MxMIndia

Category: ETC

  • The biggest takeaway for delegates would be that if you do what pumps your heart and do it with all the passion, money will follow sooner or later, says Rajesh Kejriwal, Founder CEO, Kyoorius on the takeaways from KDY 2015

    Jaldi 5 with Rajesh Kejriwal: We started work on Designyatra 2016 in June itself

    This interview ought to have appeared on Monday, but understandably Kyoorius Founder CEO was busy winding up, and couldn’t respond to these by deadline. But here we are: a quick Q&A with Rajesh Kejriwal. Read on…

     

    01. What do you think would be the biggest takeaway for delegates from the 10th edition of Kyoorius Designyatra?

    The biggest takeaway for delegates would be that if you do what pumps your heart and do it with all the passion, money will follow sooner or later. What is important is to do works that is disruptive and gives you an immense sense of satisfaction while it helps solve the problem for the client.

     

    02. Do you sometimes think that given the kind of content you have at Designyatra it would possibly be good to call it a conference on creative thinking than just design, which it actually is?

    You are right, it has moved beyond “design” in its simplistic term to creativity to innovation in a more defining manner.

     

    03. We say Ogilvy winning most Blue Elephants at the awards from amongst all entrants, and even overall ad agencies have done better than traditional design shops? Shape of things to come? Could we see design agencies getting alienated?

    I don’t think so, in fact I see it as a booster to design studios to participate more and more. Advertising agencies, by the nature of its business, have more work and more budgets. Secondly designers are normally not so kicked about awards though its slowly seeing a shift. And this shift is happening primarily because Kyoorius Awards are seen to be credible and transparent.

     

    04. So have you started preparations for Designyatra 2016? Any early indicators on what to expect?

    We started work on Designyatra 2016 in June itself. We already have a few speakers confirmed, we are firming up the theme at the moment, we will have frozen the dates in the next two weeks – so yes, preparations are in full swing.

     

    05. Ten years of Designyatra? How are you going to grow the franchise in the design arena (the Dubai and interiors/architectural design events you had once spoken of haven’t happened yet)?

    Melt happened and our other initiatives took a backseat for the moment. As Kyoorius we are very keen to do something in the realm of Space – Architecture, Interior, Furniture, Lighting, etc and we will announce something in 2016. We are now very keen to take Designyatra as a festival beyond India for the simple reason that while we have a large audience wanting to come in from various parts of Asia, we do not have the infrastructure in Goa to make this happen for beyond 1500 people.

     

  • An interview with Priyanka Datta, Cluster Head (FTA channels and Zindagi) at Zee Entertainment for her sentiments post Anmol's amazing rise

    Jaldi 5 with Priyanka Datta: On how focus on the brand ensured Zee Anmol rise to #3 Hindi

    One of the highlights of the new BARC urban-cum-rural ratings is the rise in viewership of all free-to-air (FTA) channels. Particularly noteworthy has been the performance of Zee Anmol which attained the #3 slot, ahead of the network’s flagship Zee TV.  We spoke with Priyanka Datta, Cluster Head (FTA channels and  Zindagi) for her sentiments post Anmol’s amazing rise.

     

    01. Congratulations on the rise of Zee Anmol on the combined urban and rural (U+R) ratings roster as released by BARC earlier today. Would you say this is something you always knew but were looking at some ratification from a ratings agency?

    Thanks for the good wishes.  Zee Anmol has been a leader in the FTA genre for over one year now. It is indeed very heartening to see the rise in the U+R ratings roaster as released by BARC yesterday as well. The channel has truly lived up to its brand promise of “Dil Choo Jaye” and touched the hearts of many.

     

    1a. To what would you attribute the success of Zee Anmol?

    There has been complete focus on this brand and constant on ground initiatives taken, be it for sampling of the brand, engagement or visibility and that has given positive results. Add to it extremely engaging and entertaining programming which largely comprises of some excellent shows Zee TV has produced clubbed with shows from some other channels that we showcase on our channel. Earlier this fiscal, we launched our very first original reality show, Grihani No 1.

     

    02. Other FTAs like Star Utsav and Colors Rishtey have done well in the U+R ratings. Would you say this is a given for the entire genre, considering they are Free to Air and showcase reruns of popular content?

    We would however like to reserve our comment till we see the data of a few more weeks.

     

    03. Now that you have tasted success, will you prop up the channel with more current or even original content or will the mix stay the same?

    At this stage, all I would like to say is that the channel team will continue to focus on the channel as always. There are a lot of things planned, which will be put into action or even newer ways crafted, after we analyse the data of a few more weeks of BARC ratings.

     

    04. Pardon our ignorance, but how is Anmol doing in terms of advertising? Will you now push the channel a lot more with advertisers?

    The channel has a dedicated sales team and has been in the mind space of advertisers since its inception & the BARC ratings only further substantiate that their investments have been right. I am positive that they will continue to patronise and support Zee Anmol.

     

    05. Zee Anmol has crossed the flagship Zee TV. Any sentiments on this, or are we in the media making much about it?

    It is a very encouraging and proud moment for Zee Anmol. Largely, the content that is shown on Zee Anmol is the rich quality shows produced by our Zee TV team and that makes us collective winners.

     

  • A quick chat with Sonia Huria, Head of Corporate Communications and CSR at Viacom18, on her group’s recently launched CSR initiatives

    Jaldi 5 with Sonia Huria: Chakachak Mumbai as an initiative is the anti-thesis of preachy

    By Sonia Huria

     

    The Viacom18 group announced with much contentment a twin CSR drive to bring in hygiene in a section of Mumbai city as well as an attempt to cleanse the mind. We spoke to Sonia Huria, Head – Corporate Communications of the group who is now also heading the Viacom18’s CSR initiative for a quick Q&A

     

    We know it’s mandatory for all corporates to get into CSR, but one thought Viacom18 as an entertainment network would do some more stuff that’s in line with what it’s doing? So getting down to cleaning neighbourhoods?

     We believe that the dream of a Clean India can only be achieved through both on-ground and in-mind campaigning – address the physical availability of cleanliness paraphernalia (toilets, dustbins etc.) and articulate why they need to be used. The thing with our CSR campaign is that it is manifold in both its target audience and communication ethos. While the ground work is currently focused on 4 slum clusters in Andheri East and a pavement stretch near our office premises in Ville Parle, the larger cause is aligned with the national Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. While the primary target audience is the residents of the slums, people like us form the secondary target audience. We have the power and the means to espouse the cause of a clean India. It follows that to address these diverse audiences, the communication too needs to be differentiated.

     

    And the mind?

    Hygiene cannot be viewed in just its physical manifestation. The moment you start thinking clean, you act to be clean.So while Chakachak Mumbai is the mass targeted campaign that cuts across both the audiences, we launched the #GetAngry Project as a social experiment that talks about cleanliness of both your physical and psychological realms.

     

    Essentially we at Viacom18 are great storytellers. And cleaning up India needs a strong storyboard – one that is multilayered and appeals both to the heart and mind. That is what we have chalked out for ourselves.

     

    How come the name ‘Chakachak’ which is kinda flip, and not something more serious like a Swachh Viacom Abhiyaan?

    The nomenclature stems from the philosophy that governs the organization. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is the all-encompassing vision that has been launched by the Government of India. Viacom18 wants to humanise the vision into a relatable story with multiple touchpoints, cutting across socio-cultural divides. Yes it is flip and hence it is the anti-thesis of preachy. We want to act as agent provocateurs bringing in behavioural change in the way we look at cleanliness. To be able to do justice to that role, it is important to build a brand that motivates without being dogmatic.

     

    The Get Angry project is interesting, but it will take a long time to change mindsets. What are the next steps on it?

     We’d purposefully stayed away from drawing conclusions based on our social experiment. The idea was to do it, release it for the connected Indians and let them decide. With more than 2.5 million views on FB, becoming a trending topic on Twitter and rich thought provoking conversations all around, a lot of insights have come in. While the sentiment of encouragement has been the primary takeaway, we would like to build upon this momentum to carry forward the overarching Chakachak Mumbai campaign and its underlying thought of “the road to prosperity lies through cleanliness”.

     

    A personal question: Corporate Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility are very divergent roles. How do you switch gears?

    The beauty of being a communication leader for a brand like Viacom 18 is that you inculcate the varied individual brand ethos into your professional work ethics. Since ours is a centralised unit, I also work closely with various departments within the individual brands– whether it is pushing out a HR initiative, communicating a sales innovation, amplifying product and marketing launches. To authenticate the communication I need to understand the finer nuances of these various functions.

     

    Now consider the fact that, under our CSR initiative, we want to use our storytelling finesse to amplify the behaviour change communication to realize the dream of a Swachh India – both in mind and body! I see more synergies in the different hats I wear, feeding off a centralised ecosystem of learnings from my multiple roles.

     

  • The Advertising Club COO Bipin Pandit is celebrating two decades at the Club and a successful run of 12 editions of his popular show, Khumaar

    Jaldi 5 with Bipin Pandit: 20 years at Ad Club, 12th edition of Khumaar

    It’s been two decades since Bipin Pandit has been at the Advertising Club. As Chief Operating Officer of the apex Ad Club in the country, Pandit has a 24×7 job managing the various affairs of the Club. But that doesn’t hold him back from what’s possibly his first (or second) love: music. On Saturday (Feb 10), he will hold the 12th edition of Khumaar, his ever-so-popular variety entertainment show. Excerpts from an interview with the one-and-only BipinPandit

     

    These last twenty years helming The Advertising Club have also been the most eventful for Indian advertising… what would you say has been your most memorable moment?

    There have been quite a few and in a journey spanning 20 years it has to be that way. The field is exciting. You may do an event for many a years but the person who chairs it changes every one or two years so the approach is different. The dynamics change.

     

    I will surely single out the India Advertising festival in 2001 which had a Abby, Effie, Emvie, Exhibitions, Seminars, Lunches and Dinner Parties all to be accomplished in only three days. It really was tremendously stressful to say the least. The fact that we accomplished it in style was very satisfying. To top it all I had put in only three years at the Ad Club then. It was a colossal effort but still memorable.

     

    How can I not mention Adasia Jaipur, 2003. The Mother of all events. Again being chosen by Pradeep Guha and Ramesh Narayan as Secretariat-In-Charge at that point of time showed the confidence they had in me and my team’s abilities. This event taught me many a things. There were so many varied activities happening at the same time in the course of four days further so many stalwarts and big names were involved. Delegates from different countries were to come. The event had an aggregate of 1200 delegates . Till today it is talked about as the best Adasia and I am happy I was an integral part of it and could contribute.

    What has been extremely satisfying is to read the industry stalwarts expressing their opinion on my 20 years with the Ad Club and the contributions made thereof. They have spoken about the man they have known and his passions. It will feature in a special four-page supplement I am releasing on Saturday, February, 10, 2018 at my Khumaar show. All the 10 Presidents have written a piece not to forget the other Industry bigwigs and people from Abroad. It will always motivate me to do still better. I will be ever so grateful to Pradeep Diwedi that the supplement has seen the light of the day.

    International commendation from Effies New York, Appies Singapore and Adasia  Korea and Singapore is also very satisfying.

     

    Many Presidents, many managing committee members and all with their own ways of working. How has the journey been for you?

    As many an industry stalwart tells me you have a job to do no doubt but managing the high profile managing committee in itself is no less a job. The best part is you have got to be a good listener and you learn a lot by doing so. I do give suggestions and also speak out because that has been my nature but surely in the same vein I hasten to add that your views prevail.

    The good part is they have appreciated most of my suggestions and implemented as well. Actually they all have been very nice and understanding. I have only positive things to say about my overall experience.

     

    These 20 years has also seen the rise and rise of the awards, the emergence of the Effies, the lows with the creative Abby… (your comments)

    As I have always said, in my 20 years be it any award that comes from the Ad Club stable the effort has been to evolve and look forward. Highs and Lows are a part of life and surely you will always be criticised if you work and put in efforts. We value the feedback and inputs of the industry and thus have the town hall concept before coming out with the entry form for every award. Ad Club is a 63-year-old association that is running Abby for 50 years , Effies for 17 years , Emvies for 17 years thus there is longevity which is a barometer of consistency which in turn is a hallmark of doing a good job. The Marquees launched recently also holds lot of promise and will be a property to watch. You will also hear shortly about the many a changes brought about at Abbys to be held at Goafest 2018.

     

    I know it’s an unfair question to ask you: but what would you say have been the significant trends in advertising that you have found very noteworthy? 

    The movement of big creative stalwarts from very big agencies to start their own Independent outfits is on a tremendous rise. Gone are the days when you found a big name being a part of one agency for a long time. As a result of this happening you also see that the awardwinning work has started to flow from these new outfits besides of course the major agencies who continue to do well.

     

    This year marks the 12th edition of Khumaar. With a hectic (and often stressful) dayjob at the Ad Club, how do you manage to find the time to practise and come up with new things in every show?

    This is one question that is often asked to me and let me confess very honestly: yes, it is hectic and surely stressful. Imagine deciding upon the date of the show, booking the auditorium, lining up sponsors, selecting singers and musicians, putting a song list, getting creative in places, publicity, backdrops, promotional material, inviting celebrities, VIPs and not to forget selling of tickets it is a one-man-show at Khumaar. It truly gets tiring and what people forget is I am a performer who has to be the anchor, mimicry artist a shayar and a ready reckner of all the anecdotes and interesting nuggets. But I conclude it is labour of love, passion, madness. And to reveal the truth: I have two wives: One is Nandini and the Other is Khumaar

     

     

  • A quick interview with the Sanmarg boss on life in and post the pandemic

    Jaldi 5 with Vivek Gupta, MD & Ed-in-Chief, Sanmarg: Being small helped to be fleet-footed and be experimental

    Vivek Gupta
    Vivek Gupta

    Vivek Gupta is Editor-in-Chief and Managing Director of Sanmarg, a 90-year-old Hindi newspaper which started in Kolkata and has now spread itself to many parts of the East. The paper is a leader amongst the affluent Marwari community and the Hindi-reading MSMEs of the region. Gupta has been involved with Sanmarg right from the age of 17 and is a hands-on promoter who keeps a sharp eye on all aspects of the newspaper on an ongoing basis. We revive our series of short ‘Jaldi 5’ interviews with industry leaders with Gupta, who would decidedly count among the more erudite media owners in the country

     

    Q01. We know you are a key member of the ruling dispensation in West Bengal, so may not like the usage of the phrase, but would you say that the ‘Achche Din’ are back in newspaper publishing?

    We live in a hyper-competitive world, where in a sector good and bad results are dependent on the response of the players. I have encouraged and tried convincing my entire team that it is the action which changes the thing. Today, I can say with pride that this ACT (Action Changes Things) thinking has kept us, as Davids, alive and kicking while a lot of Goliaths are complaining. Pundits have always predicted doom for the newspaper business in the face of rising popularity of digital. To answer your question in your own language, we managed to hold on to our ‘achche din’ however the definition of ‘achche din’ are now very different from the past.

     

    Q02. As you look back at the pandemic and the two waves of the virus attack, would you say that the dice was severely loaded against small publishers like yourself?

    Absolutely. We were born about 90 year back as a community newspaper in an alien land. It was essentially for the migrant Marwari merchants. Kolkata, being the cultural capital of India, was (and will continue to be) a land of English and Bengali language publishing. Without realising, we became a force to reckon with in spite of being in a third language. We never wanted to go out of Kolkata and Bengal so remained small yet happy serving the needs of this community which practically are the largest contributors of the state’s commerce. Right from the onset of the pandemic we knew that ‘burre din’ is round the corner and it is our size which helped us make changes fast. Yes, there were financial implications but we punted against all odds and today it gives me immense pleasure to see that the silver line is much closer that it would have been if we didn’t ACT (pun intended).

     

    Q03. One of the key cost centres of the media business has been staff salaries, though not as much with the non-English media. We’ve heard that you also retrenched a fair number of people in the pandemic. Talk us through the various steps you took to keep costs under check?

    Being small helped to be fleet-footed and be experimental. We embraced the concept of productivity and technology. Instead of retrenching people we re-structured the organisation around productivity. Technology helped a lot but it was mindset of people which saw us reducing unnecessary costs without giving up the product quality

     

    What also helped us is the understanding that for newspaper advertisers, newspapers became a must. As we are practically the only newspaper for the affluent (with significantly higher purchasing power than the other people of the state) Hindi reading population of the state, which the advertisers also knows very well. We had faith in our readers and knew they will never desert us. While we rationalised expenses on one hand, we invested in alternate distribution system and retained our cover price and advertising rates on the other hand.

     

    We also capitalised on certain opportunities. Firstly, our Sunday circulation has always been twice that of week days at a cover price of Rs 7 (which probably is as high as a morning newspaper price in India). Add to that the fact that people spent much more time at home. Which helped us drive the weekday circulation. Besides, our language competitors from neighbouring states discontinued local operations which helped us convert a lot of competition readers. Not being from this state they depended heavily on national news while for us the state always remained the main focus. We also saw a lot of circulation increase in rest of the state (other than Kolkata)

     

    Q03a. There is a charge that media companies which have been profitable for years should have absorbed the losses and not passed on the (negative) effect to employees. Your view?

    We have always believed in that. We motivated people for multi tasking and reskilling. Yes a few could not reinvent themselves who eventually moved on

     

    Q04. We saw many large-sized display ads and jackets in Sanmarg, around the Durga Puja and Diwali seasons. While the volumes are there, has the value gotten back to 2019 levels? Or are you still discounting?

    We never believed in mindless discounting. We always knew that advertisers for whom we matter they will especially during festival time as that is also the buying time. Here also we had the understanding that the amount of cash available for consumers, mainly our consumers have increased multi-fold during last 18 odd months. We got the rates that we deserve

     

    Q05. What was the biggest lesson that you as a media-owner learnt from the pandemic?

    In one word, faith that it is the action which changes things. We reimagined the market place in deep details and reengineered our operations accordingly.

     

     

  • A quick five-question interview with Priya Mukherjee, Group President- Network Development

    Jaldi 5 with Priya Mukherjee: What’s the secret sauce of a news channel being #1?

    In May 2022, India TV announced the appointment of Priya Mukherjee as Group President- Network Development. Mukherjee had just a year before that been with the Republic Media Network where she was part of the founding team and got the channel to the #1 status. And now in the last few weeks, India TV has been on top of the ratings roster from amongst Hindi news channels.

     

    We posed questions to Priya Mukherjee in a new season of our Jaldi 5 interviews. Here goes

     

    Priya Mukherjee
    Priya Mukherjee

    The Lady with the Midas Touch, we would say! India TV @ 1!

    How much ever one would like to think that J,  we all know its not true.  It is never about one person, it’s always about the team, led from the front by the vision of our beloved Chairman and MD. It involves dedication and toil of our ever-growing team of professionals, who work – tirelessly, in a coordinated effort at the back-end.  In a short period, India TV has created benchmarks in innovation, impact, ratings, viewer engagement and viewer-support.

     

    In today’s rampant me-too-ism, India TV is, perhaps, the only Hindi news channel that is perceived as “courageous” and “different.” The channel’s No.1 position is no accident. It is the result of Rituji and Rajatji leading the way on the lonely path of “credibility first.” It is the result of their efforts where the viewer’s interest has been paramount.

     

    But the gap between #1 and #2 is precariously narrow, as is the case with top 4/5. What measures are you taking to ensure India TV maintains the lead?

    We work extensively on the ground, to bridge the gaps in our distribution. The basics of distribution need to be followed always- 100% AVAILABILITY & VISIBILITY. We follow the strategy of “Hold”, “Increase” and “Add” to continuously maintain and grow our reach. We are keeping a razor-like focus and holding our urban reach and improving our rural reach. This growth in reach along with high stickiness in turn helps achieve marketshare.

     

    On a lighter note, it is also amusing to see some Hindi News channels self-proclaiming to  being No1 – All India- when the real benchmark for any Hindi channel as we know is Hindi Speaking Markets!

     

    Its not that India TV hasn’t been on top, but in the last few years, there have been some tectonic changes in the distribution space. Give us the ingredients of your secret sauce that helped you achieve this?

    The channel always kept the viewer at the fore front of everything it did, which is evident from the high viewer engagement through time spent, we always garnered. And has been a consistent No 2. We are very aware of the pulse of our viewers , who have been supporting us over the years.

     

    What works for us other than this is how we work and use data to make continuous on ground distribution changes in our core markets. My team works on creating long-term partnerships with the affiliate networks, who have helped us grow our organic reach and that  gives a huge boost to the channel achieving no 1 Market share. We have always been doing well in Urban markets and now are focusing on bridging the gaps in the Rural markets.

     

    Good distribution is built on four pillars: Data, Information, Relationship and Speed.

     

    It’s said (rightly or wrongly) that viewership data of channels is based more on dynamics like landing page, extra promotion in certain geographies and do whatever it takes to get high numbers. Is this perception correct? Please do tell what’s the situation in reality?  And what’s your view on landing pages?

    To each its own. It is a promotional tool for broadcasters and a revenue stream for platforms. Promotional tools are a part and parcel of any distribution set-up –  be it FMCG or media. The organisation’s objectives, financials and requirements define what strategy is to be adopted. Ultimately, it is for the honourable regulatory authorities to debate and decide on its merits and demerits. India TV, has always taken a long-term view, of how we approach our distribution strategy. Our clear focus is on organic reach growth and strengthening our core viewer base with the support of our Affiliate cable and DTH Networks.

     

    One last Question: According to you, what contributes to the ratings of success of a channel: Content or Pushing Reach?   

    It’s always a combination of couple of things done right.  We take a long-term view of things and strive at creating a potent balance of quality content and enhanced reach. This coupled by the data inputs provided by research, helps us in making smart and calculated choices, which has worked in our favor on content, bridging the reach gap and hence the success of the channel.

     

  • Last month, Narayana Health, one of the leading network of healthcare facilities in the country, refreshed its brand identity with much fanfare. A quick, five-question interview with Dr Ashish Bajaj, CMO of the healthcare giant

    Jaldi 5 with Dr Ashish Bajaj, CMO, Narayana Health: Compassion, innovation & integrity are values we stand for

    Last month, Narayana Health, one of the leading network of healthcare facilities in the country, refreshed its brand identity with much fanfare. In an emailed interaction, Dr Ashish Bajaj, Chief Marketing Officer at Narayana Health responded to questions from MxMIndia.

     

    1. What is the role of branding and marketing for a leading hospital (brand) like Narayana Health?

    Overall, branding and marketing are essential tools for a leading hospital like ours to connect with the community, attract patients, and establish ourselves as a trusted healthcare provider. These efforts are aligned with the hospital’s mission, vision, values, and commitment to patient care.

    • A hospital’s brand is closely tied to its reputation. Consistent branding that emphasises quality of care, patient safety and positive outcomes helps build continued trust & loyalty amongst our patient base

    • To create a distinct identity by highlighting our unique services, technology, patient-first approach etc.

    • Engaging with the local community is essential. We regularly organise health fairs, wellness programmes, and educational seminars to demonstrate our commitment to community health. This not only benefits the community but also strengthens our brand as a trusted healthcare partner.

    • In today’s digital age, a strong online presence is vital. This includes a user-friendly website, active social media profiles, and online advertising. Patients often research healthcare options online, and it’s important for us to have an online presence which can shape their perceptions.

    • Content marketing to position us as a trusted source of healthcare information.

    • Positive feedback via patient testimonials and reviews serves as a powerful marketing tool for us, as it provides social proof of the hospital’s quality of care.

    • Consistency across all online and offline communications helps reinforce our brand identity and messaging.

     

    2. What prompted to NH to undertake a brand refresh?

    As a group, it is our mission to put the needs and emotions our patients first by offering the highest quality of healthcare. Our new logo is symbolic of our renewed vision, mission and core values.

    Via this exercise, we shall standardise all healthcare verticals of Narayana Group with One Name, One Heart and One Mission. ‘Narayana’ will serve as the universal nomenclature, ensuring consistent messaging across all healthcare verticals. Clinics will be called Narayana Clinic, Labs to be named Narayana Lab and similarly pharmacies to be called Narayana Pharma. All hospital units across the country will adopt the standardized name Narayana Health

    As a brand which is constantly evolving and has ambitious plans to enter into new healthcare verticals, the identity change comes at a pivotal juncture in our journey. It encompasses more than just a logo alteration; it harmonises with our future vision of delivering integrated care wherein we take full responsibility for every aspect of our patients’ healthcare needs right from prevention to treatment.

     

    3. Can you talk us through specifics on the new brand identity vis-a-vis the earlier one?

    The new logo incorporates three beating hearts seamlessly and reinforces ‘healthcare with a heart’ into the Group’s visual identity. It reinforces Narayana Health’s commitment to serve people whole-heartedly and provide healthcare with empathy and compassion. The fresh brand logo, with updated fonts and a colour palette of red and blue, symbolises Narayana Health’s foundation as a cardiac care provider while looking ahead to newer horizons. The three beating hearts represent Compassion, Innovation and Integrity, basically the values which we stand for.

     

    3. Most marketing activities are planned to achieve certain objectives. What are your targets? (As in what would you expect the initiatives to achieve?)

    Via this brand transformation exercise, we are standardising all healthcare verticals of the Group under a single name, a shared mission and a common purpose. A cohesive brand identity across all healthcare verticals will help in better brand recall and Top-of-Mind Awareness.

    This exercise also marks a pivotal moment in our journey as we endeavour to redefine our brand identity and embody a genuine dedication to our patients and their well-being. By aligning our brand with a customer-first approach, we aim to instil trust, empathy, and reliability within our patients. Our goal is to make them feel seen, heard, and valued. From the moment they engage with our brand to the point of their healthcare experience, we want them to know that we are here for them, providing exceptional care and support every step of the way.

    Through this transformation, we will leverage cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions to enhance accessibility, convenience, and the overall patient experience. We will actively engage with our customers to gather feedback, understand their preferences, and tailor our services accordingly.

     

    4. NH reaches out to all strata of society and all linguistic groups. Is there anything specific that you are undertaking to reach out to all groups, and ensure you don’t alienate any? (as in people shouldn’t feel that you are a pricey, ‘hi fi’ hospital)

    We are optimistic about getting approvals from IRDAI for our entry into healthcare insurance business. Via this move, we aim to bridge the gap between healthcare service and insurance, bringing more comprehensive and integrated solutions to patients and healthcare customers. Our idea for health insurance is one that combines huge amount of healthcare services on one end as well as providing a bundled plan that covers comprehensive healthcare. We call it as Integrated Care which includes outpatient services, screening, check-ups as well as surgery that one may require. We are also investing in services closer to patient homes like Narayana Clinics.