SILICONEER | BUSINESS NEWS BRIEFS | JANUARY 2011

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BUSINESS NEWS BRIEFS: January

Metlife Receives High Honors in 2010
OBJECT DESIGN: Multiethnic Marketing
M&As touch $68.3B
TATA: Showcasing Nano

Metlife Receives High Honors in 2010

In 2010, MetLife, a leading provider of insurance and financial services, received multiple awards in recognition of the company’s diversity and environmental initiatives, according a press release from the company. These awards, including honors from Fortune magazine and DiversityInc magazine, demonstrate MetLife’s strong commitment to diversity and inclusion, and contributions to the diverse communities it serves.

In 2010, MetLife ranked among the top companies in various categories, including:

World’s Most Admired Companies – Fortune magazine
Top 50 Companies for Diversity – DiversityInc magazine
Top 50 Out Front Companies for Diversity Leadership – Diversity MBA magazine
Top 60 Diversity Elite – Hispanic Business magazine
Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces – Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
Best Companies for Multicultural Women – Working Mother magazine

“MetLife knows that having a diverse workforce and inclusive environment helps us attract the very best talent and better understand the needs of our customers,” said Kathleen Henkel, executive vice president of human resources for MetLife. “We’re proud to earn these recognitions, which reflect not only our commitment to our employees, but also our long history of serving individuals and businesses from diverse communities around the globe.”

In addition, MetLife was ranked among the top 50 in Newsweek magazine’s environmental rankings of the 500 largest U.S. companies. MetLife was ranked No. 49 overall, the highest ranking life insurer on the list, in part based on its greenhouse gas emissions, water use, environmental policies and green programs and initiatives. Reputational survey results from chief executive officers, corporate social responsibility professionals, academics and other environmental experts also contributed to the overall ranking.

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OBJECT DESIGN: Multiethnic Marketing

Immigrants from countries like Russia and Vietnam and U.S. residents who speak Arabic, Tagalog, Korean, Hindi, Mandarin, Greek, Russian and dozens of other languages will have an increasing presence in the U.S.

According to a recent report from Advertising Age, these “minorities are the new majority.” And they hold some sizeable purse strings when it comes to buying in the United States. Over the past decade alone, growth among the multiethnic consumer pool has translated into billions of dollars in buying power.

Since opening its doors in 1995, Object Design & Communications Inc. — ObjectDC — has been customizing advertising, marketing and public relations campaigns to target ethnic minority groups throughout the United States.

“Each [community] has its own cultural sensitivities, and people want to feel that whoever’s approaching them understands their culture and needs,” said founder and chief executive officer Nawaf Soliman. “It takes a lot of research and a lot of creative strategy to reach out to those specific audiences.”

DIRECTV, a client of six years, reached specific ethnic markets with large-scale PR events targeting South Asian communities in New York and San Francisco. In 2009, the satellite broadcast service was rolling out a new package featuring broadcasts of cricket, a sport that’s extremely popular among Australians, British, South Africans and those from the Indian subcontinent.

The company turned to ObjectDC, which helped them launch this service to South Asian cricket fans through sizzle video (previews that are lengthier than typical trailers) that played on several large outdoor screens in Times Square, while street teams handed out cricket-themed giveaways.

The campaign was a success. Media outlets covered the event, word spread among enthusiastic fans, and subscriptions increased. DIRECTV continues to work with ObjectDC to promote its South Asian packages through various efforts, from grassroots efforts to print and online advertising.

“In the tough times, the worst thing you can do is to reduce budget.” Soliman said. “If you enhance your approach you’ll see results, especially because so many others are reducing.”

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M&As touch $68.3B

Marking a robust year for deal activities, mergers and acquisitions involving Indian companies trebled in 2010, says global consultancy Ernst & Young.

Easy availability of finance as well as better economic prospects saw Indian players involved in as many as 1,267 M&A deals last year.

"For the year 2010, India's M&A deal value has reached a whopping $68.3 billion, having grown three-folds compared to the value recorded in 2009," E&Y said.

India recorded 554 cross border deals worth $54.9 billion — accounting for an 80 percent share of 2010 total deal value. The average deal size last year rose to $120 million -- "an all time high and more than three times compared to the average deal size of last year (2009)."

E&Y 's partner and national director Ranjan Biswas in a statement said that 2010 has been a blockbuster year for Indian M&A deals.

"The country's swift economic recovery, together with growth potential of Indian companies has triggered this deal activity, touching the peak levels of 2007," he added.

Moreover, E&Y noted that 2011 is also poised to be a significant year for Indian M&As and is likely to be dominated by outbound deals.

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TATA: Showcasing Nano

Indian entrepreneurial and innovation expertise will be displayed at “The India Show” in Singapore, which will include a presentation by Tata Technologies on Nano as a role model, the company said.

Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma would also be leading a 80-CEO delegation to “The India Show," to be held Jan. 14-18 at the Suntec Convention Center.

Tata Technologies have brought in Tata Nano LX model, the high end of the all-weather car as part of its exhibits at the Singapore show.

Tata Technologies chief executive officer and managing director Patrick McGoldrick said: "We will be exhibiting 'Indian Innovation' in the form of Tata Nano LX, a top range model.”

Tata Nano forms part of Tata Technologies “Better Innovation,” a road show launched Jan. 14, 2010, at the Detroit Science Center during the week of the North American International Automotive Show in Detroit, Michigan.

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