Sumita Vaid
Advertising

TBWAIndia wins advertising duties of sunroof brand, Webasto

In a multi-agency pitch, TBWAIndia has picked up the advertising duties of Webasto, the world’s biggest sunroof brand, which is owned by Webasto AG

In a multi-agency pitch, TBWAIndia has picked up the advertising duties of Webasto, the world's biggest sunroof brand, which is owned by Webasto AG. While the size of the business could not be ascertained, company executives inform that it is "substantial". Webasto AG, a supplier to the automobile industry worldwide, has entered India through a joint venture with the Sumi Motherson Group under the name Webasto Motherson Sunroof Systems Ltd India. The aim of the JV, in which Webasto AG holds a 51 per cent stake, is to establish a presence in the Indian car market with roof systems.

With the spadework complete, the company is ready for a national launch. And the scope of work for the newly appointed agency is likely to be substantial, considering the category - and sunroofing, as a concept, is new in India. "Webasto is the world's largest manufacturers of sunroof, and since this is a new category in the India, our involvement with the company we would be right from launching the category to building the brand," explains Benny Thomas, vice-president, TBWAIndia. Webasto, incidentally, has a 50-per cent share of the world market for sunroofs.

The company is preparing for a formal launch in June. While a national presence is the eventual objective, the launch is being handled in phases, where, in the first phase, Webasto Motherson is targeting car dealers in 12 metros and mini-metros. While Webasto internationally retails sunroof in both the ‘aftermarket' as well as the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) markets, in India, the company is taking the aftermarket route to begin with. The pricing of the sunroof brand starts from Rs 14,000 and goes up to a lakh of rupees. Webasto is targeting owners of C-class sedans as prospective customers. According to media reports, Webasto is targeting a turnover of Rs 350-400 crore in the next five years.

As the company is gearing up for the launch next month, TBWAIndia is working on the brand campaign and launch details. As the brand is yet to go national, print and radio will serve as the primary media, with a special focus on on-ground activities.

Among other recent developments at TBWAIndia, the agency has had appointments at the senior management level. Sudheer Krishnan of SSC&B has joined as client servicing director of the Mumbai branch. At SSC&B, Krishnan was handling accounts such as Kissan Biscuits, Coats India and Modern Biscuits and Breads. Also, Sidharth S Deo has joined the Mumbai office as art director. With over six years of experience, Deo has worked at McCann-Erickson India and St. Luke's India. Some of the brands he has handled include Columbia Tristar, Discovery Channel, HSBC and adidas. At the Delhi office, Partho Maitra has joined as client services director. He has moved from Grey Worldwide, where he worked on accounts like SmithKline Beecham, Domino's Pizza and BAT. © 2004 agencyfaqs!

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