Brands
Kotak Securities uses cups to promote its latest offering
MUMBAI: Kotak Securities, the stock broking arm of Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited, is the new addition in the list of brands that has opted for a distinct marketing strategy by tying up with advertising start-up CupShup which is known for its popular technique of converting tea and coffee cups in to a platform for brands to get visibility amongst its target audience.
Kotak Securities is promoting its recently launched product – Free IntraDay Trading where CupShup has chosen Indigo Airlines as one of the spots to execute the campaign. Free IntraDay Trading allows self directed investors to do intra-day trading without paying any brokerage.
Apart from Indigo Airlines, the offline campaign is being executed across 500 corporates and 1,500 tea stalls in 12 Indian cities – Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, Kolkata, Indore, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Baroda and Surat.
For the campaign, the company used more than 55 lakh cups made out of water-based ink and biodegradable recyclable paper, with an aim to make the audiences have 5-7 minutes clutter free exposure to the product. This step was adopted considering high possibility of discussions that may generate among the people taking tea breaks.
Kotak Securities EVP and head of marketing Jaimit Doshi says, “We wanted to get immediate attention of our target audience. Through geo-targeting we identified locations where our customers were based. We reached out to them specifically in those cities and areas. What better way to target people than our product popping up during tea breaks which also gives people another investment topic to talk about?”
CupShup co-founder Sanil Jain adds, “I am glad that in an era where digital marketing is ruling various industries, we are able to get brands to market their product in an efficient as well as in an effective way. Cupshup’s marketing concept is sure to create an impression with customers who can receive their daily dose of information on what brands are doing in the current scenario. Kotak Securities is a valuable client to us and we hope that this campaign results in giving the brand the desired outcome.”
Besides the primary activity, CupShup is also running activations with 100 Corporates by setting up a Kotak Securities booth where Relationship Managers will educate the employees about their products.
Brands
Godrej clarifies ‘GI’ identifier after logo similarity debate
Says GI is not a logo, will not replace Godrej signature across products.
MUMBAI: In a branding storm where shapes did the talking, Godrej is now spelling things out. Godrej Industries Group (GIG) has issued a clarification on its newly introduced ‘GI’ identifier, addressing questions around its purpose and design following a wave of online criticism. At the centre of the debate were two concerns: whether the new mark replaces the long-standing Godrej logo, and whether its geometric design mirrors other corporate identities.
The company has drawn a clear line. The Godrej signature logo, it said, remains unchanged and continues to be the sole logo across all consumer-facing products and services. The ‘GI’ mark, by contrast, is not a logo but a corporate group identifier intended for use alongside the Godrej signature or company name, and aimed at stakeholders such as investors, media and talent rather than consumers.
The need for such a distinction stems from the 2024 restructuring of the broader Godrej Group into two separate business entities. With both continuing to operate under the same Godrej name and signature, the identifier is positioned as a way to differentiate the Godrej Industries Group at a corporate level.
The rollout, however, triggered a broader conversation on design originality. Critics pointed to similarities between the GI mark’s geometric composition and logos used by companies globally, raising questions about distinctiveness.
Responding to this, GIG said its intellectual property and legal review found that such overlaps are common in minimalist, geometry-led design systems. Basic forms such as circles and rectangles appear across dozens of brand identities worldwide, the company noted.
It added that the identifier emerged from an extensive design process and was chosen for its simplicity, allowing it to sit alongside the Godrej signature without competing visually. While acknowledging that elemental shapes may appear less distinctive in isolation, the group emphasised that the mark is part of a broader identity system that includes a custom typeface, sonic branding and other proprietary elements.
Following legal and ethical assessments, the company said it found no impediment to using the identifier, reiterating that the GI mark is a corporate tool not a consumer-facing symbol.
In short, the logo isn’t changing but the conversation around it certainly has.
