EDITOR’S NOTE About this Edition > “And suddenly you know, It's time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.” – Meister Eckhart The world turns a full circle and brings with it the promise of a fresh start and adopting to a new normal. The constantly evolving world of Marketing also rides the wave of change and is breaking barriers. We bring you this edition of The Marksman to indulge in stories and events where marketing strategies reflect these changes for better or for worse. Our cover story for the month is based on ‘Augmented Reality & Marketing’. Marketing is a medium to ensure maximum engagement with the consumers and get maximum returns. In this journey, technology is not just a mere partner but the enabler to open up a whole new dimension. From creating a buzz to streamlining the user experience, witness as augmented reality weaves its magic to give consumers an immersive experience. Our special story is an engrossing tale about how names are moulded into brands in the crucible of creativity, expression and action featuring a face from the silver screen. This edition takes you through a journey of stories, empowerment, controversies and much more.
CFA Winners > A very hearty congratulations to the winner and the runner up of this month’s Call For Articles. 1. Vandita Tiwari (Winner) – Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon 2. Pallavi Jichkar (Runner-up) – Indian Institute of Management, Rohtak You can read their brilliant pieces in the ”Featured Articles” section. We were overwhelmed by the responses that we received from all of you and encourage you to write to us with the same enthusiasm for all further editions as well.
EDITORS
THE TEAM
SNEHA
TARSH
TANYA
WRITERS
DESIGN
SAMBARTA
ATHARVA
ARKO
SAMBHAV
AAYUSH
SHIVANI
SUMIRAN
AJITH
JASH
SANCHITA
SURATH
SAKSHI
CONTENTS KICKSTART A food startup dishing out fresh and scrumptious biryanis in clay handis and selling it by weight! Need we say more?
MARKETING FAUX PAS All that “White” is not all “Pure”. How Nivea’s ad campaign faced backlash for its racist undertones
COVER STORY Is Augmented Reality only a hype? How are brands leveraging it for consumer engagement? Read more…
HALLMARK CAMPAIGN Whisper India takes an assertive step to fight the stigma against menstruation
BRAND MARKIVE How Saffola transformed its communication strategy from fear mongering into a caring approach
MORE THAN MARKETING A letter penned down by a nine-year old makes a toymaking giant take a step towards sustainability
PIONEER Endorsing young talents: The journey of the Dhing Express
IT’S ALL ABOUT AD-ITUDE The burdens of life is best managed when shared, as portrayed in this beautifully knitted story by Airtel
AD-TALES Sit back, relax and read about how Budweiser cracked open a cold one with a viral campaign
MARK-5 A lookback at some of the most iconic brand rivalries from the past
SPECIAL STORY Is it all in the name? About success and identity
1
Biryani by Kilo:
There’s always a reason to celebrate - ARKO GHOSH “If someone says true love doesn’t exist, make them taste Biryani.”
Kickstart |
January Edition
In a country where Biryani is not just food but an experience, or rather a feeling, it was no surprise when Zomato reported that Biryani was yet again the most ordered dish in 2020 with them delivering 22 Biryani orders every minute. Banking on the Biryani crazy Indian population, it was in 2015 that Kaushik Roy and Vishal Jindal launched the food-tech startup Biryani by Kilo (BBK). They offer a versatile range of this complete meal like the Hyderabadi, Lucknowi and Bengali biryani, all within 90 minutes. The company has grown tremendously in terms of revenue starting from Rs 86 lakh in FY 16 to Rs 48 crore in FY 20.
What is it that they’re doing different you ask? Well, the fact that they cook a fresh dum biryani for every order that is placed instead of reheating the bulk produced dish like most others is what seems to be their USP. But that’s not all! They deliver the biryani in that very handi it was cooked in and send along angeethis so as to preserve the flavour and aroma of the spices used in the dish. Due to this provision, one can easily heat up the biryani with a flame too. The whole packaging creates an exceptional user experience that I can personally vouch for. One gets just as excited seeing the handi delivered on one’s nth order as much as the first.
2 With the way Biryani by Kilo has grown in such a short time, the day they achieve their goal to serve scrumptious biryani to the entire nation and also take it to the global platform doesn’t seem far away.
January Edition
Maintaining the quality while delivering freshly made biryani is no easy feat. The biryani spices are handpicked from Kerala, mixed in precise quantities for both the ½ kg and 1 kg variants and then shipped to all the outlets. For the rice, the key ingredient of biryani, they’ve partnered up with Daawat, who provides them two-year aged long-grained rice. The meat and vegetables for their biryanis and kebabs are also very stringently sourced to ensure that standards are met. Oh, yes, kebabs. Did I not mention those? Apart from biryani, they also serve kebabs, kormas, Firni and more. Their top notch technology, Standard operating procedures and rigorously trained staff are among few of the many factors that contribute to their high operational efficiency.
The company primarily works on the cloud kitchen model with few dine-ins at select locations. It currently has 58 outlets spread across almost 30 Indian cities. Apart from their own website, they also take orders through food delivery apps like Zomato and Swiggy. Even in times of the pandemic, they’ve retained the trust and loyalty of their customers by following all the WHO recommended safety measures. "By keeping costs low with a lean and agile model, we can grow faster because we are focused on food delivery. Domino’s has seen a surge in the US despite the current crisis,” the founders say.
Kickstart |
The founders boast that they serve Biryani with the same taste, flavour and temperature over all its outlets and with each order. That’s a strong claim for sure but the way they work coupled with positive customer reviews, they sure seem to have got it right.
3
Nivea:
The Color of Purity
Marketing Faux Pas | January Edition
- SANCHITA KHATTAR Nivea’s ad campaign titled “Invisible: For Black and White” immediately drew the customer’s eye to the thesis behind this product campaign ‘White is Purity’. The main implications of an association with whiteness to the concept of purity were twofold here- the ethically abstract basis, i.e. to be morally pure & inherently righteous & a distinctive physical one, i.e. to not be tainted by dirt or any projected impurity. Thus, the dichotomy consciously proposed by Nivea not only distinguishes blackness from whiteness but also categorizes blackness as a direct threat to whiteness.
The ad depicted the back of a woman’s head with long, wavy, dark hair cascading over an all-white outfit. Here, the active distinction between white and black is also manifested in the literal lack of darkness in the advertisement: white clothes, white sheets, white window, off-white wall, bright yellow blanket, white sky, etc. Even the caption for this ad’s Facebook post read ‘keep it clean, keep it bright. Don’t let anything ruin it #invisible.’ By using words such as “clean,” “bright,” & “ruin”, and by introducing the undefined concept of “it,” NIVEA is attaching abstract standards of health and beauty into a society already frustrated with the racial comments passed at them & by them every day. As per this campaign, this new product was specifically designed to prevent the discoloration of the customer’s clothes through excessive sweat. Although the ad was planned to have a full-print launch in the Middle East, people protested that the slogan was racist & after others hijacked the ad campaign with comments about white supremacy, the plug was pulled only two days after the company posted this ad in MiddleEast Facebook.
4 But, the truth here is that Nivea’s products & advertisements have always depicted a racist rhetoric. This change in response from the audience’s end is a result of a cultural situation that is evolving faster than Nivea is.
January Edition
Other companies have also faced similar criticism for offensive marketing in recent years. A laundry detergent brand in China was mocked for an ad that showed a woman putting a black man into a washing machine. After the wash, he reappears as a pale Asian man. Pepsi too apologized for a controversial advertisement that borrowed imagery from the Black Lives Matter movement, after a day of intense criticism from people who said it trivialized the widespread protests against the killings of black people by the police.
For the Nivea fiasco, In an interview with The Washington Post, a spokesperson for Nivea’s parent company, Beiersdorf Global AG, apologized for the post. “Diversity and inclusivity are crucial values of NIVEA. We take pride in creating products that promote beauty in all forms. Discrimination of any kind is simply not acceptable to us as a company, as employees, or as individuals.”
Marketing Faux Pas |
The Facebook world was immediately divided into two sections- one part of the society that urged the German skincare company to pull down the ad & another section that supported the white supremacy & agreed with the title ‘White is Purity’. Nivea later took down the ad & apologized for it.
5
Augmented Reality & Marketing
Cover Story |
January Edition
- ATHARVA SINDEKAR Long gone are the days when virtual and augmented reality was associated only with gaming. This technology is now being used to boost sales and accelerate marketing activities. Virtual Reality (VR) is where a user is completely immersed in the digital world with the help of VR devices like HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, or Google Cardboard. Whereas, Augmented Reality (AR) refers to partial immersion in the digital world using their mobile or tablet camera. In India alone, there are 70 lakh smartphone users. These devices are rivers and AR is like a speedboat that can enhance user experience and help reach the desired segment. Users can dive into the virtual world which can provide them with a plethora of opportunities to have a better shopping experience.
According to a study, 61% of shoppers prefer retailers that offer AR over those who don’t. Similarly, 68% of shoppers spent more time with products if AR options were enabled. From a marketing and sales point of view, customers bought 72% more when AR options were made available. There has been a steep increase in online shopping since last year. With AR, online retailers can allow customers to try products before buying them. Especially during such COVID scenario where everyone wants to shop but everyone is skeptical whether to risk themselves and come in contact with the virus while shopping in brick-and-mortar stores.
6 Brands can use AR to create buzz and thereby increase brand reach. One of the most classic examples of this is the Pepsi Ad campaign on a bus stop in London. Pepsi allowed users to access the virtual window where people could see incredible scenarios as if they are happening in real-time. Scenes like descending spaceships, attacking robots and a tiger running loose were amusing for passersby. Pepsi successfully managed to make an impact over rival brands by using this elevated message delivery.
There are very few industries in the world that are as experimental as the fashion industry. From aesthetics, online retailing, retro trends, and now Augmented Reality. AR revolutionizes how customers interact with the brand. With AR technology, one can easily merge the real world with virtual animated objects. For example, Zara, the fashion giant from Spain has used AR to give a better shopping experience for their customers.
Uber had also followed a similar strategy in Zurich, Switzerland for their customers which generated a whopping 1 million views on YouTube. This can be leveraged and act as an extra income source in the form of earned media. In today’s competitive market, where every brand needs to be vigilant, AR campaigns can make brands stand out from other rivals.
If customers hold their phone camera in front of the store windows, they can see the models wearing the same clothing line. Consequently, customers can buy the product they see on the screen by simply tapping on it. Also, it provides alternative or similar products that are available. Based on user search history, it thereby forces user to repeat purchases.
January Edition
Improved User Experience
Cover Story |
Creating a Buzz!
7
Cover Story |
January Edition
Apart from fashion brands that are going strong, online e-commerce websites are also exploring the AR world to entice customers. Gap’s dressing room application lets you personalize your avatar based on your body type and skin color. This avatar lets customers try clothes, view them from different angles, etc. on their Google Tango-enabled devices. If you like it, you can buy it from the app itself. On similar notes, the ‘Wannaby’s Wanna Kicks’ app lets you try a variety of sneakers before buying. ‘Tenth Street Hat Virtual’ is for hats whereas beauty brand Sephora allows customers to try makeup on the avatar made by the device’s front camera.
Since public transport is not fully functional in many cities, people are now inclined towards buying their own car. But sharing a common test car can be risky. With AR, we could immerse ourselves in the experience of a particular model without ever leaving the dealership or, better yet, home. That is where virtual test drives come in. With a VR headset, these test drives allow us to see cars inside and out, and apps like Relay Cars give us access to a wide range of models to choose from. Enter Sandbox Campaign by Audi gave customers to drive Q5 model virtually on dedicated track.
8 Interactive Labels If a company wishes to give additional information about their product or they want to give out the company’s story or add an interactive element to the product, it can use Interactive labels. Customers just need to scan the product via their smartphones to activate these interactive labels. 19 Crimes wine bottle is a classic example of how to use interactive labels effectively.
Once the 19 crimes wine app is downloaded, customer has to merely scan the label, and, what you see is person on label coming alive and narrating his story. The success of the app and the wine was undeniable. Currently, they have 9 brands that have utilized similar augmented reality strategy to give a unique experience to their customers. This has made sales boost by a whopping 40%.
“There are thousand of winemakers in the world. What will make your wine stand out ?� - 19 Crimes took AR and used it in a quirky yet intriguing manner to bring the brand to life. It was the first time in history of wine branding where a company has used AR to make a difference.
Better user experience can boost sales, attract unique customers, go viral on social media, drive cross selling opportunities, collect and analyze consumer behavior and increase return rates. This is how future of marketing will look like and brands should adapt according to the technological trends to stand out and increase brand awareness.
Cover Story |
Simple AR apps can be developed within $10,000, but one might have to invest upto $300,000 to have a feature-rich custom built applications.
January Edition
Final thoughts
9
Period of Pride: Ek Swach Soch
- SURATH BANERJEE
Hallmark Campaign | January Edition
The topic of menstruation has always been frowned upon and treated as a taboo. Though the recent years have seen change, the knowledge regarding women's’ menstrual health and hygiene has been scarce, especially in the rural areas where superstitions slightly have the upper hand over science. Taking this into consideration, Whisper India along with Network 18, has started an initiative called “Period of Pride.” With “Period of Pride”, the main aim is to bring menstruation into the forefront and generate acceptance in the society for menstruation as a natural biological process. The campaign also aims to counter the taboo surrounding menstruation by spreading knowledge and encouraging women to take necessary hygienic measures when going through it. The “Pride” component in this campaign compares going through periods as achieving a heroic feat.
Awareness regarding menstruation has always been a challenge for India. National Family Health Survey estimates that out of the 336 million menstruating women, only 36 percent (about 121 million) women wear sanitary pads. Another alarming survey was done in 2016 titled “Menstrual hygiene management among adolescent girls in India”, which found that among 100000 almost 50000 girls did not know about menstruation until the first time they got a period. A study by the NGO Dasra informed of a shocking reality that almost 23 million girls drop out of school due to lack of menstrual hygiene facilities. These statistics are alarming, knowing the fact that lack of menstrual hygiene awareness can lead to serious repercussions in the form of diseases like cervical cancer, Hepatitis B, urinary tract infection, and many others.
10 With India going ahead economically, brands have the task of inculcating responsibilities and sending strong messages to win a valuable position in the customer’s and subsequently the country’s mind and heart.
January Edition
In terms of marketing, the campaign is expected to generate tremendous success. Socially empowering campaigns with strong messages have been fairly successful in India over the course of years.
With the likes of #Sharetheload and #Goodnewsisgenderfree by Ariel and PregaNews respectively, Period of Pride is all set to strike the right chords and transform lives.
Hallmark Campaign |
As part of their campaign, Whisper India along with Network 18 urged people to sign a petition to include period education as a part of the school curriculum. The campaign has been successful so far with 38994 (and counting) petitions.
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The Saffola way of life: From Scare to Care
- SHIVANI JOSHI
Brand Markive |
January Edition
Saffola was founded in the 1960s but it only gained prominence post the 1990s when it was repackaged as a healthcare brand and not as edible oil which concentrated on food and taste to reach out to its consumers. This rebranding took place when Harsh Mariwala founded Marico Limited. What set Saffola apart from the competition in their category was the fact that they focused on the risks of heart disease and ways to maintain a healthy heart. In the last few years, consumers have evolved and are actively looking for more health-conscious solutions – be it food or otherwise. The edible oil segment for the most part has responded to these changing consumer preferences. When it comes to Saffola, the brand has seen many evolutions over the years. It has undergone a transition from being curative to preventive heart care cooking oil. During the 1990s given that there was no awareness of health, Saffola used fear and people bought it.
But now with the entire country being health-conscious at some level and gym culture coming in, it’s the right transition. One of the key reasons that Saffola was able to have a strong positioning in its category was that very early in their journey, they found an amazing and unique place of heart health. And the brand chose fear oriented advertising as their communication approach. Over the years, Saffola realised that merely scaring consumers into buying their product was perhaps not the best strategy. From fear, it moved to convince at-risk consumers to adopt better, healthier practices and ultimately as a preventive alternative to avoid any risks whatsoever. The same has been reflected in their communications as they drew inspiration from real-life insights and encouraged audiences to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
12 Saffola has become a sustainable part of their consumer’s journey as they adopted the ‘Saffola way of life’.
January Edition
The brand had also initiated some region-specific marketing in Gujarat. This step was taken because Gujarat as a state has the highest number of people suffering from cardiovascular diseases in India. Hence, it was only a natural choice for the brand to initiate consumer education and awareness targeted towards the average Gujarati.
Saffola has successfully managed to diversify its product base by including products other than oils in its category. Saffola was the first cooking oil brand that talked about health and brought the topic to the front of its campaigning. The brand has continued to grow and is loved by its consumers as it fulfilled its promise of delivering risk-free edible oil and food alternatives.
Brand Markive |
Saffola has also had tie-ups with various causes over the years. It was one of the first brands in the country to pioneer cause-led marketing on a significant scale. Through the route of World Heart Day, Saffola launches new campaigns every year through which it aims to educate its consumers on preventive heart care.
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Hima Das: From handwritten labels to custom branding - JASH SHAH
Pioneer |
January Edition
Hima Das, nicknamed the Dhing Express, is an Indian runner from the state of Assam. Being the current Indian national record holder in 400 meters with a timing of 50.79s that she clocked at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, she is the first Indian athlete to win a gold award in a track event at the IAAF World U20 Championships. The Arjuna Award receiver Hima Das has also appeared in India's famous TV reality show conducted by actor Amitabh Bachchan called Kaun Banega Crorepati on 1 November 2019.
Hima Das who could only dream of owning the latest in sports equipment when she was growing up. She jotted the name of the main brand on a couple of ordinary running shoes during her early years as an athlete. But as the Indian athlete met with success over time, her dream turned into a reality she had never envisaged. No one can tell what destiny can do, Adidas is presently making shoes with her name. Hima Das has been sponsored by the German brand ever since she won the gold medal in the 400m at the 2018 World U-20 Championships in Finland. Athletic apparel monster Adidas presently produces specially crafted shoes for Hima Das with her name imprinted on them. Hima Das’ back to back gold successes have not just raised India's pride in the sporting arena but also additionally climbed up brand Hima Das. The endorsement fees of the Indian runner has allegedly multiplied recently. As brands move their concentration from cricket to different games, Das' continuous 5 gold awards at the Nove Mesto nad Metuji Grand Prix has made her climb the brand endorsement ladder.
16 January Edition
Like PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal or, Sania Mirza, Das is kicking off something new as a female competitor as well as a noncricketing sports icon. The estimation of winning is invaluable and brands will break an arm and leg to connect with Hima Das. To her credit, Hima Das is a true victor for many reasons. She is amongst the august list of few women who have achieved such an accomplishment by tackling such adversity.
She is a brilliant illustration of the win of the human soul despite misfortune. Brands are keen to explore newer avenues outside the three fundamental social connectors for example cricket, Bollywood, and governmental issues. I think P V Sindhu is an incredible illustration of a lady who won Olympic silver in a game that is non-cricket. Hima Das presents a significantly more viable story for the brands to use in the coming time.
Pioneer |
The competitor, prevalently known as Dhing Express, as of now has a ton of support surprisingly, with Adidas being the most discussed one. The brand roped her in after betting on cricket magnums like Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina. She has a diversified list of sponsorships and brand endorsements, which are ranging from financial services conglomerate Edelweiss to State Bank of India’s e-banking platform YONO. The 19-year-old is additionally the game’s brand representative of Assam. She has likewise been named the first youth ambassador of UNICEF India.
13 7
LEGO:
Building the change
More than Marketing |
January Edition
- SUMIRAN NARAYAN LEGO - “Build the change” initiative is one of its kind and it is quite astonishing that this initiative has its roots in a letter to LEGO from a nine-year-old kid. Surprising but true, LEGO received a letter that said, “When I grow up, I want my kids to grow up in a healthy world. ”In response to this, the company launched this initiative which comprises of a series of events that are held across the globe giving children a voice to the face and tackle various challenges in life. LEGO wants these events to be a place where kids can show creativity, explore, and collaborate with each other on solving problems that require a lot of thinking. Let’s dive in a little deeper and understand how LEGO built this change through their young stakeholders. The letter received was just one of the hundreds which LEGO received daily from children who eagerly wanted to share their ideas.
“…Which is why, LEGO group decided to start this initiative,” said Jennifer DuBuisson, senior manager, environmental sustainability at LEGO. “We want to make a positive impact on the world our children will inherit.” She added. Build the change was launched in collaboration with museums in Denmark in 2007 and is held across continents with the help of local partners. The partner, in this case, was Earth day Texas, an annual conference that drew more than 130,000 attendees in 2016, making it the world’s largest Earth Day event — a very beneficial venue for the world’s iconic toy brand. As kids and parents are divided into the pile of bricks to make their own masterpieces, there was a sense of global family because they knew they were sharing an experience that everyone across the globe is having. This an untold secret behind LEGO’s global success.
14 From Philanthropy to conscious marketing the group’s efforts for its young stakeholders have been amazing! Beautifully targeting children and building a value proposition for parents, LEGO has made people believe that those toys are not merely pieces of plastic lying on the floor, there’s more to it. A pinch of imagination is all that stands between those tiny bricks and a masterpiece created with little hands.
January Edition
The LEGO group targeted to bake environmental stewardship into its blocks from its manufacturing processes to end-user education. They identified that the impact from the environmental value chain was coming primarily from suppliers and about 10% was from production. Hence, focusing on the concern areas LEGO set a series of goals related to climate change and resources. Its first target was to achieve 100 percent renewable energy by 2020. In order to achieve this, LEGO’s parent concern KIRKBI invested in a wind farm in Germany which supplies 320,000 households and later invested in another wind farm in the UK. Another goal was lowering emissions and increasing factory efficiency wherein over 90% of the production was to be directly supplied to China Market.
LEGO was the first toy manufacturer to partner with WWF Climate savers and about 30 suppliers to report to the carbon disclosure project. In building construction, the group has achieved 100% FSC packaging and recorded high recycled waste in its facilities. The company has adopted the Children’s Rights and Business Principles developed by UNICEF, the U.N. Global Compact, and Save the Children to support the children’s rights.
More than Marketing |
“Our mission is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow. They are our No. 1 stakeholder and we need to ensure that we are working to meet their expectations of our products and our company," said DuBuisson. Targeting the young stakeholders was a win in itself because here, they were looking at 100 million children across more than 140 countries- according to the LEGO 2015 responsibility report which focused on the CSR activities of the group. This initiative is one of the many ways how LEGO as a group built the blocks of value-centric CSR.
17
Ariel:
Share the Load - AAYUSH SHETTY
It’s All About Ad-itude |
January Edition
It is an advertisement that is a part of a rather recent campaign launched by Ariel which greatly focuses on how women have had to bear the entire burden of household chores whilst managing their other work without any or much help from the men in almost every household. It certainly stands out and has garnered a considerable amount of praise from the general public as it brilliantly touches upon how for decades or even centuries, household chores have been keeping women awake at night leading to them being severely sleep-deprived and getting a significantly lesser number of hours of sleep each night. In an attempt to bring a change in society, the advertisement starts with a woman working constantly and completing all the household
chores whilst running around the house. Her daughter observes how she manages to get ready for work amidst all the chaos of managing the work and also catering to the daily needs of the family. Later, the woman’s daughter sees her mom is missing around evening time while she is asleep. The girl and her father then find the woman fast asleep on a stool.
Over the past five years, Ariel has come up with numerous innovative advertisements under the umbrella of the #SharetheLoad campaign. Advertisements such as ‘Is laundry only a woman’s job?”, ‘Dads share
January Edition
18 The advertisement is intended to mirror the daily lives of numerous women. As per Ariel, almost 71% of women in India rest way lesser than their spouses because of family tasks. It came up with the #ShareTheLoad campaign to address the imbalance existing in Indian families and encourage men to pay heed to the situation by actively sharing the workload at home to enable the women to get their much needed hours of rest.
the load’ and a few others have certainly sparked conversations over the topic of sharing the workload at home. Ariel has also placed greater emphasis on communicating and encouraging parents and elders to proactively raise their sons similar to the way they’ve been raising their daughters thereby laying a solid groundwork for equal treatment of future generations.
It’s All about Ad-itude |
Due to being completely exhausted while doing the laundry which is trailed by a shot of the dad’s glance of acknowledgment.
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“Whassup?!”:
From Your Bud - SAMBHAV MEHTA
Ad-Tales |
January Edition
In 1999, Budweiser introduced an advertisement campaign called “Whassup?!”, which got viral globally and made the brand recognised even in countries where it was not available. The advertisements were inspired from a short film, entitle True, written and directed by Charles Stone III. The short film was popular at a number of film festivals around the country and eventually caught the attention of creative director Vinny Warren and art director Chuck Taylor at the Chicago-based ad agency DDB, who took the idea to August A. This advertisement shows four friends who are chilling while watching the game and having a Budweiser. They all greet each other by “Whassup” instead of a “What’s up” and this trend started to get viral and it reached to the masses. This campaigned cut across all cultural barriers and became one of the most popular and memorable
campaigns ever. This commercial “Whassup?!” won many awards and some of the major awards among them were Cannes Grand Prix Awards and the Grand Clio Awards. In Many 2006, the advertisement campaign was inducted into the CLIO Hall of Fame.
It was one of the first campaign to go viral. “Whassup” helped make Budweiser a hippier and cooler brand. August Busch IV of Anheuser Busch said that “In our lifetime, we will never see so much value created from a single idea”.
20 Budweiser wanted to rally people to support each other using #TogetherAtADistance and remind them that while we cannot be physically close, they can stay connected. Budweiser Canada created “Whassup Again” commercial highlighting the technology and portraying smart home speakers communicating with the famous slang “Whassup”. So, this campaign was one of the best campaign ever created and benefitted Budweiser in many ways even today. Brand: Budweiser Year of launch: 1876
January Edition
This renewed advertisement was heavily critical of the presidency of George W. Bush highlighting the worsening situation of the country. This advertisement was a clear endorsement of the presidential campaign of Barack Obama. The “Whassup 2008” was also nominated for the Favorite User Generated Video award at the 35th People’s Choice Awards.
The brand reboots this iconic advertisement campaign again in 2020 in India, urging people to check in on their buds virtually and continue to actively maintain social distance, despite the easing phase of lockdown.
Ad-Tales |
Budweiser made another version of the advertisement eight years later i.e. in 2008 with the same cast, called “Whassup 2008”.
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Brivalry:
Exemplary Battles of Brand
Mark-5 |
January Edition
-SAKSHI JALAN A singular dimension to marketing doesn’t exist anymore. It is about skewing the old-school advertising credos. Marketing has become way more than easy print ads or hoardings, it has gone on social media and has become more honest, quirky and melodic. One such type of marketing is Ambush Marketing where it isn’t just about an ad, it is about creating a battle and embracing the concept of healthy competition in the industry. Now you must be pondering what are we talking about? Take a look at few such ‘brivalries’ of all times:
PepsiCo and Coco cola: The blood feud
Amazon and Netflix – The Streaming war
The tides began to turn when PepsiCo’s biggest stars began having headline troubles. The feud has been so intense that it raged over social media a zillion times.
Streaming wars between OTT platforms continues and pandemic lockdown situation has sure given it a splash with revving content and providing benefits to subscribers.
The recent stream fest by Netflix gave a push to marketing team of Amazon prime and we netizens went gala over it. To combat the Netflix’s stream fest released a new ad promoting its 30-day free trial, taking a humorous jibe at the rivals two-day streaming fest.
There has never been a more evident battle between beverages company than that of Coke and PepsiCo. In fact, the celebrated contention between these two soda companies is referred to in marketing times as the Cola Wars.
McDonald’s and Burger King – Who eats first? McDonald’s and Burger King, the forever rivals are known for their dominance in the fast-food market. Nonetheless, McDonald’s is more widespread with a larger number of stores. The war started when McDonald’s launched a billboard talking on how a McDonald’s brand was just 5Kms ahead whereas a Burger King store was 258Kms ahead.
22 The ferocious battle witnessed between the e-commerce giants in India, viz. Flipkart, Snapdeal Amazon and OLX. It all began when Flipkart started the campaign for the upcoming sale where they said, “Nahin Khareeda? #AchhaKiya” on their hoardings. Snapdeal took a prod at Flipkart and put up their own hoarding right next to it, which read, “Acha Kiya Bata Diya #YahanSeKharido” suggesting they provide offers all year round.
Amazon isn’t one to be ignored of the race, so it banged with its own hoarding which read, “Kahi Nahi Mila? #YahaDekhLo”. Olx, too made the hay while the sun was shining.
HUL came out with a very bold ad commercial that took a direct plunge at Tide’s ‘Chaunk Gaye?’(Shocked?) tagline. The Ad shows two women at the bus stop waiting for their children with their shopping bags in hand. One is a Rin user and the other a Tide Naturals user. When their children arrive, the Tide user is shocked at how much brighter the other boy’s uniform looked. That boy then goes on to ask his mother, “Aunty Chaunk Kyun Gayi?”.
The ad then shows both products side by side and says outright that Rin is far superior. P&G was not happy about this took to the court about this ad and the Kolkata High Court soon asked HUL to take down the ad and not to use the same in future. In the end, fiery conflict can give brands the fuel they need to gain market share, build brand equity, and increase sales. The world has become a battleground for the brands, and it is not survival of the fittest brand anymore, but the one which is wittiest and smartest.
January Edition
Don’t just buy it, fight it.
Rin Vs Tide: “Chaunk gaye?”
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However, Burger King wasn’t the one to relinquish, it launched its own response campaign too, crediting McDonald’s for giving its customer relief before they travel the mile to reach Burger King. This ad battle was called ‘burger wars’ and this was just an instance which haven’t stopped amusing customers for a while now.
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Identity is the Key - Ajith Menon Behind every success story, there is an identity in the minds of millions of people around the world. Let us think of a brand as a human being. When a baby is born into the world the very first thing we would see is, what else the baby! or the product, whether it is a boy or a girl but when it comes to business there are millions of options. The purpose or the product is the core of every organization.
Special Story | January Edition
The Name What better example to explain the brand identity than K.G.F. Rocky, an eye-catchy name with 2 syllables, not one nor many got into the hearts of millions of views. This is what every brand tries to achieve with their name.
As a young boy, he was keen on getting his name to the right audience and he intelligently tackled it by volunteering for a task that the rest of the world was afraid to do. He attacked a police officer in broad daylight and escaped but realized that the act is insignificant without attaching the brand name to it. He went back again to identify himself and this got his identity to the right customers in the way it was intended to. “ If you hit someone, police search for you, but if you hit a police officer, don will come in search of you�. This act got him the attention he needed and also added to the brand ROCKY.
Vision Becoming powerful was his vision and people took it to their hearts to make him the DON. This is exactly how an organization wishes to convey its vision to the consumers and some are really successful like tesla that in conveying their vision.
24 In a post, Elon said ‘the overarching purpose of Tesla Motors (and the reason I am funding the company) is to help expedite the move from a mine-and-burn hydrocarbon economy towards a solar electric economy, which I believe to be the primary, but not exclusive, sustainable solution.’ Associated Materials
While rebranding in 1952 architect Stanley Clark Meston redesigned the golden arches to the iconic yellow M shape that we see today. In 1966 McDonalds aired their first TV commercial with Ronald McDonald as the clown and this was a huge hit giving way to the famous clown in front of McDonalds fast food joints both of which are still part of the brand along with their yellow and red colors.
It is evident that having an identity is easy but creating the right one is the key to success.
January Edition
Coming back to KGF when Rocky stopped the whole traffic to help a mother in pain showed the values he had in the depths of his heart. He went a step further to shut the traffic by pulling out his gun. Everything came together with the backstory that emphasized the motive behind the action. Similarly brands engage with the community to create a strong bond between them and their customers. Such acts for the society bring organization closer to the customers as they are clearly involved with them.
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The bike that Rocky rides is a key identity feature. Likewise every big brands have associated materials. McDonalds started off by using the golden arch design to emphasise their efficiency and fast movement.
Communicating values
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O2O Marketing: Catering to Consumer’s Comfort
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January Edition
- VANDITA TIWARI Online to Offline (O2O) marketing is a business strategy used by organizations to utilize their online marketing channels to generate more business for offline stores. But, O2O can also mean Offline to Online wherein physical stores are used to drive up sales on their online channels. It is a two-way flow between the physical and digital world. It uses the integrated marketing communication mix to increase the contact between the buyer and brand. A consumer may browse through products online and purchase at the brick-andmortar store and vice versa. Rather than focusing on a single channel approach, businesses are using omnichannel marketing to improve customer experience by providing them the option to buy what they want by whatever means they prefer anytime they want.
In India and across the globe COVID 19 has increased the pace of technology and digitization-based strategies being adopted by businesses. Nearly a year later, this has become a simple fact of life. Now neither the companies nor the consumers expect things to go back to the way they used to be in prepandemic times.
January Edition
26 This is a true phygital approach of marketing and the amalgamation of physical and digital has increased the product and service options available to consumers. Through this method, the seller has an opportunity to be with their customers throughout the buying process and make it more personalized and as untroubled as possible.
This ultimately paves the way for gaining more customer loyalty towards the brand. This approach also has the advantage of getting direct customer feedback and gaining insightful information into the consumer’s image of the brand.
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There has been an immense increase in the use of advanced technologies to make the consumer journey completely seamless even when they are using multiple channels to do so. Lenskart is a good example of O2O marketing in India. You can try on frames on the website or app and check for their availability in the nearby Lenskart store or you could browse through options at the store and thousands more through a digital interface within the store and choose to buy it online.
27 The brand can then make changes in its marketing approach accordingly to gain brand loyalty. The O2O marketing strategy also allows for cashless transactions and raises the number of payment options that the customers can avail.
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January Edition
But there are new challenges that come along with the advantages such as customer data privacy, data analysis, seamless shopping experience, etc. One difficulty that businesses face is in terms of measurement. Determining whether the online or offline medium is what spurred the customer into making the purchase and to which category he/she needs to be assigned for data analysis. The old traditional methods of measuring performance become more obsolete every passing day.
This analysis is purposes such future course effectiveness of etc.
used for multiple as deciding the of action, the current strategies,
Online and offline channels are complementary in this approach. The marketer has to ensure that the consumer’s experience both online and offline has to be equally good. If there is a gap between the customer expectations and experience in either channel then the marketer could lose the customer. It can also be said that the touch points of the consumer journey of online and offline shopping have blended in a single phygital shopping experience. Therefore, the marketing strategy of offline and online retail both are being combined to communicate with the consumers who use this channel.
28 India has always presented a challenge for businesses because of its unique mix of cultures and behaviour influencers which can be quite the game-changer if not taken into consideration. O2O provides multiple methods a company can adopt to cater to the consumer’s comfort. But to win in the Indian marketplace, companies need to be ready for constant re-invention of their practices.
January Edition
Also, the disposable income of Indian consumers is increasing. Indians earn 30% more now than they did 6 years ago. The new generation of millennials in India who are now becoming part of the workforce is more digital-savvy than ever before and is more conscious as a consumer which means high expectations which the marketer has to fulfill to retain the trust and loyalty of this new age market segment.
Consumer behaviour is full of nuances and individuals often prefer a mix of traditional and modern while making purchases as they interact with the brand in both the physical and digital world and O2O marketing strategy takes this into consideration.
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A lot of big brands have acquired or merged with digital businesses to increase their online presence like Walmart buying Flipkart and the opposite is also true for strictly digital businesses like Amazon which acquired Whole Foods. This trend has only risen during the lockdown last year when companies were scrambling to find new avenues for generating revenues.
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Shoppable Posts: Future of Commerce - Pallavi Jichkar It noted that consumers loved the way the advertisements were posted. They didn't intend to shop at that moment but these creatives compelled them to stop and take a look leading to a purchase.
A research conducted on 50 brands before its products’ fall 2017 release done by a website called bigcommerce showed that Instagram shoppable posts raise the traffic by a whopping 1416%.
This primarily suggests that the traditional promotion model of AIDA (Awareness, Interest, Desire, Action) is applicable here, only that this takes place in a fraction of a second on online posts.
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January Edition
“Buy now”, said the red button on my Instagram feed, giving me a feeling of FOMO (Fear of missing out), as if I would really miss out on something major if I didn't buy these pairs of sandals right now. And I did as was blatantly obvious. Clicked it. Soon I was on the checkout page, and waiting for my OTP to arrive in my inbox. Would you call it just the urge to shop? Shouldn’t you also be blaming the notorious and sly creators of the ad? Maybe they are just doing their job and did it well.
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This is not just restricted to social media. In the case of food delivery brands like Swiggy and Zomato, every single day, just before lunch time, they float a notification to all those who have these apps installed on their phones. These periodic notifications are extremely catchy and entertaining to say the least. Sometimes, they even include one’s name.
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The increasing middle class, the easy availability of mobile phones, internet resources, the network effect which has made everyone belong to the internet era and the booming startup culture everywhere including India has given rise to competition. If we wonder as to how this affects the future, we need to look back at the way we shopped. We took time to take decisions based on comparisons and judgement. Nowadays, because of the internet, the world is in the consumers’ palms. You have to reach him there and sooner than your ‘n’ number of competitors. Hence, appears the concept of future.
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January Edition
This unknowingly takes you to the app with a click and your mouth starts watering. To not deter us from moving back, these apps have suggestions ready for us based on our previous orders and searches developed through AI. Some quick deals, offers and the display of delivery time don't let us shy away. What is to be noticed here is the timing that they consider to drop in the message. It's a general psychological trait that around 12pm1pm, lunchtime begins and due to exhaustion caused by working since morning, our brain craves for energy and a pizza pops up on our screen. Unescapable right? Brands also resort to doing moment marketing, when they know that it's going to trend for a day or two, they don't hesitate to post something witty.
For example when India won the match against Australia, PayTM posted on its Twitter handle, “With great power, comes great electricity bills. Pay your bills soon via Paytm” and it registered a significant increase in bill payments through the app on that day. Thus, there are various media through which shoppable posts can be created. This has also led to an upcoming category of entertainment to be created called ‘shoppertainment’. This would not help the brands attract the Gen Z and millennials, but also the baby boomers.
32 They have increasingly become habituated to shopping online and secure about their deliveries. A certain amount of trust is built thanks to ecommerce and the ride hailing services.
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As shoppable posts are one of the 4Ps mix for any brand, what contributes more to this are the psychological factors. There is always a growing need among the youngsters to look the best, have the best and be the best. People like to keep up with the latest trends and do not like to stay behind.
Although in India, ecommerce is yet to reach the rural backdrop, the retail giants have successfully gained market share. They have the USP of convenience. But through Facebook, many housewives and youngsters who were devoid of a good job and education are carving a niche for themselves by simply creating shoppable posts. They don't have superior products. They don't have brands associated with them. They just know how to make posts look attractive and how to sell. These posts have led to a path of growing independence and pride for them. Hence, the future of commerce through shoppable posts seems bright, prosperous and shoppable.
January Edition
This essentially began after demonetisation when people started paying online.
CALL FOR ARTICLES JANUARY 2021 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: ● ● ●
Data driven marketing: The role of analytics Consumer privacy: Challenges of a digital age Tactical approaches to marketing: Adopting agile practices
Please ensure that there is no plagiarism, and all the references are clearly mentioned. Kindly follow the guidelines given below: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
One article can have only one author. Your article should be approximately 600 – 650 (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 February 2021
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