome Saurabh on board and look forward to working with him to achieve our vision of creating the most preferred mobile wallet for customers and merchants.”

     

    Srivastava added, “Mobile wallets are fast becoming the payment instrument of choice for Indians from all walks of life and MobiKwik is at the forefront of this revolution. This role will give me an opportunity to shape the way Indians look at payments and make mobile wallets a household phenomenon. I am up to the challenge of helping create a consumer Internet brand that millions of customers across the country would love. I look forward to joining MobiKwik and working with great minds at MobiKwik to create the next generation mobile payments system for India.”

     

    MobiKwik is making a big offline push this year and has recently entered into a partnership with Cafe Coffee Day (CCD) to enable customers make payments through the MobiKwik wallet across all outlets in India. This is the first serious push that a mobile wallet service has made to enable digital transactions with an offline merchant of the size and scale of Cafe Coffee Day. Srivastava’s understanding of offline retail will be useful for the company in its bid to get more and more offline retailers to adopt mobile wallets.

     

    MobiKwik recently raised close to $25 million in a series B round from Tree Line Asia, Cisco Investments, American Express and existing investor, Sequoia Capital. The funds will be used for investments in technology/data analytics, brand building and growing the network of users and merchants. In 2015, the company aims to create a brick-and-mortar retail network of more than 100,000 merchants across India. These stores will serve both as points for cash loading into the wallet and for wallet payments acceptance.

  • Nissan appoints Bajwa as VP – sales, network & customer relations for India

    Nissan appoints Bajwa as VP – sales, network & customer relations for India

    MUMBAI: Nissan has appointed Satinder Singh Bajwa as vice president sales, network and customer relations effective 13 April, 2015.

     

    In his new role, Bajwa will be responsible for accelerating sales, expanding the reach and ensuring customer satisfaction for both Nissan and Datsun across India.

     

    Bajwa will report to Nissan Motor India managing director Arun Malhotra. 

     

    Malhotra said, “As we continue to make quick and firm progress in taking Nissan Group of India to its next level it is imperative that we grow and nurture a robust sales and service backbone to ensure customer satisfaction. We have found a strong professional in Satinder Singh Bajwa who brings with him vast experience that can help meet our business goals.”

     

    Bajwa comes to Nissan with 20 years of experience in functions like sales, marketing, dealer management and key account management in the automobile industry. Prior to joining Nissan, he has worked with Hyundai Motor India Ltd as group head – sales. In the past he had also worked with Maruti Suzuki, Piaggio and Bajaj Auto Ltd.

  • Maruti ropes in Sidharta Mahadevan for ‘Breathless’ type anthem

    Maruti ropes in Sidharta Mahadevan for ‘Breathless’ type anthem

    BENGALURU: Indian car major Maruti Suzuki India launched the new Alto K10 in Bengaluru on 4 November. The announcement was made by Maruti marketing and sales executive director RS Kalsi in the city while it has already been launched in the NCR region and Mumbai.

     

    The company has planned a month long 360 degree media campaign created by Lowe Partners. Television, print, outdoor and digital are the mediums on which the campaign will play out on. The theme of the campaign is ‘Chase your dream’.

     

    The new Alto K10 TVC has started playing out across major HSM, English and regional GEC’s and news channels since the car is targeted at the young among the masses. The TVC has been produced by Chrome Pitctures and directed by Manoj S Pillai.

     

    The company is also toying with the idea of utilising a ‘Breathless’ type ‘New Alto K10 Anthem’ that has been rendered by Shankar Mahadevan’s son Sidharth.

     

    The Alto brand has been one of the most successful of Maruti’s brands in terms of number of units of sold and has won a number of awards for the company. Since the launch of the first Alto K10 in 2010, the company has sold around 430,000 units. The new Alto K10 has CNG and auto gear shift models. The company expects these variants to increase volumes by around 10 to 15 per cent.

     

    Having won millions of customers, Maruti decided to upgrade an already successful car with a full model change that makes the Alto K10 taller, wider and roomier and about 15 per cent more efficient says the company. The car comes in six colours with Tango Orange its signature colour.

  • Automotive brands struggle to differentiate themselves in India

    Automotive brands struggle to differentiate themselves in India

    MUMBAI: The automobile industry of India has always been a favourite among consumers, but according to the recent JD Power Asia Pacific 2014 India Brand Influence and Positioning Study (BIPS), very few automotive brands in the intensely competitive India passenger-car market are able to establish a distinct position in car buyers’ minds.

     

    In India, brands with the highest brand influence scores (on a 1,000-point scale) are Maruti Suzuki (837), Hyundai (758), Toyota (729), Honda (723) and Tata (703), while Mitsubishi (565) and Fiat (586) are amongst brands with the lowest influence.

     

    According to the study, strong brand influence may have a positive effect on purchase intent for a particular brand, as brand influence scores correlate highly with brand consideration rates. The study also segments the market using psychographic, demographic and behavioral attributes to help automakers identify and understand who their best prospects are in the new-car market.

     

    “Brand image and reputation have gained significant importance over the last five years for consumers in the Indian auto industry and are key purchase criterion,” said JD Power Asia Pacific Singapore executive director Mohit Arora. “Brand Influence scores measure the impact a brand has in the market, which is critical for automakers to track and measure,” he aaded.

     

    As per the report, in the Northern and Eastern regions of India consumers in India have substantial difficulty distinguishing between many of the larger European and US automotive brands such as Fiat, Ford and Renault. In contrast, Japanese brands, such as Honda and Toyota, are able to more effectively differentiate themselves from other brands.

     

    Despite its Japanese origin, consumers view Maruti Suzuki as an Indian brand, less modern than other brands but distinctly positioned as offering affordable and fuel-efficient cars. Similar to Maruti Suzuki, Tata is also seen as a brand primarily positioned on affordability and fuel efficiency.

     

    Consumers in India perceive these Japanese brands to be more contemporary, offering the latest technology and engineering and perceive them to have a more global image than their European, Korean and US counterparts.  

     

    Explaining the brand positioning, Arora elaborated, “Understanding their current positioning relative to the competition from a consumer’s perspective as well as the type of messaging themes that appeal most to a target segment helps automotive manufacturers sharpen their marketing efforts. Generally, consumers are able to differentiate more effectively on vehicle features they can see, touch and feel than on intangibles.”

     

    The 2014 India Brand Influence and Positioning Study is based on interviews with 8,009 car owners who have owned their vehicles from 30 to 42 months and who were asked to compare two vehicle brands. The study was fielded from January through April 2014 across 30 cities in India, a period when Indian car industry was at an all time low in sales and spirit.

  • AICL to transform annual reports from boring vanilla to interactive

    AICL to transform annual reports from boring vanilla to interactive

    MUMBAI: Annual Reports is just more than numbers, it’s a piece of handiwork through which a company can promote itself, its prospects to its various stakeholders.  It is no longer just a compilation of statistics.

     

    And to make them more interactive rather than just plain vanilla, AICL Communications, a full-service strategic communications consultancy, has taken upon itself to change the way one looks at the boring text running over pages and pages.

     

    A recent survey by Burson-Marsteller found that 95 per cent of chief executives in the US believe corporate reporting plays a critical role in achieving key business objectives. To bring that thought and change in India as well, AICL is assisting several Indian corporates in giving shape and character to their annual reports, paving the way for stakeholder groups to understand them better.

     

    The company has big daddies of various categories as its clients. Reliance Industries, Zee, Hindustan Unilever, Kotak Mahindra Bank, IDBI Bank, Maruti Suzuki, Tata Group, Hero MotorCorp, to name a few.

     

    AICL Communications CEO Arvind Agrawal says, “Many companies now recognise the significant role an annual report plays in providing a road map of key messages and strategic direction. The role of annual reports has been largely changed by innovations in technology that have broadened access to information. At AICL, we are partnering the best Indian brands to help them create a corporate image among the investor community that is commensurate with their business potential.”

     

    The thought is to add spunk and interactivity in addition to containing relevant information, visuals and imagery. Today, good annual reports are as essential as good advertising for any company. The best practices to create a good annual report according to Agrawal are: data visualization, use of imagery to highlight company’s scale, highlight company’s contribution to people and the planet through its CSR.

     

    “Internet too has changed the way people look at things. We believe that if one can access the annual report online then it becomes very interactive,” says Agrawal while stating the example of HUL, Zee on how such companies have created micro-sites for their annual reports.

     

     “We have immense respect for the work and effort AICL invests to make our reports an interesting read. These reports not only help us gain a leadership position in the minds of current and prospective stakeholders, but also allows us to clearly state our goals and pioneering initiatives in the space we operate in,” added Zeel global head brands Ronald Landers for the company which is in its fifth year of association with the consultancy.

     

    AICL operates in the specialised domain of corporate reporting, with services spanning annual and sustainability reports, internal communication, digital and moving image solutions.

     

    When asked if the company is looking at raising funds from the market, Agarwal pointed out that since it operates in a niche space and has a high profile clientele, the company doesn’t need funds from the market and are self-sufficient at present.

     

    The company’s quest to underscore the importance of reporting has driven it to continuously strive towards innovation in the domain. In doing so, it has built a portfolio of clients which comprise nearly 40 per cent of the BSE Sensex, 30 per cent of the Nifty 50 and three of the eight Indian Fortune 500 companies, besides multiple MNCs and PSUs.

  • ASCI upholds complaints against 57 out of 65 advertisements

    ASCI upholds complaints against 57 out of 65 advertisements

    MUMBAI: For the month of November 2013, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) upheld complaints against 57 out of 65 advertisers.

     

    As usual, the health & personal care category continued to lead with the highest number of complaints received.  A number of complaints were upheld for online advertisements as well.

     

    The ASCI’s Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) concluded that the Facebook advertisement of Stayzilla.com of Inasra Technologies shows an indecent depiction of a woman and objectifies women, which is likely in the light of generally prevailing standards of decency and propriety, to cause grave or widespread offence.  The ad contravened Chapter II of the ASCI Code and hence the complaint was upheld.

     

    The advertisement of website of 99acres.com clearly states ‘no Muslim is allowed’. The CCC concluded that the website advertisement promotes discrimination based on religion and contravened Chapter III.1 (b) of the Code.  The complaint was upheld.

     

    The CCC found the claims in health and personal care product or service ads of 44 advertisers, released in the press to be either misleading or false or not adequately/scientifically substantiated and hence violating ASCI’s Code. Some of the health care products or services ads also contravened provisions of the Drug & Magic Remedies Act.

     

    The Himalaya Drug Company’s Himalaya Sparkling White Toothpaste claims that it is ‘India’s first toothpaste with no chemical bleach’. Pack claims that they guarantee ‘whiter teeth in just 2 weeks.’ The complaint was upheld.

     

    Similarly, complaints were upheld for Marico’s Nihar Shanti Amla Hair Oil claims to ‘keep hair black for a long time’, HUL’s new Close Up Deep Action Toothpaste claim was not substantiated ‘Confidence of Fresh breath till 12 hours, presenting new Close-up Deep Action’ and Ranbaxy Laboratories’ Revital claim of ‘21 day money back guarantee challenge’, amongst others.

     

    The CCC concluded that the claims mentioned in advertisements in the food and beverage category were not substantiated.  The complaints were upheld for Pizza Hut wherein the hoardings state that ‘Rs 99 on any meal any day.’ This is not factually true.

     

    United Biscuits Mcvitie’s Digestive Biscuit claims that ‘Every biscuit has ‘Maida’ (Wheat Flour), whereas their biscuits have ‘Atta’ (whole wheat flour). The content of the biscuits says that it also contains 36 per cent ‘maida’ (wheat flour) and only 23 per cent ‘Atta’ (whole wheat flour). Hence their claim is totally misleading that their biscuit is made of ‘Atta’ (whole wheat flour).’

     

    In the auto category, the CCC found following claims in TVC by two different advertisers violated Chapter III.3 of the ASCI guidelines on advertisements for automotive vehicles and hence the complaints against the ads were upheld: Maruti Suzuki India’s Maruti Alto 800 TVC shows ‘a couple celebrating Diwali and when asked about the extra diya, the wife says it is for her parents who stay far away. And they travel with the diya in the car and reach the house. The wife says surprisingly the oil in the diya is intact and the husband agrees whilst looking at the dashboard’. The advertisement sends a dangerous message of carrying an oil lamp in the car. It flouts the safety rules and spreads a dangerous message. Also, a TVS Star City commercial shows a woman pillion riding without a helmet.

     

    Click here for full report

  • Lowe Lintas dabs on emotions for Alto

    Lowe Lintas dabs on emotions for Alto

    MUMBAI:  Lowe Lintas has conceptualised a new campaign for Alto 800. The car from Maruti Suzuki went through significant changes to make it contemporary and stay relevant.

    The ‘Let’s Go’ campaign symbolises younger attitude but also has dabs of emotion.  The company wanted to capture the essence of festivals In India and the insight it got was that the festivals are celebrated by travelling; people go out shopping, meeting friends, relatives. Hence, Alto 800 wanted to integrate its promise of offering the best mileage in its class to the spirit of festivals in order to drive brand’s consideration.

    Commentating on the campaign, Lowe Lintas Delhi president Naveen Gaur says, “In India, festivals are celebrated by travelling. People go out shopping, meeting friends, relatives. Families get together to jointly celebrate. In such times a car with exceptional mileage is an ideal car to own. With the new Alto 800 commercial, Maruti Suzuki and Lowe Lintas wanted to integrate this insight, with the festival led car buying season and the brand promise of ‘Let’s go’. Additionally it was an opportunity for us to infuse a sense of festivity into the market.”

    Elaborating more on it, Gaur adds, “Mileage is something that can become very functional and manufactures’ speak, however this TVC captures the benefit unequivocally in a very warm and emotional storyline. It also captures a progressive attitude among today’s couples who are increasingly equal partners in their relationship.”

    The commercial signs off by saying ‘Agar khusiyaan baatney se badhti hain, toh rukna kyon?’ An Alto ad has always been known for its music, the latest TVC is no different, the lyrics are penned by Gulzar, sung by Shilpa Rao and composed by Rajat Dholokia.

    On the campaign, Maruti Suzuki India chief general manager Manohar Bhat says, “Alto is an iconic car. It is the largest selling car in India and is known for its fuel efficiency. Keeping the festival season in mind, we wanted to make sure that it also builds a relationship through the campaign.”

    The campaign led by TV and supported through digital and radio along with POS and outdoor presence.