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Tag: Nestle

  • Sularia and Dimitrov: the executives behind Intelligence Node

    Sularia and Dimitrov: the executives behind Intelligence Node

    MUMBAI: It’s as low profile as they come. Mumbai-based retail ecommerce analytics firm  Intelligence Node hit the headlines after it was acquired by global marketing solutions company the  Interpublic group for a healthy $100 million. Not much is known about the firm –  or its founders – to executives in the business world, but it is seen as a star in the world of retail and retail analytics.

    Intelligence Node co-founders CEO Sanjeev Sularia and chief data analytics officer Yasen Dimitrov met each other when they were employed at UK-based  firm ClientKnowledge as heads of analytics & research in 2008 And they hit it off.  The firm was acquired by ICAP in 2010.

    Yasen went on to work for Expand Research as analyst practice leader where he was  responsible for managing and delivering business research projects and strategy initiatives such as market and competitor analysis, benchmarking, KPIs, and helping clients optimise growth. He  also implemented a change-management programme that reduced analyses production time by 45 per cent through a process-re-engineering and formalisation program for the analysis and research groups. The firm was acquired by Boston Consulting Group in 2013.  

    Sanjeev, on his part, joined  Exclusively.in (an e-commerce portal for upscale fashion – now acquired by Snapdeal)  and Shersingh.com (a private label e-commerce fast fashion portal inspired by cricket – now under Myntra)  as CFO between 2011 and 2012. It was there that he gained a deeper understanding of the retail industry and understood what lacunae in terms of data and intelligence plagued retail.

    He created  CIBnode in 2010, the precursor to Intelligence Node, while working at the two firms. His idea was to create one of the world’s largest and cleanest retail databases, tracking over 1.2 billion products across nearly 100 languages.

    Yasen, who was based in the United Arab Emirates,  came on board in 2014 after it evolved into Intelligence Node. He  managed operations, analytics architecture, and category expansion; including building and maintaining the largest database in the industry and a team of top-flight in-house data scientists. Sanjeev focused on client acquisition and making the business vision a possibility

    Along the way they brought in high profile angels to fund their dream project as well as marquee investors including MegaDelta, NEA, Orios VP, CornerStone VP, Caliber VP.

    It is the commitment to accuracy and excellence that has driven the firm to come up with products that wowed  clients such as Walmart, Nestle, Lenovo, LVMH, Prada, Unilever as they tried to stay on top of the global retail trends and the ever-changing consumer.

    Today Intelligence Node’s proprietary AI technology offers competitive intelligence and real-time analytics across pricing and promotions, assortment and availability, digital shelf, and brand compliance.

    Yasen has a master of science in finance degree from Hult International Business School, while Sanjeev is a graduate of London Business School. 

    In an alternate life, Sanjeev would have been a bartender at Lord’s; the home of cricket. An avid cricket fan, he has played professional cricket and waited tables at the Lord’s too. Hence, his extreme level of fitness as he continues to play even to this day, but in local matches. Sanjeev also loves writing and is frequently featured on the Forbes Technology Council.

    With the Interpublic group now acquiring intelligence Node, the duo, along with the team at the company are sure to get the scoreboard ticking even faster. 

  • Nestlé Health Science launches new campaign for Resource Activ

    Nestlé Health Science launches new campaign for Resource Activ

    Mumbai: Nestlé Health Science has launched a campaign for its newly launched product, Resource Activ – a muti-benefit, high-protein drink. The campaign builds on relatable moments from the daily lives of millennials and encourages them to pay attention to their nutritional needs to keep their “real age activ”! The campaign has two commercials with humorous undertones.

    Commenting on the launch of the campaign,  Nestlé Health Science India director Mansi Khanna said, “Various research suggests that after 30 years of age, an individual’s muscle mass and bone density begins to reduce. Our new campaign for Resource Activ seeks to communicate this situation and highlights that with the New Edge formula, one can keep their real age active!”

    Resource Activ, with its unique ‘New Edge Formula’, has high-quality proteins for muscles, enriched calcium and vitamin D for bone health and hyaluronate for skin health to address multiple nutritional needs of an individual above 30 years.

    The video campaign will be broadcast across social media platforms including YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and select OTT platforms.

  • Ipsos India bags two key awards at the MRSI-organised Golden Key Awards 2023

    Ipsos India bags two key awards at the MRSI-organised Golden Key Awards 2023

    Mumbai: Ipsos India has bagged two prestigious awards at the Market Research Society of India (MRSI) organized, the Golden Key Awards 2023 (GKA 2023). The awards won were in the categories of the Most Effective Storyteller (won jointly with Nestlé and the Best Operations Team of the Year. The awards were held on February 21st, 2024 at The Leela Ambience Hotel, Gurugram.  

    The Most Effective Storyteller award was for the acclaimed recognition of the paper produced in collaboration with Nestlé, that underscored the significance of fundamental storytelling elements in conveying meaningful insights. As the the widely accepted adage goes: Insights are delivered, stories are heard, and movies leave a lasting impact – this encapsulated the distinctive aspect of the winning paper.

    It adopted a novel approach of movie-based storytelling, to vividly illustrate the experiences of Generation Z. The team of Ipsos, Shelly Jain (research director, Ipsos UU), Maitreyi Mangrati (executive director, service line leader, Synthesio), and Ashwini Sirsikar (group service line leader, Ipsos UU and Synthesio), confabulated and conceptualized this innovative approach. And complemented by key inputs from client partner, Nestlé and Abhinav Goel (lead consumer insights, Nestlé). Ergo, the collective effort redefined the power of storytelling, delivering impactful insights.

    “Generation Z is a not only a very important target set for Nestlé but also reflects on the new employees entering the workforce. To understand them in reality, Ipsos conducted an important research, understanding the cohort in detail and more importantly bringing  them alive in a unique way that aroused the curiosity of all the stakeholders,” said Nestlé director strategy and marketing communication, South Asia region Chandan Mukherji.

    “Ipsos India is a strong advocate for using the storytelling principles for delivering insights. We realised that we needed to do something different for the insights to be impactful and memorable since there was already so much that was known about Gen Z. Short, engaging and well woven, data-led business narratives are the need of the hour and what better way to deliver insights than using the magic of cinema! We used the classical story arc to build and deliver the narrative in the form of a short movie, complete with a trailer to create excitement, expert speak and a meet with the cast on the big day,” stated Ipsos UU and Synthesio group service line leader Ashwini Sirsikar.

    In case of the 2nd win, for the Best Operations Team of the Year Award, public affairs executive director Mridula Mishra elaborated, “Pey Jal Survekshan was done in 485 major cities in India where views of citizens were captured for the water supply related services provided by the Urban Local Bodies. We reached out to 5 lac plus citizens in this process and provided meaningful insights to the client for planning the next course of action.”

    Ipsos India operations director Meghana Kelkar said, “The Ipsos Operations team was honoured with the Best Operations Team of the Year award at the MRSI Golden Key Awards, 2023. We also had the distinction of shortlisting of two finalists in the same category. We demonstrated operational excellence as we successfully conducted the world’s largest sanitation & cleanliness survey, the Swachh Bharat Survekshan Urban & Swachh Bharat Survekshan Grameen, and the Pey Jal survey, India’s first unique urban water quality survey. It’s a matter of immense pride to win one and for the other project to be a finalist in this prestigious category. Our work was on full display at the great GKA 2023 platform.”

    Apart from the research team led by Mridula Mishra and her team. The Operations team comprised of Meghana S Kelkar (operations director), Surojit Podder (associate director-field), Sonia Marwah, (associate director-field), Dilip Mishra (associate director- field) and Jaspreet Singh (senior manager-field).

    Ipsos in India CEO Amit Adarkar expressed his joy with the stellar performance by his teams. He said, “It is a matter of great pride and honour for everyone in Ipsos, that our two teams have picked up these much coveted awards. While it is our constant  endeavour to provide clients with the best in class solutions and deliver impactful work to provide them with the market leading position, awards validate our work. For us, the total of 8 finalists on the GKA 2023 is in itself a significant achievement. We keep the tempo going.”    

    Golden Key Awards

    MRSI Golden Key Awards recognize and celebrate Research and Researchers contributing to growth in their clients’ business. Research is a critical foundation for business success, albeit the work done by researchers can be a ‘behind the doors’ activity supporting the more visible brand, marketing and business strategy.

    MRSI instituted the Golden Key Awards in 2019 to recognize the contribution of insights for the growth of the business.

    MRSI Golden Key Awards 2023 continue to be a beacon of recognition and celebration, honoring the vital role of research & insights and researchers in driving business growth. In a world where research often operates behind the scenes, supporting the more visible facets of branding, marketing, and business strategy, these awards serve as a platform to shine a well-deserved spotlight on the dedicated professionals in the field.

    The 2023 edition is set to take place at The Leela Ambiance, Gurgaon on 21 February 2024.

  • VML appoints Babita Baruah as CEO of India

    VML appoints Babita Baruah as CEO of India

    Mumbai: VML has announced Babita Baruah will join as chief executive officer of India from March 1, 2024, and will partner with Saurabh Saksena, who has been elevated into the role of president.

    Baruah’s journey began at JWT/Wunderman Thompson India, where she spent two decades leading global and local brands such as PepsiCo, Unilever, Nestlé, Kellogg’s, Godrej, Kotak Mahindra, Reliance, and Aditya Birla.

    In 2017, she joined the GTB business in India as managing partner and moved to Bangkok in 2021 in a dual capacity role as WPP Lead for the Ford business across India, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, the Middle East, and South Africa, and executive director, VMLY&R Thailand.

  • MAGGI Magic sparks up MasterChef India on Sony LIV

    MAGGI Magic sparks up MasterChef India on Sony LIV

    Mumbai: Sony LIV is reigniting the country’s passion for the art of cooking like never before, as MasterChef India is streaming exclusively on the platform from Monday to Friday at 8 p.m. This new season promises to be an absolute feast for viewers across the country. In a unique momentous collaboration, Sony LIV has joined hands with MAGGI Masala-ae-Magic, to set a new benchmark of culinary excellence on MasterChef India.

    MAGGI Masala-ae-Magic by Nestle comes on board as the ‘co-powered by’ sponsor for MasterChef India, bringing with it a unique blend of innovation and flavours. The brand will infuse the show with numerous themes like zero waste, sustainability and fuelling home cooks’ entrepreneurial aspirations.

    Through this partnership, the brand aims to engage with a wide range of consumers and become a trusted ally to home cooks across the country in enhancing the flavour of everyday meals. Nestle and MasterChef India’s share a common vision of celebrating culinary arts, nurturing talent and inspiring food enthusiasts across the nation.

    MasterChef India marks the return of Chef Vikas Khanna and Chef Ranveer Brar, along with the latest addition, Chef Pooja Dhingra, on the judging panel. With their unrivalled expertise serving as the guiding light, 12 passionate home cooks will engage in a fierce culinary battle in the iconic MasterChef kitchen, each vying to emerge as the ultimate MasterChef of the season.

    MasterChef India, co-powered by MAGGI Masala-ae-Magic, streaming exclusively on Sony LIV at 8 p.m.!

    Sony LIV head of ad sales revenue, Ranjana Mangla stated, “ MasterChef India exclusive on Sony LIV has opened to a grand reception. The show with its blend of intense competition and innovative culinary delicacies, offers a plethora of opportunities for curated content innovations. This dynamic environment opens doors for brands to seamlessly integrate their stories in effective and meaningful ways. Nestle’s collaboration with Sony LIV marks a significant milestone to drive associative value and enhance the brand’s core proposition through customized solutions that will enhance the thrill of the competition and reflect our shared commitment to fostering culinary talent.”

    Nestlé India Head – Foods Business Rajat Jain commented, “MAGGI Masala-ae-Magic has been an integral part of Indian kitchens for more than a decade. With a deep understanding of the ever-evolving cooking requirements, we stand as a trusted ally in making everyday meals extraordinary. We look forward to this first-ever association of MAGGI Masala-ae-Magic with MasterChef India. With this association, we hope to inspire all Indian home cooks to believe that they can create magic in their daily cooking.”

  • Kantar launches Sensory eValuate in India as a part of its Innovation testing suite

    Kantar launches Sensory eValuate in India as a part of its Innovation testing suite

    Mumbai: – Having worked with marquee clients like, Loreal, Colgate Palmolive, Coca-Cola, Nestle, Pepsi, Johnson & Johnson, Bayer, Diageo, and Unilever globally, Kantar, the world’s leading marketing data and analytics company announces the launch of Sensory eValuate in India as a part of Innovation testing suite. It uses sensory research to help evaluate consumer products using the human senses – touch, smell, sight, sound and hearing.

    Strong brands generate superior shareholder returns, are more resilient in times of crisis and recover more quickly – those investing in innovation saw their brand value increase by 273 per cent. Innovation is the foundation for a brand’s growth and it’s imperative in challenging times, however, most innovation fails. As per Kantar’s Innovation Guide 2021, 15 per cent of new product launches contribute to top-line growth, however, only 20 per cent of new product launches survive. It is therefore more essential than ever to keep the consumer at the heart of product development and understand their modern-day pressure points and desires.

    Driven by scientific expertise, Sensory eValuate helps to develop and optimise superior products; explore, design, or optimise new and existing products to drive consumer satisfaction, repeat purchase and brand loyalty – giving marketers the ability to protect and maximise the value of their brand equity. The solution covers a broad range of categories including food & beverage, fragrance, personal care and beauty, cleaning products, automotive, physical environments, and consumer goods. Catering to three critical stages of innovation aligned to growth – Identity, Build and Launch, Sensory eValuate provides insights through the process in a layered approach. The new offer complements other solutions from Kantar’s eValuate suite of innovation tools, including Idea eValuate, Concept eValuate, Pack eValuate and Product eValuate, to help clients identify growth opportunities. These solutions are highly flexible and can be customised according to client needs.

    Speaking about Sensory eValuate, Kantar lead – innovation, South Asia, insights division Ranjana Gupta said, “Understanding what product formulation best meets expectations requires specific sensory expertise and methods. Sensory eValuate brings insight into the detailed attribute level of formulations, empowering the R&D capability within client organisations for the creation of the ultimate sensory experience. Understanding how flavour, fragrance, surfaces, or sounds interact with consumer perception is crucial for the success of a product. Getting these elements right has the power to positively impact brand equity, demand a premium price, create memories, and establish a sensory signature that underlies long-term success in the market. Complimenting this with salience and a congruent total offer is the secret.”

    Kantar MD & chief client officer, South Asia, insights division Soumya Mohanty added, “Innovation requires continual, ongoing effort to ensure that your pipeline delivers the products that will create growth opportunities. Since 1998, Kantar BrandZ has consistently identified three qualities that are the hallmarks of the strongest brands- meaningful, different, and salient. With the launch of Sensory eValuate in India, brand owners will benefit from staying meaningfully different and ahead of the pack. With a 30-year history in sensory and technical innovation and a total of one million plus consumers surveyed across 90 markets, Kantar’s Sensory eValuate solution can revolutionise product development in India.”

  • Kinnect appoints Varun J. Bansal as AVP of media

    Kinnect appoints Varun J. Bansal as AVP of media

    Mumbai: On Thursday, Kinnect India announced the onboarding of Varun J Bansal as associate vice president of media, to handle its Delhi operations. He will directly report to Kinnect VP of media Mihir Palan.

    With over 14 years of experience in integrated media planning and strategizing, Varun has worked with brands like Nestle, GSK, Pernod Ricard India, Snapdeal, Gaana.com, ITC hotels, and Uber. His last stint was with Wavemaker as business director.

    Talking about Varun’s appointment, Kinnect COO Chandni Shah said, “Post-covid19, we see more brands transitioning to digital transformation. We, as media partners, are constantly striving towards bringing in meaningful business outcomes with measurable targets, and that’s where Varun steps in. His experience and portfolio perfectly fit our integrated business and complement our data-driven philosophy. I am happy to onboard him, especially to lead our Delhi media operations and wish him all the success.”

    About his new role, Varun said, “Kinnect’s reputation precedes itself. The organisation is at the forefront of all media skills in a highly competitive sector. All of this is supported by an inspiring leadership team, of which I’m proud to be a member. By developing cutting-edge solutions for client and agency business objectives, I am excited to use this chance to elevate further and enrich the current media function.”

  • Wieden + Kennedy India appoints Anirban Roy to lead strategic planning

    Wieden + Kennedy India appoints Anirban Roy to lead strategic planning

    Mumbai: Anirban Roy has joined Wieden + Kennedy India’s leadership team to head strategic planning for the Delhi and Mumbai offices. He will be operating out of the Mumbai office.

    Anirban’s exposure has been rich, having worked on several brands at various agencies and various cities. In his last role, he was head of strategic planning for McCann Worldgroup in Delhi. Prior to that, he worked at Ogilvy and Saatchi. He has worked in Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Manila, where he steered strategic conversations at Nestle, Yum Foods, BMW, Amazon, Coke, and Unilever, among others. He has also helped script the brand narrative for some of India’s unicorn start-ups like Licious & Flipkart.

    Speaking of his appointment, Roy said, “Very few people in their lifetime get to work in a place that’s revered for its irreverence & celebrated for being a ‘cathedral of creativity’. I am grateful to Ayesha and Paddy for this opportunity and feel lucky to be a part of this team that will write a new chapter for W+K India. Looking forward to the dance.”

    Commenting on the hire, W+K India president Ayesha Ghosh said, “With Anirban’s valuable perspective, we intend to steer the fundamental brand thinking and look forward to building lasting brand relationships. While we’ll always have room for brands that want to do short-term projects, the real test of an agency lies in building brands over years, like W+K has done with Indigo. Anirban has steered important brand conversations for many big MNC clients, as well as for start-ups, and in doing so, has helped them win Effie, Cannes, AME, Kyoorius, and D&AD awards. I’m really excited to see him at work at W+K.”

    W+K India CCO Santosh Padhi added, “Client, creative, account management, and strategic planning are the four key pillars of advertising that build and hold the foundation of a brand and help grow its business. I’m happy that we now have the fourth pillar in order, with Anirban, to help our brands grow stronger, bigger, and bolder.”

  • Zenith India retains Nestlé’s media business

    Zenith India retains Nestlé’s media business

    Mumbai: Publicis Groupe-owned media agency Zenith India  has retained the media business of Nestlé India, according to the company’s statement.

    The business was won in a highly competitive multi-agency pitch which began in April 2022. The mandate includes the full range of duties i.e., offline media, online media, commerce, SEO and analytics.

    Zenith was the natural choice of partner, given that Nestlé was looking for holistic solutions across the board and powerful personalised communications. The agency has been handling Nestlé’s media planning and buying business, across all segments, for 17 years. It was appointed as the packaged goods company’s agency of record (AoR) back in 2005.

    Zenith India’s CEO Jai Lala said, “We are delighted that Nestlé has once again chosen us as their media partner and it’s a clear endorsement of our strong ROI approach and ability to deliver marketing excellence and innovation. The retention is testament to the rock-solid working relationship we share with Nestlé and indeed we are proud of the industry-leading work we’ve produced for them over the course of many years. Zenith has a deep and inherent understanding of Nestlé’s business needs and the strategic direction of its brands. Our teams were able to demonstrate unique insights, integrated approaches and data-driven decision -making. We look forward to harnessing the best of our capabilities, talent, technology and partnerships and helping Nestlé build even more powerful consumer connections.”

  • Nestle launches KitKat Moodbreaks range in fruity flavours

    Nestle launches KitKat Moodbreaks range in fruity flavours

    Mumbai: Nestle’s Chocolate wafer bar KitKat has introduced its ‘MoodBreaks’ range with two new flavours and multi-coloured KitKat fingers in fruity flavours.

    The new range of colourful KitKat fingers has a mixed-fruit flavour with vibrant pink and brown colours and Mango flavour with bright yellow and brown colours, which people can choose from to brighten their moods in everyday breaks. 

    “We wanted to bring in some color into people’s breaks and offer a new taste sensation with this innovation. KitKat moodbreaks range is not only visually appealing but will offer a delicious, new taste experience with a delicious, smooth combination of fruity flavors of Mixed Fruit and Mango,” said head – confectionery business Rupali Rattan, commenting on the new launches.

    The brand is also looking to release two TVCs developed by creative agency Wunderman Thompson, with Bollywood actors and brand ambassadors Ayushmann Khurrana and Sanya Malhotra.

    “KitKat has been a true mood uplifter for generations. We all need a break time and again to bring some excitement and colour to our lives. This truly unconventional innovation surely got me excited!” said Ayushman Khurrana.

    Talking about her association with the brand, Sanya Malhotra added, “Every bite of the KitKat Moodbreaks range brings memories of sunshine and mango. The novelty of this product is unmatched. It made me take a break from the usual dullness of everyday and brightened up my day!”