MxMIndia

Category: MARKETING

  • The Latest TVC reflects her personality and energy which undeniably finds great synergies with the brand Vinod Cookware

    Vinod Cookware ropes in Mandira Bedi as brand ambassador

    By A Correspondence

     

    Vinod Cookware has roped in Mandira Bedi as the brand ambassador. Launching the first leg of the campaign with its latest TVC which resonates with the brand theme ‘Jo Bhi ho Khana Vinod mein hi Pakana’ Vinod Cookware plans to ascertain the fact that ‘How the right cookware determines the healthy diet’ which seemed fitting with Mandira Bedi, a true fitness enthusiast who could effortlessly convey the importance of staying healthy and eating right to the consumers.

     

    The Latest TVC reflects her personality and energy which undeniably finds great synergies with the brand Vinod Cookware.

     

    Commenting on the association, Sunil Agrawal Director, Vinod Cookware says, “We are very happy to introduce Mandira Bedi as the brand ambassador for our cookware business. She is indeed the perfect representation of everything that the brand Vinod stands for! With her many avatars- the power woman Shanti, the adventurous fear-factor contestant and unafraid cop of 24, she connects well with the Indian homemaker and youth alike. Considering all of this and more, we believed Mandira was just right, the intelligent choice for Vinod cookware.”

     

    Apart from the launches and promotions of Vinod Products, Mandira Bedi shall also be involved actively with brand and product communication across all media platforms. Vinod Cookware also plans to run a 360 degree marketing campaign on Pan India Level.

     

  • The campaign conceptualized and executed by Leo Burnett India puts Indian women at the centre

    Craftsvilla celebrates Indian women in a new campaign by Leo Burnett

    By A Correspondent

     

    Craftsvilla, India’s largest online ethnic store announced the launch of an integrated campaign that will help the brand make inroads into India’s massive e-commerce business with its specialist offering of ethnic apparels and products such as designer sarees and salwars, jewellery, handicrafts, spiritual products, musical instruments, home décor and more.

     

    The campaign conceptualized and executed by Leo Burnett India puts Indian women at the centre and demonstrates how stunning they look with Craftsvilla’s exciting range of ethnic collection.

     

    The film is an ode to all women who stay a moment but leave behind a memory. It features India’s top models Kanishta Dhankar, Smita Lasrado, Katheleno Kenze, Nidhi Sunil, and Monica Thomas in a truly Indian avatar. The track “Aaj Jane Ki Zidd Na Karo” written by the famous poet Fayyaz Hashmi and sung by celebrated Pakistani classical singer Farida Khanum aka Malika-e-Ghazal, plays in the background.

     

    Commenting on the launch, Manoj Gupta, Managing Director, Craftsvilla, said, “Craftsvilla offers more than 2 million ethnic products through 20,000 registered artisans and designers. We are one of the fastest growing Top 5 ecommerce company in India right now. We believe we have an uncommon journey compared to other e-commerce companies and we were looking to bring that unique Craftsvilla ethos out through an uncommon creative. We believe this creative will not only be talked about in India but globally as one of the best in the world. We are fortunate to have partnered with Leo Burnett and Bharat Sikka who have put their heart in to build something so beautiful the world will remember.”

     

    RajDeepak Das, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett India, added, “The strongest measure of a chemistry between two strangers is when it is devoid of words. A glimpse, a smile or even an eye-contact can sometimes create a memory for a lifetime. We used this ladder for Craftsvilla.com, India’s largest ethnic online store. In the process trying to make ethnic cool. The soundtrack Aaj Jane Ki Zidd Na Karo lifts the overall mood of the campaign and lends a feeling of grace to it.”

     

    The film has been directed by the eminent fashion photographer Bharat Sikka, known for his eye for the surrealism of reality.

     

  • The new TVC features the premium Wild Stone Fine Fragrance Deos designed in France by top perfumers like Firmenich, Givaudan and Mane

    Wild Stone unveils new TVC to promote new offering

    By A Correspondent

     

    McNROE Consumer Products Pvt. Ltd, parent company of Wild Stone Deodorants unveiled an all new exciting range of ‘Fine Fragrance Deos’ with an intriguing new TVC directed by the much applauded film director and producer Shoojit Sircar. The captivating TVC features Neil Bhoopalam as the Wild Stone man alongside an international model Daniella.

     

    Speaking about the launch of the new product and the campaign, N.K. Daga, Director-Founder, McNROE Consumer Products Pvt. Ltd, said “We are delighted to bring international premium fragrances through Wild Stone’s new Fine Fragrance Deos to Indian consumers. Over the years, McNROE aims to push the boundaries of male grooming through product innovation with an intention to deliver the best experience in the industry.”

     

    With Ila Arun’s distinctive music in the background, the TVC opens up to a lavish Indian wedding of a French bride in a palace. Amidst the madness of the celebrations, the bride is distracted by the mesmerising Wild Stone fragrance made from French perfumes. In its signature style the TVC divulges the playful side of the bride in a graceful way.

     

    The new range of Wild Stone deodorants are designed in France by the leading perfumers like Firmenich, Givaudan and Mane. The premium perfume body spray collection offers six fresh variants – Drift, Wave, Surge, Burst, Charge and Thrill and consists of a unique combination of notes such as Cedar, Patchouli, Vetiver, Amber, Sandalwood, Vanilla to name a few. The fine fragrance deo range is available across India in a 120 ml can priced at INR 199 only.

     

  • The visual identity, including logo design and packaging, aims to give a more up to date and appealing image to the brand

    Ferrero Rocher reveals new brand identity

    By A Correspondent

     

    Ferrero India has launched a new brand identity, brand descriptor and packaging for its premium chocolate brand Ferrero Rocher.

     

    The visual identity, including logo design and packaging, aims to give a more up to date and appealing image to the brand. The brand identity is a modern design that rejuvenates the brand giving an elegant look and feel that conveys gift ability on special occasion.

     

    The new brand descriptor “the golden experience” of Ferrero Rocher is a unique taste experience that engages the senses to an enhanced brand experience that engages with the consumer by inviting him to take time to savour and share more of life’s golden pleasure together.

     

    The new packaging has a QR Code that allows consumers to learn more about the quality ingredients and the care that goes in making each Ferrero Rocher praline.

     

    Emanuele Fiordalisi, Vice President, Marketing, Ferrero India said, “Over the years, Ferrero Rocher has been an integral part of consumer special occasion. The new look is an expression to enhance consumer experience and add a sparkling touch in their special moments.”

     

    Ferrero Rocher, created in 1982, has become a favourite boxed chocolate for millions of people around the world. In fact today, it is the world leader in the box chocolate category and is sold in more than 130 countries across 5 continents. Ferrero Rocher’s transparent box revolutionized the boxed chocolate market because the transparency enhanced the precious gold appearance of the single pralines and today it is an integral part of the brand identity.

     

  • Two TVCs urge buyers to not postpone their dreams as there is always a good bargain on OLX

    OLX unveils first ever buyer campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    The reasons to buy used goods are innumerable. But what prompts a buyer to stop pondering, and actually click the buy button? OLX’s first-ever buyer-focused campaign depicts OLX-ers buying all kinds of used products at affordable prices, enabling them to fulfill their most cherished dreams. OLX has released two television ads ‘Start-up nahi, Start Ab’ and ‘Friends ke saath life set kar’ illustrating this.

     

    Said Amarjit Singh Batra, CEO, OLX India, “OLX is synonymous with selling in India. Even people who have not used OLX associate us with ‘Bech De’. But we are also the most vibrant and liquid platform in the country for buyers. We have 70 per cent unique content on OLX implying that 70 per cent of the products listed on our platform will be found only on OLX, and no other platform. In addition to this, 100 per cent of the ad content on OLX is user-generated, and 90 per cent of the users coming to OLX are posting in consumer-to-consumer (C2C) categories, ensuring superior quality of listings. These reasons make OLX the most valuable marketplace for a buyer.”

     

    “There are millions of satisfied buyers on OLX who are using OLX to fulfill their unique buying needs. Users are coming on OLX everyday to buy all kinds of things that are making their dreams and aspirations possible. That is the inspiration behind this campaign,” Batra added.

     

    Conceived by Lowe Lintas, the first TVC (Start-Up) depicts the story of two young entrepreneurs who while sitting in a college canteen are busy calculating their business investments. While one of them is listing out the requirements, the other is using a calculator to come up with the total amount. When he lands on an initial investment amount, his heart sinks on the thought of waiting for a year to gather funds. This is when the other partner urges him to stop worrying and logs on to the OLX mobile App to buy used goods. Both of them happily agree and buy goods that they require to start their business. A humorous touch in the last scene depicts them professionally dressed in their new office when another idea strikes! And this time instead of the calculator the guy picks up his smartphone to log on to the OLX mobile app.

     

    The second TVC opens with a ‘just married’ couple who enters their new but unfurnished home to be surprised by their common group of friends, who are trying to help the couple set up their home. They ask the couple that where will they sit or how the couple will entertain them when they visit them! This adds to the humor making the couple feel less burdened by the sweet gesture of their friends. The TVC plays on the emotional attachment between friends who look out for each other when families do not support. Since this is the first marriage in the group and the respective families have not supported it, the friends are trying to cheer up the couple by buying furniture for their house on OLX mobile App.

     

    Shayondeep Pal, Executive Creative Director, Lowe Lintas said, “So far, OLX has focused on getting people to sell on the site. While we go about that objective, there is also the other end of the spectrum – the buyers, whom we address for the first time through this campaign. The fact is that today’s generation is very smart and practical when it comes to making life choices. Whether it is going ahead with an unconventional wedding or starting their own business, we used this ‘practicality’ aspect to blend in the brand message of how buying on OLX enables the youth to kick start their pursuits. The signoff line ‘Kal kare so aaj kare, OLX pe khareed kar’ captures this spirit of the youth.”

     

  • Rolls out a new TV ad campaign to gather momentum for the promotional property

    ShopClues unveils ‘Biggest Thank You Sale’ campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    On successfully recording 1 crore customers, ShopClues has announced the ‘Biggest Thank You Sale’ campaign. The promotional property from ShopClues will be live between 5th and 10thOctober, 2015 and will offer decent deals as well as Clues Bucks worth Rs. 1,00,000 for existing customers. To generate excitement and awareness around the sale, ShopClues has also launched a new TV ad campaign. Conceptualised and created by Enormous Brands, Mumbai, the TVC invites buyers to make the best of this phenomenal shopping extravaganza.

     

    As a part of the initiative, existing customers will receive free credit in the form of Clues Bucks between Rs 50 to Rs 1,00,00 which they can use to purchase anything on the website. In addition, the marketplace has put together incredible deals and discounts across a large assortment of products, from categories as varied as personal care products, stationary, consumer electronics and much more for the six-day period. ShopClues has also entered into alliances with top brands so that customers can enjoy a variety of benefits including gift vouchers worth Rs 250 on Naturals products, 40 per cent cashback on orders with TinyOwl and up to Rs 4,000 off on travel bookings with the Yatra app.

     

    Speaking on the sale and the TV ad campaign, Radhika Aggarwal, Co-founder and Chief Business Officer, ShopClues.co said, “We at ShopClues are thrilled at registering 1 crore customers. Through the ‘Biggest Thank You Sale’, we want each one of those 1 crore shoppers to revel in the celebration with us! The new TVC rolled out by ShopClues endeavours to create a buzz around this sale so that customers can make the best of the deals and discounts on offer.”

     

    The TV ad film starts by elucidating how bleak the world would be if people were charged money for a simple “Thank You” when they were given any help or shown some support. The viewer is then reminded that since ShopClues is highly grateful for the constant loyalty, support and patronage of its 1 crore customers, it is in no mood to save and has therefore announced this mega sale. The ad film reiterates ShopClues’ celebratory mode and its desire to share the joy with its customers.

     

  • Higher SME digital engagement results in 49 per cent more profit than their offline-only counterparts

    Ecommerce sector powering India’s SME growth, notes Snapdeal & KPMG study

    By A Correspondent

     

    Snapdeal released a first-of-its-kind study in partnership with KPMG titled ‘Impact of Ecommerce on SMEs in India’. The study examines the macro-impact of e-commerce sector on growth of SMEs in India and identifies remaining gaps in the eco system needed to be plugged to facilitate adoption of e-commerce by SMEs.

     

    The report compares the e-commerce led growth trajectory of SMEs in India vis-à-vis other emerging and developed economies. Additionally, it outlines different roles that various participants like the government, industry bodies and ecommerce companies themselves can play in making the SME ecosystem more robust.

     

    Speaking at the release of the report, Kunal Bahl, Co-founder and CEO, Snapdeal said, “At Snapdeal, we are working towards building the most impactful digital commerce ecosystem in the country and SMEs form the foundation of this ecosystem in many ways. With over 200,000 sellers operating on our platform, we felt the need to conduct a systematic unbiased study to identify opportunities and challenges to further accelerate the growth of the sector. We have taken a number of initiatives like seller training programs, seller financing program- Capital Assist and Snapdeal Seller Advisor Program, with an aim of creating life changing experiences for over one million sellers in the next three years. This study has given us deeper insights into what more we can do to enable small businesses become more successful online.”

     

    Richard Rekhy, CEO, KPMG India said, “The fast paced growth of the e-commerce industry in India represents an unprecedented opportunity for SMEs. We hope that the findings of this report will assist policymakers, industry bodies and e-commerce companies to strengthen the support ecosystem, which enables SMEs to ride the e-commerce growth wave successfully.”

     

    This report is the first in a series of initiatives that Snapdeal has undertaken for creating an ecosystem for MSMEs and leveraging ecommerce for their growth.

     

  • Has Nestle's latest film earned the right to advertise its patriotic credentials?

    Is Nestle really part of India’s fabric for a century?

     

    By Pritha Mitra Dasgupta

     

    The latest corporate campaign from Nestle created by Prasoon Joshi, executive chairman, McCann Worldgroup Asia Pacific is visually impressive in its sepia tones and transition from pre-Independence to the 21st century. But ad folks and even consumers are taking the film with a bag full of salt. Their grouse: while Nestle claims it’s been a part of “country’s fabric for more than a 100 years”, many regard it more as silent spectator than active participant.

     

    In the almost 92-second clip, the Swiss multinational food and beverage company packs in historic milestones in India’s journey like independence, India’s World Cup victory, its first space mission and so on. Nestle which set foot in India in 1912 features some of its marquee products like Nescafe, Milkmaid, KitKat, Maggi Masala and so on. But it’s opted to drop its famous Maggi noodles which, as you are probably aware, has been pulled from the market and is still under a cloud.

     

    There has been some appreciation but the critiques have also been flying thick and fast. The most common one is that of appropriation: the belief that Nestle was nowhere near as embedded into the life of India as it claims to be. And that the one product that was ubiquitous does not make an appearance in the film.

     

    An agency CEO who opts to remain anonymous points out: several brands can claim to have rightfully played a role in the transformation of India: Amul, Air India, Colgate, Dettol, Parle G and Lifebuoy. But when it comes to Nestle, he says, “The film is desperately trying its best to be part of the Indian subtext and culture, forcefully creating situations and conversations, which don’t connect. It is a tall claim. The basket has brands which cannot claim to be serving and being part of the nation for 100 years!”

     

    Manish Bhatt, founder and director at Scarecrow believes the film is good but stops short of being Nestle’s best: “When you talk about brands being part of a country’s fabric then you instantly think of Coca Cola and the United States or Milo in Malaysia. You will find Santa Claus holding a Coke bottle. So only when a brand plays such a grand role in the everyday life of consumers and becomes part of their being, can it make such a claim.”

     

    It’s also aroused the ire of Joe Public who are either rendered inarticulate by rage or weren’t particularly articulate to start with. A typical complaint reads as follows: “Fresh cow’s milk better option. Nice Ad but believe me can’t trust Nestlé (sic) I feel like a culprit as I used to give my daughter Maggi on Sundays.I never knew was feeding her lead n MSG.” Another reads: “Nestle should b ban (sic) for 100 yrs as it has betrayed 100 years of faith of indian people.”

     

    To its credit, Nestle doesn’t believe in merely basking in the admiration of the people who like the film and is engaging even with its critics: a strategy that was missing around the time the Maggi crisis was brewing. In response to the first comment, it provides an update that clarifies its stance on the MSG issue. In response to the second, it replies with “This film is not about specific products or brands, but about Nestlé’s understanding of India’s culture and how we have been a part of the country’s fabric for more than a 100 years. While the Hon’ble Bombay High Court has lifted the FSSAI ban order on Maggi Noodles, the process of fresh tests mandated by them at select accredited labs is still underway, and we have taken a conscious decision not to use the Maggi Noodles pack-shot in the film until the process is complete.”

     

    Nestle also takes times out to address the critiques of the industry at large. Managing director, Suresh Narayanan points out, “Nestlé has developed deep bonds of good will, trust and relationship with millions of consumers and participated actively in Indian society at large. The corporate film has been developed to communicate the rich heritage of Nestlé in India and how its relationship has been built over the years with commitment, understanding, passion and dedication towards quality. It is an acknowledgement of our gratitude in being part of Indian consumer’s lives, epitomised by some significant historic moments since Independence.”

     

    He points to Nestle’s factory in Moga set up in 1961 which pioneered the dairy business and began contributing significantly to the development of the district in Punjab. He says, “We have successfully touched the lives of 100,000 famers who supply milk to us. Today with 8 factories across the country, our staff strength of more than 7000 people has 99.7 per cent Indians working dayin and day-out to deliver on our promise of quality and safe products.”

     

    The film serves a second purpose that neither Nestle nor its critics are articulating: an attempt to position the firm as distinct from its flagship products. Maggi and Milkmaid are famous brands in India, Nestle perhaps, not as much. And so an attempt to build Nestle as a distinct, trustworthy entity, one that could brave the storms that may momentarily sink a flagship or two. But of course, the jury is out on whether this film is enough to make that happen.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2015, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • The campaign emphasizes the brand’s assurance of an extra bounce in everyday life

    Nature Fresh promotes new atta offering in latest TVC

    By A Correspondent

     

    Nature Fresh Sampoorna Chakki atta, the fastest growing brand of packaged atta in India announced the launch of a new campaign with the theme ‘Khali pet jung nahi jeeti jaati’. The campaign emphasizes the brand’s assurance of an extra bounce in everyday life.

     

    Nature Fresh is a household name in India. The strength of the brand lies in its offering of the highest quality products sourced from the best of nature. The brand’s current portfolio comprises Atta and oil.

     

    Nature Fresh Sampoorna Atta is a pioneer in the packaged atta category. It is made from the select, high quality wheat, grinded perfectly to give best possible consistency – na zyada bareek, na zyada dardara. The atta is rich in dietary fiber that eases digestion which means more strength and energy to the body.

     

    As a nation, which is on a journey of progressive development, every individual is on a drive to move up the socio-economic ladder. The everyday battle to succeed in their goals is possible only when the individual is healthy and is full of energy and strength. The brand takes inspiration from this basic insight ‘khali pet jung nahi jeeti jaati’ and takes a leap in terms of not only building the promise on the functional role of Atta but a higher order promise of strength and energy to take on the daily challenges of life. The brand tagline has been articulated as ‘Shakti hur jung ke liye’.

     

    Commenting on the new campaign Neelima Burra, Chief Marketing Officer, Cargill Foods India said, “While the category of branded Atta has low penetration at the moment, we see a significant opportunity for growth. Through this campaign, we aim to secure a strong position in the mind of the progressive urban consumer who seeks value without compromising on quality.”

     

    Explaining the TVC idea, Sridhar Iyer, Sr. Vice President, FCB Ulka said,“Atta till date has been sold on quality, trust, care but we felt that there’s a larger reason for an atta brand to be sold. This stems from the fact that one cannot take on the challenges in an empty stomach. Roti as a part of the main meal menu is the conventional source of sustainable energy and countless Indians have believed in its power as they set off for everyday battles. Nature Fresh Sampoorna Chakki Atta embodies that belief.”

     

  • Etailers like Flipkart, Amazon, Snapdeal, Pepperfry and others have geared up ahead of festive season and the big sales this week

    Gearing up for the Big Sales

     

    By Indulekha Aravind

     

    Manjunath V*, who juggles two jobs with college in Bengaluru, is one of Flipkart’s 16,000-strong delivery force, dropping off 70-80 packages a day. After his night shift with a courier firm ends at 3 am, he snatches a few hours of sleep before leaving for the ecommerce giant’s warehouse at 6.30 am. But, from this week, when the “Big Billion Days” sale kicks off, he says he will be reporting to work at 5 am and looking at an 11-hour shift so that he can complete that day’s sale season deliveries, likely to be 100 a day.

     

    “There’s no fixed time to when we finish — the sooner we complete the deliveries, the earlier we can leave.

     

    But we need to finish that day’s deliveries,” says the 19-year-old. Manjunath’s employer, Flipkart, is looking at shipping 1,03,000 packages daily during “Big Billion Days”, as opposed to 65,000 on other days, according to multiple operations executives with the firm. Its Gurgaon-headquartered rival, Snapdeal, saw sales grow 10 times during its preview Diwali sale held last Monday and is optimistic about similar numbers as the festival season picks up. Furniture marketplace Pepperfry is looking at sales doubling during these months while payment-solutions-firm-turned-marketplace Paytm is eyeing 3x growth. If these projections sound dazzling, it’s because the Diwali-Dassera season is traditionally the time when Indians have shopped the most online, and ecommerce companies expect 40% of annual sales to come from the months of October and November.

     

    And while deep discounts are still the way to the customer’s wallet for companies like Flipkart, Amazon and Snapdeal, ecommerce companies across sectors are also trying to leave nothing to chance while ensuring the customer gets what he ordered, on time.

     

    Gearing Up for Busier Days

    Though the sales only begin in mid-October, companies began supply-chain preparations as far back as May. In fact, Snapdeal says they begin gearing up for next year’s Diwali from the previous year. “Unlike Flipkart, we have a sale every week, which is a good stress test to gauge customer experience. We began getting ready for this Diwali as soon as the last festival season was over,” says Jayant Sood, chief customer experience officer at Snapdeal. The company, valued at $4.5 billion in its latest round of funding, saw a 15x surge in traffic last Diwali, according to Sood. Being a marketplace, it does not own inventory or a logistics team but, last Wednesday, Snapdeal announced a $20 million investment in third-party logistics player GoJavas, in which it holds a 40% stake. GoJavas, says Sood, now delivers in 350 cities. The fresh fund infusion in the logistics company is in addition to the $100 million Snapdeal has invested in the last six months to improve its logistics and supply chain.

     

    In Bengaluru, rival Flipkart has been streamlining its delivery process to meet the daily order avalanche during its biggest annual sale. With last year’s edition of its Big Billion Day coming in for a lot of flak from customers for price discrepancies, inadequate stock and server glitches, forcing the company’s founders Sachin and Binny Bansal to apologise to customers, the company has ramped up its back-end operations.

     

    Flipkart now has 16,000 delivery staff, has increased the number of fulfilment centres from 13 to 16 this year and has automated its warehouses, says Neeraj Aggarwal, senior director, delivery operations. According to another operations executive, who requested not to be named, half the members at each delivery hub have been trained to make 300 deliveries a day. “Earlier, staff would spend a lot of time settling the cash-on-delivery accounts. This year, we have installed cash deposit machines in cities where will see the heaviest sales so that they just need to deposit it in the machines,” he says. Handheld devices to scan items and segregating categories by the day are also expected to cut delay, he says.

     

    For Paytm, this will be the company’s first Diwali as a marketplace. The Alibaba-backed firm began talks with suppliers and logistics firms three months ago and has tied up with 30 courier partners. “We’ve ensured our third-party logistics partners have enough exclusive capacity and have shared our plans about expected sale volumes,” says Saurabh Vashishtha, vice-president, business, at the company’s headquarters in Noida. “We also have very strict service-level agreements whereby the logistics partners will incur losses if a package is not delivered on time. Also, the volume of business we give them would depend on the service,” he adds.

     

    Paytm has introduced a logistics cloud for local courier companies which are big in that particular region but not plugged into the ecommerce economy because they lack the technological capability. Similarly, the company is also creating a warehouse cloud to integrate warehouses run by third parties into its system, which would then be available to the smaller merchants selling on Paytm. “We negotiate with the warehouses so that the small players get a better rate,” says Vashishtha, who attributes the glitches that happened with most etailers last festive season to not anticipating the demand. At present, over 60,000 merchants sell on Paytm.

     

    Of Bulk Orders and Deliveries

    Delivery is particularly crucial for furniture sellers like Urban Ladder and Pepperfry, with staff usually having to assemble the items they deliver. Urban Ladder does not outsource any of its logistics and operates with a team of 850 delivery staff, predominantly in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi. “We control the last mile, so we also take care of the training of all the delivery staff,” says Kaustabh Chakraborty, vice-president, operations. Though the company states that it will take 15 days to process an order, Diwali is the time when there are multiple requests to deliver much faster.

     

    “Each customer might also order 20-25 items for their homes, if it’s a “gruhapravesh” (housewarming) and there is huge pressure from the customer to deliver everything together,” says Govind Raj Kaushik, manager, operations, at the company’s warehouse in Bengaluru.

     

    Furniture marketplace Pepperfry has also moved to take complete ownership of its logistics chain. “This year, we stopped using third-party logistics providers. The entire distribution chain is now centrally controlled so the tradeoff that might have been there between our product and a rival’s will not be there this year,” says Ambareesh Murty, cofounder and chief executive of the company.

     

    Murty says Pepperfry, which ships 300,000 items a month, is looking at a 100% jump in the festival season, just as it did last year. “We deliver to 430 cities and will add another 200 in the next two months,” adds Murty. The company’s fleet of trucks and delivery personnel have seen a five-fold jump from the beginning of the year. It also has an app called Far Eye to track the deliveries in real time. “A delivery does not take more than half an hour. An alert is sent to the supervisor if it takes more time,” says Ashish Shah, Pepperfry’s chief operating officer.

     

    Feet On the Ground

    For hyperlocal grocery platform Grofers, the biggest challenge is ensuring there is adequate staff to deliver the 100% surge in orders it expects in electronics and gift items. The jump in demand is accompanied by higher attrition with delivery staff taking leave during the festival season, says cofounder Albinder Dhindsa.

     

    “We normally add around 10% staff month-on-month but we’ve ramped up our delivery capacity by 40% to 4,200 over the last two months anticipating the dip in attendance,” he says. “We also need to make sure we have a good relationship with the suppliers so that we are the preferred vendor.”

     

    Neeraj Jain, cofounder of electronics marketplace Zopper, is anticipating his first challenging Diwali because, till last year, the company was merely connecting buyers and sellers through calls, and not accepting orders. To help the smaller merchants on its platform deliver on time, Zopper will be underwriting part of the demand.

     

    “We have told them to scale up operations and will be paying them, even if there is not sufficient demand, provided their services are available exclusively to us. We’re also offering incentives if they perform well,” says Jain.

     

    One would expect higher pressure on delivery staff during the peak season, but many did not seem apprehensive. Ravish Kumar*, who picks up returned goods for Amazon in New Delhi and is on the payrolls of a third-party firm, says he will probably have to pick up 50 packages a day, instead of 40. “There was pressure when there were fewer centres but not anymore,” he says, though he adds wryly that the company does not give mithai dabbas for its delivery staff. Amazon also runs a programme whereby a delivery associate is given the opportunity to work as a process associate during the festival season, which could translate into a promotion. On average, in the bigger ecommerce companies, delivery staff are paid `12,000 a month. A customer associate with Vulcan, a logistics firm that works with Snapdeal, says the number of van deliveries might go up from 10-15 to 20 a day during Diwali and Dassera, with an additional `20 paid for each delivery after 20. In Mumbai, delivery agent Arjun Kumar is preparing to hit the jackpot during the festive season, when deliveries are likely to cross 100 a day from the usual 45-50, which would earn him incentives.

     

    “My take home could easily double in these three months,” says the 23-year-old. A section of delivery staff in Mumbai like Kumar had gone on strike earlier this year pressing for the fulfillment of some 21 demands that ranged from toilet facilities to incentives for additional deliveries and returns but unions affiliated to Flipkart, Snapdeal and Amazon and the like have adopted a more conciliatory position since. “Around 15 of these demands have been met,” says Sachin Gole, a leader of the MNS Kamgar Sena. It was the delivery staff affiliated to MNS, the Raj Thackeray-led political party, that had gone on strike in July. “These companies have promised to give delivery personnel incentives once the hectic sale season concludes,” adds Gole.

     

    But though personnel have been recruited, incentives promised and stress tests carried out, there is still one factor that could throw the best laid plans out of gear. “If it rains, it will spoil our delivery schedule,” admits the Flipkart operations executive quoted earlier.

     

    *Names have been changed on request (With inputs from Rahul Sachitanand)

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2015, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • The mandate, which includes traditional and digital media, in the region of Rs 500 crore, making it a big catch for Carat India

    Kuch Meetha Ho Jai for Carat India as Mondelez comes calling

    In what appears to be a big blow to Madison World, the entire Mondelez media account is moving to Carat India with effect from January 2016.

     

    The India business has moved to Carat, which is a part of the Dentsu Aegis Network. The mandate, which includes traditional and digital media, in the region of Rs 500 crore, making it Carat India’s biggest account.

     

    “It’s a gamechanger for Carat,” a media observer told MxMIndia, on conditions for anonymity.  For Madison India, it’s unfortunate given that the pitch was global, and it could really not have any say in the matter except for aligning with one of the international networks, which it is reported to have attempted.

     

    On the realignment with Carat (and a part with Starcom), Bonin Bough, chief media and ecommerce officer at Mondelez, is quoted to have said: “We’re excited about this next phase in our media transformation. Centralising our media buying with Aegis and SMG offers us a significant opportunity to drive enterprise-level efficiencies that can be re-invested in our long-term growth.”

     

  • The cricket commentary-inspired campaign hopes to stand out in the clutter of cricket-style communication

    Head & Shoulders unveils new cricket-inspired campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Head & Shoulders has launched a new campaign aimed at the cricket obsessed Indian guy. Created by L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, this cricket commentary-inspired campaign hopes to stand out in the clutter of cricket-style communication.

     

    The TVCs narrate the story of dandruff foiling a budding attraction at various situations, from a sangeet ceremony to a house party and even an elevator. Till H&S comes to the guy’s rescue and saves the day for him.

     

    Binu Ninan

    Binu Ninan, Brand Manager, P&G (Hair care) said, “H&S is a huge brand for P&G and we continue to be a favorite among Indian men. This time, we wanted a campaign that talks the brand message in the language of the H&S user and hence engages and connects with him, and what better than adding a little flavor of cricket. We have a holistic plan to drive this across relevant touch points.”

     

    Delna Sethna

    Talking on the inception of the idea, Delna Sethna, Chief Creative Officer, L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, says, “The biggest creative challenge was to be disruptive, yet be relevant. Boy meets girl… boy loses girl, thanks to dandruff… boy reunites with girl, thanks to H&S… All pretty linear till you need to add cricket in to the mix, but we managed to get it right.”