The Marksman February 2022 Issue by The Marksman

INTERFACE

The

WHERE MARKETING COMES ALIVE

MARKSMAN Stories. Insights. Knowledge. VOL XII | ISSUE VII | FEB '22

STEP INTO THE METAVERSE

EDITOR'S NOTE "As we immerse ourselves and experience a whole new world, reality is redefined."

Aditi Pooja

The idea of an alternate reality sounds enticing, doesn't it? And that's where the concept of Metaverse took shape; in the cradle of the gaming universe. The Metaverse is an immersive virtual environment where participants interact with physical and non-physical components while living a digital life. In 2022, it broke free and became mainstream as companies worldwide embraced it with open arms. From our vantage point, we see a profound impact of Metaverse in the world of Marketing. Now we ask a simple question, Is the world of Marketing ready for a 'Meta'morphosis? With the impossible becoming possible, we dive into the world of Meta to unfold all the potential we believe it holds. Read more about 'Going Meta - Unfolding the future' in this edition's cover story. This edition takes you through brand stories of innovation and philanthropy, the happenings on social media, and much more.

CFA WINNERS: You have not failed to surprise us with your brilliant articles. A hearty congratulations to the folks who managed to be the winner and runner-up of February's edition of the call for articles. 1. Winner - Parva Chandarana, K J Somaiya Insitute of Management 2. Runner up - Meenal Sanjay Soni, Ashoka Business School

Antarip Biswas

The inspiring pieces of work can be discovered in the "Featured Articles" section. We were overwhelmed with the response, and we wish the same for the future as we believe you would respond with the same gusto portrayed in the past.

Less is more

Priyanka Nayak

Less is more

Anushka Dalvi

Less is more

Aditya Mulye

Amrit Prakash Nair

THE WRITERS

Abhishek Rathee

Anirudh Maria

THE WRITERS

THE DESIGNERS

MEET THE TEAM

Hari Shankar Kannan

Chinmaya Sharma

Rijul Ghosh

THE WRITERS

Anshul Sheikh

Less is more

Alipriya Ghosh

Mahak Sonkar

TABLE OF CONTENTS 01

Kickstart You may get your groceries delivered in under 10 minutes now, but this article can be read thrice while you wait for them! Find out how Zepto, a grocery delivery app valued at $570 million in 5 months of inception, disrupted the q-commerce industry.

Cover Story Do you know we already are exposed to some aspects of the Metaverse, though it may feel like a concept of tomorrow? Let’s break down everything from what it entails to the possibilities waiting to be unlocked, to unfold this future.

What's Hot on the Gram

With the advent of new beginnings, social media is buzzing with creativity and innovation. From Tanks to Trends, here's the 'gehraiyaan' brands that have jumped in to warm up the Gram as winter ends.

Brand Markive From square to block, the future is unfolding. We trace the journey of Block, Inc. that is redefining payments and trading systems by empowering customers economically and delving into Blockchain technology.

More than Marketing Heard of a company whose mission is to serve society through science? Let’s find out how Tata Chemicals does just that and more for local communities to create a positive impact truly.

TABLE OF CONTENTS 06

Marketing Buzz The love for Burgers sure makes a customer loyal towards it. McDonald’s was first to realize this and began a Loyalty program like no other. Curious? Read further to know more.

Hallmark Campaign The expression “Hold my Beer” has become a legendary meme depicting something stupid, but Dole has re-written the term to signify goodness and positive eating among the people. So, stop everything and say, “Hold my fruit bowl!”

Pioneer

He is the face of Football for millions of people worldwide and is called G.O.A.T by his ardent fans. He has the highest follower count on social media. He is also the global ambassador for many well-known brands and known for his charitable actions.

Marketflix and Chill Shark Tank has taken India by storm and changed how India consumes content. Find out how brands, influencers, and even the sharks jumped on this wave to make the most of this hype for their marketing strategies.

Mark-o-pedia From conversing with Alexa to experiencing magic come to life in Disney World, we discuss how conversations and experiences meet to transform marketing.

KICKSTART Zepto

Story of a Game-Changing Delivery App

Many Indians can relate to a situation when a mother asks for a grocery product in 10 minutes, and every child has a lazy attitude towards the said request. Luckily, an app will deliver grocery products to your home in just 10 minutes! Zepto, a start-up kickstarted by two Stanford University drop-out students, is set to revolutionize the retail delivery market in India. Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra commenced Zepto, named after a microscale unit of time, to tap into India's one trillion-dollar retail market. Palicha and Vohra are childhood friends, and they decided to leave the computer science program at Stanford University and pursue the idea of Zepto.

-Aditya Mulye

The Idea to create Zepto was accepted by the young founders when they were both stuck at their homes during the first wave of Covid-19 lockdown in India. The founders felt a significant gap in the online grocery delivery market space, and thus Zepto was launched in Mumbai in 2021. Currently, the start-up has expanded its business into other metro cities like Bangalore, Delhi, Gurgaon, Chennai, and Hyderabad. Cities like Pune and Kolkata are in the Pipeline. Zepto has fierce competition in the delivery segments. Other companies such as Dunzo (backed by Google), Naspers Ltd. (backed by Swiggy), Amazon, and Flipkart are also aggressively trying to capture a significant chunk of the retail market.

KICKSTART Currently, the company is backed by a myriad of investors like Glade Brook, Breyer Capital, Nexus, and Contrary Capital. Zepto's management team consists of senior executives and managers from other giant companies like Amazon, Flipkart, Dream11, Uber, etc. Also, Zepto is planning to use the investment mentioned earlier to increase its reach in various cities and develop new markets. Recently, the company has been having a job hunt for roles covering all functions like marketing, supply chain, operations, engineering, and human resources. As a result of the pandemic's supply chain

In December 2021, Zepto had successfully raised a humungous amount of $100 Million piloted by Y combinator, boosting their evaluation to $570 million in a span less than six months from its inception. Before this, Zepto also has managed to raise $60 Million against the evaluation of $225 Million. One might wonder how Zepto is succeeding in luring the investors to invest in their company which promises to deliver goods within 10 minutes. To answer this question, Zepto has set up ‘Dark Stores’ in the cities in which they are operating. These dark stores are designed and optimized for real-time fast delivery, which will help the company to fulfill its promise.

disruptions, a new sub-vertical of the online grocery market emerged: Quick Commerce, or q-commerce, where the promise of delivery within 10-30 minutes of buying is the distinctive selling pitch. Combining the management team's expertise backed up by the vast amount of investment, Zepto is set to become a game-changing grocery delivery app in the Q- commerce industry.

Cover Story Going Meta

Unfolding the future

-Abhishek Rathee

If you haven't heard of the term "meta" yet, maybe it's time to come out of the woodwork, for it's no longer just a word but a whole blazing phenomenon that's sweeping the globe at a rate much beyond our wildest dreams. The Metaverse craze is real, and the day is not far off when all of the stuff we consume will be based on this premise. Neal Stephenson is credited with coining the word "metaverse" in his science fiction novel "Snow Crash," published in 1992. He envisions lifelike avatars meeting in realistic 3D structures and other virtual reality scenarios. Since then, several technological advances have prepared the way for the creation of a true metaverse. This virtual environment blends augmented reality, virtual reality, 3D holographic avatars, video, and other kinds of communication. It also refers to a digital economy where people can make, buy, and sell goods. As the metaverse expands, you will be able to coexist in a hyper-real alternate existence. The promoters of the metaverse envision its users working, playing, and staying connected with friends through everything from concerts and conferences to virtual world adventures. Both Facebook and Microsoft claim control of the metaverse, which has recently been a hot topic of debate. A lot of marketing hype also surrounds this metaverse concept. Because of Apple's move to limit ad tracking, Facebook, in particular, is in a vulnerable position, which has harmed the company's bottom line. The metaverse, according to Bloomberg, is the next big technological platform, drawing online game developers, social networks, and other industry heavyweights looking to cash in on a nearly $800 billion market opportunity. In an attempt to govern the metaverse, Facebook has rebranded itself as Meta. The metaverse is a concept for a threedimensional version of the internet created by various corporations.

Cover Story After much discussion, the business that owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp went Meta on October 28, 2021. They went so far as to nickname all of their staff "Metamates." The corporation has already invested billions in it and will continue to do so in the future. "In the future, you'll be able to teleport quickly as a hologram to be in the office without a commute, at a concert with pals, or in your parent's living room to catch up," Zuckerberg said in a letter announcing Facebook's renaming as Meta. He believes the metaverse has the potential to replace the internet as we know it. The acquisition of virtual reality pioneer Oculus by Facebook in 2014 was already a significant move in this direction. The update was accompanied by a new company logo fashioned in the shape of an infinity symbol that was slightly off-kilter. The massive rebranding is perceived as an attempt to shed a toxic history and deal with all of the negative publicity and political conflicts it is currently experiencing, including how its social networking products are exploited to disseminate hate speech and misinformation. When can we expect to see it? Mark Zuckerberg predicts that it will take five to ten years for the metaverse's essential features to become ubiquitous. Some aspects of the metaverse, however, are currently apparent. Ultra-fast internet rates, virtual reality headsets, and persistent always-on online worlds are now accessible, even if they aren't available to everyone. Here's a look at what's going on right now that could influence the metaverse of tomorrow: Microsoft- With its Microsoft Mesh platform, which combines the real world with augmented reality and virtual reality, the software giant is already using holograms and building mixed and extended reality (XR) apps. The US Army is working with Microsoft on an augmented reality Hololens 2 headset for soldiers to train, practice, and fight in. Xbox Live also connects millions of video game players all around the world.

Cover Story Roblox has also set up a limited-edition Gucci Garden, where you can try on and buy clothing and accessories for your virtual self. Minecraft- Minecraft, a popular children's virtual universe owned by Microsoft, is essentially the digital equivalent of Legos, in which players may create their digital character and build whatever they like. As of August, Minecraft had over 140 million active monthly users. It has exploded in popularity among children who have had to rely more heavily on virtual connections as a result of the pandemic.

Epic Games- "It's no secret that Epic is invested in developing the metaverse," stated Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney. There have been concerts by Ariana Grande and Travis Scott, movie trailers and music premieres, and even an "immersive" re-enactment of Martin Luther King Jr.'s legendary "I Have A Dream" speech from 1963. Roblox- The platform, which launched in 2004, hosts a variety of user-generated games, including role-playing games such as Bloxburg and Brookhaven, in which players can construct homes, work, and role-play scenarios. After going public this year, Roblox is now valued at more than $45 billion. Roblox and Vans have collaborated to create Vans World, a virtual skating rink where users dress up in new Vans apparel.

Unlocking Marketing PossibilitiesIn the metaverse, you have a virtual world where people can participate in various activities as their digital avatars. Users of the Metaverse can shop, interact, and engage in leisure or educational activities. Brands might take advantage of exclusive marketing opportunities in the metaverse's various virtual worlds. Many companies have made use of the metaverse's marketing prospects.

Cover Story Digital marketers must keep up with the most recent technology advancements. Part of this entails comprehending the metaverse and its full potential. Marketers must recognize that the metaverse isn't just a fad; it appears to be here to stay and poised to become the next big thing. Providing an immersive experience to the customers is the key to growth. What comes next? According to Credit Suisse, the metaverse, in which a person feels immersed in a virtual world, will raise data usage by 20 times globally by 2032, and telecom operators Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio are

Anzu, for example, has used advertisements in gaming contexts to track real-time views across mobile and console platforms. Roblox has recently begun running advertisements for brands including Paramount+ and WarnerMedia. The adverts in the metaverse are realistic and blend in well with the action, where they can be found in the correct areas. For example, in-game billboard commercials or branded apparel characters wear provide promising brand exposure. Virtual concerts and shows are making millions for the artists and gaining popularity day by day, especially in the current times, when certain movement restrictions are due to the pandemic.

well-positioned to benefit from the surge in India. According to the report, the metaverse has much potential for increasing screen time and bandwidth usage. However, there are still concerns about data privacy, security, diversity, and ethical behavior — real-world issues that could take center stage in a virtual dimension.

WHAT'S HOT ON THE GRAM

From Tanks to Trends

Celebrating new beginnings

The inception of the new year came with exciting trends for all the brands to hop on. Everything right from the sombre continuation of Covid-19 to the popularity of new series and movies found its place on the social media handles of brands. Sony Television’s prime-time reality show Shark Tank became the talk of the town ever since it first started airing. Even if you haven’t watched the show, you must know the signature styles of the judges and the famous dialogues like Ashneer Grover’s ‘Ye sab doglapan he’ and Namita Thappar’s ‘I am out.’ As the popular show approached its finale, various brands like Zomato, Paytm, Domino’s dove into the

-Anushka Dalvi

tank with their puns. The brands found a catchy Shark Tank dialogue for each relatable situation, from sharing food to splitting bills. Unless you are an alien, you must have spent some days experiencing cold and flu-like symptoms in January. With the rapid spread of the third pandemic wave, Dolo 650 sales shot up, and brands too prescribed it with their memes. While Go Ibibo wished for Dolo 650 to provide relief against canceled plans, Myntra advised people to wear ‘do’ (two) masks to stay away from Dolo. As consumer connect continues to be the primary choice of marketing, many

WHAT'S HOT ON THE GRAM The year drew to a close with the viral hit Excuses by AP Dhillon. The line ‘Kehndi Hundi Si’ brought a flurry of memes on social media. Brands like IndiGo, Swiggy, KFC, Finolex, and even the Mumbai Police jumped on the bandwagon to groove along to this song with their quirky posts. As KFC encouraged the consumers to groove to the crunch of their tempting fried chicken, IndiGo showcased their witty side by telling consumers to fulfill their traveling dreams.

brands are working into slipping everyday relatable situations into their social media pages. Daily occurrences like a biscuit drowning into your cup of tea were inculcated into the memes of brands like Swiggy, stating, 'Think I downloaded the wrong Gehraiyaan.' The joyous Indian festivals of Makar Sankrant and Lohri, as well as the glorious Republic Day, caused all the brands to flood their social media pages with memes and wishes for their followers. Brands like Fevicol, Havells, Crompton, Kotak, Jio, etc., celebrated these auspicious days with their campaigns celebrating the tradition of kite flying, the arrival of the winter solstice, the courage of Indian soldiers as well as the creation of a progressive and digitally advanced 'Naya Bharat.'

The end of the month came with another massive cause for celebration with Rafael Nadal's 21st record-breaking Grand Slam. Brands lauded this victory with Amul, known for its quirky ads, celebrating the joy of 'Rafabulous Taste.' Nike, Nadal's longstanding sponsor, commemorated the moment with an 'Advantage, Nadal' post. In this way, the month of January with its festivities and new trends proved to be a golden month for social media marketing.

BRAND MARKIVE From Square to Block

Adding another dimension to payment

-Hari Shankar

2021 has been a year of transformation for many brands. From Brands like Burger King making their logos minimalistic to Meta’s complete re-branding, the year saw a lot of transformations and changes. Yet another significant Brand following suit is Block Inc., formerly known as Square Inc. Block Inc. is a payments and Fintech company set up by Twitter’s ex-CEO, Jack Dorsey. Jack Dorsey founded square in 2009. It was set up as a Fintech company that provides card readers, retail banking products, and more. The company also owns Cash App, one of the leading mobile payment applications in the US and UK. Block Inc also owns applications like Afterpay (a buy now and pay later credit-based service), Weebly ( a business web hosting service app), and TIDAL (An on-demand music and video streaming subscription-based service active in the Norwegian market). Jack set up square with the vision to increase easy and convenient access to the economy and enable economic empowerment to the masses. The company offers its customers an integrated ecosystem of commerce services to help develop and grow their businesses. The Brand built its ecosystem of services one by one to encompass a complete range of services that offers payment and trading services. Jack Dorsey, himself being an entrepreneur, wanted his platform to be something that could help people with the functioning of their businesses. The company faced a huge loss in 2018. Jack always felt that the brand lacked something, and he believed that it had an enormous scope to expand its portfolio. The brand doubled its revenue in 2021, and things were finally falling in place. The time was right to re-brand Square in 2021 by including a cryptocurrency investing service, with cryptocurrency hype reaching an all-time high. Jack Dorsey is a Bitcoin lover and a firm believer in its scope for growth.

BRAND MARKIVE The craze for cryptocurrency trading and investing has been climbing at an exorbitant rate in the recent past. And Jack Dorsey saw this as a perfect opportunity to rebrand his investment company to include crypto trading services. The name Block resembles the “Blockchain Technology,” based on which cryptocurrencies function. The company added “Spiral” to its portfolio as a part of its transformation. Spiral is an app that enables its users to invest and trade in bitcoins. The rebranding primarily meant that the purpose and vision of the company would remain the same while offering more to its customers by including advanced trading and investment options. Today, Block Inc serves over 80 million users worldwide. The founder viewed the transformation optimistically, and he believes in its immense potential to redefine the payment and trading systems. The new services include an open development platform for bitcoin mining and a hardware wallet option for Bitcoin. Block Inc also has an officially registered three-Dimensional logo. After a steeping downfall in 2018, Block has efficiently leveraged the crypto-craze and their tech to re-brand and transform. However, to stand the test of time, they will also have to make sure that their business is sustainable in the long term and not just dependent only on the momentary craze of the public.

MORE THAN MARKETING Tata Chemicals

Continuous Support to Society

One of the most widely recognized aspects of businesses is corporate social responsibility. Its goal is for the company to grow sustainably. While businesses can focus on producing money, they cannot do so at the expense of society, which includes the environment. Section 135, which operates on a "compliance or explain" basis, requires businesses of a certain size to set aside a minimum of 2% of their profits to comply with the relevant corporate social responsibilities. The Indian government believes these organizations must give back to society in whatever manner they can, but it also requires focusing on their growth.

-Chinmaya Sharma

Tata Chemicals Ltd was founded in Mithapur, Gujarat, by the Tata Group in 1939. Tata Chemicals has made measures for the betterment of society as part of its Corporate Social Responsibilities, which are detailed in their 2017 Policy. The program was primarily intended to benefit the residents of Mithapur and the surrounding areas. Still, it has since expanded to include individuals from Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and other states. Tata Chemicals is well-known for various reasons, including the importance they place on their corporate social responsibilities. Tata Chemicals collaborates closely with local communities to promote fairness and sharing.

MORE THAN MARKETING

Their CSR agenda is divided into four areas: empowerment, inclusion — particularly for women and underserved populations, technology and innovation, and volunteerism. There are three levels of intervention in their operating model. At the most basic level, they strive towards the holistic development of the communities that surround Tata Chemicals' facilities. Students participate in activities related to the Tata group or the business at the next level, such as skill development, holistic nutrition, and safe drinking water. The third tier entails establishing centers of excellence with the necessary expertise, such as coastal and marine conservation. The Tata Chemicals Society for Rural Development was established in 1980 as its first effort focused primarily on rural areas and their development.

For 2019-20, Tata Chemicals has spent 75% more than the required CSR expenditure. The company's CSR budget was set at Rs 21.39 crore but resulted in a total CSR expenditure of Rs 37.81 crore. During Covid-19, the corporation made several steps to help with financial, medical, and community support. This included contributing to state government relief funding, giving sodium hydrochloride, hand sanitizers, medical infrastructure, dry ration distribution, mask distribution, and awareness campaigns, among other things. In addition, the corporation and its workers made voluntary contributions to the Tata Community Initiatives Trust for the same reason. Following the teachings of Mr. Jamshetji Tata, Tata Chemicals is unquestionably giving back more to society than it receives.

MARKETING BUZZ MyMcdonald's Rewards

Customer loyalty programmes

-Amrit Nair

Brands that implement incentive programs can boost customer loyalty and frequency of purchases while also establishing a direct line of connection with customers. These initiatives provide marketers with a communication channel that is just a fingertip and a mobile app away from their customers' phones in today's environment. McDonald's became the latest quick-service restaurant business in the United States to start a loyalty program in July. According to YouGov statistics, the launch of the reward program offered McDonald's a much-needed marketing awareness boost, especially after consumer awareness dropped in May. Businesses must provide something worthwhile in return to loyal members. Customers at McDonald's appreciate the opportunity to join a reward program for various reasons. Customers of the popular QSR chain think that loyalty programs are a fantastic method for businesses to reward their customers, according to data from our advanced audience intelligence tool, YouGov Profiles (78 percent ). Members of the MyMcDonald's loyalty program, for example, get 100 points for every dollar spent, with the lowest tier of redemption starting at 1,500 points and the maximum tier at 6,000 points. Furthermore, a high percentage of McDonald's customers say that being a member of a loyalty program encourages them to spend more money with the company (45 percent) and promote it to others (47 percent ). McDonald's may also strengthen its relationship with customers by participating in a loyalty program. Two out of five McDonald's customers say they feel more emotionally linked to brands when participating in reward programs (41 percent ).

MARKETING BUZZ The majority of consumers in the United States (68 percent) said they like it when companies send them personalized offers and discounts based on their purchase history, with the number climbing to 74 percent among those ready to disclose their personal information in exchange for anything of value. It's crucial to recall why today's marketers are looking into loyalty programs as a way to address rising privacy concerns. Through these rewards programs, brands can use first-party data obtained with explicit consent to improve the consumer experience.

When implemented correctly, loyalty programs can be an ethical approach to learn about a brand's customers, track how they interact across the brand's ecosystem, and uncover ways to improve the customer experience by collecting first-party data with explicit consent. By speeding up consumer encounters and rewarding engagement through promotions, rewards programs enable organizations to increase the acquisition of first-party data. Loyalty programs are designed to attract repeat customers rather than one-time buyers, and firstparty data can be utilized to enhance future personalization and customer experiences for those who return.

HALLMARK CAMPAIGN Dole

"Hold my fruit bowl"

-Anshul Sheikh

Dole Packaged Foods, LLC is a global leader in the manufacturing, procurement, distribution, and marketing of fruit and healthy snacks. Dole has an extensive range of shelf-stable fruit, frozen fruit, dried fruit, and drinks to choose from. The organization focuses on four pillars of sustainability in all of its operations: water management, carbon footprint, soil conservation, and waste reduction. In June 2020, Dole Asia Holdings introduced The Dole Promise, built on three pillars: nutrition, sustainability, and producing shared value. By 2025, it aims to provide sustainable nutrition to 1 billion people, with zero processed sugar in all Dole Packaged Foods products. To promote its popular Fruit Bowls snacks, Dole has released a new ad called,

"Hold My Fruit Bowl." The amusing commercials, a kid-friendly take on the viral "Hold My Beer" meme, show kids achieving amazing feats thanks to "superpowers" earned by eating Dole's nutritious Fruit Bowls. A party of campers who had become disoriented in the woods is seen in one scenario. "Hold My Fruit Bowl," cries a daring camper, who then summons a hawk to direct them back to safety, showing an overconfident fellow camper and a perplexed troop commander. Another commercial features a daughter and her father competing in a rock-skipping sport. "Hold My Fruit Bowl," she says as she delivers her snack to her mother and then tosses a stone across the ocean with ease.

HALLMARK CAMPAIGN

When youngsters consume Dole Fruit Bowls, "Hold My Fruit Bowl," a three-month integrated marketing campaign aimed at parents with school-aged children, attempts to give them a sense of empowerment. The commercials were built on the concept that six out of ten parents say their children ask for fruit cups and that customers want snacks that are enjoyable to eat and provide variety in their daily diet. Fruit Bowls' functional benefits are also highlighted in the marketing, giving parents peace of mind that their children are eating healthy snacks. "Whether it's lowering our carbon footprint to create a better and more equal society, producing new and current products to make them healthier and more accessible, or creating advertising that empowers the younger generation," she says.

Dole Packaged Foods, LLC President & Managing Director, Americas, JC Dalto remarked. "Children's lives have been thrown into disarray as a result of the pandemic, with many missing schools and withdrawing from their friends. These adverts are meant to inspire young people and show them that anything is possible." This is Dole's third Fruit Bowls ad campaign, which brought some muchneeded sunshine to the pandemic's darkest days by first assisting families in resolving their "Quaran-Tension" moments and then adjusting to the new "Normalish" with a grin. "Hold My Fruit Bowl," produced by Erich and Kallman, will run from January to March 2022 and will include two spots as well as an integrated digital and social media campaign.

PIONEER Standing tall ft. CR7 On and off the pitch.

-Rijul Ghosh

Every athlete dreams to be called the greatest of all time in their respective sports; Cristiano Ronaldo is widely regarded and is perhaps the greatest of all time when it comes to football. Ronaldo has the most goals and assists in the UEFA Champions League and the most goals in the UEFA European Championship, its qualification stage, and the FIFA Club World Cup. He also has the most goals in a UEFA Champions League season, international goals, and appearances in a European national team. However, a lesser-known fact about the machine of a man, Ronaldo generates money off the field with his CR7-branded apparel, accessories, hotels, and gyms, in addition to a lifetime agreement with Nike. The man is not just a phenomenon on the pitch but has also shown significant insight into the business. A partnership with Pestana Hotel group led to Pestana CR7, a chain of Hotels in Prime locations such as New York, Madrid, Marrakech, Lisbon, and Madeira. Ronaldo appears to like the world of fashion. He is the owner of a lingerie firm that caters to both adults and children. Ronaldo also owns CR7 Denim, a denim firm, and a CR7 Blanket joint venture with Denali. Eden Perfume Cristiano Ronaldo Fragrance was born due to his collaboration with a British perfume producer. He had previously featured in advertisements for Emporio Armani along with Armani jeans. A fitness center, private jet rental business, a hair clinic, and restaurants are amongst other business establishments that Ronaldo owns or has a stake in, What do Nike, Herbalife Nutrition, Freefire, DAZN, Clear, Insparya have in common? Cristiano Ronaldo is their global ambassador. Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the well-known athletes, with over 400 million Instagram followers. As a result, he is the most influential figure on Instagram, and he is the first person to surpass 400 million followers. The underlying effect of this fact is that a single post gets an average of close to 9.5 million likes with an average engagement of 2.37 %.

PIONEER Just recently, amidst the Covid 19 pandemic, he did not only take a pay cut due to the financial trouble he paired with Jorge Mendes, his agent to donate 1 million to several hospitals and Portugal to battle the pandemic. He convinced the entire Portugal squad to donate 50 % of their qualification bonus of 2020 Euro's to fight the pandemic. In 2011, he auctioned off the European golden boot to donate £1.2million to build schools in war-torn Gaza. He did something similar with his Ballon d'Or trophy in 2013 to help the Make-A-Wish foundation. Over time he has done many such generous acts that show his true character off the field.

￡

Major brands looking to diversify their customer base or attract new prospects turn to athletes who are essentially influencers. Nonetheless, it is the social profile of an athlete that dictates their image amongst people; of course, there is the prospect of being booed by rival fans and the occasional hate, but apart from the on-field perspective, the overall perception of an individual as an athlete goes a long way. This is where Ronaldo, amongst others, have cemented their position as a great footballer and an even better person. He keeps himself tattoo-free to donate blood because he can help people in emergencies. He recorded a message to Syrian youngsters afflicted by the crisis in 2016, stating they were “true heroes” and “I am with you.”

He is also the ambassador of three charities, namely Unicef, Save the Children, and World Vision. He received a £450,000 prize from Real Madrid for leading them to La Decima. He opted to split it across the three causes he serves as an ambassador. Over time he has done many generous acts that show his genuine affection towards children and humanity. Albeit these acts have not shielded him from controversies, he keeps standing tall and besides those that need him.

MARKETFLIX AND CHILL The Great Indian Shark Tank

Everyone is talking about Shark Tank India. What's more important is that everyone is learning from it. It is inspirational, entertaining, and conversational. Sony Entertainment premiered its first episode after three months of thought-provoking pre-buzz, including a 100-hour countdown on 20th December. After 12 years of a successful run in the West, Shark Tank India completed 35 episodes where young Indians pitched Momos and Energy drinks to Intelligent skincare and Menstrual Awareness Comics. And what better time to the premier and keep the internet busy than the time of 88 Unicorn startups existing in India and when every day multiple startups are born

-Alipriya Ghosh

across the country. The Sharks, who are extremely successful and famous business tycoons, are, of course, so different from each other, each of them bringing their own set of stories and outlook. They are behind the most prominent startups like BoAt, Sugar Cosmetics, and Lenskart. They added more fun and stress-busting moments by simply being their selves. Shark Tank India has its own verified Instagram and Twitter page where it interacts with the audience by deciding business jargon, highlights from the show, and behind the scenes. Ever since the show's inception, #SharkTankIndia has been trending with everything from Memes to Reels to Revolutionary stories.

MARKETFLIX AND CHILL This has led many colleges like BITS Pilani, NIT Warangal, and K J Somaiya Institute of Management to hold their version of Shark Tank competitions and draw much attention. Many influencers have been making reels on the show and bringing out the best of Sharks in them. Rohan Joshi Kusha Kapila, among others, has been entertaining its audience with some of the best "Shark Content" on Instagram. This is probably the only show that has been equally trending on Instagram and LinkedIn. Each episode of Shark Tank India has been compared to an MBA Guest Lecture. Some people have even gone forward to say that it has taught them more about business

than classrooms ever did. And the best thing is that language is hardly a barrier when you know the ins and outs of your business and the market. Shark Tank India premiered its last episode where the most loved Shark, Peyush Bansal, took everyone back 12 years and presented the pitch he gave to investors back then. Even though some startups failed to get an investment, they were proud enough of the exposure and experience gained from coming on TV. Only time will tell how much India's entrepreneurial exposure changes and what more The Great Indian Shark Tank has in store for all of us.

MARK-O-PEDIA Conversational and Experiential Marketing Where conversations and experiences lead.

-Mahak Sonkar Customer-centric and dialogue-driven marketing is known as conversational marketing. It's the go-to strategy for increasing consumer engagement, improving the customer experience, and increasing revenue. Conversational marketing is built on one-to-one interactions across several channels in real-time. By interacting and customizing interactions online, you may strengthen client relationships and improve your online customer experience. These individualized dialogues are possible using live chat, chatbots, and messaging apps. Conversational marketing has become more accessible because of chatbots in particular. Although the two solutions are frequently clubbed together, chatbots are only a portion of conversational marketing; you wouldn't argue that a goalie on a football squad makes up the entire team. Your company's business goals should guide your decision on the finest conversational marketing plan. These goals outline what you want to accomplish with conversational marketing in the end. eBay has developed one of the most powerful eCommerce chatbots available and the most popular. This chatbot stands out from the rest on our list since it was created for Google Assistant, which means you can only use it with your Google Home or Android phone. This bot, like Spring, allows you to navigate through a large number of product categories, but solely by voice this time. Say, "OK Google, let me talk to eBay," and you'll be on your way to making limitless eBay purchases in no time. With the increasing popularity of voiceactivated systems such as Amazon Alexa, Siri, and others, voice-based conversational marketing will undoubtedly become more prevalent in the future.

MARK-O-PEDIA Experiential marketing, sometimes known as engagement marketing, is a marketing technique that immerses or deeply involves customers in a product. In a nutshell, experiential marketing allows customers to buy and experience a brand's products or services. Memorable and unique experiences generate emotional connections between the brand and the consumer. Experiential marketing doesn't just entail client engagement, but it also frequently improves it. Getting it right is easier said than done when it comes to experiential marketing. It's imperative to ensure that the experiences are genuine and related to your company.

If you've ever talked about which M&Ms are better, the peanut ones or the normal ones, you have seen how passionate people can be about sweets. As a result, when M&M needed to choose its next taste, the business decided to do so in New York City with an immersive pop-up. The experience comprised "flavor chambers," each outfitted with decor and scents specific to a particular flavor. The pop-up also had a snack and drink lounges with M&M-themed beverages, which I'm sure provided plenty of opportunities for M&M to appear on various participants' social media sites.

CALL FOR ARTICLES Digital Darwinism why brands die

-Parva Chandarana

Let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we? You look out from your window, and a shiny Hindustan Ambassador is standing right outside the porch. Your parents come out of the car. You are happy! After all, who doesn't like playing the snake game on their dad's Nokia phone? Your parents smile, looking at you enjoying the jaded days of childhood. So, they take their Kodak camera and capture these moments. Apart from the nostalgia these brands just evoked, you know what unites them? They are long dead. Brands are like sentient beings - some barely stay alive, while some die shockingly young. But some seem to have achieved immortality. Look at India's favorite chocolate that, even after decades, is synonymous with the go-to sweet to enjoy the good things in life. Why Brands Die? The factor at play here is 'Digital Darwinism,' In layman's terms, it implies that businesses that can't adapt to consumers' ever-changing needs and technology end up as the prey of natural selection. Rapid levels of digitization have opened up multiple channels for all brands alike to market themselves. This has shot up the competition that key market players face. Also, the rapid mushrooming of platforms posits a new challenge - social media also acts as a platform for product evaluation where users get unfiltered reviews. These new touchpoints act as speed breakers in the consumer decision-making process. So, as consumers become more digitally empowered, brand messaging tends to lose its impact. While the emphasis on digital transformation and adapting technologies might lead you to believe that digital Darwinism is all about technology, it is empowered by it and not about it. Brands that adopt digital tools and integrate them

CALL FOR ARTICLES seamlessly to provide a good consumer experience are gaining a sizeable lead over their competitors. A study by McKinsey highlighted that companies with greater digital capabilities had 2.5 times better sales conversion rates. Another related finding was that brands that are thoroughly digitized and have a stronghold on technology also enjoyed higher levels of positive word of mouth. Graveyard of Laggards The panacea to all the threats of digital darwinism is quite simple - deliver what the consumer wants. While it would sound simple, it is easier said than done. Blackberry couldn’t deliver the ease of use of Android OS/iOS that users enjoyed. And while the devices were increasingly moving towards touchscreen models, Blackberry was fixated around QWERTY. The result? As we all know, Blackberry failed miserably. Blockbuster too, couldn’t be saved by its legacy, and was shut down as Netflix grew. The pandemic has highlighted the need for digital touchpoints in the consumer journey mapping. Regardless of the disruptions in the consumer buying behavior caused by the pandemic, one thing was common. Consumers still wanted all the services they enjoyed in a pre-pandemic world. It was just that they wanted it through a digital or a phygital model. Providing digitized experiences aid in a consumer’s decision-making and would have a direct impact on important metrics like sales, conversion rates, brand loyalty, etc. As it goes with nature, those who fail to adapt, go extinct, and only the fittest survive. Brands in our current dynamic landscape are no different. Brands that understand their consumers deeply and are agile when it comes to embracing new developments would inevitably build a lasting competitive advantage and would be difficult to beat. The ones that don't? Don’t be surprised if they are used as examples in an article like this a few years down the line!

CALL FOR ARTICLES Personalized Marketing in the age of data privacy

Personalized Marketing, the term itself, speaks for itself. It means marketing on a personal level. It is not just the best to reach a genuine customer but also helps understand what the customer's needs are as it involves interactions that take place on a one-to-one basis. Personalized marketing provides a better analysis of customers according to their needs, wants, and purchase tastes. Personalized marketing has gained prominence across domains and has become a better option when marketers are aware and unaware of the target audience and their personal choices. Personalized marketing has given a new lookout for marketers and customers. People love their comfort zones, and in marketing, personalized

-Meenal Sanjay Soni

marketing is their comfort zone! Data Privacy is concerned with the security of information; it secures the data available on a personal level, protected level, or one that is bluntly provided. Data privacy is a broad umbrella under which various domains are managed and saved, including data security and protection. Data Privacy contains legislations, policies, data governance, multiple variations in data that are abided globally with the best practices that support data protection. Is personalized marketing enhancing data privacy or violating it? Is it secure enough to consider data privacy? And many more such questions arise when we think of

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personalized marketing and its connection with data privacy. Let us focus on the outcomes when these two go hand in hand. Data privacy can be invaded using personalized marketing, but strict laws make it undesirable for people waiting to spy around in this mutual combination. An increase in data quality enhances personalized marketing and makes the data more secure, preventing invaders from intervening. The two best ways for implementing data privacy that improves personalized marketing are: 1. Identity resolution in the new data privacy environment: Consumers are ready to trade data in return for fewer profits.

Accenture discovered that about 83 percent of consumers share their data for a personalized experience, as long as businesses are transparent about how data is being used and the ability of customers to retain control of their information. The right technology is key to resolving customer identities, especially given the volume and variety of data being created every day. 2. Adopt a customer data platform to build the golden record: Customer data platforms (CDPs) are purpose-built to integrate multiple varieties and velocities of data. The future-proofed nature of a customer data platform is a brand new feature data privacy environment that helps the growth of personalized marketing.

CALL FOR ARTICLES March 2022 Edition The Marksman provides one and all the opportunity to discover their hidden talents in the literary field through our "Call for Articles". For the upcoming month, the articles can be sent on any of the following topics:

Anti-marketing - A ‘hatke’ Concept The Power of TikTok - The new Crowd Puller Responsible Consumerism - The ‘Green’ Buyer Please ensure that there is no plagiarism and all the references are clearly mentioned.

Kindly follow the guidelines given below: One article can have only one author. Your article should be approximately 550-600 words (strictly adhere to the word limit) The article must have relevant pictures that can be used to enhance the article. Send in your articles in .doc/.docx format to marksman.simsr@somaiya.edu Subject Line: Your Name_Institute Name_Course Year. Kindly name your file as: Your Name_Topic. The best adjudged article will be given a Winner's certificate. The First Prize Winners will be awarded Rs. 500 Cash Prize.

Deadline For Submission Of Article: 22nd March, 2022

QUOTE DECK

Instead of using technology to automate processes, think about using technology to enhance human interaction.

- Tony Zambito Founder, Buyer Persona

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