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Rajesh
Metal Industries launches HotMuggs
Rajesh Metal
Industries has made an entry to the high-end branded segment with the launch
of HotMuggs. HotMuggs are an innovative specialised drinkware in a functional
metal crafted to excellence through appealing designs. According
to the company HotMuggs is a pioneering a concept that not just provides
a `functionality plus feature' to the consumer. Rajesh
Metal has positioned the HotMuggs Concept as youthful, energetic and funky,
targeted at Indian middle income group. HotMuggs is available at leading
lifestyle stores across the country, Shop-in-shop concepts, co-branding
and co-marketing. The range comprises Inclined Muggs, `Groovy' Muggs, `Message'
Muggs, `Sun Sign' Muggs, Classic Cupps and Saucer, and `Globe Cupps and
Saucer. LG
Care slashes prices
LG Care,
the FMCG division of Korean consumer electronics giant LG, has cut prices
of its various products by 20-30 per cent. Besides shampoo and toothpaste,
LG Care sells soaps, detergents and diapers through a sole licensee agreement
with Chennai-based India Household and Healthcare Ltd. Analysts
say that at the higher end of the market brand equity matters more than
price. LG Care till now is a fringe player in a large market and will need
more than price cuts to sell in the league of HLL and P&G. LG
Care made its Indian debut with high priced products when most established
players in the market were cutting prices. While its products sold somewhat
in supermarkets and malls, it has led to stagnant sales at smaller retail
outlets. Mason
& Summers to launch new brands
Scotch major
Inver House's Mason & Summers Alcobev, recently acquired by Ramesh Vangal-managed
Katra Group, will soon launch new brands for the Indian and international
markets. The company is scouting for international collaboration for its
global distribution arrangements. The
company recently launched Glen Drummond, the first single malt scotch whisky,
and Royal Crown, a rare deluxe whisky in Kolkata and Goa, respectively.
The company is also planning to enter the north Indian markets and launch
both products in Delhi by mid-June this year. Mason
& Summers had earlier launched Wild Horse Whisky, a regular priced Indian
made foreign liquor (IMFL), which averages monthly sales of about 50,000
cases. Similarly, the company's Royal Crown, a deluxe priced IMFL whisky,
pitched against Seagram's Royal Stag is also doing well in the market. The
company has roped in a Bangalore-based advertising agency to handle its
creative duties. Nutrine
to give Cadbury's and Nestle a fight
Nutrine Confectionery
Company is trying to expand its market share in the Re1-segment, dominated
by Cadbury's and Nestle, with the launch of 'Nutrine Eclair Hazelnut' priced
at Re1. The
company is confident of capturing 20 per cent of the market share of the
segment.
Nutrine Confectionery has a 33 per cent market share among Eclairs with
Nutrine Eclairs priced at 50paise. Nutrine
plans to position its Eclair Hazelnut in 6,000 outlets in Bangalore in six
months. The product will also be available in over 14,000 outlets in the
state in a year's time. At
present Nutrine Confectionaries has a market share of 70 per cent in the
rural areas on the back of the 25- and 50-paise sweets. Philips
to come out with energy efficient products
Philips India
is coming out with products that will be fuel-efficient. These include compact
fluorescent lamps for urban markets and solar lighting for rural areas.
The company also plans to introduce electronically controlled lighting products.
In the
consumer electronics sector Philips is focusing on the concept of `flat-slim-wide',
televisions like the recently launched Ambi light, a lifestyle product.
The company also plans to enter the water business to provide drinking water
as the company has the UV technology, which is widely used for water treatment.
The company
will invest Rs90 crore in its marketing and advertising campaign this fiscal.
Agro
Tech to focus on strategic brands
Agro Tech
Foods (ATFL), a subsidiary of global food major ConAgra, after selling its
stake in Advanta India, will increase focus on its strategic brands and
businesses. The
Rs1,054-crore company has a strong presence in edible oils and foods business
in India with brands such as Sundrop, Crystal, Rath and ACT II. In
recent times the company has been pushing its ACT II brand, which earlier
contained only popcorn. In the past year ACT II has been extended to corn
chips and potato chips. Bajaj
Auto to restructure retail network
Led by its
new managing director Rajiv Bajaj, Bajaj Auto has kicked off a project to
completely restructure the company's retail network and create multiple
sales channels. Over
the next few months, the company will set up separate sales channels for
every segment of its business and consumers. As of now all the company's
dealers are authorised to sell the company's entire product range from the
entry level to the premium. The
company is now setting up separate dealer networks catering to the urban
and rural markets as well as its three-wheeler and premium bike segments.
The company
is also planning to rationalise its 500-strong dealership network, closing
down nonviable city dealerships or asking them to move to the rural areas.
The company
has identified 20 cities outside which rural dealerships will come up, including
Chakan near Pune, Niphad near Nashik, and the outlying areas of Surat and
Kanpur to begin with. Parle
to withdraw Hide & Seek variants; launch Parle Cookies
Parle Products
has withdrawn the variants of its chocolate-chip cookie brand, Hide &
Seek and will bring them under the Parle franchise and sell them re-named
as Parle Cookies. The brand is currently being test marketed in the south.
According
to the company, Hide & Seek has a strong association with chocolate
and has been accepted as a chocolate chip cookie brand. Consumers were not
ready to accept the butter and cashew variants. Thus the variants have been
delinked from Hide &Seek and re-introduced as Parle Cookies. The products
will soon be re-launched nationally. The
company extended the Hide & Seek franchise early last year to two new
flavours — butter and cashew-badam — the biscuit major has now
restricted it to chocolate-chip cookie. New
variant of Pass Pass launched
Pass-Pass
the 100 per cent herbal and natural mouth freshener has launched one more
variant to its range of fun mixes - "Pass-Pass Meetha Magic".
The launch coincides with the release of a new Pass-Pass commercial with
Shekhar Suman. The
new tagline 'total natural total fun' tries to create the image
of a fun brand in the consumer's mindset. A series of advertisements has
been developed on topical issues related to known celebrities and personalities,
popularly known as 'Pass-Pass Panga' that tries to create excitement around
the brand. Leading advertising agency Dentsu has conceptualised and executed
the advertising campaign. According
to the company Pass-Pass is a pioneering innovation in the branded mouth
freshener category and has become a | 
