MxMIndia

Category: MARKETING

  • As vast and varied as rural India is, the IAMAI-IMRB I-Cube report puts a handle on the numbers of rural internet users, which tell a startling story

    I-Cube Report: Mobile crucial for rural India to access Net

    By A Correspondent

     

    There are about 38 million claimed internet users in rural India today. The penetration of claimed internet users in rural India has grown from 2.6 per cent in 2010 to 4.6 per cent in 2012, a CAGR of 73 per cent. On the other hand the penetration of active internet users has grown from 2.13 percent in 2010 to 3.7 percent in 2012. These are some of the findings from the latest I-Cube Report on ‘Internet in Rural India’ which was released by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IMRB.

     

    According to the report, the number of claimed internet users in rural India is expected to reach 45 million by December 2012. The report further states that mobile phones are fast emerging as an important point of internet access in rural India. As of June 2012, there were 3.6 Mn Mobile Internet Users in India, a growth of 7.2 times from 0.5 million in 2010.

     

    In a prepared statement, Dr Subho Ray, President of IAMAI stated, “This is just the tip of the iceberg, in the next two years, a combination of affordable smart phones, optic fibre backbone and local language content is likely to change the beat all projections of internet growth in rural areas.”

     

    Anurag Gupta, Founder and MD, DGM India explained the possible impact of a growing rural internet usage on digital advertising. He was also of the view that local language contents, hyper local information etc will lead to higher internet usage in rural India. “Internet penetration is growing in the urban areas and now it is percolating to the rural areas, this is very good news as it bridges the digital divide across the country and empowers dual India with a level playing field of knowledge and information. There will be a growth in digital spends as the users grow, so for the digital advertising industry this is a very heartening sign.”

     

    Usage of Indian language or local language content is also said to be on the rise. According to the report, the availability of content in local language encourages the rural user to go online and although 79 per cent of the users access content in English, 32 per cent of the users access content in Hindi.

     

    A whopping 42 per cent of the respondents said they were not aware of internet. This is also one of the reasons for the non-usage of the internet. As more and more people begin to use the internet, infrastructure facilities is also bound to grow. While more initiatives are certainly needed to build the internet infrastructure, evangalising of the medium to the rural masses is equally the need of the hour for further growth of the medium. In addition to this, local language content is also said to play a critical role in order to fuel the growth of internet usage in India.

     

    Point of Access:

    One of the reasons for the increase in rural internet usage is probably because of the availability of cyber cafes and community service centres. Interestingly, majority of internet users in rural India (i.e. 57 per cent) have access to internet via cyber cafes and community service centres, only 19 per cent are said to have internet access at home and 12 per cent of the internet users access internet through their mobile phones.

     

     

    Purpose of Internet Access:

    Entertainment is the primary driver of internet use in rural India. 75 percent of rural users use internet for entertainment while 56 percent use it for communications Users like to access Music, Videos and Photos for entertainment.

     

     

    There is a growing interest amongst the rural constituents seeking information on education. 81 percent of claimed internet users seek information pertaining to school / university and exam centres.

     

     

    Primary research is said to have been conducted in line with ‘I-Cube’ reports, an annual syndication of eTechnology Group, IMRB International. The syndicated research is based upon a primary research survey that interviewed about 15000 people from various age groups, across SECs and genders from the states of Assam, Maharashtra, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

     

    The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) is an association which is said to be representing the entire gamut of digital businesses in India. It was established in 2004 by the leading online publishers. IAMAI is also said to be the only professional industry body representing the online and mobile VAS industry in India.

     

  • Retail bookstore chain Landmark has launched an e-books section on its website www.Landmarkonthenet.com

    Landmark launches e-books section on website

    By A Correspondent

     

    Retail bookstore chain Landmark has launched an e-books section on its website www.Landmarkonthenet.com.

     

    “In the last two years we have been focusing on increasing our footprint in the digital space and with a surge in demand for smartphones and tablets, we saw great potential in the e-books space and have decided to increase our product offering to provide a new reading experience to Indian consumers” said Ashutosh Pandey, COO at Landmark about this announcement.

     

    Landmark’s website will offer a varied range of international and local e-books for which Indian consumers can pay in rupees. The collection on www.Landmarkonthenet.com will host books from various genres such as romance, science fiction and literature. E-books will be priced at an affordable price starting Rs 52/- and select e-books will be available for free. Landmark soon plans to add classic literature titles to its collection of e-books which will be available free of cost for avid readers.

     

  • Mr Chatterjee has transformed marketing from a 3-4 man team, providing support services to teams pitching for new business, to a 300-person team at the forefront of HCL Technologies' brand transformation

    How Krishnan Chatterjee is shaping a unique identity for brand HCL

    By Rahul Sachitanand

     

    Even as 65-year-old Bruce Springsteen was kicking off yet another soldout tour in his four-decade-long music career, one Indian marketer could only marvel about his longevity from afar. Seventeen studio albums and countless shows later, The Boss was showing few signs of dimming fan interest as successive generations of fans lapped up his latest tunes.

     

    This timeless appeal left Krishnan Chatterjee, Strategic Head of Marketing, HCL Technologies, enthralled, as both a diehard fan and a marketer looking for solutions to build a strong and ever-lasting brand. A vocalist and rhythm guitarist for HCL’s band named Contraband, he wonders at the musician’s ability to build a strong personal brand and keep fans asking for more.

     

    Mr Chatterjee is hoping to use some lessons from music at HCL Technologies. As technology has evolved, the delivery of remote software services has become a commoditised offering, leaving vendors, his employer included, hunting for new growth drivers. Rather than chase the same opportunity, Mr Chatterjee has been pushing new business opportunities, growing units such as remote infrastructure management from $60 million when he joined in 2004 (after a decade-long stint at ITC), to a billion-dollar unit today.

     

    His ability to find a winning proposition for a brand began before HCL Technologies, when be moved from the Tobacco business to lifestyle retailing under the Wills Lifestyle brand. “He was able to quickly build a competitive proposition and identify a need gap in a cluttered market,” says Sabyasachi Mishra, CEO, Vietnam and Indo-China for advertising agency JWT. According to people who know him well, Mr Chatterjee sets tough goals for himself and isn’t afraid of going after slackers for failing to meet these targets. If CEO Vineet Nayyar is the face of HCL Technologies, Mr Chatterjee is happy to play the understated counterfoil, keeping the marketing machine humming.

     

    History is now repeating for Mr Chatterjee at HCL. He has transformed marketing from a 3-4 man team, providing support services to teams pitching for new business, to a 300-person team at the forefront of HCL Technologies’ brand transformation. “We even started Team 360, which has 72 people today, to provide marketing services to teams at competitive rates.”

     

    Part of the challenge for HCL Technologies and other large Indian IT firms is to be noticed when grouped with globally-recognised brands such as IBM and Accenture. “Indian companies are recognized by a tiny fraction of our target customers,” he reckons.

     

    Also, he helped build Employee First (CEO Vineet Nayyar’s book on the subject has sold thousands of copies globally), to try to stand out in the clutter. A YouTube video on the subject has got over 2.5 million views, he adds, pointing to its success.

     

    According to Anand Narayanan, VP of Marketing for Beroe, a provider of procurement intelligence and market research, Mr Chatterjee’s biggest accomplishment has been to grow HCL’s brand recognition, despite being a relatively small player based out of India.

     

    Creating this sort of brand is important at this time because HCL plans to hire some 10,000 people in the US, at a politically sensitive time, with Presidential polls around the corner. “Never lose sense of your people … they are your biggest source of strength, credibility and voice,” he says.

     

    Mr Chatterjee, an IIM-A alumnus, is taking a tough stance on getting Brand HCL noticed, While the “Mr HCL” series of advertisements did the rounds recently, he thinks the company will look beyond these confines. “The age of advertising has gone past us,” he declares. Instead, building brand HCL will be a much more targeted campaign, tilted towards digital, especially targeted at the firm’s customers. “You’re building a brand for the next century,” he claims loftily.

     

    Mr Narayanan agrees. “What Krishnan has demonstrated is a pilot of HCL’s capabilities,” he says. “It has the potential to become the bellwether of marketing.” Steering HCL to these lofty heights will be Mr Chatterjee’s toughest mission yet.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

     

  • Centuryply has gone aggressive to get a larger share in the branded plywood and related business, getting into readymade lifestyle products too

    Centuryply looks at growth from unorganized sector

    By Tuhina Anand

     

    Centuryply has gone aggressive to get a larger share in the branded plywood and related business. In fact, recently we have seen a spurt in the activity by the players in the segment and this has to do with the fact that the branded players are eyeing the unorganized sector.

     

    Abhra Banerjee

    Explaining this fact, Abhra Banerjee, Executive Business Head, Centuryply, said, “Our industry is under transition as there is higher knowledge about the category among the consumers. This could be attributed to the digital and social media which has led to consumers finding more about products before making a purchase decision. This had led to a move where the branded category is growing and the players are looking at growth as the unorganized sector here is shrinking. So, as we are all fighting for a share of the unorganized sector, one sees more activity from branded players like Centuryply.”

     

    Further Mr Banerjee explained that Centuryply in its bid to get a greater share and also revamp its brand perception has entered the readymade home furniture business with its retail store Nesta. Putting things in perspective he said, “Four years ago when we did a survey post our campaign, we realized that while people saw Centuryply as a trustworthy market leader with superior quality products, there was also a perception that the brand was lacking youthful appeal and was not modern and contemporary.”

     

    The company then took measured steps to revamp its perception, among other things becoming more aggressive, and one way was to get into readymade lifestyle products. The furniture business emerged as a natural brand extension, thus also creating something that is lifestyle oriented and aspirational. This was one way to grab a contemporary avatar for the brand Centuryply.

     

    There was also a shift in its media strategy and the company got into branded entertainment and partnered with big budget movies. It also partnered with designers from National Institute of Design to make kids range of furniture and leading Indian architects for contemporary product designs. The effort yielded result and Centuryply as another study revealed was being perceived as a trendy brand.

     

    In fact all these efforts have led Centuryply to have a CAGR of 28 percent for the last five years. While it has been impacted with the slowdown as other fields like real estate have been hit but Centuryply is still clocking double digits growth albeit a bit slower than previous years’ growth numbers.

     

    It has recently launched its new campaign with the tagline ‘Sab Sahe Mast Rahe’. The campaign was preceded with a high decibel teaser. The new campaign highlights the brand’s strengths as a modern, contemporary, youthful and a trustworthy market leader while highlighting Centuryply’s patented technology which makes it 100 percent borer- and termite-proof and gives it the strength to withstand all abuse.

     

    The new campaign of Centuryply aims at redefining the brand image and increasing consumer involvement with the plywood category through Bates’s proprietary ‘Changengage’ tool. The campaign is targeted at upwardly mobile urban male in the age group of 35-45 years who is a homeowner and digital savvy.

     

    Bates Kolkata has ideated and conceptualised the campaign titled “Sab Sahe Mast Rahe Part 2”. The campaign is based on a basic human insight. When people get angry, they lose control over themselves behave like a monster, and unleash their anger on objects around. Mostly, it’s doors, windows, wardrobes, tables and other pieces of wooden furniture that bear the brunt. The furniture stands in silent testimony to this human emotion, takes all the battering in its’ stride and gives peace and tranquility in return. The campaign kicked off with a high decibel teaser campaign across different media platforms and the TVC was launched on World Anger Day to leverage the communication relevance.

     

    Besides TV, Centuryply has drawn a multi-media campaign plan to reach its TG by using effective media vehicles like OOH, Radio, Multiplex & Digital platforms. The campaign will go on till March 2013. To ensure consumer engagement, some interesting BTL activities like multiplex, mall and trade activations have been planned. The TVC has been shot in Poland by Vinod P Vijay of Lemon Yellow Sun Films.

     

  • The successful launch of Divya Marathi, the Dainik Bhaskar group's Marathi newspaper, has attracted IIM Bangalore to study and create a classroom case on group's success through the years

    Divya Marathi now a case study at IIM Bangalore

    By A Correspondent

     

    The fast paced growth and unique new market launch strategy of Dainik Bhaskar Group, an Orbit-shifting innovative process featured as a case in IIM Ahmedabad, and the successful launch of Divya Marathi, the group’s Marathi newspaper, this time has attracted IIM Bangalore to study and create a classroom case on group’s success through the years.

     

    Seema Gupta

    Prof. Seema Gupta of IIM Bangalore did a detailed analysis of Dainik Bhaskar group processes in her attempt to understand what makes this group succeed. She met with the senior management across verticals; Editorial, Production, circulation and marketing to deep dive into their independent and cross-functional working. Result; ‘Dainik Bhaskar group: Aspiring Growth’ a case study by IIM Bangalore.

     

    The case delves into the history of the group, the aggressive launch strategy, accelerated business growth and robust marketing plan. It strongly points out that launching of a newspaper and venturing into a monopolistic market space is definitely a decision that is governed by the faith in the brand. Considering the nature of the category, where reading habits are relatively strong and the market leaders create high entry barriers including the competition-intensive cut-throat ground zero strategies, it makes for an interesting study in management strategies, processes and execution. Success in such situations cannot just be attributed to the business acumen, understanding of market dynamics and identification of the need-gap within the market. There are other elements like agility, empowerment, passion and high ambition across the employee set that is a real differentiator and helps convert strategies into reality.

     

    Elaborating on selecting Dainik Bhaskar Group for the case, Prof. Seema Gupta said, ‘Dainik Bhaskar with its ambitious growth plans exemplifies gutsy business strategy and marketing. It changed the contours of the marketplace by entering into markets with strong and entrenched incumbents. This task was even more arduous considering the nature of the category as it is difficult to change the habit of readers. Newspapers touch the life of every consumer and hence the case would drive strong emotional connect and animated discussion in the classroom. The focus of the company on tier II towns makes it an apt material for case study as small towns would be the drivers of future growth of Indian economy.’

     

    The case in detail traces the sustained leadership strategy adapted by Dainik Bhaskar Group over the years. It places importance on the way the group evaluates and  identifies the gap between supply and demand. And the process of creation of a product that truly answers the overt and latent needs in the ever evolving market. It identifies that the core business philosophy of the group remains a singular focus on close in-depth understanding of the consumers’ pulse and being consumer-centric in its product creation.

     

    Girish Agarwaal

    Speaking about this development, Girish Agarwaal, Director, Dainik Bhaskar Group said, “It is always a moment of pride when an institute of repute like ‘Indian institute of Management Bangalore’ seeks to study the organisation and creates a case study. We do believe that in the process of the case creation and discussion, the group also benefits in getting some raw, unbiased and unfiltered views. We attended the first classroom sessions held on July 20 at IIM-B, where second year students discussed the case. It has been a healthy experience and we respect the level of analysis that the students presented in their understanding of the challenges faced by the group.”

     

  • The Integer Group, a leading promotional, retail and shopper marketing agency in India, has appointed Ketan Desai as Managing Director India. He assumes his new role immediately

    Ketan Desai is Integer Group MD in India

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Integer Group, a leading promotional, retail and shopper marketing agency in India, has further boosted expertise with the appointment of Ketan Desai as Managing Director of The Integer Group India. Mr Desai assumes his new role immediately.

     

    He will work alongside Shiv Sethuraman, Chief Executive Officer of TBWA\Group India and Dan Paris, Regional Managing Director of The Integer Group Asia Pacific. Mr Desai will not only manage existing network client shopper marketing programmes, but also continue to develop The Integer Group India as one of the leading promotional, retail and shopper marketing agencies across the Indian sub-continent.

     

    Mr Desai joins The Integer Group after completing a 14-year tenure with Grey Global Group, where he led major client relationships in both India and Sri Lanka. He has worked with both global and local clients such as Procter & Gamble, Marico, Hindustan Times, Audi and GSK, and has significant retail and shopper marketing experience after leading the ITC and GSK shopper business for Grey Group.

     

    Commenting on his appointment, Mr Desai said, “I am extremely excited to join the team. The Integer Group is a top promotional, retail and shopper marketing agency, and for me, it is the opportunity to develop winning solutions for world class brands at the point of purchase.” He added, “Retail and shopper marketing is my passion and there is no question for me that it represents the future of the industry.”

     

    “Ketan has considerable experience in many retail categories across our industry, demonstrating the leadership essential to drive growth for some of the biggest brand owners in the world,” commented Mr Sethuraman. “His addition to the senior team here in Mumbai is a huge asset as our business grows and continues to diversify into the fast-growing space of shopper marketing.”

     

    Mr Paris added, “Ketan has rare expertise in our industry, combining a wide brand portfolio with experience in the growing Indian market and sub-continent region, whilst demonstrating the granular insight critical to driving powerful and effective creative work for the brands under his stewardship.”

     

    The Integer Group is one of the world’s largest promotional, retail, and shopper marketing agencies, and a key member of the Omnicom Group Inc.

     

  • Moneycontrol.com has recently launched Investment Watch, a real-time alert service that will keep subscribers updated about the markets and will also let them stay updated with their portfolio

    Investment Watch from moneycontrol.com

    By A Correspondent

     

    Moneycontrol.com has recently launched Investment Watch, a real-time alert service that will keep subscribers updated about the markets and will also let them stay updated with their portfolio.

     

    With this service, users can get stock quotes, commodity prices, currency rates, Indian and global market indices as well keep up with the ups and downs in their portfolio.

     

    Subscribers can get the alerts through SMS, Emails and desktop notifications, which they can customize according to their preferences.

     

    Commenting on the launch, Joyson Thomas, COO, Web18 said, “Investment Watch keeps its subscribers constantly updated about the markets and their portfolio. This is an extremely comprehensive product that covers all major financial instruments and also manages to reach users through all devices viz desktops, laptops, tablets and mobile phones.”

     

    Investment Watch can be accessed at http://investmentwatch.moneycontrol.com/.

     

  • The digital business of DisneyUTV has associated with Gameloft, a leading international publisher and developer of games to distribute their mobile games in India via operator channels and UTV Indiagames’ destination sites

    DisneyUTV brings Gameloft’s mobile games to India

    By A Correspondent

     

    The digital business of DisneyUTV has associated with Gameloft, a leading international publisher and developer of games to distribute their mobile games in India via operator channels and UTV Indiagames’ destination sites.

     

    Gamers in India will now have access to global hits like Asphalt 6: Adrenaline – from the blockbuster Asphalt franchise, Prince of Persia Forgotten Sands – an epic adventure game from the Prince of Persia saga series, along with some latest releases like The Dark Knight Rises – an action game inspired by the movie trilogy’s final chapter. Further the tie up will also bring the Indian audiences blockbuster MARVEL titles like Ironman, The Avengers and Amazing-Spiderman – the official web-slinging adventure game. These games will be available on Java phones with select titles available on Android as well. Gamers can download the exciting titles in the price range of Rs. 30 / 50 / 99.

     

    “This is one of the most strategic alliances that we have made especially in light of some of the MARVEL franchises that we will be able to engage Indian audiences with, in addition to the world class repertoire of Gameloft IPs. The gamer base in India is expanding rapidly and at this critical juncture we believe the right content offering will catalyze growth further,” said Samir Bangara, Managing Director – Digital, DisneyUTV.

     

    Sarabjeet Singh, Country Manager Gameloft India said, “Gameloft has been distributing its games for over 5 years in India, and we are thankful to our Indian fans for the strong interest and appreciation they have shown over these years. We are now pleased to partner with the digital team of DisneyUTV who will be distributing our mobile games via the various operator channels in India. We are confident of their rich experience and local expertise in the market and will be working closely with them to bring our Indian users an even better gaming experience.”

     

  • Mind Rocks Youth Summit brings together bright young minds to participate in an open two-way dialogue with their icons.

    India Today youth summit on Sept 7 at Siri Fort

    By A Correspondent

     

    Mind Rocks Youth Summit is an annual event organised by India Today Group for young minds. It is a unique concert of new ideas and live music. This forum brings together bright young minds to participate in an open two-way dialogue with their icons. A space where inspirational leaders from different spheres of life share their mantras of success. A platform where today’s youth can engage with decision-makers in an informal setting and learn from their experiences. And in turn leaders can connect and learn from that part of society that will define our future. Our Youth.

     

    Now in its third year, the event is a day jam-packed with fresh ideas and live music. Designed as a forum to bring together the bright young minds of the nation, it is the only summit where the youth can participate in an open two-way conversation with their icons.

     

    Theme for 2012 – ‘BE THE BEST YOU’. The theme was chosen in light of the unsettling nature of the fluid political and social environment of today. The idea behind the theme is to build confidence and to inspire and energize the you by choosing icons that have succeeded against the odds. The sure shot way to deal with uncertainty is to do and be your very best. To have the courage to stand by your true instincts and live your passion. Because the only person who can decide the course of your life is you.

     

    The first year of the summit saw luminaries such as Nandan Nilekani, Pranav Mistry, Sourav Ganguly share their experiences with the delegates. In 2011 the event pulsated with young energy by absorbing the mood of the youngsters as they engaged in dialogue with people such as Industrialist Kumar Manglam Birla, actor Ranbir Kapoor, politician Kalikesh Deo, cricketer Yuvraj Singh.

     

    This year the event has doubled the numbers of speakers from last years 12. 26 speakers in 12 hours! The electrifying line up of speakers are:

     

    Young Guns of Politics: Akhilesh Yadav, chief minister, Uttar Pradesh; Sandeep Dixit, Member of Lok Sabha and Indian national Congress

    Pathbreaker: Arvind Kejriwal , social activist, Vir Das, Stand up Comedian, Ali Zafar, Crossover star

    Sporting Heroes & Olympians: Mary Kom, Boxer; Gagan Narang , Shooter; Sushil Kumar, Wrestler; Yogeshwar Dutt, Wrestler; Vijay Kumar, Shooter and cricketers, Kapil Dev, Unmukt Chand

    Bollywood Stars: Ajay Devgn, Priyanka Chopra, Sonam Kapoor, Huma Quereshi, Ayushman Khurrana, Emraan Hashmi, Imtiaz Ali, Anu Malik

    Best of Entertainment & Design: Ekta Kapoor, Joint MD, Balaji Telefilms; Vir Das, stand-up comedian; Masaba Gupta, fashion designer

    Corporate Mavericks: Vineet Nayar, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer , HCL Technologies; Sanjeev Bikhchandani, founder and executive vice chairman, Naukri.com

     

    In order to engage the young minds, the conference is not strictly structured but has a fluid programme with invigorating discussions and lively interludes. The event will open with a live performance by the winners of the Mind Rocks 2012–Be A Rockstar contest, The Philosophy of Life and conclude with a live concert by the iconic bandIndian Ocean.

     

    More information is available at www.indiatodaymindrocks.com.

     

  • Sanjoy and Samyak Chakrabarty talk about life's teachings

    Relative Values | More like friends: Sanjoy and Samyak Chakrabarty

    Every Thursday, MxM will take you beyond our regular news and look at the people in the business of media and marketing. So on the first Thursday of every month, we will have a section titled ‘RELATIVE VALUES’ featuring siblings, parents-children, cousins etc who may be working in the same or allied sectors of media, advertising and marketing.

     

    This Thursday, Sanjoy and Samyak Chakrabarty talk about life’s teachings. A child’s first and greatest teachers are none other than his/her parents. And since yesterday was Teachers’ Day, we spoke to a father-son duo to understand how one has been able to shape each others lives.

     

    By Meghna Sharma

     

    Samyak and Sanjoy Chakrabarty

    Zenith Optimedia’s managing partner Sanjoy Chakrabarty is a well-known name in the media fraternity and his son Samyak Chakrabarty made headlines when he became Chief Youth Marketer at DDB Mudra Max and Managing Director at Electronic Youth Media Group at the tender age of 18.

     

    Both belong to the media industry, though there is a difference between what they do, but when asked if his father influenced his choice about entering the same field, Samyak recalls, “I have learnt the ropes through my father and my first orientation into the media industry was through him since I would keenly follow the work he does and I even got a chance from a very young age to interact with his colleagues from whom I got to learn a lot as well. Also I got to learn that working in the media is more of a state of mind than just a mere mechanical profession.”

     

    Over the years, their relationship has matured and now they are more like friends. “We share a good healthy relationship wherein we are open to listening to each other’s point of views and thoughts. And whenever he seeks views on his new personal ventures, we do chat. Otherwise no work-related discussion,” says Sanjoy.

     

    However, Samyak does feel that it is his father’s goodwill in the industry which gave him a push initially. “It is only later that I started building my own contacts since I have always been taught that being self-sufficient is more sustainable and would help me command more respect.”

     

    So, what is one big lesson he has learnt from his father? “It has to be that I and my approach to what I do must evolve with time along with always having a strong value proposition to offer so that I am able to maintain demand for me/my product in the constantly changing market,” says Samyak proudly.

     

    And like any other father, Sanjoy too has big dreams for his son. “He has very strong leadership skills, is intelligent, a go-getter, and he has enterprise. He is going to be very successful very soon.”

     

  • The cafe, which opens on September 6, is the brainchild of Subramanian and Sudha Natrajan. Both come in with more than 20 years' experience each in the industry and wanted to give back something to the industry

    Soul food (& drink) for media folk @ TMC

    By Meghna Sharma

     

    There is no dearth of Cafes and pubs in Delhi. So how is The Media Cafe going to be any different from the rest? The answer relies in the consumers it aims to please – the media fraternity.

     

    The Cafe, which opens on September 6, is the brainchild of Raghav Subramanian and Sudha Natrajan. Both come in with more than 20 years’ experience each in the industry, and wanted to give back something to the industry. “Our industry is very people-centric, so it is for the friends – colleagues and clients – which we have made over the years,” says Sudha Natrajan.

     

     

     

    Raghav Subramanian

    The Media Cafe is a unique concept, which will mainly cater to the entire fraternity – media/advertising/marketing. “Our idea is to have a place where people from the industry can hang out and have a good time. However, since we are in a mall – which gives us security as well as other amenities like power etc – other walk-ins are also expected. Having said that, its not a place where you’ll see Delhi socialites, but is a place where people will become regulars and would want to come and unwind and provide a sense of belonging to the community,” she adds.
    The theme too of the Cafe is very media centric and promises to provide ‘soul’ food to the patrons. The owners aim to provide the best to the industry which has given them so much and want the Cafe to be a place to be much more than ‘business’. “From the ambiance to food to the pricing, we have kept the industry in mind. And as said earlier, we want people to come back again and again. Hence, we don’t want the place to be heavy on people’s pockets. We want both senior as well as junior level employees to enjoy the place,” says Natrajan.

     

    But what about Mumbai? “Of course, Mumbai is on the cards. But let us stabilize here and then we will definitely open-up in Mumbai,” says Natrajan when asked about future plans for the Cafe.

     

    Sudha Natrajan

    Address: 3rd Floor, South Point Mall, next to Genpact, Golf Course Road, Gurgaon, Haryana 122002

    Timings: Mon – Sun 12:00-00:00

    Serves: International and Indian cuisines + alcohol

    Accommodatse: Approx 110-120 people

    Pricing: Not very heavy on the pocket

     

  • Londonderry is the latest offering from the group of Parle Products. It is an exquisite hard-boiled candy filled with rich caramel and milk solids.

    Sweet, new offering from Parle (& Everest)

    By A Correspondent

     

    Londonderry is the latest offering from the group of Parle Products. It is an exquisite hard-boiled candy filled with rich caramel and milk solids. It is available at 50 paisa across all leading kirana and modern retail stores in India.

     

    Aim / Objective

    In order to enter the Lacto candy market in India, Parle has launched the Londonderry candy. Our objective was to create clutter-breaking communication for the consumers and register the new brand’s identity in their minds.

     

    Introduction

    Its appealing packaging in red with the Londonderry town snap on the face, makes it a distinct Premium offering in the cluttered candy market. It is priced at 50p and comes in a convenient pillow-pack, targeting a wide consumer segment ranging from kids, youth to families. The brand name is inspired from an actual town in Ireland.

     

    Concept

    The magical town of Londonderry.

    The films are inspired by the rich English-Irish culture of the Irish town of Londonderry. We have captured the old world charm of this city in our TVCs through 3 magical executions.

     

    The aim was to capture the imagination of the masses by doing something simple yet fascinating. The viewers get transported to this amazing town which is full of sweet wonders, whether it is a dancing cow, a painter who paints with his beard or a kid with a special talent for fast reading. But that’s not what Londonderry is famous for, It’s famous for its rich milk and caramel candy. Londonderry. Tasty. Very Very.

     

    Rahul Jauhari, NCD Everest said, “The vision was to craft the brand as an International one. I’m pretty happy with the way our team has managed to achieve that. Kids are loving the films. That’s good enough reward for the hard work that’s gone in.”

     

    Pramod Sharma, Creative Director, Everest saids, “The films are part real, part magical. Bringing these stories to life was a real challenge. Especially in a timeframe as short as 25 seconds. The cast, location, the setup, the animation – all were chosen very, very carefully. Peter Pasic’s and Ricky Kapoor’s team did a fine job of making sure everything fell into place just right.”

     

    There are three films in this series

     

    Dancing Cow
    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYdN_q9Bybc[/youtube]
    Beard Painter
    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaNbTnkis68[/youtube]

     

    Library

    The Library film will be released at a later stage of the campaign.

     

    Credentials:

    Agency: Everest Brand Solutions

    Creative Team: Pramod Sharma, Bappaditya Saha, Sushant Karane, Sharif Shaikh & Samir Chonkar

     

    NCD-Rahul Jauhari

    Servicing Team: Siddhi Shah & Ravi Walia

     

    Agency Head-Dhunji Wadia

    Planning Team: Meraj Hasan & Tanya Shinde

    Client: Parle Products Pvt. Ltd

     

    Mr. Mayank Shah – Group Product Manager

    Mr. Amit Thakur – Product Manager

    Mr. Rahul Ramachandran- Deputy Brand Manager

    Film Director: Petar Pasic

    Production House: Picture Perfect

    Music Director: Aleksandar Kostic