The Marksman March 2022 Issue by The Marksman

INTERFACE

The

WHERE MARKETING COMES ALIVE

MARKSMAN Stories. Insights. Knowledge. VOL XII | ISSUE VIII | MAR '22

NEW AGE OF DISRUPTION

EDITOR'S NOTE "Change is inevitable. And the disruption it causes often creates both inconvenience and opportunity."

Hari Shankar

Change being the only constant in today’s dynamic world, the ever-changing and ever-evolving needs and trends are often very volatile. Adapting to these changes and mitigating disruptions can make or break a brand and its business. Disruption is present in all the fields of business, be it as small as a lemonade stand or as big as a worldwide social media network. Disruption enables marketers to think, adapt, change their strategy and evolve the business into a more customer-centric model. Disruption is not always a hinderance to growth but rather a guiding force that steers brands in the right direction. With the constant changes and disruptions in firms, how can marketers today adapt, unravel, and advance to establish a strong brand that is resilient to change and disruption? Read more about 'Marketing in the Age of Disruption' in this edition's cover story. This month's edition takes you through brand stories of innovation and philanthropy, the happenings on social media, and much more.

CFA WINNERS: Yet again, you have put us in a tough spot to select the best of the articles from all the brilliant ones we've received. We congratulate the winner and runner-up of March's edition of the call for articles. 1. Winner - Sudhanshu Aggarwal, SJMSOM, IIT Bombay 2. Runner up - Janhavi Mehta, Narsee Monjee College of Commerce & Economics, Mumbai.

Anshul Sheikh

In the "Featured Articles" section, you'll find these inspiring pieces of work. We were blown away by your overwhelming response, and we wish to see the same enthusiasm from you in the future, as well. We hope you will respond with the same zeal as in the past.

Less is more

Anushka Dalvi

Vipanchi Jain

Less is more

Aditya Mulye

Rayomand Sachinwala

THE WRITERS

Abhishek Rathee

Sakshi Goyal

THE WRITERS

THE DESIGNERS

MEET THE TEAM

Aditi Pooja

Mehek Sethi

Rijul Ghosh

THE WRITERS

Antarip Biswas

Less is more

Alipriya Ghosh

Mahak Sonkar

TABLE OF CONTENTS 01

Kickstart Selling meat has always been a wobbly market with lots of stigmas in India. But Licious has de-liciously redefined the industry. Be it ad campaigns, celebrity endorsements or supply chain, they have been on-point. Let’s ‘meat’ the disruptor & see how they secured a spot in the D2C market

Cover Story When changes cause disruptions and everything seems to fall apart, how do marketers improvise, adapt, and overcome? Let's look at a brief history of marketing disruptions and how marketers can succeed by focusing more on their customers.

What's Hot on the Gram

The arrival of a new season has sparked a burst of creativity and invention on social media. We bring you some Valentine's love, some wordle and a war, as we go past a palindrome date to enter into the stories of springtime trends of the Gram

Brand Markive A colour so bright and yellow, 2 minutes of joy made easy, tastes soft & mellow. Maggi still stands as the market leader despite its ups & downs and a truckload of competitors. Let's dive into and explore the world of Maggi nostalgia

More than Marketing Sustainability has been the new focus of Brands for building a better future. What happens when two strong cement manufacturing giants, Ambuja and ACC, hold hands to battle against an enemy made out of plastic? Let's take a look.

TABLE OF CONTENTS 06

Marketing Buzz Desperate times call for desperate measures. With Brands exiting Russia, an affordable line of iPhones, Fanta's new fruity offspring and HUL's address on waste segregation let's read some stories of Brands with 'People' being the center of focus.

Hallmark Campaign "OK Google. Bring some revolutionary change to education, equality and uplift the society to be better at 7 PM". With campaigns like #SearchForChange, #BolneSeSabHoga, etc., Google is revolutionizing its services by going above & beyond

Pioneer

Things are starting to get stranger, but in a more beautiful way, as the lovable "eleven" Millie Bobby Brown talks about unity, empowerment and cruelty free lifestyle that inspires millions as a bold UNICEF Ambassador and a young Entrepreneur.

Marketflix and Chill Riddle me this: "Who wears a black cape & mask, has a cool automobile, hunts at night and is re-cast every 6 years or so?" Vengeance takes a new form and colour as the crusader is back, not lurking in but as the shadow itself.

Mark-o-pedia Take a dive into Megamarketing, where Brands play a strategic game of business and politics to expand their circle of influence beyond just customers and win over their competitors in a socio-political environment.

KICKSTART 'Meat' the disruptor, Licious. Successfully conquering obstacles

While most brands grappled with staying afloat and growing their businesses during the pandemic, Licious experienced things take a delicious turn for them after a few initial hiccups. They filled the gap between the demand and supply of hygienic food consumption in the meat and seafood market and used the erratic meat supply in the neighborhood meat shops to their advantage. Founded by friends Abhay Hanjura and Vivek Gupta in July 2015, Licious scaled up slowly with a substantial boost in sales and revenue in the last two years. From one city (Bengaluru) to 15 cities, from 3,000 orders per month to more than 2 million orders per month, and from five delivery centers to more than 100, they have grown significantly.

-Mehek Sethi

What is now a high-octane tale, however, had a bumpy start. Not only did Licious have to cope with the stigma of purchasing and selling meat, but they also had to deal with the predicament of those who ate it. Even though Licious was trying to create a branded meat play, many Investors were not convinced and let their Personal biases of vegetarian capitalists come in the way. But, what are the reasons behind the success Licious has attained today? How did Licious manage to become one of the fastest-growing D2C brands? Firstly, Licious is tall and powerful today because of its high degree of customer-centricity, unparalleled attention to supply chain, quality, freshness, and innovation.

KICKSTART Its first dedicated campaign in the readyto-cook sector was the #FasterChef campaign. It aimed to target the youth. i.e., people that belonged to the age group of 25-35. The ad is a homage to delicious food and the delight of sharing a meal with friends, especially when they show up unexpectedly. At the same time, Kunaal Roy Kapur bought out the quality of lightheartedness that Licious relates to. Licious is still on its journey to achieve greater heights. In fact, when Licious received $52 million in series G fundraising in October 2021, it became the first directto-consumer brand to reach the $1 billion value unicorn club.

Secondly, Licious leveraged advertising to further its brand awareness. Celebrities who can bring the brand persona alive are always on the lookout for Licious. As their brand ambassadors, they roped in Anil Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor. Without any advertisement, the brand had seen rapid development. Advertising on prime time television gave the category a boost and accelerated the brand's growth. The advertisement that had the unclenephew duo targeted discerning meat customers who are particular about the quality of meat they eat. The pairing was wonderful, as was the duo's portrayal of the camaraderie, humor, and love for high-quality meat with all the 'Nakhras'.

Cover Story Marketing in the Age of Disruption -Rayomand Sachinwala

What exactly does marketing imply right now? This is a question that many organizations are pondering. The world of marketing is in the midst of a major transformation. So, in this age of disruption, what is the answer to marketing? Marketing is not a job title. It's also not a department. It's a method, a voice, and a conversation.

Disruption isn't new; it's just more dramatic, and it's causing marketers to reconsider their strategies. Although the digital disruption of marketing is still in its early stages, it has had a significant impact on how firms interact with customers. The majority of marketing is still trapped in the past. The most important part of modern marketing is content marketing, which is always focused on the client.

In this cover story, we will take you to the journey of marketing in the age of disruption and some tips for brands that can help them to take the leap and evolve.

Marketing Isn’t What We Thought It Was!

But before that, let’s have a look at what the current scenario is:

We're clearly in the midst of a disruptive cycle right now. The world is in chaos.

Cover Story It's been a perfect storm, but one that you'll be able to weather. We've had our fair share of disruptive factors over the last five years, including COVID-19, a recession, and societal tensions. So, in a world like this, what is the context for marketing? Is it even relevant? Do we currently have anything to offer our audiences? Yes, because disruption isn't a new concept. It has been around for a while. Right now, we're seeing the acceleration of it. Everything that is happening now has been changing for a long time. The recent crises have only expedited it. Or perhaps we're just paying more attention these days. This is a good thing. Because failing to keep up comes at a cost, and irrelevance may be the worst outcome. The Beginning of Disruption It all began with digital devices and channels. If you want to look at the evolution of brands over the previous 18 years, you can start with some crucial dates. 2003: LinkedIn is launched, allowing professionals to connect and learn virtually. LinkedIn has evolved into a useful marketing medium in just 18 years. Facebook makes its debut in 2006. It has made a significant impact in only 14 years. It remains the most popular social networking platform, and it has evolved into much more than a place to post family photos. It's a news outlet, a marketplace, and a platform for businesses to express their stories. iPhone was released in the United States in 2007. With its launch, we now have access to the internet in the palm of our hands. This accessibility has had a profound impact on people's lives, cultures, and businesses. With a single click, you may get answers to your questions and meet your needs. 2011: Snapchat debuts, quickly gaining a cult following among all generations after all, who doesn't look better with a filter? It is, once again, a game-changer for both consumers and brands. 2020: The epidemic strikes, and TikTok takes off, allowing everyone to become a content maker. Partnerships between personal brands and brand influencers are increasing.

Cover Story

Most Marketing Is Still Without a Revolution The majority of marketing still appears to have missed the memo about transformation. It's a never-ending cycle of brands telling us how great they are. It's possible that the only variation is in the channels they choose. The truth is that we're all now connected. It's simple to locate information, and we expect it to be useful and accessible. We overlook it when it isn't. Customers' relationships with brands are changing as a result of the digital transformation. Because this is an experience economy, they have expectations. They go on if you don't meet them. However, marketing in many businesses remains trapped in the past. CEOs are dissatisfied since it does not generate income or profits.

They all point the finger at their CMO. Be In-Step with Disruption The disruption is here, and it’s not going away. It will only get worse. Although the situation may appear chaotic, there are important steps to follow in order to welcome the change. Companies used to spend time and money on brochures as a calling card before the internet. Then they switched to a digital channel, but few businesses rethought how to use it differently. Your website is the most valuable digital asset you have. This isn't a pamphlet! It is yours to possess and control. If you use it wisely, it can help you create actual value over time. The graph above compares the value of paid ads vs. the value of content marketing on your website.

Cover Story To begin with, content marketing budgets are significantly lower, and there are no fluctuations. The amount of money spent on advertising always seems to increase. The focus on content marketing has resulted in a large rise in traffic over time. The amount of traffic on the site is constantly increasing. When you publish high-quality material, it has an influence not just on that day but for months or years to come. This is the beauty of evergreen content: it's an annuity. Ads, on the other hand, are a different story. The return is zero as soon as your Google ad is finished. If you don't place an ad, you won't get a response. It's not a long-term marketing strategy. As you can see, content marketing provides a 7x higher return on investment than paid ads. How Can Marketers Connect with Customers in an Age of Disruption? Marketers must provide content that appeals to customers. This is the definition of content marketing. It's the crossroads between what you want to publish and what your customers desire. Content marketing is not a new concept. It has been a global force for at least a decade. Its popularity and use are increasing. The truth is that content marketing goes against a company's natural desire to promote. It's in their nature to talk about themselves. Features, benefits, and differentiators are the focus of the messages. It's all about me, me, and me. When it comes to answering consumer concerns, problems, and inquiries, content marketing is the intersection of what you know and your solutions. You must change your perspective from one of promoting to one of publishing. Empathy has a big role in this shift. Concluding remarks Disruption isn't going away, and neither should your marketing strategy. Disruption is a natural aspect of life. Everything is in flux. You should rethink your marketing if it doesn't represent this. Keep in mind the following essential elements: Your content's hero should be the customer. You'll have to pitch content marketing's business case and return on investment. Effective content marketing requires consistency and frequency. Customer inquiries should always be answered in content.

WHAT'S HOT ON THE GRAM

Wordle streaks and Valentines Week When the brain and the heart meet

Like every new month, February had to come knocking in with some new trends. While we knew some would be the mainstream ones. The others blew our minds away too. Wordle was the first up-and-coming trend. Let's first understand what wordle is and why brands went Gaga over it? Wordle is a word game wherein you are given six attempts to make the right guess. With every word that you guess, the boxes of letters get covered in yellow if the letter you guessed is in the actual word but not in the right position, and they turn green if the letter you've guessed is in the actual word and at the right position.

-Mahak Sonkar

With the simple strategy but a new innovative touch to it, wordle managed to pique the interest of various brands and became a trend overnight. Brands tried to promote their key features using this trend. later in February came the palindrome date. 02/22/22 and 02/02/22, which again became a massive opportunity for brands to show off their marketing skills using their witty side. A lot of big brands like Swiggy, Durex, Tinder, etc., acted on it. A lot of fun insights came to light. The main idea was to promote the Key USP word of their brands using the wordle game trick.

WHAT'S HOT ON THE GRAM Although there was love all around, there were certain things brands shied away from while maintaining their marketing, while only a few stepped forward to do so. One such sensitive topic was the world war between Ukraine and Russia. Some brands went into dirty marketing by suddenly starting to raise funds for the Ukrainian while most brands decided to stay numb about the issue and not speak within the controversy.

And while all other trends came and slowed down, we all knew that February is also the month of love, and hence valentines posts will be at their peak, and we weren't wrong. Almost every brand decided to go with the day to show how their brand aligns with the idea of love. Now the question was that what kind of love are you promoting. And while some brands went with self-love like Bumble, other brands went promoting their USPs using valentine's week as Spotify and Zomato did for valentine's day and chocolate day, respectively. All in all, it was the craziest trend of February and so much fun to witness. Valentine's week was not only well appreciated by different brands but utilized too.

March, however, seems to be a month of whole new trends. With sports like IPL and F1 at their peak, we expect there to be some crazy marketing. Oh, and not to forget the kind of campaigns we would be getting during Holi and financial year-end. With every passing day that we spend on Instagram thinking about what new will go on in the marketing world, people just end up surprising us. But not like we are complaining!

BRAND MARKIVE Maggi

From the kitchen to the mountains

Who doesn't have an aesthetic picture with a plate of Maggi these days? Be it during a much-needed halt in a long tiring trek or in the hostel room you've just shifted to. Nestle is not just a dream company for most, its flagship Maggi is synonymous with striking the right emotions and that too in just 2 Minutes. Well, Maggi has built such a strong brand for over 3 decades that some people call noodles Maggi. Launched back in 1982 when there was no go-to noodle or ever any kind of snack in the country, Maggi initially targeted working women and soon after majorly targeted kids.

-Alipriya Ghosh

Maggi is also known for its simple yet catchy taglines like "2 minutes mein khushiya" and "Taste bhi health bhi". Even then, all of the love and demand for Maggi couldn't help during the 2015 nationwide Maggi ban. But Maggi fought back, revamped itself and the story it tells. In July 2018, Maggi came up with the ‘From Our Kitchen to Your Kitchen' campaign. It is a video series where consumers were invited to learn about their products and how they are made. The first weekend of 2019 saw leading English print dailies displaying ‘Your Maggi is Safe, Has Always Been’ where the brand marched upon a

BRAND MARKIVE campaign to ensure to the readers and its consumers that it has never compromised in its quality and it will never do it. Maggi has been facing strong competition from brands like Wai Wai noodles, Sunfeast Yippee Noodles, Ching’s Chinese, and Knorr Soupy Noodles. It has had its ups and downs like every other brand and now in 2022, Maggi enjoys a 60% market share. Even in their recent “Miss you” campaign which was used during the ban period, precisely before the re-launch of the product, all videos were eminently crafted to spur empathy among viewers. With the help of these kinds of advertisements, it claims to be more than just a simple food product. It is emotive and it has become a part of our lives. Maggi is just not a food product. It is a food habit. It is a great idea. Maggi has been the cheapest branded food available in the market in India for years.

Over the years, Maggi has differentiated its brand image from its competitors in terms of taste, flavours, and packaging. It has launched wide varieties of products in different flavours & in different sizes which caters to different customer needs. Customers couldn’t find this to the same extent in other competitive brands. Even after 25 years of dominance with more than 70% of the market share — there was literally no competition. This is exactly what strong branding does over the years to the product. Maggi is the name, which showed the power of branding and storytelling, and simplicity.

MORE THAN MARKETING CHANGE THE STORY

Ambuja & ACC's Sustainability Pledge

-Anushka Dalvi

Out of all the trends that came up in marketing last year, one of the primary trends which left its mark is sustainability. Sustainability evolved into more than just a trend; it became a symbol of the growing consciousness of people towards their surroundings, the environment, and, in turn, the whole world. Post the pandemic; this phase accelerated further. According to a report by Capgemini, 80% of consumers are willing to contribute to the fight to save the planet for future generations. This caused the brands to take a second look at themselves and their marketing measures. Be it for popularity, to appease their disgruntled customers, or as a heartfelt measure, many brands have taken up the practice of sustainability. One of the notable Indian names that have recently taken up this sustainability challenge is Holcim India Group, the parent company of Ambuja Cement and ACC. With its first major corporate promotion entitled ‘Change the Story,’ it shed light on its upcoming efforts for plastic removal in the country. From recycling to moving towards cleaner energy sources to implementing impactful ideas in the circular economy, this company believes that cement is an ideal candidate to demonstrate how sustainability works in the practical world. This campaign has already started making a massive difference in India’s efforts to clean plastic from rivers. The leaking of 500 tonnes of plastic waste in the Yamuna River has been prevented, and the project is further expected to collect 2,400 tonnes of plastic from the canal each year. This has been done with the help of Geocycle India’s waste management arm of Ambuja Cement and ACC, which has implemented ‘bubble curtain’ technology for plastic removal. This is a non-invasive solution to prevent plastic from entering the oceans. It allows the ships and fish to pass through the air bubbles but stops plastics from doing so.

MORE THAN MARKETING This approach for plastic removal has been lauded by many for its distinct nature and focus on safe and eco-friendly measures for definitive treatment of the collected waste. The company has marketed its campaigns across social media with a quirky advertisement featuring an eccentric scientist waiting for plastic to change in water. The ad progresses with the scientist growing old but the plastic remaining unchanged. With an important message urging people to Change the Story, the ad generates awareness about the company removing plastic waste from Yamuna River across Agra’s Matola canal.

The bubble barrier, which is generated using compressed air passing through tubes, is placed diagonally on the beds of rivers or canals. A compressor connects the tubes, which is powered by solar energy. Further, the aeration in the canal leads to an increase in dissolved oxygen levels, leading to an overall improvement in water quality. The recyclable plastics are additionally sent to recycling facilities. In contrast, the non-recyclable ones are taken to Geocycle’s facility for preprocessing and co-processing in the Ambuja or ACC cement kilns. This approach for plastic removal has been lauded by many for its distinct nature and focus on safe and eco-friendly measures for collected waste treatment.

The company has a lot more in store for the future. It aims to further get involved in cleaning plastic waste from stadiums by partnering with BCCI, explore biofuel in sea transportation and much more to accomplish the nation’s net-zero goals.

MARKETING BUZZ People, the one, the only!

When brands make it all about the people

-Rijul Ghosh

Fanta with a portfolio expansion Fanta's new flavour, Apple Delite, has been released by Coca-Cola India, broadening the brand's portfolio with a fruity variety. The brand recently debuted a new commercial with Kartik Aaryan, generating excitement and enthusiasm for yet another exciting edition of Fanta. Fanta's adoption of this flavour will bring the brand's repertoire in India to two flavours. Fanta has always brought joy and amusement into people's lives. This current initiative with Apple Delite will serve as a reminder to stay colourful despite the constraints of contemporary life.

Marketing on the war front. The continuing Russia-Ukraine conflict has already seen the Western world take a firm stand against Russia, and it's not only governments attempting to support Ukraine — but Big Tech has also decided to step up in its efforts not just to assist Ukraine actively oppose Russian aggression. Elon Musk agreed to a Twitter plea, allowing Ukrainians to reconnect to the internet. He aligned the Starlink satellite constellation to transmit the internet over Ukraine, aiding the country's recovery from Russian forces' assault. Apple has stopped all sales in Russia while Microsoft keeps a stern check on all hacking threats from Russia. Meta followed by YouTube and Twitter have taken it upon themselves to mitigate all disinformation campaigns carried out by Russia. Google and Netflix are not behind, as the former disables life traffic data while Netflix denies addition to Russian state channels on their platform.

MARKETING BUZZ

HUL addresses waste segregation Thousands of tonnes of rubbish are dumped in India's landfills, rivers, and seas every day. Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has started a campaign to encourage people to separate domestic garbage at the source, keeping waste out of landfills and in the circular economy. The campaign raises awareness of the danger of mixed garbage disposal and the need for prompt action through an engaging storey and thought-provoking debate. Appu - a child, is shown in the film protesting uniquely. He is shown unwilling to leave an unsorted mass of trash in a residential trash can. This behaviour astounds Appu's parents, neighbours, and the entire neighbourhood. After much interrogation, Appu finally confesses, "If you don't sort your rubbish into wet and dry at home, you're trashing my future." This remark takes everyone in the room aback by prompting Appu's parents to separate their trash.

Cheap iPhone? According to the latest claims, the iPhone SE 3 might be the cheapest iPhone ever. While Apple has generally focused on high-end products, its 'SE' line of iPhones has been cheaper. As per Apple analyst John Donovan, the iPhone SE 3 pricing might start at $300 (about $22,700), down from the iPhone SE 2020's beginning price of $399 (around $30,100). This might suggest that the iPhone SE 3 will cost less than 30,000 rupees in India after taxes and charges. Is this an indication of the future or just another marketing gimmick?

HALLMARK CAMPAIGN Google

#SearchForChange

-Aditi Pooja

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” ― Nelson Mandela But what about those with minimal or no access to education? The answer is Google! Google is used by over half of India's population actively. And as we already know, their search engine is accessible on every smartphone in a range of languages. To remind how this now seemingly everywhere and familiar service can truly make a difference, Google launched a campaign on International Women's Day titled '#SearchForChange'. Stereotypes still exist in different walks of life and varying across different sections of society. The campaign highlighted some stereotypes faced by women and how a simple Google search helps them overcome difficulties of all sorts. The ad film released showed women from different walks of life, facing discrimination in equal pay, harassment, being looked down by family members for being a girl, being judged by a landlady on returning back from office late at night, a girl finding a way to continue her education and a mother struggling to find work-life balance. The focus in the advertisement is on the use of their voice search service and the ease of communicating with Google using Hindi and regional languages. A subtle and smart point in this ad was not just on the lack of awareness and knowledge of what one has the right to or can avail, but also the doubt that comes to mind in a patriarchal system even if one is aware of them. In the advertisement, we see a woman who considers taking over the family business but is deterred because she is a woman. By seeking a second opinion from Google, she finds out about business loans for women, giving her the confidence to move forward with it.

HALLMARK CAMPAIGN

We also see a woman who is not remunerated the same as her male counterpart with the same role and work, with her boss attempting to justify it by saying he supports a family and is married. Though she may seem well qualified and educated and taking the right step by bringing it up to her boss, his response makes her doubt the equal rights she believes exist. But with a simple voice search on google, she finds that gender-based discrimination for remuneration is legally not allowed, giving her strength to fight for her rights. Previously, Google released a campaign called #BolneSeSabHoga, with a series of ads promoting the voice search feature in Hindi, showing how anyone can take the

help of Google. One advertisement sheds light on how less we know of the women's cricket team despite being a nation that is passionate about cricket. Some others focused on the difference we can make by speaking up, featuring ads with a girl who is more interested in the moon than dolls and a cook who learns about bank accounts to open a Dhaba of her own by just asking so. 'Manjha #SearchForChange' builds on a similar narrative, but with women leading them and truly sets itself in women's hearts as their #SearchForChange, that empowers them in achieving all they dream of. Google is not just selling a service but a friend and guide to all that one seeks.

PIONEER Millie Bobby Brown Young, Bold & Feisty

-Abhishek Rathee

At a tender age of 18, there isn’t much you could boast of achieving, but Millie Bobby Brown had other plans. She went out to conquer the world and has done so in quite some style. Since the start of her career, Millie has proven that her talents go far beyond acting. As an influencer, entrepreneur and global activist, Millie uses her social media accounts to share her vision for a greener and more sustainable world. In her recent interview with Samsung, she opened up about the role sustainability plays in her life and how she takes local action on global problems—all while inspiring her community to take part with her. In April 2018, she was named as one of the world's 100 most influential people by Time magazine. She is the youngest person ever to be named to Time's annual list of the top 100 people in the world. Millie Bobby Brown was named UNICEF's youngest Goodwill Ambassador in November 2018, vowing to be a voice for the millions of children throughout the world whose voices are silenced, empower them, and ensure that they are well-informed of their rights. According to UNICEF, in her new role, she will work to promote awareness of children's rights as well as other youth-related issues such as access to education and the effects of violence, bullying, and poverty. Millie is also taking part in UNICEF's World Children's Day #GoBlue campaign. Millie Bobby Brown now produces films with her sister Paige under her family's production company PCMA Productions, in addition to her acting career. Millie has a hand in behind-the-scenes areas including casting and pre-production in her work as a producer. Being in the public eye has its own drawbacks, such as detractors who criticise her for her controversial beliefs, wardrobe choices, and even friendships. Brown's position? Use criticism to feed positivity: "I've had to cope with a lot of internet bashing and scrutiny." If anything, it motivates me to promote even more love and kindness through my platform.

PIONEER My fans are aware that I, too, am a human being. I get acne, make blunders, am prone to being foolish or fatigued, and am prone to becoming upset. It's fine to be all of those things. You have love for others if you accept yourself for who you are, and that is what matters most." As a part of Samsung’s #DoWhatYouCant campaign, she has managed to rub off some of her appeal onto the brand, making it part of the larger global conversation about 'empowerment'. This moves the brand forward from just being a consumer brand to becoming a brand with a purpose; a reason for the brand to exist. She is also the young entrepreneur behind “florence by mills”, a skincare and beauty brand celebrating self-love and expression. It's a new take on clean skincare and makeup that aims to redefine beauty with a Gen Z-centric range based on the notion that true beauty comes from accepting and appreciating oneself. Mills believes that beauty is defined by love and compassion, both for ourselves and for others. In her battle with leukaemia, her buddy Liv lived that message every day. Florence is happy to donate to the Olivia Hope Foundation in honour of Liv's legacy and importance in Millie's life. The Olivia Hope Foundation continues to support Liv's dream of finding a treatment for children malignancies. She was a true inspiration for young people all across the world during the pandemic, donating over $18,000 to COVID-19 frontliners. She also established the World Children's Day drawing challenge in November 2020, encouraging children to depict their vision for the world they want to build after COVID-19. There’s nothing strange about how amazing Millie Bobby Brown is. The ‘Stranger Things’ star is arguably the most incredible teenager in the world. She loves her family, speaks out about what she believes in and is totally inspirational on social media. And yes, she has certainly achieved more in her short lifetime than most of us. You go girl!!!

MARKETFLIX AND CHILL The Batman

Promoting Vengeance via Viral Marketing

-Aditya Mulye

The Batman is one of the most awaited films of the year 2022. Actor Robert Pattinson has dawned the cape under the vision of director Matt Reeves for a crime-thriller, coming off an age detective story. Various actors have previously embodied the persona of “The Dark Knight," yet the Batman is one of the most famous superheroes. So whenever a Batman movie is set for release, its parent company DC and marketers at Warner Brothers leave no stone unturned to let the audience know the arrival of the caped crusader. There are many famous villains of Batman who have been featured in the previous movies. Joker, Bane, Scarecrow, and Ra’Al Ghul are some of the prominent examples. Yet Robert Pattinson’s Batman must face ‘The Riddler’ a political killer, inspired by the zodiac killer in America. The Riddler is known for teasing Batman with Riddles, and the marketers at WB have grabbed this opportunity to create a viral buzz on the internet with cryptic posts about the Batman and the Riddler. These posts on Twitter and official Batman handles created hype on the internet in December, three months prior to the release date of 4th March 2022. The Batman is also a big brand and many companies have identified it. Police, a famous fashion brand, collaborated with The Batman to release four limited-edition watches, capturing the pure spirit of Gotham's vigilante. The Police x THE BATMAN timepiece collection is a meticulous amalgamation of distinguished fashion and Police design language. Weaving together a strong and dark ensemble inspired by some of DC's fan favorites, the collection delivers a powerful style statement, which will appeal to horologe lovers and DC aficionados alike. Only 10000 of these watches are being produced under this limited edition set and fans across the globe were enticed to own one of these.

MARKETFLIX AND CHILL One day before the release date, The Batman used one of the biggest arsenals in its marketing weapons -The Bat Symbol. It is an icon that has been in use since the 1990s. The bat-symbol was strewn across skyscrapers all over the world, including Dubai's Burj Khalifa, Jeddah's King's Road Tower, and Kuwait City's Dorado Towers. The towers also showcased various phrases from the movie, such as ‘Its not just a symbol, it’s a warning!’ and ‘No more Lies.’ The Batman movie has truly done its best to promote the film, and the producers are hoping for a big box office success, thanks to the huge response to these viral marketing campaigns.

Marketers of Batman went above and beyond in viral marketing when they launched Rataalada.com. Rataalada.com is a real-life website that is also featured in the movie itself. Rataalada, which means a rat with wings, referring to the Batman, is a website used by Riddler in the movie. When fans visit Ratalaada.com, they are directed towards a line. When you click on that line, a new image appears, which is a cipher that users must solve, much like in the movie.The website also released many cryptic riddles which will lead to many easter eggs in the movie.

MARK-O-PEDIA Megamarketing

A Mix of Business and Politics

-Antarip Biswas

Megamarketing refers to the expansion of marketing beyond the customer to include third parties who can influence or prevent transactions. Labor unions, cultural organizations, reform groups, banks, and, most importantly, governments are among these third parties. It's critical in international trade since national governments may impose protectionist economic policies that prevent foreign firms from accessing their markets. Such government policy acts as a "third party" that prevents buyers and sellers from doing business; as a result, that party must be appeased for the desired enterprise to succeed. Marketing is the process of putting together needs-satisfying and profitable offers for potential customers. Noncustomers, on the other hand, may require additional incentives and pressures at the appropriate times and in the proper amounts. As a result, megamarketing takes a broader view of the talents and resources needed to enter and operate in specific markets. Megamarketers may employ inducements and sanctions and create appealing offers for customers to elicit the desired responses from gatekeepers. Megamarketing is the strategically coordinated use of economic, psychological, political, and public relations skills to secure the cooperation of several parties to enter and operate in a particular market. Megamarketing combines the traditional marketing tools (the four Ps) with two additional elements: Power and Public relations. Power - To enter and operate in the target market, the megamarketer must frequently cooperate with powerful industry officials, politicians, and government bureaucrats. For example, a pharmaceutical company seeking to bring a new birth control pill into a country must first acquire approval from the country's ministry of health. As a result, the mega-marketer requires political expertise and a political plan.

MARK-O-PEDIA Coca-Cola had controlled the Indian soft drink market until it abruptly exited the country in 1978, citing government restrictions as the reason. Coca-Cola and Seven-Up sought to re-enter, but Pepsi won thanks to the hard effort and intelligent political marketing. Pepsi teamed up with an Indian company to construct a joint venture with parameters that would win government approval despite objections from domestic soft drink industries and anti-MNC politicians. Pepsi offered to assist India in exporting a volume of agro-based products that would pay the expense of importing soft drink concentrate.

Public Relations - Marketing and public relations is a pull approach, whereas power is a push strategy. It takes longer to build public opinion, but once it is ignited, it can assist drag the company into the market. Indeed, power alone may not be enough to get or keep a corporation in a market. Japanese chemical corporations, for example, were granted permission to construct chemical facilities in Korea in the late 1960s by taking advantage of Korea's pressing need to grow its heavy industry. They manipulated the Korean government by providing technological aid, new jobs, and bribes to government officials. Pepsi beat out Coca-Cola by signing an agreement to access India's massive consumer market.

Citicorp attempted to establish full-service banking in Maryland for years. It solely had credit cards and modest service operations. Out-of-state banks were only allowed to provide specific services under Maryland law. Citicorp proposed to develop a credit card facility in Maryland, creating 1,000 white-collar jobs and offering $1 million cash. After this proposal, Citicorp became the first out-ofstate bank to provide complete banking services in Maryland.

CALL FOR ARTICLES Anti-Marketing A 'Hatke' concept

-Sudhanshu Aggarwal

All-day long, we are bombarded with advertisements and promotional messages. Aside from the sheer amount of marketing messages, they are also becoming more prevalent, appearing in little windows on our laptops, park benches, television screens in elevators, and even public restrooms. For many customers, the total consequence is tiredness or, worse, scepticism or bewilderment. Consumers have educated themselves to ignore, tune out, or at the very least distrust advertising and marketing communications. However, if consumers have been paying attention, they may have seen an increase in anti-ad, a developing trend in the advertising industry with a slew of firms launching campaigns that criticize or spoof advertising, primarily aimed at the Gen Z and millennial generations. Anti-Marketing is a campaign or commercial that resists typical marketing messaging and instead mocks traditional advertising with a self-aware tone. It is launched with the goal of viewers viewing the ad with a degree of admiration, even if only unconsciously. This leads to sales by creating a bond with the audience. Users tend to pay greater attention when firms openly admit what they seek to achieve (sell things, attract followers, etc). Antimarketing cuts through the noise, causing buyers to take a second look at something they would ordinarily ignore. At its foundation, anti-marketing is based on two simple concepts: Consumers are informed and empowered. They want accurate and helpful information, and they want you to value their knowledge. Everyone is selling something; be unique. To attract the market, be original and creative. Anti-marketing marketing, in contrast to traditional marketing, focuses on: Less noise, more surpriseAttract not promote Be truthful & unexpected Simplicity and exclusivity Reverse Psychology

CALL FOR ARTICLES Closer to home, CRED's television commercials ridiculing the usage of celebrities in advertising — and successfully encouraging celebrities to do it themselves — cut through the clutter. Its billboard ad read "Download CRED," without explaining it. Taking a self-aware approach generally entails creating a spoof of the industry norm. More serious firms may appear weird, embracing anti-marketing; attempting to be "cool" is a guaranteed way to ensure a company will not be. And while self-awareness seems to be disruptive (and hence effective), the more brands adopt it, the less potent it will

Volkswagen is credited with inventing the first anti-ad campaign in 1959, with "Think Small," a series of advertisements highlighting the VW's legendary "lemon," the Beetle. VW's Beetle, and the ads that accompanied it, were self-deprecating, simple, and funny. Experts today consider "Think Small" one of the finest advertising campaigns of all time. In the "Another Level" commercial, adolescents hold up entirely blank Doritos bags while the ad transitions to different abstract images of triangles, including pyramids, pool tables, and retro cartoons, all to appeal to Gen Zers. The premise behind the commercial is that Doritos is iconic enough that it doesn't require a label or even a logo on its bag.

become. As a result, the firms and brands that implement this strategy early on will be the most successful. To some, antimarketing is a crucial subsequent development of marketing practice, maybe the natural conclusion of "overload marketing," in which businesses and advertisers' efforts to out-spend and outcompete one other have reached the boundaries of their efficacy.

CALL FOR ARTICLES The power of TikTok The new crowd puller

-Janhavi Mehta

Do you remember your thumb going sore as you swipe up and down amidst a flurry of videos that you hate to admit are super addictive? With the shrinking attention spans of the internet generation, these short videos glide into our cold screens in a complete red-carpet style, entertaining us, distracting us, sometimes educating us but most importantly engaging us. TikTok- an app that has taken the content landscape by storm has unraveled a novel way of pushing a content peg- add some music- throw in some trending moves and be a star of the show for 60 seconds. TikTok had a humble start in 2016 with an introduction by its parent company ByteDance. The growth since then has been nothing short of phenomenal with TikTok becoming the fastest growing social media platform with over 2 billion downloads in 2021, availability in over 150 countries, and average time spent on the app at a whopping 52 minutes per day. Here are some mind-boggling numbers that make us think that TikTok is not only a crowd-puller but also a crowd-retainer and a crowdfavourite. 1. TikTok has 1Billion active users across the globe. 2. A user opens TikTok an average of 8 times per day. 3. More than 83% of the people on TikTok have created a video. The question now is, what is the secret sauce behind TikTok’s winning strategy? In a capsule, the secret is its slick algorithm that neatly packages your preferences into your feed and the dopamine rush that is generated in the brain that keeps the audience coming back to the app. In the era of Attention Economy where companies and individuals are trying to squeeze every opportunity to leverage social currencies into meaningful engagements, TikTok rules the roost with

CALL FOR ARTICLES billion views and over 1,00,000 video uploads. 4. Campaign Analytics: Insights are made available to business accounts where traction, engagement, follower profile, demographics, and relevant data are tracked which gives the creator a deep dive into the campaign performance and an opportunity to fine-tune the upcoming content. For Individuals: TikTok has bought about a content revolution for individuals where

its snackable videos, consumer-first algorithm, shareable content, and entertainment on the go. For Brands: 1. Branded Content: 60% of the users on TikTok are between the age of 16 and 24 (Source: Brand Mentions). This helps brands to favorably interact with their audiences and engage them in meaningful conversations. Using short formal videos, brands can create a niche audience and use the community to market their services. 2. In-App Ads: Businesses can use over 8 different types of paid ads to either increase awareness or drive conversions. With more than 1 billion monthly active users, brands get increased touchpoints for their BTL marketing campaigns. 3. Hashtag Challenges: The fastest way to proliferate User Generated Content (UGC) and create a viral trend- TikTok offers branded hashtag challenges that brands can use to begin conversations. Popular hashtag challenges include Pepsi’s #SwagStepChallenge which garnered 30

individuals are at a free will to consume and create content. With the influencer marketing industry growing at the rate of 32% CAGR, the avenues are plenty. TikTok has surely ushered a content revolution- anyone and everyone can become a star and steal the show within 60 seconds. Given TikTok’s power of influence and the market’s increased affinity towards its content, we can safely say it is a powerful communication tool, if leveraged correctly, however, users and brands must exercise caution regarding over-indulgence and dependency.

CALL FOR ARTICLES Summer 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:

SEO Marketing - Wording for the win Reels, Shorts and Stories - New world A.V. marketing Stealth Marketing - Brilliance or faux? 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 April, 2022

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