Lee Iacocca, ex-president of Ford Motor Company, wrote in his autobiography about a lesson he learnt early in life. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, he said, his father told him that in times of distress it’s best to invest in the food business, as one thing people would never cease to do was to eat.
Last year, while the economy was in a downward spiral, television advertisers seemed to act on this wisdom. Food & beverages (F&B) was the top sector in TV advertising during 2009, accounting for 14 per cent of all advertising, according to Adex India, a division of TAM Media Research. It was followed by personal care (11 per cent of the total) and services (six per cent).
Hindustan Unilever Ltd, Reckitt Benckiser (India) Ltd and Coca-Cola India Ltd were the top three advertisers on TV during 2009.
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