Devina Joshi
Advertising

Mudra bags Kolkata based Health & Glow business

The size of the business is around Rs 15-20 crore. The other agencies in the fray were O&M, JWT and Bates Enterprise

Following a multi-agency pitch, Mudra has bagged the creative duties for the three year old Kolkata based homoeopathy clinic, Health & Glow. Four agencies were short-listed for the final round of presentations – Bates Enterprise, O&M, JWT and Mudra. Bates was Mudra’s closest competitor in the race for the new business.

Mudra will partner Health & Glow in its expansion plans. The company plans to extend its presence nationwide in phases over the next one year or so. Senior executives say the company plans to spend around Rs 15-20 crore on advertising.

Why Mudra? A company spokesperson says, “The first factor that influenced our decision was the cultural fit between the agency and our company. Second, we were aware of Mudra’s reputation in building brands. The agency evinced a passion and commitment in its approach.”

The spokesperson adds that the healthcare division of Mudra, Mudra Brand Therapist (MBT), had the necessary experience and expertise to handle healthcare brands “We thought the association with Mudra would leverage MBT’s knowledge base,” explains the spokesperson.

Mudra bags Kolkata based Health & Glow business
Kaustav ‘Kosty’ Bhadra, branch manager, Mudra, Kolkata, says, “Our strategy is quite clear. We have to make this brand stand out from competition such as VLCC, Kaya, Dr Batra’s, Apollo Hospital or, for that matter, even a neighbourhood doctor.” The agency did a dipstick survey on what consumers like about competitive brands before designing how Health & Glow should be positioned.

Bhadra insists that their communication will be different from the regular ‘Before-After’ ads, which is a route often taken by healthcare clinics and brands. “We have to bring forth everyday issues such as hair, skin or obesity problems and yet make our communication upmarket and sophisticated,” reveals Bhadra.

The tactical campaign for the brand will start in the next few weeks, but the full-fledged campaign will be rolled out next year. The media mix will include television in a big way (particularly the national news channels), followed by press, outdoor, radio and below-the-line activities such as promotions and medical conferences. So far, Health & Glow has been relying heavily on press advertising.

Kolkata based PD Advertising was in charge of the media planning and buying for the brand in Kolkata and it will continue to be so. However, Mudra (possibly Optimum Media Solutions) will have an important role to play in the rest of India.

Mudra will position the brand as a warm and friendly one, as opposed to the clinical and cold way in which healthcare brands are usually portrayed.

For the record, Health & Glow has two clinics in Kolkata and Siliguri. The company is all set to launch two clinics in Delhi next month, followed by clinics in Bangalore and Mumbai.

The Health & Glow clinics were started in 2003 by homoeopathic physicians Dr DK Paul, Dr Abhijit Paul and Dr Bijay Paul. They are now jointly promoted by physicians and technicians in the field of homoeopathy. The clinics specialise in problems relating to the hair and skin. They also help their clients fight arthritis and obesity.

© 2006 agencyfaqs!

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