Pitch july 2013

Volume X Issue 9 | July 2013

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Pitch Brands 50 Awards 2013 The awards for excellence in marketing celebrate brands that have a cutting edge

Presented by:

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COLUMN ANNURAG BATRA

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Pitch | July 2013 Pitch | July 2013

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INSIDE COVER OVER STORY COVER STORY Pitch Volume X, Issue-9 July 2013 Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Annurag Batra Editor & Director Amit Agnihotri Director Nawal Ahuja

EDITORIAL TEAM

Consulting Editor

Vinod Behl

Deputy Editor

Rashi Bisaria

Contributor

Sonali Chowdhury

Senior Art Director

Shamsad Shaikh

Graphic Designer

Joby Mathew

Photographers

Vilas Kalgutkar (Mumbai) Suresh Gola (Noida)

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Pitch Brands 50 Awards 2013 The awards for excellence in marketing celebrate brands that have a cutting edge

AD SALES

Rohit Sardana Abdulla M Mazumder Varnikaa jain Sneha Walke

9811377592 9871609348 9769153087 9845541143

0FFICES

NEW DELHI: Shop No. 32, 33 south Ettn. Part-I, Om vihar, Uttam Nagar, New Delhi 110 059 NOIDA: B-20, I-Floor, Sector-57, Noida, Uttar Pradesh - 201301 Phone: (0120) 4007700 Mumbai: 301, Kakad Bhavan, 3rd Floor, 11th Street, Bandra (W), Mumbai - 400 050 Phone: (022) 2640 3303/09/14/16 Bengaluru: Flat No. 1,062, 1st Floor, 2nd Cross, 6th Main Road, HAL 2nd Stage, Indira Nagar, Bengaluru - 560 038

CIRCULATION/DISTRIBUTION

Anandan Nair (Mumbai) - 9819445200 anair@exchange4media.com On News-stands ` 75

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BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID

Lifebuoy’s age old connect with the bottom of the pyramid Narayana Health makes healthcare affordable for the needy ITC e-Choupal empowers farmers with the digital tool MGNREGA offers a ray of hope to rural India Winning over the budget consumer

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SOCIAL MARKETERS Star India inspires a billion imaginations through Satyamev Jayate

www.pitchonnet.com Printed and published by Annurag Batra on behalf of Adsert Web Solutions Pvt Ltd B-20, I-Floor, Sector-57, Noida, Uttar Pradesh - 201301 Printed at All Time Offset Printers, E-53, Sector-7 Noida, Uttar Pradesh - 201301 An exchange4media Publication

Aadhaar- A social marketer par excellence Zee TV’s “Punarvivaah”Changing mindsets through entertainment Fabindia brings rural India to the forefront Pulse Polio leads the nation to eradication of the disease

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Pitch | July 2013

BUZZY BRANDS

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An Idea that created the right buzz Mahindra’s XUV 500 races ahead of the pack

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MARKETING INNOVATORS Flipkart’s marketing mantra keeps up with consumers’ expectations

Anna- The buzz which took the country by storm

Samsung Galaxy, a marketing innovator

Samsung’s Galaxy steals the show with several variants

Redbus.in rides high on innovation

AGELESS BRANDS

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Beauty fades but Lux continues its legacy

Samsung Galaxy Note wins the hearts of millions

Dettol maintains reliability with new offerings Consumers celebrate Cadbury’s changing taste A household name that makes a connect with every Indian

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Micromax becomes a trailblazer Indigo makes news for all the right reasons Affordability and standardisation have worked for this brand Fastrack offers style in an affordable range Duster becomes the game changer for Renault

GLOBETROTTERS

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Globetrotting its way into people’s hearts Marico cuts across borders to emerge as a global brand Emami leverages its universal appeal, rules local and global markets Hidesign’s universal appeal makes it a global hit Airtel expands its footprint in the global market Pitch | July 2013

The launch with an impact A Window into the future

Colgate, the evergreen brand among FMCG products

BANG FOR THE BUCK

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IMPACTFUL LAUNCHES

Gangs of Wasseypur finds instant connect with the audience Jabong launches its way into Indian hearts

RESURGENT BRANDS

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J & K tourism gets a much-needed spurt One of the world’s oldest brands still going strong Bata revamps itself to appeal to a wider audience

RECHARGERS

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Godrej reinvents its persona Mahindra Recreates image with Rise Initiative Canon recharges the Indian market with new initiatives Indians connect with Hero’s new image COLUMN : Annurag Batra

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INTRODUCTION

Pitch Brands 50 awards

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ow do you judge the relevance of a brand?

How do you measure the growth of an icon?

In an age of a continuous assault of messages on our senses via different media, most messages get lost. So just how is it that some brands stick more than others? How is it that some names catch our attention more than others? Some brands do manage to get noticed due to the buzz around them, or due to their innovation, or reinvention or timeless qualities. In an endeavour to recognise such brands, Pitch editorial team went through a process of short listing brands across 10 categories. Each category was to have 5 winners. Judging the final winners was left to the eminent personalities from the marketing and JURY CHAIRPERSON

Ramesh Jude Thomas President, Equitor Consulting

branding domain, who preach, teach, think and execute only one thing- Marketing. The jurors scored each of the brands on four broad parameters: • Idea and Innovation • Consumer Connect • Communication Impact • Execution and Results The final and most crucial stage was the jury meet where the jurors validated the scoring done online and arrived at a final tally of Pitch Brands 50 and the Brand of the Year. While the end objective of any marketing activity is to drive sales, Pitch Brands 50 Awards in Marketing Excellence are not business awards, hence Pitch decided not to consider the impact on sales.

JURY

Ashok Pratap Arora Marketing Professor, MDI

SR Singhvi

Senior Marketing Professor, IMT, Ghaziabad

Ramanujam Sridhar

Founder & CEO, Brand-Comm

Subroto Chattopadhyay

Chairman, The Peninsula Foundation

Rahul Sen

International Brand Advisor

Sunil Gupta

Managing Partner, South Asia, Results International Group

ONLINE JURY

Anand Halve

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Co-founder of Chlorophyll

Ashok Venkatramani CEO, MCCS

Sharad Sarin

Senior Marketing Professor, XLRI

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

Bottom of THE Pyramid • • • • •

Pitch | July 2013

Lifebuoy Narayana Hrudayalaya E-Choupal MGNREGA Sonata Super Fibre

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BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID

Lifebuoy’s age old connect with the bottom of the pyramid Health and hygiene remain Lifebuoy’s focus

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n ageless brand, Lifebuoy understands the rural consumer like no other. By introducing affordable products and formats for rural consumers, Lifebuoy knows how to effectively talk to the masses.

An iconic red bar of soap that was invented by the Lever Brothers in London all the way back in 1895, Lifebuoy has been a globally recognized brand for 117 years. Despite being a market leader in its category, Lifebuoy has adopted a culture that sees its name resonate with grassroots healthcare initiatives, hygiene and disease prevention among the lower strata of society. It is through its extremely competitive pricing, easy availability and responsible social initiatives that this brand has become an example of how a commercial product can connect with the bottom of the pyramid.

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Lifebuoy’s ad campaigns have traditionally focussed on health and hygiene rather than marketing gimmicks involving contests or celebrities. Its famous tag line of “Lifebuoy hai jahaan, tandaroosti hai wahaan” has remained unchanged for years. With cheap pricing, availability of a wide range of products and a distribution chain across 50 lakh stores in the country, the brand has become a firm favourite in rural India.

Lifebuoy has also taken corporate social responsibility seriously and has used its social initiatives as a way to associate

Lifebuoy’s hygiene promotion activities are fully embedded into brand activities

the brand with health and hygiene. Their rural hygiene programme, “Khushiyon Ki Doli”, which propagates the practice of washing hands with soap to reduce Diarrhea deaths and the new Lifebuoy Handwashing Behaviour Change Programme launched in 2010, are examples of their unique marketing ideas. Building on Lifebuoy’s years of experience, these hygiene promotion activities are expected to result in a strong brand association with healthcare drives. They are now central to Lifebuoy’s plans in all countries where the Lifebuoy brand is present, with hygiene promotion activities fully embedded into brand activities.

Their campaigns are specifically designed to reach people living in countries where diarrheal disease is highest and where soap usage is infrequent, targeting low income families in particular. One of Lifebuoy’s main focus areas is India – a country that has the highest number of children under five dying from diarrhoeal disease, over 380,000 deaths a year or more than 1,000 deaths per day. A sterling example is their “Roti Reminder” campaign during the Kumbh Mela, where the first roti of every order bore the message “Lifebuoy se haath dhoye kya?” The message was heat stamped onto the baked roti, without the use of ink, to ensure it was completely edible.

Along with the distinctly different Lux brand, also owned by HUL, Lifebuoy commands a dominating market share. HUL’s smart tactic of creating unique brand identities for each of its products has been the driving force for the bottoms- up approach of Lifebuoy’s marketing strategy. It has created a true star product at the very bottom of the pyramid. 

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

Narayana Health makes healthcare affordable for the needy A sterling example of philanthropy in healthcare

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ealthcare in India has long been an area neglected by the public sector and marked by sky-high prices in the private sector. For millions of people who could not afford the extremely limited number of speciality hospitals, contracting a serious disease was the beginning of a countdown that had only one sordid end possible.

However, through the efforts of some visionaries, healthcare in India gradually underwent a change that saw the nation becoming a centre for medical tourism for people from all over the world. One of the iconic brands associated with this change is the Narayana Hrudayalaya chain of hospitals.

Dr Devi Shetty a renowned cardiologist based in Bengaluru created this brand by launching the hospital in 2000. Narayana Hrudayalaya Health City, Bengaluru, is a conglomeration of many hospitals in one campus. The Health City intends to cater to about 15,000 outpatients every day. Along with the world’s largest heart hospital with 1,000 beds, performing over 30 major heart surgeries a day, a fullfledged 1,400-bedded Multi Specialty hospital that handles Neurosurgery, Neurology, Paediatric, Nephrology, Urology, Gynaecology, Gastroenterology, ENT cases amongst various others, this Health City has become one of India’s premier healthcare destinations.

Also present here is the world’s largest cancer hospital with the latest infrastructure and equipment, internationally acclaimed faculty and the Narayana Nethralaya – a super specialty eye hospital with an infrastructure to perform 500 eye surgeries daily and SPARSH -

Pitch | July 2013

an orthopaedic super specialty hospital.

The hospital uses its massive size effectively. Today, Narayana Health has 17 hospitals across 13 Indian cities with a total bed strength of 6000 beds which enables it to gain large economies of scale and bargains down the cost of supplies to the hospitals which it further translates into extremely low healthcare costs for its patients. These are unmatched not just in India but most of

A sterling example of the hospital’s philanthropy is its telemedicine service started in the year 2002 to cater to the rural populace the world. In fact, despite its pro-poor attitude, the hospital has a higher profit margin (7.7% after tax) than most American Private Hospitals (6.9%).

A sterling example of the hospital’s philanthropy is its telemedicine service started in the year 2002 to cater mainly to the rural populace in the country. The telemedicine network of the hospital connects to countries like Malaysia, Mauritius and Pakistan along with India itself. Vital medical reports like ECG reports, audio/ visual data, CT scans, X-rays, MRIs and their analysis are exchanged via the internet and telephone. The hospital then analyses

and provides lifesaving healthcare based on this analysis. The telemedicine services provided by the hospital are free and more than 21000 cases have been referred using this service.

The hospital’s foray in a variety of medicinal fields has seen it being rechristened recently as Narayana Health which represents a singularity of purpose and unwavering commitment to the vision. It has a new tagline - ‘Health for all. All for Health’, capturing the core belief in the democratization of healthcare - in India and around the world. 

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BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID

ITC e-Choupal empowers farmers with the digital tool E-choupal bridges the gap between the urban and rural sectors

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ndia is famous for being a land of paradoxes where abject poverty exists alongside opulent wealth. It is a country plagued by primitive cultivation techniques and farmer suicides even as urban centers become truly global due to advances in Information Technology. However, a happy bridge was built between these two different worlds through a remarkable endeavor

by ITC’s Agro Business Division. The eChoupal initiative sought to establish a direct link with the farmers through the Internet to procure their agricultural products while sharing valuable scientific and financial information related to farming with them.

Poverty in rural India is a vicious circle of low productivity that perpetuates low incomes, low margins and consequently low risk taking ability and low investments. This threw farmers and the Indian agribusiness sector out of the global league, despite rich & abundant natural resources. The lack of cut-

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ting edge agricultural technology along with the menacing presence of middlemen at every step has crippled the sector for ages.

It was in this scenario that the ITC e-Choupal was conceived as an innovative market-led business model to enhance the competitiveness of Indian agriculture. The programme leverages the power of Information and Digital Technology and the Internet to empower small and marginal farmers with a host of services related to knowhow, best practices, timely and relevant weather information, transparent dis-

ITC provides free information but no contracts are signed with farmers binding them to do business only with ITC

covery of prices and much more. The system is remarkably self-sustaining with village Internet kiosks managed by farmers themselves, called “sanchalaks”.

As a direct marketing channel, virtually linked to the ‘mandi’ system for price discovery, e-Choupal eliminates wasteful intermediaries and multiple handling. The farmers are directly linked to their prospective markets and this allows them to take away the leeching middlemen from the process.

ITC provides free information but no contracts are signed with farmers binding them to do business with only ITC, and they are free to sell their produce to whomsoever they wish to forge an alliance with. While the farmers benefit through enhanced farm productivity and higher farm gate prices, ITC benefits from the lower net cost of procurement (despite offering better prices to the farmer) having eliminated costs in the supply chain that do not add value.

Currently there are around 6,500 choupals in 40,000 villages empowering 4 million farmers; the initiative has found resonance with the farming community. This unique method of combining smart business sense with corporate social responsibility has also won worldwide recognition. The inaugural UNDP-International Chamber of Commerce “World Business Award”, the “Development Gateway Award”, “The Stockholm Challenge Award” have been conferred on e-Choupal and it has found special mention in the 2008 World Development Report of the World Bank, as well as in the Economic Survey of the Government of India in 2007. It has also been taught as a case study in the Harvard Business School. 

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

MGNREGA offers a ray of hope to rural India When brands become champions of social upliftment

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hen brands manage to connect with the bottom of the pyramid in society and make a difference in their lives, they become truly social brands. They make the impossible possible by communicating and working with some of the poorest social groups in the country. By trying to bring about a change in the socio-economic fabric of the nation and take a step towards bridging the gap between India and Bharat through employment and self-sustenance, the Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is a true champion in the category.

The exceptional scope and the staggering scale of the project are often undermined by the wrathful political storm that has surrounded it since its inception through an act of Parliament in 2005. Furious debates on television and the opinions of armchair pundits often make us lose sight of MGNREGA’s aim of providing employment to every single citizen of rural India. That is a figure of almost 4.98 crore households every year with billions of dollars being spent annually to fund it, making it a citizen welfare scheme whose size is unmatched in the entire world.

The programme is essentially a job guarantee scheme for rural Indians that provides a legal guarantee for at least 100 days of paid employment in every financial year to adult members of any household willing to do unskilled manual public work at the statutory minimum wage of 120. A scheme of its nature and intent needed very little advertisement and the rural poor were quick to identify

Pitch | July 2013

MGNREGA has transcended the boundaries of branding and market visibility to become a beacon of hope with the name of MGNREGA as a way of earning a living, albeit meager, without bending before traditional caste lines, local leaders or money lenders. Through all the accusations hurled at the act for being ineffective and corrupt, the fact remains that the actual population benefited by it remains sternly loyal to the core idea of the scheme.

MGNREGA has transcended the boundaries of mere branding and market visibility to become a beacon of hope for those in India’s darkest cor-

ners striving to break out from the shackles of money and caste. With a concentrated focus on the poorest districts of India, determination to ensure one thirds of its work force is women and ability to bring some of the most backward classes of Indian society in its fold, the government’s determination to make the scheme work was exceptional. A rebranded MGNREGA 2.0 has been offered through the 12th Five Year Plan, through which the Planning Commission aims to tackle the key criticisms against the scheme by expanding its scope of work, reducing delays in wage payments, stronger social audits and closer integration with the Aadhaar scheme to stop corrupt practices. Due to its intent and its connect with the masses along with the latent ability to change India’s social fabric, the MGNREGA brand shines like a gem at the bottom of the pyramid. 

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BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID

Winning over the budget consumer Sonata Super Fibre targeted the mass market with success

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itan is the single largest maker of watches in the country and holds more than 60% of the market share in the country with each of its brands ruling their respective sectors effortlessly. Sonata was the budget brand launched by the company and has been pivotal in creating a market for branded watches at the bottom of the consumer pyramid.

Sonata became a runaway success because of the unique combination of the Titan brand name and frugal pricing.

The brand quickly rose up to become the highest volume seller of watches in India, selling over five million watches a year.

Sonata also realized that the absolute bottom of the pyramid in the sector was dominated by unorganized players and cheap Chinese knockoffs. With an aim to consolidate its market domination, the Sonata Super Fibre brand was created in 2008 with a portfolio of strong, stylish, youthful watches which target the large sub-Rs. 500 market in urban, semi-urban and rural India. The brand symbolised durability and value on a budget and was successful among the age group of 1630 year olds in smaller towns and rural India.

With 68 different designs and features

like rotating bezels, scratch proof surfaces, backlight, stop-watch and alarms and water resistance, Sonata was a quality offering for the Indian consumer on a shoestring budget. 2012 saw the brand expanding with the launch of the cheapest branded watch in the country priced at Rs 225. The same brand name also launched the Super Fibre Ocean series, a collection of 21 high water resistance watches at an introductory price point of Rs1,499 including what is probably the first and cheapest touch screen watch.

The brand found its own identity with its pricing alone, but was not shy of creating a strong marketing campaign to further bolster its image. With Mahendra Singh Dhoni as its brand ambassador, Sonata found the perfect spokesperson for a brand which aims at a nationwide appeal. With the charismatic Indian captain’s presence across television and print ads, Sonata and its Super Fibre range are amongst India’s highest selling brands. 

The brand was not shy of creating a strong marketing campaign to further bolster its image 10

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

social marketers

• • • • •

Pitch | July 2013

Satyamev Jayate Aadhaar Zee TV- Punar Vivaah Fabindia Pulse Polio

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SOCIAL MARKETERS

Star India inspires a billion imaginations through Satyamev Jayate The show that marketed social cause and came out a winner

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atyamev Jayate’s resounding success and the foundation for sustainable reforms it laid, continue to be a source of inspiration for the society at large, even a year after the show’s first season concluded. For Star India, Satyamev Jayate was an extension of its belief in television’s latent and often unrealized potential to trigger progressive reforms, to put the spotlight on the right issues and create an environment to move the needle on change. For the team, Satyamev Jayate was a leap in content innovation. There was a lot of thought, care, effort and love that went into the programme, for more than two years, before the much-awaited launch in May 2012.

The channel realized that the issues raised by the show were of intense personal and societal importance. “These issues affected each and every one of us and hence needed to reach out to as many viewers as pos-

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sible – young and old, urban and rural, men and women, children and adults -- to trigger the change that we yearned for,” says Gayatri Yadav, Executive Vice-President, Marketing and Communications, Star India.

This resulted in the marketing campaign idea created by Ogilvy “Jab dil pe lagegi, tabhi baat banegi” – which was expressed through a series of conversational films, each of which took the viewer closer to a journey of content discovery, while maintaining intrigue and emotion – two hall-

A dedicated website created for Satyamev Jayate served as a ready dossier to access information about the show

marks of the campaign.

India is a land of great diversity where no single marketing formula can engage a vastly distinct target group bound together by similar aspirations. The company aimed to reach a plethora of people, through constant innovation in marketing a show as powerful as Satyamev Jayate.

The channel realized that Satyamev Jayate’s true potential would only be realized if it gave discerning viewers the ease of access to experience the show as per their convenience. This realisation led to the genesis of an extensive digital outreach program, connecting the tech-savvy consumers through the powerful digital media.

The show demonstrated the power of content to inspire conversations – given the overwhelming engagement on new media.

Star India embarked on a plan to raise decibel levels on the Internet through several tools including, but not limited to, exclusive pages and handles on social networking.

A dedicated website created for Satyamev Jayate served as a ready dossier to access information on the show, its episode-wise impact, conversations and everything in between. It was positioned as a discussion platform for people moved by many issues that the show raised through its 13-week course, thereby establishing and further strengthening the connect with viewers.

The website received a whopping 13 million responses from across the globe. Apart from over 840 towns in India, the website was swamped with responses and discussions from 5,435 cities and towns from 165 countries, some as remote as Costa Rica, Sierra Leone and Papua New Guinea. Such was the power of content that viewers were

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

willing to go beyond their means to commit to several causes raised by the show.

Regular promotion on social networking also ensured Satyamev Jayate engaged with the backbone of this country, its youth, in a meaningful way. In its launch month, Satyamev Jayate was the most talked about show in the world on social networking while it continued to remain no. 1 in India, each week through its course. The show left nearly 740 million impressions on Facebook while as many as 540 million on Twitter.

YouTube became another popular source

to engage the youth. Star India opened up its content to grant the ease of access to the show through YouTube and, as a result, the website emerged as an alternative screen to television with 35 million views. It deployed a digital expert—Persistent Systems—to design and implement the entire analytics program.

The agency handled a torrent of feedbacks, opinions, personal experiences and suggestions through several modes – including SMS, IVR and online -- and analyzed the large quantum of data continuously.

“The intent was to build intrigue by keep-

ing information on the show, such as the name, time slot, under wraps, making viewers curious to tune in. This intrigue, however, has a shelf life, you can draw audiences to the first episode through it but the show’s powerful content brought them back week after another,” adds Yadav.

There was a language barrier that could have restricted Satyamev Jayate’s reach but it overcame this by broadcasting the show in multiple languages. By the end of its first season, Satyamev Jayate was viewed by more than 50 crore Indians. 

Aadhaar- A social marketer par excellence The dawn of equal opportunity for each individual

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o other brand can ever match up to the scale of India’s Unique Identification number project, better known as Aadhaar. It’s a name that would be associated with every single citizen of a country with the second largest population in the world.

The problems associated with the multiple identity cards being held by a single citizen (Voter ID, passport, PAN card, ration card etc) had plagued every branch of the government machinery including public distribution and national security for ages. Corruption was rife in the issue of these cards and their usage as there was no coherent framework governing their issue and usage. It was to alleviate these problems that the government decided to launch a single scheme of identifying its citizens and creating a credible national database of their vital information.

The project was launched with much fanfare in February 2009 with the former Infosys Chairman, Nandan Nilekani as its Chairman, a position equal to a Cabinet rank. The comprehensive programme involved gathering personal information and biometric data about the whole of India’s billion plus population and creating a unique 12 digit identification number for each one of them.

Pitch | July 2013

This number, to be linked with other vital government schemes like the PAN card and National Population Registry in the future would soon become the norm for identifying a citizen for every purpose. This could range from opening a bank account to claiming citizen welfare subsidies from the government, while also assisting national security and minimising chances of corruption in the public domain.

The project rejected the idea of building up from the existing national database and chose to start from scratch thereby becoming a unique brand that would create a direct association with every single citizen. Massive social marketing has been undertaken by

The project rejected the idea of building up from the existing national database and chose to start from scratch

the government over every popular media and volunteers and state employees have reached out to far flung areas, out of the reach Nandan Nilekani of TV and newspapers. The Aadhaar brand name is being advertised at a rate not matched by most other government initiatives. In the words of Nandan Nilekani, himself, “The name Aadhaar communicates the fundamental role of the number issued by the UIDAI as a universal identity infrastructure, a foundation over which public and private agencies can build services and applications that benefit residents across India.”

The project has met with great success and participation from the general populace. Over a period of less than five years the scheme has already covered around 32% of India’s entire population, a staggering figure of 382 million people who have received their Aadhaars. With its symbol of a fingerprint in the centre of a rising sun, Aadhaar represents a new dawn of equal opportunity for each individual. 

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SOCIAL MARKETERS

Zee TV’s “Punarvivaah”- Changing mindsets through entertainment Entertainment with a social message for the audience

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ndian soaps have always garnered huge viewership in India and more so when they come with a social message. In recent times one such television show which became a hit with the Indian audience and went on to create a brand name of its own is Zee TV’s Punarvivaah. The show came like a ray of hope for many people living with the stigma of remarriage. The impact of the show was such that the soap ended

chance to remarry?” The initiative met with an overwhelming response with countless viewers participating and voicing their opinions. This was just the beginning and the channel went ahead with several campaigns to champion the cause of remarriage. The channel promoted this cause by educating and making people aware of this issue. They decided to communicate with the audience on this sensitive issue and part-

only to bring forth a new story under the same brand name. The brand has been recognised for not just targeting the bottom lines, but also believing in the social cause it endorses.

ZEE TV had devised several strategies to connect with its audience. The channel began the show Punarvivaah with a unique strategy where it posed a question in multilingual print ads across major publications and urged readers to reply with a missed call to the numbers indicated. The question posed was “Can two shattered lives be rebuilt on hope?

Do widows and divorcees deserve a

For the first time ever, a fiction based show was able to help people, taking viewer engagement a notch higher

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nered with Mobilox. Zee TV partnered with Mobilox Solutions in conceptualizing a mobile solution that would provide a platform for all viewers to access live counseling on a helpline by renowned psychologists. Viewers could seek pro-

fessional help on issues surrounding remarriage. With strong execution, the team was able to facilitate 2,186 solutions within three months even though the helpline number was kept open for just two hours on show days. The helpline was promoted during and after the show through mentions. For the first time ever, a fiction based show was able to help and address people’s real problems; taking viewer engagement a notch higher.

Punarvivaah threw up some interesting questions on the subject of remarriage and the debate found place in the broadening mindsets of our society. Zee conducted panel discussions with eminent psychologists, sociologists, learned experts, local politicians, advocates of social change and remarried couples from various walks of life over a period of six months from February to July last year. These panel discussions were held across 21 cities. It served as a nationwide campaign aimed at driving people to think in an evolved manner about the subject of remarriage and eliminate the stigma that surrounds widows or divorcees seeking to rediscover marital bliss a second time.

Going beyond the common goal of merely entertaining audiences or making profits, Zee TV had been able to market a social cause like never before. 

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

Fabindia brings rural India to the forefront Marketing with a Cause

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he Social Marketing category focuses on brands that work with a keen sense of social responsibility and community welfare and is crowded with government initiatives or half-hearted corporate attempts which look at only ticking a box in their portfolio rather than bringing about a serious social change. A welcome change from this attitude can be seen from a brand that has been in the market for more than half a century without any form of advertising and yet is known globally as a showcase of traditional Indian craftsmanship. The brand is none other than Fabindia.

John Bissell was an American working as a Consultant for the Ford Foundation, to advise the Government of India- run Central Cottage Industries Corporation in the late fifties. During a two-year stint spent instructing Indian villagers in making goods for export, he became fascinated with the traditional Indian textile industry and decided to showcase its craftsmanship and exquisite handloom textiles to the world while also providing sustainable employment for the tradi-

Pitch | July 2013

tional artisans scattered across hundreds of tiny villages. Fabindia was born out of this passion of his and he started the company in 1960 from his own small flat in Delhi.

Although many government-owned co-operatives existed in the handloom fabrics and apparel sector, they were usually hampered by lethargy and a lack of imagination. Fabindia revitalised the sector and differentiated itself from others, by adapting its fabrics and designs to urban tastes. The company blended the traditional with the modern and designers were hired to modernize its line of home linen and also introduce a range of ready-to-wear garments, which were to become the identity of the brand in years to come. The in-house team of designers provided most of the designs

The brand introduced a unique Community Owned Companies Model which re-defined social responsibility

which were then expertly executed by village-based artisans, a successful business model that exists till this day.

It serves as a quiet lesson for all those harping on the need to bridge the gap between urban and rural India.

The brand also introduced a unique Community Owned Companies Model which re-defined social responsibility by introducing the poor artisans to inclusive capitalism. Usually, the village-based artisan received a pittance for his efforts, the bulk whisked away by innumerable middlemen. Fabindia broke this cycle by introducing an artisan-shareholder system through “supply-region companies” incorporated as subsidiaries. In this model, the actual craftspeople collectively owned 26% of the equity in each company, based in nationwide centres, with Artisans Micro Finance, a Fabindia arm holding 49%, and employees and other private investors holding the balance. Along with designing the kurtis that have been a rage among the urban classes for years, the brand has quietly empowered 80,000 craft based rural producers by creating a base for skilled, sustainable rural employment, and preserving India’s traditional handicrafts in the process. Their craft-conscious enterprise concept of Fabindia became a Harvard Business School (HBS) case study and has also been lauded in several books on the subject. Amazingly, the brand still chooses to not advertise this or any other facet of their business, relying solely on the power of the product and positive word of mouth. The company has branches in almost every state and international stores in countries in Europe and East Asia. 

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SOCIAL MARKETERS

Pulse Polio leads the nation to eradication of the disease Pulse Polio, the brand that made a difference to society

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s India’s social sector has repeatedly shown, brands can also create a nationwide identity that can be used for greater good of the people. These unusual brand names have become so identifiable with the everyday parlance of the average Indian that they have transcended into being an inseparable part of our lives.

One such name that fits this category perfectly is the national Polio eradication programme.

Eradicating polio has not been the easiest of tasks for our healthcare machinery. In the late 70s, India suffered from an estimated 2,00,000 polio cases annually. The government went on a drive to eradicate the disease that forever crippled bright young lives, with immunisation programmes. Vaccination against the disease started in 1978 and by 1984, it was successful in covering around 40% of all infants in the country. The number of reported cases of polio also declined from 28,757 during 1987 to 3,265 in 1995.

However the complete eradication of the ailment seemed to be a much tougher task as compared to a mere reduction in the number of annual cases.

Ignorance, illiteracy and unfounded rumours about the vaccines themselves were constant hindrances in the ultimate success of the programme. The disease itself proved to be tenacious and as late as 2009, its Indian victims accounted for half the total number of cases worldwide. It was with the aim of exterminating this disease permanently that the government launched the

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The campaign saw a rare synergy among some of the biggest public organisations Pulse Polio initiative in 1995.

The initiative was launched as a campaign to create awareness about the vaccination schedule in every corner of India. This was a daunting task for any marketing professional as going to

the rural heartland meant giving up the comforts of television, newspapers and sometimes even radio and yet be able to convince a population that was at times sceptical and even averse to the immunisation drive.

The campaign saw a rare synergy in some of the biggest public organisations including the Government of India, WHO, UNICEF, State Governments and countless NGOs. From television ads starring Amitabh Bachhan asking the people to ensure the safety of their children against the ravages of polio to thousands of unnamed volunteers who went from door to door in obscure villages spreading the message, the name of the Pulse Polio programme was spread across the country in every way imaginable. This was a highly innovative communication strategy aimed at dispelling fears, overcoming resistance and refusal and eliciting community participation with active involvement of social leaders, opinion makers and civil society. Over a decade or more of relentless, constant effort at every level the Pulse Polio brand was created into an irreplaceable calendar entry for every parent in the nation.

As with every successful social effort in the country, the final result was one that made all the unimaginable efforts behind the programme truly worthwhile. On February 24, 2012, World Health Organization (WHO) removed India from the list of countries with active endemic wild poliovirus transmission. As on January 9, 2013, no case of wild polio virus has been detected in the country for the past 23 months. ď Ž

Pitch | July 2013

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buzzy brands

• • • •

Pitch | July 2013

Idea XUV 500 Anna Hazare Samsung Galaxy

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BUZZY BRANDS

An IDEA that created the right buzz “Honey Bunny” breaks through the clutter

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here are brands whose campaigns make you smile. Others have a great recall value. Their names stick. Then there are those which draw you into them, making you talk, think and share their aspects, creating a buzz around their name. Idea has emerged as one such brand that hooked the viewers with its catchy “honey bunny” song that became an anthem of sorts, hummed by customers, shared as a ringtone, and generally talked about in all circles. The campaign created a buzz around an already established brand name and kept

the customer’s interest alive in the brand.

Idea became an Aditya Birla Group company in 2006 and in a short span of 5 years, became one of the fastest growing mobile operators in a highly competitive environment that included not just Indian operators but some of the global telecom giants as well. Despite the testing times in a sector already cluttered with a large number of service providers, Idea’s unique marketing and communication approach has always played a significant role in distinguishing the brand. Its earlier campaigns with the

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famous ‘What an Idea, Sirji’ tagline and the witty ‘No Idea, Get Idea’ series have already been amongst the most popular brand campaigns in Indian advertising.

Idea’s focus through all its campaigns has been to put a smile on the consumer’s face even while talking about complex social issues like population, deforestation and even caste divides. It swiftly evolved from being a regional player to being a credible national network. The marketing brains behind the brand decided to portray its national footprint through the story of India’s diversity. The

Its endeavour to remain creative, socially conscious and witty has resulted in the brand being amongst the top three key players “Honey Bunny” campaign was born out of this aim of re-establishing its panIndia network status after the success in the spectrum auction in November 2012. The catchy tune, inane but abso-

lutely adorable lyrics and shots of happy Indians from every corner of the country singing the song, resonated with the brand’s national presence even as it celebrated India’s “unity in diversity” in the most fun way possible.

True to its name, the brand backed up the idea with a focused media campaign spanning television, radio, digital media, and even cinema halls. The jingle was an instant hit and within a few days, the song/ TVC recorded more than 2.5 million views on Youtube. Over 2 lakh unique visitors to the “Honey

Bunny” download page on the website in the first two days of the campaign launch demonstrated the power of an idea well executed. Idea also recorded over 5 million downloads of Honey Bunny Dialer Tone which is a record of sorts in itself. Its constant endeavour to remain creative, socially conscious and witty has resulted in the brand being amongst the top three key players in the Indian market, selling SIM cards while making the customers sing “hello pumpkin, pumpkin” with silly grins on their faces. 

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Mahindra’s XUV 500 races ahead of the pack Mahindra builds up the suspense

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he Mahindra XUV500 has been an inspiring brand right from the day of its launch. XUV500 has created a new niche of its own in the Rs10 -20 lakh segment and crossed the milestone of 50,000 sales faster than any other premium SUV. With the car being one of the most admired and awarded in the year, XUV 500 has created the loudest buzz this year.

Mahindra leveraged the power of digital & social media to create an unprecedented pre-launch & launch buzz by amplifying the impact of an innovative digital media strategy. The digital medium allowed consumers to share and have conversations around the brand and was at the core of the launch communication strategy with all other mediums supporting the buzz created online. The approach was a 360°one involving social media, search, databases, online media, video & amplification using the traditional media of TV, print & BTL. Since there existed a great curiosity

Pitch | July 2013

among the customers about the new offering from brand Mahindra, the auto giant decided to build anticipation by revealing the XUV500 online bit by bit.

A microsite showed a webcam feed of a covered XUV500 and more than 4.5 lakh LIKES were required to reveal its parts.

Once the launch was over, the microsite morphed into a very advanced interactive video animation on which people could unveil the XUV500 themselves.

This innovative marketing strategy was a hit and close to 40,000 people unveiled the car themselves & shared it on their social media profiles. Users were invited to the website to uncover the real name & logo of the brand and the buzz created around this unique product unveiling was phenomenal.

Mahindra leveraged the power of digital & social media to create an unprecedented pre-launch and post-launch buzz

A “Guess the price” contest was launched among consumers just 10 days before the launch which took the buzz to an unprecedented level. Digital media promotion, the contest and video content and the social media integration ensured that the XUV site started receiving more than 1 lakh visitors a day, a momentum which resulted in an online viewership of the launch webcast by more than 1.5 lakh consumers. The exceptional interest in the XUV500 was clearly evident when more than 1.5 million people visited its website last year and it attracted a large fan following of more than 1.3 million on Facebook.

To build up on the buzz and to create a fitting high-end experience at dealerships, specialized manpower was hired, trained & deployed for the brand, enabled with innovative technology aids like tablets & kiosks. A premium ownership experience through an exclusive relationship manager & special privileges was provided to all the owners of the XUV500 as a part of an industry first Purple Club programme.

The brand received a tremendous response from customers and reviewers alike and has been a highly awarded car in its first year, with 22 awards from auto experts and numerous other recognitions for the brand. The XUV500 continues to enjoy widespread acceptance from customers in India and leads the High-end SUV segment with a 56% market share in FY2013. Having received a phenomenal response in India, and also in Australia, South Africa and Italy, the XUV500 is poised to make its mark in other international markets. 

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BUZZY BRANDS

Anna- The buzz which took the country by storm The firebrand who became a symbol of hope for the country

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hat’s in a name, the Bard had asked the world. The 2011 Jan Lokpal Bill movement that mobilized the indifferent middle classes of India towards a popular social revolution answers this question. Sometimes a name is just what it takes, as in the case of Kisan Baburao Hazare whose moniker Anna Hazare became the symbol of hope and resistance for millions of his followers.

Anna Hazare’s journey from an Army

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jawan during the 1962 and 1965 wars to the firebrand Gandhian who shook the seats of power in Delhi, is a welldocumented story by now. What is often

Anna’s name has stood out in every way possible without spending millions on campaigns or talking of caste and religion

forgotten, are the decades of social activism and self-sacrifice this diminutive figure has lived through in his quest to make Indian society a better place to live in. Consider this: he was awarded the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan a full two decades before the world took notice of his Lokpal agitation and the media rushed to bestow countless “Person of the Year” awards on him. Anna was already a legend in his own right before most of us had even heard of him.

The buzz around his name has seen a steady increase over the decades and no amount of division within the ranks of his movement and criticism by armchair philosophers has ever dented his popularity among the people of the country.

His name is one that is lauded as the “Gandhi” of this generation, adopted by thousands of followers as a war cry against corruption through the “I am Anna” Gandhi caps. Though the Lokpal movement has diminished in scale and significance recently, Anna’s name has lingered on. No mass leaders in the nation except Mahatma Gandhi and JP Narayan have enjoyed such a reputation across the barriers of class, caste and language.

When we talk of brands we aim to emphasise identity, recognition and a unique personality that is clearly defined in an otherwise crowded market. In the world’s largest democracy, with some of the biggest election budgets and a society sharply divided along countless fault lines, Anna’s name has stood out in every way possible without spending millions on campaigns or talking of caste and religion. 

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Samsung’s Galaxy steals the show with several variants The marketing blitz creates the right buzz

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iant killer. Game Changer. Consumer Favorite. Just a few of the terms used to describe what is arguably the biggest smartphone brand name in the world, Samsung Galaxy. The Galaxy brand name encompasses a large variety of devices in every price range, all of which are based on the open source Android provided by the internet giant Google. The Galaxy brand first came to the market in 2010 and has steadily become the flagship brand for its Korean maker. Market analytics also show that since the launch of the brand name, Samsung has catapulted to the top slot in terms of global smartphone sales within a span of just three years.

The Galaxy brand name quickly es-

tablished itself as a symbol of affordable quality hardware backed by stylish design and a reputable customer service. As its amazingly popular flagship products – the Samsung Galaxy S II and the Samsung Galaxy Note, stormed the Indian market in 2011, the company used the tremendous buzz around the brand to create more products using the brand identity.

The stars of the year for the brand were the Galaxy Note II and the Galaxy S III. The popularity of the previous versions of the devices ensured that the consumer was waiting with bated breath for these products. Samsung whipped up the excitement by launching a marketing blitz in the country that ensured

The stars of the year for the brand were the Galaxy Note II and the Galaxy S III

Pitch | July 2013

there was no corner of popular media left unutilized in its attempt to connect with the Indian consumer. Displaying a keen understanding of the evolving preferences of the Indian consumers and their unique demand for dual sim devices, Samsung repositioned the brand to create a new segment in the Smartphone market by launching economical handsets with the Galaxy tag. Each one of these new phones: the Galaxy Y Duos, Galaxy Y Duos Lite and Galaxy Ace Duos, met with a very strong consumer acceptance.

Not content with ruling the smartphone sector in the nation Samsung expanded the Galaxy family by introducing the Galaxy brand tablets. With a brand name that rivaled the most famous tablet maker in the world and with added features like the ability to make voice calls, the series became another feather in the cap for the brand. A whole new breed of smart devices was created when Samsung launched the Galaxy Camera which combined high performance photography features with Android OS and 3G/ Wi-fi connectivity to create the world’s first truly connected camera.

Samsung’s successful marketing, smart pricing and effective product designshave made them the buzziest brand in the market. In December 2012, the brand demonstrated its market power by selling more than 10 million Galaxy devices since the launch of the first Galaxy device, Galaxy S in June 2010. With newer launches, attractive discounts and financing schemes and an evergrowing dealer and support network, the buzz around the brand stays as powerful as ever. 

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ageless brands

Seprator

• • • • • Pitch | July 2013

Lux Colgate Dettol Cadbury Amul 25

AGELESS BRANDS

Beauty fades but Lux continues its legacy A beauty brand that has survived through generations

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tarting its journey as “Sunlight Flakes” laundry soap in 1899 in London, the Lux brand has survived two world wars, the rise and end of communism, the end of colonialism and the advent of the information age.

Throughout the passage of time,y the brand has managed to remain a clear market leader in its segment, creating and consolidating its position as an ageless brand. Through new variations, multiple rebranding exercises, new marketing strategies and constant engagement with its customer base, Lux has managed to remain a branding superpower.

In 1924, Lux established itself as the first mass market toilet soap in the world.

It became a major brand before the end of that decade and its founders decided on the strategy of marketing it as a “beauty soap”, a tag the brand carries on its shoulders till today. It was during this era, when Lux was creating its brand identity, that it started a classic marketing trend.

The marketing strategy of the soap was simple: if the most beautiful women were seen to be using and endorsing the brand, it would undoubtedly attract women of all ages towards it. A simple idea that would become the staple of advertising campaigns forever thereafter; it was Lux that pioneered female celebrity endorsements.

Internationally, the brand has associated itself with some of the most legendary beauties in the world, including Audrey

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Hepburn, Marlene Dietrich, Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor. In India, Lux continued its global tradition by having almost every major Bollywood actress appear in its commercials. From the first ad in 1929 starring Leena Chitnis till today, Lux has endeavoured to position itself as the “beauty soap of the stars”. Through the decades that followed actresses like Asha Parekh, Helen, Hema Malini, Rekha,

The founders decided on the strategy of marketing it as a “beauty soap”, a tag the brand carries on its shoulders till today

Madhuri Dixit, Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and almost every other actress of importance, have endorsed the brand name. It has become almost a tradition to acknowledge the new star status of a young, upcoming actress once she is declared as the new “Lux girl”.

The brand continually reinvented this theme over the years. Shahrukh Khan appeared in the ads, celebrating the new found metro sexuality of the Indian male while Abhishek Bachchan starred with his wife Aishwarya Rai in their first ad together for the brand. The timeless appeal of this simple marketing philosophy has been extremely effective for the brand that has earned its mass appeal. Lux is the clear market leader in India and has the distinction of being a billion dollar brand globally.

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Colgate, the evergreen brand among FMCG products What keeps Colgate relevant till today?

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ome brands become household names and it is next to impossible to replace them with newer ones.

Colgate is one such name which continued to grow over the years with its loyal user base. The brand, which has a presence in India since 1930s, has established itself as an iconic household name among its users. The company has been able to reinvent the brand with the launch of newer products in the market. In the last one year, Colgate’s rural distribution has grown by 25% and it continued to drive growth in toothbrush sales with Colgate ZigZag and Colgate Super Flexi products. Recently it had launched Colgate Total Pro Gum Health toothpaste and Colgate Visible White toothpaste.

Colgate Visible White toothpaste that

Pitch | July 2013

promises one shade whiter teeth in just one week was launched by ColgatePalmolive India at an exclusive fashion show by fashion designer Manish Malhotra. Designing the collection especially for the launch of Visible White, Manish’s collection was called “The Visible White Beauty” collection. Over the years Colgate has been associated with eminent ambassadors endorsing the brands. The ageless association began with Kapil Dev in the yesteryears of Brand Palmolive shaving cream. This has continued through the years with numerous brand ambassadors lend-

With the help of new ranges, campaigns and strategies, Colgate has kept reinventing itself

ing their persona to communicate the message of oral care for Colgate brand variants. Colgate entered the gum care segment with the launch of Colgate Pro Gum Health. The company has tried to spread awareness about cavities in children with the campaign “1 in 2 children suffer from cavities”. The campaigns were initiated at points of sale, on the packaging, especially with the mobile dental vans going to different cities and underprivileged areas. It has also launched the sensitive range saying “1 in every 6 suffers from sensitivity”.

Colgate, in partnership with the Indian Dental Association started Oral Health Month (OHM) initiative. ‘Oral Health Month’ involves in-clinic free cavity check-ups, school contact programs, mobile dental vans with free cavity check-up facilities and other engaging awareness activities. With ‘Mission Zero Tooth Cavity’ OHM travels across more than 1,000 cities and towns in the country with 25,000 participating dentists. The initiative has reached out to over 3.7million consumers. Its popular campaign Colgate Active Salt challenge was conceptualized keeping in mind that Indians considered salt good for oral health. The Colgate Active Salt- ‘Kya Apake Toothpaste mein namak hain’ campaign has focused on the taste of the toothpaste. The new challenge was “Taste Challenge - does your toothpaste taste Namkeen ya Mitha?”. With the help of these new ranges, campaigns and strategies, Colgate has kept itself relevant in the ever changing environment.

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AGELESS BRANDS

Dettol maintains reliability with new offerings Dettol’s timeless presence and ageless grace

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or decades, the sole remedy for countless cuts and bruises suffered by children on the playground was the reassuring smile of loving mothers and the familiar, healing sting of Dettol. A staple in millions of households in India, the brand has been around for such a long time and with such a remarkable market penetration that despite the launches of several rival products, Dettol remains the undisputed market leader in its category, making it a true ageless classic.

The brand began its journey in 1933 when the first bottles of Dettol antiseptic liquid were launched across the nation.

Marketed by the Indian arm of the global FMCG major, Reckitt Benckiser since the very beginning, Dettol was something of a novelty when first introduced. Advertisement campaigns ran aggressively in the 60s, promoting the image of the Dettol name as a sure cure against infections. The branding exercise was a success and the product sold almost five million bottles a year by the late 70s.

Dettol has always stressed upon the unique market image it has created of a cross between a household good and a medicinal product. Its marketing campaign also built upon this image. Starting from the 60s, they focussed solely on educating the Indian consumer about the need to protect from germs and infection and how their product was the right one for the purpose. They also realised that for such a branding exercise to work, the target audience needs to be the Indian family. In every campaign since then, the product has focussed on featuring a mother with her child, making the strong symbolism speak for the protection the

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brand offered to the consumer while nurturing an emotional connect with them. Building upon its image as a medicinal product Dettol has been able to project itself as a trusty and completely reliable brand name.

Another critical factor in the enduring

Dettol has stressed upon the unique market image it has created of a cross between a household good and a medicinal product

success of the brand has been its ability to reinvent its identity and offer new products to the consumer. The Dettol brand soap was launched in 1981 and the iconic Dettol hand wash in 1994 creating newer consumer bases for an already established brand. Both went on to become market leaders in their own sectors while the Dettol brand continued to grow with more products like hand sanitizers and kitchen gel. The image of the brand as a product trusted by mothers and doctors alike, first created by the original antiseptic lotion, has carried over to these new launches.

Dettol’s strong consumer connect sees it dominate the market as it charges ahead of competition. ď Ž

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Consumers celebrate Cadbury’s changing taste Cadbury stays relevant in a changing market

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he dark and delightful food of the gods has been better known in India by the name of one brand which has lived through decades of change in the market: Cadbury. The brand has been synonymous with the product, an extremely rare achievement that speaks of dedication, innovation and a constant connect with the consumer, by the team behind the brand, in order to create a true ageless wonder.

Cadbury began its journey in India in

1948 as an imported chocolate brand.

Over the years the company spread its operations within the country and established several manufacturing facilities and also invested in domestic cocoa cultivation. Currently, Cadbury India operates in four categories: chocolate confectionery, milk food drinks, beverage and candy & gum categories and operates through well-known brands such as Dairy Milk, Perk, Gems, Bournvita while also introducing internationally recognized brands, such as Oreo and Bournville.

Cadbury shares a unique relationship with its customer base and this fact is seen through its dominant market share of over 70% in the chocolate confectionary sector and its nomination as a consumer favourite in a number of surveys. This enviable position has been created through constant brand repositioning and clever market strategies over the years.

The “kuch khas hai zindagi mein” ad with an elated female fan running on to

It is a brand associated with love, laughter, care and family ties, its legend enduring through decades

Pitch | July 2013

the cricket pitch was one of the early ads which made the brand stand out.

Cadbury continued the trend with extremely likeable ad campaigns like the “Khaane Waalon Ko Khaane Ka Bahana Chahiye”, “Kuch Meetha Ho jaye”, “Pappu Paas Ho gaya” and the famous “Aaj pehli tarikh hai“ taglines, each of which endeared itself to the Indian public. Never one to rest on its laurels , the brand moved on to the tag line “Subh Aarambh” and then told us that something auspicious demands something sweet in India. In the recent years they have emulated this success with new brands like Bournville, which had its quirky series of international ads to support it and Dairy Milk Silk with its catchy “kiss me” song. Every tag line created by the brand has become a part of common parlance including Bournvita’s “main hoon badta bachha” slogan and the 5 Star addicted Ramesh-Suresh’s advice “Pitaji ki patloon ek bilan choti kar do”.

Cadbury has been considered one of India’s best advertisers over the years.

With these campaigns as a strong launch pad, Cadbury created products for every group of consumers. Dairy Milk was an everyday chocolate, Celebration was meant as a gift, Gems was popular among the kids, while 5-Star and Perk were a hit among the youth.

Bournville was for the chocolate connoisseurs and Bournvita was on every mother’s monthly grocery list. It was a brand associated with love, laughter, care and family ties, its legend enduring through decades, making it one of India’s most famous brands and an ageless wonder. 

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AGELESS BRANDS

A household name that makes a connect with every Indian The utterly relevant Amul

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uilt on the strong foundation laid by the legendary Dr Kurien, Amul (GCMMF) has become a household name in India and continues to be popular with each one of us. Who can forget the “utterly butterly delicious” girl, an integral part of the Amul campaign?

Since the consumption of milk is universal cutting across regions and agegroups, the company has designed its entire product-portfolio in an innovative manner. The product portfolio is designed around the concept of the human lifecycle with there being products for consumers in each and every stage of their lives.

In the last one year, the company has worked on repositioning milk as the world’s original energy drink, helping to popularize the milk drinking habit among youth. It has used youth and sports related platforms such as

the London Olympic Games 2012 (it sponsored the Indian Olympics contingent), English Premier Football League (EPL), IPL Extraa Innings and co-branded campaigns with youth and sports oriented films such as recently released, ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’, ‘Superman–Man of Steel’, ‘Spiderman’ etc. Its association with the Indian F1 Grand Prix as sponsor of Sauber F1 team and ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 were also efforts in the same direction. These campaigns have served to further enhance its youth connect and strengthen bonding with the next generation of consumers. “We have also been leveraging digital media, specially social media networks to enhance our brand connect with younger audience. Amul’s Facebook brand page has a fan base exceeding one million. In addition, we have almost 15,000 follow-

In the last one year, the company has worked on repositioning milk as the world’s original energy drink ers on Twitter,” says R.S. Sodhi, the Managing Director of Amul.

The upcoming golden jubilee of Amul’s topical campaign, recognized as the longest running advertising campaign, was celebrated with the launch

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of a book Amul India in 2012. This book is a salute to 32 lakh farmers who with their entrepreneurial spirit and hard work created one of India’s strongest and truly iconic brands. The dimension of ‘topicality’ which is inherent in this campaign, contributes substantially towards keeping the brand contemporary, fresh and relevant in the mind of Indian consumers. The company has managed to strike a chord in the heart of all Indians, while being seen as fresh and current. To some extent, this has facilitated longevity of the brand and enabled it to flourish and thrive by ensuring relevance to Indian society during the last fifty years.

Amul’s contribution to nation building and its stellar role in triggering socioeconomic revolution in rural India was highlighted in its iconic TV campaign, showcasing achievements of rural women in the Amul cooperative movement. The lyrics of this campaign were so popular that it was converted into a full-fledged music video in 2011. In 2013, this campaign was taken forward to a new level, further highlighting the spirit of women’s empowerment which is a direct consequence of Amul cooperatives.

Innovation has always been an integral part of its culture and in line with this approach, the company has recently introduced milk-based beverages in highly convenient PET bottles for on-the-move consumption and also in attractive slim cans. These launches will help it redesign the imagery of milk from a plain white commodity to a wide range of trendy beverages. 

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BANG FOR THE BUCK • Micromax • IndiGo • McDonald’s Seprator • Fastrack • Renault Duster

Pitch | July 2013

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BANG FOR THE BUCK

Micromax becomes a trailblazer The brand gives you “bang for your buck”

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ndia’s love for the mobile phone is a globally recognized fact. Apart from sheer volumes of sales, India was also recognised as a consumer base which was very accepting of new technologies, making it an ideal market for a product that constantly pushed the boundaries every six months or so. However, the sector has been one dominated exclusively by multinational brands. Challenging the might of the global giants who dominated this volatile market was a tall order for any home-grown firm, mostly because the label conscious Indian consumer automatically regarded a local name to be both down-market and unreliable. But one local brand, Micromax, has not only been able to break free from this perception but has also become a trailblazer for other desi brands by overtaking many international names in terms of sale, within just five short years.

Apart from the extremely affordable pricing of its products and the technological threshold afforded by the open source nature of the Android OS, Micromax has also been helped by the success of its marketing drive. It has given it a secure place in a market where brand consciousness almost equals product effectiveness for millions of consumers.

With “Nothing like anything” as its motto, the company created brand awareness for its name by associating with big Bollywood names like Akshay Kumar for endorsements in the earlier days. However, the cutthroat competition in the sector meant that the brand constantly to kept itself within the consumer’s sight.

The brand’s marketing team had their task cut out for them. “I have always believed that great products are made in factories, but great brands are built in consumers’ minds” says Shubhodip Pal,

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Chief Marketing Officer, Micromax .“Micromax has always been a consumer driven company.

All marketing campaigns so far are a reflection of the brand’s echo of the youth’s pulse. For this, the company has aimed to connect across the three pillars which resonate most with the Indian consumers - music, movies and sports,” he adds.

True to this philosophy, Micromax ensured brand visibility at scales not even global brands could match. Micromax partnered with some of the biggest entertainment properties in the country like the IIFA Awards, Asia Cup 2012, Color Screen Awards, Sunburn Music Festival, MTV Videos Music Awards and even events like the DJ Tiesto & Snoop Dogg concerts. It also cashed in on India’s love for sports and associated with premier sporting events such as the UEFA Champions League, FIFA Confederations Cup, the English,

“I have always believed that great products are made in factories, but great brands are built in consumers’ minds” Shubhodip Pal | Chief Marketing Officer, Micromax

Spanish and Italian football leagues, PGA Golf, Formula1, Moto GP, tennis Grand Slams, WWE and almost all major cricketing tournaments. They also collaborated with major television shows across all genres including the music awards on MTV and VH1, major sitcoms on channels, premiers of movies, and even family friendly children’s shows.

The marketing blitz worked well for the brand as its name became omnipresent in the country. Micromax became the third largest mobile phone brand in India. With newer product launches, a dedicated fan base for its name and aggressive expansion into digital marketing, Micromax continues to stay at the top. 

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Indigo makes news for all the right reasons Indigo Airlines keeps travel affordable and convenient

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he Indian airline industry has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. First it was the failure of the state carrier to take-off successfully, then rumours of mergers, fancy airlines going bankrupt overnight and the dirty battle over FDI; the continuous news reports about the Indian airline brands bleeding money gets even the most ordinary person concerned. In a market where all airlines were losing millions of dollars every year, IndiGo has been a ray of hope. It remains the only airline to continuously post a profit year after year and also become the only brand to register a fourfold growth in the last fiscal.

Operating 422 flights daily, with 66 brand new A320s, connecting 33 destinations, Indigo has become a consumer favourite for its penchant for keeping the basics correct. The flights are no frills affairs and yet have a reputation for being punctual. Started in 2006 when the budget airline craze was at its peak the company’s founder Rahul Bhatia firmly kept the brand’s nose to the ground and focussed on providing a hassle free travel experience instead of gimmicks and frills.

The brand’s marketing has been clean-cut and uncluttered as well. The campaigns are designed to entertain viewers and find a place in consumer memory. Some of its tongue-in-cheek

Pitch | July 2013

BRAND OF THE YEAR

Operating 422 flights daily, with 66 brand new A320s, connecting 33 destinations, Indigo has become a consumer favourite ads like : “We do it 28 times a day”, “What the fudge?”, “Sleep with your wife” and “Sheikh it baby” are quick to grab eyeballs even when displayed in simple white letters on a plain blue background without any star power to back it up. An active social media pres-

ence where passenger experiences and human stories take precedence over gimmicky campaigns coupled with small touches like a step-less boarding ramp (a blessing when travelling with children and differently abled persons) also help in establishing a unique brand image.

With designer clothes for its crew by names such as Ambika Pillai and Rajesh Pratap Singh, IndiGo is in no way short on the style quotient. But,

as every air traveller will agree, good food and a smart staff count for nothing if flights are late, and IndiGo has an enviable on-time record of around 90.2 per cent for months. This enviable reputation, affordable fares and quirky advertising campaigns with IndiGo’s signature ‘Arrowplane’ logo have helped it gain mindshare. The brand builds up on this customer goodwill with its principles of commitment to provide a simple, hassle free experience; ontime performance and ensuring that the customer gets what he sees. With its international expansion, more domestic flight routes and acquisition of aircrafts, the IndiGo experience is here to stay.

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BANG FOR THE BUCK

Affordability and standardisation have worked for this brand McDonald’s popularity is unmatched in India

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he smiling face of Ronald McDonald, the Chief Happiness Officer of McDonald’s, started welcoming customers in India in 1996. A spinoff of the hugely successful international chain that served quintessential American fare, McDonald’s success in a market where a huge majority of people were either unaware of their products or simply preferred the spicier Indian street food, is a study in corporate positioning and marketing. From – chains in the first year to a whopping – chains in 2012, McDonald’s have successfully established its place in the Indian market.

The key reason behind the success of the chain has been its mantra of providing hygienic food with an international brand name attached to it at

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prices that even local restaurants find hard to beat. From busy office goers looking for a quick bite to college goers on a shoestring budget, McDonald’s has positioned itself ideally with a menu which offers you a wide variety at prices less than Rs 150. McDonald’s has always been famous for its market adaptability and its India centric offerings of McSpicy burgers and the extremely popular “Happy Price Menu” in 2004 and the

McDonald’s has become a rare international brand to follow the golden Indian mantra of “sasta, saral aur tikau”

kid friendly, budget plan “Happy Meal “ have made it the family restaurant of choice for every section of the great Indian middle class.

McDonald’s key USP - branded affordability - has also been creatively portrayed over the years through memorable campaigns which convey in clear terms that the customers can choose from and take advantage of the range of menu options, unbeatable prices and the brand name of McDonald’s and go home happy. The Disney branded toys with the “Happy Meals” are a simple and highly effective strategy which sees thousands of kids pull their entire family towards the nearest McDonald’s for a quick meal.

Over the years, McDonald’s has worked towards a fully integrated marketing and communication campaign which had television as the lead medium, along with a smart utilization of print, outdoor, radio and digital platforms. It also boasted of engagementled on-ground activities such as mall activations and consumer promotions.

The brand’s marketing in social media has won them many fans and awards alike. They displayed its reach when they used Facebook as a medium to bring in customers to a newly opened restaurant in Coimbatore and were able to achieve a successful city opening with minimal advertising spends.

With an unbeatable price range, a firm place in the heart of the consumers and constant marketing innovations, McDonald’s has become a rare international brand to follow the golden Indian mantra of “sasta, saral aur tikau”. 

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Fastrack offers style in an affordable range Capturing the youth with attractive pricing

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e Indians value the money we spend. Most middle class Indians like to spend their money on wise purchases that provide them the bang for their buck. Titan, the watch-making arm of the Tata conglomerate has been one such brand, serving an attractive buffet of products for years. But by 1998, Titan realised that the brand was strikingly distant from what was going to be India’s biggest consumer demographic in years

Pitch | July 2013

to come: the youth between 15-25 years of age. It was to compensate for this deficit that the Fastrack watches were launched as the “cool watches from Titan”.

Through multiple rebranding exercises the Fastrack brand name endeavoured to get closer to its target audience. The brand underwent a major image makeover in the mid-2000s.

Fastrack was one of the first Indian brands to be prominent on social media

The product portfolio was redesigned to create a range of smart, funky and youthful watches the likes of which were till now available only through pricey international brands. The second major change was the extremely attractive pricing the entire range now boasted of, its watches ranging anywhere from Rs 250 to Rs 4,995, making it an affordable choice for the college crowd who wouldn’t want to stick to the same design for a long time.

At the same time, Fastrack started creating its own brand identity, independent of the shadow of Titan. The advertising was quirky and appealing for its consumer base and included gems like the naughty “how many you have” and the latest ad series of “move on” that celebrated its youthful image and accompanied the expansion of the brand into new categories like eyewear, bags, belts, wallets and wrist brands. Fastrack was on its way to become a complete fashion brand for the Indian youth.

Fastrack was also one of the first Indian brands to be prominently visible on social media, maintain a Facebook page at a time when Facebook had not gained popularity. Always ready to experiment and innovate, with a keen ear tuned to crucial customer feedback and needs, this brand has become one of Young India’s favourites. Sasta, saral, tikau and yet incredibly fashionable, Fastrack has grown from a mere Rs 29-crore sub-brand in 2004 to a Rs 615-crore independent brand and looks to grow further with new ranges of T-shirts and helmets being launched soon.

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BANG FOR THE BUCK

Duster becomes the game changer for Renault Duster gives bang for the buck, creates a new segment

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he Indian auto market is a challenging and extremely complex one. Seemingly amazing products fail to resonate with the public while some other offerings get lapped up eagerly and become record breakers. Impossible to predict and difficult to steer, this market has seen many International giants kneel before the picky Indian consumer. Globally respected automaker Renault seemed destined for a similar fate when its partnership with another auto giant Mahindra fizzled out after only one single launch. However, the strangely unpredictable nature of the market played its part once again and the brand is now the proud owner of one of the hottest cars of the previ-

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ous year, the Renault Duster: a unique automobile that has wowed the critics and consumers alike.

The European carmaker had not given up in the least after its initial disastrous foray into the Indian market. With a critical need to reintroduce the brand as a premium offering, Renault reentered the Indian market with a firm resolve to both increase profitable sales and develop a credible dealership network beyond the metros. With this in mind, the first image drivers, the Renault Fluence and Koleos

The launch of the Duster turned out to be Renault’s trump card. The Duster created a new segment, offering an accessible premium SUV

were introduced in July and September 2011 followed by the Renault Pulse in January 2012.

The company needed a star product, one that would bring it sales as well as an image of a reliable car maker. With this vision of broadening the consumer base, Renault decided on a niche sector. Aiming to capitalize on the Indian love for SUVs, the company launched the Renault Duster in July 2012.

The launch of the Duster turned out to be Renault’s trump card and a game changer. The Duster created a new segment, offering an accessible premium SUV as an alternative to sedans. With an extremely attractive price range between Rs 7.69 - 11.99 Lakh the consumers were quick to show their appreciation for the brand. Indian customers are fascinated by mileage, price and looks of the car which also churns up an impressive power of 84 bhp coupled with a ground clearance, custom made for Indian roads.

The Duster changed the way India views compact SUVs and with 29 prestigious awards from customers and experts alike, the brand became one of the most popular SUVs in the country. For Renault, the brand has been a true superstar, being solely responsible for a tenfold increase in monthly sales as compared to last year. The Renault Duster has also compelled the industry to sit up and take notice, and respond by launching vehicles in the same category at a breakneck speed. The brand has offered the biggest bang for the buck to the Indian consumer in the auto industry, for the year. 

Pitch | July 2013

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globetrotters Seprator • • • • •

Pitch | July 2013

Dabur Marico Emami Hidesign Airtel

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GLOBETROTTERS

Globetrotting its way into people’s hearts Dabur creates its own place in the global market

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abur had humble origins as a producer and dispenser of natural Ayurvedic medicines, founded by Dr S.K. Burman, a physician in Bengal. He created Dabur long back in 1884 to successfully produce and market effective medicine for ordinary villagers. The brand endured through the years as a producer of traditional Indian products and grew into India’s largest Ayurvedic medicine manufacturer.

First seeking a global expansion in 1987, Dabur took the export route and created an international market by followed its loyal customer- the common Indian man. As the Indian diaspora’s presence grew in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the United States, those already familiar with the brand created a demand for Dabur’s products. Exporting the natural lifestyle products created a healthy revenue source for the brand which had a turnover of more than Rs 1000 crore by the year 2000.

As the brand became more established in international markets, its tar-

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The brand capitalised on the growing global awareness on alternative medicine and holistic lifestyles get audience started changing as well.

The brand capitalised on the growing global awareness on alternative medicine, holistic lifestyles and an interest in herbal products. The international marketing strategy of the brand focussed on increased availability and enhanced visibility of its products which were being sold in more than 60 countries all over the world within the next decade.

Along with special herbal health care and personal care range successfully selling in markets ranging from the Middle East, Far East, North Africa and Europe, Dabur also created inroads into several European and American markets that displayed good potential

for growth due to a resurgence of the back-to-nature movement. Dabur also became one of the truly global Indian firms when it established six manufacturing facilities outside India. It also began the export of food and textile grade natural gums, extracted from traditional plant sources and active pharmaceutical ingredients to Europe, Latin America, Africa and other Asian countries. Dabur’s overseas business now contributes 20% to consolidated sales led by CAGR of 33% in the last 5 years. With names like Vatika, Hajmola and Real juices associated with it, the Dabur brand doesn’t seem to be slowing down soon.

Dabur has been in a constant state of growth over the last couple of years. It is now among the largest FMCG companies in India and also recognized as the nation’s biggest over-the-counter healthcare company. Thanks to its strong domestic roots and enhanced global reach, the brand crossed the billion dollar turnover mark in 2012.

Pitch | July 2013

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Marico cuts across borders to emerge as a global brand

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arico, an Indian company, which not only caters to the needs of every household in the country, but has managed to rapidly expand its operations overseas by offering a wide range of products. Marico, with its diversified portfolio of pioneering brands has steadily built a presence in emerging economies across the globe. It is now strengthening its youth portfolio along with beauty and wellness. Marico is currently undergoing a significant transformation with an increased focus on personal care and youth brands. In 2012-13, Marico’s India revenue grew by around 18% led by an underlying organic volume growth of about 11%.

The company has been focused on increasing its footprint in emerging economies around the world. Its foray into the global market had positioned the brand well in the international market. With a presence in 25 countries across Middle East, Africa, South East Asia and neighboring nations within the Indian subcontinent, international revenue had boosted the company’s overall growth. In some countries, Marico has started operations by setting up manufacturing facilities and driving distribution to the neighboring regions. Marico International has made over six acquisitions across Asia and Africa in the last seven years.

The company has added new products in its portfolio as a result of its expansion in the international markets and it expects to leverage this position to derive synergies from portfolio across geographies.

Marico India’s fully owned subsidiary in Bangladesh has made investments behind existing and new products such as value added hair oils (vaho) and hair dye.

Pitch | July 2013

It has a full-fledged manufacturing unit in Gazipur (near Dhaka) to cater to its domestic requirements. In 2012, it has set up its second factory which is based out of Sirirchala. Today, Marico Bangladesh is listed on both the stock exchanges of Bangladesh; DSE (Dhaka Stock Exchange) and CSE (Chittagong Stock Exchange).

The firm’s journey in Egypt began in 2006-07 when it acquired leading local hair care brands – Fiancee and HairCode.

Marico is currently undergoing a significant transformation with an increased focus on personal care and youth brands

Both brands were acquired along with their manufacturing facilities. The company had set up a Greenfield factory in 2008 in Sadaat city, around 150 km outside Cairo, to make Egypt a sourcing hub for products sold within the Middle East and North African (MENA) region.

Marico entered the GCC region in 1990s and has been expanding its footprint across the Middle East with Parachute’s presence also in Levant, Iraq, Yemen etc.

It entered the ethnic hair care and healthcare market in South Africa in 2007-08, with the acquisition of the Consumer Division of Enaleni Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Marico has made timely inorganic acquisitions to boost revenue and market share in South Africa. The expansion, collaboration, acquisition is a testimony to its growing international footprint. 

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GLOBETROTTERS

Emami leverages its universal appeal, rules local and global markets

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mami, the company associated with widely recognised brands such as BoroPlus, Navratna, Zandu Balm and Fair & Handsome had modest beginnings in the 70s era in Kolkata. It started as a humble home grown firm that manufactured cosmetics and ayurvedic medicines, whose young founders were commonly seen rushing across the city’s cobbled streets on hand rickshaws, peddling their products from shop to shop. In almost half a century the brand is today not only an established Indian FMCG major but is also one of the rare “desi” international powerhouses with its presence in over sixty countries across the globe.

Emami firmly remains a truly national brand and is visibly proud of its innate “Indianness”. Its products have a unique appeal that permeates down to the smallest demographic in the country and the brand actively works towards retaining its popularity in the Indian middle class and the often overlooked rural markets. The figures speak for themselves as the last year alone witnessed a strong growth of 31% in

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the rural segment for the brand, contributing around 26% to its total revenues. The brand’s strategy remains true to its ideology with a frequently talked about mission of putting at least 80% of India’s villages with population of ten thousand under its coverage map in the next fiscal year.

In tune with the nature of its products and their ability to create FMCG markets in almost every part of the country, the marketing strategy of the brands produced by Emami have traditionally relied on consumer insight, demand and aspirations. Emami recognizes niche segments by securing proximity to consumers and their needs, quickly following up by devising new concepts, scaling these ideas into products and developing them into household brands. Where others have

The marketing strategy of the brands produced by Emami have traditionally relied on consumer insight, demand and aspirations

only sought to push the same product in urban, middle and rural markets, Emami has chosen to tread the path of innovation. It is Emami which created market space for male fairness products where none existed before, with its brand “Fair & Handsome” and introduced a niche segment with the ayurvedic product “Navratna”. All their products are heavily promoted by leading film and sports personalities, a simple marketing strategy that works well in semi urban and rural markets.

This keen understanding about innovating products to suit local demand and marketing them to the bottom of the pyramid has been successfully leveraged by the brand to develop insights for promising markets across geographies and demographics. This has been the marketing trump card for Emami over the years and has fuelled its global expansion. Today, the brand enjoys a strong presence in over 60 countries across the globe spanning the GCC countries, Europe, Africa, CIS countries and SAARC countries. Its individual brand like Boroplus, which is already a market leader in India, also enjoys leading market positions in Russia, Ukraine and Nepal, whereas Fair & Handsome rules in Bangladesh, Nepal & UAE and Navratna Oil in Bangladesh and Nepal. While Multi- National Corporations seek to manufacture a demand for their international products in India, Emami not only responds to local consumer demands by producing products that have been overlooked by global FMCG majors but also successfully sells the same in markets abroad. The company continues to expand with a new manufacturing unit in Bangladesh having been recently set up and is all set to carry its uniquely Indian spirit to every corner of the world.

Pitch | July 2013

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Hidesign’s universal appeal makes it a global hit The brand that combines the contemporary and traditional

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ounded in 1978 as a two-member workshop, Hidesign has evolved into a global brand recognized for its quality, ecological values and personalized service. The face behind this brand Dilip Kapur, who grew up in Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, made sure that the brand appealed to people in the global market. From its humble beginnings with just one cobbler and Rs 25,000 to a Rs 150-crore company with 3,500 people, 84 exclusive stores and a distribution network in 23 countries, Hidesign has stayed focused on innovation, natural tanning processes and craftsmanship.

Hidesign connects to the young and self-confident on a global scale,

through the raw sensuousness and beauty of natural leather and its great craftsmanship. The three mantras -natural, eco friendly and handcrafted have helped the brand position itself in the global market and it continues to progress with these values. The company’s campaign “Lady Godiva” from last year, is a perfect example of how it has connected with and conveyed these values to its customers. The idea for the campaign came from the brand itself – its attention to detail, hand-crafted heritage, use of vegetable tanned and hand polished leather, its people and its international design sensibility. On the other hand, it came from the consumer’s experience with the brand. “The making of the campaign was a collaborative interpretation of the concept behind the campaign - Lady Godiva - her passion, spirit and individualism that reflects the connection the brand has with its consumers across the world. We received tremendous response from customers across the world,” says Dilip Kapur, President, Hidesign.

Hidesign stands out for sensuous naturalness of its high quality leathers and

Hidesign has consistently tried to create space in its consumers’ minds by emphasizing recycling

Pitch | July 2013

smooth soft glow of its solid brass fittings in its leather goods. Learning from the centuries old skills of tanning with natural seeds and barks, Hidesign has created fashionable leathers that age exceptionally well.

In 2012-13, the company has seen tremendous growth and expansion. It ventured into sunglasses which define Hidesign not only as a luxury leather goods company but also as an international lifestyle brand. Maintaining its global appeal, Hidesign introduced its luxury sub-brand designed by Alberto Ciaschini. “We were delighted to bring to the spotlight our craftsmanship through this new avenue, which seems a natural growth for us,” adds Kapur.

Hidesign has consistently tried to create space in its consumers’ minds by emphasizing recycling and reuse. Hidesign in India is positioned in the “affordable luxury” segment. It targets the well traveled, discerning and evolved consumer who seeks something exclusive.

The launch of Alberto Ciaschini handcrafted Hidesign collection will help to further build on the luxury positioning.

Hidesign has ventured into many new markets internationally, consolidated its global brand image and expanded its brand and product portfolio. The brand, without losing its natural and ecofriendly identity has been able to build an international and contemporary image together with the heritage of handcrafting. The brand has performed well in both the Indian and the international markets. It has managed to maintain a balance between both markets, maintaining the same brand qualities and values across the world. 

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GLOBETROTTERS

Airtel expands its footprint in the global market Airtel positions itself in high-growth markets

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he last two decades have seen Indian companies going global like never before. From healthcare to consumer goods to IT, Indian brands have been recognized globally and in a unique turn of events, a nation which was dominated by foreign firms till recently was suddenly famous for the acquisitions and expansions of its homegrown brands. One of the pioneers of this trend has been India’s favourite telecom provider for years, Airtel. With operations in over 20 countries across

The charismatic leader of the Airtel team, Sunil Mittal founded the Bharti Group back in the early eighties. After years of working in collaboration with

Asia and Africa, the brand now ranks amongst the top four mobile service providers globally with respect to subscribers.

foreign firms in India and working with fixed line telephones, the company won a bid to build a cellular phone network in Delhi in 1992. In 1995, Mittal began the cellular operations as Bharti TeleVentures and launched the service in Delhi. Several years of nationwide expansion followed and soon after Bharti Enterprises went public in 2002, the cellular phone operations were rebranded

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With operations in over 20 countries across Asia and Africa, it now ranks amongst the top four mobile service providers

under the single brand Airtel.

Not content with being the market leader in the country, Airtel launched its first international mobile network in Sri Lanka in 2009. A year later, the wires were abuzz with the acquisition of the African operations of the Kuwait based Zain Telecom by Airtel. The deal was reportedly worth $ 9 billion, the second largest acquisition ever by an Indian company and clearly signalled the intention of the brand to position itself in emerging and high growth markets in Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa.

The company strengthened its presence in Africa by setting up a new African headquarters at Nairobi. It launched key alliances with strategic partners across Africa, while continuing to leverage best practices from its home base by setting

up key systems and processes across all functions in the continent. Operations were expanded to 17 countries in Africa and also launched in the Channel Islands.

Closer home, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh saw an increasing presence of the brand with impressive figures of 1.6 and 5.2 million customers respectively. All this while India was busy crowning it the domestic market leader, while singing “har ek friend zaroori hota hai.”

Pitch | July 2013

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marketing innovators • Flipkart • Samsung Galaxy S • RedBus

Seprator

Pitch | July 2013

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MARKETING INNOVATORS

Flipkart’s marketing mantra keeps up with consumers’ expectations A brand that has become synonymous with innovation in e-retail

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hen Flipkart commenced operations in 2007, the concept of online shopping was still at a nascent stage in India. Through its intelligent use of Information Technology and user interface, Flipkart claims to have doubled its revenue every quarter since its initiation. At the same time there was immense potential of growth in the sector, given that the disposable income of people was on the rise, communication technology was becoming more accessible and people were now powered with information which influenced their buying decisions. The e-commerce boom as well as the services that the brand provided made it one of the top retailing websites. It prided itself on being able to provide almost every product imaginable to online shoppers.

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The last five years have seen e-commerce grow from a fledgling sector to one that has attracted companies and investors alike. Flipkart has been at the forefront of this growth, evolving to become a brand that has become synonymous with innovations that strive to make online shopping a delight. The large number of transactions (over 2 million every month) is a clear indicator of the trust that customers have placed in the brand.

From a two member team at inception to a workforce of close to 6,000 today,

One of its major achievements in recent times has been the extension of its platform to the marketplace model

the Flipkart story is not just about a successful Indian start-up but one which has contributed significantly to creating a new category (e-retail) from scratch in the country.

One of its major achievements in recent times has been the extension of its platform to the marketplace model.

This allowed third-party sellers to access Flipkart’s large base of 95 lakh registered users. While creating a marketplace was always on the cards, the primary objective was to gain customer trust. The stringent norms that Flipkart has set in place for sellers with the primary objective of keeping the customer experience intact are beginning to pay off. More and more sellers have expressed interest in partnering with Flipkart, while consumers are getting advantage of a range of products and prices.

Over the years Flipkart’s customer traction has remained robust. The introduction of additional categories has further expanded the product portfolio and its target audience. However, 2011 will always be considered a crucial year in Flipkart’s journey as it not only adopted aggressive marketing techniques to attain a dominant position in a cluttered market but went on to become a household name, commanding a high brand recall.

Flipkart’s campaigns have always stood out amongst the clutter of brands trying to establish their presence in mainstream media. The portrayal of children as grownups was done with the sole intention of dispelling any myths associated with online shopping. The stories were constructed on the basis of customer feedback and highlighted the benefits that were associated with online shop-

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

ping in general and Flipkart in particular.

The ads have managed to tackle issues of online shopping and instantly connected with shoppers.

“When I joined Flipkart, I realised how it will be more about growing a brand that enjoys a loyal base of customers rather than convincing users to experience it once. Though Flipkart’s user base had grown 10 times by March, it was not that easy to figure out what would click with online shoppers in India,” says Ravi Vora, Vice-President, Marketing, and Flipkart.com. The company woke up to above-the-line advertising with the

launch of its first campaign in April, but that wasn’t very successful. In September, Happy Creative Services, Flipkart’s advertising agency, came up with three commercials addressing online shoppers’ concerns such as online payments and apprehensions regarding product quality. The ads featuring kids who behaved like adults were a hit with viewers. “There are many great ads but few of them find a place in the memory of viewers and we have achieved this with these ads,” says Vora.

In an interesting marketing initiative last year, Flipkart used social media as an

active platform to preview its new campaign even before it went live on television to a dedicated base of 50 lakh users.

The brand then took the feedback from its followers to gauge the popularity of ads and accordingly fine tuned its marketing plan.

The e-commerce sector is poised to grow rapidly and the entry of newer players only proves what Flipkart had identified five years ago. Today, as one of India’s largest online retailers with its eye on innovations, Flipkart has scope to go a long way. The Flipkart story has only just begun.

Samsung Galaxy, a marketing innovator Bringing innovation to the forefront

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large screen with a stylus for everyday operations was a fad that had lived out its utility in the early 2000s. The onslaught of touch screen phones that could be operated with the users’ fingertips sounded the death knoll for the technology. Or so we thought.

The Samsung Galaxy series, which was already wildly popular in major global smartphone markets demonstrated the ability to truly innovate and come up with a path breaking product when it launched the Galaxy Note in 2011. Armed with the biggest screen anyone had ever seen on a smartphone and a stylus called the S-pen, the phone was radically different from all other smartphones in the market. Many critics predicted its doom, citing the unwieldy size and the use of an “outdated” stylus as the reasons. Samsung, however had other plans.

Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) devices in the 1990s used the stylus as a primary input method. Many other touchscreen smartphones in the 2000s also included

Pitch | July 2013

styluses; but a traditional stylus could only be supported on pressure sensitive resistive touchscreens, while the Galaxy boasted of both a capacitive touchscreen and a stylus, offering the user a dual use choice. The phone also boasted of features like a dualcore processor, A-GPS with GLONASS, an 8 megapixel shooter and the latest offering from Android, making it a coveted phone.

Samsung’s marketing also showcased the uniqueness of the product. The ad campaigns demonstrated the creative capabilities of the S-pen and the powerful specs beneath the hood of the phone. Far from looking outdated, the innovative S-pen and its many apps actually made the phone

Samsung’s marketing showcased the uniqueness of the product. More than 10mn phones in the series sold worldwide

stand out from the many competitors in the segment. The same gigantic screen size being doubted by critics earlier was such a rage among the consumers that it created a whole new segment of smartphones: a category called “phablets”.

2012 saw the expansion of the Note brand. The successor to the original phone itself increased every specification of the product, from the screen size to the processor and RAM. The S-pen was even more polished than ever and the loyal fan following carried over from the previous version to make the Note II a success. Samsung also introduced the Galaxy Note 800- a tablet with the Note brand name that built upon the pedigree of the Note phones and the popular Galaxy Tab series.

With more than 10 million phones in the series being sold worldwide since the launch and the continued dominance of the brand in its segment, the Galaxy Note brand has stolen the hearts of millions as the flagship product of the World’s largest smartphone maker. 

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MARKETING INNOVATORS

Redbus.in rides high on innovation Reinventing the game

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n the festival of Diwali in 2006, Phanindra Sama didn’t get a ticket to go to his home town.

Hopping from one agent to another, anxious to make it to his loved ones in time; he realized the frustration felt by millions of ordinary Indians in a transaction as simple as booking a ticket. While the government ran the railway ticketing portal and a plethora of private sector options existed for the air sector, there was simply no unified way of booking a bus ticket in the country. Sama realized the opportunity in this and started the project of bringing all the buses on one platform with his friend Charan Padmaraju which came to be known as RedBus.in RedBus.in, from the very start, was a consumer centric brand. For six years, the portal gathered steam via consumer trials, repeat usage and word-of-mouth, and evolved into a high traffic website for such transactions in the country.

Over all these years, RedBus strove to provide better visibility & seat access to consumers by providing access to an unmatched seat inventory of over

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1000+ bus operators with 5 lakh seats per day spread all over the country and still allowing the consumer the option to select the seat based on his preferences.

The Redbus website was the product, brand and marketing hub all rolled in one and the company focused on making it more attractive to the consumer.

The site was built with deep consumer insights on how consumers liked to book bus tickets, what their pain points were and what further delight factors could be added. In the last one year alone, the website has been introducing at least one new feature every month. Some salient features on the site are user ratings and tips that help a customer choose the right bus, GPS enabled location and actual photos of bus boarding points and issuing m-tickets for people who’d

The Redbus website was the product, brand and marketing hub all rolled in one

rather go paperless. There has been a continuous expansion of home delivery centres for people who do not wish to transact online, which now extends to 30 cities of India.

In 2013, redBus.in went mobile with its Windows and Android app, and quickly became the highest downloaded Android travel app within the space of a few months. The app was even featured on Google Store’s global site as a shining example. The brand also introduced features like one-click Payment (securing credit card details for safe & easy future transactions) and route analytics for bus operators to efficiently plan their investments and running of buses.

The marketing mantra of the brand has been a single minded focus on the product itself. It is the service which endears the brand name to the users and creates a marketing buzz. In 2013, redBus.in started to reach out to the mass audiences who were not booking online.

A new marketing mix was devised with a combination of TV advertising, digital display, social media as well as onground activation. This has significantly enhanced the visibility of the brand. After a record breaking sale of the brand to the ibibo group in a deal that was the biggest overseas strategic acquisition of an Indian Internet asset, RedBus.in continues to live by the credo of effective marketing practices with total measurability at the heart of all activations. Never resting on its achievements, numerous innovative techniques are being tried to reach out to customers, giving them an easier and more convenient way to book bus tickets. 

Pitch | July 2013

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impactful launches • • • • •

Pitch | July 2013

Tanishq Mia Windows 8 Samsung Galaxy S Gangs of Wasseypur Jabong

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IMPACTFUL LAUNCHES

The launch with an impact Tanishq’s Mia strikes a chord with working women in India

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old jewellery in India is often limited to traditional or designer statement pieces. But the past years have led to certain shifts in perceptions and usage of gold jewellery with a renewed emphasis on the element of modernity.

With the changing lifestyle and role of women in society their taste for jewellery design is changing too. In the quest for being nimble, neat, and up-to-date, women in the professional sphere cannot live without accessories that can express this personality. Today, women are more open to experimenting with their jewellery and are inclined towards innovative, stylish and new-age designs. They constantly seek

minimalistic, easy to wear, light-weight jewellery that can quite effortlessly blend with their attire. Tanishq Mia is the answer to the need of today’s multi-tasking women. Tanishq has redefined the contemporary work wear jewellery category with the launch of Mia. Innovative products, communication of messaging and a stronger consumer- connect have been the three

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main pillars for the success of Mia. Mia offers a range of fine, urban-chic, affordable jewellery starting at Rs 4,999. It is exclusively crafted keeping the needs of today’s working women in mind.

Following the success of the first edition, it launched two new range of designs in 2012 and 2013. These editions were supported by a wide range of gold earrings, rings, pendants and neckpieces all at affordable rates. Apart from TV commercials and print ads, it went a step further to showcase its range for working women.

Mia’s marketing and communication efforts have been woven around the theme of celebrating working women and their love for their work. To enhance the “Loves to go to Work” proposition, Tanishq introduced ‘Mia on Wheels’ – a specially designed bus that drove women to work from select locations across the city of Bangalore. During their journey, they were offered to try on Mia jewellery and could also get fashion tips from established stylists and designers. This was a special service designed for Bangalore consumers who could avail it by registering online.

This campaign was very well received and it plans to take this experiential tour to other cities.

Understanding the needs of the working woman and her hectic lifestyle, Tanishq extended its reach by setting up Mia department stores at select locations to make its jewellery more accessible.

Social media has also been one of the most important elements in the marketing mechanism for Mia. The digital medium has brought the brand closer to customers, taking the customer-brand relationship to a new level. With more than 4 lakh Likes on Tanishq’s Facebook page, 2,800 Twitter followers and 3 lakh blog visitors –social media platforms have played a great role in the success of Mia . This helped it create a deeper connect with current and prospective customers.

Furthering their efforts in social media, Tanishq launched the ‘My Expression’ campaign in 2012. This campaign was to bring consumers a step closer in creating the jewellery that they aspire to wear. It was in the form of a competition where

The digital medium has brought the brand closer to customers, taking the customer-brand relationship to a new level

consumers were asked to create designs that they would want Tanishq to craft and manufacture for them. This competition saw an overwhelming response from across the country and 12 winning designs have been incorporated in the third edition of Mia. Mia has been able to connect with the women of today. 

Pitch | July 2013

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A Window into the future Windows 8 takes the market by storm

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indows is the single most iconic product of the digital age, with its reach spread over every corner of the globe. Created by Bill Gates, Windows is the most popular operating system in the world with estimates of an almost 90% market share in the personal computer segment. The buzz around a new version of the software always creates a storm in the market and the case of Windows 8, the successor to the market leader Windows 7, was no different. Launched in October 2012, the OS sold 8 million licences in just four months.

The marketing in India surrounding the launch of the product quickly created an atmosphere of intense anticipation.

A multi-pronged approach was adopted with a mix of ATL and BTL activities, all of which created a positive impact for consumers.

The TVC featuring the Australian artiste Lenka was a hit on the web along with the song “Everything at once”. The Indian ad featuring the “Mujpe Daav Laga” song which showcased the new features of the touch enabled “Metro” interface of Windows 8 with a youthful appeal also became popular. 5600 radio spots coupled with RJ and consumer speak in 20 cities created instant recall for the Windows 8 brand. The brand also tied-up with India’s leading English daily, Times of India and reached 40,000 AR (Augmented Reality) experiences. To connect with the masses, a total of 590,000 demonstrations were conducted in 20 IT hubs, across 19 malls and 180 cinemas. To take the Windows 8 experience to the youth, the brand participated in the IIT Kanpur Technical Festival and offered demonstrations to participants from colleges across the country.

The brand rolled out a concentrat-

Pitch | July 2013

The brand rolled out a concentrated digital campaign. More than 1.3 million consumers were targeted through it. ed digital media campaign. More than 1.3 million consumers were reached through the digital campaign. Windows 8 had India engaged and intrigued at its launch with a 64% increase in engaged users during the launch phase. Consumers could take a demo of Windows 8 at any computer store and share their experience on the official Windows India Facebook channel.

Windows 8 also tied-up with Aamir Khan and his movie “Talaash” to leverage the Indian passion for Bollywood. After

the tie-up, almost 50% of conversations on Windows FB page were about Talaash.

The tie-ups with all major laptop and desktop brands in the country makes Windows 8 poised to replace Windows 7 and XP as the OS of choice for Indians.

With its refreshingly new touch interface, Windows 8 is also showing great presence in the tablet and smartphone market. The Nokia Lumia phones featuring the OS have revived sales for the brand and created a new segment for those bored with Android/iOS. With record breaking global sales, a refreshingly different look and a revitalised presence in the smartphone market, Windows 8 has made quite a splash since its launch. With its pedigree and unmatched support from millions of loyal fans, the brand remains as big and impactful as ever- the undisputed ruler of the OS market. 

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IMPACTFUL LAUNCHES

Samsung Galaxy Note wins the hearts of millions Samsung positions itself as the leading smart phone manufacturer

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he Samsung Galaxy series was already popular in major global smart phone markets with its range of affordable and technologically superior phones. In 2011, Samsung launched what would be the flagship phone for its Galaxy series- the Galaxy Note in 2011. The phone was unique and

bestseller for Samsung and helped it consolidate its position as the world’s leading smart phone manufacturer.

Samsung followed up the craze with the second version of the phone- the Galaxy Note II in September 2012. An advertising campaign that stressed upon the evolutionary development of

x 720 pixel density. It shipped with a super-fast, 1.6 GHz quad-core processor with 2GB RAM and boasted of an 8 megapixel AF/ Touchfocus camera with full HD video recording as well as a 1.9 megapixels front camera. The smart phone worked on the latest Android Jelly Bean OS.

Samsung had taken a chance by launching the biggest screen anyone had ever seen on a smart phone and S-pen, a stylus which many considered to be a trend whose time had passed.

The phone became a massive hit with users who loved the “phablet” and all of its unique features- right from the 5.3 inch screen to the exclusive apps based on the S-pen. The original Note notched up an impressive fan following with over 10 million sets being sold since launch. The brand was a global

features users already loved in the first phone, worked its magic in the market and the phone became one of the most anticipated products of the year. The phone boasted of a gigantic 5.5-inch (14-centimeter) screen with AMOLED touchscreen and 1280

The Phone’s launch was a massive success, with the Note II selling 3 million sets in its first 37 days of worldwide launch, according to company reports, a number that further swelled to 5 million within two months of launch. The popularity of the phone was there for all to see as the Note II was selling thrice as fast as its predecessor, which was already a bestseller. The trend continued in India with reports claiming that the phone was a bigger seller than the other power brands like the Apple iphone 5 and Samsung’s own Galaxy S III, making it the market leader in its segment. 

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The Phone’s launch was a massive success, with the Note II selling 3 million sets in its first 37 days of worldwide launch

Pitch | July 2013

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“Gangs of Wasseypur” finds instant connect with the audience The marketing blitz adds to the hype around the release

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stablishing the name of a new brand takes time and patience and an understanding of the market. However, when it comes to movies, the marketers have very little time to exercise their options. In India it is star power alone that helps in such a situation and that is why it comes as a great surprise that one of the most talkedabout movies of 2012 (a year filled with great movies throughout) boasted of no major “stars” in it. It was its own identity; unique, earthy and intriguing, that made Gangs of Wasseypur a great brand last year.

The enfant terrible of Indian cinema, Anurag Kashyap, was the man at the helm of affairs and true to his reputation the movie was an eclectic mix of great characters, quirky plots and subplots, raw violence and an innate “indianess” in its every aspect. Made in two parts the movie was premiered as one feature at the mecca of movies,

Pitch | July 2013

the Cannes Film Festival and earned a standing ovation. Back home, the movie had a great run at the box office while also sweeping the critics’ choice awards in the face of tough competition.

While the direction by Kashyap and the sterling performances by Manoj Bajpai and Nawazuddin created a positive word of mouth hype for this unconventional crime saga, the marketing of the “Wasseypur” the brand was critical in drawing the initial audiences to theatres. The essence of the film was its unabashed, bold and almost atrocious confidence, aptly reflected in its mar-

It was its own identity; unique, earthy and intriguing, that made Gangs of Wasseypur a great brand last year

keting campaign which was defined in one sentence. ’Teri kehke lunga’! Starting with a trailer launch in a small single screen theatre instead of a 5 star, the humble gamcha making a debut on the red carpet in Cannes along with tuxedos and cocktail dresses, a music launch on open Jeeps, bullets for merchandise, Wasseypur Patrika (a 4 page black and white news tabloid) in multiplexes and funky ‘Womaniya’ T shirts broke every tradition and every norm of Bollywood publicity. Poster and outdoor ads inspired by seedy ‘Manohar Kahaniya’ covers, television spots amplifying the kitschy cool content and an award winning digital campaign added to the buzz around the movie.

The soundtrack of the movie was provided by the brilliant Sneha Khanwalkar who created the music in a unique manner made famous by her MTV Sound tripping show where the voices of local artistes and ordinary people were mixed with everyday sounds and catchy beats. The second movie continued the trend and its buzz of characters named “perpendicular” and “definite” and ads promising “Sabka badla lega Faisal Khan” kept the audience interest alive. After the hype of the first part of the movie, the marketing team cashed in with social media audience engagement campaigns such as ‘which wasseypuri character are you?’, ‘wasseypur poster contest’ and ‘wasseypuri citizen certificate’ on Facebook that garnered more than 2,50,000 fans. With nearly 50 crores in revenue and a permanent place in cinema history, Anurag Kashyap’s epic was an emphatic success. 

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Jabong launches its way into Indian hearts Jabong, a delight for the online shopper

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aunched with the might of the global dotcom juggernaut Rocket Internet behind it and buoyed by the huge investment that flowed in from the Samwer brothers- Rocket’s owners and famously reclusive German internet billionaires, Jabong.com aimed at the top spot right from its launch in January 2012. The intention was made clear as the online fashion retailer aggressively bulldozed its way ahead and was on top of the charts as the most trafficked etailing site in India within months of its launch.

Jabong.com targeted consumers in the age group of 16 to 35 years and made many overtures to reach out to the largely untapped market potential in the tier II and III cities. They decided upon India’s reputation as the fastest growing Internet market in the world and the increasing Internet penetration across the country thanks to a plethora of “smart” devices as the lynchpin of their marketing strategy.

Staying true to the philosophy behind other Rocket Internet startups, Jabong concentrated on establishing a strong online presence in its initial months, shunning the traditional print and television advertising route. Almost 90 per cent of all their marketing drives were focused

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on the digital and social media sectors with advertising, contests and social media presence being the three distinct thrust areas. The strategy quickly brought them to the notice of their target audience—the young Indian who is comfortable on the Internet and willing to spend money online. This completely obliterated the need to spend millions to reach out to a wider audience who would simply not be interested.

Within a little over a year of its launch, Jabong boasts of 1.5 million fans on Facebook, 20,000 followers on Twitter and an impressive following on new age social platforms such as Pinterest and Google Plus as well. Its marketing strategies evolved quickly to suit the quirky nature of its young consumers and have attracted attention due to their inexplicable ability to

Targeting the relevant consumer and being selective on the medium that we choose are the key pillars of our marketing strategy” Manu Jain | Co-Founder, Jabong.com

keep their social media followers hooked.

The brand’s first TVC was launched in March 2012 as it needed to attract the first time online shoppers to its site. A second TVC soon followed the first in September 2012. Marketing tie-ins with the two biggest hits of the year Ye Jawani Hai Deewani and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag also helped in increasing the brand’s visibility and special collection catalogues for both the movies available on the site made it more popular for its young fans.

The clarity and single minded focus behind their marketing is the key behind the success of Jabong’s establishment as a brand. “We have focused on targeted campaigns to capture consumer attention. Targeting the relevant consumer and being selective on the medium that we choose are the key pillars of our marketing strategy” says Manu Jain, CoFounder, Jabong.com. “Initially awareness was built through Social Media, Search Engine, Display advertising such as GDN, Affiliates, E mail advertising etc and then gradually we moved on to television advertisements”, he adds.

The brand aggressively targets audiences online and the sheer number of ads generated by it, is testimony to the massive amount of money invested by the brand for its digital marketing campaign. Though the long term returns on this investment remain to be seen, the immediate aim behind the campaign has most definitely succeeded. The brand has not only topped the Comscore charts for the most trafficked e-tailing site in India but also held on to the top slot constantly for the past five months, a difficult feat in the fluid online market. It was an impactful launch that was unmatched by any in the industry throughout the year. 

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

resurgent brands • J&K Tourism • Pears • Bata

Seprator

Pitch | July 2013

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RESURGENT BRANDS

J & K tourism gets a much-needed spurt Tourists flock once more to the valley

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very brand has a shelf life. No matter how successful its name is or how popular its identity has become, every good idea comes with an expiry date. It needs to be reinvented, rejuvenated and revived.

The tourism industry of the state of Jammu & Kashmir was in urgent need of an overhaul. Its iconic shikaras and houseboats, snow covered slopes and apple cheeked happy people were once a trademark of India’s most successful tourism market. However, rampant insurgency in the idyllic Kashmir valley in the late 80s left an indelible impression in the minds of tourists, proving detrimental to the state and its tourism industry.

In the 70s, J&K was the go-to place for every Indian. From a young and rebellious Shammi Kapoor romancing the “Kashmir ki Kali” in movies to hun-

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dreds of young honeymooners cozying up on boat rides on the Dal lake, J&K was the destination of choice for the masses. However by the end of the 90s, the tourist inflow had dimished to a trickle, kept alive only by the few faithful pilgrims hiking up to Vaishno Mata shrine and the annual participants in the Amarnath Yatra.

As the two decade long fight against terrorism waged by countless unsung heroes of the Indian Army started bearing fruit in the mid-2000s, the

Ladakh has become India’s favourite destination for both domestic and foreign tourists alike

state government decided to ramp up efforts to revitalize the tourism sector. It was hoped that the tourism industry would be a bridge reconnecting the state to the rest of India while providing employment to over 30% of its population. The shikara logo of the J&K tourism department was splashed across popular media and once more the brand name attracted curious visitors.

Massive infrastructure drives complemented the efforts of reviving tourism. Roads were built where dirt tracks existed earlier including the iconic Mughal Road across the Pir Panjal Mountains which hosted a popular Himalayan motorsports rally recently.

Crores of rupees were spent by the central government in developing basic public amenities and assisting local businesses in recovering from decades of decadence. Filmmakers were invited with open arms and we saw Aamir Khan on the shores of a sylvan lake in 3 Idiots while Ranbir Kapoor came to the state twice to shoot, Rockstar and Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani. Airports were revamped, brand new railway tracks laid and world class helicopter services were provided as key attractions. Taj revived its iconic Vivanta hotel in Srinagar and luxurious properties opened their doors for tourists in Gulmarg. The tourists responded positively to the efforts of the government and the state tourism has seen an exponential increase since 2006.

Ladakh has become India’s favourite destination for both domestic and foreign tourists alike. Over one crore

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

tourists visited the state last year apart from the several lakh more who visit the holy shrines in the state, contributing millions to the state economy. It was an impressive increase from 1998 when

only a lakh had dared to venture there.

Through the tenacity of its people, the efforts of its government and the unforgettable bravery of the Army jawans who continue to guard its borders, J&K

tourism has risen from the ashes like a phoenix. Mughal Emperor Jehangir’s immortal words ring across the valley once more “Agar firdaus, ruhe zamin ast, hamin asto, hamin asto, hamin asto.” 

One of the world’s oldest brands still going strong The innocence of Pears stays intact

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ears” is one of the oldest soap brands in the world. First sold in 1789

by Andrew Pears at Oxford Street in London, England, it was the world’s first mass-market transparent soap and was introduced in India in 1912. The Lever brothers acquired the brand in 1917 and the brand has since been sold in the nation under the HUL umbrella.

The Pears brand is actually associated with some of the most important historical facts of branding and marketing.

According to Unilever records, Pears Soap was the world’s first registered brand and is therefore the world’s oldest continuously existing brand. Before

the brand was acquired by the Lever brothers, the man responsible for marketing the soap was an Englishman named, Thomas J Barratt, regarded by many as the “Father of Modern Marketing”. His innovative ideas of selling the

Pitch | July 2013

soap became the basics of marketing in the coming decades and one of his print ads for the brand named “Bubbles” continued for the better part of a century, making it one of the longest running ad campaigns ever.

The brand used the emotional image of a mother and a daughter to sell its product

In India, the brand was popular due to its different look and feel and its smartly targeted marketing campaign. The brand used the emotional image of a mother and a daughter to sell its product, stressing upon the transparency, delicacy and innocence of its product. The tag line “Aisi twacha aur kahaan” was its staple slogan for years and firmly established it as a family beauty product.

Pears continued to carry its image and stressed upon its product as a “pure and gentle” soap. The brand always worked around this image as was visible in its TVCs titled “Masoom Pears” featuring the iconic

mother daughter relation once more. Unilever now produces the brand in India and has retained the legendary concave, transparent and amber colored styling of a 200-year-old brand, to retain its position as one of India’s most loved brands. 

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RESURGENT BRANDS

Bata revamps itself to appeal to a wider audience Bata India’s story of resurgence

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ata is one of a handful of brands whose identity will forever be linked with Indian life in the preliberalisation era. With its simple shoes and designs Bata had become so entrenched in the Indian middle class family that it was easy to forget the brand was a part of the International Bata Shoe Organisation, a Swiss based company that holds the world record for the “Largest Shoe Retailer and Manufacturer”.

Bata India started life in 1930s in a small town near Kolkata that is popularly known as Batanagar today. Over the years the brand established itself as India’s number one footwear company and was being sold in every corner of the nation. Its marketing representatives saw opportunity everywhere. The story goes that shoe reps from the world over dismissed Africa as a potential market while the Bata rep exclaimed ‘Nobody in Africa wears shoes. So, there’s a huge market for our products in Africa’!

But times changed swiftly in India.

The brand, like many other established brands, faced tough competition after the Indian markets opened up to the world. With dozens of international brands investing heavily in the country with a range that attracted the all-important youth demographic, Bata was suddenly facing a dire future. It was fast earning the reputation of being a relic of the license raj days.

But the brand was swift to bring about changes. It leveraged the massive distribution strength (Bata India has around two times the number of stores as its nearest competitor) and the prod-

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Bata leveraged the massive distribution strength and the product portfolio to attract customers uct portfolio (which straddles segments and price points to provide options to every type of consumer) to attract customers. With revamped inventories, a fancy “Discover New” marketing campaign and offers of great discounts the whole year round, Bata brought back the customers to its fold. Bata also ex-

panded its range by designing, sourcing & marketing many international footwear brands such as Hush Puppies, Naturalizer, Marie Claire, Sundrops, Dr.Scholl’s, Power and Weinbrenner.

The brand retained its iconic logo but revamped its stores nationwide to create a more hip and customer friendly look and also added 189 new stores to its already long list. A net profit of 21% in 2012 was testimony to the successful resurgence of the brand. Today, Bata India has firmly settled into its position as India’s largest footwear retailer.

It retails through over 1,350 Bata shoe stores located in over 500 cities across India & offers comfort, convenience & choice to its customers. 

Pitch | July 2013

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Rechargers • • • •

Pitch | July 2013

Godrej Mahindra Rise Canon or Nikon Hero

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RECHARGERS

Godrej reinvents its persona

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national icon, the Godrej brand is a name for a century old Mumbai based conglomerate that is involved in a staggeringly diverse portfolio of industries ranging from personal care to industrial solutions, raking home over three billion dollars annually as revenue. In its early days, Godrej enjoyed market dominance as the only Indian manufacturer of items as diverse as safes, lever locks, soaps and typewriters, creating one of the first home-

grown super brands recognizable in markets across the Indian economic landscape.

Holding on to this hard earned title however, was a challenge that had seen many others fail.

With the influx of many international brands and the increasing fickleness of the choosy Indian consumer, the Godrej brand name and its enviable reputation had started losing some of its sheen in the early years of the new millennium. The brand was perceived to be “old” and dated, and in a market that was dominated by a national population of people below thirty, being “not cool enough” was an ominous sign for

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even an established name like Godrej.

The company first started the process of rebranding the Godrej name in 2008. The brand name was splashed across all media with a new colorful avatar and along with it an internal framework was set up to reinstate the value of the Godrej brand by consolidating its presence across all the businesses within the Group. This rebranding exercise was aimed to create a more contemporary corporate entity that would

The rebranding exercise was aimed to create a more contemporary corporate entity to connect with India’s new demographic establish a strong connect with India’s new demographic.

After several non-starters like the 2010 GoJiyo campaign centered on a browser based virtual world, the company conducted a brand valuation exercise in 2011 to identify the factors that would recharge

the Godrej name and lead to growth. “This time, we concluded it was time to showcase the scale and width of what we have brought to the market and the new look it gives the Godrej Portfolio” says Tanya Dubash, the Executive Director and President (Marketing) for the Godrej group. The results of the exercise now focused on creating a central marketing campaign for all its products around the recognizable Godrej name and the new innovations it promised ( with the famous “Aamir Khan dressed as a woman” ad series) along with refurbished campaigns for its individual products like Cinthol ( with its new ‘alive is awesome’ theme).

The brand was committed to make this campaign a success and reached out across all forms of media. TV was chosen as the primary medium, with the IPL serving as the lead media property to get reach and impact along with niche and regional channels.The reach on IPL alone was spectacular, with over 1.5 billion views. Digital medium complemented the TV efforts by providing interactivity with the brand idea. A Facebook fan page and a YouTube channel were set up and actively promoted. The fan page has 8.3 lakh fans, and the YouTube channel delivered nearly 5 million views in just 8 weeks.

The campaign was successful in its aim of rebranding Godrej in accordance with the times and allowing it to shed the image of an antiquated company that produced mundane items like locks. The campaigns were able to attract the all-important youth demographic while emphasizing on current innovative consumer technologies.

Godrej’s approach with its “ideas that make life brighter” campaign, was different from most rebranding exercises that focus on corporate philosophies, past laurels or vague promises of the future. It was thus able to create a brand new market positioning while reworking an already famous brand name. 

Pitch | July 2013

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Mahindra recreates image with Rise initiative

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company that was started in the years before the nation won its freedom and which etched an enduring image in the minds of its people as the makers of sturdy tractors for the rural markets, Mahindra has today come a long way from its earthy origins. Today it’s an Indian corporate, with stakes in businesses as diverse as aerospace, agribusiness, automotive, components, construction equipment, defence, energy, farm equipment, finance and insurance, industrial equipment, information technology, leisure and hospitality, logistics, real estate, retail, and two wheelers. Recreating its image and recharging its market identity was one of the toughest jobs faced by the brand as it had to carry out the dual task of erasing an already successful, albeit limiting, market perception even as a new identity was being created keeping in tune with its latest avatar.

As Mahindra evolved so did its marketing and branding strategies. When the brand name established itself in the auto market with the Scorpio and Bolero SUVs, the

beginning to gain importance in Indian business. But for Mahindra, identifying the group with the human ambition to Rise was a key part of this forward-looking strategy.

Soon after revealing Rise as its brand identity, Mahindra set itself the ambitious goal of creating a campaign that would not only communicate, but also demonstrate the brand. The new initiative had to be participative. It also had to place the Mahindra Group as no more than one voice in the broader movement.

It was in January 2011, that the Mahindra Group first launched the Mahindra Rise campaign as a new corporate brand aimed at unifying Mahindra’s image across indus-

new logo of the brand, shaped distinctly like a highway, was introduced. When they acquired the seemingly doomed IT major Satyam, the new brand name “Mahindra Satyam” was proudly displayed in the greatest sporting spectacle on earththe FIFA World Cup. The big challenge for Mahindra was not distilling the brand—but communicating it. Branding was only

tries and geographies. The company leveraged its global presence and conducted studies in countries like Brazil, India, China, South Africa and US to understand customer values and expectations. With these inputs the brand decided to showcase its own rise and growth through a call to action for people and communities to work for change and betterment. The philoso-

Pitch | July 2013

When Mahindra articulated its brand identity, Rise, it was the culmination of a two-year exercise in self-discovery

phy of “Rise” was born, and was reflected across multiple platforms as the new identity of Mahindra. Through advertisements, community engagements and promotional activities, “Mahindra Rise” became a central theme for the brand. When Mahindra articulated its brand identity, Rise, it was the culmination of a two-year exercise in self-discovery. The company realized that a strong, unified brand was a key to achieving the group’s ambition to become a global household name and to satisfy consumers’ increasing desire to identify with the companies they buy from. This was the genesis of the “Rise” campaign.

Keen to develop it more than just a tag line, Mahindra created many activities centred on the “Rise” theme. With the Sparktherise.com portal, the brand not only associated itself with socially responsible projects but also helped them find mentors and funding; a successful initiative which saw them providing grants to 48 different projects. ‘Spark the Rise’ was designed to overcome several barriers to action in India: a sense of disillusionment and disempowerment, a lack of information and communication about initiatives around the country, and a lack of resources. By including public voting in the selection of grant winners, ‘Spark the Rise’ drives innovators to spread the word. The result: collaboration among innovators, an exchange of ideas, mentorship, and even funding. The values of the “Rise” brand have also been incorporated internally in the company with hard work and dedication being the keywords defining their recruitment evaluation, employee empowerment, corporate communication and even business decisions. With this renewed strategy, the advent of Mahindra as a super brand, independent of the identities of its individually successful products, is complete. 

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5,00,000 Jobs 50,000 Recruiters | July 2013 Pitch

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

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5,00,000 Jobs 50,000 Recruiters 61

For Advertising Contact Us Landline: 91-120-4041700,India Toll Free: 1860 500 5558, Email: support@naukri.com

RECHARGERS

Canon recharges the Indian market with new initiatives What makes Canon click with the youth

C

anon has been around in India since 1997 as a maker of consumer electronic products such as cameras as well as office solutions. The parent company is a Japanese business legend, having been around since 1937 and involved in businesses as diverse as consumer imaging products, including printers, scanners, digital cameras, scanners to medical, optical and broadcast products like ophthalmic and x-ray devices. With over 1100 registered patented technologies in Digital Cameras, 2300 in inkjet

printers, 5600 in multifunctional printers and more than 200 in scanners, Canon is one of the leading technology innovators in the digital imaging space worldwide.

The company had taken a straightforward branding route in India by demonstrating its products through television and digital media. The brand ambassador was none other than Sachin Tendulkar, with whom the brand enjoyed an association since 2006. Their marketing revolved around the “God of Cricket” and they

62

launched a 100 day celebration when the master blaster reached the hundred hundreds milestone.

Like many other brands in India, Canon also recognised the youth as the single largest demographic to fuel the success of a brand in India. With a new aim of

establishing the brand among the youth, the brand revitalised its marketing campaign in 2012. Along with an internal revitalization of the creative and media duties of Canon India, a fresh marketing budget was also sanctioned to recharge the brand.

In 2012, the company rolled out a new

Canon had a new face for its campaign in Anushka Sharma and a fresh line-up of products

With the aim of establishing the brand among youth, Canon revitalised its marketing campaign in 2012

marketing campaign by roping in young Bollywood actress, Anushka Sharma, as the brand ambassador for Canon’s cameras. What followed soon after was the quirky and innovative ‘What Makes Us Click’ campaign which was clearly focused on the Indian youth. The new PowerShot series of point and shoot cameras was also launched with much fanfare.

With the launch of this series, the brand positioned itself as a technologically superior and yet pocket friendly brand.

Canon’s new marketing initiatives were meant to reach out to a niche target audience and retain the exuberance, energy and appearance of the brand. With a new face for its campaign and a fresh roster of products, Canon India was successful in revitalizing an already known brand name and closed the year with a revenue of Rs 1,850crore, a whopping 21% growth over 2011. 

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

Indians connect with Hero’s new image Rebranding and recharging the brand

T

he Hero Honda collaboration between two of Japan and India’s most respected brand names was a resounding success for 26 years. The brand ruled the two wheeler market in the country, endearing itself to the consumers through its amazingly frugal machines, generation after generation. However, when the shocking announcement of their split was announced, most market watchers were extremely pessimistic about Hero’s new solo identity. Most argued that the departure of the Japanese partner was destined to cause a shadow over the technical abilities of the company.

Moreover, the Indian consumer’s unconditional belief in “anything foreign is definitely better” would also make it difficult for the new brand identity be-

ing accepted. It was just a “desi” company now, naysayers predicted in a dismissive tone.

But the Munjal family led company was up to a task never performed by any other corporate entity in India. If the skeptics saw only failure, the Munjals spotted incredible potential and decided to use the very same “desi” image of the brand people were questioning

Pitch | July 2013

as the lynchpin for their rebranding exercise. They were clear in their mind that in a new and confident India, being desi would be the brand’s biggest strength.

Global brand and innovation specialist Wolff Olins was handed over the responsibility to etch out the new brand identity. In Aug 2011, the new logo was revealed and soon after the rebranding exercise started with advertising campaigns that showed off the mas-

The revitalisation of the Hero name was effective because of its emotional appeal to the Indian customer

sive popularity Hero’s existing products enjoyed in every corner of the nation.

The visuals were of Hero owners from every corner of the country, reminding the consumers of the years of trust for the brand name and quickly established an environment of familiarity.

The highlight of the campaign was A R Rahman’s “ Humme hai Hero” song, which spoke of the new brand identity and declared that “there is a hero in all of us”. It was symbolic of the newfound freedom enjoyed by the company post its split with Honda even while it established an emotional connect with the audience. The song soon became one of the most popular ad jingles in the nation.

This revitalisation of the Hero name was effective because of its emotional

appeal to the Indian customer and the innate subtlety of the campaign that never let the message become stronger than the brand itself . Successful in handing over the mantle of India’s biggest two wheeler brand to its new avatar without any of the hiccups predicted by market watchers a year ago, Hero displayed a master stroke in rebranding. 

63

Volume X Issue 9 | July 2013

` 75

Pitch Brands 50 Awards 2013 The awards for excellence in marketing celebrate brands that have a cutting edge

Presented by:

49

COLUMN ANNURAG BATRA

66 6

Pitch | July 2013 Pitch | July 2013

Pitch | July 2013

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INSIDE COVER OVER STORY COVER STORY Pitch Volume X, Issue-9 July 2013 Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Annurag Batra Editor & Director Amit Agnihotri Director Nawal Ahuja

EDITORIAL TEAM

Consulting Editor

Vinod Behl

Deputy Editor

Rashi Bisaria

Contributor

Sonali Chowdhury

Senior Art Director

Shamsad Shaikh

Graphic Designer

Joby Mathew

Photographers

Vilas Kalgutkar (Mumbai) Suresh Gola (Noida)

0

Pitch Brands 50 Awards 2013 The awards for excellence in marketing celebrate brands that have a cutting edge

AD SALES

Rohit Sardana Abdulla M Mazumder Varnikaa jain Sneha Walke

9811377592 9871609348 9769153087 9845541143

0FFICES

NEW DELHI: Shop No. 32, 33 south Ettn. Part-I, Om vihar, Uttam Nagar, New Delhi 110 059 NOIDA: B-20, I-Floor, Sector-57, Noida, Uttar Pradesh - 201301 Phone: (0120) 4007700 Mumbai: 301, Kakad Bhavan, 3rd Floor, 11th Street, Bandra (W), Mumbai - 400 050 Phone: (022) 2640 3303/09/14/16 Bengaluru: Flat No. 1,062, 1st Floor, 2nd Cross, 6th Main Road, HAL 2nd Stage, Indira Nagar, Bengaluru - 560 038

CIRCULATION/DISTRIBUTION

Anandan Nair (Mumbai) - 9819445200 anair@exchange4media.com On News-stands ` 75

05

BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID

Lifebuoy’s age old connect with the bottom of the pyramid Narayana Health makes healthcare affordable for the needy ITC e-Choupal empowers farmers with the digital tool MGNREGA offers a ray of hope to rural India Winning over the budget consumer

11

SOCIAL MARKETERS Star India inspires a billion imaginations through Satyamev Jayate

www.pitchonnet.com Printed and published by Annurag Batra on behalf of Adsert Web Solutions Pvt Ltd B-20, I-Floor, Sector-57, Noida, Uttar Pradesh - 201301 Printed at All Time Offset Printers, E-53, Sector-7 Noida, Uttar Pradesh - 201301 An exchange4media Publication

Aadhaar- A social marketer par excellence Zee TV’s “Punarvivaah”Changing mindsets through entertainment Fabindia brings rural India to the forefront Pulse Polio leads the nation to eradication of the disease

2

Pitch | July 2013

BUZZY BRANDS

17

An Idea that created the right buzz Mahindra’s XUV 500 races ahead of the pack

43

MARKETING INNOVATORS Flipkart’s marketing mantra keeps up with consumers’ expectations

Anna- The buzz which took the country by storm

Samsung Galaxy, a marketing innovator

Samsung’s Galaxy steals the show with several variants

Redbus.in rides high on innovation

AGELESS BRANDS

25

Beauty fades but Lux continues its legacy

Samsung Galaxy Note wins the hearts of millions

Dettol maintains reliability with new offerings Consumers celebrate Cadbury’s changing taste A household name that makes a connect with every Indian

31

Micromax becomes a trailblazer Indigo makes news for all the right reasons Affordability and standardisation have worked for this brand Fastrack offers style in an affordable range Duster becomes the game changer for Renault

GLOBETROTTERS

37

Globetrotting its way into people’s hearts Marico cuts across borders to emerge as a global brand Emami leverages its universal appeal, rules local and global markets Hidesign’s universal appeal makes it a global hit Airtel expands its footprint in the global market Pitch | July 2013

The launch with an impact A Window into the future

Colgate, the evergreen brand among FMCG products

BANG FOR THE BUCK

47

IMPACTFUL LAUNCHES

Gangs of Wasseypur finds instant connect with the audience Jabong launches its way into Indian hearts

RESURGENT BRANDS

53

J & K tourism gets a much-needed spurt One of the world’s oldest brands still going strong Bata revamps itself to appeal to a wider audience

RECHARGERS

57

Godrej reinvents its persona Mahindra Recreates image with Rise Initiative Canon recharges the Indian market with new initiatives Indians connect with Hero’s new image COLUMN : Annurag Batra

64 3

INTRODUCTION

Pitch Brands 50 awards

H

ow do you judge the relevance of a brand?

How do you measure the growth of an icon?

In an age of a continuous assault of messages on our senses via different media, most messages get lost. So just how is it that some brands stick more than others? How is it that some names catch our attention more than others? Some brands do manage to get noticed due to the buzz around them, or due to their innovation, or reinvention or timeless qualities. In an endeavour to recognise such brands, Pitch editorial team went through a process of short listing brands across 10 categories. Each category was to have 5 winners. Judging the final winners was left to the eminent personalities from the marketing and JURY CHAIRPERSON

Ramesh Jude Thomas President, Equitor Consulting

branding domain, who preach, teach, think and execute only one thing- Marketing. The jurors scored each of the brands on four broad parameters: • Idea and Innovation • Consumer Connect • Communication Impact • Execution and Results The final and most crucial stage was the jury meet where the jurors validated the scoring done online and arrived at a final tally of Pitch Brands 50 and the Brand of the Year. While the end objective of any marketing activity is to drive sales, Pitch Brands 50 Awards in Marketing Excellence are not business awards, hence Pitch decided not to consider the impact on sales.

JURY

Ashok Pratap Arora Marketing Professor, MDI

SR Singhvi

Senior Marketing Professor, IMT, Ghaziabad

Ramanujam Sridhar

Founder & CEO, Brand-Comm

Subroto Chattopadhyay

Chairman, The Peninsula Foundation

Rahul Sen

International Brand Advisor

Sunil Gupta

Managing Partner, South Asia, Results International Group

ONLINE JURY

Anand Halve

4

Co-founder of Chlorophyll

Ashok Venkatramani CEO, MCCS

Sharad Sarin

Senior Marketing Professor, XLRI

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

Bottom of THE Pyramid • • • • •

Pitch | July 2013

Lifebuoy Narayana Hrudayalaya E-Choupal MGNREGA Sonata Super Fibre

5

BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID

Lifebuoy’s age old connect with the bottom of the pyramid Health and hygiene remain Lifebuoy’s focus

A

n ageless brand, Lifebuoy understands the rural consumer like no other. By introducing affordable products and formats for rural consumers, Lifebuoy knows how to effectively talk to the masses.

An iconic red bar of soap that was invented by the Lever Brothers in London all the way back in 1895, Lifebuoy has been a globally recognized brand for 117 years. Despite being a market leader in its category, Lifebuoy has adopted a culture that sees its name resonate with grassroots healthcare initiatives, hygiene and disease prevention among the lower strata of society. It is through its extremely competitive pricing, easy availability and responsible social initiatives that this brand has become an example of how a commercial product can connect with the bottom of the pyramid.

6

Lifebuoy’s ad campaigns have traditionally focussed on health and hygiene rather than marketing gimmicks involving contests or celebrities. Its famous tag line of “Lifebuoy hai jahaan, tandaroosti hai wahaan” has remained unchanged for years. With cheap pricing, availability of a wide range of products and a distribution chain across 50 lakh stores in the country, the brand has become a firm favourite in rural India.

Lifebuoy has also taken corporate social responsibility seriously and has used its social initiatives as a way to associate

Lifebuoy’s hygiene promotion activities are fully embedded into brand activities

the brand with health and hygiene. Their rural hygiene programme, “Khushiyon Ki Doli”, which propagates the practice of washing hands with soap to reduce Diarrhea deaths and the new Lifebuoy Handwashing Behaviour Change Programme launched in 2010, are examples of their unique marketing ideas. Building on Lifebuoy’s years of experience, these hygiene promotion activities are expected to result in a strong brand association with healthcare drives. They are now central to Lifebuoy’s plans in all countries where the Lifebuoy brand is present, with hygiene promotion activities fully embedded into brand activities.

Their campaigns are specifically designed to reach people living in countries where diarrheal disease is highest and where soap usage is infrequent, targeting low income families in particular. One of Lifebuoy’s main focus areas is India – a country that has the highest number of children under five dying from diarrhoeal disease, over 380,000 deaths a year or more than 1,000 deaths per day. A sterling example is their “Roti Reminder” campaign during the Kumbh Mela, where the first roti of every order bore the message “Lifebuoy se haath dhoye kya?” The message was heat stamped onto the baked roti, without the use of ink, to ensure it was completely edible.

Along with the distinctly different Lux brand, also owned by HUL, Lifebuoy commands a dominating market share. HUL’s smart tactic of creating unique brand identities for each of its products has been the driving force for the bottoms- up approach of Lifebuoy’s marketing strategy. It has created a true star product at the very bottom of the pyramid. 

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

Narayana Health makes healthcare affordable for the needy A sterling example of philanthropy in healthcare

H

ealthcare in India has long been an area neglected by the public sector and marked by sky-high prices in the private sector. For millions of people who could not afford the extremely limited number of speciality hospitals, contracting a serious disease was the beginning of a countdown that had only one sordid end possible.

However, through the efforts of some visionaries, healthcare in India gradually underwent a change that saw the nation becoming a centre for medical tourism for people from all over the world. One of the iconic brands associated with this change is the Narayana Hrudayalaya chain of hospitals.

Dr Devi Shetty a renowned cardiologist based in Bengaluru created this brand by launching the hospital in 2000. Narayana Hrudayalaya Health City, Bengaluru, is a conglomeration of many hospitals in one campus. The Health City intends to cater to about 15,000 outpatients every day. Along with the world’s largest heart hospital with 1,000 beds, performing over 30 major heart surgeries a day, a fullfledged 1,400-bedded Multi Specialty hospital that handles Neurosurgery, Neurology, Paediatric, Nephrology, Urology, Gynaecology, Gastroenterology, ENT cases amongst various others, this Health City has become one of India’s premier healthcare destinations.

Also present here is the world’s largest cancer hospital with the latest infrastructure and equipment, internationally acclaimed faculty and the Narayana Nethralaya – a super specialty eye hospital with an infrastructure to perform 500 eye surgeries daily and SPARSH -

Pitch | July 2013

an orthopaedic super specialty hospital.

The hospital uses its massive size effectively. Today, Narayana Health has 17 hospitals across 13 Indian cities with a total bed strength of 6000 beds which enables it to gain large economies of scale and bargains down the cost of supplies to the hospitals which it further translates into extremely low healthcare costs for its patients. These are unmatched not just in India but most of

A sterling example of the hospital’s philanthropy is its telemedicine service started in the year 2002 to cater to the rural populace the world. In fact, despite its pro-poor attitude, the hospital has a higher profit margin (7.7% after tax) than most American Private Hospitals (6.9%).

A sterling example of the hospital’s philanthropy is its telemedicine service started in the year 2002 to cater mainly to the rural populace in the country. The telemedicine network of the hospital connects to countries like Malaysia, Mauritius and Pakistan along with India itself. Vital medical reports like ECG reports, audio/ visual data, CT scans, X-rays, MRIs and their analysis are exchanged via the internet and telephone. The hospital then analyses

and provides lifesaving healthcare based on this analysis. The telemedicine services provided by the hospital are free and more than 21000 cases have been referred using this service.

The hospital’s foray in a variety of medicinal fields has seen it being rechristened recently as Narayana Health which represents a singularity of purpose and unwavering commitment to the vision. It has a new tagline - ‘Health for all. All for Health’, capturing the core belief in the democratization of healthcare - in India and around the world. 

7

BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID

ITC e-Choupal empowers farmers with the digital tool E-choupal bridges the gap between the urban and rural sectors

I

ndia is famous for being a land of paradoxes where abject poverty exists alongside opulent wealth. It is a country plagued by primitive cultivation techniques and farmer suicides even as urban centers become truly global due to advances in Information Technology. However, a happy bridge was built between these two different worlds through a remarkable endeavor

by ITC’s Agro Business Division. The eChoupal initiative sought to establish a direct link with the farmers through the Internet to procure their agricultural products while sharing valuable scientific and financial information related to farming with them.

Poverty in rural India is a vicious circle of low productivity that perpetuates low incomes, low margins and consequently low risk taking ability and low investments. This threw farmers and the Indian agribusiness sector out of the global league, despite rich & abundant natural resources. The lack of cut-

8

ting edge agricultural technology along with the menacing presence of middlemen at every step has crippled the sector for ages.

It was in this scenario that the ITC e-Choupal was conceived as an innovative market-led business model to enhance the competitiveness of Indian agriculture. The programme leverages the power of Information and Digital Technology and the Internet to empower small and marginal farmers with a host of services related to knowhow, best practices, timely and relevant weather information, transparent dis-

ITC provides free information but no contracts are signed with farmers binding them to do business only with ITC

covery of prices and much more. The system is remarkably self-sustaining with village Internet kiosks managed by farmers themselves, called “sanchalaks”.

As a direct marketing channel, virtually linked to the ‘mandi’ system for price discovery, e-Choupal eliminates wasteful intermediaries and multiple handling. The farmers are directly linked to their prospective markets and this allows them to take away the leeching middlemen from the process.

ITC provides free information but no contracts are signed with farmers binding them to do business with only ITC, and they are free to sell their produce to whomsoever they wish to forge an alliance with. While the farmers benefit through enhanced farm productivity and higher farm gate prices, ITC benefits from the lower net cost of procurement (despite offering better prices to the farmer) having eliminated costs in the supply chain that do not add value.

Currently there are around 6,500 choupals in 40,000 villages empowering 4 million farmers; the initiative has found resonance with the farming community. This unique method of combining smart business sense with corporate social responsibility has also won worldwide recognition. The inaugural UNDP-International Chamber of Commerce “World Business Award”, the “Development Gateway Award”, “The Stockholm Challenge Award” have been conferred on e-Choupal and it has found special mention in the 2008 World Development Report of the World Bank, as well as in the Economic Survey of the Government of India in 2007. It has also been taught as a case study in the Harvard Business School. 

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

MGNREGA offers a ray of hope to rural India When brands become champions of social upliftment

W

hen brands manage to connect with the bottom of the pyramid in society and make a difference in their lives, they become truly social brands. They make the impossible possible by communicating and working with some of the poorest social groups in the country. By trying to bring about a change in the socio-economic fabric of the nation and take a step towards bridging the gap between India and Bharat through employment and self-sustenance, the Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is a true champion in the category.

The exceptional scope and the staggering scale of the project are often undermined by the wrathful political storm that has surrounded it since its inception through an act of Parliament in 2005. Furious debates on television and the opinions of armchair pundits often make us lose sight of MGNREGA’s aim of providing employment to every single citizen of rural India. That is a figure of almost 4.98 crore households every year with billions of dollars being spent annually to fund it, making it a citizen welfare scheme whose size is unmatched in the entire world.

The programme is essentially a job guarantee scheme for rural Indians that provides a legal guarantee for at least 100 days of paid employment in every financial year to adult members of any household willing to do unskilled manual public work at the statutory minimum wage of 120. A scheme of its nature and intent needed very little advertisement and the rural poor were quick to identify

Pitch | July 2013

MGNREGA has transcended the boundaries of branding and market visibility to become a beacon of hope with the name of MGNREGA as a way of earning a living, albeit meager, without bending before traditional caste lines, local leaders or money lenders. Through all the accusations hurled at the act for being ineffective and corrupt, the fact remains that the actual population benefited by it remains sternly loyal to the core idea of the scheme.

MGNREGA has transcended the boundaries of mere branding and market visibility to become a beacon of hope for those in India’s darkest cor-

ners striving to break out from the shackles of money and caste. With a concentrated focus on the poorest districts of India, determination to ensure one thirds of its work force is women and ability to bring some of the most backward classes of Indian society in its fold, the government’s determination to make the scheme work was exceptional. A rebranded MGNREGA 2.0 has been offered through the 12th Five Year Plan, through which the Planning Commission aims to tackle the key criticisms against the scheme by expanding its scope of work, reducing delays in wage payments, stronger social audits and closer integration with the Aadhaar scheme to stop corrupt practices. Due to its intent and its connect with the masses along with the latent ability to change India’s social fabric, the MGNREGA brand shines like a gem at the bottom of the pyramid. 

9

BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID

Winning over the budget consumer Sonata Super Fibre targeted the mass market with success

T

itan is the single largest maker of watches in the country and holds more than 60% of the market share in the country with each of its brands ruling their respective sectors effortlessly. Sonata was the budget brand launched by the company and has been pivotal in creating a market for branded watches at the bottom of the consumer pyramid.

Sonata became a runaway success because of the unique combination of the Titan brand name and frugal pricing.

The brand quickly rose up to become the highest volume seller of watches in India, selling over five million watches a year.

Sonata also realized that the absolute bottom of the pyramid in the sector was dominated by unorganized players and cheap Chinese knockoffs. With an aim to consolidate its market domination, the Sonata Super Fibre brand was created in 2008 with a portfolio of strong, stylish, youthful watches which target the large sub-Rs. 500 market in urban, semi-urban and rural India. The brand symbolised durability and value on a budget and was successful among the age group of 1630 year olds in smaller towns and rural India.

With 68 different designs and features

like rotating bezels, scratch proof surfaces, backlight, stop-watch and alarms and water resistance, Sonata was a quality offering for the Indian consumer on a shoestring budget. 2012 saw the brand expanding with the launch of the cheapest branded watch in the country priced at Rs 225. The same brand name also launched the Super Fibre Ocean series, a collection of 21 high water resistance watches at an introductory price point of Rs1,499 including what is probably the first and cheapest touch screen watch.

The brand found its own identity with its pricing alone, but was not shy of creating a strong marketing campaign to further bolster its image. With Mahendra Singh Dhoni as its brand ambassador, Sonata found the perfect spokesperson for a brand which aims at a nationwide appeal. With the charismatic Indian captain’s presence across television and print ads, Sonata and its Super Fibre range are amongst India’s highest selling brands. 

The brand was not shy of creating a strong marketing campaign to further bolster its image 10

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

social marketers

• • • • •

Pitch | July 2013

Satyamev Jayate Aadhaar Zee TV- Punar Vivaah Fabindia Pulse Polio

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SOCIAL MARKETERS

Star India inspires a billion imaginations through Satyamev Jayate The show that marketed social cause and came out a winner

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atyamev Jayate’s resounding success and the foundation for sustainable reforms it laid, continue to be a source of inspiration for the society at large, even a year after the show’s first season concluded. For Star India, Satyamev Jayate was an extension of its belief in television’s latent and often unrealized potential to trigger progressive reforms, to put the spotlight on the right issues and create an environment to move the needle on change. For the team, Satyamev Jayate was a leap in content innovation. There was a lot of thought, care, effort and love that went into the programme, for more than two years, before the much-awaited launch in May 2012.

The channel realized that the issues raised by the show were of intense personal and societal importance. “These issues affected each and every one of us and hence needed to reach out to as many viewers as pos-

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sible – young and old, urban and rural, men and women, children and adults -- to trigger the change that we yearned for,” says Gayatri Yadav, Executive Vice-President, Marketing and Communications, Star India.

This resulted in the marketing campaign idea created by Ogilvy “Jab dil pe lagegi, tabhi baat banegi” – which was expressed through a series of conversational films, each of which took the viewer closer to a journey of content discovery, while maintaining intrigue and emotion – two hall-

A dedicated website created for Satyamev Jayate served as a ready dossier to access information about the show

marks of the campaign.

India is a land of great diversity where no single marketing formula can engage a vastly distinct target group bound together by similar aspirations. The company aimed to reach a plethora of people, through constant innovation in marketing a show as powerful as Satyamev Jayate.

The channel realized that Satyamev Jayate’s true potential would only be realized if it gave discerning viewers the ease of access to experience the show as per their convenience. This realisation led to the genesis of an extensive digital outreach program, connecting the tech-savvy consumers through the powerful digital media.

The show demonstrated the power of content to inspire conversations – given the overwhelming engagement on new media.

Star India embarked on a plan to raise decibel levels on the Internet through several tools including, but not limited to, exclusive pages and handles on social networking.

A dedicated website created for Satyamev Jayate served as a ready dossier to access information on the show, its episode-wise impact, conversations and everything in between. It was positioned as a discussion platform for people moved by many issues that the show raised through its 13-week course, thereby establishing and further strengthening the connect with viewers.

The website received a whopping 13 million responses from across the globe. Apart from over 840 towns in India, the website was swamped with responses and discussions from 5,435 cities and towns from 165 countries, some as remote as Costa Rica, Sierra Leone and Papua New Guinea. Such was the power of content that viewers were

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willing to go beyond their means to commit to several causes raised by the show.

Regular promotion on social networking also ensured Satyamev Jayate engaged with the backbone of this country, its youth, in a meaningful way. In its launch month, Satyamev Jayate was the most talked about show in the world on social networking while it continued to remain no. 1 in India, each week through its course. The show left nearly 740 million impressions on Facebook while as many as 540 million on Twitter.

YouTube became another popular source

to engage the youth. Star India opened up its content to grant the ease of access to the show through YouTube and, as a result, the website emerged as an alternative screen to television with 35 million views. It deployed a digital expert—Persistent Systems—to design and implement the entire analytics program.

The agency handled a torrent of feedbacks, opinions, personal experiences and suggestions through several modes – including SMS, IVR and online -- and analyzed the large quantum of data continuously.

“The intent was to build intrigue by keep-

ing information on the show, such as the name, time slot, under wraps, making viewers curious to tune in. This intrigue, however, has a shelf life, you can draw audiences to the first episode through it but the show’s powerful content brought them back week after another,” adds Yadav.

There was a language barrier that could have restricted Satyamev Jayate’s reach but it overcame this by broadcasting the show in multiple languages. By the end of its first season, Satyamev Jayate was viewed by more than 50 crore Indians. 

Aadhaar- A social marketer par excellence The dawn of equal opportunity for each individual

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o other brand can ever match up to the scale of India’s Unique Identification number project, better known as Aadhaar. It’s a name that would be associated with every single citizen of a country with the second largest population in the world.

The problems associated with the multiple identity cards being held by a single citizen (Voter ID, passport, PAN card, ration card etc) had plagued every branch of the government machinery including public distribution and national security for ages. Corruption was rife in the issue of these cards and their usage as there was no coherent framework governing their issue and usage. It was to alleviate these problems that the government decided to launch a single scheme of identifying its citizens and creating a credible national database of their vital information.

The project was launched with much fanfare in February 2009 with the former Infosys Chairman, Nandan Nilekani as its Chairman, a position equal to a Cabinet rank. The comprehensive programme involved gathering personal information and biometric data about the whole of India’s billion plus population and creating a unique 12 digit identification number for each one of them.

Pitch | July 2013

This number, to be linked with other vital government schemes like the PAN card and National Population Registry in the future would soon become the norm for identifying a citizen for every purpose. This could range from opening a bank account to claiming citizen welfare subsidies from the government, while also assisting national security and minimising chances of corruption in the public domain.

The project rejected the idea of building up from the existing national database and chose to start from scratch thereby becoming a unique brand that would create a direct association with every single citizen. Massive social marketing has been undertaken by

The project rejected the idea of building up from the existing national database and chose to start from scratch

the government over every popular media and volunteers and state employees have reached out to far flung areas, out of the reach Nandan Nilekani of TV and newspapers. The Aadhaar brand name is being advertised at a rate not matched by most other government initiatives. In the words of Nandan Nilekani, himself, “The name Aadhaar communicates the fundamental role of the number issued by the UIDAI as a universal identity infrastructure, a foundation over which public and private agencies can build services and applications that benefit residents across India.”

The project has met with great success and participation from the general populace. Over a period of less than five years the scheme has already covered around 32% of India’s entire population, a staggering figure of 382 million people who have received their Aadhaars. With its symbol of a fingerprint in the centre of a rising sun, Aadhaar represents a new dawn of equal opportunity for each individual. 

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SOCIAL MARKETERS

Zee TV’s “Punarvivaah”- Changing mindsets through entertainment Entertainment with a social message for the audience

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ndian soaps have always garnered huge viewership in India and more so when they come with a social message. In recent times one such television show which became a hit with the Indian audience and went on to create a brand name of its own is Zee TV’s Punarvivaah. The show came like a ray of hope for many people living with the stigma of remarriage. The impact of the show was such that the soap ended

chance to remarry?” The initiative met with an overwhelming response with countless viewers participating and voicing their opinions. This was just the beginning and the channel went ahead with several campaigns to champion the cause of remarriage. The channel promoted this cause by educating and making people aware of this issue. They decided to communicate with the audience on this sensitive issue and part-

only to bring forth a new story under the same brand name. The brand has been recognised for not just targeting the bottom lines, but also believing in the social cause it endorses.

ZEE TV had devised several strategies to connect with its audience. The channel began the show Punarvivaah with a unique strategy where it posed a question in multilingual print ads across major publications and urged readers to reply with a missed call to the numbers indicated. The question posed was “Can two shattered lives be rebuilt on hope?

Do widows and divorcees deserve a

For the first time ever, a fiction based show was able to help people, taking viewer engagement a notch higher

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nered with Mobilox. Zee TV partnered with Mobilox Solutions in conceptualizing a mobile solution that would provide a platform for all viewers to access live counseling on a helpline by renowned psychologists. Viewers could seek pro-

fessional help on issues surrounding remarriage. With strong execution, the team was able to facilitate 2,186 solutions within three months even though the helpline number was kept open for just two hours on show days. The helpline was promoted during and after the show through mentions. For the first time ever, a fiction based show was able to help and address people’s real problems; taking viewer engagement a notch higher.

Punarvivaah threw up some interesting questions on the subject of remarriage and the debate found place in the broadening mindsets of our society. Zee conducted panel discussions with eminent psychologists, sociologists, learned experts, local politicians, advocates of social change and remarried couples from various walks of life over a period of six months from February to July last year. These panel discussions were held across 21 cities. It served as a nationwide campaign aimed at driving people to think in an evolved manner about the subject of remarriage and eliminate the stigma that surrounds widows or divorcees seeking to rediscover marital bliss a second time.

Going beyond the common goal of merely entertaining audiences or making profits, Zee TV had been able to market a social cause like never before. 

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Fabindia brings rural India to the forefront Marketing with a Cause

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he Social Marketing category focuses on brands that work with a keen sense of social responsibility and community welfare and is crowded with government initiatives or half-hearted corporate attempts which look at only ticking a box in their portfolio rather than bringing about a serious social change. A welcome change from this attitude can be seen from a brand that has been in the market for more than half a century without any form of advertising and yet is known globally as a showcase of traditional Indian craftsmanship. The brand is none other than Fabindia.

John Bissell was an American working as a Consultant for the Ford Foundation, to advise the Government of India- run Central Cottage Industries Corporation in the late fifties. During a two-year stint spent instructing Indian villagers in making goods for export, he became fascinated with the traditional Indian textile industry and decided to showcase its craftsmanship and exquisite handloom textiles to the world while also providing sustainable employment for the tradi-

Pitch | July 2013

tional artisans scattered across hundreds of tiny villages. Fabindia was born out of this passion of his and he started the company in 1960 from his own small flat in Delhi.

Although many government-owned co-operatives existed in the handloom fabrics and apparel sector, they were usually hampered by lethargy and a lack of imagination. Fabindia revitalised the sector and differentiated itself from others, by adapting its fabrics and designs to urban tastes. The company blended the traditional with the modern and designers were hired to modernize its line of home linen and also introduce a range of ready-to-wear garments, which were to become the identity of the brand in years to come. The in-house team of designers provided most of the designs

The brand introduced a unique Community Owned Companies Model which re-defined social responsibility

which were then expertly executed by village-based artisans, a successful business model that exists till this day.

It serves as a quiet lesson for all those harping on the need to bridge the gap between urban and rural India.

The brand also introduced a unique Community Owned Companies Model which re-defined social responsibility by introducing the poor artisans to inclusive capitalism. Usually, the village-based artisan received a pittance for his efforts, the bulk whisked away by innumerable middlemen. Fabindia broke this cycle by introducing an artisan-shareholder system through “supply-region companies” incorporated as subsidiaries. In this model, the actual craftspeople collectively owned 26% of the equity in each company, based in nationwide centres, with Artisans Micro Finance, a Fabindia arm holding 49%, and employees and other private investors holding the balance. Along with designing the kurtis that have been a rage among the urban classes for years, the brand has quietly empowered 80,000 craft based rural producers by creating a base for skilled, sustainable rural employment, and preserving India’s traditional handicrafts in the process. Their craft-conscious enterprise concept of Fabindia became a Harvard Business School (HBS) case study and has also been lauded in several books on the subject. Amazingly, the brand still chooses to not advertise this or any other facet of their business, relying solely on the power of the product and positive word of mouth. The company has branches in almost every state and international stores in countries in Europe and East Asia. 

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SOCIAL MARKETERS

Pulse Polio leads the nation to eradication of the disease Pulse Polio, the brand that made a difference to society

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s India’s social sector has repeatedly shown, brands can also create a nationwide identity that can be used for greater good of the people. These unusual brand names have become so identifiable with the everyday parlance of the average Indian that they have transcended into being an inseparable part of our lives.

One such name that fits this category perfectly is the national Polio eradication programme.

Eradicating polio has not been the easiest of tasks for our healthcare machinery. In the late 70s, India suffered from an estimated 2,00,000 polio cases annually. The government went on a drive to eradicate the disease that forever crippled bright young lives, with immunisation programmes. Vaccination against the disease started in 1978 and by 1984, it was successful in covering around 40% of all infants in the country. The number of reported cases of polio also declined from 28,757 during 1987 to 3,265 in 1995.

However the complete eradication of the ailment seemed to be a much tougher task as compared to a mere reduction in the number of annual cases.

Ignorance, illiteracy and unfounded rumours about the vaccines themselves were constant hindrances in the ultimate success of the programme. The disease itself proved to be tenacious and as late as 2009, its Indian victims accounted for half the total number of cases worldwide. It was with the aim of exterminating this disease permanently that the government launched the

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The campaign saw a rare synergy among some of the biggest public organisations Pulse Polio initiative in 1995.

The initiative was launched as a campaign to create awareness about the vaccination schedule in every corner of India. This was a daunting task for any marketing professional as going to

the rural heartland meant giving up the comforts of television, newspapers and sometimes even radio and yet be able to convince a population that was at times sceptical and even averse to the immunisation drive.

The campaign saw a rare synergy in some of the biggest public organisations including the Government of India, WHO, UNICEF, State Governments and countless NGOs. From television ads starring Amitabh Bachhan asking the people to ensure the safety of their children against the ravages of polio to thousands of unnamed volunteers who went from door to door in obscure villages spreading the message, the name of the Pulse Polio programme was spread across the country in every way imaginable. This was a highly innovative communication strategy aimed at dispelling fears, overcoming resistance and refusal and eliciting community participation with active involvement of social leaders, opinion makers and civil society. Over a decade or more of relentless, constant effort at every level the Pulse Polio brand was created into an irreplaceable calendar entry for every parent in the nation.

As with every successful social effort in the country, the final result was one that made all the unimaginable efforts behind the programme truly worthwhile. On February 24, 2012, World Health Organization (WHO) removed India from the list of countries with active endemic wild poliovirus transmission. As on January 9, 2013, no case of wild polio virus has been detected in the country for the past 23 months. ď Ž

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buzzy brands

• • • •

Pitch | July 2013

Idea XUV 500 Anna Hazare Samsung Galaxy

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BUZZY BRANDS

An IDEA that created the right buzz “Honey Bunny” breaks through the clutter

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here are brands whose campaigns make you smile. Others have a great recall value. Their names stick. Then there are those which draw you into them, making you talk, think and share their aspects, creating a buzz around their name. Idea has emerged as one such brand that hooked the viewers with its catchy “honey bunny” song that became an anthem of sorts, hummed by customers, shared as a ringtone, and generally talked about in all circles. The campaign created a buzz around an already established brand name and kept

the customer’s interest alive in the brand.

Idea became an Aditya Birla Group company in 2006 and in a short span of 5 years, became one of the fastest growing mobile operators in a highly competitive environment that included not just Indian operators but some of the global telecom giants as well. Despite the testing times in a sector already cluttered with a large number of service providers, Idea’s unique marketing and communication approach has always played a significant role in distinguishing the brand. Its earlier campaigns with the

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famous ‘What an Idea, Sirji’ tagline and the witty ‘No Idea, Get Idea’ series have already been amongst the most popular brand campaigns in Indian advertising.

Idea’s focus through all its campaigns has been to put a smile on the consumer’s face even while talking about complex social issues like population, deforestation and even caste divides. It swiftly evolved from being a regional player to being a credible national network. The marketing brains behind the brand decided to portray its national footprint through the story of India’s diversity. The

Its endeavour to remain creative, socially conscious and witty has resulted in the brand being amongst the top three key players “Honey Bunny” campaign was born out of this aim of re-establishing its panIndia network status after the success in the spectrum auction in November 2012. The catchy tune, inane but abso-

lutely adorable lyrics and shots of happy Indians from every corner of the country singing the song, resonated with the brand’s national presence even as it celebrated India’s “unity in diversity” in the most fun way possible.

True to its name, the brand backed up the idea with a focused media campaign spanning television, radio, digital media, and even cinema halls. The jingle was an instant hit and within a few days, the song/ TVC recorded more than 2.5 million views on Youtube. Over 2 lakh unique visitors to the “Honey

Bunny” download page on the website in the first two days of the campaign launch demonstrated the power of an idea well executed. Idea also recorded over 5 million downloads of Honey Bunny Dialer Tone which is a record of sorts in itself. Its constant endeavour to remain creative, socially conscious and witty has resulted in the brand being amongst the top three key players in the Indian market, selling SIM cards while making the customers sing “hello pumpkin, pumpkin” with silly grins on their faces. 

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Mahindra’s XUV 500 races ahead of the pack Mahindra builds up the suspense

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he Mahindra XUV500 has been an inspiring brand right from the day of its launch. XUV500 has created a new niche of its own in the Rs10 -20 lakh segment and crossed the milestone of 50,000 sales faster than any other premium SUV. With the car being one of the most admired and awarded in the year, XUV 500 has created the loudest buzz this year.

Mahindra leveraged the power of digital & social media to create an unprecedented pre-launch & launch buzz by amplifying the impact of an innovative digital media strategy. The digital medium allowed consumers to share and have conversations around the brand and was at the core of the launch communication strategy with all other mediums supporting the buzz created online. The approach was a 360°one involving social media, search, databases, online media, video & amplification using the traditional media of TV, print & BTL. Since there existed a great curiosity

Pitch | July 2013

among the customers about the new offering from brand Mahindra, the auto giant decided to build anticipation by revealing the XUV500 online bit by bit.

A microsite showed a webcam feed of a covered XUV500 and more than 4.5 lakh LIKES were required to reveal its parts.

Once the launch was over, the microsite morphed into a very advanced interactive video animation on which people could unveil the XUV500 themselves.

This innovative marketing strategy was a hit and close to 40,000 people unveiled the car themselves & shared it on their social media profiles. Users were invited to the website to uncover the real name & logo of the brand and the buzz created around this unique product unveiling was phenomenal.

Mahindra leveraged the power of digital & social media to create an unprecedented pre-launch and post-launch buzz

A “Guess the price” contest was launched among consumers just 10 days before the launch which took the buzz to an unprecedented level. Digital media promotion, the contest and video content and the social media integration ensured that the XUV site started receiving more than 1 lakh visitors a day, a momentum which resulted in an online viewership of the launch webcast by more than 1.5 lakh consumers. The exceptional interest in the XUV500 was clearly evident when more than 1.5 million people visited its website last year and it attracted a large fan following of more than 1.3 million on Facebook.

To build up on the buzz and to create a fitting high-end experience at dealerships, specialized manpower was hired, trained & deployed for the brand, enabled with innovative technology aids like tablets & kiosks. A premium ownership experience through an exclusive relationship manager & special privileges was provided to all the owners of the XUV500 as a part of an industry first Purple Club programme.

The brand received a tremendous response from customers and reviewers alike and has been a highly awarded car in its first year, with 22 awards from auto experts and numerous other recognitions for the brand. The XUV500 continues to enjoy widespread acceptance from customers in India and leads the High-end SUV segment with a 56% market share in FY2013. Having received a phenomenal response in India, and also in Australia, South Africa and Italy, the XUV500 is poised to make its mark in other international markets. 

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BUZZY BRANDS

Anna- The buzz which took the country by storm The firebrand who became a symbol of hope for the country

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hat’s in a name, the Bard had asked the world. The 2011 Jan Lokpal Bill movement that mobilized the indifferent middle classes of India towards a popular social revolution answers this question. Sometimes a name is just what it takes, as in the case of Kisan Baburao Hazare whose moniker Anna Hazare became the symbol of hope and resistance for millions of his followers.

Anna Hazare’s journey from an Army

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jawan during the 1962 and 1965 wars to the firebrand Gandhian who shook the seats of power in Delhi, is a welldocumented story by now. What is often

Anna’s name has stood out in every way possible without spending millions on campaigns or talking of caste and religion

forgotten, are the decades of social activism and self-sacrifice this diminutive figure has lived through in his quest to make Indian society a better place to live in. Consider this: he was awarded the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan a full two decades before the world took notice of his Lokpal agitation and the media rushed to bestow countless “Person of the Year” awards on him. Anna was already a legend in his own right before most of us had even heard of him.

The buzz around his name has seen a steady increase over the decades and no amount of division within the ranks of his movement and criticism by armchair philosophers has ever dented his popularity among the people of the country.

His name is one that is lauded as the “Gandhi” of this generation, adopted by thousands of followers as a war cry against corruption through the “I am Anna” Gandhi caps. Though the Lokpal movement has diminished in scale and significance recently, Anna’s name has lingered on. No mass leaders in the nation except Mahatma Gandhi and JP Narayan have enjoyed such a reputation across the barriers of class, caste and language.

When we talk of brands we aim to emphasise identity, recognition and a unique personality that is clearly defined in an otherwise crowded market. In the world’s largest democracy, with some of the biggest election budgets and a society sharply divided along countless fault lines, Anna’s name has stood out in every way possible without spending millions on campaigns or talking of caste and religion. 

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Samsung’s Galaxy steals the show with several variants The marketing blitz creates the right buzz

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iant killer. Game Changer. Consumer Favorite. Just a few of the terms used to describe what is arguably the biggest smartphone brand name in the world, Samsung Galaxy. The Galaxy brand name encompasses a large variety of devices in every price range, all of which are based on the open source Android provided by the internet giant Google. The Galaxy brand first came to the market in 2010 and has steadily become the flagship brand for its Korean maker. Market analytics also show that since the launch of the brand name, Samsung has catapulted to the top slot in terms of global smartphone sales within a span of just three years.

The Galaxy brand name quickly es-

tablished itself as a symbol of affordable quality hardware backed by stylish design and a reputable customer service. As its amazingly popular flagship products – the Samsung Galaxy S II and the Samsung Galaxy Note, stormed the Indian market in 2011, the company used the tremendous buzz around the brand to create more products using the brand identity.

The stars of the year for the brand were the Galaxy Note II and the Galaxy S III. The popularity of the previous versions of the devices ensured that the consumer was waiting with bated breath for these products. Samsung whipped up the excitement by launching a marketing blitz in the country that ensured

The stars of the year for the brand were the Galaxy Note II and the Galaxy S III

Pitch | July 2013

there was no corner of popular media left unutilized in its attempt to connect with the Indian consumer. Displaying a keen understanding of the evolving preferences of the Indian consumers and their unique demand for dual sim devices, Samsung repositioned the brand to create a new segment in the Smartphone market by launching economical handsets with the Galaxy tag. Each one of these new phones: the Galaxy Y Duos, Galaxy Y Duos Lite and Galaxy Ace Duos, met with a very strong consumer acceptance.

Not content with ruling the smartphone sector in the nation Samsung expanded the Galaxy family by introducing the Galaxy brand tablets. With a brand name that rivaled the most famous tablet maker in the world and with added features like the ability to make voice calls, the series became another feather in the cap for the brand. A whole new breed of smart devices was created when Samsung launched the Galaxy Camera which combined high performance photography features with Android OS and 3G/ Wi-fi connectivity to create the world’s first truly connected camera.

Samsung’s successful marketing, smart pricing and effective product designshave made them the buzziest brand in the market. In December 2012, the brand demonstrated its market power by selling more than 10 million Galaxy devices since the launch of the first Galaxy device, Galaxy S in June 2010. With newer launches, attractive discounts and financing schemes and an evergrowing dealer and support network, the buzz around the brand stays as powerful as ever. 

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9 | July

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ageless brands

Seprator

• • • • • Pitch | July 2013

Lux Colgate Dettol Cadbury Amul 25

AGELESS BRANDS

Beauty fades but Lux continues its legacy A beauty brand that has survived through generations

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tarting its journey as “Sunlight Flakes” laundry soap in 1899 in London, the Lux brand has survived two world wars, the rise and end of communism, the end of colonialism and the advent of the information age.

Throughout the passage of time,y the brand has managed to remain a clear market leader in its segment, creating and consolidating its position as an ageless brand. Through new variations, multiple rebranding exercises, new marketing strategies and constant engagement with its customer base, Lux has managed to remain a branding superpower.

In 1924, Lux established itself as the first mass market toilet soap in the world.

It became a major brand before the end of that decade and its founders decided on the strategy of marketing it as a “beauty soap”, a tag the brand carries on its shoulders till today. It was during this era, when Lux was creating its brand identity, that it started a classic marketing trend.

The marketing strategy of the soap was simple: if the most beautiful women were seen to be using and endorsing the brand, it would undoubtedly attract women of all ages towards it. A simple idea that would become the staple of advertising campaigns forever thereafter; it was Lux that pioneered female celebrity endorsements.

Internationally, the brand has associated itself with some of the most legendary beauties in the world, including Audrey

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Hepburn, Marlene Dietrich, Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor. In India, Lux continued its global tradition by having almost every major Bollywood actress appear in its commercials. From the first ad in 1929 starring Leena Chitnis till today, Lux has endeavoured to position itself as the “beauty soap of the stars”. Through the decades that followed actresses like Asha Parekh, Helen, Hema Malini, Rekha,

The founders decided on the strategy of marketing it as a “beauty soap”, a tag the brand carries on its shoulders till today

Madhuri Dixit, Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and almost every other actress of importance, have endorsed the brand name. It has become almost a tradition to acknowledge the new star status of a young, upcoming actress once she is declared as the new “Lux girl”.

The brand continually reinvented this theme over the years. Shahrukh Khan appeared in the ads, celebrating the new found metro sexuality of the Indian male while Abhishek Bachchan starred with his wife Aishwarya Rai in their first ad together for the brand. The timeless appeal of this simple marketing philosophy has been extremely effective for the brand that has earned its mass appeal. Lux is the clear market leader in India and has the distinction of being a billion dollar brand globally.

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Colgate, the evergreen brand among FMCG products What keeps Colgate relevant till today?

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ome brands become household names and it is next to impossible to replace them with newer ones.

Colgate is one such name which continued to grow over the years with its loyal user base. The brand, which has a presence in India since 1930s, has established itself as an iconic household name among its users. The company has been able to reinvent the brand with the launch of newer products in the market. In the last one year, Colgate’s rural distribution has grown by 25% and it continued to drive growth in toothbrush sales with Colgate ZigZag and Colgate Super Flexi products. Recently it had launched Colgate Total Pro Gum Health toothpaste and Colgate Visible White toothpaste.

Colgate Visible White toothpaste that

Pitch | July 2013

promises one shade whiter teeth in just one week was launched by ColgatePalmolive India at an exclusive fashion show by fashion designer Manish Malhotra. Designing the collection especially for the launch of Visible White, Manish’s collection was called “The Visible White Beauty” collection. Over the years Colgate has been associated with eminent ambassadors endorsing the brands. The ageless association began with Kapil Dev in the yesteryears of Brand Palmolive shaving cream. This has continued through the years with numerous brand ambassadors lend-

With the help of new ranges, campaigns and strategies, Colgate has kept reinventing itself

ing their persona to communicate the message of oral care for Colgate brand variants. Colgate entered the gum care segment with the launch of Colgate Pro Gum Health. The company has tried to spread awareness about cavities in children with the campaign “1 in 2 children suffer from cavities”. The campaigns were initiated at points of sale, on the packaging, especially with the mobile dental vans going to different cities and underprivileged areas. It has also launched the sensitive range saying “1 in every 6 suffers from sensitivity”.

Colgate, in partnership with the Indian Dental Association started Oral Health Month (OHM) initiative. ‘Oral Health Month’ involves in-clinic free cavity check-ups, school contact programs, mobile dental vans with free cavity check-up facilities and other engaging awareness activities. With ‘Mission Zero Tooth Cavity’ OHM travels across more than 1,000 cities and towns in the country with 25,000 participating dentists. The initiative has reached out to over 3.7million consumers. Its popular campaign Colgate Active Salt challenge was conceptualized keeping in mind that Indians considered salt good for oral health. The Colgate Active Salt- ‘Kya Apake Toothpaste mein namak hain’ campaign has focused on the taste of the toothpaste. The new challenge was “Taste Challenge - does your toothpaste taste Namkeen ya Mitha?”. With the help of these new ranges, campaigns and strategies, Colgate has kept itself relevant in the ever changing environment.

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AGELESS BRANDS

Dettol maintains reliability with new offerings Dettol’s timeless presence and ageless grace

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or decades, the sole remedy for countless cuts and bruises suffered by children on the playground was the reassuring smile of loving mothers and the familiar, healing sting of Dettol. A staple in millions of households in India, the brand has been around for such a long time and with such a remarkable market penetration that despite the launches of several rival products, Dettol remains the undisputed market leader in its category, making it a true ageless classic.

The brand began its journey in 1933 when the first bottles of Dettol antiseptic liquid were launched across the nation.

Marketed by the Indian arm of the global FMCG major, Reckitt Benckiser since the very beginning, Dettol was something of a novelty when first introduced. Advertisement campaigns ran aggressively in the 60s, promoting the image of the Dettol name as a sure cure against infections. The branding exercise was a success and the product sold almost five million bottles a year by the late 70s.

Dettol has always stressed upon the unique market image it has created of a cross between a household good and a medicinal product. Its marketing campaign also built upon this image. Starting from the 60s, they focussed solely on educating the Indian consumer about the need to protect from germs and infection and how their product was the right one for the purpose. They also realised that for such a branding exercise to work, the target audience needs to be the Indian family. In every campaign since then, the product has focussed on featuring a mother with her child, making the strong symbolism speak for the protection the

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brand offered to the consumer while nurturing an emotional connect with them. Building upon its image as a medicinal product Dettol has been able to project itself as a trusty and completely reliable brand name.

Another critical factor in the enduring

Dettol has stressed upon the unique market image it has created of a cross between a household good and a medicinal product

success of the brand has been its ability to reinvent its identity and offer new products to the consumer. The Dettol brand soap was launched in 1981 and the iconic Dettol hand wash in 1994 creating newer consumer bases for an already established brand. Both went on to become market leaders in their own sectors while the Dettol brand continued to grow with more products like hand sanitizers and kitchen gel. The image of the brand as a product trusted by mothers and doctors alike, first created by the original antiseptic lotion, has carried over to these new launches.

Dettol’s strong consumer connect sees it dominate the market as it charges ahead of competition. ď Ž

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

Consumers celebrate Cadbury’s changing taste Cadbury stays relevant in a changing market

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he dark and delightful food of the gods has been better known in India by the name of one brand which has lived through decades of change in the market: Cadbury. The brand has been synonymous with the product, an extremely rare achievement that speaks of dedication, innovation and a constant connect with the consumer, by the team behind the brand, in order to create a true ageless wonder.

Cadbury began its journey in India in

1948 as an imported chocolate brand.

Over the years the company spread its operations within the country and established several manufacturing facilities and also invested in domestic cocoa cultivation. Currently, Cadbury India operates in four categories: chocolate confectionery, milk food drinks, beverage and candy & gum categories and operates through well-known brands such as Dairy Milk, Perk, Gems, Bournvita while also introducing internationally recognized brands, such as Oreo and Bournville.

Cadbury shares a unique relationship with its customer base and this fact is seen through its dominant market share of over 70% in the chocolate confectionary sector and its nomination as a consumer favourite in a number of surveys. This enviable position has been created through constant brand repositioning and clever market strategies over the years.

The “kuch khas hai zindagi mein” ad with an elated female fan running on to

It is a brand associated with love, laughter, care and family ties, its legend enduring through decades

Pitch | July 2013

the cricket pitch was one of the early ads which made the brand stand out.

Cadbury continued the trend with extremely likeable ad campaigns like the “Khaane Waalon Ko Khaane Ka Bahana Chahiye”, “Kuch Meetha Ho jaye”, “Pappu Paas Ho gaya” and the famous “Aaj pehli tarikh hai“ taglines, each of which endeared itself to the Indian public. Never one to rest on its laurels , the brand moved on to the tag line “Subh Aarambh” and then told us that something auspicious demands something sweet in India. In the recent years they have emulated this success with new brands like Bournville, which had its quirky series of international ads to support it and Dairy Milk Silk with its catchy “kiss me” song. Every tag line created by the brand has become a part of common parlance including Bournvita’s “main hoon badta bachha” slogan and the 5 Star addicted Ramesh-Suresh’s advice “Pitaji ki patloon ek bilan choti kar do”.

Cadbury has been considered one of India’s best advertisers over the years.

With these campaigns as a strong launch pad, Cadbury created products for every group of consumers. Dairy Milk was an everyday chocolate, Celebration was meant as a gift, Gems was popular among the kids, while 5-Star and Perk were a hit among the youth.

Bournville was for the chocolate connoisseurs and Bournvita was on every mother’s monthly grocery list. It was a brand associated with love, laughter, care and family ties, its legend enduring through decades, making it one of India’s most famous brands and an ageless wonder. 

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AGELESS BRANDS

A household name that makes a connect with every Indian The utterly relevant Amul

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uilt on the strong foundation laid by the legendary Dr Kurien, Amul (GCMMF) has become a household name in India and continues to be popular with each one of us. Who can forget the “utterly butterly delicious” girl, an integral part of the Amul campaign?

Since the consumption of milk is universal cutting across regions and agegroups, the company has designed its entire product-portfolio in an innovative manner. The product portfolio is designed around the concept of the human lifecycle with there being products for consumers in each and every stage of their lives.

In the last one year, the company has worked on repositioning milk as the world’s original energy drink, helping to popularize the milk drinking habit among youth. It has used youth and sports related platforms such as

the London Olympic Games 2012 (it sponsored the Indian Olympics contingent), English Premier Football League (EPL), IPL Extraa Innings and co-branded campaigns with youth and sports oriented films such as recently released, ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’, ‘Superman–Man of Steel’, ‘Spiderman’ etc. Its association with the Indian F1 Grand Prix as sponsor of Sauber F1 team and ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 were also efforts in the same direction. These campaigns have served to further enhance its youth connect and strengthen bonding with the next generation of consumers. “We have also been leveraging digital media, specially social media networks to enhance our brand connect with younger audience. Amul’s Facebook brand page has a fan base exceeding one million. In addition, we have almost 15,000 follow-

In the last one year, the company has worked on repositioning milk as the world’s original energy drink ers on Twitter,” says R.S. Sodhi, the Managing Director of Amul.

The upcoming golden jubilee of Amul’s topical campaign, recognized as the longest running advertising campaign, was celebrated with the launch

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of a book Amul India in 2012. This book is a salute to 32 lakh farmers who with their entrepreneurial spirit and hard work created one of India’s strongest and truly iconic brands. The dimension of ‘topicality’ which is inherent in this campaign, contributes substantially towards keeping the brand contemporary, fresh and relevant in the mind of Indian consumers. The company has managed to strike a chord in the heart of all Indians, while being seen as fresh and current. To some extent, this has facilitated longevity of the brand and enabled it to flourish and thrive by ensuring relevance to Indian society during the last fifty years.

Amul’s contribution to nation building and its stellar role in triggering socioeconomic revolution in rural India was highlighted in its iconic TV campaign, showcasing achievements of rural women in the Amul cooperative movement. The lyrics of this campaign were so popular that it was converted into a full-fledged music video in 2011. In 2013, this campaign was taken forward to a new level, further highlighting the spirit of women’s empowerment which is a direct consequence of Amul cooperatives.

Innovation has always been an integral part of its culture and in line with this approach, the company has recently introduced milk-based beverages in highly convenient PET bottles for on-the-move consumption and also in attractive slim cans. These launches will help it redesign the imagery of milk from a plain white commodity to a wide range of trendy beverages. 

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

BANG FOR THE BUCK • Micromax • IndiGo • McDonald’s Seprator • Fastrack • Renault Duster

Pitch | July 2013

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BANG FOR THE BUCK

Micromax becomes a trailblazer The brand gives you “bang for your buck”

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ndia’s love for the mobile phone is a globally recognized fact. Apart from sheer volumes of sales, India was also recognised as a consumer base which was very accepting of new technologies, making it an ideal market for a product that constantly pushed the boundaries every six months or so. However, the sector has been one dominated exclusively by multinational brands. Challenging the might of the global giants who dominated this volatile market was a tall order for any home-grown firm, mostly because the label conscious Indian consumer automatically regarded a local name to be both down-market and unreliable. But one local brand, Micromax, has not only been able to break free from this perception but has also become a trailblazer for other desi brands by overtaking many international names in terms of sale, within just five short years.

Apart from the extremely affordable pricing of its products and the technological threshold afforded by the open source nature of the Android OS, Micromax has also been helped by the success of its marketing drive. It has given it a secure place in a market where brand consciousness almost equals product effectiveness for millions of consumers.

With “Nothing like anything” as its motto, the company created brand awareness for its name by associating with big Bollywood names like Akshay Kumar for endorsements in the earlier days. However, the cutthroat competition in the sector meant that the brand constantly to kept itself within the consumer’s sight.

The brand’s marketing team had their task cut out for them. “I have always believed that great products are made in factories, but great brands are built in consumers’ minds” says Shubhodip Pal,

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Chief Marketing Officer, Micromax .“Micromax has always been a consumer driven company.

All marketing campaigns so far are a reflection of the brand’s echo of the youth’s pulse. For this, the company has aimed to connect across the three pillars which resonate most with the Indian consumers - music, movies and sports,” he adds.

True to this philosophy, Micromax ensured brand visibility at scales not even global brands could match. Micromax partnered with some of the biggest entertainment properties in the country like the IIFA Awards, Asia Cup 2012, Color Screen Awards, Sunburn Music Festival, MTV Videos Music Awards and even events like the DJ Tiesto & Snoop Dogg concerts. It also cashed in on India’s love for sports and associated with premier sporting events such as the UEFA Champions League, FIFA Confederations Cup, the English,

“I have always believed that great products are made in factories, but great brands are built in consumers’ minds” Shubhodip Pal | Chief Marketing Officer, Micromax

Spanish and Italian football leagues, PGA Golf, Formula1, Moto GP, tennis Grand Slams, WWE and almost all major cricketing tournaments. They also collaborated with major television shows across all genres including the music awards on MTV and VH1, major sitcoms on channels, premiers of movies, and even family friendly children’s shows.

The marketing blitz worked well for the brand as its name became omnipresent in the country. Micromax became the third largest mobile phone brand in India. With newer product launches, a dedicated fan base for its name and aggressive expansion into digital marketing, Micromax continues to stay at the top. 

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

Indigo makes news for all the right reasons Indigo Airlines keeps travel affordable and convenient

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he Indian airline industry has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. First it was the failure of the state carrier to take-off successfully, then rumours of mergers, fancy airlines going bankrupt overnight and the dirty battle over FDI; the continuous news reports about the Indian airline brands bleeding money gets even the most ordinary person concerned. In a market where all airlines were losing millions of dollars every year, IndiGo has been a ray of hope. It remains the only airline to continuously post a profit year after year and also become the only brand to register a fourfold growth in the last fiscal.

Operating 422 flights daily, with 66 brand new A320s, connecting 33 destinations, Indigo has become a consumer favourite for its penchant for keeping the basics correct. The flights are no frills affairs and yet have a reputation for being punctual. Started in 2006 when the budget airline craze was at its peak the company’s founder Rahul Bhatia firmly kept the brand’s nose to the ground and focussed on providing a hassle free travel experience instead of gimmicks and frills.

The brand’s marketing has been clean-cut and uncluttered as well. The campaigns are designed to entertain viewers and find a place in consumer memory. Some of its tongue-in-cheek

Pitch | July 2013

BRAND OF THE YEAR

Operating 422 flights daily, with 66 brand new A320s, connecting 33 destinations, Indigo has become a consumer favourite ads like : “We do it 28 times a day”, “What the fudge?”, “Sleep with your wife” and “Sheikh it baby” are quick to grab eyeballs even when displayed in simple white letters on a plain blue background without any star power to back it up. An active social media pres-

ence where passenger experiences and human stories take precedence over gimmicky campaigns coupled with small touches like a step-less boarding ramp (a blessing when travelling with children and differently abled persons) also help in establishing a unique brand image.

With designer clothes for its crew by names such as Ambika Pillai and Rajesh Pratap Singh, IndiGo is in no way short on the style quotient. But,

as every air traveller will agree, good food and a smart staff count for nothing if flights are late, and IndiGo has an enviable on-time record of around 90.2 per cent for months. This enviable reputation, affordable fares and quirky advertising campaigns with IndiGo’s signature ‘Arrowplane’ logo have helped it gain mindshare. The brand builds up on this customer goodwill with its principles of commitment to provide a simple, hassle free experience; ontime performance and ensuring that the customer gets what he sees. With its international expansion, more domestic flight routes and acquisition of aircrafts, the IndiGo experience is here to stay.

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BANG FOR THE BUCK

Affordability and standardisation have worked for this brand McDonald’s popularity is unmatched in India

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he smiling face of Ronald McDonald, the Chief Happiness Officer of McDonald’s, started welcoming customers in India in 1996. A spinoff of the hugely successful international chain that served quintessential American fare, McDonald’s success in a market where a huge majority of people were either unaware of their products or simply preferred the spicier Indian street food, is a study in corporate positioning and marketing. From – chains in the first year to a whopping – chains in 2012, McDonald’s have successfully established its place in the Indian market.

The key reason behind the success of the chain has been its mantra of providing hygienic food with an international brand name attached to it at

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prices that even local restaurants find hard to beat. From busy office goers looking for a quick bite to college goers on a shoestring budget, McDonald’s has positioned itself ideally with a menu which offers you a wide variety at prices less than Rs 150. McDonald’s has always been famous for its market adaptability and its India centric offerings of McSpicy burgers and the extremely popular “Happy Price Menu” in 2004 and the

McDonald’s has become a rare international brand to follow the golden Indian mantra of “sasta, saral aur tikau”

kid friendly, budget plan “Happy Meal “ have made it the family restaurant of choice for every section of the great Indian middle class.

McDonald’s key USP - branded affordability - has also been creatively portrayed over the years through memorable campaigns which convey in clear terms that the customers can choose from and take advantage of the range of menu options, unbeatable prices and the brand name of McDonald’s and go home happy. The Disney branded toys with the “Happy Meals” are a simple and highly effective strategy which sees thousands of kids pull their entire family towards the nearest McDonald’s for a quick meal.

Over the years, McDonald’s has worked towards a fully integrated marketing and communication campaign which had television as the lead medium, along with a smart utilization of print, outdoor, radio and digital platforms. It also boasted of engagementled on-ground activities such as mall activations and consumer promotions.

The brand’s marketing in social media has won them many fans and awards alike. They displayed its reach when they used Facebook as a medium to bring in customers to a newly opened restaurant in Coimbatore and were able to achieve a successful city opening with minimal advertising spends.

With an unbeatable price range, a firm place in the heart of the consumers and constant marketing innovations, McDonald’s has become a rare international brand to follow the golden Indian mantra of “sasta, saral aur tikau”. 

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

Fastrack offers style in an affordable range Capturing the youth with attractive pricing

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e Indians value the money we spend. Most middle class Indians like to spend their money on wise purchases that provide them the bang for their buck. Titan, the watch-making arm of the Tata conglomerate has been one such brand, serving an attractive buffet of products for years. But by 1998, Titan realised that the brand was strikingly distant from what was going to be India’s biggest consumer demographic in years

Pitch | July 2013

to come: the youth between 15-25 years of age. It was to compensate for this deficit that the Fastrack watches were launched as the “cool watches from Titan”.

Through multiple rebranding exercises the Fastrack brand name endeavoured to get closer to its target audience. The brand underwent a major image makeover in the mid-2000s.

Fastrack was one of the first Indian brands to be prominent on social media

The product portfolio was redesigned to create a range of smart, funky and youthful watches the likes of which were till now available only through pricey international brands. The second major change was the extremely attractive pricing the entire range now boasted of, its watches ranging anywhere from Rs 250 to Rs 4,995, making it an affordable choice for the college crowd who wouldn’t want to stick to the same design for a long time.

At the same time, Fastrack started creating its own brand identity, independent of the shadow of Titan. The advertising was quirky and appealing for its consumer base and included gems like the naughty “how many you have” and the latest ad series of “move on” that celebrated its youthful image and accompanied the expansion of the brand into new categories like eyewear, bags, belts, wallets and wrist brands. Fastrack was on its way to become a complete fashion brand for the Indian youth.

Fastrack was also one of the first Indian brands to be prominently visible on social media, maintain a Facebook page at a time when Facebook had not gained popularity. Always ready to experiment and innovate, with a keen ear tuned to crucial customer feedback and needs, this brand has become one of Young India’s favourites. Sasta, saral, tikau and yet incredibly fashionable, Fastrack has grown from a mere Rs 29-crore sub-brand in 2004 to a Rs 615-crore independent brand and looks to grow further with new ranges of T-shirts and helmets being launched soon.

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BANG FOR THE BUCK

Duster becomes the game changer for Renault Duster gives bang for the buck, creates a new segment

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he Indian auto market is a challenging and extremely complex one. Seemingly amazing products fail to resonate with the public while some other offerings get lapped up eagerly and become record breakers. Impossible to predict and difficult to steer, this market has seen many International giants kneel before the picky Indian consumer. Globally respected automaker Renault seemed destined for a similar fate when its partnership with another auto giant Mahindra fizzled out after only one single launch. However, the strangely unpredictable nature of the market played its part once again and the brand is now the proud owner of one of the hottest cars of the previ-

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ous year, the Renault Duster: a unique automobile that has wowed the critics and consumers alike.

The European carmaker had not given up in the least after its initial disastrous foray into the Indian market. With a critical need to reintroduce the brand as a premium offering, Renault reentered the Indian market with a firm resolve to both increase profitable sales and develop a credible dealership network beyond the metros. With this in mind, the first image drivers, the Renault Fluence and Koleos

The launch of the Duster turned out to be Renault’s trump card. The Duster created a new segment, offering an accessible premium SUV

were introduced in July and September 2011 followed by the Renault Pulse in January 2012.

The company needed a star product, one that would bring it sales as well as an image of a reliable car maker. With this vision of broadening the consumer base, Renault decided on a niche sector. Aiming to capitalize on the Indian love for SUVs, the company launched the Renault Duster in July 2012.

The launch of the Duster turned out to be Renault’s trump card and a game changer. The Duster created a new segment, offering an accessible premium SUV as an alternative to sedans. With an extremely attractive price range between Rs 7.69 - 11.99 Lakh the consumers were quick to show their appreciation for the brand. Indian customers are fascinated by mileage, price and looks of the car which also churns up an impressive power of 84 bhp coupled with a ground clearance, custom made for Indian roads.

The Duster changed the way India views compact SUVs and with 29 prestigious awards from customers and experts alike, the brand became one of the most popular SUVs in the country. For Renault, the brand has been a true superstar, being solely responsible for a tenfold increase in monthly sales as compared to last year. The Renault Duster has also compelled the industry to sit up and take notice, and respond by launching vehicles in the same category at a breakneck speed. The brand has offered the biggest bang for the buck to the Indian consumer in the auto industry, for the year. 

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

globetrotters Seprator • • • • •

Pitch | July 2013

Dabur Marico Emami Hidesign Airtel

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GLOBETROTTERS

Globetrotting its way into people’s hearts Dabur creates its own place in the global market

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abur had humble origins as a producer and dispenser of natural Ayurvedic medicines, founded by Dr S.K. Burman, a physician in Bengal. He created Dabur long back in 1884 to successfully produce and market effective medicine for ordinary villagers. The brand endured through the years as a producer of traditional Indian products and grew into India’s largest Ayurvedic medicine manufacturer.

First seeking a global expansion in 1987, Dabur took the export route and created an international market by followed its loyal customer- the common Indian man. As the Indian diaspora’s presence grew in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the United States, those already familiar with the brand created a demand for Dabur’s products. Exporting the natural lifestyle products created a healthy revenue source for the brand which had a turnover of more than Rs 1000 crore by the year 2000.

As the brand became more established in international markets, its tar-

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The brand capitalised on the growing global awareness on alternative medicine and holistic lifestyles get audience started changing as well.

The brand capitalised on the growing global awareness on alternative medicine, holistic lifestyles and an interest in herbal products. The international marketing strategy of the brand focussed on increased availability and enhanced visibility of its products which were being sold in more than 60 countries all over the world within the next decade.

Along with special herbal health care and personal care range successfully selling in markets ranging from the Middle East, Far East, North Africa and Europe, Dabur also created inroads into several European and American markets that displayed good potential

for growth due to a resurgence of the back-to-nature movement. Dabur also became one of the truly global Indian firms when it established six manufacturing facilities outside India. It also began the export of food and textile grade natural gums, extracted from traditional plant sources and active pharmaceutical ingredients to Europe, Latin America, Africa and other Asian countries. Dabur’s overseas business now contributes 20% to consolidated sales led by CAGR of 33% in the last 5 years. With names like Vatika, Hajmola and Real juices associated with it, the Dabur brand doesn’t seem to be slowing down soon.

Dabur has been in a constant state of growth over the last couple of years. It is now among the largest FMCG companies in India and also recognized as the nation’s biggest over-the-counter healthcare company. Thanks to its strong domestic roots and enhanced global reach, the brand crossed the billion dollar turnover mark in 2012.

Pitch | July 2013

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Marico cuts across borders to emerge as a global brand

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arico, an Indian company, which not only caters to the needs of every household in the country, but has managed to rapidly expand its operations overseas by offering a wide range of products. Marico, with its diversified portfolio of pioneering brands has steadily built a presence in emerging economies across the globe. It is now strengthening its youth portfolio along with beauty and wellness. Marico is currently undergoing a significant transformation with an increased focus on personal care and youth brands. In 2012-13, Marico’s India revenue grew by around 18% led by an underlying organic volume growth of about 11%.

The company has been focused on increasing its footprint in emerging economies around the world. Its foray into the global market had positioned the brand well in the international market. With a presence in 25 countries across Middle East, Africa, South East Asia and neighboring nations within the Indian subcontinent, international revenue had boosted the company’s overall growth. In some countries, Marico has started operations by setting up manufacturing facilities and driving distribution to the neighboring regions. Marico International has made over six acquisitions across Asia and Africa in the last seven years.

The company has added new products in its portfolio as a result of its expansion in the international markets and it expects to leverage this position to derive synergies from portfolio across geographies.

Marico India’s fully owned subsidiary in Bangladesh has made investments behind existing and new products such as value added hair oils (vaho) and hair dye.

Pitch | July 2013

It has a full-fledged manufacturing unit in Gazipur (near Dhaka) to cater to its domestic requirements. In 2012, it has set up its second factory which is based out of Sirirchala. Today, Marico Bangladesh is listed on both the stock exchanges of Bangladesh; DSE (Dhaka Stock Exchange) and CSE (Chittagong Stock Exchange).

The firm’s journey in Egypt began in 2006-07 when it acquired leading local hair care brands – Fiancee and HairCode.

Marico is currently undergoing a significant transformation with an increased focus on personal care and youth brands

Both brands were acquired along with their manufacturing facilities. The company had set up a Greenfield factory in 2008 in Sadaat city, around 150 km outside Cairo, to make Egypt a sourcing hub for products sold within the Middle East and North African (MENA) region.

Marico entered the GCC region in 1990s and has been expanding its footprint across the Middle East with Parachute’s presence also in Levant, Iraq, Yemen etc.

It entered the ethnic hair care and healthcare market in South Africa in 2007-08, with the acquisition of the Consumer Division of Enaleni Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Marico has made timely inorganic acquisitions to boost revenue and market share in South Africa. The expansion, collaboration, acquisition is a testimony to its growing international footprint. 

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GLOBETROTTERS

Emami leverages its universal appeal, rules local and global markets

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mami, the company associated with widely recognised brands such as BoroPlus, Navratna, Zandu Balm and Fair & Handsome had modest beginnings in the 70s era in Kolkata. It started as a humble home grown firm that manufactured cosmetics and ayurvedic medicines, whose young founders were commonly seen rushing across the city’s cobbled streets on hand rickshaws, peddling their products from shop to shop. In almost half a century the brand is today not only an established Indian FMCG major but is also one of the rare “desi” international powerhouses with its presence in over sixty countries across the globe.

Emami firmly remains a truly national brand and is visibly proud of its innate “Indianness”. Its products have a unique appeal that permeates down to the smallest demographic in the country and the brand actively works towards retaining its popularity in the Indian middle class and the often overlooked rural markets. The figures speak for themselves as the last year alone witnessed a strong growth of 31% in

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the rural segment for the brand, contributing around 26% to its total revenues. The brand’s strategy remains true to its ideology with a frequently talked about mission of putting at least 80% of India’s villages with population of ten thousand under its coverage map in the next fiscal year.

In tune with the nature of its products and their ability to create FMCG markets in almost every part of the country, the marketing strategy of the brands produced by Emami have traditionally relied on consumer insight, demand and aspirations. Emami recognizes niche segments by securing proximity to consumers and their needs, quickly following up by devising new concepts, scaling these ideas into products and developing them into household brands. Where others have

The marketing strategy of the brands produced by Emami have traditionally relied on consumer insight, demand and aspirations

only sought to push the same product in urban, middle and rural markets, Emami has chosen to tread the path of innovation. It is Emami which created market space for male fairness products where none existed before, with its brand “Fair & Handsome” and introduced a niche segment with the ayurvedic product “Navratna”. All their products are heavily promoted by leading film and sports personalities, a simple marketing strategy that works well in semi urban and rural markets.

This keen understanding about innovating products to suit local demand and marketing them to the bottom of the pyramid has been successfully leveraged by the brand to develop insights for promising markets across geographies and demographics. This has been the marketing trump card for Emami over the years and has fuelled its global expansion. Today, the brand enjoys a strong presence in over 60 countries across the globe spanning the GCC countries, Europe, Africa, CIS countries and SAARC countries. Its individual brand like Boroplus, which is already a market leader in India, also enjoys leading market positions in Russia, Ukraine and Nepal, whereas Fair & Handsome rules in Bangladesh, Nepal & UAE and Navratna Oil in Bangladesh and Nepal. While Multi- National Corporations seek to manufacture a demand for their international products in India, Emami not only responds to local consumer demands by producing products that have been overlooked by global FMCG majors but also successfully sells the same in markets abroad. The company continues to expand with a new manufacturing unit in Bangladesh having been recently set up and is all set to carry its uniquely Indian spirit to every corner of the world.

Pitch | July 2013

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Hidesign’s universal appeal makes it a global hit The brand that combines the contemporary and traditional

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ounded in 1978 as a two-member workshop, Hidesign has evolved into a global brand recognized for its quality, ecological values and personalized service. The face behind this brand Dilip Kapur, who grew up in Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, made sure that the brand appealed to people in the global market. From its humble beginnings with just one cobbler and Rs 25,000 to a Rs 150-crore company with 3,500 people, 84 exclusive stores and a distribution network in 23 countries, Hidesign has stayed focused on innovation, natural tanning processes and craftsmanship.

Hidesign connects to the young and self-confident on a global scale,

through the raw sensuousness and beauty of natural leather and its great craftsmanship. The three mantras -natural, eco friendly and handcrafted have helped the brand position itself in the global market and it continues to progress with these values. The company’s campaign “Lady Godiva” from last year, is a perfect example of how it has connected with and conveyed these values to its customers. The idea for the campaign came from the brand itself – its attention to detail, hand-crafted heritage, use of vegetable tanned and hand polished leather, its people and its international design sensibility. On the other hand, it came from the consumer’s experience with the brand. “The making of the campaign was a collaborative interpretation of the concept behind the campaign - Lady Godiva - her passion, spirit and individualism that reflects the connection the brand has with its consumers across the world. We received tremendous response from customers across the world,” says Dilip Kapur, President, Hidesign.

Hidesign stands out for sensuous naturalness of its high quality leathers and

Hidesign has consistently tried to create space in its consumers’ minds by emphasizing recycling

Pitch | July 2013

smooth soft glow of its solid brass fittings in its leather goods. Learning from the centuries old skills of tanning with natural seeds and barks, Hidesign has created fashionable leathers that age exceptionally well.

In 2012-13, the company has seen tremendous growth and expansion. It ventured into sunglasses which define Hidesign not only as a luxury leather goods company but also as an international lifestyle brand. Maintaining its global appeal, Hidesign introduced its luxury sub-brand designed by Alberto Ciaschini. “We were delighted to bring to the spotlight our craftsmanship through this new avenue, which seems a natural growth for us,” adds Kapur.

Hidesign has consistently tried to create space in its consumers’ minds by emphasizing recycling and reuse. Hidesign in India is positioned in the “affordable luxury” segment. It targets the well traveled, discerning and evolved consumer who seeks something exclusive.

The launch of Alberto Ciaschini handcrafted Hidesign collection will help to further build on the luxury positioning.

Hidesign has ventured into many new markets internationally, consolidated its global brand image and expanded its brand and product portfolio. The brand, without losing its natural and ecofriendly identity has been able to build an international and contemporary image together with the heritage of handcrafting. The brand has performed well in both the Indian and the international markets. It has managed to maintain a balance between both markets, maintaining the same brand qualities and values across the world. 

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GLOBETROTTERS

Airtel expands its footprint in the global market Airtel positions itself in high-growth markets

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he last two decades have seen Indian companies going global like never before. From healthcare to consumer goods to IT, Indian brands have been recognized globally and in a unique turn of events, a nation which was dominated by foreign firms till recently was suddenly famous for the acquisitions and expansions of its homegrown brands. One of the pioneers of this trend has been India’s favourite telecom provider for years, Airtel. With operations in over 20 countries across

The charismatic leader of the Airtel team, Sunil Mittal founded the Bharti Group back in the early eighties. After years of working in collaboration with

Asia and Africa, the brand now ranks amongst the top four mobile service providers globally with respect to subscribers.

foreign firms in India and working with fixed line telephones, the company won a bid to build a cellular phone network in Delhi in 1992. In 1995, Mittal began the cellular operations as Bharti TeleVentures and launched the service in Delhi. Several years of nationwide expansion followed and soon after Bharti Enterprises went public in 2002, the cellular phone operations were rebranded

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With operations in over 20 countries across Asia and Africa, it now ranks amongst the top four mobile service providers

under the single brand Airtel.

Not content with being the market leader in the country, Airtel launched its first international mobile network in Sri Lanka in 2009. A year later, the wires were abuzz with the acquisition of the African operations of the Kuwait based Zain Telecom by Airtel. The deal was reportedly worth $ 9 billion, the second largest acquisition ever by an Indian company and clearly signalled the intention of the brand to position itself in emerging and high growth markets in Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa.

The company strengthened its presence in Africa by setting up a new African headquarters at Nairobi. It launched key alliances with strategic partners across Africa, while continuing to leverage best practices from its home base by setting

up key systems and processes across all functions in the continent. Operations were expanded to 17 countries in Africa and also launched in the Channel Islands.

Closer home, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh saw an increasing presence of the brand with impressive figures of 1.6 and 5.2 million customers respectively. All this while India was busy crowning it the domestic market leader, while singing “har ek friend zaroori hota hai.”

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marketing innovators • Flipkart • Samsung Galaxy S • RedBus

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MARKETING INNOVATORS

Flipkart’s marketing mantra keeps up with consumers’ expectations A brand that has become synonymous with innovation in e-retail

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hen Flipkart commenced operations in 2007, the concept of online shopping was still at a nascent stage in India. Through its intelligent use of Information Technology and user interface, Flipkart claims to have doubled its revenue every quarter since its initiation. At the same time there was immense potential of growth in the sector, given that the disposable income of people was on the rise, communication technology was becoming more accessible and people were now powered with information which influenced their buying decisions. The e-commerce boom as well as the services that the brand provided made it one of the top retailing websites. It prided itself on being able to provide almost every product imaginable to online shoppers.

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The last five years have seen e-commerce grow from a fledgling sector to one that has attracted companies and investors alike. Flipkart has been at the forefront of this growth, evolving to become a brand that has become synonymous with innovations that strive to make online shopping a delight. The large number of transactions (over 2 million every month) is a clear indicator of the trust that customers have placed in the brand.

From a two member team at inception to a workforce of close to 6,000 today,

One of its major achievements in recent times has been the extension of its platform to the marketplace model

the Flipkart story is not just about a successful Indian start-up but one which has contributed significantly to creating a new category (e-retail) from scratch in the country.

One of its major achievements in recent times has been the extension of its platform to the marketplace model.

This allowed third-party sellers to access Flipkart’s large base of 95 lakh registered users. While creating a marketplace was always on the cards, the primary objective was to gain customer trust. The stringent norms that Flipkart has set in place for sellers with the primary objective of keeping the customer experience intact are beginning to pay off. More and more sellers have expressed interest in partnering with Flipkart, while consumers are getting advantage of a range of products and prices.

Over the years Flipkart’s customer traction has remained robust. The introduction of additional categories has further expanded the product portfolio and its target audience. However, 2011 will always be considered a crucial year in Flipkart’s journey as it not only adopted aggressive marketing techniques to attain a dominant position in a cluttered market but went on to become a household name, commanding a high brand recall.

Flipkart’s campaigns have always stood out amongst the clutter of brands trying to establish their presence in mainstream media. The portrayal of children as grownups was done with the sole intention of dispelling any myths associated with online shopping. The stories were constructed on the basis of customer feedback and highlighted the benefits that were associated with online shop-

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ping in general and Flipkart in particular.

The ads have managed to tackle issues of online shopping and instantly connected with shoppers.

“When I joined Flipkart, I realised how it will be more about growing a brand that enjoys a loyal base of customers rather than convincing users to experience it once. Though Flipkart’s user base had grown 10 times by March, it was not that easy to figure out what would click with online shoppers in India,” says Ravi Vora, Vice-President, Marketing, and Flipkart.com. The company woke up to above-the-line advertising with the

launch of its first campaign in April, but that wasn’t very successful. In September, Happy Creative Services, Flipkart’s advertising agency, came up with three commercials addressing online shoppers’ concerns such as online payments and apprehensions regarding product quality. The ads featuring kids who behaved like adults were a hit with viewers. “There are many great ads but few of them find a place in the memory of viewers and we have achieved this with these ads,” says Vora.

In an interesting marketing initiative last year, Flipkart used social media as an

active platform to preview its new campaign even before it went live on television to a dedicated base of 50 lakh users.

The brand then took the feedback from its followers to gauge the popularity of ads and accordingly fine tuned its marketing plan.

The e-commerce sector is poised to grow rapidly and the entry of newer players only proves what Flipkart had identified five years ago. Today, as one of India’s largest online retailers with its eye on innovations, Flipkart has scope to go a long way. The Flipkart story has only just begun.

Samsung Galaxy, a marketing innovator Bringing innovation to the forefront

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large screen with a stylus for everyday operations was a fad that had lived out its utility in the early 2000s. The onslaught of touch screen phones that could be operated with the users’ fingertips sounded the death knoll for the technology. Or so we thought.

The Samsung Galaxy series, which was already wildly popular in major global smartphone markets demonstrated the ability to truly innovate and come up with a path breaking product when it launched the Galaxy Note in 2011. Armed with the biggest screen anyone had ever seen on a smartphone and a stylus called the S-pen, the phone was radically different from all other smartphones in the market. Many critics predicted its doom, citing the unwieldy size and the use of an “outdated” stylus as the reasons. Samsung, however had other plans.

Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) devices in the 1990s used the stylus as a primary input method. Many other touchscreen smartphones in the 2000s also included

Pitch | July 2013

styluses; but a traditional stylus could only be supported on pressure sensitive resistive touchscreens, while the Galaxy boasted of both a capacitive touchscreen and a stylus, offering the user a dual use choice. The phone also boasted of features like a dualcore processor, A-GPS with GLONASS, an 8 megapixel shooter and the latest offering from Android, making it a coveted phone.

Samsung’s marketing also showcased the uniqueness of the product. The ad campaigns demonstrated the creative capabilities of the S-pen and the powerful specs beneath the hood of the phone. Far from looking outdated, the innovative S-pen and its many apps actually made the phone

Samsung’s marketing showcased the uniqueness of the product. More than 10mn phones in the series sold worldwide

stand out from the many competitors in the segment. The same gigantic screen size being doubted by critics earlier was such a rage among the consumers that it created a whole new segment of smartphones: a category called “phablets”.

2012 saw the expansion of the Note brand. The successor to the original phone itself increased every specification of the product, from the screen size to the processor and RAM. The S-pen was even more polished than ever and the loyal fan following carried over from the previous version to make the Note II a success. Samsung also introduced the Galaxy Note 800- a tablet with the Note brand name that built upon the pedigree of the Note phones and the popular Galaxy Tab series.

With more than 10 million phones in the series being sold worldwide since the launch and the continued dominance of the brand in its segment, the Galaxy Note brand has stolen the hearts of millions as the flagship product of the World’s largest smartphone maker. 

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MARKETING INNOVATORS

Redbus.in rides high on innovation Reinventing the game

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n the festival of Diwali in 2006, Phanindra Sama didn’t get a ticket to go to his home town.

Hopping from one agent to another, anxious to make it to his loved ones in time; he realized the frustration felt by millions of ordinary Indians in a transaction as simple as booking a ticket. While the government ran the railway ticketing portal and a plethora of private sector options existed for the air sector, there was simply no unified way of booking a bus ticket in the country. Sama realized the opportunity in this and started the project of bringing all the buses on one platform with his friend Charan Padmaraju which came to be known as RedBus.in RedBus.in, from the very start, was a consumer centric brand. For six years, the portal gathered steam via consumer trials, repeat usage and word-of-mouth, and evolved into a high traffic website for such transactions in the country.

Over all these years, RedBus strove to provide better visibility & seat access to consumers by providing access to an unmatched seat inventory of over

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1000+ bus operators with 5 lakh seats per day spread all over the country and still allowing the consumer the option to select the seat based on his preferences.

The Redbus website was the product, brand and marketing hub all rolled in one and the company focused on making it more attractive to the consumer.

The site was built with deep consumer insights on how consumers liked to book bus tickets, what their pain points were and what further delight factors could be added. In the last one year alone, the website has been introducing at least one new feature every month. Some salient features on the site are user ratings and tips that help a customer choose the right bus, GPS enabled location and actual photos of bus boarding points and issuing m-tickets for people who’d

The Redbus website was the product, brand and marketing hub all rolled in one

rather go paperless. There has been a continuous expansion of home delivery centres for people who do not wish to transact online, which now extends to 30 cities of India.

In 2013, redBus.in went mobile with its Windows and Android app, and quickly became the highest downloaded Android travel app within the space of a few months. The app was even featured on Google Store’s global site as a shining example. The brand also introduced features like one-click Payment (securing credit card details for safe & easy future transactions) and route analytics for bus operators to efficiently plan their investments and running of buses.

The marketing mantra of the brand has been a single minded focus on the product itself. It is the service which endears the brand name to the users and creates a marketing buzz. In 2013, redBus.in started to reach out to the mass audiences who were not booking online.

A new marketing mix was devised with a combination of TV advertising, digital display, social media as well as onground activation. This has significantly enhanced the visibility of the brand. After a record breaking sale of the brand to the ibibo group in a deal that was the biggest overseas strategic acquisition of an Indian Internet asset, RedBus.in continues to live by the credo of effective marketing practices with total measurability at the heart of all activations. Never resting on its achievements, numerous innovative techniques are being tried to reach out to customers, giving them an easier and more convenient way to book bus tickets. 

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impactful launches • • • • •

Pitch | July 2013

Tanishq Mia Windows 8 Samsung Galaxy S Gangs of Wasseypur Jabong

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IMPACTFUL LAUNCHES

The launch with an impact Tanishq’s Mia strikes a chord with working women in India

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old jewellery in India is often limited to traditional or designer statement pieces. But the past years have led to certain shifts in perceptions and usage of gold jewellery with a renewed emphasis on the element of modernity.

With the changing lifestyle and role of women in society their taste for jewellery design is changing too. In the quest for being nimble, neat, and up-to-date, women in the professional sphere cannot live without accessories that can express this personality. Today, women are more open to experimenting with their jewellery and are inclined towards innovative, stylish and new-age designs. They constantly seek

minimalistic, easy to wear, light-weight jewellery that can quite effortlessly blend with their attire. Tanishq Mia is the answer to the need of today’s multi-tasking women. Tanishq has redefined the contemporary work wear jewellery category with the launch of Mia. Innovative products, communication of messaging and a stronger consumer- connect have been the three

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main pillars for the success of Mia. Mia offers a range of fine, urban-chic, affordable jewellery starting at Rs 4,999. It is exclusively crafted keeping the needs of today’s working women in mind.

Following the success of the first edition, it launched two new range of designs in 2012 and 2013. These editions were supported by a wide range of gold earrings, rings, pendants and neckpieces all at affordable rates. Apart from TV commercials and print ads, it went a step further to showcase its range for working women.

Mia’s marketing and communication efforts have been woven around the theme of celebrating working women and their love for their work. To enhance the “Loves to go to Work” proposition, Tanishq introduced ‘Mia on Wheels’ – a specially designed bus that drove women to work from select locations across the city of Bangalore. During their journey, they were offered to try on Mia jewellery and could also get fashion tips from established stylists and designers. This was a special service designed for Bangalore consumers who could avail it by registering online.

This campaign was very well received and it plans to take this experiential tour to other cities.

Understanding the needs of the working woman and her hectic lifestyle, Tanishq extended its reach by setting up Mia department stores at select locations to make its jewellery more accessible.

Social media has also been one of the most important elements in the marketing mechanism for Mia. The digital medium has brought the brand closer to customers, taking the customer-brand relationship to a new level. With more than 4 lakh Likes on Tanishq’s Facebook page, 2,800 Twitter followers and 3 lakh blog visitors –social media platforms have played a great role in the success of Mia . This helped it create a deeper connect with current and prospective customers.

Furthering their efforts in social media, Tanishq launched the ‘My Expression’ campaign in 2012. This campaign was to bring consumers a step closer in creating the jewellery that they aspire to wear. It was in the form of a competition where

The digital medium has brought the brand closer to customers, taking the customer-brand relationship to a new level

consumers were asked to create designs that they would want Tanishq to craft and manufacture for them. This competition saw an overwhelming response from across the country and 12 winning designs have been incorporated in the third edition of Mia. Mia has been able to connect with the women of today. 

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A Window into the future Windows 8 takes the market by storm

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indows is the single most iconic product of the digital age, with its reach spread over every corner of the globe. Created by Bill Gates, Windows is the most popular operating system in the world with estimates of an almost 90% market share in the personal computer segment. The buzz around a new version of the software always creates a storm in the market and the case of Windows 8, the successor to the market leader Windows 7, was no different. Launched in October 2012, the OS sold 8 million licences in just four months.

The marketing in India surrounding the launch of the product quickly created an atmosphere of intense anticipation.

A multi-pronged approach was adopted with a mix of ATL and BTL activities, all of which created a positive impact for consumers.

The TVC featuring the Australian artiste Lenka was a hit on the web along with the song “Everything at once”. The Indian ad featuring the “Mujpe Daav Laga” song which showcased the new features of the touch enabled “Metro” interface of Windows 8 with a youthful appeal also became popular. 5600 radio spots coupled with RJ and consumer speak in 20 cities created instant recall for the Windows 8 brand. The brand also tied-up with India’s leading English daily, Times of India and reached 40,000 AR (Augmented Reality) experiences. To connect with the masses, a total of 590,000 demonstrations were conducted in 20 IT hubs, across 19 malls and 180 cinemas. To take the Windows 8 experience to the youth, the brand participated in the IIT Kanpur Technical Festival and offered demonstrations to participants from colleges across the country.

The brand rolled out a concentrat-

Pitch | July 2013

The brand rolled out a concentrated digital campaign. More than 1.3 million consumers were targeted through it. ed digital media campaign. More than 1.3 million consumers were reached through the digital campaign. Windows 8 had India engaged and intrigued at its launch with a 64% increase in engaged users during the launch phase. Consumers could take a demo of Windows 8 at any computer store and share their experience on the official Windows India Facebook channel.

Windows 8 also tied-up with Aamir Khan and his movie “Talaash” to leverage the Indian passion for Bollywood. After

the tie-up, almost 50% of conversations on Windows FB page were about Talaash.

The tie-ups with all major laptop and desktop brands in the country makes Windows 8 poised to replace Windows 7 and XP as the OS of choice for Indians.

With its refreshingly new touch interface, Windows 8 is also showing great presence in the tablet and smartphone market. The Nokia Lumia phones featuring the OS have revived sales for the brand and created a new segment for those bored with Android/iOS. With record breaking global sales, a refreshingly different look and a revitalised presence in the smartphone market, Windows 8 has made quite a splash since its launch. With its pedigree and unmatched support from millions of loyal fans, the brand remains as big and impactful as ever- the undisputed ruler of the OS market. 

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IMPACTFUL LAUNCHES

Samsung Galaxy Note wins the hearts of millions Samsung positions itself as the leading smart phone manufacturer

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he Samsung Galaxy series was already popular in major global smart phone markets with its range of affordable and technologically superior phones. In 2011, Samsung launched what would be the flagship phone for its Galaxy series- the Galaxy Note in 2011. The phone was unique and

bestseller for Samsung and helped it consolidate its position as the world’s leading smart phone manufacturer.

Samsung followed up the craze with the second version of the phone- the Galaxy Note II in September 2012. An advertising campaign that stressed upon the evolutionary development of

x 720 pixel density. It shipped with a super-fast, 1.6 GHz quad-core processor with 2GB RAM and boasted of an 8 megapixel AF/ Touchfocus camera with full HD video recording as well as a 1.9 megapixels front camera. The smart phone worked on the latest Android Jelly Bean OS.

Samsung had taken a chance by launching the biggest screen anyone had ever seen on a smart phone and S-pen, a stylus which many considered to be a trend whose time had passed.

The phone became a massive hit with users who loved the “phablet” and all of its unique features- right from the 5.3 inch screen to the exclusive apps based on the S-pen. The original Note notched up an impressive fan following with over 10 million sets being sold since launch. The brand was a global

features users already loved in the first phone, worked its magic in the market and the phone became one of the most anticipated products of the year. The phone boasted of a gigantic 5.5-inch (14-centimeter) screen with AMOLED touchscreen and 1280

The Phone’s launch was a massive success, with the Note II selling 3 million sets in its first 37 days of worldwide launch, according to company reports, a number that further swelled to 5 million within two months of launch. The popularity of the phone was there for all to see as the Note II was selling thrice as fast as its predecessor, which was already a bestseller. The trend continued in India with reports claiming that the phone was a bigger seller than the other power brands like the Apple iphone 5 and Samsung’s own Galaxy S III, making it the market leader in its segment. 

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The Phone’s launch was a massive success, with the Note II selling 3 million sets in its first 37 days of worldwide launch

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“Gangs of Wasseypur” finds instant connect with the audience The marketing blitz adds to the hype around the release

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stablishing the name of a new brand takes time and patience and an understanding of the market. However, when it comes to movies, the marketers have very little time to exercise their options. In India it is star power alone that helps in such a situation and that is why it comes as a great surprise that one of the most talkedabout movies of 2012 (a year filled with great movies throughout) boasted of no major “stars” in it. It was its own identity; unique, earthy and intriguing, that made Gangs of Wasseypur a great brand last year.

The enfant terrible of Indian cinema, Anurag Kashyap, was the man at the helm of affairs and true to his reputation the movie was an eclectic mix of great characters, quirky plots and subplots, raw violence and an innate “indianess” in its every aspect. Made in two parts the movie was premiered as one feature at the mecca of movies,

Pitch | July 2013

the Cannes Film Festival and earned a standing ovation. Back home, the movie had a great run at the box office while also sweeping the critics’ choice awards in the face of tough competition.

While the direction by Kashyap and the sterling performances by Manoj Bajpai and Nawazuddin created a positive word of mouth hype for this unconventional crime saga, the marketing of the “Wasseypur” the brand was critical in drawing the initial audiences to theatres. The essence of the film was its unabashed, bold and almost atrocious confidence, aptly reflected in its mar-

It was its own identity; unique, earthy and intriguing, that made Gangs of Wasseypur a great brand last year

keting campaign which was defined in one sentence. ’Teri kehke lunga’! Starting with a trailer launch in a small single screen theatre instead of a 5 star, the humble gamcha making a debut on the red carpet in Cannes along with tuxedos and cocktail dresses, a music launch on open Jeeps, bullets for merchandise, Wasseypur Patrika (a 4 page black and white news tabloid) in multiplexes and funky ‘Womaniya’ T shirts broke every tradition and every norm of Bollywood publicity. Poster and outdoor ads inspired by seedy ‘Manohar Kahaniya’ covers, television spots amplifying the kitschy cool content and an award winning digital campaign added to the buzz around the movie.

The soundtrack of the movie was provided by the brilliant Sneha Khanwalkar who created the music in a unique manner made famous by her MTV Sound tripping show where the voices of local artistes and ordinary people were mixed with everyday sounds and catchy beats. The second movie continued the trend and its buzz of characters named “perpendicular” and “definite” and ads promising “Sabka badla lega Faisal Khan” kept the audience interest alive. After the hype of the first part of the movie, the marketing team cashed in with social media audience engagement campaigns such as ‘which wasseypuri character are you?’, ‘wasseypur poster contest’ and ‘wasseypuri citizen certificate’ on Facebook that garnered more than 2,50,000 fans. With nearly 50 crores in revenue and a permanent place in cinema history, Anurag Kashyap’s epic was an emphatic success. 

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Jabong launches its way into Indian hearts Jabong, a delight for the online shopper

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aunched with the might of the global dotcom juggernaut Rocket Internet behind it and buoyed by the huge investment that flowed in from the Samwer brothers- Rocket’s owners and famously reclusive German internet billionaires, Jabong.com aimed at the top spot right from its launch in January 2012. The intention was made clear as the online fashion retailer aggressively bulldozed its way ahead and was on top of the charts as the most trafficked etailing site in India within months of its launch.

Jabong.com targeted consumers in the age group of 16 to 35 years and made many overtures to reach out to the largely untapped market potential in the tier II and III cities. They decided upon India’s reputation as the fastest growing Internet market in the world and the increasing Internet penetration across the country thanks to a plethora of “smart” devices as the lynchpin of their marketing strategy.

Staying true to the philosophy behind other Rocket Internet startups, Jabong concentrated on establishing a strong online presence in its initial months, shunning the traditional print and television advertising route. Almost 90 per cent of all their marketing drives were focused

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on the digital and social media sectors with advertising, contests and social media presence being the three distinct thrust areas. The strategy quickly brought them to the notice of their target audience—the young Indian who is comfortable on the Internet and willing to spend money online. This completely obliterated the need to spend millions to reach out to a wider audience who would simply not be interested.

Within a little over a year of its launch, Jabong boasts of 1.5 million fans on Facebook, 20,000 followers on Twitter and an impressive following on new age social platforms such as Pinterest and Google Plus as well. Its marketing strategies evolved quickly to suit the quirky nature of its young consumers and have attracted attention due to their inexplicable ability to

Targeting the relevant consumer and being selective on the medium that we choose are the key pillars of our marketing strategy” Manu Jain | Co-Founder, Jabong.com

keep their social media followers hooked.

The brand’s first TVC was launched in March 2012 as it needed to attract the first time online shoppers to its site. A second TVC soon followed the first in September 2012. Marketing tie-ins with the two biggest hits of the year Ye Jawani Hai Deewani and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag also helped in increasing the brand’s visibility and special collection catalogues for both the movies available on the site made it more popular for its young fans.

The clarity and single minded focus behind their marketing is the key behind the success of Jabong’s establishment as a brand. “We have focused on targeted campaigns to capture consumer attention. Targeting the relevant consumer and being selective on the medium that we choose are the key pillars of our marketing strategy” says Manu Jain, CoFounder, Jabong.com. “Initially awareness was built through Social Media, Search Engine, Display advertising such as GDN, Affiliates, E mail advertising etc and then gradually we moved on to television advertisements”, he adds.

The brand aggressively targets audiences online and the sheer number of ads generated by it, is testimony to the massive amount of money invested by the brand for its digital marketing campaign. Though the long term returns on this investment remain to be seen, the immediate aim behind the campaign has most definitely succeeded. The brand has not only topped the Comscore charts for the most trafficked e-tailing site in India but also held on to the top slot constantly for the past five months, a difficult feat in the fluid online market. It was an impactful launch that was unmatched by any in the industry throughout the year. 

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resurgent brands • J&K Tourism • Pears • Bata

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RESURGENT BRANDS

J & K tourism gets a much-needed spurt Tourists flock once more to the valley

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very brand has a shelf life. No matter how successful its name is or how popular its identity has become, every good idea comes with an expiry date. It needs to be reinvented, rejuvenated and revived.

The tourism industry of the state of Jammu & Kashmir was in urgent need of an overhaul. Its iconic shikaras and houseboats, snow covered slopes and apple cheeked happy people were once a trademark of India’s most successful tourism market. However, rampant insurgency in the idyllic Kashmir valley in the late 80s left an indelible impression in the minds of tourists, proving detrimental to the state and its tourism industry.

In the 70s, J&K was the go-to place for every Indian. From a young and rebellious Shammi Kapoor romancing the “Kashmir ki Kali” in movies to hun-

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dreds of young honeymooners cozying up on boat rides on the Dal lake, J&K was the destination of choice for the masses. However by the end of the 90s, the tourist inflow had dimished to a trickle, kept alive only by the few faithful pilgrims hiking up to Vaishno Mata shrine and the annual participants in the Amarnath Yatra.

As the two decade long fight against terrorism waged by countless unsung heroes of the Indian Army started bearing fruit in the mid-2000s, the

Ladakh has become India’s favourite destination for both domestic and foreign tourists alike

state government decided to ramp up efforts to revitalize the tourism sector. It was hoped that the tourism industry would be a bridge reconnecting the state to the rest of India while providing employment to over 30% of its population. The shikara logo of the J&K tourism department was splashed across popular media and once more the brand name attracted curious visitors.

Massive infrastructure drives complemented the efforts of reviving tourism. Roads were built where dirt tracks existed earlier including the iconic Mughal Road across the Pir Panjal Mountains which hosted a popular Himalayan motorsports rally recently.

Crores of rupees were spent by the central government in developing basic public amenities and assisting local businesses in recovering from decades of decadence. Filmmakers were invited with open arms and we saw Aamir Khan on the shores of a sylvan lake in 3 Idiots while Ranbir Kapoor came to the state twice to shoot, Rockstar and Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani. Airports were revamped, brand new railway tracks laid and world class helicopter services were provided as key attractions. Taj revived its iconic Vivanta hotel in Srinagar and luxurious properties opened their doors for tourists in Gulmarg. The tourists responded positively to the efforts of the government and the state tourism has seen an exponential increase since 2006.

Ladakh has become India’s favourite destination for both domestic and foreign tourists alike. Over one crore

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tourists visited the state last year apart from the several lakh more who visit the holy shrines in the state, contributing millions to the state economy. It was an impressive increase from 1998 when

only a lakh had dared to venture there.

Through the tenacity of its people, the efforts of its government and the unforgettable bravery of the Army jawans who continue to guard its borders, J&K

tourism has risen from the ashes like a phoenix. Mughal Emperor Jehangir’s immortal words ring across the valley once more “Agar firdaus, ruhe zamin ast, hamin asto, hamin asto, hamin asto.” 

One of the world’s oldest brands still going strong The innocence of Pears stays intact

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ears” is one of the oldest soap brands in the world. First sold in 1789

by Andrew Pears at Oxford Street in London, England, it was the world’s first mass-market transparent soap and was introduced in India in 1912. The Lever brothers acquired the brand in 1917 and the brand has since been sold in the nation under the HUL umbrella.

The Pears brand is actually associated with some of the most important historical facts of branding and marketing.

According to Unilever records, Pears Soap was the world’s first registered brand and is therefore the world’s oldest continuously existing brand. Before

the brand was acquired by the Lever brothers, the man responsible for marketing the soap was an Englishman named, Thomas J Barratt, regarded by many as the “Father of Modern Marketing”. His innovative ideas of selling the

Pitch | July 2013

soap became the basics of marketing in the coming decades and one of his print ads for the brand named “Bubbles” continued for the better part of a century, making it one of the longest running ad campaigns ever.

The brand used the emotional image of a mother and a daughter to sell its product

In India, the brand was popular due to its different look and feel and its smartly targeted marketing campaign. The brand used the emotional image of a mother and a daughter to sell its product, stressing upon the transparency, delicacy and innocence of its product. The tag line “Aisi twacha aur kahaan” was its staple slogan for years and firmly established it as a family beauty product.

Pears continued to carry its image and stressed upon its product as a “pure and gentle” soap. The brand always worked around this image as was visible in its TVCs titled “Masoom Pears” featuring the iconic

mother daughter relation once more. Unilever now produces the brand in India and has retained the legendary concave, transparent and amber colored styling of a 200-year-old brand, to retain its position as one of India’s most loved brands. 

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RESURGENT BRANDS

Bata revamps itself to appeal to a wider audience Bata India’s story of resurgence

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ata is one of a handful of brands whose identity will forever be linked with Indian life in the preliberalisation era. With its simple shoes and designs Bata had become so entrenched in the Indian middle class family that it was easy to forget the brand was a part of the International Bata Shoe Organisation, a Swiss based company that holds the world record for the “Largest Shoe Retailer and Manufacturer”.

Bata India started life in 1930s in a small town near Kolkata that is popularly known as Batanagar today. Over the years the brand established itself as India’s number one footwear company and was being sold in every corner of the nation. Its marketing representatives saw opportunity everywhere. The story goes that shoe reps from the world over dismissed Africa as a potential market while the Bata rep exclaimed ‘Nobody in Africa wears shoes. So, there’s a huge market for our products in Africa’!

But times changed swiftly in India.

The brand, like many other established brands, faced tough competition after the Indian markets opened up to the world. With dozens of international brands investing heavily in the country with a range that attracted the all-important youth demographic, Bata was suddenly facing a dire future. It was fast earning the reputation of being a relic of the license raj days.

But the brand was swift to bring about changes. It leveraged the massive distribution strength (Bata India has around two times the number of stores as its nearest competitor) and the prod-

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Bata leveraged the massive distribution strength and the product portfolio to attract customers uct portfolio (which straddles segments and price points to provide options to every type of consumer) to attract customers. With revamped inventories, a fancy “Discover New” marketing campaign and offers of great discounts the whole year round, Bata brought back the customers to its fold. Bata also ex-

panded its range by designing, sourcing & marketing many international footwear brands such as Hush Puppies, Naturalizer, Marie Claire, Sundrops, Dr.Scholl’s, Power and Weinbrenner.

The brand retained its iconic logo but revamped its stores nationwide to create a more hip and customer friendly look and also added 189 new stores to its already long list. A net profit of 21% in 2012 was testimony to the successful resurgence of the brand. Today, Bata India has firmly settled into its position as India’s largest footwear retailer.

It retails through over 1,350 Bata shoe stores located in over 500 cities across India & offers comfort, convenience & choice to its customers. 

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

Rechargers • • • •

Pitch | July 2013

Godrej Mahindra Rise Canon or Nikon Hero

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RECHARGERS

Godrej reinvents its persona

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national icon, the Godrej brand is a name for a century old Mumbai based conglomerate that is involved in a staggeringly diverse portfolio of industries ranging from personal care to industrial solutions, raking home over three billion dollars annually as revenue. In its early days, Godrej enjoyed market dominance as the only Indian manufacturer of items as diverse as safes, lever locks, soaps and typewriters, creating one of the first home-

grown super brands recognizable in markets across the Indian economic landscape.

Holding on to this hard earned title however, was a challenge that had seen many others fail.

With the influx of many international brands and the increasing fickleness of the choosy Indian consumer, the Godrej brand name and its enviable reputation had started losing some of its sheen in the early years of the new millennium. The brand was perceived to be “old” and dated, and in a market that was dominated by a national population of people below thirty, being “not cool enough” was an ominous sign for

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even an established name like Godrej.

The company first started the process of rebranding the Godrej name in 2008. The brand name was splashed across all media with a new colorful avatar and along with it an internal framework was set up to reinstate the value of the Godrej brand by consolidating its presence across all the businesses within the Group. This rebranding exercise was aimed to create a more contemporary corporate entity that would

The rebranding exercise was aimed to create a more contemporary corporate entity to connect with India’s new demographic establish a strong connect with India’s new demographic.

After several non-starters like the 2010 GoJiyo campaign centered on a browser based virtual world, the company conducted a brand valuation exercise in 2011 to identify the factors that would recharge

the Godrej name and lead to growth. “This time, we concluded it was time to showcase the scale and width of what we have brought to the market and the new look it gives the Godrej Portfolio” says Tanya Dubash, the Executive Director and President (Marketing) for the Godrej group. The results of the exercise now focused on creating a central marketing campaign for all its products around the recognizable Godrej name and the new innovations it promised ( with the famous “Aamir Khan dressed as a woman” ad series) along with refurbished campaigns for its individual products like Cinthol ( with its new ‘alive is awesome’ theme).

The brand was committed to make this campaign a success and reached out across all forms of media. TV was chosen as the primary medium, with the IPL serving as the lead media property to get reach and impact along with niche and regional channels.The reach on IPL alone was spectacular, with over 1.5 billion views. Digital medium complemented the TV efforts by providing interactivity with the brand idea. A Facebook fan page and a YouTube channel were set up and actively promoted. The fan page has 8.3 lakh fans, and the YouTube channel delivered nearly 5 million views in just 8 weeks.

The campaign was successful in its aim of rebranding Godrej in accordance with the times and allowing it to shed the image of an antiquated company that produced mundane items like locks. The campaigns were able to attract the all-important youth demographic while emphasizing on current innovative consumer technologies.

Godrej’s approach with its “ideas that make life brighter” campaign, was different from most rebranding exercises that focus on corporate philosophies, past laurels or vague promises of the future. It was thus able to create a brand new market positioning while reworking an already famous brand name. 

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

Mahindra recreates image with Rise initiative

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company that was started in the years before the nation won its freedom and which etched an enduring image in the minds of its people as the makers of sturdy tractors for the rural markets, Mahindra has today come a long way from its earthy origins. Today it’s an Indian corporate, with stakes in businesses as diverse as aerospace, agribusiness, automotive, components, construction equipment, defence, energy, farm equipment, finance and insurance, industrial equipment, information technology, leisure and hospitality, logistics, real estate, retail, and two wheelers. Recreating its image and recharging its market identity was one of the toughest jobs faced by the brand as it had to carry out the dual task of erasing an already successful, albeit limiting, market perception even as a new identity was being created keeping in tune with its latest avatar.

As Mahindra evolved so did its marketing and branding strategies. When the brand name established itself in the auto market with the Scorpio and Bolero SUVs, the

beginning to gain importance in Indian business. But for Mahindra, identifying the group with the human ambition to Rise was a key part of this forward-looking strategy.

Soon after revealing Rise as its brand identity, Mahindra set itself the ambitious goal of creating a campaign that would not only communicate, but also demonstrate the brand. The new initiative had to be participative. It also had to place the Mahindra Group as no more than one voice in the broader movement.

It was in January 2011, that the Mahindra Group first launched the Mahindra Rise campaign as a new corporate brand aimed at unifying Mahindra’s image across indus-

new logo of the brand, shaped distinctly like a highway, was introduced. When they acquired the seemingly doomed IT major Satyam, the new brand name “Mahindra Satyam” was proudly displayed in the greatest sporting spectacle on earththe FIFA World Cup. The big challenge for Mahindra was not distilling the brand—but communicating it. Branding was only

tries and geographies. The company leveraged its global presence and conducted studies in countries like Brazil, India, China, South Africa and US to understand customer values and expectations. With these inputs the brand decided to showcase its own rise and growth through a call to action for people and communities to work for change and betterment. The philoso-

Pitch | July 2013

When Mahindra articulated its brand identity, Rise, it was the culmination of a two-year exercise in self-discovery

phy of “Rise” was born, and was reflected across multiple platforms as the new identity of Mahindra. Through advertisements, community engagements and promotional activities, “Mahindra Rise” became a central theme for the brand. When Mahindra articulated its brand identity, Rise, it was the culmination of a two-year exercise in self-discovery. The company realized that a strong, unified brand was a key to achieving the group’s ambition to become a global household name and to satisfy consumers’ increasing desire to identify with the companies they buy from. This was the genesis of the “Rise” campaign.

Keen to develop it more than just a tag line, Mahindra created many activities centred on the “Rise” theme. With the Sparktherise.com portal, the brand not only associated itself with socially responsible projects but also helped them find mentors and funding; a successful initiative which saw them providing grants to 48 different projects. ‘Spark the Rise’ was designed to overcome several barriers to action in India: a sense of disillusionment and disempowerment, a lack of information and communication about initiatives around the country, and a lack of resources. By including public voting in the selection of grant winners, ‘Spark the Rise’ drives innovators to spread the word. The result: collaboration among innovators, an exchange of ideas, mentorship, and even funding. The values of the “Rise” brand have also been incorporated internally in the company with hard work and dedication being the keywords defining their recruitment evaluation, employee empowerment, corporate communication and even business decisions. With this renewed strategy, the advent of Mahindra as a super brand, independent of the identities of its individually successful products, is complete. 

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For Advertising Contact Us Landline: 91-120-4041700,India Toll Free: 1860 500 5558, Email: support@naukri.com

RECHARGERS

Canon recharges the Indian market with new initiatives What makes Canon click with the youth

C

anon has been around in India since 1997 as a maker of consumer electronic products such as cameras as well as office solutions. The parent company is a Japanese business legend, having been around since 1937 and involved in businesses as diverse as consumer imaging products, including printers, scanners, digital cameras, scanners to medical, optical and broadcast products like ophthalmic and x-ray devices. With over 1100 registered patented technologies in Digital Cameras, 2300 in inkjet

printers, 5600 in multifunctional printers and more than 200 in scanners, Canon is one of the leading technology innovators in the digital imaging space worldwide.

The company had taken a straightforward branding route in India by demonstrating its products through television and digital media. The brand ambassador was none other than Sachin Tendulkar, with whom the brand enjoyed an association since 2006. Their marketing revolved around the “God of Cricket” and they

62

launched a 100 day celebration when the master blaster reached the hundred hundreds milestone.

Like many other brands in India, Canon also recognised the youth as the single largest demographic to fuel the success of a brand in India. With a new aim of

establishing the brand among the youth, the brand revitalised its marketing campaign in 2012. Along with an internal revitalization of the creative and media duties of Canon India, a fresh marketing budget was also sanctioned to recharge the brand.

In 2012, the company rolled out a new

Canon had a new face for its campaign in Anushka Sharma and a fresh line-up of products

With the aim of establishing the brand among youth, Canon revitalised its marketing campaign in 2012

marketing campaign by roping in young Bollywood actress, Anushka Sharma, as the brand ambassador for Canon’s cameras. What followed soon after was the quirky and innovative ‘What Makes Us Click’ campaign which was clearly focused on the Indian youth. The new PowerShot series of point and shoot cameras was also launched with much fanfare.

With the launch of this series, the brand positioned itself as a technologically superior and yet pocket friendly brand.

Canon’s new marketing initiatives were meant to reach out to a niche target audience and retain the exuberance, energy and appearance of the brand. With a new face for its campaign and a fresh roster of products, Canon India was successful in revitalizing an already known brand name and closed the year with a revenue of Rs 1,850crore, a whopping 21% growth over 2011. 

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

Indians connect with Hero’s new image Rebranding and recharging the brand

T

he Hero Honda collaboration between two of Japan and India’s most respected brand names was a resounding success for 26 years. The brand ruled the two wheeler market in the country, endearing itself to the consumers through its amazingly frugal machines, generation after generation. However, when the shocking announcement of their split was announced, most market watchers were extremely pessimistic about Hero’s new solo identity. Most argued that the departure of the Japanese partner was destined to cause a shadow over the technical abilities of the company.

Moreover, the Indian consumer’s unconditional belief in “anything foreign is definitely better” would also make it difficult for the new brand identity be-

ing accepted. It was just a “desi” company now, naysayers predicted in a dismissive tone.

But the Munjal family led company was up to a task never performed by any other corporate entity in India. If the skeptics saw only failure, the Munjals spotted incredible potential and decided to use the very same “desi” image of the brand people were questioning

Pitch | July 2013

as the lynchpin for their rebranding exercise. They were clear in their mind that in a new and confident India, being desi would be the brand’s biggest strength.

Global brand and innovation specialist Wolff Olins was handed over the responsibility to etch out the new brand identity. In Aug 2011, the new logo was revealed and soon after the rebranding exercise started with advertising campaigns that showed off the mas-

The revitalisation of the Hero name was effective because of its emotional appeal to the Indian customer

sive popularity Hero’s existing products enjoyed in every corner of the nation.

The visuals were of Hero owners from every corner of the country, reminding the consumers of the years of trust for the brand name and quickly established an environment of familiarity.

The highlight of the campaign was A R Rahman’s “ Humme hai Hero” song, which spoke of the new brand identity and declared that “there is a hero in all of us”. It was symbolic of the newfound freedom enjoyed by the company post its split with Honda even while it established an emotional connect with the audience. The song soon became one of the most popular ad jingles in the nation.

This revitalisation of the Hero name was effective because of its emotional

appeal to the Indian customer and the innate subtlety of the campaign that never let the message become stronger than the brand itself . Successful in handing over the mantle of India’s biggest two wheeler brand to its new avatar without any of the hiccups predicted by market watchers a year ago, Hero displayed a master stroke in rebranding. 

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Volume X Issue 9 | July 2013

` 75

Pitch Brands 50 Awards 2013 The awards for excellence in marketing celebrate brands that have a cutting edge

Presented by:

49

COLUMN ANNURAG BATRA

66 6

Pitch | July 2013 Pitch | July 2013

Pitch | July 2013

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INSIDE COVER OVER STORY COVER STORY Pitch Volume X, Issue-9 July 2013 Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Annurag Batra Editor & Director Amit Agnihotri Director Nawal Ahuja

EDITORIAL TEAM

Consulting Editor

Vinod Behl

Deputy Editor

Rashi Bisaria

Contributor

Sonali Chowdhury

Senior Art Director

Shamsad Shaikh

Graphic Designer

Joby Mathew

Photographers

Vilas Kalgutkar (Mumbai) Suresh Gola (Noida)

0

Pitch Brands 50 Awards 2013 The awards for excellence in marketing celebrate brands that have a cutting edge

AD SALES

Rohit Sardana Abdulla M Mazumder Varnikaa jain Sneha Walke

9811377592 9871609348 9769153087 9845541143

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05

BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID

Lifebuoy’s age old connect with the bottom of the pyramid Narayana Health makes healthcare affordable for the needy ITC e-Choupal empowers farmers with the digital tool MGNREGA offers a ray of hope to rural India Winning over the budget consumer

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SOCIAL MARKETERS Star India inspires a billion imaginations through Satyamev Jayate

www.pitchonnet.com Printed and published by Annurag Batra on behalf of Adsert Web Solutions Pvt Ltd B-20, I-Floor, Sector-57, Noida, Uttar Pradesh - 201301 Printed at All Time Offset Printers, E-53, Sector-7 Noida, Uttar Pradesh - 201301 An exchange4media Publication

Aadhaar- A social marketer par excellence Zee TV’s “Punarvivaah”Changing mindsets through entertainment Fabindia brings rural India to the forefront Pulse Polio leads the nation to eradication of the disease

2

Pitch | July 2013

BUZZY BRANDS

17

An Idea that created the right buzz Mahindra’s XUV 500 races ahead of the pack

43

MARKETING INNOVATORS Flipkart’s marketing mantra keeps up with consumers’ expectations

Anna- The buzz which took the country by storm

Samsung Galaxy, a marketing innovator

Samsung’s Galaxy steals the show with several variants

Redbus.in rides high on innovation

AGELESS BRANDS

25

Beauty fades but Lux continues its legacy

Samsung Galaxy Note wins the hearts of millions

Dettol maintains reliability with new offerings Consumers celebrate Cadbury’s changing taste A household name that makes a connect with every Indian

31

Micromax becomes a trailblazer Indigo makes news for all the right reasons Affordability and standardisation have worked for this brand Fastrack offers style in an affordable range Duster becomes the game changer for Renault

GLOBETROTTERS

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Globetrotting its way into people’s hearts Marico cuts across borders to emerge as a global brand Emami leverages its universal appeal, rules local and global markets Hidesign’s universal appeal makes it a global hit Airtel expands its footprint in the global market Pitch | July 2013

The launch with an impact A Window into the future

Colgate, the evergreen brand among FMCG products

BANG FOR THE BUCK

47

IMPACTFUL LAUNCHES

Gangs of Wasseypur finds instant connect with the audience Jabong launches its way into Indian hearts

RESURGENT BRANDS

53

J & K tourism gets a much-needed spurt One of the world’s oldest brands still going strong Bata revamps itself to appeal to a wider audience

RECHARGERS

57

Godrej reinvents its persona Mahindra Recreates image with Rise Initiative Canon recharges the Indian market with new initiatives Indians connect with Hero’s new image COLUMN : Annurag Batra

64 3

INTRODUCTION

Pitch Brands 50 awards

H

ow do you judge the relevance of a brand?

How do you measure the growth of an icon?

In an age of a continuous assault of messages on our senses via different media, most messages get lost. So just how is it that some brands stick more than others? How is it that some names catch our attention more than others? Some brands do manage to get noticed due to the buzz around them, or due to their innovation, or reinvention or timeless qualities. In an endeavour to recognise such brands, Pitch editorial team went through a process of short listing brands across 10 categories. Each category was to have 5 winners. Judging the final winners was left to the eminent personalities from the marketing and JURY CHAIRPERSON

Ramesh Jude Thomas President, Equitor Consulting

branding domain, who preach, teach, think and execute only one thing- Marketing. The jurors scored each of the brands on four broad parameters: • Idea and Innovation • Consumer Connect • Communication Impact • Execution and Results The final and most crucial stage was the jury meet where the jurors validated the scoring done online and arrived at a final tally of Pitch Brands 50 and the Brand of the Year. While the end objective of any marketing activity is to drive sales, Pitch Brands 50 Awards in Marketing Excellence are not business awards, hence Pitch decided not to consider the impact on sales.

JURY

Ashok Pratap Arora Marketing Professor, MDI

SR Singhvi

Senior Marketing Professor, IMT, Ghaziabad

Ramanujam Sridhar

Founder & CEO, Brand-Comm

Subroto Chattopadhyay

Chairman, The Peninsula Foundation

Rahul Sen

International Brand Advisor

Sunil Gupta

Managing Partner, South Asia, Results International Group

ONLINE JURY

Anand Halve

4

Co-founder of Chlorophyll

Ashok Venkatramani CEO, MCCS

Sharad Sarin

Senior Marketing Professor, XLRI

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

Bottom of THE Pyramid • • • • •

Pitch | July 2013

Lifebuoy Narayana Hrudayalaya E-Choupal MGNREGA Sonata Super Fibre

5

BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID

Lifebuoy’s age old connect with the bottom of the pyramid Health and hygiene remain Lifebuoy’s focus

A

n ageless brand, Lifebuoy understands the rural consumer like no other. By introducing affordable products and formats for rural consumers, Lifebuoy knows how to effectively talk to the masses.

An iconic red bar of soap that was invented by the Lever Brothers in London all the way back in 1895, Lifebuoy has been a globally recognized brand for 117 years. Despite being a market leader in its category, Lifebuoy has adopted a culture that sees its name resonate with grassroots healthcare initiatives, hygiene and disease prevention among the lower strata of society. It is through its extremely competitive pricing, easy availability and responsible social initiatives that this brand has become an example of how a commercial product can connect with the bottom of the pyramid.

6

Lifebuoy’s ad campaigns have traditionally focussed on health and hygiene rather than marketing gimmicks involving contests or celebrities. Its famous tag line of “Lifebuoy hai jahaan, tandaroosti hai wahaan” has remained unchanged for years. With cheap pricing, availability of a wide range of products and a distribution chain across 50 lakh stores in the country, the brand has become a firm favourite in rural India.

Lifebuoy has also taken corporate social responsibility seriously and has used its social initiatives as a way to associate

Lifebuoy’s hygiene promotion activities are fully embedded into brand activities

the brand with health and hygiene. Their rural hygiene programme, “Khushiyon Ki Doli”, which propagates the practice of washing hands with soap to reduce Diarrhea deaths and the new Lifebuoy Handwashing Behaviour Change Programme launched in 2010, are examples of their unique marketing ideas. Building on Lifebuoy’s years of experience, these hygiene promotion activities are expected to result in a strong brand association with healthcare drives. They are now central to Lifebuoy’s plans in all countries where the Lifebuoy brand is present, with hygiene promotion activities fully embedded into brand activities.

Their campaigns are specifically designed to reach people living in countries where diarrheal disease is highest and where soap usage is infrequent, targeting low income families in particular. One of Lifebuoy’s main focus areas is India – a country that has the highest number of children under five dying from diarrhoeal disease, over 380,000 deaths a year or more than 1,000 deaths per day. A sterling example is their “Roti Reminder” campaign during the Kumbh Mela, where the first roti of every order bore the message “Lifebuoy se haath dhoye kya?” The message was heat stamped onto the baked roti, without the use of ink, to ensure it was completely edible.

Along with the distinctly different Lux brand, also owned by HUL, Lifebuoy commands a dominating market share. HUL’s smart tactic of creating unique brand identities for each of its products has been the driving force for the bottoms- up approach of Lifebuoy’s marketing strategy. It has created a true star product at the very bottom of the pyramid. 

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

Narayana Health makes healthcare affordable for the needy A sterling example of philanthropy in healthcare

H

ealthcare in India has long been an area neglected by the public sector and marked by sky-high prices in the private sector. For millions of people who could not afford the extremely limited number of speciality hospitals, contracting a serious disease was the beginning of a countdown that had only one sordid end possible.

However, through the efforts of some visionaries, healthcare in India gradually underwent a change that saw the nation becoming a centre for medical tourism for people from all over the world. One of the iconic brands associated with this change is the Narayana Hrudayalaya chain of hospitals.

Dr Devi Shetty a renowned cardiologist based in Bengaluru created this brand by launching the hospital in 2000. Narayana Hrudayalaya Health City, Bengaluru, is a conglomeration of many hospitals in one campus. The Health City intends to cater to about 15,000 outpatients every day. Along with the world’s largest heart hospital with 1,000 beds, performing over 30 major heart surgeries a day, a fullfledged 1,400-bedded Multi Specialty hospital that handles Neurosurgery, Neurology, Paediatric, Nephrology, Urology, Gynaecology, Gastroenterology, ENT cases amongst various others, this Health City has become one of India’s premier healthcare destinations.

Also present here is the world’s largest cancer hospital with the latest infrastructure and equipment, internationally acclaimed faculty and the Narayana Nethralaya – a super specialty eye hospital with an infrastructure to perform 500 eye surgeries daily and SPARSH -

Pitch | July 2013

an orthopaedic super specialty hospital.

The hospital uses its massive size effectively. Today, Narayana Health has 17 hospitals across 13 Indian cities with a total bed strength of 6000 beds which enables it to gain large economies of scale and bargains down the cost of supplies to the hospitals which it further translates into extremely low healthcare costs for its patients. These are unmatched not just in India but most of

A sterling example of the hospital’s philanthropy is its telemedicine service started in the year 2002 to cater to the rural populace the world. In fact, despite its pro-poor attitude, the hospital has a higher profit margin (7.7% after tax) than most American Private Hospitals (6.9%).

A sterling example of the hospital’s philanthropy is its telemedicine service started in the year 2002 to cater mainly to the rural populace in the country. The telemedicine network of the hospital connects to countries like Malaysia, Mauritius and Pakistan along with India itself. Vital medical reports like ECG reports, audio/ visual data, CT scans, X-rays, MRIs and their analysis are exchanged via the internet and telephone. The hospital then analyses

and provides lifesaving healthcare based on this analysis. The telemedicine services provided by the hospital are free and more than 21000 cases have been referred using this service.

The hospital’s foray in a variety of medicinal fields has seen it being rechristened recently as Narayana Health which represents a singularity of purpose and unwavering commitment to the vision. It has a new tagline - ‘Health for all. All for Health’, capturing the core belief in the democratization of healthcare - in India and around the world. 

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BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID

ITC e-Choupal empowers farmers with the digital tool E-choupal bridges the gap between the urban and rural sectors

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ndia is famous for being a land of paradoxes where abject poverty exists alongside opulent wealth. It is a country plagued by primitive cultivation techniques and farmer suicides even as urban centers become truly global due to advances in Information Technology. However, a happy bridge was built between these two different worlds through a remarkable endeavor

by ITC’s Agro Business Division. The eChoupal initiative sought to establish a direct link with the farmers through the Internet to procure their agricultural products while sharing valuable scientific and financial information related to farming with them.

Poverty in rural India is a vicious circle of low productivity that perpetuates low incomes, low margins and consequently low risk taking ability and low investments. This threw farmers and the Indian agribusiness sector out of the global league, despite rich & abundant natural resources. The lack of cut-

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ting edge agricultural technology along with the menacing presence of middlemen at every step has crippled the sector for ages.

It was in this scenario that the ITC e-Choupal was conceived as an innovative market-led business model to enhance the competitiveness of Indian agriculture. The programme leverages the power of Information and Digital Technology and the Internet to empower small and marginal farmers with a host of services related to knowhow, best practices, timely and relevant weather information, transparent dis-

ITC provides free information but no contracts are signed with farmers binding them to do business only with ITC

covery of prices and much more. The system is remarkably self-sustaining with village Internet kiosks managed by farmers themselves, called “sanchalaks”.

As a direct marketing channel, virtually linked to the ‘mandi’ system for price discovery, e-Choupal eliminates wasteful intermediaries and multiple handling. The farmers are directly linked to their prospective markets and this allows them to take away the leeching middlemen from the process.

ITC provides free information but no contracts are signed with farmers binding them to do business with only ITC, and they are free to sell their produce to whomsoever they wish to forge an alliance with. While the farmers benefit through enhanced farm productivity and higher farm gate prices, ITC benefits from the lower net cost of procurement (despite offering better prices to the farmer) having eliminated costs in the supply chain that do not add value.

Currently there are around 6,500 choupals in 40,000 villages empowering 4 million farmers; the initiative has found resonance with the farming community. This unique method of combining smart business sense with corporate social responsibility has also won worldwide recognition. The inaugural UNDP-International Chamber of Commerce “World Business Award”, the “Development Gateway Award”, “The Stockholm Challenge Award” have been conferred on e-Choupal and it has found special mention in the 2008 World Development Report of the World Bank, as well as in the Economic Survey of the Government of India in 2007. It has also been taught as a case study in the Harvard Business School. 

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MGNREGA offers a ray of hope to rural India When brands become champions of social upliftment

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hen brands manage to connect with the bottom of the pyramid in society and make a difference in their lives, they become truly social brands. They make the impossible possible by communicating and working with some of the poorest social groups in the country. By trying to bring about a change in the socio-economic fabric of the nation and take a step towards bridging the gap between India and Bharat through employment and self-sustenance, the Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is a true champion in the category.

The exceptional scope and the staggering scale of the project are often undermined by the wrathful political storm that has surrounded it since its inception through an act of Parliament in 2005. Furious debates on television and the opinions of armchair pundits often make us lose sight of MGNREGA’s aim of providing employment to every single citizen of rural India. That is a figure of almost 4.98 crore households every year with billions of dollars being spent annually to fund it, making it a citizen welfare scheme whose size is unmatched in the entire world.

The programme is essentially a job guarantee scheme for rural Indians that provides a legal guarantee for at least 100 days of paid employment in every financial year to adult members of any household willing to do unskilled manual public work at the statutory minimum wage of 120. A scheme of its nature and intent needed very little advertisement and the rural poor were quick to identify

Pitch | July 2013

MGNREGA has transcended the boundaries of branding and market visibility to become a beacon of hope with the name of MGNREGA as a way of earning a living, albeit meager, without bending before traditional caste lines, local leaders or money lenders. Through all the accusations hurled at the act for being ineffective and corrupt, the fact remains that the actual population benefited by it remains sternly loyal to the core idea of the scheme.

MGNREGA has transcended the boundaries of mere branding and market visibility to become a beacon of hope for those in India’s darkest cor-

ners striving to break out from the shackles of money and caste. With a concentrated focus on the poorest districts of India, determination to ensure one thirds of its work force is women and ability to bring some of the most backward classes of Indian society in its fold, the government’s determination to make the scheme work was exceptional. A rebranded MGNREGA 2.0 has been offered through the 12th Five Year Plan, through which the Planning Commission aims to tackle the key criticisms against the scheme by expanding its scope of work, reducing delays in wage payments, stronger social audits and closer integration with the Aadhaar scheme to stop corrupt practices. Due to its intent and its connect with the masses along with the latent ability to change India’s social fabric, the MGNREGA brand shines like a gem at the bottom of the pyramid. 

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BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID

Winning over the budget consumer Sonata Super Fibre targeted the mass market with success

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itan is the single largest maker of watches in the country and holds more than 60% of the market share in the country with each of its brands ruling their respective sectors effortlessly. Sonata was the budget brand launched by the company and has been pivotal in creating a market for branded watches at the bottom of the consumer pyramid.

Sonata became a runaway success because of the unique combination of the Titan brand name and frugal pricing.

The brand quickly rose up to become the highest volume seller of watches in India, selling over five million watches a year.

Sonata also realized that the absolute bottom of the pyramid in the sector was dominated by unorganized players and cheap Chinese knockoffs. With an aim to consolidate its market domination, the Sonata Super Fibre brand was created in 2008 with a portfolio of strong, stylish, youthful watches which target the large sub-Rs. 500 market in urban, semi-urban and rural India. The brand symbolised durability and value on a budget and was successful among the age group of 1630 year olds in smaller towns and rural India.

With 68 different designs and features

like rotating bezels, scratch proof surfaces, backlight, stop-watch and alarms and water resistance, Sonata was a quality offering for the Indian consumer on a shoestring budget. 2012 saw the brand expanding with the launch of the cheapest branded watch in the country priced at Rs 225. The same brand name also launched the Super Fibre Ocean series, a collection of 21 high water resistance watches at an introductory price point of Rs1,499 including what is probably the first and cheapest touch screen watch.

The brand found its own identity with its pricing alone, but was not shy of creating a strong marketing campaign to further bolster its image. With Mahendra Singh Dhoni as its brand ambassador, Sonata found the perfect spokesperson for a brand which aims at a nationwide appeal. With the charismatic Indian captain’s presence across television and print ads, Sonata and its Super Fibre range are amongst India’s highest selling brands. 

The brand was not shy of creating a strong marketing campaign to further bolster its image 10

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social marketers

• • • • •

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Satyamev Jayate Aadhaar Zee TV- Punar Vivaah Fabindia Pulse Polio

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SOCIAL MARKETERS

Star India inspires a billion imaginations through Satyamev Jayate The show that marketed social cause and came out a winner

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atyamev Jayate’s resounding success and the foundation for sustainable reforms it laid, continue to be a source of inspiration for the society at large, even a year after the show’s first season concluded. For Star India, Satyamev Jayate was an extension of its belief in television’s latent and often unrealized potential to trigger progressive reforms, to put the spotlight on the right issues and create an environment to move the needle on change. For the team, Satyamev Jayate was a leap in content innovation. There was a lot of thought, care, effort and love that went into the programme, for more than two years, before the much-awaited launch in May 2012.

The channel realized that the issues raised by the show were of intense personal and societal importance. “These issues affected each and every one of us and hence needed to reach out to as many viewers as pos-

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sible – young and old, urban and rural, men and women, children and adults -- to trigger the change that we yearned for,” says Gayatri Yadav, Executive Vice-President, Marketing and Communications, Star India.

This resulted in the marketing campaign idea created by Ogilvy “Jab dil pe lagegi, tabhi baat banegi” – which was expressed through a series of conversational films, each of which took the viewer closer to a journey of content discovery, while maintaining intrigue and emotion – two hall-

A dedicated website created for Satyamev Jayate served as a ready dossier to access information about the show

marks of the campaign.

India is a land of great diversity where no single marketing formula can engage a vastly distinct target group bound together by similar aspirations. The company aimed to reach a plethora of people, through constant innovation in marketing a show as powerful as Satyamev Jayate.

The channel realized that Satyamev Jayate’s true potential would only be realized if it gave discerning viewers the ease of access to experience the show as per their convenience. This realisation led to the genesis of an extensive digital outreach program, connecting the tech-savvy consumers through the powerful digital media.

The show demonstrated the power of content to inspire conversations – given the overwhelming engagement on new media.

Star India embarked on a plan to raise decibel levels on the Internet through several tools including, but not limited to, exclusive pages and handles on social networking.

A dedicated website created for Satyamev Jayate served as a ready dossier to access information on the show, its episode-wise impact, conversations and everything in between. It was positioned as a discussion platform for people moved by many issues that the show raised through its 13-week course, thereby establishing and further strengthening the connect with viewers.

The website received a whopping 13 million responses from across the globe. Apart from over 840 towns in India, the website was swamped with responses and discussions from 5,435 cities and towns from 165 countries, some as remote as Costa Rica, Sierra Leone and Papua New Guinea. Such was the power of content that viewers were

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willing to go beyond their means to commit to several causes raised by the show.

Regular promotion on social networking also ensured Satyamev Jayate engaged with the backbone of this country, its youth, in a meaningful way. In its launch month, Satyamev Jayate was the most talked about show in the world on social networking while it continued to remain no. 1 in India, each week through its course. The show left nearly 740 million impressions on Facebook while as many as 540 million on Twitter.

YouTube became another popular source

to engage the youth. Star India opened up its content to grant the ease of access to the show through YouTube and, as a result, the website emerged as an alternative screen to television with 35 million views. It deployed a digital expert—Persistent Systems—to design and implement the entire analytics program.

The agency handled a torrent of feedbacks, opinions, personal experiences and suggestions through several modes – including SMS, IVR and online -- and analyzed the large quantum of data continuously.

“The intent was to build intrigue by keep-

ing information on the show, such as the name, time slot, under wraps, making viewers curious to tune in. This intrigue, however, has a shelf life, you can draw audiences to the first episode through it but the show’s powerful content brought them back week after another,” adds Yadav.

There was a language barrier that could have restricted Satyamev Jayate’s reach but it overcame this by broadcasting the show in multiple languages. By the end of its first season, Satyamev Jayate was viewed by more than 50 crore Indians. 

Aadhaar- A social marketer par excellence The dawn of equal opportunity for each individual

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o other brand can ever match up to the scale of India’s Unique Identification number project, better known as Aadhaar. It’s a name that would be associated with every single citizen of a country with the second largest population in the world.

The problems associated with the multiple identity cards being held by a single citizen (Voter ID, passport, PAN card, ration card etc) had plagued every branch of the government machinery including public distribution and national security for ages. Corruption was rife in the issue of these cards and their usage as there was no coherent framework governing their issue and usage. It was to alleviate these problems that the government decided to launch a single scheme of identifying its citizens and creating a credible national database of their vital information.

The project was launched with much fanfare in February 2009 with the former Infosys Chairman, Nandan Nilekani as its Chairman, a position equal to a Cabinet rank. The comprehensive programme involved gathering personal information and biometric data about the whole of India’s billion plus population and creating a unique 12 digit identification number for each one of them.

Pitch | July 2013

This number, to be linked with other vital government schemes like the PAN card and National Population Registry in the future would soon become the norm for identifying a citizen for every purpose. This could range from opening a bank account to claiming citizen welfare subsidies from the government, while also assisting national security and minimising chances of corruption in the public domain.

The project rejected the idea of building up from the existing national database and chose to start from scratch thereby becoming a unique brand that would create a direct association with every single citizen. Massive social marketing has been undertaken by

The project rejected the idea of building up from the existing national database and chose to start from scratch

the government over every popular media and volunteers and state employees have reached out to far flung areas, out of the reach Nandan Nilekani of TV and newspapers. The Aadhaar brand name is being advertised at a rate not matched by most other government initiatives. In the words of Nandan Nilekani, himself, “The name Aadhaar communicates the fundamental role of the number issued by the UIDAI as a universal identity infrastructure, a foundation over which public and private agencies can build services and applications that benefit residents across India.”

The project has met with great success and participation from the general populace. Over a period of less than five years the scheme has already covered around 32% of India’s entire population, a staggering figure of 382 million people who have received their Aadhaars. With its symbol of a fingerprint in the centre of a rising sun, Aadhaar represents a new dawn of equal opportunity for each individual. 

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SOCIAL MARKETERS

Zee TV’s “Punarvivaah”- Changing mindsets through entertainment Entertainment with a social message for the audience

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ndian soaps have always garnered huge viewership in India and more so when they come with a social message. In recent times one such television show which became a hit with the Indian audience and went on to create a brand name of its own is Zee TV’s Punarvivaah. The show came like a ray of hope for many people living with the stigma of remarriage. The impact of the show was such that the soap ended

chance to remarry?” The initiative met with an overwhelming response with countless viewers participating and voicing their opinions. This was just the beginning and the channel went ahead with several campaigns to champion the cause of remarriage. The channel promoted this cause by educating and making people aware of this issue. They decided to communicate with the audience on this sensitive issue and part-

only to bring forth a new story under the same brand name. The brand has been recognised for not just targeting the bottom lines, but also believing in the social cause it endorses.

ZEE TV had devised several strategies to connect with its audience. The channel began the show Punarvivaah with a unique strategy where it posed a question in multilingual print ads across major publications and urged readers to reply with a missed call to the numbers indicated. The question posed was “Can two shattered lives be rebuilt on hope?

Do widows and divorcees deserve a

For the first time ever, a fiction based show was able to help people, taking viewer engagement a notch higher

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nered with Mobilox. Zee TV partnered with Mobilox Solutions in conceptualizing a mobile solution that would provide a platform for all viewers to access live counseling on a helpline by renowned psychologists. Viewers could seek pro-

fessional help on issues surrounding remarriage. With strong execution, the team was able to facilitate 2,186 solutions within three months even though the helpline number was kept open for just two hours on show days. The helpline was promoted during and after the show through mentions. For the first time ever, a fiction based show was able to help and address people’s real problems; taking viewer engagement a notch higher.

Punarvivaah threw up some interesting questions on the subject of remarriage and the debate found place in the broadening mindsets of our society. Zee conducted panel discussions with eminent psychologists, sociologists, learned experts, local politicians, advocates of social change and remarried couples from various walks of life over a period of six months from February to July last year. These panel discussions were held across 21 cities. It served as a nationwide campaign aimed at driving people to think in an evolved manner about the subject of remarriage and eliminate the stigma that surrounds widows or divorcees seeking to rediscover marital bliss a second time.

Going beyond the common goal of merely entertaining audiences or making profits, Zee TV had been able to market a social cause like never before. 

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Fabindia brings rural India to the forefront Marketing with a Cause

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he Social Marketing category focuses on brands that work with a keen sense of social responsibility and community welfare and is crowded with government initiatives or half-hearted corporate attempts which look at only ticking a box in their portfolio rather than bringing about a serious social change. A welcome change from this attitude can be seen from a brand that has been in the market for more than half a century without any form of advertising and yet is known globally as a showcase of traditional Indian craftsmanship. The brand is none other than Fabindia.

John Bissell was an American working as a Consultant for the Ford Foundation, to advise the Government of India- run Central Cottage Industries Corporation in the late fifties. During a two-year stint spent instructing Indian villagers in making goods for export, he became fascinated with the traditional Indian textile industry and decided to showcase its craftsmanship and exquisite handloom textiles to the world while also providing sustainable employment for the tradi-

Pitch | July 2013

tional artisans scattered across hundreds of tiny villages. Fabindia was born out of this passion of his and he started the company in 1960 from his own small flat in Delhi.

Although many government-owned co-operatives existed in the handloom fabrics and apparel sector, they were usually hampered by lethargy and a lack of imagination. Fabindia revitalised the sector and differentiated itself from others, by adapting its fabrics and designs to urban tastes. The company blended the traditional with the modern and designers were hired to modernize its line of home linen and also introduce a range of ready-to-wear garments, which were to become the identity of the brand in years to come. The in-house team of designers provided most of the designs

The brand introduced a unique Community Owned Companies Model which re-defined social responsibility

which were then expertly executed by village-based artisans, a successful business model that exists till this day.

It serves as a quiet lesson for all those harping on the need to bridge the gap between urban and rural India.

The brand also introduced a unique Community Owned Companies Model which re-defined social responsibility by introducing the poor artisans to inclusive capitalism. Usually, the village-based artisan received a pittance for his efforts, the bulk whisked away by innumerable middlemen. Fabindia broke this cycle by introducing an artisan-shareholder system through “supply-region companies” incorporated as subsidiaries. In this model, the actual craftspeople collectively owned 26% of the equity in each company, based in nationwide centres, with Artisans Micro Finance, a Fabindia arm holding 49%, and employees and other private investors holding the balance. Along with designing the kurtis that have been a rage among the urban classes for years, the brand has quietly empowered 80,000 craft based rural producers by creating a base for skilled, sustainable rural employment, and preserving India’s traditional handicrafts in the process. Their craft-conscious enterprise concept of Fabindia became a Harvard Business School (HBS) case study and has also been lauded in several books on the subject. Amazingly, the brand still chooses to not advertise this or any other facet of their business, relying solely on the power of the product and positive word of mouth. The company has branches in almost every state and international stores in countries in Europe and East Asia. 

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SOCIAL MARKETERS

Pulse Polio leads the nation to eradication of the disease Pulse Polio, the brand that made a difference to society

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s India’s social sector has repeatedly shown, brands can also create a nationwide identity that can be used for greater good of the people. These unusual brand names have become so identifiable with the everyday parlance of the average Indian that they have transcended into being an inseparable part of our lives.

One such name that fits this category perfectly is the national Polio eradication programme.

Eradicating polio has not been the easiest of tasks for our healthcare machinery. In the late 70s, India suffered from an estimated 2,00,000 polio cases annually. The government went on a drive to eradicate the disease that forever crippled bright young lives, with immunisation programmes. Vaccination against the disease started in 1978 and by 1984, it was successful in covering around 40% of all infants in the country. The number of reported cases of polio also declined from 28,757 during 1987 to 3,265 in 1995.

However the complete eradication of the ailment seemed to be a much tougher task as compared to a mere reduction in the number of annual cases.

Ignorance, illiteracy and unfounded rumours about the vaccines themselves were constant hindrances in the ultimate success of the programme. The disease itself proved to be tenacious and as late as 2009, its Indian victims accounted for half the total number of cases worldwide. It was with the aim of exterminating this disease permanently that the government launched the

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The campaign saw a rare synergy among some of the biggest public organisations Pulse Polio initiative in 1995.

The initiative was launched as a campaign to create awareness about the vaccination schedule in every corner of India. This was a daunting task for any marketing professional as going to

the rural heartland meant giving up the comforts of television, newspapers and sometimes even radio and yet be able to convince a population that was at times sceptical and even averse to the immunisation drive.

The campaign saw a rare synergy in some of the biggest public organisations including the Government of India, WHO, UNICEF, State Governments and countless NGOs. From television ads starring Amitabh Bachhan asking the people to ensure the safety of their children against the ravages of polio to thousands of unnamed volunteers who went from door to door in obscure villages spreading the message, the name of the Pulse Polio programme was spread across the country in every way imaginable. This was a highly innovative communication strategy aimed at dispelling fears, overcoming resistance and refusal and eliciting community participation with active involvement of social leaders, opinion makers and civil society. Over a decade or more of relentless, constant effort at every level the Pulse Polio brand was created into an irreplaceable calendar entry for every parent in the nation.

As with every successful social effort in the country, the final result was one that made all the unimaginable efforts behind the programme truly worthwhile. On February 24, 2012, World Health Organization (WHO) removed India from the list of countries with active endemic wild poliovirus transmission. As on January 9, 2013, no case of wild polio virus has been detected in the country for the past 23 months. ď Ž

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buzzy brands

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Pitch | July 2013

Idea XUV 500 Anna Hazare Samsung Galaxy

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BUZZY BRANDS

An IDEA that created the right buzz “Honey Bunny” breaks through the clutter

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here are brands whose campaigns make you smile. Others have a great recall value. Their names stick. Then there are those which draw you into them, making you talk, think and share their aspects, creating a buzz around their name. Idea has emerged as one such brand that hooked the viewers with its catchy “honey bunny” song that became an anthem of sorts, hummed by customers, shared as a ringtone, and generally talked about in all circles. The campaign created a buzz around an already established brand name and kept

the customer’s interest alive in the brand.

Idea became an Aditya Birla Group company in 2006 and in a short span of 5 years, became one of the fastest growing mobile operators in a highly competitive environment that included not just Indian operators but some of the global telecom giants as well. Despite the testing times in a sector already cluttered with a large number of service providers, Idea’s unique marketing and communication approach has always played a significant role in distinguishing the brand. Its earlier campaigns with the

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famous ‘What an Idea, Sirji’ tagline and the witty ‘No Idea, Get Idea’ series have already been amongst the most popular brand campaigns in Indian advertising.

Idea’s focus through all its campaigns has been to put a smile on the consumer’s face even while talking about complex social issues like population, deforestation and even caste divides. It swiftly evolved from being a regional player to being a credible national network. The marketing brains behind the brand decided to portray its national footprint through the story of India’s diversity. The

Its endeavour to remain creative, socially conscious and witty has resulted in the brand being amongst the top three key players “Honey Bunny” campaign was born out of this aim of re-establishing its panIndia network status after the success in the spectrum auction in November 2012. The catchy tune, inane but abso-

lutely adorable lyrics and shots of happy Indians from every corner of the country singing the song, resonated with the brand’s national presence even as it celebrated India’s “unity in diversity” in the most fun way possible.

True to its name, the brand backed up the idea with a focused media campaign spanning television, radio, digital media, and even cinema halls. The jingle was an instant hit and within a few days, the song/ TVC recorded more than 2.5 million views on Youtube. Over 2 lakh unique visitors to the “Honey

Bunny” download page on the website in the first two days of the campaign launch demonstrated the power of an idea well executed. Idea also recorded over 5 million downloads of Honey Bunny Dialer Tone which is a record of sorts in itself. Its constant endeavour to remain creative, socially conscious and witty has resulted in the brand being amongst the top three key players in the Indian market, selling SIM cards while making the customers sing “hello pumpkin, pumpkin” with silly grins on their faces. 

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Mahindra’s XUV 500 races ahead of the pack Mahindra builds up the suspense

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he Mahindra XUV500 has been an inspiring brand right from the day of its launch. XUV500 has created a new niche of its own in the Rs10 -20 lakh segment and crossed the milestone of 50,000 sales faster than any other premium SUV. With the car being one of the most admired and awarded in the year, XUV 500 has created the loudest buzz this year.

Mahindra leveraged the power of digital & social media to create an unprecedented pre-launch & launch buzz by amplifying the impact of an innovative digital media strategy. The digital medium allowed consumers to share and have conversations around the brand and was at the core of the launch communication strategy with all other mediums supporting the buzz created online. The approach was a 360°one involving social media, search, databases, online media, video & amplification using the traditional media of TV, print & BTL. Since there existed a great curiosity

Pitch | July 2013

among the customers about the new offering from brand Mahindra, the auto giant decided to build anticipation by revealing the XUV500 online bit by bit.

A microsite showed a webcam feed of a covered XUV500 and more than 4.5 lakh LIKES were required to reveal its parts.

Once the launch was over, the microsite morphed into a very advanced interactive video animation on which people could unveil the XUV500 themselves.

This innovative marketing strategy was a hit and close to 40,000 people unveiled the car themselves & shared it on their social media profiles. Users were invited to the website to uncover the real name & logo of the brand and the buzz created around this unique product unveiling was phenomenal.

Mahindra leveraged the power of digital & social media to create an unprecedented pre-launch and post-launch buzz

A “Guess the price” contest was launched among consumers just 10 days before the launch which took the buzz to an unprecedented level. Digital media promotion, the contest and video content and the social media integration ensured that the XUV site started receiving more than 1 lakh visitors a day, a momentum which resulted in an online viewership of the launch webcast by more than 1.5 lakh consumers. The exceptional interest in the XUV500 was clearly evident when more than 1.5 million people visited its website last year and it attracted a large fan following of more than 1.3 million on Facebook.

To build up on the buzz and to create a fitting high-end experience at dealerships, specialized manpower was hired, trained & deployed for the brand, enabled with innovative technology aids like tablets & kiosks. A premium ownership experience through an exclusive relationship manager & special privileges was provided to all the owners of the XUV500 as a part of an industry first Purple Club programme.

The brand received a tremendous response from customers and reviewers alike and has been a highly awarded car in its first year, with 22 awards from auto experts and numerous other recognitions for the brand. The XUV500 continues to enjoy widespread acceptance from customers in India and leads the High-end SUV segment with a 56% market share in FY2013. Having received a phenomenal response in India, and also in Australia, South Africa and Italy, the XUV500 is poised to make its mark in other international markets. 

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Pitch | July 2013

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BUZZY BRANDS

Anna- The buzz which took the country by storm The firebrand who became a symbol of hope for the country

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hat’s in a name, the Bard had asked the world. The 2011 Jan Lokpal Bill movement that mobilized the indifferent middle classes of India towards a popular social revolution answers this question. Sometimes a name is just what it takes, as in the case of Kisan Baburao Hazare whose moniker Anna Hazare became the symbol of hope and resistance for millions of his followers.

Anna Hazare’s journey from an Army

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jawan during the 1962 and 1965 wars to the firebrand Gandhian who shook the seats of power in Delhi, is a welldocumented story by now. What is often

Anna’s name has stood out in every way possible without spending millions on campaigns or talking of caste and religion

forgotten, are the decades of social activism and self-sacrifice this diminutive figure has lived through in his quest to make Indian society a better place to live in. Consider this: he was awarded the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan a full two decades before the world took notice of his Lokpal agitation and the media rushed to bestow countless “Person of the Year” awards on him. Anna was already a legend in his own right before most of us had even heard of him.

The buzz around his name has seen a steady increase over the decades and no amount of division within the ranks of his movement and criticism by armchair philosophers has ever dented his popularity among the people of the country.

His name is one that is lauded as the “Gandhi” of this generation, adopted by thousands of followers as a war cry against corruption through the “I am Anna” Gandhi caps. Though the Lokpal movement has diminished in scale and significance recently, Anna’s name has lingered on. No mass leaders in the nation except Mahatma Gandhi and JP Narayan have enjoyed such a reputation across the barriers of class, caste and language.

When we talk of brands we aim to emphasise identity, recognition and a unique personality that is clearly defined in an otherwise crowded market. In the world’s largest democracy, with some of the biggest election budgets and a society sharply divided along countless fault lines, Anna’s name has stood out in every way possible without spending millions on campaigns or talking of caste and religion. 

Pitch | July 2013

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Samsung’s Galaxy steals the show with several variants The marketing blitz creates the right buzz

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iant killer. Game Changer. Consumer Favorite. Just a few of the terms used to describe what is arguably the biggest smartphone brand name in the world, Samsung Galaxy. The Galaxy brand name encompasses a large variety of devices in every price range, all of which are based on the open source Android provided by the internet giant Google. The Galaxy brand first came to the market in 2010 and has steadily become the flagship brand for its Korean maker. Market analytics also show that since the launch of the brand name, Samsung has catapulted to the top slot in terms of global smartphone sales within a span of just three years.

The Galaxy brand name quickly es-

tablished itself as a symbol of affordable quality hardware backed by stylish design and a reputable customer service. As its amazingly popular flagship products – the Samsung Galaxy S II and the Samsung Galaxy Note, stormed the Indian market in 2011, the company used the tremendous buzz around the brand to create more products using the brand identity.

The stars of the year for the brand were the Galaxy Note II and the Galaxy S III. The popularity of the previous versions of the devices ensured that the consumer was waiting with bated breath for these products. Samsung whipped up the excitement by launching a marketing blitz in the country that ensured

The stars of the year for the brand were the Galaxy Note II and the Galaxy S III

Pitch | July 2013

there was no corner of popular media left unutilized in its attempt to connect with the Indian consumer. Displaying a keen understanding of the evolving preferences of the Indian consumers and their unique demand for dual sim devices, Samsung repositioned the brand to create a new segment in the Smartphone market by launching economical handsets with the Galaxy tag. Each one of these new phones: the Galaxy Y Duos, Galaxy Y Duos Lite and Galaxy Ace Duos, met with a very strong consumer acceptance.

Not content with ruling the smartphone sector in the nation Samsung expanded the Galaxy family by introducing the Galaxy brand tablets. With a brand name that rivaled the most famous tablet maker in the world and with added features like the ability to make voice calls, the series became another feather in the cap for the brand. A whole new breed of smart devices was created when Samsung launched the Galaxy Camera which combined high performance photography features with Android OS and 3G/ Wi-fi connectivity to create the world’s first truly connected camera.

Samsung’s successful marketing, smart pricing and effective product designshave made them the buzziest brand in the market. In December 2012, the brand demonstrated its market power by selling more than 10 million Galaxy devices since the launch of the first Galaxy device, Galaxy S in June 2010. With newer launches, attractive discounts and financing schemes and an evergrowing dealer and support network, the buzz around the brand stays as powerful as ever. 

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ageless brands

Seprator

• • • • • Pitch | July 2013

Lux Colgate Dettol Cadbury Amul 25

AGELESS BRANDS

Beauty fades but Lux continues its legacy A beauty brand that has survived through generations

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tarting its journey as “Sunlight Flakes” laundry soap in 1899 in London, the Lux brand has survived two world wars, the rise and end of communism, the end of colonialism and the advent of the information age.

Throughout the passage of time,y the brand has managed to remain a clear market leader in its segment, creating and consolidating its position as an ageless brand. Through new variations, multiple rebranding exercises, new marketing strategies and constant engagement with its customer base, Lux has managed to remain a branding superpower.

In 1924, Lux established itself as the first mass market toilet soap in the world.

It became a major brand before the end of that decade and its founders decided on the strategy of marketing it as a “beauty soap”, a tag the brand carries on its shoulders till today. It was during this era, when Lux was creating its brand identity, that it started a classic marketing trend.

The marketing strategy of the soap was simple: if the most beautiful women were seen to be using and endorsing the brand, it would undoubtedly attract women of all ages towards it. A simple idea that would become the staple of advertising campaigns forever thereafter; it was Lux that pioneered female celebrity endorsements.

Internationally, the brand has associated itself with some of the most legendary beauties in the world, including Audrey

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Hepburn, Marlene Dietrich, Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor. In India, Lux continued its global tradition by having almost every major Bollywood actress appear in its commercials. From the first ad in 1929 starring Leena Chitnis till today, Lux has endeavoured to position itself as the “beauty soap of the stars”. Through the decades that followed actresses like Asha Parekh, Helen, Hema Malini, Rekha,

The founders decided on the strategy of marketing it as a “beauty soap”, a tag the brand carries on its shoulders till today

Madhuri Dixit, Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and almost every other actress of importance, have endorsed the brand name. It has become almost a tradition to acknowledge the new star status of a young, upcoming actress once she is declared as the new “Lux girl”.

The brand continually reinvented this theme over the years. Shahrukh Khan appeared in the ads, celebrating the new found metro sexuality of the Indian male while Abhishek Bachchan starred with his wife Aishwarya Rai in their first ad together for the brand. The timeless appeal of this simple marketing philosophy has been extremely effective for the brand that has earned its mass appeal. Lux is the clear market leader in India and has the distinction of being a billion dollar brand globally.

Pitch | July 2013

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Colgate, the evergreen brand among FMCG products What keeps Colgate relevant till today?

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ome brands become household names and it is next to impossible to replace them with newer ones.

Colgate is one such name which continued to grow over the years with its loyal user base. The brand, which has a presence in India since 1930s, has established itself as an iconic household name among its users. The company has been able to reinvent the brand with the launch of newer products in the market. In the last one year, Colgate’s rural distribution has grown by 25% and it continued to drive growth in toothbrush sales with Colgate ZigZag and Colgate Super Flexi products. Recently it had launched Colgate Total Pro Gum Health toothpaste and Colgate Visible White toothpaste.

Colgate Visible White toothpaste that

Pitch | July 2013

promises one shade whiter teeth in just one week was launched by ColgatePalmolive India at an exclusive fashion show by fashion designer Manish Malhotra. Designing the collection especially for the launch of Visible White, Manish’s collection was called “The Visible White Beauty” collection. Over the years Colgate has been associated with eminent ambassadors endorsing the brands. The ageless association began with Kapil Dev in the yesteryears of Brand Palmolive shaving cream. This has continued through the years with numerous brand ambassadors lend-

With the help of new ranges, campaigns and strategies, Colgate has kept reinventing itself

ing their persona to communicate the message of oral care for Colgate brand variants. Colgate entered the gum care segment with the launch of Colgate Pro Gum Health. The company has tried to spread awareness about cavities in children with the campaign “1 in 2 children suffer from cavities”. The campaigns were initiated at points of sale, on the packaging, especially with the mobile dental vans going to different cities and underprivileged areas. It has also launched the sensitive range saying “1 in every 6 suffers from sensitivity”.

Colgate, in partnership with the Indian Dental Association started Oral Health Month (OHM) initiative. ‘Oral Health Month’ involves in-clinic free cavity check-ups, school contact programs, mobile dental vans with free cavity check-up facilities and other engaging awareness activities. With ‘Mission Zero Tooth Cavity’ OHM travels across more than 1,000 cities and towns in the country with 25,000 participating dentists. The initiative has reached out to over 3.7million consumers. Its popular campaign Colgate Active Salt challenge was conceptualized keeping in mind that Indians considered salt good for oral health. The Colgate Active Salt- ‘Kya Apake Toothpaste mein namak hain’ campaign has focused on the taste of the toothpaste. The new challenge was “Taste Challenge - does your toothpaste taste Namkeen ya Mitha?”. With the help of these new ranges, campaigns and strategies, Colgate has kept itself relevant in the ever changing environment.

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AGELESS BRANDS

Dettol maintains reliability with new offerings Dettol’s timeless presence and ageless grace

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or decades, the sole remedy for countless cuts and bruises suffered by children on the playground was the reassuring smile of loving mothers and the familiar, healing sting of Dettol. A staple in millions of households in India, the brand has been around for such a long time and with such a remarkable market penetration that despite the launches of several rival products, Dettol remains the undisputed market leader in its category, making it a true ageless classic.

The brand began its journey in 1933 when the first bottles of Dettol antiseptic liquid were launched across the nation.

Marketed by the Indian arm of the global FMCG major, Reckitt Benckiser since the very beginning, Dettol was something of a novelty when first introduced. Advertisement campaigns ran aggressively in the 60s, promoting the image of the Dettol name as a sure cure against infections. The branding exercise was a success and the product sold almost five million bottles a year by the late 70s.

Dettol has always stressed upon the unique market image it has created of a cross between a household good and a medicinal product. Its marketing campaign also built upon this image. Starting from the 60s, they focussed solely on educating the Indian consumer about the need to protect from germs and infection and how their product was the right one for the purpose. They also realised that for such a branding exercise to work, the target audience needs to be the Indian family. In every campaign since then, the product has focussed on featuring a mother with her child, making the strong symbolism speak for the protection the

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brand offered to the consumer while nurturing an emotional connect with them. Building upon its image as a medicinal product Dettol has been able to project itself as a trusty and completely reliable brand name.

Another critical factor in the enduring

Dettol has stressed upon the unique market image it has created of a cross between a household good and a medicinal product

success of the brand has been its ability to reinvent its identity and offer new products to the consumer. The Dettol brand soap was launched in 1981 and the iconic Dettol hand wash in 1994 creating newer consumer bases for an already established brand. Both went on to become market leaders in their own sectors while the Dettol brand continued to grow with more products like hand sanitizers and kitchen gel. The image of the brand as a product trusted by mothers and doctors alike, first created by the original antiseptic lotion, has carried over to these new launches.

Dettol’s strong consumer connect sees it dominate the market as it charges ahead of competition. ď Ž

Pitch | July 2013

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Consumers celebrate Cadbury’s changing taste Cadbury stays relevant in a changing market

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he dark and delightful food of the gods has been better known in India by the name of one brand which has lived through decades of change in the market: Cadbury. The brand has been synonymous with the product, an extremely rare achievement that speaks of dedication, innovation and a constant connect with the consumer, by the team behind the brand, in order to create a true ageless wonder.

Cadbury began its journey in India in

1948 as an imported chocolate brand.

Over the years the company spread its operations within the country and established several manufacturing facilities and also invested in domestic cocoa cultivation. Currently, Cadbury India operates in four categories: chocolate confectionery, milk food drinks, beverage and candy & gum categories and operates through well-known brands such as Dairy Milk, Perk, Gems, Bournvita while also introducing internationally recognized brands, such as Oreo and Bournville.

Cadbury shares a unique relationship with its customer base and this fact is seen through its dominant market share of over 70% in the chocolate confectionary sector and its nomination as a consumer favourite in a number of surveys. This enviable position has been created through constant brand repositioning and clever market strategies over the years.

The “kuch khas hai zindagi mein” ad with an elated female fan running on to

It is a brand associated with love, laughter, care and family ties, its legend enduring through decades

Pitch | July 2013

the cricket pitch was one of the early ads which made the brand stand out.

Cadbury continued the trend with extremely likeable ad campaigns like the “Khaane Waalon Ko Khaane Ka Bahana Chahiye”, “Kuch Meetha Ho jaye”, “Pappu Paas Ho gaya” and the famous “Aaj pehli tarikh hai“ taglines, each of which endeared itself to the Indian public. Never one to rest on its laurels , the brand moved on to the tag line “Subh Aarambh” and then told us that something auspicious demands something sweet in India. In the recent years they have emulated this success with new brands like Bournville, which had its quirky series of international ads to support it and Dairy Milk Silk with its catchy “kiss me” song. Every tag line created by the brand has become a part of common parlance including Bournvita’s “main hoon badta bachha” slogan and the 5 Star addicted Ramesh-Suresh’s advice “Pitaji ki patloon ek bilan choti kar do”.

Cadbury has been considered one of India’s best advertisers over the years.

With these campaigns as a strong launch pad, Cadbury created products for every group of consumers. Dairy Milk was an everyday chocolate, Celebration was meant as a gift, Gems was popular among the kids, while 5-Star and Perk were a hit among the youth.

Bournville was for the chocolate connoisseurs and Bournvita was on every mother’s monthly grocery list. It was a brand associated with love, laughter, care and family ties, its legend enduring through decades, making it one of India’s most famous brands and an ageless wonder. 

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AGELESS BRANDS

A household name that makes a connect with every Indian The utterly relevant Amul

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uilt on the strong foundation laid by the legendary Dr Kurien, Amul (GCMMF) has become a household name in India and continues to be popular with each one of us. Who can forget the “utterly butterly delicious” girl, an integral part of the Amul campaign?

Since the consumption of milk is universal cutting across regions and agegroups, the company has designed its entire product-portfolio in an innovative manner. The product portfolio is designed around the concept of the human lifecycle with there being products for consumers in each and every stage of their lives.

In the last one year, the company has worked on repositioning milk as the world’s original energy drink, helping to popularize the milk drinking habit among youth. It has used youth and sports related platforms such as

the London Olympic Games 2012 (it sponsored the Indian Olympics contingent), English Premier Football League (EPL), IPL Extraa Innings and co-branded campaigns with youth and sports oriented films such as recently released, ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’, ‘Superman–Man of Steel’, ‘Spiderman’ etc. Its association with the Indian F1 Grand Prix as sponsor of Sauber F1 team and ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 were also efforts in the same direction. These campaigns have served to further enhance its youth connect and strengthen bonding with the next generation of consumers. “We have also been leveraging digital media, specially social media networks to enhance our brand connect with younger audience. Amul’s Facebook brand page has a fan base exceeding one million. In addition, we have almost 15,000 follow-

In the last one year, the company has worked on repositioning milk as the world’s original energy drink ers on Twitter,” says R.S. Sodhi, the Managing Director of Amul.

The upcoming golden jubilee of Amul’s topical campaign, recognized as the longest running advertising campaign, was celebrated with the launch

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of a book Amul India in 2012. This book is a salute to 32 lakh farmers who with their entrepreneurial spirit and hard work created one of India’s strongest and truly iconic brands. The dimension of ‘topicality’ which is inherent in this campaign, contributes substantially towards keeping the brand contemporary, fresh and relevant in the mind of Indian consumers. The company has managed to strike a chord in the heart of all Indians, while being seen as fresh and current. To some extent, this has facilitated longevity of the brand and enabled it to flourish and thrive by ensuring relevance to Indian society during the last fifty years.

Amul’s contribution to nation building and its stellar role in triggering socioeconomic revolution in rural India was highlighted in its iconic TV campaign, showcasing achievements of rural women in the Amul cooperative movement. The lyrics of this campaign were so popular that it was converted into a full-fledged music video in 2011. In 2013, this campaign was taken forward to a new level, further highlighting the spirit of women’s empowerment which is a direct consequence of Amul cooperatives.

Innovation has always been an integral part of its culture and in line with this approach, the company has recently introduced milk-based beverages in highly convenient PET bottles for on-the-move consumption and also in attractive slim cans. These launches will help it redesign the imagery of milk from a plain white commodity to a wide range of trendy beverages. 

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

BANG FOR THE BUCK • Micromax • IndiGo • McDonald’s Seprator • Fastrack • Renault Duster

Pitch | July 2013

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BANG FOR THE BUCK

Micromax becomes a trailblazer The brand gives you “bang for your buck”

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ndia’s love for the mobile phone is a globally recognized fact. Apart from sheer volumes of sales, India was also recognised as a consumer base which was very accepting of new technologies, making it an ideal market for a product that constantly pushed the boundaries every six months or so. However, the sector has been one dominated exclusively by multinational brands. Challenging the might of the global giants who dominated this volatile market was a tall order for any home-grown firm, mostly because the label conscious Indian consumer automatically regarded a local name to be both down-market and unreliable. But one local brand, Micromax, has not only been able to break free from this perception but has also become a trailblazer for other desi brands by overtaking many international names in terms of sale, within just five short years.

Apart from the extremely affordable pricing of its products and the technological threshold afforded by the open source nature of the Android OS, Micromax has also been helped by the success of its marketing drive. It has given it a secure place in a market where brand consciousness almost equals product effectiveness for millions of consumers.

With “Nothing like anything” as its motto, the company created brand awareness for its name by associating with big Bollywood names like Akshay Kumar for endorsements in the earlier days. However, the cutthroat competition in the sector meant that the brand constantly to kept itself within the consumer’s sight.

The brand’s marketing team had their task cut out for them. “I have always believed that great products are made in factories, but great brands are built in consumers’ minds” says Shubhodip Pal,

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Chief Marketing Officer, Micromax .“Micromax has always been a consumer driven company.

All marketing campaigns so far are a reflection of the brand’s echo of the youth’s pulse. For this, the company has aimed to connect across the three pillars which resonate most with the Indian consumers - music, movies and sports,” he adds.

True to this philosophy, Micromax ensured brand visibility at scales not even global brands could match. Micromax partnered with some of the biggest entertainment properties in the country like the IIFA Awards, Asia Cup 2012, Color Screen Awards, Sunburn Music Festival, MTV Videos Music Awards and even events like the DJ Tiesto & Snoop Dogg concerts. It also cashed in on India’s love for sports and associated with premier sporting events such as the UEFA Champions League, FIFA Confederations Cup, the English,

“I have always believed that great products are made in factories, but great brands are built in consumers’ minds” Shubhodip Pal | Chief Marketing Officer, Micromax

Spanish and Italian football leagues, PGA Golf, Formula1, Moto GP, tennis Grand Slams, WWE and almost all major cricketing tournaments. They also collaborated with major television shows across all genres including the music awards on MTV and VH1, major sitcoms on channels, premiers of movies, and even family friendly children’s shows.

The marketing blitz worked well for the brand as its name became omnipresent in the country. Micromax became the third largest mobile phone brand in India. With newer product launches, a dedicated fan base for its name and aggressive expansion into digital marketing, Micromax continues to stay at the top. 

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

Indigo makes news for all the right reasons Indigo Airlines keeps travel affordable and convenient

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he Indian airline industry has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. First it was the failure of the state carrier to take-off successfully, then rumours of mergers, fancy airlines going bankrupt overnight and the dirty battle over FDI; the continuous news reports about the Indian airline brands bleeding money gets even the most ordinary person concerned. In a market where all airlines were losing millions of dollars every year, IndiGo has been a ray of hope. It remains the only airline to continuously post a profit year after year and also become the only brand to register a fourfold growth in the last fiscal.

Operating 422 flights daily, with 66 brand new A320s, connecting 33 destinations, Indigo has become a consumer favourite for its penchant for keeping the basics correct. The flights are no frills affairs and yet have a reputation for being punctual. Started in 2006 when the budget airline craze was at its peak the company’s founder Rahul Bhatia firmly kept the brand’s nose to the ground and focussed on providing a hassle free travel experience instead of gimmicks and frills.

The brand’s marketing has been clean-cut and uncluttered as well. The campaigns are designed to entertain viewers and find a place in consumer memory. Some of its tongue-in-cheek

Pitch | July 2013

BRAND OF THE YEAR

Operating 422 flights daily, with 66 brand new A320s, connecting 33 destinations, Indigo has become a consumer favourite ads like : “We do it 28 times a day”, “What the fudge?”, “Sleep with your wife” and “Sheikh it baby” are quick to grab eyeballs even when displayed in simple white letters on a plain blue background without any star power to back it up. An active social media pres-

ence where passenger experiences and human stories take precedence over gimmicky campaigns coupled with small touches like a step-less boarding ramp (a blessing when travelling with children and differently abled persons) also help in establishing a unique brand image.

With designer clothes for its crew by names such as Ambika Pillai and Rajesh Pratap Singh, IndiGo is in no way short on the style quotient. But,

as every air traveller will agree, good food and a smart staff count for nothing if flights are late, and IndiGo has an enviable on-time record of around 90.2 per cent for months. This enviable reputation, affordable fares and quirky advertising campaigns with IndiGo’s signature ‘Arrowplane’ logo have helped it gain mindshare. The brand builds up on this customer goodwill with its principles of commitment to provide a simple, hassle free experience; ontime performance and ensuring that the customer gets what he sees. With its international expansion, more domestic flight routes and acquisition of aircrafts, the IndiGo experience is here to stay.

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BANG FOR THE BUCK

Affordability and standardisation have worked for this brand McDonald’s popularity is unmatched in India

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he smiling face of Ronald McDonald, the Chief Happiness Officer of McDonald’s, started welcoming customers in India in 1996. A spinoff of the hugely successful international chain that served quintessential American fare, McDonald’s success in a market where a huge majority of people were either unaware of their products or simply preferred the spicier Indian street food, is a study in corporate positioning and marketing. From – chains in the first year to a whopping – chains in 2012, McDonald’s have successfully established its place in the Indian market.

The key reason behind the success of the chain has been its mantra of providing hygienic food with an international brand name attached to it at

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prices that even local restaurants find hard to beat. From busy office goers looking for a quick bite to college goers on a shoestring budget, McDonald’s has positioned itself ideally with a menu which offers you a wide variety at prices less than Rs 150. McDonald’s has always been famous for its market adaptability and its India centric offerings of McSpicy burgers and the extremely popular “Happy Price Menu” in 2004 and the

McDonald’s has become a rare international brand to follow the golden Indian mantra of “sasta, saral aur tikau”

kid friendly, budget plan “Happy Meal “ have made it the family restaurant of choice for every section of the great Indian middle class.

McDonald’s key USP - branded affordability - has also been creatively portrayed over the years through memorable campaigns which convey in clear terms that the customers can choose from and take advantage of the range of menu options, unbeatable prices and the brand name of McDonald’s and go home happy. The Disney branded toys with the “Happy Meals” are a simple and highly effective strategy which sees thousands of kids pull their entire family towards the nearest McDonald’s for a quick meal.

Over the years, McDonald’s has worked towards a fully integrated marketing and communication campaign which had television as the lead medium, along with a smart utilization of print, outdoor, radio and digital platforms. It also boasted of engagementled on-ground activities such as mall activations and consumer promotions.

The brand’s marketing in social media has won them many fans and awards alike. They displayed its reach when they used Facebook as a medium to bring in customers to a newly opened restaurant in Coimbatore and were able to achieve a successful city opening with minimal advertising spends.

With an unbeatable price range, a firm place in the heart of the consumers and constant marketing innovations, McDonald’s has become a rare international brand to follow the golden Indian mantra of “sasta, saral aur tikau”. 

Pitch | July 2013

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Fastrack offers style in an affordable range Capturing the youth with attractive pricing

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e Indians value the money we spend. Most middle class Indians like to spend their money on wise purchases that provide them the bang for their buck. Titan, the watch-making arm of the Tata conglomerate has been one such brand, serving an attractive buffet of products for years. But by 1998, Titan realised that the brand was strikingly distant from what was going to be India’s biggest consumer demographic in years

Pitch | July 2013

to come: the youth between 15-25 years of age. It was to compensate for this deficit that the Fastrack watches were launched as the “cool watches from Titan”.

Through multiple rebranding exercises the Fastrack brand name endeavoured to get closer to its target audience. The brand underwent a major image makeover in the mid-2000s.

Fastrack was one of the first Indian brands to be prominent on social media

The product portfolio was redesigned to create a range of smart, funky and youthful watches the likes of which were till now available only through pricey international brands. The second major change was the extremely attractive pricing the entire range now boasted of, its watches ranging anywhere from Rs 250 to Rs 4,995, making it an affordable choice for the college crowd who wouldn’t want to stick to the same design for a long time.

At the same time, Fastrack started creating its own brand identity, independent of the shadow of Titan. The advertising was quirky and appealing for its consumer base and included gems like the naughty “how many you have” and the latest ad series of “move on” that celebrated its youthful image and accompanied the expansion of the brand into new categories like eyewear, bags, belts, wallets and wrist brands. Fastrack was on its way to become a complete fashion brand for the Indian youth.

Fastrack was also one of the first Indian brands to be prominently visible on social media, maintain a Facebook page at a time when Facebook had not gained popularity. Always ready to experiment and innovate, with a keen ear tuned to crucial customer feedback and needs, this brand has become one of Young India’s favourites. Sasta, saral, tikau and yet incredibly fashionable, Fastrack has grown from a mere Rs 29-crore sub-brand in 2004 to a Rs 615-crore independent brand and looks to grow further with new ranges of T-shirts and helmets being launched soon.

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BANG FOR THE BUCK

Duster becomes the game changer for Renault Duster gives bang for the buck, creates a new segment

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he Indian auto market is a challenging and extremely complex one. Seemingly amazing products fail to resonate with the public while some other offerings get lapped up eagerly and become record breakers. Impossible to predict and difficult to steer, this market has seen many International giants kneel before the picky Indian consumer. Globally respected automaker Renault seemed destined for a similar fate when its partnership with another auto giant Mahindra fizzled out after only one single launch. However, the strangely unpredictable nature of the market played its part once again and the brand is now the proud owner of one of the hottest cars of the previ-

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ous year, the Renault Duster: a unique automobile that has wowed the critics and consumers alike.

The European carmaker had not given up in the least after its initial disastrous foray into the Indian market. With a critical need to reintroduce the brand as a premium offering, Renault reentered the Indian market with a firm resolve to both increase profitable sales and develop a credible dealership network beyond the metros. With this in mind, the first image drivers, the Renault Fluence and Koleos

The launch of the Duster turned out to be Renault’s trump card. The Duster created a new segment, offering an accessible premium SUV

were introduced in July and September 2011 followed by the Renault Pulse in January 2012.

The company needed a star product, one that would bring it sales as well as an image of a reliable car maker. With this vision of broadening the consumer base, Renault decided on a niche sector. Aiming to capitalize on the Indian love for SUVs, the company launched the Renault Duster in July 2012.

The launch of the Duster turned out to be Renault’s trump card and a game changer. The Duster created a new segment, offering an accessible premium SUV as an alternative to sedans. With an extremely attractive price range between Rs 7.69 - 11.99 Lakh the consumers were quick to show their appreciation for the brand. Indian customers are fascinated by mileage, price and looks of the car which also churns up an impressive power of 84 bhp coupled with a ground clearance, custom made for Indian roads.

The Duster changed the way India views compact SUVs and with 29 prestigious awards from customers and experts alike, the brand became one of the most popular SUVs in the country. For Renault, the brand has been a true superstar, being solely responsible for a tenfold increase in monthly sales as compared to last year. The Renault Duster has also compelled the industry to sit up and take notice, and respond by launching vehicles in the same category at a breakneck speed. The brand has offered the biggest bang for the buck to the Indian consumer in the auto industry, for the year. 

Pitch | July 2013

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globetrotters Seprator • • • • •

Pitch | July 2013

Dabur Marico Emami Hidesign Airtel

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GLOBETROTTERS

Globetrotting its way into people’s hearts Dabur creates its own place in the global market

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abur had humble origins as a producer and dispenser of natural Ayurvedic medicines, founded by Dr S.K. Burman, a physician in Bengal. He created Dabur long back in 1884 to successfully produce and market effective medicine for ordinary villagers. The brand endured through the years as a producer of traditional Indian products and grew into India’s largest Ayurvedic medicine manufacturer.

First seeking a global expansion in 1987, Dabur took the export route and created an international market by followed its loyal customer- the common Indian man. As the Indian diaspora’s presence grew in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the United States, those already familiar with the brand created a demand for Dabur’s products. Exporting the natural lifestyle products created a healthy revenue source for the brand which had a turnover of more than Rs 1000 crore by the year 2000.

As the brand became more established in international markets, its tar-

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The brand capitalised on the growing global awareness on alternative medicine and holistic lifestyles get audience started changing as well.

The brand capitalised on the growing global awareness on alternative medicine, holistic lifestyles and an interest in herbal products. The international marketing strategy of the brand focussed on increased availability and enhanced visibility of its products which were being sold in more than 60 countries all over the world within the next decade.

Along with special herbal health care and personal care range successfully selling in markets ranging from the Middle East, Far East, North Africa and Europe, Dabur also created inroads into several European and American markets that displayed good potential

for growth due to a resurgence of the back-to-nature movement. Dabur also became one of the truly global Indian firms when it established six manufacturing facilities outside India. It also began the export of food and textile grade natural gums, extracted from traditional plant sources and active pharmaceutical ingredients to Europe, Latin America, Africa and other Asian countries. Dabur’s overseas business now contributes 20% to consolidated sales led by CAGR of 33% in the last 5 years. With names like Vatika, Hajmola and Real juices associated with it, the Dabur brand doesn’t seem to be slowing down soon.

Dabur has been in a constant state of growth over the last couple of years. It is now among the largest FMCG companies in India and also recognized as the nation’s biggest over-the-counter healthcare company. Thanks to its strong domestic roots and enhanced global reach, the brand crossed the billion dollar turnover mark in 2012.

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Marico cuts across borders to emerge as a global brand

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arico, an Indian company, which not only caters to the needs of every household in the country, but has managed to rapidly expand its operations overseas by offering a wide range of products. Marico, with its diversified portfolio of pioneering brands has steadily built a presence in emerging economies across the globe. It is now strengthening its youth portfolio along with beauty and wellness. Marico is currently undergoing a significant transformation with an increased focus on personal care and youth brands. In 2012-13, Marico’s India revenue grew by around 18% led by an underlying organic volume growth of about 11%.

The company has been focused on increasing its footprint in emerging economies around the world. Its foray into the global market had positioned the brand well in the international market. With a presence in 25 countries across Middle East, Africa, South East Asia and neighboring nations within the Indian subcontinent, international revenue had boosted the company’s overall growth. In some countries, Marico has started operations by setting up manufacturing facilities and driving distribution to the neighboring regions. Marico International has made over six acquisitions across Asia and Africa in the last seven years.

The company has added new products in its portfolio as a result of its expansion in the international markets and it expects to leverage this position to derive synergies from portfolio across geographies.

Marico India’s fully owned subsidiary in Bangladesh has made investments behind existing and new products such as value added hair oils (vaho) and hair dye.

Pitch | July 2013

It has a full-fledged manufacturing unit in Gazipur (near Dhaka) to cater to its domestic requirements. In 2012, it has set up its second factory which is based out of Sirirchala. Today, Marico Bangladesh is listed on both the stock exchanges of Bangladesh; DSE (Dhaka Stock Exchange) and CSE (Chittagong Stock Exchange).

The firm’s journey in Egypt began in 2006-07 when it acquired leading local hair care brands – Fiancee and HairCode.

Marico is currently undergoing a significant transformation with an increased focus on personal care and youth brands

Both brands were acquired along with their manufacturing facilities. The company had set up a Greenfield factory in 2008 in Sadaat city, around 150 km outside Cairo, to make Egypt a sourcing hub for products sold within the Middle East and North African (MENA) region.

Marico entered the GCC region in 1990s and has been expanding its footprint across the Middle East with Parachute’s presence also in Levant, Iraq, Yemen etc.

It entered the ethnic hair care and healthcare market in South Africa in 2007-08, with the acquisition of the Consumer Division of Enaleni Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Marico has made timely inorganic acquisitions to boost revenue and market share in South Africa. The expansion, collaboration, acquisition is a testimony to its growing international footprint. 

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GLOBETROTTERS

Emami leverages its universal appeal, rules local and global markets

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mami, the company associated with widely recognised brands such as BoroPlus, Navratna, Zandu Balm and Fair & Handsome had modest beginnings in the 70s era in Kolkata. It started as a humble home grown firm that manufactured cosmetics and ayurvedic medicines, whose young founders were commonly seen rushing across the city’s cobbled streets on hand rickshaws, peddling their products from shop to shop. In almost half a century the brand is today not only an established Indian FMCG major but is also one of the rare “desi” international powerhouses with its presence in over sixty countries across the globe.

Emami firmly remains a truly national brand and is visibly proud of its innate “Indianness”. Its products have a unique appeal that permeates down to the smallest demographic in the country and the brand actively works towards retaining its popularity in the Indian middle class and the often overlooked rural markets. The figures speak for themselves as the last year alone witnessed a strong growth of 31% in

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the rural segment for the brand, contributing around 26% to its total revenues. The brand’s strategy remains true to its ideology with a frequently talked about mission of putting at least 80% of India’s villages with population of ten thousand under its coverage map in the next fiscal year.

In tune with the nature of its products and their ability to create FMCG markets in almost every part of the country, the marketing strategy of the brands produced by Emami have traditionally relied on consumer insight, demand and aspirations. Emami recognizes niche segments by securing proximity to consumers and their needs, quickly following up by devising new concepts, scaling these ideas into products and developing them into household brands. Where others have

The marketing strategy of the brands produced by Emami have traditionally relied on consumer insight, demand and aspirations

only sought to push the same product in urban, middle and rural markets, Emami has chosen to tread the path of innovation. It is Emami which created market space for male fairness products where none existed before, with its brand “Fair & Handsome” and introduced a niche segment with the ayurvedic product “Navratna”. All their products are heavily promoted by leading film and sports personalities, a simple marketing strategy that works well in semi urban and rural markets.

This keen understanding about innovating products to suit local demand and marketing them to the bottom of the pyramid has been successfully leveraged by the brand to develop insights for promising markets across geographies and demographics. This has been the marketing trump card for Emami over the years and has fuelled its global expansion. Today, the brand enjoys a strong presence in over 60 countries across the globe spanning the GCC countries, Europe, Africa, CIS countries and SAARC countries. Its individual brand like Boroplus, which is already a market leader in India, also enjoys leading market positions in Russia, Ukraine and Nepal, whereas Fair & Handsome rules in Bangladesh, Nepal & UAE and Navratna Oil in Bangladesh and Nepal. While Multi- National Corporations seek to manufacture a demand for their international products in India, Emami not only responds to local consumer demands by producing products that have been overlooked by global FMCG majors but also successfully sells the same in markets abroad. The company continues to expand with a new manufacturing unit in Bangladesh having been recently set up and is all set to carry its uniquely Indian spirit to every corner of the world.

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Hidesign’s universal appeal makes it a global hit The brand that combines the contemporary and traditional

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ounded in 1978 as a two-member workshop, Hidesign has evolved into a global brand recognized for its quality, ecological values and personalized service. The face behind this brand Dilip Kapur, who grew up in Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, made sure that the brand appealed to people in the global market. From its humble beginnings with just one cobbler and Rs 25,000 to a Rs 150-crore company with 3,500 people, 84 exclusive stores and a distribution network in 23 countries, Hidesign has stayed focused on innovation, natural tanning processes and craftsmanship.

Hidesign connects to the young and self-confident on a global scale,

through the raw sensuousness and beauty of natural leather and its great craftsmanship. The three mantras -natural, eco friendly and handcrafted have helped the brand position itself in the global market and it continues to progress with these values. The company’s campaign “Lady Godiva” from last year, is a perfect example of how it has connected with and conveyed these values to its customers. The idea for the campaign came from the brand itself – its attention to detail, hand-crafted heritage, use of vegetable tanned and hand polished leather, its people and its international design sensibility. On the other hand, it came from the consumer’s experience with the brand. “The making of the campaign was a collaborative interpretation of the concept behind the campaign - Lady Godiva - her passion, spirit and individualism that reflects the connection the brand has with its consumers across the world. We received tremendous response from customers across the world,” says Dilip Kapur, President, Hidesign.

Hidesign stands out for sensuous naturalness of its high quality leathers and

Hidesign has consistently tried to create space in its consumers’ minds by emphasizing recycling

Pitch | July 2013

smooth soft glow of its solid brass fittings in its leather goods. Learning from the centuries old skills of tanning with natural seeds and barks, Hidesign has created fashionable leathers that age exceptionally well.

In 2012-13, the company has seen tremendous growth and expansion. It ventured into sunglasses which define Hidesign not only as a luxury leather goods company but also as an international lifestyle brand. Maintaining its global appeal, Hidesign introduced its luxury sub-brand designed by Alberto Ciaschini. “We were delighted to bring to the spotlight our craftsmanship through this new avenue, which seems a natural growth for us,” adds Kapur.

Hidesign has consistently tried to create space in its consumers’ minds by emphasizing recycling and reuse. Hidesign in India is positioned in the “affordable luxury” segment. It targets the well traveled, discerning and evolved consumer who seeks something exclusive.

The launch of Alberto Ciaschini handcrafted Hidesign collection will help to further build on the luxury positioning.

Hidesign has ventured into many new markets internationally, consolidated its global brand image and expanded its brand and product portfolio. The brand, without losing its natural and ecofriendly identity has been able to build an international and contemporary image together with the heritage of handcrafting. The brand has performed well in both the Indian and the international markets. It has managed to maintain a balance between both markets, maintaining the same brand qualities and values across the world. 

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GLOBETROTTERS

Airtel expands its footprint in the global market Airtel positions itself in high-growth markets

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he last two decades have seen Indian companies going global like never before. From healthcare to consumer goods to IT, Indian brands have been recognized globally and in a unique turn of events, a nation which was dominated by foreign firms till recently was suddenly famous for the acquisitions and expansions of its homegrown brands. One of the pioneers of this trend has been India’s favourite telecom provider for years, Airtel. With operations in over 20 countries across

The charismatic leader of the Airtel team, Sunil Mittal founded the Bharti Group back in the early eighties. After years of working in collaboration with

Asia and Africa, the brand now ranks amongst the top four mobile service providers globally with respect to subscribers.

foreign firms in India and working with fixed line telephones, the company won a bid to build a cellular phone network in Delhi in 1992. In 1995, Mittal began the cellular operations as Bharti TeleVentures and launched the service in Delhi. Several years of nationwide expansion followed and soon after Bharti Enterprises went public in 2002, the cellular phone operations were rebranded

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With operations in over 20 countries across Asia and Africa, it now ranks amongst the top four mobile service providers

under the single brand Airtel.

Not content with being the market leader in the country, Airtel launched its first international mobile network in Sri Lanka in 2009. A year later, the wires were abuzz with the acquisition of the African operations of the Kuwait based Zain Telecom by Airtel. The deal was reportedly worth $ 9 billion, the second largest acquisition ever by an Indian company and clearly signalled the intention of the brand to position itself in emerging and high growth markets in Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa.

The company strengthened its presence in Africa by setting up a new African headquarters at Nairobi. It launched key alliances with strategic partners across Africa, while continuing to leverage best practices from its home base by setting

up key systems and processes across all functions in the continent. Operations were expanded to 17 countries in Africa and also launched in the Channel Islands.

Closer home, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh saw an increasing presence of the brand with impressive figures of 1.6 and 5.2 million customers respectively. All this while India was busy crowning it the domestic market leader, while singing “har ek friend zaroori hota hai.”

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marketing innovators • Flipkart • Samsung Galaxy S • RedBus

Seprator

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MARKETING INNOVATORS

Flipkart’s marketing mantra keeps up with consumers’ expectations A brand that has become synonymous with innovation in e-retail

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hen Flipkart commenced operations in 2007, the concept of online shopping was still at a nascent stage in India. Through its intelligent use of Information Technology and user interface, Flipkart claims to have doubled its revenue every quarter since its initiation. At the same time there was immense potential of growth in the sector, given that the disposable income of people was on the rise, communication technology was becoming more accessible and people were now powered with information which influenced their buying decisions. The e-commerce boom as well as the services that the brand provided made it one of the top retailing websites. It prided itself on being able to provide almost every product imaginable to online shoppers.

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The last five years have seen e-commerce grow from a fledgling sector to one that has attracted companies and investors alike. Flipkart has been at the forefront of this growth, evolving to become a brand that has become synonymous with innovations that strive to make online shopping a delight. The large number of transactions (over 2 million every month) is a clear indicator of the trust that customers have placed in the brand.

From a two member team at inception to a workforce of close to 6,000 today,

One of its major achievements in recent times has been the extension of its platform to the marketplace model

the Flipkart story is not just about a successful Indian start-up but one which has contributed significantly to creating a new category (e-retail) from scratch in the country.

One of its major achievements in recent times has been the extension of its platform to the marketplace model.

This allowed third-party sellers to access Flipkart’s large base of 95 lakh registered users. While creating a marketplace was always on the cards, the primary objective was to gain customer trust. The stringent norms that Flipkart has set in place for sellers with the primary objective of keeping the customer experience intact are beginning to pay off. More and more sellers have expressed interest in partnering with Flipkart, while consumers are getting advantage of a range of products and prices.

Over the years Flipkart’s customer traction has remained robust. The introduction of additional categories has further expanded the product portfolio and its target audience. However, 2011 will always be considered a crucial year in Flipkart’s journey as it not only adopted aggressive marketing techniques to attain a dominant position in a cluttered market but went on to become a household name, commanding a high brand recall.

Flipkart’s campaigns have always stood out amongst the clutter of brands trying to establish their presence in mainstream media. The portrayal of children as grownups was done with the sole intention of dispelling any myths associated with online shopping. The stories were constructed on the basis of customer feedback and highlighted the benefits that were associated with online shop-

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ping in general and Flipkart in particular.

The ads have managed to tackle issues of online shopping and instantly connected with shoppers.

“When I joined Flipkart, I realised how it will be more about growing a brand that enjoys a loyal base of customers rather than convincing users to experience it once. Though Flipkart’s user base had grown 10 times by March, it was not that easy to figure out what would click with online shoppers in India,” says Ravi Vora, Vice-President, Marketing, and Flipkart.com. The company woke up to above-the-line advertising with the

launch of its first campaign in April, but that wasn’t very successful. In September, Happy Creative Services, Flipkart’s advertising agency, came up with three commercials addressing online shoppers’ concerns such as online payments and apprehensions regarding product quality. The ads featuring kids who behaved like adults were a hit with viewers. “There are many great ads but few of them find a place in the memory of viewers and we have achieved this with these ads,” says Vora.

In an interesting marketing initiative last year, Flipkart used social media as an

active platform to preview its new campaign even before it went live on television to a dedicated base of 50 lakh users.

The brand then took the feedback from its followers to gauge the popularity of ads and accordingly fine tuned its marketing plan.

The e-commerce sector is poised to grow rapidly and the entry of newer players only proves what Flipkart had identified five years ago. Today, as one of India’s largest online retailers with its eye on innovations, Flipkart has scope to go a long way. The Flipkart story has only just begun.

Samsung Galaxy, a marketing innovator Bringing innovation to the forefront

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large screen with a stylus for everyday operations was a fad that had lived out its utility in the early 2000s. The onslaught of touch screen phones that could be operated with the users’ fingertips sounded the death knoll for the technology. Or so we thought.

The Samsung Galaxy series, which was already wildly popular in major global smartphone markets demonstrated the ability to truly innovate and come up with a path breaking product when it launched the Galaxy Note in 2011. Armed with the biggest screen anyone had ever seen on a smartphone and a stylus called the S-pen, the phone was radically different from all other smartphones in the market. Many critics predicted its doom, citing the unwieldy size and the use of an “outdated” stylus as the reasons. Samsung, however had other plans.

Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) devices in the 1990s used the stylus as a primary input method. Many other touchscreen smartphones in the 2000s also included

Pitch | July 2013

styluses; but a traditional stylus could only be supported on pressure sensitive resistive touchscreens, while the Galaxy boasted of both a capacitive touchscreen and a stylus, offering the user a dual use choice. The phone also boasted of features like a dualcore processor, A-GPS with GLONASS, an 8 megapixel shooter and the latest offering from Android, making it a coveted phone.

Samsung’s marketing also showcased the uniqueness of the product. The ad campaigns demonstrated the creative capabilities of the S-pen and the powerful specs beneath the hood of the phone. Far from looking outdated, the innovative S-pen and its many apps actually made the phone

Samsung’s marketing showcased the uniqueness of the product. More than 10mn phones in the series sold worldwide

stand out from the many competitors in the segment. The same gigantic screen size being doubted by critics earlier was such a rage among the consumers that it created a whole new segment of smartphones: a category called “phablets”.

2012 saw the expansion of the Note brand. The successor to the original phone itself increased every specification of the product, from the screen size to the processor and RAM. The S-pen was even more polished than ever and the loyal fan following carried over from the previous version to make the Note II a success. Samsung also introduced the Galaxy Note 800- a tablet with the Note brand name that built upon the pedigree of the Note phones and the popular Galaxy Tab series.

With more than 10 million phones in the series being sold worldwide since the launch and the continued dominance of the brand in its segment, the Galaxy Note brand has stolen the hearts of millions as the flagship product of the World’s largest smartphone maker. 

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MARKETING INNOVATORS

Redbus.in rides high on innovation Reinventing the game

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n the festival of Diwali in 2006, Phanindra Sama didn’t get a ticket to go to his home town.

Hopping from one agent to another, anxious to make it to his loved ones in time; he realized the frustration felt by millions of ordinary Indians in a transaction as simple as booking a ticket. While the government ran the railway ticketing portal and a plethora of private sector options existed for the air sector, there was simply no unified way of booking a bus ticket in the country. Sama realized the opportunity in this and started the project of bringing all the buses on one platform with his friend Charan Padmaraju which came to be known as RedBus.in RedBus.in, from the very start, was a consumer centric brand. For six years, the portal gathered steam via consumer trials, repeat usage and word-of-mouth, and evolved into a high traffic website for such transactions in the country.

Over all these years, RedBus strove to provide better visibility & seat access to consumers by providing access to an unmatched seat inventory of over

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1000+ bus operators with 5 lakh seats per day spread all over the country and still allowing the consumer the option to select the seat based on his preferences.

The Redbus website was the product, brand and marketing hub all rolled in one and the company focused on making it more attractive to the consumer.

The site was built with deep consumer insights on how consumers liked to book bus tickets, what their pain points were and what further delight factors could be added. In the last one year alone, the website has been introducing at least one new feature every month. Some salient features on the site are user ratings and tips that help a customer choose the right bus, GPS enabled location and actual photos of bus boarding points and issuing m-tickets for people who’d

The Redbus website was the product, brand and marketing hub all rolled in one

rather go paperless. There has been a continuous expansion of home delivery centres for people who do not wish to transact online, which now extends to 30 cities of India.

In 2013, redBus.in went mobile with its Windows and Android app, and quickly became the highest downloaded Android travel app within the space of a few months. The app was even featured on Google Store’s global site as a shining example. The brand also introduced features like one-click Payment (securing credit card details for safe & easy future transactions) and route analytics for bus operators to efficiently plan their investments and running of buses.

The marketing mantra of the brand has been a single minded focus on the product itself. It is the service which endears the brand name to the users and creates a marketing buzz. In 2013, redBus.in started to reach out to the mass audiences who were not booking online.

A new marketing mix was devised with a combination of TV advertising, digital display, social media as well as onground activation. This has significantly enhanced the visibility of the brand. After a record breaking sale of the brand to the ibibo group in a deal that was the biggest overseas strategic acquisition of an Indian Internet asset, RedBus.in continues to live by the credo of effective marketing practices with total measurability at the heart of all activations. Never resting on its achievements, numerous innovative techniques are being tried to reach out to customers, giving them an easier and more convenient way to book bus tickets. 

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impactful launches • • • • •

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Tanishq Mia Windows 8 Samsung Galaxy S Gangs of Wasseypur Jabong

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IMPACTFUL LAUNCHES

The launch with an impact Tanishq’s Mia strikes a chord with working women in India

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old jewellery in India is often limited to traditional or designer statement pieces. But the past years have led to certain shifts in perceptions and usage of gold jewellery with a renewed emphasis on the element of modernity.

With the changing lifestyle and role of women in society their taste for jewellery design is changing too. In the quest for being nimble, neat, and up-to-date, women in the professional sphere cannot live without accessories that can express this personality. Today, women are more open to experimenting with their jewellery and are inclined towards innovative, stylish and new-age designs. They constantly seek

minimalistic, easy to wear, light-weight jewellery that can quite effortlessly blend with their attire. Tanishq Mia is the answer to the need of today’s multi-tasking women. Tanishq has redefined the contemporary work wear jewellery category with the launch of Mia. Innovative products, communication of messaging and a stronger consumer- connect have been the three

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main pillars for the success of Mia. Mia offers a range of fine, urban-chic, affordable jewellery starting at Rs 4,999. It is exclusively crafted keeping the needs of today’s working women in mind.

Following the success of the first edition, it launched two new range of designs in 2012 and 2013. These editions were supported by a wide range of gold earrings, rings, pendants and neckpieces all at affordable rates. Apart from TV commercials and print ads, it went a step further to showcase its range for working women.

Mia’s marketing and communication efforts have been woven around the theme of celebrating working women and their love for their work. To enhance the “Loves to go to Work” proposition, Tanishq introduced ‘Mia on Wheels’ – a specially designed bus that drove women to work from select locations across the city of Bangalore. During their journey, they were offered to try on Mia jewellery and could also get fashion tips from established stylists and designers. This was a special service designed for Bangalore consumers who could avail it by registering online.

This campaign was very well received and it plans to take this experiential tour to other cities.

Understanding the needs of the working woman and her hectic lifestyle, Tanishq extended its reach by setting up Mia department stores at select locations to make its jewellery more accessible.

Social media has also been one of the most important elements in the marketing mechanism for Mia. The digital medium has brought the brand closer to customers, taking the customer-brand relationship to a new level. With more than 4 lakh Likes on Tanishq’s Facebook page, 2,800 Twitter followers and 3 lakh blog visitors –social media platforms have played a great role in the success of Mia . This helped it create a deeper connect with current and prospective customers.

Furthering their efforts in social media, Tanishq launched the ‘My Expression’ campaign in 2012. This campaign was to bring consumers a step closer in creating the jewellery that they aspire to wear. It was in the form of a competition where

The digital medium has brought the brand closer to customers, taking the customer-brand relationship to a new level

consumers were asked to create designs that they would want Tanishq to craft and manufacture for them. This competition saw an overwhelming response from across the country and 12 winning designs have been incorporated in the third edition of Mia. Mia has been able to connect with the women of today. 

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A Window into the future Windows 8 takes the market by storm

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indows is the single most iconic product of the digital age, with its reach spread over every corner of the globe. Created by Bill Gates, Windows is the most popular operating system in the world with estimates of an almost 90% market share in the personal computer segment. The buzz around a new version of the software always creates a storm in the market and the case of Windows 8, the successor to the market leader Windows 7, was no different. Launched in October 2012, the OS sold 8 million licences in just four months.

The marketing in India surrounding the launch of the product quickly created an atmosphere of intense anticipation.

A multi-pronged approach was adopted with a mix of ATL and BTL activities, all of which created a positive impact for consumers.

The TVC featuring the Australian artiste Lenka was a hit on the web along with the song “Everything at once”. The Indian ad featuring the “Mujpe Daav Laga” song which showcased the new features of the touch enabled “Metro” interface of Windows 8 with a youthful appeal also became popular. 5600 radio spots coupled with RJ and consumer speak in 20 cities created instant recall for the Windows 8 brand. The brand also tied-up with India’s leading English daily, Times of India and reached 40,000 AR (Augmented Reality) experiences. To connect with the masses, a total of 590,000 demonstrations were conducted in 20 IT hubs, across 19 malls and 180 cinemas. To take the Windows 8 experience to the youth, the brand participated in the IIT Kanpur Technical Festival and offered demonstrations to participants from colleges across the country.

The brand rolled out a concentrat-

Pitch | July 2013

The brand rolled out a concentrated digital campaign. More than 1.3 million consumers were targeted through it. ed digital media campaign. More than 1.3 million consumers were reached through the digital campaign. Windows 8 had India engaged and intrigued at its launch with a 64% increase in engaged users during the launch phase. Consumers could take a demo of Windows 8 at any computer store and share their experience on the official Windows India Facebook channel.

Windows 8 also tied-up with Aamir Khan and his movie “Talaash” to leverage the Indian passion for Bollywood. After

the tie-up, almost 50% of conversations on Windows FB page were about Talaash.

The tie-ups with all major laptop and desktop brands in the country makes Windows 8 poised to replace Windows 7 and XP as the OS of choice for Indians.

With its refreshingly new touch interface, Windows 8 is also showing great presence in the tablet and smartphone market. The Nokia Lumia phones featuring the OS have revived sales for the brand and created a new segment for those bored with Android/iOS. With record breaking global sales, a refreshingly different look and a revitalised presence in the smartphone market, Windows 8 has made quite a splash since its launch. With its pedigree and unmatched support from millions of loyal fans, the brand remains as big and impactful as ever- the undisputed ruler of the OS market. 

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IMPACTFUL LAUNCHES

Samsung Galaxy Note wins the hearts of millions Samsung positions itself as the leading smart phone manufacturer

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he Samsung Galaxy series was already popular in major global smart phone markets with its range of affordable and technologically superior phones. In 2011, Samsung launched what would be the flagship phone for its Galaxy series- the Galaxy Note in 2011. The phone was unique and

bestseller for Samsung and helped it consolidate its position as the world’s leading smart phone manufacturer.

Samsung followed up the craze with the second version of the phone- the Galaxy Note II in September 2012. An advertising campaign that stressed upon the evolutionary development of

x 720 pixel density. It shipped with a super-fast, 1.6 GHz quad-core processor with 2GB RAM and boasted of an 8 megapixel AF/ Touchfocus camera with full HD video recording as well as a 1.9 megapixels front camera. The smart phone worked on the latest Android Jelly Bean OS.

Samsung had taken a chance by launching the biggest screen anyone had ever seen on a smart phone and S-pen, a stylus which many considered to be a trend whose time had passed.

The phone became a massive hit with users who loved the “phablet” and all of its unique features- right from the 5.3 inch screen to the exclusive apps based on the S-pen. The original Note notched up an impressive fan following with over 10 million sets being sold since launch. The brand was a global

features users already loved in the first phone, worked its magic in the market and the phone became one of the most anticipated products of the year. The phone boasted of a gigantic 5.5-inch (14-centimeter) screen with AMOLED touchscreen and 1280

The Phone’s launch was a massive success, with the Note II selling 3 million sets in its first 37 days of worldwide launch, according to company reports, a number that further swelled to 5 million within two months of launch. The popularity of the phone was there for all to see as the Note II was selling thrice as fast as its predecessor, which was already a bestseller. The trend continued in India with reports claiming that the phone was a bigger seller than the other power brands like the Apple iphone 5 and Samsung’s own Galaxy S III, making it the market leader in its segment. 

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The Phone’s launch was a massive success, with the Note II selling 3 million sets in its first 37 days of worldwide launch

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“Gangs of Wasseypur” finds instant connect with the audience The marketing blitz adds to the hype around the release

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stablishing the name of a new brand takes time and patience and an understanding of the market. However, when it comes to movies, the marketers have very little time to exercise their options. In India it is star power alone that helps in such a situation and that is why it comes as a great surprise that one of the most talkedabout movies of 2012 (a year filled with great movies throughout) boasted of no major “stars” in it. It was its own identity; unique, earthy and intriguing, that made Gangs of Wasseypur a great brand last year.

The enfant terrible of Indian cinema, Anurag Kashyap, was the man at the helm of affairs and true to his reputation the movie was an eclectic mix of great characters, quirky plots and subplots, raw violence and an innate “indianess” in its every aspect. Made in two parts the movie was premiered as one feature at the mecca of movies,

Pitch | July 2013

the Cannes Film Festival and earned a standing ovation. Back home, the movie had a great run at the box office while also sweeping the critics’ choice awards in the face of tough competition.

While the direction by Kashyap and the sterling performances by Manoj Bajpai and Nawazuddin created a positive word of mouth hype for this unconventional crime saga, the marketing of the “Wasseypur” the brand was critical in drawing the initial audiences to theatres. The essence of the film was its unabashed, bold and almost atrocious confidence, aptly reflected in its mar-

It was its own identity; unique, earthy and intriguing, that made Gangs of Wasseypur a great brand last year

keting campaign which was defined in one sentence. ’Teri kehke lunga’! Starting with a trailer launch in a small single screen theatre instead of a 5 star, the humble gamcha making a debut on the red carpet in Cannes along with tuxedos and cocktail dresses, a music launch on open Jeeps, bullets for merchandise, Wasseypur Patrika (a 4 page black and white news tabloid) in multiplexes and funky ‘Womaniya’ T shirts broke every tradition and every norm of Bollywood publicity. Poster and outdoor ads inspired by seedy ‘Manohar Kahaniya’ covers, television spots amplifying the kitschy cool content and an award winning digital campaign added to the buzz around the movie.

The soundtrack of the movie was provided by the brilliant Sneha Khanwalkar who created the music in a unique manner made famous by her MTV Sound tripping show where the voices of local artistes and ordinary people were mixed with everyday sounds and catchy beats. The second movie continued the trend and its buzz of characters named “perpendicular” and “definite” and ads promising “Sabka badla lega Faisal Khan” kept the audience interest alive. After the hype of the first part of the movie, the marketing team cashed in with social media audience engagement campaigns such as ‘which wasseypuri character are you?’, ‘wasseypur poster contest’ and ‘wasseypuri citizen certificate’ on Facebook that garnered more than 2,50,000 fans. With nearly 50 crores in revenue and a permanent place in cinema history, Anurag Kashyap’s epic was an emphatic success. 

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Jabong launches its way into Indian hearts Jabong, a delight for the online shopper

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aunched with the might of the global dotcom juggernaut Rocket Internet behind it and buoyed by the huge investment that flowed in from the Samwer brothers- Rocket’s owners and famously reclusive German internet billionaires, Jabong.com aimed at the top spot right from its launch in January 2012. The intention was made clear as the online fashion retailer aggressively bulldozed its way ahead and was on top of the charts as the most trafficked etailing site in India within months of its launch.

Jabong.com targeted consumers in the age group of 16 to 35 years and made many overtures to reach out to the largely untapped market potential in the tier II and III cities. They decided upon India’s reputation as the fastest growing Internet market in the world and the increasing Internet penetration across the country thanks to a plethora of “smart” devices as the lynchpin of their marketing strategy.

Staying true to the philosophy behind other Rocket Internet startups, Jabong concentrated on establishing a strong online presence in its initial months, shunning the traditional print and television advertising route. Almost 90 per cent of all their marketing drives were focused

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on the digital and social media sectors with advertising, contests and social media presence being the three distinct thrust areas. The strategy quickly brought them to the notice of their target audience—the young Indian who is comfortable on the Internet and willing to spend money online. This completely obliterated the need to spend millions to reach out to a wider audience who would simply not be interested.

Within a little over a year of its launch, Jabong boasts of 1.5 million fans on Facebook, 20,000 followers on Twitter and an impressive following on new age social platforms such as Pinterest and Google Plus as well. Its marketing strategies evolved quickly to suit the quirky nature of its young consumers and have attracted attention due to their inexplicable ability to

Targeting the relevant consumer and being selective on the medium that we choose are the key pillars of our marketing strategy” Manu Jain | Co-Founder, Jabong.com

keep their social media followers hooked.

The brand’s first TVC was launched in March 2012 as it needed to attract the first time online shoppers to its site. A second TVC soon followed the first in September 2012. Marketing tie-ins with the two biggest hits of the year Ye Jawani Hai Deewani and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag also helped in increasing the brand’s visibility and special collection catalogues for both the movies available on the site made it more popular for its young fans.

The clarity and single minded focus behind their marketing is the key behind the success of Jabong’s establishment as a brand. “We have focused on targeted campaigns to capture consumer attention. Targeting the relevant consumer and being selective on the medium that we choose are the key pillars of our marketing strategy” says Manu Jain, CoFounder, Jabong.com. “Initially awareness was built through Social Media, Search Engine, Display advertising such as GDN, Affiliates, E mail advertising etc and then gradually we moved on to television advertisements”, he adds.

The brand aggressively targets audiences online and the sheer number of ads generated by it, is testimony to the massive amount of money invested by the brand for its digital marketing campaign. Though the long term returns on this investment remain to be seen, the immediate aim behind the campaign has most definitely succeeded. The brand has not only topped the Comscore charts for the most trafficked e-tailing site in India but also held on to the top slot constantly for the past five months, a difficult feat in the fluid online market. It was an impactful launch that was unmatched by any in the industry throughout the year. 

Pitch | July 2013

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resurgent brands • J&K Tourism • Pears • Bata

Seprator

Pitch | July 2013

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RESURGENT BRANDS

J & K tourism gets a much-needed spurt Tourists flock once more to the valley

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very brand has a shelf life. No matter how successful its name is or how popular its identity has become, every good idea comes with an expiry date. It needs to be reinvented, rejuvenated and revived.

The tourism industry of the state of Jammu & Kashmir was in urgent need of an overhaul. Its iconic shikaras and houseboats, snow covered slopes and apple cheeked happy people were once a trademark of India’s most successful tourism market. However, rampant insurgency in the idyllic Kashmir valley in the late 80s left an indelible impression in the minds of tourists, proving detrimental to the state and its tourism industry.

In the 70s, J&K was the go-to place for every Indian. From a young and rebellious Shammi Kapoor romancing the “Kashmir ki Kali” in movies to hun-

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dreds of young honeymooners cozying up on boat rides on the Dal lake, J&K was the destination of choice for the masses. However by the end of the 90s, the tourist inflow had dimished to a trickle, kept alive only by the few faithful pilgrims hiking up to Vaishno Mata shrine and the annual participants in the Amarnath Yatra.

As the two decade long fight against terrorism waged by countless unsung heroes of the Indian Army started bearing fruit in the mid-2000s, the

Ladakh has become India’s favourite destination for both domestic and foreign tourists alike

state government decided to ramp up efforts to revitalize the tourism sector. It was hoped that the tourism industry would be a bridge reconnecting the state to the rest of India while providing employment to over 30% of its population. The shikara logo of the J&K tourism department was splashed across popular media and once more the brand name attracted curious visitors.

Massive infrastructure drives complemented the efforts of reviving tourism. Roads were built where dirt tracks existed earlier including the iconic Mughal Road across the Pir Panjal Mountains which hosted a popular Himalayan motorsports rally recently.

Crores of rupees were spent by the central government in developing basic public amenities and assisting local businesses in recovering from decades of decadence. Filmmakers were invited with open arms and we saw Aamir Khan on the shores of a sylvan lake in 3 Idiots while Ranbir Kapoor came to the state twice to shoot, Rockstar and Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani. Airports were revamped, brand new railway tracks laid and world class helicopter services were provided as key attractions. Taj revived its iconic Vivanta hotel in Srinagar and luxurious properties opened their doors for tourists in Gulmarg. The tourists responded positively to the efforts of the government and the state tourism has seen an exponential increase since 2006.

Ladakh has become India’s favourite destination for both domestic and foreign tourists alike. Over one crore

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

tourists visited the state last year apart from the several lakh more who visit the holy shrines in the state, contributing millions to the state economy. It was an impressive increase from 1998 when

only a lakh had dared to venture there.

Through the tenacity of its people, the efforts of its government and the unforgettable bravery of the Army jawans who continue to guard its borders, J&K

tourism has risen from the ashes like a phoenix. Mughal Emperor Jehangir’s immortal words ring across the valley once more “Agar firdaus, ruhe zamin ast, hamin asto, hamin asto, hamin asto.” 

One of the world’s oldest brands still going strong The innocence of Pears stays intact

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ears” is one of the oldest soap brands in the world. First sold in 1789

by Andrew Pears at Oxford Street in London, England, it was the world’s first mass-market transparent soap and was introduced in India in 1912. The Lever brothers acquired the brand in 1917 and the brand has since been sold in the nation under the HUL umbrella.

The Pears brand is actually associated with some of the most important historical facts of branding and marketing.

According to Unilever records, Pears Soap was the world’s first registered brand and is therefore the world’s oldest continuously existing brand. Before

the brand was acquired by the Lever brothers, the man responsible for marketing the soap was an Englishman named, Thomas J Barratt, regarded by many as the “Father of Modern Marketing”. His innovative ideas of selling the

Pitch | July 2013

soap became the basics of marketing in the coming decades and one of his print ads for the brand named “Bubbles” continued for the better part of a century, making it one of the longest running ad campaigns ever.

The brand used the emotional image of a mother and a daughter to sell its product

In India, the brand was popular due to its different look and feel and its smartly targeted marketing campaign. The brand used the emotional image of a mother and a daughter to sell its product, stressing upon the transparency, delicacy and innocence of its product. The tag line “Aisi twacha aur kahaan” was its staple slogan for years and firmly established it as a family beauty product.

Pears continued to carry its image and stressed upon its product as a “pure and gentle” soap. The brand always worked around this image as was visible in its TVCs titled “Masoom Pears” featuring the iconic

mother daughter relation once more. Unilever now produces the brand in India and has retained the legendary concave, transparent and amber colored styling of a 200-year-old brand, to retain its position as one of India’s most loved brands. 

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RESURGENT BRANDS

Bata revamps itself to appeal to a wider audience Bata India’s story of resurgence

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ata is one of a handful of brands whose identity will forever be linked with Indian life in the preliberalisation era. With its simple shoes and designs Bata had become so entrenched in the Indian middle class family that it was easy to forget the brand was a part of the International Bata Shoe Organisation, a Swiss based company that holds the world record for the “Largest Shoe Retailer and Manufacturer”.

Bata India started life in 1930s in a small town near Kolkata that is popularly known as Batanagar today. Over the years the brand established itself as India’s number one footwear company and was being sold in every corner of the nation. Its marketing representatives saw opportunity everywhere. The story goes that shoe reps from the world over dismissed Africa as a potential market while the Bata rep exclaimed ‘Nobody in Africa wears shoes. So, there’s a huge market for our products in Africa’!

But times changed swiftly in India.

The brand, like many other established brands, faced tough competition after the Indian markets opened up to the world. With dozens of international brands investing heavily in the country with a range that attracted the all-important youth demographic, Bata was suddenly facing a dire future. It was fast earning the reputation of being a relic of the license raj days.

But the brand was swift to bring about changes. It leveraged the massive distribution strength (Bata India has around two times the number of stores as its nearest competitor) and the prod-

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Bata leveraged the massive distribution strength and the product portfolio to attract customers uct portfolio (which straddles segments and price points to provide options to every type of consumer) to attract customers. With revamped inventories, a fancy “Discover New” marketing campaign and offers of great discounts the whole year round, Bata brought back the customers to its fold. Bata also ex-

panded its range by designing, sourcing & marketing many international footwear brands such as Hush Puppies, Naturalizer, Marie Claire, Sundrops, Dr.Scholl’s, Power and Weinbrenner.

The brand retained its iconic logo but revamped its stores nationwide to create a more hip and customer friendly look and also added 189 new stores to its already long list. A net profit of 21% in 2012 was testimony to the successful resurgence of the brand. Today, Bata India has firmly settled into its position as India’s largest footwear retailer.

It retails through over 1,350 Bata shoe stores located in over 500 cities across India & offers comfort, convenience & choice to its customers. 

Pitch | July 2013

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Rechargers • • • •

Pitch | July 2013

Godrej Mahindra Rise Canon or Nikon Hero

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RECHARGERS

Godrej reinvents its persona

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national icon, the Godrej brand is a name for a century old Mumbai based conglomerate that is involved in a staggeringly diverse portfolio of industries ranging from personal care to industrial solutions, raking home over three billion dollars annually as revenue. In its early days, Godrej enjoyed market dominance as the only Indian manufacturer of items as diverse as safes, lever locks, soaps and typewriters, creating one of the first home-

grown super brands recognizable in markets across the Indian economic landscape.

Holding on to this hard earned title however, was a challenge that had seen many others fail.

With the influx of many international brands and the increasing fickleness of the choosy Indian consumer, the Godrej brand name and its enviable reputation had started losing some of its sheen in the early years of the new millennium. The brand was perceived to be “old” and dated, and in a market that was dominated by a national population of people below thirty, being “not cool enough” was an ominous sign for

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even an established name like Godrej.

The company first started the process of rebranding the Godrej name in 2008. The brand name was splashed across all media with a new colorful avatar and along with it an internal framework was set up to reinstate the value of the Godrej brand by consolidating its presence across all the businesses within the Group. This rebranding exercise was aimed to create a more contemporary corporate entity that would

The rebranding exercise was aimed to create a more contemporary corporate entity to connect with India’s new demographic establish a strong connect with India’s new demographic.

After several non-starters like the 2010 GoJiyo campaign centered on a browser based virtual world, the company conducted a brand valuation exercise in 2011 to identify the factors that would recharge

the Godrej name and lead to growth. “This time, we concluded it was time to showcase the scale and width of what we have brought to the market and the new look it gives the Godrej Portfolio” says Tanya Dubash, the Executive Director and President (Marketing) for the Godrej group. The results of the exercise now focused on creating a central marketing campaign for all its products around the recognizable Godrej name and the new innovations it promised ( with the famous “Aamir Khan dressed as a woman” ad series) along with refurbished campaigns for its individual products like Cinthol ( with its new ‘alive is awesome’ theme).

The brand was committed to make this campaign a success and reached out across all forms of media. TV was chosen as the primary medium, with the IPL serving as the lead media property to get reach and impact along with niche and regional channels.The reach on IPL alone was spectacular, with over 1.5 billion views. Digital medium complemented the TV efforts by providing interactivity with the brand idea. A Facebook fan page and a YouTube channel were set up and actively promoted. The fan page has 8.3 lakh fans, and the YouTube channel delivered nearly 5 million views in just 8 weeks.

The campaign was successful in its aim of rebranding Godrej in accordance with the times and allowing it to shed the image of an antiquated company that produced mundane items like locks. The campaigns were able to attract the all-important youth demographic while emphasizing on current innovative consumer technologies.

Godrej’s approach with its “ideas that make life brighter” campaign, was different from most rebranding exercises that focus on corporate philosophies, past laurels or vague promises of the future. It was thus able to create a brand new market positioning while reworking an already famous brand name. 

Pitch | July 2013

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRESENTS

Mahindra recreates image with Rise initiative

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company that was started in the years before the nation won its freedom and which etched an enduring image in the minds of its people as the makers of sturdy tractors for the rural markets, Mahindra has today come a long way from its earthy origins. Today it’s an Indian corporate, with stakes in businesses as diverse as aerospace, agribusiness, automotive, components, construction equipment, defence, energy, farm equipment, finance and insurance, industrial equipment, information technology, leisure and hospitality, logistics, real estate, retail, and two wheelers. Recreating its image and recharging its market identity was one of the toughest jobs faced by the brand as it had to carry out the dual task of erasing an already successful, albeit limiting, market perception even as a new identity was being created keeping in tune with its latest avatar.

As Mahindra evolved so did its marketing and branding strategies. When the brand name established itself in the auto market with the Scorpio and Bolero SUVs, the

beginning to gain importance in Indian business. But for Mahindra, identifying the group with the human ambition to Rise was a key part of this forward-looking strategy.

Soon after revealing Rise as its brand identity, Mahindra set itself the ambitious goal of creating a campaign that would not only communicate, but also demonstrate the brand. The new initiative had to be participative. It also had to place the Mahindra Group as no more than one voice in the broader movement.

It was in January 2011, that the Mahindra Group first launched the Mahindra Rise campaign as a new corporate brand aimed at unifying Mahindra’s image across indus-

new logo of the brand, shaped distinctly like a highway, was introduced. When they acquired the seemingly doomed IT major Satyam, the new brand name “Mahindra Satyam” was proudly displayed in the greatest sporting spectacle on earththe FIFA World Cup. The big challenge for Mahindra was not distilling the brand—but communicating it. Branding was only

tries and geographies. The company leveraged its global presence and conducted studies in countries like Brazil, India, China, South Africa and US to understand customer values and expectations. With these inputs the brand decided to showcase its own rise and growth through a call to action for people and communities to work for change and betterment. The philoso-

Pitch | July 2013

When Mahindra articulated its brand identity, Rise, it was the culmination of a two-year exercise in self-discovery

phy of “Rise” was born, and was reflected across multiple platforms as the new identity of Mahindra. Through advertisements, community engagements and promotional activities, “Mahindra Rise” became a central theme for the brand. When Mahindra articulated its brand identity, Rise, it was the culmination of a two-year exercise in self-discovery. The company realized that a strong, unified brand was a key to achieving the group’s ambition to become a global household name and to satisfy consumers’ increasing desire to identify with the companies they buy from. This was the genesis of the “Rise” campaign.

Keen to develop it more than just a tag line, Mahindra created many activities centred on the “Rise” theme. With the Sparktherise.com portal, the brand not only associated itself with socially responsible projects but also helped them find mentors and funding; a successful initiative which saw them providing grants to 48 different projects. ‘Spark the Rise’ was designed to overcome several barriers to action in India: a sense of disillusionment and disempowerment, a lack of information and communication about initiatives around the country, and a lack of resources. By including public voting in the selection of grant winners, ‘Spark the Rise’ drives innovators to spread the word. The result: collaboration among innovators, an exchange of ideas, mentorship, and even funding. The values of the “Rise” brand have also been incorporated internally in the company with hard work and dedication being the keywords defining their recruitment evaluation, employee empowerment, corporate communication and even business decisions. With this renewed strategy, the advent of Mahindra as a super brand, independent of the identities of its individually successful products, is complete. 

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RECHARGERS

Canon recharges the Indian market with new initiatives What makes Canon click with the youth

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anon has been around in India since 1997 as a maker of consumer electronic products such as cameras as well as office solutions. The parent company is a Japanese business legend, having been around since 1937 and involved in businesses as diverse as consumer imaging products, including printers, scanners, digital cameras, scanners to medical, optical and broadcast products like ophthalmic and x-ray devices. With over 1100 registered patented technologies in Digital Cameras, 2300 in inkjet

printers, 5600 in multifunctional printers and more than 200 in scanners, Canon is one of the leading technology innovators in the digital imaging space worldwide.

The company had taken a straightforward branding route in India by demonstrating its products through television and digital media. The brand ambassador was none other than Sachin Tendulkar, with whom the brand enjoyed an association since 2006. Their marketing revolved around the “God of Cricket” and they

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launched a 100 day celebration when the master blaster reached the hundred hundreds milestone.

Like many other brands in India, Canon also recognised the youth as the single largest demographic to fuel the success of a brand in India. With a new aim of

establishing the brand among the youth, the brand revitalised its marketing campaign in 2012. Along with an internal revitalization of the creative and media duties of Canon India, a fresh marketing budget was also sanctioned to recharge the brand.

In 2012, the company rolled out a new

Canon had a new face for its campaign in Anushka Sharma and a fresh line-up of products

With the aim of establishing the brand among youth, Canon revitalised its marketing campaign in 2012

marketing campaign by roping in young Bollywood actress, Anushka Sharma, as the brand ambassador for Canon’s cameras. What followed soon after was the quirky and innovative ‘What Makes Us Click’ campaign which was clearly focused on the Indian youth. The new PowerShot series of point and shoot cameras was also launched with much fanfare.

With the launch of this series, the brand positioned itself as a technologically superior and yet pocket friendly brand.

Canon’s new marketing initiatives were meant to reach out to a niche target audience and retain the exuberance, energy and appearance of the brand. With a new face for its campaign and a fresh roster of products, Canon India was successful in revitalizing an already known brand name and closed the year with a revenue of Rs 1,850crore, a whopping 21% growth over 2011. 

Pitch | July 2013

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Indians connect with Hero’s new image Rebranding and recharging the brand

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he Hero Honda collaboration between two of Japan and India’s most respected brand names was a resounding success for 26 years. The brand ruled the two wheeler market in the country, endearing itself to the consumers through its amazingly frugal machines, generation after generation. However, when the shocking announcement of their split was announced, most market watchers were extremely pessimistic about Hero’s new solo identity. Most argued that the departure of the Japanese partner was destined to cause a shadow over the technical abilities of the company.

Moreover, the Indian consumer’s unconditional belief in “anything foreign is definitely better” would also make it difficult for the new brand identity be-

ing accepted. It was just a “desi” company now, naysayers predicted in a dismissive tone.

But the Munjal family led company was up to a task never performed by any other corporate entity in India. If the skeptics saw only failure, the Munjals spotted incredible potential and decided to use the very same “desi” image of the brand people were questioning

Pitch | July 2013

as the lynchpin for their rebranding exercise. They were clear in their mind that in a new and confident India, being desi would be the brand’s biggest strength.

Global brand and innovation specialist Wolff Olins was handed over the responsibility to etch out the new brand identity. In Aug 2011, the new logo was revealed and soon after the rebranding exercise started with advertising campaigns that showed off the mas-

The revitalisation of the Hero name was effective because of its emotional appeal to the Indian customer

sive popularity Hero’s existing products enjoyed in every corner of the nation.

The visuals were of Hero owners from every corner of the country, reminding the consumers of the years of trust for the brand name and quickly established an environment of familiarity.

The highlight of the campaign was A R Rahman’s “ Humme hai Hero” song, which spoke of the new brand identity and declared that “there is a hero in all of us”. It was symbolic of the newfound freedom enjoyed by the company post its split with Honda even while it established an emotional connect with the audience. The song soon became one of the most popular ad jingles in the nation.

This revitalisation of the Hero name was effective because of its emotional

appeal to the Indian customer and the innate subtlety of the campaign that never let the message become stronger than the brand itself . Successful in handing over the mantle of India’s biggest two wheeler brand to its new avatar without any of the hiccups predicted by market watchers a year ago, Hero displayed a master stroke in rebranding. 

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Annurag Batra Chairman & Editor-in-Chief, Pitch Magazine abatra@exchange4media.com @anuragbatrayo www.facebook.com/anuragbatrayo

Why do we need to celebrate brands?

I

n these complex and uncertain times, the job of a marketer has become increasingly more challenging. The Indian consumer is spoilt for choice and has access to some of the best brands, the best knowledge, the best services and is confident about what he wants.

The brands that are able to break through this clutter, influence the consumer and create a niche in the consumer’s mind should be lauded for their efforts, for it is no easy task to understand the psyche of the customer and win him over.

Marketers are the centre of our universe and they make the world of consumerism go around. They build brands into personalities that we can relate to; they identify the need for a product, the target customer and devise creative ways to woo him. We think it is important to value the brands that have created value for us, that have stood by us

through thick and thin and continue to be with us. . We also think it is equally important to appreciate those impactful launches that have taken us all by surprise in recent times.

We at Pitch celebrate marketers and the brands they

The Pitch Brands 50 Awards are an effort to highlight the achievements of brands across categories represent. The Pitch Brands 50 Awards is an effort to highlight the achievements of brands across categories and the change they have brought about in our lives.

These awards are about the science and art of “brand building”. They are a tribute to the “brand teams” that have exhibited the power of ideas and innovation, consumer connect, communication impact, and execution. We have also brought to light brands that are “unbrands” or are extensions of

These awards are about the science and art of “brand building”. They are a tribute to the “brand teams” 64

personalities. The judging process began with editorial short listing, nominations by the readers, online judging and additional nominations and culminated in a collective decision by a carefully chosen jury. The brands were judged across

10 categories and it was a close call between Samsung and Indigo to receive the award for “brand of the year”. It finally went to Indigo for creating a product that was truly Indian and profitable even during the most uncertain times for the airline industry.

While an end objective of any marketing activity is to drive sales, Pitch Brands 50- Awards in Marketing Excellence are not business awards; hence we decided not to consider the impact on sales in the selection process. I’d like to thank the esteemed jury who could devote their time to make these awards fair and meaningful. 

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