MxMIndia

Tag: Kellogg

  • For the India & South Asia business

    Kellogg appoints Vinay Subramanyam as Head of Marketing

    By Our Staff

     

    Kellogg India has appointed Vinay Subramanyam as the Head of Marketing for its business in India and South Asia markets, namely Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives. He will be responsible for scaling category development, driving strategic initiatives and overseeing the organisation’s brand and marketing initiatives.

     

    Said Prashant Peres, Managing Director, Kellogg South Asia: “We are thrilled to welcome Vinay Subramanyam back on board to Kellogg. His proven track record of building large brands, launching successful innovations and understanding the essence of who we are, will bring a fresh perspective to Kellogg’s purposeful marketing agenda and elevate our brand and marketing strategy. He will play an important role in our exciting agenda to reimagine the future of food in South Asia.”

     

  • Anita Kotwani joins Carat India as CEO

    By A Correspondent

     

    Carat India, the flagship media agency from the house of Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN), has roped in Anita Kotwani as its chief executive officer (CEO). 

     

    Kotwani was until recently at Mindshare India where she held the position of Senior Vice President, New Business and Client Lead, The Walt Disney Business. In a career spanning more than two decades, 16 of which have been with Mindshare, Kotwani has been instrumental in leading client relationships for brands such as the ABG, Kellogg, ICICI Group, Facebook, Byju and The Walt Disney Company amongst others, for the West zone. Additionally, she has also helped build diversified offerings across data, digital and content, driving exponential growth for Mindshare India over the last two years.

    Kartik Iyer
    Kartik Iyer

    She will report to Kartik Iyer, President Media Brands and Amplifi and will be responsible for the agency’s strategic progress and business growth, nationally. She will also focus on developing and leading significant tools and capabilities within Carat to help deliver enhanced integrated solutions to clients. Speaking on her appointment, Iyer said: “I am delighted to have Anita Kotwani join our team at Dentsu Aegis Network India. In her new role, Anita will help futureproof Carat India as the agency gets ready to take on the new opportunities that the changing market dynamics has to offer.” 

     

    Anand Bhadkamkar
    Anand Bhadkamkar

    Added Anand Bhadkamkar, CEO, DAN India: “Anita is an industry veteran. She is known for her dedication and diligence and has worked across multiple categories including consumer durables, financial services, FMCG and other MNC brands. I wish her all the luck as she charts fresh new path for Carat India, beginning now,” 

     

    Elaborating on her mandate, Kotwani said: “Carat was the world’s first media agency to form with the belief that media has the power to transform businesses and this holds true even in today’s times. It is indeed Redefining Media. With DAN’s unique operating model under its single P&L structure, one can draw on the capabilities of its sister companies – including that of its dedicated OOH, Digital, Performance, Marketing Effectiveness and Creative agencies, to access world class specialisms and create bespoke teams to meet client specific needs. There is scale, specialisation and integration at the core, and with my expertise in leading client relationships and growing diversified offerings, I am super excited to lead the Carat brand for India.”

  • It also found that inspirational, funny and entertaining content are most likely to be shared on social platforms followed by personal, news and educational content

    Waggener Edstrom’s report throws up interesting insights on content relevance

    By A Correspondent

     

    Waggener Edstrom India, a independent integrated communications agency recently released a research report on changing patterns of digital engagement in India and its impact on brand advocacy: Content Matters: The Impact of Brand Storytelling Online in 2015”. The report reveals that 73 percent of Indians recommend brands with a greater digital footprint and higher levels of online social engagement. It also found that inspirational, funny and entertaining content are most likely to be shared on social platforms followed by personal, news and educational content.

     

    The report explored the correlation between devices and social media platforms relating to purchase behavior and how those dynamics vary across nine industries: Beauty, Consumer Electronics, Finance & Banking, Food & Beverage, Healthcare, Mobile Devices & Tablets, Personal Care, Restaurants & Dining, and Travel & Tourism.

     

    Key findings of the report include the following:

    • The rise of smart phones: Smart phones at 40 percent are a very close second to personal computers at 52 percent as the device of choice to access information related to purchase decisions. Tablets are yet to catch on amongst Indians as the device of choice. However, 91 percent have access to computers whilst 85 percent have access to smart phones.
    • Content is king: 9 out of 10 Indian respondents are likely to follow a brand on social media where 29 percent seek general news about the brand while 27 percent want to receive discounts and promotional offers and 23% are in search of better customer service.
    • Facebook and WhatsApp lead the way: 29 percent of consumers polled indicated that Facebook remains the top social media platform preferred by Indians for sharing content, followed closely by WhatsApp (26 percent)
    • Consumption habits: Although 16% use search engines and another 16% are fans of word of mouth, whilst 14 percent use company websites, review sites, social media, traditional media, forums, blogs, IM and online news are all popular too. When it comes to recommending brands to friends and family, 73 percent of digital savvy respondents are willing to recommend brands that they have a high level of engagement with online.

     

    The report was released at an industry round table comprising marketers, communications leaders and business heads on ‘How can brands best digitally engage with the consumer for maximum advocacy?’ moderated by Madhuri Sen, Managing Director, Waggener Edstrom Communications.

     

    Setting the stage for the discussion, Sen said: “Effective brand storytelling requires an ecosystem of media with both online and offline touch points. However, the dominant platforms shift according to industry and geography. Organizations are now recognizing the need to move away from what was a higher channel focus to a content focus. It is important to figure out the content and then the channel as opposed to having the media plan in place and then deciding the content.”

     

    Addressing the panel, Carolyn Camoens, Regional VP, Waggener Edstrom Communications, APAC said: “I’m not going to share what I had for lunch today. But if there is something funny or inspirational I am sharing that. So it still goes back to the nature of that content that is being shared and how much value it has for the Indian consumer. I know pictures of my half-done kitchen are not interesting to you, but me saying ‘my home coming together’ is sharing an emotional experience with your network. That’s what brands need to connect to.”

     

    Siddharth Sankhe, India Lead, Insights & Analytics, Waggener Edstrom Communications said: “Things are changing at a good pace with regards to inclusion of smartphones in the daily lives of people. Brands need to acknowledge this and create mobile ready content which is easy to consume and share. Computers still stand as an important device for a lot of other functionalities, but smartphones are replacing computers as the primary device of information consumption”

     

    Adding to the shift in smartphone related behavior, Hanneli Slabber, Country Manager – India, South Africa Tourism, shared a travel based perspective – “If I am standing on the top of Table Mountain which overlooks Cape Town, and I can be on Facebook in 30 seconds – I’m there. You got a much bigger bragging factor when you say – this is where I am, wish you were here.”

     

    Nandini Goswami, Director, Corporate Communications, Kellogg, India, presented the flipside to this mobile and digital wave in India, saying: “While social media has its many positives, there is a negative side to this as well. With the rise in smartphones usage, dissatisfied customers have an additional channel to vent on. This means that they don’t give the organization enough time to respond as the issue has already been tweeted, retweeted and shared on Facebook. Each industry will be affected differently by this.”

     

  • The badminton star has signed a Rs 1.5 crore deal with Kellogg

    Saina Nehwal outpaces Sania Mirza & Mary Kom in top female sports endorser race

    By Ratna Bhushan

     

    Kellogg, the world’s largest breakfast cereal maker, has signed badminton player Saina Nehwal to an endorsement deal pegged at close to Rs 1.5 crore, two people aware of the development said.

     

    The two-year deal makes Nehwal – the world No. 2 in women’s singles — the highest paid female sports endorser in the country ahead of tennis player Sania Mirza and boxer Mary Kom.

     

    A Kellogg India spokesperson confirmed the association with Nehwal but declined to give details of the deal. Darshan Machdar, director at Spoment Ventures, the sports marketing firm that represents Nehwal, was unavailable for comment.

     

    “Kellogg is looking for a repositioning exercise with Saina… the advertising is likely to break next month,” one of the persons quoted earlier said.

     

    The 25-year-old already has endorsement deals for Yonex, Bajaj Nomarks cream, Iodex pain reliever, Indian Overseas Bank and the Sahara group, which, sources said, were signed for least 20% less.

     

    Vinit Karnik, national director, sports and live events at GroupM ESP, the sports marketing division of media buying group GroupM, said, “In the current scenario, Saina is the highest paid woman sportsperson in the country. Sania Mirza’s endorsement fee used to be the highest till about five years back. But Saina has been far more visible on the circuit, which is what brands look for.”

     

    Nehwal had topped the women’s world ranking list in March this year. Some talent managers, however, believe that Nehwal has remained under-marketed when it comes to endorsement fee. Also, the gap between what male and female sports persons earn outside of the sports arena remains wide.

     

    According to industry executives, cricket captain MS Dhoni charges upwards of Rs 10 crore for brand endorsement while Virat Kohli’s fee is Rs 5-6 crore. However, endorsement rates can vary as they depend, to a large extent, on the relationship the celebrity has with the brand.

     

    Talent management firm Kwan’s promoter Anirban Das said, “It’s a reflection of the popularity of the sport rather than a function of gender.

     

    The reach of cricket still hugely overshadows any other sport in India.” He pointed out that in Bollywood, the gap between what men and women earn has seen a lot of correction over the recent past. “Someone like Deepika Padukone earns a lot more than many other popular actors now,” he said.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

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

    Licensed to republish

     

  • The new integrated campaign highlights a relationship of equals between mother and child

    Kellogg’s takes the ‘Khuljaye Bachpan’ route for Chocos

    By A Correspondent

     

    Kellogg’s Chocos has launched a new campaign ‘Khuljaye Bachpan’. This campaign highlights the win-win equation between mother and child, where they learn and grow together. Buddy parenting makes way for some unforgettable moments between mother and child and through ‘Khuljaye Bachpan’, kids and mothers have a symbiotic, fun relationship over Chocos which enables the child to unlock happiness in their childhood. The campaign motivates mothers to nurture intimate, fun relationships with their kids throughout their childhood.

     

    Speaking about this initiative, Harpreet Singh Tibb, Director of Marketing, Kellogg India said, “Our new campaign “Khuljaye Bachpan” is built on the insight that parent-kid relationships have now evolved into a relationship of equals. Parents learn from the kid as much as they teach them. Kellogg’s Chocos is kid loved and mom approved because of its chocolaty taste and roti-like benefits. It creates those precious moments where the mother and kid bond. These moments create a happy and memorable childhood, a childhood that is uninhibited and allows the kid to discover the joy of growing up. Chocos as a brand celebrates uninhibited childhood and over the next few months we will be creating many such platforms that allow mom and kids to bond better.”

     

    The campaign TVC features brand ambassador Juhi Chawla portraying the role of a buddy mom to her kid. She shares a friendly equation with her son who has just lost in a video game and boosts his confidence by saying that “Harna jeetna is all part of the game”. The TVC then reveals an interesting twist that he has lost the game against his mother, played by Juhi, and she has learnt all the moves from him. It reiterates that Kellogg’s Chocos creates moments of happiness, where mother and child learn fun things together.

     

    The TVC will be supported by 20 second testimonials by celebrity moms sharing their ‘Khuljaye Bachpan’ moments with their kids. Viewers will also witness celebrity moms inviting real life stories from mothers bonding with their kids. Viewers will be encouraged to share their own ‘Khuljaye Bachpan’ stories, which will then be recognized by the brand through gratifications.

     

    Commenting on the latest campaign, Nandita Chalam, Vice President & Executive Creative Director, JWT said, “Modern parenting is all about letting children have an uninhibited childhood. Our new campaign philosophy for Kellogg’s Chocos reflects this – ‘Khuljaye Bachpan.’ We brought this alive by showing a new trend in families – today, it’s not just children who learn from their parents but parents also learn a lot from their children. As part of this campaign, Juhi Chawla invites other parents to share such stories of learning from each other. Digital and activation legs of the campaign are all built around the same thought of ‘Khuljaye Bachpan’.”

     

    The campaign is an integrated promotion campaign comprising of amplification across TV, digital and on-ground to engage with mothers and children.

     

  • The campaign aims to instill confidence in women for everyday weight management

    Kellogg’s Special K takes ‘No More Excuses’ positioning in latest TVC

    By A Correspondent

     

    Kellogg’s Special K has unveiled ‘No More Excuses’ campaign to initiate a movement for women to get rid of their excuses and begin to manage their weight every day. Post the 2 Week Challenge campaign, Kellogg’s Special K brings ‘No More Excuses’ to sustain the momentum of one’s weight management journey.

     

    This campaign has been born out of the insight that today’s woman is constantly trying to fulfill her duties as a wife, daughter, mother or professional.  Kellogg’s Special K aims to inspire these women towards reclaiming their lives. The ‘No More Excuses’ campaign highlights a woman’s weight concerns and inspires her to keep her weight management journey on track through the new-found confidence in herself.

     

    The TVC for this motivational campaign features brand ambassador Deepika Padukone who effectively drives the importance of everyday weight management through the ‘No More Excuses’ theme. Deepika motivates her friends to overcome their excuses and start managing weight by eating breakfast everyday like low fat Kellogg’s Special K. In the TVC, Deepika is unwinding at a salon, along with her friends and plans a summer dress shopping spree. When her friends say that they don’t have the right shape to carry off a dress, she shares her new mantra of ‘No More Excuses’ and inspires them to get on the weight management journey. The film ends with both her friends emerging from the trial room wearing stunning summer dresses, with style and confidence, bringing to life the ‘No More Excuses’ theme.

     

    Throwing light on the insight behind the new campaign, Harpreet Singh Tibb, Marketing Director, Kellogg India stated, “The new campaign is driven from a brilliant insight, which has been cleverly executed through ‘No More Excuses’.  Kellogg’s Special K strives to consistently cater to women’s weight management needs and this campaign addresses a specific need for women to prioritize themselves and give up their excuses.  We are very glad to have initiated an association with Femina and will partner with women to motivate them to start and more importantly, continue their weight management journey and get back to life.”

     

    Nandita Chalam, Vice President & Executive Creative Director of JWT who leads this campaign shared, “After crossing the age of thirty or after marriage, many women give up wearing short dresses, going dancing or doing many other things that they once loved. That’s often because they are no longer confident of their weight and appearance. Yet when it comes to actually doing something about weight management, they have countless excuses for not doing anything. Our new campaign for Kellogg’s Special K says. “No More Excuses. Get back to life.” Deepika Padukone, known for her disciplined approach to fitness, urges her friends to stop making excuses and start making Kellogg’s Special K a part of their breakfast routine. And then she tells them, and all the other women out there, to get back to doing the things they once loved.”

     

  • Advertisers like Maruti Suzuki, Honda bikes and Samsung turning to kids' channels

    Adult brands patronize kiddie channels

    By Shambhavi Anand

     

    When Lata Diwan went shopping for the household, her 5-year-old daughter Tanya suggested her to choose a certain brand on mosquito repellent. “It will drive the mosquitoes out as well as leave a fragrance around,” the young scholar told her mother.

     

    Tanya’s knowledge about mosquito repellents comes from an advertisement she watches in between her favourite programmes on cartoon channels, where it’s no longer just toymakers and children’s product brands that advertise. An increasing number of nontraditional advertisers including Maruti Suzuki, Honda bikes and Samsung is advertising on kids’ channels as more children participate in their parents’ purchase decisions and more parents watch television with their children.

     

    “While traditional advertisers such as GlaxoSmithKline, Hindustan Unilever, Cadbury, Mattel, Kellogg, Perfetti and ITC are amongst our top spenders, close to 50% of our revenues now come from non-traditional advertisers,” says Juhi Ravindranath, ad sales vice-president for South Asia at Turner International India, which owns Pogo and Cartoon Network channels. Most houses in India have one television set and it’s common that children and adults watch it together, and often the younger ones hold the sceptre – the remote control – and decide what to watch.

     

    Rahul Johri

    So advertisers targeting parents too are turning to kids’ channels. “Advertisers do not want to miss any opportunity of reaching out to their target audience, whether it is mothers, fathers or grandparents,” says Rahul Johri, senior vice president and general manager, South Asia, at Discovery Networks Asia Pacific, which owns Discovery Kids. The maximum growth in terms of adspend on these channels has been observed in fast-moving consumer goods.

     

    A spokesperson of Pogo channel says unconventional advertisers on the channel include Maruti Suzuki, Honda bikes, Hero Moto-Corp, Micromax, LG, Samsung and Hitachi. “We expect the number of new categories and advertisers to only grow,” the person adds. That’s because it’s seen as a win-win. While the kids’ channel gains from the increased advertiser base, the non-traditional advertiser benefits from the huge secondary target audience of parents and grandparents.

     

    Santosh Desai, advertising veteran and MD and CEO of Futurebrands India, says, “For marketers there are a couple of advantages of being on kids’ channels. First there will be some spillover adult viewer and children’s role in decision-making for the household has also increased. Secondly, these channels are relatively cheaper in the overall media mix.”

     

    A study by Cartoon Network, ‘Cartoon Network New Generations 2012′, shows a majority of parents watch television with their kids. After serials, cartoons are the most preferred genre for parents, ranking above news channels.

     

    About 75% parents spend time watching TV at least 5-6 times a week with their kids. This number is even higher, close to 80%, for parents of younger children. Channels say that in spite of the decent growth, the kids’ genre is extremely under-monetised, with 7% viewership and just 3% of revenue share.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

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

    Licensed to republish

     

  • Direct-selling companies seem to have bucked the trend riding on stable demand, direct engagement with consumers, flexibility in market penetration and lower costs

    Direct selling companies like Oriflame, Amway beat economic slowdown, grow 23% in FY12

    By Ratna Bhushan

     

    Sanjana Jalan, an executive with a multinational and mother of two living in upscale Gurgaon, has not shopped for cosmetics at malls for a year or so. “I just call up my Oriflame distributor who delivers the cream and lipsticks I want at my home at the same prices I would pay for a brand in a retail store,” she said.

     

    If it’s convenience that makes Ms Jalan opt for a direct-selling brand, Lata Gupta, a receptionist at an export house in Mumbai, uses only Tupperware containers in her kitchen because of their durability. “These last really long, make my kitchen look smart…and products come with a life-long guarantee that’s something others don’t offer,” said Ms Gupta.

     

    Reasons may be different, but Indian consumers are increasingly buying Amway shampoos, Tupperware containers, Oriflame creams and Herbalife wellness drinks. While traditional FMCG companies are facing slower growth due to economic slowdown and weak monsoon, direct-selling companies seem to have bucked the trend riding on stable demand, direct engagement with consumers, flexibility in market penetration and lower costs.

     

    “The direct selling industry is showing diversified consumption patterns across the country, increasing demand from tier-2 and tier-3 cities and higher acceptability by consumers, distributors and entrepreneurs,” said Chavi Hemanth, secretary general at the Indian Direct Selling Association (IDSA).

     

    Direct selling firms-which sell their products to consumers without routing them through retail stores-are estimated to have posted 21 per cent-23 per cent growth in India in 2011-12, according to IDSA and industry body PHD Chamber.

     

    In contrast, traditional FMCG companies, which sell through retail channels, grew 15 per cent in 2011, and 17 per cent so far this year. Of course, the direct-selling industry with estimated revenues of over Rs6,000 crore in 2011-12, is minuscule compared to the country’s FMCG industry estimated at about Rs150,000 crore.

     

    But direct sellers such as Amway, Tupperware, Oriflame, Herbalife and Modicare are growing faster-the industry is expected to touch Rs10,800 crore by 2014-2015.

     

    “Since we engage directly with end consumers, we haven’t seen a significant slowdown. Traditional FMCG companies are unable to offer a personal connect with their consumers,” said Bill Pinckney, MD of Amway India, the country’s biggest direct selling firm with sales of Rs2,130 crore.

     

    Amway, which sells shampoo, toothpaste, home care products and health supplements in India, overtook traditional firms like L’Oreal, Nivea and Kellogg by revenues last year.

     

    So what helps direct sellers largely avoid the slowdown? For one, say industry experts, the direct selling industry is by and large not impacted by fluctuations in rural demand because most products target urban consumers. Also, these firms have direct engagement with consumers, most companies have brought down prices at par with traditional products, and almost all products offer buy-back guarantees.

     

    Direct selling firms have lower costs of doing business because they don’t invest heavily in mass media and save on expenses involved with distributor and retail channels.
    “Also, their consumer outreach is much higher,” said SP Sharma, chief economist and head of research at PHD Chambers, which brought out the report: ‘Expanding horizons – Indian direct selling industry’.

     

  • Ranjona Banerji will write about a grouse. Either spewing venom or tongue-in-cheek

    Ranjona Banerji: I also hate the chip chip!

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    I’m taking off from next week and staying with the advertising industry since it is also “news” as some Indian media organisations have told us for years. Also, you cannot escape advertising if you watch the news or read newspapers and magazine. After careful consideration and consultation with others, it is clear that Priyanka Chopra’s “chip chip” ad for Garnier remains the most annoying on television. It comes on so often and with such clever cross-channel planning that you are forced to watch it unless you jump up and run every five minutes. By this time, the sun, the dog, the grass have all started looking extremely embarrassed at being made party to the ill-matched song and dance routine.

     

    But close to this one are those with annoying children like the rude boy in the McCain’s ad. I don’t see why he deserves to be treated with various kinds of fried potatoes. He should stay in his room downloading food while his family has fun without him. Next is the little girl in the Cadbury’s ad who is smiled on indulgently/ protected for not wanting to share her chocolate. (I am far more generous. If anyone gives me a chocolate product made by Cadbury’s I promptly give it away.)

     

    Today’s newspapers say that table manners are becoming a thing of the past. The advertising industry has long known this which is why it is particularly fond of promoting messy eating. People who eat Cadbury chocolates not only give each other long and profound looks while discussing vegetables they don’t want to eat, they also manage to get half the bar of the chocolate they’re eating all over their faces. This is an Indian rule I think and also applies to eating ice-cream. To save money, these ads should be joint ventures with washing machine/washing powder companies and maybe even whatever Garnier is selling in that “chip chip” ad.

     

    Then there are irritating mothers – based on the general feeling that the advertising industry specialises in mothers you want to murder. The Kellogg’s mother, who does something as amazingly innovative (sarcasm emoticon please) as putting almonds on top of a bowl of cornflakes, wins the current round of MYWM. If Kellogg’s only sold their variety of cornflakes with almonds in it in India, she wouldn’t have to be quite so smugly clever.

     

    An award has to be given to both Rahul Bose and Mahesh Bhupathi for agreeing to tell us that their mouths are full of germs. This is courage extraordinary. Also, for the ungrammatical manner in which they both say: “and much less germs”. Since both speak very good English the rest of the time, one assumes (or hopes) that Colgate paid them a lot of money.

     

    Vodafone’s attempt to make old men cuddly and lovable after Tata Docomo’s portrayal of them as curmudgeonly and crotchety should win an anti-ageism award at one of the next 1,000 award ceremonies the advertising industry seems to organise. At which, the best actress award has to go to Anushka Sharma for not only being convincing in selling cameras, internet services, scooters and so on but also for beating Amitabh Bachchan, Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra and all the rest of the stalwarts for successful grabbing of TV time.

     

    Currently, there are several ads for a film called Cocktail starring, I think, Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone. I saw a film called Cocktail once. It had Tom Cruise in it. Any relation?