Co Enters Rs 100- Cr festival Gifts Market With Beautifully Wrapped Culinary Delights
Sutapa Raha
Kolkata 6 October
FESTIVE season is here. And good wishes
make great companions to special festive gifts. There’s mithai, chocolates, candles,
pens and more. From corporates to the cosmopolitan … they sure say it with gifts.
This year, however, a piece of India can be on your palate as a corporate gift. Tobacco
major ITC is making its debut in corporate gifting with special packaged dishes under its
Kitchen of India brand. More surprising, ITC is eyeing the mini-metros and the small towns
as warm takers to these gift-wrapped culinary delights.
Speaking to ET, Hemant Malik, general
manager- marketing, ITC Limited (foods business), said, "The festival gifts market in
India is estimated at around Rs 100 crore. We saw this as a good opportunity to make our
debut with our dishes, which are both traditional and can provide a variety in the
corporate gifting options."
"In the first year (from pujas to
Christmas and New Year) we think 2-3% share of the gift market is good enough.
Interestingly, we see a latent potential in cities like Agra, Patna, Nagpur, Bhopal where
companies are keen to gift. In fact, the gifting ratio will be skewed towards the
mini-metros though the sale maybe still more in metros," he added.
While corporates are the main target,
individual are also in the fray. ITC has also worked out strategies like direct mailer and
direct contact system for corporates, where company chiefs will be approached directly by
ITC’s marketing arm to make them aware of the offer.
Mr. Malik said, "We will leverage on
our exhaustive dealer distribution network to reach our target clientele. Also we will use
our infrastructure for our cards business, where our people selling cards to corporates
can offer this opinion too." "Our ITC Expression franchisees will also have
these gifts in their outlets for individuals to pick them up. For the NRIs leaving India,
or people travelling abroad this season, our Travel House is offering them a piece of
India with them," he added.
Apart from corporates, ITC itself will play
the customer this festive season, with a decision to include Kitchens of India offer as
its own corporate gift. The festive offer is available in wooden gift cases with an option
of two to three products in attractive twin pack. Corporates can choose from a combination
of six different products and a customised corporate message can also be incorporated in
the packs. Traditional ready-to-eat dishes like dal bukhara, khubani ka meetha, dum ki
khumb and others are on offer.
