Code Red
The Coca-Cola Red Lounge, the one-stop destination for the youth to hang out, will now be en route all international brands that Coca-Cola would bring to India. According to sources, brands such as Bonaqua, Dasani, Coke Blak, Coke Burn and different flavours of Minute Maid will first be introduced in the Indian market through the Red Lounge only. Rather than taking the retail path directly, the company is said to be utilising the Red Lounges to test-market its product portfolio. The first Red Lounge that it established in Pune will soon have a national presence.

New Mudra
Ad agency Mudra Communications is exploring the option of setting up two new divisions – sports and entertainment – this year. The agency is tempted by torrid action in sports marketing and production space and wants to hedge its bets in the wake of ad spends increasingly moving out of traditional advertising. This, feels the firm, would help it enlarge its basket of services in the communication business.

Mall Function
Travel companies are smitten by the retail bug. Mumbai-based travel firm TravelPort will be opening 45 retail outlets in malls by March 2008. It has tied up with the Delhi-based Salasar Retail to open travel terminals in Salasar stores. Branded as TravelPort@Salasar, these terminals will provide travel products such as air tickets, hotel packages and cruise packages. The company will also be tying up with Fun Republic and the New Delhi-based Sun City. It is in talks with players like Ansals and DLF. TravelPort is looking at an investment of Rs 3-lakh per outlet. The company has projected a turnover of Rs 100 crore by the end of this fiscal.

Textile Oligarchs
Club Italia, a range of premium men’s shirting from European mills, has just been launched in select outlets in India. The collection, in cotton, silk and linen, has been personally selected from the Autumn/Winter 2007 range from each mill. Targeted at celebrities and designers who are willing to pay a premium for exclusivity, Club Italia is priced between Rs 2,000 and Rs 15, 000 per shirt length. Club Italia is the brainchild of the some of the leading names in the fabric business in India. The admission committee from Mumbai is headed by Ashok Satiya of Tushar Textiles, the admission committee from Bangalore is headed by Ramesh Kothari of Modern Collection and the admission committee from Chennai is headed by Prem Bisani of Capital Clothing.

Source: Eco Times