MAM
Ad spend rises 20 % in China
MUMBAI: Advertising spend in China rose 20 per cent in the first half of the year to $17.7 billion. Companies like Procter & Gamble Co were responsible for the rise.
A report from Nielsen Media Research found that advertising targeting men was the fastest growing category, with spending on ads for men’s cosmetics increasing by 64 per cent, and spending on men’s fashions and accessories rising by 75 per cent.
About 80 per cent of ad spending in the first half of the year went to TV, while newspapers accounted for most of the rest
Media reports state that by comparison, spending on women’s cosmetics ads rose just 14 per cent, while spending on women’s fashion and accessory ads fell by 51 per cent.
The pharmaceutical industry was the biggest ad buyer in the first half of the year with 30 billion yuan in spending, followed by cosmetics and personal care products at 27.5 billion yuan.
P&G was one of the biggest advertisers in the Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou markets, with its Olay brand of skin care products, Rejoice shampoo and Crest toothpaste among the top 10 brands in all three markets.
Colgate-Palmolive’s Colgate toothpaste, an arch rival of Crest, was among the top 10 advertisers in two of the three markets, as were P&G’s Pantene shampoo and fast food giant McDonald’s.
MAM
BLS International launches #VisaReady campaign to guide applicants
Initiative targets visa myths, delays and rejections with practical guidance
MUMBAI: Visa woes may soon meet their match because paperwork, it seems, is finally getting a user manual. BLS International has rolled out a new awareness drive, #VisaReadyWithBLSInternational, aimed at simplifying the often confusing visa application process and reducing delays caused by misinformation and incomplete documentation. The campaign, led across social media platforms, zeroes in on a long-standing pain point for travellers: lack of clarity around procedures, timelines and requirements. By offering step-by-step guidance, documentation checklists and clear Dos and Don’ts, the initiative attempts to turn what is typically a stressful process into a more predictable one.
At its core, the campaign also seeks to bust common myths that frequently derail applications issues that often lead to avoidable rejections or last-minute complications. The idea is to equip applicants with practical, actionable insights so they can plan better and submit stronger applications within expected timelines.
The push will not remain limited to digital channels. BLS International plans to extend the initiative across its Visa Application Centres globally, reinforcing awareness at key touchpoints where applicants engage with the process.
BLS International joint managing director Shikhar Aggarwal framed the campaign as more than a communication exercise, emphasising the company’s attempt to embed guidance and preparedness into every stage of the applicant journey.
Operating in over 70 countries and working with more than 46 client governments including embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions, the company has built a sizeable footprint in visa and consular services. With this campaign, it is now leaning into education as much as execution, signalling that in the world of visas, clarity might just be the new currency.
