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Tag: Virat Kohli

  • The pandemic had a phenomenal impact on the wearable space: Fire-Boltt’s Arnav Kishore

    The pandemic had a phenomenal impact on the wearable space: Fire-Boltt’s Arnav Kishore

    India’s wearables market grew 118.2 per cent year-over-year in the April-June quarter of 2021, shipping 11.2 million units according to the recent data from the International Data Corporation (IDC)’s India Monthly Wearable Device Tracker. In a market dominated by the likes of Apple & Fitbit, strong shipments from home-grown brands in earwear and watches fuelled this growth.

    ‘Made in India’ brand Fire-Boltt identified the gap and was quick to leverage this trend and align the device portfolio. The Indian brand entered at fourth position in just three quarters of starting its business in the smart wearables category, cementing its place among the top five brands in the already crowded market in the wearable tech space.

    Co-founded in 2019 by Arnav Kishore in partnership with Aayushi Kishore, Fire-Boltt currently has a presence in over 750+ cities across the country and emerging as a strong contender in the budget smartwatch brand segment.

    Backed by a strong DNA of wearable technology, having launched an AI-based wearable fitness startup- Boltt Sports Technologies Ltd in 2015, Kishore’s entrepreneurial journey began shortly after he completed his education. Awarded and featured under CNBC-TV18’s ‘Young Turks,’ co-founder Arnav Kishore aspires to take affordable, industry-first feature-packed smartwatches to the masses. The brand roped in cricketer Virat Kohli as its brand ambassador ahead of its global debut.

    IndianTelevision’s Anupama Sajeet caught up with the young visionary entrepreneur for a freewheeling conversation on being one of the early movers in the highly competitive and crowded domestic market. Kishore also shared his vision for the young startup, post-teaming up with Kohli.

    Edited excerpts:

    On the challenges faced as a home-grown brand to penetrate into the wearables sector

    While it is true that the Indian wearable market is cluttered with a plethora of offerings from several brands, the fact remains that there was a severe dearth of quality products at affordable price points till very recently. With decades-old DNA in the wearable space, we identified the lacunae and filled the same with premium offerings in the most economical range. Also, we ensured plenty of options to choose from, each conducive to the needs and liking of different individuals. This is how we grew as a home-grown brand and eventually as the main pilot of the booming Indian wearable market.

    To ensure that we established a long-term rapport with our existing as well as prospective customers, we onboarded reputed names like actor Vicky Kaushal and cricketing icon, Virat Kohli. This made the buyers trust our brand, and most obviously, we made sure that they always got something new and special from each of our offerings.

    On onboarding Virat Kohli as brand ambassador

    Rather than an endorsement, we have collaborated with the iconic cricketer on a long-term basis. Virat Kohli will be participating in different marketing, ad, and endorsement campaigns as our brand ambassador. Just days ago he unveiled our complete line for the UAE market, where we forayed recently. With the cricketer being amongst India’s most valuable celebrity brands, an association with him has definitely been a boost for our brand value. Also, we have not put any deadline on the association as of date.

    We have already taken the next big step by kick-starting our global expansion, post the onboarding of Kohli as our brand ambassador along with Vicky Kaushal. Within the next few weeks, we intend to further expand our presence across all Emirates, following which we will head towards other geographical regions.

    On the brand’s marketing strategies

    Fire-Boltt has grown as a formidable home-grown wearable brand owing to a strategic communication roadmap, which we have charted through our different marketing and communication partners. An omnichannel approach has made our products rank amongst the best-sellers on leading e-commerce platforms like Amazon, and has also enabled us to establish an offline presence across more than 750 cities across India.

    On the media mix, Fire-Boltt is looking to target

    We have always banked on an omnichannel approach, having a mix of different media such as print, television, or digital. In the past 18 months, the focus has definitely inclined towards digital, which is the buzzword in the new normal. Going forward too, we expect digital to rule the roost.

    On plans to leverage influencer marketing mode of advertising

    The impact of influencer marketing cannot be disputed. However, we take a little broader approach by collaborating with big celebrities rather than just endorsements of different products by different influencers or celebrities. We feel a lack of coherence in the same, hence we took an informed decision to take a rather traditional approach of getting brand ambassadors on board for the long term.

    On the difference in the brand’s consumer base, pre & post covid

    The pandemic has had a phenomenal impact on the wearables space, not only in India but across the world. The realisation of keeping a constant tab on health metrics along with physical activities has been the major catalyst for the growth of the wearable market. Even IDC mentions that the watch form factor has been appealing to the consumers over the past few quarters. This is the reason why the Indian wearable market registered a whopping 118.2 per cent YoY growth in the June 2021 quarter. As per the latest Counterpoint Research report, India’s smartwatch market registered a 293 per cent YoY in Q3 2021.

    On the brand’s current consumer demographic

    As per the latest Counterpoint Research report, Fire-Boltt has been adjudged as the fastest growing smartwatch player in Q3 2021, clocking QoQ growth of a whopping 394 per cent. This signifies that our reach is beyond the digital divide, age group, or geographical constraints. We started with an offline presence in nearly 350 cities, and within a year, we have expanded to over 750 cities. It goes without saying that the expansion was not confined to just metro cities but also to different tier 2 and tier 3 cities. Regarding catering to any definite age group, we understand that health metrics are intrinsic to everyone who wishes to lead a healthy and active life, thus we have crafted multiple timepieces sufficing the needs of people from different age brackets and demography.

  • Fire-Boltt onboards Virat Kohli as brand ambassador ahead of global debut

    Fire-Boltt onboards Virat Kohli as brand ambassador ahead of global debut

    Mumbai Homegrown wearable brand Fire-Boltt has brought on board cricketer Virat Kohli as its new brand ambassador ahead of its global debut. 

    The Indian skipper will participate in different marketing ad and endorsement campaigns of the brand, said the statement. “Both Fire-Boltt and Virat Kohli embody an exuberant-yet-strategic approach to emerge as winners and this is what makes the collaboration a natural unison,” it added.

    “Virat Kohli is a role model for not just Indians but cricket lovers around the globe. His mention alone can inspire millions to chase their dreams and aspirations, and we decided to join hands with him in sync with our vision of an evolved lifestyle for all countrymen ushered in by lifestyle devices such as a smartwatch,” said Fire-Boltt co-founder Arnav Kishore. “Just like a cellphone in every hand is a reality today, we want a smartwatch on every wrist in wake of the new normal. People need to keep a tab on their health even while on the go and there can be no better enabler than smartwatches.”

    “Fire-Bolttas a brand personifies energy, dynamism, and vibrancy, all of which has actually been a driving force in my sporting as well as a life journey,” said Kohli. “The fact that the company is at the helm of history being scripted in the Indian wearable space makes me proud as an advocate of Vocal for Local and Atmanirbhar Bharat.”

  • Virat Kohli joins Hyperice as athlete-investor & global brand ambassador

    Virat Kohli joins Hyperice as athlete-investor & global brand ambassador

    Mumbai: Wellness brand Hyperice on Thursday announced Indian cricketer Virat Kohli as a Hyperice athlete-investor and new brand ambassador.

    Through the partnership, Kohli will work collaboratively with Hyperice to further accelerate the wellness category as it begins its expansion into India and continues its growth throughout the globe, said the statement.

    The cricketer joins a list of elite global athlete-investors, including global football superstar Erling Haaland, four-time tennis Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, NBA star Ja Morant and PGA Tour champion Rickie Fowler.

    “Virat is one of the most prolific cricketers around the world and we are honored to have him join team Hyperice,” said Hyperice CEO Jim Huether. “We are on a mission to help everyone move and live better, and Virat is key to helping us elevate the importance of both mental and physical wellness for all people – both on and off the field.”

    The captain of the Men’s Indian Cricket Team and the Bangalore Royal Challengers, Kohli is currently the fourth highest followed sportsperson on Instagram, a testament to his immense popularity and reach.

    “As athletes, the way we train and compete defines us. Hyperice has provided me with a suite of innovative products that have continuously helped me optimise my performance and recovery, so it was a no-brainer for me to join the team as both an investor and ambassador,” said Kohli on the association. “Hyperice is on a mission to help people move better around the world, and I look forward to helping tell their story in my home country of India and beyond.”

    The existing range of Hyperice products in India are available on Croma and the refreshed Hypervolt and Vyper products will begin rolling out globally in late 2021, with Hyperice X and Core launching globally in 2022, stated the company.

  • Virat Kohli turns mentor to freshers in Great Learning’s new campaign

    Virat Kohli turns mentor to freshers in Great Learning’s new campaign

    Mumbai: Byju’s Group-backed edtech company for higher education Great Learning has rolled out its new campaign featuring brand ambassador Virat Kohli. The campaign titled ‘Great Learning for Great Careers’ is targeted at freshers and young professionals and throws the spotlight on the degree and certificate programs offered by the online platform via two sad films.

    Conceptualised by The Script Room and produced by Dreampunk films, the ad spots use the cricket pitch as a metaphor for the corporate ‘career game’ and highlight the need for upskilling to play brilliant innings on that field. Kohli donning the brand’s cricket jersey portrays the expert mentor on the field as he steers a troubled corporate employee and a fresher away from potential blunders in their respective career games.

    “This is a new emerging category, with lots of news and advertising happening around. Usually in this category people seem to take a more serious approach. It was important for us to crack a tone of voice that can help break the clutter,” said The Script Room founder Rajesh Ramaswamy. “With all the complications of COVID and Virat in a bio-bubble, we did manage to pull off this idea along with the director Shekhar Kamble and team.”

    The campaign integrates Kohli into the film from the place he rules – the cricket field. The highly relatable narrative in both ads emphasises the importance of quality learning amongst freshers and young professionals and its critical role in empowering them to build great careers.

    “We had to find common ground between the brand spokesperson Virat and the fact that Great Learning can help you get the right skills to land a great job,” shared The Script Room writer Ujjwal Kabra. “Since most of us are always thinking about running away from our job and Virat being a great runner between the wickets, the connect was not too hard to find. The marketing team also related to the sentiment and the idea of two worlds, corporate and cricket, meeting at the centre of an esoteric pitch, to have a life-altering conversation, was sold.”

    “Great Learning offers degrees and certificate programs from the world’s leading educational institutions, that enable aspirants to learn industry-relevant skills. This campaign is sure to hit the sweet spot with our target audience as it revolves around very common situations which many of us have experienced at some point in our careers,” stated Great Learning CMO Aparna Mahesh.

    The campaign will run through TV, digital media, and the company’s social media assets for a period of five weeks starting 10 September.

  • Equinox Films partner with Great Guns International for Lux’s new campaign

    Equinox Films partner with Great Guns International for Lux’s new campaign

    Mumbai: Advertising production house Equinox Films has partnered Great Guns International for a new campaign for Lux – ‘Chand Sa Roshan Chehra’ featuring celebrity cricketer Virat Kohli and actor Anushka Sharma.

    Equinox is remembered for hand-crafting some of India’s most path-breaking and memorable commercials, ranging from the evergreen ‘Hamara Bajaj anthem’ to the celebrated ‘Happydent White’ commercial film and the ‘Airtel blockbuster campaigns’ that will remain appreciated in the world of advertising.

    The new ad film ‘Chand Sa Roshan Chehra’ shows Virat Kohli breaking into a song, Chand Sa Roshan Chehra the moment he sees his wife, and then the couple begin to dance.

    Equinox Films executive producer Manoj Shroff said, “It’s been a fulfilling journey from start to end. It’s been wonderful collaborating with the Director DOP duo of Adriano and Brendo. Am so glad the Unilever team and Wunderman Thomson team entrusted us with this campaign. It is a team effort and every single person across the globe and our team India put their best foot forward to make this an unforgettable, entertaining experience.”

    The video has garnered over 2,00,000 views so far. This is not the first time Equinox and Great Guns have collaborated. The Great Guns directors have been represented by Equinox in India on brands like Tresemme, L’oreal and Garnier in the past.

  • GiveIndia’s ‘Team for Humanity’ fundraiser supports COVID-19 aid in India

    GiveIndia’s ‘Team for Humanity’ fundraiser supports COVID-19 aid in India

    MUMBAI: Online giving platform, GiveIndia has launched the ‘Team for Humanity’ fundraiser to provide financial support to low-income families who have lost an earning member to COVID-19. This immediate financial aid can help ease the loss of grieving families who are at greater risk of falling further into poverty. 

    With 250,000+ families losing earning members to COVID-19, this aid will help them tide through this difficult time, as only 30 per cent of bereaved families can sustain for over a month in their current financial state. Through this fundraiser, low-income families of COVID deceased will receive a one-time cash support of Rs.30,000 (approximately $ 400/family), said the platform in a statement.

    Through one of the largest collaborative efforts towards COVID relief, the initiative has already seen support from the likes of Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Mary Kom, Dua Lipa, Lilly Singh, Pep Guardiola, Robert Pires, Yuvraj Singh, Sunil Chettri, Washington Sundar, Devdutt Padikkal and Kareena Kapoor among others. Companies including PUMA, Facebook, Myntra and Miss Malini have also joined the cause. DDB Worldwide is the communication partner for the fundraiser.  

    https://www.facebook.com/virat.kohli/posts/350035306488903

    GiveIndia founder 2.0 & CEO Atul Satija said, “COVID’s impact has pushed many families into poverty, especially those who have lost their only breadwinner and are facing hardships for everyday survival. It is heartening to see members of the sports fraternity coming together to help vulnerable communities – sports is a great way to unite people. We are grateful to Puma, DDB and others for supporting families of the COVID deceased through their Team for Humanity fundraiser.” 

    “PUMA is happy to partner with GiveIndia and DDB for the Team for Humanity fundraiser to support relief initiatives to help those impacted by COVID-19. Losing a loved one is heartbreaking and there are so many families dealing with all kinds of losses due to the ongoing pandemic. We hope this initiative helps vulnerable families across the country mitigate the impact of the pandemic as they take the first step to stability. Each donation- no matter the amount- will help families adjust to their new reality and come out stronger. Together, we can win the battle against COVID-19,” said PUMA India & Southeast Asia managing director Abhishek Ganguly. 

    Facebook India director and head of partnerships Manish Chopra said, “We’ve all seen the impact the pandemic has had across communities, and we are happy to partner with GiveIndia in their efforts to help affected families move forward.  Facebook’s SocialForGood initiative is focused on supporting large community causes by bringing together public figures and creators to raise awareness and funding and it is heartening to see the sports and entertainment community coming together to help those in need.”

  • Virat Kohli continues association with Audi India

    Mumbai: Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli will continue his association with Audi India, the German luxury automobiles manufacturer announced on Saturday. Kohli has been associated with Audi India since 2015 and has been an integral part of the brand’s marketing and social campaigns.

    “Whether it’s behind the steering wheel or on the pitch with a bat in the hand, performance, consistency, and technique are what define perfection. I have been an Audi fan even before I was formally associated with the brand. Audi cars reflect elegance and sportiness, which resonate perfectly with my personality. I am extremely delighted to continue my association with Audi India and be a part of the brand family. It is safe to say that my relationship with Audi India is more of a test match than just a T20”, said Kohli.

    The Indian skipper has featured extensively in campaigns like #TogetherWithAudi, #MovingForward, and a few product launch campaigns. His continued alliance with the Audi brand includes advertisement campaigns, social media engagement, and event collaborations, said the company.

    “Kohli perfectly embodies the progressive premium image of the brand Audi,” said Audi India head, Balbir Singh Dhillon. “He has been a part of the Audi India family for more than half a decade and is clearly a great fit, as both exemplify brilliant innovation in their performance. We look forward to an even more exciting journey going forward.”

  • MX TakaTak introduces Suresh Raina as influencer on platform

    MX TakaTak introduces Suresh Raina as influencer on platform

    Kolkata: MX TakaTak on-boarded famous cricketer Suresh Raina as an influencer on the platform. Raina’s association with MX TakaTak is expected to compel his audience to explore other facets to their cricketing hero that ensures their affection for him and the sport is not limited to the field.

    As a market leader in the short video category, the platform has built a large community of influencers across genres, and Suresh Raina’s on-boarding announcement comes immediately after Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli joined the MX Taka Tak platform. The social media intermediary is not only strategically diversifying its content but also strengthening its sport vertical.

    Raina said: “I believe the love for cricket is everlasting but I am now looking forward to showing my fans multiple facets of my personality beyond the (cricket) pitch. I am very excited to join MX TakaTak, this app is a fascinating place to share some personal moments from my life and engage with newer audiences.”

    Here’s a look at a video that he put up announcing his association with MX TakaTak.

    MX TakaTak is also one of the first short video platforms to host live sessions that enables content creators to reach out to a wider audience. Using this feature to its fullest, Suresh Raina will also go live on MX TakaTak on 30 May, in a session to be moderated by the popular sports anchor Jatin Sapru. The duo will cover a whole range of lesser known topics centred on Raina’s life, his love for music, tips and tweaks of his fitness regime with personal cricketing anecdotes.

  • How men’s grooming brands took off during the pandemic

    How men’s grooming brands took off during the pandemic

    Mumbai: ‘Mooche Ho Toh Nathulal Jaise, Warna Na Ho’ was a popular dialogue by Big B from a Bollywood movie from the 80’s, where the actor goes on to praise Nathulal’s bushy moustache, in contrast to his own clean-shaven ‘saaf maidaan’ (clear field). Well, if Nathulal were around today, he would definitely be delighted at the plethora of grooming choices to pamper himself with!

    Last few years have seen the male personal care and grooming industry grow with products from Mooch and beard growth oil, serum, crème, and wash. Gone are the days when only a few shaving products of brands like P&G’s Old Spice or Gillette catered to men’s grooming needs. Today, urbanisation, the rise of the ‘Metrosexual’ male, and the awareness to look presentable and well-groomed have paved the way for an increase in demand and variety of men’s personal care products. 

    Brands like The Man company, Ustra, Whiskers, Bombay Shaving Company, Beardo, Nykaa Man and many more offer men holistic skincare and personal hygiene solutions including scrub, moisturiser, masks, bodywash, serums and a carefully curated hair care range. There’s even Tattoo Aftercare products!

    The beauty industry is aggressively targeting men with advanced products and treatments designed just for them. These brands are offering a tough fight to the traditional players who will now need to go beyond offering just shaving solutions. 

    “The men’s beauty segment is growing beyond fragrance, shave and beard care. There are so many brands that are creating products which are relevant to men. As an influential brand, Whiskers takes its responsibility very seriously. Striving to elevate the grooming sector in India, we have charted out a plan to guide the consumers through educational live streams about skincare, hair care and the art of grooming to enhance customer satisfaction.” Whiskers co-founder, Aakash Goswami told IndianTelevision.

    According to Research and Markets, the Indian male grooming market stood at $643 million in 2018 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 11 percent to cross $1.2 billion by 2024.

    As the pandemic and subsequent restrictions on movement confined us to our homes, DIY (do it yourself) haircut and personal-grooming became a necessity and a trend. Products such as razors, trimmers, and epilators saw an upsurge in demand. Majority of consumers now prefer home grooming than visiting salons and spas.

    Says Dentsu Impact’s vice president & head of Digital, Binodan KD Sharma, “The statistics predicted by Industry bodies like ASSOCHAM is a 45 per cent CAGR to reach around a 35,000 crore market by the end of 2021. This is not unfounded as male grooming has become an important phenomenon among urban consumers and now the effect is slowly rolling over to Tier 2 and 3 towns where the aspiration and ambition of the TG have catapulted with the growth of mobility and internet.”

    Talking about how most of these brands try to reach their consumers, Binodan says, “The niche and urban players heavily focus on digital with a wide spread of content published across social, YouTube, influencer engagement and focusing on e-com strategy. The mass players continue to use print and television with digital mostly limited to YouTube and OTT platforms. Ustraa is an interesting case study, which has built its brand equity mostly by leveraging Instagram. In the coming months with digital being embraced more vociferously, more mass players will also choose the medium to focus on some of their products.”

    According to the founder and CEO of the Bombay Shaving Company, Shantanu Deshpande, e-commerce has been one of the most important growth drivers. “Covid-19 has helped us to accelerate innovation in technology, product, and brand. Digital adoption by consumers is at an all-time high. We have been on a growth path since then and have grown 150% over the pre-covid level on our monthly run rate”, he told ET.

    OPEN Strategy & Design’s Amit Sharma believes the next ten years will be decisive for any brand in the sector. “The next ten years will depend on the new generation that gets recruited into this category. Marketers will need to be sharp on codifying the notions of masculinity, grooming, self-expression and identity that this young demographic is getting influenced by. If their popular culture consumption, which includes K-Pop, Instagram influencers, new age fitness role models, is anything to go by, this category is going to get very interesting,” he said.

    Digital marketing agency Natter COO Avinash Joshi feels that it is imperative for these players to rope in big-ticket stars to cut across the audiences, “because grooming as a category has always seen role models. It was Vinod Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan in the yesteryears, and today we have Virat Kohli, Shahid Kapoor, Ayushman Khurana, Hrithik Roshan, and many others.”  

    In the latest ad from men’s skincare brand, Uncle Tony India conceptualised by United We Productions LLP, the brand has positioned itself as the go-to “for men who don’t care about skincare”. It hilariously captures what it would be like to introduce grooming products to cavemen!

    Clearly, brands are keeping their eyes on trends to cater to the requirements of Indian men by designing disruptive products. We are finally seeing men’s grooming coming of age and stepping out of the shadows of the women’s grooming category.