Leo Burnett cedes Catch to Enterprise Nexus

DS Foods has awarded the creative duties for the Catch brand (which includes two product categories - the table sprinkler and kitchen range and the Catch brand of natural spring water) to Enterprise Nexus, Delhi, post a multi-agency pitch. This move was confirmed by Vinit Khanna, corporate head, marketing, DS Foods. The business moves from Leo Burnett, Delhi, however, it was not asked to defend the business.

The Catch business is estimated at Rs 10 crore currently. It is expected to grow because besides the existing portfolio of products under the Catch brand name, Enterprise Nexus has also won the mandate for the new product categories. This development follows the announcement of Zenith as the AOR for Catch about two months ago.

It seems three rounds of presentations took place before the business was handed over to Enterprise Nexus. There were four agencies, apart from Enterprise Nexus, in the fray. Khanna, however, refused to give out the names of the agencies. All he was willing to say was, "These agencies were among the Top 15."

Talking about the brief, Sundeep Kumar, director, Enterprise Nexus, Delhi, says, "It was essentially on how to take the Catch band forward." And ‘innovation' was the keyword. That was what swung the decision in Enterprise Nexus' favour. "We found the agency's approach towards the brand very interesting. In addition, the agency has displayed innovative work on some of its accounts. In fact, the agency has a 360 degree experience in communication as it handles both public and private sector clients," explains Khanna.

To begin with, the focus for the new agency will be Catch spices (the ‘kitchen range') and new product categories the company plans to tap. As things stand now, the Catch brand is present in two categories. The table sprinkler range - that includes salt, pepper, black salt and chat masala - and the kitchen range. The kitchen range is further divided into two categories, ‘blended masala' and ‘straight' or basic masala. Blended masala is defined by the company as a premixed concoction of different masala that can be used to make a complete dish (such as meat/chicken masala, pani puri masala etc). The basic masala comprises turmeric powder, coriander powder and the like.

The brief for the agency is to promote the kitchen range aggressively and launch the new product categories. The task is not easy given the fragmented nature of the market. The market size is estimated at Rs 900-Rs 1,000 crore and it is dominated by heavyweights such as MDH, Everest, Shakti (a popular spices brand in the south) and Sunrise (popular in the east).

So how does Catch plan to catch consumer attention?

"With consumer expectations growing by the day, there is definitely space for another player in this segment. Catch spices is better than the rest because it has a better shelf life. The reason is that during the grinding of the masala, vital volatile oils in the ingredients are not lost because it is done at a low temperature," explains Khanna. DS Foods is also working at revving up its 80,000-strong distribution network. The company claims it has a captive market in the north and the east.

Simultaneously, the company is giving finishing touches to its plans for the new product categories. It is not known if the new range will be under the Catch brand. What is certain is that the company is seriously eyeing the dry fruits and snacks categories. Getting a foothold in the estimated Rs 1,800-crore branded snacks market will be tough, and innovation will be key to success.

The new campaign for Catch is likely to break in two months' time. The communication is going to be television-driven supported with interesting print campaigns. © 2002 agencyfaqs!