Ravi Shastri has become the new brand ambassador for FanCode, digital sports destination. Shastri will bring out FanCode’s ‘fan-first’ proposition by leading the upcoming campaigns for these properties.
Welcoming the new ambassador, Yannick Colaco, Co-Founder of FanCode, said: “We are delighted to have Ravi Shastri onboard as our brand ambassador. Ravi is one of few sports personalities who has experienced success as a player, a coach and a broadcast analyst, and this has helped him develop a deep connection with casual and die-hard sports fans alike.”
GoDaddy has launched a new India marketing campaign focusing on the benefits of creating an online presence.
Speaking on the campaign, Nikhil Arora, VP & MD, GoDaddy India, said: “At GoDaddy, we aim to bring small, micro, and medium businesses across India, online. With rapid digitisation, we encourage business owners to think about new avenues to be seen by consumers as they build a website and create an online presence for their business. The campaign is our way of raising awareness with India’s SMBs and MSMEs to make the most out of having an online presence. We want to encourage women entrepreneurs to take the plunge with entrepreneurship and make an impact in their local area and around the world. At GoDaddy we aim to uplift the spirits of entrepreneurship and helps them to create, grow and manage their businesses with the help of our online tools and services .”
Strengthening its leadership team, UpGrad, the edtech firm, has announced the appointment of Rakesh Raju as the Director of Brand Marketing. In
Welcoming Raju to his new role, Ankit Khirwal – Head of Marketing, UpGrad said: “We are elated to have Rakesh Raju on board. His business prowess and experience in leading brands’ marketing efforts make him an ideal choice for UpGrad, especially at a time when we are growing by leaps and bounds and such strategic hirings shall further help us to drive maximum campaign-performance efficiencies.”
Bajaj Pulsar prepared to add two new bikes to its roster – the P250 Brooklyn Black and N160 Brooklyn Black – with the emulation of an ‘eclipse’ across its Instagram page. For an entire week, Pulsar’s Instagram feed showcased a moon with phases of an actual eclipse. Amidst the shadow, a silhouette of a bike emerged, enticing viewers about a likely launch, soon to be revealed.
Notes a communique: “With each passing day the eclipse phased closer to completion, unveiling a clearer glimpse of the upcoming mystery bike. For the next two days, the audiences were kept eagerly waiting for the moon to be entirely eclipsed. Finally, after a week-long wait, the viewers were treated to the all-new N160 Brooklyn Black on June 22 and then the P250 Brooklyn Black on June 24.”
Sharp Sight Eye Hospitals has roped in Film and OTT actors Sheeba Chaddha and Shishir Sharma as its new brand ambassadors.
Said Deepshikha Sharma, CEO of Sharp Sight Eye Hospitals said, “This is a great association. Sheeba Chaddha and Shishir Sharma are renowned actors and popular faces who believe in the Sharp Sight ideology. Sharp Sight envisages a world where there is no blindness and will continuously strive ahead to reach out to more people and benefit them through our various programs. With this alliance, we have found astrong voice from both the stars to reiterate our own ideology to a larger audience. Sharp Sight and I, warmly welcome both of them as a part of our family.”
Digital pet care startup Supertails.com launched a thought-starter campaign, ‘A rainbow logo won’t change that’.
Although Pride month was observed in June, Supertails chose to start the campaign at the end of the month- to address the the need to live Pride 365 days of the year.
Said Varun Sadana, Co-founder of Supertails: “As a pet company, it would have been easy to stay off this conversation and wash our logo with some colors. But we built Supertails to be about doing better. And we cannot do that by being compliant to the norm- so we opened up our platform to asking questions, albeit with a twist.”
Nissan India has appointed Mohan Wilson as Director Marketing, Product & Customer Experience, for Business Transformation for India market. Mohan Wilson replaces Sriram Padmanabhan and has taken over the role effective July 1, 2022.
Wilson will report to Rakesh Srivastava, Managing Director, Nissan Motor India, and will be based in Chennai. Meanwhile, Sriram Padmanabhan, who has overseen the launch of the Nissan Magnite in India as Director Marketing, Product & Customer Experience has been appointed Director Marketing, Product & Customer Experience for Nissan Motor Australia. In this newly created role, Sriram will report to Adam Paterson, Managing Director Nissan Australia and will be based in Australia.
Added Srivastava: “Sriram has been an asset for Nissan India with strong contribution towards successful launch of Big, Bold, Beautiful Nissan Magnite under Nissan Next with Nissan Magnite generating a tremendous customer response with over 1 lakh bookings and receipt of the Global Nissan President’s Award. We welcome Mr Mohan Wilson to Nissan Motor India, his global exposure on premium cars would be key to build Nissan brand with focus on customer experience on Nissan NEXT transformation.”
TTK Healthcare launched D2C sexual pleasure fulfilment sex toys e-superstore called Love Depot. The launch campaign #ThePleasureIsAllYours crafted by ‘The Glitch’ was released across select digital platforms. To watch the film, click here. It only plays on YouTube, as it is an age-restricted video (based on Community Guidelines).
The film showcases the range of sex toys you can buy at Love Depot. It shows a spectrum of pleasure tactics amplified with sex toys. In the process, it highlights individual choices when it comes to sexual pleasure.
Sexual Wellness Market
As per earlier estimates the global sexual wellness market was valued at $74 billion in 2019 and expected to be $108 billion in 2027 and expected to grow at CAGR 4.62% between 2021 to 2027. Sexual wellness includes products like Intimate Hygiene, female & make grooming, sexual wellness, delay sprays, sex enhancer supplements, sex toys and pleasure products. Another report by Allied market Research places the sexual wellness market to be $2.09 billion by 2030 this report pegged 2020 market in India at $1.15 billion.
Lack of Sex Education
One does not need research in the social and culturally constrained Indian environment where there is a lack of sex education. Even though it is the land of Kamasutra, it is the land of heightened, oppressed and unexpressed sexual fantasies. Forget access to sex toys. Anything other than typical traditional accepted positions and demands – everything else is abnormal, unaccepted and seen as unnatural.
There is a massive chasm in the expectation and experience of sexual fulfilment. Understanding sex as a duty, a responsibility, and a way of giving birth to the next generation overpowers the need for sexual pleasure.
Sexual Pleasure slowly getting its Due
The current generation is slowly breaking these clutches. They are willing to express their individuality and choice and demand a new height of sexual pleasure, even if it includes using sex toys individually or with a partner.
The TTK survey points out that over 81% of the women are dissatisfied with their sexual life, and 71 never experienced climax. Understandingly the range of products in the Vulva owner section is more. And no doubt there is an equal percentage on the male side that has other problems.
In the Indian context, there is limited awareness of sex toys, which are considered more for personal use. The film does not miss the opportunity to break the misconception by pointing out that sex toys can even help couples reach a new level of pleasure. A visit to the site has me educated on the range and kind of toys that are available.
I admire the head of the marketing Vishal Vyas, TTK Healthcare, categorically introducing a few things while making the statement. He says, “Love Depot is built on one of the cornerstones of sexual wellness that we often let fall between the cracks: pleasure. … everyone deserves to seek and conquer the peaks of sexual fulfilment. It is structured to provide the shopper, regardless of gender identity or sexual preferences – an empowering experience, offering both choice and control. And it’s driven by a single-minded purpose – to close the pleasure deficit in the market”. One single statement that tells the story of the market.
LoveDepot.com
The site Lovedepot.com is well-designed. And as expected opens only after over 18 self-declaration. The copy like ‘we ship pleasure you manufacture it’, ‘Invite a little pleasure’, ‘Its official pleasure has an address’ and ‘Invite a little pleasure’ is to the mark.
Interestingly and rightly, a small quiz helps you choose the right product. I like the way the site asks you a simple question. The choice is, Are you a penis owner or a Vulva owner, instead of the usual Male or Female. And the section Penis love- starts with a cliché- why should girls have all the fun?
But choosing a sex toy until you have researched or know what you want is confusing. For example, the male section or the penis owners have multiple filters. So decide if you want a toy that is powered, non-powered or rechargeable. ABS plastic or silicon. Brands like Bathmate, fifty shades of grey, Satisfier and Tenga and Skore. And if you were looking for a masturbator or a penis pump.
Each product has sections like product details, features, how to use, faqs and user review. I feel it is underplayed and needs more information. Some seem more complicated, and as the how-to-use does not come with graphic visual or illustrative details, it can hold people back.
The user review seems a suspect, with the reviews’ names and dates looking like more of a copywriter job. And some of the text with Pheromone Activating Spray could be exaggerated and misleading product performance in case it was a press ad. Check it out; it is written well.
Delivery of Sex Toys
Love Depot promises attractively packaged products discretely delivered. But is silent on Pick-up space or time slots when the person can get them without worrying about others knowing. A long time back, some company (I don’t recall the name) tried marketing a limited range of sex toys but did not pick them up due to delivery issues. Maybe Love Depot has done the homework. Without a clear explanation of the process, the customer hesitancy will hold much back.
One has seen some of the sexual wellness products prominently displayed in large medical stores, but that is just awareness build-up. In a country where buying of sanitary napkins and condoms is still seen as a task, sexual wellness products have a long way to go. The digital platform for discovery- education and purchase will help the category. The dependence on the street shops for these products will drop with the ease of purchase on e-commerce.
Pricing is no Issue
Price is something that will not work as a deterrent in the market. As such, Love Depot has many international brands and its own products offered across a wide range of price points. The brand has always been at the forefront of the male contraceptive brand like Skore– keeping the pleasure component high.
Educating Prosumers and Consumers on Sex Toys
There has to be a lot more to address the choice-control and awareness of the toys and their proper usage. The act of getting Dr Tanaya Narendra (@dr_cuterus) on social media to co-create educational content for the consumer is the right step. And the thought that the doctor amplifies is absolutely right, “We must leave shame behind and empower people with what they necessarily have to know about their sexual needs. I am quite excited to be partnering with Love Depot, which will not merely be a product marketplace but will also be a platform that makes all visitors aware of their entitlement to pleasure, and at the same time, educates them on the role of innovative and contemporary pleasure-providing products”.
However, the prefix doctor educating the consumer makes it a problem. The brand may do itself and its customers good by extending the base and including an easy-to-relate character more like a confidant without a doctor prefix. Unfortunately, the best educator ambassador in this area- Sunny Leone, is with the competition- Manforce.
The Indian masses are not fully aware of sec toy usage. They are a curious lot, and the curiosity could lead to some mishaps.
Net-net
TTK takes another step to be ahead in the business of sexual pleasure. They need a lot more to do to educate the consumer. Initially ensuring discreet deliveries and building on acceptance of the products. Maybe some more product placements in OTT could help. Possibly restricted videos could be of help. But much more must be done to make it gain wider acceptance and drop the stigma of talking about or using it.
It might help to focus more on individual usage. As couple usage, in a way, hints at some lack of capabilities on the partner’s part to satisfy. Women feel inadequate to suggest, and the man is not inclined to offer anyway. So, it is. Catch-22 situation.
Said Pragun Jindal Khaitan, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Jindal Aluminium Ltd: “Our new logo and brand identity are in line with how the organisation has grown across five decades. Our approach over all these years has been to follow a bold and synergetic diversification model of organic growth without wavering from our core business competency. The changes to our logo and brand identity significantly represent the Jindal Aluminium of today and the pride that we take in our legacy. As an organisation, we felt the need to bring together, an idea of our journey and where we are headed. Thus, the change not only showcases what the company has always stood for as a brand, and its support for people, society and the economy but also provides a glimpse of future possibilities.”
Digistreet Media has bagged the digital mandate for Karara Ceramics in a multi-agency pitch. It will be managing the extensive external communication and handling the digital identity of the brand.
Commenting on the win, Darpan Sharma, CEO, DigiStreet Media, said: “We are thrilled to collaborate with Karara Ceramics. Our partnership with them is the testimony of the consistent hard work that we put across for every brand. We are aligning our strategies to showcase the brand’s legacy of more than 50 years, delivering the right communication mix to retain transparency, build credibility and sustain trust amongst the stakeholders.”
Added Vijay Garg, Managing Director, Karara Ceramics: “Our offerings and strong presence have carved a niche in the global market. We aspire to connect with our customers to channel a deeper bond and spread information among our desired target audience. With a digital marketing agency showcasing a track record of creating ideas beyond convention, we are certain that our relations with our stakeholders will continue to strengthen and help us build a credible digital identity that everyone trusts. We are happy to onboard DigiStreet Media as our digital communication partner.”
Mars has launched the India extension of its #HereToBeHeard campaign. In 2021, Mars asked 10,000 women in 88 countries across intersections – race, age, sexuality, employment status, disability and more – one question: What needs to change so that more women can reach their full potential? The respondents, including 250 from India, called for systematic change from employers, colleagues, government, communities and men to break the patriarchal barriers in their path to growth and success.
Said Kalpesh Parmar, Country General Manager, Mars Wrigley, India: “For generations, women have fulfilled many roles to the exclusion of what they stand for as individuals. Education and awareness have shifted that mindset, but deep-rooted ideologies persist even in evolved societies. Even today, women, irrespective of their backgrounds and upbringing, face bias and discrimination. It is necessary to voice women’s opinions and advocate their desire for a better, more inclusive society. We plan to do that by extending our #HereToBeHeard campaign in India. Mars believes that ‘The world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today’ and this includes advocating for an inclusive society. We invite women to respond to the survey so we can amplify it to help organizations, government bodies, communities and people understand what changes the women of India are seeking. The responses will inform the concrete actions Mars will undertake – within its value chain and in the broader society – to close the gender opportunity gap.”
In the initial phase of #HeretoBeHeard, women’s opinions will be collected over three months after which the submissions will be analysed by LeadCap Research. The results will be shared in a report and will inform the action plans and policies of Mars as part of its advocacy and commitment to unlock opportunities for women.
Sebamed, the German personal care brand, has launched a campaign with the theme “Face Wash Nahi Treat Karo” for its acne care portfolio.
Commenting on the same Shashi Ranjan, Head, Consumer business said: “Beauty & Personal care is a key growth driver for us. We are thrilled to make more strides in this segment and to bring global expertise to the Indian consumers. Acne is a common problem encountered by a large percentage of our population at some point in their lives. Sebamed’s range of acne care products are highly efficacious which helps in getting rid of acne, hence through this campaign our goal is to provide reassurance to our consumers and bring back their confidence”
Added Jaydeep Shah, Marketing Head for Sebamed brands in India: “Staying true to Sebamed’s core proposition of #SirfScienceKiSuno, the campaign talks about how Sebamed Clear face foam has been scientifically formulated in a new format (foam instead of wash) , which not only stops acne but also prevents recurrence. We are sure it will resonate well with the discerning customers”
Said Dhaval Jadwani, Business Head, The Womb: “Sebamed Clear face foam is scientifically proven to stop acne and prevent them from reoccurring. The product formulation works best when massaged and kept on for 3-minutes for the science to work. Our focus was to deliver this message in simple, yet in an interesting manner. We created ‘Face wash, nahi treat karo” to shine the light on the right product and its right usage”
Ravi Shastri has become the new brand ambassador for FanCode, digital sports destination. Shastri will bring out FanCode’s ‘fan-first’ proposition by leading the upcoming campaigns for these properties.
TTK Healthcare launched D2C sexual pleasure fulfilment sex toys e-superstore called Love Depot. The launch campaign #ThePleasureIsAllYours crafted by ‘The Glitch’ was released across select digital platforms. To watch the film, click here. It only plays on YouTube, as it is an age-restricted video (based on Community Guidelines).