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LG India to focus on digital audio market
BANGALORE: LG India has announced its foray into the MP3 player and car audio segment. The company has also launched a new “touché “ range of high-end home theatres, lifestyle audio systems, MP3 players, and high definition DVD that have special features such as a high-gloss piano black bodyline, a sleek touch pad and red lighting that add luxury and sophistication. The bio-indicate lighting in the touch pads allows users to “communicate” with the product, which reacts to user movement in its touch sensor area. The company also showcased the world‘s first Dual-format High-Definition Disc Player at the occasion. |
Speaking at the launch, LGEIL MD Moon B Shin said,“Our research shows that world over product aesthetics is playing a major role in consumer buying decision. We are extremely pleased to take the aesthetic appeal of products to the next level through our “Touché” series, a first in India. Like all LG products, these new launches will also be a combination of performance, technology and looks and we are confident of capturing unanimous interest of our target audience which is style conscious, upmarket and very sophisticated.” |
Post this launch, LG’s product portfolio shall encompass not only home entertainment but also mobile and in-car entertainment. While the MP3 and MP4 players are priced from Rs 3000- 12,000/- , the car audios will be available at a price range of Rs 5000-60,000/- Added Shin, “Audio Video is a focus category for LG, and we will be spending close to Rs. 50 million in the second quarter of the current year for marketing these products and aggressively targeting the huge consumer base. We are confident of achieving a turnover of Rs 4.5 billion Digital Audio Video segment by year end. This translates into a 70 per cent value growth in the segment for LG even though the industry itself is growing at the rate lower than 10 per cent. We are already the top brand in video segment and are aiming to achieve the numero uno status in digital audios segment by year end 2007.” The Rs 50 million announced by Shin will be spent towards outdoor, print and newspaper public communications. The company will chalk out plans for their third quarter, and TVC’s could be considered at that stage, according to LGIL aast. Gm- sales and marketing and head audio video and mobile equipment Rishi Tandon. The creative work for the LG group is by Lintas while media buying is by Group M. LGEIL achieved a turnover of Rs 82.50 billion in 2006. |
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
