More bang for the ad buck

Ad spend of
 % of sales

2003-042004-052003-042004-05

Hind. Lever

759.09

835.98

7.51

8.42

ITC

265.72

220.53

4.15

2.90

Ranbaxy Lab

182.26

201.72

5.01

5.44

Tata Motors

123.60

172.37

0.96

1.01

Dabur India

154.95

171.79

14.31

14.01

Hero Honda

124.46

147.48

2.13

1.99

Bajaj Auto

129.32

143.87

2.71

2.50

Colgate Palmolive

147.65

136.84

15.74

14.23

Reckitt Benck

102.17

124.41

16.21

16.43

Nestle India

136.12

121.26

6.36

5.44

ICICI Bank

68.68

116.26

0.76

1.24

Reliance Ind

220.64

114.56

0.43

0.17

GlaxoSmith Consumer

97.92

101.45

12.30

11.78

Britannia Ind

114.66

101.09

7.96

6.37

 Hindustan Lever remained the top ad spender, accounting for 13.67 per cent of the total ad spent by sample companies. HLL's advertising expenses rose by 10.13 per cent to Rs 835.98 crore in financial year 2004-05 against Rs 759.09 crore in the previous year.  ITC, the second largest ad spender, cut its ad cost by 17 per cent from Rs 265.72 crore to Rs 220.53 after the government imposed restrictions on advertisements, sale and consumption of tobacco.