By Our Staff
Cutting Crew Studio (CCS), the boutique creative agency has bagged the festive season campaigns for Westside, the clothing retail chain by Trent India Ltd and leading audio brand JBL
Said Vivek Shah, Founder of Cutting Crew Studio: “We are proud to work with brands like Westside and JBL India, for they have entrusted us with their new campaigns. We have burnt some midnight oil to really come up with some extraordinary concepts keeping their TG in mind.
By Our Staff
JBL, an American audio equipment manufacturer, owned by Harman International, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, has assigned its social media mandate to Grapes, an integrated marketing agency. As per the mandate, Grapes will be responsible for the JBL’s social media strategy, planning and execution. The agency will look after content creation and ORM, respectively for the company.
Speaking on the development, Akhil Sethi, Head of Digital Marketing for JBL, Harman India, said: “We are excited to partner with Grapes to further strengthen our social media efforts for JBL in India. The agency perfectly aligns with our vision and we are confident that the collaboration will bring about a unified end result. Our campaign objective lies in creating clear communication that will help us in connecting with customers across demography. We are looking forward towards establishing a powerful brand narrative for JBL through Grapes in the months to come.”
Commenting on the mandate win, Shradha Agarwal, CEO & Co-Founder, Grapes, added: “We’re ecstatic to associate with JBL India as their digital partners. The brand has a legacy of 75 years built on its unmatched sound quality and we are determined to strengthen JBL’s presence further with value-driven engagement, to make it the most preferred audio brand amongst the growing audience base. With social media at the epicentre of our lives, we are keen on taking the brand’s social presence to the next level. While we will continue to leverage the key pillars of the brand like Mute the World, Dare to Listen, the Quantum gaming series etc., we will be focusing on further enhancing the headphones vertical. We are also keen on tapping into the large sound and music loving demography in the country, to build a unique community for the brand. The agency will create innovative campaigns for the brand to establish a strong line of connection with the audience, all aimed at enhancing the recall value of the brand.”
By Our Staff
Havas CX, the Havas Group’s global customer experience network, has launched the X Index Report 2022. The report indicates that trust, inclusivity, always being of service, and going above and beyond are now major factors in creating the most meaningful customer experience.
According to the X Index India report parameters, the #1 brand is Apple followed by Taj Hotels, KIA, MG, Hyundai, OnePlus, Boat, Cult.fit, Michelin and JBL.
Fifty leading brands across 13 categories including retail, fashion, financial services, automotive, entertainment, hospitality, beauty, health, and more were studied from India for the recent study. What’s interesting is that among the six countries also surveyed a year earlier, only India registered a lower overall score in 2021 compared with 2020. The higher scores in the other five markets (China, France, Portugal, UK, and the US) point to rising satisfaction with the customer experience. What this means is that while most geographies were able to leverage the new normal to cement their CX and deliver on consumers’ rising expectations, Indian brands were not as agile to keep up with the rising expectations. This makes it even more critical for Indian brands to now recognise that customer experience is synonymous with brand experience.
For the second consecutive year, brand image has emerged as the strongest competitor to the X Index, representing 46% of India’s score. This hints at the fact that while ecosystems and the touchpoints were expanded during this new normal, brands also need to maintain continuous engagement to reinforce their image while also making it part of their CX.
Despite heavy customer experience investments by brands, there’s still room for improvement with only a global average of 40% of consumers thinking the brands they interact with are “cantered on their needs as a customer.” This year’s research reveals that increased consumer expectations around trust, sustainability, and inclusivity are now impacting the evaluation of customer experience, with brands being assessed on the concrete actions they deliver to create a welcoming experience for all – shifting the traditional idea of customer experience to citizen experience.
Said Prashant Tekwani, EVP & Business Head, Havas CX India & Havas Worldwide, West: “The pandemic has brought about a sea-change in consumer shopping behaviour. Brands now need to evolve their thinking from customer experience to citizen experience by making seamlessness and inclusivity their priority. According to the latest X Index report, India is the only country to register a lower overall score in 2021 in comparison to 2020. There is a gap that needs addressing for brands in India to score high in the CX journey. This shows how the understanding of the evolving expectation of the consumers is critical to maintaining the health of CX, growth and brand imagery. While meeting functional criteria around seamlessness, simplicity, and efficient customer service, brands must also go the extra mile to make a lasting impression in their customers’ minds.”
Added Sumeer Mathur, National Strategy Head & Managing Partner, Havas Worldwide India: “Interestingly, out of all the parameters that we measure to arrive at a final score, the Brand image has emerged as the strongest contributor to the X Index, representing 46% of India’s score. This hints at the fact that while ecosystems and the touchpoints were expanded during this new normal, brands also need to maintain continuous engagement to reinforce their image while also making it part of their CX. Conversely, it could also mean that Indian brands are under leveraging other parameters and relying too heavily on the brand image alone to determine the customer experience.”
The X Index identified four key principles to create a best-in-class citizen experience:
Trust comes first: Brand trust is the most powerful denominator around the globe in the customer journey. Brands build trust by keeping their commitments to customers and being there in times of crisis. For example, brands that optimized their shopping experience during the COVID-19 pandemic saw better results; these optimizations included moving many traditionally in-person services online (consultations, etc.), and taking advantage of new platforms to integrate community building and social components. Brands also build trust with transparent business practices and by making commitments to social causes.
Build an all-inclusive experience: For customer experience to become a citizen experience, brands must be inclusive. According to the X Index, consumers evaluate brands at every step of the journey, including the way they treat their frontline employees, foster inclusivity and break taboos in representation and marketing. Inclusivity also means enabling customers to participate in a community, with some brands introducing forums, clubs, and apps for customers to connect and interact with each other.
Always be of service: Customer service is now defined by the speed of reaction to customer demands. It is one of the key discriminating factors. In addition, when it comes to staff and salespeople, consumers not only expect them to be efficient but also knowledgeable.
Provide for the age of extra: When it comes to satisfying customers, going the extra mile is of paramount importance for brands. A key part of going above and beyond in making sure the experience feels extra personal.
By Our Staff
JBL has announced the launch of new true wireless (TWS) earbuds Wave 100 with a new digital brand campaign #JBLGOESTOPLESS conceptualised by Havas Creative.
Talking about the film, Yogesh Nambiar – Head of Marketing at Harman India, said: “When it comes to making new inroads into a product segment with cut-throat competition, the choices that a brand makes are crucial to the outcome. With this year’s launch of the JBL Wave 100 TWS, we have taken the top down approach, quite literally. It features our first ever lidless design in the TWS segment coupled with yet another first, offering two distinct sound modes. We adopted an unprecedented route with the tagline- ‘JBL Goes Topless’. Needless to say, we are thoroughly excited about the campaign and expect to make waves in the category. We hope that music lovers will pop it, fit it, and groove with it.”
Commenting on the creative strategy, Bobby Pawar, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Havas Group India, added: “JBL is creating new ground with its unique product offerings, and we’re proud to be part of it. We wanted to show the product as a mirror of youth, vivid and bold, therefore we gave it a catchy and fresh feel. The idea behind this film was to give individuals access to technology, improve their lives through music, and encourage them to pursue their dreams.”
By A Correspondent
Actor Sara Ali Khan has been chosen as the new JBL brand ambassador. Sara celebrates her association with the brand through a new commercial that captures the imagination of the youth with high-octane graphics, and words inspired by Gen-Y.
Said Vikram Kher, Vice-President, Lifestyle Audio, Harman India: “The youth of the country is at the core of everything we do at JBL and Sara embodies the spirit of the young and restless. Her no-holds-barred approach has already made her a role model amongst Gen-Y and the association with JBL will take her influence a step further. Our campaign ‘Live it real, Live it raw’ featuring cultural icons like Sara Ali Khan and Ranveer Singh, is a tribute to the young spirit of India. We are proud of the work we are doing that speaks the language of the youth, challenges norms and peels back conformist attitudes.”
By A Correspondent
JBL has unveiled its new film featuring actor Ranveer Singh urging consumers to ‘Live it real and Live it raw’..
Said Vikram Kher, Vice President- Lifestyle Audio, Harman India: “The new brand film is a true representation of JBL’s uncompromising quality and Ranveer Singh’s indomitable spirit. It is a powerful celebration of the raw potential of our youth and reflects their fearless attitude,”. JBL has always urged its consumers to dare and reach out for the best and the film brings to life our philosophy with perfection. We are confident that the youth across the country will love the uplifting feel inspired by the message.”
By A Correspondent
Dentsu India Slingshot has bagged the creative and media duties for Harman Kardon and JBL. As part of the mandate, the agency will now handle marketing communications, campaign design and media planning for the brands won.
Said Simi Sabhaney, CEO, Dentsu India: “It was music to my ears to hear the news of winning the communication and media mandate for both Harmon Kardon and JBL. We are proud to associate with them.”
In a joint statement, Kunal Dubey, VP & Head of Business, and Lucky Saini, VP Digital & Marketing Solutions, Dentsu India Slingshot added: “Harman Kardon and JBL are both iconic brands from the house of Harman. Winning the end-to-end media, communications and strategy mandate of both these brands is a big victory for us. It enables us to think holistically on brand building. We are extremely excited to partner with them on this journey. Our aim is to create iconic work that not just builds the brand but also propels the business forward.”
Speaking on the partnership, Yogesh Nambiar, Head, Marketing, Harman India added: “We were on the lookout for an integrated agency that could manage the end-to-end marketing mandate for our key brands – Harman Kardon and JBL. In Dentsu Slingshot, we found a team that had the capabilities and unique business model to effectively manage these requirements. Our outlook for the coming future is bullish and we are excited to partner with Slingshot while we seek exponential growth for our business in India.”
By A Correspondent
Harman Kardon International, which operates brands Infinity and JBL in India, has awarded its integrated communication mandate to Havas Creative India for its recently launched brand Infinity. The agency has been selected to handle both online and offline platforms and won the mandate on the back of a multi – agency pitch.
As part of the mandate, the agency will be responsible for creative strategy and execution. The business will be handled by the agency’s Delhi office.
Speaking on the win, Manas Lahiri, Managing Partner – North, Havas Gurgaon: “We are looking forward to work with leading global company like Harman Kardon. With our Havas’ integrated Village model, we will continue to provide clients with seamless and agile business solutions. The category is very competitive and dynamic, but with our “Better Together” strategy which offers integrated outcome-oriented strategy and results, we would be able to drive revenue growth and brand preference in India.”
By A Correspondent
Actor Ranveer Singh has been roped in as the new brand ambassador of JBL globally. The actor will endorse an exciting new range of JBL’s consumer audio products in the coming months. Singh will also participate in a series of marketing initiatives to further strengthen JBL’s dominance in the country.
Said Pradeep Chaudhry, Country Manager, Harman India: “No one can represent the true spirit and energy of JBL better than Ranveer Singh. His captivating personality, contagious drive, and incredible talent make him a true JBL ambassador. Apart from being a powerhouse of acting, Ranveer is contributing to the music ecosystem in India and we can’t wait to take this collaboration to the next level.”