Just the other day we carried this story about Akshay Kumar being appointed brand ambassador of Kurkure. And now comes this news that there is a new TVC that has been unveiled. We don’t know why a reputed transnational like Pepsico India has to push its PR agency to extract media mileage in this way, but be that as may: we will record the announcement but not without this note of protest.
The announcment: Kurkure’s two new flavours – Gazab Golmaal and Herapheri Hungama – through a TVC featuring brand ambassador and actor Akshay Kumar. Guess it’s essentially targeted at the Hindi-speaking belt, because one can’t expect someone in Tamil Nadu to figure what Gazab and Herapheri mean. But then this is Pepsi, and who are we to be complaining.
Expressing his thoughts on the new launch and the campaign, Dilen Gandhi, Senior Director and Category Head – Foods, PepsiCo India, said: “Kurkure has always aimed at becoming a key part of the lives of its consumers not only through its memorable and quirky storytelling, but also through its extensive portfolio of unique offerings. We are thrilled to launch Gazab Golmaal and Herapheri Hungama with an element of mystery to tease the taste buds of our consumers. It will be very exciting to see how these exciting new flavours leave them guessing the ingredients, while wanting for more.” Mr Gandhi, we hope you take note of our anguish on you sending multiple releases at such short notice.
Glitch has announced the addition of Diageo’s premium, luxury and reserve portfolios for – Johnnie Walker, Black & White, Smirnoff, Vat 69 along with the reserve and malts of Diageo India.
Extending the partnership with The Glitch, Julie Bramham, Chief Marketing Officer, Diageo India said: “We are delighted to be working closely with The Glitch. We are really excited about building our brands with them in this complex connections’ environment.”
Added Pooja Jauhari, CEO at The Glitch: “As more and more clients trust us with full service creative mandates, we feel confident that our agility matched with our modern creative and cultural mindset is helping solve for real businesses problems. Growing our partnership with Diageo from digital to full service has been extremely exciting and we are committed to partnering with them in achieving their business, cultural and marketing goals.”
In a bid to engage citizens to adopt improved waste management practices, Tata Trusts, through its programme, Mission Garima, has launched a campaign — #TwoBinsLifeWins.
Said Divyang Waghela, Head – Tata Water Mission, Tata Trusts: “Conservancy workers are the backbone of large metropolitan cities like Mumbai. They help in keeping our city clean, and in order. It is imperative that efforts are made to ensure their safety, and to protect their dignity. Tata Trusts launched Mission Garima to bring about a significant positive impact in the work environment of conservancy workers. With #TwoBinsLifeWins, we hope to prod the conscience of the nation and encourage citizens to segregate waste at their respective homes, so conservancy workers live a life of dignity and respect.”
Added Keegan Pinto, National Creative Director, FCB Ulka: “The inspiration for this heartfelt film comes from true feelings, testimonials and insights. This film is very special to us. But the film is not more important than the cause. Nothing is more heinous, ridiculous, tragic, disgusting and a greater product of our trademark Indian collective convenience and ignorance than a man having to go down in the drain and then, dying too early leaving his children orphaned. We really wish the film makes a difference and we hope people start segregating their waste at home with the small act of two bins and abolish this practice altogether.”
Kotak Mutual Fund has launched a conversational Voice Bot – Mr. SIP, which will address queries related to Systematic Investment Plan (SIPs).
Said Nilesh Shah, MD & CEO, Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company said: “There is a large population wary of investing in mutual funds as they don’t have easy access to clear their doubts. Our Mr. SIP uses technology to answer all investor queries so we can reach Kona Kona of India, as we believe SIP is one of the best ways to safeguard investments from market volatility over a long period of time”.
Added Kinjal Shah, Head – Digital Business & Marketing at Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company: “We have taken a new approach with the TVC, where we have personified the voice bot as Mr. SIP, who demystifies the myths related to Systematic Investment Plans. Even our social media route breaks the norms of traditional BFSI communication by using ‘cricket’ anecdotes to explain queries related to SIP in a simple manner.”
Hyper Connect Asia, the agency of record, has conceived this integrated campaign. Said Kiran Khadke, CCO & Co-founder, Hyper Connect: “We were tasked to break the clutter in Investor Education communication and become synonymous with SIP. The idea stemmed from our research that showed consumers are still not clear on the many benefits of SIPs. Thus, we brought Mr. SIP to life – a go to ‘person’ for anything and everything on Mutual Fund. The integrated campaign is also supported by a web portal that empowers fence-sitters with interactive calculator, blogs and all the information they are looking on SIPs.”
It’s no secret that marketing has undergone a massive transformation in recent years. Digital channels now capture over half of all advertising spending in the U.S. Understanding that marketing has changed doesn’t mean you know how to navigate the new landscape or what others in the field are doing to keep up.
Nielsen’s second annual Marketing Report surveyed over 350 marketers from around the world to generate detailed findings that offer a powerful view into the current state of marketing. As the new decade unfolds, follow these five new truths of marketing to stay ahead.
GUT FEEL DOESN’T CUT IT ANYMORE (AND PROBABLY NEVER SHOULD HAVE IN THE FIRST PLACE)
Digital’s expanding influence means marketers have to be much more agile in allocating their precious media dollars, but calculating the ROI for digital investments can be tough. Our survey found that when the going got tough, investments in paid digital media channels became the product of gut feel more than quantifiable ROI metrics. This is a scary proposition when millions of dollars are at stake.
While such digital marketing investments may indeed be worthwhile, it’s time for marketers to seek out measurement solutions to back up gut feel decisions and stop relying on assumptions. Partnering with industry experts can help organisations determine which digital marketing investments are, and aren’t, paying off.
PAY ATTENTION TO DATA QUALITY
When it comes to accurate measurement, the key to having high-quality output is having high-quality input. As the saying goes, “good data in, good data out.” Yet we found that audience targeting, ad creative, and audience reach are global marketers’ top three priorities for marketing campaigns. Data quality comes in fourth. Placing such a low priority on data quality dramatically increases the risks that your marketing investments will be less effective, or even worse, simply off-target.
Marketers shouldn’t under-value the importance of data quality. Instead, they should focus on increasing data quality just as much as they focus on targeting and reaching audiences. After all, none of that targeting will hit the mark if the data that sustains it isn’t accurate.
RE-EVALUATE THE ROLE OF PROMOTIONS
Most of us have leafed through coupon books in the Sunday newspaper in search of a discount for a local restaurant, air-conditioning service, etc. Those one-for-all coupon books are good examples of what trade promotions used to be. But today, most consumers aren’t saving, clipping, or carrying around paper coupons. Instead, they’re using digital shopping apps, digital coupons and acting on personalized offers.
In today’s digital marketing world, trade promotions are ripe for disruption. Now’s the time for forward-thinking organisations to re-evaluate the role of trade promotions for their brands. Prepare for tech-enabled promotions and use them to learn about your customers, including their motivations and shopping behaviours.
START PREPARING FOR CONNECTED TV
Connected TV has the potential to be a bridge between traditional and digital media, combining the reach and captive audience of TV with the addressability of paid search and video. To date, adoption has been hampered by various challenges, such as internal knowledge gaps, organizational buy-in, and media planning efficiency.
But industry partners are ramping up connected TV measurement solutions and organizations need to sharpen their in-house skill sets to prepare. Good first steps include running small-scale campaigns as well as forming media and technology partnerships to hit the ground running when connected TV breaks open.
REPRIORITIZE YOUR CUSTOMER PRIORITIES
It’s human nature to like shiny new things, whether it’s a new gadget, a new city, a new marketing channel, or new customers. But that’s not always a wise strategy for customer retention.
According to our survey results, customer churn is the last priority when it comes to companies’ marketing objectives. Believe it or not, many brands rank acquiring new customers as their top marketing objective instead of investing in and focusing on retaining existing customers.
This lack of emphasis on churn is a missed opportunity for marketers. Studies have shown total spending is highly concentrated among a small segment of customers, proving that the 80/20 rule (that 20% of your customers drive 80% of your revenue) still holds true.
With global disloyalty growing, brands need to adjust their marketing tactics and investments to boost retention. For marketers, that means segmenting high-value customers and developing media planning and messaging strategies for the best, not the rest.
MAKING DIGITAL MARKETING INVESTMENTS PAY OFF
With digital marketing, it’s impossible to slow down the rate of change. That’s why it’s vital to step back and make sure your brand’s digital marketing investments are paying off.
Rather than relying on gut feel for what’s working, organizations should seek out partners that can help them quantify ROI for digital marketing, increase data quality for better marketing effectiveness, prepare for broader connected TV adoption, and identify ways to boost loyalty of high-value customers.
Lana Busignani is EVP, U.S. Analytics at The Nielsen Company. This article was first published at https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2020/the-5-new-must-dos-of-marketing/?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newswire&utm_content=2-19-2020
Motilal Oswal has come out with a new digital campaign strengthening its position as an equity investing expert. The underlying theme of the campaign is based on observed behaviour wherein investors keep analysing past performance to decide on future course of action.
Speaking on the campaign, Ramnik Chhabra (Executive Director – Marketing, MOFSL) said: “When investing in equity, many investors have a ‘mud mudke dekhna’ mentality. This often proves detrimental. It is this insight that we have used in our latest educational campaign for MOAMC. In equity, if you keep looking backward, you can’t move forward.”
Added Chhabra on the campaign: “The execution shows people who continuously look backward losing out. Using a distinct tone and personality consistent with previous Motilal Oswal communication, the campaign depicts different situations people find themselves in if they keep looking back.”
Cashback and coupons site CashKaro has launched a series of digital ad films using a unique social media contest. The contest has been dubbed #HarCheezPeMilega cashback contest and will run across the brand’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter profiles.
Said Swati Bhargava Co-Founder, CashKaro: “We wanted to educate users about how CashKaro offers cashback on almost all online purchases. Whether it is fashion, grocery, food, mobiles or electronics, CashKaro gives users cashback on everything that they buy or order at top eCommerce retailers including Amazon, Flipkart and over 1500 popular sites. The #HarCheezPeMilega cashback contest aims at spreading this message using the new series of ad films we have released,”
Added Co-Founder Rohan Bhargava: “The contest was created in order to propagate to our potential users that they can save every time they shop online. This campaign will also give our existing users a chance to win some exciting prizes by simply introducing their friends to CashKaro. With this campaign we want to place emphasis on our brand’s tagline #YouGetMore, so that we can become the go-to cashback destination for every online shopper.”
Iqoo, the smartphone brand which recently announced its entry in India, announced Virat Kohli as its new brand ambassador.
Speaking on the announcement, Gagan Arora, Director-Marketing – Iqoo said: “As a brand, we want to appeal to young, energetic people who are determined to respond to any challenge with aplomb. Virat is the most seamless fit for our brand’s personality, and we are pleased with him being the face of i Iqoo. We are hopeful that our focus on high performance, innovation, and differentiation in the premium segment is well communicated through the campaigns that we are going to drive with Virat.”
Design Cafe has launched a digital video campaign highlighting the essence of how the brand executes smart designs in highly compact spaces.
Speaking about the film, Shreyom Ghosh, Director, Big 3 Media said: “The ad was created while specifically keeping the brand’s Mumbai audience in mind where homes are relatively smaller and space crunch is a prevalent issue. It is a quirky stop-motion film in which two brothers try to cope up with their ever-expanding family, in their tiny apartment in Mumbai, by finding intelligent design solutions to keep the family intact. The day-to-day problems of a household are briefly highlighted as the family members go through the different phases of life; where families grow but the sizes of the homes remain the same. The ad showcases various space-saving furniture from Design Café, giving a gist of the vast range of options one can pick from while designing their home.”
Added Maheima Kapur, Vice President – Marketing & Sales, Design Café: “Design Cafe specialises in personalisation which is tailored to each customer and provides 20 per cent more space utilisation via intelligent design. This caters well especially to the Mumbai market where space constraints are particularly prominent in comparison with the other cities. Our latest film reflects the same, shows a family’s evolution and how well our home interior solutions caters to their growing needs.”
Panasonic India has launched its latest ad campaign that promotes its ‘MirAIe’ product offering. Powered by IoT and AI, MirAIe allows for customisation of sleep profiles on their air-conditioners such that one never has to wake up in the night feeling too cold.
The campaign has been conceptualised by Wunderman Thompson (WT) South Asia.
Said Shirish Agarwal, head of brand and marketing communications, Panasonic India: “At Panasonic, we are committed to our vision, of creating ‘A Better Life, A Better World’. We are constantly working on new and advanced innovations that enhance the experience of our consumers and to bringing these innovations to the Indian market. With the launch of our MirAIe platform, we bring to India the wonders of connected living – the joy of living every moment, with all of one’s chores and needs easily met, with barely a finger lifted. The campaign brings alive this sense of ease and fun that is possible in life when connected tech from the future is a possibility today.”
Added Joy Chauhan – SVP & managing partner, Wunderman Thompson, Delhi: “Panasonic is an iconic name for appliances in India and across the world. The brand has proved its Japanese heritage of bringing innovations and cutting-edge technology that makes lives simpler, better. The campaign captures this message simply, through everyday life situations, therefore emphasizing more the difference that connected technology can mean to our lives.”
Aditya Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund has launched a three-month investor education campaign. The campaign covers two films to highlight one key aspect each of investing in mutual funds.
Commenting on the choice of theme, Ajay Kakar, Chief Marketing Officer – Aditya Birla Capital said: “This integrated campaign is an attempt to reach out through various touchpoints and appropriate the relevance of SIP as the right instrument for any market environment. It educates investors about the nuances of investing and assists them to take informed financial decisions. We are going beyond the ‘what’ to explain the ‘how’ with a listen and learn approach. This proposition is especially relevant in today’s volatile market environment where many new investors and fence sitters are beginning to wonder if money not invested is money saved”.
Added A. Balasubramanian, MD & CEO, Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC Limited: “We believe #WINWITHSIP will help to demystify some of the fundamental concepts of mutual funds that will be beneficial for the investors’ understanding and long term financial goals. There is still a huge scope for Mutual Find penetration in this country and engaging with the masses in a relevant manner will increase their affinity towards this asset class. Knowledge is power, and through this investor education initiative our attempt is to empower people with the information that will raise their awareness on how to benefit from their mutual fund investments.”
Directed by Soaeb Mohammed, the TVC has been created by Taproot Dentsu India with Early Man Film.
Valentine’s Day 2020 is just another day. For a majority, this templated festival of expectations, the celebration of love and care would come and go like the other such days, Rose Day, Proposal Day… associated with it.
It was Valentine’s Day, and the prices of roses expectedly hit the circuit-breaker around February 14. In the era of proximity, floating or fleeting loyalty, the app-led search for love and commitments, high cost of expression and permanence of tattoos, it was templated.
It was celebrated because the marketing community had put peer pressure for you to celebrate it. The ritual of love, roses, gifts and dining were performed. It was no longer about what you wanted to do but about what you should be doing.
For the brands addressing young adults, It was an opportunity to stand apart, be quirky, cheeky and leverage the festival mood.
In my timelines, WhatsApp was full of silly jokes around love, sex, wife, girlfriend ex or otherwise, commitment and future relationships.
For me, the evening was spent with wife dressed in Valentine colours at the St Andrew’s College Auditorium, Bandra. Ad Club COO Bipin Pandit and his group of specially talented singers and musicians under the banner of Khumaar, a celebration of love and romance kept one entertained with songs of love and romance.
BRAND AND VALENTINE’S DAY.
One of the regular readers of my blog (thanks) sent me two clips. In her view, they were a great example of brands attempts to remain relevant. The brands were willing to innovate within the constraints. And that made me think.
VALENTINE AND AFFECTION
Oh, Yes, the nation again saw some groups disturbing couples in a few cities. The self-proclaimed extra-vigilant valentine social regulators took upon themselves to draw the line according to their ill-defined interpretation of culture and social expectations.
Brand Manforce after having burnt their fingers during Sunny LeoneNavratri hoarding some year back recognised this unbridged gap in the era of video traping. It urged young couples to exercise caution during Public Display of Affection (PDA) and digitally capturing their moments of intimacy. It was purpose-led safer sex. #YouAreNotAlone follows their earlier campaign #ShutThePhoneUp. Lovely, to see a brand continuing to focus on the same idea.
Durex, the other condom, moved towards 365 days of love, care and sex. Three years back, the brand asked couples to connect on Valentine’s Day and give your mobile a rest. The brand has been slowly evolving. And if you see their international work, you will realise they are at different point of evolution across countries.
So, Durex now sees the redundancy of Valentine’s Day. Who needs it when every day could be Valentine’s Day. It seems to talk the language of the current generation, always-on, curious, and questioning traditional relevance.
Valentine’s Day is here and we’re NOT excited! Because let’s face it, with Durex everyday is a celebration and hence #EverydayIsValentines! So, select the most boring gifts you have received on this day from the options below and we will gift you something super exciting instead!
— Durex India (@DurexIndia) February 11, 2020
OTT GOES OVER THE TOP ON VALENTINE DAY.
Netflix, on the other side, has a finger on the pulse of young adults. Their message ‘We are sincerely and terribly sorry for all the drama we’ve caused before. We promise to be better’ was definitely beautiful and relevant. Netflix apologised for all the fights it has started. It silently made the point of its high viewer engagement and involvement. It is a nice cheeky way to leverage the festival with strong product service association. It was treated like a Netflix original and starred ‘Maskaby’ cast, a Netflix original to be released later this year. I hope the audience loved it.
BURGER KING BRILLIANT TAKE ON VALENTINE’S DAY.
The Burger King and McDonald’s rivalry is well-known and documented. The brands have given us many moments of wow. This one is no different.
This year, way Burger King looked at Ronald (the McDonald Clown Mascot) and branded it as the most lonely person on earth, it is just superb. The script remains true to the valentine ethos while refocussing on the competition.
The communication is cheeky. The loneliest man in the world has always been in front of their eyes. Burger King asks customers to go ahead give company to the loneliest man on earth, take a picture or two and tag @burgerkingindia to get a free Whopper this Valentine’s Day. #LonelyNoMore. Must compliment the team that saw this opportunity.
PEPSI SOLO LOSES THE PLOT.
Now compare Netflix, Manforce with a brand like Pepsi using an overexposed fifty-plus star for Solo Swag. The timing absolutely bang on. The message and brand ambassador choice questionable. The spot has high visibility and attracted millions of viewers. Hope, the brand does not misinterpret views with brand affiliation.
https://youtu.be/MOVM4757i-Q
BOROSIL FAILS ON VALENTINE METER.
BOROSIL in the changing societal environment tries exploring the first Valentine Day for the same-gender couple. The idea is excellent. The curtailed expressions of the same-gender couples in the earlier era have been well-captured. ‘I hated Valentine Day, not because I did not have someone to share, but because I did’ is brilliant and powerful.
The brand missed because of a weak product association. And whatever was left was destroyed by adding the end-super about Supreme Court’s favourable verdict on section 377 in 2018! Should it be the first or the second Valentine’s Day? The subtlety was lost, and the forced brand integration is fragile. It happens when brands search for a purpose and find one that is constrained.
BRAND GRAVEYARD ON VALENTINE’S DAY.
Few brands remained functional, so they played safe with their communication on Valentine’s Day, neither gaining or losing. Brands like, Hide and Seek, KFC (Bucket bae), and Platinum Bands.
Kalyan Jewellers tried to play the patriotic card to align with the feelings of women missing their husbands who are on duty at the border.
Don’t forget ‘The Man Company’ trying to make it simple for all kinds of love. ‘Love knows no age, religion or gender’. Very stereotyped expression.
MELORRA RUINED SOMETHING.
Here is the one I loved until it exposed itself as a pure selling tool. Upping the game fell flat when it got down to giving brand items as a gift. Melorra campaign was was bubbly, strong, confident, cheeky, empowering and full of attitude and then it was just about sales. #UpYourGiftingGame
THEY DON’T MAKE THEM LIKE THIS ANYMORE.
The one that I would rate highly is SBI INSURANCE Valentine’s Day ad. Watch it to know how it touches the chord. It is an excellent example of emotion and product linkages. ‘Hira Kya Zane Tumhari Umar’.
Leave it, if there are no dots, stop connecting them. If you have a real purpose that is brand linked and allows you to leverage an opportunity- go right ahead. Otherwise, it is a waste to do forced integration.
Valentine’s Day 2020 is just another day. For a majority, this templated festival of expectations, the celebration of love and care would come and go like the other such days, Rose Day, Proposal Day… associated with it.