NEW DELHI: BAT affiliate ITC has picked Grey Worldwide as its
branding agency to work on the cigarette and hotel company's foray in
the packaged food business in India.
Grey will handle packaging, advertising, PR and below-the-line
activities for an undisclosed fee for the August launch of ITC's new
brand, Kitchens of India, a packaged range of premium ready-to-eat
regional cuisine from its popular Bukhara and Dakshin restaurants. These
restaurants are located in the 41 hotels owned and managed by the
group.
Grey said the multi-agency pitch included Ogilvy & Mather and Lowe
Lintas.
Harshad Lal, Grey's account supervisor, said: "There are only a few
players in the ready-to-eat food segment who operate at a national
level. "
The most visible national players are Tasty Bites, which launched a year
ago, and MTR, which will soon add a vegetarian line to its range.
For Kitchens of India, Lal said ITC would leverage its expertise in
Indian cuisine, and its distribution muscle, which it built up for its
cigarette products.
The move is the latest in ITC's drive to reduce its dependence on
tobacco sales.
Along with food, ITC is looking at the greeting cards and gifts business
to boost non-tobacco sales to 40 per cent of revenue.
