MAM
NBC, Volkswagen sign worldwide strategic marketing deal
MUMBAI: NBC Universal and Volkswagen have entered a multi-year global marketing alliance. As part of the partnership, Universal will incorporate Volkswagen’s products and brand, in its film, DVD, worldwide theme parks, and other entertainment properties.
According to media reports, the deal will cost Volkswagen an estimated $200 million and the company will support numerous media and entertainment related properties of NBC Universal through international marketing and promotional efforts. Both companies plan to develop mutual marketing programs.
“This will represent one of the largest and most comprehensive alliances in the entertainment industry and prepares the ground for new ways of reaching consumers on a global scale. Product placement and the movie industry are a growing factor in car promotion and Universal Studios is the most consistently successful movie studio in recent history. With their theme parks and their huge television section with NBC and other attractive TV stations, NBC Universal offers a highly attractive platform to promote our products and brand, which no other studio can offer,” said Volkswagen CEO Dr Bernd Pischetsrieder.
Universal Studios President and Chief Operating Officer Ron Meyer, on the other hand said, “We are very proud to be in business with a creative and dynamic company such as Volkswagen. Our historic alliance underscores how important corporate partnerships have become in attracting consumers around the world, and I believe that together we are in a unique position to capitalise on many new opportunities in the marketplace.”
“We are pleased to welcome Volkswagen as a marquee, NBC Universal partner. The Volkswagen product line is stylised, design-driven and contemporary and the perfect demographic match for our entertainment properties,” said Universal Studios Partnerships executive vice president Stephanie Sperber.
For Volkswagen this cooperation offers a wide range of opportunities including product placement, Volkswagen’s presence at Universal’s film premieres and home entertainment releases, common global media-based promotional campaigns, and theme park sponsorship and integration.
The deal also calls for Volkswagen to explore original TV programming and on-air film-related promotions. The initial focus of activities will be on the US and European markets where Universal will have access to a wide range of Volkswagen products for all prices and age groups, with approximately 20 different models under the Volkswagen brand.
MUMBAI: In India’s fast-moving payments race, Visa has just swiped in a new leader. The company has named Suresh Sethi as its India country head, marking a key leadership shift as it sharpens its focus on digital payments growth in the market. Sethi steps into the role following his recent exit from Protean eGov Technologies, where he served as chief executive officer. He succeeds Sandeep Ghosh, who has moved on after more than four years at Visa to pursue an external opportunity.
The appointment comes at a time when Visa is doubling down on its expansion strategy across India and the wider region, deepening partnerships and accelerating adoption in an increasingly competitive digital payments ecosystem.
Sethi brings with him a broad, cross-market perspective shaped by decades of experience across corporate banking, retail financial services, mobile money and large-scale government technology initiatives. He began his career at Citigroup, where he spent 14 years working across India, Africa, South America and the United States, focusing on transaction banking services within the corporate bank.
His appointment signals a blend of institutional experience and market familiarity qualities that could prove critical as Visa navigates a landscape where fintech innovation, regulatory evolution and consumer adoption are all accelerating at once.
As digital payments in India continue to scale rapidly, the leadership change underscores a simple reality, in a market where every tap, scan and swipe counts, who leads the charge can matter just as much as the technology itself.
