Dabur sharpens focus on digital marketing, online campaigns and social media to target young consumers

Jacqueline Fernandez has been signed by the Homegrown FMCG company Dabur as the new brand ambassador for its health supplement brand Dabur Honey.

Prashant Agarwal, DGM Marketing, Dabur India, said, “We are excited to have Jacqueline Fernandez as Dabur Honey’s new face. Health & Fitness has become a way of life for all Indians today through improved lifestyle and dietary habits.”

A new TVC and print campaign, ‘Stay Fit, Feel Young’ featuring Jacqueline, will be launched soon. The message which will be communicated through this new campaign is “Drop your excuses and start work out and stay fit & healthy with Dabur Honey”.

Jacqueline Fernandez said, "When I was approached by Dabur for this association, I found this to be something that I would love to communicate to Indian consumers about. The brand proposition of “Stay Fit, Feel Young” was something that I immediately connected with."

FMCG major Dabur India has recorded 18.9 per cent year-on-year (YoY) rise in consolidated net profit at Rs 396.20 crore for the March quarter, an apparent rise with Rs 333.10 crore profit reported for the corresponding quarter last year.

Consolidated revenue from operation rose 6.2 per cent YoY in the March quarter to Rs 2,032.90 crore, from Rs 1,914.70 crore in the year-ago period.

Operating profit rose 16.2 per cent YoY to Rs 485.20 crore. PAT margin expanded 209 basis points on a YoY basis to 19.5 per cent.

Growth in the domestic FMCG business stood at 10 per cent, led by 7.7 per cent volume growth. The international business reported 16.8 per cent growth in constant currency terms.

The company’s board has recommended Rs 1.25 per share dividend and a special dividend of Rs 5 per share, the company said in a statement.

FMCG major Dabur India has launched its packaged fruit-based mocktails in a ready-to-drink format under the Réal brand. Company claims it is the first ever redy-to-drink mocktail in India which is specially crafted by professional mixologists and marks another first for Dabur.

Réal Mocktails has two variants Virgin Mary and Virgin Pina Colada. The Réal Mocktails will be available in 1-litre Tetrapaks, priced at Rs 110.

Mayank Kumar, Marketing Head-Foods, Dabur India said “Consumers in India today relish the experience of having Mocktails at restaurants and bars and wish to enjoy the same taste and experience at home with their friends and family. However, they are not sure of the right ingredients, mixes etc to create these mocktails. With Réal Mocktails, we are taking away the hassle of creating these tasty mixes to spice up their house parties, and giving our consumers are ready-to-serve option that’s made with real fruits. This would help make their house parties and social gatherings so much more fun and interesting when it comes to choice of beverages. Dabur is the pioneer in the packaged juice market in India and we have continuously strived to stay relevant to our consumers by launching new variants to cater to their varied needs and occasions. Our understandings of Indian consumers taste palate and preferences have helped us stay ahead of the curve in satisfying their needs. Even with the Réal Mocktails, we are launching the most preferred Mocktail drinks in India.”

Dabur has been expanding its packaged fruit juice range with the launch of new variants like Mausambi juice under the Réal brand, besides introducing Jamun and Amla under the Réal Wellnezz brand to create further excitement in the market and give consumers a wider portfolio to choose from.

Dabur said in a statement “Réal Mocktails do not have any added preservatives and have been prepared by experts with the right ingredients and mix. Company further expanded its presence into newer formats with the launch of Réal VOLO, which marked its entry into the aerated fruit beverage category. The launch of Réal Mocktails is another step forward in expanding the category”.

Companies including Britannia, Amul, Dabur and Parle are either raising prices or cutting quantities in packaged products after the cost of ingredients such as sugar, milk powder and palm oil increased by 20-80 percent over the past year on account of fluctuating global commodity prices and lower production cycles.

Biscuit maker Britannia said prices of its biscuits will go up by up to 7%, while Wipro Consumer Care, the manufacturer of the country’s third-largest soap brand Santoor, said prices will rise about 5%.

Amul, the nation’s top ice-cream maker, said prices are up 5-8% after a two-year gap due to higher sugar and milk powder prices.

Others such as Parle and Dabur are either reducing quantities or clamping down on promotions, which indirectly amount to price increases. “We will cover up the inflation hit and hike prices 6-7%,” said Varun Berry, managing director of Good Day biscuit maker Britannia.

Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting chief executive officer Vineet Agrawal said prices of soap will go up for the first time in three years.

The maker of Santoor soap said the hike is on account of increasing palm oil prices, a key ingredient. “Cost pressures are definitely more than what they were and it is starting to reflect on retail shelves now. Our focus is always topline growth,” Agrawal said. Industry analysts said demand for palm oil from core importers such as India and China has resulted in stiffening of prices. Palm oil is also a key ingredient for detergents and cosmetics.

Religare Capital Markets wrote in a report earlier this month that gross margin pressures have been visible with players initiating selective pricing actions. “Poor demand has weighed on the Indian consumer sector over the last two years. Additional headwinds from demonetisation and GST (goods and services tax) could have a lasting disruptive impact,” Religare wrote in the report.

Parle Products, which makes confectionery and salty snacks besides biscuits, said it has reduced the weight of its confectionery and snacks category after almost four years.

“The price hike is all indirect in the form of weight reduction and translates to anywhere between 8-12% of price hikes,” said BK Rao, marketing manager at Parle Products. Confectionery and snacks account for 15% of the company’s sales, he said.

Besides selling less quantity at the same price, some companies have scaled back freebies. “We are curtailing consumer promotions – which is a proxy for price hikes – to offset inflation across various input costs,” said Sunil Duggal, CEO of Vatika shampoo and Real juices maker Dabur. “We will wait for volumes to stabilise this quarter before taking up pricing.”

Ice-cream makers including category leader Amul have topped up prices 5%-8% ahead of the peak season, a move that has come after two years. Amul managing director RS Sodhi attributed the price hike to milk, sugar and skimmed milk, which have become 30-90% costlier.

Seventy seven India-bound cargo containers containing products of Dabur Nepal were confiscated by Nepalese authorities today after receiving a tip-off about their quality, said officials.

The Commission for the Abuse of Authority (CIAA) confiscated products of Dabur Nepal a subsidiary of Dabur India -that were being exported to India from Sirsiya Dry Port in Birgunj, reported PTI.

Dabur Nepal is a subsidiary of Dabur India.

A team of CIAA officials has started an investigation, reported The Kathmandu Post.

Commission DSP Himalaya Shrestha informed that the CIAA is inspecting the quality and expiry dates of the Dabur products after receiving information regarding the same.

Meanwhile, another CIAA team has reached at Bara-based Dabur Nepal factory in Tokani, Rampur.

Devi Prasad Bhandari, Costums chief said that 77 out of 90 containers with Dabur Nepal products have reached the port.

Dabur has become the first major private Indian company to be hit by prevailing political tension in Nepal as the home-grown FMCG giant is expecting its juice sales to dip 10-15 per cent in October-November due to disruption of supplies from its plant in the Himalayan nation, reported PTI.

"We have lost some part of juice sale in October and November, 2015 and estimated juice sale during Q3 of FY2015-16 will be lower by 10 to 15 per cent against previous year. This is a onetime issue beyond our control and will have a near term impact on Q3 FY2015-16 performance," said Dabur in a BSE filing.

There is no improvement in the eco-political situation in Nepal till date and the India-Nepal border continues to remain closed, it added.

Dabur has a plant at Birgunj in Nepal, which is currently catering only the domestic market there as it is unable to send supplies across the border. The company also says it has made alternate arrangements to overcome the hurdle.

"We had already ramped up the production of juices in Sri Lanka and Newai, Rajasthan and have also engaged with third parties to cater to our demand requirement for the month of December and going forward," said Dabur.

An overall implication is that the company said depending upon the timing of opening of the border, the impact on inventory and other cost will be evaluated.

Lite Bite Foods, one of the fastest growing F&B retail company in the country has launched The Artful Baker, a patisserie and Boulangerie in New Delhi’s posh Khan Market.

The launch event was a well-attended affair with prominent faces from the social, food and fashion world.

Amit Burman, Chairman Lite Bite Foods said, “We see a huge potential for a hi-end bakery brand to grow and evolve to cater to different requirements of the people. With the launch of The Artful Baker, we are very happy to bring the best in class delicacies for the discerning food lovers of the city. This is just the start of The Artful Baker brand and we look forward to opening it at more locations soon.”

The Artful Baker is the perfect destination to find delicious cakes, croissants, breads and many other sweet and savory items around.

With bakery at its heart, The Artful Baker offers the best of artisanal breads and patisserie, combining authentic techniques with quality ingredients. One can select from a delicious range of savory and sumptuous desserts along with refreshing beverages.

The European style boulangerie has been set in chic and simple yet elegant interiors. The Artful Baker welcomes everyone who enjoys good food and good life.

The brand chef of The Artful Baker, Chef Sahil Mehta is India's First Certified Bakery, Pastry and Chocolate Expert from Lenotre, France. He is the man behind many renowned patisserie brands such as Choco Diva, Renaissance, Bread & More and L’Opera.

Brand Chef Sahil said, “I'm really excited to launch The Artful Baker! Many months of hard work is now taking shape, we’ve had some great feedback from the industry with our recent pop-up storewhich helped us to further shape the final offering. I am looking forward to personally meet our patrons and provide them with a delectable experience.”

The menu at The Artful Baker will include Multigrain, French Peasant, Whole wheat breads, Ham & Cheese Croissants, Whole Wheat Pesto Paneer & Chicken sandwiches and some signature desserts like Chocolate, Raspberry and Salty Macaroons, Lemon Tart, Double Chocolate Chip Muffin and Paris Brest which are sure to tingle ones sweet tooth.

Lite Bite Foods, owned by Dabur Scion Amit Burman has partnered with IRCTC (The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) to offer scrumptious and high quality cuisines in train.

The restaurant will offer food at a budget price to commuters travelling by Indian Railways.

“We are delighted to tie up with Indian Railways; we look forward to cater passengers across the country with best of our delicacies. Every passenger can now opt for his/her favourite cuisine, who earlier preferred to munch chips and biscuits than buying food on the train,” said Rohit Aggarwal, Director, Lite Bite Foods.

The services will be offered at New Delhi, Nizamudddin, Old Delhi and Delhi Cantt railway stations

The tie up is a part of IRCTC’s endeavor to offer varied cuisines to passengers to choose from its newly launched e-catering service.

Railway passengers can now relish the delicious north Indian thali by Street Foods by Punjab Grill.

A passenger can order either by logging on to IRCTC’s E-Catering website (http://ecatering.irctc.co.in/eCatering/) or through IRCTC’s toll-free number 1800-1034-139 and 0120-2383892-99 or an SMS to 139 giving details of their PNR and seat number.

“We also plan to extend the service to more stations gradually and introduce kiosks of Lite Bite Foods’ core brands (Punjab Grill, Baker Street, Asia 7) at various Railway Stations,” added Sharad Sachdeva, CEO, Lite Bite Foods.

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has recently identified 1,144 more trains for extension of its e-catering service, which allows passengers to get the food of their choice from leading food chains delivered to their seat via online or SMS booking.

With this tie up, Lite Bite Foods has expanded its presence and entered the railways, the company was earlier awarded the food & beverage concessions at Mumbai Airport and New Delhi Airport and has set up Street Food by Punjab Grill, Baker Street and also operates various other brands at the airports such as – Pizza Hut, KFC, Krispy Kreme and 4700 BC.

Taco Bell, the world’s largest Mexican-style quick service restaurant chain announced its expansion into New Delhi with its launch at Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj.

Taco Bell announced the Delhi launch with Burman Hospitality Private Limited (BHPL), its first franchisee in India incorporated by The Burman Family, the promoters of Dabur.

Taco Bell, along with Burman Hospitality, plans to take the store count to 25 restaurants in the next 18-24 months, said the statement. 

Speaking about the launch Unnat Varma, General Manager – Taco Bell & Pizza Hut said, “Delhi fans have been asking for Taco Bell in their city and we’re are excited to offer our signature Mexican-inspired food and break-through value to our consumers here who have a youthful spirit.”

In addition to the grand opening in New Delhi, Taco Bell has 6 restaurants in Bangalore and Mumbai.

With a strong proof of concept in Bangalore and Mumbai, the company is now targeting at increasing their footprint across India and are delighted to work with Burman Hospitality as part of their expansion strategy into northern states including New Delhi, Punjab, Chandigarh and Uttarakhand.

“We are delighted and honoured to work with Yum to grow Taco Bell in India. The Burman Family over the last 20 years has partnered with many of the leading Fortune 500 companies globally to bring their businesses to India,” shared Gaurav Burman, Director, Burman Hospitality Private Limited.

The new restaurant’s contemporary design is inspired by its Mexican-style cuisine and the brand’s California-based heritage.

It’s has an urban fresh look which brings to life the brand’s belief in freshness and made-to-order food which can be seen from the open kitchen.

“We believe Taco Bell with its differentiated and innovative product offering will win the hearts and stomachs of the Indian consumer. It is our sincere aim to offer the highest quality, best tasting, value driven offering to the Indian consumer. We look forward to opening Taco Bell restaurants in India and making it the most successful QSR brand in the country,” added Burman.

The 75-seater Delhi restaurant will offer international classics like Crunchy Taco Supreme, Crunchwrap and Burritos as well as Kathitto developed especially for India to suit the local palate.

RI Bureau

Taco Bell, the American fast food chain is opening its first restaurant in Delhi on June 8th at Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj, Delhi.

Operated by Yum! Brands, Taco Bell presently has six outlets in Bengaluru and Mumbai.

Yum! Brands, which also runs brands like KFC and Pizza Hut, has partnered with Dabur family to expand Taco Bell’s business in north India,

Gaurav Burman, together with his brother Mohit Burman and his father VC Burman has took the franchisee of Taco Bell to expand its services in the region.

India's first Taco Bell outlet was opened at the Mantri Square mall, Bengaluru in 2010 followed by more outlets in Bengaluru and Mumbai.

Taco Bell, America's largest Mexican fast food restaurant chain, has over 6,000 restaurants across 16 countries globally. It serves food including tacos

RI Bureau

Lite Bite Foods, the official F&B Partner of Delhi Daredevils in the current season of IPL, hosted a lunch for the Delhi IPL team at Fresc Co outlet in Ambience Mall, Gurgaon.

An engaging cook off competition was held between the players at the restaurant.

Nine players were divided into four teams, who competed against each other to dish out the best Pastas and Salads.

The cook off saw players such as Saurabh Tiwary, Imran Tahir, Angelo Mathews, Amit Mishra, Shreyas Iyer, Mayank Agarwal, Gurinder Sandhu, Dominic Joseph and Jaidev Unadkad had a great time off the field.

The Punjab Grill team of Imran Tahir and Mayank Agarwal won the cook off by dishing out Murg Makhani in 8 minutes.

The event witnessed huge gathering including fans, guests and onlookers who were seen enjoying and interacting with the players especially about their love for food and different cuisines.