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Talwalkars scouts for creative and media partners; media spends pegged at Rs 4-5 crore
Currently, the shortlisting procedures are underway.
afaqs! has learnt that health club chain Talwalkars Better Value Fitness (TBVFL) is looking for a creative and a media partner to spread its message of fitness across India. According to industry sources, the media spend is pegged at Rs 4-5 crore.
Agencies are being shortlisted at the moment and by the end of November or the first week of December, the final shortlisted agencies will be decided. The brand is looking to bring on board one creative and one media agency. It is also learnt that an equal number of mid-sized and large agencies are participating in the pitch process.
Reasons for the pitch are several and the brief given to the agencies draws on all of them. For starters, the company now has a national presence and thus feels the need for a broader brand positioning platform. The iconic brand is looking to consolidate further and beat the rising competition.
Secondly, there is a drop in the age of the TG (target group). Nitin Shakdher, vice-president, marketing, TBVFL, tells afaqs! that the company is looking to expand its appeal to a younger audience. Earlier, the TG comprised English speaking individuals (male and female) in the 25-44 years age bracket, belonging to SEC A; now, the TG includes those falling in the 20-35 years age group.
Thirdly, while the brand is looking to increase its social relevance in metros, where all the competition lies, it also wants to generate aspiration for its services in Tier II and Tier III cities, where there is not much competition. It now plans to expand its footprint to cities with population of more than five lakh.
The idea is to churn out consistent brand communication and set into motion marketing initiaves all through 2011, starting around January. This has a lot to do with consumers' new year resolutions pertaining to weight loss. For future communication, focus will be on digital and social media, TVCs, on ground brand activation (in youth centric spots) and on the creation of brand partnerships.
It may be recalled that the most recent brand communication for Talwalkars was in August 2010. This was the Annual August Discount Scheme that utilised TV, print (newspapers and magazines) and digital platforms to communicate its message.
For the record, Talwalkars has more than 76 gyms across 39 cities in the country and offers its services to a member base of 100,000 consumers. Talwalkars pioneered the concept of health clubs in India; its first gym was set up in Mumbai in 1932 by late Vishnu Talwalkar. In 1962, his eldest son, Madhukar Talwalkar, furthered the legacy with 'Talwalkars Gymnasium' in Bandra, Mumbai. The brand has been rapidly growing since then.