Hero MotoCorp ropes in Tiger Woods as global brand ambassador
Hero MotoCorp (HMCL), the world’s largest manufacturer of two-wheelers, has signed up golf champion Tiger Woods as its global corporate partner. Though the company did not disclose the deal value, industry experts put the deal at R200-250 crore for a period of four years, easily the biggest sports endorsement deal struck by an Indian company. The deal comes at a time when the company is aggressively expanding its global footprint. Hero MotoCorp vice-chairman, CEO & MD Pawan Munjal, addressing a press conference in Orlando, USA, said, “Having spread our footprints across Asia, South and Central America and Africa over the past two years, we are now poised to make a quantum jump in our global foray, aiming to be in as many as 50 countries by 2020. As we embark on this exciting journey, we are pleased to have Tiger Woods as our partner in spreading the message of Hero MotoCorp. Tiger is not just a golfing champion and an icon for millions around the world; he is indeed a phenomenon—a symbol of humility in victory and grace in adversity.”
WhatsApp top messaging app in India, says study
WhatsApp is the top messaging application in India with 52% market share, followed by Facebook Messenger with 42%, Skype with 37% and WeChat with 26% share, according to the GlobalWebIndex (GWI) study. Viber stood at fifth spot with 18% share and Line at sixth position with 12%. However, globally, WeChat is used by 23% of global internet users, along with 39% users within the APAC region actively using the app. WeChat users in India are one of the most active in terms of what they do on the mobile internet. While 64% of WeChat’s users have recently purchased a product via their mobile, 68% of WeChat users are regularly uploading photos via their mobiles and 58% of users have recently made a VoIP call via mobile, the study said.
Discovery Turbo is ‘men only’ entertainment channel
Discovery has repositioned its existing channel Discovery Turbo as a premium English entertainment channel for men, expanding its content offering to reflect the interests of the male audience. Turbo hopes to fill the vacuum in the Indian television space by catering to the growing segment of male viewers. The refreshed Turbo brand will present content ranging from adventure, combat, DIY, hobbies, lifestyle, reality, trends, challenges and auto. The brand mantra ‘Men Like That’ will be demonstrated through the channel’s new log, through its programming and personalities such as Mike Rowe, Joel Lambert, Les Stroud, Gary Humphrey and Bill Wu.
FCB Ulka names Tushar Pal as creative director
FCB Ulka has appointed Tushar Pal as creative director. Pal comes with over 12 years of experience in the mainline advertising. Pal has started his career at Euro RSCG (now Havas), and thereafter has had stints at Mudra, Leo Burnett, Rediffusion Y&R and Ogilvy. He has worked on various brands like Onida, Godrej, Future Group, HDFC Bank, Sony Entertainment Network, Sony Max, Zandu, Times Group, Air India, McDonald’s, LG and Vodafone to name a few.
Rediffusion Y&R brings in two new creative heads
Trishay Kotwal and Sreejith Kodoth have been appointed as creative heads for Rediffusion Y&R, Mumbai. Kotwal, who joins Rediffusion Y&R for a second stint this time, comes with 13 years of work experience. Kotwal joins from DraftFCB+Ulka and has previously worked with McCann Erickson, Alok Nanda and Company, Ambience Publicis, Enterprise Nexus. Kodoth comes from Salt Brand Solutions.
