Sumita Vaid
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FCB-Ulka makes entry into Dabur Foods roster

Following a three-way pitch that also involved club agencies Contract and Dhar & Hoon, FCB-Ulka, Delhi, has made headway into the Dabur Foods agency roster

Following a three-way pitch that also involved club agencies Contract Advertising and Dhar & Hoon, FCB-Ulka's Delhi office has made headway into the Dabur Foods agency roster, which currently comprises Contract Advertising (which handles the Real Activ account) and Dhar & Hoon (which has flagship brand, Real). While the precise reasons behind Dabur Foods calling for the pitch - and subsequently adding Ulka to its roster - is not clear at this stage, agencyfaqs! has learnt that both incumbents were asked to make presentations along with FCB-Ulka, the only outside agency invited to the pitch.

Interestingly, when quizzed about the business that it has been awarded, FCB-Ulka declined from commenting. Neither was a conclusive statement forthcoming from the company. However, Sharad Goel, corporate communications head, Dabur India, maintained that FCB-Ulka was now one of the agencies working with Dabur Foods. Naturally, getting a fix on the size of the business was equally tough, but sources close to the company inform that the win is going to be substantial in billing terms. It's clear that only the coming days would throw more light on the business plans lined up by Dabur Foods.

Dabur Foods, 100-per cent subsidiary of Dabur India Ltd, has invested Rs 20 crore in establishing a multi-fruit processing unit to meet the increased demand for packaged food from the domestic and export markets. According to a press note posted on Dabur Foods' official website, Amit Burman, CEO, Dabur Foods Ltd, while rationalizing the reason for investing in the processing unit, has been quoted saying, "The vision of Dabur Foods is to become an integrated food services company with an end-to-end presence in food procurement, processing, branding and providing related consultancy and services to partners."

After building a strong consumer brand in Real, the second phase of Dabur Foods' growth strategy is now integrating backwards. "This will result in higher profitability, enhanced access to the best fruits, and complete control of the production process - helping us further strengthen our market leadership and offer the best tasting juice," Burman is quoted as saying. © 2004 agencyfaqs!

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