Marketing review

Marico signs on Ayesha Takia as Brand Ambassador for Hair & Care
FMCG major, Marico has signed up popular Indian film actress Ayesha Takia as the brand ambassador for Hair & Care.

Hair & Care is a non-sticky oil with the natural goodness of herbal proteins, offering users the dual benefit of style and nourishment. Ayesha's popularity amongst the youth along with her sense of style, complimented by her substance, was a perfect match to the brand's attributes.

Hair & Care hair oil has also been launched with a brand new packaging with Ayesha's picture on it. The packaging displays Ayesha's flowing locks and her alluring smile and is perfectly in sync with the brand's messaging "Style & Nourishment".

The company says it is up to 50 pc non sticky than any other hair oil & is enriched with "Herbal Proteins", which nourishes hair with their natural goodness. Herbal Proteins are extracted from Neem & Tulsi, a process patented by Marico

Toyota signs up Kingfisher as Formula 1 sponsor
Kingfisher Airlines promoted by liquor baron Vijay Mallya has signed a multi-year partnership deal with Toyota Motorsport to be an official partner of the Toyota F1 racing team.

Kingfisher Airlines has been designated as official partner for the Toyota Racing Team of the Köln-based Toyota Motorsport.

The partnership between Kingfisher Airlines and Toyota Racing team aims to raise the profile of the team and Formula 1 in India while showcasing the Kingfisher Airlines brand to the world.

According to Mallya Kingfisher Airlines will weave together a series of compelling consumer engagement initiatives that will reward passengers flying on board Kingfisher Airlines with free opportunities to watch Formula 1 races live among other exciting rewards.

Rated as one of corporate India's biggest overseas brand partnerships, the deal will initially be for two years and will commence with the 2007 racing season.

The deal also marks the largest sports partnership programme so far for the 21-month-old Kingfisher Airlines.

CavinKare plans to launch colognes, perfumes
CavinKare will soon expand its range of cosmetics and is currently test-marketing colognes and perfumes. The company has so far launched products mainly for the mass market but plans to now begin catering to the mid segment.

The typical perfumes market, according to the company, is demarcated into premium, middle and lower segments. The upper segment has perfumes selling in the range above Rs 1,000 for 100 ml (typically, foreign brands such as Poison, Hugo and ITC's Essenza Di Wills are in this price band).

The mid-range comprises perfumes in the range of Rs350-Rs1,000 for 100ml (a typical brand in this segment would be Charlie).

There's a huge low-end market occupied by many local brands, which sell in the Rs100-Rs350 range for 100ml.

CavinKare is planning to foray into the mid-market segment targeted at women, under the Spinz brand name for now and would launch a new brand later.

CavinKare is also planning brand extensions. It recently extended the shampoo brand Nyle to cold cream and moisturising lotion and is test-marketing them in the North.

VIP Ind re-launches Skybags range
VIP Industries plans to re-launch its `Skybag' and offer Alfa and Aristocrat brands priced below Rs1,500 range. The re-launch is mainly targeted at the rapidly growing hypermarket and malls across the country.

Skybag, which has not been under production for the last three years, Alfa and Aristocrat would be available from April this year.

The company is also planning to expand its retail outlets and from existing 110 retail outlets, the company plans to reach a target of 175-200 in the next 18 months. At least 30 more outlets would be opened in the next four months.

VIP Industries also plans to launch its premium Carlton brand in the next three to six months in the country. Its other premium brand Delsey is already available. Both these brands are targeted for the export markets, where the company hopes to earn Rs80 crore next fiscal, up from Rs60 crore expected this fiscal.

Club Mahindra's Zest to offer customised vacations
Club Mahindra's market research found that young professionals looking for a change from the daily routine in their holidays don't want to laze around but want to actually expend some pent-up
energy, especially if they work at a job that restricts them in enclosed spaces throughout the day.

The company says these findings are helping it customise each vacation as much as possible. So a variety of activities that enable people to fulfil their expectations of the holiday are offered at Club Mahindra's Zest resorts, be those goals bonding, intimacy, experiences passive or active or relaxation.

Hence for its Zest division, the company is setting up different resorts than Club Mahindra ones. The company has identified it as a huge segment and cannot clubbed with other potential markets for Club Mahindra schemes. The company is looking at those aged between 25 and 39 years. It offers a 10-year membership for Zest that costs Rs90,000.

The majority of the Zest resorts would be built by Club Mahindra but the company is open to acquiring existing ones. The rooms here would be very different from the rooms at Club Mahindra resorts - they would not have a kitchenette nor would they come in different sizes - but at 350 sq ft, they are larger than the average hotel room and can comfortably accommodate two adults and two children under the age of 12.

Also the Zest resorts would be "sophisticated and opulent" and would be customised to each and every guest. They would try to be different in that they would be built in an ethnic style. Each room will come with its own home theatre or DVD player and World Space system. The company is eyeing setting up 10 resorts of 100-150 units each. It has made a beginning with resorts in Ooty and Kodaikanal with a total of 27 rooms, which will receive their first guests soon. Yercaud, Coorg, Chikmaglur and Wyanad are the destinations Zest is looking at.

Whirlpool sales zoom
Whirlpool of India, a subsidiary of the Whirlpool Corporation of the US, ha beaten market leader LG to assume the No. 1 slot in the direct cool refrigerators segment during the festival season last year.

According to the ORG GFK Data for retail sales, Whirlpool attained the leadership position consecutively for two months with a market share of 27.1 per cent in October and 27.2 per cent in November 2006 in value share.

The direct cool category accounts for about 70 per cent of the overall refrigerator unit sales and more than half of the value of refrigerators sold in India.

Toyota launches limited edition Innova
Toyota Kirloskar Motor has launched the first limited edition of Innova with additional features and newer colours.

The limited edition of the vehicle is available in two new colour variants - Simpson red and warm Silver and has features like stylish side graphic, limited edition logo, muffler cutter and rear spoilers.

The limited edition is also equipped with power windows and door locks apart from insulators that reduce noise, vibrations and harshness, new fabric seats, door trims and fabric floor mats. The limited edition is powered by a 2.5 litre D - 4D diesel engine that delivers 102PS.

GM plans SRV variants
General Motors (GM) India has plans to offer variants of the Chevrolet SRV, its sports luxury model. The company could also introduce the sports model with a two-litre TCDi diesel engine and is also launching a special limited edition model of the current 1.6-litre petrol SRV variant.

The diesel model launch would be on the lines of the recent global launch of the model (known as the Daewoo Lacetti 5-door TCDi in UK) at the Bologna Motor Show 2006.

This is the company's first-ever diesel engine car for the UK market and will be launched simultaneously with the Optra (Daewoo Lacetti station wagon in the UK) station wagon model having the same diesel engine. GM India has plans to introduce the Optra (Daewoo Lacetti sedan) diesel variant this year. They all share the same two-litre TCDi diesel engine.

In addition to the diesel model, the company is set to launch a special limited edition of the SRV in March 2007. In all GM India would introduce 150 units of this model.

The company got designers to come up with their editions of the SRV and the entries at the Lakme Fashion Show held November last year included James Ferriera, Nandita Mahtani, Sabyasachi and Wendel Rodrigues.

The sport design with yellow racing stripes on a black-coloured SRV, side skirts and fairings coupled up with black leather seats touched with yellow piping by Nandita Mahtani won the competition.
The company had also displayed a special version of the SRV at the recent Autocar Performance Show held in Mumbai.

Samsung introduces energy rating for fridge range
Samsung India has introduced star labelling on its entire frost-free refrigerator range in the country.

The rating label provides an energy efficiency standard of the refrigerator range in the form of a rating of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most energy efficient product. Samsung claims to have achieved 4-star rating for all its models.

The star rating is being made mandatory by the Bureau or Energy Efficiency in the next couple of months. But Samsung is implementing the norm ahead of the deadline, the release said.

All the Samsung frost-free refrigerators that are being produced at Samsung's Noida unit are in the 4-star category as per the criteria decided by Bureau of Energy Efficiency.

Khadims launches premium shoe range
Kokata: Khadims India is entering the premium market in footwear under the 'British Walker', brand that is being exported to USA for the last 5 months. The 'British Walker' range of shoes, at a price point of Rs1,750, was available at select Khadims outlets in India and clocked sales worth Rs40 lakh in the last 5 months.

The company is rolling out the brand out in 60 exclusive Khadims outlets across 11 states of India for the present and plans to take the brand to all its 253 exclusive outlets across 22 states of India in due time.

The company is expecting to garner sales worth Rs20 lakhs from the British Walker brand in the next three months.

The company is also planning to launch a range of formal footwear for women soon.

The company expects its premium range of formal footwear to garner more sales in North and South India as people do not mind investing more in footwear and therefore would rather vouch for shoes that start at a minimum pricepoint of Rs140.

Tata Motors launches new Indica range
Tata Motors has launched the new Indica V2 2007 range including the Xeta, the NA Diesel and the V2 Turbo. The cars sport a new front bumper with chrome-inlaid grille, a set of new dual-tone outer rear-view mirrors, new front fog lamps, dual chamber headlamps and a pair of new bison tail lamps.

The petrol range is priced between Rs2.55 lakh to Rs3.49 lakh, while the diesel variants are available in the price range of Rs3.22 lakh to Rs4.13 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

The car's interiors sport new upholstery, a new instrument cluster, a new centre fascia along with a more contemporary steering wheel. While the Xeta range carries forward its beige interiors, the diesel range wears a new black interior. The new range is available in four new colours - Arizona Ochre, Amazon Blue, Cavern Grey and Pastel Green. They are in addition to the already popular colours - Arctic Silver, Salsa Red, Mint White and Carbon Black.