Updates

Brand Watch

Heinz Fiasco

The Heinz fiasco has been in the lime-light for months now- so many focussed articles and dedicated blogs have popped up in a few months to discuss the same.  Heinz has final come up with an official apology to its consumers for it. It apologised to consumer in Germany after a QR code on of one of its bottles contained a link to a pornographic website. According to Heinz -the code was out of date and the company was taking steps to prevent it happening again,

The QR code, was placed on the back of the bottle and was required to be scanned by people using a smartphone in order to access content online for an online competition. The link was supposed to direct to a site where participants could design a label for the bottle of Heinz Tomato Ketchup Hot. This was done as part of a promotion by the company but instead fired back as the URL was hosting porn.

Kalyan serves as a learning to other brands

Kalyan Jewellers recent ad campaign serves as lesson to most brands. There recent ad screening Aishwarya Rai as the brand ambassador and a malnutrition, dark and lanky kid serving as a servant in the back was seen as racist and pro-child labour.

Nestle trying to reposition the brand

Nestle is planning to come up with a brand new snack that will serve as an alternative to Maggie ad will help the brand in repositioning it as more healthy. According to their upcoming plan-b their new product could be a either a ready-to-eat  or ready-to-cook food. This will involve launching the old classic Maggi noodles in a new format. According to Nestle- Food has never been safer. More than the product, it is the public perception, they have to work on. The only thing that interests them, right now is to have their product back as soon as possible and to clear up the  controversy. According to Brand Finance, Maggi is expected to lose more than two hundred million dollars in brand value after the FSSAI ban.

Coca-Cola ‘s happy association with Mad-men

Coca cola has been associated with the American TV series mad-men for years now. The T.V show has always created a rosy picture for the brand and it was with this trust that the brand allowed the television series to use its hill-top advertisement without asking any questions. At last, the entire ad of 60 seconds was run and was used to put an end to one of the most successful series in the country. To Coca-Cola this proved to be was an amazing, unexpected gift.

Media

E-COMM initiating conversations on Twitter

The new age e-commerce companies are taking on each other on social media platforms like Twitter. Sometimes it seems like just bantering but on few occasions  the Companies might get into an ugly brawl. Be it the recent tussle between Amazon and Zomato or the casual flirtation between Snap deal and Free charge, the brands are surely loving it and taking it as an opportunity to show themselves as cool and witty to the new age customers

Dabur to hire Star-comm Media vest

Dabur India has given all its media duties to Starcomm media vest group (SMG). In the words of KK Chutani, executive director, marketing, Dabur India, “Dabur has adopted a fresh approach to its media strategy with a focus on the younger  generation and emphasis on use of digital media as a way to create the right impact”. SMG has become the first agency in the history of Dabur to solely take care of the entire media planning and buying. SMG is keen to help Dabur deliver the business goals

Digital is solving problem

Going digital in the music industry is surely helping the Industry fight piracy. There are lot of music apps with Saavn leading the pack in India. The India-New York based start-up is spending a lot on advertising with brand ambassadors like Ranbir Kapoor on board. Saavn has hired McCann as its creative agency and has also tied up with Prasoon Joshi for its campaigns and help improve user engagement further. It is currently competing with Times Internet’s Gaana and Airtel wink in the market.

Brand launch-

Xo lo to launch its online only brand Black in June

The Noida based company backed by Lava is also entering the online-retail only segment in the mobile phones category. A sub-brand Black will have 5-6 handsets launched in this year. The First phone under this will be launched in June with a dual rear camera and priced below Rs 15000. All upcoming mobiles will also be in the range of 10000 to 20000 and will be 4G enabled.

Mahindra to launch the new face of XUV 500 in the end of May

Mahindra XUV 500 facelift is all set to launch on 25^th may. The changes made in the car have been strictly cosmetic like the new alloy wheel pattern, the L shaped  chrome finished fog lamp etc. The other features like the engine churning out a hefty 140bhp and 330Nm of torques while also being fuel efficient by returning 15.1km/l remain the same. The company has a lot of hopes to capture the market with the improved version of the XUV 500.