Current Events-Business & Economy

Wholesaler Metro faces fresh retail trade charges

Minimum bill size has to be Rs 1000 for purchase at Metro

Metro Cash & Carry, the German wholesale major, is facing fresh allegations of carrying out

retail trade.

The wholesaler got its Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) licence renewed

recently in West Bengal. The fresh allegations of

carrying out retail trade have come from the

Forward Bloc, a constituent of the Left Front

government in Bengal, which had been opposing

the entry of Metro on this ground.

Forward Bloc-controlled APMC in the state has

submitted a report stating the instances of

violations of the terms of the Regulated Market

Committee (RMC) licence. Traders have to

purchase articles worth a minimum of Rs 1,000 from the Metro store to keep the household

buyers away as per the terms of the licence.

Metro Cash & Carry says that its wholesale centres are open exclusively for professional

business customers. All of them are registered and provided with a customer identification

card. This means that the company does not sell to household customers. Metro caters to

groups of hotels, restaurants, caterers as well as kirana stores and other small retailers by

offering a wide assortment of 18,000 articles, comprising food and non-food products.

Earlier, the Forward Bloc had suggested that the minimum bill amount per customer should

raised to Rs 5,000. Metro outlets in Bangalore and Hyderabad had Rs 1,000 as the minimum

bill size, but it was for multi-item sale. Buyers in Kolkata were getting items 20-30 per cent

cheaper than the maximum retail price (MRP). For instance, an LG DVD player marked at Rs

3,990 in showrooms was being sold at Rs 2,932 at Metro. A 500-gm Horlicks pack was

priced at Rs 109 against MRP of Rs 121.

Retailers said Metro products offered better quality at a price lower than wholesale market

prices in the city.

 

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Deepak Parekh is CNBC's Outstanding Business Leader of 2008

Mukesh Ambani was chairperson of the Jury

Deepak Parekh, Chairman, HDFC, won the Outstanding Business Leader of 2008 while

Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Ltd won the

Outstanding Company of the Year at the fourth edition of India

Business Leader Awards given by CNBC-TV18 recently.

Other winners include:

􀂙
First Generation Entrepreneur Of The Year–Atul Punj,

Chairman, Punj Lloyd

􀂙
Most Promising Entrant Into The Big League–Ashwin

Dani, MD, Asian Paints

􀂙
Taking India Abroad! (Brand India)–Naresh Goyal,

Chairman, Jet Airways

􀂙
Social Enterprise Of The Year–Akshay Patra

􀂙
Outstanding Contribution To The Cause Of Indian Business–Kamal Nath, Minister,

Commerce & Industry

􀂙
Lifetime Achievement Award–Keshub Mahindra, Chairman, M & M

􀂙
Entertainment Business Leader–Aamir Khan

􀂙
Sport Business Leader–Lalit Modi, Chairman, IPL

􀂙
Outstanding Woman Business Leader–Chitra Ramakrishnan, Deputy MD, NSE

􀂙
The India Business Leader Of The Year–Uday Kotak, VC & MD, Kotak Mahindra

􀂙
India Innovator Of The Year–Ajay Piramal, Chairman, Piramal Healthcare

􀂙
The Corporate Citizen Of The Year–Sumit Banerjee, MD, ACC Ltd

􀂙
The Talent Management Award–S Ramadorai, MD & CEO, TCS

Israel's SC directs Sun, Taro to renegotiate

Court will intervene if the two sides fail to reach agreement

The Israel Supreme Court has directed Sun Pharmaceutical Industries and Taro

Pharmaceutical to renegotiate the takeover dispute between the two companies. Sun Pharma

said that both camps, including the Taro promoter Barrie Levitt and Moros families, agreed to

a mediation process to resolve the dispute. If no agreement is reached, any of the parties can

request the Supreme Court to issue a judgment on the dispute.

Taro had demanded a 58 per cent premium, or $15 per share, in cash to effect a merger with

Sun Pharma during the negotiation rounds. Sun Pharma rejected the offer citing it was

beyond the worth of Taro.

 

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In May last year, Taro terminated the $454-million merger deal with Sun Pharma. Sun

challenged it in the US and Israeli courts and triggered an open offer to acquire Taro's

outstanding shares. Taro and some of its directors appealed in the Supreme Court against the

applicability of the special tender offer rules under the Israeli Companies Law to the Offer.

This was after a Tel-Aviv District Court ruled in favour of Sun that a special tender offer was

not required.

Nahata, Dhoot close to agreement over Datacom

The dispute had delayed the launch of Datacom's services

The feud between Mahendra Nahata, Chairman of Himachal Futuristic Communications Ltd,

and Videocon promoters Dhoot family over control of Datacom is finally close to a

resolution. As part of the compromise formula being worked out, HFCL's telecom business

in the Punjab circle may be merged with Datacom even as the Dhoots are likely to agree to

buy out Nahata's 36 per cent equity stake in Datacom.

Datacom was among the new players which got licences to offer mobile services across the

country. Datacom was initially owned by Nahata-promoted Jumbo Techno Services.

Videocon later picked up 64% stake in Datacom. The dispute began after Nahata alleged that

the Dhoots were not fulfilling their commitments made during the initial agreement. Dhoot

had promised to pump in money into the company as equity but later offered a loan to finance

the mobile services project.

The dispute between the two promoters has not only delayed the launch of Datacom's cellular

services by at least four months but also driven away prospective international investors from

picking up a stake in the company. Etisalat, which had recently picked up 45 per cent stake in

another new telecom company — Swan — had earlier shown interest in Datacom. Similarly,

Telenor, which is now reportedly talking with Unitech to acquire a stake in its new telecom

venture, was also close to striking a deal with Datacom.

The company has also lost its Chief Executive Officer, Ravi Sharma, who quit the company

on the grounds that the dispute was delaying Datacom's business decisions.

Tata tea blends socially conscious advertising with brand building

The Jaago Re! One Billion Votes campaign strengthens brand loyalty

Tata Tea's Jaago Re! One Billion Votes campaign is stirring the conscience of young Indians.

The campaign, launched in September last year, creates a platform which facilitates citizens'

entry into the electoral process. The website www.jaagore.com hosts a voter registration

engine that allows people to fill in voter registration forms online. Almost 250,000

youngsters have registered for voting through the site.

 

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The Jaago Re! campaign is an extension of the brand's previous campaign in which a young

man questions a politician's qualification on being asked to vote. Tata Tea's market share

increased from 19.4% in Dec 2007 to 20.6% in Dec 2008 and the increase could be attributed

in part to the two campaigns.

"We wanted to combine four of our brands: Tata Tea Premium, Tata Tea Gold, Tata Tea

Agni and Tata Tea Life under one umbrella brand. We wanted the mega brand to have a

positioning and aura that no other brand could copy. Hence we came up with the tag line

Jaago Re! for this umbrella branding exercise. The idea was that while other brands wake you

up, Tata Tea awakens you," said the Tata Tea marketing director.

The Jaago Re! website has emerged as the medium through which people are encouraged to

vote. After filling the online voter registration form, one has to take this form to physically

register at the regional election office. The site offers an interactive Geographic Information

System application to facilitate location of one's electoral ward. Street-level maps of major

cities with constituency boundaries are available. The data is currently available for 35 cities.

Bangalore-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) Jaanagraha conceived this idea.

Jaanagraha works with citizens and the state to improve the quality of life in India's cities and

towns. Tata Tea came in as its corporate partner to provide funding. Youth-oriented

institutions like Infosys, Wipro, Mt Carmel, St Xaviers, IIT -Madras and IIT-Delhi are

covered by a team of Tata Tea and Jaanagraha. The team has visited around 250 colleges

across the country. The target is to enroll as many first-time voters as possible.

The company believes that the campaign had strengthened brand loyalty.

Cola wars reach Indian Premier League

Coke catches Pepsi's drop news

The battle between cold-drink rivals Coca-Cola and Pepsico has extended into the Indian

Premier League cricket, where the two global giants are bidding against each other for

sponsorship of both individual players and league teams. The battle when Pepsi dropped Shah

Rukh Khan, the Bollywood idol and co-owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), saying it

wanted younger brand ambassadors. Even as Khan publicly complained about the manner of

his 'sacking', Coke was quick to pick up sponsorship of his entire team.

Coca-Cola, which is planning to push its Sprite brand of clear-lemon drink through KKR, has

signed a two-year deal with the team. This will ensure that iconic KKR players like Ishant

Sharma (who currently endorses Pepsi) and former India captain Saurav Ganguly (who was

dropped by PepsiCo last year) will endorse Coca-Cola's products in the coming IPL season.

 

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Coca-Cola's sponsorship deal includes merchandise branding rights - T-shirts, jerseys,

helmets, caps - in-stadia branding rights on perimeters and dug-outs, aligning with the team

as a beverage partner, serving Coca-Cola beverages in home stadiums and various

promotions by KKR team players.

At the same time, PepsiCo has closed a new deal with India Cements-owned Chennai Super

Kings, which it already sponsors. The two companies are now in talks to produce co-branded

cans of beverage. It is also reported to be in talks with Mukesh Ambani's Mumbai Indians.

Meanwhile Coke, which recently bagged the Delhi Daredevils, is also in talks with the

Punjab Kings XI, owned by actress Preity Zinta and industrialist Ness Wadia.

Interestingly, Delhi Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag as well as Ishant Sharma feature in

Pepsi's new cola commercial.

The IPL sponsorship tussle between Coca-Cola and Pepsi goes back to three months ago,

when PepsiCo cancelled its five-year in stadia sponsorship contract signed with the Board of

Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) because Coca-Cola had signed a 'category exclusive' onair

sponsorship deal with IPL's broadcast partner Sony Entertainment Television, MAX. That

deal gave Coke the right to air its advertisements in commercial breaks, and category

exclusivity meant that rivals like Pepsi were not allowed to advertise on television during the

matches.

"We had committed Rs 10 crore a year till 2013 to be IPL's beverage partner. Yet we could

not get a single spot aired on Sony Max, as Coca-Cola picked up the sponsor slot for about

Rs 16-18 crore, blocking the entire category," said a Pepsi official.

Coca-Cola is expected to pay around Rs 6 crore to as sponsorship to KKR, the team jointly

owned by Shah Rukh, actress Juhi Chawla and her husband Jai Mehta. KKR has been

scouting for a title sponsor ever since real estate major Housing Development and

Infrastructure Limited (HDIL), which picked up the deal last season, pulled out this year

because of the economic slowdown.

Fiat in technology for stock swap deal with Chrysler

Fiat will provide small car technology in return for access to Chrysler's US distribution

network

Italy's Fiat SpA has picked up a 35% stake in American auto major Chrysler. Fiat, with its

much stronger balance sheet, will not pump cash into the ailing Chrysler LLC, but will help

retool its plants and improve manufacturing technology. The partnership will focus on Fiats

popular Mini and upper-medium product platforms, and on helping Chrysler access more

fuel-efficient and smaller engines and transmissions.

 

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In return, Fiat will get access to the American market for its small cars. Chrysler, the thirdlargest

US automaker, would get access to Fiat's car line-up and global sales network to

reduce its dependence on trucks and the North American market, while Fiat would expand its

US foothold, which is now limited to its luxury brands.

Industry analysts believe that the Chrysler Fiat tie-up seems to be a win-win affair with

minimal downside risk for either party particularly in view of prospects of more US bailout

dollars to Chrysler down the line. Most automakers are struggling because of worldwide

recession and the huge drops in auto sales that has brought. Chrysler is surviving on a $4

billion federal loan and will ask for more next quarter.

Chrysler relies heavily on sales of trucks and sport-utility vehicles, a particularly badly hit

segment of the market. The US automaker, which owns the Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler brands,

is 80.1 per cent owned by Cerberus, which paid $7.4 billion for its stake in 2007. The rest is

held by Germany's Daimler, its former parent. Daimler has virtually written off its remaining

19.9% stake.

The Fiat–Chrysler deal may also have an unanticipated benefit for Tata Motors, Fiat's Indian

partner, retailing Chrysler brands like the Jeep Cherokee in India. Tata Motors has a

technology and marketing arrangement with Fiat and the two companies are believed to have

discussed the possibility of building a low-cost car jointly.

Goodbye gherkin, hello tomato

Tomato replaces pickle on Heinz logo

After more than 110 years, H.J. Heinz Co. is giving the tomato top billing on its namesake

ketchup and bumping the pickle from the label of one of

America's most iconic brands.

Bottles of the market-leading ketchup with the new label

are shipping now and should arrive in stores next week.

The image of a single, large, vine-ripened tomato is much

larger than the pickle it's replacing and better reflects

what's inside the bottle, said Noel Geoffrey, director of

ketchup for Pittsburgh-based Heinz.

Playing up ketchup's natural roots also feeds into

consumers' growing desire for more wholesome, natural foods, analysts and the company

said. The new label includes the tagline "Grown not made." Founder H.J. Heinz used a

"pickle pin" to attract attention to his booth at the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893. The pins

were popular, and the branding stuck.

 

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The company still gets as many as 15,000 pickle pin requests a year through its Web site and

a consumer hot line. In testing, mothers — the target buyers — said having the tomato on the

label helped them make the connection with the product's main ingredient.

Heinz, the world's largest processed tomato company uses only tomatoes grown with its socalled

HeinzSeed seeds for its ketchup. The HeinzSeed program supplies six billion hybrid

tomato seeds a year developed to produce tomatoes that are disease-resistant and to produce a

higher yield.

High price deters Cobra Beer suitors

Mallya willing to buy Cobra if valuation is revised

The £200 million valuation of the UK-based Cobra Beer, which is up for sale, may deter

suitors like United Breweries from making a strong bid for the company. United Breweries

Chairman, Vijay Mallya, recently said he was willing to bid for the company's UK business.

UB wants Cobra to bring down the valuation. In spite of such a "high" valuation Cobra Beer

is yet to post any profits, though it is considered one of the fastest growing beer brands in the

UK. Mallya said he was more interested in the UK business of Cobra Beer, because it will

give his company a deeper access to over thousands of restaurants in Britain that sell Indian

food.

Cobra Beer's promoter, Lord Karan Bilimoria, who founded the company 18 years ago, has

appointed NM Rothschild & Sons to look for a buyer. After putting the company for sale,

Lord Bilimoria recently announced that he plans to sell the company's UK and Asia

businesses separately.

Cobra Beer has a 76 per cent stake in Iceberg brewery in Bihar and has bottling arrangements

with eight breweries across the country. Cobra Beer sells three brands in India, which include

King Cobra, Cobra Beer and strong beer Iceberg. It has a turnover of over Rs 100 crore in its

Indian market.

The per capita consumption of beer in India is slightly over 1 litre, compared with about 23

litres in China.

Tatas tie up with Inditex

Follows similar such ventures with Benetton and Tesco

Trent, the retail arm of the Tata group, announced a joint venture with Spanish fashion

retailer Inditex Group, to bring in Zara stores in India. Zara is an international fashion retailer

owned by Inditex.

 

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According to the memorandum of understanding (MoU), Inditex would hold 51 per cent

stake in the JV while Trent would hold 49 per cent. The JV plans to open stores in 2010 in

New Delhi, Mumbai and other major cities in the country.

Inditex has Zara, Pull and Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, Zara Home

and Uterqüe brands which together have more than 4,200 stores in 73 countries worldwide.

The company has more than 86,000 employees throughout the world and posted sales of Euro

9.5 billion in 2007.

The tie-up with Zara follows Trent's tie-up with the UK's largest retailer Tesco for using

Tesco's supply chain and IT systems in India. In September 2007, Trent inked a deal with

Benetton of Italy, under which Trent would be the exclusive franchisee for one of Benetton's

premium brands Sisley.

Google Maps offers Latitude in India

The new service allows sharing of one's whereabouts with friends

Google, which accounts for nearly 80 per cent of all online searches, has

launched a new service, Google Latitude, that lets cellphone users share

their location with friends. The service is part of Google Maps for

Mobile, the company's mapping software for mobile phones, but can

also be used through a gadget loaded onto its iGoogle customised home

page. It will work in 27 countries at launch.

Latitude can be downloaded on the mobile phone and invitations can be given to friends and

family to join the service. The location-based service only works with prior permission from

the other person. The service also allows the user to communicate with friends through text

messaging, instant messaging or a phone call.

The application is independent of mobile operators and can be downloaded free from the

Google website. The only cost that the consumer will have to pay is the data packet charges

that are levied by the mobile operators.

Latitude will work on Research In Motion Ltd's Blackberry. Devices running on Symbian

S60 devices, Microsoft's Windows Mobile and some T-1 Mobile phones running on

Google's Android software will also support the service.

Latitude also helps you find the nearest eating joint, cinema hall or shopping mart near you or

near the destination of your choice. It uses Google's technology to judge a user's location not

just by Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite, but also by proximity to mobile phone

towers and wireless networks.

 

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Companies like Verizon Wireless, owned by Verizon Communications, and Vodafone

already offer a similar service called Loopt's service in the US and the UK respectively. The

service works on Apple's iPhone.

KBC in Sony's kitty

Channel also acquires rights to Slumdog Millionaire

The rights to Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), held by Star Plus for eight years, have been

acquired by Sony. The popular game show is likely to make a comeback in the next few

months. Multi Screen Media, formerly Sony Entertainment Television, has bought the rights

to the game show format 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?' for an undisclosed sum from

Sony Pictures Television, the Japanese company that now owns the rights. Star India —

which hired Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan to host three seasons of KBC — did

not renew its contract with Sony Pictures to make the game show.

In a related development, Multi-Screen Media has also bagged the satellite television rights to

the English and Hindi versions of Slumdog Millionaire from Fox Star Studios India. The

Oscar-nominated film captures the story of a young slum-dweller who wins the big prize

money in a KBC-like television quiz show. In fact, there is speculation that Sony may have

actor Anil Kapoor, who plays the anchor in Slumdog, as the anchor for the real-life KBC.

Media expert say that Sony is probably using the film and the show as an attempt to ramp up

viewership which is way behind that of the top two channels — Star Plus and Colors.

The Sony executive said the channel will first air the film and then exploit the popularity of

the film to launch its version of Kaun Banega Crorepati.

Though KBC turned around the fortunes of Star India and pushed it to the number-one

position when it first launched with Amitabh Bachchan in 2000, its popularity during the

third season (2007) with Shah Rukh Khan diminished.

Facebook volte face on new user terms news

Site will not hold user date after account ends

Confronted with massive protests from tens of thousands of users, the popular networking

site Facebook has backtracked on its recently introduced user policy which allows it to retain

data even after an account has been deleted or cancelled. The site, which boasts 175 million

users from around the world, had quietly updated its terms of use, causing uproar. Facebook

has now reassured its users that it will revert to the old terms, at least for the time being.

Users who logged on to Facebook were greeted by a message saying that the site is reverting

to its previous terms of use while it resolves the issues raised by the protesters.

 

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The latest controversy was not the first between the rapidly growing site and its users over its

five-year history. In late 2007, a tracking tool called "Beacon" caught users off-guard by

broadcasting information about their shopping habits and activities at other websites. After

initially defending the practice, Facebook ultimately allowed users to turn Beacon off.

The Palo Alto, California-based Facebook is privately held. Microsoft Corp bought a 1.6 per

cent stake in the company in 2007 for $240 million as part of a broader advertising

partnership. The row and reaction to the Facebook changes to its terms of service reflect a

wider issue about user data and who owns the personal information - from comments, to

photos and videos - stored on social network accounts, and what happens to it if a user

decides to leave a service.

In the US, the public interest group Electronic Privacy Information Center had warned it

would file a formal complaint with the Federal Trade Commission about the new terms of

service.

Swedish carmaker Saab files for bankruptcy

GM plans to sell Saab, retain Opel and Vauxhall

The board of the Swedish carmaker Saab, which is owned by General Motors, has filed for

reorganisation, seeking to create a fully independent business.

GM has said that it wants to sell Saab. There had been concerns

about the loss-making carmaker after the Swedish government

rejected GM's call for aid. GM took a 50-per cent stake in Saab in

1989 and gained full ownership 10 years later.

The reorganisation will enable Saab to separate itself from GM and

bring resources back to Sweden. It will place Saab under court

supervision, with the aim of creating an independent organization.

Saab lost about 3 billion Swedish crowns or $343 million in 2008 and said it would lose a

similar amount this year. But the immediate cause of the filing was GM, which decided to

shed the Saab brand, as part of are structuring that will see massive job cuts and closure of

several brands in exchange for access to government cash.

The Swedish government had ruled out taking over Saab, saying taxpayers' money shouldn't

be pumped into a company that's been unprofitable for 19 of the last 20 years. Saab has

struggled since GM bought half of the automaker in 1990 from Investor AB, the Wallenberg

family's publicly traded holding company. Saab has been on life-support for most of the past

20 years.

 

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GM has set March 31 for deciding on all its European divisions' future as the Detroit-based

carmaker seeks as much as $16.6 billion in new US federal loans, which hinge on stemming

losses and debt. General Motors aims to cut $1.2 billion from labor costs in Europe and

options include closing plants.

GM said in a report to the US Treasury on 17 February that it

would end financial support for Saab by 1 January 2010. GM

said later that its Ruesselsheim, Germany-based Opel

division and Luton, England-based Vauxhall unit are integral

to operations.

Saab traces its origins to aircraft company Svenska Aeroplan

AB, founded in 1937 to secure production of Swedish

warplanes. The first car left the factory a decade later. The

automaking operation is now separate from Linkoeping, Sweden-based Saab AB, the maker

of the Gripen fighter plane.

Lego, Disney announce alliance

Lego will develop toys based on hit Disney movies

The Lego Group and Disney Consumer Products have announced a multiyear

licensing agreement that gives the toy brand access to an extensive

portfolio of renowned Disney and Disney-Pixar properties. Lego and Lego

Duplo products are currently in development for three franchises – Disney-

Pixar's 'Toy Story' and 'Cars', and 'Prince of Persia' – all scheduled to

launch in 2010.

Lego System products based on 'Toy Story' and 'Toy Story 2' will be

launched in January 2010, to be followed in May by construction sets

based on the new animated feature, 'Toy Story 3', scheduled to hit theaters in Disney Digital

3D June 2010. 'Toy Story' themed Lego Duplo products will be launched in June 2010.

A line of Lego System construction toys, based on Walt Disney Pictures' and Jerry

Bruckheimer Films' 'Prince of Persia: Sands of Time', produced by Jerry Bruckheimer,

directed by Mike Newell and scheduled to release in May 2010 is also in development.

The film, based on the best-selling video game franchise of the same name, stars Jake

Gyllenhaal, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina and Gemma Arterton in an epic tale of Prince

Dastan's struggle to stop an evil ruler from unleashing a sandstorm that could destroy the

world. Prince of Persia-themed LEGO products are scheduled to launch in April 2010.

 

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GM to phase out the Saturn by 2012

The biggest carmaker in the US plans to reduce Pontiac output also

General Motors has said that it would phase out its Saturn brand by 2012. In 1985 GM

launched the Saturn in response to the success of Japanese and German small-car imports in

the United States.

GM also added that it was considering its options for the Pontiac division. The

Pontiac name, part of the car business since 1932, could remain on some

models, but may no longer be a separate division. GM said Pontiac would be a

"focused brand" with fewer models. GM submitted a viability plan to the

government in which it stated that it plans to cut its brands to just four:

Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC. GM was known for its concept of "a car for every

purse and purpose" its strategy during the 1920s for retaining buyers from their first car to

their last.

GM CEO Rick Wagoner, cited the economic downturn as the reason GM was phasing out

Saturn. Saturn sold 188,004 vehicles in 2008, down 21.7 per cent from the previous year. Its

best-selling vehicle was the Saturn Vue, a small sport utility vehicle.

Kraft Crafts New Brand Identity

The objective is to distinguish between its corporate and product brand identities

Kraft Foods, which owns brands like Velveeta and Oreo, has unveiled a new corporate logo

and brand identity, a move analysts say could better position the

food company against private label goods. The new logo was

conceived as part of a several month design process, where more

than 7,000 employees and consumers worldwide were asked for

their feedback. Kraft asked consumers in cities like Chicago,

Paris and Shanghai questions such as: "What do you look for

in a food company?" "How do you engage with food

generally?" and "What are the moments of that relationship

that are important to you?"

Bearing the slogan, "Make today delicious," the new Kraft logo consists of an upward, red

smile exploding into an array of seven "flavor bursts," each of which represents a different

division of Kraft's business. The triangular shape, for instance, is meant to evoke Kraft's

DiGiorno pizza brand. The logo will begin appearing on the back and side panels of Kraftbranded

foods worldwide. Kraft worked with design agency Nitro on the launch. The food

giant has undergone a series of logo and name changes throughout its 106-year history. The

latest logo is an attempt by Kraft to distinguish between its corporate and product brand

identity.

 

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14th Annual Global Mobile Awards

Airtel won for best use of mobile for social & economic development

The GSM Association announced the winners of the 14th Annual Global Mobile Awards at

the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona recently. The Winners are:

􀂙
Best mobile game: Gameloft–Real Football 2009

􀂙
Best mobile music or video service: BBC iPlayer on Mobile

􀂙
Best mobile advertising service: Turkcell–Tonla Kazan

􀂙
Best mobile TV service: MobiTV

􀂙
Best mobile enterprise product or service: Vodafone–Vodafone Global Enterprise

􀂙
Best mobile internet service: Nokia–Nokia Sports Tracker

􀂙
Best mobile money service: Safaricom and Vodafone–M-PESA

􀂙
Best Mobile Handset or Device: INQ–INQ1

􀂙
Best broadcast commercial: KT Freetel – 'Show is…'

􀂙
Best mobile brand campaign: R/GA London–Nokia Urbanista Diaries

􀂙
Best use of mobile for social and economic development: Nuance Communications–

Airtel-T9 India Consumer Vernacular Messaging Campaigns

􀂙
Best mobile technology breakthrough: RIM–BlackBerry Storm 9500 SurePress Screen

􀂙
The green mobile award: Smart Communications–Alternative power for cell sites

programme

􀂙
GSMA's CEO award for outstanding environmental contribution: Nokia

􀂙
Government leadership award: The Government of France

􀂙
GSMA chairman's award: Research in Motion (RIM)

BPTP seeks to surrender plot it bid for Rs 5,006 cr.

India's biggest land deal falls apart

Realty player Business Parks and Town

Planners (BPTP) has applied for the surrender

of a 95-acre commercial plot at Sector 94,

Noida, that it had bought for Rs 5,006 crore, as

it was unable to complete the payment. It was the biggest land deal the country ever

witnessed. BPTP has made an application to the New Okhla Industrial Development

Authority (Noida) for surrender of the plot. The company said it made the application after

the UP government, in its new policy, gave developers options to get their payment plan

rescheduled and seek benefits of moratorium. The policy had also allowed developers to

surrender the plot after paying a penalty of 10 per cent of the amount that it had deposited to

the authority. The company will, however, not get the balance amount and instead will be

offered land after paying the penalty.

 

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