HUL EXITED FROM CAPE GEMINI

MUMBAI: The fast moving consumer goods major Hindustan Unilever today said it exited from BPO firm Capgemini Business Services India by selling

its remaining 49 per cent stake to IT consultancy firm Cap Gemini SA for an undisclosed sum.

"Hindustan Unilever has now divested its 49 per cent stake in Capgemini Business in favour of Cap Gemini SA," HUL said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange.

Capgemini Business, formerly known as Unilever India Shared Services (USSL), was set up as an in-house business process outsourcing unit of the FMCG leader. In September 2006, HUL sold 51 per cent stake in this firm to the France-based Cap Gemini SA, after which USSL was renamed as CGBSL.

HUL had earlier said as a part of its normal business process it continuously review its assets, including real estate, and on a case-to-case basis to unlock business value.



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Godrej to buy Nigerian soap maker Tura

Godrej Consumer Products Ltd announced on Saturday that it has agreed to buy Nigerian soap maker Tura in a bid to increase its presence in West Africa.

Godrej issued a statement on the acquisition but did not disclose the deal size and the revenues of the acquired business, but said Tura’s current management team will continue to lead the business.

Among other contenders for the soap maker were Wipro Ltd’s consumer care and lighting division, and Dabur India Ltd, media reports had said in the past.

“Tura helps us leapfrog in our endeavour to build a pan-African presence for our core categories such as personal wash and hair care. Tura is one of the strongest Nigerian beauty brands with a successful and passionate management team with a proven track record over the last two decades,” Godrej chairman Adi Godrej said.

Now Mountain Dew and Thumps Up will chill out Kings XI Punjab

The fastest growing beverage in the carbonated soft drink category for three consecutive years from the PepsiCo India stable, is doing it again! And this time, it is set to ignite a cricket fever never seen before by associating itself with Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) as the official beverage partner.

Mountain Dew is a perfect partner for KXIP, who with their energy, verve and aggression, had displayed their true 'Punjabi' spirit in the last two Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons. KXIP which had been one of the most popular and cheered teams for the last IPL, and remain one of the favourites and strongest contenders to win the IPL this year.

In keeping with its inherent characteristic of youthful irreverence and adventure, Mountain Dew, the favourite beverage brand in the northern states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, today rolled out a unique consumer campaign offering an opportunity to true lovers of the game an opportunity to play against the cricketing icons of their favourite IPL team - KXIP.

Titled "Darr ki Wicket Girayega to Hamare Saath Khelega", the unique campaign offers an opportunity to fans to demonstrate their all-round cricketing skills in a daring environment, and win a slew of exciting value-added gifts such as complimentary tickets to IPL matches involving KXIP, branded merchandise, "Meet & Greet" with the players and the top prize to 11 lucky fans to be part of the Mountain Dew team to take on the KXIP in an exciting cricket match.

Announcing this here today, Ms Alpana Titus, Executive Director (Flavours), PepsiCo India Holdings, said "Mountain Dew is all about setting new benchmarks by challenging the conventional parameters. The 'Darr ki Wicket Girayega to Hamare Saath Khelega' campaign symbolizes this brand positioning. It challenges the clutter created by the commonality of consumer promotions surrounding the game of cricket these days, and brings to its fans a unique medium to reach out to their favourite cricketing icons."

Through this partnership, Mountain Dew gains exclusive pouring rights at home matches besides being the official beverage for the KXIP, one of the eight teams of the IPL. Additionally, this association also brings with it branding rights on the players' uniform with the logo at the back

Lauding the initiative as one of the most innovative cricket-led consumer drives, Mr Anil Srivatsa, CEO, Kings XI Punjab, said "It is really exciting to see Mountain Dew launch this initiative to coincide with the IPL. We at KXIP are absolutely looking forward to playing with our fans. It certainly adds a lot of fun into the whole concept of playing for your home team. Outside of the field, we are sure they will be cheering us in each match to see us win the IPL 2010."

Mountain Dew will be unleashing a 360 degree marketing campaign for the "Darr ki Wicket Girayega to Hamare Saath Khelega" initiative, involving on-ground activities in colleges, multiplexes, marketplaces, outdoor, radio, and TV - engaging consumers in the cricket-led initiative like never before.

In order to win these cricketing goodies, all that the consumers need to do is to present two crowns or one PET label of Mountain Dew bottles and get to play a game of cricket on the decked-up floats visiting their colleges and marketplaces.

The matches on the floats will test the consumers' all-round skills - batting, bowling and fielding. These skills will be tested through very exciting and innovative games such as 'Crazy Catches' and 'Speed Ball'.

Keeping in mind the growing popularity of the game amongst women, Mountain Dew has something for its female fans too. The floats will have cricket-based trivia quiz for the female fans of cricket fans, and winners will be given exciting prizes including match tickets.

Each float will have a graffiti board to announce the winner's names. Winners will be judged on the spot to receive their prizes. Prizes on offer include branded bands, gripper and match tickets, of course, the top lucky winners a chance to play with KXIP.

For the winners it will be a lifetime experience! For each KXIP match, as many as 50 consumers will be brought to the stadium in specially decked-up branded luxury buses, and they will be given personalized kits, including T-shirts, backpacks, sippers, trumpets and inflatable hands. Treated like true superstars, they will get to enter the stadium with much fanfare.

Some of the select winners will also get yet another golden opportunity - to meet and greet the Kings XI player while they are practicing at the nets in the stadium.

The final Mountain Dew winners will be selected from amongst all the winners basis a certain selection process, who will then get to play a unique 5-over-a-side daring cricket match with the KXIP team in Dharmashala.

The "Daar ki Wicket Girayega to Hamare Saath Khelega" consumer initiative is in keeping with Mountain Dew's long-term commitment to add fun and excitement in our mundane everyday life and bring a lot of cheer to everything that we do.

FMCG products to be costlier by up to 7%

Beauty creams, hair oil, shampoos and other household items will cost more as FMCG firms plan to increase prices by up to 7 per cent due to the excise duty hike announced in the Budget.

Kolkata-based FMCG player Emami today announced it will increase prices of its products between 3-7 per cent due to the increase in the input costs as a result of the excise duty hike coupled with the surge in the transportation cost.

"There is an increase in the input cost due to hike in excise duty and also because of the transportation cost, we are looking to increase the prices of our products," Emami Group of companies Director Aditya Agarwal told PTI.

Emami sells personal care products under the brand names Boroplus, Fair and Handsome, Navratna Oil and health products like Sonachandi Chyawanprash.

Besides, Godrej Consumer Products, which sells products like soaps under the brands Godrej and Cinthol, said it will increase the prices of products by 2-5 per cent while baby diapers will become costlier by up to 10 per cent.

Earlier, leading consumer products companies have said budget measures such as the partial rollback of excise stimulus and higher fuel and packaging costs have added to the already inflationary commodity environment and will have to be passed on to consumers some way or the other.

The Union Budget has made a two per cent hike in excise duty across the board while slapping levies on petrol and diesel, partially rolling back stimulus measures in the face of economic revival.

"We are looking at hiking prices by 5 per cent across categories by April or May. The rising cost of commodities, packaging and increase in excise duty has forced us to take such measures," Godrej Group Chairman Adi Godrej told reporters in Mumbai.

Marico CEO Saugata Gupta said that his company might consider increasing the prices of its Parachute brand of hair oil, but any hike would only be marginal.

"We may go for some price correction but marginally. So far we have not planned anything," Gupta said, adding the company planned to focus on pushing volumes first.

FMCG major HUL, however, said it will not comment on any forward looking queries.

Delhi-based Dabur said it is not looking at any price hike as most of its products are manufactured in excise-free zones.

"We are not looking at any price hike. 90 per cent of our products are manufactured in excise free zones. So it does not have any direct impact," a company official of Dabur said.

NEW ADD WAR BETWEEN HUL AND P&G

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) today said it has issued a notice to FMCG major HUL asking it to "substantiate" in 15 days the claim in a TV commercial that its washing powder 'Rin' is better than rival P&G's 'Tide'.

"We have asked for HUL's response. We have give them 15 days period and we will take up the matter on March 23," ASCI General Secretary Allan Collaco told PTI.
HUL's TV commercial with a tagline 'Tide se kahin behatar safedi de Rin' claims 'Rin' is better than 'Tide'
According to norms laid down by ASCI, comparisons between brands can be made only when they are scientifically and factually substantiated.
"Now, it is up to HUL to substantiate the claim," Collaco said.
When contacted, HUL denied receiving any notice from ASCI and said the Rin commercial is in line with advertising code followed by the industry. "The claim is factual, accurate and substantiated as it is based on laboratory tests done through globally accepted protocols in independent third party laboratories," an HUL spokesperson said.
A P&G spokesperson, on other hand, said, "We are aware of the disparaging advertisement on air against Tide Naturals and have filed a case against the same. The matter is currently being heard in the court and we are not in a position to comment on the outcome."