The company has appointed a creative agency and a CRM partner VLCC, a brand in the slimming and wellness

domain, is looking at strengthening its marketing plans, with a budget of Rs 70-75 crore for both national and international activities, reveals Sandeep Ahuja, managing director, VLCC India in a chat with afaqs!.

As part of this plan, it has brought Ogilvy India onboard as its creative agency. This decision comes after a multi-agency pitch. Equus was the incumbent, and had worked on the business for about four years. Prior to that, JWT handled the account for about six years, and M&C Saatchi also handled the personal care bit for a while.

The media duties continue to be with MPG, which came onboard last year.

VLCC has also partnered with Media Contacts, the global interactive media network of Havas Digital, to solidify its digital plans.

141 Sercon, the below-the-line arm of Bates 141, has been VLCC's CRM partner for a year now. However, the agency did not play too active a role so far, as plans have begun to take shape only now.

Ahuja says that it has been three years since the brand advertised on television. "Equus did some very good films -- four of them -- which we ran for about four months, around three years back. But ever since, only tactical plans have been taken up."

The group is looking at increasing its purview as a brand. "We were essentially considered as a slimming brand. With wellness becoming a larger area of interest for brands in a coinciding space, we would like to get further and give the brand multiple facets," he adds.

VLCC was launched as a slimming brand three years back in the UAE as well.

Ahuja brings out that the idea of venturing out into the wellness space stemmed from the fact that up to 40-45 per cent of the company's revenues came from the beauty business. Therefore, the segment could not go ignored -- it had to come forth in terms of visibility.

The company plans to set up the Nutri-Diet Clinic and is considering focussing on its CRM programme, Way of Life, which, so far, had an international presence, but would now come to India. VLCC is also looking at enlarging the portfolio for its anti-cellulite, body firming brand, Shape Up.

On the international front, the company is present in the West Asian markets, including UAE, Bahrain and Oman. The creative duties of the brand in that region are taken care of by Dubai-based Bates Pan Gulf.

VLCC is planning to extend its presence to about 150 locations, which means entering new countries -Qatar and Kuwait -- as well as adding centres in India.

In terms of advertising, Ahuja emphasises that the brand would actively use television and magazine advertising. The company has also tied up with television channel, Sony, for activation for one of their serials.

The company also plans to bring on brand ambassadors, a male and a female. Though not spilling the beans completely, Ahuja mentions that one celebrity from Bollywood and one from cricket would be considered.

andeep is Managing Director of VLCC Health Care Ltd., the holding company of the VLCC Group and also oversees VLCC s international operations, based in Dubai. VLCC is India s largest and best-known slimming, beauty and wellness brand, whose presence spans over 225 locations in India and abroad, including UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. It employs over 7000 professionals, a majority of whom are doctors, nutritionists, psychologists, cosmetologists, beauticians, physiotherapists and the like. Prior to his current assignment Sandeep was Head of the VLCC subsidiary which manufactures and markets herbal / ayurvedic cosmetics. Sandeep s wide and varied experience of over 2 decades spans marketing, communications strategy development, media relations and brand communications. Prior to joining VLCC, he was Director & CEO of Lexicon Public Relations & Corporate

Consultants Limited, an affiliate of Fleishman-Hillard, Inc., one of the world s largest communications consultancies. He was largely responsible for establishing Lexicon as one of the top 10 communications consultancies in India and worked with a host of prestigious companies as clients, including Avon Beauty Products, Domino s Pizza, Escorts Group, Goodyear India, Iomega, Lufthansa German Airlines, Maruti Udyog, Timex Watches, United Airlines and WorldCom. Widely traveled, a graduate in economics and a postgraduate in marketing & advertising, Sandeep started his career in the copy department of a leading advertising agency but quickly enlarged his role to encompass client servicing. Later, after agency hopping for a while to broaden his experience, he settled down to long and loaded stints at Escorts Limited, one of the largest engineering conglomerates in India, and the equally distinguished Bhai Mohan Singh Group (Bausch & Lomb India, Montari Leather), before taking up the challenge of establishing a full service communications consultancy from the ground up. He moved on to join VLCC in 2002.

VLCC ramps up its marketing and brand-building initiatives in India and overseas Raises Group marketing & advertising budget to over Rs.75 crores; appoints O&M as creative agency and top specialists agencies for CRM and On-line advertising

New Delhi, Delhi, June 22, 2009 /India PRwire/ -- VLCC, the category leader in the wellness domain with a leadership position in slimming, beauty & fitness services and products, today announced the ramping up of its marketing initiatives for the Indian and Middle East markets, in keeping with its target of accelerated growth in the next 24 months. It has significantly increased its marketing and advertising budget for the current fiscal by over 40% to in excess of Rs.75 crores.

To this effect, VLCC has appointed Ogilvy & Mather (O&M) as the creative agency for all its business verticals in India, including the slimming & beauty services, day spas, beauty & nutrition training institutes, VLCC Nutri-Diet Clinics as well as the VLCC Personal Care line of skin-care, body-care and haircare products. For the Middle East, including UAE, Bahrain and Oman, VLCC s creative duties are being handled by Dubai-based Bates Pan Gulf, the region s leading marketing communications group.

In addition, VLCC has also appointed Media Contacts, the global interactive media network of Havas Digital to deliver strategic and actionable marketing insights across digital media. Its CRM initiatives will be managed by 141 Sercon, a WPP group company & one of the largest specialized below-the-line marketing services agencies. VLCC has also engaged one of the largest BPO companies, Aegis Communication, an Essar Group Enterprise to manage its domestic call centre operations.

Commenting on the new appointments, Mr. Sandeep Ahuja, Managing Director, VLCC Health Care Ltd. said, VLCC is a very special brand with tremendous momentum and we are committed to strengthening its leadership position in the wellness domain. The appointment of O&M and top specialists in the areas of CRM and internet market is in keeping with the VLCC Group s target of achieving superlative growth in the next two years both in India and overseas through a finely tuned focus on R&D, customer delight and best-in-class marketing initiatives.

Notes to Editor

The VLCC Group is a leading player in three related businesses in the wellness domain: slimming, beauty & fitness services, beauty & nutrition training institutes, and manufacturing and retailing of skin-care, body-care and hair-care products. VLCC is widely recognized for its scientific weight loss solutions and its therapeutic approach to beauty treatments. The group has a pan-India presence with more than 150 outlets in 70 cities. Its overseas operations include 11 VLCC Centres in four countries, including 8 in the UAE and one each in Oman, Bahrain and Nepal. Having served over a million customers since its inception, VLCC today has achieved iconic status.

Terms and Conditions

Rewards offered under the VLCC Way of Life program cannot be clubbed with any other offer or discount, unless specified otherwise.

Reward points are awarded against the net invoice/bill value. Taxes and levies are exempt from the calculation of reward points.

Reward points accumulated under the program would be tracked by VLCC and the same would be sent to the member s mobile after every billing transaction, followed by a monthly statement. In case, there is a difference in points as communicated via sms and as perceived by a member, the same could be brought to VLCC's notice by informing the centre head. Discrepancies, if found in VLCC's records, would be rectified within a reasonable period of time. VLCC reserves the right to ask a member to produce bills/invoices to support such a claim. In case of a dispute, VLCC's decision will be final and binding.

A Way of Life membership can be revoked or refused if a member/customer is involved in any act of fraud, shoplifting, cheating with or without cause and without prior notice. The membership would also be revoked if a member is found to be involved in any sort of misuse of the membership number or the program.

All privileges, services and products offered as rewards under the program are subject to availability. The actual time of experience of these privileges and services by members who are eligible and request redemption too is contingent upon the availability of the service.

All VLCC services and products offered as rewards under the Way of Life rewards program are governed by standard warrantees and terms of use that are applicable to the respective VLCC offerings from time to time.

VLCC reserves the right to make changes to the reward point calculation, milestones, rewards, membership categories and all other program specifics at any point of time, at its own discretion, without assigning any reason whatsoever.

VLCC reserves the right to offer an alternative reward in cases where the choice made by the member is found to be no longer available/in stock.

Points earned through a purchase cannot be redeemed against the same bill. The redemption of those points can be done only from the next bill onwards.

VLCC reserves the right to modify or close the Way of Life program at any given time without assigning any reason whatsoever. It reserves the right to close membership existing or new for the program temporarily or permanently for any period of time as decided by the management.

Benefits and offers made through the program may change or be withdrawn without prior intimation. VLCC will not be responsible for any liability arising from such situations. VLCC will also not be held responsible for any liability arising from the use of offers made by third parties.

The Way of Life membership is currently for individuals only it is not a corporate membership number/corporate membership.

VLCC reserves the right to withdraw, cancel, vary or in any way change, at any time, without notice, the Way of Life Program or any facility or benefit previously offered or expressed as available as a member of the Way of Life Program. VLCC will not be liable for any loss or damage resulting from such withdrawal, cancellation or variation.

VLCC will maintain and update such data in electronic form that is provided by members at the time of enrolment or through subsequent contact. From time to time VLCC will send marketing communication, promotional SMS and mailers to members and by joining the Way of Life Program members give their consent to receiving such communications.

In the event of conflict between these Terms and Conditions and any changes that have been or are made in order to comply with the local laws and regulations, the Terms and Conditions thus changed will prevail. If the provision of any benefit or facility is prohibited by local law, such benefit or facility will be deemed to be withdrawn.