Acer chairman and CEO Jason Chen reveals the company's plans, including venturing into new segments in consumer electronics, eMobility and AI PCs while in conversation with Storyboard18's Shibani Gharat. Chen says he is very excited about artificial intelligence and how it is being very rapidly being implemented.

The company's enthusiasm for the transformative potential of Generative AI is evident in its forward-looking stance. Acer is actively pioneering this technological shift by developing AI-powered PCs poised to redefine user interactions with computers. “We want to be the first one, if not the first then the first batch of suppliers to come into AI-ready PC,” he adds.

Acer's investments in AI extend across diverse applications, including Integrated Chip (IC) design and initiatives in the medical field. “One area where I'd like to invest some time is incorporating artificial intelligence into the medical field. Thousands of AI-related medical reports, known as smart medical research journals and papers, are being published. However, many of them remain as merely good reports without progressing into impactful scientific research projects,” he said, adding that Acer is in a position to commercialise that research into real products that will benefit medical requirements.

Watch the full interview here.

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PC market demand has come back to normal: Acer's Jason Chen

Chen, who visited India recently, reinforced the company’s commitment to the thriving Indian market with strategic initiatives aimed at fostering growth, innovation, and sustainability.

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GOZOOP HAWK, and online reputation management and customer support agency under the GOZOOP Group, has bagged the listening and digital response management duties for Amazon miniTV, a leading free entertainment service in India.


As part of the mandate, GOZOOP HAWK’s key responsibilities will include handling digital customer support, monitoring online brand chatter, amplifying positive stories, measuring sentiments, providing timely resolutions and deriving actionable business insights for the brand by understanding and tracking valuable web conversations to delight customers. 


Amazon miniTV offers a large library of popular web series, movies, reality shows, dubbed international content, in multiple genres like comedy, romance, slice of life, thriller and more.


Commenting on the partnership Aruna Daryanani, director and business head, Amazon miniTV said, “ORM is an important component of brand building and reputation management. With the right strategy, ideation and creative thinking we can further strengthen our brand presence. We are excited to partner with GOZOOP HAWK and look forward to their expertise to continue to raise the bar on customer experience.”


Commenting on the win, Premkumar Iyer, president, GOZOOP HAWK said, “HAWK has always demonstrated capability of delivering some of the most unconventional listening and online customer support solutions. This habit to push boundaries coupled with Amazon miniTV's disruptive approach towards the dynamic OTT space makes the relationship click. We have already done some stellar work e.g. during Amazon miniTV’s recent launch of dubbed K-dramas, we turned the whole response management strategy to Korean language generating shift in outreach. We look forward to doing more such unconventional work for them in times to come.”


GOZOOP HAWK bags listening and digital customer support mandate for Amazon miniTV

The marketing team within media giant Cox Media Group (CMG) claims it has the capability to listen to ambient conversations of consumers through embedded microphones in smartphones, smart TVs, and other devices to gather data and use it to target ads, according to a review of CMG marketing materials by 404 Media and details from a pitch given to an outside marketing professional. Called “Active Listening,” CMG claims the capability can identify potential customers “based on casual conversations in real time.”

The news signals that what a huge swath of the public has believed for years—that smartphones are listening to people in order to deliver ads—may finally be a reality in certain situations. Until now, there was no evidence that such a capability actually existed, but its myth permeated due to how sophisticated other ad tracking methods have become.

It is not immediately clear if the capability CMG is advertising and claims works is being used on devices in the market today, but the company notes it is “a marketing technique fit for the future. Available today.” 404 Media also found a representative of the company on LinkedIn explicitly asking interested parties to contact them about the product. One marketing professional pitched by CMG on the tech said a CMG representative explained the prices of the service to them.

“What would it mean for your business if you could target potential clients who are actively discussing their need for your services in their day-to-day conversations? No, it's not a Black Mirror episode—it's Voice Data, and CMG has the capabilities to use it to your business advantage,” CMG’s website reads.

The part of CMG advertising the capability is CMG Local Solutions. CMG itself is owned by Apollo Global Management and Cox Enterprises, which includes the ISP Cox Communications. CMG operates a wide array of local news television and radio stations.

With Active Listening, CMG claims to be able to “target your advertising to the EXACT people you are looking for.” The goal is to target potential clients or customers based on what they say in “their day to day conversations,” the website adds. Specifically, those could include:

Clients can “claim” a territory where they want to use CMG’s services, which are available in a 10 or 20 mile radius, the website says. After setup, “Active Listening begins and is analyzed via AI to detect pertinent conversations via smartphones, smart tvs and other devices,” the website adds. CMG also claims it installs a tracking pixel on its client’s website to monitor the return on investment (ROI).

With an audience created, CMG then delivers adverts to these people through streaming TV, streaming audio, display ads, YouTube, and Google and Bing search, the website says.

“The result? Unprecedented understanding of consumer behavior, so we can deliver personalized ads that make your target audience think: wow, they must be a mind reader,” another section of CMG’s website reads.

Claims about this capability raises obvious and immediate legal concerns; intercepting communications without proper consent can violate wiretapping laws. CMG’s website addresses this with a section that starts “We know what you are thinking…”

“Is this legal? YES- it is totally legal for phones and devices to listen to you. That's because consumers usually give consent when accepting terms and conditions of software updates or app downloads,” the website says.

Beyond CMG’s website, very little information is available about the capability, including how exactly the data is gathered, be that via a software development kit (SDK) bundled into apps, or via collection at another point. For its part, Apple does alert iPhone users when an app is accessing the device’s microphone with a small icon in the UI.

The marketing professional pitched by CMG told 404 Media that after a call with the company, they disabled microphone access on much of their own technology: “I immediately removed all my Amazon Echo devices and locked down microphone permissions on things like my phone as receiving confirmation they are doing things like this have confirmed my worst fears and I, for one, will not take part in it,” they said.

CMG says “the ROI is already impressive” and is actively soliciting potential customers, though. On LinkedIn, Chris Marxmiller, a senior sales consultant at CMG, invites people in his bio to “Ask me about our NEW product - ACTIVE LISTENING.” Marxmiller did not respond to a request for comment which asked for more information on the Active Listening product.

CMG lists a number of other companies as its partners and publishers. These include Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. Microsoft declined to comment. Google told 404 Media in a statement that “For years, Android has prevented apps from collecting audio  when they're not being actively used, and whenever an app activates a device’s microphone, there is a prominent icon displayed in the status bar.” Google did not answer 404 Media’s question in its statement.

Amazon said in a statement that “the advertising product being described would not be possible with Echo devices. We do not share voice recordings with third parties.”

CMG said in a statement that “CMG Local Solutions markets a wide range of advertising tools. Like other advertising companies, some of those tools include third-party vendor products powered by data sets sourced from users by various social media and other applications then packaged and resold to data servicers. Advertising data based on voice and other data is collected by these platforms and devices under the terms and conditions provided by those apps and accepted by their users, and can then be sold to third-party companies and converted into anonymized information for advertisers. This anonymized data then is resold by numerous advertising companies.”

“CMG businesses do not listen to any conversations or have access to anything beyond a third-party aggregated, anonymized and fully encrypted data set that can be used for ad placement. We regret any confusion and we are committed to ensuring our marketing is clear and transparent,” the statement added.

Cox Media Group claims to have capability to listen to ambient conversations of consumers for targeted ads

On June 1, 1945, Fritz Sennheiser, a German inventor and entrepreneur, founded the audio equipment manufacturing company that bears his name and went on to become a global brand. Today, Sennheiser has three business units: Pro Audio, Business Communication and Neumann.Berlin. 


In a conversation with Storyboard18, Andreas Sennheiser, the company’s chief executive officer, said, “The first thing is you have to hit a ‘need’. To not get complacent and to not be happy with what we've achieved, we have to keep listening to the customer and at the same time have a creative dissatisfaction with the status quo. So, the achievements of the past should always be seen as just the new standard. From there, we can iterate again.”


Edited excerpts:


<strong>Tell us more about Sennheiser’s India story.</strong>


We started bringing good audio to India in 2007. At the time, it was really hard to understand where the general public was with audio consumption. We found out that listening to music via headphones wasn’t a known principle. 


So, over the last 16 years, I think we've done quite well in developing the taste of enjoying music on the consumer side. For two years, we focused on the pro business only, along with business communication, and then our Neumann products also.


Particularly, in the last one-and-a-half years after the pandemic, we've seen very strong growth. On the live part, everyone wants to enjoy music, festivals, weddings and all kinds of corporate events. But on the business communication side, government, corporate and also higher education facilities are gearing up significantly for hybrid meetings, for remote lectures and also for a digital government.


<strong>Where do you see India in Sennheiser's growth map?</strong>


In the last two years, India has had one of the highest growth levels, with more than 50 percent annual growth.


As far as the general business globally is concerned, we could supply all our customers with products even during the pandemic. So, we were never really out of products.


<strong>From a product lens, what’s the focus?</strong> 


We have several focuses. There’s a general common focus that more and more of the technology that we’re using—it is highly advanced—is hidden behind very simple user interfaces. 


So, we want to make it as simple as possible, come up with seamless integration, plug and play with our installed business like ceiling microphones… This is so that an integrator, a consultant or the end user really doesn’t need to deal a lot with technology but actually can focus on the experience.



<strong>Many global CEOs are surprised by the way Indian consumers have evolved over the last few years. From a price-conscious market, we now are a value-conscious market. So, what are your observations and what is unique about Indian consumers?</strong>


Well, you just gave the right keywords. 


It has evolved from a price sensitive market of buying at the lowest possible level to now buying the highest possible value. So, with that, we are in an excellent position because we love competition. We love the direct comparison of our products with competitive products because usually this is when we win.


That's why value-based buying decisions are very much in our favour, because we provide superior audio quality. 


<strong>Globally, what are the trends in the audio space and do you see the adoption of those trends in India anytime soon?</strong> 


One of the big trends is that high–quality audio is being more and more appreciated. This is particularly when it comes to immersive audio and spatial audio. In the studios, we have more and more Atmos installations with our Neumann speakers. Also, on the playback side, we see a lot of venues now having full arrays of speakers for an immersive experience.


So, the whole appreciation for good audio has significantly increased over the last few years. At the same time, there’s also a strong trend of simplification of workflows. So, we try to focus on making the lives of our end users as simple as possible, particularly because there's also cost pressure on production, music production, news gathering etc. We want to give them the gear that they can operate with the least possible amount of people. 


<strong>What is the brand perception of Sennheiser?</strong> 


Sennheiser has a brand reputation of being extremely reliable, creating remarkable audio experience and being a highly innovative brand. 


The topmost factor is always reliability. In a meeting room, you don’t want to spend 20 minutes getting the system to work. An artist in front of 50,000 people, the only thing he or she can hold is a microphone, and that should not fail.


<strong>In terms of marketing, what are the big plans for India and what are the investments like?</strong> 

Our main investment is in people and education. So, it's people on our end and education on the customer side.

We see that the more there are highly talented technicians, audio engineers and people who know the difference between an okay system and a great system.

During the pandemic, we produced 200 tutorial videos: how to use our microphones, how to set up gear in general, and how to build a studio. A lot of things to just help the audio community do a better job.


<strong>In India, startups have been weaving a very different story in the last few years. As a family-owned company and one of the oldest startups in the audio space, do tell us what it takes to make a successful business and your advice for startups here. </strong>

The first thing is you have to hit a ‘need’. This is not only true in a startup, but also when a company like ours gets older. Now, we’re closer to the 80th year of our existence. To not get complacent and to not be happy with what we've achieved, we have to keep listening to the customer and at the same time have a creative dissatisfaction with the status quo.

So, the achievements of the past should always be seen as just the new standard. From there, we can iterate again. 

<strong>There are a bunch of profitable startups in the audio space here in India. What impresses you about them and are there any lessons that you can pick from them? </strong>

When startups have a platform economy in mind and then scale that up, they can very quickly cover a very broad demand, be it with fintech platforms or be it any other integration.


That is an approach that I find highly attractive because it's not product and gear oriented, but really platform oriented. And this is also a strategy that we're adopting more and more. We are not just selling gear to our customers, but we actually provide the control platform with it to make it as easy as possible. 


That has been a strategy for a couple of years—to have a lot of allies in the industry in order to allow a seamless integration for the end user. So, the platform is really the main focus. And, what we're selling in terms of gear is just an endpoint to the whole platform.

<strong>Has the target audience of Sennheiser evolved over time?</strong> 

Yes and no. Our target audience grows with us.

While there was an entry target audience a decade back that has now matured in age and in income, they are now being lifted to the next level.

I had a chance to meet with music composer duo Salim-Sulaiman. We had a chat about technology particularly, and they stressed upon how they started with simple gear and then moved to higher-grade gear.

Andreas Sennheiser: We have to keep listening to the customer and have a creative dissatisfaction with the status quo

Gen Z consumers are 50 percent more likely to take their friends' recommendation over an influencer or a celebrity when making a purchase decision, revealed a study from Yuvaa – the Indian Gen Z-driven youth media, impact, and research organization.

An Economic Times report states that the findings are based on a report titled 'Not All Gen Z'. The findings are based on responses from over 900 Gen Z participants, spanning over 20 cities across tier I, II, and III cities and towns of the country. Gen Z represents people born between 1997 and 2012 who show distinctive behavior in their lifestyle and shopping habits. At over two billion, Gen Z forms roughly 25 percent of the global population. It makes up for over 35 percent of India's population, according to Yuvaa.

Their estimated spending power is in excess of €235 billion, according to BCG. 

<strong>Influencers provide brand visibility</strong>

Karthik Srinivasan, a communications strategy consultant, believes that we trust the references and recommendations of the people we trust the most within our family or friends circle. However, influencers have a different role to play.

"They have come to usurp the role of mainstream media and advertising to a large extent and have become predictable sources of visibility more than influence. In other words, influencers (along with mainstream media and advertising) are sources of introducing products or services, use-cases, and giving them visibility, but they may not necessarily persuade people to make the purchase. That's where friends and family (known peers, colleagues too) would come into play," he explains.

Srinivasan tells Storyboard18 that influencers are merely shilling a product for a fee and have long stopped pretending to be actual users of a product to offer use-based/experience-based content/information.

"Even if they claim to offer personal experience-based recommendations, if viewers/followers see the disclaimer about paid content, they'd automatically discount that factor and take that recommendation with a pinch of salt," he adds.

Yuvaa's report findings also highlight a few key aspects of a Gen Z consumer who is not only willing to support brands that support social causes but also cares about sustainability. Around 63 percent of Gen Z shoppers surveyed said they prefer brands that support social causes. 

71 percent of Gen Z prioritize brands that are environment-friendly, and 77 percent consider price when buying something, even if it's not sustainable. Gen Zs are split equally between feminist and non-feminist brands, but 60 percent of women prefer them.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/quantum-brief/amazon-vs-myntra-who-will-win-over-more-gen-z-shoppers-in-india-8247.htm">Read more: Amazon vs Myntra: Who will win over more Gen Z shoppers in India?</a>

<strong>E-com platforms chasing Gen Z</strong>

These trends are being closely followed and implemented in product and marketing strategies by e-commerce platforms in India. Storyboard18 reported that there has been intense competition between online retailers to woo the next generation of shoppers, with e-commerce platforms Amazon and Myntra actively investing in the Gen Z cohort.

Flipkart-backed fashion portal Myntra, for instance, announced the launch of FWD, an in-platform experience offering additional brands and styles curated for Gen-Z shoppers.

The move comes days after rival Amazon Fashion introduced the ‘Next Gen Store,’ catering to the unique needs of Gen Z shoppers, who seek to experiment with fashion and have varying preferences in terms of styles, sizes, brands, and fitting.

While Nykaa Fashion has not yet launched a dedicated platform for Gen Z shoppers, it has been onboarding brands that target this cohort. Recently, it added MIXT, which offers streetwear-inspired modern apparel options such as bodysuits, corsets, jumpsuits, jackets, cardigans, and footwear. It brought in Cider, a US-based label, expanding its global offerings to Indian consumers.

Gen Z segment has a distinct aesthetic that impacts their brand choices, which have been driving fashion trends – crop tops, ribbed dresses, chunky sneakers, and baggy jeans.

Unlike previous generations, which were heavily influenced by Bollywood and sports celebrities, Gen Z shoppers are more picky about who they follow. Social media influencers have emerged as a significant force in shaping their purchase decisions.

However, there is a catch. This group only follows influencers or celebrities who ‘walk the talk’ and are more trustworthy.

<strong>Value for sustainability, inclusivity</strong>

Bindiya Bhatt, senior director of category management at Myntra told Storyboard18 that for Gen Z, inclusivity, authenticity, and unconventionalism take centre stage as well.

"By embracing these values and catering to their specific needs, businesses can create more meaningful and impactful experiences that resonate with this important and influential demographic," she said.

Technopak Advisors' Ankur Bisen had a deeper insight, saying Gen Z shoppers are community-driven and seek better products rather than stay loyal to brands.

"...they are definitely seeking better products than brands and they are also looking at the consumption of fashion through communities. For example, there are communities towards gaming, nature, and even limited edition products. The spin-off from this trend could be the 'sneaker culture' in India and the craze to buy limited edition sneakers that are being sold online. These are some micro trends that one needs to notice," he said.

Influencers’ influence waning? GenZ listen to friends over social media influencers

Why PepsiCo India’s Lay's launched gourmet chips

Storyboard18 x Momo Media: Let's Talk - Masculinity in Advertising

“We will have another incremental billion dollars in the next three years for the home-grown billion dollar brand Thums Ups,” says Arnab Roy, vice president and head of marketing, Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia to Storyboard18’s Shibani Gharat. He also talks about the brand’s new advertising campaign #HarHaathToofan.

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Coca-Cola's Arnab Roy on Thums Up’s new ad campaign #HarHaathToofan

GE's Linda Boff on what it takes to reinvent a 130-yr old brand

Chat with IPG's Arun Kumar and Plum's Shankar Prasad and actor Ananya Pandey

Over the past few months, Metaverse has received a lot of attention. Some brands are viewing marketing in the metaverse as an opportunity to reach a larger audience in an engaging manner. Increasingly, automakers are getting onto the metaverse bandwagon to enhance their customer experience.

Mindshare India recently conceptualised and enabled the first ever electric vehicle (EV) launch in the metaverse for Volvo Cars in a space called Volvoverse. This is a first-of-its-kind collaboration across WPP agencies.

Watch to find out how and why they did it. 

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Meeting Amin Lakhani and Amit Jain in Volvoverse 

Hero Vired,  the learntech start-up under the Hero Group, unveiled its expanded focus on delivering tailored educational programs across three key sectors: Business to Business (B2B), Business to Institution (B2I), and Business to Government (B2G). This  move is designed to provide customized training solutions that cater to a broad range of domains, functions, and skill sets aimed at enhancing organizational capabilities and facilitating the recruitment and development of talent. The initiative is set to revolutionize learning & development systems and processes to address India's growing need for a skilled workforce.

The newly launched offerings include personalized and hybrid learning experiences, conducted by leading industry experts. The programs leverage a state-of-the-art Learning Management System (LMS) offering flexible subscriptions, contemporary Learning and Development (L&D) frameworks, and project-based learning geared towards achieving tangible outcomes at the workplace. For educational institutes, Hero Vired has planned employability bootcamps complete with placement support, alongside residential training programs hosted at the BML Munjal University campus. Additionally, for large corporations and startups, the initiative will encompass skill enhancement and talent development workshops. In the public sector, the company aims to equip PSUs and government agencies with cutting-edge skills essential for workforce advancement.

Akshay Munjal, Founder and CEO of Hero Vired, stated, “In today’s rapidly changing employment landscape, which demands speed and agility, we are intensifying our engagement in the B2B sector. Our focus will be on bridging skill gaps, forging deeper connections with organizations, and diversifying our revenue streams. With strategic positioning to bolster the B2B segment, we aim for over 100 partnerships and to facilitate over 100,000 man-hours of upskilling. Our goal is to be the preferred training partner for both corporations and educational institutions, fully equipping our learners with the essential skills and knowledge for the future of work in Industry 4.0.”

The demand for specialized training and upskilling programs is becoming increasingly apparent across various sectors, particularly as large corporations emphasize engineering and technical training, while tech startups focus on advanced technological skills. Notably, with the recognized shortage of Artificial Intelligence (AI) talent and high attrition rates, more companies are opting to invest in training their current employees rather than hiring new ones. Consequently, Hero Vired’s expansion into the B2B sector reflects a growing awareness of the challenges related to skilling and adaptation within different industries. This segment is projected to contribute to 50% of the company's total revenue in the coming year.

Anand Verma, Head of Enterprise Sales at Hero Vired, expressed, "Our strategic expansion is a proactive response to the evolving playbooks in talent management by organizations. This initiative is crucial as we aim to build human capital in futuristic domains, diversify our offerings and revenue sources. We are committed to molding the future workforce and establishing ourselves as the go-to skilling partner in the B2B sector. Our programs are designed to deliver significant outcomes, enabling organizations to improve their existing performance and create new growth in a rapidly changing business world."

 


 


 

Hero Vired aims for 100+ associations across corporate, institutes and government bodies

Mars Wrigley India's fruity bubblegum brand, BOOMER returns with its latest innovation, BOOMER Jelly on Top. BOOMER introduces Jelly on Top with the fruity flavor of strawberry.

 

BOOMER is set to unveil a TVC featuring Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah and delivering on the brand promise of <em>"Har Pal Fun Kar"</em> enhancing every moment with its unique and enjoyable consumption experience, stated the company.

 

The primary packaging of BOOMER Jelly on Top features a transparent design. 

 

The TVC has been conceptualised by DDB Tribal. Viewers witness Indian cricket star Bumrah turning a challenging situation into a moment of joy by leveraging the playful nature of BOOMER Jelly on Top, further added the company.

 

Nikhil Rao, chief marketing officer at Mars Wrigley India, expressed his excitement about the new launch, stating, “Since its launch 30 years ago, BOOMER has become synonymous with Bubblegum and Fun. BOOMER®️ Jelly on Top is testimony of the same. This exciting new offering brings together the best of both worlds in a distinctive offering. We are leveraging this distinctive innovation to widen the price pack architecture of the bubblegum market to Rs 2/-. The launch will be supported by a multimedia campaign featuring none other than Boom Boom (Jasprit) Bumrah.”

 

Iraj Fraz, creative head, DDB Tribal said, “Our favourite, Boomer is out in a Jelly Bubblegum avatar that’s sure to make everyone say ‘yes’ to fun. In this edition of the brand’s ‘Har Pal Fun Kar’ campaign, we find Boom-Boom-Bumrah, Boomer’s endorser-in-chief on a gully cricket pitch, tricking the opponent just as he’s known to outsmart the world’s best batters.”

 

BOOMER Jelly on Top is set to hit store shelves nationwide.


The films are available in eight languages including Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu & Assamese which will be aired on TV. The film will also be available on digital platforms. 


<strong>Read More:</strong>  

Mars Wrigley's launches BOOMER Jelly on Top Boomer

MakeMyTrip, an online travel company, has launched two new brand films featuring beloved brand ambassadors, Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh. These films showcase the simplicity and convenience of booking flights and hotels for international travel with MakeMyTrip, catering to both first-time international travellers and seasoned travellers.


Raj Rishi Singh, chief marketing officer & chief business officer - corporate, MakeMyTrip said, ”We at MakeMyTrip believe in making the world more accessible, one trip at a time. In the past few months, we have introduced a suite of tools, features and benefits, some of them industry-firsts, designed for every international traveller, be it a first-timer or a seasoned globetrotter. Our aim is to ensure that everyone can partake in these benefits, making their travel booking and post-sales experience seamless and enjoyable. Our new films highlight the value addition we bring to the table, demonstrating how MakeMyTrip can be a game-changer when it comes to international bookings.”


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The first film presents Bhatt and Singh newlywed couple on their wedding night, still trying to find their footing with each other. The conversation veers towards both sharing their apprehensions about their “first-time”. As film unfolds, viewers find out that the ‘first-time’ in question is in fact their first time travelling internationally.  As a solution, they turn to MakeMyTrip for their flight and hotel bookings, both taking on the planning/research responsibility equally.

 
In the second film, viewers are drawn into the middle of a suspenseful scene – where Singh, playing an international spy/agent, unearths the location of a most wanted person. When Bhatt, his commanding officer, discloses that the mission is in London, Singh, with his humorous style, argues that the criminal should be let go as ‘he isn’t bad at heart’ to save himself an international trip. Bhatt’s character senses his apprehensions and introduces him to the MakeMyTrip international booking experience, highlighting its ease and tension-free experience.


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This campaign was conceptualized by the creative agency, Moonshot and films have been written by Devaiah Bopanna, Puneet Chadha, Tanmay Bhatt and Deep Joshi.


<strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/bank-of-baroda-rolls-out-pehchaancon-3-0-banking-fraud-awareness-campaign-featuring-actor-kunaal-roy-kapur-29848.htm">Bank of Baroda rolls out 'PehchaanCon 3.0 Banking Fraud' awareness campaign featuring actor Kunaal Roy Kapur</a> 

Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh highlight the convenience of booking flights and hotels in MakeMyTrip's new campaign

Nestlé India Limited and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to form a joint venture (“JV Company”) to bring innovative nutraceutical brands to consumers in India and other agreed territories. 

The partnership will bring together the well-known global range of nutritional health solutions as well as vitamin, minerals, herbals and supplements of Nestlé Health Science (NHSc) with the ­­­­strong and established commercial strengths of Dr. Reddy’s in India. The joint venture will help JV Partners combine their strengths and grow their complementary nutraceuticals portfolios in categories such as metabolic, hospital nutrition, general wellness , women’s health and child nutrition for consumers across India.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/quantum-brief/nestle-to-launch-global-brand-nespresso-in-india-by-2024-end-29938.htm">Read More: Nestlé to launch global brand Nespresso in India by 2024-end</a>

The JV Company will be headquartered in Hyderabad. The JV Company will leverage the capabilities as well as services of the Nestlé Group and Dr. Reddy’s.

Select brands will be licensed by the JV Partners to the JV company. The Nestlé Group will license brands such as Nature's Bounty, Osteo Bi-Flex, Ester-C, Resource High Protein, Optifast, Resource Diabetic, Peptamen, Resource Renal and Resource Dialysis. Dr. Reddy’s will license brands such as Rebalanz, Celevida, Antoxid, Kidrich-D3, Becozinc in the nutrition, and OTC segments. The JV Company is expected to become operational in Q2 of FY’25. 

Commenting on the joint venture, Suresh Narayanan, Chairman and Managing Director, Nestlé India said, “I am very happy to share that we are entering into a joint venture with Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd. We have been on a journey where we strive to add value to the lives of our consumers through powerful brands and products. This joint venture is another important step in that direction, allowing us to bring our science-backed nutritional solutions to more people across the country. Dr. Reddy’s is a trusted name in the pharmaceutical space and shares our commitment to provide access to high quality products. This joint venture will enable us to build a robust retail and distribution network to take our brands closer to consumers and making a meaningful difference to improve the quality of life.”

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/quantum-brief/nestle-india-sales-crossed-rs-5000-crore-march-quarter-29942.htm">Read More: Nestle India sales crossed Rs 5,000 crore in March quarter</a>

M.V. Ramana, CEO – Branded Markets (India & Emerging Markets), Dr. Reddy’s said, “This joint venture is a novel approach by two companies that have a shared purpose of good health. We are pleased to partner with Nestlé India to bring innovations from the Nestlé Health Science global portfolio to consumers in India. This novel approach of leveraging mutually complementary strengths of both parent companies will enable better access and affordability for consumers.”
 


Nestlé India and Dr. Reddy’s form JV to bring nutraceutical brands to consumers across India

FMCG major Hindustan Unilever has re-named its 'health food drinks' category as functional nutritional drinks (FND). The move comes after the Ministry of Commerce and Industry directed e-commerce websites to remove drinks and beverages like Horlicks and Bournvita from 'health drinks' category on their platforms.

"We have changed the labels of the category to FND which is a much better way to call it," said Ritesh Tiwari, chief financial officer of Hindustan Unilever at the earnings press conference on April 24.

The FND category is under-penetrated and hence there is a big opportunity for growth, Tiwari said, adding that HUL will focus on increasing customers and usage, and giving more benefits for consumers to upgrade in the FND category. The company is seeing better growth in its premium FND range which caters to Diabetes and women's health, Tiwari stated.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry on April 10, asked e-commerce websites to remove Mondelez-owned Bournvita, among other drinks and beverages, from the ‘healthy drinks’ category on their platforms.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) said that there is no "health drink defined under the FSS Act 2006, rules and regulations as submitted by FSSAl & Mondelez India.”

The Ministry in a notification said, “NCPCR, a statutory body constituted under section (3) of the commission for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005 after its inquiry under Section 14 of CPCR Act, 2005, concluded that there is no "Health Drink defined under FSS Act 2006, Rules and regulations as submitted by FSSAl and Mondelez India Food Pvt Ltd.”

It therefore, advised all e-commerce companies and portals to remove drinks and beverages that included Bournvita from the ‘healthy drinks’ category.

Earlier, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had informed all e-commerce platforms to refrain from labelling dairy-based, cereal-based or malt-based beverages as ‘health drinks’ or ‘energy drinks’.

The reason behind this is because ‘health drink’ isn’t defined in Indian food laws. ‘Energy drink’ on the other hand, by law, refers to flavoured water drinks - carbonated and non carbonated, under the FSS Act 2006.

According to the FSSAI, the use of these terms can mislead consumers. Hence, the body has asked all Food Business Operators (FBO) that operate via e-commerce to dissociate themselves from such terms by removing their drinks and beverages from these categories.

"This corrective action aims to enhance clarity and transparency regarding the nature and functional properties of the products, ensuring that consumers can make well-informed choices without encountering misleading information," the body said in a statement.



HUL renames its 'health food drinks' category; Horlicks is now 'functional nutritional drink'

FMCG major Hindustan Unilever Limited announced its results for the quarter and year ended 31st March 2024. Full year turnover was Rs. 59,579 crore and HUL delivered a resilient performance in MQ’24. 

Rohit Jawa, CEO and Managing Director, said, "In FY’24 we delivered a resilient performance with 3% USG and crossed Rs. 10,000 crores Net Profit mark. We remain focused on driving operational excellence and have continued to build back our gross margins whilst stepping up investment in brands and long-term capabilities. Looking forward, I am optimistic of consumer demand gradually improving due to a normal monsoon and better macro-economic indicators." 

Jawa highlighted that with rising affluence, under-indexed FMCG consumption and a strong digital infrastructure, he remains very confident of the medium to long-term potential of Indian FMCG sector. 

The CEO of the FMCG juggernaut who took over from former chief Sanjiv Mehta in 2023, said that the company has embarked on a journey of 'Transform to Outperform' to serve the evolving aspirations of Indian consumers. 

Elaborating further, Jawa added, "Our key thrusts of Growing our Core through Unmissable Brand Superiority, Market making and Premiumisation, Re-shaping our portfolio to high growth spaces and Leadership in Channels of future, backed by our distinctive capabilities will enable us to continue winning in the Indian FMCG sector." 

<strong>Categories snapshot </strong>

Home Care: Robust Volume led performance
Home Care grew 1% with mid-single digit UVG (Underlying Volume Growth). Both Fabric Wash and Household Care grew volumes in mid-single digit driven by strong performance in premium portfolio. The category continued to witness YoY price decline on account of actions taken during the year.

Beauty & Personal Care: Flat volumes
Beauty & Personal Care continued to witness premium portfolio growing ahead of the rest. Overall, the segment had a USG (Underlying Sales Growth) of -2% with flat volumes. Hair care delivered volume driven high-single digit growth led by outperformance in Dove and Tresemme. Skin care and colour cosmetics grew in low-single digit. Premium skin care continued its strong double-digit growth trajectory led by innovations in new demand spaces and formats. Skin cleansing declined due to impact of price cuts coupled with drop in volumes in the mass and popular segments while bodywash continued to do well. Oral care saw a double-digit broad based growth driven by pricing. A range of innovations under Lakme cosmetics, sun-care products under Glow and Lovely, Ponds and Lakme skin, and sensitive skin cleansing range by Dove were launched in the quarter.

Foods & Refreshment: Mid-single digit growth driven by pricing
Foods & Refreshment had a USG of 4% with flat volume growth. Functional Nutritional Drinks (Horlicks & Boost) delivered high-single digit growth driven by Plus range. Tea continued to strengthen value and volume market leadership. Category continued to witness consumers downgrading to loose tea. Coffee delivered double digit growth driven by pricing. Foods grew in mid-single digit led by strong performance in Soups and Food solutions. Mayonnaise and Peanut Butter continue to gain consumer traction. Ice Cream grew in double digit led by volumes. An exciting range of innovations including Cadbury crackle feast, American nuts and Mango Duet were launched ahead of the upcoming ice-cream season.

Building back Gross Margin and stepping up in Advertising & Promotion
Gross Margin improved 350 bps versus MQ’23. We continue to focus on building back our gross margins through improved price coverage, mix and net productivity initiatives. A&P investments increased 200 bps as we continued to step up investments behind our brands. EBITDA at 23.4% declined by 30 bps primarily on account of 60 bps impact from termination of GSK consignment selling arrangement and investments in long term capabilities.

HUL CEO Rohit Jawa: We've embarked on a journey of 'Transform to Outperform' to serve evolving aspirations of Indian consumers

JioCinema announced its new subscription offering, ‘JioCinema Premium’. The new plans starting at a market-defining Rs.29/month will offer an Ad Free experience delivered in up to 4K quality and off-line viewing options. Members can access Exclusive Series, Movies, Hollywood, Kids & TV entertainment, on any device, including Connected TVs. 

 

With a focus on multi-segment consumption across Indian households, a ‘Family’ plan was also announced at Rs.89/month which offers the additional benefit of four simultaneous screens access. Existing JioCinema Premium members will now avail all the additional benefits of the ‘Family’ plan at no extra cost.

 

While Sports content including the ongoing Indian Premier League and thousands of hours of entertainment content will continue to be available for Free as part of its Ad-Supported offering, here’s what JioCinema Premium Members will get exclusive access to:

 

<strong>Top International Content in Local Languages:</strong> The biggest global series and movie premieres from Hollywood, through partnerships with the world’s biggest studios - Peacock, HBO, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery. Top titles such as Game Of Thrones, House Of The Dragon, Oppenheimer, Barbie and several more will also be available in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali and Marathi.

 

<strong>Wholesome Kids & Family Entertainment:</strong> Home to one of the widest selections of Indian and International toons, with titles ranging from Motu Patlu, Shiva and Rudra to Pokémon, Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol, the Kids & Family hub houses thousands of hours of top-quality movies and series. JioCinema’s Parental Control features also provide a safe space for content consumption.

 

<strong>Genre-defining Originals & Blockbuster Movies:</strong> With upcoming original series including the much talked about Ranneeti: Balakot & Beyond (Jimmy Shergill, Lara Dutta, Ashish Vidyarthi), Murder In Mahim (Vijay Raaz, Ashutosh Rana), PILL (Riteish Deshmukh) and several more to be unveiled, JioCinema Premium members will get access to top-rated series premieres every month, in addition to some of India’s most loved Originals such as Asur, Taali & Kaalkoot. The platform also promises blockbuster Bollywood Premieres every month with Zara Hatke Zara Bachke headlining the month of May.

 

<strong>Before-TV Premieres & Live Channels:</strong> Members will get early access to their favourite content from Colors, Nickelodeon and the entire Colors suite of local language channels, with serials now being made available for members even before their television airing. In addition, 20+ TV channels from the Viacom18 Network will be available to stream.

 

Speaking on the launch of JioCinema Premium, Kiran Mani, chief executive officer, Viacom18 Digital said, “Creating and building an entertainment ecosystem with a product that is made for every Indian household, is not just a business strategy, but a vision to empower our country and users with an unmatched entertainment experience. JioCinema Premium aims to redefine the narrative of premium entertainment for every Indian while building a daily viewing habit.”

 

He further added, “The introduction of JioCinema Premium breaks the numerous cost and quality barriers that exist in accessing premium entertainment. With 4K streaming, best-in-class audio, offline viewing and no device restriction all at a customer-centric pricing is sure to democratise access to quality entertainment for all of India.”

 

JioCinema has also rolled out a campaign asking consumers, “Toh Aaj Kya Plan Hai?”. The campaign highlights the core benefits of JioCinema Premium while showcasing the distress of today’s consumers when choosing their entertainment plan.


<strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/quantum-brief/viacom18-and-jiocinema-announce-new-innovations-for-advertisers-ahead-of-ipl-22916.htm">Viacom18 and JioCinema announce new innovations for advertisers ahead of IPL</a> 



JioCinema rolls out its new subscription offering ‘JioCinema Premium’

Bank of Baroda (Bank), one of India’s public sector banks, announced the release of its #PehchaanCon 3.0 Banking Fraud awareness campaign. The latest campaign seeks to raise awareness about new-age financial frauds such as artificial intelligence-generated deepfake scams that can succeed in duping even the most vigilant customers, stated the company.

 

In Phase 3 of the #PehchaanCon campaign, the Bank has released two new ad films featuring actor Kunaal Roy Kapur. These videos illustrate how anyone – even the smartest and strongest amongst us – can end up getting conned. Using the latest deepfake tech to deceive individuals by masquerading as a family member/a close acquaintance or targeting online shoppers by posing as a delivery agent asking for an OTP, which is then used to hack into one’s personal data, fraudsters are using a range of methods to try and dupe people.



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The ads showcase how anyone is vulnerable to falling prey to such an attack. Kapur plays the role of the quiet and compassionate doctor to whom his patients pour their hearts out to, while also contemplating how to protect themselves from such kinds of frauds in future. The ads emphasise that by being alert, watchful and being able to recognise a fraud/fraudster or Con, customers can protect themselves and their confidential financial information and enjoy a safe and secure online banking and shopping experience.


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Shri Lal Singh, executive director, Bank of Baroda said, “Online frauds aimed at defrauding people have become more common nowadays and are an ever-present threat. Further, with the advent of new technologies, the modus operandi of financial cons also keeps evolving rapidly. Hence, all of us need to be extremely alert and learn to identify a potential fraud/scam. Bank of Baroda's PehchaanCon campaign emphasises the importance of self-vigilance to customers so that they can ensure the safety of their hard-earned money from the threats presented by cybercriminals.”


<strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/advertising/greenpanel-launches-ipl-campaign-crafted-by-lk-saatchi-saatchi-29841.htm">Greenpanel launches IPL campaign crafted by L&K Saatchi & Saatchi</a> 

Bank of Baroda rolls out 'PehchaanCon 3.0 Banking Fraud' awareness campaign featuring actor Kunaal Roy Kapur

boAt, an audio wearable brand, has signed a new brand ambassador – cricket prodigy, Yashasvi Jaiswal. 
 

He amassed a staggering 712 runs in the Test series against England, including two double centuries.

 

"I'm thrilled to be partnering with boAt," said Jaiswal, brimming with enthusiasm. "The brand embodies the same spirit of innovation and perseverance that fuels my passion on the field. As a boAthead, I'm excited to connect with fans and inspire them through our shared love for music and sports."

 

Aman Gupta, co-founder and chief marketing officer of boAt, took to social media, seeking suggestions for the brand's next boAthead. Fans championed the inclusion of Yashasvi Jaiswal.
 

Gupta commented on the partnership, stating, "We are absolutely delighted to welcome Yashasvi Jaiswal to boAt. Together we have a shared passion for Innovation and Excellence. His journey to success remarkably mirrors boAt's own path – fuelled by ambition, relentless hard work, and a constant pursuit of excellence. Together, we're excited to embark on this adventure and inspire young people to chase their dreams with unwavering determination."

 

A video featuring Jaiswal and Gupta showcases their humorous exploration of various "in-trend" campaign launch concepts pitched by agencies. Amidst the laughter and creativity, the video effectively announces Jaiswal as the newest boAthead.

 
<strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/boat-highlights-detremental-impact-of-women-objectification-through-new-campaign-25781.htm">boAt highlights detrimental impact of women objectification through new campaign</a> 

boAt brings Yashasvi Jaiswal on board as brand ambassador

Zepto and Simpl have engaged in a friendly billboard banter with their #SabseTezCampaign to highlight their unique combination of Instant Checkout and Fastest Deliveries offered to millions of customers. The billboards, put up at Karol Bagh and Gurgaon- sector 66 in Delhi-NCR, tap into popular meme culture with references to popular Bollywood dialogues and one liners from stand-up comedy such as “Aao kabhi haveli pe” and “Mai kya job chhod doon”.

The billboards are strategically located in high-traffic zones of the city, thereby showcasing humorous banter between the two brands. The campaign aims to highlight the benefits of an online kirana store and a unique khata-like experience online for commuters through Zepto which offers 10-min deliveries via Simpl’s 1-Tap or Instant Checkout. The campaign, which was amplified across social media platforms has already garnered over 500,000 impressions online (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn) in less than 24 hours.

Commenting on the marketing campaign, Chandan Mendiratta, Chief Brand Officer, Zepto, said, “Fast checkouts with Simpl and Fast Delivery with Zepto is truly a match made in heaven. It's a great example of two brands that uphold convenience and speed as their values coming together. It was great to see our tone of voice also matching over and above our values. However, we still can’t agree on #SabseTezKaun!”.

Abhishek Rane, Vice-President, Marketing, Simpl said, “As new-age brands, we bring a judicious mix of traditional kirana and khata-like experience online and are highlighting its relevance for today’s customers through our #SabseTezKaun campaign. The speed and convenience that customers get with Zepto and Simpl’s partnership is unparalleled and we are excited to celebrate this with quick-witted billboard ads. By engaging in this playful banter in the physical world and amplifying it in the online world, we are tapping all relevant channels to keep our customers engaged”.  

Zepto partnered with Simpl in January 2022 and has witnessed over 13 million checkouts via Simpl’s Instant Checkout so far. It recently integrated Zepto Pass with Instant Checkout to enhance user convenience and has been offering great rewards and cashbacks to millions of customers across the country.


 

PC market demand has come back to normal: Acer's Jason Chen

Chen, who visited India recently, reinforced the company’s commitment to the thriving Indian market with strategic initiatives aimed at fostering growth, innovation, and sustainability.

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