New Delhi, May 3 (IANS): Actress Dia Mirza was Tuesday named the brand ambassador of Britain-based personal care products retailer The Body Shop. This is the first time the brand has appointed anyone to promote their products in India.The 29-year-old actress looked fresh and resplendent in a flower-print tunic and the minimalistic make-up was in tune with the brand philosophy of looking good naturally.

"I have always said that I will endorse only those brands that I believe in. And The Body Shop is one such brand. I also believe that a brand just doesn't need a face but a voice as well to help in it's aim to meet expectations," said Dia at the event.

"And the way The Body Shops believes in using natural resources to enhance beauty, I also believe in using eco-friendly products. So the synergy is there," she added.

David Smith, Asia Pacific managing director, The Body Shop, feels this is the right time to create awareness about the brand, which is known for it's eco-friendly product range.

"India is one of the fastest growing markets for our group. To reach out to our new customers, we are adapting ourselves in every ethical way. This step will take the brand to the next level," Smith told IANS.

The company, a 100-percent subsidiary of French cosmetics giant L'Oreal, was introduced in India four years back and today they have around 65 stores in 25 cities.

The Body Shop also launched it's fairness range - Moisture White Shiso collection that comes in the price bracket of Rs.1,045 to Rs.2,695

To lure people, The Body Shop slashed prices by 20-30 percent and it helped them to make inroads into tier II and III cities.

"We wanted to make our products affordable and hence we decided to slash the prices to get people in smaller cities use our product line," said Shriti Malhotra, chief operating officer of The Body Shop.

"Now, we are depending on vernacular media to promote the products and also make sure that the city where we are unable to have a store, we retail through departmental chains and shop-in-shop," she added.

Malhotra admitted that social media helps brands directly interact with consumers.

"To be present on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter helps in interacting directly with the consumer and we are not only connected with the people in India, but from all parts of the world. Hence technology has helped a lot in many ways," she said.