MxMIndia

Tag: Asian Paints

  • Madison Media played a vital role in planning and strategy of this online campaign

    ‘Where The Heart Is’ casts an impactful impression for Asian Paints

    By A Correspondent

     

    Asian Paints recently launched a series of webisodes called ‘Where The Heart Is’. Madison Media played a vital role in planning and strategy of the online campaign. It also tactically utilised the digital medium to create a buzz around the campaign with the help of innovative promotional mechanisms such as Facebook Canvas and Twitter Conversation ads. Madison Mates helped in roping in celebs such as John Abraham, Kalki Koechlin, Mandira Bedi and Prosenjit Chatterjee.

     

    The first season of ‘Where The Heart Is’ explored homes of  celebrities such as John Abraham, KalkiKoechlin, MandiraBedi, RanaDaggubati, Pernia Qureshi, Dinesh and DipikaKarthik, Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla and lastly Prosenjit Chatterjee to inspire digital savvy consumers.

     

  • The third digital campaign after two successful digital campaigns currently engaging consumer on social media

    Asian Paints unveils #Daagsekyadarna campaign on Youtube

    By A Correspondent

     

    Asian Paints has unveiled its online campaign for Apcolite Advanced Emulsion. The commercial addresses consumers’ fear of walls getting dirty due to various factors including spilling or any form of stain that can cause accidental ruin to the walls.

     

    Said Amit Syngle, President-Sales, Marketing & Technology, Asian Paints Ltd: “The film taps into the widespread belief that once there is a stain on the wall, it stays permanently and therefore one has to be cautious in order to avoid their beautiful walls from getting dirty. Now gone are the days of living in the fear of kids making the house a playground or guests spoiling the walls. With the application of Apcolite Advanced emulsion with Advanced stain guard, the cleaning of the walls becomes a cake walk and is the perfect choice for the high traffic areas of the house as well.”

     

  • The campaign aims to build awareness for Asian Paints Colour Expert service

    Ogilvy executes new campaign for Asian Paints Ezycolour

    By A Correspondent

     

    Ogilvy has launched its latest campaign for Asian Paints. The campaign aims to build awareness for Asian Paints Colour Expert service and persuade consumers in the painting cycle to try the service by positioning it as a partner who not only tells them of the latest wall/colour trends but also enables them to implement those.

     

    Sukesh Kumar Nayak, Executive Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather said: “Asian Paints Colour Experts help you understand colour, design and patterns better. The core idea to introduce this service is ‘We help people know their colours better’. To launch this thought we decided to start by helping men express their creativity in decorating their home as it is known that men take lesser decisions about home décor than women do. The brand film is a funny incident of a man who uses this service in the most innovative manner to impress his wife. The core idea will have extension in different mediums like digital and radio.”

     

  • The agency will undertake all the advertising, strategy and creative for the brands that come under the bath business vertical of Asian Paints

    Madison BMB wins Asian Paints’ bath business account

    By A Correspondent

     

    Madison BMB has bagged the Asian Paints’ bath creative mandate. The agency will undertake all the advertising, strategy and creative for the brands that come under the bath business vertical of Asian Paints.

     

    Said Manish Choksi, President, Home Improvement, International Business and IT, Asian Paints: “We are happy to have Madison BMB work on our bath business portfolio. In the short duration that they have worked with us, they have successfully created ideas and campaigns that have brought saliency for our bath brands. The conceptualisation and execution of ideas – both have been done quite well.”

     

    Added Prabha Prabhu, CEO, Madison BMB: “To begin with Asian Paints gave us a project on EssEss, (bath fittings and accessories), a brand that Asian Paints had bought over.  We did a good job in terms of strategy and creative. And that made Asian Paints give us the creative responsibilities for the entire bath business on a retainer.

     

    And this is what Raj Nair who is Chief Creative Officer at the agency said: “We are in the process of developing work that is above, below and through the line and making sure ideation with regard to strategy and creative is truly insightful followed by pitch perfect execution.”

     

  • Contract partnered Asian Paints to launch this campaign across India

    Say ‘No to Nice’, affirms Royale in new TVC

    By A Correspondent

     

    Royale from Asian Paints, the luxury emulsion paint brand was looking for a unique viewpoint which would pierce the hearts and minds of their consumers and shake them out of the slow descent into choosing things which will just about do.

     

    As the leader in the luxury paints segment, it decided to take up a crusade against people accepting the acceptable in their lives and encouraging them to embrace only the extraordinary.

     

    Contract viewed this as a problem that is not only rampant in the luxury paints category but in the overall lives of people in India at large where the “Chalta Hai” attitude has seeped into even the most refined tastes, and so the idea of saying ‘No to Nice’ came to life.

     

    “Royale which stands for impeccable performance and ahead of the curve décor sensibilities, represents the large quest, a quest for the extraordinary. Saif Ali Khan truly personifies this philosophy. It is a continuous journey of exploring and re-inventing the choices you make in life. It’s all about exceeding one’s own expectations and not settling for the status quo. We believe that this new conversation will create excitement and add a new dimension to life,” said Amit Syngle, President Marketing & Technology, Asian Paints.

     

    Talking of the film, Ashish Chakravarty, NCD – Contract Advertising says, “For Royale, we wanted to change the conversation from just fine décor to a quest for the extraordinary. So what’s the enemy of extraordinary? That feeling of being satisfied with the ok, the just good, the expected. The ‘nice’.  Now the thought of Saif Ali Khan as the ‘purveyor of all things extraordinary’ was perfect for the persona he comes with. So in the film we turn the tables on him when it comes to interior décor…now that made for a very compelling story for Royale to tell.”

     

    Contract decided to use Saif Ali Khan, the brand ambassador for Royale, in a situation that would elegantly reflect how sometimes even the most refined palates slip up when it comes to their home decor.

     

    Contract partnered Asian Paints to launch this campaign across India.

     

  • Launches unique TV serial colour combination guide designed exclusively for Tamil Nadu

    Asian Paints launches ‘Varna Maalai’

    By A Correspondent

     

    Asian Paints joins Tamil Nadu in its preparation for Pongal this year with the launch of Tractor Emulsion ‘Varna Maalai’ – a special TV serial colour combination guide designed exclusively for the people of Tamil Nadu. This unique colour combination guide aims to help the people of Tamil Nadu in their decision making process when it comes to choosing colour combinations for their homes.

     

    Choosing the right colour combinations for our rooms is something everyone looks forward to when they paint their homes. This is an area where one is always looking for inspiration and guidance to make one’s home stand out. Keeping in mind the role TV plays in inspiring people, Asian Paints has innovatively associated with the three popular TV serials – Vaani Rani, Vamsam, Thendral and their three female leads – Radikaa Sarathkumar, Ramya Krishnan, Sruthi to showcase Tractor Emulsion’s wide range of bright, vibrant colours through a unique colour combination guide called “Varna Maalai”.

     

    Tractor Emulsion ‘Varna Maalai’ or ‘Garland of Colours’ contains different shades and colour combinations showcased in rooms from the TV serials including drawing room, dining room, bedroom, kitchen and puja room. The book has 60 different colour combination options to help people choose the right combination for their homes.

     

    Speaking on the launch, Amit Syngle, President-Sales, Marketing & Technology, Asian Paints Ltd said, “Painting is an integral part of beautifying one’s home during festive seasons and Tractor Emulsion ‘Varna Maalai’ is our endeavor to be part of Tamil Nadu’s preparation for this process before Pongal. The book is envisaged to help consumers in visualizing colour combinations for various rooms of their home and thus help them in their decision making.”

     

  • 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.”

     

  • Sensing the need for a 360-degree presence, brands are increasingly engaging FM stations for on-ground and on-air promotions

    Brands go 360-deg with FM radio activations

     

    By Robin Thomas

     

    Brand activations or on-ground, on-air activations by FM radio stations is not a new phenomenon in this country. In fact, it could be said that most FM radio stations boast of having a dedicated unit to service the needs of their clients.

     

    Brands today realize the need for a 360-degree presence across mediums so that they can be where their consumers are and directly interact and engage with them. Hence the on-ground activations by radio stations give an added advantage to the brands as the activation is also hyped in the on-air programmes they execute.

     

    Take for instance the Asian Paints ‘Lift Kara De’ campaign executed by Radio City Connect. RadioCity Connect had tied up with the dabbawallas of Mumbai and placed around 15,000 sweet boxes inside the dabbas. The activity was spread across various restaurants and some Cinemax outlets in Mumbai.

     

    Apart from the Asian Paints’ campaign, Radio City Connect is also said to have executed a 12-city campaign for Renault Pulse and a 72-location activation plan that involved RWA, corporate park and mall activations. This campaign is said to have generated more than 6,000 leads for the client, along with 1,000 people who went for a test drive.

     

    The same has been the case with other stations as well, where categories such as Telecom, FMCG, BFSI, Cement, Automobiles, Retail, and others have been part of brand activations. According to industry estimates, brand activations on FM radio stations contribute around 12-15 per cent of the overall turnover and is estimated to go above 20 per cent in the near future.

     

    Sanjay Tripathy

    Sanjay Tripathy, Executive Vice President-Head Marketing and Direct Channels, HDFC Life explained: “On-ground activations through radio stations are indeed effective with the on-air ads and promos amplifying the activations without the need for an additional media buy. It helps the brands roll out a through-the-line approach with on-air ads and promos, creating awareness and drawing footfalls for the activation. The radio station-led activations are usually properties moulded into the brand’s requirements and help reach out to the specified TG. Also the radio stations help the brands to get easy access to venues, which some brands might not normally get.”

     

    Ashit Kukian

    Ashit Kukian, COO and President, RadioCity was of the view that clients these days are increasingly using radio activations to connect with their listeners. “Clients are not just looking for plain vanilla advertising. They are looking for something that is different and allows a 360 degree visibility. More than anything else, they require customization; an integrated approach that involves effective use of radio, on-ground and social media. Over the years, brand integration has played a vital role in traditional mediums like print and television and now brands are increasingly using radio activation to connect to their target audience.”

     

    B Surender

    According to B Surender, Senior Vice President, and National Sales Head, Red FM, “The on-ground activation business is extremely important, not just from the revenue point of view, but also from the angle of providing customer satisfaction through a 360 degree approach. Radio stations do have an edge over a direct BTL agency as they provide a 360 degree approach and are better placed to give value for money solutions.”

     

    He added: “Brands had a lot of unfulfilled needs when it came to activation in the form of nationwide reach, one-stop-solution and proactive ideation. Initially, there were hesitations amongst clients to accept a radio station as an activation service provider. However, after the arrival of Phase II and expansion of FM stations across the length and breadth of the country, radio stations have started fulfilling the need for integrated ATL and BTL solutions. The dynamic and innovative nature of radio as a medium has enhanced the quality of integrated solutions provided to the clients.”

     

    The road ahead

    Today brands want to engage and interact with their consumers – they want to approach them in a unique way to create high recall value for their brand. Brand activations through radio stations are said to have more impact as compared to other mediums because of high penetration of the medium; the 360 degree promotions the activation is given and the ability to highly engage and have a two-way communication with the consumers. But what needs to be questioned is whether brand activations on radio stations are an effective option when it comes to delivering high ROI?

     

    Mr Tripathy of HDFC Life said that the impact of brand activations is better with radio station-led activation as on-air promos help create incremental hype for the on-ground activations by leveraging an additional medium for communication. “The costs for solo activations through radio stations, however, tend to be very high owing to the air time cost added on to the activation cost which has to be borne by the advertiser. Usually most advertisers resort to associate or partner sponsors from brands, willing to reach out to a similar TG without any conflicting business interests, to share the cost of the activation. However, this sometime dilutes the impact of the activation with multiple brands having to share the centrestage,” he added.

     

    FM phase III rollout is expected to add a new lease of life, not only radio stations, but for advertising options like activations on the medium. Phase III will not only further expand radio stations to newer towns and cities, particularly into tier III and IV towns but will also allow newer genres of FM radio stations, which may attract newer listeners to the medium.

     

    Mr Kukian of RadioCity said: “Radio activations involve a 360 degree format which ensures an all-round visibility for the client. An on-air activity when supported by on-ground activation becomes much more amplified and effective. To create an impact we need to look beyond vanilla-selling, thus activations is the segment to watch out for. Activation is going to assume greater importance in the radio space, as competition increases, the market becomes more saturated and advertisers look for unique and innovative ways to reach the target group.”

     

    Mr Surender of Red FM observed: “With phase III being discussed, private FM industry will get into Tier III and Tier IV cities in a big way. BTL activities in such places are being currently handled by the unorganised sector. Presence of radio players will definitely help improve the impact of experiential marketing efforts targeting semi-urban and rural areas.”

     

    Industry players are of the view that radio is not only an apt medium for brand activations, but in the long run, the importance of brand activations through the medium is also expected to grow. Phase III will not only bring more innovation and differentiation within the medium but, also increase the reach of the medium to tier III and IV cities and towns.

     

  • Yes, it's costly to build a brand mnemonic and it takes many years to make it a powerful brand associator. But the long term benefits justify all that expense

    Anil Thakraney: Need more Amul girls

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The Amul baby has turned 50. And what a super brand representative she’s been for so many years. The babe’s lost none of her spark, wit and zip. And unlike heavily paid celebrities, she can live on forever. And guess what… she doesn’t charge a penny! I must tell you, I have been strictly advised against butter consumption due to my high BP. But once in a while, unable to resist the charms of the little girl, I do smuggle out a pack from the department store. Such is the pull of a human brand mnemonic.

     

    This makes me wonder. Why don’t we see many more such powerful human brand symbols in Indian advertising? One would have thought Amul’s example would inspire many brand managers. Yes, it’s costly to build a brand mnemonic, you have to invest in it, and it takes many years to make it a powerful brand associator. But the long term benefits justify all that expense. Surely, movie stars and cricketers cost a lot more and they can never be exclusive to a brand. And long term association is out of the question. Even Taj Mahal tea had to eventually drop Zakir Hussein saab after using him for many years.

     

    Incidentally, the Amul girl’s story reminds me of two other memorable desi brand figures. Both, unfortunately, died along the way. One is the Air India Maharaja. He was much adored for many decades, and His Royal Highness actually did not deserve to be killed. Brand Air India has deteriorated badly in recent times, and perhaps the guardians realized the Maharaja doesn’t fit in any more, that they don’t deserve him.

     

    The other one is Asian Paints’ Gattu, the cute little painter boy. Although I once handled that account, I am not entirely sure why they wrote his obituary. I suspect it happened when Asian Paints launched their luxury emulsion, and found Gattu to be too ‘down-market’ for premium imagery. I personally think it was a mistake, a knee jerk reaction. Gattu could have lived on for many more years and served the paint company well.

     

    Anyways, here’s hoping to see at least a few brand managers take a cue from the Amul girl in the near future.

     

    * * *

     

    PS: I am aware a number of media, advertising and marketing professionals read my blog posts. But now I have discovered that politicians like Mamata didi and Mulayam bhaiyya are also my fans! As early as last month I had written a post suggesting that Dr Manmohan Singh be made Prez. Well, the two seem to agree with me! 🙂

     

    Here’s the link.

    Link: http://www.mxmindia.com/2012/05/anil-thakraney-mms-for-prez-puhleez/

     

  • A study of the aggregate financial performance of the leading 10 FMCG companies over the past eight quarters shows that the industry has grown at an average 16-21 per cent in the past two years

    FMCGs like HUL, Dabur, Godrej, Marico on consumption-driven growth

    By A Correspondent

     

    India’s fast-moving consumer goods, or the FMCG sector, has been able to weather the impact of an economic slowdown and rising input costs yet another quarter, as firms led by HUL beat street expectations both on top line and bottom line growth.

     

    A study of the aggregate financial performance of the leading 10 FMCG companies over the past eight quarters shows that the industry has grown at an average 16-21 per cent in the past two years with average operating margins being 22 per cent.

     

    Very few other industries can boast of having such a performance track record. “The consumer sector typically is the last and the least to suffer during a slowdown,” said Manoj Menon, senior analyst at Kotak Institutional Equities.

     

    Most companies are reaping the benefits of the direct distribution expansion mostly in rural India. HUL, for instance, has tripled its rural penetration in the last couple of years. Sales from modern trade have also been a strong growth driver for companies. Marico has posted a growth of over 45 per cent in revenues from its rural and modern trade businesses during FY12.

     

    The quarter to March performance of FMCG companies like HUL, Dabur, Godrej Consumer Products, Marico, Asian Paints, GSK Consumer Healthcare, Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Healthcare and Jubilant Foodworks is also a reflection of consumption-driven growth.

     

    Half of HUL’s 20 per cent revenue growth during the March quarter was volume driven. Dabur’s domestic sales rose 19.2 per cent with volumes rising 9.5 per cent. Godrej Consumer Products logged 30 per cent sales in soaps in India – 17 per cent of which was volume-driven. Asian Paints registered 29 per cent growth in its revenues from domestic business, of which 15 per cent was volume growth.

     

    The company had raised prices by close to 12 per cent on its portfolio during the quarter. Jubilant Foodworks, owner of the Dominos Pizza franchise in India, reported 26 per cent same store growth, which was almost entirely volume-driven despite the company raising its menu prices by 10 per cent. Marico has been able to achieve a 17 per cent volume growth for the March quarter from a total revenue growth of 23 per cent for the quarter.

     

    GSK Consumer Healthcare registered 14.5 per cent increase in net sales – 7 per cent of which was driven by volume growth and the rest through higher realisations on account of price increases. Nestle was probably the only company to have a largely value-driven revenue growth of 13 per cent during the March quarter.

     

    Exceptional value growth always carries the risk of hurting volumes. Till now, most FMCG companies have been able to perform well while balancing between volume and value growth. “Over the long run, we see consumer demand being resilient,” Nitin Paranjpe, chief executive officer of HUL, had said at the press conference following the company’s results. According to Mr Paranjpe, the secular trend of consumers is towards uptrading rather than downtrading.

     

    “The demand for consumer goods is relatively inelastic compared to that of other products,” explained Milind Sarwate, group chief financial officer, Marico. An earlier ETIG analysis of the growth in revenues and profits of leading FMCG companies revealed that companies registered a much faster growth in revenues and profits during periods of high inflation (in 1994-98 and again from 2006 till date) compared with periods of low inflation (1999-2005).

     

    “During an inflationary period, there is a likely market share gain for organised players from the unorganised regional players,” Mr Menon explained. Larger firms enjoy economies of scale on account of bulk buying and higher pricing power on their reputed brands.

     

    The ET FMCG Index has a price to earnings multiple of 36 against the Sensex P/E of 16.1. Stocks of Godrej Consumer Products and Asian Paints hit a new high ahead of the companies’ result announcements. Stocks of HUL, Marico, Dabur, Glaxosmithkline Consumer Healthcare and Jubilant Foodworks are hovering near record high levels.

     

    However, their current valuations are still lower than their all-time record levels. In case the broader economy is sluggish, analysts fear that the going may not be good for the sector in the coming quarters. “Moderation is very much on the anvil,” cautioned Mr Menon. For now, FMCG companies continue to live up to their reputation of being a defensive investment play.

     

    Source: The Economic Times

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