MxMIndia

Category: MARKETING

  • Campaign to cover over 4,000 essential service stores across metros

    HDFC Bank launches Safety Grid campaign to reiterate social distancing

    By A Correspondent

     

    HDFC Bank has launched its #HDFCBankSafetyGrid campaign to encourage and reinforce #socialdistancing. Using the outer grid of HDFC Bank logo that indicates trust, the bank has created physical markers on the ground to help people maintain the World Health Organisation (WHO) prescribed social distance while waiting in queue at a shop or an establishment.

     

    Said Ravi Santhanam, Chief Marketing Officer, HDFC Bank: “In this hour of need, when the nation is fighting the pandemic, we have decided to put the bank logo, known to millions of Indians, on the ground, for their safety and protection. HDFC Bank and its logo has been synonymous with trust for over 25 years now. We have defied convention, for our belief is that safety of the people and social distancing is very important to fight Covid19. And we are honoured that we are able to use our logo to send a message across to the people. The cause that we are fighting for today is much greater than any marketing rules and norms. And every effort or contribution counts.”

     

    Speaking about the campaign, Rajdeepak Das, MD – India and Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett South Asia added: “Social distancing is one of the primary ways in which we can keep this deadly disease at bay. But in reality, one does need to step out to buy essentials. The grids are a physical manifestation of the social distancing individuals must maintain in any public setting. It’s a simple but extremely powerful idea a simple solution, albeit a bold one.”

     

     

  • The campaign, which was launched earlier this month, was rolled out in two phases

    Tata Starbucks unveils the #ReconnectWithStarbucks ad campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    To cheer people up while being locked inside their homes, Tata Starbucks has devised a social media campaign, #ReconnectWithStarbucks to keep its online audience engaged and connected.

     

    The campaign, which was launched earlier this month, was rolled out in two phases. The first leg asked followers and coffee enthusiasts to share their favourite past times that helped them to reconnect during quarantine. Tata Starbucks also encouraged its fans to share their favourite Starbucks memories from the past and upload it on their personal Instagram handle, with the hashtag #ReconnectWithStarbucks.

     

    Commenting on this innovative campaign, Deepa Krishnan, Head of Marketing, Digital, Loyalty and PR at Tata Starbucks, said: “Tata Starbucks has always been about connecting with its customers, partners and the communities we serve. Through #ReconnectWithStarbucks campaign we wanted to keep the cherished Starbucks ritual alive albeit virtually and wanted to spread cheer amongst our beloved customers and most importantly stay connected with them in these times.”

     

     

  • Remotely shot at Varun Dhawan’s home, the campaign encourages Indians to showcase their talent and entertain the country as they remain indoors

    Flipkart launches campaign titled ‘Entertainer No. 1’

    By A Correspondent

     

    With an aim to address the need for positive entertainment during this time, Flipkart and Varun Dhawan recently announced the launch of ‘Entertainer No. 1’ – a stay-at-home reality show under the Flipkart Originals umbrella.

     

    To promote the show, the brand has introduced a TV and digital campaign featuring Varun Dhawan, asking the country to participate in this show. Filmed on a smartphone by the actor at his home, the concept and execution of the film drives home the show’s message of innovating when entertaining from home, while practicing social distancing.

     

    Said Vikas Gupta, Head – Customer Marketing and Digital Businesses at Flipkart: “At a time when the nation is spending all their time indoors, we found an interesting opportunity to use entertainment and cheer up India in a special way. Through Entertainer No 1, we are bringing a unique stay-at-home reality show to our audience, that provides budding entertainers a platform to stay connected during this difficult time. What sets this show and its marketing campaign apart, is the way it has been conceptualized and brought to life, entirely from home.”

     

    Added Joy Ghoshal, Co-founder, Marching Ants: “This has truly been a paradigm shift in ad film-making. We always had the notion that work from home was not too productive and here we were creating and bringing to life an entire show along with creating and releasing communication for it, from home. I would like to believe this is unprecedented. And I feel truly exhilarated that we could achieve this task in a never seen, never done before manner. This is history of sorts where we created India’s first digital reality show without stepping out of our homes. Every step of the creation was exciting, challenging and digital in its true sense.”

     

     

  • It is a series of virtual workouts by Reebok India brand ambassadors, Katrina Kaif and Malaika Arora

    Reebok India pushes people to stay fit during lockdown

    By A Correspondent

     

    Reebok India in collaboration with 22feet Tribal Worldwide, has launched a series of home workouts to harness the power of fitness. The #WorkOUTfromHome videos on Instagram are a series of virtual workouts by Reebok India brand ambassadors, Katrina Kaif and Malaika Arora, and Reebok India’s certified trainers.

     

    Debashish Ghosh

    Talking about the thought behind the campaign, Debashish Ghosh, National Creative Director, 22feet Tribal WW said: “It started with a need to do something authentic but also meaningful. In a world that needs a lot of hope and inspiration right now, we wanted to nudge the conversation further. Go from advice to action. As a brand that shapes the culture of fitness, it seemed natural to evolve the day to day discussions from ‘stay at home’ to ‘stay fit’ with #WorkOUTfromHome. After all, there is enough scientific evidence that staying fit powers immunity & can help resist/break the chain of transmission.”

     

     

  • Encourages Indians to contribute for feeding the daily wage earners

    Paytm launches #NobodyGoesHungry ad campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Paytm has launched #NobodyGoesHungry campaign on social media to encourage fellow citizens to donate on the app and contribute to serve meals to daily wage earners in Noida, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad. As the campaign gains momentum, the company is targeting to distribute two million meals in the next few weeks.

     

    Recently, Paytm partnered with KVN Foundation to serve meals to people who have lost their source of income due to the lockdown. The company is requesting everyone to support this initiative by logging on to their Paytm App and clicking on the ‘Feed My City’ tab to donate.

     

    Said Siddharth Pandey, Vice President – Paytm: “As a responsible citizen of this country, we need to ensure that the ones who cannot fend for themselves do not go hungry during this lockdown. This initiative, as well as the social media campaign, is aimed at ensuring more people come forward and help those in need. Our campaign has struck the right chord with people and the overall response has been encouraging.”

     

     

  • The first film of the series highlights the importance of space as a means to keep oneself safe

    Mahindra Lifespaces advocates people to stay at home in latest ad campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Network Advertising has conceptualised and created a series of digital films for Mahindra Lifespaces, as part of efforts to encourage social distancing and staying at home during the current lockdown. The first film of the series highlights the importance of space as a means to keep oneself safe, while also protecting our communities.

     

    Shayondeep Pal
    Sunil Sharma

    Said Shayondeep Pal, Chief Creative Officer, Network Advertising:  “In these unprecedented times, the idea was to position homes as the safest space during the lockdown. The physicality of a home is what prompted us to create a simple messaging, where staying indoors generates positivity and is a joyful experience.”

     

    Added Sunil Sharma, VP – Marketing & CRM, Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd: “With responsible social distancing being a critical element in India’s fight against the spread of coronavirus, homes are now more than ever at the centre of our day-to-day lives.  Our intent was to aid and help build widespread awareness of the need to stay at home and thus, stay safe.”

     

     

  • Hosted by celebrity chef Amrita Raichand

    IFN hosts ‘Live Lockdown Cooking Show’

    By A Correspondent

     

    India Food Network (IFN) in collaboration with Reliance Fresh successfully concluded the first-ever live virtual cooking reality show, ‘Live Lockdown Cooking Show’. The show was streamed from two kitchens giving the viewers an experience of an actual live cook-along show.

     

    The five-episode series from April 10-14, 2020 saw Chef Amrita interacting live with homemakers, professional culinary experts and even young students over some home-made food recipes, culinary hacks using food leftovers and thrifty cooking methods.

     

     

    Said Lalatendu Panda, Chief Marketing Officer (Reliance Fresh and Reliance SMART): “This first ever Lockdown Cooking Show was another way to letting consumers know that we are with them every step of the way, helping them make healthy, tasty and quick meals, all of which help them in whatever way possible. This show was also a first for us and the industry where two kitchens were streaming simultaneously and cooking. We hope to continue creating content that excites and inspires our RelianceOne loyalty programme customers.”

     

    Added Rajeshree Naik, founder of IFN: “Food content has clearly been a huge preoccupation both for comfort and practical reasons. Whether it be recipe videos, advice on quarantine cooking, how to stock your pantry or the increased interest in baking and bread, food content has seen an unusual spike in interest. This cooking show we did with Reliance Fresh was one-of-its-kind because it was live, in a way where it was two kitchens cooking together – same time and also with a larger audience participation. With food being both a need and source of distraction, we have been creating content that people will find very useful during times like this.”

     

     

  • The lineup also includes women cricketing stars such as Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana and Mithali Raj

    Ogilvy partners government in war against Covid-19

    By A Correspondent

     

    Ogilvy India has created an anti-coronavirus campaign for the Government of India, under the title, ‘Mask Force’. It involves some of India’s cricketers talking to the nation, starting with captain Virat Kohli and concluding with Sachin Tendulkar. The lineup also includes women cricketing stars such as Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana and Mithali Raj.

     

    Speaking about the exercise, Ogilvy’s Chief Creative Officer Worldwide and Executive Chairman, India, Piyush Pandey said: “For decades now, we at Ogilvy have stepped up to stand by our country’s needs through our CSR, be it for polio eradication, literacy, fighting crimes against women and many more causes. So as soon as the Government of India approached us for our effectiveness in spreading messages to the masses, we wholeheartedly jumped in to do our bit. I believed that ‘Mask Force’ would be a likeable term that could be used to galvanise the whole country, hence decided to name this program ‘Mask Force’.”

     

     

  • Global design team offers new creative outlet for fans to express their artistic side with coloring book

    Nissan invites all to #DrawDrawDraw

    By A Correspondent

     

    It all starts with a single line. That is the message from Nissan’s global design team as it looks to connect a worldwide community of artists through the new #DrawDrawDraw social project.

     

    Nissan is offering 23 newly created, downloadable colouring pages featuring Nissan classic cars, current models and futuristic concepts. Nissan designers from around the world created the pages over the last few weeks, a time during which many people have been staying home because of the global coronavirus pandemic.

     

    Said Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan’s senior vice president for global design: “To draw, draw, draw, in our world, is one of the best ways to close the gap between wonderful creative impulses in your head and making it a reality – especially as we face this global pandemic together. Our team of designers, worldwide, are using this time to breathe, to draw, to dream creatively. I know that some of their best work will come from the challenges that we’re facing now. So we thought, ‘Why not give everyone a chance to express themselves creatively and share it with those who will appreciate it?’”

     

     

  • This is being billed as one of the largest protagonist-led initiative to unite India in its fight against Covid-19

    Zee unveils new anthem in collaboration with SBI Life

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zee Entertainment has joined hands with SBI Life Insurance and Mindshare to produce the ‘We Can, We Will!’ anthem, which involves 27 TV artists singing the anthem in their local languages to invigorate the nation to fight against Covid-19.

     

    Expressing his views on the collaboration, Ashish Sehgal – Chief Growth Officer, Advertisement Revenue, Zee Entertainment Enterprises said: “As a network, Zee has always believed in ‘Customer First’ and this venture of creating an anthem of collective unity for SBI Life with Zee is truly one such classic example from our Content & Partnership team. Similarly, SBI Life with the thought of the anthem to inspire the collective willpower of the nation, hit a synergy with Zee when they during difficult times thought of creating this anthem to rally our nation’s battle against the corona outbreak. The anthem has been executed with 27 powerful influencers of Zee in nine languages from their homes and edited remotely to take it live across the network through a roadblock, truly exemplifying Zee’s philosophy of Extraordinary Together through an extraordinary feat.”

     

    Talking about this association, Ravindra Sharma, Chief of Brand & Corporate Communications, SBI Life Insurance, added: “The Coronavirus outbreak has thrown up multiple, unprecedented challenges for people from all walks of life, the entire nation is exploring solutions to tide through this crisis. In current times of self-isolation, the anthem is our humble effort to lift the spirits of every individual and remind them that as a nation we need to stay together, as with our collective will power we will overcome the biggest of challenges.”

     

    Said Amin Lakhani, Chief Operating Officer Mindshare South Asia: “These are indeed challenging times for mankind. People from all walks of life have been affected in some way or the other. There’s massive uncertainty, anxiety and boredom that is impacting our morale. This initiative is our humble effort to help uplift the spirit of our nation. We Can, We Will! is a unique anthem. For amplifying this message, Zee was the perfect partnership. It deployed its huge network presence throughout India and with the help of 27 celebrities in nine languages reinforced the belief that together India can, and India will win!”

     

     

  • In its letter to Prakash Javadekar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, IBF has made several requests

    IBF seeks relief package for the broadcast sector

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), has sought the government’s support to deal with the economic crises in the television broadcast sector as a fallout of the Covid-19 outbreak in the country.

     

    In its letter to Prakash Javadekar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, IBF has made the following requests:

     

    1. Regulatory moratorium for the sector for at least next 18 months.

    2. Phased resumption of production activities.

    3. Extension of moratorium period for GST payment.

    4. Mandating digital payments of subscription and advertising dues to broadcasters.

    5. Advisory to DPOs in respect of release of payment of subscription fees for the period up to February 29, 2020

    6. Waiver of processing fee and temporary live up-linking fee for live sporting events for a period of one year from the resumption of normal business activities.

    7. Increase in time period of one to two years for operationalisation of new channels which have been granted permission.

    8. Suspension of requirement of Performance Bank Guarantees in respect of channels sought to be launched for a period of one year.

    9. Waiver of carriage fee due to Prasar Bharati for three months (April, May and June) for FTA channels on Prasar Bharati’s Free Dish Platform.

    10. Deferment of payment due to Prasar Bharati for Free Dish carriage by 31 March 2020 be deferred until July 2020.

    11. All pending refunds even exceeding Rs. 5 Lacs should be urgently processed.

    12. The first instalment of advance tax (due on 15 June 2020) should be done away with and taxpayers be allowed to pay the 2nd instalment (due on 15 September 2020) directly without any interest liability

    13. The due date for deposit of TDS for the months of March and April 2020 should be extended to 31 May 2020 without any interest liability.

    14. Extension /waiver of permission for FX payments for foreign satellite transponder hiring.

    15. Lower rate of TDS from 10 to 2 per cent on subscription revenues

    16. Payment of stamp duty on agreements should be deferred upto expiry of ninety (90) days’ from the date of lifting of nationwide lockdown.

    17. Allow discharge of GST reverse charge obligation through GST input credit rather than paying in cash.

    18. Extend all existing stay of income tax demand for next 6 months without any new hearing.

     

    Said N P Singh, President, IBF: “The outbreak of the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown have posed several challenges for the television broadcast sector.  With complete cessation of  production  of  television  shows,  cancellations  of  live  sporting  events  and  scheduled advertisements, advertisement  bookings  nosediving  by ~50 per cent;  delays  in  payments  by advertising agencies/advertisers and distribution platform operators, the Broadcast sector is facing the brunt of the slowdown,” adding: “Moreover,  while  we  welcome  the  compliance  and  statutory  relaxations  granted  by  the Government in its latest notification of Apri 15l, the broadcast sector is seeking a stimulus package from the Government in the form of economic relief and regulatory flexibility so that all Broadcasters especially the smaller businesses can be helped to get back on track. IBF has also requested the Government for reduction in GST rate on Digital services (B2C), automatic  refund  of  input  credit  and  immediate  processing  and  issuance  of  lower withholding order (LTDS)”.

     

     

  • Consumers will change the ways they interact with people and brands for the foreseeable future, writes Brian Wieser of GroupM

    As Society Changes, Will Your Marketing Plan Change Too?

     

    By Brian Wieser

     

    KEY TAKEAWAYS

    We review changes relevant to marketers that will occur as the coronavirus crisis evolves. We specifically consider new ways consumers will spend time, how they will change media consumption and how B2B marketing will evolve.

    In assessing the behavioral changes following from the current crisis that will impact marketing, we must lay out our assumptions regarding the path forward for the virus and societies around the world alongside our expectations for the evolution of the economy.

    In general, we can assume that while containment efforts will generally be successful in most countries and that the phase of the crisis involving country-wide formal lockdowns will come to an end, risks of further outbreaks will persist until a vaccine is both discovered and widely distributed.  As a result, while there will be a gradual and at least partial resumption of many pre-crisis behaviors over the course of the next year, a complete return of old social patterns will not occur any time soon.  Because of the sudden shut-down and related disruptions in economic activity, we can also assume the economy is likely weak for the foreseeable future, with a disproportionate impact on workers in retail and hospitality sectors who tend to be lower income.  Any concentration of negative outcomes among certain groups of people could exacerbate existing trends, which could play out in public policies related to populism, global trade and taxation among other issues.

    For all of these reasons, it is reasonable to assume that some behaviours will permanently shift because of the time people will have had to get used to new patterns and because of the new products and services that will evolve to meet changing needs between now and then.   From here, with an eye toward identifying the behavioural changes from societies under lockdown, the changes that will follow as society gradually opens up and the changes that will follow once a vaccine is widely distributed, are worth noting.

    Following from these assumptions, in the remainder of this note we consider three general groups of behaviours relevant to marketers, including ways consumers will spend their time and money, how their media consumption patterns will change and how work – which impacts B2B marketing in particular – will evolve over time.

     

    HOW WILL THE WAYS IN WHICH CONSUMERS SPEND TIME CHANGE?

    Behaviour Description
    Spending on being at-home vs. away-from-home Consumers will alter their mix of spending where choices involve avoiding leaving the home or not and could involve trade-offs of services for products. While some people may initially look to reconnect with distant family, most will presumably spend less on vacations. Consumers may choose to spend more on home improvement or expensive home-based products (backyard jungle gyms or staycations, for examples).
    Physical proximity to large vs. small numbers of other people Going to see live sports or live events won’t be an option if venues are closed and large crowds are not allowed to congregate; however, even going out to large venues – such as clubs, bars and restaurants or sports-related environments – may be out-of-favour even where it is allowed. Socialising may become home-based or more focused on smaller groups.People could become less focused on conspicuous consumption of certain luxury goods, but could consume different ones, such as wines or lipsticks especially where they are objectively superior or personally preferred products.
    Changes in time allocations beyond media Home-based hobbies will expand.
    Other social preferences Owning your “space” takes on new importance. “Rental economy” companies such as Zipcar, VRBO, WeWork will require a mix of reinvention and repositioning or may be negatively impacted.  Additionally, many companies are realising that more physical space is not necessary to accomplish their business goals, which may have additional consequences at a social level
    E-Commerce purchasing habits E-Commerce growth accelerates, especially within certain categories and for certain people where penetration rates were previously low (groceries, older people).

     

    HOW WILL MEDIA CONSUMPTION CHANGE?

    Behaviour Description
    Video consumption More at-home video-based entertainment will be consumed, although there is risk of screen “fatigue” prompting consumers to look for different types of media exposure.With Hollywood/professional content production in question, more potential for viral content (virtually produced).

    AVOD probably becomes bigger because of appealing value proposition.
    Outdoor advertising consumption There will be fewer opportunities to reach consumers with OOH ad products until normal social patterns return, although advertising could very well be more impactful if there is less clutter.Different places may become differently valuable: for example, pharmacies or places where essential workers travel may become much more valuable on a relative basis
    Event marketing Event marketing falls off or needs to get reinvented.Virtual / home-based experiences explode in importance.
    Audio consumption Audio platform consumption patterns will change and to the extent that audio associated with commuting, it will probably fall.  On the other hand, some of these providers will evolve to produce content that is more desirable to consumers while at home.  To illustrate: consider that if podcasts were primarily consumed by commuters, can they evolve to be consumed by people at home?
    Digital media consumption Breadth of users of platforms might expand along with depth; niche digital platforms probably widen their audiences if more free time causes more people to experiment.Video game usage explodes.
    Other activities New activities could redefine media (gardening, cooking, DIY) and could have new media assets attached to them.

    HOW WILL B2B MARKETING CHANGE?

    Behaviour Description
    Influencing sales / senior decision-makers and managing ongoing relationships Sales and service involves fewer in-person meetings. More is accomplished via webinars, digital platforms, white papers.  Historical relationships may be worth more than before.Senior managers / influencers / decision-makers may spend more or less time managing than before, which alters how they prioritise their time.  Those managers will likely spend more time interacting with distributed teams, and degree to which those teams influence decisions may also change.

    Sales efforts could become more objective (less subject to casual lobbying by salespeople or internal constituents).
    B2B vs. B2C orientation / disintermediation B2B businesses looking to avoid retail disruption in the future will invest more in B2C / DTC wherever possible.

    Opportunities to disrupt supply chains (i.e. movie studios “breaking” the windows) will emerge.

     

    Societal changes seem highly likely to occur as a consequence of the current crisis, and consumers will change the ways they interact with people and brands for the foreseeable future.  While many behaviours will revert to historical patterns once a vaccine is discovered and distributed, there will be many that will become permanent.  Brands have opportunities in the interim to find new ways to become relevant or maintain relevance.  They will also be able to find new ways to be tangibly helpful as consumers adapt to the new behaviours they will adopt.  Planning for those opportunities now will help brands drive growth in the future as economies eventually and inevitably improve.

     

    Brian Wieser is Global President, Business Intelligence, GroupM. Republished from https://www.groupm.com/changes-following-the-crisis/