Nescafe, the coffee brand from Nestle, has roped in Deepika Padukone as brand ambassador. This would be the first such celebrity association for Nescafe in its existence in India.
Antonio Helio Waszyk, Chairman & Managing Director, Nestle India, chose to focus on the need to scale the coffee brand’s presence in India than to divulge the reasons for choosing a brand ambassador at this stage of the brand’s journey. Nevertheless, he said, “Deepika was the right fit for Nescafe as she is young, vibrant and, more importantly, is loved by all – similar are the attributes that define the core of our coffee brand. We hope to have a long-term relation with Deepika for Nescafe.”
Presenting an overview of the coffee business scenario, Waszyk was very optimistic as he said, “If there is any place to be in right now, it is India.” He added, “We are the largest coffee brand in India, but it doesn’t end there. We are looking to scale our growth and create a deeper and wider base for our coffee portfolio and also the other products under Nestle.”
According to Waszyk, though Nescafe as a brand was more powerful than the business itself, the focus now would be to make coffee-drinking a more ‘active’ experience and not just a daily routine. For that, the company would be considerably scaling up its retail presence (coffee outlets/ kiosks) through franchises, launch new coffee vending machines, and would be looking at other ways to engage consumers – especially the youth.
Though the company sources chose not to divulge details on the launch date and revenue aspects of the marketing and communication activities, they are looking at launching the campaign “anytime soon”. The company would be looking to tap all mediums for communication, including outdoor, television, digital, etc.
McCann Erickson would be the creative agency handling the business for Nescafe in India.
