Rediffusion bags ITC’s greetings, gifting and stationery business

ITC Ltd, the cigarettes-to-hotels conglomerate, has appointed Rediffusion DY&R, Chennai, as its creative agency for its greetings, gifting and stationery business. Rediff has won the business following a multi-agency pitch. The incumbent agency on the business was Grey Worldwide, and the account was handled out of Mumbai.

Chand Das, CEO, ITC Greetings, Gifting Stationery, says, “ITC’s Greetings, Gifting and Stationery business aims to be India’s largest player in the market for education and social stationery products by earning consumer preference for its brands. In Rediffusion DYR, we have found a strategic partner with refreshing new ideas to help us build our brands and our business.”

Minakshi Achan, executive creative director and head, South operations, Rediff, adds, “In the current era of SMS and online greetings, the greeting cards' business is declining. As agencies, we were expected to address the problem and deliver a solution with regard to the arrest of this decline, specifically for the brand. Moreover, it was also about taking the stationery business forward.”

ITC’s greetings and gifting business faces competition from Archies, and its stationery business, from Navneet and other retail players. A year back, according to press reports, ITC claimed to be number two in the stationery segment, close behind Navneet, and reported earnings of Rs 40 crore for fiscal 2005-06.

ITC launched Expressions Regalia (a new corporate gifting item), a premium collection of 15 big greeting cards and five small ones in five different designs for the connoisseur, priced at Rs 300, in 2005. Its aim of taking the business turnover to Rs 300 crore by 2010 was also announced.