Free incoming calls at Rs. 5 per Day Offer for Vodafone users

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Jul 4, 2013

Free incoming calls at Rs 5 per Day Offer for Vodafone users

By Naveed Zafar

Jul 4 – Vodafone launched five Rupees per day scheme which would enable its customers to avail free incoming calls, cheaper SMS rates and outgoing calls during national roaming, Times of India (TOI) reported on Thursday.

The announcement came after an Indian telecom regulator TRAI asked telcos to provide subsidized roaming plans to users.

The announcement was made by Vodafone after the launch of a scheme by Bharti Airtel and Idea Cellular who are offering similar packages.

“With these new roaming plans we aim to offer a hassle- free roaming experience to our customers,” Commercial Chief Officer of Vodafone India Vivek Mathur stated.

Formerly known as Hutch, Vodafone India was established in 2007 after UK’s Multinational Telecommunication Company Vodafone Group PLC purchased 67% stake in Hutch.

The company was rebranded from Hutch to “Vodafone” and renamed from Hutchison Essar to Vodafone Essar. In 2011, Vodafone bought their partners, Essar, from the Indian mobile phone business.

As of December 2012, Vodafone India has around 147.48 Million customers.

ORANGE joining hands with MobileIron for Mobility Management

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Sami Iqbal

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Jul 4, 2013

ORANGE joining hands with MobileIron for Mobility Management

Orange Business Services and MobileIronare joining hands to launch a new version of Device Management Premium managed service. Device Management Premium, a smartphone and tablet management system for fleets of more than 300 devices, uses MobileIron’s technologies and is available on a worldwide basis.

The partnership with MobileIron takes the existing offer beyond traditional mobile fleet management functions to offer an advanced, highly secure version of the solution. Available in either a private or cloud mode.

As a leading international operator, Orange Business Services offers MNCs global connectivity in 32 countries served by Orange and extending to 82 countries served by the Freemove alliance. Additionally, Orange Business Services offers the following mobility solutions and services, like mobile cost control, consulting on BYOD and security and mobile workspace.

According to a spokeperson, “As a trusted advisor, we can manage the network, devices, applications and usage on a global scale and enable global enterprises to take full advantage of their mobility journey. As a trusted advisor, we can manage the network, devices, applications and usage on a global scale and enable global enterprises to take full advantage of their mobility journey.”

Gul Ahmed enters Manchester with its clothing line

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Jul 4, 2013

Gul Ahmed enters Manchester with its clothing line

By Ufaq Ashfaque

Gul Ahmed entered Manchester on July 4, launching their line of new and exquisite pieces. The exhibition was held for four days, starting from July 4 to July 8. These exhibitions were in the pipeline since 2012.

Gul Ahmed was in need of such a penetration into markets abroad. The brand aspires to create buzz and contribute towards the firm establishment of Gul Ahmed on an international platform.

Manchester was chosen in line with the weather conditions that would not only persuade people to purchase their Gul Ahmed, but will also help the brand gain acceptance internationally. While there are people that may not appear to be associated with the brand, their exquisite designs rooting back to Pakistan is sure to give the Pakistanis living abroad a taste back home.

Gul Ahmed is working ambitiously towards capturing the market. With the arrival of local and international lawn brands being introduced in the industry, it has sharply maligned Gul Ahmed’s positioned. However, with exhibitions into upscale markets, good aspirations can be associated with the brand.

Khaadi brings forth Volume II for Eid Collection

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Jul 4, 2013

Khaadi brings forth Volume II for Eid Collection

By Ufaq Ashfaque

Khaadi, Pakistan’s popular lawn clothing brand, launched the second volume of their Eid Collection, exactly a month after launching their first one.

The second volume, success and the increased sale of Khaadi portray acceptance and association of the brand with people.

Khaadi’s second volume of Eid Collection is another strategy to engage the brand customer and make them look for something much more exciting and appealing.

The clothing industry is expanding and during this particular season of Ramadan and the upcoming Eid, brands are investing heavily into closing the biggest sales as compared to generating revenues all around the year.

Khaadi promises its clients a unique form of fusion clothing that targets people looking for both comfort and style. The brand is popular for its sophisticated, yet loud colors, maintaining a hybrid of modernity and tradition.

Consumers want to feel good and look stylish at the same time during this brutal weather and festive season. It is with this motivation that Khaadi introduces its second volume, bringing in more potential customers to its brand and maintaining its competitive position during this important season of sale.

One to One with Mr. Zia Ul Islam Zuberi

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Jul 3, 2013

Mr. Zia Ul Islam Zuberi, Head of Communications, Siemens Pakistan Engineering Company explains the importance of PR in technology-based companies.

Synergyzer: What lifecycle phase would you consider Pakistan’s PR industry to be in? Why?

Mr. Zuberi: In my opinion, it is in the early stages of the growth phase, with a few professional PR companies having surfaced and doing a good job.

The profession has grown out of its media-centered profile incorporating event management, strategic decision making and marketing communications.

Yet, the profession still struggles in the public sector with outdated concepts based on prioritizing personalities.
Synergyzer: In which industries do you think PR is being used extensively? In your opinion, which other industries will soon be accepting PR as a major promotional tool?

Mr. Zuberi: The FMCG industry is well utilizing PR, with its focus on event management through programs like the Lux Style Awards.

The telecommunication sector is also leading the way in adopting new and innovative practices, while the pharmaceutical industry has been successfully employing it for many decades.

In the future, I can see PR as a strategic tool to initiate dialogue between stakeholders in the engineering industry.

The public sector, specifically the information ministry, requires strategically planned and executed PR programs, but I do not see them moving in that direction.

Synergyzer: How do you differentiate between the PR approaches of MNCs versus local companies?

Mr. Zuberi: PR approaches of MNCs are based on a properly planned strategy, while those employed by local companies are based on publicity.

Synergyzer: What is the difference between PR and Publicity?

Mr. Zuberi: Publicity is like a bull in a China shop. By relying completely on publicity to get people talking, companies may end up acting ineptly when they should be careful.

PR, on the other hand, is a planned approach to publicity.

As Phil Gomes, SVP of Digital Integration at Edelman PR said, “Anyone who says, “All press is good press”, is a publicist, not a PR professional.”

Synergyzer: You mentioned other marketing activities that compliment PR, like event management and marketing communications. Please give an example in which you incorporated PR with any of these tools.

Mr. Zuberi: Recently, Siemens launched the “Green City Index” around the world with the help of The Economist Intelligence Unit.

The results were announced in an impressive ceremony in Singapore.

In Asia, it compared 22 cities on 8 environmental parameters. Later, we held meetings with city officials to discuss how Siemens can help improve environmental indices of these cities.

Synergyzer: How important is it to have a PR industry in the country?

Mr. Zuberi: PR is the window of an organization to its stake holders and general public.

Also, it can play a vital role in forming and enhancing international relations and boosting the image of the country.

The term, ‘soft image’ for Pakistan can only be realized under a centralized PR strategy with a clear focus, which includes all stakeholders.

Synergyzer: With the growing importance of PR, what steps are required to develop PR specialists to help them serve clients and agencies?

Mr. Zuberi: I find business school students having limited knowledge about the true role of PR in an organization.

To develop professionals, such schools in Pakistan should have exclusive degree or diploma awarding programs for PR education based on international standards.

Synergyzer: Is the Pakistani PR industry guided by any effective platform?

Mr. Zuberi: There are a few members from Pakistan representing the country in International Public Relations Association (IPRA), but there is no such platform present in Pakistan.

Such platforms are important for accreditation and as forums for educated and enlightened discussion. Accreditation aids in analyzing professional competence, and prevents hit and run operators from mushrooming.

Attempts at establishing a PR association have not been successful in Pakistan since most of our organizations still have a long way to go to incorporate professionalism in management and concentrate on decentralizing hierarchies.

Synergyzer: Considering the current trends, how do you see the future of PR in Pakistan?

Mr. Zuberi: The future of PR in Pakistan depends largely upon the development of PR in the public sector, as there are tremendous opportunities for the government to use this tool.

A number of PR campaigns prompt dialogue on different issues, yet they fall on deaf ears when there is no urge for good governance.

Hence, there is a strong need for a structured approach to be followed by the authorities to create impact.

Yet, in the private sphere, PR is flourishing and focusing majorly on CSR. Therefore, most PR companies are doing well and there is a great future for the innovative and service oriented ones.

Synergyzer: Do you have any suggestions for PR professionals in Pakistan?

Mr. Zuberi: Obtain membership of IPRA and use that umbrella to benchmark local practices

The Television Religion

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Jul 3, 2013

A Pakistani is as much a follower of the ‘Electronic religion’ as he is of ‘Islam’. The medium is viewed religiously in almost every home, by members of every social and ethnic age group, from Khyber to Karachi. If it was something special, the effects would be isolated and consequently, not so long-lasting.

However, since it is such a common factor, its influences, both positive and negative, are far more potent.

The intensity of viewer ship by a substantial part of the audience, the extended periods of time over which these audiences view television, and the size of the audience deepens my concern for their psychosocial health and development.

Television has the largest national, daily audience ever assembled simultaneously and regularly for any experience, surpassing the assembly generated by the daily call for “prayer”, be it at mosques or homes.

Around 80% people in our country are constantly exposed to this phenomenon. Interestingly enough, television sets outnumber any other consumer durable ownership.

Research on TV-viewing suggests a “cause and effect” relationship with knowledge, attitudes and behavior. Television is addictive and promotes the following aspects in society:

Aggressive behavior
Re-shapes our value systems, contrary to the beliefs of our parents and teachers
Encourages racial and sex role stereotypes
Decreased interest in reading and other academic activities
Poorer health habits and attitudes
Promotes passive learning
Delivers an unrealistic view of problem-solving and / or conflict resolution

I come from a family of doctors and for decades I have seen physicians fight disease. However, now pediatricians face a new “psychosocial disease” that is being spread by the product under discussion. This new disease requires a new breed of psychologist – one that is more sensitive to cultural influences on children and adolescents, willing to provide counseling to families, (and perhaps even conduct a “soft” research).

As data is gathered and people realize the gravity of the situation, every television set may one day bear the label: “Caution: Too much or inappropriate viewing may be hazardous to your life”.

ADVERTISING MAKING YOUTH SELF-CENTRIC

Another noteworthy area is the role of advertising, in shaping the values of our children and adolescents. Because apart from the programmes aired on TV, there is a lot of advertising being consumed by the nation.

Mothers are rather ‘uncomfortable’ with the deteriorating trends in advertising and would any day prefer advertisers to sell `good’ values, such as civility, to children as well as adults.

There are a load of slogans and messages out there targeting children and the youth; predominantly coming out of colas, candies, confectionary and other junk food companies that are propagating wrong ideals.

“The central message of most of these ads is that it’s all about you, self-centred attitude – what you want, when you want it (which is usually right away) – and about buying things to make yourself feel good and give your life meaning, etc.

That, in my view, is antithetical to the value system that you need in order to raise good, healthy children who are able to contribute to a democratic life or a family based value system. It would be better if advertising and marketing changes the tone in ads to one that encourages children and teens to think about self-control, empathy, moderation and charity instead of “me first, now”.

Here let me clarify that I am not after individual people or advertising, nor am I advocating a new breed of marketers, the “marketing maulvi”, but in fact I am against that ethos in advertising and marketing that is promoting a certain western worldview in Pakistan.

This happens more with multinational companies that have to promote at all cost their international, western ideals in our nation. But even our big national companies in an attempt to look modern and trendy, adopt these messages.

In summary, television viewing has a significant impact on child development and behavior. The need for providing quality-oriented programming and advertising that drives their better development is obvious.

The TV content business that includes both its networks and advertisers, needs to collectively think about the “values issue”, that I have highlighted here. Otherwise I see them leading the Pakistani youth towards a “major value problem”. As I said, television is like a religion -it’s time we promote the values that are right!

Fair & Lovely face wash enters Nepal

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Jul 3, 2013

By Ufaq Ashfaque

Fairness cream mogul Fair & Lovely recently entered Nepal’s market for face washes and cleaning fluids.

The recent active marketing of Fair & Lovely facewash looks to double the progress and profit.

Fair and Lovely’s strategic move of adding facewash to its product line will aid in increasing brand recall. Even the recent TVCs use the brand name twice, “Fair & Lovely and Fair & Lovely”, make the brand top of mind.

The brand engraves in the consumer’s mind that Fair & Lovely is the solution to all your problems. It will cleanse ones and moustrize it as well.

Through this, the brand will penetrate into a woman’s life, changing the focus of women towards their skin and also choosing Fair & Lovely as their brand of choice.

With packaging ranging from 20ml, 50ml and 100ml SKU’s, the company is anticipated to create a strong position in the market.

Consistent efforts and sound results produced would significantly add to the lives of the female population residing in different countries around the world and also make way for their instant acceptance of the brand.

Twitter launches user targeted ads on its page

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Jul 3, 2013

Twitter launches user targeted ads on its page

By Anum Saeed

Microblogging pioneer Twitter officially launched user targeted ads on its homepage, where users would be seeing ads according to their preference and presence on the social networking website.

While there many giants and moguls that have incorporated ‘cookies’ into their interfaces, Twitter is new with its incorporation.

The company is looking ahead to increase its profit revenues through the incorporation of cookies that will result in increased profits and revenues for Twitter.

In addition to this, Twitter would also be able to witness the prevalent trends and provide advertisements with information and data related to customer demands and segments. Other businesses and clients would also be able to tap into the information.

However, there are many apprehensions and critics that are associated with Twitter’s decision. An important matter of concern is the information breach and profile exploitation of the user that is registered on Twitter.

Cookies to a certain extent have nominal information of a person, in order for it to track content shared by a user, giving advertisers updates of the user’s preference and even places that they go.

Major federal agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission and the European Union have discussed and undertaken the utilization of content tracking as a serious bone of contention.

Even though the tracking can be turned off by the user, underlying factors and issues of invading privacy is still a matter of concern under discussion.

Hyundai takes over Honda and Toyota

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Sami Iqbal

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Jul 3, 2013

Recently, Hyundai Genesis HCD-14 was named the Concept car of the year 2013, which won the prestigious title against Honda EV-ESTER and Toyota Corolla Furia.

Initiated in 2002, The American ‘Concept of the Year’ Awards have recognized novel ideas, which would shape the future, beyond all brand stereotypes.

If there is anything which exhibits sheer passion of automobile engineering, it is the designs of a concept car, which inspires human creativity.

Hyundai’s concept was recognized for its impressive attributes and improved driver experience. Genesis HCD-14 exhibits the promising engineering advancement and future of Hyundai’s premium brands with driver eye-tracking and hand-gesture recognition, thumb controls or gesture recognition used to select navigation, infotainment, audio, HVAC, and Smartphone connectivity functions.

The world’s fourth largest and South Korean Multimillion dollar brand, Hyundai seeks to attain a stabile position in an industry over shadowed by brand names like Honda, Toyota and of course General Motors.

The recent recognition and appraise for Genesis, keeps Hyundai in a steady place within the industry. A fair competition of innovation and ideas are always considered healthy for any industry, as it keeps the brands tip-toeing towards innovation, regardless of their brand heritage and consistency.

Let’s hope Hyundai’s recent surge gives birth to better ideas, helping both the industry and automobile evolution.

HBL sets for the record for a 1000 ATM’s in Pakistan

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Jul 3, 2013

HBL sets for the record for a 1000 ATMs in Pakistan

By Ufaq Ashfaque

KARACHI, July 3 – Pakistan’s largest banking institution Habib Bank Limited (HBL) set the record of establishing 1000 ATM’s across the country. It pioneers in multiple product categories and has rejuvenated the banking industry with unique offering, value-added services and bringing more customers to the brand.

The Pakistani Banking industry is the most profitable business community in Pakistan. Since, the variety of products offered by banks is homogenous, creating an important position and staying ahead in the pursuit of achieving excellence is difficult. But HBL was able to expand its operations, broaden customer base and build a brand to remember. It continues to strengthen its position by earning the confidence of clients through its products, along with maintaining long-terms relationship that add positively to Habib Bank’s brand.

HBL was launched in the year 1941 and developed its services so that it could be accessible to all its customers locally and worldwide. The company has the largest banking customer portfolio, conducting business with more than 1000 branches in Pakistan and 55 branches working globally.

Walmart’s Get On The Shelf Contest Is Back!!

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Sami Iqbal

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Jul 3, 2013

Walmarts Get On The Shelf Contest Is Back

Walmart is back with its ‘Get on the Shelf’ competition. This week, Walmart announced its second annual “Get on the Shelf” contest to find the best new products to offer its customers, according to CNN Money reports.

The world’s largest retail giant is coming back with the hysteria of its “Get on the Shelf” competition – an “American Idol”-style competition, that provides US-based small business, entrepreneur or individual inventor a chance for winning placement on its store shelves or online shelf space on its website. Participants can submit products in any category that the retail giant is already selling. Entries, which requires a video of the product, must be submitted by July 31 at Getontheshelf.walmart.com.

Top 20 participants would be selected by an online vote. The finalists will be featured in a web series on the contest website. From this group, viewers will select five winners, and their products will be sold on walmart.com.

Those that generate the most pre-orders online might also be named grand prize winners and sold in select Wal-Mart stores.

President and CEO of Walmart declared that, in this modern era of technology, this contest is a great way to encourage the younger lot of entrepreneurs and engage our customers.

Last year, the contest drew more than 5,000 entries and more than 1 million votes to determine one grand prize winner and two runners-up.

Citibank India profit grows by 41.4%

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Jul 3, 2013

Citibank and American Express presents new cash back card

By Anum Saeed

July 3 – Citibank India buoyed by vigorous growth in its commercial banking and mortgage businesses, as reported on Wednesday, the bank said that it faced a 41.4 percent rise in profit after tax for the year 2012-13 at PRs 2,718 crore.

Citi India, part of US-based global banking giant Citibank, also helped Indian clients raise USD 18 billion from equity and debt markets and advised on merger and acquisition deals worth USD 10.4 billion during the year. Besides, the bank was a leading arranger of capital for the Indian financial system with close to USD 8.5 billion raised and played a vital role in the Indian government’s disinvestment programme.

Citibank India’s profit after tax rose by 41.4 per cent to PRs 2,718 crore during the financial year ended March 31, 2013, while profit before tax rose was estimated to be 39.2 per cent to PRs 4,589 crore. The bank’s capital adequacy ratio stood at a good rate of 15.90 per cent with 1.47 per cent of Net ratio.

On account of the stated results, Citi India’s Chief Financial Officer AbhijitSen said the bank has delivered high quality earnings in spite of a challenging environment. During the financial year as of 2012-2013, the bank has sustained in expanding its commercial banking segment, high off-take of trade loans by global banking customers and growth in mortgage business. Our capital position remains robust as it supports a larger balance sheet.

He further added on by saying that, “It is critical for us to maintain our focus on stability, efficiency for a strong institution.”

The bank has opened three Smart Banking branches in Noida, Mumbai and Bangalore, while its cards business has preserved a leading position in terms of spending per card with around 18.4 percent market share. The Citibank mortgage book produced 16.7 per cent to PRs 9,949 crorein the year. The bank said it also made 135 new hirings during the year, under its Associate Program, from B-schools in India.

Citibank and American Express presents new cash back card

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Jul 3, 2013

By Anum Saeed

July 3 – Citibank and American Express have come up with new Citibank Cash Back American Express Card that provides cash rebates to its cardholders on all spending done mainly in dining and daily shopping.

According to the global bank, the card is Citibank’s first cash back product on the American Express network in Hong Kong. The card gives a 2 percent discount on dining transactions along with 1 percent of cash reimbursement for other expenditure for a complete year.

Citibank global consumer banking cards and lending head Maggie Ng said that the company focuses to launch new products and services to cater the demand of diverse consumer groups in accordance with their spending behaviors and needs.

The Additional benefits offered by the card includes new hotels program, shipping services and global assist hotline for quick solutions in case of emergencies abroad by American Express.

The bank manages around 200 million customer accounts and operates in over 160 nations and regions, offering consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services and wealth management.

EGO strengthens its online presence with Daraz.pk

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Jul 3, 2013

By Ufaq Ashfaque

The Pakistani clothing brand Ego collaborated with a Pakistani shopping website Daraz.pk for further penetrating into the global market.

With designs produced on a weekly basis and their business booming, Ego needed to pace up, in order to support their business.

It is with this objective that Ego collaborated with Daraz.pk, which made shoppers more keen towards purchasing the brand. As online businesses and electronic commerce is booming in Pakistan, Ego managed to improve its current standing, tapping into potential customers.

Consumers are more interested on online pages as compared to visiting Ego’s stores around the country.

Ego has been in the business of producing exclusive shirt pieces, comprising of unique designs, color schemes, designs and motifs for quite a long time. Pioneering in this product category, Ego managed to introduce an exclusive line of clothes that rose competition in the Pakistani clothing industry.

Currently there are multiple brands in the industry that are offering similar products, playing on different characteristics, features and benefits that competitors may have in store. However, Ego continues to revamp its strategies to maintain its position in the market.

Wi-Tribe broadcast new TVC

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Jul 3, 2013

By Ufaq Ashfaque

JULY 3, 2013 – Pakistan’s popular internet service provider Wi-Tribe launched a new ad portraying the benefits of the service like speed, fast access, quality internet browsing and leisure.

Wi-Tribe has refreshed their position in the minds of their customers and has positioned itself as the brand which caters to the needs of a modern consumer.

The internet service provider has been popular for some time in the industry.

Consumers and business clients are jointly satisfied with the performance of Wi-Tribe products and services and seek to use them in the future.

As a new entrant in the industry, the brand managed to gain immense popularity and earned the confidence of current and potential customers.

Their growth as a brand has been remarkable; with cautious product development, establishing a strong footing in the internet service industry and promoting their services, Wi-Tribe is sure to continue flourishing.

Wi-tribe has established a strong customer base and the brand looks ahead to improve its standing in the industry and creates ads that would capture their target audience’s attention.

Pepsi convicted of Carcinogens

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Jul 3, 2013

By Ufaq Ashfaque

NEW YORK, July 3 – World’s global beverage giant Pepsi has been accused of using carcinogens in the production of their world renowned softdrink. In line with the research conducted with the Center for Environmental Health (CEH), the beverage still comprises a certain degree of carcinogenic content, violating the quality standards for any beverage to operate in a given target market.

Initially, Pepsi along with Coca Cola had claimed to have molded the formula as carcinogens are considered the cause of cancer, causing cancerous cells to enter the human body and erode the immune system. The California state passed a law that no drink comprising carcinogens can cause cancer, harming and deteriorating the human system.

Currently, according to watchdog observations and research, while Coke has been label clean of the use of such products, there are still penetrations of Pepsi products outside California, where the beverage contains carcinogenic content.

Brands need to be extremely careful towards the category of ingredients used in the development of their products. With a global brand like Pepsi convicted of using illicit substances in the creation of their product, it would directly resonate on brand confidence, deterring consumers away from the brand.

Soft drinks and Cellular Communication on Air, Always!

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Jul 2, 2013

What were the last five commercials that you saw? We can make a safe bet that three out of these five ads either belonged to telco or the fizzy drink category.

Massive amount of Television commercial air time is now dominated by the fizzy drink and cellphone network advertisers, who don’t seem to leave you at a moment’s peace. From budging into the highlight of a dismissal during a cricket match to lengthy commercial break after a scene or two of your favorite TV drama.

In the beverage market, the large chunk of market share is divided between Pepsi and Coca-Cola while in cellular communication Ufone, Zong, Telenor, Warid and Mobilink are the ones who dominate the market.

According to the statistics shown in the TV tracking overview 2012, fizzy drinks industry and cellular communication are leading the market share in terms of advertising in product category based on commercial airtime with 19% market share each.

Beverages industry has always been on a boom throughout and given the concentration of the market with not many new customers to approach.

Both Pepsi and Coke are always on the lookout to counter the advances of the other to keep their own market share while trying to poach on the other. This results in them spending a great amount of their revenue on promotions and advertising predominantly on television.

On the other hand, telecommunication sector and cellphone has seen an amazing amount of progress from being a super expensive out-of-reach communication channel to a readily available, cheap and affordable product within the space of 10 to 13 years.

All the five networks have been seen altering their images, packaging, prices, vision and even identity to make sure that they don’t lose out on their customers.

Just like the beverage industry, cellular service providers are also trying to make advances on the other network’s customers.

Some networks laugh on others to attract consumers, some focus on the ‘apnapan’ (ownership) and others lure the audience through cheaper packages.

Sprite introduced LeBron James Special Edition Can

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Jul 2, 2013

By Anum Saeed

JULY 2, 2013 – Coca Cola’ global product line Sprite is reported to introduce a special edition Can in the name of NBA player LeBron James. The 6 ft 8 inches basketball sensation has been playing since 2003 and has won multiple accolades for his outstanding performance and records he has set during his career.

The Sprite LeBron James Can will be a tribute to the countless efforts that the player has been doing for decades. Sprite has taken this initiative as homage to the long-term partnership that Sprite has had with James for almost ten years. Company officials are excited about producing these cans; for them, their association with James (also known as the ‘Heat’) has been most fulfilling.

The cans will launch on July 8 and targeted towards basketball players and fans of the Heat. In honor of wins back-to-back during his championship, the company will give away 12-ounces of Sprite cans with a celebratory message “Congrats to LeBron James, Back-To-Back Champion”. These cans will also be made available for wholesale in 6-piece, 12-piece, 20-piece and 32-piece packages. Through this initiative, relationship between Sprite and basketball fraternity will further strengthen, adding more value to the brand.

Domination of Cricket on TV

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Jul 2, 2013

By the time Muhammed Irfan takes his first wicket, a person sitting in fornt of his television set is subconsciouly hit by numerous advertising messages. Even if you zap in and out of cricket match, you are exposed to around ten brands on average.

A team enters the field and cameraman takes a topshot highlighting around three brands painted on the grass. The bowler measures his run up and while he does so, your eyes travel along the side board which advetises five more brands.

Then the bowler looks you straight in the eye and so do logos of the three not-so-conspicuous brands that are stiched or printed on his shirt.

Then the two batsmen dance into the ground, exposing brands that are pasted on their pads, shirts (the opposition usually has a separate set of sponsors), gloves and bat.

By the time the batsmen hits his first four, and ball hits Shahid Afridi’s hot picture plastered on some part of the ground, your mind is chanting Pepsi, Head & Shoulders and Honda instead of wicket.

On a day when Pakistan is playing a cricket match against India all businesses slow down, traffic is almost non-existent and every person old or young, male or female is glued to their television sets.

According to the statistics of Marketing Ratings and market shares for TV shows in 2012, Cricket occupied seven out ten of the Top programs in 2012 which include various matches from Asia Cup and ICC T20 Cricket World Cup.

From the perspective of marketer, these are the probably the single biggest assembly of people focusing on a very few channels and watching same broadcast. So from scoreboard to scoring boundaries to dismissals, everything is sponsored.

A customer throughout the transmission of a cricket match of three to eight hours is exposed to tons of television commercials. Also, various TV channels cash on pre-match hype to generate more revenues by getting sponsors for their pre and post match TV shows.

Knowing the reach they have during cricket matches and how much advertisers are willing to pay to assure their presence on television, TV channels like ESPN have reportedly paid over $1.1 Billion to acquire Global rights for all major international cricket events.

Now with the introduction of tournaments like IPL, Champions League T20, Big Bash T20 and the proposed Pakistan Super League, only time will tell that how much more exponentially the sport of cricket will grow not just as a game but also as a commercial activity.

Accenture is now a Leader in Implementation Services

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Jul 2, 2013

Accenture is now a Leader in Implementation Services

By Ufaq Ashfaque

NEW YORK, July 2 – Accenture is now a leader in the category of implementation services, according to the research done by a leading, independent research firm Forrester.
The company has been evaluated on different criteria that together make Accenture stand at the top.
According to Forrester Research Inc, companies that have been chosen for analysis and evaluation are being screened under a number of parameters which judge the brand’s overall performance.
Accenture managed to score points on its core competencies of innovative projects that the brand has launched since its inception.
Research analysts acknowledge the suitability of Accenture solutions that are best for producing transformational, global and complex projects.
As a brand, the company stands out for the actual benefit and core product that it offers.
In addition to this, the market strategy, presence of the brand in the industry and targeting the right audience towards its portfolio are important and notable factors that together make Accenture a worldwide brand.
According to Salesforce.com, the company acclaims the current standing of Accenture and promotes its ability to produce some of the most quality-centric, customized services.
For Salesforce.com, Accenture has managed to re-define itself, becoming the world’s most technology driven organization, thriving on success with innovation and fulfilling customer demands in novel ways.