Our brand revamp focuses on modern family needs: Anirudh Pandharkar, VIP Industries

Anirudh Pandharkar, CMO, VIP Industries speaks about the brand's re-launch and the ‘Hello Holidays’ campaign which seeks to align the brand’s core values with the modern Indian family

e4m by Dolly Mahayan
Published: Apr 23, 2019 8:53 AM  | 4 min read
Anirudh Pandharkar VIP

After nearly 5 decades, for the first time ever, VIP Industries has opted for a major brand revamp. According to Anirudh Pandharkar, CMO, VIP Industries, the re-launch with a new logo and ‘Hello Holidays’ campaign seeks to align the brand’s core values with the modern Indian family. The brand has also roped in Bollywood couple Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor as brand ambassadors.

In an interview with exchange4media, Anirudh Pandharkar elaborated on the reasons why the brand decided to revamp the business after nearly 50 years. “When you mention VIP the perception is of bulky suitcases. Consumers thought that the brand is for an earlier generation. Consumers today increasingly think of luggage as an outward extension of themselves. The need for lighter luggage, which is not only stylish but also meets their functionality has increased. Earlier, the company was heavily dependent on the VIP brand. It was the main pillar of the company. So making changes to that pillar was a bit risky. But we created stronger pillars with Skybags, Caprese, Aristocrat, and Carlton, and these have been well accepted by the audience as well. The over-reliance on a single brand VIP has come down considerably, hence we felt this is the right time to revamp the VIP brand with a meaningful offering to the young families of India”, said Anirudh.

VIP Industries in the last few years has rolled out new products - Skybags and Aristocrat being the most popular. We asked Pandharkar, among all the brands that the company offers, why was there a need to revamp only the VIP brand? “Skybags caters to individualistic young India. Aristocrat caters to the value-conscious consumer. Carlton distinctly caters to business-travel needs. VIP as a brand truly imbibes Indian values and our attempt is to utilize this strength of being a truly Indian brand known for its superior quality luggage”, he said.

Speaking more about what they expect from this re-launch, Pandharkar explained, “VIP has remained at the forefront of bringing good quality, innovative luggage to the market. However, VIP was not seen as a brand which is suited for modern India’s needs which were seeking a trendier solution, yet good functionality in their luggage brand. The objective is to bring back the family travelers to try new VIP luggage which suits their functional as well as aesthetic needs of travel on a holiday”.

Currently, VIP has a market share of 27 percent. In the branded segment, it is about 60 percent of the market share. “In that 60 percent, we want VIP to have at least 40 percent by end of this FY20”, Pandharkar asserted.

Not only have the products been revamped, but the brand has also changed its marketing strategy; from a new logo and bringing in new faces for the brand. The reason behind the brand association with Bollywood couple Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan was to shift the positioning from an individual to a family.

“The advertisements not only focus on the convenience and the functionality of the bags but also drive home the message of being family-friendly. Saif and Kareena are perceived as one happy family by people across the country. The celebrity couple along with a child actor who plays the celebrity couple’s son makes for an ideal Indian family that would hopefully attract young families and new couples”.

It has to be noted that all their major brands have celebrities on board, Varun Dhawan for Skybag, Alia Bhatt for Caprese, Rohit Sharma for Aristocrat. Pandharkar explains the ways in which these associations have helped the brand, explaining, “There has to be a meaningful association between the brand values and the values depicted by the celebrities. A celebrity’s involvement always helps in attracting the right audience; it adds some great value to the brand. If a celebrity’s personality and image match that of the brand, it can definitely increase the chances of attracting the right audience”.

The brand has also partnered with Kings XI Punjab for the ongoing IPL season, Pandharkar emphasizes, “IPL is one of the biggest cricket events held, and being part of it really puts the VIP name across to the masses. This is perhaps one of the best ways to get your brand name across to your target audience – in this case, the youngsters who are exposed to this sporting event. IPL association has helped in generating an impact of the new VIP logo in the consumer’s mind. IPL also helps in building a high awareness level and quick reach build up in our TG”.

VIP Bags - Hello Holidays

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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

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:15 PM  | 1 min read
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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'

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:07 PM  | 1 min read
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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 by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 11:48 AM  | 1 min read
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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

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 10:54 AM  | 1 min read
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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

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 24, 2023 3:35 PM  | 1 min read
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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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