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Tag: Merck

  • MSD ditches Schbang over irresponsible Poonam Pandey death stunt

    MSD ditches Schbang over irresponsible Poonam Pandey death stunt

    Mumbai: MSD, the Indian arm of the American pharmaceutical company Merck, has ended its collaboration with the digital marketing firm Schbang due to its involvement in a controversial publicity stunt featuring actor and model Poonam Pandey.

    Merck manufactures the Gardasil vaccine, which guards against HPV strains linked to cervical cancer. This decision was prompted by the emergence of news regarding the publicity campaign. Certain social media posts implied MSD’s connection to the stunt.

    As per a report in the Economic Times, an MSD spokesperson stated that the partnership was terminated due to conflicts of interest.

    On February 6, venture capitalist Mahesh Murthy connected Schbang to Poonam Pandey and MSD’s HPV vaccine in a LinkedIn post. He shared a link indicating that the awareness campaign had garnered over 43 million YouTube views and had been shared by several influencers.

    Gardasil has been on the market in India since 2008. Gardasil 9, which targets nine HPV strains, is priced at Rs 10,850 per dose, while the quadrivalent Gardasil is priced at Rs 4,000 per dose.

  • Merck India Unveils Consumer and Lifestyle Inspirations 2014-15

    Merck India Unveils Consumer and Lifestyle Inspirations 2014-15

    MUMBAI : Colour is an element as important as design; however colour trends, though reflecting the spirit of times, could change frequently. For example, silver gaining popularity worldwide, thanks to the wave of high tech products.

    One of the questions that perennially plague most manufacturers and product developers is determining the defining colour in the coming year. From a developer’s perspective, ‘colour sells; but the right colour sells better’ and thus they are in a constant search for the upcoming colour and trend preferences.

    Performance Materials India, a division of Merck, is a leader in effect pigments. Every year it brings together experts and undertakes extensive research to predict colours that consumers will prefer in the coming years. It today unveiled the ‘Consumer and Lifestyle Inspirations 2014-15’, a colour forecast for the printing, plastics and coatings industries in India.

    Some of the trends that consumer and lifestyle inspirations highlighted are:

    •    Warm effect colors like matte oranges, reds and deep chocolate browns would gain prominence.

    •    They would be complemented by bold colours like electric / cobalt blues, purples and pinks.

    •    For consumer electronic appliances, silver would play a lesser role as consumers gravitate towards colours with higher chroma, effect and emotion. Individual expression takes precedence.

    •    Black is no longer simply monochromatic; it gets reinvented and takes on a sparkly hue.

    Commenting on occasion of the unveiling, Filip Roscam, Creative Design Manager, Merck KGaA, said, “The purpose of the report is to introduce the latest global colour trends and apply them to local products. This offers customers an opportunity to predict future trends and create demand for their products. Colours help consumer express their identity and individuality; thereby equipping manufacturers to satisy their customers’ needs.”

    Dr. Aniruddha Paul, Head, Regional Marketing Asia (Decorative) said, “Being a global leader in the pearlescent pigment market, Merck’s Performance Materials Division focuses on creating new demand by actively developing products and predicting colour trends. We predict trends each year for various industries such as plastics, printings and coatings, and are confident that the Indian market will benefit immensely from it.”