MxMIndia

Tag: Vineet Gupta

  • Unveils its new brand campaign with the brand message; the more you know, the better you sleep

    Wakefit urges Indians to sleep better in latest ad

    By A Correspondent

     

    Wakefit.co has unveiled its new brand campaign, #KnowMoreSleepBetter. With India being deemed the second most sleep-deprived country by a global study and internal studies by Wakefit.co revealing that one in five Indians believe they have insomnia, sleep-related disorders have become a pertinent lifestyle ailment.

     

    Speaking on the launch of the new campaign, Chaitanya Ramalingegowda, Director and Co-founder, Wakefit.co, said: “The sleep industry in India is pegged at INR10,000 crore (growing to INR14,000 crore by 2021), yet there is little innovation in this space. We have witnessed disruption in the nutrition and exercise segments of wellness but sleep has so far been ignored due to the lack of visually appealing representation in the space. The idea of the campaign was to create a world around sleep that is inhabited by cool and likeable characters who are eager to unravel the mysteries of sleep and present it in a simple and digestible form  The campaign strongly aligns with our brand ethos of making great quality sleep accessible to people across India.”

     

    Added Vineet Gupta, Founding Partner, Spring Marketing Capital on collaborating with Wakefit as its brand partners, for this and future campaigns: “Sleep is one of the most important factors impacting a person’s health, productivity and success. However in today’s world, sleep is often de-prioritised, taken for granted and riddled with misconceptions. Wakefit was founded as a sleep solutions company and aims to bring sleep back into the consciousness and conversation of Indian consumers. We are thrilled to partner Wakefit in their journey of building a brand that is meaningful, fun and differentiated.”

     

    Added Anand Chakravarthy, Managing Director, Essence, Wakefit’s integrated media agency: “Wakefit is a truly innovative brand that is disrupting the space of sleep solutions with its unique technology, service delivery and product offerings. This product segment will never be the same again, with consumers being the ultimate winners. We are truly excited to partner with the team at Wakefit and bring our media, data and measurement capabilities to help build the brand and drive business.”

     

     

  • The campaign has been conceptualized and created by 22feet Tribal Worldwide

    Tanishq launches campaign titled #HeeronMeinHeera

    By A Correspondent

     

    Jewellery brand Tanishq has launched a campaign on how today’s customer should keep a set of pointers in mind when investing to buy diamonds. The film encapsulates the set of emotions one carries within when he/she is buying a diamond and how Tanishq takes care in order to give their customers nothing less than a perfect Solitaire- a true #HeeronMeinHeera.

     

    Created by 22feet Tribal Worldwide, the film #TanishqPromises shows a Tanishq jeweller at Tanishq Diamond centre, speaking about the symbolisation of diamond to that of a person who you give your heart to.

     

    Said Deepika Tewari, AVP- Marketing, Tanishq, on the film: “Diamonds and solitaires are an expression of celebration and exclusivity. However, the quality of solitaires is very difficult to ascertain and there isn’t a lot of information in the marketplace for customers to rely on. Through this campaign, we took it a responsibility to really address the situation by bringing ahead pointers that consumers need to keep in mind when investing in diamonds. We at Tanishq have eight stringent parameters that we follow to ensure all our diamonds are immaculate. Everyone deserves to live their perfect diamond dream and we at Tanishq offer them #HeeronMeinHeera, it is a #TanishqPromise.”

     

    Speaking on the film, Vineet Gupta, Group CEO, DDB Mudra Group said: “Tanishq is undoubtedly India’s largest, most trusted and fastest growing jewelry brand. This has been possible because this brand has always stayed true to its promise of purity and superior creations. Our intent with this film was to bring out this very fact, while educating the consumers about Tanishq’s strict, multi- step selection process for their solitaires.”

     

     

  • In this role, Deepak will be overseeing the Group’s growth agenda with special focus on Technology, Data and Analytics

    DDB Mudra Group appoints its first Chief Growth Officer

    By A Correspondent

     

    Deepak Nair

    The DDB Mudra Group has announced the appointment of Deepak Nair as the group’s first Chief Growth Officer. Along with this position, Nair will also manage the responsibilities of 22feet Tribal Worldwide as its Chief Executive Officer.

     

    In this role, Deepak will be overseeing the Group’s growth agenda with special focus on technology, data and analytics.

     

     

    Vineet Gupta

    Speaking on the appointment, Vineet Gupta, CEO, DDB Mudra Group said, “The world has changed and we acknowledge that. We also realize the importance of growth – not just for the clients we partner with, but also for our people. I am excited to welcome Deepak on board as the Chief Growth Officer. Deepak is an entrepreneur at heart and has been an incredible partner in the 22feet story. I am confident that his passion for building teams, capabilities and collaborations will help us take progressive leaps towards being increasingly relevant in today’s world.”

     

    Said Nair on his appointment:“In an evolving advertising landscape and a digitally mature marketplace, the opportunity to be a part of the DDB Mudra Group’s growth story is incredibly exciting. I look forward to collaborating with Vineet, to create a future-ready partner for our clients across the group while continuing to drive innovative technology solutions & growth for our clients at 22feet Tribal Worldwide.”

     

  • Yes, it will be one soon with Sonal Dabral announcing his departure, and Rahul Mathew and Brijesh Jacob taking on the creative mantle + quick chat with Sonal Dabral

    An all-new top deck at DDB Mudra…

     

    By A Correspondent

    Starting tomorrow, July 1, the offices of the DDB Mudra Group will have an all-new top deck. The process began on April 1, when Vineet Gupta, earlier the Chief Digital Officer was appointed as Group CEO (Designate) and Aditya Kanthy, earlier Chief Strategy Officer was appointed Group Managing Director (Designate). Effective tomorrow,  Gupta and Kanthy will formally take over as Group CEO and Group Managing Director respectively. Giving them company will be a new National Creative Director in Rahul Mathew and Brijesh Jacob as Chief Creative Technologist. Jacob will continue to be Joint Managing Director at 22feet Tribal Worldwide. Meanwhile, Madhukar Kamath will stay on as Executive Chairman till December 31 and Sonal Dabral will continue to be Chairman and Chief Content Officer till September 30.

     

    I still think I am 28: Sonal DabralSonal Dabral

    So what precipitated Sonal Dabral’s decision to move on from the DDB Mudra group? After all, he has been – other than Madhukar Kamath – the face of the agency, and a very celebrated creative person in the Indian advertising industry.

    Just recently present in at least two international award events, Dabral is one of the few Indian creative honchos who has had a long leadership experience at an international level. His past has seen him hosting television shows, and his interests include film direction and the finer things in advertising, honed as they have been at the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.

    Late on Thursday, Dabral had tweeted to a contact: “Bravo! Live your dream…” So when MxMIndia spoke with Dabral hours after the story was officially out, we asked whether we could say the same to him now. He said it’s been in the offing for a while has been “thinking about it for some time”.

    Dabral is tightlipped about his plans post September and will announce them in a fortnight to a month – perhaps sooner. We then asked him the sensitive question: did the entry of the new regime at DDB Mudra lead him to quitting the group. The fact that they are much younger than him, with lesser experience and of course there’s a change of guard in the agency with Madhukar Kamath also moving on? “The new team is excellent and I have worked very closely with them – both Adithya and Vineet.” It’s got nothing to do with their taking on larger roles, he said. And when we asked the same question in a different way, he pointed to being not being fazed by these things. “I still think I am 28!”

    A mail sent to all DDB Mudra employees on Friday (today) records Dabral’s contribution to shaping the group and “bringing it to where it currently stands”, adding: “His humility and passion reflects in the work we do…. I don’t think we can thank him enough.” The next line in the mail refers to the transition: “He has been fully invested in this decision and I have no doubt that he will provide all the guidance and support…”

    Whatever be the reasons for the parting of ways, both Dabral and the rest of the DDB Mudra dispensation have ensured it’ll be smooth and happy.

    Meanwhile, what will Agra boy Sonal Dabral do next? There are some who do know what it’s gonna be. We don’t. Now will be do an ‘agracadabra’, as is Twitter handle? Watch this space.

     

     

    The fresh change  has happened with Sonal Dabral, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra Group, announcing a transition in the group’s creative leadership.  To facilitate a seamless transition, both Jacob and Mathew will be working closely with Dabral until end September 2017, after which he will pass the baton. It may be recalled as per the earlier announcement, Kamath will continue to work closely with Gupta and Kanthy as Executive Chairman of the DDB Mudra Group till end December, 2017.

    Both Mathew and Jacob will jointly lead the overall creative product of the Group and will report to Gupta.

    In his new role, Mathew will be responsible for the creative product of the DDB Mudra West while Jacob will be responsible for the creative mandate of the DDB Mudra North, DDB Mudra South, DDB MudraMax (Media, OOH and Experiential) and 22feet Tribal Worldwide. As mentioned earlier, this will be in addition to Jacob’s existing role as the Joint Managing Director, 22feet Tribal Worldwide.

    Speaking on the transition, Sonal Dabral said in a statement: “I have enjoyed my five years in the DDB Mudra Group, working with a great young team here. I’m happy that in the past few years, we were able to put together a strong creative team with able leaders in all the different entities and offices of the Group. As I move on from the DDB Mudra Group to different creative challenges, I’m excited to announce that Rahul Mathew and Brijesh Jacob will now take on the mantle of leading the creative at the Group. Both Rahul and Brij are very experienced creative leaders and will make a strong combination to lead the Group. Where Rahul brings his storytelling and advertising experience to the table, Brij’s experience with technology and new media, which comes from him leading 22feet Tribal Worldwide for over a decade; makes them a strong combination for any client’s business. I will work closely with both of them over the next few months, to ensure a smooth transition. I wish Rahul, Brij and DDB Mudra Group all the very best.”

    Dabral had joined DDB Mudra with much fanfare in March 2012.

    A little about Mathew: He joined DDB Mudra West in 2014 as the Creative Head. Since then, he has worked closely with Dabral and Rajiv Sabnis, Managing Partner, DDB Mudra West to innovate the agency’s product and to create work for the agency’s diverse client roster including brands like Big Bazaar, Century Ply, Godrej, Lipton, Johnson and Johnson, Volkswagen and Symphony to name a few

    And about Jacob: He started with Rediffusion Y&R and after being ECD at Grey, in 2009 he co-founded 22feet, which was later acquired by DDB Mudra.

     

  • Gupta and Kanthy will take in phases. In full control wef July 1. Kamath will continue till end-December

    It’s official. Vineet Gupta & Aditya Kanthy to take over from Madhukar Kamath at DDB Mudra

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    When we first got wind of this a few month back, we were surprised ourselves. Well, almost. So we asked our contactpoint at the Omnicom-owned agency, and she feigned ignorance and asked how could it be…

     

    But it was clear that the transition was happening. Madhukar Kamath, longstanding Group CEO and Managing Director of the DDB Mudra Group, was moving on. He had taken additional charge as head of MICA in Ahmedabad. That was to be his future, along with some allied ventures.

     

    So one thought the baton would be passed on to SonalDabral who is officially the second-in-command. Creative guru, well-respected in the industry and he was designated: Chairman and Chief Creative Officer.

     

    Or would it be someone imported from the DDB fold from elsewhere in the world.

     

    But first read the news, and then let’s try and interpret it for you: “Madhukar Kamath, Group CEO and MD, DDB Mudra Group, has announced a phased leadership transition for the group. Effective April 1, 2017, Vineet Gupta, currently Chief Digital Officer, DDB Mudra Group will be appointed as Group CEO (Designate) and Aditya Kanthy, currently Chief Strategy Officer, DDB Mudra Group will be appointed as Group Managing Director (Designate). Effective July 1, 2017, Gupta and Kanthy will formally take over as Group CEO and Group Managing Director respectively. To facilitate a seamless transition, Kamath will continue to work closely with Gupta and Kanthy as Executive Chairman of the DDB Mudra Group, till end-December, 2017.”

     

    Rather than appoint an oldie into the system, DDB Mudra has chosen those who have age to their advantage. Both Gupta and Kanthy are under 40.

     

    But it also clearly sends a message on the shape of things to come. By appointing Vineet Gupta as Group CEO, DDB Mudra has clearly underscored its thrust on digital. Gupta, it may be recalled, entered the system only when he 22feet, his digital marketing agency, was acquired by DDB Mudra in February 2014 (the report). Last year, in end-August to be precise, along with Kanthy, Gupta was elevated as Chief Digital Officer. Kanthy, who has been part of the system for 14 years was appointed as Chief Strategy Officer (the report).

     

    It also sends a clear message to SonalDabral and other seniors in the system. That DDB Mudra may be a creative-led agency, but it’s digital and data and P/L management that are the future.

     

    Here’s what Chuck Brymer, CEO, DDB Worldwide said in a statement: “Madhukar and I have been working on the transition process for over the past year. We have undertaken a fairly comprehensive evaluation of talent, both externally and internally, and I am glad that we’ve identified the new leadership team from within the Organisation. The transition process couldn’t begin at a better time, with 2016 being one of the best years for the DDB Mudra Group in terms of both revenue and margin growth. Both are immensely talented, business oriented and client focused. They bring together diverse skillsets of growing businesses by building and leading excellent teams.”

     

    Commenting on this, Kamath said: “At the beginning of 2016, I had announced my intention to retire from the Group by end of 2017. I have always been a firm believer in empowering young talent and seeing them deliver beyond expectations. Vineet and Aditya have exemplified this in their respective careers so far. As a team, they bring together the best of business, technology, strategy and an appreciation of creativity. I am excited about the next three quarters where I will work closely with Vineet and Aditya in ensuring a smooth transition. I congratulate them and wish them all the best.”

     

    As the news is trickling in, not everyone is really surprised. Bringing youth to the leadership has worked elsewhere. Like at Leo Burnett. Saurabh Varma, now CEO of Publicis Communications, was not part of the adland single malt club. But he has managed to turn around the agency, and rise within the group.

     

    The challenges for Gupta and Kanthy are greater. First, will the twin leadership work. There ought to be one clear boss and joint leadership structures are a little tricky. But even if that gets licked, DDB Mudra needs a Leo Burnett-like reinvention. It’s still got some good clients, but competition is forging ahead. On the awards circuit, the agency is a laggard and it’s not exactly known as a creative powerhouse. The Pan Bahar Pierce Brosnan campaign was its buzziest last year.

     

    DDB Mudramax is now aligned with OMD and the activation-outdoor-BTL business lost bigtime when Pratap Bose and Mandeep Malhotra quit to start Social Street.

     

    Kanthy summed up our sentiment while speaking to The Economic Times: “We are good but I don’t think we are great yet. Our competition doesn’t shake in its boots when they think of us. That’s our task.“

     

  • All will report to Group CEO and MD Madhukar Kamath

    DDB Mudra beefs up top deck: Vineet Gupta is CDO, Aditya Kanthy is COO. Gour Gupta is ED & CEO, MudraMax

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    The DDB Mudra Group has announced the appointment of Vineet Gupta, Managing Director, 22feet Tribal Worldwide as Chief Digital Officer and National Planning Head Aditya Kanthy as Chief Strategy Officer. Both will report directly to Madhukar Kamath, Group CEO & MD.

     

    “In our endeavour to partner our clients towards profitable growth, we have observed that every aspect of the DDB Mudra Group’s work from brand building to promotions design, from developing media strategies to event management is being transformed. These appointments recognise the strategic importance of data and digital technologies to our business. Vineet and Aditya will now work with me alongside Sathyamurthy Namakkal, President, DDB MudraMax Media and my other senior colleagues to build the organisation for a future where business results, data and digital are at the heart of creativity, strategy and execution,” said Kamath.

     

    A St Stephen’s and MICA alumnus, Aditya Kanthy, has spent 15 years with the DDB Mudra Group. During his journey from  an Account Executive to the National Planning Head, Kanthy has worked closely with Madhukar Kamath in transforming Mudra from a mere Advertising Agency to one of India’s largest Marketing Services Group. He has been featured in the BusinessWorld cover story on the ‘Best and Brightest in Indian Advertising’. He has contributed to building the agency’s reputation for creativity and effectiveness with over a dozen wins across categories at various awards and industry forums.

     

    Quoting on his new role, Kanthy said, “Digital technologies are transforming every aspect of our client’s business from brand building to buying. I’m looking forward to help build the DDB Mudra Group for the future, where Data and Digital are at the heart of creativity and strategy. We’re already seeing glimpses of this in the composition, structure and work of our teams that are partnering J&J, Royal Enfield, VW, Future group, SAP and USL among others. As a group, we are constantly exploring new ways of working together and learning new skills. It’s a massive opportunity and we’re ready to take it.”

     

    A passionate digital marketer, Vineet Gupta, has close to a decade of experience in the Marketing & Media space.  As Managing Director at 22feet Tribal Worldwide, he has been responsible for spearheading the aggressive growth plans and in consolidating 22feet Tribal Worldwide’s position as the leading Digital Marketing solutions company in India.

     

    Before establishing 22feet Tribal Worldwide, Gupta was the India Marketing Lead for Microsoft Advertising wherein he led the initiative of driving and maintaining market and brand leadership for Microsoft’s B2B brand – Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions, as well as B2C brands such as MSN & Windows Live (Hotmail, Messenger, Spaces). He has also been associated with Star TV and Café Coffee Day in his earlier stints.

     

    Said Gupta who will be taking up his new role as CDO in addition to his existing position as Managing Director, 22feet Tribal Worldwide said, “Data and Digital offer tremendous growth opportunities for our own business and for our clients. I look forward to collaborating with teams across the DDB Mudra Group to help identify and strategically scale these opportunities. The DDB Mudra Group is well poised to offer a strong and differentiated point of view and I am excited.”

     

    Also joining DDB Mudra Group is an industry veteran and OOH specialist, Gour Gupta. He takes over DDB MudraMax’s portfolio of OOH, Events & Experiential as its CEO.  Gour Gupta will also be an Executive Director of the DDB Mudra Group.

     

    A Jadavpur University graduate, Gupta has over two decades of experience in the industry. In the past, he has been the founder of two very successful OOH Agencies. He helped set up Kinetic (erstwhile Portland, a WPP OOH Agency) and went on to become its Country Head. He then co-founded Platinum OOH with Sam Balsara. Under Gour’s leadership, Platinum became one of the most profitable and fastest growing company in Madison World.

     

    Gour Gupta, who as the Head of Ignite Mudra, one of India’s fastest growing OOH Agencies, has already built a very successful JV for the DDB Mudra Group said, “DDB Mudra Group is truly a well-diversified Marketing Services Group. The growth plans for the OOH, Events & Experiential businesses are both interesting and challenging. In Sanjay Shukla, the President in DDB MudraMax, I have a very able ally. I look forward to leading a very strong and committed team that is already in place. This is one journey that I will cherish.”

     

    Added Kamath on Gupta’s appointment: “Gour Gupta started his agency career with Mudra. I am thrilled to welcome him as the ED of the DDB Mudra Group and the CEO of our OOH, Events & Experiential businesses. He has been a wonderful partner in our Joint Venture. With the entrepreneurial zeal and experience of Gour in the OOH business and with the proven expertise of Sanjay Shukla in the Events and Experiential space, DDB MudraMax will be a formidable agency to reckon with.”

     

  • To focus on online outreach for its brands – Wild Stone & Secret Temptation with a special emphasis on consumer engagement

    McNROE appoints 22feet Tribal as its digital agency

    By A Correspondent

     

    McNROE Consumer Products has announced the appointment of 22Feet Tribal Worldwide as its digital agency. The company, which is known for its brands Wild Stone and Secret Temptations, has brought the digital agency on board to lead its digital efforts across online platforms with a special emphasis on consumer engagement.

     

    22feet Tribal Worldwide will be responsible for the digital strategy across the McNROE’s entire portfolio- Wild Stone and Secret Temptation. The agency will lead digital brand planning across businesses and develop strategic brand campaigns for the digital platform to strengthen the connection between the two brands and their respective consumers.

     

    NK Daga, Director-Founder, McNROE said, “We have always been committed to bringing top international quality fragrances to Indian consumers and delivering the best innovative experience in the industry. As we continue to grow, our intention is to place even greater emphasis on engaging with our customers through online experiences. 22feet Tribal Worldwide’s strong strategic capabilities combined with the understanding of our business made them the perfect agency partner to help us engage with our customers online.”

     

    Commenting about the partnership, Vineet Gupta, Managing Director at 22feet Tribal Worldwide, said, “We are extremely excited about our partnership with McNroe Consumer Products Pvt. Ltd. for its brands Wild Stone and Secret Temptation. Wild Stone is a brand that has cemented itself in Indian consciousness with their distinctive communication and offering. Secret Temptation has created a niche for itself by appealing to young girls with its contemporary fragrances. We want to bring this equity into the web and create a robust digital framework that yields results for the brands and the business.”

     

  • The 5-yr-old digital media firm will merge with Tribal and its core team will manage the joint entity + comments from an M&A consultant & Prasanth Mohanachandran

    Flying high! 22feet sells out to DDB Mudra [updated today]

    L-R 22feet co-founders Deepak Nair, Vineet Gupta, Brijesh Jacob and Vinod Moolacherry

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    One more Indian digital major gets gobbled up. Bangalore-headquartered 22feet has been acquired by media and marketing services conglomerate Omnicom Group.

     

    On Monday, Omnicom’s DDB Group announced the acquisition of 22feet. The five-year-old digital marketing firms in India will merge with nine-year-old Tribal Worldwide India creating a new entity known as 22feet Tribal Worldwide which will be a part of the DDB Mudra Group.  22feet has in its roster brands such as Café Coffee Day, Fastrack, Lenovo, Heineken, Kingfisher, Red Bull and Axe.

     

    Madhukar Kamath

    The new entity – 22feet Tribal Worldwide – will be spearheaded by the core team of 22feet and not that of Tribal. Vineet Gupta will be Managing Director, Brijesh Jacob is Joint Managing Director and Deepak Nair will be Chief Operating Officer. The three will report directly to Madhukar Kamath, Group CEO and Managing Director, DDB Mudra Group. They will also work closely with Tribal Worldwide network in APAC and across 42 countries.

     

    The fourth 22feet co-founder Vinod Moolacherry will take charge of White Canvas, the Bengaluru-based full-service agency set up by the foursome. White Canvas has not been acquired by Omnicom as part of the deal on 22feet. Meanwhile, Venkat Mallik, president of Tribal India and RAPP, the marketing and CRM agency, will now move to look after RAPP, with what a spokesperson told us is an expanded and new global vision for that business.

     

    Said Mr Kamath on the acquisition: “With digital at the heart of DDB Mudra Group’s agenda, we are extremely happy about joining forces with 22feet. In just five years, 22feet has grown leaps and bounds. With this energy and Tribal Worldwide’s global reputation and reach, I’m excited to see what this magic of mergers can create.”

     

    John Zeigler

    Added John Zeigler, Chairman and CEO, DDB Group Asia Pacific, India and Japan: “We see this as a strategic move to continue evolving our capabilities in the fast-moving Indian market. DDB Group has accelerated its capabilities to offer clients the best-in-class local digital expertise at 22feet, coupled with best-in-class global knowledge of the Tribal Worldwide network. I believe this is a game-changing event for the DDB Mudra Group in India.”

     

    According to a financial advisor to many media M&A deals who requested anonymity, the acquisition is a win-win for DDB and 22feet. For digital media entrepreneurs who have sold out to advertising majors, the scale of a large network and international clients is a huge pull. And for ad firms, who have not been very strong on digital, acquiring smaller firms and thereby talent, legacy and clients is a sureshot way of getting digital prowess that clients seek. The added advantage, said the M&A specialist, is that networks could also look at converting a part of these digital shops to delivery hubs for offices elsewhere in the world.

     

    According to Prasanth Mohanachandran, CEO of AgencyDigi, who sold his agency eDeltaC Communications to Ogilvy in 2001, the 22feet buy will do a world of good for Tribal in India. “It’s an excellent agency worldwide, and the acquisition will help leapfrog the operations here,” Mohanachandran said

     

    Meanwhile, there is excitement amongst the 22feet co-founders who will now steer 22feet Tribal. Said Vineet Gupta on the announcement: “We are extremely excited to be a part of the DDB Group family. At 22feet, we share DDB’s passion for innovation and technology and look forward to delivering best in class digital solutions to our clients across markets as 22feet Tribal Worldwide.”

     

    Brijesh Jacob and Deepak Nair echo similar sentiments. “We are extremely happy with this opportunity to operate on a global canvas,” said Nair.

     

  • Marketers talk about the large number of fans they have acquired on FB, so what do these number of fans mean to them and how are the marketers leveraging these fans?

    The Crucial Social Media Question: Have fans? Now what?

    By Tuhina Anand

     

    Every marketer worth his salt wants his brand to have a presence on social media. However, the truth is that the marketers are still trying to figure how to navigate this medium.

     

    Having heard that it’s a ‘cost effective medium, can be tracked and is ‘the’ medium’ where the customers hang out, the marketer obviously wants to be there too. But the social media still has a long way to go before it is seen as the ‘vehicle of choice’ and not just as an afterthought.

     

    Yes, one agrees that marketers are warming up to the medium but they are still testing waters barring a handful who have taken the medium wholeheartedly.

     

    Once a marketer decides to go on social media, the next move is to create a presence on Facebook and maybe on Twitter. We have often heard the marketers talking about the large number of fans they have acquired on FB, so what do these number of fans mean to them and how are the marketers leveraging these fans to engage effectively with consumers?

     

    Chhaya Balachandran Aiyer, Founder and Managing Director, BC Webwise agrees that there is peer pressure to acquire more fans and clients often bow to that demand: “The number of fans and likes is a visible number, hence one can’t write it off completely even though many of the numbers could be dormant fans. These numbers are an opportunity to engage those fans in a meaningful way to create brand loyalty and brand recall.”

     

    She added: “Two years back, the common demand of a client was to be on Facebook, but we have seen a shift now where they have realized that it’s not the ultimate answer but social media too needs a 360 degree approach.” So it’s clear that there are different kinds of marketers and the early adopters are clearly asking the right kind of questions.

     

    Some of the brands that have effectively used the communities on FB are Fastrack, Café Coffee Day, Sunsilk while more are getting on the engagement bandwagon. Explaining the significance of the numbers, Rajiv Dingra, CEO, WATConsult, said: “While all readers of an ad do not become buyers of the product, similarly with FB, the marketers become a publisher of its page to reach out to the consumers. The aim is not always conversion to transaction for all people on its FB page, but with a large fan base the number of potential buyers definitely increases.”

     

    Mr Dingra is clear that there is no replacement for good content. He added that the numbers might reflect various objectives of a brand at different points, but if the content is good, the engagement with brands will become only much more involved and meaningful.

     

    Vineet Gupta

    Vineet Gupta of 22feet has been relentlessly engaging with brands to enable them to use their social media tools effectively. He explained: “We have brought out exclusive sale for Fastrack fans on FB and the brand has been doing a lot of stuff exclusive to the community. Scale has its own benefit and one can’t deny that. With people becoming familiar with social media, there are lots of activities happening which take people beyond the likes and the fans.”

     

    The agency has recently done activation for Lee titled ‘Shadows of City’, where people were encouraged to present their photographs of the city and the shadows they create which would then be put up in the stores.

     

    CCD is another brand that has been using FB to listen to its customers and also engage them via the medium. Ramakrishnan K, President- Marketing at CCD elaborated: “At CCD, we not only have numbers, but also a high level of engagement. Our fan base is 2.6 million and our monthly engagement level is 60 per cent, i.e. 60 per cent of our fans interact in some form with our page every month.”

     

    He added: “At CCD, we use social media base for regular tailor-made communication on happenings in CCD. We have a direct consumer feedback on cafes across the country which gives us instant information that keeps us on our toes. Most importantly, we use the fan base for co-creating many of our offerings – be it new menu, suggestions for improvement, live tasting of new introductions, choice of music among others. We engage fans to co-create their brand. As a result, we drive a very high level of consumer engagement, which in turn helps us drive sales.”

     

    One concern is that many fans on FB might be dormant, so then do the numbers really mean anything? Sanjay Mehta, Joint CEO at Social Wavelength explained: “I think that the key is to deliver message to interested people. If people receive the message but not respond, that is not a concern, but if they do not get the message in the first place, then it’s a bigger challenge. I think one should not be dismissive of the dormant numbers, but focus more on getting the right kind of messages that will get them to engage.”

     

  • A digital presence is not something special any more – but it also does not mean brand should take digital for granted. Vineet Gupta outlines why and how this is an exciting medium that should be milked for all it's worth.

    The Anchor: 6 reasons why brands can’t ignore digital

    By Vineet Gupta

     

    #1 Digital is no more youth-centric or an urban phenomenon. It cuts across various age groups and touches a cross-section of society. For a brand it becomes imperative to be present in a medium that cut across geographies and age groups.

     

    #2 Digital is not an advertising medium but a medium of engagement. If earlier, it was brands that were sending out information to the consumers, now it’s a reversal of that game. Consumers seek information and are proactively engaging with brands on the digital platform, thus giving brands immense opportunity to engage with their consumers in a much more meaningful way.

     

    #3 Today, it is about mobility and being connected on the move. The consumer is engaging on a real-time basis with brands while being on the move. Access is via multiple screens and it doesn’t really matter where and how the consumer is connecting – but it’s important that he or she wants to be connected at all times with the brand.

     

    #4 The early adopters of the digital medium were brands that were looking for lead generation. Now many brands have gone beyond that and built an entire eco-system around the digital platform, including building communities or developing e-commerce platforms. This is the way forward for brands.

     

    #5 The future belongs to brands that have understood this medium and are using it not just for a brand building exercise. One has to realize that digital plays an important role in the purchase decision. Therefore there is a need to understand that it is much more than a marketing medium and all aspects like information, consumer feedback, sales and distribution should be built on this medium.

     

    #6 Lastly, digital is an important medium in the purchase funnel. Whether it is seeking information, desire to purchase or the action of purchasing, all can be done on this medium. Brands have to look at digital beyond just advertising.

     

    Vineet Gupta is the Managing Partner of 22feet.