Category: MARKETING

  • Himalaya Smiles of India captures stories of hope and joy

    By A Correspondent

     

    Himalaya Sparking White Toothpaste recently concluded the campaign ‘Celebrating Life’, a unique photographic journey that was launched last year with street photographer and travel enthusiast Siddhartha Joshi. The campaign aimed to capture the stories of hope and joy spread across India and is part of a ‘spread a smile’ drive called Smiles of India. Himalaya conceptualised the Smiles of India initiative to spread happiness and positivity by capturing extraordinary stories of hope and resilience on a single platform.

     

    As part of this initiative, ‘Celebrating life’ was launched in December last year, wherein Siddhartha travelled to 10 cities viz Pune, Bhubaneshwar, Jaipur, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Varanasi, Ranchi and Guwahati. Within each city, Siddhartha met with people who defined the culture and tradition of that city and were working to keep it alive for the future generations. Their fascinating stories coupled with their passion to embrace life each day with renewed vigour and enthusiasm formed the crux of the campaign.

     

    Explaining the idea behind the campaign, Sushil Goswami – Category Manager – Oral Care, The Himalaya Drug Company said “Amidst the stress and anxiety that we are exposed to everyday, we felt it was crucial to bring alive the stories of hope and positivity that existed in different parts of India and give people a reason to smile and hope for a brighter future. As a brand, it is our mission to spread smiles and make people happy, both through our product offerings and through initiatives like Smiles of India”.

     

    Starting his photographic journey with Pune, Siddhartha focused on capturing the “Katta Culture’’ that is synonymous with the youth of the city. Katta as we know refers to the hangout locations or hot spots where young minds converge, conversations flow and social and political issues are openly discussed. Siddhartha then travelled to Mumbai to capture the New Year resolutions of the street hawkers who exemplified resilience and determination to make the most of what you have and to never stop dreaming.

     

    The next destination was Lucknow where Siddhartha captured how the youth is playing a crucial role in reviving the traditional and delicate art of Chikankari. Ranchi or aptly termed ‘The Dhoni City’ revealed how Dhoni’s success has spawned an entire city of youngsters determined to make it big in cricket. After traveling to Bhubaneshwar, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Varanasi and Jaipur, the campaign culminated in Guwahati amidst the beautiful Bihu dancers. The photographs along with the stories were captured on the Smiles of India microsite.

     

    Reflecting on his journey, Siddhartha Joshi, Himalaya’s Photography Ambassador for this campaign said, “I am thrilled that Himalaya gave me the opportunity to capture the moments of aspirations, hopes, accomplishments and an enduring love for the country that exists within this country. I was amazed to witness the enthusiasm and earnest efforts of the youth in keeping the tradition and culture of the city alive. Their passion and joie de vivre is infectious, and their stories have been etched in my mind forever”.

     

  • Gera Developments unveils its new brand positioning in latest campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    As a part of its extensive brand campaign, Gera has unveiled its new positioning – ‘Outdo’, to the external stakeholders by way of a brand film. It showcases how the brand has always believed in outdoing itself to achieve greater heights and raise the standards for themselves and the stakeholders.

     

    This story is in the form of a 50 second brand film that draws parallel with some of the famous outdoers of the world. It shows examples of how through the course of history certain individuals believed in not being content with the status-quo. The film illustrates the brand’s philosophy through the ‘Outdo’ series by showcasing how these individuals have pushed the existing boundaries and by out-doing have changed the world for better. The film talks about how Gera’s belief in out-doing, thereby breaking conventional brick and mortar campaigns usually showcased by real estate companies. The 30 second TV commercial will go on air during this week.

     

    Highlighting the essence of the TV commercial, Rohit Gera, Managing Director, Gera Developments said, “A year ago, brand Gera embarked upon a journey to bring about a cultural transformation within the organization and also amongst all its stakeholders. This would also reflect the brand’s core purpose and enable the brand to drive itself into newer uncharted territories and we chose the word ‘Outdo’ as the distillation of our entire brand philosophy. We wanted to communicate to our customers about our Outdo journey through service, product quality and brand offerings, and this film encapsulates this very well. We worked with the strategic planning team of Paradigm Plus who highlighted the brand’s DNA and the core values which are driving the organization for more than 5 decades in this exceptionally well made and unique film.”

     

    Gera has chosen an unconventional route of narrating this story through this film which also lends itself to a 360 degree campaign panning across TV, multiplexes, social media, print, electronic and outdoor mediums. The story is told in a visually rich treatment that uses various paper craft techniques and merges it with stop-motion filmmaking. The whole film takes place on a drawing table, where most of the world-changing ideas begin. The drawing board is used as a metaphor to the company’s core business of real estate development. The film graphically depicts stories of how the Wright brothers invented the very first flying machine and how Thomas Alva Edison came up with the bright idea of a light bulb, the stop motion takes us through a flipbook journey of the telephone from its first form to the new age smart phone that not only allows you to talk but also see your loved ones from long distance. Just like all of these, Gera has challenged the status quo of the real estate industry with unique offerings like the 5 year warranty on construction since 12 years. The re-measurement clause in their customer agreements and a week-long free-look period after booking simply inspires confidence amongst the customers. Even their mobile CRM app – GeraWorld has given customers a smarter, easier and faster way to connect with the company. Their community-creation initiatives have built bonds that last a lifetime, weaving thousands of content customers into one beautiful family.

     

    With the Outdo campaign, Gera Developments now aims to inspire all its stakeholders to participate in this cultural transformation to achieve greater heights. The campaign engages the customer, showcasing the brand’s philosophy by using the hashtag #DareToOutdo through series of print and social media campaigns on all platforms.

     

    Commenting on the concept of the Outdo campaign, Rajat Sarkar, Founder, Paradigm Plus said, “Raising standards of business has always been intrinsic to brand Gera. Since Gera embarked upon a journey for their brand, thus the new positioning was derived called – Outdo.

     

  • Majority of affluent middle class customers rely on banking and finance apps

    By A Correspondent

     

    Meeting expectations of the affluent middle class customers in India, in terms of digital experiences, is a very important ingredient of engagement for Financial Service brands to stay competitive, research released by Collison Group has revealed. It found that 93 percent of affluent middle class customers use banking and finance apps – up from 85 percent in 2014. It also revealed that 53 percent of customers prefer to do their banking online or via mobile app, while 27 percent prefer to go into a branch and 20 percent prefer telephone banking.

     

    Collinson Group polled 6,125 of the top 10-15 percent of earners from Australia, Brazil, China, France, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and the United Arab Emirates.

     

    Collinson Group recommends that financial services brands must act now to upgrade their loyalty infrastructure as the spending power of Millennials and Generation Z is set to soar in the next five years. Millennials are pushing companies to innovate faster and are defining new customer expectations. Born in the age of instant communication, smart technology, and a hyper-connected world, these young consumers are influencing digital transformation.

     

    “Digital will be the biggest battleground in financial services as digitally native Millennials and Generation Z become more lucrative target audiences for the sector. We can expect to see digital engagement continue to soar over the next three to five years. Brands need to act now in order to improve their digital offering, or risk missing the opportunity to build loyal relationships with lucrative audience segments,” said Anurag Saxena, India country manager, ICLP, owned by Collinson Group.

     

    The financial services opportunity

    “The way people shop and the way they interact with loyalty programmes has changed. Millennials and Generation Z for example, typically engaging across five screens simultaneously. Their relationship with brands is also completely different to other audience groups – they want instant gratification and claim not to want to save up loyalty points over a longer period to access a reward.”

     

    “But the traditional financial services firms actually have a clear opportunity to deliver highly engaging, digitally driven loyalty initiatives due to the wealth of data they collect. They need to go further in terms of using this data to improve targeting and segmentation to appeal to distinct audience groups. Banks really need to develop their own loyalty identities,” said Anurag Saxena, India country manager, ICLP, owned by Collinson Group.

     

    Recent research from the firm found that loyalty programme membership in the financial services sector had declined by 44 percent globally in the past two years. This decline was driven by brands not providing rewards programmes that customers value, and not engaging customers in their preferred channels. This research also found that brands getting it right are reaping the benefits –globally, banking loyalty programmes were found to encourage 82 percent of members to spend more, while credit card initiatives positively influenced 79 percent.

     

    “Digital loyalty initiatives can be far more cost effective than more traditional methods. By levering data and delivering highly personalised loyalty rewards at the appropriate time, brands can form emotional connections with customers and create additional sales opportunities across their organisation. Embracing digital tools will allow brands to communicate and engage their customers in more meaningful ways, and digital applications can be used to drive bank wide loyalty. Doing this will help create active digital footprints and take the next step beyond loyalty to fully fledged brand advocacy,” Saxena concluded.

     

  • There’s lots to be explored on Cleartrip Local, says latest brand film by Mullen Lintas Bangalore

    By A Correspondent

     

    Cleartrip, which was one of the first portals to ease travel plans by offering a clean, simple, and fast solution for booking flights, hotels, and allied services, has now taken on the challenge of making the lives of its customers more fun within cities throughout India. Its latest offering Cleartrip Local, is known to offer more than 20,000 things to do in 50+ cities ranging from activities, fitness, to eating out and events, all under one roof.

     

    To educate the consumers about its new offering, Cleartrip has launched a new brand film that delves on the key brand proposition of offering various services under a single roof. Developed by Mullen Lintas Bangalore, the film revolves around the insight that most consumers today are genuinely at a loss to find something fun to do. Besides the mundane pastimes of movies and malls, there were not many activities that they were aware of taking place in their vicinity. The biggest hook, therefore, for the communication was the discovery of the product itself. The film thought thus has been kept highly colloquial, which has the ability to enter regular conversations of people and fit into their world rather effortlessly.

     

    Commenting on the launch of the new brand film, Subramanya Sharma, CMO Cleartrip Pvt. Ltd. said: “Cleartrip Local is about catering to the ‘here & now’. Mullen Lintas and us brainstormed about the local moments of truth which included the fear of missing out, illusion of ’same old, same old’ in the city and the illusion of complete knowledge around what’s happening around you. And this one line resonated with a lot of us – ‘You are a stranger in your own city’ and out came the central idea for the campaign – ‘What’s happening, lots happening’. Also, while the core idea was nailed, we were worried on the execution as most ideas falter at this stage. But Shriram Iyer and team meticulously planned the details so much that the film came out exactly the way it was visualised in the storyboard. Creativity with perfect execution – we couldn’t ask for more.”

     

    The film begins the protagonist going on with his everyday life but is confronted with people around him pursuing their passions. Whether it is go-karting, kayaking, pot-making, yoga or even dining out at a venue of choice, people are shown doing what they love doing best when they are free. The protagonist is bemused on all these activities taking place around him and wonders what’s really transpiring. The voiceover then summarizes by saying that on Cleartrip Local app, there’s lots happening!

     

    Sharing his views on the film idea & execution, Shriram Iyer, NCD – Mullen Lintas said: “The product is so one-of-a-kind that it pretty much wrote the line ‘what’s happening, lots happening’ itself. Use the app and you’ll know it, there’s seriously some crazy amount of things to do in your own city. Our task then was to crack a device to tell this in an engaging manner. And we tried doing that by literally bringing this alive by showcasing crazy activities in an impossible environment. And the Gujarati rap simply tied it all up in a nice, quirky bow.”

     

    The film has already gone live and will air on popular online & offline channels in the coming weeks.

     

  • MRSS inks market research contract with CureFit

    By A Correspondent

     

    MRSS India Ltd. has been selected by CureFit Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. as its research partner for its strategic market research requirements. CureFit is a healthcare and fitness start-up launched by former Flipkart executives Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori. The company has recently raised $15 million through Series A funding.

     

    The research by MRSS India would aim to help CureFit fine-tune their business concept while also providing detailed insights to aid in the business launch, scheduled for 2017, through multiple research surveys involving consumers and various healthcare sector professionals. The contract will be year-long with research covering markets across India, and would mark the first in a series of contracts expected to be signed with the company.

     

    Raj Sharma

    Speaking about the recent partnership, Raj Sharma, Chairman, MRSS India said, “Healthcare is a buzzing and promising sector for start-ups right now and we are delighted to partner with CureFit. This project has given MRSS India an opportunity to work with 2 very renowned and seasoned entrepreneurs and be a part of their exciting journey right from inception.”

     

  • Lenovo’s #GoNew campaign urges young professionals to do more

    By A Correspondent

     

    Lenovo has launched its latest TVC featuring its convertible PC brand YOGA. The campaign, themed #gonew, features a TV commercial and one long form digital video. With this campaign, Lenovo celebrates these forward looking individuals who are always progressing, unstoppable in their conviction and ambition to forge their own path and to bring about positive change in the world they inhabit. Their attitude resonates with Lenovo brand that challenged the conventional laptop design and conceptualized the convertible category with its YOGA range.

     

    The digital film titled #newprofessional opens with a young professional spending time with special children in school. The video showcases the attitude of new generation of Indians who put as much focus on passion and doing good, while balancing the tight rope of demanding careers. It also interestingly weaves in YOGA 900 which becomes the kids’ new toy as the man shows them all the ways in which the YOGA900 is more than just a laptop. The TVC titled #newfresher opens with a very stylish man about town entering a college. The sleek, stylish and flexible YOGA 900 he is carrying with him accentuates his style quotient and he quickly grabs everyone’s attention. As he enters the classroom, students automatically assume he is a fresher. The commercial ends with the young man revealing himself as the new professor. The videos have got 1.6Mn views on social & digital media alone.

     

    Bhaskar Choudhuri, Director Marketing, Lenovo India, said, “We believe this new generation of Indians, while constantly questioning status quo, are clear and determined about their purpose and intent. The Lenovo brand resonates with this progressive mindset. We aim to create a deeper connect with these individuals by ensuring that our new campaign acknowledges their life choices.”

     

  • Skinn by Titan unveils India’s first all-French ad

    By A Correspondent

     

    Skinn by Titan, a range of exquisite French fragrances, has aired an all-French ad film. Highlighting the French origin of Skinns’s range of perfumes, the film was initially aired without subtitles, thus creating intrigue and emphasising the French connect.

     

    The TVC showcases the playful and flirtatious banter between a man and woman at a fragrance store. While the attire and the background score are French inspired; the voiceover is what unfalteringly delivers the #BornFrench message. There are many things to love about the French, but the elegance and charm with which they flirt is perhaps the most coveted of all, which is rightly captured in the ad film.

     

    Kalpana Rangamani, Business Head – Fragrances, Titan, said, “With Skinn, we aim at making fine French fragrances accessible to men and women with our sweet price point. We have seen that perfumery as a category is well accepted among the young, contemporary and well-travelled audience. By showcasing a witty and flirtatious conversation in the ad film, we are appealing to a category of modern consumers who are confident in their own skin and celebrate the nuances of life. The film establishes the French connect of Skinn fragrances which are crafted by master perfumers and bottled in France, which is a testament to the products’ quality.”

     

    Sharing his thoughts on the ad film, Azaz Haque, Executive Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather, said, “This being Skinn’s second major TV campaign, we were keen to break clutter and get noticed by the consumer in this loud market. With this ad film in all French, we believe the brand will evoke the desired intrigue at launch, which will then be followed by a version with English subtitles on TV and online. It is a very bold and gutsy move by the brand to launch an ad film in a foreign language – a decision we are thrilled and excited about.”

     

    Skinn’s range of Eau de Parfums is crafted by award-winning master perfumers, using the best quality ingredients and bottled in France. The fragrances are available in 1350 outlets in the country – across World of Titan, multi-brand lifestyle and accessories stores, online partners and authorized dealers.

     

  • Soho Square hitches a ride with Piaggio again

    By A Correspondent

     

    Soho Square has been handed the creative duties of Piaggio brands, Aprilia and Vespa, after a hard-fought pitch involving multiple agencies, over several rounds. This comes on the back of recently-acquired Nicotex – Cipla’s brand of smoking cessation gum.

     

    Piaggio though, isn’t entirely new to Soho Square. The agency earlier re-launched Vespa in India. However, due to a global re-alignment the account had to be moved. This time though, the Piaggio India team was specifically looking for a local agency with a deep understanding of Indian markets.

     

    Although the pitch was only for the Aprilia account, the Piaggio management eventually decided to award the entire two wheeler business, including Vespa, to Soho Square.

     

    Ashish Yakhmi
    Samrat Bedi

    Ashish Yakhmi – Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd’s (VP and Head – Marketing): After several meetings with multiple agencies, we realised that not only is Soho Square the best fit for our brands, but that they also have the necessary skill-sets to achieve our strategic objectives in India.

     

    Samrat Bedi, Head of Office, Soho Square, Mumbai: This is a homecoming of sorts… We were well and truly disappointed when Vespa moved out two years ago. More than the fact that this is a big win, we are elated to have Piaggio back in the fold.

     

    Shashank Lanjekar

    Shashank Lanjekar, Senior VP – Strategic Planning, Soho Square, Mumbai: Vespa is a strong global brand. In India too, it has had quite a long heritage. Aprilia on the other hand is relatively unknown, although it is very famous globally. Our challenges will be to capitalise on the strengths of either and carve a clear niche for ourselves… I am glad that Piaggio has placed their trust in us.

     

     

     

  • Lenovo hands over digital mandate to Performics

    By A Correspondent

     

    Computer maker Lenovo India has assigned its full range of digital media duties to Performics. Lenovo has the distinction of being the largest personal computer (PC) manufacturer in the world serving customers in more than 160 countries. The brand has re-invented and invigorated the personal computer category and has changed the way consumers perceive computing devices.  In the past decade, the company has transformed exponentially from a pure play PC brand to a global leader offering a diverse range of innovative consumer, commercial, and enterprise technology products.

     

    Mayoori Kango

    Mayoori Kango, Managing Director, Performics. Resultrix says, “We are pleased to partner with a highly reputed technology firm such as Lenovo. Performance marketing can help bridge the gap between offline and online sales. We will tailor for them the right mix of content, communication, media channels and audience insights. Conversion rate optimization is a trademark process of Performics globally and we will leverage our strength in this area. We will amplify the Lenovo brand across platforms.”

     

     

    Bhaskar Choudhuri

    Bhaskar Choudhuri, Director Marketing, Lenovo India says “We are a customer-centric technology brand and were on the lookout for a partner to enhance our performance marketing practice and keep us ahead of the digital curve. We believe that this is critical today to engage potential customers who buy online or research online but purchase offline. Performics has great credentials and provides cutting edge solutions in media analytics, media technology and programmatic buying, which further cemented our decision to form this partnership.”

     

  • Indian Oil gets ‘Babaji’ to endorse new product attributes

    By A Correspondent

     

    Diesel engine oils constitute an important segment of Indian Oil’s lubricant portfolio. SERVO Pride XL Plus, the advanced diesel engine oil caters to various segments in this category – such as light commercial vehicles and heavy commercial vehicles.

     

    Vehicles these days are designed to be more powerful, which naturally puts a lot of load on the engine oils being used. Drivers and owners would prefer oils that give enhanced fuel economy and longer drain intervals to bring down their operating costs. They would also prefer oils that prevent soot build-up and reduce wear & tear, bringing down the maintenance costs, so as to keep the engines as healthy as possible.

     

    The campaign conceptualized by GREY group India primarily caters to fleet/truck owners. A smooth-running fleet means their customers are assured of timely delivery of goods which attracts more business. The need was to position Servo Pride XL Plus as a reliable ally that ensures their trucks and operations run uninterrupted, every day.

     

    The main protagonist in the campaign is ‘Babaji’, a wise man who understands the problems faced by fleet/truck owners and their families. Maintenance of these trucks comes at a cost, which is eventually borne by the family. That’s because maintaining these trucks takes up a lot of time and attention, leaving truck/fleet owners little time to deal with their personal issues.

     

    In the TVC, ‘Babaji’ recommends Servo Pride XL Plus as a solution to all their problems.

     

    Indrajit Bose

    Indrajit Bose, Executive Director I/C (Corporate Communications & Branding), Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, said, “We wanted to position Servo Pride XL Plus as a reliable partner that ensures fleet operations run smooth. Communicating this broad yet unique thought was a little challenge as it had never been done in this category. However, the scripts presented to us by GREY made us chuckle and instantly helped us gain confidence in this thought. Furthermore, the TVC artistically directed by Nirvana Films took the films to a different level and will enable us to effectively connect with our diversified consumers across the country.”

     

     

    Vineet Singh

    Vineet Singh, Senior Vice President and Office Head, GREY group India (Mumbai) said, “Fleet/truck owners are always under stress when their trucks are on the move, and this stress is invariably passed on to their families in one way or the other. The communications attempts to address the root cause of all these problems in a light-hearted manner.”

  • ASCI dismisses complaint against Emami Hair oil

    By A Correspondent

     

    In an encouraging move to both consumers and brands, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has affirmed the soundness of the claims of “Emami 7 Oils in One Damage Control Hair Oil” of providing ‘Upto 20x stronger hair’ and ‘Upto 96 per cent less hair fall’.

     

    The affirmation of ASCI on the soundness of the product comes in the wake of complaint received by them on the above claims being made by the brand, which was dismissed by the regulatory body.

     

    To substantiate its claims, Emami had submitted detailed response along with clinical trial reports done at a renowned International Laboratory in USA, which proved that there was upto 96 per cent reduction in hair fibre breakage for ‘damaged Indian black hair’ treated with single application of Emami 7 Oils in One vis-a vis untreated hair of similar origin.  Emami also shared instrumental studies conducted at IIT Mumbai to validate the product’s efficacy in terms of hair fibre smoothness and its thickness.

     

    Based on the above, the Consumer Complaint Council (CCC) of ASCI concluded that both the claims of “Upto 20X Stronger Hair” and “Upto 96 per cent Less Hair Fall” have been duly substantiated and do not mislead consumers. ASCI’s decision reaffirms the sound testimonials of ‘Emami 7 Oils in One Damage Control Hair Oil’.

     

    Emami 7 Oils in One damage control hair oil has been designed by leading international hair trichologist and the Research & Innovation Team of Emami Limited with the unique combination of vegetable oils, mineral oils, omega fatty acids, vitamins and hair beneficial 7 herbal aushad complex.

     

  • Ruchi Soya plays up health benefits of its Sunrich variant

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sunrich, refined sunflower oil from the house of Ruchi Soya Industries Limited launched its new marketing campaign by unveiling a TVC for its target markets primarily focusing on south, since the region is the biggest consumer of sunflower oil. Sunrich’s new TVC is launched in states like Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The objective of the new TVC is to communicate the superiority of Sunrich over other sunflower oils due to its unique proposition of added vitamins and up to 15% low absorption.

     

    The TVC opens with a father dreaming that he is swimming with his son whereas, in reality he is sleeping due to lethargy post having a heavy meal. Priyanka Upendra, the brand ambassador of Sunrich addresses his exasperated wife and family by advising them to switch to Sunrich Refined Sunflower oil, as it is fortified with Vitamins A & D and offers less absorption than ordinary sunflower oil, which helps people remain active even after heavy meal

     

    Commenting on the marketing objective, Alok Mahajan, Head of Marketing, Popular Division of Ruchi Soya Industries Limited says, “People want to eat a wide variety of food to their hearts content, but changing lifestyles keeps people sedentary; making one feel lethargic and put on weight. Hence now people have started ‘watching’ what they eat and counting calories. The main idea around which the TVC is constructed is that when you are ‘lazy’ and ‘lethargic’ your wishes are often only fulfilled in your dreams. For actually converting your wishes to reality you need to be active and healthy.”

     

    Hemant Kumar, Executive Creative Director, Orchard Advertising said, “With brand Sunrich, we identified an opportunity to talk to young married couples who are self-driven to succeed in life. Keeping in mind the reality of their lives, it would be purposeful for the brand to talk about the other side of life they are fast losing out on, which is health.  Sunrich being a sunflower oil, with added benefits of low absorption and added vitamins has the ability to help people live healthy rich.”

     

    It naturally contains Vitamin E and the addition of vitamins A & D which may help in improving eye sight and bone health. Sunrich contains lesser proportion of saturated fats and is significantly fat free which may help reduce cholesterol over time. Unlike ordinary oils food prepared in Sunrich sunflower oils absorbs up to 15% less oil. The sunflower oil has 0% cholesterol and is high in PUFA, which may help improve heart health. Sunrich is also a member of the prestigious National Sunflower Association, USA.

     

    The TVC has been conceptualized by Orchard Advertising and produced by Ignition. Maxus India is the media agency. The TVC will be on air till 14th August 2016.