MPG bags rice brand Daawat worth Rs 5 crore

The company plans to spend around 60 per cent of its advertising budget on television

MPG has got yet another business from Starcom. This time, it’s the rice brand, Daawat, which is owned by LT Overseas. The business has moved from Starcom, which also got a chance to retain it. Both Starcom and MPG were asked to present a media strategy for the brand. The agencies were briefed on the company’s markets, both existing and potential, and its sales turnover.

Neetu Sharma, senior brand manager, Daawat, says, “Our media spends are not very huge and MPG presented a focused planning strategy for potential markets.”

Neetu Sharma

Sharma adds that one reason why the business was moved to MPG was that the agency has now come under Anita Nayyar’s leadership; Nayyar was earlier with Starcom.

“Nayyar’s commitment to and involvement with smaller accounts is appreciated; she gives equal attention to both big and small businesses,” Sharma says.

Starcom has been handling the media duties of Daawat for three years now; the creative duties are with another Publicis Groupe agency, Publicis India.

“After Anita quit, the team which was handling our business also quit, so we were forced to review the media duties,” says Sharma. The business came under review last month.

What LT is looking at is an integrated communication, which includes both above the line and below the line activities. It has allocated a budget of Rs 5 crore, and 60 per cent of this budget will be spent on television. Radio and below the line initiatives follow closely in terms of priority, while print will be used as a tactical medium when new schemes are to be communicated.

Have news to share? Write to us atnewsteam@afaqs.com