HLL hikes ad spends to expand brand portfolio
Rival FMCG companies are busy acquiring rival brands and businesses, some of them beyond Indian shores, in a bid for growth. But market leader Hindustan Lever Ltd (HLL) is convinced that a significant opportunity for consolidation and long-term growth lies within its existing portfolio of brands.

Looking to `consolidate leadership' in categories it exists
Strengthening brands
Ad spends rise 34% in first nine months to Rs 988 cr Investments, apart from protecting its turf, will go into new product lines, brand extensions
Rival FMCG companies are busy acquiring rival brands and businesses, some of them beyond Indian shores, in a bid for growth. But market leader Hindustan Lever Ltd (HLL) is convinced that a significant opportunity for consolidation and long-term growth lies within its existing portfolio of brands.
The company has pumped up its marketing investments in the current year, with ad spends expanding by 34 per cent in the first nine months of 2006, to Rs 988 crore, in its effort to draw more consumers to its established brands. An ad budget of that size wields enough muscle to fund promos for a slew of new product lines, brand extensions and re-launches in the domestic market. The September quarter, for instance, saw HLL unveiling 23 new variants of Sunsilk shampoos (including a new range of hair colourants), five new variants of Pond's face-wash and two new variants of Lakme colour cosmetics and skin care products.
What's behind the expanding marketing spends? One key reason for the aggressive spending could be intensifying competition in categories such as soaps and skin care, where HLL's market shares have slipped in the six months from March to September.
By investing big bucks in advertising its brands, HLL hopes to "maintain and grow" its market share and "consolidate market leadership" in categories where it operates, according to a company spokesman. Apart from protecting its turf, investments are also going into expanding presence through new product lines and brand extensions. In response to a questionnaire, a HLL spokesman explains that recent new launches are motivated by one of three factors.
New opportunities
One, leveraging new opportunities in categories where it already has a presence — products such as Surf Excel Gentle Wash, Sunsilk Hair Expert and Bru Cappucino explore new niches in existing segments.
Two, offering new benefits on existing brands — for instance, Lux Uplifting Firm, Axe Click, Close Up Milk Calcium add new variants to popular HLL brands. Third, re-launches, such as those of Lifebuoy Handwash and Wheel Active, which are designed to keep the company's older brands relevant and contemporary to consumers.
The company appears quite alive to the marketing opportunity created by the increasingly affluent urban workforce. New launches such as the Pond's International range, HLL says, are aimed at tapping into the "emerging top-end opportunity" (read, the affluent urban young).
Though the company wouldn't comment on whether the sharp increase in ad-spends this year is one-off or will be sustained, HLL is clear about its intention to be present across categories and price points in the Indian markets.
As a HLL spokesperson explains, the company hopes to expand its already substantial presence by "straddling the pyramid" — offering premium brands to the affluent, value-for-money brands to middle-income consumers and affordable quality products to low-income consumers.
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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