Brand watch :Eveready: The power of red

Eveready: The power of red

In a segment that wasn’t exactly known for dashing brands, Eveready became a game changer on the back of its sustained brand building efforts, a strength it now is leveraging to diversify.

Market leader

Eveready India Limited (EIL) was set up in 1905. It has been a glorious century where the flagship brand has gone from strength to strength. After the initial dry cell batteries were imported from the United States, the first plant in India was set up in 1939 at Kolkata and another in 1952 at Chennai. EIL then forayed into flashlights in 1958 with a factory in Lucknow. Commanding close to 45 per cent market share in the dry cell segment as revealed by AC Nielsen survey in 2009-2010, the brand is a leader in the Indian market. Eveready’s distribution betters probably anyone’s in the FMCG category. From departmental stores to paan and cigarette shops across the country, it is to be found. Powered by great products and quality campaigns, Eveready has always managed to be at the very top for years.

Eveready’s strength is the result of a continuous and well-orchestrated brand development strategy that maximises the value from each consumer touch point.

Product portfolio

Innovative products at reasonable prices are what have made Eveready a brand that has touched the lives of millions of Indians.

Eveready has a portfolio comprising dry cell batteries (carbon zinc batteries, rechargeable batteries and alkaline batteries), flashlights (torches), CFLs and packet tea (Tez).  Recently it has also forayed into the mosquito repellant business with Poweron brand.

Eveready should no longer be considered just a battery maker. In fact the company’s new mantra is “to light up people’s lives”. The lighting solutions focus on the light emitting diode (LED) technology-based lamp which is being touted as the next big thing. The new Eveready digiLED Lantern is an example. These lanterns bring to you the convenience of keeping your home lit up even when there’s a power cut. Alternatively, the digiLED lanterns can be a welcome device for all those who have no access to power and need other sources of light.

Brand communication

‘Give me red’. These three iconic words for a whole generation of Indians brought up in the 90’s meant only one thing – Eveready.

Great distribution network spread across the length and breadth of the country, quality products at reasonable prices and its incessant brand development processes have ensured the best consumer solution for the brand. Van campaigns have been in existence for long but it is Eveready that has taken it as a serious tool to market itself, especially in the rural parts of India. A big chunk of Eveready’s success comes from its armada of sales cum promotional vans – 1,000 exclusive vans servicing retailers across the country. Signing of star Akshay Kumar as brand ambassador has boosted the already high brand recognition even further.

The continuous leadership status of the brand owes much to the consistent brand building efforts that have always kept the brand relevant to the urban and semi-rural consumers, the genesis of which was the multiple award winning ‘Give me Red’ campaign. The original, path-breaking campaign won as many as 11 advertising awards. Eveready’s new logo is forward-looking, contemporary and dynamic. The tag line, ‘Next Century of Power’, says a thousand things about the brand. Eveready and Give me Red have become synonyms with the image of power and endurance. Its batteries, flashlights and various other products touch every Indian’s life in one way or the other.

The brand signifies quality with affordability. Eveready’s incredible power of reaching out to most Indians has made them one of the most powerful and enduring FMCG brands in the country. It has powered India for years and with constant innovations and creative advertising campaigns making it the brand leader in its category.

Brand Watch : Bombay Dyeing: Bring Style Home

Bombay Dyeing: Bring Style Home

One of the India’s largest producers of textile since 1879, Bombay Dyeing is also one of the oldest companies in the country

Bombay Dyeing is one of India’s largest producers of textiles. The daily production at Bombay Dyeing exceeds 300,000 meters of fabrics and it has a distribution chain consisting of 600 plus exclusive shops spread all over the country. Bombay. Apart from the textiles, Bombay Dyeing also deals in the chemicals.

Group heritage

Bombay Dyeing is part of the Wadia Group, which is more than 250 years old. Wadia Group initially ventured into the area of ship building, and more than 355 ships were designed and built by the Group, including men-of-war for the British Navy. As the industrialization grew in the 19th century, so did the trading, and new opportunities for business. In the late 19th century, Bombay was one of the major cotton ports of the world.

Nowrosjee Wadia sensed an opportunity in India’s mushrooming textile industry and on August 23, 1879, Bombay Dyeing was founded in a humble redbrick shed. Since then, Bombay Dyeing has grown into one of India’s largest producer of textiles. The company also diversified and pioneered the manufacturing of various chemicals.

Along the path of growth and diversification, Bombay Dyeing has spawned dozens of other companies. In technical and financial collaboration with world leaders, such companies have pioneered the manufacture of various chemicals and have grown to be leaders in their new fields.

With the wave of industrialization in the 19^th century, trading grew, and with it, opportunities for new areas of business. In 1879, Bombay was next only to New Orleans as the world’s largest cotton port. It was at this time that Nowrosjee Wadia set his sights on India’s mushrooming textile industry. On August 23rd, in a humble redbrick shed, he began a small operation. Here, cotton yarn spun in India was dip dyed by hand in three colours-turkey red, green and orange-and laid out in the sun to dry.

The 19th century witnessed a new wave in industrialization. Trading grew, and with it opportunities for new areas of business. The craft of spinning and weaving fine cloth had historically been associated with India. In 1879, Bombay was the second largest cotton port in the world. The country’s textile industry was mushrooming and Nowrosjee, was the right man in the right place at the right time.

On August 23, of that year, in a humble red-brick shed Nowrosjee, began a small dye works, the first of its kind in India. Here, cotton yarn spun in India was dip-dyed by hand in three colours – turkey red, green and orange and laid out in the sun to dry. It was history in the making. The Bombay Dyeing and Manufacturing Company Ltd. had been born. Throughout the 116 years that allowed, the company has successfully grown into one of India’s largest producers of textiles.

Along the path of growth, the Wadias have diversified into various fields of industry and commerce. The diversification was multidirectional (Chemicals, agro-products, light engineering, electronics, consultancy and architecture) in technical and financial collaboration with world leaders. The new companies under the Wadia banner have been pioneers and are now leaders in their respective fields.

It was more than just a company, Bombay Dyeing that was born, in 1879, it was a legacy. A legacy that would give rise to one of India’s most respected business houses – The Wadia Group.

The Wadia Group today

With 132 years at the forefront of industry in India, the Wadia Group is today broadly diversified in several growth industries that cover airlines, textiles, chemicals, petrochemicals, plantations, foods, electronics, light engineering, health, laminates, real estate and consultancy. Consistently, the Group companies have emerged as market leaders in fields they have entered. And over the years the Group has developed an enviable record of successfully managing diverse technologies.

For the year ended March 31, 2011, the Bombay Dyeing posted a net profit of Rs 21.39 crore, compared to Rs 18.42 crore in the same period last fiscal. Net sales of the firm rose to Rs 1,886.47 crore for the year ended March 31, 2011, as against Rs 1,642.76 crore in the previous fiscal.

Brand watch SOTC: Taking places

SOTC: Taking places

SOTC’s advantage lies in the fact that it provides its customers affordable but enjoyable travel solutions from a wide array of packages and deals at attractive prices.

Kuoni India’s key outbound travel subsidiary, SOTC – is India’s largest outbound tour operator. Kuoni Travels, the world’s leading tour operator, took over the brand in 1996. Since then it has become a leader in all sections including escorted tours, free individual travel, special interest tours and domestic holidays. Its wide variety of holiday packages has taken the concept of holidaying to a whole new level. It has definitely redefined the concept of organised leisure travel in India. Till date, SOTC has escorted over 4 lakh passengers across the globe to various destinations such as Europe, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, the Far East, Africa and so on.

Founded by Alfred Kuoni in 1906, the Kuoni Group is one of the world’s leading travel corporations with an annual turnover of over CHF 4 billion. With its corporate headquarters located in Zurich, Switzerland, Kuoni has a worldwide workforce of over 7,502 employees. The brand’s core focus is leisure travel and destination management businesses.

Scoring high on customer service

The strength of SOTC lies in the fact that the travel brand has empathised with budget travellers and came up with packages like cost saver tours, which have been designed keeping in mind the budget of the tourist without compromising on holiday prerequisites. SOTC offers its customers the chance to experience Europe and Southeast Asia at prices that one could only have dreamt of earlier. With SOTC’s cost saver tours, budget travellers enjoy the same inclusions as on a regular tour.

Products & services

As one of the leading service providers, it offers various travel packages for individuals, corporate and groups. SOTC’s outbound business operations include packaged group tours as well as individual holidays. SOTC World Famous Tours caters to those who seek comfort in group travel. Cost Saver Tours by SOTC have been designed keeping in mind the budget traveller. SOTC Do It Yourself Holidays caters to seasoned travellers who want to travel the world at their own pace. The holidays are tailored according to the traveller’s personal requirements. SOTC Holidays of India has a wide variety of choices for every kind of traveller – be it families, youth, students, honeymooners, groups or individual for a vacation in India. SOTC Holidays of India has a variety of holiday choices like: Classic Holidays of India, Fun-filled Beaches of India, Hill Stations & Quick Getaways and Spiritual Retreats. It has sorted all holiday packages into Standard, First and Deluxe Class categories. SOTC Corporate Tours provide personalised solutions for various MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events) related travel needs.

SOTC has not only fully utilised the existing market potential but has also created new markets through innovative packaging. Realising the significance of different segments across India, SOTC also pioneered tours conducted in Marathi and Gujarati under its SOTC brand extensions namely, ‘Bhraman Mandal’ and SOTC ‘Gurjar Vishwadarshan’. Such custom-built products go a long way in making it the number one travel brand in the country. An example of its customised tours would be the SOTC Durga Puja Holiday Bazaar. Customers who booked the tour got the opportunity to meet and greet Sourav Ganguly, former skipper of the Indian cricket team. Booking with SOTC earned the customers an exclusive evening with their favourite cricketer and they also received special souvenirs autographed by him.

Another example would be that of the SOTC Sports and Premium Ticket Hub’s tie-up that offers sports tours around the world. This innovative and path breaking partnership offers great deals, discounts, exciting offers to various sports events exclusively for the SOTC customers. These extraordinary sports events include European Football, UEFA Champions League, FIFA 2010 World Cup, ATP Grand Slam Tennis Tournaments (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open). SOTC has also launched a one-of-its-kind tour called ‘Monalisa’ – all-women tours to Europe and the Far East. Such tours are a boon for women who would love to travel alone but often hold back for security concerns.

Brand Watch: Yash Raj Films: Films forever

Brand Watch: Yash Raj Films: Films forever

The great legacy of Yash Chopra makes the brand stand out in a film industry bustling with creative talent and formidable competitors

Movie making is a very speculative business. With the same ingredients some of the films click with the audience while the others don’t. Filmmakers cater to a very eclectic and fickle taste of an ever-changing audience. An audience is always transient in its taste and will remain so in future too. In today’s India, a movie cannot hope to rake in never-before heard profits unless viewers see the same movie not once, but twice (or even thrice!).

If any movie banner has a truly strong positioning inside the Indian moviegoer’s mind it is Yash Raj Films (YRF). It’s a blend of romance, style, elegance, music composition and utmost panache with which their films captivate the Hindi movie lovers. International locations were made famous in India by YRF.

YRF was one of the first filmmakers in Indian cinema to realise the impact that the commercial mainstream cinema has on the audience in our country coupled with its spillover on the NRI audience that has a very strong market in the movie space today. No wonder, the typical Yash Raj kind of film began to give way at the turn of the new millennium with the emergence of Aditya Chopra, first as a director, then as the creative head of Yash Raj Films. Most films masterminded by Aditya cater to the multiplex audience.

YRF has successfully moved away from the formula-film trend prevalent in Bollywood in the 80s and 90s and experimented with diverse themes and with considerable success. The innovative storylines in ‘Hum Turn’, ‘Kabul Express’, ‘Chak De! India’ or ‘Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year’ are great proof of YRF’s diverse range of films. Though some of these movies have not set the cash registers ringing, still almost all of them have been high on entertainment value. YRF has given birth to the most talented actors, new composers and new singers, most of who have become the biggest shining stars in the industry. It is a dream for anyone to be working with YRF.

From directing all of their movies themselves, Yash and Aditya, in recent times, have started tapping upcoming talent for directing movies under the YRF banner. This strategy has had mixed results for banner.

Between 1973 and 1982, YRF made 9 films, out of which all the films directed by Yash Chopra himself – ‘Daag’, ‘Kabhi Kabhie’, ‘Trishul’, ‘Kaala Patthar’, ‘Silsila’ – were very highly acclaimed. Between 1983 and 1997, YRF again produced nine films, out of which Yash Chopra-directed ‘Chandni’, ‘Darr’ and ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’ and his son Aditya Chopra-directed ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge’ were outstanding box-office successes.

Between 1998 and 2005, YRF again gave many successful movies. But this time around, the films were mostly directed by outsiders-albeit tightly supervised by the father-son duo. The successful among them include ‘Dhoom’ by Sanjay Gadhvi, ‘Hum Tum’ and ‘Fanaa’ by Kunal Kohli, ‘Salaam Namaste’ by Siddharth Anand and ‘Bunti Aur Babli’ by Shaad Ali.

Riding on that confidence perhaps, in the last seven years, YRF has released ten more films. Out of them, only ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ (2008) by Aditya Chopra and ‘Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year’ (2009) by Shimit Amin are the only ones that have done well. Some of the recent releases such as like ‘Ishaqzaade’ (2011) directed by Habib Faisal, ‘Ladies vs Ricky Bahl’ by Maneesh Sharma, ‘Mere Brother Ki Dulhan’ (2011) by Ali Abbas Zafar, ‘Band Baaja Baaraat’ (2010) by Maneesh Sharma, ‘Lafangey Parindey’ (2010) by Pradeep Sarkar have been forgettable ones.

Yash Chopra’s YRF Studios (the only privately owned Studio in India) has expanded to distribution of films all over the world – its own as well as films made by other well-known Indian names. In recent times, the Studio has also forayed in to production of television software, ad films, music videos, and documentaries – with its enviable creative team always at the fore. YRF launched a youth films studio, Y-Films in 2011 with a vision of being a platform for new talent. Y-Films has aggressive line up of releases for 2012 and will be a launch pad for new directors and stars.

Brand watch :Blue Dart: Always on Time

Blue Dart: Always on Time

One of the most reliable courier and package distribution companies in the country, through its relentless efforts Blue Dart has been able to establish for itself a name that is trusted in the market

Reputation built on trust

For more than 25 years, Blue Dart has maintained its position as the fastest and the most reliable door-to-door delivery service for small packages and documents. Khushroo Dubash, Clyde Cooper, and Tushar Jani established Blue Dart Courier Services with a capital base of Rs 30,000 in 1983. The same year it forged ties with Gelco Express International U.K., and introduced India’s first international air package express service.

Since then it has been serving customers by delivering packages across more than 25,000 locations domestically and more than 200 countries and territories across the globe. Blue Dart’s sales alliance with DHL, the leading global brand in express distribution services has helped it with the international part of its business.

Blue Dart’s leadership in the sector is a testimony to the strong marketing and distribution strategies that it has employed over the years. Its success to a large extent depends upon the infrastructure that it has developed to help in smoothening out the wrinkles in the whole process i.e. from the time the customer delivers the package to the time it gets delivered.

Services

The offerings that Blue Dart has on its platter range from the Domestic Priority to the International Services, thereby making it one of the widely covering courier service providers in the country. The Domestic priority is the fastest, highly reliable, door-to-door day-definite delivery service within India. This is, as may be called the flagship service of the company, delivering packages to over 25,000 locations in India. The facility of real time tracking of the package through the net and the free computerised proof of delivery makes it all the more attractive service.

International services are what make Blue Dart a truly wide networked courier and package Distribution Company. The international services follow the guidelines laid down by DHL. The services being offered under International Services are DHL Document Express (DOX), DHL Worldwide Package Express (WPX) and the Jumbo Box (Jumbo Box – 25 kgs. and Jumbo Junior -10 kgs.), a one-stop shipping process for consistent, time-definite, door to door delivery of international documents and packages.

Customer connect

As a brand Blue Dart hardly requires any bandwagon advertisements and promotions as the trust and confidence as well as the brand recall that it enjoys among its customers is a clear indication of how well Blue Dart has serviced its customers. Blue Dart has created a unique way of communicating its excellence in the courier and package distribution industry by being conferred with numerous international and national awards that speak volumes about the care that Blue dart takes in making sure that its customers are satisfied.

In 2009 Blue Dart DHL together made sure that the ‘Rakhi’ was delivered on time at the time of ‘Raksha Bandhan’ festival. This was called the ‘Rakhi Express’ and it helped Indian women to send their love and wishes to their brothers on time, even as the country was experiencing uncertain monsoons. This service was also provided at a reasonable price ranging between Rs 150 and Rs 200. Through this and many other related services Blue Dart has consistently maintained a loving and fruitful relationship with its customers.

Every endeavour that Blue Dart makes is based on providing its customers with great, timely services at affordable prices. To achieve these goals, Blue Dart has developed a state-of-the-art infrastructure that is supplemented with the enthusiasm and efficiency of its people. It also has started Blue Dart aviation which is the air network of Blue dart to keep everything running smoothly and delivering on time.

Blue Dart’s brand equity has been earned by keeping its customers at the focal point of all its strategies and services. Great service, speed, value have ensured in making Blue Dart clearly stand out for setting the benchmark in the logistics industry.

Brand watch :Kurlon: In the lap of comfort

Kurlon: In the lap of comfort

Innovative products, high quality and affordable pricing have made Kurlon India’s most well-known mattress brand

Established in 1962, Kurlon has garnered a heritage for itself, which the Indian consumer can relate to easily. From drawing to dining rooms, Kurlon’s offerings include a multitude of products including mattresses, pillows, sofas to even bed spreads and home furniture. Kurlon Limited, a Manipal Group Company, was founded by T. Ramesh Upendra Pai as ‘Karnataka Consumer Products Ltd’. The company was renamed as Kurlon Limited in 1995.

Kurlon is one of the oldest mattress makers of India. About one third of our life is spent sleeping – it is therefore vital ensure that we choose the right mattress. This is where the proficiency of India’s largest mattress maker comes to the forefront. Kurlon takes pride in saying that it has a mattress for almost every Indian. From the middle class to the hi-end customers – there is a mattress available that matches their need and pocket. For people with back problems, for instance, there is Spinekare – an exceptional permutation of coir & memory foam. There are numerous varieties of Spring & Foam mattresses as well for the astute consumer. The latest in the series is the super hi-end Healthcare Mattresses which, apart from the comfort that it provides, are turning into lifestyle statements as well – a fact endorsed by the number of celebrities that have purchased them.

Novelty and innovation continues to be Kurlon’s forte as a brand. It is the only brand that works its way through the market through an extensive network of direct dealers. Adhering to the proposition ‘Comfort wrapped in Trust’, Kurlon has now branched out into producing Healthcare mattresses ranging worth upto Rs. 2 lakh.

Kurlon has also started tapping the global expertise for creating innovative products. The brand recently tied-up with the famous Italian designer Cesare Giacomuzzo to embellish its brand with an international flavour. The design inputs, which are procured from Italy, are manufactured in India under the brand name of Kurlon Cesare Ltd. Kurlon has successfully tapped export markets in Middle East, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Europe.

From mattresses to bedsheets, Kurlon has been repositioning itself from sleep comfort to a home comfort brand. Nevertheless the company has lined up an envious range for its mattresses and bedsheets that has led to the branding of a highly fragmented market. Its range of bedsheets includes Kurlon Cricket series bed linens. Then, there are the Kurlon Teenz series bed linens which are exclusively designed for the new generation. Also popular is Kurlon’s Kids’s series bed linens with various cartoon and sporty prints for kids to enjoy while they sleep. Kurlon’s day and night bed linens – Bonita Collection, the range is coordinated with two extra large bed sheets and four pillow covers. Also selling well is the latest stain free bed linens, ERASIO, introduced for the first time in India. These are stain resistant bed sheets. Just one easy wipe will take care of beverage spills, oil stains, and ketchup trails etc.

In mattresses, another highly fragmented & unorganised market, Kurlon has come out with eco friendly mattresses – Ecobana, which is luxurious rubberised coir mattresses with the top layer made of Latex. Kurlon’s dual season mattress – Triazo is a premium spring mattress with Latex on one side and memory foam on the other. Another addition to the Kurlon healthcare mattress product portfolio is SpineKare which is the only one of its kind therapeutic mattress with memory foam.

Kurlon’s advertising campaigns have emphasised on the quality, lasting sophistication and the value its range brings to its customers. Its communication has focused on the comfort of its product range and the importance of good sleep. The brand also introduced a sequence of advertisements educating customers about the significance of sleep and the way it affects the quality of life. Most people don’t even think about replacing their mattresses. Kurlon has expansively invested in creating an in-depth understanding of its products explaining how its mattresses actually ‘breathe’ and the reason they feel warm during winters and cool during summers.

Its array of furnishings was promoted on the guarantee of ‘Makaan Ban Jaye Ghar (Dream house to Dream Home). In a bid to increase its point of sale, Kurlon has ventured into organised retail all over India with Kurlon Nest stores, which sell everything from mattresses to bed linen.