As a part of this alliance, Maple Leaf will
exclusively make pop-up cards for ITC. ITC is expected to re-launch the pop-up cards under
its Expressions brand later in the quarter.
Maple Leaf is India’s premier pop-up card manufacturer. Strongly
rooted in the business of Pop-up cards, Mr. Hari Tejani and Mr. Gopal Tejani are
considered to be pioneers in this segment of the Greeting Cards Market and enjoy very high
equity in the trade.
Announcing the alliance, Mr. Chand Das, Chief Executive ITC Greetings
Cards Business said, "We are pleased to enter into an alliance with Maple Leaf the
leading player in the segment and the pioneer of pop-up cards in the country. Manufacture
of pop-up cards entail intricate designing and hence requires specialized skills. The
alliance will leverage the manufacturing skills of Maple Leaf and the marketing
organization of ITC to help tap the latent demand for such cards in the country."
"We entered in this business on the logic of bringing the best
available in the country to the consumers. Maple leaf being the market Leader in this
category, this move helps us to leverage our respective strengths (Distribution Vs
technology)." Added Mr. Das.
Mr. Tejani of Maple Leaf also echoes the same emotions. "We are
excited into entering into an exclusive alliance with ITC for the domestic market. We are
confident that with the benefit of ITC’s renowned expertise in consumer marketing and
strengths in nation-wide distribution, it will be able to significantly expand the market
for pop-up cards."
Pop-up cards occupy a niche segment in the overall cards market with
almost a 5% market share in the metros. However, in value terms pop-cards are estimated to
have a larger share due to their higher price tags compared to normal cards.
"Internationally pop-cards are very popular and contribute almost
ten per cent to total sales of the industry. However, in India the manufacturing skills of
pioneers like Maple Leaf have not been backed by adequate distribution support. We hope to
trigger a rapid growth in the segment by launching the Expressions range of pop-up cards
nationally in more than 10,000 outlets across the country supported by an intensive
communication program". Added Mr. Das.
ITC Greetings Cards Business has on offer more than 6000 designs under
its Expressions range. The company has been able to capture a five per cent market share
despite being a recent entrant in the industry.
