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  • Eureka Forbes revamp couldn’t have come at a better time: CTO Shashank Sinha

    Eureka Forbes revamp couldn’t have come at a better time: CTO Shashank Sinha

    NEW DELHI: Joining the league of brands like VI, Intel, and Cadbury, Mumbai-based consumer goods company Eureka Forbes Ltd adopted a new brand positioning and identity in 2020 after three decades of operations. The brand, which pioneered the basic principles of health and hygiene in the category, embarked on a journey in pursuit of thriving in tough times and leaving behind footprints of a positive difference, taking  forward its philosophy of ‘friends for life.’ In a recent conversation with Indiantelevision.com’s Mansi Sharma, Eureka Forbes Ltd chief transformation officer Shashank Sinha talked in detail about this move, the new brand identity, and how 2020 fared for the company. Edited excerpts follow:

    On adopting a new brand identity in 2020

    This revamp was in process for us for quite some time. In fact, our initial plan was to announce it at our 2020 annual general meeting in the month of April. However, the circumstances that we found ourselves in the wake of Covid2019 lockdown did not even allow us to host the meeting. Thus, the announcement was postponed and as things started looking better, we took the call to roll it out. 

    Obviously, it was a challenging year and time, but it also provided us with the right background to better push forwards our improved agenda of ensuring the health and hygiene of the customers with our products. 

    On the rationale behind the rebranding

    Every brand finds itself in our position someday, from where they want to celebrate their successful journey while also preparing for a better future. This is that time for us, when we are looking back proudly on our almost four-decade-long journey and also reflecting on how we are poised for the future. I believe there couldn’t have been a better year than 2020 to start with this new journey. 

    On the new brand positioning

    When we had started our journey in 1982, we were possibly the first ones to pioneer this thought of health, hygiene, and safety with our products. We promised to tackle viruses then, at least for the water and air category. In fact, our brand of water purifiers, Aquaguard, became synonymous with the category. This was made possible because of our commitment to creating a better world with a positive difference. So, this philosophy has been there for quite a while. We are now going ahead to strengthen it in tandem with the times that we are in now. ‘A healthy world. A protected you. A happy us, revisited for the changing times’ is the new vision statement, which spells trust, authenticity and health.

    We will keep functioning standing tall on the three tenets of our identity; people, society, and a better world. 

    So, our focus will be on improving the lives and experiences of people who are working for us. We have always taken pride in building great careers and lives. That will continue. For consumers, we are promising to try and make a difference in their lives. All this will contribute to a better society and overall a better future for the world. 

    On the new brand identity

    We have rolled out a new logo for Eureka Forbes, which we are calling the ‘Posibol’ – a combination of positivity and symbol. This creates an internal focus within ourselves and the forward-looking arrow also shows the direction we are moving in. 

    Secondly, of our four core businesses, we have combined the three – Euroclean, Aeroguard, and Eurovigil – under the brand name Forbes. It was done because of the fact that people identify all these products as Eureka Forbes’ ones and the brand identity is rather strong. 

    Our range of water-related products will continue under the Aquaguard name. We have slightly tweaked the Aquaguard logo as well, to initiate the change yet keep it recognisable to the loyal customer base. 

    We have worked with a number of agencies including Taproot dentsu and Bombay DC for various aspects of this rebranding. Our internal teams have also contributed immensely, right from the new logos to the brand philosophy. As we go ahead, we will bring on newer partners to take forward the vision. 

    On the marketing strategy

    For us, the prime face of our brand are people we call Eurochamps. These are people like me and our on-ground teams who have been assisting our customers on a regular basis. Real people meeting real customers is our core marketing strategy. 

    Apart from that, Madhuri Dixit and her husband Dr (Sriram) Nene have been closely associated with us for years now. I don’t see any change happening there. 

    Additionally, the new logos have already been rolled out on our products and digital platforms. We haven’t rolled out a special corporate campaign for that thus far. 

    2020 was a muted year for us like most brands, but we are certainly planning on a marketing strategy for 2021-22. Both television and digital will play an important role for that. I see the spends getting divided into a 50:50 ratio between traditional and modern platforms. As far as print is concerned, I don’t think it is dead for us. However, its role and relevancy have certainly changed with digital getting in place. 
     

  • Vi partners with Firework to offer vertical video stories to users

    Vi partners with Firework to offer vertical video stories to users

    KOLKATA: Telecom operator Vi has inked a strategic partnership with Firework, the world’s largest story publishing platform based in Silicon Valley.

    This is the first time an Indian telecom operator has offered the Stories format to its users. Globally, almost every platform is adopting the Stories format to enable higher engagement for its audiences. The partnership allows Vi to leverage Firework's massive content repository from global content studios and also get access to unique occupational generated content (OGC) creators who are expert storytellers across a wide genre of subjects.

    “We provide an array of content from multiple OTT players varying across genres like live TV, movies and web series in multiple languages on Vi Movies and TV app. Vi is excited to be the first Telco to partner with Firework for powering the most trending short videos, specially curated for Vi customers. The format is designed to entertain you in ‘30 seconds’ across various categories and interests. Mobiles have become the preferred screens for entertainment and the average time spent on watching short videos is significantly higher than long-form content, demonstrating that the engagement levels provided by short videos remain unparalleled. Through our partnership with Firework, Vi subscribers will get a wide choice of trending stories across genre and languages,” Vi chief marketing officer Avneesh Khosla said.

    Firework president at Mobile Anand Vidyanand said, “Vi’s users can now enjoy their favorite content without the need of downloading another app. With this partnership, Firework is further strengthening its reach across telecom operators, device manufacturers, and app developers. Firework is fully committed to Vi’s vision in bringing the best occupationally generated short-video content to its customers across nearly 40 delightful categories, including multiple Indic languages.”

    While the collaboration enhances Vi’s customer experience and Firework’s reach significantly, it also addresses the need of the creator community with exceptional discoverability in a cluttered content space, pivotal on Firework’s large story ecosystem globally that include top tier traditional publishers, OEMs, network operators, and blogs.

  • Gandhi Jayanti: Brands pay tribute to father of the nation

    Gandhi Jayanti: Brands pay tribute to father of the nation

    NEW DELHI: Today marks the one hundred fifty first birth anniversary of the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi. The uniquely pivotal role he played in India's struggle for independence is known to one and all. With ‘ahimsa’ and ‘satyagraha’ he changed the fate of an entire nation and its people.

    Self-discipline, perseverance and self-sufficiency are some of the values Bapu espoused. For him, Khadi was a roadmap to becoming ‘atmanirbhar’: by encouraging local production and freeing India from the British yoke by adopting Swadeshi goods. Khadi was a tool to unite Indians at all levels. He taught us to be the change we wished to see in the world.

    On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, brands try to reflect on these ethos and pay their tribute to this great leader. Brands across the board – from Khadi India, SBI, Unacademy to Tech Mahindra, National Geographic India, Vi, and many others – posted creatives on social media platforms.

    Here’s a look at some of the creative campaigns to mark #GandhiJayanti.

    Ashok Leyland

     

     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     

     
     
     

     
     

    A post shared by Schbang (@schbang) on

     

    KVIC India

     

     

    Titan Watches

     

     

    TechMahindra

     

     

    National Geographic

    https://www.facebook.com/natgeotv.india/photos/a.230026911415/10159100244051416/

    BMW India

     

     

    Vi

    Tata Sky Official

     

     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     

     
     
     

     
     

    A post shared by Tata Sky (@tataskyofficial) on

     

    Care Insurance

     

     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     

     
     
     

     
     

    A post shared by Care Insurance (@careinsurancein) on

     

    Bisleri

     

     

  • Vi to offer free ZEE5 premium subscription

    Vi to offer free ZEE5 premium subscription

    The newest telecom brand Vi has rolled out an exciting proposition for its prepaid customers that will enable them to enjoy one year of ZEE5 premium membership at no additional cost. The offer is applicable to select data plans starting from Rs 405 and will provide Vi customers access to ZEE5’s premium bespoke content in 12 languages across originals, shows and blockbuster movies.  

    Inviting all mobile customers with discerning entertainment choices to avail of this attractive offer,  Vodafone Idea marketing director Avneesh Khosla said, “Content consumption has seen an explosion as consumers today are spending 25 per cent-30 per cent more time (over three hours per day) watching varied content on their devices.. ZEE5 as a leading OTT platform has a rich and diverse content repertoire that appeals to a  wide cross-section of society. Their large library of movies and original shows in Hindi and other regional languages makes them an ideal partner as it helps us appeal to a large cross-section of the smartphone population in this country that is seeking to do more with their mobile devices. With the new Rs. 405 ZEE5 Recharge pack that we are launching – we are providing the consumer the best of both worlds – access to the   best entertainment on ZEE 5 for one year coupled with huge telco benefits – an unbeatable combination that delivers great value to consumers.”

    The annual ZEE5 membership is available with Vi data plans with recharge value of Rs 355, Rs 405, Rs 595, Rs 795 and Rs 2595.

    Speaking on the collaboration, ZEE5 India senior vice president and SVOD head Rahul Maroli said, “ZEE5 and Vi are classic consumer first brands, and this collaboration exemplifies this core DNA that these brands have been built on, by bundling the best of entertainment offering for the ever-evolving digital consumers of India and Bharat. As part of this unique offering, Vi users will get one-year access to the premium bespoke content that ZEE5 has on offer across 12 languages with the 5 Vi prepaid recharge packs. This partnership is of many firsts and it aims to provide a superior content watching experience to the Vi users at their convenience.” 

  • VI joins as co-presenting sponsor for Dream11 IPL

    VI joins as co-presenting sponsor for Dream11 IPL

    NEW DELHI: The newest brand in the Indian arena, ‘Vi’ from Vodafone Idea Limited, has become the co-presenting sponsor of the upcoming Dream11 IPL 2020, scheduled to commence from 19 September. Vi has acquired the co-sponsorship rights of the live broadcast of T-20 premier league which will be held in Abu Dhabi, UAE and telecast on the Star Sports network. 

    The sponsorship announcement comes close on the heels of the leading telecom operator, Vodafone Idea Limited’s rebranding under a unified brand – Vi. The young, dynamic and vibrant brand will leverage its association with the most popular sporting event IPL, in its 2020 edition, to enhance awareness, build relevance and engage with the audience.

    Brand Vodafone has had a long-standing association with IPL since the beginning of the sporting event in 2008. The partnership helped it build high brand recall and affinity with television viewers and cricket lovers in India with its unique campaigns involving the lovable ZooZoos. Brand Idea has also actively participated in the previous editions of the tournament as sponsor of many teams and created memorable brand activation campaigns. The unified brand in its new avatar Vi will bring unique digital based experiences for Indian audiences this season.

    Vi is built to be strong, ever-dependable, agile, intuitive, and a brand in tune with the needs of the customers, in these ever-changing times. It is designed to help customers move ahead in life, for a better today and a brighter tomorrow. Vi is future ready and is committed to dynamically serve and enable a digital society to progress in life.

    Referring to Vi’s association with Dream11 IPL 2020 as the co-presenting sponsor, Vodafone Idea Limited chief digital transformation & brand officer  Kavita Nair said “Cricket is a religion in India, and Dream11 IPL as the property offers broader engagement with the audience than just as a sport, over a two months’ window. As a company, we have had a very long association with IPL. I am delighted that now, with the launch of Vi, we are carrying this legacy forward. Our association with Dream11 IPL 2020 will provide Vi, instantly connect with millions of viewers, and I am confident that this will not only help build awareness of Vi but also help in building relevance and customer confidence. I am sure Indians will be delighted to see us back on Dream11 IPL, albeit in a new avatar. Vi is vibrant, exciting, and throbs with the spirit of rising India. Soon after the launch of Vi, the excitement will continue for Indian consumers during their favorite T-20 league.”

    “Vodafone & Idea have both associated with Cricket on Star Sports in the past. We are delighted to have them onboard yet again in their new brand identity as Vi, and as the co-presenting sponsor for the broadcast of Dream11 IPL on Star Sports. We believe that the massive reach of the Star Sports network will help them take Vi’s new brand identity and proposition to millions of viewers across India,” said Star Sports CEO Gautam Thakar 

    Sport, like no other genre, has the ability to evoke passion and emotions amongst fans and followers. In a country where cricket has been akin to religion and is followed with passion and fervour, the Dream11 IPL has become one of the biggest sporting platforms designed to appeal to a wide section of consumers, pan-India.

  • Design Dereliction: Vi’s new logo could have been much more than it is

    Design Dereliction: Vi’s new logo could have been much more than it is

    NEW DELHI: A little more than two years after the Vodafone and Idea merger on 31 August 2018, the brand finally announced a new integrated brand identity for itself on Monday noon. The new brand named ‘Vi’ comes with the promise of “Together For Tomorrow”, ensuring users that the company will play a bigger role in the consumer journeys. In the press interaction, the senior management also indicated that the merger will move ahead with a sharp focus on augmenting digital experiences for the user.

    The branding exercise has attracted a lot of attention within the industry and started many discussions across platforms.

    Sideways co-founder Abhijit Avasthi pointed out that there was great anticipation surrounding the new brand identity when two of the biggest telecom companies in India merged two years back and this new entity is signalling the beginning of a new journey for them as an integrated entity. It’s a launch of ethos and a new persona.

    “I am keen to see how the new company will behave going forward as in their initial avatars, the two were very different companies; one was far modern, contemporary, young and the other one was a little bit more earthy.

    Abhijit Avasthi

    AVASTHI THINKS IT IS A LAUNCH OF A ETHOS
    AND A NEW PERSONA

    Almond Branding founder & director Shashwat Das said, “If I come down to the logo for what is the largest telecom integration in the world, I am a tad disappointed. While there has been an attempt to retain the equity of both Vodafone and Idea logos- the red colour and the exclamation respectively, the end outcome could have been a lot more exciting.”The new elements of the brand identity, the logo, the moving lines of the animation, and the bold mustard dot of I, has initiated a series of discussions on various media. But the industry is not mighty impressed with the new design.

    He added, “I have already seen people mistaking it for the Roman numeral six and am sure that the circular dot jutting out at the bottom will be making a lot of people uncomfortable. To some it looked like a medal. But I am also a bit concerned about the uncanny chiseling of the V at the base. The way I decode it, the bold mustard dot will be a dynamic element of the identity showcasing the amazing possibilities and also symbolizing focus – bringing back the focus on the consumer. So while the concept is good, the execution leaves us wanting for more.”

     

     

     

     

     

    Shashwat Das

    DAS IS DISAPPOINTED WITH THE NEW LOGO

    Elephant co-founder, director Ashwini Deshpande said that it is a bit premature to respond to a logo when one hasn't seen the visual language or communication around it but it doesn’t look like a mobile first logo that the company might want it to be. She quipped that the finesse that Vodafone was famous for, in its language and script, is missing in the new brand identity.

    “In the absence of a full picture, it reminds one of solid logos from the industrial era except the falling yellow penny that is out of scheme for those times. It doesn't look like a 'mobile first' logo. Also wondering how the app icon will pan out since the yellow penny will reduce the size of V & I in the app icon enclosure. Considering the exposure & choices of Gen Z & millennials, it is a bit disappointing. It neither conveys communication nor technology,” she elaborated.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Ashwini Deshpande

    DESHPANDE IS ALSO DISAPPOINTED AS THE NEW LOGO
    NEITHER CONVEYS COMMUNICATION NOR TECHNOLOGY

    Deshpande further commented, “This would have been the perfect time to liberate the visual identity from the regimented colour scheme borrowed from previous identities of Vodafone and Idea. But the design has stuck to predictable red & yellow. Looking at how the Jio logo has several colour versions (even Docomo did this earlier and Go Air too) that still look ownable due to the font and container, V! (Vi) seems to have passed that opportunity.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Das disagreed a little from Deshpande as he pointed out, “The digital-age modern identities have to be dynamic, flexible and fluid. I am sure that the new Vi identity will live upto it. I visited the new website and it did look fresh and elegant. The design is indeed minimalistic and the identity is fluid enough to transform itself into various forms and environments. The mustard dot can be seen everywhere from radio-buttons to the chatbot animations. So I believe the dynamism and fresh look can help hook the attention of the young consumers.”

    He added, “I also like the tagline “Together for Tomorrow” which captures both the aspects of the two companies coming together for a brighter tomorrow as well as WE (the company and the consumer) are in this together to build a better tomorrow. There is a lot of power in the inclusiveness and collaborative feel of Vi (read We). Hence the brand storyline has immense potential.”

  • Vodafone Idea Ltd rebrands itself as ‘Vi’

    Vodafone Idea Ltd rebrands itself as ‘Vi’

    NEW DELHI: Going ‘Together for Tomorrow’, Vodafone and Idea have been rebranded with a unified identity ‘Vi.’ The integration of two brands is a culmination of the largest telecom integration in the world. The announcement was made Monday noon via a virtual press conference. 

    Vi is built to be strong, ever-dependable, agile, intuitive, and a brand in tune with the needs of the customers, in these ever-changing times. It is future-ready and is committed to dynamically serve and enable a digital society. 

    The new brand identity has been designed in collaboration with Vodafone Idea Ltd’s agency Ogilvy. 

    Vodafone Idea Ltd MD and CEO Ravinder Takkar said, “Vodafone Idea came together as a merged entity two years ago. We have, since then focuesed on integrating two large networks, our people and processes. And today I am delighted to present Vi, a brand that will bring important meaning to lives of our customers. Indians are optimistic and want to get ahead in life. They would love a credible partner to help them on this journey. Vi’s positioning is built around this promise and will focus on meeting the customer needs to help them thrive.”

    “The brand integration not only marks the completion of the largest telecom merger in the world, but also sets us on our future journey to offer world-class digital experiences to 1 billion Indians on our strong 4G network. VIL is now leaner and agile, and the deployment of many principles of 5G architecture has helped us transform into a future-fit, digital network for the changing customer needs. The new brand launch signifies our desire to not just deliver, but delight our customers, stakeholders, communities and our employees and signals our passion and commitment to be a Champion for Digital India. With Vi, we are confident of building a brand that continues to command respect and trust, and will be admired and loved by all. We look forward to your continued support as we get ready to deliver a superior Vi experience,” added Takkar.

    Vodafone chief digital transformation and brand officer Kavita Nair said, “Vi leverages the strength of two of India’s most loved brands, Vodafone and Idea. Vi is vibrant, exciting and throbs with the spirit of rising India. It is committed to help every Indian move ahead in life. Vi is dynamic, flexible, fluid and always on. In the months to come Vi will continuously unpack exciting possibilities for its customers. Vi is built for the new age and for the connected ecosystem. We invite everyone to join this exciting journey as we move towards building a better tomorrow.”

    The team highlighted that the rebranding is not just an identity but a new design system, which intends to leverage legacy and at the same time be transformational in its intent and signals that change. It stretches across consumers and businesses, and across all classes, geographies, urban and rural.

    Nair noted, “The “i” is always punctuated with a bold mustard dot. It is confident, surprising and delightful. It reflects the throbbing and progressive pulse of India. It is unique, continuously unpacking amazing possibilities, and always putting customers at the heart of everything.” 

    Starting today, Vi ads will be on TV and digital platforms, followed by a high decibel intensive multi-media campaign, spread across the physical and virtual channels. The customers will get a personalised message to welcome the new brand identity and little surprises like creating a personalised ringtone from one’s phone number are at offer. 

  • Endemol posts 24% growth in turnover

    Endemol posts 24% growth in turnover

    MUMBAI: Televison format creator and distributor Endemol has announced its results for 2006.

    It recorded a turnover of 1,117.4 million euros. This was a 24.1 per cent growth compared to 2005. Organic growth was 20.9 per cent.

    Net income attributable to the shareholders was 96.8 million euros which is 8.7 per cent of the turnover. This marks a 17.2 per cent growth compared to 2005.

    Earnings per share was 0.77 euros compared to 0.66 euros in 2005. The company says that there was growth in all genres. There was a 22.2 per cent gain in non-scripted, 8.5 per cent growth in scripted and 65.3 per cent rise in digital media. Growth, it says, took place in almost all territories. The standout performers were the UK, US, Italy and Spain.

    Endemol CEO Elías Rodríguez-Viña said, “In the last year we have managed to grow in all areas of our business activities, as well as in almost every territory. We are especially pleased with the performance of Deal or No Deal, which has climbed to second place in our Top 10 formats, and which we believe has a very promising future.

    ” We are also confident about the future prospects of other game shows launched following the success of Dond. For example, 1vs100, a revamped game show from our library, is now being produced in eight countries, and continues to roll out worldwide following successful launches in the US and the U.K.

    “Our creative strength and worldwide distribution network are key assets for creating local and global hits, expanding our business and adding value to our company. The acquisition of Endemol France is expected to be earnings enhancing, before acquisition-related amortization, for Endemol from the first year. With Endemol France back into the Group we are looking forward to another year of strong growth in 2007.”

    Under expected market circumstances, we forecast to grow organically by 5-7 per cent. Including the reintegration of Endemol France turnover is expected to grow by more than 20 per cent in total in 2007.