EVENTS

ADVERTISING
Marico plumps for Madison to handle media
MARICO Industries, makers of Parachute and Saffola brands of oils, has chosen Madison Media to handle its media responsibilities, covering both planning and buying. Madison came out triumphant in a four-way pitch, which also involved Maximise, ... More

US-based ad co Be International forays into India
THE US-based Be International Group is making a foray into the Indian advertising industry by setting its fully-owned subsidiary company. Floating two new divisions in advertising and media buying and planning — Be advertising and Media ... More

Ten Sports' move to hike ad rates may hit roadblock
TEN Sports' plans of raking in additional moolah by jacking up ad rates, courtesy Doordashan's wider reach, may not cut ice with the advertising community. Today, Mr Chris McDonald, CEO, Taj Television, Dubai said that the channel may consider ... More

JWT bags Pinnacle Info account
JWT Chennai has bagged the account of software company, Pinnacle Info Solutions, in a multi-agency pitch. Pinnacle offers high-end software solutions with a focus on capital markets. Speaking to Business Line, Mr M.L. Raghavan, Client ... More

PROMOTIONS & OFFERS
IA announces new scheme
HYDERABAD: HAVING an eye on the summer rush, Indian Airlines has announced a `Hot Seat' scheme for all passengers travelling on its flights in the next two months. Beginning Friday, the passengers of Indian Airlines and Alliance Air ... More

DIRECT MARKETING
I-Contract appointed direct marketing agent for HDFC Bank products
HDFC Bank has appointed I-Contract as its direct marketing agency to implement an end-to-end customer management programme. Having unleashed a mass media campaign recently, the bank is now beefing up its back-end operations to make the ... More

BRANDS
Buddy Davis hopes to be Rs 100-cr brand in three years
BUDDY Davis, a fashion brand from the stable of Maral Overseas, is expanding its presence in the Indian sub-continent. Plans are afoot to open exclusive `Buddy Davis' stores in Colombo, Dhaka and Nepal, says Mr Atul Agrawaal, General Manager ... More

BOOKS
RK Swamy releases `Guide to urban markets'
RK Swamy BBDO has released its `Guide to urban markets', a decision support tool that helps marketers channelise their efforts and resources with greater efficiency and optimise returns. The first copy of the guide was released by Mr G.N. ... More

NEW PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Airtel to unveil `Easy Charge'
AIRTEL will soon unveil a scheme which will allow students, housewives and retired personnel to become e-entrepreneurs who will offer India's first paperless recharge for its pre-paid subscribers. Airtel's chief for sales and marketing for ... More

Hutch customers can choose their numbers in AP
HUTCH, a cellular service provider in Andhra Pradesh, today announced two new number series — 98853 and 98854 — with a unique feature whereby the subscribers can choose their mobile number. This choice will enable customers to ... More

Havell's to launch bathroom fittings
HAVELL'S India Ltd on Tuesday announced its foray into the luxury bathroom fittings and accessories segment under the Crabtree Frattini brand name. The luxury products will be manufactured by Crabtree Aquatech Ltd, a subsidiary of Havell's India ... More

BSNL to treat two circles in TN as one; launches new schemes
CHENNAI Telephones will offer new schemes to its customers, both mobile phone and fixed line users, from March 22. According to its Chief General Manager, Mr K.B. Brahmadathan, subscribers of CellOne, Bharat Sanchar Nigam's mobile phone ... More