MxMIndia

Category: MARKETING

  • The current year looks set for exponential growth. Going by the IAMAI Internet Watch Report, e-Tailing is witnessing steady growth

    e-Commerce set for steady growth in 2013: IAMAI

    By A Correspondent

     

    While 2012 witnessed consolidation and increase in e-Commerce, the current year looks set for exponential growth. Going by the IAMAI Internet Watch Report, e-Tailing is witnessing steady growth. Panelists at a session of the 7th India Digital Summit organized by the Internet & Mobile Association of India aptly titled “e-Commerce 2.0 – Emerging Trend” discussed threabare the opportunities that lie ahead in 2013. Chaired by Avnish Bajaj, Managing Director – Matrix Partners, the session saw participation from Alok Mittal, Managing Partner – Canaan Partners India, Sachin Bansal, Co-Founder & CEO – Flipkart, Sundeep Malhotra, CEO – Homeshop18, Murlikrishnan B. Country Manager – eBay, Mukesh Bansal, Founder – Myntra.com and Ankur Warikoo, CEO – Groupon India.

     

    Discussing about new users, devices and new business models, Mukesh Bansal reiterated that acceptance for e-commerce has evolved in 2012 and will witness growth in tier 2-3 cities. However, Murlikrishnan B had a word of caution. According to him, “While the year 2012 was a year of engagement and supply dynamics to evolve, 2013 will be a year of reality check.”

     

    Sundeep Malhotra stressed on the fact that women are driving the e-commerce category and will continue to do so. The same trend can be seen the monthly tracker ‘Internet Economy Watch’ by IAMAI where a tremendous and steady growth has been seen in e-tailing of fashion accessories, branded apparel and footwear segment, a category dominated by women heavily. As per the latest data, the branded apparel and footwear segment has seen a y-o-y growth of 56 percent and 71 percent respectively.

     

    However, according to Alok Mittal the new e-commerce companies have to evolve unique strategies in the competitive world. With the market size still being naïve, the need to integrate all mediums to reach consumers across platforms is required. As Sachin Bansal put it, “Better online experience is what e-commerce companies should aim at.”

     

  • Digital agency Indigo Consulting has retained the digital account of Asian Paints, India's largest and Asia's third largest paints company. The win comes after a multi-agency pitch

    Indigo Consulting retains Asian Paints’ digital biz

    By A Correspondent

     

    Digital agency Indigo Consulting has retained the digital account of Asian Paints, India’s largest and Asia’s third largest paints company. The win comes after a multi-agency pitch, in which at least 10 agencies are known to have participated.

     

    In view of its new identity and positioning, Asian Paints had invited presentations from various digital agencies to take its new positioning forward on digital media. Indigo Consulting, which has been working with APL since 2007 across web, mobile, social and search, won the pitch after three rounds, with two agencies making it to the final round.

     

    The renewed mandate will see the agency continue to be involved with the brand to spearhead their digital initiatives across web, mobile and social media, while also exploring integrated customer experiences leveraging cloud computing.

     

    Commenting on the appointment, Satish Kulkarni, General Manager Marketing, Asian Paints, said, “Asian Paints, in its endeavour to provide a better brand experience to the customer, is keen to inspire customers and partner them through their home painting process which is an essential part of creating their own beautiful home. Therefore, we required an agency which understands our customers and helps us convert consumer insights into a rich web usage experience across screens. Indigo Consulting brought on board the ability to best match consumer insight to consumer experience design, and execution capabilities. We are delighted to continue our successful relationship with Indigo Consulting.”

     

    Vikas Tandon

    Vikas Tandon, Managing Director, Indigo Consulting, said “This is indeed a special win for us. The pitch underscores the importance of not taking any relationship for granted. APL has been a very important client, and a wonderful brand to work with, and we are delighted that they have reaffirmed their faith in us. We look forward to continuing our efforts in making Asian Paints a world leading brand in the online world too.”

     

  • Showtime's nine-day 'BMX Xperience' involved a specially built 10-acre obstacle course to showcase the X3's off-road capabilities to prospective customers, along with a launch event that took place in a 60-foot-deep excavated site

    Showtime Events bags Gold at The Gala Awards

    By A Correspondent

     

    The BMW Xperience event created by Showtime in September 2011 to launch the X 3 model in India was conferred with the Best Multiple Day Event Program at the prestigious Gala Awards ceremony in Chicago on January 18 2013.

     

    Pitted against the likes of the Audi national campaign in China and contenders from across the globe, Showtime is the only agency from India this year to have won a Gala Award.

     

    A first of its kind for India, the nine-day “BMX Xperience” involved a specially built 10-acre obstacle course to showcase the X3’s off-road capabilities to prospective customers, along with a launch event that took place in a 60-foot-deep excavated site. More than 1,000 VIPs, potential buyers, BMW owners and 10 Facebook contest winners joined in the main launch event

     

    The BMW Xperience event has won a total of four Golds – two in India (WOW Awards and EEMAX Awards), Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards, USA and now at the Gala Awards, USA.

     

    The Gala Awards were presented by Special Events magazine at The Special Event show.

     

  • Smartphones, videos, analytics are identified as the way to go this year by online marketing firm ODigMa

    Your Mom is on FB… and other key Social Media trends for 2013

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Leading online marketing firm ODigMa has outlined six trends that are expected to define the social media landscape in India in 2013. These trends have been captured basis the company’s analysis of the social media industry, customer usage and customer demands. Says Advit Sahdev, ODigMa’s CEO and Founder, “To lead in a competitive business environment, companies and marketers need to integrate their marketing and social media strategies. Functions within businesses need to venture out of traditional marketing and social media boundaries to realise their true potential. The year 2013 will see the emergence of various new tools and platforms which can be used to augment business objectives.”

     

    Trend 1: Moving beyond Likes and linking them to assess competitiveness

     

    Most companies on social media platforms restrict their engagements to Likes, Sharing and increasing their Fan base, but companies are maturing in their social media presence. There is an immediate need to translate these engagement tools into tangible and measurable benefits.

     

    What it means: 2013 will see marketers and advertisers demand an assessment of how Likes, shares and increase in fan base will affect campaigns, product innovations, pricing and market competiveness.

     

    Trend 2: Mobile is moving to the centre of social media campaigns

     

    Internet-enabled smartphones in India reached the 24 million mark in 2012, as per Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and KPMG International. The increase in smartphone usage has spurred online activities on the move. This, coupled with a slew of new smartphone launches lined up in 2013, will make the smartphone the epicentre of all social media activities.

     

    What it means: In 2013 advertisers and marketers will need to devise a mobile strategy to meet their marketing objectives – be it retention, conversion, or branding. Engagement platforms on the mobile phone that enhance reach, and help to explore new audiences and market will be an essential element of every marketing strategy.

     

    Trend 3: The rise of video content

     

    At a time where there are zillions of mediums which hanker for a customer’s attention words no longer have a lasting impression. 2012 saw the popularity of mediums that use pictures, including Instagram Pinterest, and even Infographic. 2013 will focus on Video content, moving pictures which will speak, express and eventually leave a more lasting impression on consumers.

     

    What it means: Innovation, creativity and out of the box thinking to communicate via moving pictures will rise. Marketing decision makers will need to equip themselves with video content management insights and knowledge.

     

    Trend 4: The magic of analytics

     

    In today’s competitive environment, companies irrespective of their size and industry necessarily need to employ analytics tools to improve efficiencies. 2013 will see more traditional segments employing these tools such as governments and regulatory bodies who are required to cater to a population of over a billion citizens and not just sunrise segments such retail or telecommunications.

     

    What it means: Analytics tools will become a standard that marketing decision makers will need understand and implement to understand how their social media campaigns impact strategic goals, be they retention, conversion, or branding. Analytics tools will help companies observe the pattern of online behaviour of customers across search engines and social media platforms. They will aid businesses in customising their marketing strategies in a manner so as to attract as well retain more customers. It will be imperative for companies to gather accurate and relevant data from all these sources and analyse it for customer insight thereby significantly improving their customer acquisition and retention strategies.

     

    Trend 5: Your mother is on Facebook

     

    There is a mindset that social media is a tool to reach out to a certain demographic. 2013 is going to bust this myth. Last year has seen a diverse age group join the social media bandwagon, from grandmothers to school kids. This audience is well poised to be targeted by marketers.

     

    What it means: Marketers will need to reckon with this phenomenon and move beyond the traditional mindset that suggests that social platforms reach out to the under-30 years of age population.

     

    Trend 6: A 360-degree integrated approach

     

    Offline and Online marketing cannot work in silos any more. Marketing strategies need to take a 360 approach where both these facets complement each other.

     

    What it means: Brands will have to create campaigns wherein online programs, such as a campaign running on Facebook, will have an offline component to maximize impact.

     

     

  • Indian Sarthak Dasgupta is among four directors honoured for their visionary projects at the festival in Utah, USA

    Sundance-Mahindra award winners announced

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sundance Institute and India’s Mahindra Group have announced the four winners of the 2013 Sundance Institute – Mahindra Global Filmmaking Awards, in recognition and support of emerging independent filmmakers from around the world.

     

    The winning directors and projects are: Sarthak Dasgupta, The Music Teacher from India; Jonas Carpignano, A Chjana from Italy-US; Aly Muritiba, The Man Who Killed My Beloved Dead from Brazil; and Vendela Vida and Eva Weber, Let The Northern Lights Erase Your Name from UK-Germany-US.

     

    The awards were presented at a private ceremony at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, USA, by Rohit Khattar, Chairman, Mumbai Mantra, Michelle Satter, Founding Director, Feature Film Program, Sundance Institute, and Paul Federbush, International Director, Feature Film Program, Sundance Institute.

     

    The Sundance Institute – Mahindra Global Filmmaking Awards are part of a multifaceted collaboration that exemplifies a commitment to and support of world cinema by the Mahindra Group, one of the largest industrial conglomerates in India known throughout the world for its dedication to excellence and to social responsibility, and the nonprofit Sundance Institute, one of the world’s leading cultural organizations. This is the third of the three-year collaboration between the two organizations.

     

    “At a time when there is no dearth of issues around the world that are crying out to be heard, the Global Filmmaking award recognizes independent film-makers who give expression to those voices. The Mahindra Group is proud to assist the Sundance Institute in this endeavour, which, in line with the Group’s ‘Rise’ philosophy, aims to drive a positive change in communities across the world,” said Mahindra Group Chairman & Managing Director Anand Mahindra.

     

    “We are grateful to the Mahindra Group for building with us, this multifaceted programme, which embraces our joint global commitment to nurturing new storytellers and getting their voices out to the widest possible audiences,” said Sundance Institute President and Founder Robert Redford.

     

    Rohit Khattar, Chairman, Mumbai Mantra, said, “These are exciting times for independent cinema in India and across the world. We feel privileged to help support Sundance Institute in its mission of nurturing and honing emerging talent. We congratulate this year’s four award winners and look forward to hearing much more about their incredible work in the future.”

     

    The Sundance Institute – Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award Nomination Committee for the Indian award winner included Anil Kapoor (Actor), Anjum Rajabali (Screenwriter, Film Professor), K Hariharan (Film Academy Head), Ira Bhaskar (Film Professor), Rajkumar Hirani (Writer-Director), Ramesh Sippy (Director-Producer), Sharmila Tagore (Actor), Shabana Azmi (Actor-Activist) and Shyam Benegal (Director).

     

    The winners of the 2013 Sundance Institute – Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award:

     

    Jonas Carpignano / A Chjana (Italy/US): After leaving his native Burkina Faso in search of a better life, Ayiva makes the perilous journey to Italy; though he finds compatriots along the way, they are unprepared for the intolerance facing immigrants in their newly-claimed home.

     

    Jonas Carpignano is an Italian-American filmmaker currently based in New York City and Rome. While raised and educated in New York, he has spent periods of time in Italy where he began his career working as an assistant director. Since enrolling at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Carpignano has made several short films that have screened in numerous prestigious festivals throughout the world. Recently, he was awarded the Martin Scorsese Young Filmmaker Award, and his latest short film A Chjàna won the Controcampo Award for Best Short Film at the 68th Venice Film Festival.

     

    Sarthak Dasgupta / The Music Teacher (India): The life of a small town music teacher takes a sharp turn when an estranged ex-student, now a celebrity in the city, comes to visit after several years. The teacher, now lovelorn, prepares to meet her, not knowing if she still bears the same feelings about him as she did those many years back.

     

    Sarthak Dasgupta’s debut feature is the critically acclaimed The Great Indian Butterfly, which screened at several International Film Festivals before its release in 2010. Sarthak holds a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and a Master’s degree in Business Management.

     

    Aly Muritiba / The Man Who Killed My Beloved Dead (Brazil): After the death of his wife, Paulo mourns her each day by repairing her clothes and tending to the personal belongings she’s left behind. One day, he finds a video tape that will change his life.

     

    Aly Muritiba is a partner at the independent production company, Grafo Audiovisual. As writer-director, he has directed six short films, a tele film and a feature film. His most recent short film, A Fábrica, is a winner of 60 film awards (including Best Live action in CFC World Wide Short Film Festival, Best Short Film in Cartagena das Indias and Honorable Mention in Clermont-Ferrand short film festival). A Fábrica was recently shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short.

     

    Eva Weber / Let The Northern Lights Erase Your Name (UK/Germany): When 28-year-old Clarissa discovers on the eve of her father’s funeral that everything she believed true of her life was a lie, she flees New York and travels to the Arctic Circle to uncover the secrets of her mother who mysteriously vanished many years before.

     

    Originally from Germany, Eva Weber is a London-based filmmaker working in both documentary and fiction. Her multi-award-winning films have screened at numerous international film festivals, such as Sundance, Edinburgh, SXSW, BFI London, and Telluride; and have also been broadcast on UK and international television. Her film, The Solitary Life of Cranes was described as “one of the most absorbing documentaries of the year” by The Observer newspaper in the UK, and selected as one of the top five films of the year by critic Nick Bradshaw in Sight & Sound’s annual film review in 2008. Eva is currently developing a number of feature projects, including the fiction/documentary hybrid ‘Ghost Wives’. She has also been selected to direct the 20-minute fiction film, ‘Field Study’. Funded through the British Film Institute’s shorts scheme, filming is scheduled for late spring 2013.

     

  • A team from Cogito Consulting has won the BMA competition for young managers 2013

    Cogito team wins Young Managers competition

    By A Correspondent

     

    The winning team from Cogito Consulting with the judges

    Saket Agarwal and Sonam Jain from Cogito Consulting, the independent consulting division of the Draftfcb Ulka group, won the BMA-FOSTIIMA Institute competition for young managers. The competition was judged by Hemant Kombrabail – Director of Marketing, Etch Square Medinet & E-Trading Pvt. Ltd. and Shyamkant Surve – Marketing Professor at Sinhgad Institute of Business Management.

     

    Into its second year, the competition witnessed participation of teams from leading corporates such as Tata Consultancy Engineers Limited and Blue Star Limited, and management colleges like Mumbai Educational Trust (MET), Sydenham Institute of Management Studies, Jankidevi Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, etc.

     

    The Cogito team selected the topic ‘It’s a leader who makes or breaks the companies – Indian Story.’ As part of the process, they submitted a 2,000-word article and also made a presentation to the panel of judges. As a part of their rigour, the team conducted extensive research including interviews with people who had experience in organizations with great leadership. They put forth some interesting cases on companies which saw ups and downs primarily because of the leadership. The team also wove in important lessons from the Ramayana to support the fact that corporate leaders are no less than the leaders from Indian mythology.

     

    The winning team said, “We were thrilled to win a competition held by an iconic institution – the BMA, which is today almost 60 years old. Our victory can be attributed to our learning from various projects that we execute at Cogito Consulting and the mentoring our seniors gave us. This great start to 2013 has motivated us to achieve much more.”

     

  • Gap, the largest casual wear retailer in the United States, readies plans to open stores in India next year

    Now Gap to enter India, mulls strategy

    By Rasul Bailay & Chaitali Chakravarty

     

    Gap Inc, the largest casual wear retailer in the United States, is readying plans to open stores in India sometime next year, making it one of the highest profile global brands to set up shop in the country after it threw open the single-brand sector to foreign firms.

     

    News of San Francisco, California-based Gap’s entry into India, a country that it has used as a sourcing destination for the past 14 years, comes at a time its Swedish rival H&M is in the process of filing for government approval next month to start a fully-owned subsidiary in the country. The two, however, trail Spain’s Zara, which has been operating in the country since 2010 and has, according to industry insiders, built up a strong albeit small franchise.

     

    The company, which owns global brands such as Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Piperlime and Athleta and reported sales of $14.5 billion in 2011, has put in place a team headed by its US veteran Rajiv Malik to give shape to its entry strategy for India. Gap entered China more than two years ago through a fully-owned subsidiary.

     

    Mr Malik has said that India is among the large major countries where Gap was not present. “We will probably be here next year. India is a market for us in the future,” said Mr Malik, who is the general manager for sourcing for Gap in India. Formerly a vice-president for global production for Gap in the US, Mr Malik was despatched to India eight months ago with the aim to open its stores in the country.

     

    Asked whether Gap, which began life with a single store in 1969 in San Francisco and now has more than 3,000 outlets in 90 countries, would choose to go solo or have a local partner, Mr Malik said the company was yet to make up its mind. “We are not decided and we are in the process of getting to that point,” he said. Gap presently sources more than $500 million worth of products out of India each year.

     

    However, another person familiar with Gap’s India plans said it will go solo in the country, where the $58 billion annual textile and apparel market is set to explode to $141 billion by 2021, according to a study by consulting firm Technopak Advisors. Of this, the apparel market is valued at around $40 billion, of which modern retailers control just 17%, according to Technopak.

     

    After six years of restricting foreign ownership in single-brand retail companies to 51%, India removed this sectoral cap in January 2012 and allowed global firms such as IKEA and Zara, which sell a variety of products under a single label, to set up fully-owned companies in India. The original policy change came with a requirement of 30% local sourcing, but the government last September diluted that condition after overseas firms raised concerns that it was not feasible.

     

    More than one dozen single brand retailers are said to be sizing up the Indian market for entry, many of them in various stages of researching, partner scouting or filing for government approvals. Some of these include shoemaker Sketchers, French apparel retailer Celio, luxury brand Prada and Japanese fashion brand Uniqlo.

     

    French sportswear retailer Decathlon SA and Thailand-based designer Lotus Arts de Virve have also applied under the single-brand retailing window, while Sweden-based H&M, one of Europe’s largest apparels and accessories retailer, is in the process of applying for a fully-owned local venture.

     

    A recent approval for Sweden’s IKEA Group, widely viewed as a test case of government intentions, will encourage more single-brand retailers to India’s promising retail market, analysts say. IKEA’s proposal involves a plan to invest Rs 10,500 crore in India over the next 25 years.

     

    Global brands such as Zara, Mango and Tommy Hilfiger, some of them already present in the country as joint ventures or franchisee with local partners, have been quite successful in India.

     

    Overwhelming response to Zara in India had prompted its parent Inditex Group to bring its upmarket brand Massimo Dutti to India, but that proposal has now gone into cold storage due to regulatory issues. Tommy Hilfiger has sought permission to open 500 stores in India in the next five years, hoping to capitalise on its growing popularity in the country. Germany’s Esprit, which late last year decided to exit India after failing to crack the market, is “evaluating various options” to relaunch in India, a spokesperson for Esprit said.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2013, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

     

  • Experiential marketing company RC&M bagged seven awards at the RMAI awards for rural marketing held in Delhi – a gold, 3 silver and 3 bronze

    RC&M nets 7 awards at RMAI Corporate Awards 2012

    By A Correspondent

     

    Rural Marketing Association of India (RMAI) held the fourth edition of the RMAI Corporate Awards in association with Sahaj being the main sponsor and Tata Steel and Reliance Broadcast as the associate sponsors.

     

    RC&M won gold for their campaign Mahindra Samriddhi India Agri Awards in the category of Best integrated initiative using ATL/BTL – Durables.

     

    Mahindra Khiladi No. 1 in the category of Best integrated initiative using ATL/BTL – Durables, Mahindra Technology in the category of Using never before used media – Innovative way of Communication – Durables and Mahindra Samriddhi in the category of New concepts in Agriculture and Dairy – Durables bagged the Silver.

     

    Bronze were taken by Mahindra Samriddhi (Best Long Term Rural Communication Initiative for more than two years – Durables), M&M International Door Delivery (On ground / Event Marketing – Service) and Mahindra Khiladi No. 1 (Sports Initiatives – Durables).

     

    Priya Monga, Business head, RC&M, on this achievement said, “RC&M has marked innumerable milestones in these 22 years in terms of developments, achievements and successful endeavors. We have established a pan-India presence which is not only a matter of pride but also a constant source of motivation. It’s a matter of immense pride and honour to keep receiving these awards as a token of recognition and appreciation. RMAI awards have provided the entire industry with a great platform to showcase their work. We hope we continue to deliver innovative and result oriented results.”

     

  • The global study validates four key attributes to measuring and building corporate brand strength

    Hero Motors, IOC on APCO ‘Champion Brands’ list

    By A Correspondent

     

    Global communication, stakeholder engagement and business strategy firm APCO Worldwide has announced the 50 companies that top its Champion Brand Index, a first-of-its-kind global study that measures the brand strength of nearly 600 of the world’s largest public and private companies. The groundbreaking study identifies those brands that are performing best against a new proprietary approach for evaluating and building corporate brands.

     

    With respect to regional corporate brands, the companies in India that are identified as best achieving Champion Brand status include Hero Motors and Indian Oil Corporation.

     

    “Champion Brands are those companies that have best aligned their business strategy, vision and values with the shared interests of their stakeholders,” said Margery Kraus, founder and CEO of APCO Worldwide. “It’s clear that having quality products or services is no longer enough. Today’s most successful brands – Champion Brands – are creating enduring relationships with their stakeholders by creating societal value while also delivering corporate value.”

     

    The study, conducted by APCO Insight, surveyed more than 70,000 people in 15 countries. The study measures how companies perform against a new model, the four As that make up Champion Brand, which provides a 21st-century framework for building corporate brands:

     

    • Alignment: meeting stakeholders’ most important expectations
    • Authenticity: acting in a way that is consistent with what a company says
    • Attachment: the extent to which stakeholders connect emotionally with a company
    • Advocacy: advocating on behalf of stakeholders’ interests, applying unique expertise and assets to add value to society

     

     

     

     

    “The study demonstrated that excellence on each attribute is increasingly difficult to achieve, but as companies advance through each dimension they do more than simply build product brand value,” said Bryan Dumont, president of APCO Insight. “Companies that perform well against all of the 4As move from being good corporate brands to becoming Champion Brands, and Champion Brands are winning in this new environment.”

     

    More information about Champion Brand, along with detailed results of APCO’s Champion Brand Index, is available at www.apcoworldwide.com/champion

     

     

  • The agency has devised a crowdsourcing campaign using Shah Rukh Khan, where existing owners and prospective buyers of the i10 can write a script for the next i10 TVC

    Crowdsourcing is Innocean’s theme for Hyundai i10

    By A Correspondent

     

    With growing competitiveness and a need to refresh the communication for Hyundai i10 Hyundai mandated its agency Innocean Worldwide India to conceptualize a new campaign for the brand in line with its dominant presence in the compact segment. For 2013, Innocean thought about energizing the entire targeted base with a bait to get them thinking about the car. Not only was the intent about creating an energy field around the brand Hyundai i10 but also to make the entire universe of prospective car buyers a part of the communication engagement. The agency has devised the a crowd sourcing campaign using Shah Rukh Khan, where all prospective buyers of i10 and its existing owners get to write a script for the next i10 TVC. If selected the contestant gets to act with SRK in the TVC for i10.

     

    Saurabh Dasgupta ECD at Innocean Worldwide India said, “The challenge for us lay in the defining the contours of this campaign to elicit a high level of response and stay true to the brand values of Hyundai i10. Yet at the heart of it all the communication intent is simple: imbibe the brand’s virtues, craft a script and full your acting dreams with SRK!”

     

    The TVC in the first phase of the campaign has an agitated SRK asking the fumbling director for his lines and then turning to the audience asking them to write in with their scripts. This campaign utilises the digital platform extensively to close the participation loop. In the words of B Sridhar Group Director, Media & Digital Services at Innocean, “The campaign has given us a rather good sized canvas to draw a digitally integrated communication effort that’s all pervasive.” A micro-site enables all participants to upload their scripts as text, video or even audio files. There is the regular snail mail too. A single response number with ‘missed call’ facility enables an IVR driven interaction wherein the scripts can be recorded by the contestants.

     

    “It’s a rather exciting idea we have thought of and it’s a composite one which looks at all aspects of communication and engagement touchpoints,” said Vivek Srivastava, Jt MD of Innocean. “The integration of diverse media apertures is one of the strengths of this endeavour and showcases our team’s technological capabilities alongside the dexterity with the advertising craft,” he added.

     

    The campaign in this phase will run for six weeks seeking the consumers’ participation and thereafter return with the crowd-sourced id featuring the Hyundai i10, SRK and the winner.

     

  • Brandlogist, a brand consultancy specializing in digital media, has won the marketing mandate for officeyes.com which sells office stationery and office supplies

    Brandlogist wins the marketing mandate for officeyes.com

    By A Correspondent

     

    Brandlogist , a brand consultancy specializing in digital media, has won the marketing mandate for officeyes.com which sells office stationery and office supplies.

     

    The scope involves marketing Office Yes across communication channels and consulting them on brand strategy & direction. Brandlogist  plans to use a mix of communication including OOH, DM, Events tightly integrated via the digital platforms.

     

    Commenting on the win Siddharth Nambiar,CEO Office Yes said, “We are very pleased to be working with the team at Brandologist in our efforts to develop the OfficeYes.com brand. They quickly understood the key business challenges we face, and have helped us to develop a vision for our brand that we are excited about, and that we are confident will drive real business results.”

     

    Saurabh Parmar, CEO Brandlogist Communications said, “It’s an interesting win for us. Rather than coming back with the usual communication matrix of mediums – approach and spends, we came back with strategies driving certain ideas which cut across communication channels. Officeyes has appreciated us for it and in fact they wanted to get down to work as soon as possible.”

     

    This is the second win for Brandlogist this month, after they bagged the social media account of the menswear brand Blackberrys.

     

  • Nick India, Viacom18's kids brand, in association with one of India's leading retailers, Mahindra Retail, have introduced a new range of adventure toys

    Nick India & Mahindra Retail partner for kids’ adventure toys range

    By A Correspondent

     

    Nick India, Viacom18’s kids brand, in association with leading retailer Mahindra Retail, have introduced a new range of adventure toys – Play Nation ‘Royal Express & Play Nation Speed Racing’. This collection of toys will help kids experience a combination of thrill and excitement, plus enable them to build their own racing paths right from scratch.

     

    Powered by Nickelodeon, the range of DIY toys consists of a train set called Play Nation Royal Express and a car set called Play Nation Speed Racing. The sets are available in three versions and are priced between Rs 1,499 and Rs 4,999. Available in over 1000 retail outlets in the country, kids can buy their sets at all prominent stores.

     

    Multiple players can compete against each other, thus adding to the interactivity and play value. The Play Nation Speed Racing range of toys have special features like speed control, changeable routes, working red lights and magnetic base amongst others, whereas the Play Nation Royal Express boasts of features like backward action, infrared control, auto hinge and working headlights.

     

    Sandeep Dahiya, Senior Vice President, Consumer Products & Communications, Viacom18 Media Pvt Ltd, said, “We’re happy to partner with Mahindra Retail to extend our brand to ‘Royal Express’ and ‘Speed Racing’. Given their unique features, the range is sure to excite our young consumers with its action, speed and engineering aspects.” He further added, “This partnership is in line with our plan to extend brand ‘Nickelodeon’ to categories that are relevant as well as exciting, through interesting collaboration like this.”

     

    Deepinder Kapany, Executive Vice President, Distribution Business & Beanstalk, Mahindra Retail, added, “We are extremely delighted with this new association with Nickelodeon. The launch of the Play Nation Royal Express and the Play Nation Speed Racing is only the beginning to excite kids to make their very own railway and racing tracks! It’s more than just fun, as these products can help build teamwork abilities, develop the kids motor and coordination skills while the child has fun and is being entertained in a healthy manner. Our association with Nickelodeon is a perfect platform to launch these toys that are synonymous to fun, entertainment, development and adventure, just like Nickelodeon.”

     

    The association will also include marketing activities like on-air promotion, consumer interactivity, digital and radio that will help in engagement with kids.