MAM
Lifestyle pumps in Rs 70 mn towards brand-building
BANGALORE: On the occassion of its 10th anniversary, retail chain Lifestyle is investing close to Rs 70 million towards brand-building in India.
Adorning a new logo, the brand promotion process will comprise print, radio, television and internet campaigns. Said Lifestyle chief marketing manager Shankar Suryanarayan, “Our groups annual ad spends in India are about Rs 200 million to Rs 220 million. Almost 90 per cent of our ad spends are on print. For the anniversary celebrations, we will launch a television commercial that will run on channels including English and Hindi news channels and music and regional channels like Sun TV, Udaya and Gemini.” “Over the next 99 days, we have planned media spends worth Rs 35 million for brand building and customer offers and rewards that we have announced,” added Suryanarayan. Currently, Lifestyle has 15 stores and nine Home Center (a two year old sub brand) stores in India. It plans to add nine-ten Lifestyle stores and two-three Home Center stores over the next 12 months on the way to a total store count of 44 by fiscal 2011-12 and has set aside capex of about Rs 4.5 billion for this.
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.
