Marketing review

IA fares to fall further with 'Easy Fares'
Indian Airlines is now offering its `Easy Fares' scheme that offer discounts of up to 60 per cent on 85 sectors on which it operates.

According to the airline the new scheme is based on a maximum of four levels. It is only when allocation for a particular level is met that the next higher level of fare becomes applicable. The number of seats available under each level will keep changing.

Under the scheme a passenger can fly between Delhi and Chennai at either Rs9,721, if only a Level 1 ticket is available or at Rs5,321 if a ticket is available at Level IV.

Similarly, between Delhi and Bangalore a passenger can now fly at fares ranging between Rs9,021 at the highest level and Rs4,421 at the lowest level. Earlier, to be in a position to fly at lower fares either a passenger had to book four weeks in advance or fly on a particular flight.

The airline says all tickets issued on or before July 4 through the Apex or positioning flight fares and fly select fares will be accepted on the face value of the ticket and refund or addition amount will be charged as applicable.

Walt Disney targets kids with massive promos
Walt Disney Television International is getting high decibel with its promos targeting kids. Recently the company launched a massive promotional campaign targeting eight lakh students across 13 cities in the country and is planning to launch yet another competition, making kids part of the `Kim Possible' programme in Disney Channel.

The channel feels that the way to make the programme more popular is by involving children in the story. Thus the channel is giving away 2.2 million `spy goggles' with which children could crack the codes to help Kim destroy the villain.

The competition begins on July 25 and closes on August 12. The company expects this promo would push the viewership of the seven-month-old channel.

Gillette introduces Wilkinson Sword Twin 2 blade readyshaver
Gillette India has introduced Wilkinson Sword Twin 2 blade readyshaver. The company is focussing on sales of twin blades, which account for four per cent of the overall market for blades, while double-edge blades account for 96 per cent. In value terms, twin blades account for 20 per cent of the gross sales realisations.

The size of the domestic market for blades is about Rs550 crore and is dominated by low-priced blades while the disposable razor category had registered an annual growth rate of around 10 per cent.

The Gillette Wilkinson Sword Twin 2 blade readyshaver was priced at Rs10 and is positioned as an entry-level brand specifically targeted at the "price-sensitive" customer.

Head & Shoulders aloe vera variant launched
P&G has introduced an aloe vera variant of its anti-dandruff shampoo brand, Head & Shoulders. The new variant is priced on par with the brands existing five variants at Rs64 for 100 ml and Rs122 for 100ml.

The company is launching major a new ad film featuring Preity Zinta for the H&S brand which made by Saatchi & Saatchi in Bangkok. The company plans to take the aloe vera variant of H&S to other countries in South East Asia.

Goodcare Pharma introduces `Livgood'
Goodcare Pharma, a Baidyanath Group company, manufacturing and marketing OTC products for lifestyle related diseases has nationally launched its product "Livgood".

The company manufactures 700 products at its two GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) factories in Joka, near Kolkata and Gurgaon, near Delhi.

According to the company Livgood is a natural liver protector and is safe, effective and natural. The company is launching the product in all the metros initially, and later in the smaller towns.

Brand promos of the product estimated at over Rs1 crore are being handled by four ad agencies, namely, Mileage, Response, R K Swamy Advertising and ACI. The product is being marketed in bottles of 60 capsules each.

The four basic ingredients of Livgood, according to the company are kutki (a key herb in ayurveda for treating sluggish liver, dyspepsia, constipation and loss of appetite), ghritkumari (aloe vera tonic for liver and spleen), punarnava (also used as a diuretic for oedema) and bhumiamla (a liver protector which was also beneficial in intestinal colic). Among the popular OTC products from the Baidyanath stable are Neem Guard, Spirulina Plus and Stress Guard.

Hewlett Packard inaugurates `interactive' outlet
Hewlett Packard India has opened its second premium retail outlet — Experience Zone (at the GJ Ghaisas store) in Pune.

According to the company, the HP Experience Zone attempts to provide consumers with an interactive and informative shopping experience. Essentially, the outlet would allow consumers to use the product and experience it as if they were in their own homes.

At the Experience Zone, the consumer can touch, feel and experience the product before actually buying it. These stores also help business by tapping demand through their innovative design.

The HP Experience Zone is designed using HP branding on the walls, jazzy demo counters and stylish interiors, which showcase a range of products in various zones. These zones are digital photography, digital entertainment, mobility solutions, category units and consumer desktops. All products have been set up to simulate a home environment.

HP's products are available across 1,491 retail outlets, 370 sub-distributors and 273 consumer support and service centres across 104 cities and locations in the country ensuring a nationwide reach of HP products and consumer service facilities.

L'Oreal relaunches Majirel range of hair colour
L'oreal has relaunched Majirel, the salon range of hair colour in India. According to the company the relaunch is because the company has made a technological breakthrough in the brand recently.

Earlier, a substance called Ionene G in the product would nourish the surface and the cortex of the hair but now with the addition of Incell, it works on the cuticle also, thus covering the entire hair fibre.

The company has also added 26 new colours to the range. The total number of options is now 76 colours in nine shade categories.

L'Oreal is associated with 4,000 salons in 60 cities. The company supports salons by educating and training hairdressers in hair care, trends and techniques and through merchandising and display.

CavinKare relaunches Fairever
CavinKare has relaunched its fairness cream, Fairever, in a natural avatar. The brand will now be called Natural Fairever and will contain a blend of Kashmir saffron, available in new packaging and will be endorsed by the South Indian film actress Asin.

This is the first time that the company had opted for a brand ambassador. Fairever is the second largest brand in the company's portfolio behind Chik shampoo.

The fairness cream market in India is estimated to be about Rs800 crore. Fairever has a market share of about 8 per cent while Hindustan Lever's Fair and Lovely, with all its variants, has a market share of about 86 per cent.

GTC banks on `low tobacco' cigarettes to drive growth
Golden Tobacco Company (GTC) plans to introduce low-tobacco cigarettes in the near future. It has completed market trials of low-tobacco cigarette blends, with nearly 25 per cent lower tobacco content, in its flagship brand, Panama, with what it claims to be "promising results".

The company is planning to launch the low tobacco offering in bingo, plain and filter segments of the domestic cigarette industry.

Idea launches cell-to-cell STD calls at 99 paise
Idea Cellular has announced a tariff of 99paise per minute for cell-to-cell STD calls made by its subscribers in Delhi.

The tariff will be applicable for calls made to any private GSM mobile network. Idea subscribers will have to pay Rs2.75 per minute for long-distance calls made to subscribers of BSNL, MTNL, and CDMA-based operators.

The tariffs will be applicable irrespective of the distance or the time of the call.

The offer comes into effect from July 6, is primarily for pre-paid card users but will be applicable to all post-paid subscribers on the new Idea India plans.

Idea-to-Idea local calls will be charged at 75paise per minute. Local SMS will cost Re1 compared to Rs1.50 currently.

ICICI Bank launches online PPF scheme
ICICI Bank has launched an online Public Provident Fund (PPF) account after having received authorisation to collect funds for PPF at branches approved by the ministry of finance.

The bank can also receive subscriptions and act as a collecting and servicing agent for the 'senior citizen savings scheme, 2004'. The bank will not levy any charges for these services.

Customers opening PPF accounts through ICICI Bank can log on to their internet banking accounts and transfer money from their savings accounts into the PPF account. They can request for loans, withdrawals ,etc, online. Other features of the PPF scheme such as interest rate and tax benefits will be available online as per the prevailing rules and guidelines of the PPF scheme. PPF desks will also be designated at ICICI branches.

The collection of the 'senior citizen savings scheme' is being launched initially in Mumbai and Delhi, followed by a phased nationwide rollout.

— Compiled by Mohini Bhatnagar