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Tag: OYO

  • Weddingz.in witnesses 480% revenue growth 12 months post OYO acquisition

    Weddingz.in witnesses 480% revenue growth 12 months post OYO acquisition

    MUMBAI: One of India’s largest wedding companies, Weddingz.in, recently announced its rapid expansion and growth in India. A year after its acquisition by OYO Hotels & Homes, Weddingz.in has witnessed 480 per cent growth in revenue.

    Backed by OYO’s operational capabilities, a unique offering of providing hassle-free wedding experience and 1500+ talented employees, Weddingz.in has become a household name for a great wedding experience. Weddingz.in has witnessed 636 per cent growth in bookings since August 2018 and enjoys high customer delight.

    Commenting on the growth, Weddingz.in CEO Sandeep Lodha said, “Weddingz.in was founded with the mission of adding value to the wedding planning experience of people and making it entirely hassle-free on a single platform. Weddingz.in a unique offering that guarantees a great event with thorough pre and event day checks, offers a one-stop-shop for all wedding services and ensures 100 per cent transparency with everything documented. In a span of 12 months, we have scaled great heights and expanded our presence witnessing 480 per cent growth in revenue. Since joining forces with OYO, we have witnessed dramatic growth in supply, which is one of our key drivers to growth. Today, our full inventory venues are managing over 3500 beautiful events, end to end, per month. We plan to tap the enormous opportunity the wedding industry offers and expand in India while being committed to our mission of simplifying wedding planning for Indians and adding value to our venues and partners.”

    Weddingz.in currently has 750+ venues present in 30+ cities which are completely managed by Weddingz.in. These venues offer the customer the ‘guarantee’ of a great event without any hassles or last-minute chaos. Weddingz also offers customers a one-stop solution for all their needs as post venue booking, they can book decor, photographers, makeup artists and more guided by a dedicated wedding planner, all at guaranteed best prices. Weddingz.in also has the largest reach and the highest engagement rates on social media in the wedding space globally on Instagram with 1.4 million+ followers.

  • Rahul Bose’s overpriced bananas feed creativity of brands on Twitter

    Rahul Bose’s overpriced bananas feed creativity of brands on Twitter

    MUMBAI: While the Chandigarh Police and Excise and Taxation department is looking into the “illegal and exorbitant charge of GST” by JW Marriott Hotels as they sold a pair of bananas at a whopping Rs 442.5 to bollywood actor Rahul Bose, the Twitter-verse is jumping on the marketing wagon to make the most of this bizarre incident.

    A user posted a photo of Taj Hotels in Santacruz Mumbai offering fresh season fruits ‘with best compliments’ with a candid caption “Meanwhile, in the land of trolling JW Marriott….”

    A number of brands including the star of ‘moment-marketing’, Zomato, used the opportunity to share some great creatives around it. Here are some of the most creative pieces from the land of Twitter:

    1. Amazon Prime Video India

    2. Arre

    3. Natures Basket

    4. Oyo

    5. PolicyBazaar

    6. Reliance Smart

    7. Star Quick

    8. Zomato

    9. Coco Soul

    10. Anchor by Panasonic

    11. TEZ

  • LinkedIn releases fourth edition of 2019 Top Companies list

    LinkedIn releases fourth edition of 2019 Top Companies list

    MUMBAI: LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, today launched the fourth edition of the 2019 Top Companies list for India. Determined by the actions of its 610+ million members globally, the annual ranking highlights the 25 most sought-after companies in the country by professionals. The list reveals where Indian professionals really want to work and stay, fuelled by proprietary LinkedIn insights including job seeker’s interest in the company, engagement with the company’s employees, job demand, and employee retention.

    With more Millennials and Gen Z professionals entering the job market, the 2019 Top Companies have actively deployed employee-first initiatives such as informal work culture and fairness of working conditions and wages. At the same time companies are focusing on blazing business growth through smart acquisitions, and the expansion of employee strength with innovative hiring practices. These emerging trends have led to the debut (and comeback) of IT giants on the list this year, and new entrants including homegrown Internet and IT companies, Swiggy, Zomato, and Freshworks.

    Internet companies dominate the top 10 spots as Flipkart (Walmart) jumps one spot up to #1, Amazon moves to #2 from #4 last year, and OYO has made headway from #10 to#3 – respectively taking the top three spots this year. While India’s IT giant Tata Consultancy Services has debuted at #7, new entrants and homegrown Internet and consumer services companies Swiggy and Zomato rank at #6 and #8 respectively, and Uber, another new entrant, takes the #5 spot. One97 Communications, a constant on the list’s Top 5, comes in #4. Breaking the monotony,India’s Oil and Energy conglomerate Reliance Industries takes a massive leap from #24 to #10, consulting firm Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is a new entrant at #13, along with banks, YES BANK and ICICI Bank that come in on the list for the first time at #14 and #20 respectively.

    “Every year, based on LinkedIn’s unique position to be the pulse of what job seekers in India are looking for, the Top Companies list highlights homegrown companies and global giants, where professionals want to land their next job. Interestingly this year, half the companies are new entrants on the list, including IT giants such as Tata Consultancy Services and IBM that showcase the changing job and hiring landscape. The presence of more blue chip Indian companies such as Larsen & Toubro and Reliance Industries, among others emphasizes the fact that these large firms are getting better at attracting Millennial employees,” said Adith Charlie, India Managing Editor, LinkedIn.

    Here are the 2019 Top 25 Companies in India:

    1.    Flipkart (Walmart)
    2.    Amazon
    3.    OYO
    4.    One97 Communications (Paytm)
    5.    Uber
    6.    Swiggy
    7.    Tata Consultancy Service
    8.    Zomato
    9.    Alphabet (Google)
    10.    Reliance Industries
    11.    EY
    12.    Adobe
    13.    Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
    14.    YES Bank
    15.    IBM
    16.    Daimler AG
    17.    Freshworks
    18.    Accenture
    19.    Ola
    20.    ICICI Bank
    21.    PwC India
    22.    KPMG India
    23.    Larsen & Toubro
    24.    Oracle
    25.    Qualcomm

    Some of the emerging workplace themes this year are:

    Betting big in a dynamic business environment: Most top companies are not shying away from spreading their wings. Of the top three, Amazon is foraying into the offline world by bagging retail chains and setting up kiosks in malls. Flush with money from its $1 billion fundraise, OYO is venturing into food-tech, event management and co-working by acquiring startups. With 450,000 exclusive rooms globally, the online hospitality company aims to overtake Marriott as the world’s largest hotel chain by 2023.

    Engineering – amongst the most hired for job functions: Technology roles were seen to dominate the jobs market but soft skills are also critical to succeed in this tech age according to the 2018 India Emerging Jobs Report  by LinkedIn. This year’s rankings corroborate this trend with majority of companies in the list making maximum new hires for engineering jobs followed by operations and business development. Tata Consultancy Services, the country’s largest IT services company made a net addition of nearly 27,000 employees last year, up four-fold from 7,000 in 2017. Ranked at #9, Alphabet (Google) resumed campus hiring at the IITs in 2018, after giving the elite engineering schools a miss for two consecutive years.

    Informal work culture drives happy employees: Holding #4 rank this year, mobile Internet company, One97 Communications (Paytm) has done away with the concept of work appointments. Employees are free to have impromptu meetings and occupy available rooms without blocking calendars. Designations such as assistant general manager, deputy general manager and general manager could soon be a thing of the past at India’s second-largest private bank ICICI (#20) which seeks to cut hierarchy and boost accountability.

    Traditional hiring takes on a new twist: New entrant on the Top Companies list, Freshworks (#17) has an eye for people with alternate career interests as it looks to employ marketers who host podcasts, engineers who are full-time musicians, and even social activists. At #21, PwC India is moving from its monopoly of chartered accountants and tax professionals by hiring employees from diverse backgrounds such as journalists, doctors, design thinkers, data scientists and environmentalists.

    Sustainable business is a profitable business: With employees putting purpose before passion in their job search, even companies are looking to give back to the society. New on the top companies list, IBM at #15 is harnessing the power of emerging technologies to solve problems specific to India, whether it’s eradicating food wastage or predicting crop prices to help farmers. Mopping up $300 million as part of its partnership with Hyundai which is focused on electric cars, Ola eventually aims to put 1 million green cars on Indian roads by 2022.  
    Read more about the 2019 Top Companies in India list here. Join the conversation on LinkedIn using the hashtag #LinkedInTopCompanies.

    Methodology

    The Top Companies list is the only ranking of its kind to be based entirely on the actions of users. We analyze billions of data points generated by LinkedIn’s 610+ million members around the world to come up with a blended score used to rank the winners in each geography.

    LinkedIn ranks companies based on four pillars:

    (I) Interest in the company: Interest in the company is measured by unique, non-employee new follows of the company’s LinkedIn page

    (II) Engagement with employees: Employee engagement looks at how many non-employees are viewing unique employees at the company

    (III) Job demand: Job demand counts the rate at which people are viewing and applying to jobs at the company, including both paid and unpaid job postings on LinkedIn

    (IV) Employee retention: Employee retention measures how many employees are still at the company at least one year after their date of hire, based on LinkedIn member profiles

    To be eligible, companies must have at least 500 employees as of February 1 and must have flat or positive employee growth over the 12 months (based on LinkedIn Talent Insights data). Only parent companies rank on the list; majority-owned subsidiaries and associated data are wrapped into its total score. All data is normalized based on company size. The methodology and insights time frame is February 1, 2018 through January 31, 2019. All data is aggregated and anonymised to protect members’ private information.

    LinkedIn excludes all staffing and recruiting firms, nonprofits, educational institutions, government agencies and government-owned entities. LinkedIn and LinkedIn’s parent company, Microsoft, are excluded from all LinkedIn Lists.

  • ZEE5 and OYO offer discounts to travellers

    ZEE5 and OYO offer discounts to travellers

    MUMBAI: OTT platform ZEE5 has joined hands with OYO Hotels and Homes to offer the travellers some fantastic discounts. OYO Hotels and homes will offer their customers a flat 20 per cent discount on a ZEE5 subscription. Similarly, ZEE5 subscribers will enjoy a flat 60 per cent discount on booking rooms via OYO, with an additional 5 per cent off for OYO wizard members. The offer is valid till 15 January 2019.

    ZEE5 India business head Manish Aggarwal said, “The travel industry in India is growing exponentially and people are consuming content when on the go. Taking a cue from this, ZEE5 has partnered with OYO rooms to provide seamless entertainment options to travellers. Our exhaustive library has content across six languages and multiple genres to suit the travel preference of travellers, regardless of their age and background. With aggressive tie-ups in the travel space, ZEE5 aims to create a multitude of opportunities that enhance customer experience and value and this partnership with OYO Rooms is another step in that direction.”

    OYO Hotels and homes VP- conversions Burhanuddin Pithawala, commented, “At OYO, we thrive on a customer centric approach to innovation, and our partnership with ZEE5 brings alive our shared passion for delighting our customers. Through this partnership, we are excited to offer the ZEE5 entertainment experience to all our valued customers, and extend the OYO hospitality experience to all the subscribers of ZEE5.”

    Recently, ZEE5 has also tied up with MakeMyTrip and RailYatri to give an impetus to its rapidly growing user base and make commuting more engaging.

  • Havas Media wins integrated media duties of OYO

    Havas Media wins integrated media duties of OYO

    MUMBAI: Havas Media has bagged the integrated media duties of OYO, South Asia’s largest hotel chain with presence across India, China, Malaysia and Nepal.

    The account will be handled out of the agency’s Gurgaon office led by Uday Mohan, managing partner for North and East India.

    OYO’s expertise in managing chain of hotels backed by technological innovations and its unique business model makes it possible for it to offer high quality standardised experiences at unmatchable scale. Over the last five years, OYO has built distribution, operational and transformational, construction capabilities and its diverse portfolio includes OYO Rooms in the budget category with OYO Townhouse, OYO Home, SilverKey in the mid-market category and Palette Resorts in the leisure category.

    OYO VP of conversions Burhanuddin Pithawala says, “We want our customers to have a hassle-free, technology-driven travel experience with quality living space at affordable pricing. Price point and quality are the two strong differentiators of OYO. With the launch of the brand and expansion into international markets, defining a brand positioning and a go-to-market plan is the need of the hour. We are confident that Havas Media with its integrated media approach and market expertise will take the brand to newer heights.”

    Havas Media Group CEO for India and South Asia Anita Nayyar adds, “According to a research conducted by Havas Group, travel & hospitality ranks No 1 as the most meaningful category globally while in India it stands at No 10. OYO with its unique business model is using technology and talent to fix this socio-economic problem. It is among the few start-ups creating a global brand from India. We are very excited to be partnering with yet another innovative and entrepreneurial brand.”

    “OYO is a pioneer brand in the hospitality space which thrives on technology & innovation. We proposed a unique city level micro-marketing approach leveraging advanced analytical techniques. Going forward, Havas’ Meaningful Brands framework, will be key in mapping the brand chart for OYO. According to the research, brands that are meaningful enjoy 60 per cent higher chance of purchase in the hospitality and travel industry. We look forward to a long and mutually fulfilling partnership with OYO,” mentions Havas Media Group, India managing director Mohit Joshi.

  • OYO launches OYO Wizard to give discounts to members

    OYO launches OYO Wizard to give discounts to members

    MUMBAI: South Asia’s largest hotel chain OYO has launched OYO Wizard, a new membership program designed to recognise and reward frequent customers.

    OYO Wizard is a one of a kind, benefit membership program that aims to deepen and strengthen customer relationships by providing highly rated and curated hotels to its loyal guests at the best price. The newly launched program comes with unique benefits, including guaranteed discounts, upgrades and benefits and is currently available at an early bird membership fee of Rs 99.

    OYO chief of strategy Maninder Gulati says, “With 95 per cent of our revenue coming from repeat and organic customers, we knew it was time to give back. OYO Wizard will enable us to take the OYO experience a step further by making it possible for us to engage with customers in a more personal and meaningful manner. We believe that this initiative is an important milestone in our efforts to streamline our customer offerings across our global hospitality network.”

    The membership entitles its members for 5 per cent instant discount on current booking and instant rewards in the form of OYO Money.  With super OYO benefits, members will also get a 10 per cent discount on their next stay at the same OYO hotel, while they have the option to avail 5 per cent discount across all other partner hotels.

    These benefits are applicable across OYO’s diverse portfolio including OYO Rooms, OYO Townhouse, OYO Home, SilverKey, Capital O and Edition O.

    The benefits will soon be extended to OYO hotels in international destinations like China, Malaysia and Nepal.

    OYO Hotels is South Asia’s largest hospitality chain operating in more than 160 cities across India, China, Malaysia and Nepal. With over 5500 exclusive hotels in its chain and 100,000 rooms, OYO works in close proximity with its asset partners while exercising full control over the hotels for ensuring a quality experience for travellers. Its network includes major metros, regional business hubs, top leisure destinations as well as pilgrimage towns.

     

  • Oyo expands footprint in China

    Oyo expands footprint in China

    MUMBAI: Indian budget hotel company Oyo Rooms has forayed into China to cater to the country’s burgeoning hospitality industry. Oyo Rooms.

    The Softbank-backed Oyo in China will have 11,000 exclusive-franchise or merchandised rooms across 26 cities. The service will be available in Xiamen, Kunming, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Nanjing, Xian among others.

    The company will compete with already established players in the market including Home Inns, GreenTree and Motel 168.

    Oyo founder and CEO Ritesh Agarwal says, “The country’s tourism industry is on the cusp of booming and flourishing wherein it enjoys a strong influx of both domestic and international tourists; also the market is as fragmented as the Indian hotel market. With our expertise in managing chain of hotels backed by technological innovations, we will further continue to strengthen our footprint while empowering neighbourhood hotels to emerge in the same league as the big boys of hospitality.”

    The company is looking at expanding its footprint in international markets, with Dubai and Indonesia being high on its priority. Agarwal is also said to be exploring opportunities in the UK and US markets.

  • Oyo becomes RCB’s sponsor till Dec 2018

    Oyo becomes RCB’s sponsor till Dec 2018

    MUMBAI: Oyo, India’s largest hospitality company, has inked its first team sponsorship with Royal Challengers Bangalore for this season of cricket’s magnum opus, T20. With this deal, Oyo becomes one of RCB’s direct sponsors until December 2018 and brings an exceptional opportunity to its customers from across Bengaluru to engage more with their beloved team. 

    Oyo aims to go big on fulfilling Bengaluru’s massive appetite for T20, satiating the sports frenzy among loyal referral customers, by giving away free tickets to RCB matches and hosting screenings across Bengaluru and other cities.

    This partnership brings unique benefits to Oyo’s loyal customer base wherein select cricket enthusiasts will receive VIP tickets to RCB matches. The company has already given out 104 normal and VIP tickets for these matches and 10 more are up for grabs for the customers. Furthermore, OYO is celebrating the RCB relationship by painting nation happy and gleefully red – signage and banners of the OYO-RCB partnership can be seen on various Oyo hotels across the city. For customers not watching the match at the stadium, special match screenings and F&B packages are being arranged across hotels in the city – MG Road, Indiranagar, Koramangala, Electronic City and Shanthi Nagar. Similar screenings are being held in Delhi, Mumbai, Gurugram, Kolkata and Agra. With the reach and mindshare captured during the T20 season, the partnership is sure to yield great results in the days to come and expand Oyo’s reach to the right audience and further brand ties.

    Oyo chief strategy officer Maninder Gulati says, “Oyo is an urban innovator driven by commitment and passion and continues to create beautiful living spaces as its mission. It is a matter of great satisfaction for us to find a brand that shares the same ethos and energy as ours. RCB is a strong team with consistent performance and we believe this association will help our brand reach more discerning customers in every nook and corner of the country through T20.”

    Royal Challengers Bangalore chairman Amrit Thomas adds, “The partnership finds Oyo in perfect brand synergy with the team RCB, which is led by young skipper, Virat Kohli. Oyo is a brand that appeals and connects with the youth with diverse offerings, including Oyo Townhouse, Oyo Home, Oyo Rooms and Oyo SilverKey, and we are delighted to welcome Oyo on board as our sponsor.”

    Oyo is India’s largest hospitality company operating in more than 150 cities across India, Malaysia and Nepal. With over 75,000 exclusive rooms in its network, Oyo works in close proximity with its hotel partners while exercising full control over the hotels for ensuring a quality experience for travellers. Its network includes major metros, regional business hubs, top leisure destinations as well as pilgrimage towns. 

    The company is backed by leading investors, including the SoftBank Group, Greenoak Capital, Sequoia India, Lightspeed India, Hero Enterprise and China Lodging Group.

  • Year-end travel more affordable in 2017: Oyo

    Year-end travel more affordable in 2017: Oyo

    MUMBAI: Oyo hotels has launched its analysis report which reveals that tariffs in its hotels across top leisure destinations in India are six per cent lower this December than last year. This is in line with the company’s mission of making quality living spaces more affordable for travellers. While hotels in a majority of holiday destinations have become more affordable than before, there are some destinations witnessing higher tariffs due to sustained traveller interest and constraints of quality hotels.

    The data indicates that room tariffs have come down in Darjeeling (29 per cent), Srinagar (23 per cent), Kovalam (22 per cent), Lonavala (16 per cent), and Jaisalmer (15 per cent) due to high demand.

    Hill stations witnessed the greatest drop in tariffs, thanks to the emergence of new guest houses and alternate branded hospitality accommodation. Kasauli and Gangtok tariffs are nearly 30 per cent lower, while Dharamshala (-13 per cent), Lonavala (-16 per cent) and Ooty (-10 per cent) are also showed a drop.

    Oyo has done aggressive capacity addition, making hospitality affordable for the masses. The increase in affordability has led to higher occupancies wherein the start-up has created value for its hotel partners. Despite an aggressive pricing model across the network, Oyo has delivered higher-than-industry occupancy of 80 per cent across its network.

    With hotels in 230-plus cities, Oyo is India’s largest hotel network that has recorded more than five million check-ins till date. Backed by its data science and pricing technology, it also identified the most-expensive and most-affordable localities for budget hotels in top travel destinations.

  • Telangana govt & Oyo team up for hospitality development

    Telangana govt & Oyo team up for hospitality development

    MUMBAI: The Telangana government and hospitality company Oyo have announced their intent to collaborate to develop the hospitality ecosystem in the state. Oyo’s new tech development centre was inaugurated by Telangana minister for IT, electronics and communications K Taraka Rama Rao.

    This facility in Hyderabad is designed as a cutting-edge in-house technology hub focused on developing innovative products for customers, partners and employees. National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management (NITHM) is in discussions to boost employability in the sector by leveraging Oyo’s expertise to develop a hybrid learning program. Also in the works is an alliance with Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation (TSTDC) to maintain, market and promote select properties under the corporation.

    K Taraka Rama Rao says, “It is my pleasure to inaugurate this new Oyo tech centre. Oyo is a story of entrepreneurial spirit and innovation bringing about a paradigm shift in the Indian hospitality space. With a thriving business in Telangana and encouraged by the state’s conducive environment, Oyo not only set up a new engineering facility but is also exploring various avenues of partnership such as with NITHM and TSTDC. I look forward to the success of this collaboration.”

    Oyo founder and CEO Ritesh Agarwal adds, “Technology has been the biggest driver towards our growth and expansion in the last four years. We pioneered tech-enabled operational processes to provide beautiful living spaces to travellers. This new centre of excellence for machine learning and artificial intelligence initiatives will help us consolidate our technology leadership. Additionally, strategic partnerships with NITHM and TSTDC will not only impart skilling but also create gainful value for the industry at large.”

    The centre will be responsible for management and development of various verticals, including holiday packages, sales technology along with products and solutions for corporate travel and travel agents. It will focus on building supply chain technology and transformation technology teams, growing to 300 engineers by 2018-end.

    Oyo chief technology officer Anil Goel adds, “Technology has been a core differentiator for us and our investments here are to ensure we remain future-ready. Our intent is to create value for all aspects of hospitality operations. We will leverage technology across all operational channels, from recruitment to management to training, in addition to customer engagement. We are excited about using machine learning techniques to understand the behavioural patterns of customers, which in turn will enhance customer experience and drive essential business metrics such as conversion and repeat rates.”