Brands
Nestlé India buoys consumer confidence with new print campaign
Kolkata: After the Swiss major FMCG Nestlé faced flak over the nutritional value of its products, its Indian unit has announced a major outreach campaign to reassure and retain its customers.
In the print advertisement released on Sunday, the company asked consumers to share their concerns. The ad displays the entire portfolio of Nestlé India products emphasising the fact that the products are made with “over a 100 years of trust.”
The multinational company said that it is releasing a series of print advertisements over the next few days, “to reassure consumers that it genuinely cares about what matters to them, what concerns them, and that we are there for them 24×7 if they have any questions or suggestions.” The ads also include contact details which consumers can use to reach out to the company.
The global food major came under fire last week, after Financial Times reported, that an internal document of the company has described a large portion of its food and drinks as ‘unhealthy. According to the report, more than 60 percent of Nestlé’s mainstream food and drinks portfolio did not meet the recognised definition of health. This excludes products like pet food, baby food, and specialised medical nutrition.
“Recent reports have questioned the healthfulness of Nestlé products, because of a global internal working document that was reported out of context. The portfolio analysis only covers about half the global sales, since several prominent categories were not included,” said a spokesperson for Nestlé India, as quoted by The Hindu.
According to the company, the portfolio analysis only covers about half the global sales, since several prominent categories were not included. “In fact, looking at the global portfolio as a whole, less than 30 per cent would not meet stringent external “healthfulness” standards, mostly representing indulgent products, which are acceptable in moderation as part of a healthy, balanced and enjoyable diet,” the spokesperson added.
The parent company of household names like Maggi, Milkmaid, Kitkat, Nescafé said its approach as “a credible, trustworthy and responsible company is to always communicate with consumers on facts, in a humble and transparent tone and manner.
In its defence, Nestlé had also said that efforts were ongoing over decades to improve the nutritional footprint of its products, adding that it has reduced sugar and sodium in the last two decades, about 14-15 per cent in the past seven years alone.
As far as Nestle India’s portfolio is concerned, it is somewhat different from its parent company with only nine out of Nestle’s 35 billionaire brands having a presence in India.
This is not the first time that Nestle has found itself in such controversy. Its instant noodles Maggi came under scrutiny after samples were reported to have higher than permissible levels of monosodium glutamate. Following legal challenges, negative consumer sentiment, it had to launch a fresh set of products.
Brands
Uber launches hotel bookings feature in partnership with Expedia
From hotel bookings to room service at your door, the ride-hailing giant is making its boldest push yet into everyday life
CALIFORNIA: Uber is done being just a taxi app. At its annual GO-GET product event, the world’s leading mobility and delivery platform unveiled a sweeping set of new features designed to plant itself at the centre of how people travel, eat and shop, hotel bookings included.
The headline move is a partnership with Expedia Group that lets Uber users in the United States book hotels directly within the Uber app, with access to a catalogue that will eventually grow to more than 700,000 properties worldwide. Uber One members get 10 per cent back in Uber One credits on all hotel bookings and savings of at least 20 per cent on a rolling list of more than 10,000 hotels globally. Vacation rentals from Vrbo, Expedia Group’s home-rental brand, will be added later this year. The partnership is expected to expand beyond the United States. From June, Uber rides will also be integrated directly into the Expedia app, with push notifications sent to travellers ahead of hotel check-in to book discounted Uber rides for the duration of their stay.
Dara Khosrowshahi, chief executive of Uber, framed the expansion in terms of the modern condition. “Uber is becoming an app for everything, helping people go, get, and now travel all in one place,” he said. “We’re all living through a moment of real cognitive overload: too many apps, too many decisions, too much noise. At the end of the day, our job is to help people reclaim their time, spending less of it managing the logistics of life and more of it actually living.”
Ariane Gorin, chief executive of Expedia Group, struck a similarly ambitious note. “Travel should feel effortless, and this partnership gets us one step closer to offering a seamless traveller experience,” she said. “By connecting our two-sided marketplace with Uber, we’re bringing Uber rides directly into the Expedia app and Expedia Group’s lodging inventory into the Uber app through our Rapid API technology. Together, we’re helping travellers spend less time planning and more time enjoying the journey.”
Beyond hotels, the product announcements come thick and fast. Travel Mode, available within both the Uber and Uber Eats apps, offers curated recommendations on local favourites, tourist destinations, OpenTable restaurant reservations and on-demand delivery to hotel rooms. Uber One International means the membership programme now works globally, allowing members to earn credits on rides abroad that can be redeemed once back home. A new Shop for Me feature lets users request items from any store, even those not listed on the app. Eats for the Way allows riders in select cities booking an Uber Black or Uber Black SUV to have a drink or snack waiting for them in the car. Voice Bookings, powered by artificial intelligence, lets users book a ride conversationally, without touching their phone. And a redesigned One Search bar consolidates results for places, food and items across the entire Uber platform in a single query.
Uber has now logged more than 72 billion trips since it launched in 2010. The question it is now answering is what comes after the ride. The answer, apparently, is everything else. Whether users want a hotel in Paris, a coffee in the back of a car or a snake plant from the local garden centre, Uber would very much like to be the one to provide it. The app economy’s land grab has a new front-runner.
NOTE: The image used is AI generated and only for representational purposes.
