Sumita Vaid
Advertising

JWT, Chennai, wins Parry's Sugar account

The Chennai office of JWT India has picked up the Parry’s Sugar account, in addition to the businesses of Pinnacle Info. Solutions and Vivekananda Institute

The Chennai office of JWT India is in the thick of action. In the last couple of months, the branch has added a handful of new businesses to its kitty. In what was reportedly a competitive pitch, the agency has picked up the Parry's Sugar account on the basis of a "sound strategic presentation, and a comprehensive creative package that included branding, packaging, and a multi-media campaign". This is yet another account from the Murugappa portfolio, the others being financial services company Cholamandalam Investment and Finance, Parryware and Parry's Confectionery.

Spelling out the combination of factors that worked in JWT's favour, Mythili Chandrasekhar, planning director, JWT India, says, "We not only explored different creative routes for the pitch, we also conducted an insightful focus group research to see which route came out strongest before making our recommendations. We backed this with a detailed media rollout plan after hearing we were in the shortlist - to clinch the account in our favour."

The task at the hand for the agency is to create a brand out of a commodity, a fact that Anita Gupta, general manager, JWT, Chennai, touches upon. "Sugar is a commodity that people are not particularly involved with. Our challenge is to make our customer see value in Parry's Sugar over the current unbranded sugar she unthinkingly picks up at supermarkets."

In addition to Parry's Sugar, JWT, Chennai, pocketed two more businesses some time ago - Pinnacle Info. Solutions (which offers high-end solutions with a special focus on capital markets) and Vivekananda Institute. The advertising business for Vivekananda Institute was won in a multi-agency pitch that saw the likes of O&M India, McCann-Erickson India, Grey Worldwide and FCB-Ulka in the fray. Vivekananda Institute has appointed JWT "to partner it in its efforts to perpetuate their mission of providing quality English learning", mentions a note from the company.

Giving reasons for appointing JWT, Ganesh Ram, managing director, Vivekananda Institute, says, "Relevant insights, category knowledge and good creative work, coupled with the enthusiasm and passion that the JWT team displayed helped us make our decision." He adds, "JWT's vernacular expertise, and its all-round experience in handling education institutes like SSI and American International School went the extra mile and helped convince us even further."

Vivekananda Institute, a household name in south India, is now gearing up to offer its educational services to the northern parts of India. Hence, the key objective for JWT is to lend a national positioning to the brand and make it a force to reckon with in the north. © 2004 agencyfaqs!

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