MxMIndia

Tag: Tata group

  • 'Crossroads' will be the theme of PDF’s 14th edition

    Pune Design Fest on Jan 11 & 12

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Pune chapter of Association of Designers of India (ADI) has announced the 14th edition of its annual Pune Design Festival. It will be held on January 10 and 11, 2020, in, well, Pune with the theme ‘Crossroads’, to discuss how design is evolving across domains and disciplines and is on the cusp of its next big shift.

     

    Said Bala Mahajan, President, ADI Pune Chapter: “The festival will span across a week of concurrent events in the city. The two-day conference being our flagship, the week will also include Lexus Design Awards, hands-on workshops, visits to design studios, Design Expo, six parallel forums focused on topics such as Branding, Gaming & Animation, Interaction Design & so on.”

     

    Talking about the highlights from earlier years, co-convenor Ashwini Deshpande added: “Our stage has been graced by Bunker Roy, Dadi Pudumji, Resul Pookutty, all Padmashree honoraries, internationally renowned design thinkers like John Thackara, Ashoka Awardees like Sonam Wangchuk, Kiran Bir Sethi and Swapneel Chaturvedi. While we are proud of our Pune lineage, we are an international design festival. We have had speakers from over 10 countries and professional delegates from Bengaluru, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai and Jaipur apart from Pune every year. Last year, we also had media from Japan covering the festival. Attendees include professionals from design practice, industry, academia (60%) and students (40%).”

     

    This year, Harish Bhat, Brand Custodian, Tata Group will be a keynote speaker. Spaceship designer & space entrepreneur Dr Susmita Mohanty, celebrity photographer Joseph Radhik, experimental letterist Kriti Monga are some of the other speakers.

     

    Said Ashish Deshpande, President, ADI National Executive Committee: “Since ADI is a not-for-profit Trust, we focus on being inclusive so that most number of attendees can benefit by our events. Pune Design Festival Conference & Forum passes have easy-on-pocket  flexible options and Design Expo is open to public for free.”

     

     

     

  • Tata group tops Brand Finance India 100 2019 ranking again as Reliance Jio makes an entry to the list

    Tata tops Brand Finance 2019 rankings

     

    By A Correspondent

    Tata Group (brand value up 37% to US$19.6 billion) is once again India’s most valuable brand, according to the latest report by Brand Finance, the world’s leading independent brand valuation consultancy.

    Mumbai-headquartered Tata Group is one of India’s largest conglomerates, operating in over 100 countries, across 5 continents. The Group’s dominance is clear with its brand value totalling more than second-placed LIC’s (up 23% to US$7.3 billion) and third-placed Infosys’ (up 8% to US$6.5 billion) brand values combined.

    Said David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance: “Tata Group is to be commended for its ability to scale new heights, as it is not only India’s most valuable brand, but has also recorded faster growth than any other top 25 brand, with an impressive 37% increase. The Group’s brand presence across autos, IT services, steel and chemicals continues to go from strength to strength and remains a pioneering force to be reckoned with”.

    Banks register solid growth

    Fourteen banking brands feature in this year’s Brand Finance India 100 report, with India’s three largest banks all registering solid growth:State Bank of India (up 34% to US$6.0 billion), HDFC Bank (up 19% to US$4.9 billion) and ICICI Bank (up 41% to US$3.9 billion).

    The banking sector is currently undertaking a major shift as a result of an increase in spending on infrastructure, technology and innovative customer experience tools, all of which have the potential to contribute to heightened brand values across the board for banks. Advancements in technology have brought mobile and internet banking platforms to the top of their game, keeping them well placed to serve their varied customer base against the backdrop of a well-regulated robust environment.

    India 100 Social Media Post.jpg

    Mahindra & Mahindra jump into top 5

    From farm tractors to financial services to cutting-edge IT services, Mahindra Group is going from strength to strength, its brand value growing 35% to US$5241 million and thus sealing its position in the top 5 for the first time. Mahindra group has been making strong inroads into US markets and is setting some strong global ambitions.

    ADAG suffers steep drop

    Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) has witnessed the steepest drop in brand value, falling 65% to US$559 million and dropping 28 positions in the ranking. The brand has witnessed continuous erosion in its value creation due to increased pressure from various group businesses and is currently facing some stiff questions from its stakeholders.

    Jio is India’s strongest

    In addition to measuring overall brand value, Brand Finance also evaluates the relative strength of brands, based on factors such as marketing investment, familiarity, loyalty, staff satisfaction, and corporate reputation. Alongside revenue forecasts, brand strength is a crucial driver of brand value. According to these criteria, telecommunications brand Jio (brand value US$3.6 billion) is India’s strongest brand with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 87.01 out of 100 and a corresponding AAA brand strength rating.

    Reliance Jio is making headway towards becoming India’s number 1 telecommunications provider. It seems likely that the brand will retain its low-price strategy as it continues to grow, gain and retain a solid reputation across its Indian customer base. Impressively, challenger brand Jio, is the highest new entrant in this year’s Brand Finance India 100 2019 in 14th position.

    New entrants

    Aside from Jio, 6 further brands have made their debut into the ranking, across a variety of sectors.

    Growing off the back of a huge organized retail opportunity in India, hypermarket chain DMart (US$937 million) has entered the ranking in 33rd position. India’s homegrown FMCG brand Patanjali (US$614 million) continues to make waves and steal market share from its multinational competitors and has entered the ranking in 51st position. Further down the table, new entrants Chennai Petroleum (US$258 million), Indian Overseas Bank (US$248 million) and Max Life Insurance (US$240 million) are all ones to watch for the year to come.

     

    View the full Brand Finance India 100 2019 report here

  • Walia has over two decades of industry experience including a number of leadership roles within the Tata group

    Tata Comms appoints Sumeet Walia as Chief Sales and Marketing Officer

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sumeet Walia

    Tata Communications has announced the appointment of Sumeet Walia as its Chief Sales and Marketing Officer. In this role, Walia will lead and align the global sales and marketing functions around the company’s go-to-market strategy to drive business growth in all markets worldwide.

     

    Commenting on the appointment, Vinod Kumar, Managing Director and CEO, Tata Communications, said: “Sumeet is an accomplished business leader who has the ability to continuously adapt and understand the dynamic business environment in which we operate with a proven track record. With his understanding of our business, industry and culture, I am confident that Sumeet will successfully lead the market efforts as we drive growth and greater momentum for our customers and partners.”

     

    Walia has over two decades of industry experience including a number of leadership roles within the Tata group. Within this time, at Tata Communications, Sumeet was instrumental in shaping the company’s data business and growing and maintaining the company’s leadership position in India.

     

     

  • According to the Brand Finance report, Kotak Mahindra Bank is India's fastest growing brand

    Brandwatch: Tata India’s Most Valuable, HDFC, the strongest

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Tata Group is by far the most valuable brand in India, with a value surpassing that of the second (Airtel) and third (Infosys) ranked brands combined, according to the latest report by Brand Finance, the world’s leading independent brand valuation and strategy consultancy.

     

    After a few years of below 5% growth in brand value, Tata Group has surged ahead with a 9% growth to US$14.2 billion consolidating its No.1 rank by a huge distance. Considering Tata has been way ahead of the rest at $13.1 billion in 2017, this 9% is a tremendous surge, reflecting a solid year. The US$1 billion increase is the result of much tactical streamlining, refocusing and re-energising of Tata’s key businesses TCS, Tata Motors, Tata Steel and Tata Chemicals.

     

    Said David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance: “Under the pragmatic leadership of chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Tata Group is pursuing a consolidated long-term strategy as it ushers in a new era. Chandrasekaran has reviewed the Group’s most senior positions, introduced an experienced team of former bankers tasked with overseeing group finance’s and made tactical leadership changes across the financial services and hotel brands. This year’s success can truly be attributed to a productive first year in office for the new chairman.”

     

    India’s 10 Most Valuable Brands

     

    HDFC Bank takes title of India’s strongest brand

    A similar surge is observed in HDFC Bank which has broken into the top 10 this year, following a 19% brand value growth and claiming 8th rank among India’s most valuable brands with a US$4.1 billion valuation. Over the past year, HDFC Bank has grown steadily, making small and sensible acquisitions whilst maintaining its focus on digital banking. The bank has cleverly attracted young customers who want to buy, pay and invest at the click of a button, directly through their cellphones, even offering preapproved personal loans that can be expended within seconds. HDFC Bank is clearly proving its resilience and growth in the face of banking scrutiny and headwinds sweeping the sector.

     

    Aside from measuring the overall brand value, Brand Finance also evaluates the relative strength of brands, based on factors such as marketing investment, customer familiarity, staff satisfaction, and corporate reputation. Along with the level of revenues, brand strength is a crucial driver of brand value. According to these criteria, HDFC Bank is India’s strongest brand this year with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 88.0 and a corresponding brand rating of AAA.

     

    And Kotak Mahindra Bank is India’s fastest-growing brand

    Another banking brand which has had a successful year is Kotak Mahindra Bank, (up 74% to US$2.1 billion), making it the fastest-growing brand in the Brand Finance India 100 2018. The brand has not only expanded its countrywide presence but also shown tremendous discipline in shaping its governance and customer experience. It has also recently strategically partnered with Ripple, to provide near-instant cross-border remittances using blockchain technology.

     

    Public-sector banking brands take a dent

    On the whole, India’s public-sector banking brands have taken a big dent in both their brand value ranks and growth, whilst the country faces its worse crisis of confidence across the banking sector. Most of the top 100 PSU banks have seen a decline in brand value growth: SBI at 19%, IDBI Bank at 30%, Punjab National Bank at 16%, Syndicate Bank at 9%, Central Bank of India at 21%, and Bank of Baroda at 14%.

     

    Addd Haigh: “In a year of non-performing assets hitting the major banks, with further tightening of India’s financial sector alongside market uncertainties, the towering strength of strong governance is now more important than ever. The year ahead will be a test for brands navigating their way through the changing governance landscape.”

     

    Telecoms dial down brand values

    There are huge changes afoot across the telecoms sector too, courtesy of Reliance Group’s disruptive operator Jio, triggering a drop in brand value of Airtel (down 14% to US$6.7 billion), Idea Cellular (down 15% to US$1.7 billion) and BSNL (down 23% to US$ 0.5 billion).

     

    The Indian mobile ecosystem has witnessed incredible growth in recent years, with package offerings and cut-price plans expanding, and 4G becoming more popular in a bid to satisfy the needs of a mobile-data-hungry population.

     

    Brands to watch

    From among other notable brands featuring in this year’s Brand Finance India 100 league table, Maruti Suzuki has zoomed ahead with a 26% brand value growth to US$3.2 billion over the past year, jumping from 17th to 13th spot in the ranking. It has certainly been a year of many successes for Maruti Suzuki where it has redefined its brand standards, maintained growth of Nexa, its alternative retail dealership format for premium cars, alongside a plethora of product offerings that charmed the market.

     

    In this year’s Brand Finance India 100 2018, it is evident that brands with strong fundamentals have stood to gain significantly: Bajaj Group (up 30% to US$2.4 billion, ranked 19th), Bharat Petroleum (up 21% to US$2.4 billion, ranked 20th), Yes Bank (up 21% to US$0.7 billion, ranked 36th), and TVS (up 19% to US$0.5 billion, ranked 53rd).

     

    Finally, there is one brand that has been consistently making its presence felt in the rankings over the last 3 years. The motorcycle manufacturing brand Royal Enfield is gradually taking the “Made in India” tag to a global scale, and it has again registered a 25% brand value growth this year, making it one of the steadiest-growing brands in India. With a brand value of US$0.6 billion it moved up from 59th in 2017 to 43rd this year.

     

    View the full Brand Finance India 100 2018 report here

  • The Tata Group has mandate its PR and comms mandate to Adfactors PR wef Feb 1. The account size is estimated to be around Rs 30 crore

    Tata says welcome to Adfactors

     

    There are PR agencies and PR agencies and PR agencies. And then there’s Adfactors. Started in 1987 as a boutique agency by Rajesh Chaturvedi and Madan Bahal, it’s today the country’s largest public relations agency. With an employee strength of over 500 people, its turnover is in the region of Rs 180-200 crore. And that number will leapfrog by another Rs 30 crore-odd as the Tata group has signed the agency for as its India PR partner starting February 1.

     

    It’s been discussed ever since Tata Sons got them onboard to handle the all-important job of putting things in order post the Cyrus Mistry episode.The contract lasted a year, and that’s when the industry was abuzz with rumours of the emergence of a deeper relationship.

     

    Soon after the Radia tapes controversy, the Tatas assigned the job of its PR to Diwan Arun Nanda of Rediffusion who in turn assigned the job to Edelman, regarded as the world’s largest independent PR agency.

     

    While the going was good for Rediff-Edelman, there were frequent rumours that the relationship may snap, or that some constituents of the group were free to contract other agencies. A significant indicator of this was when Starbucks moved to Golinopinion and has stayed on with the IPG agency.

     

    The mandate covers strategic counsel and planning, media relations, issues and crisis management, investor relations, advocacy, and integrated campaign development for some of the Tata group’s largest companies including Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Steel, Tata Chemicals, Indian Hotels, Tata Power, Tata Global Beverages and Titan, as well as Tata Sons and Tata Trusts, across India. Note there are some group companies which are currently not part of the roster, in particular Tata Motors. Adfactors has an existing, longstanding relationship with Mahindra & Mahindra and Ashok Leyland and taking on Tata Motors would’ve been a conflict say observers.

     

    In fact it’s this clearminded focus on saying a ‘No’ when there is need to that possibly gets Adfactors to stand out amongst many others. For instance, it’s a clear no-no to handle clients in the business of alcohol, tobacco and non-vegetarian foods. So, for instance, the group doesn’t handle Godrej Tyson Foods.

     

    Said Pradipta Bagchi, former journalist and Group Communications Officer, Tata Group in a statement: “We are pleased to partner with Adfactors PR, India’s largest PR agency, to drive the Tata communications strategy and make the brand engaging and relevant to all our stakeholders,”.

     

    Added Madan Bahal, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Adfactors PR: “The opportunity to work for an iconic institution like the Tata Group that is India’s best known and most trusted brand represents an exciting opportunity for the Adfactors family. The Tata Group is at an inflection point in terms of reinforcing its leadership and growth. We look forward to adding value to its efforts in engaging with a rapidly transforming nation.”

     

    Adfactors will service the Tata mandate out of its 16 offices across the country, supported by a network of 24 support offices covering all state capitals and principal markets. A team of top-level managers with over 20 to 25 years experience headed by former journalist and banking professional Dr Pradeep Raje. Raje had also led the Tata mandate.

     

    In order that Adfactors hops on to the account running, it is learnt that a former senior hand at Vaishnavi Communications, Niira Radia’s PR firm, may be brought on board so that there is greater familiarity with the account.

     

     

  • Debasis Ray, Head Corporate Communications & Public Relations, Tata Trusts will continue to support the Tata Group communications team on an ongoing basis

    Tata Sons appoints Pradipta Bagchi as Group Chief Communications Officer

    By A Correspondent

     

    When the boss is comfortable with your work, it’s not much of a surprise that he pulls you in when he moves up. Last year, N Chandrasekaran moved up to the role of Executive Chairman of Tata Sons after helming Tata Consultancy Services for many years. Now, Chandrasekaran has brought in Pradipta Bagchi, global head of corporate communications for TCS since 2005, as Group Chief Communications Officer.  The appointment is effective yesterday (Sept 12). Bagchi will report to Chandrasekaran. A professional with over 25 years of experience in business, media and communications, Bagchi is a former journalist whose switch to PR from being a successful editor with The Times of India group had surprised many.

     

    Said Chandrasekaran on the appointment:“Pradipta brings extensive experience as a communication professional. As the Group Chief Communications Officer, he will play a key role in driving seamless communication experience across the Tata group as well as create engagement with stakeholders. Having worked with Pradipta for a decade, I know that his energy and experience will be very valuable in this area.”

     

    “I am delighted to have the opportunity to continue to work under Chandra. It will be my endeavour to help build on the core strengths of the Tata Group,” said Bagchi.

     

    Debasis Ray, Head Corporate Communications and Public Relations, Tata Trusts will continue to support the Tata Group communications team on an ongoing basis.

     

  • Titan has consolidated its outdoor media business with two agencies and one of these is Milestone Brandcom

    An apology. Laqshya is not only agency to win Titan OOH account. Milestone Brandcom also wins Titan biz

    By A Correspondent

     

    It’s one of those things in the business that shouldn’t happen, but once in a while they do slip in. On Tuesday, MxMIndia carried a news report on Laqshya winning the Media OOH mandate of Titan, the watch to jewellery to eyewear company of the Tata Group. This was based on a release we received from Jayanthy Menon of Laqshya and we carried it on the basis of that (http://www.mxmindia.com/2017/06/laqshya-wins-outdoor-media-business-of-titan/). As we do with most other such communiques from known media companies, we carried it without any verification.

     

    However, a day later, we received a very terse mail from someone at Laqshya that the outdoor company was in fact just one of the outdoor major partners.

     

    We protested, but there was not a word of regret from Jayanthy Menon and Karan Dalvi, the person who wrote to us and also called. Instead, he wrote: “Expecting your quick response.”

     

    We also addressed our mail to them on the issue to  AtulShrivastava, Group CEO, Laqshya Media Group, assuming that as a responsible senior executive, he would respond.

     

    We then spoke with Satyabrata Das, Head – Strategic Alliances and Corporate Communications, and we was exceedingly apologetic.

     

    There’s still no mail from Shrivastava, Menon or Dalvi. Meanwhile, we’ve received a communique from Dentsu Aegis Network’s Milestone Milestone Brandcom which notes that Titan has consolidated its outdoor media business with two agencies and one of these is Milestone Brandcom.

     

    Commenting on the win, Nabendu Bhattacharyya, CEO and Managing Director Milestone Brandcom said, “We are extremely happy and excited to partner with the Titan Group. Titan is one of the heritage brands of this country and We are honoured that they have chosen us to uphold their prestige and prominence in the OOH space. Titan is very active in the OOH space and we are only going to leverage it even further.”

     

    Yes, we haven’t received any proof from Milestone Brandcom, but we trust it entirely.

    Once again our apologies to our readers for publishing the Laqshya communique. We have now put the agency on our hotlist of companies from whom we will not accept releases without a self-certification. If necessary, we may even insist on a proof of a business win.

     

  • First Indian MNC to be featured on the UK Heathrow Express

    Heathrow Express adops Tata Comm branding

    By A Correspondent

     

    Tata Communications’ branded Heathrow Express trains have rolled into service as part of a campaign that will see the company wrap Heathrow Express’s entire fleet of trains. Heathrow Express, London’s airport train service, carries 17,000 passengers a day between Paddington and Heathrow Airport. With a journey time of 15 minutes, it is the fastest way to get to central London from one of the world’s busiest air travel hubs.

     

    Tata Communications will also be using on-board digital screens and TV-spots alongside digital airport panels and cross track advertising to raise awareness of its role as a global connector of businesses through its global network, cloud enablement and mobility solutions.

     

    Heathrow Express operates 150 services a day between London and the airport. Building on the theme “We’re the connection,” the campaign will build on the shared role of Tata Communications and the Heathrow Express in connecting businesses and people around the world. The designs of the train wraps and advertising executions feature bold, colourful photography and surprising facts and statistics about Tata Communications’ capabilities, alongside the “We’re the connection” message, highlighting the scale and variety of the company’s global operations.

     

    Julie Woods-Moss, Chief Marketing Officer, Tata Communications, says, “For B2B brands like Tata Communications, it can be a challenge to find great brand platforms. The Heathrow Express is a great fit for us. The company seamlessly connects 17,000 business travellers a day between one of the busiest airports in the world and London – one of the greatest cities and a real gateway between the East and the West. The role of Heathrow Express matches our role as a connector of businesses and people globally. We bring cloud, mobile and network services to enterprises across 240 countries, at the highest speed possible.”

     

    Fraser Brown, Heathrow Express Director, says, “Connecting business travellers from around the world, at speed, is a goal we share with Tata Communications. Tata Communications’ ‘We’re the connection’ and ‘speed’ messaging naturally appeals to our customers. We are always looking to improve the customer experience at Heathrow Express. Speed is at the heart of our service, and that’s why business travellers continue to use our trains. With all this in mind, we’re delighted to have joined forces with Tata Communications.”

     

    Tata Communications’ portfolio of cloud enablement, collaboration and mobility services are underpinned by the company’s leading global network infrastructure. The company owns and operates the world’s largest and most advanced subsea fibre cable network, including the only wholly-owned fibre ring around the world. This network enables customers and partners to reach 99.7 per cent of the world’s GDP, with connectivity to over 240 countries and territories.

     

    This is the first UK advertising sponsorship deal for Tata Communications, the flagship communications arm of the $100 billion Tata group.

     

  • Defensive driving is one of the mandatory courses for employees at most companies like Hindustan Unilever and the Tata Group which extend beyond work hours

    RIL’s Janhavi Gadkar row: Companies warn staff against code of conduct violations after office too!

    By Namrata Singh, Piyush Pandey & Reeba Zachariah

     

    If you are employed with a reputed organization, adhering to the company’s code of conduct now extends beyond work hours. Companies are becoming strict with any transgressions, even if it is committed in the personal space of an employee, and driving under the influence of alcohol is no exception to the rule.

     

    The Janhavi Gadkar drunk driving case has put the spotlight on whether the code of conduct extends beyond office hours. Most companies we contacted responded in the affirmative. In some companies like Vodafone, the code extends to their channel partners and associates as well. Companies have in the past parted ways with erring employees on this count.

     

    RIL, where Gadkar works as VP (legal), issued an advisory to its employees, reminding them about its policy on personal conduct and this includes “drunk“ driving and an employee’s behaviour in their personal capacity . “In official as well as personal capacity , employees at no times should indulge in any action behaviour that violates any law; or is indicative of personal indiscretion; or is socially unacceptable,“ the RIL note stated.

     

    Companies like Indiabulls Housing Finance and Vedanta have already issued advisories to employees on the perils of drunk driving. In Vodafone India’s health safety and wellness policy , five out of eight ‘absolute safety rules’ are on road safety . “Since 2012, we have parted ways with 30 employees and over 600 vendorsoff-rolls individuals for not following the policy . Of these, seven (four employees and three off-rolls) were drink-and-drive cases. Mostly drink-and-drive is beyond working hours,“ said a Vodafone spokesperson. Vodafone India has introduced the concept of a ‘safety passport’, a unique licence that certifies that its employees have cleared the screening processes and adhere to all safety standards and practices set out.<br />

     

    According to Santrupt Misra, director (HR), Aditya Birla Group, an organization has a right to take action if the behaviour of an employee vi olates its code of conduct.“Our general code of conduct governs many aspects of public behaviour that may have implication for the organization. Driving while drunk is against the law of the land and is covered by our code of conduct,“ said Misra.

     

    Defensive driving is one of the mandatory courses for employees at most companies like Hindustan Unilever and the Tata Group which extend beyond work hours. “Even if any of the group employees are caught flouting traffic rules, we make an effort to counsel such offenders while sending an informal message across the line that violations will not be accepted,“ a Tata Group executive said.

     

    A few have different rules.S Ramesh Shankar, executive VP (HR), Siemens, said, while the organization takes a lot of preventive steps including continual education, “we cannot take action on any misconduct by our employees beyond our work premises and after office hours when they are not on official duties“.

     

    RPG Enterprises highlights the importance of socially responsible behaviour. “In the era of social media, the employer brand is highly suscep tible to the reputation loss by an inadvertent act by any employee,“ said Harsh Goenka, chairman, RPG Enterprises.

     

    A lot of companies ensure that at events where alcohol is served, alternate arrangements are made for employees to reach home safely . Gadkar, who played a lead legal role in divestment of RIL’s stake from one of the US shale assets for $1 billion, was celebrating the success of the deal at a party , before the unfortunate accident. Being a criminal case, RIL would not initiate any action against Gadkar till pendency of investigations and judicial process, said sources.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

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  • The integrated campaign to commemorate 100 years of Tata Power will be handled out of Rediffusion Y&R' s Mumbai office

    Rediff bags creative duties of Tata Power

    By A Correspondent

     

    Rediffusion Y&R has bagged the creative duties of Tata Power. The account was won following a multi-agency pitch.

     

    Tata Power accomplished 100 years of operation on February 9, 2015. The integrated campaign to commemorate  100 years of Tata Power will be handled out of  the agency’ s Mumbai office.

     

    The commemoration of centenary year celebrations were kicked off with the unveiling of logo and theme depicting the Company’s 100-year service of ‘Invisible Goodness’ to the nation by Chairman of Tata Power and Tata group Mr Cyrus Mistry in an event at Khopoli on February 9.

     

    Speaking about the development, Shalini Singh, Head-Corporate Communications,  Tata Power said:  “It is with extreme pride, joy and honour, that we would like to ring-in celebrations for our centenary year celebration. The Company will continue to announce various initiatives being undertaken for various stakeholders and we are happy to have partnered with Rediff as our creative partner. We are confident that Rediff with their innovative approach and creative solutions will enable us to drive impactful media presence across our audience segments this centenary year.”

     

    Commenting on the win, Neville Medhora, Vice President-Rediffusion Y&R Mumbai said, “A 100-year celebrations is a momentous occasion and we are very proud to be part of it. Tata Power has a strong value system and our job will be to upfront and celebrate that.”

     

  • Shoppers log out and step into local stores ahead of Diwali over the last weekend

    Despite e-frenzy, crowds throng malls, markets

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Malls and markets in and around Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata were teeming with shoppers scouring for Diwali gifts and grabbing the latest electronic items last weekend, bringing relief to traditional retailers facing an unprecedented heavy discounting onslaught from online retailers.

     

    Supermarkets and consumer durable companies said it is a much better Diwali shopping season — when traditionally the biggest chunk of their annual sales takes place — than last year, thanks to improved consumer sentiments, although some smaller retailers have been impacted by big online sales.

     

    “There is a good number of serious shoppers out there,” said William Bissell, managing director at Fabindia. The retail chain of ethnic garments and furnishings has seen a 31 per cent year-on-year jump in its sales so far this Diwali season.

     

    Vineet Jain, vice president for Big Bazaar in the Delhi region at Future Group, said, “Probably, Sunday is going to be the best single-day sale for us in NCR (national capital region).” Even electronics retailers reported sales jump despite huge discounting offered by e-commerce companies such as Flipkart, Amazon and Snapdeal, thanks to the decision of top brands such as Sony, Samsung and LG to control supply of their top models to online stores.

     

    “This weekend there has been huge rush in malls and parking spaces too are full after a long time, which is a good sign,” said Ajit Joshi, CEO and MD at Tata Group’s Infiniti Retail that owns Croma electronics retail chain.

     

    “Sales have been extremely good, especially for large appliances like frost-free refrigerators and entertainment products like televisions and home theatres,” he said. This festive season all top companies such as Apple, Sony, Samsung, LG and Lenovo have launched their flagship models, and mostly they were kept away from online stores.

     

    “Some consumers were waiting in the wings for good offers during the ecommerce discount period but since they failed to get their desired product, they are back in the malls,” a senior executive at a top electronics chain said on condition of anonymity. Consumer electronics firms have been banking heavily on this Diwali after poor performance last year when consumers shied away from making costly purchases due to the economic scenario and inflation, and marketers did not launch any big model then. Amar Babu, managing director at Lenovo India, said consumer sentiments have improved and the company expects a good season.

     

    “After last year’s Diwali, the market had become really tough but we are witnessing good demand since last 7-8 days,” he said. Sony India said demand for its flat-screen televisions have soared by 40-50 per cent over the period before Diwali last year, helped by a sudden pickup in the last one week.

     

    Sunil Nayyar, head of sales for Sony India, said the company targets 60-70 per cent sales growth this Diwali, led by heavy demand for flat-screen large televisions of 42-56 inches, which segment is expected to contribute 55 per cent of total sales. Garment retailers such as Pantaloons Fashion and Arvind Lifestyle Brands, too, said Diwali sales had a delayed start.

     

    Offline retailers feel it’s is no longer a month-long festive buying phenomenon as Diwali sales period has been shrinking each year. Less number of shopping days doesn’t necessarily mean lower sales.

     

    “While we saw delayed start to Diwali shopping this year, like-to-like sales growth has increased 10 per cent which we had aimed for,” said Shital Mehta, chief executive officer at Pantaloons Fashion. “The growth was much higher at over 30 per cent on Saturday, which indicates that the next few crucial days leading to Diwali will also be good.”

     

    In fact, while people rushed to the malls in the weekend, they have had a near-deserted look during weekdays. J Suresh, managing director at Arvind Lifestyle Brands, said, “This Diwali, there has been a contrast of sorts with low sales during weekdays and better than expected demand on weekends.” Meanwhile, some apparel and electronic retailers that had built up inventory for Diwali have been caught off-guard by the heavy discounting by e-commerce companies.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2014, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • J Walter Thompson likely to win global advertising contract from Tatas for image makeover

    JWT likely to win global ad contract from Tatas

    By Pritha Mitra Dasgupta

     

    WPP-owned J Walter Thompson is likely to win a global advertising contract from the Tata Group, the first time that the conglomerate will embark on a corporate brand initiative as part of Chairman Cyrus Mistry’s push to make its worldwide presence felt more strongly.

     

    The two sides are yet to sign on the dotted line but a verbal commitment has been extended to the agency, according to well-placed insiders. A formal announcement is likely this week. Sources estimate the size of the business at just under Rs 200 crore. The group hasn’t engaged in any brand activity except during centenary celebrations a few years ago.

     

    During the celebrations, an award winning, football-themed film on the group’s values was made by Arun Nanda-led Rediffusion Y&R. “The new management under the leadership of Cyrus Mistry feels the need to position Tata as a force on the global platform,” said a top Tata Sons executive explaining the rationale behind the campaign.

     

    Mr Mistry, who took over as chairman of holding company Tata Sons in 2012 from Ratan Tata, will be looking to strengthen the group’s presence in global markets as an increasing share of its business comes from overseas. “More than half of the (group) companies’ revenues are… from the international markets,” said the person cited above.

     

    “And while people are aware of the individual companies, they don’t know that these companies actually belong to Tata Sons. And thus the company feels that this is the right time to launch a global campaign.”

     

    As reported in May, pitches kicked off in the first week of April. with five agencies participating – JWT, TBWA, Y&R, McCann World-Group and FCB Ulka.

     

    Of these, the first three made it to the final round of presentations that took place in May. The brief was simple, according to the CEO of one of the agencies that participated: “What should the Tatas do to be globally visible?”

     

    The group wants people to look beyond Tata Consultancy Services and Tata Motors unit Jaguar Land Rover, he suggested. “I think the idea is to build salience for the brand Tata so that people see more than just TCS and JLR. It is something that they are trying to fix.”

     

    A JWT executive said winning the deal was more about prestige than anything else. “More than the size of the business it is an extremely prestigious account because no other Indian company has gone global this way,” the person said. He said the pitch was led by Colvyn Harris, CEO of JWT South Asia, and the team had members from the agency’s New York and London offices. Harris declined to comment.

     

    A Tata Sons spokesperson said, “We have not appointed any agency so far, and will make an announcement at the appropriate time.” It wasn’t clear whether Tata wants one advertising campaign that will run across markets or if it will have separate country-wise campaigns with one overarching theme and tagline since the positioning of the group’s units vary across geographies. For instance, the group is the largest employer in the manufacturing sector in the UK, which is very different from its positioning in the US or even China. A top executive at another agency that participated in the pitch said, “They don’t have a plan yet. They have also not finalised the media plan as well and therefore don’t know if it will be an above-the-line (aimed at a wide audience) or below-the-line campaign (more sharply focused). And therefore they have not yet finalised a media agency.”

     

    However, executives aware of the plans say the media business will be integrated with one of the WPP agencies, a strategy that works well for both JWT and Tata if the two go ahead with the initiative.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2014, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish