Canon ropes in Anushka Sharma; eyes Rs 2,300 crore sales this year

NEW DELHI: Photographic and digital imaging solutions provider Canon India said it has roped in Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma as brand ambassador and will launch a new Rs 30 crore marketing campaign for its compact camera brand PowerShot.

The firm that sells a range of products in India, including photocopiers, fax-machines, printers, scanners, digital cameras, camcorders and multimedia projectors, is also targetting 50 per cent jump in turnover to around Rs 2,300 crore this year.

"With the new ad campaign featuring Anushka, we are addressing the need to refresh our PowerShot range targetting youth," Canon India Senior Vice President Alok Bhaardwaj said.

He said the contract with Sharma, the first ever Bollywood celebrity to be associated with Canon in India, will be for a period of at least two years.

The appointment of Sharma as a brand ambassador is in addition to Canon's existing face -- Sachin Tendulkar.

"We will spend around Rs 30 crore on the new campaign," Bhaardwaj said.

The campaign 'What makes us Click' has been developed by advertising agency Dentsu.

This year the company is launching new models of the PowerShot range with an entry level price tag of Rs 5,995.

Commenting on the sales target for 2012, he said: "In 2012 we are targetting growth of 50 per cent in revenue compared to last year."

In 2011 Canon India registered turnover of Rs 1,525 crore. Of the total revenues, the company's camera business, that includes compact and SLRs models, contributed about 40 per cent.