ITC Foods has appointed Tamil film's leading hero, Surya, for
endorsing its flagship Sunfeast brand in Tamil Nadu. Surya will be the brand ambassador
for the entire range of snacks under Sunfeast.
Sunfeast, which has around 10% share in
the Rs.550 crore Tamil Nadu market, is targeting a 20-25 % share in the next 1-2 years, a
senior ITC official said. "Tamil Nadu is a huge biscuit market and is a significant
contributor to Sunfeast's topline. Surya's appeal extends across all age groups and would
complement the brand," Devarajan Iyer, brand manager, ITC Foods told reporters on
Friday, "It is nice to be associated with a brand known for its innovations, "
Surya said.
Stating that ITC has achieved a sizeable
market share in Marie, glucose and cream biscuit categories in less than two years since
their launch, Mr Iyer said the appointment of brand ambassador would help enhance
Sunfeast's image.
The association with Surya is an extension
of Sunfeast's region specific marketing strategy designed specifically for the Tamil Nadu
market, he explained. Surya's brand endorsement would be subsequently extended to other
southern markets, he said ITC would also expand its range by launching cookies and salt
crackers shortly, Mr Iyer informed. As sale of biscuits is witnessing a steady increase,
ITC is now setting up a facility for biscuits production in Bangalore and Uttaranchal, he
said. Currently, the production of biscuits is largely outsourced.
The investment in the
Bangalore facility,
which would cater to the southern market, would be in upwards of Rs.20 crore, Mr Iyer
said. The Bangalore unit would be operational in another seven months and ITC is investing
around Rs.16 crore in the Uttaranchal facility, he added. The market for biscuits in the
south is pegged at around Rs.2000 crore. The organized biscuit market in Tamil Nadu,
estimated to be around 10, 000 tonnes is dominated by Britannia, which has a 38% share
followed by Parle with a 36% share.