PRESENTS
BOOKMARQUE VOLUME. 15
Marque -The Marketing Club
Inside the Philip Morris campaign to ‘normalize’ a tobacco device At Germany’s Bambi Awards for the media industry in November, celebrities posed for red-carpet photos against a backdrop of established luxury brands. Alongside the likes of Mercedes-Benz and Swiss watchmaker Chopard was a newer name: IQOS, a “reduced risk” heated-tobacco device sold by cigarette maker Philip Morris International Inc. Across Europe, Asia and South America, the tobacco firm has affixed the IQOS brand to music festivals and art exhibits. The company also markets through IQOS lounges at mountainside
The tobacco firm has affixed the IQOS brand to music festivals and art exhibits. Throughout Europe, it has partnered with “IQOS friendly” bars and restaurants - closed to cigarettes but open to IQOS. Such promotions are part of a wide-ranging “normalization” strategy by Philip Morris to scrub its image as a purveyor of cancer-causing cigarettes and present its new smoking alternatives as youthful, upscale lifestyle products, according to a ten-month study by tobacco researchers at Stanford University, who shared it exclusively with Reuters before its release on Friday. 1
Marriott partners with Mumbai Indians to push its loyalty programme Rachel Holt, one of the first emMarriott International and Mukesh Ambani’s Indian Premier League franchise, Mumbai Indians, have entered into a three-year partnership, giving members of the hospitality brand’s loyalty programme Marriott Bonvoy access to exclusive experiences with team. As Loyalty Partner for the team, the Marriott Bonvoy logo will feature on the upper right side-chest of the Mumbai Indians jersey. Both Mumbai Indians and Marriott were reluctant to reveal the size of the deal, but experts believe it to be a significant deal considering the four-time champions, Mumbai Indians, have crossed Rs 100 crore in brand partnership and sponsorship revenues this year.
of the deal, but experts believe it to be a significant deal considering the four-time champions, Mumbai Indians, have crossed Rs 100 crore in brand partnership and sponsorship revenues this year. As part of the agreement, Marriott Bonvoy members will be able to redeem their points for exclusive Marriott Bonvoy Moments that bring them close to the cricket action and the players. Packages involving these experiences including preferential seating in the stadium, access to gala dinners among others, will be available for bidding on Marriott Bonvoy Moments starting from the second week of March.
Sebi fines Muthoottu Mini Financiers for misleading ads Markets regulator Sebi on Wednesday imposed a penalty of Rs 10 lakh on Muthoottu Mini Financiers Ltd, a non-banking financial company, for placing misleading advertisements on its website regarding issuance of non-convertible debentures (NCDs). The company had placed advertisements on its website for public issue of secured, redeemable, NCDs aggregating to Rs 100 crore claiming that the RBI and Sebi have rated its NCD issue as “stable”. “Using the names of the regulators tends to impart a sense of security amongst the investors and thus may lead them to believe that the issue has been rated by the regula-
tors and that, by issuing gives a misleading impression to the public at large,” Sebi noted. By issuing misleading advertisements, the company has contravened provisions of Issue and Listing of Debt Securities Regulations and accordingly monetary penalty has been levied on Muthoottu Mini Financiers. Sebi fines Muthoottu Mini Financiers for misleading advertisements. Markets regulator Sebi on Wednesday imposed a penalty of Rs 10 lakh on Muthoottu Mini Financiers Ltd.