Marketing review

12 May 2005

Jassi is new brand ambassador of Godrej No 1
Godrej Consumer Products (GCPL), has signed up Mona Singh, heroine of tele-serial Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin (telecast on Sony Entertainment TV) as the brand ambassador for Godrej No.1 soaps.

"All that glitters is not gold," translating into all soaps are not Grade I quality soaps," is the theme of the campaign. In the advertisement Godrej Soaps and Jassi both stand for the sachchi prakritik sundarta proposition, according to the company. The campaign emphasises the value for money proposition of Godrej No 1 soap that produces more lather and lasts longer (75gm-bar of 'grade III' toilet soap would last for 28 baths compared to 'grade I' soap which lasts much longer).

Godrej No.1 soap, launched in 1922, has a volume market share of 6 per cent and is the fifth-largest selling soap in the country and is the top selling soap in Punjab / Haryana with a 20 per cent market share.

Henkel India enters hair colourant segment
Henkel India has forayed into the home-use hair colourant segment with two brands — Schwarzkopf "Silkience" and Schwarzkopf "Palette."

Silkience is available in eight shades — five basic colours (black, dark brown, burgundy, medium brown, natural brown) and three fashion colours (wild auburn, violet brown, golden chocolate), while Palette is available in six shades — natural black, dark brown, medium brown, light brown, dark chestnut and burgundy.

Schwarzkopf Silkience and Schwarzkopf Palette are priced at Rs399 and Rs99 respectively and will be available at leading outlets across the top 20 cities in the country. The company expects this would help the company with a growth of 12 per cent in its topline.

Research firm A C Neilsen, has estimated the hair dyes and colourants market in India at Rs270 crore, of which the size of the hair colourant segment is around Rs84.5 crore and is growing at over 20 per cent annually.

Henkel is already present in India in the professional hair colourant business. The company will soon launch a multi-media campaign in support of the products along with a direct consumer contact campaign with a focus on in-store beauty advisory service.

Kingfisher takes on Jet, IA with lower fares
Kigfisher Airlines, positioning itself as a budget airline has announced fares for the Bangalore-Mumbai sector, which are 35 per cent lower than those of Indian Airlines and Jet Airways but lower than those offered by Air Deccan.

However, unlike Air Deccan, which is purely a low-frills airline, Kingfisher promises frills like in-flight entertainment with television sets for individual seats and professional models as flight attendants

The new fares may start a fare war among the domestic airlines, will be about 40 per cent lower than Kingfisher Airlines' competitors in the Bangalore-Delhi sector. The airline will operate on this sector from next month. Kingfisher's lowest fare is Rs3,900 for the Bangalore-Mumbai sector, with the next highest being Rs4,900 and the highest at Rs5,900.

About 30 per cent of the seats will be reserved for the first and the second set of fares and the rest for the highest priced fares. On the Bangalore-Delhi sector, Kingfisher Airlines has priced the first slab at Rs6,900, the next at Rs8,900 and the highest at Rs10,900.

Madura Garments plans to make Louis Philippe in to a Rs 350-crore brand
Madura Garments plans to evolve the at present Rs175-crore Louise Philippe brand into a Rs350 crore business in the next three years. The company plans to spend about Rs60-70 crore in the next three years in rolling out at least 50 Louise Philippe branded stores that will be a one-stop destination for everything in the male wardrobe. By Diwali this year, the brand will have in its portfolio men's fragrances and inner wear among other categories.

The company is currently scouting for licensing agreements with manufacturers in the men's accessories business to add to the range of accessories currently on offer in the brand.

Over the next few months, the company will use a combination of franchisee and company-owned format to roll out stores in Mumbai and add to the existing numbers in Delhi and Pune among other cities.

McDonald's to expand in North
McDonald's India is planning to expand in the northern part of the country and will invest more than Rs400 crore, along with suppliers, for a large-scale expansion drive.

The company plans to add 14 family restaurants, four McDonald's express and six Mc Donald's kiosks this year to its current strength of 70 restaurants in the country. The new outlets will be in Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Chandigarh.

The towns and cities to be targeted include Agra, Allahabad, Ghaziabad, Kanpur, Dehra Dun, Chandigarh and Shimla.

McDonald's is also expanding its presence across national highways, expressways, railway stations and places of convenience such as petrol pumps as well.

Online adspend to grow by leaps and bounds
Internet and Online Association (IOA), believes that Internet advertising will explode in the entertainment and telecom sectors.

According to a survey by the IOA the number of interactive users in India is expected to go up to 165 million by 2007 from the present 25 million net users and 37 million mobile users and the advertising budget in the telecom and entertainment sectors should grow by double-digit numbers.

Media habits of Internet users indicate interesting trends. About 55 per cent of the online audience surveyed watched over one film a month in theatres, with 70 per cent preferring Hindi movies. Of these, 77 per cent of online users are aware of online ticketing while only 22 per cent have bought tickets online as limited number of theatres sell online tickets.

The report said that half the respondents watched movies during the weekend, while 23 per cent had no specific preference. As far as films on television are concerned 77 per cent watch Hindi films, 70 per cent watch English films and 26 per cent prefer regional films and 33 per cent watch at least one film in a week.

The association says it makes sense for film companies to have a healthy presence on e-commerce sites and cinema halls and multiplexes should invest in online ticketing.

On the viewing pattern, the report said that close to half the respondents watched movies during the weekend, while 23 per cent had no specific preference. As far as films on television are concerned 77 per cent watch Hindi films, 70 per cent watch English films and 26 per cent prefer regional films. On the other hand, 33 per cent watch at least one film in a week.

Reliance Info takes pricing war further
Reliance Infocomm has taken its pricing war into the post-paid segment.

The company has introduced Joy 99, a post-paid plan with a minimum commitment of Rs149 a month, of which the rental component is Rs99. The company says this is an "aggressive foray into the sub-Rs100 market that accounts for almost 50 per cent of the industry's average monthly post-paid net additions of 4,00,000."

The plan involves caller line identification presentation charges and plan charges of Rs25 each, as applicable to all Reliance IndiaMobile subscribers, according to a news release from the company.
Joy 99 comes with an intra-circle tariff of Rs1.50 for calls to all Reliance phones, and Rs2.20 for calls to other networks.

Market watchers say Reliance is due to come out with a 50 per cent discount offer on its handsets over the next three months. The company is talking to vendors for bringing down the price to $30 (less than Rs1,500) a piece from the existing price band of $60 a piece.

Reliance Infocomm is targeting a 10-fold increase in its subscriber base from the current 10.2 million to 100 million over the next 3 years, which would make Reliance the third largest telecom company in the world after China Telecom and China Unicom. whose subscriber base is estimated at around 150 million each by March, 2008.

Skin Sin's 'Little Sinner' shines at Delhi Ad club awards 2004
Wins gold and silver for best print ad campaign amongst 500 entries

Skin Sin the, premium label of ladies footwear by designer Arvind Bajaj was awarded the gold and silver award for the best print ad campaign in the clothing, footwear and accessories category at the recently organized Delhi Ad club awards 2004 in New Delhi.

Monte Carlo and Red tape shoes were amongst the other short listed brands in the fray.

According to Arvind Bajaj, Skin Sin will always be at the forefront of fashion and present footwear styles in India at the same time the designs hit the shelves in Europe.

The campaign was conceptualised by Interact Vision and shot by noted photographer Tarun Khiwal, whose suave style is ranked as one of the finest in the fashion photography industry. The advertisement in a challenging and teasing manner dares the evolved woman of today to not only accept the traits of lust, greed and anger — the so called Sins — but implores her to give in to their temptations and indulge in the materialistic pleasures of life.

Skin Sin is retailed in fashion capitals of Europe and was recently launched in India at Delhi's posh N-Block Market in GK I. The brand is fast gaining popularity with the shoe loving fashionistas in the capital.

Skin Sin is all set to open a second show room at Mumbai's up-market Grand Hyatt Mall.

The categories at the Delhi Ad club awards 2004 included foods, beverages; toiletries and household care; health and cosmetic care, clothing, footwear and accessories; consumer durables; homes/decor/leisure; automotive products & accessories; services for the household sector; business products and services; travel and hospitality; media; public service; radio; outdoor; new interactive media; non-traditional media; Copywriter of the Year; Art Director of the Year; and Agency of the Year.

SriLankan Airlines offers discounted fares for South-east Asia
SriLankan Airlines has announced new discounted fares to a number of South-east Asian destinations including Singapore, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.

According to a statement, the discounted rates for the Far East start from Rs11,237 for a Mumbai-Colombo-Bangkok-Colombo-Mumbai trip and Rs12,677 on the Mumbai-Colombo-Singapore-Colombo-Mumbai sector. Likewise a Mumbai-Colombo-Kuala Lumpur-Colombo-Mumbai round trip fare is priced at Rs13,548.

The special offer is valid till the end of July on any SriLankan Airlines flight.

The airline has also announced special rates on specific flights from several of its Indian destinations. It has announced a special fare of Rs11,420 each on the India-Colombo-Singapore - Colombo-India sector and the India-Colombo-Kuala Lumpur-Colombo-India sector.

Yamaha launches new Libero LX
Yamaha Motors has launched 100 cc bike Libero LX with an advanced technological design.

According to the company, "Libero LX will set new standards in the executive commuter category and will be backed by the international Yamaha experience and technology. With the launch of the new Libero LX now and Crux S last month, we have embarked on an aggressive marketing strategy by giving a fresh look to our bikes and expect to tap a larger commuter base in the Indian two-wheeler market."

Aoart from attractive looks the new Libero LX gives a new superior engine, fuel efficiency and a better road grip. The new front panel with the much awaited fuel indicator in the Libero LX allows the rider to conveniently assess mileage, by the fuel quantity left in the tank. The speedometer has also been redesigned.

The bike comes with the revolutionary AIS (air induction system), a modified head cylinder and a new oxidizing catalyst inside the muffler to meet the emission norms for 2005. The breather pipes and AIS intake hose have been connected to the air filter to ensure the flow of filter air to the engine to enhance the engines performance. And also increases the life of the engine.

The design concept for the exterior styling of Libero LX mixes solidity with comfort. The new double seat with double cushioning offers the rider and passenger comfortable and ample space. The new seat design significantly improves the rider's ground contact while keeping the knee-bending angle when riding within comfortable limits. Dynamic graphics on fuel tank, cover tails and side covers enhance the visual appeal and give the bike its special shape and look.

Powered by the 106cc, 4-stroke, air-cooled SOHC Advantech engine of to delivers optimum power, excellent mileage and smooth gearshift Libero LX has a new mounting arrangement with TFF assembly that allows ease of serviceability. Clutch and brake wires sport a new design without adjustors at the top.

Equipped with high performance spark plugs recommended by leading automobile manufacturers around the world the bike's front and rear tyres sport a new pattern for better road grip in all kinds of weather conditions. Taillights with multi reflectors provide increased road safety to the rider in the night.

The new Libero LX comes with a competitive price of Rs40 ,566 (ex-showroom Delhi).

Compiled by Mohini Bhatnagar