Ministry of Textiles hires Lowe to promote jute

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has recently given its approval to establish a National Jute Board at Kolkata by merging the Jute Manufactures Development Council (JMDC) and National Centre for Jute Diversification (NCJD) to encourage jute production in India and promote it nationally and internationally.

To handle the advertising communication for the same, the Ministry of Textiles has hired Lowe. The development was confirmed to agencyfaqs! by Atri Bhattacharya, secretary, JMDC. The other agencies – Bates Enterprise, Rediffusion DY&R and Pressman – were also in the fray for this business which was under review since mid-November, 2006.

Since the past two years, these two bodies have not indulged into advertising to promote jute, but prior to that, the business was handled by O&M.

Lowe’s mandate now will be to create and unique brand identity for Indian jute and jute products both nationally and internationally and that too, over other jute producing countries such as Bangladesh. The Ministry of Textiles has allocated a media budget of Rs 12-14 crore, for the same.

It is also learnt that one of Lintas Media Group agencies will handle the media duties for the Ministry of Textiles.

DK Guha, vice-president, Lowe, Kolkata, says, “We need to promote the benefits of jute over other substitutes such as plastic and cotton.”

The agency plans to use all conventional media such as television, print, outdoor, internet, radio for the communication. But experiential marketing and promotions through exhibitions, seminars and workshops will also be tried. The idea is also to make jute more visible in the market through tie ups with grocery chains.

© 2007 agencyfaqs!