Temperature is on the rise and so is the marketing budget for a good number of consumer and industrial brands. That's because the summer, apart from being the holiday season in India when people are in leisure and therefore potential targets for a sales pitch, makes it imperative for the demand of certain products to spiral. | |
| Quite a few entities, therefore, are rolling up their sleeves to collar in more business during the three hot months. |
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| A case in point is Webasto Motherson Sunroofs Limited, the joint venture between the Motherson group and Webasto AG, Germany. According to Arvinder Gill, president of Webasto Motherson, the company is planning to strike prospective clients when they are in holiday mood. |
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| "People tend to visit hill stations to beat the summer heat. At such a time they are relaxed unlike during the remaining part of the year when they are hard-pressed for time. So beginning this March, we will market our sunroofs in places like Manali, Mussorie, Nainital, Lonavala and Khandala besides Ooty and Kodaikanal," he said. |
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| Webasto Motherson is, however, looking at continuing with these promotions during the later part of the year as well as "a sunroof makes the car's interior brighter and larger and is, therefore, beneficial all the year round." |
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| Samsung Electronics has already launched new air-conditioners this year and to rake in the moolah before its competitors do, has announced a scheme that runs till the end of March. The company has come out with a special combo offer that entails a discounted price when a Samsung side by side refrigerator and air-conditioner are bought by a customer in a bundle. |
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| Ravinder Zutshi, deputy managing director, Samsung India, declined to divulge the annual advertising budget for the company but agreed that the spend is higher in the second quarter (April, May, June). In 2005, the company sold 2,00,000 air-conditioners with the contribution from the second quarter being a whopping 55 per cent. |
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| Personal, beauty and healthcare entity Emami Limited spends 50 per cent of its marketing budget on products like Navratna, Boro Plus prickly heat powder and Golden Beauty talc during summer. This apart, it has another product in its portfolio, Fair & Handsome, to promote this summer. |
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| According to Mohan Goenka, director of Emami Limited, Boro Plus prickly heat powder registers 100 per cent sales from April to June and though the company has not finalised any special promotions, it will be continuing with its 'buy one get one free' offer for the brand this season. |
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| With regard to soft drinks, Coca-Cola India registers approximately 50 per cent of its sales during the summer season and according to a spokesperson from the company, the marketing budget tends to be higher during the three months as compared to the remaining part of the year. |
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| "We will be coming out with some special schemes and promotions for the coming few months but it is too early to disclose," he added. |
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