Rachit Vats
Advertising

‘White’ Nikon scouts for creative agency

Nikon products, which were available in India in the grey market, are now to be officially launched here. So, the company is on the lookout for a creative agency

Nikon, the premium Japanese camera brand, is planning an official entry in the Indian market. The company had a presence in the Indian market through an authorised dealer network which sold films and digital products. Besides, the brand was sold quite widely in the Indian grey market. Now, Nikon plans to set up shop in India through a corporate office in Gurgaon, Haryana, and will sell its cameras through a dealer network.

With its official entry in the Indian market, Nikon feels the need to communicate with consumers, thus the need for an advertising agency. Currently, the creative duties for Nikon are being handled by a Singapore based advertising agency, but now the strategy will be to Indianise the communication.

‘White’ Nikon scouts for creative agency
Nikon to 'shoot' in India
agencyfaqs! has learnt that five agencies have been invited for the pitch and the presentations will start this week.

Nikon has already started its groundwork by mapping the digital scene in India, and by conducting its own assessment of the Nikon brand. The reports of this assessment and other research reports have been passed on to the agencies, which have also been briefed on the marketing plan and tagline for the Nikon brand. The agencies have been asked to come up with a complete brand solution.

‘White’ Nikon scouts for creative agency
Nikon hopes to create a strong foothold in the Indian market and wants to use a judicious mix of ATL (above the line) and BTL (below the line) activities to achieve this.

Nikon has plans to offer products for advanced users and professionals. It intends to reduce dependence on the grey market and capture 50 per cent of the Indian market with its offering for professionals and 10 per cent of the compact digital market in the next one year.

Currently, print advertisements for Nikon can be seen in Indian newspapers, but these are the work of the Singapore based advertising agency.

Nikon was established in 1917 after a merger between two leading optical manufacturers to form a comprehensive, fully integrated optical company known as Nippon Kogaku K.K. At present the brand is present across all continents.

In March 2003, Nikon Group introduced a new brand symbol in order to strengthen the brand. The new brand statement was designed to further increase recognition of the Nikon brand. The new brand statement that was unleashed in 2003 made the brand statement : At the heart of the image. The new statement, with "heart" front and center, offered customers a special sense of affinity with the Nikon brand.

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