Stage set for Delhi leg of Pitch CMO Summit

BY IMPACT Staff

After an overwhelming start in Mumbai, the Pitch CMO Summit is all set for a day of invigorating sessions in Bangalore and then in New Delhi. The capital city is famous for its historical monuments and its importance in Indian history. It houses one of the biggest symbols of patriotism for Indians: the India Gate. It is also where Pitch and the exchange4media Group are headquartered. The last leg of the Pitch CMO Summit 2011 at New Delhi will have the biggest marketing czars unravelling their top marketing secrets. On November 25, the day will begin with Nestle India Chairman and MD Antonio Helio Waszyk’s keynote address. Nestle India’s iconic brands like Maggi, Nescafe, Kit Kat, Polo, Munch, EveryDay, etc., are as much admired by today’s consumers as they were a few decades ago. Despite numerous brands from big companies entering this space, there has not been any negative impact on Nestle’s dominance in the Indian food industry. Waszyk, who joined Nestle India as Chairman and Managing Director in 2009, has played a key role in driving Nestle’s performance in the Indian market. Talking about Indian market and increasing competition, Waszyk says, “The consistent financial performance of Nestle India reflects the strength of our brands, the trust on our products, the continued drive for efficiency and the strong support from Nestle SA.” At the Pitch CMO Summit, Waszyk will share how Nestle has mastered the art of keeping brands relevant to the changing consumer. Apart from Nestle, F&B marketers like PepsioCo Foods India and Coca-Cola India too will share their new recipe for success. Vidur Vyas, Marketing Director, PepsiCo India – Foods and Srinivas Murthy, Director Marketing (Flavours & Thums Up), Coca-Cola India will share their stories at the Pitch CMO Summit 2011. Sprite, the No. 2 brand in the Coca- Cola India family, is known for its clutterbreaking communication. Early this year, the brand was repositioned once again. Murthy is the brain behind the new positioning of Sprite.

Murthy aka Srini led the repositioning of the brand to “University of Freshology” which has worked very well for the brand. Talking about differentiating Sprite  from other brands in the soft drinks  segment, Murthy says, “It is important to have a distinctive product and relevant product benefit. Also, the brand must consistently stand for the same values, but express them in the most contemporary way.” At the Delhi Pitch CMO Summit, Murthy will share how he led the repositioning of Sprite on the back  of a very successful earlier positioning.

While Sprite from Coca-Cola has  relied on new positioning to keep its brands fresh, PepsiCo Foods has created a new category in India with the launch of  Quaker Oats. Launched just a few years ago, Quaker is said to be the category  creator for a product like oats which was not popular among Indian consumers . Vyas has stewarded the New Business and Health & Wellness Category, where he was instrumental in launching the Quaker brand in India. Under his leadership, not only did the brand Quaker get popular, it also created a category for oats which was earlier non-existent. On November 25 in Delhi, Vyas will unfold the story of the making of Quaker Oats. Apart from food, Delhi is also a city which is known for its love for luxury. And thus it was inevitable that we invited one of the biggest luxury  brands, BMW, to share its thoughts about the country’s market. Christian Saffer, Marketing Director, BMW India will reveal how BMW has decoded this luxury market in India. Talking about the Indian luxury market, Saffer said, “The Indian luxury  consumers characterized by elitism and heritage are very demanding as compared to their European counterparts. The ever-evolving Indian luxury consumers today are welltravelled, sophisticated, discerning and have very high expectations when it comes to luxury purchase.” Apart from the above-mentioned speakers, many top marketers like Sandeep Kaul, Head- Personal Care Division, ITC (Special Address); Elkana Ezekiel, CMO, Samsung India; Sandeep Kataria, CMO, Yum Restaurants and Sharmili Rajput, Marketing Director, Oriflame India will unravel how they have broken new ground in the Indian marketplace.  Catch all this and much more on November 25, at the Pitch CMO Summit 2011 at New Delhi.

Tags : Spotlight