Big-ticket events are likely to witness a 50 per cent drop in 2009 as corporates have cut down on sponsorships and marketing spends.
It was a mixed year for social networking sites, which began the year with a bang. Social media sites like MySpace, BigAdda, Ibibo, Orkut and Facebook firmed up operations while sites like Yahoo Mash, popularly touted as competitor to Facebook, shut shop in September 2008 after a year of being launched.
Marketers are now looking at consolidation with top three-four channels in a genre and effecting long-term deals with frequent reviews.
After a gap of five years, Hindustan Unilever has bagged slot zero position on B-school campuses. In 2007, the company had slipped to number 14 on the recruiters' list of B-schools. "It's an improvement of our brand value and affirmation of our employer brand," says Leena Nair, executive director HR, Hindustan Unilever.
An Indian legal professional who takes home Rs 25,000 a month earns a tiny fraction of the Rs 10,000 an hour that his counterpart in the US earns.
Television and print media are expected to lose up to 10 per cent of their cumulative market share to new and emerging mediums like radio, digital and out-of-home (OOH) in 2009, as the overall growth rate of the advertising industry is set to decline in the new year, analysts tracking the sector said.
The Trident and Taj Mahal Palace and Tower said they have been flooded with requests for reservations at their restaurants when they reopen December 21, almost a month after the terrorist attacks on these landmark hotels destroyed significant portions of both buildings.
Direct selling FMCG company Amway India will increase the prices of all its products by 3-5 per cent in early 2009 even as commodity and crude prices are witnessing a sharp decline.
FMCG firm Marico's success lies in its ability to pick its fights, exiting areas where MNC competition is high and concentrating on creating niche segments instead.
This is one New Year when most citizens will not be comfortable partying following the terrorist attacks that left hundreds dead.
Donatella may attend Feb 2009 launch of Versace store in Delhi.
The latest generation of Altec Lansing speakers, the FX3022 ex-pressionist Bass, make an interesting set of speakers. ex-pressionist Bass are meant to be an audio treat for music lovers and are priced at roughly Rs 7,000.
Sophisticated security-related electronics are expected to flood the domestic market after the Mumbai terror attacks.
Bookings in five-star hotels and inflow of foreign tourists into the country were already running low due to the global economic meltdown. With Wednesday's terror attack, the hotel industry is expected to see a rise in the number of cancellations and also a substantial reduction in tourist numbers since the terrorists have struck at the peak of the tourist season.
Considered, till recently, the "blue-chips" of the estimated $15 billion Indian matrimonial market, the marriage value of non-resident Indian (NRI) and India-based investment bankers is rapidly being eroded.
The firms record robust 10-15% growth till September. However, despite the enhanced outlays for A&B, companies are looking at adopting cost -cutting measures.
The worries for the industry include defaulting payments, slowdown in industry growth rate and budget cuts. "While we are bracing ourselves for budget cuts in the near future, we can't give our customers longer credit cycles as we operate on wafer-thin operating margins," says Mudhukar Kamath, MD and CEO, Mudra Group, while admitting that they have experienced a few cases where payments are getting stretched.
The price difference between branded tea and loose tea has narrowed to a mere 5 per cent, helping the consumer to opt for branded labels. According to Bloomberg, the wholesale price index for tea in India gained 74 basis points from 128.30 in January to 222.50 at end of October this year. As a consequence, tea manufacturers in the wholesale and loose tea business, besides branded tea players, have increased prices.
The industry experienced new pressures on its operating margins and sales in the wake of increasing input costs and new excise regime. For the domestic spirits manufacturing industry, the cost of raw materials such as molasses doubled since March. Packaging costs rose by 15-20 per cent. The widening of services tax resulted in 50 per cent new services to be taxed at 12.36 per cent. Besides an increase in labour costs, inflation also played havoc with the operating margins.
"The 33 per cent extra scheme by Frito-Lay's on Lay's and Kurkure got good trader and consumer response. In the next four-six weeks, a similar scheme will be offered by ITC," market sources said. ITC has been able to capture 7 per cent of the chips and snacks sector in 2007 within a year of its launch. "It has already made a dent in Frito-Lay India's share," according to a Euromonitor International study on sweet and savoury snacks in India.
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