Asahi India Glass Ltd. (AIS), has onboarded Enormous Brands, an independent creative agency, to create brand films for its complete doors and windows solutions brand, AIS Windows. With this campaign, AIS Windows is aiming to make a large impact in the doors and windows segment.
Vikram Khanna, CMO and COO – AIS Consumer Glass, Asahi India Glass Ltd. said: ‘What was once a low involvement category in the interior of a home is now taking centre stage. We need communication that is engaging to create an impact in the market. AIS is extremely thrilled to have Enormous on board as our creative partner. We believe that Enormous is an idea-first agency with the right strategy and digital communication balance and that this partnership will help increase our ability to communicate with our target consumers in a more relevant manner.”
Added Ashish Khazanchi, Managing Partner, Enormous Brands: “Asahi India Glass Ltd. (AIS) is a well-known brand in the Indian glass solutions market, and we are extremely honoured to be associated with them. We believe that there is substantial potential in the category and our goal is to make AIS Windows the first choice for system window and door solutions in India. The 3 films are unlike any other in the category, and we have tried to add an element of fun to them while also communicating the offerings of the brand”
Bandhan Bank, headquartered in Kolkata, launches its integrated marketing campaign featuring the Bank’s brand ambassador Sourav Ganguly. The ‘Jahaan Bandhan, Wahaan Trust’ campaign emphasises the ‘trust’ that the brand has been able to earn in a span of seven years as a Bank and over the last two decades in the various avatars prior to the Bank.
The campaign was conceived by Leo Burnett Orchard.
Apurva Sircar, Head – Marketing, Bandhan Bank, said: “Bandhan Bank, in the last seven years, has established its presence in 34 states and union territories, has more than 2.77 crore customers and its book size is nearly Rs.2 lakh crore. This has been possible due to the trust of stakeholders that the Bank has been able to secure. Dada’s (Ganguly’s) life has been witnessed by one and all. While both Dada and Bandhan have origins in West Bengal, both have not let that define them and have established themselves as trusted names across the country and the world, thereby winning the trust of millions. Our campaign draws inspiration from this similar journey of both brands.”
Speaking on the campaign, Pravin Sutar, Head of Creative – Leo Burnett Orchard, added: “There are very few purpose-driven brands across the world and to get to work on them is a privilege. Bandhan Bank’s journey has been exemplary and it needed stand-out storytelling. With Sourav Ganguly, we got the opportunity to create a campaign that seamlessly connects the story of Bandhan Bank and Dada, promising to strike a chord with everyone. We are confident that this piece of work will be memorable and will drive impact for Bandhan Bank.”
The interactive ability of digital and social media has given rise to the concept of Hypertext Marketing. Hypertext Marketing differs from traditional integrated marketing strategy in that it not only integrates a single brand message across multiple media but also draws upon interactive platforms that modify and generate new brand messages.
The integrated brand strategy and management school gathered momentum in the late seventies and early eighties of the twentieth century. It began with the outmoding of Vance Packard’s famous persuasion model of marketing and the resultant “hidden persuader” school of advertising. Instead, brand strategy and management took on a consumer-centric focus on meeting consumer needs rather than manipulating consumer minds through artful advertising.
This evolving school of marketing then further challenged the notion that rational forces and metrics drive markets. This evolving understanding of consumers, market and culture led to the Marketing Semiotics paradigm.
Semiotics focused on the role of emotion and creativity in consumer decision-making and on applying these insights to the strategic planning process.
Marketing Semiotics focuses on three dynamics – a) the semiotic space defined by the product category, b) the relative positions of the competitive brands in this space and c) changing cultural trends that might affect the semiotic space and the positions of brands within this space.
The dynamic interaction between cultural norms, marketing action, and consumer interaction defines the dimensions of a category semiotic space.
For example, in formal Western menswear, research in India has shown that two dimensions define the semiotic space – the Elite-Accessible dimension, Trendy -Traditional. In traditional analysis, this leads to four quadrants for available brand positions – Elite and Trendy. Elite and Traditional, Accessible and Trendy and Accessible and Traditional.
In semiotic analysis, even the negatives of each dimension – Not Elite, Not Accessible, Not Trendy, Not Traditional are considered -leading to ten quadrants of positioning space to be explored. This approach allows for a) more positioning options to emerge, b) for more dimensions to emerge and c), over time, better track cultural shifts affecting the semiotic space as well as brand positions.
Semiotics can lead to more effective marketing communication. In the communication context, marketing communication is defined by its formal and cognitive properties as a medium of consumer persuasion. Semiotics, however, defines marketing communication from the marketing context – as a vehicle for sustaining brand positioning over time, maintaining its competitive distinction and aligning brand message with cultural change.
To sum up, Marketing Semiotics is an approach that creates and builds brands as an integrated and interactive part of the product category code and the broader cultural code within the competitive framework and responds to category and cultural code changes over time.
Combining Hypertext Marketing with Marketing Semiotics allows integration with the ability to respond to interactive platforms.
In her book “Creating Value: The Theory and Practice of Marketing Semantics Research, “ Laura Oswald gives an example of the integrated use of Marketing Semiotics in Hypertext Marketing by Red Bull.
Red Bull used the brand metaphor of “Wings” to signify its core benefits of “Lifts, energises, inspires” and fashioned the advertising theme of “Red Bull Gives You Wings”.
Red Bull decided on the brand tone of “irony” because humor was the most engaging content genre with its core target audience – the young. And within humor – irony had the most upmarket appeal.
Red Bull consolidated its functional position with its consumers by sponsoring extreme sports and high-energy cutting-edge rock music. However, in the Hypertext Marketing context, it needed to find an interactive platform that resonated with its ironic advertising and enhanced the brand’s chosen persona. It did so with the Flugtag events. The basis of Flugtag events was the concept of giving human wings – literally. The event invited teams to build a flying machine solely powered by humans and then demonstrate these at the event by flying over a water body. Most flights lasted less than a minute, with the spectacle of the contestants crashing harmlessly into the water. After a Flugtag event, social media would light up with user-generated content based on videos of the event. The zaniness of the Flugtag event, the ironic advertising on the theme “Red Bull Give You Wings”, and its sponsorship of extreme sports and rock music allowed Red Bull to build and nurture a formidable brand that was equally strong on the functional and emotional dimensions.
Chart from “Creating Value: The Theory and Practice of Marketing Semiotics Research” by Laura Oswald
In my decades in the Indian advertising world, I have seen much change. When television emerged as the primary media in the late nineties, the lingua franca of Indian advertising changed from English to Hindi and other Indian languages. Today as the focus of Indian marketing shifts from mass media to digital media, from linear TV to connected TV, from brick-and-mortar to omnichannel, and from Gen X to Millennials and Gen Z, the process of marketing and marketing communication strategy making needs to shift. Many consumer behavior models that today form the basis of marketing and advertising strategy need to be updated. We need to audit and continuously reframe our understanding of the semiotic and cultural spaces that constitute the operational matrix of our products and brands. Finally, we need to reinvent market research from the silos of quantitative and qualitative, ad hoc and syndicated, and move to a more strategic form of analysis and research that integrates across all marketing mix elements and time.
We must also know and act on the actual value of digital and social media emergence. Most brands across categories solely base their digital and social media strategy on the paradigm of better and more fine-tuned targeting. The big unexploited opportunity that digital and social media platforms offer brands is Hypertext Marketing, which creates a virtuous, brand-building cycle between the brand and the consumer.
India Gate Foods, Basmati Rice Brand from the house of KRBL Ltd, announces its new campaign “Basmati Rice Se No Compromise” with the onset of 2023.
The campaign has been conceptualized and created by CreativelandAsia, the new agency-on-record for KRBL Limited, and features actor Pankaj Tripathi.
Kunal Sharma, Head of Marketing ,KRBL India Ltd said: “With the help of this multi-market brand campaign, India Gate Foods is switching from India Ki Purani Aadat to Basmati Rice Se No Compromise. The world’s No. 1 brand of packaged basmati rice is now occupying the category captain pedestal after utilising various growth levers. Mr. Pankaj Tripathi, who has considerable influence in the Hindi-speaking markets, aids in effectively communicating our point. On the other end of the spectrum, we have massive regional campaigns that have been launched in line with our brand objectives. WB & MH are already available, and additional campaigns targeting particular markets are in development. So, keep this in mind the next time you reach into a bag of rice at your neighbourhood kirana store: never compromise on your loved ones, not even for Basmati rice.”
Okaya Power Group, manufacturers of batteries, has appointed Mullen Lintas as their creative partner to promote their wide range of Ultra Low Maintenance and long-lasting batteries manufactured in most eco-friendly environments. The account will be managed by the Gurgaon office of Mullen Lintas.
Commenting on the association, Arush Gupta, Director, Okaya Batteries said: “We have some ambitious plans for the future and we were looking for a creative partner who could deliver impact and disruption. With Mullen Lintas’ refreshing approach to strategy & creative, we look forward to creating significant market impact for Okaya with Mullen Lintas.”
Speaking about the win, Hari Krishnan, CEO, Mullen Lintas added: “We are thrilled to have been given the opportunity to be the creative arm for Okaya Batteries. It’s a somewhat commoditized category with trade playing a huge role in influencing the purchase decision. Our intent would be to build consideration & preference for Okaya and change the purchase decision process with our ‘Challenger’ approach.”
Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance unveils a 3-week long Organ Donation campaign called #PassItOn. At the centre of the campaign lies a relay marathon called Zindagi Express, which will travel 5,500 Kms across multiple cities in India to raise awareness regarding the dire need for Organ Donation. Besides an extensive BTL activation, the campaign will be supplemented by a robust digital and PR outreach.
For a 4th consecutive year, the life insurer will join hands with Mohan Foundation, an NGO working to improve India’s organ donation landscape since 1997, to augment its awareness efforts.
Abhishek Gupta, Chief Marketing Officer, Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance said: “After sustained digital efforts for the last 3 years, this is the right time to take our awareness efforts to the ground. When we embraced this social cause in 2019, our research showed us personal beliefs were the biggest roadblock in mobilising people for this cause. We, therefore, decided on taking inspiration from something fundamental that has worked well for the life insurance business – counselling people face to face.”
ICICI Prudential Life Insurance announced an association with Suryakumar Yadav, to launch a new digital-first campaign – “360° Financial Protection with ICICI Prudential Life Insurance”.
The campaign’s central message is how ICICI Prudential Life Insurance offers a comprehensive suite of protection products providing all-round life cover that offers 360 degree financial protection in any critical situation, together with trust, dependability and consistency.
Since his international debut, Suryakumar Yadav has quickly risen to emerge as one of the most consistent and dependable batters in the white ball format. The multi-dimensional batter is popularly known as “Mr. 360 degree” for his wide array of shots covering every inch of the field.
Manish Dubey, Chief Marketing Officer, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, said: “We are delighted to partner with Suryakumar Yadav. His commitment – both on and off the field – is admirable. SKY is an inspiration owing to his consistent form and dependability. He is a seamless fit with our brand which has always delivered on its promises and thereby has earned the trust of millions for over two decades. Just like Mr. 360 degree, who has got every shot in the book, our offerings also cater to the customers’ diverse and evolving needs at every stage of life and provides a 360 degree financial protection.”
ITC’s Sunfeast Yippee, Instant Noodles and Pasta brand, has launched a campaign in partnership with an NGO partner, Way For Life, to create awareness among school children on plastic waste management. It unveiled a program ‘YiPPee! Better World Trash-to-Treasure’ program which is consistent with the brand’s mission to instill the attitude of A Better World.
The initiative, curated by YiPPee! is designed to bring behavioural change in 3.5 million students across 100+ cities through on-the-ground awareness programs in schools about plastic waste, its impact on the environment, and strategies to minimize, reuse, and recycle. Through this initiative students are also being encouraged to collect household plastic waste and deposit them at designated collection points in the school. The plastic waste collected will contribute towards the creation of 1000 sets of benches and desks made from recycled plastic which will be deployed in schools that are devoid of this infrastructure.
To date, over 80 recycled benches have been deployed in schools across Bengaluru and the complete deployment is planned to be completed by end of March 2023
Speaking about the initiative, Kavita Chaturvedi, Chief Operating Officer – Snacks, Noodles & Pasta, ITC Foods Division said: “ITC is a global exemplar in sustainability with multi-dimensional initiatives for environmental stewardship and supporting large scale livelihoods. Taking inspiration from our organizational efforts to support the creation of a circular economy for post-consumer packaging waste, Sunfeast YiPPee! has embarked on a journey to create community champions in schools to help reduce, reuse and recycle plastic waste. We are confident that YiPPee!’s Trash-to-Treasure initiative will educate and motivate school children to make a conscious effort towards creating a Better World.”
Muthoot Finance has launched its new campaign that reinforces its unique and core strengths.
The campaign is anchored by actor Amitabh Bachchan, who has been the brand ambassador for the past five years. The new campaign ‘Kholiye Khushiyon Ki Tijori!’ includes four TVCs.
Speaking about the campaign, Alexander George Muthoot, Joint Managing Director, The Muthoot Group, said: “Muthoot Finance has always consciously focused on its own core strengths and key differentiators. We have carefully and consciously built and nurtured some great differentiators and always made efforts to add delight to our customer’s experience with us. The 2.5 Lakh+ customers who are satisfactorily served every single day by our network of 5750+ pan-India branches is one such unparalleled differentiation.”
Talking further about the new campaign, Abhinav Iyer, Senior General Manager – Marketing & Strategy, The Muthoot Group said: “Muthoot Finance has always served as a catalyst that has helped its customers move ahead in life. In general, the gold owned by people stays idle and is not monetised, for reasons like it simply does not cross one’s mind or because of old-world beliefs or social taboos. Our new marketing campaign ‘Kholiye Khusiyon Ki Tijori!’ encourages people to consider Muthoot Finance Gold Loans to realise their dreams and unlock happiness. The campaign nudges loan seekers to unlock their gold lying idle in safes & lockers and in turn let it bring happiness for them by helping them fulfill their personal, family or business needs. In this campaign too we have advocated utilization of this idle lying gold to enable people to do things that can help them move ahead in their lives, giving themselves and their families more happiness and joy. These films have been carefully crafted in an emotive way drawing parallels to real-life emotions that makes them very pleasant for people to relate, despite presenting a core product benefit of Muthoot Finance Gold Loans.”
Fortis Hospitals Mumbai has launched #AtFortisWePledge social media campaign to highlight the importance of self-health for both patients and caregivers.
Said Dr S Narayani, Business Head, Fortis Hospitals Maharashtra: “The purpose of the campaign is to encourage patients and their caregivers to make and follow through on their health-related new year’s resolutions, with support from the doctors & caregivers at Fortis. The aim is to promote self-health and wellness, which will in long run eventually reduce the need for hospitalizations and visits to outpatient clinics. Through this initiative, we intend to inspire individuals to prioritize their health and make choices that promote healthy living, leading to happier and healthier lives”
India’s leading packaged drinking water, Bisleri International, has launched a new quirky campaign for its delivery-at-home offering Bisleri@Doorstep.
Commenting on the digital campaign, Jayanti Chauhan, Vice Chairperson, Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd., said: “It is in our DNA to prioritise consumers’ interests and meet their requirements. During the pandemic-induced lockdown, we were the first consumer goods company to foster the D2C concept and introduced Bisleri @Doorstep. We delivered our products at their homes without them needing to step out. With changing times, consumers are increasingly adopting digital ecosystems and delivery solutions. Through this campaign, we emphasize the ease of ordering Bisleri products online to provide consumers a seamless experience.”
Added Anuraag Khandelwal, CCO – 82.5 Communications: “This film is the first of many for Bisleri’s e-commerce service. In this world of information overload with tons of apps coming into the foray, we wanted to do something simple and sticky to connect with this app native generation.”
Ashok Leyland, the Hinduja Group commercial vehicle manufacturing company, has introduced its new brand tagline “Koi Manzil Door Nahin”. As Ashok Leyland enters its 75th year, the year will see a string of activities, celebrating its journey of innovation and nation-building, notes a communique
Said Dheeraj Hinduja, Executive Chairman, Ashok Leyland, unveiling the new tagline: “I am delighted to launch the new brand positioning for Ashok Leyland “Koi Manzil Door Nahin”. This is an embodiment of what we truly believe – which is, our customers come first and everything that we do is to enable our customers transform their lives and move closer to their dreams and goals through our innovative products and services. In this current environment where everything seems so volatile, we want to reassure our partners and customers, that with us, no dream or destination is too far. We are by their side, like we always have been.”
Added Piyush Pandey, Chairman of Global Creative & Executive Chairman, India, Ogilvy Group: “It is a privilege for me and my team to partner Ashok Leyland, a brand that has partnered India almost all through its nationhood. It is a brand which is not only technologically state-of-the-art, but at a human level, is totally state-of-the-heart. In Ashok Leyland’s endeavour to constantly reach greater heights, we have arrived at the spirit of ‘Koi Manzil Door Nahin’ – the new tagline and the spirit the brand.”
The interactive ability of digital and social media has given rise to the concept of Hypertext Marketing. Hypertext Marketing differs from traditional integrated marketing strategy in that it not only integrates a single brand message across multiple media but also draws upon interactive platforms that modify and generate new brand messages.