WALKING THE TALK OF CONSUMER MARKETING
ONE ON ONE with
NIRAJ DAWAR AUTHOR OF TILT
19th December 2013, Hotel ITC Grand Central, Parel, Mumbai 5:30PM Block Your Date, Limited Seats Available
Niraj Dawar, Professor at the Ivey Business School (Canada and Hong Kong), is a renowned marketing strategy expert who has also been on the faculty of leading business schools in Europe and Asia. He works with senior leadership in global companies and has executed assignments for BMW, HSBC, Microsoft, Cadbury, L’Oreal, and McCain on three continents, as well as with start-ups in the biotech and information space. His publications have appeared in the Harvard Business Review, the M.I.T. Sloan Management Review and in the leading academic journals. He lives in Canada. In his latest book, TILT, Niraj Dawar argues that most companies still look for competitive advantage where it used to be: through activities related to products and new product creation. But today’s advantage comes from interactions of a different sort—those you have with your customers. Companies that recognize and move on this shift win.
TILT your vision. Rethink your Marketing Strategy with Niraj Dawar, Renowned Marketing Strategy Expert www.exchange4media.com/impactoneonone/registration.aspx
For queries & registration, you may also Contact: Agnel DSouza +91 98702 92834 agnel@exchange4media.com
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Pitch | December 2013
IT'S TIME FOR A NEWSCAP Conference & Awards on 18th January, 2014 at The Oberoi, New Delhi
Be there!
an
initiative
& Shri Manish Tiwari Minister of State of Information & Broadcasting
Keynote Address & Chief Guest
Jury Chairperson
Dr. Ajeenkya D Y Patil Chairman, D Y Patil Group
Anupriya Acharya Group CEO Zenith Optimedia Group India
Apurva Purohit CEO, Radio City 91.1FM
Dr. Ashok Seth Chairman, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute
CVL Srinivas CEO, GroupM, South Asia
Dilip Cherian Founding Partner of Perfect Relations
Madhu Trehan Editor-in-Chief, newslaundry.com
Myleeta Aga Senior Vice President & General Manager India and Content Head Asia BBC Worldwide
Raj Nayak CEO, Colors Viacom 18 Media Pvt. Ltd.
Sabbas Joseph Director, Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.
Sanjay Trehan Head, MSN India Apps, Media & Publishing (AMP), Microsoft Crop. india
Sunit Tandon Director General, IIMC
Uday Varma Former Secretary, I&B
Dr. S.Y Quraishi Former Chief Election Commissioner of India
For m ore info r m a ti on o n N EWSNEXT 2014: www.exchang e4media. com/newsnext/2014 For more infor m a ti o n on enba2013: www.exchan ge4media. com/e nba2013 For more information on enba 2013 and NEWSNEXT2014 Please Contact: Karishma Naqvi karishma.naqvi@exchange4media.com | +91 99996 58263 Suparnaa Chadda; Event Curator suparnaachadda@gmail.com For Sponsorship Please Contact: Rajat Thareja rajat.thareja@exchange4media.com | +91 98101 34435 Abdulla M. Mazumder abdulla@exchange4media.com | +91 98716 09348 Sneha Walke sneha@exchange4media.com | +91 98455 4114 | December Pitch 2013 Siddarth siddarth.p@exchange4media.com +91 9920713935
In association with
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INSIDE COVER STORY
Pitch
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Volume X, Issue-12 December, 2013 Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Editor & Director Director President
Annurag Batra Amit Agnihotri Nawal Ahuja Sunil Kumar
EDITORIAL TEAM
Consulting Editor
Vinod Behl
Deputy Editor
Rashi Bisaria
Senior Correspondent
Gunjan Verma
Correspondents
Kanika Mehrotra Ankur Gaurav Devansh Sharma
Senior Art Director
Shamsad Shaikh
Senior Graphic Designer
Joby Mathew
Photographers
Vilas Kalgutkar (Mumbai) Suresh Gola (Noida)
AD SALES
Rajat Thareja Abdulla M Mazumder Varnikaa jain Sneha Walke
9810134435 9871609348 9769153087 9845541143
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HAVE MARKETERS DECODED
INDIAN YOUTH ?
Brands cope with the fast changing needs of India’s youth by being one of them. But is that really enough to get their attention? RURAL CAMPAIGNS 12
The opinion leaders of LITTLE INDIA
CIRCULATION/DISTRIBUTION
Youth in small towns are the new decision makers in their families and communities
Vinod Sharma (Delhi) - 9999447209 vinod@exchange4media.com Anandan Nair (Mumbai) - 9819445200 anair@exchange4media.com On News-stands ` 75
BACARDI NH7 WEEKENDER
Printed and published by Annurag Batra on behalf of Adsert Web Solutions Pvt Ltd B-20, I-Floor, Sector-57, Noida, Uttar Pradesh - 201301
A‘Property’ that connects with the ‘Youth’
Printed at All Time Offset Printers, E-53, Sector-7 Noida, Uttar Pradesh - 201301 An exchange4media Publication
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www.pitchonnet.com
Liquor brands are no more dependent on mass media channels. They have found other engaging platforms. Pitch | December 2013
BRAND JOURNEY FEATURE
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Brand Sachin
DECODED!
Pitch talks to people behind the masterpiece ads of the master blaster and decodes brand Sachin!
INTERVIEWS
110 YEARS
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On the occasion of Harley’s 110th anniversary, Pitch decided to travel back in time to trace the journey
COLUMNS
Nike’s Strength lies in innovation and excellence Avinash Pant |
Wheels that have Rolled for
Marketing Head, Nike
The youth needs a digital diet whilst marketers binge on digital
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Moneka Khurana |
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Digital Consultant and Trainer
5 Guidelines to Making Great Youth Marketing Campaigns
28
Ankur Kalra | CEO, Vibgyor Brand Services
“Innovative ways to engage the customer sets CCD apart from competitors” K Ramakrishnan |
Rameet Arora |
30
Youth Marketing? Is there any other kind? Ajay Gahlaut | Executive Creative Director, O&M
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The good, the bad and the ugly of in-film product placements
44
Roshan Abbas | Managing Director Encompass, Events
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President, Marketing at Cafe Coffee Day
McDonald’s boosts the coffee culture
The many myths of Youth Marketing
Rajyasree Sen | Author & Film Critic
The clever ways of Marketing to youth
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Apurva Chamaria |
Head, Global Brand & Digital Front Office at HCLTechnologies
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What’s in a brand name?
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Gayatri Shrikhande |
Senior Director, Marketing Communications and Menu Management, Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt Ltd
Writer and brand ideator, Chlorophyll brand and communications consultancy
A brand that urges youth to “open up” and be themselves
Kishore Sinha |
Top Trends among Indian youth in 2013
Ritesh Ghosal |
Head, Brand Marketing, TATA Docomo
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Launch Pad Campaign IIMC Paper Reading Competition Column : Annurag Batra
Pitch | December 2013
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Founder Smartube Entertainment
05 07 68 72 3
CONTRIBUTORS T
he coolest people across industries have got together to DECODE the youth in this special issue of Pitch. AVINASH PANT as Head Marketing for cult brand Nike has captured the youth’s imagination with the brand’s energy, passion and attitude. Pitch talks to him about Nike’s out-of-the-box offerings and its youthful image. Once a memorable voice on radio, ROSHAN ABBAS stands out for his spontaneity and humour. He is now Managing Director at Encompass Events. This former radio and TV anchor writes about breaking the MYTHS about YOUTH MARKETING. The world of Advertising cannot be complete without the GURU himself – PRAHALAD KAKKAR. The man who has made the most talked-about shares some behind- the- scenes moments with MASTER BLASTER Sachin Tendulkar! Docomo is known for its path-breaking marketing strategies for the youth. RITESH GHOSAL talks to Pitch about the youthful appeal of the brand. Words of wisdom from Advertising genius AJAY GAHLAUT. He shares his tryst with brands like Airtel, Levis, Dabur, Hyundai Santro and his insights into what actually works with the youth today and why. His column is a MUST read! RAJYASREE SEN is a bona fide foodie and film critic. She spares none in the industry. The acclaimed author writes for Pitch about brands and their presence in the film world. K RAMAKRISHNAN, President, Marketing at Cafe Coffee Day has understood what works best with the youth. Read about how the brand has encouraged co-creation of products. He sits down for a conversation with Pitch to narrate the Cafe Coffee Day story.
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Avinash Pant Marketing Director, Nike India Pvt. Ltd.
Roshan Abbas Managing Director Encompass, Events
Prahlad Kakkar ad film maker, Genesis Film Production
Ritesh Ghosal Head, Brand Marketing, TATA DOCOMO
Ajay Gahlaut Executive Creative Director, O&M
Rajyasree Sen author
K Ramakrishnan President – Marketing, Café Coffee Day
Pitch | December 2013
LAUNCHPAD
Gadgets & Gizmos NIKE
WOODLAND
Mercurial IX CR7 Boot The Product: Nike’s latest version of the Mercurial boot celebrates the super-charged speed and on-pitch dominance of one of the world’s greatest players, Cristiano Ronaldo. Combining performance innovation and a heritage of lightweight speed boots, the Nike Mercurial IX takes this legacy to the next level for players who rely on tight cuts and turns combined with bursts of explosive speed to beat the opposition.
ResQ technology unique style of play.
Specification: The Mercurial IX boot features an all-over digital print of the Star Vela Supernova and includes a seven star path print, paying homage to Cristiano’s shirt number. The supernova print is juxtaposed with a chrome swoosh flecked with silver fleck and a Blue Glow outline.
USP: Featuring a ‘supernova’ print, the Nike Mercurial IX CR7 Boot takes inspiration from the Portuguese star’s
NIKE FREE FLYKNIT
Nike Free Flyknit
The Product: Nike also unveiled the Nike Free Flyknit- a unison of Nike’s two most innovative and popular technologies to deliver barefoot-like flexibility and a compression fit that locks the foot in place. USP: The Nike Free Flyknit is designed to flex with the foot in motion. It is informed by Nike’s “Nature Amplified” design ethos — an approach fueled by scientific data and athlete insights. Specification: A new, more compressive
Pitch | December 2013
HYPERVENOM BOOTS
Nike Flyknit construction in the shoe upper secures the runner’s foot to the shoe platform. Zones on the top of the foot have engineered stretch built to enable natural flex, while a tighter weave at the perimeter stabilizes the forefoot and heel. Additionally, elasticized construction fits securely around the ankle for a comfortable, secure fit. By knitting a one-piece upper, Nike Flyknit construction reduces Nike’s typical upper waste by an average of 88 percent. Background: Nike, Inc. is an American multinational corporation that is engaged in the design, development and worldwide marketing and selling of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories and services. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, in the Portland metropolitan area, and is one of only two Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Oregon. It is one of the world’s largest suppliers of athletic shoes and apparel and a major manufacturer of sports equipment.
The Product: Woodland launched its most advanced technology for the Fall/Winter 2013 collection, featuring new design built with Performance Standard fabrics and technology. With a focus on innovative construction and progressive fit, Woodland ResQ technology is precisely tooled for performance. USP: 100 per cent of the collection can be recycled through Woodland Recycling Program and close to 50% of the collection is made with environmentally-friendly fabrics. It is waterproof, breathable seamless jacket. If you’re buried in an avalanche, ski rescue teams pinpoint your location using ResQ technology. Specification: ResQ technology is a twopart system that consists of a detector used by rescue teams and a reflector worn by skiers. Using a directional signal, the reflectors integrated into Recco-enabled outerwear direct rescuers to the exact location of the wearer that allow rescue teams to pinpoint a person’s location. The ResQ Rescue system is an advanced rescue technology for making quick and precise location of an avalanche victim possible by directional radar. The technology innovatively embedded in Woodland performance wear and does not require batteries or training for usage. The reflector is permanently attached to Woodland performance wear and does not require batteries or training for usage. Background: Founded in Quebec, Canada, over twenty five years ago, Woodland has grown to be recognized internationally as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of extreme weather outdoor gear and outer wear.
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LAUNCHPAD MTV & STEELBIRD HELMETS
A cool new range of helmets The Product: After foraying into innerwear, lingerie, footwear, adventure bikes, eye-wear and other consumer products categories, MTV along with Steelbird Helmets launched a co-branded range of riding gear. Both MTV & Steelbird with mutual love for the youth have entered into this association to interest biking lovers & provide this unique offering. The range of helmets is designed keeping in mind the youth, who symbolize their helmets as their own identity. USP: The designs are bold, high – spirited & highly vigorous that makes this range a style-essential. Steelbird has first time in the country successfully design and develop helmet by using Carbon Fiber, the material which is used in Aero
RADO
Background: About Steelbird Hi Tech Ltd.: Steelbird is the oldest manufacturer of ISI helmets in India. It has India’s biggest helmet manufacturing set up in Baddi (Himachal) with the capacity of producing 2,000 helmets a day. The company is having technology tie up with International Brand including M/s NAVA S.r.l, ITALY and M/s GP ONE S.r.l, ITALY. Steelbird range of helmets includes over 30 models along with 6-8 variants per model. About MTV India: With diversity in its offering, the M in MTV stands for multidimensional and multiplatform brand,
engaging the audience at multiple levels. In India, MTV is distributed to 40 mn homes and reaches out to over 100 MM unique viewers annually. In the social media space, MTV is the most followed brand across categories. MTV aims to entertain, reflect, lead and educate young people through its provocative and cutting edge content and communication. The channel also encourages to give back to society with an initiative like MTV ACT which works towards making the youth future friendly and also support organizations, NGO’s and voluntary workers who are working towards issues concerning environment.
HyperChrome Automatic Chronograph Plasma Ceramic
The Product: Swiss watch brand Rado launched its exciting material development: plasma high-tech ceramic. Using modern and advanced materials technology Rado took a finished, polished monobloc white high-tech ceramic watch case, and individual bracelet links and subjected them to plasma treatment. The result is a collection of individual perfect pieces which now have a unique warm grey metallic shine. USP: It may look like metal, but there is no metal involved at all; the plasma high-tech ceramic is 100 per cent ceramic. Specification: The monobloc case is injected at high-pressure and is a groundbreaking construction. As a single piece of ceramic, it contains no steel cage as many ceramic timepieces do. This makes it lightweight as well as super scratch-resistant and comfort-
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plane and in the Ferrari cars.
able to wear. The final monobloc piece goes into a special oven, where a plasma column activates gases at 20,000°C. These gases permeate the ceramic, permanently altering the composition of its surface and bringing out a brilliant metallic sheen that will never fade. Background: Rado is a Swiss luxury manufacturer of watches, with headquarters in Lengnau, Switzerland. It is noted for its use of scratch-proof materials, a field in which it is considered a pioneer. The company produces about half a million watches a year with a staff of about 470 in total. Rado’s watches are obtainable in more than 150 countries, at over 5900 points of sale. The most important markets are Southeast Asia, Japan, China, Middle East as well as countries within Europe (Switzerland, Germany, Italy) and the USA.. Compiled by Gunjan Verma -gunjan.verma@exchange4media.com
Pitch | December 2013
BUZZ
Campaigns TVC
IXIGO.COM
Don’t travel patti bandh ke! Creative Agency: From Here On Storyboard: The creative idea dramatizes the pitfalls of traveling without knowing. The execution is built around Taj Mahal. It chronicles the life journey of a six-year old child whose obsession with the Taj Mahal makes him take a vow to open his blindfold only when he sees the real Taj. The ad film chronicles his blindfolded misadventures through life, and when he finally lands up at the Taj, he realizes that the monument is closed on Fridays. The shock sends him straight to heaven, where a savvy Chitragupta introduces him to ixigo and the downside of traveling “Patti bandhke”.
The TVC aims to deliver a compelling message while using humor as the backdrop. The ad film has a theatrical treatment and establishes ixigo’s differentiated brand positioning as a source of trustworthy travel information that helps users make smarter travel decisions. The TVC aims at demonstrating the perils of traveling without knowing, in a quirky manner, which breaks the clutter and creates a memorable and sticky visual metaphor for the brand.
TVC
SKORE
Not Out Creative Agency: FMcCann Erickson Storyboard: The TVC makes women want to be good to the man who pleasures them nonstop with Not Out. The film tracks a day in the life of a user – a regular, twenty-something guy. But interestingly enough, of the women he meets during the day’s routine, many seem somehow thankful to him and eager to oblige, as though returning an unseen favour. The reason is revealed through the pack window and sign off – “lasts longer than you think.”
Rationale: Every aspect of the commercial reflects the bright, friendly and dynamic personality of the brand with the use of humor and deliberate exaggeration, from the music track to the ‘theatrical’ settings.
DIGITAL
PUMA
Chitrangada Singh’s Gear Up buddies Creative Agency: Brandmovers Approach: Campaign is developed in the form of an interactive video on fitness routines for all fitness lovers. The video is live on the website of Jabong. com and would enable online users to experience interesting exercises such as Running, Zumba and Crossfit. It also includes three instructors along with
Pitch | December 2013
Chitrangada who are known as Chitrangda Singh’s Gear Up buddies and will train the viewers in Zumba, Crossfit and Running. This video gives users the ability to change between exercises, while the people on screen switch into different PUMA fitness gear. Rationale: Puma is trying to create an online engagement by making people a part of the video experience rather than witness it. The concept is designed for people who like to stay fit. The trend of e-commerce players partnering with retail brands is yet to evolve but Puma wants to create an edgy immersive brand experience that is shareable and linked to online sales on an e-Commerce website.
Rationale: Climax-delay condoms have been for long regarded as a male pleasure-device but Not Out disrupts this notion. Typically, such products promise extended love-making sessions and category advertising is cluttered with “all-night-long” stories. Not Out is not another climax-delay condom and does not see a longer sexual encounter as an end in itself. The TVC for Not Out is laced with mischief as it playfully captures the product promise.
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BUZZ TVC
VEET HAIR REMOVAL CREAM NATURALS
Katrina’s Secret Uncovered! Creative Agency: Havas Worldwide Story: The TVC opens with Katrina Kaif reading a fairy tale book, playing with a big seed in her hand. She looks at the seed and tosses it out in the lawn outside. The world around the seed suddenly turns magical; the earth cracks open and we see a giant stalk springing up into the sky, continuously growing from every angle. Fascinated by the growing giant stalk, Katrina climbs out of the window and up the stalk. As she climbs on, in search of the skin of her dreams, she brushes by the Camellia flower & papaya fruit growing on the stalk. These rub off a soft, magical glow on her skin immediately on contact. By the time she gets on top of the stalk, she is amazed and thrilled, as her search has finally ended in discovering the Veet Naturals range on top of the stalk.
TVC
INTEX TECHNOLOGIES
Creative Agency: In House Storyboard: The TVC is centered on a fight sequence between two Japanese warriors. During the fight sequence, Farhan Akhtar can be seen as a close spectator to the fight, experiencing every move and offense made by the warriors on each other. In another shot, it is revealed that Farhan was actu-
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We see the papaya elixir falling into a pool of cream. Rationale: In line with the premium beauty codes owned by Veet, the commercial reaches out to savvy women looking for a naturally enhanced hair
It’s your seven! ally watching the fight on Aqua i7 and it was an immersive experience for him due to Full HD resolution of the smartphone. He then slides his finger on screen to show a huge catalogue of movies and videos on his smartphone. The TVC closes with shots of Aqua i7 phone from various angles. Rationale: Intex aqua i7 is the first premium mobile from an Indian mobile manufacturer to offer full HD and 32 GB internal memory at this price range. The focus of Aqua i7 TVC is to highlight the innovative features offered by the smartphone - Full HD resolution (1920x1080p), 13 MP camera and vast internal memory (32 GB). Through this TVC, they are trying to justify philosophy of delivering more innovation to our customers.
removal experience. It challenges the realms of possibilities by transporting Katrina into an imaginary world of dreams, where nature magically surrounds her and grants her the goodness of its special ingredients, making her skin smooth and glowing gently.
TVC
TITAN RAGA
Ek Khoobsurat Rishta
Creative Agency: Ogilvy & Mather, Bangalore Storyboard: Set on a moving train, the commercial opens with Katrina locking eyes with a stranger who draws her in. She playfully shares a memorable encounter with this handsome stranger as they communicate in a language that neither of them understands,
Pitch | December 2013
TVC
TVC
ALTO 800
MICROMAX TURBO
Khushiyan baantney se badhti hain The phone that CAN juggle Creative Agency: Lowe Lintas
Creative Agency: Lowe Lintas
Storyboard: The TVC shows a newly-wed couple who has just finished putting diyas outside their home during the festival. One diya is left and the girl expresses her wish to light up her parents’ house with the last diya. The husband, a bit amused knowing that the distance to his in-laws’ house is a lot, accepts the challenge. He doesn’t worry about the petrol consumption since it is frugal in the case of Alto (22.7kmpl). He makes sure that his wife doesn’t miss her parents during the festival. The film has a happy ending as the girl gets to put the last diya at her parents’ house, and gets to meet her mother. The commercial signs off saying “Agar khusiyaan baatney se badhti hain, toh rukna kyon?
Storyboard: The TVC opens with Hugh Jackman sitting on a chair and narrating a story about the heroes of everyone’s life. Hugh Jackman talks further about the hero in his life, the juggler in a circus. The TVC moves on with the juggler doing various juggling acts and a young Hugh Jackman staring at the juggler. In the next shot Hugh Jackman explains how his new phone Canvas Turbo helps him juggle lives, friends, work and passions. The TVC ends with Hugh Jackman holding the Micromax Canvas Turbo in his hands.
Rationale: The car now symbolizes a younger attitude and is known to epitomize spontaneity. However, the current space that the brand has appropriated is not just high on younger attitude, but has elements of emotion too. The film beautifully projects the car’s brilliant mileage, in a manner that goes beyond the functionality and tugs at the heart strings.
over a simple cup of tea. After a delightful conversation, and as her male acquaintance is bidding her goodbye, Katrina says she has no words to express this moment – after which she dwells on this special memory while clutching on to her Raga Perola watch. It is more than just a flirtatious encounter creating a memory that echoes in the brand’s celebration of ‘Ek khubsurat rishta’. Rationale: The campaign pays homage to a woman who soaks in life, lives every moment to its fullest and lets the magic and romance guide her along. In this portrayal, the Raga woman takes a journey that unexpectedly opens doors to self-discovery and the joy of surrendering to the moment. Echoing the ethos of brand Raga and the new Pearls collection, this TVC embodies all the values of grace, femininity and sensuality. The brand has evolved from being associated with special occasions to one that celebrates all the special moments in a woman’s life.
Pitch | December 2013
TVC
Rationale: The TVC brings alive the theme of the phone - ‘the phone that CAN juggle’ and also takes forward the Micromax ‘nothing like anything experience’. It highlights the speed and multitasking features of the Canvas Turbo through the juggler. The TVC is pegged high to capture the international appeal and is bound to expand the horizon for Micromax as it readies itself to explore new international markets.
MARS GALAXY
Reshmi Ehsaas Resham se bhi Khaas… Creative Agency: RK Swamy, BBDO Storyboard: For the first time Arjun Rampal plays himself, a Bollywood actor. Accompanying Rampal is the newcomer Sapna Pabbi, as the Galaxy woman who is playful, ingenious and confident. Shot in a very different setting with a palatial setup, a pond and the love seat in the centre, the film portrays the Galaxy girl finding the right opportunity and taking out time to enjoy her Galaxy, while waiting to interview Arjun Rampal. Rationale: Timeless, classic and sophisticated, Mars Inc’s chocolate brand Galaxy is known for all these qualities, and signing on an equally suave and
charming actor Arjun Rampal as their brand ambassador in India, did justice to the product. The TVC very well captures the attributes of the chocolate and brings out the smooth and silky feel of the chocolate. Compiled by Gunjan Verma -gunjan.verma@exchange4media.com
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INTERVIEW Avinash Pant
Nike’s Strength lies in innovation and excellence T
he large population of youth in the country has led to a proliferation of youth brands. Sportswear brands like Nike realizing the potential that lies in India, have constantly reinvented themselves to cater to this large and hard-to-please demographic. Despite enormous competition from other players in the athletic footwear market, Nike has been at the forefront of this race. How has it remained relevant and in tune with its target group? Why does it align itself so strongly with cricket? Ankur Gaurav caught up with the brand’s marketing head Avinash Pant to find out the answers to these and many other questions. Some excerpts: Of late Nike has been in the news for expanding aggressively in the Indian market. While the association with BCCI and Cricket seems to be an age-old one, what else is the brand doing to expand in the Indian market? Cricket is and will always be the core of our sport building exercises. We all love cricket and at some point of our lives have been associated with it . But through the sport building exercises Nike is not just working on cricket but also encouraging youngsters to take sports more seriously. Speaking about football, Nike India is closely
Through the sport building exercises Nike is not just working on cricket but also encouraging youngsters to take sports more seriously 10
| December | October 2013 Pitch Pitch
working with the under 16 youth. Nike India’s annual MUPC tournament that is held under the aegis of the All India Football Federation has become a strong platform in India to unearth young football talent at the grass-root level. Cricket in India is known to have grown as Gully –Cricket (Street Cricket). More than 500 Gully Cricket teams participated in a tournament to ultimately play against the members of Indian Cricket Team. And when we are talking about grass roots, ‘running’ lies at the root of any sport and Nike embodies this spirit. Nike Outrun was the biggest event of the season where anyone and everyone with a college ID was permitted to be a part of Nike Outrun 4K 2013. We chose that stage to launch the three lightest shoes ever made by Nike. The strategy clearly revolves around building a sport. But any encouragement to sport is beneficial for other competitive brands as well. How does Nike ensure it ‘Gains’ from building the sport? Most of our activities target the youth when they are in their teens. It helps the brand consolidate its image as a youth specific brand. The Target Group for Nike starts from the age of 15 till late twenties. It creates a definitive edge between Nike and other brands. Above all, building the sport leads to expanding the sportswear market of which Nike already enjoys a healthy share. Nike has been associated with a lot of celebrity sports stars. How well do you think our Youth connects with the brand ambassadors? Nike as a brand does associate with several sports stars but it’s only to build aspiration and by associating with them, the brand becomes known for excellence common among these players. We believe in innovation and inspiration, both are key virtues shared by Nike and sporting excellence. You spoke about Innovation, how does innovation of products create an impact on the youth? Is the Target Group conscious about quality?
Pitch | December October 2013 2013
brand it is a matter of pride and Nike does not mind being termed a Lifestyle brand if people remember it as the best sports wear brand too. Which are the best media channels to connect with the youth? Social media both on a global level and in India too. “Be where the youth is”, this
The Target Group for Nike starts from the age of 15 till late twenties. It creates a definitive edge between Nike and other brands. is a simple formula which made us treat Facebook and social media seriously and it’s amazing, you can see the results within seconds. Within days you have a huge range of data and fans helping you understand your fans better. Nike’s cricket page is the ‘biggest’ cricket page in India and the football page has 1.5 million fans on it who regularly engage with us.
Obviously they are and it comes mostly from athletes in India. They want to try out the best in order to bring out their own best. Nike’s latest Hypervenum Soccer Boots and Barefoot are already a part of every soccer player’s kit. The core value of the brand to innovate and serve the sport keeps it on its toes to match the constantly changing preferences of youth. Nike constantly works on helping the player perform better. All of this is not possible without innovation.
Nike and the Indian cricket team have been associated for long but what were the highs of this relationship, in the passing year? Did back to back allegations of match fixing deter your commitment towards Indian cricket? The latest association was Nike becoming the official apparel manufacturer for the team. We look at the positives in sport. India loved cricket and still loves cricket. We are committed to the Indian cricket team and eventually Indian cricket. Such allegations do not bother us.
A large number of Nike’s audience knows it as a lifestyle brand more than a sports brand. Do you admit this? For a brand it is a compliment if it gets engraved in the lifestyle of its consumers. We serve the complete lifecycle of the athlete. The child first wants gears while training and playing and also to express himself, for example – I want to express I am a footballer, I would go buy a Manchester United Jersey. The jersey which still remained as a part of the sporting gear finds a place in his life outside the sport as well. For any
What is the greatest difference between youth in India and youth in the western world? Surprisingly, they are similar on human and emotional levels. All have expectations and react enthusiastically to situations. They are different if you notice the nuances of their behavior. In US, the youth is more into the Soccer culture hence their whole lifestyle is built around that. In India, with the popularity of IPL, youth leans more towards cricket. -ankur.gaurav@exchange4media.com
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FEATURE: BIG SUCCESSES IN LITTLE INDIA
The opinion leaders of
LITTLE INDIA By Ankur Gaurav
R
ural marketing in India is a term which is synonymous with challenge. A market which is worth INR 1,23,000 Crore has proved to be a growth accelerator for most of the brands that have seriously explored these untapped markets. Division of India & Bharat is best understood by marketers. While the urban youth and their lifestyle have been deciphered by marketers to some extent, “Little India” continues to be a challenge. It’s important to understand how preferences change from urban to rural parts of the country. Speaking about the same, R V Rajan, President, RMAAI explains “Today the sons and daughters of the farmers are going to schools and colleges in nearby towns and cities. Instead of joining the family in farming they are taking up jobs in nearby towns because of which they are as exposed to urban aspirations as urban Indian youth.” Youth in small towns are the new decision makers of their families and communities. Be it brands which target youth or the ones which do not, youth in the rural market play a key role for the entire spectrum of brands. Rajan added,
“The educated youth in the villages of India have become an important part of the opinion formation because they are considered more knowledgeable than their uneducated elders. All forms of communication targeted at urban Indian youth is also reaching rural India” While there is no difficulty in reaching rural youth in economically developed States like Tamil nadu, AP,Kerala, Punjab etc because of better literacy and better reach of mass media in such States, the challenge is in reaching rural youth in developing states like Bihar, UP, Orissa etc where the reach of mass media is still poor because of lower literacy and inadequate infrastructure in terms of lack of power and badly maintained
ESTIMATED ANNUAL SIZE: RURAL MARKET FMCG
INR 65000 Cr
Durables Agri-inputs (including tractors)
INR 5000 Cr INR 45000 Cr
“The educated youth in the villages of India have become an important part of the opinion formation” R V Rajan President, RMAAI
roads etc; though telecommunication has vastly improved because of the mobile revolution. It becomes, therefore, necessary to look at alternative ways of reaching them. Pitch handpicked some innovative and revolutionary marketing campaigns targeted at Indian Youth in the recent times.
Two / Four Wheelers INR 8000 Cr TOTAL
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INR 123000 Cr
| November | December Pitch Pitch 2013 2013
Challenge: Loss of 400 million USD in the 2000 and a flat in 2001 made coca cola India rethink its strategy for the rural India.
Strategy: The strategy revolved around three ‘A’s: 1. Affordability – An average rural worker earned INR 100 a day out of which spending INR 10 on a 300 ml coca-cola bottle was considered as a leisurely expense. To overcome the same, Coca-cola introduced 200 ml bottle for Rs 5 only which was an affordable amount for the pockets of rural audience. 2. Acceptability – Amir Khan’s ‘Thanda Matlab Coca-Cola waS targeted at the the rural crowd where he portrayed nepali at a hill station and along with this Coca Cola India focussed on 47,000 weekly ‘Hatts’, weekly markets and 25,000 ‘Melas’ Annual Fair. 3. Availability—Ramped up the distribution network, hired rickshaws that travelled to the villages daily. Execution:
TV commercials: TVC’s targeted at the Rural Audience used Amir Khan as a Nepali boy with whom the target audience could associate easily. Wall Paintings & Hoardings
Result: 37 per cent growth in the Indian Rural Market as a result of these initiatives Objective
Hamari Guddi Foundation for Satya Bharti School, Rajasthan
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Encourage active involvement of the community, parents and like-minded organizations.
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Make a lasting and sustainable impact on the community where schools are present.
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Create replicable and scalable components through the campaign to ensure that the girl child was encouraged and supported by the parents to pursue education.
Execution: Covering 78 villages in Rajasthan.
Pitch | November 2013
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They utilized the already operational promotional Vans of Airtel and turned the communication and design to suit their purpose giving birth to this great CSR concept.
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They created a dialogue between the brand and the parents of the girl child to convince them and educate them about the crucial need of girl child education.
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They gave a platform to the fast dying art of Rajasthan – Puppetry, helping it revive its charm.
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FEATURE: BIG SUCCESSES IN LITTLE INDIA
Khiladi No. 1 Objective: Backing the Heroes of India by shaping Future Olympic Players Strategy: Bring together the three key stakeholders: Youth, Agriculture and M&M Tractors, Through Rural sports, a networking of Youth & Sports for Long Term Seeping of agriculture was possible.
Execution:
This rural sporting event channelized the talented youth by giving them a platform to showcase their abilities and nourished their passion for the sports. The entire set up arena was branded with life size canopy, backdrops, flags, standees, buntings and
kiosks. The participating teams competed for Mahindra’s Khiladi Number One title in Kabaddi and volleyball. Correlating the consistency of Mahindra’s leadership in the tractor industry, the contestants with consistent performance during the event were honored with the title of Mahindra’s Khiladi Number One. Other winners received gold medals and consolation prizes for participation. Customer interface at the venue kept spectators engaged while the excitement of the competition kept them on their toes.
Results: Over 60k audience enjoyed the thrill of 150 sports events as rural sports boosted the morale of sports lovers and enabled the brand to associate with the youth. Out of 16000 enquiries, 5000 test rides were taken winning confidence of 10 per cent customers present at the venue.
Objective: To promote Nokia Asha series internet phones TG: 18-24 years old in rural markets with internet awareness Challenges:
Net ka Guru
1.Making consumer experience the product superior browsing capabilities. 2.Effective communication requires multiple exposures but the marketing initiative was not to be repeated. 3.The program should have felicitated sales.
Strategy: Every college / school has an opinion leader – The Guru. Program identified these gurus and made them local brand ambassadors.
Execution: The engagement approach invited friends to the Nokia net ka guru program. Educate about mobile internet on Nokia. Removed apprehensions and solved queries. The program was intended to drive the usage of mobile internet and build a Nokia community through a long term engagement.
Results in numbers: 4 cities; 11 colleges; 16 Gurus; 4 weeks; 11000 fans; 3,60,000 referrals
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| November | December Pitch Pitch 2013 2013
Snapdeal Nagar Objective: The objective was to adopt a village and change their lives by providing fresh water source. Till then the villagers used to travel miles to fetch water.
Execution: The company realized that mere $5,000 would install 15 hand pumps that would make it so the villagers wouldn’t have to walk nearly two miles just to get clean water. In 2011 when the company was just one year old, they were out rightly focusing on the tier-2 and tier-3 cities to grow their market. The villagers in gratitude renamed their village to Snapdeal.com Nagar and the company in the very nascent stages of their business had won accolades for this initiative.
Har Gaon Har Aangan Objective: •
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To reach every Indian home and every Indian village, and in the process, build long-lasting relationships with people across the country. To ensure that the purchase and service of two wheelers in India is affordable and convenient.
Startegy & Execution: Apart from meeting opinion leaders, rural sales executives are also entrusted with organising free check-up bike camps, loan melas, test ride camps, conducting Ride Safe Programmes to educate customers on Safety and Maintenance. During the year under review, they covered 1,30,000 villages across the
| December | November Pitch 2013 Pitch 2013
country, including villages with a population of up to 2000. A unique initiative of the ‘Har Gaon Har Aangan’ programme was ‘Khushiyan Har Angan’. Celebrating the spirit of caring and sharing, they decided to celebrate the festival of Diwali in rural India differently. Rural support executives, from across dealerships, travelled to various towns and villages, met people at their doorsteps and wished them personally. They also delivered a special message from Hero MotoCorp and distributed branded box of sweets with diyas. In this unique customer connect programme, they met over 4,58,000 people, across 56,932 villages in just two weeks.
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FEATURE: BIG SUCCESSES IN LITTLE INDIA
Beauty contest for rural women On the occasion of the launch of Dabur Amla’s new look in 2009, the Company announced the expansion of a new consumer initiative – a rural beauty pageant christened Dabur Amla ‘Banke Dikhao Rani’. Dabur Amla’s beauty contest for rural women is one of the best examples of a marketing campaign that touched upon the ‘sensibility’ part of rural women’s lives. The contest was held across 52 districts in three states – Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh & Bihar – covering 2,000 villages. The contest recognised and rewarded facets such as Sundarta, Susheelta and Yogyata amongst young girls. Since Dabur Amla hair oil has always been associated with beauty and presented as the key to strong, long, and beautiful hair, the next obvious step was to put two and two together to create something that the evolving rural youth could aspire for. The initiative generated beauty awareness among rural women, educated them about the benefits of Dabur Amla hair oil compared to mustard oil (their competition) and offered them a platform to showcase their beauty and talent. All this was done in line with the sensitivities of the geographies.
Chic Shampoo – Rural Revolution Objective: To tap the rural market and to compete in a cluttered shampoo segment. Strategy & Execution: The brand launched 50 paise shampoo sachets to penetrate deep rural pockets. They used French perfume to differentiate itself on the plank of superior fragrance. To promote the shampoo Cavin Kare decided to give away one sachet of chik shampoo free for five empty sachets of any shampoo brand and further extending this strategy in the next stage it restricted the free shampoo exchange for empty sachets of Chik only.
Champi on school boys:
In late 1990s most of the people in these remote villages had no clue how to use shampoo. To encourage trials CavinKare’s team travelled extensively in rural pockets. Trials on school boys to demonstrate, how to lather, wash and comb hair and
show the difference. Results: Chik market share flared from 5.6 per cent
in 1999 to 23 per cent in 2004. It became the No. 1 shampoo brand in rural India and captured 65 per cent market share. -ankur.gaurav@exchange4media.com
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| November | December Pitch Pitch 2013 2013
COLUMN
Youth Marketing?
Is there any other kind? Ajay Gahlaut
Executive Creative Director, O&M
ajay.gahlaut@ogilvy.com
I
n India, every brand wants to talk to the youth and be seen as hip and young.
It doesn’t matter whether you are selling colas or pizzas or luxury cars or premium scotch. It doesn’t matter if the brand has a hundredyear-old heritage with a logo that invokes the nineteenth-century or if the product is real estate and you are expected to pay over a lakh every month in instalments. All the clients say the same thing. Make it young. Make it vibrant. Make it catchy. Are there people over thirty who buy brands in India? Not too many, if you go by the ads on television. And what about people over forty? Are you kidding? They don’t buy anything. They spin their own clothes, grow their own food and make their own cars. Unfortunately, this focus on making everything youthful means that nothing is
Unfortunately, this focus on making everything youthful means that nothing is truly youthful Pitch | December 2013
truly youthful. The best part of young people is that they carry little baggage, are open to ideas and willing to experiment. The worst part of our advertising is that it is usually none of the above. The solution isn’t advertising on the Internet, the cool and youthful medium. Youtube, Facebook and Twitter are just ways to reach people. We are discussing the message. There isn’t a cookie-cutter ‘youthful style’ of communicating. If you want to sell a car to a thirty-year old man, why not talk to him in a more mature manner instead of making him seem like a teenager just out of college? It’ll at least make the ad stand out. But if you are really targeting youth, that is young adults who are in their late teens or early twenties, then you should have the courage to address them in their own terms. It’s not enough to make the ad peppy and colourful and imitate the latest college lingo or Bollywood song. You need to get under their skins, understand their insecurities, tap into their lives. Like how the Titan Fast Track ads did with Move On, for example. Or the campaign ‘Be Stupid’ for Diesel. Bernard Shaw remarked that youth is wasted on the young. Well, as advertisers, we should make sure that advertising for the youth is not wasted on the young. Fortunately, young people tend to have low attention spans and can usually spot bullshit from a mile away. I have faith in them and I am sure they’ll force us to do better..
The views expressed here are of the author alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Pitch
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FEATURE: SACHIN, THE EVERGREEN YOUTH ICON
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Pitch | November December 2013
Brand Sachin
DECODED! Pitch talks to people behind the masterpiece ads of the master blaster and decode the brand Sachiiiin…Sachin! By Gunjan Verma & Devansh Sharma
As the nation wept at the emotional farewell speech by Sachin Tendulkar about his life between the “22 yards for 24 years”, we got a glimpse of master blaster’s vulnerability. ‘People love to mother him’ say most of the people who Sachin Trivia have worked with him – off-field. Considered Growing up, Sachin would as the God of cricket, Sachin’s life and prefask his friend Ramesh Pradhe to erences were never hidden from his fans dip a rubber ball in water and hurl it and media, also because of his simplicity! at him. He wanted to see the wet marks Fans have loved him equally when he left on the bat to know whether he had sold a camera, a health drink, a cycle, mobil oil and even tyres. Every brand middled the ball wanted to replicate his professionA prankster, he once put a hose pipe into Sourav alism. Pitch tries to explore – why Ganguly’s room and turned on the tap. Ganguly Sachin is bigger than the brands he awoke to find his gear floating endorses? Why Sachin was a preferred face for the numerous ad Over the past 20 years, Tendulkar is estimated campaigns he featured in and how to have endorsed at least 50 local and he became a youth icon for millions global brands of young fans.
“It’s hard for me to imagine a life Here are some masterpiece adverwithout playing cricket because tisements featuring Tendulkar that can it’s all I have ever done since never fade away from the memory of his fans. Pitch spoke to the people behind I was 11 years old,” them to know what it was like to work with Sachin the genius, how he amplified the brand image and how he lent the brand a part of his own personality. Pitch | November December 2013
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FEATURE: SACHIN, THE EVERGREEN YOUTH ICON
Sachin belongs to the people and never poses In conversation with PRAHLAD KAKKAR, ad film maker, Genesis Film Production
The Pepsi ‘Kite’ ad The ad film… I have made about 10 films with Pepsi and I can’t choose the best amongst them. How can a mother choose between her children? Talking about the ‘Kite’ ad with Amitabh and Sachin, it was the first time that the two biggest icons of their respective fields came together. No one ever did that. We shot in Jodhpur in imperfect weather conditions. It was raining and gloomy. There was a huge crowd that had gathered to watch Amitabh Bachchan and Sachin Tendulkar. It was almost unmanageable. The kids were running everywhere, was quite chaotic. It was not an easy film to be shot at all.
The fun that came along with it… The script came from the agency and we did the jingle. At the shoot, two groups were formed - one were the supporters of Amitabh Bachchan and the other were Sachin fans. It was too much fun. It almost became the real kite fight! It was great to see the two most powerful men act like kids. As it was raining, we included the paper boat scene which was fun in itself and we loved getting drenched in the rain.
About brand ‘SACHIN’… Sachin is ‘THE’ brand. He is the ‘real’ hero and not the reel hero. There are no re-takes in his life. There is no second shot that can save him on the field to earn a better score and this is what makes him everybody’s favorite hero. He just PERFORMS! He is a camera shy person and is imperfect. When you shoot with him, he seems so normal and timid that you feel as if he is one of us and probably that is what people love about him. He belongs to the people and does not pose to be above them. He is vulnerable and everybody wants to mother him, protect him and side with him.
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Pitch | November December 2013
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to be above them
You can see the real Sachin in this ad
Britannia Vita Marie biscuits ad
The ad film… This film was simple. We had to shoot in one room with Sachin and just one kid. Our task was to shoot the chemistry and involvement Sachin had with that kid. Though shooting with kids can be difficult this one was so easy, we had the easiest shoot ever and it became possible only because of that one idea from Sunil Alagh, who was the MD of Britannia at that time.
The Big Idea… We locked Sachin with the kid in that room without making them aware of any cameras and asked Sachin to keep the kid involved. There was no script and no one shooting the ad. Sachin did not know that there were 3 hidden cameras in the room! Sunil chose the kid and the team depended on the spontaneity between Sachin and the kid in a locked room.
Sachin Performed… It was a dicey situation. The result could be either best or worst. But Sachin performed off-field also. The best part was that Sachin was very responsive and he could involve the kid as well. The film looks real for the sole reason that it was not scripted. The expressions are real and unscripted...
The Fact…
Memories… The most memorable moment I remember during this shoot was whenever Sachin had to interact with Amitabh, we would offer him a stool to stand on, to match his height.
It is a fact that we shot and completed the film in just 4 hours! And the outcome was extremely beautiful.
Sachin in my words is… ENDEARING!
Pitch | November December 2013
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FEATURE: SACHIN, THE EVERGREEN YOUTH ICON
He has made us believe that if you set your heart & soul on something, you will do it In conversation with Vandana Katoch Founder, Claygrounds & FormerSenior Creative DirectorDDB Mudra
Jaypee Cement “Andar se Solid’ campaign Vandana Katoch
The client said… Jaypee Cement previously went by the name ‘Buland Buniyad’. In 2008, we launched the brand under the tagline ‘Andar Se Solid’. The client wanted a person who could embody what the brand stood for.
Sachin – The ‘Fit’… The idea was to get someone who was strong, unshakable and inspiring. The strength that Sachin is known for, his cricketing life span, and his inspiring and unshakeable persona made him stand out as a brand ambassador for the campaign ‘Andar Se Solid’. We differentiate Jaypee cement from others because of its strength and quality of ingredients. It is not just ‘Uppar Se Solid’. Sachin is also the same.
Sachin, the real sportsman… It was a fantastic experience. Sachin is a real sportsman. I have shot with film stars and high profile models and there is a stark difference between them and this true sportsman. Unlike most celebrities, he is not difficult to deal with. He is grounded, humble and keen to learn. He was always keen to give his best shot and never said “No” to re-takes. I have done sev-
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eral films with him and he has a point of view on things. One thing worth mentioning is the way Sachin held his bat. For him that’s his religion. It has to be held in a certain way and should not be swung around. He is a true gentleman..
Candid facts… The first ad film that we shot show-
Pitch | November December 2013
cased Sachin running against the Sardar Sarovar dam in the backdrop. But obviously we could not take him to Gujarat, so we shot the Sardar Sarovar portion first and then came to Bombay and shot in Film city. The ad required him to run up and down, we made him do crunches, sit ups and he did all that with a smile on his face.
Pitch | November December 2013
He has a very good memory. When we shot the subsequent ad films with him he remembered the people who had worked with him earlier on the campaign.
The brand – Sachin! Sachin is a brand in himself. He stands out for some qualities which set him apart from others. He has become
a Brand because of the stature that he has reached . To fans he is God..
Sachin in one line‌ The man who has inspired generations- He has made us believe that if you set your heart & soul on something , you will do it.
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FEATURE: SACHIN, THE EVERGREEN YOUTH ICON
Sachin is the world’s greatest testimonial to stamina In conversation with Udayan Chakrabarty, Creative Director, JWT
Boost ‘Sachin not out’ campiagn Why Boost… Sachin has a long standing association with Boost . Sachin endorsing boost is more natural and effortless. This ad film was a real tribute to his sporting stamina. The idea was to summarize his entire career in the ad campaign.
Sachin – The big idea… Boost is one of the brands that have a long standing association with Sachin. 10 years ago when boost signed him up as a brand ambassador, we did not know that he would become such a strong embodiment of stamina. The stamina that Boost gives is synonymous with Sachin’s playing stamina, since he has survived for 24 long years. Sachin is the world’s greatest testimonial to stamina. Sachin is the best example of stamina by virtue of being the world’s greatest batsman. He has carved out a niche for himself over a sustained period of time. He tells us the story of undying energy and infinite stamina. The brand celebrity dynamic is almost like a marriage. The celebrity has to give back to the brand as much as the brand gives to the celebrity. Sachin has proved to be a great brand ambassador for boost. We also roped in other cricketers for boost but they had a different dynamic. No two marriages are same by virtue of difference in each particular partnership. In fact, I would like ask the readers: Take stamina and Sachin, then evaluate for yourself , how the two go together.
Candid Sachin … You expect him to be a good cricketer but his brilliance is not just limited to cricket, it is way beyond that. I remember a shoot where Sachin sat with the creative team and lent his advice. He actually showed us the way for a better shot.
Sachin in one line… Legends never retire
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Pitch | November 2013
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When you shoot with someone as big as Sachin, every moment is memorable In conversation with Ajay Menon, Vice president, Ogilvy & Mather
ICC World Cup Castrol ‘Active Sachin’ campaign The big idea: The whole idea was to amplify the significance of protection in the context of the bike, using cricket as an analogy. We wanted to communicate that performance with confidence is the key to best deliveries.
The ad… The TVC starts with Sachin batting on a pitch without a helmet. A fast bowler bowls to Sachin and when Sachin is about to hit the ball, the ball hangs in mid-air. Sachin gets off his batting stance, wears a helmet and slams the ball. This TVC highlights the importance of protection.
Sachin - The ‘perfect fit’… When it comes to cricket, it can’t get bigger and better than Sachin. Who better to showcase protection in the context of the sport than Sachin. He is the ultimate brand and people follow him religiously, thus he became the perfect choice for communicating the message of ‘protection’.
Brand Sachin... He is extremely pleasant and thoroughly professional. He is extremely committed, down to earth, approachable and open to suggestions. The true qualities of a sportsman and a thorough professional! It was an honor working with him.
Sachin in memory… He is one of a kind. Has huge appeal and a great cut-through. I guess when you shoot with someone as big as Sachin, every moment is memorable.
One-liner for Sachin… The one and only
Pitch | November December 2013
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FEATURE: SACHIN, THE EVERGREEN YOUTH ICON
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Most brands are shallow and may have only been strengthened by their association with Sachin. In conversation with Parixit Bhattacharya, Chief Creative Officer, TBWA India
Sachin’s 40th Birthday campaign by Adidas About the campaign… The brief was to celebrate Sachin’s birthday. We wanted to do something that could touch more people than only Sachin and in the process also reiterate Adidas’s commitment to the sport and those who love it.
The Big Idea… Nothing could have been a better gift than turning the city into a stadium for the guy who made cricket run in the veins of India. The idea was always there but we just happened to spot it at the right time.
On the shoot… We didn’t get a lot of time to work on this project, which was perfect because most of the decisions then had to be instinctive. That’s the only way I like to work. Once we had the idea we needed partners to bring it to life. We were extremely lucky to find a committed partner in Red Ice films. They were like the third nostril for us on this project. Can’t thank them enough.
Sachiin…Sachin… Sachin is India’s favourite son. I think an entire generation has grown up with their dads going, ‘Sachin ko dekha hai? Kuch sikho usse.’ Most brands are very shallow and, if, at all, may have been strengthened by their association with Sachin.
The fact… It took us really long to decide on the title for the campaign.
Sachin in one line… No line can be as exciting as it has been to live in the times of Sachin.
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Pitch | November December 2013
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In 24 years, the world has changed but what remains unchanged is Sachin
In conversation with Ajit Mohan, Head – Digital Business, Star India
The Sachin Memory Project The plan for Farewell…
Most of the people in our team are huge fans of Sachin so it seemed we were discussing personal interests. Most of the people want to be associated with Sachin’s journey and like to find similarities between the times they were exploring the world and the times Sachin was playing like the Lord himself.
The big Idea… We wanted to focus on the fans that have been loyal to Sachin for 24 years and also bring in a lot of dignity to his career. The idea was not just to present a story but a timeline along with almost 100 videos to relive the endearing moments. Three things that we kept in mind while designing the campaign were – we had the edge to produce best videos that no one else could, we wanted to be pioneers to create a timeline like that, which showcased the true picture of how the world changed over these 24 years and the ‘Big Picture’ that would give a chance to all the fans and people present in Wankhede stadium for those last 3 innings a medium, to freeze the memory. The Big Picture was a great idea to wrap up things on the website.
The life between 22 yards for 24 years… It is easy to say that someone spent 24 years of his career as a legend but little do we realize what those 24 years mean. We wanted to capture how the world had evolved in these 24 years. We wanted to give people a grammar to say how the world changed in these years but what stayed stable was Sachin!
My fondest memory… The match with Abdul Qadir that announced Sachin to the world is my favorite. It can never fade away from my memory.
The fun that came along… As most of us are great Sachin fans, we had many internal fights in deciding on the timeline features. It was difficult to manage 15 people deciding on one historical fact that should be featured on the timeline. We all had fond memories of these 24 years and took great pride in associating ourselves with those times when Sachin was busy making history. -gunjan.verma@exchange4media.com -devansh.sharma@exchange4media.com
Pitch | November December 2013
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a ss Gl
The Loo
kin g
COLUMN
5 Guidelines for making great
gh rou h T
Youth Marketing Campaigns Ankur Kalra
CEO, Vibgyor Brand Services ankur@vibgyor.in
I
f you’re still getting the hang of ‘YOLO’ in an effort to connect with the youth, you’re already one step behind. They’ve already moved on to tweaking which is also breathing its last in the collective youth consciousness and in dire danger of being replaced by the next fad that catches their fancy. Marketing to the Gen Millennial has been particularly arcane. Who knows what they will like next? So are marketers forced to rely on trial and error tactics or does there exist a definitive guide to the behavioral pattern of the young and the restless. One only needs to turn to popular culture for the answers. They have blogs, Facebook accounts, twitter handles and an uncanny ability to tell it like they see – it, at their disposal. Truth be told, marketing for the youth requires some intelligent work because if you give them anything less, they’ll see right through it. Over the years we’ve had the opportunity to associate with several brands targeting the youth. We’ve tried several things - some instantly successful and others that were first-hand lessons in what not to do. Without getting into generalisations, here are some guidelines that have struck a chord with this difficult to please generation.
Ganging Up: Creating Real-Life Communities Girls love to gang up and anyone who’s been to high school or seen Mean Girls will be able to vouch for it. Give them a reason to make
No one drives the ‘me too’ phenomenon like the youth. A stamp of approval from their peers decides whether a trend is ready to explode or backfire 28
closed cliques and communities and you’ve got yourself a winning strategy. To test this theory, we applied it to an activation campaign, Sunsilk Gang of Girls, years before Facebook and MySpace. Marketed as an exclusive group for girls who use Sunsilk, they exchanged hair secrets, celebrity hairstyle hacks and makeovers. The campaign turned out to be a rage and a record number of girls signed up at malls and salons to be part of the group.
Do my friends and friends of friends like it? No one drives the ‘me too’ phenomenon like the youth. A stamp of approval from their peers and friends decides whether a trend is ready
Pitch | December 2013
put this theory to test at a campaign for Wild Stone deodorants where there was a lot of headbanging, tattoos and trance music that upped the youth quotient much to the disdain of everyone else around.
Back to College
This smartphone generation is exclusively made up of firstmovers and early influencers who love technology
Even by the most conservative estimates, 50 per cent of time spent in college is time wasted. And while they’re wasting it, why not give them something interesting to do? Colleges especially during fests can be hotbeds for any kind of engaging campaigns. In the super-charged atmosphere they will be ready to sing, dance, act, try your facewash, and get makeovers – actually almost anything where everyone else can cheer them on. A good tip would be to plan something in the October-November period when most colleges host their fests. Give out branded freebies and pictures; something that can be a keepsake and reminder of the experience.
High on technology
to explode or backfire. Armed with this piece of insight, we started the ‘Bausch and Lomb - Model of the Week’ to usher in an era of contact lenses. Before nerd glasses were voted as the coolest accessory of the season, glasses were the bane of teenyboppers who couldn’t wait to do away with the extra pair of eyes. The campaign let youngsters see how glamorous they could look without their glasses and follow it up with a makeover to make the change even more startling. Pictures of ‘before’ and ‘after’ avatars, were posted on Facebook. Bringing in maximum likes won them titles like
Pitch | December 2013
Model of the Week. Suddenly everyone was talking about it, commenting and liking and the campaign became a runaway hit.
25 and below only! Anything that would make anyone over 25 scoff and you’ve got a winning strategy on your hands. That is why trends like planking, urban dictionaries that spew new acronyms every day and the hipster culture have found dedicated followers in the youth. The more mystifying it is to other (read older) people, the greater affinity the young will have towards it. We
This smartphone generation is exclusively made up of first-movers and early influencers who love technology and take on to new gadgets like teenage girls to a Justin Bieber song. When marketing for a new cellphone, laptop, tablet or gaming device it’s always best to get the youth talking about it and it will get to your intended target group eventually. When we organised the Nokia India Fest in Goa the Lumia had just launched. A phone made for the youth, we encouraged them to talk about it on Facebook and enabled instant logins with RFID bands. The traction this generated was unbelievable; pictures, likes and comments flew around faster than tweets after a Rahul Gandhi rally. Similarly, Intel Catch n Win had people download an application to play a game and win an Ultrabook.
The views expressed here are of the author alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Pitch
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COLUMN
The many myths of
Youth Marketing Roshan Abbas
Managing Director Encompass, Events
roshan.abbas@encompass.in
T
he myths of youth marketing. The question had me stumped. Being not too old in this marketing game I turned to the wise old man of twitter Mahesh Murthy and promptly came the reply: There is no youth marketing – there is only marketing. And I was back at the starting point. Since I couldn’t submit a haiku as an article I decided to take my chances. Marketing to the plurality of India, most articulated by the youth is a challenge and there is no one size fits all solution –on one hand while EPL viewership continues to grow due to its fast and furious pace– the biggest hit is still Chennai Express – a 2 hr 22 minute film with a 45 plus star and a 25 something starlet that is rooted in rustic, parochial joke. So who is the youth because aren’t BO sales being driven by them too? The myths emerge when we seek to overlook the plurality and try to arrive at a singular marketing axiom that can explain the paradox. What have I learnt and these are just my observations. Warning: they may leave you with more questions than answers.
Marketing to the plurality of India, most articulated by the youth is a challenge and there is no one size fits all solution
30
Don’t tell – let me discover. The connected youth have an in built bullshit detector and they now have many Geiger counters to sift through the layers one creates around a brand. Social media, blogs, google, Twitter. So while it was easier to hide the truth now if they know much like Scully and Mulder , that the truth is out their somewhere they will find it. Searching is my birthright and discovery is a joy. Give it to them free and they will Share –actually not! Its about my world – how I share is my business and what I share must have a little part of me in it. So your content will be clipped,cut, meme’d, mimed, cracked jokes on,remixed,redubbed and you better be good with it. IPR is dead and sharing is a birthright as well. Sellebrity – sure the celebrities sell – but who are they – if Ranbir sells Pepsi how come a 45 year old sells the next biggest cola? Who is selling who ! Or does it. Even
They will Share? Actually not!
Pitch | November December 2013
Sellebrity?
video? Frankly nobody has the answer. They are nowhere and everywhere. Finding the mix is an ongoing experiment. Take an action, get feedback and adjust it and act again. The finish line is just the beginning. A dose of rebellion against family , a few four letter words will make your brand rock ! Amazingly I find that today’s teens are closer to their parents then the one before. Perhaps the reason is younger more connected parents. Who give them more space and don’t cross boundaries as often. They still don’t want to give mom or dad a hug in public and will restrict your privileges on Facebook but they are a more connected generation to family as well. Youth are metopic: it’s the me that matters most to them. Yet they are very aware of the world they exist in and are willing to step out to improve their lot. When a rape in delhi or one in a mill in Mumbai happens or even a Campa cola building is threatened they pass a quick judgement and take things in their own hands. Yes they will sign 30 petitions online but they will step out if it threatens their life directly. In this environment don’t ask them to support distant causes find more real tangible ones that impact them. So have I confused you enough? Let me leave you with a few do’s that I picked up at a recent conference from various sessions. Create cam-
save ’t n a c r i b n a R a Blackberr y
a brand like Ranbir can’t save a blackberry. No amount of cola sales will shoot through the roof if the product lacks the thunder. You may get their passing attention but if you want them to spend, the reason must be by creating value or a connection. It’s the smartphone generation But it’s not using all it’s smart for you! Try an activity that requires downloading an app, taking a picture and uploading it. Give a digital activation more than 2 steps for data collection and you’ve lost them. Simplicity is key. And data costs always a back of the mind worry. They are smart enough to figure that consumption costs more. So your plan better be out of the cost of myplan!! To own the youth Go buy a youth channel property! But what is a youth channel today? Is it YouTube or TV . Radio or a podcast. A mega event or a vine
nst i a g on a i l l e Reb family? eir th
r to s e s o Cl arent p
Pitch | November December 2013
paigns, ideas, acts, interventions that are Socially shareable Technically novel Personally relevant Make connections, make memories, make the abstract real Empower them as enablers, creators and see the magic. I’ve just seen a google ad/story that is being shared on social media. At its heart is google but in it the teenager plays the role of enabler, using their world of access and information to make a memory come alive and create another unforgettable moment. My timeline is filled
Youth are metopic ? don’t ask them to support distant c a find more real tan uses g ones that impact ible them
with young people both men and women who unashamedly have wept when they saw it and shared it endlessly. But again are these 14-24 or the ever youthful 24-40 ( who make no mistake feel more youthful then ever) The vocabulary of emotions is not limited to awesome and even teens shed tears! We will do well to remember that.
The views expressed here are of the author alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Pitch
19 31
BRAND JOURNEY: HARLEY DAVIDSON
Wheels that have Rolled for
110 years
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Pitch | December 2013
By Ankur Gaurav
F
or a brand which endorses ‘A Journey’, its own journey truly explains how brand Harley has evolved through a century of creation. A motored bicycle travelled the globe, won races, fought world wars and consistently infused the spirit of ‘Freedom’ within itself and also into its patrons. HD as they call Harley-Davidson, the world’s best cruiser bike today, can be identified with the ‘Bar and Shield logo. The logo has had a journey of its own. From being on the bikes to jackets, magazines, fuel oil, gloves, music festivals the logo has been a favourite with Harley patrons. On the occasion of Harley’s 110th anniversary, Pitch decided to travel back in time to trace the journey:
1901
THE BACKYARD STORY
A
20 year old boy from Milwaukee in US, William S. Harley, drew his imagination on a piece of paper, which was a small engine with a displacement of 116 cc and four inch flywheels. It was designed to be used in a regular pedal-bicycle frame. Then his childhood friend Arthur Davidson along with his elder brother Walter Davidson, executed the design at a machine shop in a friend’s backyard. The model failed but not before it had ignited the spark. Later the first “real” Harley-Davidson motorcycle had a bigger engine of 405 cc with 9.75 inches (25 cm) flywheels weighing 13 kg. This prototype machine was functional by September 8, 1904, when it competed in a Milwaukee motorcycle race held at State Fair Park. It was ridden by Edward Hildebrand and placed fourth.
1906
FIRST FACTORY
H
arley and the Davidson brothers built their first factory on Chestnut Street (later Juneau Avenue). This location remains Harley-Davidson’s corporate headquarters today. The first Juneau Avenue plant was a single-story wooden structure. The company produced about 50 motorcycles that year.
Pitch | December 2013
33
BRAND JOURNEY: HARLEY DAVIDSON
1910
1910: BAR & SHIELD
O
n May 6, the brand adopted ‘Bar & Shield’ as their logo. It was used on the tool boxes of HD motorcycles and then started appearing on packaging of parts and in company literature. The familiar orange and black coloring was added in 1922.
1914
RACE
P
erry Meck was one of the first men to race on a Harley-Davidson. He set the one mile record for motorcycles with a time of 1 minute, 16 seconds. They quickly realized that these races could become an effective advertising tool, or demonstration platform before the general public. Finally in 1914, Harley-Davidson created a racing department with a company supported racing team.
1917
W
WORLD WAR ON HARLEY
hen US entered the world war in 1917, it was the first time the army used motorcycles in combat and more than 15,000 Harley-Davidson motorcycles were used in World War 1. A soldier called Ray Holtz, rode his sidecar rig across the German border just one day after the signing of the armistice. During this time, all Harley-Davidson products, including bicycles were painted olive green, and stayed that way until the 1930s.
1920
HOW HOG HAPPENED
A
group of farm boys who were known as ‘Hog boys’ continuously won races and took their mascot pig on Harley-Davidson on their victory lap. In 1983, the Motor Company formed a club for owners of its product taking advantage of the long-standing nickname by turning “hog” into the acronym HOG, which now stands for Harley Owners Group.
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Pitch | December 2013
1931
AN EXTRA WHEEL
T
he Board of Directors decided to develop a three wheeled commercial vehicle which debuted as servi-car. It became popular with police departments, car dealers and numerous other businesses. Production of the servi-car was ceased in 1973 after 41 years making it one of the longest running production lines in Harley-Davidson history.
1934
SURVIVING THE GREAT DEPRESSION
T
he Great Depression began a few months after the introduction of their 45 cubic inch model. Harley-Davidson’s sales fell from 21,000 in 1929 to 3,703 in 1933. Despite this, Harley-Davidson unveiled a new lineup in 1934. The company was one of two companies to survive the Great Depression.
1943
HARLEY LEAVES A LEGACY BEHIND
W
illiam H Harley who had started tinkering with gasoline engines with friend Arthur Davidson in the early 1900s to make the motorcycle and the brand, passed away on September 16
1969
TOUGH TIMES FOR HARLEY
I
n 1969, American Machine Foundry bought the company, streamlined production and slashed the workforce. This resulted in a labor strike and quality reduced. The sales declined and the company almost went bankrupt. Harley Davidson was mocked as ‘Hardly Ableson’ and ‘Hardly Driveable’. The movie Easy Rider was released on July 14, 1969. Starring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper, it was a counterculture film that touched on the outlaw motorcycle culture. In the movie Hopper and Fonda ride two chopper-style motorcycles designed by Cliff Vaughns and Ben Hardy. The originals are no longer in existence, but replicas of the motorcycles can be seen at the Harley-Davidson Museum.
Pitch | December 2013
35
BRAND JOURNEY: HARLEY DAVIDSON
1981
THE EAGLE SOARS ALONE
I
t was February 26th, 1981 when the phrase ‘The Eagle Soars Alone’ became a rallying cry as thirteen HD senior executives signed a letter of intent to purchase the company back from AMF.
1981
LISTED ON NYSE
H
arley-Davidson’s first public offering on the American Stock Exchange was the most dramatic in the history of Wall Street, New York. On July 1, 1987, 25 motorcycles, 10 limousines, 2 Harley-Davidson tractor trailers, and a 40-feet Holiday Rambler motor home rode from the Harley dealership in Queens to the Wall Street. Trading began.
1998
RIDE BACK TO WHERE IT ALL STARTED: MILWAUKEE
M
ore than 140,000 riders arrived at Milwaukee, the hometown of HD, to celebrate the 95th Anniversary . The same year, the company stepped outside US to manufacture the motorcycles in Manaus, Brazil.
2003
INTO THE 100TH YEAR
T
he 100th year saw around 250,000 people gather in Milwaukee for the final stop of the Open Road Tour.
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Pitch | December 2013
2008
MUSEUM FOR POSTERITY
T
he museum opened to the public on July 12, 2008. The gallery relates the company’s history from its origins in a 10x15-foot wooden shack to its current status as the top U.S. motorcycle manufacturer. The centerpiece of the gallery is “Serial Number One”, the oldest known Harley-Davidson in existence, which is encased in glass.
I
2009
CRUISES TO INDIA
n August 2009, Harley-Davidson announced plans to enter the Indian market, and started selling motorcycles here in 2010. The company established a subsidiary, Harley-Davidson India, in Gurgaon, near Delhi, in 2011, and created an Indian dealer network. End of Enthusiast: Harley-Davidson’s Enthusiast was the longest running motorcycle magazine for 90 years. The magazine began publication in 1916 and was published until 2009 when the Motor company combined it with another publication HOG tales, which had been in print since 1983.
HARLEY IN INDIA
H
arley Davidson flagged its entry to the Indian market with Harley Rock Rider festival starting right in its first year. In its fourth year in India, Harley Davidson celebrated 110th anniversary of the iconic brand with Harley Rock Riders moving out to six cities in India.
Pitch | December 2013
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COVERJOURNEY: STORY: YOUTH MARKETING BRAND HARLEY DAVIDSON
38
Pitch | December 2013
Brands cope with the fast changing needs of India’s youth by being one of them. But is that really enough to get their attention?
By Rashi Bisaria
I
ndia is getting younger by the day and the youthful fervour is getting reflected around us. Every third person in an Indian city today is a youth. It may be difficult to believe but our lifestyles and environment have taken on a younger tone. In fact, India is set to become the youngest country by 2020 with 64 per cent of its population in the working age group. Marketers have started tailoring their products to suit the preferences of India’s growing demographic-the youth. A younger population means a fresh outlook, new perspectives, more energy and a positive sense of self. It also means a greater reliance on technology, social environment, communication and individuality in thinking. It’s a well known fact that the influence of social media on the young digi-
Pitch | December 2013
tal native is huge but is it really the only way the youth today communicates? We know there is fast paced transformation among the attitudes of youth but are they as different from the previous generations as they are made out to be? A recent Youth Report by the DDB Mudra group has revealed some eye-opening facts about the psyche of youth in India. One of the surprising facts that came to light through this survey was that social media is NOT the primary medium to engage youth today. Offline social networks still hold prominence. Comment-
ing on widely held perceptions, Samyak Chakrabarty, Chief Youth Marketer, DDB Mudra Group said, “Personally, my biggest takeaway is that young people today are no different than the generation before-it is just external factors like new media, plethora of choice and fast paced urbanisation which make us behave the way we do. As a brand if you want to earn my loyalty, first try to know who I really am rather than judge me by popular perception or certain aspects of my actions.” Youngsters today are opinionated and
One of the surprising facts that came to light through DDB Mudra survey was that social media is NOT the primary medium to engage youth today 39
COVER STORY: YOUTH MARKETING
“My biggest takeaway is that young people today are no different than the generation before-it” Samyak Chakrabarty Chief Youth Marketer, DDB Mudra Group independent. They also wish to question everything around them. As the study suggests, “Even enlightenment can be google-ed today”. This is the reason why brands have to be careful about what they promise to these young clients as every action can be questioned.
LEARNING FROM YOUTH Some brands have been able to get the youth formula right. That’s also because they have been able to understand this seemingly difficult-to-decode demographic. “Learning” from the youth remains their mantra in getting the formula right. Debarpita Banerjee, Vice President, Marketing, National Geographic and Fox International Channels India spoke about what can be imbibed from the young and restless generation, “Youth has mostly been associated with impatience but they are also very receptive to new ideas, innovations and outof-the-box thinking. NGC and Fox are channel brands that are constantly on their toes, keeping themselves relevant
FAITH •
Young people are convenient believers • 2014 will see the largest turnout of young voters
• Even enlightenment can be ‘Google-ed’ these days
amid changing trends and interests.” Nike, the international sportswear brand has been successful in India by staying customer-focused. By understanding the consumer better than anyone else, Nike innovates by bringing them new and better products, services and experiences. Nike India’s Marketing director Avi-
Brands have to be careful about what they promise to these young clients as every action can be questioned 40
“Youth has mostly been associated with impatience but they are also very receptive to new ideas, innovations and out-of-the-box thinking.” Debarpita Banerjee Vice President, Marketing, National Geographic and Fox International Channels
Pitch | December 2013
6
ENTITIES THAT ACUTELY AFFECT THE ACTIONS, CHOICES AND ASPIRATIONS OF THE URBAN YOUNG ARE SEX • It’s no longer the ‘S’ word
BEAUTY
•
Films and advertisements are highly influencing sexual behaviour
•
Sex is no more the last act
• Gym = Style > Health • Facebook is the new society • Social products being used to guise social status • Greater the looks, greater the judgment
MONEY
• While sex maybe fun, dignity is not compromised
• Compromise is my way of saving (conscious spending)
SUBSTANCE
• Uprising of the cult professions
LOVE
• Love is no longer a Bollywood saga • ‘It’s complicated’ is the new status • Family back on the No: 1 spot • It’s never been easier to move on
• Grow me the money • The stress is no longer only on the ‘Roti, Kapda, Makan’·
nash Pant admitted that Nike’s Barefoot is a product which was derived from the comfort practises of young athletes. He added to this saying, “Nike works in close connection with the athletes across India as this makes them perform better.” Yet another brand that has not just deciphered the Indian youth, but has evolved keeping their preferences in mind is MTV. It has taken western concepts and created products and properties to suit the Indian environment. MTV Bloc Party is a western concept that has
Pitch | December 2013
• The drastic rise in the number of women smokers is being considered as a sign of gender equality • A joint is perceived as being healthier than cigarettes. • Entertainment without ‘substance’ is hollow
been adapted for the Indian youth. The concept of a hopping party was introduced in India for young dance music lovers. “The format was appreciated because it created a unique audio visual experience in the heart of the city for the dance music lovers. The love for dance music is a very deep and ingrained phenomenon in any youth across the world,” explains Sumeli Chatterjee, Head, Marketing and Insights, MTV India.
• Alcohol and cigarettes are becoming the most important enabler of relationships The brand has taken many cues from the youth in developing its messaging. “With diminishing attention spans of the Target Group, it is absolutely critical to think every communication as a headline or a tweet. Simple, direct and crisp messaging delivers highest impact. This is also the reason why branded content
Bloc Party is a western concept adapted for the Indian youth. The love for dance music is a very deep and ingrained phenomenon in any youth across the world 41
COVER STORY: YOUTH MARKETING works better than just advertising,” adds Sumeli. Youth brands are increasingly taking their cues from the preferences of the young in developing products and messaging that can connect with them. Coca Cola, the leading brand in the soft drinks market has been successful in connecting with the youth from moment to moment. It has never stopped learning from the target consumers. Learning from consumer insights resulted in the development of Diet Coke. The health conscious youth were increasingly concerned about their calorie intake which led to the birth of Diet Coke. Commenting on this innovation, Anupama Ahluwalia, Vice President, Marketing, India and South West Asia, Coca Cola said, “Consumers especially women and young girls are getting more diet conscious and tend to keep a check on what they eat. It was happening all around and diet coke perfectly suited the need at that time.”
ADOPTING A YOUTHFUL ATTITUDE One of the best examples in recent times of a product evolving and changing its image to target the youth, is the Tata Nano. From being labeled the “poor man’s car” to becoming an awesome “Smart City Car” for the young, this product has come a long way. The new image stands to celebrate young achievers across genres. The new ad campaign celebrates this awesome spirit of the Nano which urges people to do things differently. The ‘Awesomeness’ TVC campaign was received with excitement by everyone. The video was an instant hit, bringing in more than 3.7 Lakh likes, 12.4K shares and 20,000+ comments from the fan base in its first month. So true was the communication for young India, that
“Nike’s Barefoot is a product which was derived from the comfort practises of young athletes” Avinash Pant
about. This generation genuinely wants to make the world a better place. Sustainability is the buzzword for them when they make lifestyle choices. They look for brands that are eco-friendly, which support social causes and follow ethical practices. Affordability and high quality are important in influencing purchasing decisions but ethical practices are equally significant. Therefore, brands that score high on this scale are the ones that make it to their wishlist. Studies show that this generation places more importance on socially responsible characteristics than it did five years ago. Social value has come to mean the same as brand value and the
Marketing Director, Nike India the TV Commercial hit 5 million views on YouTube in less than 30 days of being aired - the highest for any Automotive brand TVC in India. “We have successfully created a world of Nano, which has people that share Nano’s unique attitude - to do things bigger, better, braver and differently. The change in positioning is a conscious effort to connect with the youth who clearly represent an attitude of ‘Awesomeness’,” explained the spokesperson for Tata Motors.
WEAVING SOCIAL ISSUES IN THE MESSAGING TO YOUTH Nothing moves the youth as much today as a social cause they feel strongly
The change in positioning of Nano is a conscious effort to connect with the youth who clearly represent an attitude of ‘Awesomeness’ 42
Pitch | December 2013
youth are aware of it. “Youth do care. They are discerning buyers. Celebrities endorsing a brand and saying couple of good words do not work with them any more. They value consistency and honesty by brands. Brands have to become more human,” says Sumeli Chatterjee. “Last year, we launched MTV ACT as a pro social platform that lives 365 days on multimedia and supports NGOs and individuals who are working on youth issues like environment, recycling and education. We have done more than 30 activations including crowd funding schools, recycling old / used paper, teaching the underprivileged etc. and received overwhelming response from the audience,” she adds. Cause-driven campaigns have found much favour with the youth. People’s causes have become message vehicles for brands. Levi’s through its global marketing campaign “Go forth” has been encouraging people to get dressed every morning with a purpose. It urges the youth to make a positive difference in the world. The traditional marketing of tea got a new spin when Tata Tea (now Tata Global Beverages) launched the much
the “One Share One Condom” video and every use of #Someonelikeme, Durex will donate one condom to HIV and AIDS projects around the world. By using this campaign to start conversations, Durex hopes to reach out to the masses through a cause without directly talking about the subject of sex. By doing so it has changed its image from a condom brand to a sexual wellbeing brand. Chander Mohan Sethi, Senior VP, South East Asia for Reckitt Benckiser said, “Durex, in different parts of
Durex hopes to reach out to the masses through a cause without directly talking about the subject of sex talked about “Jaago Re” campaign. It is one of the most successful campaigns to have emerged in India in the last 5 years. The brand repositioned itself to target the youth by aligning with what matters to youth. The idea of social awakening found resonance among people making them sit up and take notice. When Reckitt Benckiser realized that sex as a subject was still considered taboo in large parts of Indian society it launched the “One Share One Condom” campaign. The campaign is aiming to engage 100 million young people across the globe through digital media. For every share of
Pitch | December 2013
the world is working in association with consumer forums and government to educate and communicate key messages of love and safe sex, quite relevant in a country like India”. With a plethora of choices available to youth and the latter’s changing preferences, brands have to develop new methods to earn mind share. Breaking through the clutter was never more difficult than now and for brands to succeed it is imperative that they understand the youth, adapt themselves, and participate in the lives of their young target group. -rashi.bisaria@exchange4media.com
43
COLUMN
The good, the bad and the ugly of
in-film product placements Rajyasree Sen
Author & Film Critic
rajyasree@newslaundry.com
Commercials are fine and dandy, but we all – including marketing managers – know that as a commercial comes on TV, we either switch channels or we put the telly on mute. Kind of counterproductive if you’re spending lakhs and sometimes crores in creating a fabulous advertisement, buying airtime on prime time and then nobody gets to see it. But marketing managers, being the smart kids they are, have realised the boon that is Hindi cinema in India. The opiate of the masses! When you’ve got people watching Shah Rukh Khan or Sal-
man or even Shakti Kapoor, you can throw in whatever subliminal advertising you want through product placements, and you’ve got yourself a catchment audience. The only thing you have to remember is that the client isn’t always an idiot and you aren’t always catering to the lowest common denominator. So while there’ve been
some great product placements, there’ve been some absolutely ridiculous ones we’ve had to suffer–Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs is one, where everyone signals yes by gesticulating thumbs up in the film. One of the characters who’d quit alcohol even ordered Thums Up at a bar in one scene. Then there was Yaadein which had a horrific product placement where two of the characters tried to spray a mouth freshner brand into each other’s mouths, which made you not want to buy that mouth freshener ever again. And then of course there
was Taal, where Aishwarya Rai drank from the same Coke bottle as Akshaye Khanna to show they’d kissed. So there’s the good, the bad and the ugly of product placements and surrogate advertising. Two brands which pretty much pilloried themselves were Discovery Channel and National Geographic. In Jab TakHaiJaan, they agreed to have Anushka Sharma play a Discovery Channel intern who gets sent off
The only thing you have to remember is that the client isn’t always an idiot and you aren’t always catering to the lowest common denominator 44
Pitch | December 2013
to make a documentary on her own and spends time hitting on the subject of her documentary and Kaal, where John Abraham plays a National Geographic adventurer who takes his girlfriend along for all his expeditions and can single-handedly wrestle with an Anaconda. Of course, thanks to the association with Kaal, Nat Geo could use John Abraham for a certain number of days for endorsement. So there is a method to the madness. The endorsements which have worked are slightly subtler, which most people don’t even realise are product placements. Like Shah Rukh using Castrol Engine Oil in Chalte Chalte where he plays a truck driver, or the introduction of the Swift car in Bunty aur Babli. Where brand managers make a mistake is when they bung in any brand into any film without any marriage of concepts. The placements in Dil To Pagal Hai had made sense. It was a well-dressed film which was aimed at a more English-speaking audience. So the brands which found prime place in it were Pepsi, Levis and Killer Jeans. Similarly, the film Road – which was by f a r
The endorsements which have worked are slightly subtler, which most people don’t even realise are product placements one of the worst films I’ve ever seen – had one of the best product placements- The Tata Motors’ Safari four wheel drive. Lage Raho Munnabhai took product placements from anyone who’d throw them a pie. Watching the film was like watching a long commercial for many brands. From Worldspace to Indian Oil Corporation to Go Air, Reliance Communications, MSN, Good Day, Kurkure, Bright Outdoor, they were all there. Krrish was the same. It was like an ad agency had regurgitated all over it. Through the film you got to see Hero Honda, Boro Plus, Singapore Tourism Board, Sony, John Players, Bournvita, Tide, Lifebuoy and Lays chips. While product placements in films is a brilliant idea, much like actors shouldn’t work in multi-starrer films because they’ll get lost in the crowd, advertisers should try not to advertise in films which have a galaxy of brands being promoted. Or you can just lend your tagline to an entire film. Like Mountain Dew did with Mission Istanbul, which carried the
brand’s tagine as its own- Darr ke aagey jeet hai. There’s of course the flip side of using a brand without its permission. Like the putrid Aftab Shivdasani-Riteish DeshmukhViveik Oberoi starrer Masti which cast Aftab as an ICICI employee without ICICI’s permission. My favourite product placement which wasn’t one was the rub-off of good publicity which Time Out magazine received thanks to Wake Up Sid. Wake Up Sid showed Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona working in a city magazine in Mumbai which looked suspiciously like Time Out. It was headed by Rahul Khanna. My friends in Time Out had informed me after the film that while their editor didn’t look like Rahul Khanna, they’d still been receiving a plethora of applications from ingénues who felt Ranbir and Rahul Khanna look-alikes would accost them in the Time Out corridors. Great advertising without spending a penny. The world of cinema provides advertisers with the perfect platform to reach audiences and is far more effective than straight advertising. It just depends on them to choose the right film and the right association. No good can come of people thinking that Anushka Sharma works at Discovery. Whatever chances Discovery had of either receiving interns from India or viewers from India, must have fizzled out immediately. On the other hand, Twitter which finds a passing mention in Goliyon Ka Ram Leela couldn’t be happier I’m sure. They’ve suddenly entered an audience group they never would have. The bottom line is, choose wisely. This is a marriage people won’t forget. And the people are your audience. .
The views expressed here are of the author alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Pitch
Pitch | December 2013
45
INTERVIEW K RAMAKRISHNAN
Innovative ways to engage the customer sets CCD apart from competitors T
he country’s largest coffee retail chain Cafe Coffee Day is looking to expand to 2000 outlets by 2015. The cafe chain remains undeterred and undisturbed by competition, confident about its knowledge of the Indian market. It knows to how play the game right. Customer engagement through the digital medium has become a strong component of its marketing strategy. K Ramakrishnan, President, Marketing at Cafe Coffee Day spoke to Rashi Bisaria of Pitch about how observing the youth and following conversations have kept them ahead in the game. How has Cafe Coffee Day fared on social media? We have been one of the few brands who have been at the fore front as far as using social media is concerned in In-
46
dia. From among brands which have had a good fan following on social media and growth rate we are in the front. Our stress is on social media. We ensure that our base in social media keeps growing. We use it for 3 different things. Social media keeps us on our toes. People on social platforms are unspar-
we use social media to co-create offerings. There is a strong involvement of the consumer in co-creating the brand itself
ing. Secondly we use it to communicate with a whole lot of people at one go about a new outlet, new offerings etc. The third is that Cafe Coffee day serves as a non-intrusive hangout for people where they can have conversations. That’s what people do in the virtual world, they have freewheeling conversations and we don’t interrupt those conversations unless something is going out of hand. When we follow these conversations, we come to know what the hot topics are currently and how we can capture a bit of their fancy and imagination. The fourth is that we use social media to co-create offerings. There is a strong involvement of the consumer in co-creating the brand itself. How does co-creation work? For example, the playlist of songs that we play in the cafes are co-created
Pitch | December 2013
which means that the fans suggest the songs and that’s what we play. We have incorporated the co-creation process in our product development process itself. Brands usually conduct surveys among target groups and then introduce a bunch of concepts. In our case we have integrated social fully into this process. In the first step, the trend analysis comes from social media, the concept is chosen on social media and then we choose the one which is attracting more number of people. We then create prototypes of physical products. When we have physical products we invite these people from the online space. Once they taste they give their feedback on social and they feel they have created the brand itself. This co-creation has given us good results in terms of the products we have launched. There’s another example. Our customers had been telling us that our desserts were great but very heavy but they needed some options to satisfy a quick sugar rush which was not that heavy. That led to the launch of dessert shots. Customers asked us about cookie based drinks and we came up with the Oreo based drink. Both these have been big hits. This is how co-creation has worked for us. It’s a process we follow to create the best offerings for the customers.
Pitch | December 2013
Can you cite a campaign on social media that has been a huge success? When we touched 1000 cafes in India we decided to celebrate on a large scale. The process of celebration was quite interesting. We decided to have celebrations across all our cafes at the same time involving the customers. We set a date and excitement was generated on social media. The event went viral. People participated by posting their comments online. We were very proud of this campaign. Our effort and time investment are substantial in the social space.
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Coffee penetration in India is abysmally low. Competition is only going to grow the category, we’ll only be happy about it
Online Shopping has become a rage of late and CCD has also started selling products and coffee online. What prompted this move and has it paid off? Coffee penetration in India is abysmally low. The consumption is 82 gms per person per year while in a country like the US it is 4 kgs. Category growth can happen only when coffee finds its way into homes. When people like our coffee in cafes why shouldn’t they buy it there or online? That was one reason why we started selling online. Secondly, we have several products that appeal to the youth. We have coffee powder and filter fresh coffee, which is an instant way of making coffee but is not instant coffee. We also have coffee machines, French presses etc . We want to promote the category especially in the homes and that’s why we started selling online. How do other brands benefit from Cafe Coffee Day? We are the largest physical aggregators
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o f youth in India. There are many brands that want to speak with this aggregation. So they want to talk to our consumers and our consumers also get some kind of change. This helps in creating a different ambience for them. These are typically brands that will add value to our consumers. It’s a symbiotic and cooperative relationship. Movie companies use our cafes to reach out to our audiences. We also have some star visits from people and in turn we can promote our products. So it helps both the parties. How do you keep track of the changing preferences of youth? We operate in the domain of observation. Young people working at our cafes give feedback. A certain number of consumer observations are logged every month and they need not be related to our products also. They are general observations about youth trends. These insights help us. How are you planning to expand to smaller towns and increase the num-
ber of outlets? Lack of penetration is not a function of demand. It’s a lack of the function of supply. We need an infrastructure to maintain a regular supply of fresh food and beverage in every town of India and that is lacking at the moment. We have decided to introduce a new offer every quarter. We are currently at 1430 outlets and we want to be 2000 outlets by the end of 2015. What has been the response to the Cafe Coffee Day Application? We haven’t focused on it too much. We just made some social announcements about it . But we are happy with the response so far. People use the App for four functions:1. location of nearest cafe 2. Menu. 3. Deals through the app 4. Hangout options. How do you deal with competition? Its best to keep track of consumers more than competition. The moment you start navigating around competition you’ll be changing yourself every month. Competition is only going to grow the category and if the category grows we’ll only be happy about it. -rashi.bisaria@exchange4media.com
Pitch | December 2013
COLUMN
What’s in a brand name?
B
Gayatri Shrikhande
Writer and brand ideator, chlorophyll brand and communications consultancy gayatri@chlorophyll.in
rand names are powerful things. They can become a part of daily lingo like Google. They can take a generic word like ‘mochi’ or ‘barista’ and turn them into well-known brands in their category. They can become synonymous with the category itself, like ‘Bisleri’ or ‘Xerox’. So what makes a good brand name? For starters, memorability. Not everyone did or will know that ‘Google’ comes from ‘googol’ (the number 1 followed by 100 zeroes) but no one can forget it. It sounds unusual and is intriguing. ‘Google it’ is now a recognized phrase in the English language! Second, in today’s overcrowded categories, a name sets itself
apart if it doesn’t only reflect that category. If it can conjure an image, or communicate its philosophy, then a consumer is more likely to sit up and take notice. ‘Blackberry’ was a unique name for a phone at a time when the Nokias and Samsungs of the world didn’t have a story attached. ‘Docomo’ was also a refreshing break from the heavy, corporate sounds of every other telecom brand name. The same goes for ‘Yahoo!’. ‘Flipkart’ was also unique when it started off, but the danger with the generic half of that name, ‘cart’ is that every other ecommerce brand followed with it. LensKart, Bagskart, Watchkart, you name it. Memorability also comes from
A good brand name is memorable, differentiated, tells a story or conjures an image, is something you’ve never heard before Pitch | December 2013
names that have no apparent meaning. Like ‘Jabong’ and ‘Myntra’, but because you’ve never heard of them before, you won’t forget them in a hurry. Timelessness is the other aspect of a good brand name. A youth brand might call itself something from current teenspeak, but it will go out of style just as fast as the lingo will. A name like ‘Fastrack’ therefore, is time-agnostic. The communication will change to reflect today’s youth, but the name will never be un-relatable. Brand names that stem from the founders’ or their family members’ names are a different story. A lot depends on the brand’s heritage and its products or services, the name itself will not set the brand apart. So not everyone will have the kind of leverage that ‘Lodha’ or ‘The Leela’ would. And lastly, there are brands that are practically legends and nothing on earth could change that, whether they’re named after a founder, the brand’s philosophy or just something arbitrary. Tiffany’s, McDonald’s, Amul, CocaCola, Harley Davidson, Johnny Walker. And the list goes on. To sum up, a good brand name is memorable, differentiated, tells a story or conjures an image, or simply, is something you’ve never heard before. The views expressed here are of the author alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Pitch
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COLUMN
Top Trends among Indian Youth in 2013 Kunal Kishore Sinha
Founder Smartube Entertainment
T
he youth is fast gaining precedence as opinion makers of today. Gone are the days when they were known to follow trends blindly. Today, they take pride and effort in not only following trends in their areas of interest but also have become a vital part of the ‘influencer community’ that decides trending topics, what’s hot and what’s not and which events and subjects eventually become the talk of the town. With the advent of smartphones and massive internet penetration beyond the Tier 1 cities, even a youngster sitting in a small town can today access information in real time and not only express but also share opinion using the ubiquitous tool of the social media platform. No wonder then that popular networking sites like twitter are being perceived as key opinion drivers. Be it a brand, marketer, businessman or politician, one has little choice but to sit up and take notice of the emerging opinion makers who do not hesitate to call a spade a spade and within minutes, manage to drive an ongoing consensus on the same! In a nutshell, it is the youth and their views that are shaping the worldview of a significant majority in a huge way thanks to the ease, convenience and reach of viral technology.
Amongst the popular trends in India, entertainment, sports, politics, lifestyle, automobile, personal gadgets, fashion, food and wine, travel, art and literaIt is the youth and their views that are shaping the ture have always enjoyed prime imporworldview of a significant majority in a huge way thankstance. The youth in India not only closely to the ease, convenience and reach of viral technology observe news and occurences in these areas of
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Pitch | December 2013
interest but are also active participants and pursuers of the same, as per their individual preference. With increasing disposable income, a youngster today may not simply enjoy reading about the latest arrivals in the world of luxury cars but may actually aspire to own one within the next ten years! A wine connoisseur may not only sip world class wine at a restaurant but may actually take a trip down to a vineyard to actually see how it is produced. Similarly, politics is no longer simply a
their curiosity and moves them enough to be vocal about it, gets channelised as an opinion on the world wide web. What you tweet about, what you write about on your blogs, what kind of content you share through your facebook updates, all reflect your personality, your interests and the way your network views you. The youth too has become very selective about the kind of topics they speak about, what they say about these topics and the kind of tone they use. In turn, this has resulted in the birth of a wide range of high-quality, carefully curated content, generated by the youth which nobody can afford to ignore. Entertainment has widened its berth today to not only be restricted to conversations about the 100-crore club and which superstar is nailing it at the box office. With the barrage of film festivals, DVD accessibility and satellite channels on TV, foreign language and region-
sure the book gained unimaginable readership within a few months of its publication- The Shiva Trilogy is thus touted as the fastest selling book series in the history of Indian publishing. Like it or not, you cannot ignore the raging war of opinion on Narendra Modi’s prime ministerial candidature as against a parallel voice that closely observes Rahul Gandhi’s possible reaction to a Congress oustre from the hotseat. Bloggers today are being taken seriously to a point where their writing is gradually being counted as journalistic viewpoint. Whether it is tourist destinations one must visit in one’s lifetime to tracing unusual fetishes like collecting menu cards from restaurants all over the world, bloggers are exploring topics from the conventional to the bizarre and it is all getting lapped up by a generation which craves excitement and anything that is off the beaten track. From luxury travel destinations for that indulgent
Bloggers today are being taken seriously to a point where their writing is gradually being counted as journalistic viewpoint
topic of discussion for retired septuagenarians gathered in a park. Today, the youth are actively involved in dissecting political campaigns, strategies, tactical moves by leading statesmen as well as carrying out candle light vigils, peace marches and protest movements as and when necessary. Anything that piques
Pitch | December 2013
al films are also hitting a chord with the youth. Giving the saas-bahu serials a miss, the youth seem to enjoy a mix of both English and Hindi fiction and non-fiction shows from Bigg Boss to Suits and Game of Thrones. Their taste in music seems to have surpassed boundaries to include artists all over the world from Norah Jones to an Amit Trivedi. E-commerce has ensured that India now shops online at the mere click of a mouse. This means retail therapy has taken a new avatar. Now, you can compare top fashion trends, the portals selling the same product at different prices, best deals one can find for it and finally, review the product for your peers. In the world of literature, bestsellers are now getting created online simply by the number of likes an author gets on his fan page. The kind of word-of-mouth publicity a book like Amish Tripathi’s Immortals of Meluha received in its early days with everyone from Karan Johar to your best friend raving about it, made
vacations to the best dine out place in your neighbourhood for a cosy dinner for two, from the best way to crowdsource your first documentary to making a difference in the lives of the underprivileged, the youth is finding novel ways to do all this and morebe it through a facebook page, re-tweets, an online group or a review sharing website. Modern technology has turned the youth into powerful opinion drivers and decision makers by giving them an all-pervasive tool to drive their thoughts and share their views. They might not always be valid or unbiased but the fact that their strongly propagated opinion is getting heard and spurring reactions means that the youth indeed have the power to make or break trends as well as sift the wheat from the chaff when it comes to deciding what is ‘trendworthy’.
The views expressed here are of the author alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Pitch
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CAMPAIGNS THAT CONNECT WITH THE YOUTH
BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY
T
he global statistics on the number of HIV/AIDS cases is alarming. In India, sex as a subject is still considered a taboo in large sections of our society. In an environment, where it is not discussed candidly, social media can give the youth a platform to freely express themselves. At the same time, every “share” and conversation would help in making a difference to someone’s life as Durex donates condoms to HIV and AIDS projects around the world. On World AIDS Day, Durex activated the “One Share One Condom” campaign, with the aim of donating 10 million condoms to HIV and AIDS projects around the world to encourage safe sex and to help young people experience an HIV-free generation in their lifetime. Durex, the world’s leading sexual wellbeing brand, is one of the established Powerbrands from
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the portfolio of RB (Reck• Cases of HIV/AIDS infection in India have itt Benckiser), the global reduced by 57 per cent since 2001 consumer goods leader in health, hygiene and home. • Donating 10 million condoms to HIV The global campaign is aiming to engage 100 million and AIDS projects around the world to young people across the encourage safe sex globe through digital media. Durex partnered with • The global campaign is aiming to engage MTV Staying Alive Foun100 million young people across the dation (SAF) to launch ‘Someone Like Me’, a global globe through digital media sex education campaign led by young people for young aim to build the Someonelikeme.tv hub people. For every share into the world’s largest peer hub generof the One Share One Condom You ated by young people for young people. Tube video (http://www.youtube.com/ The various channels feature video watch?v=CJfHnujY3EM) and every use diaries of young people from around of #Someonelikeme, Durex will donate the world, sharing their own views and one condom to HIV and AIDS projects stories about sex. around the world. MTV SAF and Durex
Pitch | December 2013
THE FITNESS FREAK P
uma’s first of its kind digital fitness campaign, has tried to create online engagement, by making people a part of the video experience. The concept of Chitrangda Singh’s Gear Up Buddies is designed for people who like to stay fit.
The campaign aims to involve people and encourage them to shop online at the same time. The brand wanted to create an edgy immersive brand experience that was shareable and linked to online sales on an E-Commerce website.
Brandmovers conceptualized, produced and developed this campaign in the form of an interactive video on fitness routines, for all fitness lovers. The video is live on the website of Jabong. com and would enable online users to experience interesting exercises such as Running, Zumba and Crossfit. The campaign includes three instructors along with Chitrangada who are known as Chitrangda Singh’s Gear Up buddies and train the viewers in Zumba, Crossfit and Running. The video gives users the ability to change between exercises, while the people on screen switch to different PUMA fitness gear. The video also gives users an option to know more about the particular fitness
• The campaign aims to attract and involve people and encouraging them shop online at the same time • The video train the viewers in Zumba, Crossfit and Running • The video gives users the ability to change between exercises, while the people on screen switch into different PUMA fitness gear Pitch | December 2013
gear by clicking on it and directing them to Jabong.com if they want to purchase. Brandmovers has also brought in additional User-Generated Content (UGC) in this campaign by beginning a hunt for the fourth fitness expert, reaching out to bloggers and fitness-holics.
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CASE STUDY:
One Entry. Multiple Parties! By Gunjan Verma Campaign: MTV Bloc Party Client: MTV Agency: In-house Background: The American music television channel, MTV, was launched on August 1, 1981. The channel has become a community, a cult across the globe. This definitely took years but more than that it took several efforts for turning a brand into a community. Music is the heart of young people’s universe and MTV reigns over the genre. Indian youth is always hungry for new experiences and their mantra is to work hard, and party harder. MTV wanted to create something that gave people what they wanted. In 2013 January, MTV launched their first ever MTV Bloc Party, right in the heart of the party capital of India– Mumbai. With over 20 hours of non-stop partying, the Bloc Party was something that every party animal in Mumbai had dreamt about. Challenge: MTV wanted to be more than just a TV channel, it wanted to connect with its target audience and to build a community that the fans could associate strongly with. 76 per cent of the youngsters state that live music events are important or extremely important to them and they would love to experiment with new genres of music and 95 per cent place music as an important and central aspect of their lives. The task was to meet their need for a different genre of music and getting them together to organize the biggest party of the town and increase its viewership and social media presence. Strategy: So, what if they could have a big bang party right in the heart of the city that would never stop and hop from place to place? A seamless party that integrated different sounds of Dance Music – electronic or beyond and also allowed the fans to interact with the artistes across multiple venues. The idea was: One Entry. Multiple Parties! With an incredible line up of
With a target scale of reaching upto 5000 – 8000 people, a bloc party was the craziest idea MTV could design 54
DJs and an audio visual experience like never before, all that fans needed to do was to get access with the single ticket to be a part of Mumbai’s longest party. It was an idea with great potential. MTV was on the verge of creating a cult brand. Execution: With a target scale of reaching upto 5000 – 8000 people, a bloc party was the craziest but perhaps the best idea MTV could have come up with to meet its objective. A Bloc(k) Party is an established international concept, which is a celebration spread across an entire city block. India’s first ever MTV Bloc Party was set by the sea in Juhu, Mumbai. It was one big party at the center, integrated with multiple party hubs across the block and music thumping with 30 World Class DJs and
Pitch | December 2013
indie bands, and all accessed through a single ticket; the cost of that one ticket was approximately Rs 4, 000 for 2 days. People stepped in the Bloc(k) that housed the longest party ever, and danced away the 2 days. To heighten the experience, MTV hosted a relaxed beer garden through the leisurely Saturday afternoon. This was followed by a high energy sun-down party. Post sundown, an immersive audio visual spectacle added to the musical experience using projection technology across the
People stepped in the Bloc(k) that housed the longest party ever, and danced away the 2 days
avour: f s it in d e What work h
ter together wit n e c e th t a y rt a a. One big p across the block s b u h y rt a p le ip mult audience to step r fo s s e c c a t ke c b. A single ti into the Block s multiple hubs s ro c a y rt a p s s c. A seamle across the bloc e c n e ri e xp e y rt a p pick d. A seamless s providing free b a c y rt a p c lo B with MTV n four venues e e tw e b p ro d d n up a
Pitch | December 2013
stage and venue to bring alive the essence of the celebration mood. The experience was heightened through interactive games, fun graffitis, and origami art and trash art installations. Radio taxi service was provided to fans to hop from one party hub to another. And, yes, it was all inclusive in that magical single ticket. Results: More than 6000 youth partied with MTV through the weekend and about 11 million plus fans joined MTV across the social media. In fact, the early bird tickets sold out within 6 hours of the announcement. The property garnered multimedia buzz integrating the TV, radio, social media, mall tie ups, cafes etc. It gained oodles of appreciation by fans, media and artistes alike and trended on social media for 2 consecutive days. This was supported by a 2 month long social media engagement integrating artiste videos, promos, backstage stories, #spotthepyramid contest, introduction messages by host Nikhil Chinappa and beer-ups. MTV had created a cult. ď Ž -gunjan.verma@exchange4media.com
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COLUMN
The clever ways of
Marketing to youth Apurva Chamaria
Head, Global Brand & Digital Front Office at HCLTechnologies
W
Look Inside:
e all bond well with those who came-of-age in the same time period as that of our own. The same is true for Gen Y, and every marketer who recognizes the need to communicate in the language of its target group is inquisitive to understand the psyche and consumption habits of Gen Y.
Why market to Gen Y? The Gen Y generation that was born between 1977 and 1994, and entered the workforce in 2000s, is referred by various names across the globe - “post 80s” in China, “Millennial in US,” and Gen Y across the globe. It constitutes about 21 per cent of Americans, 29 per cent of Brazilians, 33 per cent of Indians, and 25 per cent of Chinese population . Gen Y, unlike some of the other generations, doesn’t always feel the need to be acceptable to their peers, and continuously seeks what’s “right” in terms of look and behaviour from interactions with colleagues, advertisements on media, and role-models in life. The sense of independence, belonging, responsibility and experimentation defines some of the prominent needs of this generation. A study conducted by Toyota to understand this segment of buyers for the products created by its ‘Gen Y focused’ division, named “Scion” (pronounced sign-on), found Gen Y-ers to be individualistic, web savvy, and spoilt for options in the choice-rich environment. Toyota realized that the Gen Y-ers want the marketing communications made to them to
Gen Y is impervious to traditional advertising and is found by marketers to be hard-to-reach using traditional media 56
be more personalized to appeal to their individual tastes, and resent the use of mass media by big brands that come across as insensitive to buyer’s real needs. Gen Y is impervious to traditional advertising and is found by marketers to be hard-to-reach using traditional media like newspaper. Digital marketing is very much the medium of communication for the web savvy generation, 99 per cent of whom are online at least thrice a week and 90 per cent every day. HCL has aggressively started recruitment from digital channels since 2012. Since then, the non-digital to digital recruitment ratio has increased from 32 per cent to 51 per cent. HCL’s Linkedin page has 211K followers.
Pitch | December 2013
Upbringing in the choice-rich and information environment, has led Gen Y to be: • Overtly demanding in choices and features • Seeking exploratory knowledge even at the expense of making additional investments • Less accustomed to loyal diligence
•
to a brand Critical of hierarchy structures in work-environments
Here are three tips to successfully market to Gen Y The term “teens” was coined when the magazineSeventeen was published in
T
he first and probably the most underrated way to market to the newer generations is to understand and market to your own company’s Gen Y employees. Think about starting programs that cater toward these age groups to take advantage of their social fluency - leverage internships, rotational programs and mentorship programs.This is probably the cheapest and easiest way to get a large social reach. This would allow you to leverage the adage “marketing is too important to be left to marketers”. Some examples from HCL are: •
HCL runs MAD (Make-A-Difference) programs for its Gen Y employees 47 per cent of whom are Gen Y ers. The program is designed to create a work-environment, which gives free reign to Gen Y’s entrepreneurial capabilities allowing them to get their ideas implemented.
•
HCL’s MAD Ltd (Make-A-Difference, Lead the Difference) is possibly the only contest focused on student entrepreneurs allowing them to be judged by HCL leadership and VC’s and giving them a chance to receive cash grants and mentoring to bootstrap their venture.The FY 13 finale was held at Blue Frog, a popular pub keeping in-line with the GenY irreverent ethos.
America, in 1944. Its founders realised that young women were not little clones of their mothers and wanted to be recognised for their individuality. Similarly, marketers across the globe have crafted various approaches to reach out to Gen Y audience.Here are my tips for marketing to Generation Y—a wish list, if you will:
Be Responsive:
O
ld world marketer’s world often starts and ends with delivering ads on TV which allows limited scope for customer interactions. The most cost effective and engaging way to reach Gen Y’s is social media where being responsive is key. Do yourespond in a timely fashion every timesomebody tweets about you or uses your brand’s hashtag. If somebody has a concern, do you address it?Marketers focusing on Gen Y need to realize that they can either join and leverage the online conversation or ignore the sameand perish, what they can’t do is stop the conversation from taking place. At HCL, we have a social media command post which is managed by a Gen Y executive whose focus in on responding/engagement near real time.
Think Mobile/Gamification:
S
aatchi & Saatchi labeled the lifestyle of Gen Y as “connexity,” to mark the first generation that grew up with 500+ TV channels and computers at home. Identifying the gen Y-ers to be multi-taskers who are completely at-home with the thumb culture of instant messaging, cell phones, and music downloads. When members of Generation Y consume your marketing material, you should assume that many of themwould be using their phones. For a marketer, this means that mobile optimization is crucial. Some examples from HCL are:
1. HCL leverages customapps on Facebook (gamification) to communicate its Employer Value Proposition (EVP) while on-boardingGenY employees in a more interesting and unique way. 2. HCL’s Ideathon is a platform for premier engineering and management graduates to understand the entrepreneurial culture of HCL by engaging with them during the offer/ joining phase. The program has an online engagement platform along with physical events.
The views expressed here are of the author alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Pitch
Pitch | December 2013
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INTERVIEW RAMEET ARORA
McDonald’s boosts the coffee culture I
ndia’s thirst for cafes remains unquenched. The Indian café market is booming and is currently pegged at around $300million.Riding this wave of popularity are international coffee chains like Starbucks, Costa Coffee and now McDonald’s McCafe. Launched in 1993 in Australia, the McDonald’s café chain has come to India in the same format. McCafes will be housed within the McDonald’s outlets but will have an identity of their own. Plans are afoot to launch up to 150 outlets over the next five years. The first cafe was launched in October this year and more will follow soon. Kanika Mehrotra of Pitch spoke to Rameet Arora, Senior Director, Marketing Communications and Menu Management, Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt Ltd to find out how the response has been and what can be expected from McDonald’s in the near future. Edited Excerpts.
M
cCafé has entered the Indian market. How do you plan to compete in a market already occupied by Barista, Café Coffee Day, Costa Coffee and also coffee giants such as Starbucks? What will be the USP of McCafé that would attract people to it? Can you describe its positioning? The coffee market in India is at a nascent stage but has witnessed meteoric growth in the past few years. The Indian cafe market is estimated at $230 million, or about 1,400 crore, and is expected to grow about 13-14% a year over the next five years to be a $410 million industry by 2017. The market witnessed high growth driven
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McCafé® provides Indian consumers with an enhanced coffee experience at great value without compromising on quality, freshness and convenience
| December | October 2013 Pitch Pitch
by an addition of 1,250 stores over last 5 years alone. (Source: NRAI report) The opening of McCafé® in India is in response to the growing demand for good quality coffee. McCafé® provides Indian consumers with an enhanced coffee experience at great value without compromising on quality, freshness and convenience. McDonald’s has been a pioneer in the QSR industry and has once again set a benchmark by launching McCafe through a store-in-store concept. This allows existing customers to now enjoy a great cup of coffee while picking up a burger or snack and also welcomes new customers to the McCafe/ McDonald’s fold. The introduction of McCafé® to India is one of McDonald’s biggest initiatives we have undertaken since we revolutionized the way people eat breakfast on-the-go with the introduction of the breakfast over three years ago. In embracing the coffee culture that is fast gaining acceptance in India, we aim to reach out to as many Indians as the best place to enjoy a range of premium specialty coffee including cappuccino, latte, iced mocha and frappe. With a strong coffee foundation, we recognized an unmet need, for existing and new customers, in the rapidly growing Indian specialty coffee segment. McCafe offers customers a relaxing comfortable ambiance where they can take a coffee break in between busy schedules and rejuvenate with their favourite beverage - a steaming cup of coffee or a cool frappe McCafe will provide premium coffee at affordable prices. Is it then taking on Café Coffee Day? How will it be different? We see huge potential within the Indian market place. McCafe’s innovative store-in-store format allows customers a chance not only to relax in the laid-back ambience of a café but also offers them a wide range of snacks and meals to choose from. Now customers walking into McDonald’s for breakfast, for instance, can also grab their favourite latte or cappuccino at the same time Customers have a strong taste for coffee in India, the specialty segment is growing, and we really believe we’ve found a great place for us to be able to offer quality espresso coffees that will appeal to coffee connoisseurs and those that are new to the growing mar-
Pitch | December October 2013 2013
ketplace. We see an opportunity to continue expanding our beverage platform and efforts to gain a greater share of the very sizeable Indian beverage market. Is McCafe looking at meeting a gap in supply? Do you think India needs more coffee hangouts? Like we mentioned before, the Indian café market is still in its nascent stage and offers huge potential for growth. The market with the current set of players is under-penetrated and as the café culture catches strength and grows in India, we expect the demand for good quality coffee to grow. With increasing globalisation and people being exposed to international environment and international brands they have developed a strong taste for coffee. The Indian specialty coffee segment is growing rapidly and we would like to be a part of this growth.
sponding to customer demands - for good quality coffee. Like our other formats, McCafe too has been extremely well received and we are confident that customers will continue to walk into McCafe for what it offers them –“great coffee at great value.” Another initiative of McDonalds that is making news is ‘Go Healthy’. When will the ‘Go Healthy’ initiative be introduced in India? Each market introduces programs and initiatives designed to work for the said region.
In what time frame will McCafé have a PAN India Presence? We are in an acceleration phase and we plan to launch 100-150 more McCafe’s® in the next 3-5 innovative storeyears across key trading arin-store format eas in metro cities of west & south India to make it allows customers a easily accessible to our chance to relax and consumers.
offer wide range of
The Go Healthy initiaHow has the response snacks and meals tive is a program that has been in India so far? recently been introduced Over the past few weeks, to choose from internationally. We will evaluMcCafe has received an overate our existing market needs and whelming response from cuswill work towards bringing in similar tomers. There were a lot of people who had heard about and visited McCafe outlets programs and initiatives as and when feasible. internationally and were very excited to check out the restaurant and the product of- What food items are going to be the face of the ‘Go Healthy’ initiative in India? Which ferings at the new restaurant in Mumbai. area of the country do you plan to introThis is the third line extension for McDon- duce the ‘Go healthy’ meals first? When ald’s in India after the breakfast and dessert will the ‘Go Healthy’ initiative have a pan India Presence? extensions. How well have those done? Customers are the core of all that we do at As shared above, we will evaluate the feasiMcDonald’s we have always worked very bility of bringing in the Go Healthy program hard to provide customers with new experi- to India – there are no immediate plans to ences every time they walk into any of our introduce the program in its existing form to restaurants. The opening of McCafé® in India the Indian market. was yet another instance of McDonald’s re-kanika.mehrotra@exchange4media.com
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Bacardi NH7 WeekeNder - a rage among Youth
Liquor brands are no more dependent on mass media channels. They have found other engaging platforms.
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Pitch | November December 2013
By Ankur Gaurav
I
t was the first ever performance by David Guetta at HUDA grounds, marking the beginning of the international music festival in India. Currently celebrating its fourth year, Bacardi NH7 Weekender has moved from Pune where it started, spreading to Delhi, Bangalore and to Kolkata in 2013. A property which attracted more than 10,000 fans at one place in its first year paved the path for Bacardi to make it big in the coming years. Brands often cultivate properties that become bigger than the brand one day. It might be too early to envision NH7 Weekender to get bigger than Bacardi but the fan following it has garnered among the youth hints at a glorious future. Music Festivals and their humble beginnings Till 2009, the trend of a day-long music festival was still unexplored in India. An old Banyan Tree at Fireflies Ashram on the outskirts of Bangalore became the venue of a music festival, with limited publicity, and no sponsors. It kicked off at six in the evening with a handful of people cheering the band playing under the tree. By 9 pm cars lined up around the ashram and the arena was jam packed. It had generated an excitement that was hard to ignore. You give the youth the right platform and they will get there, no matter what. In 2010, Bacardi NH7 Weekender began its journey from Pune. The stage was no banyan tree and there were sponsors like Pepsi Dub Station, Eristoff Wolves Den, Red Bull Tour Bus. In its fourth year, NH7 Weekender has limited the number of tickets in each arena to 9000, another effort to build
Pitch | November December 2013
A property which populated more than 10,000 fans at one place in its first year paved the path for Bacardi to take it big in the coming years an aspirational anxiety among the youth towards the festival. Bacardi Chooses the Music way. Music and Sports are the favourite associations for a liquor brand. Bacardi identified itself with music and plans to take this association to greater heights. Director of Marketing & Sales at Bacardi India, Manish Seth, said, “We can surely say the vision will remain to provide a unique and unparalleled experience in terms of music, ambience and memories for revellers to cherish and relive each year.” When asked about what is the ROI attained from investing in such festivals Seth
“BACARDI has always engaged audiences and music lovers through unique experiences, outstanding performances and unforgettable properties.” Manish Seth Director- Marketing & Sales, Bacardi India
said, “The irrepressible spirit of BACARDI has always given it a natural affinity for great music. Throughout our history, right from the iconic BACARDI jingle to path-breaking platforms such as BACARDI Blast, ERISTOFF Invasion and The Dewarists (a DEWAR’S Initiative) to name a few, BACARDI has always engaged audiences and music lovers through unique experiences, outstanding performances and unforgettable properties. As far as return on investments (ROI) is concerned, these platforms not only build our brand image, they also enable consumers to experience our products in the right environment.” Brands setting up their own ‘Stage’ It’s the extended format of anything between 12 hours to 48 hours, which invites other brands and other categories to incorporate and connect to the youth at a time when they are most willing to connect and share. When Seth was asked about Bacardi NH7 Weekender being a platform which could be shared among other brands as well, he said, “As far as other categories are concerned, we have had other brands participate at the festival. Our emphasis has always been on giving our consumers a unique experience, and anyone who is willing to work with us towards that end goal is always welcome.”
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Bacardi NH7 Weekender - A rage among Youth
The Crowd at The Dewarists Stage_ Bacardi NH7 Weekender
Basement Jaxx performing at The Eristoff Wolves Den
DEWAR’s bar at the BACARDI NH7 Weekender
This festival is an experiential platform for a similar portfolio of brands. These could be a few dedicated ramps like the ERISTOFF Wolves Den with its dance and electronica, the Dewarists stage (a DEWAR’s initiative) with eclectic folk and fusion music and the BREEZER Dub Station with its reggae, dubstep, drum and bass, offering different genres of music as well as experiences. Red Bull which has chosen the event for promotions has also tried to hook the crowd at The Red Bull Tour Bus, as a travelling and portable stage. Bacardi NH7 weekender’s success can be attributed to many such small and specific experiences, each being nurtured
Festival Statistics: Years
2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Cities: Pune, Bangalore, Delhi NCR, Kolkata Estimated number of people per year: 2010 - 10,000, 2011- 25,000, 2013 – Restricted (36,000)
2012 – 45,000 plus,
Number of Bands performed: More than 300. Brands associated till now: Pepsi, Red Bull, Eristoff, Dewar by one brand. Speaking about what it means for Red Bull, Red Bull India said, “Red Bull is a way of life. All properties created by Red Bull attempt to underline this fact. The Red Bull Tour Bus which is a part of the Bacardi NH7 Weekender is
The entire experience is weaved by many small and specific experiences, each being nurtured by one brand. Red Bull Tour Bus is one such example
a case in point. The success of the Red Bull Tour Bus automatically translates to a unique space for Red Bull in the consumer’s lifestyle. All Red Bull properties aspire for this ultimate goal.” Bacardi NH7 Weekender, is bound to go on for years. Music will identify new destinations and more youth in the coming years. The property’s costeffective nature and aggregation of youth will always keep brands interested in promoting the festival. n -ankur.gaurav@exchange4media.com
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INTERVIEW Ritesh Ghosal
A brand that urges youth to “open up” and be themselves
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T
he emotional need to express oneself is very huge among the youth and it is this need that Tata DoComo, the GSM brand of Tata Teleservices, has tapped through its positioning and the specific campaign that urges the young to “open up”. Through its leadership in the digital media space, the brand has established a strong connect with the younger generation. Rashi Bisaria of Pitch spoke to Ritesh Ghosal, Head, Brand Marketing about the brand’s youthful image, its insightful youth products and its connect with the millennials. What is the reason behind the connect between the youth and Tata Docomo? Unlike other brands of telecom that are reacting to the demographic dividend by trying to include the youth in their narrative or even the ones self-consciously donning the garb of youth in advertising, Tata Docomo is a brand created in the 21st century for the youth of the 21st century. The youth of today is more self-confident, self-possessed and ambitious than in any previous generation. Growing up surrounded by a world of brands and bombarded by a cacophonous clutter of advertising from childhood, he is far more brand and advertising literate. Tall claims of product efficacy are viewed with suspicion, dumb advertising is decried. Brands for him are a means of self-expression rather than a mere assurance of quality – in other words, brands are all about standing out rather than conforming. He likes advertising that treats him as an intelligent person – he prefers sophisticated narratives, humour that is not slapstick and messages that invite him to draw his own conclusions. Tata Docomo’s brand architecture built around a colourful logo, whimsical signature tune, insightful products and sliceof-life advertising are all carefully chosen to deliver to the youth’s demand for self-expression. The brand’s conversation starts with the advertising - “looks at me because I am different from your current operator” and culminates in the service experience – simple and transparent tariffs, reliable network and helpful customer care.
“We intend to reach out to over 200 colleges across 20 cities and anoint “Spin Masters” in every city where the collejing gig will happen”
Is it only focused at the youth? The youth are the inspiration for the brand without a doubt. However, our definition of youth is a state-of-mind rather than a strictly defined age cutoff. With over 50% of the subscribers over the age of 25, the brand clearly attracts people who aspire to the self-confident, self-assured ideal projected by the
Pitch | December 2013
brand irrespective of their date of birth. How have the specific youth campaigns worked for Tata Docomo? Are there any measurable results that can be shared? Tata Docomo through its insightful youth products – Buddynet that allowed customers to enjoy “friend & family” tariffs with an unlimited number of friends, Daily Plans that allowed customers to shop for their telecom needs by the day from the comfort of their homes, a reverse caller tune that safeguards the user from being exposed to annoying caller tunes, unlimited data and voice plans, etc – has created a large and committed base of youth. The brand attracts the business of affluent youth for whom conversations happen not just through voice but online too. With nearly half the customers below the age of 25, the highest penetration of data usage, preference next only to Airtel and a disproportionate share of the Smartphone market, Tata Docomo has achieved significant success with the millenials. What is the idea behind the “Open Up” campaign? “Open Up” is born in the universal human insight that there are many situations in everyday life where people have to make the choice between saying what they really feel and staying quiet. Further, the burden of unshared emotions, unsaid pieces, etc stay with people and can even create regrets for a lifetime. By picking slice-of-life situations and depicting real protagonists overcoming their hesitation and speaking up, the campaign instigates the viewer too to simply open up and express their real selves. It is a voice of inspiration – a motivating force that nudges people to speak up rather than stay silent. It highlights the Brand’s commitment to facilitate conversations through uncomplicated, value for money products enabling people to speak for longer and more often. It is an attempt to own conversations from the perspective of the speaker- the person paying for the conversation and therefore, the person Tata Docomo depends on for its existence. The beauty of “Open Up” is that it applies equally well to conversations on the internet and on voice; one-to-one and one-to-many conversations; and friends and family or
Pitch | December 2013
strangers. Basically, it does justice to the entire portfolio of products and services a telecom operator can aspire to offer.
engaged communities on the social media. We are also one of the largest online businesses in the country today.
Regional languages are also being used to communicate. What regions is DOCOMO targeting in India? Tata DOCOMO’s strategy is based on establishing a strong connect with the youth – in his media, his language and his life-context. This explains our choice of media – TV, digital and radio as also the languages we communicate in. We are targeting the youth and young-at-heart across the country. How has Docomo achieved a fanbase of 14 million on Facebook? Tata DOCOMO realized very early that Digital is the medium of the future –especially for a brand
Elaborate on the tie-up with the Sunburn festival and what does it mean for Docomo? The association with Sunburn festival ( Collejing from the house of Sunburn) allows us to be a part of the youth’s passion for their music. Many young people with the talent for music, never “open up” to their talent or give themselves an opportunity to get up on the stage and perform. We intend to reach out to over 200 colleges across 20 cities and anoint “Spin Masters” in every city where the collejing gig will happen and bring them to a stage where the world appreciates and applauds their talents. It’s
interested in engaging the youth. Our digital strategy is based on five core objectives: Building engagement, establishing One-toOne conversations, advocacy through positive word of mouth, constant accessibility to consumer and giving a credible platform to connect with the brand. The core objectives are aligned with the Brands promise of being refreshingly different and offering genuine engagement. Consistency in communication has been a significant attraction for our consumers as well as fans in the digital medium. Unlike others we have not seen digital as an Organisation Reputation Management (ORM) exercise; our efforts since the beginning have been to offer “Money can’t buy experiences” to consumers and create a fan base that truly engages with the brand. Our efforts today have made us one of the top recalled brands on social media and our community is amongst the most
an attempt to create a story where passion plays the central role. Sunburn festival has become a gold standard for EDM music in India and this genre of music is rapidly gaining mind space amongst the youth. Collejing, from the house of Sunburn, is a series of EDM gigs by reputed performers that will perform live across ten cities, exclusively for college students. For us there are obvious synergies, as a brand we believe that the best way to engage the young is to have a two way conversation rather than just advertising the brand. What could be a better platform than this, to identify young DJs who get a chance to open EDM gigs on the Sunburn platform. The youth wants freedom to open up and create a tribe unique to its needs. Tata Docomo Spin Master is one such tribe that we want to fuel, just as we did BuddyNet and Tata Docomo Rockstar earlier. n -rashi.bisaria@exchange4media.com
67
IIMC PAPER READING COMPETITION 2013 WINNER
Best Political Campaign FLY: The political party with a cause.
Name of the Party: Federation of Liberal Youth
Symbol: Dart-Board Ideology: Right of the center Primary Research: Due to constraint of time and resources we conducted a exploratory research or dipstick research on 75 people across different demographic groups and found that the main agenda for any contemporary political party should be growth and development with an equal emphasis on transparent governance. We asked that which issue should be the major concern and priority for a political party aiming to come into the power in 2014 and why? In addition to that we tried to formulate a list of concerns based on insights gathered by the interviews. We analysed survey polls conducted across different media (Online, telephonic, face-to-face and group discussions) to reach a conclusion that the issue which is of utmost importance to first time voters and youth which form a significant chunk of the voting population is personal and financial security, good governance and development.
Secondary Research: • As part of the secondary research we went through various articles and research reports published in the Newspapers and found that this round of elections are going to be exclusive and unique in the sense that they are going to fought on the economic issues. Thus, inclu-
68
sive growth and development is the main issue. • The election commission disclosed that approximately 3.5 lakh voters of the age 18-19 shall exercise their voting right for the first time in the coming 2013 Delhi State elections, scheduled to be conducted on 4th December 2013. During the 2008 Assembly Elections, this figure was barely 98000. • Delhi has 16.6 Lakh voters who are in the age group 18-25. • Earlier, there used to be 788 women per 1000 men and now they have become 803 • Out of the total 1.15 crore voters in Delhi, 54 Lakh are women and the rest are men. • For the first time in Delhi, the number of female voters to per 1000 of male voters has crossed 800. • According to several media reports, Delhi has more than 50 lakh active Facebook users. The total no. of active users is 7.1 crores across India which is second largest in the world. • India is the second-largest mobile phone user with over 900 million users in the world. It accounted for over 10% of the world’s online population in 2011. (Source: Press Information Bureau) • As per the Delhi Statically Handbook released by Delhi Government, Delhi had 2.83 mobile connections by March 2010.
Insight : The very basic insight that we gathered was that the main issue on the minds of the populace is economic development and their wish to elevate the standard of living. The youth is no longer confined to conventional issues on which parties used to polarise their vote bank previously.
Manifesto : • Strong steps would be taken to generate employment by promoting and setting up more entrepreneurial ventures, small scale industries, self help groups and job oriented professional courses. • Opening up of series of new job oriented institutions to promote skills ranging from textiles to IT for generating more employment opportunities. • Strengthening the beat policing System in Delhi and increasing the strength of women police personnel in the police system. • Adopting Pre-legislative discourse measures before passing any legislation that would enable masses to participate in law making process through an opinion poll or social media voting. • Setting up of more public grievances stations .This would be an efficient way of addressing public problems that are sick of police, courts and civil authorities. • Widening the ambit of Citizen Char-
Pitch | December 2013
and laws will be implemented. Due legislations will be passed to ensure environmental conservation and water regulation.
ter following a transparent procedure. • Delhi has become the crime capital of lndia. Effective steps would be taken to curb crime and ensure security of women and senior citizens. • 1 lakh housing units would be constructed every year for low income and middle class people. Cooperation of private sector would be sought for this under Public-Private Partnership) • Water and electricity scarcity would be removed. Safe drinking water would be supplied to all areas. • All merit institutions will facilitate admissions for students coming from economically weaker sections of society barring those who are
Pre-legislative discourse (participation of masses in any legislation that the assembly passes through an opinion poll or social media voting) Citizen Charter: Apply for you PAN CARD, DL etc in one month’s time following a transparent procedure Setting up of more public grievances, stations .This would be an efficient way of addressing public problems who are sick of police, courts and civil authorities.
Competition: covered under the ‘reserved categories.’ • Govt. sponsored Fare Price shops would be opened to facilitate common man to obtain maximum goods in budget prices. • R e v a m p ing the unorganised sector and safeguarding the interests of people employed under “Dihadi” system ( daily waged labourers) . • Setting up an independent EWRA (Electricity and water regulatory authority) to keep a check on the irregularities practiced by the Private players. • Companies would be forced to discharge treated waste into the rivers to rejuvenate the level of water in rivers
Pitch | December 2013
The party is competing against Congress which is the part in power and BJP who target similar audience.
Target Audience: Women, middle class and youth. Slogan: दशा बदलो, दिशा बदलो, देश बदलो।।। उड़ो अपनी उड़ान।।। FLY के साथ… फेडरेशन ऑफ़ लिबरल यूथ…
Media Options and Strategies: • Out of Home Advertising 1) Billboards 2) Metro Stations 3) Metros- Women compartments shall only have posters pertaining to our commitment towards women security 4) Bus Stops 5) Circular Dart Boards (with ‘Vikas’ written on center) on street lights, below the lamp. • Radio 1) Jingles 2) Ads • Television 1) Ads with only visuals and voiceover 2) Ads with storyline
69
IIMC PAPER READING COMPETITION 2013 WINNER • Street Plays • Graffiti / Wall Paintings - These Grafittis shall be made by crowd sourcing at selected public places in different constituency. The candidate from the particular constituency shall initiate, followed by part volunteers and the public around. People shall be distributed spray paints, and encouraged to paint/write their dreams and aspirations and how they would like to see their see as in another 5 years.
• Yuva Panchayat- Party volunteers shall visit rural parts of the city for a few days and interact with the residents and talk to them about the issues they face. On the following Sunday, volunteers with the constituency candidate shall visit the area and organise a congregation to discuss how their problems can be met with local resources and youth engagement. • Print Blogs
• Facebook • Google- Google Hang Out for women with ex top cops from Delhi on a particular day throughout the night. Women shall discuss their safety concerns and come up with suggestions to curb crime against women. By morning, a recommended policy shall be drafted which shall be included in party’s manifesto. • Door to Door • College to College • Cine Advertising • Marathons • Merchandise – Tshirts, Caps and Bands • Twitter- Trending a new hashtag everyday picking one scam, issue, incident, promise at a time • Youtube- A channel on YouTube, with videos of leaders’ speeches, live streaming of rallies, interviews, and video releases on issues. • Quora- People shall be encouraged to ask questions that shall be answered by party volunteers as per party’s agenda and manifesto. • Mobile 1) Calls 2) SMS 3) Free Caller Tunes 4) Ringtones • Academic Events- We shall organise academic events like quizzes and debates for college students. Tie ups with small retail shop owners to give away party’s logo printed cloth bags with goods.
Crisis Possibility: • Criminal charges against the leader • Insider changing the party at the last moment • Foul comment by a person seen close to the leader/usage of unparliamentarily language by the leader • Death of announced candidate • Negative image created by media across different platforms
70
Pitch | December 2013
• Offending a group of people unintentionally/ misinterpretation, twisting of speech
Crisis strategy: • Withdrawal of the accused’s candidature and terming it as a negative publicity stunt by the opposing party • Black listing and creating a negative image of the individual who left the party. • Public apology and creating a new ad campaign to shift the focus and make up for the tarnished image • Ensuring the public of a prospective candidate whose ideology is similar to the mourned one • Real time response • Creating and maintaining a crisis team which keep manages media image and takes corrective measures in case of image spoilers when we can.
Budget:
Fundraising Options
• We will ask people or industrialists to donate for our campaign. We will deliberately approach the corporate houses that are not very happy or satisfied with the ruling party. • We will reach out to our potential donors after letting them know about our transparent and honest way of fundraising, through Facebook and Twitter. • We will set a goal, make the direct ask, and avoid an endless slew of small fundraisers. Supporters love to contribute to people who take risks! • We will take services of professionals in our party to publish notes for respective professions and sell them online to raise fund. Students don’t mind spending money for notes that are good and are prepared by a professional. • The younger members in our organization will be requested to create drawing and artwork that
Continuous management of cost and expenditure. As we will get closer to Election Day, we will do a weekly and then a daily budget. Our spending will be divided into two main categories – persuasion and non-persuasion. In the persuasion section we will include such voter contact expenses as TV, mail, phones, press research, field, and polling. Our non-persuasion section will be sub-divided into administrative overhead and fundraising. As a general rule, we will spend 65-70% of our money on persuasion, but it will also depend on the length of our campaign.
Our budget guidelines: • Voter communication (60%-70%) • Field (5%-15%) • Fundraising (5%-10%) • Administration (5%-10%) • Research and polling (5%-10%) • Earned Media (1%-3%) We will prefer rent instead of buying
Pitch | December 2013
•
•
• •
•
is transferred onto note cards, tshirts, mouse pads or coffee mugs for purchase. Holding a screening of a old blockbuster on a single screen cinema hall that costs less, especially those who are facing competition from the multiplexes. These movies will be those who are cults now. Fans won’t mind coming up for such movies and can help in raising funds. Competition for amateur theatre groups to do street play for the party. The entry fee will be used as one of the sources. Amateurs want opportunities. Volunteers donate homemade meals to sell. We will collect gently used items from group members to be sold at a yard sale. We will use a service that allows our party to receive donations by text messages.
Compiled by: Reva Malhotra; Saransh Jain; Apoorv Saxena; Mohit Pasricha
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COLUMN ANNURAG BATRA
Have we cracked the code yet? W Annurag Batra Chairman & Editor-in-Chief, Pitch Magazine abatra@exchange4media.com @anuragbatrayo www.facebook.com/anuragbatrayo
ith more than half of India’s population under the age of 25, India’s demographic profile is on the brink of transformation. The country is all set to enjoy the demographic advantage as India becomes the youngest nation by 2020. But before we can reap the benefits of this change the question that comes to mind is whether we really understand the youth and their requirements. As marketers are we really thinking about our target audience? Have we forged a connect with them yet or are we still struggling? Are we able to keep pace with them? Do we understand their world? It’s important for marketers to develop an insight into the mindset of youth and align their marketing strategies keeping this forceful, opinionated and highly individualistic group in mind. It is time for them to revisit their communication methodology and tailor it according to the preferences of this influential group. In this multi-screen era of round-the-clock connectivity its a challenge for marketers to grab eyeballs. This wide ranging exposure has made the youth more
confident, knowledgeable and forceful in all their actions. They are a dynamic force and as they are now in a majority its important to understand their needs
The marketer has to be clued into the conversations and find ways to let his brand be a part of those conversations and requirements. They are a fickle lot but have a great desire to be understood. To get this group interested in your product or service you need to involve them. You need to talk to them and give genuine solutions. Does the marketer know their virtual hangouts? Does he know the youth’s aspirations? Can he empathise with their goals and ambitions? The marketer today needs to be a good listener and observer. He has to be present where the youth hang out. He has to be clued into the conversations and find ways to let his brand be a part of those conversations. He needs to know what films they are watching, what fads they are promoting and what causes they are supporting. This group is connected with the world all the time and
The marketer today needs to be a good listener and observer. He has to be present where the youth hang out 72
wants to share with the peer group. Sharing has become an important aspect of their well being. Considering that every view is tweeted, every emotion expressed on Fa-
cebook, brands need to be careful in their messaging. One wrong move and its reputation could be in shreds. Today the young generation is socially conscious and responsible. They want to give back to society and admire brands that stand for the same set of values. They are clever enough to see through gimmicks and appreciate credibility. They like to be treated as serious decision makers. Therefore, the task of the marketer is to be able to get the pulse of the youth and remain one step ahead of current trends. The brands that have been able to do that have excelled and become cult brands. Moreover, it is important to create unique and differentiated offerings for the youth and let them play a part in it. The youth should be invited to co-create these offerings. Co-Creation has become the buzzword today but how long will that last? That is anybody’s guess
Pitch | December 2013
CALENDAR 2013 - 2014
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October 2013
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→ Youth Marketing Summit & Awards 2013 → MQ – What’s Your Media Quotient? – Quiz Contest
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July 2013 → INK 2013 – Indian Newspaper Kongress & Newspaper Advertising Awards → Pitch Conference on Analytics for Marketing
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IMPACT Person of the Year 2013 IMPACT Digital Power 100 PITCH Anniversary Issue e4m Rewind 2013 EFFIES 2013 Specials
January 2014 → IMPACT Trends Report 2014
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