Date-wise News

Microsoft Corp. is consolidating its customer relationship management account -- worth an estimated $400 million -- with Young & Rubicam's Wunderman and McCann-Erickson Worldwide's MRM Partners. The software giant had previously worked with a myriad of smaller shops on the account, which also includes business-to-business advertising.

exchange4media Staff Feb 14, 2004 7:49 AM

Czech auto maker, Skoda, is firming up a major marketing initiative including a pre-owned car programme and increasing its dealership network to support its launch of new cars this year. The current year will be a busy year for Skoda with launch of two new cars and two variants of Octavia.

exchange4media Staff Feb 14, 2004 7:48 AM

The expiry of VSNL’s status (on February 14) as the preferred international long distance carrier and entry of BSNL into the space is all set to change the dynamics of the $600 million (4 billion minutes) composite ILD business in India. The outbound ILD market will open up for players like Reliance, Bharti and Data Access.

exchange4media Staff Feb 14, 2004 7:47 AM

The domestic car manufacturer’s are definitely riding in the fast lane. The car manufacturers have reported a 31.1 per cent growth during the month of January 2004. Sales during the month jumped to 71,875 cars from 54,813 units, as per the data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam).

exchange4media Staff Feb 14, 2004 7:46 AM

Prices of flat televisions have touched rock bottom, thanks to the reduction in Customs Duty and a drop in global prices. Sony today announced a 5-15 per cent cut in flat TV prices. After dealer discounts, they cost around Rs 11,500 in Delhi. Consumer electronics dealers in the city said branded 21-inch flat TVs were available for close to Rs 10,000. According to ORG-GfK figures for 2003, Samsung is the market leader in flat TVs with a share of 23.7 per cent followed by LG and Sony with 22.2 per cent each.

exchange4media Staff Feb 14, 2004 7:45 AM

The organised retail trade in the country is set to triple to Rs 52,000 crore by 2010, of a total retail market of Rs 2,085,000 crore, according to an ICICI Bank study based on consumer spending and retail activity. The study said shopping malls, which would number 500-600 by the end of the decade, would drive retail growth, making up nearly Rs 38,000 crore, or 73 per cent, of organised retail trade.

exchange4media Staff Feb 14, 2004 7:44 AM

Hindustan Lever (HLL) is expected to post a four per cent y-o-y growth in net profit for the quarter to December 2003. KR Choksey Shares & Securities VP Jigar Shah estimates the bottomline to be around Rs 484 crore this quarter as compared to Rs 466 crore last time. However, there are contrary viewpoints. Some analysts do not expect any significant recovery in HLL’s sales and profits in this quarter. The pressure on the detergent segment is likely to offset the gains in other segments.

exchange4media Staff Feb 14, 2004 7:43 AM

Global information firm Reuters has announced the launch of the company’s data operations centre in India. The centre, which will be function out of Bangalore, will handle critical operations to support the world-wide data operations of Reuters. Reuters is planning to shift around 150 jobs from its New York and UK operations to support Bangalore centre operations, while the remaining staff would be hired, for round the clock operations during five days a week.

exchange4media Staff Feb 14, 2004 7:42 AM

LG Electronics (India) Ltd is all set to cater to the demands of consumers in the domestic market with new product offerings — laptops and dishwashers — from its kitty in South Korea. Dishwashers would enter the market during the next quarter (April-June 2004). Laptops were expected to hit the market next month and would cater to the high-end consumers, but the price was yet to be fixed.

exchange4media Staff Feb 14, 2004 7:41 AM

AirTel has launched a limited edition prepaid package named U2 on the eve of Valentines Day. Airtel offers mobile services in fifteen out of 23 circles in India.

exchange4media Staff Feb 14, 2004 7:40 AM

Idea cellular will be breaking new ad campaigns today. The creative translation of the campaign is that ‘Stay Connected’ is IDEA Cellular’s brand promise, which looks at the key purpose of mobile telephony and converges that with the tangible requirements of ‘network depth’. The expression also reflects upon the eternal human need for bonding, brotherhood and relationship. Lowe, the creative agency for the company, has crafted the campaign.

exchange4media Staff Feb 14, 2004 7:39 AM

As the Delhi High Court's review deadline for CAS is still some distance away, newly appointed regulator for the broadcasting industry TRAI is in a veritable bind. With TRAI chairman Pradip Baijal having just returned from the US after examining broadcast regulation in detail, the final consultation paper to be released on February 18 is likely to hold the key to solving the problem. TRAI is currently examining case laws pertaining to the issue. The twin issues at the centre of the imbroglio are tariff regulation and regulation of advertising on pay channels.

exchange4media Staff Feb 14, 2004 7:38 AM