Tag: Rajesh Ramakrishnan

  • Perfetti Van Melle launches Chupa Chups Sour Tubes

    Perfetti Van Melle launches Chupa Chups Sour Tubes

    Mumbai: Chupa Chups, one of the most iconic confectionary brands from the house of Perfetti Van Melle, is ready to dial up the fun quotient with the launch of Chupa Chups Sour Tubes– India’s first ever jelly in a long tubular format.

    The sour tubes come in unique tubular format with a delectable chewy fondant filling and Chupa Chups’ trademark sweet-sour sanding. The product comes in strawberry and watermelon flavours with three tubes in a single pack at Rs 10, and also a bigger shareable modern trade pack with eight tubes at Rs 50. With their vibrant colours and flavour, these tubes promise to be a treat for both the eyes and taste buds!

    Chupa Chups has consistently disrupted the conventional norms in the category by introducing groundbreaking innovations that has been captivating consumers. From the fusion of lollipops and bubble gums with Chupa Chups Gum Filled Lollipop to the pioneering range of Chupa Chups jellies’ which have a unique sour sanded and playable formats of belts, bites and mini tubes, the brand has redefined the confectionery segment. With the launch of all-new Sour Tubes, the brand will further solidify its image as an innovative, young brand, especially for those who seek unique and differentiated confectionery products.

    Talking about the new launch in Chupa Chups, Perfetti Van Melle India managing director Rajesh Ramakrishnan emphasized the vital role of innovation in the confectionary segment, “Confectionery segment thrives on innovation. For Chupa Chups, we have always endeavoured to explore novel, never-tried-before formats to maintain the brand’s growth while up-aging and premiumizing the category. With the launch of Chupa Chups Sour Tubes, we are taking yet another step in that direction and cannot wait to see our consumer’s response.”

    The new launch will be accompanied by a digital campaign that will amplify the brand promise of ‘forever fun’ among target audience. The digital film unfolds with a group of friends in a café cleverly extending their moment of fun by playfully placing the sour tubes as straws in their empty glasses. They hilariously convince a skeptical waiter that they are enjoying an invisible drink while secretly enjoying the delectable flavour of the sour tubes. The sequence is complemented by a lively soundtrack that not only builds excitement but also skillfully holds the entire sequence. All of this is inspired by the fruity flavors of Chupa Chups Tubes, which always espouses the philosophy of Forever Fun. The product launch will be supported by digital and modern trade activations to further engage consumers.

    Speaking about the supporting campaign, Perfetti Van Melle India director marketing Gunjan Khetan said, “At Perfetti, we believe in refreshing consumer interest in our product categories with the introduction of contemporary offerings. Chupa Chups’ diversification in the unique format of Sour Tubes benefits the category, and the distinctive shape and texture offers great scope for playful consumption. Therefore, we have attempted to bring alive the same ‘spontaneous fun’ philosophy in our launch campaign as well. The campaign will be supported with digital, product sampling and POSM, providing a comprehensive and engaging experience for consumers.”

    Commenting on conceptualizing the campaign, Ogilvy West creative partner Anurag Agnihotri said, “Every Chupa product is fun to play with. Sour Tubes is probably the most playable yet. The long tube shape sparked our imagination. So all we did was, had fun showing how you can have fun with it”.

  • Alpenliebe celebrates 25 years of Sweet Indulgence in India

    Alpenliebe celebrates 25 years of Sweet Indulgence in India

    New Delhi: Alpenliebe – the iconic candy brand from the house of the global confectionary group Perfetti Van Melle marks 25 glorious years in India. One of India’s most-loved candy brands, Alpenliebe has been helping consumers create sweet memories with its delectable portfolio of deposited candies, filled candies and lollipops.

    Introduced in 1995, Alpenliebe made way into the hearts of consumers with its unique deposited candy technology and innovative pillow-pack packaging. Its rich and smooth taste established a strong emotional bond with consumers, true to the brand essence of ‘bringing hearts closer’. Apart from the core offering of caramel candy, Alpenliebe has been extended into multiple formats across the years – Deposited lollipop (2003), Filled caramel candy (Creamfills, 2006), Liquid filled fruit candy (Mangofillz, 2009) and into deposited Jellies in 2012.   

    To mark this milestone Alpenliebe packs will carry a special commemorative logo throughout the year. Alpenliebe has also planned a consumer engagement contest to help Alpenliebe families create sweet memories. The campaign would be supported by a special TVC aired on TV and digital mediums. As part of the contest, 25 lucky winners stand a chance to win Holiday vouchers worth Rs 1 lakh. Participants can also win  Zoop by Titan watches every 25 minutes during the contest period.

    Link to the TVC – Alpenliebe 25yrs TVC

    Speaking on the occasion, Rajesh Ramakrishnan, Managing Director, Perfetti Van Melle India said, “It has been a great innings for Alpenliebe in India especially on the back of product innovations and memorable campaigns over the years. We have created a strong, innovative product and marketing playbook which caters to the ever evolving consumer needs under the brand portfolio. 25 years later, we can take pride in saying that Alpenliebe has been successful in delighting consumers with its variants and flavours, and the core essence has remained relevant and engaging.”

    Commenting on the milestone and the launch, Rohit Kapoor, Director – Marketing, Perfetti Van Melle India said, “It has been an amazing journey for the Alpenliebe where the brand played the role of creating the category. Alpenliebe’s superior indulgent experience, category first innovations and heart-warming communication done over the years managed to win consumer preference. We would like to thank our consumers for trusting us with their love. This milestone besides celebrating Alpenliebe’s 25 years of Indian journey in India also celebrates the journey of the brand going beyond just being a candy but being a connector – for families and relationships. The current campaign is another attempt to engage with our consumers and provide them an opportunity to deepen the family bond”

  • Center Fresh celebrates 25 years with TVC

    Center Fresh celebrates 25 years with TVC

    MUMBAI: Marking the 25th anniversary of Perfetti Van Melle and its chewing-gum brand Center Fresh in India, the brand has come up with a new TV campaign, staying true to its core of ‘Fresh Breath Confidence’. The TVC, conceptualised in collaboration with Ogilvy captures the occasion of first meeting of a couple in college, when being Fresh breath ready makes the moment that much more special.

    Through the TVC, the brand is also inviting consumers to celebrate this milestone, with the launch of a limited period mega promotion which gives the mobile-savvy youth of today a chance to win 25 smartphones every day.

    Speaking on the occasion, Perfetti Van Melle India managing director Rajesh Ramakrishnan said, “This is a landmark year for the brand. Today Center fresh is one of the leading confectionery brands in the country – a testimony to the love and support that we have received over the last 25 years.”

    Commenting on the milestone and the launch, Perfetti Van Melle India director – marketing Rohit Kapoor said, “We look back on these 25 years with a lot of pride and it is a huge privilege to commemorate this special achievement. We thank all our consumers and our teams who have supported us over the years and invite everyone to continue to be with us on the journey ahead. Center fresh packs shall carry 25-year special insignia to inform the consumer and new communication campaign shall be supported extensively on TV and digital medium.”

    Commenting on the campaign, Ogilvy executive creative director Anurag Agnihotri said, “Center fresh is now a 25 years young brand and the celebrations are in order and we are taking this opportunity to engage with the consumer. In our communication, we simply celebrate a timeless, universal and relatable moment of how a boy and a girl meet for the very first time.”

  • Perfetti Van Melle India launches Center Fresh Mints

    Perfetti Van Melle India launches Center Fresh Mints

    MUMBAI: Perfetti Van Melle India has launched Center Fresh Mints, a new offering by the Center Fresh brand in the mint candy segment.

    This new offering will provide the benefit of ‘Instant Fresh Breath’ with 3-layers of sugar free mints available in a stylish pocket friendly pack. Center Fresh Mints will be available in peppermint flavour and strawberry mint at a price point of Rs 10.

    Perfetti Van Melle India managing director Rajesh Ramakrishnan said, “We see tremendous opportunity for growth with relevant extensions in the fresh breath needed space. I am confident that this launch will strengthen the position of Center Fresh brand in India and help extend its equity to higher price points.”

    Perfetti Van Melle India director-marketing Rohit Kapoor said, “We wanted to introduce a truly innovative mint offering under Center Fresh in India specially approaching 2019 when the brand shall be completing 25 years milestone. It’s the first extension of the brand in non-gum segment. Globally we have seen powermints as a category gaining a lot of traction and we would like to develop the category further in India with the launch of Centerfresh Mints.”

    The launch is supported with campaign on TV, extensively on digital medium and visibility tools for retail & modern trade.

    Commenting on the campaign, Ogilvy executive creative director Anurag Agnihotri said, “The launch campaign for Center Fresh Mints highlights various relatable situations in the lives of today’s youth when you would need instant fresh breath. We have tried to capture these occasions through a hummable, memorable music track.”

    Perfetti Van Melle India Pvt Ltd (PVMI) started operations in India in 1994. The company at present has a diverse portfolio of brands across segments (i.e. candies, jellies, gums & chewies) which it sells through various channels across the country. PVMI is a fully owned subsidiary of the global confectionary conglomerate Perfetti Van Melle, headquartered in Amsterdam.

  • Perfetti Van Melle India appoints Rajesh Ramakrishnan as MD

    Perfetti Van Melle India appoints Rajesh Ramakrishnan as MD

    MUMBAI: Leading confectionery player Pertfetti Van Melle India has recently appointed Rajesh Ramakrishnan as the new MD of the company. Ramakrishnan will replace Ramesh Jayaraman who has moved to another role within the group.

    In his new role he will be responsible for the operations of the company for India and Nepal.

    Ramakrishnan joined Perfetti Van Melle in 2014 as a managing director for Bangladesh. Under his leadership, Perfetti Van Melle, Bangladesh delivered sustained growth and achieved market leadership in 2016. In August 2017, Rajesh moved to India as the chief transformation officer. As the CTO, he worked with the business teams in strategising and delivering the key elements of the business transformation project to drive topline and bottomline growth.

    Perfetti Van Melle president Huub Sanders said, “Rajesh is an accomplished leader, who brings in a good mix of strategic thinking and operational excellence, with strong leadership skills. We are delighted to have him as our India head and wish him all the very best in his new role.”

    Ramakrishnan brings with him 24 years of experience in diverse fields like sales, marketing and general management in Asia across the categories such has personal care, household care, foods and beverages, confectionery and media. Rajesh is a graduate of XLRI Jamshedpur and BITS Pilani.

    Prior to joining Perfetti Van Melle, Ramakrishnan was the marketing head at HT Media Ltd. In India, he has also worked in various sales and marketing roles for Pepsico, Marico Industries and Reckitt Benckiser.

    Rajesh is an award winning photographer. His work has been featured at Cannes and has also been published in several publications in India and outside.