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Tag: Whisper

  • Shreya Ghoshal & Sunidhi Chauhan sing Period Song for Whisper’s campaign

    Shreya Ghoshal & Sunidhi Chauhan sing Period Song for Whisper’s campaign

    Mumbai: Whisper, feminine-care brand from Procter & Gamble, has created history by launching the nation’s own Period Song, with India’s biggest voices – Shreya Ghoshal and Sunidhi Chauhan. Both the musicians created their own versions of the ‘Period Song, launching it today on World Menstrual Hygiene Day.  Whisper has provided period education to over 100 million girls and women till date and are shining the spotlight on the early onset of menstruation among young girls in the fifth edition of its popular Keep Girls in School movement. Through this catchy tune with very relevant, educative lyrics for young minds, the intent is to get every Indian to sing it and believe – Periods is a sign of being healthy.

    Shreya Ghoshal and Sunidhi Chauhan created their own version of the period song, through which they taught school children about menstruation, who later joined them by singing along and dancing to the tune.

    “I am so excited to sing India’s own period song, which I hope, will reach every citizen of India and empower young girls to live their lives confidently and without fear – both in school and outside of it. It is shocking that girls are getting periods as early as the age of 8 which makes it even more critical for Whisper’s period song to break societal taboos by educating girls early on and preventing school dropouts. The song is so catchy and joyful that it plays in my mind throughout the day, and I can’t resist humming it. It is a great way to tell all boys and girls that – Periods ka matlab healthy hai aap. It is a song that India truly needed and I’m proud to be associated with it,” said Sunidhi Chauhan.

    “I am honoured to lend my voice for Whisper’s period song. It’s so important to educate young children about periods so that they are prepared and there is no fear. Our effort is to let young girls know that getting their periods irrespective of their age means that they are healthy. Girls are getting their periods as early as the age of 8, and this puts about 26 million girls in India at the risk of dropping out of school without proper period education and products. Kudos to Whisper to taking the initiative and normalising periods by teaching young children about it. I was so happy to create the song in different languages, so it can truly become the song of the nation,” said singer Shreya Ghoshal

    Studies show that one in five girls have been at the risk of dropping out of school due to lack of period education and products*. With girls starting periods at as early as the age of 8 years, this could escalate further. Without period awareness, 26 million girls could be at the risk of dropping out of school^. Whisper’s Keep Girls in School program has been working on normalising periods and providing girls with the right education and period products, so that they don’t have to compromise on their future and can continue staying in school.  Till date Whisper has taught over 100 million girls and women about periods and distributed sanitary pads. Every year, they go to over 50,000 schools to conduct period education sessions.

    Shreya Ghoshal sang the mukhda, or “face of the song,” Periods Ka Matlab Healthy Hai aap in eight different languages including Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Marathi and many others: truly making it the song of the Nation on periods.

    ‘The song was originally composed and directed by music director Aman Pant, and via clever use of music, Whisper has given a wonderful tool to society, to educate young girls and boys about periods. With the biggest voices in the country picking this momentum, it can help break taboos and normalise periods as a sign of being a strong and healthy girl. 

  • Charu Gupta appointed as director of brand & content marketing at Hiver

    Charu Gupta appointed as director of brand & content marketing at Hiver

    Mumbai: Hiver has appointed Charu Gupta as director of brand and content marketing. She has more than 13 years of experience in brand, social and digital media marketing.

    Charu is based in Bengaluru and is an award-winning creative professional, having led engaging social campaigns for brands across various sectors – FMCG, lifestyle, apparel, finance, travel, and food & beverages, amongst others. She spearheaded the Whisper – ‘Touch The Pickle’ campaign, which won several awards including the Cannes Lion for the TVC. She has also created the highly acclaimed “TATA Tea annual property – The Photography Escapade”.

    Prior to Hiver, Charu has worked in leadership roles in organisations like Ola Electric, Chtrbox, Licious and GroupM amongst others.

    Hiver CEO and co-founder Niraj Ranjan Rout says, “It gives us great pleasure to welcome Charu to Hiver. Charu’s role will be to integrate Hiver’s brand messaging across traditional as well as new media communication channels. I have no doubt that with her experience and passion, she is well equipped to take the brand forward in this journey.”

    Charu Gupta said, “I am excited about my role and the opportunities that Hiver provides at such an interesting juncture where they are revolutionising the customer service ecosystem and changing the norms of accessibility. I’m looking forward to working with this exceptional team to grow the company’s brand and its strong base of customers and partners worldwide.”

  • Whisper’s new ad keeps it ‘bloody’ real, soothes period ‘blues’ away

    Whisper’s new ad keeps it ‘bloody’ real, soothes period ‘blues’ away

    Mumbai: Whisper is finally keeping it real. India’s leading sanitary napkin and personal hygiene brand has debuted its new commercial using realistic red fluid- not blue- depicting period blood for what it is. Bloody red, of course.

    About time too. It’s 2021 for period’s sake. The ubiquitous blue-coloured liquid has been used in ads promoting feminine hygiene products for far too long.

    The new ad for Whisper Ultra, which claims to be endowed with herbal oil that not only locks wetness but odour too, is otherwise unremarkable, showcasing the usual tropes of a sanitary pad ad- a happy looking girl going about her job with extra enthusiasm.

    Where it breaks new ground is when it shows the pad absorbency, using an authentic-looking red fluid in place of the usual sanitised ink-blue liquid. The brand had used red before too, in an animated video ad launched in November 2020, but it had less of an impact being an animation.

    The Feminine Hygiene Products Market in India is valued at Rs. 25.02 billion in 2018 and is expected to reach INR 58.62 billion by 2024, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of ~14.92 per cent, during the 2019-2024 period, as per a ResearchAndMarkets report.

    The report also revealed that Whisper by P&G Hygiene & Health Care held the largest market share at a cool 51.42 per cent, followed by Stayfree and Kotex in 2018.

    For the country’s biggest brand to take this maiden step of normalising periods and menstruation is nothing short of a giant leap for the Indian consumer market. Growing awareness about intimate hygiene and increase in preference for sanitary products like tampons and panty liners have garnered a huge demand for feminine hygiene products in the country. The entry of new players and start-ups is also expanding the feminine hygiene products market in India.

    In fact, the credit for breaking this age-old misleading practice of using blue liquid in commercials goes to a much lesser-known homegrown brand. Nobel Hygiene’s RIO, which was the first sanitary pad brand that woke up to the challenge in India and realistically portrayed ‘period blood’ in red, instead of blue on TV.

    The viral ad featuring actor Radhika Apte launched in July last year was path-breaking in many ways, tackling most of the uncomfortable truths associated with menstruation but which are usually brushed under the carpet by most commercials keen to show a happier-than-thou picture perfect version. For someone who has no knowledge of periods, it wouldn’t be surprising if these ads made them believe that women indeed bleed blue and that periods are effortless!

    However, conversations around the subject are still hush-hush in public and even in families sometimes, despite it being a normal biological function affecting half of human-kind. Sanitary napkins continue to be wrapped up in sanitised brown paper, lest its offensive contents be visible to the public eye.

    In March this year, The Body Shop India had launched a campaign ‘Periods are #BloodyNatural’ calling out to end period shame and break taboos and stereotypes around it.

    The campaign, featuring actor Shraddha Kapoor talked about how it’s been normal for society to shame periods, giving out the much-needed message: “But periods are #BloodyNatural. It is society that’s strange. We at The Body Shop India believe that a conversation can change the world. It’s time to talk about periods as the natural phenomena that they are. #DropThePWord into your conversation to end period stigma.”

    Recently, a Thai-origin brand called SANITA also came up with an Indian ad that promotes awareness and openness about the product. It gave out a pertinent message, while also taking a potshot at the giant in the category- the tagline for the brand went “There’s nothing to Whisper about it”! We agree!

    It goes without saying that brands hold the power to drive change in society and start that much-needed conversation. Here’s hoping that more companies join P&G’s Whisper, wake up and realise that blood has always been red. Let’s normalise talking about something that’s a very basic biological function. Period!

  • Whisper collaborates with Girliyapa to launch ‘Girls Hostel’

    Whisper collaborates with Girliyapa to launch ‘Girls Hostel’

    MUMBAI: As a part of its ongoing #MeriLifeMereRules campaign, Whisper has collaborated with Girliyapa to launch ‘Girls Hostel’. The 4-part original weekly show will release on 7 December 2018 and features Ahsaas Channa, Simran Natekar, Srishti Srivastava, and Parul Gulati in pivotal roles.

    Commenting on Whisper’s association with the show, P&G India business leader – feminine care Chetna Soni said, “Whisper has always epitomised the qualities of strength, vigor, and empowerment in women through its communication. Through path breaking campaigns such as ‘Touch the Pickle’, ‘Like A Girl’, and ‘Sit Improper’, Whisper has consistently encouraged girls to break free from baseless restrictions imposed upon them. And now, continuing on the same stride with our ongoing #MeriLifeMereRules campaign that aims to inspire young girls to live life by their own rules, we are incredibly excited to continue our partnership with Girliyapa.”

    Girliyapa creative head Nidhi Bisht said, “At Girliyapa, it is our endeavor to weave stories about women and bring forth real and relatable experiences. Glad that Whispers campaign to empower and encourage women aligns with ours. ‘Girls Hostel’ is a simple story about the bonds of friendship that help us deal with myriad issues of our lives and it marks our attempt at providing a female perspective to the unforgettable phase of college life.”

    The #MeriLifeMereRules campaign is a continuation of Whisper’s efforts towards empowering women to be unstoppable, and shun the many limitations forced upon them by the society at large. Their past campaigns, ‘Touch the Pickle’, ‘Like A Girl’ and ‘Sit Improper’ have won numerous awards, and have been loved by the audience in equal measure

  • Niine to disrupt sanitary market with affordable pads

    Niine to disrupt sanitary market with affordable pads

    MUMBAI: It may seem unlikely to many that a monthly phenomenon, which lasts for five days on an average, could fuel a billion dollar market. But, brace yourself, as the global feminine hygiene products market is expected to grow over $36 billion in the next six years.

    However, India only comprises 1.5 per cent of this market that largely sells sanitary napkins while products like tampons and menstrual cups are still alien here. The sanitary napkin market is really small at the moment with Whisper and Stayfree dominating the market with 50 per cent and 35 per cent market share respectively.

    Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar tried starting a conversation about the need to use sanitary pads in his movie Padman but that didn’t seem to move a needle! Awards and Box office collection don’t often lead to awareness.

    To state some facts, on an average, India has over 35,50,00,000 menstruating women and girls in India of which 71 per cent have no knowledge of menstruation before their first period.

    The use of sanitary napkins in India is still low as only 18 per cent female use sanitary napkins and 88 per cent predominantly use alternatives such as an old cloth, rags, hay, sand or ash.

    Padman, inspired by Tamil Nadu’s Arunachalam Murugananthanam, who pioneered low-cost sanitary napkins for women, led to the launch of Niine sanitary napkins in partnership with Uttar Pradesh government. With an initial investment of Rs 80 crore, the company manufactures and sells sanitary pads in rural India for as low as Rs 25 for seven pads which is the lowest in India.

    With only one manufacturing unit in Gorakhpur, UP, the company is optimistic to overthrow the market leaders in tier II and tier III towns with its low cost product. This may actually come true as the price point of market leaders Whisper and Stayfree products is still higher at Rs 30 for 7 pads.

    Cost of Menstruation In India

     

    Brand

    Price Per      Pack Of 7

    Quantity Per Cycle 

     Monthly

     (1 Cycle)

    1 Year

    (12 Cycles)

    5 Years 

    (60 Cycles)

    Lifetime

     (420 Cycles)

    NIINE 

    Rs 25

    10 Pads 

    Rs 35 

    Rs 420

    Rs 2,135

    Rs 14,700

    Whisper 

    Rs 29

    10 Pads 

    Rs 40

    Rs 480

    Rs 2,400

    Rs 16,800

    StayFree 

    Rs 30

    10 pads 

    Rs 43

    Rs 516

    Rs 2,580

    Rs 18,060

    Our neighbouring country, China, has the same population as India (over 1.35 Billion) but its sanitary napkin market is worth Rs 6,500 crore annually whereas India stands at only Rs 4,000 crore. Since only 18 per cent female uses sanitary napkins in India, the scope here is humongous.

    Even though the market penetration is quite low in India, the industry has been growing at a steady 25 per cent Y-O-Y and Nine aims to become a Rs 5,000 crore brand in the next five years.

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    The name Niine comes from nine months of pregnancy every woman is likely to go through.

    One of the biggest drawbacks of sanitary pads and the reason why women (especially in smaller towns) refrain from using pads and would rather use cloth or ash is disposal. Sanitary pads usually don’t come with a disposable bag and throwing it away just by itself or wrapped in a paper is inconvenient and often embarrassing. Manufacturers don’t include disposable bags as it comes as an extra cost for them. Niine pads claim to have addressed the issue of disposable bags and come with seven disposable bags.

    Even though the company was launched only in May 2018, founder Amar Tulsiyan expects to capture10-15 per cent of the market share by 2021 and is on track with a projection of Rs 240 crore sales by 2020.

    The company started its first phase of operations in Jharkhand, Bihar, UP, Delhi, NCR and West Bengal and wants to cover the rest of North and South India in the second phase of distribution. Niine products are also available on e-commerce website Amazon along with modern trade outlets like Big Bazaar. It is also negotiating with retail outlet Spencers.

    While Nine fulfils the 3Ps of marketing, the fourth “P” is the most crucial one – promotion. Promotion is nothing else but creating awareness about your product. But how does one create awareness in smaller towns where mobile penetration is still abysmal and television ads don’t work. Solution? Word of mouth and free samples! The company has tied up with several gynaecologists and doctors to create awareness about the product and hygienic sanitary pads along with school seminars and sessions.

    Additionally, the brand will launch a dedicated mobile app to track periods. Tulsiyan said, “We will develop a mobile app for period tracker in English, Hindi and other regional languages along with a blog on information about periods and cures for period pain. This will help us in better customer engagement.”

     

    Since fluffy pads capture 70 per cent of the market in India, it will be the company’s core focus for the next few years. The company will also launch its premium product ultra thin napkins by October 2018 to target the urban consumer.

     

    With competition from local vendors and multinational players like Whisper and Stayfree, Niine will really have to up its ante to make a dent in the market.

     

     

  • Saina Nehwal’s brand value set to soar with World No. 1 title

    Saina Nehwal’s brand value set to soar with World No. 1 title

    Soon after being crowned with the international title of World No. 1 badminton player, Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal went on to bag her maiden India Open Super Series title by defeating former world champion Ratchanok Intaton from Thailand.

     

    The two titles have indeed placed the Hisar born player on the global map as the game receives its due in the country. A swell up of her performances is also likely to contribute to her existing brand value, say sports marketers and celebrity marketers. However, not without adding a word of caution. Nehwal will have to continue with her existing pace to command a fat paycheck in the endorsement world.

     

    While prior to her consecutive wins, Nehwal commanded a price of Rs 70 lakh- 80 lakh for a one period deal according to industry experts, it could now easily touch up to Rs 1 crore–Rs 1.5 crore depending on how deep the brand’s pockets are.

     

    Celebrity and sports management firm, CAA KWAN COO Indranil Das Blah says that it is not just becoming the World Number one but also winning the Indian Open, which is a pinnacle no Indian born woman has achieved. “If you look at the current crop of female sports persons, there is no one remotely close to her in terms of achievement. So it will have a significant impact on her brand value, pricing and overall brand image,” he says.

     

    According to Blah, Nehwal has a strong story to tell because of her middle class back ground and therefore brands with a pan India appeal would latch on to her. “I don’t see her endorsing glamorous and niche brands but it could be brands that have a national interest and look at achieving women’s empowerment or women’s issues in the country,” he opines.

     

    Nehwal currently endorses and has been a part of brands across segments like Yonex, Fortune Cooking Oil, Indian Overseas Bank, Whisper sanitary napkins, Emami Fast Relief ointment, Herbalife health products, Top Ramen Noodles and Airtel 3G.

     

    According to media reports, Nehwal was signed by the telecom Airtel when she was world number three for less than Rs 1 crore. She had then won the Gold medal in the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

     

    Asset managing director at assetfzc.com Sanjay M Lal, a veteran with over 20 years of expertise in the field of brand building and sports management, says that in order to have a reasonably impactful brand value, Nehwal will have to maintain her present status for the next nine to 12 months. “While she has been consistently performing and is a star in Indian badminton, but to be world number one is a different ball game altogether,” informs Lal.

     

    For brands that are fence sitters and were wondering to choose between female sports persons like Sania Mirza or Saina Nehwal, the wins will make it easier to settle and close the deal for Nehwal. However, some feel that the cash jump will not be very significant unless a large brand that has not matured comes into play. This will be the first step for Nehwal on the brand value chain.

     

    Impact of her win on the game? Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) CEO and former captain of Indian Hockey team Viren Rasquinha states that OGQ has been supporting the champion since 2009 and looked after the training aspect of Saina Nehwal. “Obviously its important to have  a role model and a great figure like Saina in every field. Because of her acheivement we hope that thousands of parents across the country will encourage  their kids, especilally their daughters to take to badminton.”

     

    Eureka Mobile Advertising senior vice president Viswanathan Ganapathy says, “There will definitely be a jump in the brand value. In the last few years, she has given global recognition to the game, which has happened after Prakash Padukone in 1980. Saina is a very good mix for an international and local brands as well and would be an ideal fit for a fitness product.”

     

    Ganapathy is of the opinion that Nehwal could ideally endorse brands like Complan and Horlicks, where the brand fit is perfect. Her consistent winning performances including the bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics could make her as a relevant face for insurance brands too.

     

    It is important to note that when sports athletes and players sign an endorsement deal, they also ask the brand the kind of visibility they would gain. While Nehwal has placed Indian badminton on the global map, the domination of cricket continues as former cricket players like Kapil Dev still bag endorsement deals. It’s akin to how an industry expert, having worked with the likes of Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan and was associated with Percept India, puts it, “Anything other than cricket is like a great Bollywood movie breaking even. But it will not belong to the Rs 100 crore club that the Khans belong to. She was signed with Herbal Life, which is American brand but what have they advertised? For a player other than in the field of cricket, you need an advertiser who gives you Rs 5 lakhs but does promotions worth of Rs 50 lakhs.”

     

    When the visibility falls flat, it goes against the marketing grain of celebrities. However, on an optimistic note, Lal adds that her winning titles consistently have proved that brand ‘Saina Nehwal’ holds great promise. Only time will tell the brands that will sign Nehwal for her promise in the future. For now, take a breather girl. You deserve it and thank you for giving India its due recognition.

     

  • #TouchThePickle shouts out loud P&G’s Whisper

    #TouchThePickle shouts out loud P&G’s Whisper

    MUMBAI: Like the two sides of a coin, India too is divided into two mindsets. While a certain part is moving towards modernisation, there are still a few things that are holding us back to be culturally liberal.

    P&G Whisper’s new advertising campaign brings out the painful truth of our society.

    According to market experts, the Rs 2,100 crore sanitary napkin market in India is growing at the rate of 19 per cent year on year. Whisper is one of the dominating brands in the category that has worked smartly on its pricing strategy over the years.

    The brand, in the past, has taken up various corporate social responsibilities (CSR) as part of its marketing initiatives.

    It can be recalled that P&G’s ‘Parivartan’ program has been protecting millions of adolescent girls in India from getting trapped in traditional practices of using unhygienic cloth for sanitary protection by providing menstrual education.

    The program has been improving the lives of over two million girls annually across 15,000 schools in India. The objective of the program is to help adolescent girls embrace womanhood positively and enable them to adopt the right feminine hygiene practices to stay healthy and stay in school. ‘Parivartan’ ensures that adolescent girls do not miss school on account of periods and initiates a series of cascading effects leading to a more equal gender status in the state.

    P&G’s ‘Shiksha’ that was launched in 2005 was aimed at enabling consumers to contribute towards the cause of education of under-privileged children through simple brand choices. It is considered to be one of the most successful CSR campaigns initiated by a multinational corporation in India.

    Taking a step further and breaking the stereotypical communication thoughts, Whisper has rolled out a movement titled #TouchThePickle to try and put an end to period taboos that still haunt many Indian girls and women. The movement is initiated under the brand campaign called ‘Kadam Badhaye Ja’.

    Click here to watch the TVC

    The TVC already has got over 22,600 views in five days. The video which was shared on the brand’s You Go Girl page has received over 17, 908 likes and 494 shares.

    On the communication strategy by the brand, the Elephant Strategy+Design founder director and principal designer Ashwini Deshpande wished the TVC was done 25 years ago, but feels it is never too late.

    “A global brand with real alignment to Indian culture is a rare sight yet delightful,” adds Desphande.

    On the other hand Curry Nation co-founder Priti Nair has a different observation. “When I first heard about the movement I really thought that is a fantastic concept, very radical and memorable. I was genuinely happy and proud that a brand like Whisper has taken this stance. I thought we are finally getting rid of the stereotypical commercials from this category and someone is busting the conservative regressive cultural myths attached to a natural cycle of a woman and wished I could have done something similar. My perception changed after I saw the ad,” says Nair.  

    She believes that the brand diluted the huge idea to tick all the points of research work.  According to her, the brand should have taken on the regressive thoughts on menstrual cycle and break them first and then taken on more myths that exist in our society.

    “A brand like Whisper which worldwide is doing large mind set alteration would have succeeded doing that in India as well,” concludes Nair.

  • Whisper presents Provogue Global India Film Awards

    MUMBAI: The Global Indian Film Awards (GIFA) 2006 , the glamorous and prestigious award ceremony held in Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia, will be telecast on Sony Entertainment Television on Sunday, December 17, 2006 at 8.00 p.m. GIFA – a global brand and the brainchild of Popcorn Entertainment & Sunil Shetty and Global Events was attended by a galaxy of Bollywood stars –Asha Parekh, Shatrugan Sinha, Smita Thackeray, Hrithik Roshan, John Abraham, Salman Khan, Bipasha Basu, Aftab Shivdasani and some of Bollywood’s style icons like, Minisha Lamba, Upen Patel and Esha Deol.

     

    In conjunction with Cine Stars Association, these awards are an honour propagated by the industry for the industry. The show was attended by the royal family of Malaysia, the King & the Queen, who also presented some of the main awards. The evening was graced by several local celebrities and Malaysian government officials including the deputy prime minister and his lady.

     

    The glitz and the glamour that evening was of course the scintillating performances by Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Ameesha Patel, Katrina Kaif and the star performer was Salman Khan. The evening saw an array of glamorous anchors like Arjun Rampal, Riya Sen, Minisha Lamba, Rohit Roy, Arbaaz Khan and the Badshah of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan also hosted a segment, thus making the evening a memorable one. There was a brilliant performance by the Malaysian Tourism Board also.

     

    Sony Entertainment Television will also present a special curtain raiser of this 3-day mega extravaganza packed with several glamorous and fun-filled events. One of the highlights of GIFA was the world premiere of Ravi Chopra Baabul starring the stalwarts of the Indian film industry, Amitabh Bachchan & Hema Malini, along with heartthrobs Salman and Rani Mukerji, John Abraham and others.

     

    In fact with Baabul, B.R.Films completed 50 years in film-making. All the stars of the film made it a point to attend the mega premiere.

     

    Though it was not Manchester United Vs Chelsea, but our own Bollywood heroes at their best against a team of Malaysian government officials, the football match was sure fun. There was a lot of excitement and cheering while the two teams played. If this is not enough, Provogue, the leading fashion clothesline, with the creative fashion designer Vikram Phadnis had a sizzling fashion show followed by a charity dinner.

     

    For all the interesting happening at GIFA, Sony Entertainment Television takes the viewers through these events in a curtain raiser on Friday & Saturday, December 15 th & 16th at 11.00 p.m, and the glamorous awards ceremony on Sunday, December 17th at 8.00 p.m. So stay tuned to Sony Entertainment Television as the weekend is sure to entertain you as never before.