MxMIndia

Category: MARKETING

  • Hakuhodo Percept's latest television commercial for S-CROSS positions it "Above the Ordinary!"

    Maruti Suzuki takes ‘Above the Ordinary’ route for S-CROSS

    By A Correspondent

     

    S-CROSS by Maruti Suzuki comes with the perfect balance of power, comfort and luxury. Its spirited cross-over looks, premium interiors, rich features combined with massive torque, power, [two diesel engine options: DDiS 200 and DDiS 320] superior ride and handling is the perfect offering for today’s new age customer. The S-CROSS, with its offer of power & performance and the comfort & refinement of a sedan is now the new “premium cross-over” in India. It is the first model to be retailed exclusively through NEXA, the newly launched automotive experience.

     

    The S-CROSS is all about power and luxury, and is targetted at consumers who like taking the rough with the smooth- the one who loves driving on city roads as well as the adventure and thrill of a rough drive with no compromise on luxury. The communication showcases this and also highlights its crossover identity along with establishing the fact that it comes equipped with the best and most powerful engine in its category. This makes the campaign stands true when it says, “Above the Ordinary.”

     

    The TVC is based on the same thought and shows the S-CROSS being driven through dusty roads by someone who is seeking the shortest route to reach work. The style and pace seems to imply that there’s a young brat in the driving seat, until you get a glimpse of the man who is driving towards his workplace- an art museum. As he drives into the museum, he sees people admiring art pieces kept outside and one sees him quickly park the S-CROSS, and the doors open up in a jiffy. As he moves towards his office, everyone leaves the art pieces to behold and admire the new creation the S-CROSS- the Above the Ordinary, premium cross-over.

     

    Elvis Sequeira

    Speaking on the campaign, Elvis Sequeira, COO, Hakuhodo Percept, said, “We had actually a dual task before us. One was to bring to life the excitement we felt when we saw and then test-drove the S-CROSS. And the other was to position it in such a way that it would match the expectations set by NEXA Experience that we had just launched a few weeks earlier. Since the S-CROSS would be the first model off the block, the communication had to convey the same sense of premium-ness and exclusivity. I believe, the campaign and TVC do a great job in setting the bar high for car launches in India.”

     

  • Strategic move to accelerate bigbasket's expansion plans across India

    bigbasket ropes in Shah Rukh Khan as Brand Ambassador

    By A Correspondent

     

    Online supermarket player bigbasket has unveiled a new and fresh brand identity and announced superstar Shah Rukh Khan as its brand ambassador.

     

    “bigbasket has grown at an unprecedented pace over the last couple of years. We’ve added new business lines, expanded our product lines and added more cities to our roster. Today, online grocery shopping is a way of life for lakhs of people in India and bigbasket has become a household name. As we elevate our company into a new growth orbit, we felt it apt to bring a versatile icon like Shah Rukh Khan on board as the brand ambassador to propel us forward,” said Hari Menon, CEO, Bigbasket.

     

    bigbasket is charting an aggressive growth path and is planning to expand into 50 non-metro cities by the end of this year. The company is now slated to launch a one-hour express delivery shortly in all the cities it operates in, also to launch Speciality Stores offering unique merchandise too. bigbasket had recently launched premium coffee under the brand, and is all set to serve up few more exclusive products in the days to come.Bigbasket has also launched new versions of its mobile apps supporting Android and iOS

     

    bigbasket offers convenient, one-stop online shopping for high quality, fresh products at competitive prices delivered right to a customer’s doorstep. With a catalogue of over 15,000 products including fresh fruits and vegetables, grocery and staples, meats, personal care, and home and kitchen products, bigbasket delivers everything a household may need. With guaranteed on-time delivery, a guaranteed order fill rate and a no questions asked return policy bigbasket is the leading choice for today’s grocery shoppers.

     

  • Conceptualized by Lowe Lintas Mumbai, Faasos launches its ad campaign around the core customer need 'Aaj Khane main kya hai'

    Faasos is the answer to “Aaj Khane Mein Kya Hai”

    By A Correspondent

     

    Faasos, a leading food technology business in India has rolled out its new TV ad campaign. The campaign that comprises of two TVCs, conceptualized by Lowe Lintas Mumbai, highlights the daunting question every consumer asks from the time they wake up till the time they reach home, “Aaj Khane Mein Kya Hai”.

     

    Both TVCs reflects the ease of ordering food by simply telling the consumer to leave their food worries to Faasos. Reinforcing the message of the ad film, the visuals capture the day-to-day struggle of people and their food woes and the various Breakfast-Lunch-Evening snack and chai-Dinner offerings that Faasos has to offer, and the ease with which the customer can place the order through the Faasos app.

     

    Revant Bhate, Head of Marketing at Faasos said, “Aaj Khane Mein Kya Hai”, is the most colloquial question that all Indians discuss every day and we at Faasos endeavor to give answers to, with multiple meal options of the day. We felt the need to address this question because we understand the plight that working professionals, young couples and foodies in general face. For Indians, food commands our emotions, be it a breakfast meet with a client, a light lunch to go, an India-Pakistan match or just a party at home. Faasos was started some years ago with a focus on good quality reasonably priced food and that is what we serve till today. With new options for everyday meals; breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner; Faasos is the answer to “Aaj Khaane Mein Kya Hai” through an easy to use app.”

     

    Arun Iyer , Chief Creative Officer, Lowe Lintas said, “While the strategy to make Faasos top-of-mind with that niggling everyday question of ‘what to eat’ was clear, in the campaign executions we had to pitch their ‘everyday plight’ just right. Our inspiration was in-your-face reality served with a dash of humor. So our creative approach was to hold a mirror to their reality when it comes to this everyday question and pepper it with a dash of humor to create an intelligent yet fun brand tone for Faasos.”

     

    Lowe Lintas, ED, Shantanu Sapre added, “Faasos is a venture with an understanding of what young-adults want today. When we got started thinking about how to bring Faasos to the fore of every food decision that they have to make in their day to day bustle, we realized that food is one question that today’s young-adults don’t want to stress about. They want the answers ready. And that’s where we positioned Faasos.”

     

  • The angry baby photos attract your attention and lead you to an important message

    The Social Street makes angry babies dot the country skyline

    By A Correspondent

     

    IDBI Federal Life Insurance has launched its outdoor campaign with The Social Street to promote its insurance solutions for children’s future

     

    Hoardings across prominent locations in the country are plastered with grumpy baby faces after private life insurer, IDBI Federal Life Insurance launched its funny, yet hard-hitting, outdoor campaign to promote its child plans category – Childsurance.

     

    The angry baby photos attract your attention and lead you to an important message – the child will not look this cute when he /she is angry at the age of 18 years! With inflation in education costs ballooning year after year, it is important that young parents systematically plan for the future needs of their little ones. The outdoor campaign, like the other campaigns from the company, adds a bit of humour to communicate an important message. The campaign spans 105 towns in the country.

     

    Explaining the objective of this campaign, Aneesh Khanna, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer, IDBI Federal Life Insurance, said, “According to a survey, about 60% of Indian parents are worried about the rising education costs. According to the National Crime Records Bureau statistics, an Indian dies in an accident every 90 seconds. With such uncertainty and rising costs, the biggest worry in the minds of today’s young parents is, whether their goals for their children will be fulfilled, especially in their absence. Our children’s insurance solutions address these concerns effectively. The plans not only help customers build a sizeable corpus, but also offer life cover. The waiver of premium benefit ensures that the plan continues even in the absence of the parent and children’s future needs are secured no matter what.”

     

    He adds, “The message of angry babies is so strong and striking at the same time that we thought an outdoor campaign would effectively communicate the campaign thought. The best part about this campaign is that while it gives a gentle nudge to young parents to plan for their children’s future needs, it takes does so by taking a complete departure from regular advertising featuring babies. While you would see happy baby faces in most advertising, ours features angry babies and this has caught the attention of the audience.”

     

    Say’s Pratap Bose Founding Partner and Chairman of The Social Street … ’’The Childsurance campaign from IDBI Federal is indeed an intriguing one, as the cute angry babies immediately draw your attention. Large scale formats in the OOH space, enables the imagery of the visual to be disproportionately large, so as to draw attention and drive home the point that your child’s insurance is certainly not something that you can take for granted’’

     

    Nitin Rastogi Associate Vice President The Social Street adds “We executed The Childsurance campaign in 105 cities, with more than 900 billboards  pan India in Phase 1, we planned & shortlisted each and every media considering the creative, even the way the baby looked towards the traffic as per the positioning of each site. The beauty of the outdoor is that you can use the creative suitable to each and every medium, which no other medium offers, and we’ve tried to explore this effectively in this campaign, in phase one we integrated the campaign with radio, and in phase two we’re planning to take it a step further with on-ground activation & digital”

     

  • MOMS came up with an innovation showcasing a live analogue clock with the hour and minute hands replaced by the Engage Men's & Women's – All Day long variants

    Madison OOH creates an innovative campaign for ITC’s Engage Deo

    By A Correspondent

     

    Madison OOH, the outdoor arm of Madison World has done an innovative outdoor campaign to promote ITC’s Engage Deo’s new variant All Day Long for men and women in Mumbai.

     

    The brand stands for the proposition of all day long fresness and therefore MOMS came up with an innovation showcasing a live analogue clock with the hour and minute hands replaced by the Engage Men’s & Women’s – All Day long variants.

     

    Dipankar Sanyal, COO MOMS, says “We have been working with ITC brands over the last 6 years. It is always a pleasure to work with the brand and come up with intersting, innovative, disruptive Outdoor strategy and execution to create high level engagement for consumers.”

     

    The recent Mondelez Oreo campaign in Mumbai and the Bandhan Bank launch campaign were also excuted by MOMS.

     

    Madison OOH has won several awards recently including 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 5 Bronze at the OAC awards last week, a Gold at Goafest Abby 2015, 16 awards at E4M Neon Awards 2015 and 12 awards at Asian Consumer Engagement Forum 2015.

  • The crowning glory of this revamping exercise is Nerolac Enamel’s rich vibrant colour

    Nerolac kickstarts festive season with new TVC

    By A Correspondent

     

    Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd (KNPL) has released a new television commercial for Nerolac Enamel to mark the onset of festive season with Onam.

     

    The ad film opens with a shot of an old mother elated to receive the news of her son’s return. Excited with the news, the entire family is seen eagerly cleaning up and repainting their neglected and dull looking home. The crowning glory of this revamping exercise is Nerolac Enamel’s rich vibrant colour.

     

    As the son arrives, the family members eagerly wait inside the house for him to enter so that they can welcome him home. The wait continues so the confused family hurries to investigate the reason for the hold up. They find the son at the threshold mesmerized by the vibrant smooth finish of their newly painted door, emphasizing Nerolac Enamel’s product promise that a vibrant and smooth finish will enamour all those who come across it!

     

    Satbir Singh, the Chief Creative Officer at FCB Ulka shared the thought behind the film, “It is a slice of life from a typical household in Kerala, with the return of family members being as momentous as a festival in itself. Often the family receives a short notice and we wanted to convey how simply painting your home can completely alter the personality of your home.”

     

    Anuj Jain, Director Decorative Paints at Kansai Nerolac Paints Limited added, “Kerala is a crucial market for Nerolac. In addition to a host of ad-marketing activities lined up specifically for the state, the aim to release this television commercial was to kick-start the festive season in Kerala. The ad beautifully represents the elegant and simplistic life in Kerala while portraying how a home makeover brings the entire family together.”

     

  • Innovative Dial in *123# service for ready access to customised voice and data offers based on usage patterns; More value for customers with every recharge

    Dial *123# to get ‘Zyada’ wala more

    By A Correspondent

     

    Tata Docomo has launched a new television commercial under its popular campaign ‘Har Baar More’. The campaign exhibits the functional promise of the brand – to deliver ‘More’ than what the customer expects every time he recharges on the Tata Docomo network.

     

    As always, the new TVC employs a unique merger of humor and comic timing to set a scene which is witnessed by many in their daily lives. The TVC in its cheeky tone and funny word play on “More”, shows the plight of a typical corporate executive when he does a faux pas in what “More” in English means (additional) versus when transliterated in Hindi (Peacock). The peacock hogs the limelight while the messaging of ‘More’ gets delivered in an interesting way. The message conveyed to the viewer is that on dialling the USSD, customers will get only the “Zyada Wala More” on every recharge occasion and this is not any kind of drivel. In just 30 seconds, the new TVC essentially articulates to its viewers that the best way to get “More” value from a Tata Docomo recharge is by dialing *123#.

     

    On the launch of the new TVC, Gurinder Singh Sandhu, Chief Marketing Officer, Tata Teleservices Limited said, “At Tata Docomo we understand that each customer is unique, having distinct usage patterns for voice and data requirements. Thus, in order to ensure utmost customer delight, we are offering customised products to them and empowering them to have the freedom to choose the plans as per their usage.”

     

    Tata Docomo’s ‘Har Baar More’ value proposition is aimed at delivering maximum value to consumers throughout their lifetime on the network. This USSD platform delivers a bouquet of customised voice and internet recharges based on the usage patterns of customers- the service is designed to deliver ‘More value on every recharge occasion’ ensuring unique proposition for each customers. It reinforces the commitment of the brand to provide quality services at affordable prices through its innovative offerings.

     

    Conceptualised by Contract India, the latest TVC captures an everyday situation to present a witty reminder for the value-for-money data and voice plans by Tata Docomo. To drive home the distinct local flavour of the commercials, Tata Docomo has released the TVCs in eight languages, including Bengali, English, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam.

     

  • The new strategy focuses on product branding

    Spice unveils new campaign promoting masala variety

    By A Correspondent

     

    Catch Salt and Spices has launched a new TVC for its offering ‘Catch Garam Masala’. The communication of new TVC has been developed around the core product attribute of taste, freshness and quality. The new communication tagline- “Khaney pe 100 percent attention, Catch Garam masale se” has been built on the already established positioning of “100% Indian women ka match sirf Catch”.

     

    Featuring Bollywood icon Vidya Balan, the new TVC illustrates that if you want the family to enjoy ‘Roz Ka Khana’ it should be made with ‘Catch Garam Masala’.  It is a TVC that addresses the day to day concern faced by women when family members are not interested in the routine food as it is not exciting enough. The new Catch TVC is clutter breaking in its category focusing, on ‘how to make everyday food, happening’.

     

    Commenting on this occasion OP Khanduja, Associate Business Head, DS Spiceco Pvt. Ltd said, “Brand Catch has always served its customers with outstanding quality and range of products that enables them to connect with the brand. The new TVC relates to the day to day scenario of an Indian household and is conceptualized in a way so that a common man is able to relate to it. Catch has recently shifted its ATL strategy from umbrella branding to being product focused. This new TVC for Catch Garam Masala is second in its series after success of Catch Subzi Masala TVC. A series of more products focused Television commercials are in the pipeline.”

     

    Rahul Jauhari, Group Chief Creative Officer, Everest Brand Solutions said: “Our consistent efforts over the past few years have been to elevate Catch Spices from a being a Spice brand to a partner and solution provider in the housewife’s life. So once again, in this campaign, we picked on a real issue that exists in numerous homes and linked it to the superiority of our spices. ”

     

    The TVC has been created by Everest Brand Solution Pvt. Ltd., and directed by Pradeep Sarkar of Apocalypso productions Pvt. Ltd., who is known for his films like Parineeta, Mardaani etc. while the still shoot has been done by Dabboo Ratnani.

     

    The bigger edit of the TVC encapsulates all three situations, whereas, the smaller edits presents individual situations -with husband reading newspaper, a child playing Lego and a young woman working on a laptop. The script is cut across segment and connects well with audience as their own incidence. The smaller edits will be highlighting the quality feature that “khushbu se mahake har ek niwala”.

     

  • Achieves Limca Book of Records for first crowd sourced National Anthem for the Indian Armed forces

    Tata Salt ‘Desh Ka Salaam, Sarhad Ke Naam’ campaign bags multiple accolades

    By A Correspondent

     

    Tata Salt, a pioneer in the Indian branded salt market, rang in the 69th Independence Day of the country by paying a heartfelt tribute to the Indian Army through a record-breaking campaign called ‘Desh Ka Salaam, Sarhad Ke Naam’.  Dedicated to the jawans at Siachen who unfalteringly perform their duties under harsh conditions, the campaign carries forth the brand’s philosophy and celebrates the Real Heroes who selflessly serve the Nation and its people.

     

    Tata Salt’s ‘Desh ka Salaam, Sarhad ke Naam’ initiative was a 360 degree integrated campaign which invited nationwide participation through radio, social media and out of home activities. The campaign paved a two-way communication highway by successfully using social media to capture the gratitude of the civilians for the jawans, as well as the emotions of the jawans at the border. The campaign created two Guinness World Records for the loudest crowd-sourced ‘Jai Hind’ at 122.2 decibel level, under the category ‘Loudest Indoor Shout’ as well as the ‘Longest line of postcards’ with a chain of 6400 hand written messages and postcards from the nation to the Indian Armed Forces. Further, the crowd sourced National Anthem sung by over 76310 people for the soldiers was also conferred by the Limca Book of Records for being the first such initiative of its kind.

     

    The campaign used social media to encourage consumers to post Salute Selfies, and engage with consumers on the selfless service of our jawans. Tata Salt partnered with 92.7 Big FM to collect messages from listeners through a week long radio campaign called the Big Paigaam which panned across 40 cities. The first ever live radio station was set up at Siachen border to enable live feeds of the Independence Day celebrations to be sent across to the nation. This also enabled the soldiers’ families to send their well wishes to the sons of the nation who, otherwise survive in an area with zero connectivity to the world.

     

    With over 5.3 lakh consumer participation through social media alone, the campaign received an incredible response with an outpour of messages for the soldiers. The ‘Desh ka Salaam Selfie’ contest received 825 selfie posts on Facebook, along with posts from celebrities like Sanjeev Kapoor. The campaign’s Facebook fan base grew to 11,290 in just 9 days of its commencement, garnering a total of 234,714 interactions through likes, comments and shares. The campaign gained 3,224,607 impressions on Facebook alone, and 326,000 impressions on Twitter. Through outdoor activities across high footfall areas, the campaign reached out to 76,310 people through cinema halls, and 1500 students through schools and colleges. A special AV created on the campaign went viral over social media, gaining 158,300 views within two days over Facebook and YouTube.

     

    To convey the nation’s heartfelt gratitude to the jawans, Tata Salt created a montage of all the messages received through selfies, handwritten messages, videos and social media posts, and played it for the soldiers at the Siachen border. Again, facilitating two-way communication, Tata Salt captured the soldiers’ ecstatic reactions and appreciation on seeing the video and posted it on the Facebook page, thus making it a remarkable celebration not only for the soldiers but also the consumers.

     

    Talking about the success of the campaign, Richa Arora, COO – Consumer Product Business, Tata Chemicals, said, “Tata Salt has evolved from being a packet of salt to being known as ‘Desh Ka Namak’. The ‘Desh Ka Salaam’ Independence Day campaign is dedicated to the soldiers who selflessly safeguard the nation. Through this campaign what we simply did was connect millions of people to the soldiers located at the highest peak – Siachen. The response was over whelming not just for us but also for the Real Heroes.”

     

    For over a decade now, Tata Salt has lived up to the image of being the ‘Desh ka Namak’ and has unflinching faith in the people of India who manifest the values of honesty, integrity and loyalty to the nation in their everyday behavior. Staying true to the values of the brand, it was yet another successful initiative for ‘Desh ka Namak’.

     

     

     

  • Finance brands are highest risers in the BrandZ India Top 50 with HDFC Bank being the most valuable brand for second year

    HDFC, other finance brands dominate WPP’s BrandZ

    By A Correspondent

     

    Finance brands are highest risers in the BrandZ India Top 50 with HDFC Bank being the most valuable brand for second year. The total value of India’s strongest brands has risen by a third (33%) over the last year, according to the second annual BrandZ Top 50 Most Valuable Indian Brands ranking announced on Wednesday by WPP and Millward Brown. This is the highest rate of growth achieved by any BrandZ ranking in the 10 years since valuations began, exceeding that of the Global Top 100 as well as the rankings forChina, Latin America and Indonesia.   India’s Top 50 brands are now worth $92.2bn (up from just under $70bn in 2014). The record-setting value increase has been driven by brands’ successful response to the rising sense of empowermentamong Indian consumers, and the government’s efforts to create a more conducive business environment.

     

    Brands in the financial sector (+49% growth) made the largest contribution to the overall increase in value, but significant lifts were also seen across most other sectors, indicating the broad strength of India’s economy and Indian brands. Home and personal care brands achieved a combined increase of 32%, followed by the auto aftermarket sector (28%), automobile brands(27%) and telecom providers (21%).

     

    Private companies, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and brands owned by multinational corporations that are publicly traded in Indiaall experienced growth, illustrating how receptive the market is to brands of all kinds. 52% of the brands in the Top 50 are privately-owned, evidence of India’s entrepreneurial energy. 30%of the brands are owned by multinationals, which have successfullyadapted to the needs of Indian consumers, becoming so embedded in their lives that they are perceived as ‘local’.

     

    The BrandZ™ Top 50 Most Valuable Indian Brands 2015

    Rank 2015

    Brand

    Category

    Brand value 2015 ($m)

    Brand value change

    Rank 2014

    1

    		 HDFC Bank Banks

    12,577

    		 33% 1

    2

    		 Airtel Telecoms

    11,039

    		 34% 2

    3

    		 State Bank of India Banks

    9,374

    		 37% 3

    4

    		 ICICI Bank Banks

    5,122

    		 45% 4

    5

    		 Asian Paints Paints

    3,867

    		 38% 6

    6

    		 Bajaj Auto Automobiles

    3,345

    		 10% 5

    7

    		 Hero Automobiles

    2,907

    		 34% 7

    8

    		 Axis Bank Banks

    2,494

    		  New New

    9

    		 Kotak Mahindra Bank Banks

    2,394

    		 39% 9

    10

    		 Maruti Suzuki Automobiles

    2,318

    		 54% 11

    11

    		 Idea Telecoms

    1,981

    		 5% 8

    12

    		 Castrol Lubricants

    1,773

    		 40% 15

    13

    		 IndusInd Bank Banks

    1,542

    		 46% 19

    14

    		 McDowell’s Alcohol

    1,516

    		 9% 13

    15

    		 Nestlé Food/dairy

    1,498

    		 22% 16

    Key highlights of the 2015 BrandZ Top 50 Most Valuable Indian Brands study include:

    • Financial brands continue to dominate.With 13 brands in the Top 50, accounting for 41% of its value ($38.1bn), the financial sector has built brand strength by making a consistent effort to serve consumers better. Biggest risers: Union Bank of India (no.46, +72%), Punjab National Bank (no.22, +61%) and IndusInd Bank (no.13, +46%).
    • Home and personal care brands grew 32%, driven byincreased disposable income and spending on premium products, and investment by marketers across traditional and new media. These 12 brandshold 15% ($13.4bn) of the ranking’s total brand value. Fastest risers: Lakme (no.44, +69%), Lifebuoy (no.31, +49%) and Colgate (no.26, +44%).
    • Purpose is power. Indian consumers expect brands to actively participate in building a better society, and those that do have a higher brand value. Lifebuoy (no.31) has a social mission to change consumers’ hygiene behaviour, while Asian Paints (no.5) aspires to rejuvenate people’s living spaces and bring joy to their lives.
    • Indian consumers trust brands.In stark contrast with other markets, trust in brands is growing steadily. Consumers in Indiaappreciate brands, and 33% say they trust them. Among the most trusted are jeweller Tanishq (no.21), part of the respected Tata conglomerate, and Colgate, which is part of Indian folklore, and has been instrumental in organising dental check-up camps to raise dental hygiene awareness.
    • All four new entrants are of Indian origin – Axis Bank, Canara Bank, MRF (tyres) and Royal Enfield. Three are privately owned, and one is an SOE.
    • Disruption is on the horizon – from e-commerce and mobile brands that are building scale and connecting with consumers at a frenetic pace. These are not yet eligible to be ranked in theTop 50because they are not publicly traded.

    David Roth, CEO of WPP’s The Store commented: “The 2015 study shows that India is a market of great opportunities where consumers are feelingempowered, and this is increasingly reflected in their brand choices. The new Modi government is committed to creating an environment in which brands can flourish. India is distinct in many ways from other fast-growing markets, however, so simply applying strategies that have proved successful elsewhere will not work in India. Any brand intending to compete in India must gain deep insights into its nuances – such as the need to modernise while respecting the past, and the desire to remain fundamentally Indian.”

     

    Added Prasun Basu, Millward Brown’s Managing Director, South Asia:“India’s top brands are strong, and getting stronger – but there is no room for complacence. The top four had to grow their value by 37% on average to hold on to the same positions as last year, and close to 10% of the brands that made the Top 50 in 2014 have dropped out. To benefit from the continuing rise in consumer confidence and optimism brands need to understand the changing consumer, respond with innovative products and breakthrough communication, and experiment and invest in new media that reflect the spirit of the country today.”

     

    Said Ranjan Kapur, Country Manager, WPP India: “Building a successful brand in India also means helping to build India itself. Consumers are trustful of brands, but trust can crumbleovernight. Brands must work hard to sustain trust by connecting with thecountry’s communal sense of responsibility. Brands need to find ways to support the national agenda, and help to develop a more modern, prosperous and equitable society.”

     

    The BrandZ Top 50 Most Valuable Indian Brands 2015 report, charts and photography, can be downloaded from www.brandz.com.

  • The account will be handled out of the agency's Delhi office

    Madison Media wins OYO Rooms mandate

    By A Correspondent

     

    Madison Media Plus, a part of Madison Media Group has just announced the win of OYO Rooms. The account was won in a multi-agency pitch. The account will be handled out of the agency’s Delhi office.

     

    OYO Rooms is India’s largest branded network of hotels founded by young entrepreneur, 21-year-old Ritesh Agarwal. OYO Rooms currently operates in more than 100 Indian cities including Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Goa, Chennai, Kolkata and others. OYO is present in major metros, regional hubs, leisure destinations and pilgrimage towns. According to a research carried out by CB Insights for The New York Times, OYO Rooms is among the companies that may be the next start-up unicorns.The company is backed by investors like the Softbank Group, Lightspeed India, Sequoia Capital and Greenoaks Capital.

     

    Says Abhinav Sinha, Chief Operating Officer, OYO Rooms, on selecting Madison Media, “Madison is the biggest name in marketing communications and we are very proud to be associated with them. I am sure that under the able leadership of Mr. Sam Balsara, the Madison team will take OYO to new heights and we will soon be a household name. At OYO, we believe that everybody deserves an amazing experience when staying out of home, and, it is great that Madison will be taking OYO’s message to the people.”

     

    Sam Balsara

    Sam Balsara, Chairman & Managing Director, Madison World, “I am delighted that we have won this young but extremely promising business and are looking forward to help OYO Rooms become a household name in the country. It is really exciting to see such a young entrepreneur making a mark so early in life.”

     

  • Ashish Sinha Appointed as Country Head, India, to Lead New Office in Bengaluru

    Epsilon announces launch of India Ops

    By A Correspondent

     

    Epsilon, the global leader in creating connections between people and brands, announced its operations in India. The India office located in Karle Town Centre, Bengaluru was inaugurated by Neil Walsh, Senior Vice President, Shared Services, Epsilon and Ashish Sinha, Country Head, Epsilon India along with other dignitaries such as Senior Vice President of Global Delivery Services, Sam Gourley and Senior Director of Global Delivery Services, Amit Saxena.

     

    An all-encompassing global marketing company, Epsilon harnesses rich data, groundbreaking technologies, engaging creative and transformative ideas to get the results clients require. Today, Epsilon supports hundreds of clients including 15 of the world’s top 20 brands, helping them find, acquire and retain customers.

     

    Recognizing the immense technology talents in the country, Epsilon has created a new India chapter setting up operations in Bengaluru—the technology hub of India. Associates in India will play a key role in providing insight and strategy support for Epsilon’s global clients focusing on strategically combining rich data, analytics, creativity and technology, to create powerful marketing campaigns.

     

    Speaking on the occasion, Neil Walsh, Senior Vice President, Shared Services, Epsilon said, “We are extremely excited about our new beginnings in India. We have recruited a wonderful team of talented associates, under strong leadership, in Bengaluru, who will help us develop the optimal approach to servicing our clients on a global scale. Epsilon is committed to bringing global best practices to our employees in India as well as investing in and developing our talented associates. We all are excited to begin a new phase in this amazing workplace.”

     

    Ashish Sinha, Country Head, Epsilon India added, “The new frontiers and opportunities for innovation make it an exciting time for all of us. Our team is thrilled to work with some of the top global brands and help them execute on new market opportunities. We believe that the Epsilon brand, our opportunity in the market, our relationships with our partner ecosystem and the evolution of our leaders will take us to the next level.”

     

    With numerous industry accolades across the company’s offerings, Epsilon is the market leader for email, data, loyalty and digital marketing. Epsilon currently employs over 100 associates in India and plans to continue to grow the number of associates in the Bengaluru unit over the next several years.