MxMIndia

Category: MARKETING

  • The benefits of Birla.A1 StrongCrete are highlighted and depicted in their recent brand film

    Birla.A1 StrongCrete promotes strength & durability in new ad

    By A Correspondent

     

    Orient Cement has launched the Birla.A1 StrongCrete, a cement specially engineered to possess high-strength and fast-setting cement for load-bearing concrete applications such as foundation, columns, beams, and slabs etc.

     

    Said Deepak Khetrapal, MD and CEO of Orient Cement: ‘We, at Orient Cement share our society’s deep ethos that our home and our heart is where the family is, it is a safe haven and a source of emotional comfort. We believe that in a fragmented and fast changing world, homes built for coming generations will keep families together and help preserve family as the core, the heart of our nation’s emotional and social fabric. Our aim has always been to provide cement that can create long-lasting structures, and Birla.A1 StrongCrete is a reflection of our commitment towards the same. The brand film reaffirms the positioning of Birla.A1 StrongCrete as ‘The Forever Cement’, a cement with ‘Exceptional Strength’ to enable families to build a home for generations.

     

    Added Vijay Gopal, President South & East, RK Swamy BBDO:  “Strength is a generic promise in the cement category. A story of product superiority is hardly credible in all the noise in the space. We are attempting our communication to connect with the emotion of ‘families forever’, a common aspiration for people building homes for their families. Birla.A1 StrongCrete cement enables this aspiration”

     

     

  • Spark the New brand positioning captures its pioneering essence

    Mahindra Electric launches new brand identity

    By A Correspondent

     

    Mahindra Electric Mobility has unveiled a new corporate brand identity with a new logo and tagline – Spark the New. The new brand identity is meant to give the brand a renewed thrust to achieve its global ambition of being a leading player in electric mobility technology solutions.

     

    Speaking at the launch of the new brand identity, Mahesh Babu, CEO, Mahindra Electric said: “Today, with a decades worth of experience in electric vehicle technology, we are completely prepared to make India an EV hub and take our technologies global. Our new positioning is an acknowledgement of this ambition while being a testament to our pioneering past. It emphasizes our ambition to innovate and create cutting-edge technology with agility, such that we deliver products which make a positive difference to society. Our new identity truly recognizes the essence of Mahindra Electric and there are no better words to capture this than ‘Spark The New. These powerful words resonate not just with us at Mahindra Electric, but are a clarion call for everyone to join the movement towards sustainable mobility.”

     

     

  • Technology brand Honor, has announced the launch of ‘Honor Rap Battle’ campaign

    Honor India releases rap campaign for Honor 9X

    By A Correspondent

     

    Technology brand Honor has announced the launch of ‘Honor Rap Battle’ campaign. The campaign, conceived by the creative agency Mullen Lintas, highlights key features of the Honor 9X in rap style.

    https://www.facebook.com/HiHonorIndia/videos/454287851931787/

    Said Winston Lee, CMO, Honor India: “Rap, as a creative form of expression, connects strongly with the young generation. Using rap to highlight the various extraordinary features of our latest Honor 9X, furthers our philosophy of building a strong resonance with our consumers and offering them what they truly deserve, when it comes to technology. For the consumers who are #UpForXtra, Honor 9X gives you 16mp pop-up selfie camera, 48+8+2mp AI triple camera set up, full view display, 4000mAh battery and 128gb storage, along with powerful Kirin 710F chipset and GPU Turbo 3.0 technology, available at a competitive price.”

     

    Added Syed Amjad Ali, President, Mullen Lintas: “Honor X series has a legacy of disrupting the market through innovation and technology that gives its users far more value. Its ambition of democratizing technology brings yet another innovation – Honor 9X. This was aimed to be a ‘Digital Only’ launch, targeting totally younger people. We at Mullen, instead of trying a formulaic big bang style, discovered a completely new challenger approach. We introduced the ‘Rap Style’ videos for the first time in the mobile category ever. Rap as a medium brings forth the voice of the youth, questioning the established order at the same time. These videos were able to dial up the ‘extraordinariness’ and the unique features, making other phones look very ordinary.”

     

     

  • The new name, says the company, allows it emphasise their vision to empower millions of professionals worldwide

    UrbanClap rebrands as Urban Company

    By A Correspondent

     

    Urban Clap has announced the launch of a new corporate brand identity, Urban Company. The name change reflects the company’s ambition to be a horizontal platform, with a global footprint and leadership position across service categories like beauty, spa, repairs, cleaning, painting etc.

     

    Notes a communique: “The new name allows the company to emphasize their vision to empower millions of professionals worldwide to deliver services at home like never experienced before.”

     

    Said Abhiraj Bhal, Co-Founder, Urban Company: “It is important for us to have a brand which is globally acceptable. From the neighbourhoods of Darling Harbour in Sydney to the condominiums of Mumbai, Urban Company is a simple name with universal appeal. While the name changes, we stay committed to offer reliable and affordable services at home. This is enabled by working closely with our service partners, helping them with up-skilling, financing, insurance, product procurement etc., transforming them into micro-service entrepreneurs.”

     

     

  • Sanjeev Kotnala picks his 12 best advertisements of the just-held Super Bowl 2020

    12 Super Bowl Ads You Must Watch

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    If you are in Marketing and advertising, you would have watched all the Super Bowl ads by now. Every year around this time, the heat is on between brands to make an impression and get maximum instant reach for their messages. Some try being playful, some introduce new themes, and some try to provoke.

    In all, a total of more than 50 advertisements get released in the Super Bowl at an astronomical figure (by Indian standard) of $5.6 Mn per 30 seconds. Most brands must be finding it relevant and efficient, as some brands always have spots aired with the  Super bowl. The inventory is almost sold by November of the previous year.

    Brand, creative and media specialist mourn the absence of any such opportunity in India. Neither the pre-festival advertising in October nor the hyped-up IPL. And let us not talk of the opening episodes of any of the famed reality shows like KBC, KKK or Bigg Boss – none have the oomph, aah and wah of a Super Bowl.

    Not unexpected there is beer advertising as a category dominating the super Bowl commercial. And surprise, everyone investing what we would call a long story format to get their simple message across.

    When brands invest in an immediate reach build-up with an event that guarantees a massive number of eyeball, it is good to see them invest big. The super bowl spots maybe shorter version, but these extended versions show the intent.

    Like every Super Bowl event, many brands spots are just nice or templated around their style of storytelling. They made you smile and at the same time got the brand message across. All under one roof. You can watch all these spots at Adweek.

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    So here are my 12 favourites brand spots. That’s a high percentage of likability from the commercials aired during the Super Bowl. They are rightly messaged, superbly crafted and executed.

    While watching the Super Bowl, the consumer mind aperture is open for entertainment and excitement. Hence, the ads that have a similar story presentation style that stimulates and engages are contextually better placed than others trying to present the message in a different way.  And one who use the context and the DNA of the event best, win.

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    MICROSOFT screened a lovely commercial. The protagonist Katie Sowers- first female super bowl coach, explaining that she wants not to be the best female coach but the best coach. People expect women to do certain things and do not expect to do many other things. However, the first in the filed opens the arena for others. That is like ENCOURAGED BETI ENCOURAGED FUTURE. An attitude we mostly miss in advertising. It is one of the best-crafted spots. It is my Favourite ad.

     

    https://youtu.be/_xPn4DXIj5w

     

    GOOGLE has this ad about how people lived before Alexa. It is contextually better placed in the event environment. It is humorous with some crazy situations to drive home a simple point of what Alexa can do.

     

    https://youtu.be/RF9t2rFmTVE

     

    GOOGLE has another emotionally powerful linking ad. It is very product dominant in all its visual impact and experience and hence my favourite Number II. ,

     

    https://youtu.be/6xSxXiHwMrg

     

    So, how can beer as a category be away from the super bowl?

     

    BUD LIGHT two spots, INSIDE BRAIN, are highly engaging and entertaining.

     

    https://youtu.be/wsnnU3fJTWg

     

    https://youtu.be/pj1meOmpezs

     

    Then there is BUDWEISER, identifying Typical American with their beer. And I am partial to beer advertising.

     

    https://youtu.be/yt-zXuAAD6Q

     

    MICHELOB ULTRA does it one better with its simple message, ‘it is only worth it if you enjoy it.’

     

    https://youtu.be/U7h6Vls-uO8

     

    MICHELOB ULTRA PURE GOLD makes a passionate appeal to pick 6 packs and see how it can change American farming. I literally love this very Patriotic beer ad.

     

    https://youtu.be/ANarZ_113Xc

     

    Another category that uses Super bowl best is cars. Here HUMMER ELECTRIC makes an impactful promise and delivers message quite soundlessly.

     

     

    HYUNDAI SONATA is not far behind in its impact with self-parking demonstration has an extra edge on conversation and experience. It is nothing new, but it engages because of the conversation and the way it clarifies self-parking at any place.

     

    https://youtu.be/85iRQdjCzj0

     

    But PORSCHE, Wins the category battle of commercial with THE GEIST. It is so captivating and smart. My favourite number, -3.

     

    https://youtu.be/FJNmHwBgV4M

     

    In FMCG, coke, Pepsi, Doritos, Mountain Dew, Cheetos, Sabra SodaStream and others were there. But there was not much excitement around them. They were what they were.

     

    HEINZ innovative ‘four in one’ commercial does stand out. However, it is a bit disorienting to see them simultaneously- but does that matter?

     

     

    There was this REESE’S TAKE 5 with ‘The best bar that you have never heard of’. Likeable but then you have seen Bars and chocolates in that territory so many times. For me, SNICKERS beat it hollow any day.

     

    https://youtu.be/SLAV4LYO-yU

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    And the last one for Milo Kotnala, the WEATHER TECH spot.

     

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    What say, will we see such hype with brands and IPL, I doubt, but one never knows. Why do you think, IPL will never reach this type of hype as a powerful window with such a hype?

     

  • Advertisers might want to give the IPL a better shot, writes Prabhakar Mundkur

    Is Super Bowl the American version of IPL?

     

     

    By Prabhakar Mundkur

     

    The Super Bowl represents the most prestigious marketing event of the year. Which is why it draws so many specially made commercials and each has an aura around it.  Everyone is watching the Super Bowl so marketers almost think that they will be judged by the quality of their advertising.   It is also a great place for peer comparison, so how good the advertising is a matter of company prestige as well. It is also the day when the second largest food consumption happens in the US.

     

    Ticket prices normally hit the roof.  This year the cheapest ticket was priced at $4308 with the most expensive ticket going for $385,000.  And the most expensive 30 second commercial this year cost $ 5.6 million. In comparison a 30 second commercial cost Rs. 18 lakh on IPL.  While both are league games one has to remember that the Super Bowl is a one-day show, while the IPL lasts 6-7 weeks, so it is almost like a season.

     

    One difference I have noticed between the IPL and Super Bowl is that while the IPL is likely to have a lot of cricket stars in their advertising, the Super Bowl has a wide array of celebrities from TV, Hollywood and other sports, or in other words not just football stars.

     

    For example, take a look at the Amazon ad for this year’s Super Bowl starring Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, where they wonder what the world might be before Alexa.

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF9t2rFmTVE

     

    The Google Ad for this year’s Super Bowl was quite a tear jerker.  I couldn’t help shedding a few tears for Loretta.

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xSxXiHwMrg

     

    Social psychologists refer to two kinds of reactions from sports fans. For those of you who might describe the Indian fans as fickle, the reactions of Indian fans are in line with the global experience.  BIRGing which stands ‘basking in reflected glory’ typically happens when the home team wins and people start feel better about themselves. They will often say “we won”, that’s how closely they identify with the home team.

     

    CORFing (or Cutting Off Reflected Failure) and BIRGing happens at the Super Bowl as well just like it happens at IPL.  This is evident when people use the third person and when Patriot fans say “They couldn’t stop Denver”.  Of course, because the Super Bowl is just a 4-hour game including the break and advertising, the effects of BIRGing and CORFing doesn’t last as long as say the IPL does which is a tournament that lasts 6-7 weeks.

     

    The Super Bowl boasted of a 48% female viewership and in 2019 had an audience of 98.2 million people. IPL has a male viewership skew 58-59% with females at 41-42% which is not so bad.How does the Super Bowl advertising compare with the IPL?  Many marketing experts I spoke to felt that the advertising on the IPL didn’t feel as special.  While many ads are created especially for the IPL, some are extensions of regular campaigns. Certainly, the ads have a lot of cricket celebrities.

     

    David Warschawski, CEO and Founder of Warschawski the integrated ad agency, said in a 2016 article in Adweek “America has a love affair with Super Bowl advertising.”  Would we say that we have a love affair with IPL advertising? I am not so sure, but maybe we are getting there. But we are in love with cricket and if the same passion was translated to its advertising, we might just push the bar a little up from where it is now.

     

    With the Star Re-imagine awards to reward creativity for ads aired in the IPL, advertisers might want to give the IPL a better shot.

     

     

  • Kantar’s study helps clients build on a solid foundation of understanding eCommerce

    Kantar’s ‘eCommerce On’ studies shopper marketing behaviour

    By A Correspondent

     

    Kantar has introduced ‘eCommerce On’, a new global study that offers a foundational, shopper-centric understanding of e-commerce across countries and categories.

     

    Commenting on the study, Sushmita Balasubramaniam, Commerce Domain Lead, South Asia, Kantar said: “We have seen e-commerce evolve rapidly over the years. Online shopping is not just about discounts or convenience anymore. This study has shown us that online shoppers in India are no different from their counterparts in more developed countries – both in terms of their needs as shoppers and why they shop online. The report throws light on how shopping missions and related shopper needs and currencies play out across 15 categories that are shopped online today. And, the criticality of using technology and marketing in the context of how to serve shoppers and address their needs at the relevant moments in the best manner.”

     

     

  • The cricket star is followed by actors Akshay Kumar and Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh

    Virat Kohli stays Most Valuable Celeb: Duff & Phelps

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Consulting major Duff & Phelps has released findings of the fifth edition of its Celebrity Brand Valuation Study 2019: ‘New is Gold’.

     

    The study provides a ranking of India’s most powerful celebrity brands based on brand values derived from their endorsement contracts.

     

    Key findings from the report include:

    • Virat Kohli retains the top position for the third consecutive year. His brand value rose by 39% to USD 237.5 million (mn) in 2019.

     

    • Akshay Kumar jumps to second position with brand value of USD 104.5 mn (a jump of 55.3%).

     

    • Power couple Ranveer and Deepika claim the third spot with a brand value of USD 93.5 mn each. Deepika retains her most valuable female celebrity status for the second consecutive year whereas Ranveer moves up a spot, to now occupy the same position as Deepika Padukone.

     

    • Total value of the top 20 celebrity brands stands at USD 1.1 billion, with the top 10 contributing about 75% of the total value.

     

     

    Said Aviral Jain, Managing Director, Duff & Phelps: “This year we saw the new generation celebrities make it to the top 20. Apart from the celebrities who were featured in last year’s study, this year, we have Ayushmann Khurrana (Rank 10), Tiger Shroff (Rank 17) and Rohit Sharma (Rank 20) with a cumulative brand value of USD 87.5 mn. The industry saw a wave of new faces and concepts with the effective usage of digital media to capitalise on millennials and Gen Z. Even though brands changed their approach of sticking to established actors by roping in new faces, overall the industry managed to stay on course with the perfect blend of traditional and new. The new pedigree of stars also ventured into investments by emerging as ‘starvestors’ (star investors), thus infusing capital in brands that resonated with their values.”

     

    Commenting on the changing nature of the endorsement market in India, Varun Gupta, Managing Director and Asia Pacific Leader for Valuation Services, Duff & Phelps added: “This is the dawn of a new era for the media and entertainment sector. The industry has seen experimentation, be it celebrities moving from traditional mainstream endorsements towards investments in brands, the rise of digital format advertising campaigns, or the onset of over-the-top (OTT) stars who are breaking new ground in endorsements. Brands and celebrities have parallelly adopted the path of conscious advertising and filmmaking by choosing uplifting topics and making the narrative less window dressed, an important facet for today’s Gen Y and Gen Z.” Further, the study focuses on the rising trend of OTT since the upgrade of the India’s digital demography. Regional industries created ripples nationally and globally with OTT proving regional content is no longer a desired state, but a prerequisite for today’s consumer. The study also highlights the new tribe of celebrity endorsers who have become digital stars; they actively involve themselves in social causes and promote brands inclined towards fitness, health and wellness.

     

     

  • Integrated marketing campaign to go live by mid-February

    JSW Steel signs Rishabh Pant as brand ambassador

    By A Correspondent

     

    JSW Steel has signed cricketer Rishabh Pant as its brand ambassador to promote its steel products which include JSW Colouron+ colour-coated sheets and JSW Neosteel TMT bars, for a three-year period.

     

    According to Parth Jindal of JSW Group: “JSW Group’s philosophy – ‘Better Everyday’ guides us to positively improve all the lives we touch. It enables us to hold a unique and differentiated place in the minds of our customers. Our continued focus on making high quality products and ensuring that they are easily accessible to consumers across India lets us to participate in building a modern India. As a brand we believe that we are young, hungry, fearless and world class, the same traits we see in Rishabh Pant. We are thrilled to have Rishabh as our brand ambassador and have no doubt that this partnership will be beneficial and increase the recall for the JSW Neosteel and JSW Coloron+ brands.”

     

    Added Harsh Bhatt, Executive Vice President: “Unlike advertising for FMCG and Durables, advertising for a category like coloured steel roofs and TMT bars is always unique given the low consumer involvement in these categories.  Our first strategic intervention was to look for a sweet-spot that impacted the consumer enough to care for these purchases and willing to pay a premium for them. JSW Colouron+ roofing sheets and JSW Neosteel TMT bars have a distinct quality advantage over other product offerings in the market. All we had to do was communicate that in an exciting way. The addition of Rishabh Pant in the mix made matters a lot easier for the creative team where facets of grip, durability and strength of the products were compared to everyday things. The quirk in the situations are intentionally exaggerated to make the right point.”

     

     

  • Brings out the emotion of wanting to help a loved one to #BounceBack from life’s disappointments

    HDFC Life talks about accepting setbacks in latest ad campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    HDFC Life has launched a new ad film that speaks about bouncing back from life’s setbacks, instead of letting them bring you down.

     

    Speaking on the thought behind the campaign, Senior Executive Vice President (Sales) & Chief Marketing Officer, Pankaj Gupta, said: “Preparing the young generation to face challenges and pressures, in order to do well and live a life of pride, is an integral part of parenting. Especially in today’s scenario wherein we often see students struggling due to academic, parental and peer pressures. Support from the family is what one counts on, to bounce back from setbacks. We have tried to portray this through the ad film.”

     

    Added Rajdeepak Das, Managing Director India & Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett South Asia: “This campaign takes forward the ‘BounceBack’ narrative. Failure is one of the most important teachers of life but we often shy away from talking about our failures. Through this campaign, HDFC Life adopts a refreshingly different and bold perspective and takes a stand to not only secure your loved ones financially but also emotionally to deal with failures. For a brand like HDFC Life, whose DNA emphasises ‘Sar utha ke jiyo !’, this campaign is the perfect springboard to talk about empowering your loved ones to bounce back from setbacks.”

     

     

  • The appointment will see the Omnicom-owned agency take on the complete paid media duties (planning and buying)

    Royal Enfield appoints PHD as global media partner

    By A Correspondent

     

    Royal Enfield has named PHD India its media partner following a multi-agency pitch that involved incumbent Mediacom. The appointment will see the Omnicom-owned agency take on the complete paid media duties (planning and buying) for the Chennai-based motorcycle manufacturer in India as well as globally (across Asia-Pacific and Europe), for their motorcycles, apparel, genuine motorcycle accessories businesses.

     

    Said Shubhranshu Singh, Global Head – Brand & Marketing at Royal Enfield: “We were searching for a partner to drive growth in both our local and international markets, and with their impressive capabilities and reputation, PHD was the obvious choice. We’re excited to leverage PHD’s capabilities in data and digital, as well as their extensive global network, to continue driving fresh growth in today’s age, for the world’s oldest global motorcycle brand.”

     

    Added Jyoti Bansal, CEO of PHD India: “It is a great privilege to partner with such an iconic brand and ensure we continue their success story in today’s increasingly digital world. We look forward to growing the brand’s fanbase among a whole new set of consumers.”

     

     

  • He will support multiple new green initiatives undertaken by Tata Power

    Shardul Thakur is brand ambassador for Tata Power

    By A Correspondent

     

    Tata Power has signed on Indian cricket team’s fast bowler, Shardul Thakur as its brand ambassador. He will support multiple new green initiatives undertaken by Tata Power.

     

    Said Praveer Sinha, CEO & MD Tata Power: “We welcome Shardul Thakur to Tata Power. He epitomizes Tata Power’s values of hard-work, commitment, honesty and success. We see him as a major change-agent in our new endeavours in the areas of our work in ‘green’ power which will help society and our motherland. We are aggressively getting into solar power in domestic, as well as in e-charging for vehicles of the future. Shardul will help us communicate the goodness of our work in these areas to our consumers.”