Marketing review

Festive offers from Kinetic
Two-wheeler manufacturer Kinetic Motor Company is kicking off the festive season with two new launches and attractive finance schemes.

The two new scooter launches from Kinetic are Kine and the Kinetic 4s.

The Kine is a lightweight, zippy and stylish Scooterette while the Kinetic-4s is an important upgrade to the Kinetic Zoom – a very popular two-wheeler. The new Kinetic-4s will feature a new four-stroke engine along with new look and features.

The company is also offering schemes to give consumers' a chance to go easy on down payments, 100 per cent finance and low EMIs.

The full-sized scooters, Nova135 (the most powerful gearless scooter in India) and Kinetic-4s can be owned for down payments as low as Rs799 while the down payment on the Kine is Rs599.

An advertising campaign for the festive season is also on the cards, with a major emphasis on print.

HLL to launch liquid detergent Omo
Hindustan Lever (HLL) is planning get into the premium end of the fabric-care market with liquid detergent brand, Omo, part of Unilever's brand portfolio.

Currently HLL is testing its liquid detergent on the silk sarees belonging to the Nalli Saree chain.

Industry analysts say HLL's entry into the high-end liquid detergent market is primarily because there are not many players in this arena which will enable it to get attractive margins. Apart from Godrej's Ezee, the liquid fabric detergent market has no other player.

Air Deccan to increase fares by 15 per cent; Re1- and Rs500-fares to stay
Air Deccan is increasing its fares by 10 to 15 per cent, However, the popular Re1- and Rs500- fares will remain untouched.

The fares which are above Rs3,000 will be hikes by 10 to15 per cent according to the airline's managing director, Capt G R Gopinath. The new fares will come into effect by mid-October. The fares are being increased to offset the rise in aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices. The fares on its ATR aircraft will also remain unaffected.

Nearly 40 per cent of the seats on Air Deccan are reserved for low fares. The fares on Air Deccan range between Re1 and Rs6,500. This is the first time the airline is raising its fares because of the hike in aviation fuel.

Spice Telecom launches video tones, SMS tones
Spice Telecom, Punjab's premier cellular operator has launched video tones service, a
personalised mobile video service where the subscriber gets an alert for an incoming call through a video clip instead of the traditional ring tone or a musical tone.

Subscribers can personalise different video tones for different callers and also change the video tones when they want to.

Pre-paid as well as post-paid subscribers of Spice telecom can access the video tones service.

To use Spice video tone service, customers need to download the Video
Tone application on their handset from Spice's GPRS portal www.spiceindia.com/wap

For this Spice subscribers need to have active GPRS connection. To activate GPRS, Spice subscribers should dial *789#
Video Tone application is handset dependent and will be installed only if the handset has the configuration to support it.

Jet Airways offers 'Web Check-in' facility
Starting October 2005, Jet Airways, India's leading airline, becomes the first domestic airline in India to offer a distinctive online facility of Web Check-in to all its passengers.

This specialised Web Check-in facility is currently available for passengers holding a confirmed and valid E-ticket, anytime between 48 hours and 60 minutes prior to their flight departure, in 29 of the airline's destinations across India.

E-tickets can be issued through travel agents, Jet Airways portal, Jet Airways airport and city offices.

This Web Check-in application has been developed by Sabre Airline Solution, leading airline solutions provider based in the United States. This has been further customised for Jet Airways at their development centre in Bangalore.

Rasna launches Rasna Juc Fit
Rasna has entered the highly competitive Fruit Juice market by launching Rasna Juc Fit.

According to the company, Rasna Juc Fit is enriched with vital vitamins, minerals and calcium fulfilling human body's daily nourishment requirements.

The product is available in three flavours – orange, mango and mixed fruit at select outlets.

The launch of the new product is backed by an aggressive marketing strategy that entails extremely economical pricing, excellent quality standards and a strengthened dealer network of 1.7-million retailers.

Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan is endorsing Rasna Juc Fit and will feature in its print advertising campaigns.

The 200ml-tetra pack of Rasna Juc Fit will be priced at Rs10 while the 1-liter pack will cost Rs45.

Home Stores plans Rs 100-crore expansion
Home Stores India, which owns and manages two chains – The Home Store and Sabka Bazaar is planning to increase its footprint across the country in the next two to three year backed by a total investment of Rs100 crore.

While The Home Store (THS) offers home and lifestyle products and is present in eight major cities across the country, Sabka Bazaar, which sells food and grocery items, is present in Delhi-NCR.

The Home Store currently has 14 stores in the country in cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Nasik, Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkata. The company plans to expand by setting up 20 stores in two to three years.

The newer stores would be bigger than the current home stores and the expansion of these stores would be restricted to tier-1 and tier-2 cities.

Sabka Bazaar will be expanded to most major cities in North India.

Home Stores India is also establishing hypermarkets in Lucknow, Agra and Panipat, with an additional investment of Rs15 crore. The largest of these hypermarkets will have an area of 55,000sq. ft., the smallest will be of 30,000sq. ft. The hypermarket in Lucknow, the first of the three, will be operational by April.

Music player camera-phone launched by SAGEM
Sagem has unveiled a brand-new camera-phone handset equipped with the latest functionalities in terms of music, photo, video and games, MyX 6-2

According to the company the MyX6-2 is the ideal multimedia mobility companion. By concentrating on the essentials in technical terms, the Sagem MyX6-2 has everything needed for mobile communication. Owing to its intuitive menu structure and central navigation button, the way around all its functions are can be easily found. Sagem MyX6-2 being a tri-band mobile, can be used anywhere around the globe.

Sagem MyX6-2 integrates a micro SD card player in order to expand its storage capacity, therefore allowing the user to manage his music collection that constantly follow him on his handset. Other than its great ergonomics, its digital player renders a high-quality sound and its compatibility with a stereo kit gives an outstanding rendering, truthful to the original soundtrack

The new model is reinforced by its Bluetooth connectivity which ensures hands-free comfort use as well as a large choice of accessories in option: stereo ear-kit, car kit, USB data cable, car charger, pedestrian Bluetooth kit and interchangeable covers. Its fluid lines address ones need for beauty, simplicity and sophistication whilst remaining sober in its form.

All SAGEM MyX models include: Hi-Fi ring tones (vocal), interchangeable covers, handsfree speakerphone and conference calling facility. The product comes priced at Rs12,000

Pantaloon to start communication solutions chain
Pantaloon Retail (India) is setting up a new retail division — Communication Products — to offer communication solutions. The company has appointed senior telecom professional Neeran Chhiber as the CEO and president, communication products.

The division will offer mobile phones, landline instruments, computers, peripherals and mobile airtime and broadband services. It will be represented through independent stores and also be part of Centrals and Big Bazaars.

Kishore Biyani, managing director, Pantaloon Retail (India), said, "Communication needs today represent six per cent of consumer spends and we would like to capture this part of the consumer's basket by offering them a one-stop shop for bundled and complete communication solutions via this new venture."

SBI announces festive offer
State Bank of India has reduced interest rates on various loans as part of Dasara-Deepavali festive offer.

The offer commenced on October 1 and will be valid till November 15. As against the interest rate of 8 per cent on home loans with five years' repayment period, the loans will carry a floating rate of 7.25 per cent during the offer period.

The interest rate on car loans repayable in three years has been reduced from 8 per cent to 7 per cent.These concessions have been extended to two-wheeler and personal loans also.

— Compiled by Mohini Bhatnagar