MAM
Tata Motors ups mass media communications spends
BENGALURU: Along with fresh expenses towards mass media communications for eight new variants launched within a week, Indian automobile major Tata Motors has planned for larger ad spends this fiscal revealed Tata Motors Passenger Vehicle Business Unit president Ranjit Yadav to Indiantelevision.com. The increased spends include brand building of the mother brand as well as the various passenger vehicle models and variants from the Tata Motors stable.
“The Tata Group companies always vie for the podium – to be among the top three in any business,” said Yadav who was in Bengaluru to celebrate the success of two ‘Tata Nano expeditions‘. – A team set a Guinness World Record by accomplishing the longest journey of 10,218 kms, in a Tata Nano, in 10 days, breaking the current record of 8046.74 kms and a 78 day all India drive in a Nano across 26,500 kms by a 62 year old Thomas Chacko who has penned his journey‘s experiences in a book ‘Atop the world‘. A new TVC was also showcased at the event.
Digital communications play a big role in Tata Motors communications plans – “With 40 to 50 per cent of car buyers checking out specs and details about cars, digital is very important for us,” informed Yadav. It is on the conventional social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter among others.
Three agencies handle the creative work for various models of Tata Motors – Rediffusion, O&M and FCB Ulka. Media buying for old media is Lodestar. For digital media, the company has a number of agencies informed Yadav.
In a bad market scenario, Tata Motors, which has a 12 per cent market share of the passenger car industry in India, is looking to grow market share to 14.5 per cent. Tata Motors too has seen a decline in its statistics when compared to last year. If the industry numbers shrink further, Tata Motors may achieve that growth even if its own numbers remain flat or shrink at a rate that is less than decline in the industry‘s figures.
The automobile sector in India has certainly seen better days and is in for tough times. Numbers have taken a dive over the past seven months and industry sources are skeptical about even the low growth figures indicated by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) is the apex Industry body representing 46 leading vehicle and vehicular engine manufacturers in India.
Some percentage of parts of all cars made in India is imported. The continued downward slide of the rupee vis-?-vis the US dollar has added to its woes, with the cost of imported components becoming dearer in Indian rupees.
Brands
Buffett bets on The New York Times, cuts Amazon stake
Berkshire invests $352 million in NYT, trims tech, and backs insurance, energy and consumer stocks.
OMAHA: Warren Buffett is famously a creature of habit, but his latest portfolio shake-up suggests even the world’s most patient investor knows when to change the channel. In a move that has sent the media world into a frenzy, Berkshire Hathaway has officially checked into The New York Times while largely checking out of Amazon.
Buffett’s firm snapped up roughly 5.1 million shares in The New York Times Company, a stake valued at a cool $352 million. The Buffett effect was immediate: shares in the publishing giant jumped more than 10 per cent as investors scrambled to follow the leader.
While Buffett offloaded his traditional local newspapers back in 2020, this isn’t a nostalgic trip to the printing press. The New York Times is now a digital powerhouse, fueled by a buffet of subscriptions covering everything from breaking news to Wordle and recipes. It seems the sage of Omaha still has an appetite for businesses with pricing power and a loyal following.
Berkshire slashed its holdings in Amazon by nearly 75 per cent during the final quarter of the year. Once a rare foray into the world of big tech for Buffett, the firm now holds a relatively modest 2.3 million shares. The pruning did not stop there, as other household names also saw a haircut. Apple was reduced to a 1.5 per cent position, while Bank of America was trimmed to 7.1 per cent, signalling a broader pullback from some of its large financial and technology bets.
So, where is the money going? It appears Buffett is heading back to basics, favoring sectors that can weather a storm. Berkshire boosted its positions in Chubb, doubling down on the steady world of insurance; Chevron, fueling up on energy; and Domino’s Pizza, a classic consumer bet that delivers even when the economy doesn’t.
By pivoting toward resilient industries and subscription-heavy media, Berkshire is returning to its roots: finding companies that people simply cannot live without, whether they are hungry for a slice of pepperoni or the morning headlines.
