Kuku FM case study, 7UP & DTDC rebrands, Reliance launches Tira beauty, ITC acquires YogaBar, Google Chrome's Ad of the week

Case Study: How Kuku FM got Indians to pay for non-English audio content

Kuku FM has debunked the widely held belief that Indians do not pay for digital content or apps, closing 2022 with 2.3 million paying subscribers.

Kuku provides audio content like book narrations, book summaries, courses and stories in seven languages, and subscribers are gladly paying for premium access at ?99 a month or ?899 a year. Educational and inspirational content has worked the best, with the Hindi audiobook version of ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad’ getting 40 million times plays.

In this case study, Deepak Gopalakrishnan speaks to Kunal Joshi, Head of Growth and Kunj Sanghvi, Head of Content at Kuku, to understand how the brand achieved this. (6 min read)

Rebrand of the week: 7UP

Rebranding an iconic brand rarely receives an overwhelmingly positive response, but the new identity for 7Up has certainly earned a Thumbs Up from everyone (pun intended). The Pepsico team created the new brand in-house, drawing inspiration from 'the brand's history of creating UPlifting moments'.

Rebrand: DTDC

Speaking of rebrands, logistics company DTDC got a makeover. We love the new logo created by Landor & Fitch that conveys the same idea in a minimalistic, modern style.

Stay tuned for a detailed case study by THC.

Brand Launch: Reliance Tira Beauty

Reliance has entered the beauty retailing arena with the launch of Tira Beauty, an e-commerce platform that will take on Nykaa and Tata Cliq Palette. To top it off, there are rumours that Reliance may acquire the Sephora license from Arvind. (An invite is required to access Tira Beauty.)

Brand acquisitions to keep an eye on

ITC acquires Yoga Bar, in talks with Happa

ITC has acquired SproutLife Foods, makers of the iconic YogaBar with a turnover of Rs. 68 crore in FY2022 for Rs.250 crore. Rumours suggest that ITC is also in talks to acquire baby food brand Happa. These acquisitions will bolster ITC's 'Good for You' offering, which is one of the four strategic pillars of its strategy to help 'India Eat Better.'

Mensa acquires Bon Kids

Brand aggregator Mensa Brands, acquired Bon Kids, a marketplace for licensed kids apparel founded in 2019.

Ad of the week: Google Chrome

We loved this snappy 'There's no place like Chrome' ad, showcasing product features that tackle daily annoyances like remembering passwords and filling in card details, all in just 30 seconds with a background score you can't get out of your head.

That's a wrap for this week. Check your inbox next Thursday for the latest in branding and design.