MAM
Coke plans festive bonanza
MUMBAI: With the brouhaha over the pesticide controversy having died down for the cola majors, Coca Cola has announced a number of on-ground activities for the ongoing festive season.
A release issued by Coca-Cola informs that business is back on track now that its products received a clean bill of health from all sources. These ranged from the Indian government’s Central Food Technology Research Institute to Great Britain’ s Central Science Laboratory.
Elaborating on the marketing and promotional campaign Coca Cola vice president Sunil Gupta said, “A number of on ground activities are planned for the festival season. Nationwide poster campaign at retail outletsis being organised. We will also be organising meet-your-favourite-star programme which will bring our young consumers and our popular brand ambassadors together. We will also be arranging plant visits for school children, special offers, attractive packaging and various contests are some of these activities to be pursued in the coming weeks.”
A report in the Financial Express informs that Pepsi has tied up with at least 200 puja mandals in Kolkata and Howrah. The beverage conglomerate is also said to be looking at a countrywide promotion which would coincide with Diwali, which falls towards the end of next month.
It goes without saying that the rejuvenation is great news both for print and television channels. A large part of their advertising revenue comes from the Cola majors. In fact when the pesticide controversy was going on the marketing heads requested the editorial of some companies to tone down their content on the issue and focus on other issues
Earlier this month, Coca Cola introduced 200ml Maaza in Maharashtra and 200ml Thums Up in West Bengal, at Rs 5 each. Coca-Cola India, which is among the largest foreign direct investors in India claims to have been a major driver of the country’s rural economy and market. Its affordability strategy selling 200ml packs at Rs five has vastly grown the rural market.
Digital
Galgotias apologises after AI summit robot sparks backlash, blames ‘ill-informed’ representative
University says no intent to misrepresent innovation
NEW DELHI: Galgotias University has issued a formal apology after a controversy over a robotic dog displayed at the India AI Impact Summit led to scrutiny, backlash and the university’s exit from the venue.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the university said it “apologises profusely for the confusion created” at the summit, attributing the episode to an “ill-informed” representative manning its pavilion. The individual, it said, was unaware of the product’s technical origins and was not authorised to speak to the media.
The controversy erupted after online users identified the robotic dog as the Unitree Go2, a commercially available model made by Unitree Robotics, contradicting claims made during the event about its development.
Galgotias said there was “no institutional intent to misrepresent this innovation” and reiterated its commitment to academic integrity and transparency. It added that it had vacated the stall in line with organisers’ sentiments.
Events at the summit venue, Bharat Mandapam, took a dramatic turn as electricity to the Galgotias pavilion was cut, followed by barricades being installed around the stall. A video circulated by PTI showed workers at the site saying they were acting on instructions from their supervisor.
Summit organisers have yet to issue a detailed public explanation outlining the sequence of decisions that led to the stall’s shutdown, even as the incident fuels wider debate around claims, verification and accountability at high-profile technology showcases.
