Marketing review
09 Dec 2004
Air
India, Indian Bank launch 'affordable' schemes for travel
to Singapore
Air India, in association with Indian Bank, has introduced
travel schemes to Singapore The schemes offer travellers
the option of taking loans on equated monthly instalments
(EMIs) through Indian bank's branches in Tamil Nadu.
The Singapore Tourism Board is making all out efforts
to remove the perception that travelling to Singapore
is expensive. The first scheme offers airfare alone
on Air India flights (Chennai- Singapore-Chennai). The
EMI is Rs699 for an adult and Rs466 for a child below
12 years.
The second scheme includes a `four-day three-night stay'
at Metropolitan YMCA with daily breakfast, half-day
city tour, one lunch and a Singapore river bumboat ride.
The EMI is Rs844 for an adult and Rs613 for children
below12 years.
The EMI for the third scheme is Rs909 for an adult and
Rs678 for a 4-day 3-night stay at Golden Landmark with
daily breakfast, half-day city tour, one lunch and Singapore
river bumboat (small boat that ferries supplies for
sale to a larger ship at anchor) ride.
The
loan offered to residents of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry
is a clean loan without security for salary earners.
Loans are payable on EMI over a 24-month period. Bookings
can be made through IATA (International Air Transport
Association) travel agents who will co-ordinate with
Indian Bank on the formalities.
Jet
Airways and Hertz launch new services for frequent flyers
Jet Airways and Hertz have entered into an agreement
according to which the domestic airline's Jet Privilege
(JP) members (frequent flyers) can avail of Hertz's
Rent-A-Car service at eight locations within India and
globally, at over 7,200 locations.
The
offer is available from March 1, 2005. JP members, who
avail themselves of Hertz's Rent-A- Car offer in India,
will earn 100 JP miles on every Rs1,000 spent, 125 JP
miles in Asia, and 250 JP miles for the rest of the
world for every car rental activity they undertake.
Apart
from this, 'JP platinum' members will also be entitled
to 25 per cent discount for self-driven and chauffeur-driven
vehicles, while 'JP gold' and 'silver' members will
get 20 and 15 per cent.
Hertz hopes to expand its self-drive car segment through
the leisure traveller. The company had already tied
up with several companies, for rental services and is
looking at widening its bases by tying up with petrol
pumps.
BSNL
goes to ASCI against Airtel advertisement
State-owned telecom major Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL)
has challenged private telecom operator Airtel's claim
that it is the only mobile telecom service provider
in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K).
BSNL has moved the Advertising Standards Council of
India (ASCI) against an advertisement published by Airtel
in a news magazine dated November 22, 2004, in which
it states that it is the "only one mobile service
that takes you to Jammu and Kashmir."
BSNL
says that the former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee,
launched BSNL's mobile service in the state in August
2003, much before Airtel's service was launched.
Emphasising
that "such an advertisement is prejudicial to the
public interest and the interest of mobile subscribers,"
BSNL has requested ASCI to issue a proper direction
to Airtel "to cease and desist from publishing
such advertisement(s) material."
In a news magazine dated November 22, 2004, stated that
it is the "only one mobile service that takes you
to Jammu and Kashmir." But the fact is that the
former PM, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had launched BSNL's
mobile service in the Ssate in August 2003, much before
Airtel's service was launched.
Dabur
launches Hommade ready-to-use packaged soup
New Delhi: Dabur Foods has launched ready-to-use
packaged soup under the Hommade brand.
The ready-to-use soup will be available in three variants
of tomato, mushrooms and sweet corn. The company claims
these are free of preservatives as well as mono sodium
glutamate (ajinomoto).
Dabur Foods aims to capture 10 per cent of the soups
category in the first year of its national rollout.
Amit Burman, CEO of Dabur Foods said Hommade soups are
healthier and tastier, as the liquid soup formulation
imparts the nutrition and flavour of vegetables more
effectively than dehydrated soup options and does not
contain chemicals like mono sodium glutamate.
Hommade
soups will be available in 200-ml cartons. The tomato
variant has been priced at Rs16, whereas mushroom and
sweet corn have each been priced at Rs18. Each soup
pack provides three servings.
The launch is being supported by an extensive marketing campaign, which involves soup festivals across metros to increase awareness and consumer trials. The company is also organising cross promotions with Real fruit juice, extensive in-shop sampling and retail visibility.
Lotte,
DS Group venture to launch chewing gum
The joint venture between Lotte Company of Korea and
the Delhi-based DS Group is expected to launch a chewing
gum in the domestic market under the Lotte brand by
December 2005.
The joint venture, in which Lotte Company has 70 per
cent stake, has identified a site in Solan, Himachal
Pradesh, to start manufacturing the product. The venture
plans to break even within the first two years.
Lotte is present in the country through its acquisition
of the erstwhile Parry's Confectionery based in Chennai.
SBI
Life to launch unit-linked product
SBI Life Insurance has introduced its first unit-linked
plan finally after virtually all private insurers.
The move will reduce its dependence on insurance linked
to home loans that has negative growth implications.
The policy has been introduced without the option of
a one-time payment of premium.
Currently, about 56 per cent of the company's premium comes through a one-time premium payment because of its dependence on insurance business linked to home loans disbursed by its parent.
The
return of Shell to fuel retailing
European oil major, Shell, has restarted auto fuel retailing
in India after a gap of nearly three decades. The company
opened its first petrol pump in Bangalore last week.
Royal Dutch / Shell wound up its Indian operations in
1976 after its petrol pump network and refinery at Mumbai
were nationalised and renamed Bharat Petroleum Corporation
Ltd (BPCL).
Shell
will be the first multinational oil firm to start fuel
retailing in India after the government opened up the
sector to private players in April 2002.
So far, auto fuel retailing in the country was a domain
of the three state-owned firms IOC, BPCL and
HPCL. This year domestic private entities such as Reliance
Industries and Essar Oil opened a few petrol outlets.
Shell,
with a licence to open up to 2,000 petrol pumps in the
country, will invest Rs250 crore in phase-I of its retail
plan that focuses on setting up petrol pumps in the
Southern part of the country.
Skoda launches upgrade scheme Skoda Signature
Skoda Auto India, a group company of German automotive
major, Volkswagen AG, has launched an innovative branded
upgrade programme called Signature.
Skoda Signature enables a Skoda car owner to upgrade
to another car. In case a consumer plans to exchange,
the dealer will purchase the car at an amount could
be used for down payment for the upgraded model.
Skoda plans to launch a range of cars in 2005, enter
new segment categories and make Indian operations its
regional hub.
The
company expects to grow the overall company sales by
about 50 to 55 per cent next year riding on the launch
of new models in segments it is currently not present.
These include a `C' segment sedan Skoda Fabia, `D' plus
segment Octavia II built on a bigger platform and the
launch of a diesel variant of high-end Skoda Superb.
Trent
to expand hypermarket, Star India Bazaar
Simone Tata's venture into retailing with the Westside
chain, Trent, is set to expand its operations and will
add at least two stores to the existing 16 in 2005-06.
The
company, which plans to make significant investments
in expanding its hypermarkets business, launched last
October in Ahmedabad now plans to launch hypermarkets
in Bangalore and Mumbai.
Trent,
last October forayed into mass market retailing with
Star India Bazaar, which sells household items, grocery,
food and beverages, health and beauty products and electronic
items targeted at the budget buyer through discounted
prices.
The
company also plans to launch two more Westside stores
by February in Mumbai and Delhi. It also plans to open
a store in Vadodara in the next fiscal.
Compiled by Mohini Bhatnagar