MAM
Philips signs Ranbir Kapoor as brand ambassador
Mumbai: Philips has revealed actor Ranbir Kapoor as its brand ambassador. The lighting company wants to drawn attention to its LED lighting solutions through its first ever celebrity endorsement.
The biggest ever marketing campaign by Philips Lighting will feature Ranbir, who will endorse Philips’ range of LED Lighting solutions, which are dynamic in both style and performance.
Talking about the campaign, Philips Lighting India president Nirupam Sahay said, “Given that LED Lighting technology is relatively new, consumer awareness of the benefits associated with it is low. As industry leaders, we need to drive the conversion from conventional lighting to LED Lighting, which is clearly the future of Lighting. We aim to achieve this by building mass appeal through an impactful campaign that makes people sit up and take notice. Having Ranbir as the brand ambassador allows us to communicate the benefits through a medium that resonates most with Indian consumers, and he is best suited to bring the dynamic nature of the category to life”.
Philips Lighting India marketing head Sumit Joshi further added, “It is after a long time that a Lighting company has a high profile Bollywood actor as brand ambassador. The strategy is to differentiate and lead the change from conventional to LED in the market with the right combination of strong value propositions and glamour. The choice of having Ranbir was an easy one as we wanted to get on board a brand ambassador who represents dynamism and modernity and is constantly experimenting with possibilities on the silver screen. He also comes from a family which has been a legend in the Bollywood industry, and we saw synergy with the 125 years of heritage of Philips Lighting. With his remarkable appeal across different segments of consumers, we are confident that this campaign will be a huge success.”
The comprehensive 360 degree campaign covers all important media including print, OOH, PR and digital alongside television.
Philips India CMO Vivek Sharma commented, “As LED Lighting becomes more and more important for Philips’ business in India, the company took this big step of launching a huge integrated marketing campaign for the category. As Philips, we have signed on brand ambassadors for the company’s other businesses in the past, and we believe it adds to the brand recall and helps drive demand for a relatively new category.”
To showcase the endless possibilities of LED lighting, Philips Lighting is reviving the iconic song ‘Saara Zamana Haseeno Ka Deewana’ through a contemporary music video featuring Ranbir in a dynamic suit of LED lights. The music video and the television commercials are based on the core idea of “Philips LED – See What Light Can Do”. The campaign has been directed by Prasoon Pandey and conceptualized by Ogilvy.
Expressing his excitement, Ranbir Kapoor said, “Endorsing India’s No.1 Lighting brand Philips is a great opportunity, and I am privileged to be associated with this power house of innovation. Philips is a brand that delivers innovation that matters to you and me. I am thrilled to be associated with LED Lighting technology which is not only NextGen but is also environment friendly. I personally believe in LED lighting, which is clearly the future of lighting.”
Brands
33 per cent of women believe the salary scale is rigged: Naukri report
Voices @ Work study finds rising calls for equal pay audits and lingering bias
MUMBAI: Progress may be visible in India’s workplaces, but many women still feel the need to tread carefully. A new report by Naukri reveals that one in two women hesitate to disclose marriage or maternity plans during job interviews, worried that such information could influence hiring decisions.
The findings come from the second edition of Naukri’s annual Voices @ Work International Women’s Day report, titled “What Women Professionals Want.” Drawing insights from more than 50,000 women across over 50 industries, the survey sheds light on evolving workplace aspirations alongside the biases that continue to hold women back.
One of the report’s most striking insights is the growing demand for equal pay audits. The share of women calling for regular pay parity checks has climbed to 27 per cent this year, up from 19 per cent a year ago. The demand now stands alongside menstrual leave as the most sought after workplace policy.
Interestingly, the call for pay transparency grows louder higher up the income ladder. Nearly half of women earning between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore annually say equal pay audits are a priority, suggesting that pay gaps become more visible as women move up the career ladder.
At the same time, confidence and ambition appear to be rising. About 83 per cent of women say they feel encouraged to pursue leadership roles, a significant jump from 66 per cent last year. Cities in southern India appear particularly supportive, with Hyderabad leading the way as 86 per cent of respondents there reported encouragement to step into leadership positions. The education sector recorded the highest sense of encouragement at 87 per cent.
Yet the report also highlights a growing trust deficit around pay equity. Nearly one in three women, or 33 per cent, say they do not believe men and women are paid equally at their workplace. That figure has risen from 25 per cent last year, pointing to widening perceptions of disparity as careers progress.
Bias in hiring and promotions continues to be the biggest hurdle. About 42 per cent of respondents say workplace bias is the main challenge for women from diverse backgrounds. The concern is consistent across major metros, with Chennai and Delhi NCR reporting similar levels.
Reluctance to discuss personal milestones during hiring processes is also widespread. While 34 per cent overall said they hesitate to share marriage or maternity plans in interviews, the anxiety increases with experience. Among professionals with 10 to 15 years of work experience, the figure rises to 40 per cent.
Info Edge group CMO Sumeet Singh, said the data reflects both progress and unfinished work. “Behind every data point in this report is a woman who is ambitious. The fact that 83 per cent feel encouraged to lead is something to celebrate. However, the fact that one in two still hide their marriage or maternity plans in interviews tells us the work is far from done. As India’s leading career platform, it felt not just important but necessary for us to shine a light on these gaps through the second edition of our report,” he said.
The report suggests that while ambition among women professionals is growing, structural changes around pay transparency, fair hiring and supportive policies will be key if workplaces hope to keep pace.
