MAM
Castrol in 5-year deal with ICC as performance partner
MUMBAI: Lubcricant manufacturer Castrol has done a five-year deal with the International Cricket Council (ICC) that makes it the official performance partner of cricket‘s governing body.
The agreement awards Castrol a worldwide rights package from 2010 until 2015 and will include the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, which will take place in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, as well as all other ICC tournaments up to and including the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 in Australia and New Zealand.
Castrol was involved with the recently concluded 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa, the Uefa Euro 2012 and the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil.
Castrol says that its success in business over the past 100 years is its ability to use analysis to improve performance in the most extreme conditions in sport on land, sea and air. Castrol, with the help of cricket experts like Harsha Bhogle, has applied this same skill to analysing performance in cricket to devise the Castrol Index.
As the official performance partner of the ICC, Castrol will bring this system to the stadium audience of ICC events like the ICC Cricket World Cup and ICC World Twenty20 as an index on the match day.
By appearing on the stadium replay screens at crucial points of the game, the Castrol Index for match days will fuel the audience’s passion and excitement in the game by updating them real-time on which team is leading and which players are the top performers at that point in the game.
ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat said, “For us to attract a commercial partner of Castrol’s calibre is another indication of the excellent reputation and healthy state of international cricket. It reconfirms how top brands want to be associated with cricket and its great spirit. Even in these challenging times cricket’s popularity among spectators, broadcasters and sponsors is as strong as ever.”
Castrol regional VP, Asia and Pacific Region – Naveen Kshatriya said, “Cricket is a sport that is passionately followed across many parts of the world. While no other game touches the hearts and minds in the Asian sub-continent as cricket does, the game is also very popular in many other important Castrol markets like Australasia, South Africa and the UK.”
MAM
Shoppers Stop elevates Biju Kassim as GSS Beauty CEO
Move comes as GSS Beauty scales global brand partnerships in India.
MUMBAI: From store shelves to global shelves, the beauty game is getting a sharper makeover. Shoppers Stop has elevated Biju Kassim as managing director and chief executive officer of Global SS Beauty Brands Limited (GSSBB), signalling a stronger push into the premium beauty segment. The move builds on Kassim’s role in setting up GSSBB, a wholly owned subsidiary that has quickly positioned itself as a fast-growing distribution platform for global beauty brands in India. The unit has been central to Shoppers Stop’s ambition of expanding its footprint in the high-margin beauty and luxury categories.
Chairman Nirvik Singh noted that Kassim’s experience across the beauty ecosystem and his understanding of premium and luxury consumers would help steer the next phase of growth. The focus, he indicated, will be on sharpening the company’s beauty portfolio and scaling partnerships with international brands.
Kassim, for his part, steps into the role at a time when India’s premium beauty market is undergoing rapid evolution, driven by rising consumer aspirations and increased access to global labels. He highlighted that GSSBB will remain a key strategic pillar, with an emphasis on expanding brand partnerships, enhancing consumer experiences and driving growth across markets.
As global beauty brands continue to eye India as a high-growth destination, Shoppers Stop’s bet is clear: owning not just the shelf, but the entire beauty ecosystem behind it.
