The Marksman October 2022 Issue

E D I T O R ' S N O T E

The festivals are here, and after two dull seasons, people look forward to celebrating this season with great ardor and enthusiasm Brands will tap into this opportunity to rocketeer their sales through creative campaigns, marketing tactics, and Ad campaigns that leave a sense of resonance with the consumers

To know more about Cultural Branding, read 'Bond of Brands.'

In this edition, we also delve into the Micro Mobility Vehicle startup Yulu, Brahmastra's mystical marketing, and the changing marketing strategies in the healthcare industry

CFA WINNERS:

You have not failed to surprise us with your brilliant articles A hearty congratulations to the folks who managed to be the winner and runner up of the October edition of the call for articles

1.

2.

Winner Madhurima KVS, K J Somaiya Institute of Management

Runner up Gaurav Ganguly, K J Somaiya Institute of Management

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

Muskan Aggarwal

Maheshwari Mishra

"This festive season, let there be light for all! For our lives are only richer when we share."

Bhargav Deo

Khanna

Munshi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Kickstart

As the increasing traffic in cities becomes more and more of a trouble, Yulu emerges as a solution provider for all your commute problems Read more about this Micro Mobility Vehicle here

Cover Story

Learn how brands leverage the festive season into rocketing their sales amidst the post covid recovery by applying creativity and being inclusive in their promotional tactics to create a sense of resonance with their customers.

Brand Markive

Heard of a woman entrepreneur who has successfully built a brand from scratch at the age of 50? Hop on to read about the success story of the beauty and wellness brand Nykaa, founded by Falguni Nayar

More than Marketing

Every step counts in a journey. Keeping this in mind, Titan has launched its sustainability campaign “Go Green”, motivating people to contribute in every little way possible.

Marketing Buzz

Brands like Mondelez are giving out a message of inclusivity through campaigns like #shopsforshopless by connecting to their customers emotionally and conveying a message of having 'Celebrations for all,' reiterating why they are people’s favorite

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Hallmark Campaign

You must have heard about locked doors of life However, this Diwali, our all time favorite brand Coca Cola came up with locked bottles, adding an interesting twist to its marketing campaign #milkehimanegidiwali

Pioneer

Breaking the shackles, this celebrity won the hearts of price sensitive Indian consumers with Kay beauty. These beauty products are a shadow of her remarkable knowledge and sophistication of the beauty industry.

Marketflix and Chill

To learn about the buzz that the movie Brahmastra created with its promotions and grandiose unveilings and the marketing aspect of its effectivity towards garnering footfall in the theatres, do read this article

Humans of Marksman

In this article, read about the changing marketing strategies of the Healthcare Industry in the post pandemic scenario and the challenges that the industry might face in the pursuit of this mission by Mrs Gauri Chaudhry, an industry stalwart.

Marketing Trivia

Put on your gaming hats, for it is time to challenge and test your marketing skills by playing this specially curated marketing maze. Go have fun with your favorite brands!

Yulu Bikes

Micro Mobility Vehicle

Rushali Khanna

Yulu is a technology driven vehicle to enable the city to move through public and private modes of transport This user friendly, Micro Mobility Vehicle (MMV) can be easily operated through any one's phone It provides a seamless, shared, and sustainable experience to all its users. Yulu bikes are simple to operate, fool proof and incredibly accessible Yulu bikes are usually available on all metro stations and thus have an easy to access characteristic attached to them.

Yulu uses the latest technologies to help people experience an amazing way to tour the city, by using IoT, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in integration with Cloud Computing through a user friendly app. It uses a pay per use technology and can be booked and availed at the nearest metro station The founders for Yulu bikes have embarked on a journey of using multiple hardware innovations to revolutionize the idea of travel in the city

The issue of traffic congestion has been prevalent in our lives since the very start but the founders of Yulu bikes had a vision to solve this issue forever

Thus, they came up with this concept of battery operated bikes These bikes solve the issue of traffic congestion, pollution and at the same time are very cost efficient Yulu Bikes aim to make travel a very user friendly experience by adding to it a new concept .

The founders had a vision to solve the issues of traffic congestion and air pollution and thus they came up with the idea of solving urban mobility problems. As the initial players in this market, they had a big first mover ’ s advantage as they had an open market ready to be changed. Their major strategy for customer acquisition was to keep the prices extremely affordable so as to attract and retain customers

battery operated concept It was pretty difficult to get them to trust this new yet affordable mode of transport that would revolutionize the way people viewed transport. It bridged the gap between public and private modes of transport It is a public mode of transport that can be availed on an hourly basis and for that time, it is a private vehicle for the person

Even though the product concept could be priced on a bit higher side, yet it wasn't. This was only because their strategy was to create a customer base as quick as possible.

However it was very difficult for the founders to achieve their goal of selling a new concept This was not just a new product entering into a market, it was rather a new concept that had to be introduced to people thus had many more challenges linked with it The primary challenge for them was to change the mind set of people that is to shift them from older methods of travel to this new

Secondly, there is also a need for people to be accepting of new changes with time and that ecosystem takes time to build. The trend for these have been growing for the last 3 years However their customer base has also shown steep increase in the years that have gone by. Where initially it was used only as a recreational activity, nowadays, it is also becoming a trend in every day

People not only use it for fun time with friends and family, but also for actually travelling to office as it becomes very convenient for them there is no hassle

Going further, they have the goal to service in all Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities and make the concept of Yulu Bikes a much more accessible and acceptable concept by increasing their fleet size to 1,00,000 electric bikes.

Bond of brands

Hitakshi Garg

The purpose of any marketing campaign is to reach a new audience, spread a message, and increase sales of products or services Companies recognize that during certain weeks an year sales are skyrocketed way more than their average number Focusing on enhancing the brand image during these times by opting for a new strategy is known as seasonal marketing

Festive seasons like Christmas in the USA and the UK and Diwali in India are prime examples of seasonal marketing. Festivals, even centuries ago have been a great source of sales and promotion The basic idea behind a holiday is change, getting away from your routine, and celebrating

life, culture, and religion

Firms try to make a premium out of these holidays. Black Friday online sales alone amounted to eight billion dollars in the USA this year According to the Times of India, Diwali sales all over the country last year were over more than a record breaking 1 2 lakh crore rupees. These sales are as beneficial for the customers as they are for the sellers Brands often spend more than 20% of their annual ad expenditure on festive advertising As the majority of Indian citizens belong to a middle class income range, we wait eagerly the whole year for our festive season sales The majority of us shop during Amazon and Myntra’s big festive sales for our clothes, appliances, household equipment, and

office supplies. Buying good quality inexpensive Christmas presents for your loved ones to put under that tree is half of the emotion behind the festival.

Most of the sellers increase their profit by taking advantage of the rise in demand, lowering their sales prices, and simultaneously producing more quantity Certain markets experience increased prices for their products For example, air tickets around the globe are much more costly during festivals. Gold prices see a jump in demand and price from the beginning of Navratri till the end of Diwali. Seasonal marketing is immensely important for the revenue of these markets.

One challenge these campaigns often face is how to dictate the dream of the

holidays with the realities of life. Sometimes these realities are keeping up with the latest trends and social issues like Gold medal Electronics spreading the message of not wasting water on Holi, and sometimes these realities are more global like the COVID pandemic. As much as the COVID pandemic has greatly benefited the E commerce section, it has also forced companies to choose new strategies that go hand in hand with the previous online and current hybrid modes. As companies have to promote their product but also maintain the gravity of social distancing

One example was Tesco’s pandemic related Christmas ad campaign introducing a little British sense of pandemic related humor in the situation with phrases like ‘Bubbles for you bubble’ and 'two desserts kind of year'.

These days brands are trying to be more inclusive, trying to connect with society through their advertising campaigns by adding value and showcasing the sentiment behind the festivals It differentiates them from their competitors and is a long lasting strategy as compared to short term sales Companies are also including marginalized groups or some social cause in their strategies to make them more content based Almost all brands dip their toe in festive marketing in hopes of reaching their consumers. Only a few create a lasting impact on their audience.

For example, last Christmas Disney used “the Stepdad” created by the in house creative team of the company, it tells the story of a stepdad celebrating Christmas with his new family. Mike is starting a new

life with a new family. He is patient with them, trying to build a connection with them by doing various activities with the kids. As their target market is concerned, representation is important for children Introducing a step parent in a positive light, Disney captures the idea of family and belongingness beautifully through their Christmas campaign

As we have just surpassed the Diwali festival you might have noticed a few advertisements being a topic of discussion around you Cadbury is the winning story imprinted in the brains of all their Indian users when it comes to Diwali with their ‘Is Diwali Kuch Meetha Ho Jaaye’ campaign

From then on Cadbury has focused on the social issues that come with the festival to create an emotional and powerful impact on the market.

This year the company has tried to help street hawkers and vendors that don’t have a permanent residence to sell their products by creating virtual shops for them Starting a #shopforshopless trend, the FMCG giant has provided a new platform for people who are a significant part of the spirit of this festival. Consumers can scan the QR code on their bought products to contact the virtual shops near them. This creates goodwill for the company while evoking the heartstrings of its audience

Another sound example this season has been the Coca Cola #milkehimanegidiwali creating a sense of togetherness and nostalgia among people Coca Cola has

tried to market the idea of celebrating collectively with old friends and family especially post pandemic as festivals are the time of coming together not staying apart To highlight this message Coca Cola launched a limited edition bottle with a Bluetooth enabled cap that will only open in the presence of the sender's mobile

The holiday season can make or break your yearly revenue goals They ensure a way of creating an upright brand image. Whether spreading a message of gender equality during Raksha Bandhan or helping the ones in need during Thanksgiving companies use festivals to incorporate culture and society in their marketing campaigns.

Nykaa- The Success Story

From a simple startup to becoming a unicorn

Sreya Biswas

Who amongst you doesn't enjoy putting on makeup or doing skincare?

Even if one's perception of beauty is subjective, the global beauty industry has never lost its allure. Cosmetics have become a vital part of our lives, whether we are practicing makeup tutorials, or are experimenting with different colors on free days, or even getting ready for a wedding or other event, or applying a fast light layer before work. However, those times when customers had to visit cosmetic stores physically to buy a product of their choice are long gone. Why should brick and mortar businesses be the sole option when there are multiple online cosmetics stores present today that enable clients to order things whenever and wherever they want?

Nykaa is one such e commerce platform for beauty and wellness items, and it has become the first choice for all cosmetic aficionados in India Anyone who has even the tiniest interest in using wellness and beauty products has heard about Nykaa at some time in their lives

This is an online retailer that focuses on selling cosmetics and beauty products

This platform, which was founded in 2012 by Falguni Nayyar, has been crucial in dispelling the idea that e commerce and beauty retail are ineffective in India

When it first began, the e commerce platform had only three employees and received only 60 orders, which like any other big company which rose from nothing

Despite having little to no background manufacturing, technology, or even ret Falguni Nayar transformed Nykaa into o of India's top brands in the cosmetics a personal care sector. Falguni Nayar's decision to start h business was initially spurred on by t inconsistent nature of the market for beauty items that she had observed Despite the enormous demand, the beautyNykaa has successfully purchased six companies up to this moment Little Black Book (LBB), a platform for the delivery of digital material, was recently acquired by the corporation in an all cash deal. It acquired Kica and Nudge Wellness, both situated in New Delhi, on April 22, 2022 Also Nykaa purchased Dot & Key and 18.5% of Earth Rhythm, a beauty company, for a total of 44 83 crores (a skincare brand)

In FY21, it reported 61 94 crores in net profit for the first time. In FY22, the profit after taxes was 41 3 crore, a 33% year over year fall (YoY) During the same quarter, operating revenue increased 55% YoY to 3,773 9 crores Additionally, Nykaa increased the number of its physical outlets by 43% YoY to 105.

In addition to revolutionizing and redefining the practice of e retailing beauty and personal care in India since its launch, Nykaa has made a substantial contribution to the growth of a still emerging cosmetics and wellness industry

Nykaa currently provides beauty, wellness, and fashion products through its websites, mobile apps, and 100+ offline stores. Nykaa wants to build a world where its customers may choose from a well chosen and genuine range of goods and services Nykaa's primary motto is that all of its customers should be able to identify their distinct identities and distinctive styles as it says “Your Beauty, Our Passion”.

Titanians of Green Earth

The "Go Green" Initiative

Kaizeen Munshi

Ever heard of Miyawaki Forests? Yes, a Japanese origin, tree plantation technique, recently incorporated by the Titan Company in its “Go Green'' initiative The campaign kick started on the 10th of September, 2022 from Pantnagar in the form of a marathon relay run with a collective pledge of planting trees along the route, right up to Bengaluru

The aim was not just to plant more trees but to ignite in so many of us a deep desire to take a green step, a pledge to change the little things we follow in our everyday lives that if done mindfully, can make a huge difference! Simple things like preferring a bucket and mug for a bath instead of a shower, a daily habit of Mr

Siddharth Sharma, Tata Group’s Chief Sustainability officer, sets the right precedent on how one can truly live a green life

For Titan, more than 75% of its manufacturing needs are fulfilled through renewable sources such as wind and solar. It also lives by its commitment of reducing and recycling waste But Mr C K Venkataram, MD of Titan Company, says, “Mother nature needs more ” and a small step such as planting a single tree can contribute to offset 20 kgs of carbon emission in a year That truly sounds like creating a huge impact, doesn’t it? With this in mind, the “Go Green” initiative was undertaken in partnership with the NGO,

‘BiotaSoil Foundation’, Tata Motors and Tata Power. The target set for the initiative was planting 1 lakh+ trees in a span of 40 days that encouraged not just Titan’s employees and their family members but also anyone from the public to plant a tree and nurture its growth. There were three ways in which one could have contributed to the initiative:

#1. Join the run and be a part of the tree plantation drive One could support the runners who started from Pantnagar in Uttarakhand or join the run virtually. To join virtually, the participants could run at any place and sync their tracking app with HDOR, a platform that organises virtual running and cycling challenges For every 42 2 kms that a runner ran in these 40 days, Titan planted a tree on their behalf.

#2 Sponsor one or more trees One could contribute a few rupees and an e certificate would be generated of their name So this was available at a facility of of contributing Rs 400 for every plant that would be planted on the contributor’s behalf

#3 Take a pledge and make an impact The initiative did not just restrict itself to planting trees but included pledges that could be taken and followed either at home, at office or while travelling Simple

with metal/glass bottles, and giving a sustainable gift to someone the next time.

All of them motivating the public to take action, contribute in whatever little way possible and feel happy from within about doing something for mother earth. So why wait, plant a tree, take a pledge or just cycle your way towards a greener environment!

Celebrations for everyone!

Roots, relations, and reach

Cadbury brightens up Diwali with a #ShopsforShopless initiative

Jahanvi Dhingra

Cadbury, throughout its legacy, has been known as the people’s go to brand Not simply for its signature range of chocolates and confectionery, but also for the emotional resonance it attempts to make, whether it be in its advertisements or the various steps undertaken to contribute back to the society that gives the brand the prestige it enjoys today.

In continuity with the same fervor, Cadbury in the spirit of the upcoming festivities has leveraged its Celebrations offering, rather on the emotionally centered aspect of it during Diwali It has launched a 'Shops for Shopless' campaign Under this, Cadbury recognizes the trouble of those street hawkers who are lacking a permanent space or shop to sell, and hence often lose potential customers due to having to move places,

Mondelez India highlighted how Celebrations has become an integral aspect of Indian festivities owing to its association as the go to gifting choice during the same

So, in order to solve this problem, Cadbury brought a technology in picture that can add these hawkers to a virtual market, accessible by a QR Code on it’s Celebrations packs Once scanned, one can view the seller details, products and order facility is provided in a seamless online experience.

In partnership with the tech firm, DeltaX, this platform has been developed to provide street vendors a secure, concrete space where they are visible to a wide range of consumers at a single click.

The idea behind embedding QR codes in the packaging of their chocolate boxes is to empower the customers to help their known street vendors with the same, which will culminate in numerous buyers of the brand in the near festivities, helping a network of hawkers step into the tech based marketplace.

surprisingly, the campaign has received mense love over the media (over 13,000 ws on the official Instagram handle), d this is certainly not the first time that ry Milk has touched the emotional side people out there with its little but ective initiatives lier with its ‘Send a Message’ society tric marketing initiative during COVID, geted at senior citizens isolated at their mes, to this wholesome enterprise, there’s no doubt Cadbury scores all the marks when it comes to holistic marketing

This particular campaign highlights how technology is the key to uncomplicated yet effective campaigning for companies Mondelez has done just that, and continues to garner buzz for it's innovative market mantras

The concept was represented through a television advertisement in partnership with an established agency It depicts a customer who is unable to find a hawker he had spotted the other day until he comes across him again and learns of his plight over not being able to maintain a stable setup It ends with the consumer gifting the hawker a Celebrations box before he goes on to assist him to build his virtual shop with the help of the interface set up by Cadbury Thus, leaving a mark on the watcher with the emotional value of the advertisement.

#milkehimanegiDiwali

Coca Cola's festive Diwali campaign

Bhargav Deo

Along with garnering likes and comments, Coca Cola India also managed to steal a lot of hearts with the #milkehimanegiDiwali campaign across various channels like social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) and television for Diwali 2022 Diwali is one of the most celebrated festivals in India. No other festival is celebrated with such fervor For the past two years though, we have celebrated Diwali virtually, which took almost all the fun out of it But with Indians, finally free from the restrictive shackles of COVID, the spirit of Diwali is in full swing Capitalizing on this spirit, the campaign invites all Indians to stay true to the philosophy of Diwali and celebrate its

festivities with their family, friends, and relatives wholeheartedly with the spirit of togetherness and joy. The campaign also proposes that the best way to enjoy a bottle of coke is to share it with your loved ones and there is no better way of doing so than on Diwali Adding an interesting twist to this campaign, Coca Cola has also launched a limited edition bottle to supplement the campaign (The bottle is called the locked bottle, fitted with a special Bluetooth enabled cap, that will open in the presence of the sender’s mobile). It's not just a bottle, but a symbol of togetherness too

The campaign has worked in the favor of coca cola with people showing their love for the campaign across various social media platforms with likes and positive comments. On youtube, the promotion has amassed over 17 million views It also received a bountiful of comments like “Please make a full version of it. That vibe was crazy!!”, “Wow this gives me chills, Diwali is here!!” and “Superb advertisement as always”. Coca cola has always understood the importance of Diwali and the emotion Indians associate with it and has had some brilliant campaigns in the past too This campaign certainly is an addition to the list

The bottle can be ordered via their website. The receiver will then receives the customised bottle via delivery, which will be pre programmed to detect the presence of the sender’s mobile phone for it to be unlocked.

The promotion is running on TV channels and across social media platforms with the hashtag #milkehimanegiDiwali Coca Cola will also be using social media influencers for promotion and greater reach Ogilvy, the mammoth advertising firm conceptualized the campaign in collaboration with Coca Cola India.

Katrina Kaif

#ItsKayToBeYou

Shireen khan

Internationally, there have been several celebrity beauty businesses, such as Rihanna's Fenty Beauty and Selena Gomez's rare beauty, to name a few

This trend has been rare in India, with only a few brands making a significant impact; one of the first successful celebrity beauty brands in India is Kay Beauty It was established in 2019 in collaboration with Nykaa by Katrina Kaif, whose name has been synonymous with beauty for a decade. Katrina claimed that everything about her beauty collection directly reflects her Kay Beauty was created to bridge the gap between high glamour and user friendly #MakeupThatKares due to meticulous research and a desire to provide women with the best in beauty!

When asked what Kay Beauty stands for, the actress stated that it bridges the gap between conventional expectations and being your unorthodox genuine self!

Katrina's vision for the brand was to establish a diverse and inclusive brand that catered explicitly to Indian skin needs. The brand's claims were reinforced by its influencer marketing choices and advertising campaign #ItsKayToBeYou, which featured influencers such as Nayanthara, Jannat Jubair, Kusha Kapila, and many more. The heart of all kay beauty commercials has been to be authentic without

succumbing to societal judgments or shallow norms. The brand's 20 diverse foundation shades that best fit Indian complexion tones allow it to stay true to its words. During its introduction, Indian beauty enthusiasts were searching for premium cosmetics that wouldn't harm their skin or drain their bank accounts Most premium beauty brands were overseas with prices that did not make sense in the price sensitive Indian market Kay Beauty, in collaboration with Katrina Kaif's skills in the beauty industry, spotted this gap and established an economical but premium feeling beauty brand.

The brand recognized the importance of clean beauty for consumers and designed makeup with nutritious skincare items that help the skin seem healthy and dewy To accomplish this, a significant amount of resources and energy were expended on the product composition, with each product containing one or more 'kare' substances such as chamomile, manuka honey, marula oil, and so on The firm was also wise in avoiding pricing its items too low so that consumers believe them to be of poor quality, as this undermines the brand's reputation Since its beginnings, the company has championed the clean girl beauty aesthetics that have recently been popular for dewy and minimal makeup looks. Katrina Kaif has strongly identified herself with the company, and it shows as her image in the minds of others is one of beauty and sophistication. Her recent interviews were eloquent and unapologetically authentic, with which the brand's users could identify She also creates web content regularly that shows tips and tricks for using the product and highlights the product's multi functionality. For example, in one of the videos where she is seen applying foundation, she suggests that you could use a small drop of foundation as a bb cream for everyday wear, and another about how to make your lipsticks last longer by using powder These videos establish a three way relationship between the brand, the brand ambassador, and the consumers Since its inception, the brand has grown steadily, adding to its diverse product offering while also expanding its offline presence. The company has not shied away from correcting its formulations and symbolizes a consumer centric mentality Having a well known celebrity as its founder and brand ambassador increases trust in the brand's authenticity. Furthermore, the brand knows where its target consumers will be found and tailor its marketing accordingly. By being honest and having a strong and high quality brand, the brand builds a devoted customer base.

Brahmastra:

'LA to Sky High

Lakshmi Priya N N

Brahmastra: The Trilogy is a 3 part film franchise, and the first part, Shiva, was released in September 2022 The first movie involves Ranbir falling in love with Alia at first sight Soon, Ranbir learns that he possesses the power to control fire and a connection to a secret society of guardians. It took more than 5 years to make the movie, and that created hype for the movie at a certain level But the movie makers took it to the skies to unveil the movie's name and the character's names. On Mahashivratri 2019, the sky of Prayagraj at Kumbh Mela was lit by drones by the cast to unveil the Brahmastra logo, movie name, and character names The couple went from reel to real during the movie's making, which created a nationwide whirl and the anticipation of watching them on screen became so relevant People loved RaLia To leverage this love for the couple, the director of the film dropped a snippet of the love song "Kesariya" from the movie as a gift for the couple's nuptials This snippet created a buzz among the couple shippers, and the whole nation was hooked on it, and it soon became "The" song for Bollywood lovers It worked like a charm with the social media creators covering the music from reels to covers and helped to generate hype for the movie

In collaboration with YouTube, the movie's posters flew from India to LA and to Times Square, aiming for international exposure The teaser for 'Dance Ka Bhooth' was released at a live event held on Youtube with the director and star cast to celebrate the musical journey of Brahmastra. As with any modern film, the makers promoted it on social media, coining the hashtag # FanFocusedFriday and hosting an event on Brahmastra's official Instagram account The hashtag included fan art and recreations of the movie's scenes and songs This gave the social media creators the reach that they wanted and also kept the engagement of the audience at its peak for the makers, creating a win win situation for both sides.

Brands are known to give their all to creating content, especially in the form of memes Tinder, Zepto, Boat, Swiggy, Dunzo, etc released their own 'Brahmastra' memes. The brand Storiafoods did the best job of integrating itself into the conversation. They incorporated the Kesariya song into their product by adding the word "Love" to the beginning of the brand name, which gave rise to "Love Storia " This matches the song's lyrics, and the flavor of the milkshake, which is called a "Kesar Shake," also matches the song's lyrics: "Kesariya tera Ishq hai Piya " The Brahmastra movie is said to be the costliest in the Bollywood industry. The makers of the movie have made use of the time very well, carefully planning each bit of the movie, and promotion and that led to a worldwide box office gross collection of 425 crores on its 25th day release.

The movie was released in five languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada, and S. S. Rajamouli presented and promoted the dubbed versions of the movie that were released in South Indian languages. Along with this, the Brahmastra team associated with Telugu star Jr. NTR for a pre release event in Hyderabad to ensure the movie reaches the audience in the South as well The crew included stars that have a major influence on the South industry, and Brahmastra flashed lights on the movie using S. S. Rajamouli's flame from the South industry

Mrs. Gauri Chaudhary

Founder of Brand Innerworld Vedang Upasani

What has changed in the marketing strategy of the healthcare industry post pandemic?

The healthcare industry has always been under scrutiny that it does not adapt well to changing situations, but it is truly accentuated in these tough times. Today, med tech platforms such as Trivitron, as well as companies such as Novartis and Liberate Health, have shifted their focus to digitalization It all started with communicating with patients digitally and attending to patients on Zoom, which made the doctors realize that they didn’t need patients in front of them physically, which channelized this idea. Digitalization has played its part in the process

Is it more difficult to advertise pharmaceutical products than FMCG products?

Yes, truly, they both have many differences. There are two different types of drugs prescriptive and non prescriptive drugs, also called OTC These OTC drugs are advertised commonly, but even then, regulation constraints are always present. Prescriptive drugs don’t have permission to advertise their drugs. Social media has become an effective way to market these products as people who are health conscious are often dependent on social media for such knowledge. Also, FMCG has more diverse opportunities and fewer creative boundaries, which makes it a bit easier to advertise them

If you could share a few key insights about the industry or bust a few myths?

So one key insight would be that India is one of the leading players in the pharma industry, which was clearly evident during the pandemic. With new inventions and technologies, this field is going to go up a level in the future

Pharmaceuticals and healthcare are not different Pharmaceuticals are a part of healthcare, and however niche a field it is to be perceived, it isn’t. Once you enter this field, there are so many opportunities and prospects that you can work on and have a great time in this field

Minimalism in Branding

How Less Can Be More

Madhurima KVS

Minimalism is a concept that has been gaining traction in all facets of life, from makeup and apparel to lifestyle and culture It has found its way into the world of marketing and branding too. Sleek, subtle, and carefully crafted branding is one of today's most popular design schemas.

Gone are the days when brands focused on detailed branding with more design elements. The extreme focus on splashes of colours and flashy and elaborate fonts with complex packaging is a thing of the past. Today, less is more, and more is simply not better Minimalism in branding refers to decluttering and simplification of the various brand elements. For instance, a minimalistic design can be reflected in

the brick and mortar operations, ads, social media pages and product offerings of a brand. This change can be applied to both the tangible elements of the brand as well as the intangible elements. The tangible elements include those that customers can see, like the logo, products, website, and visual merchandising in its stores The intangible elements include those elements that showcase how they interact with their customers in their brand story, values, vision and mission It is vital to uphold the minimalist thinking across these elements at every point of contact that your customer has with your brand. This uniformity will help ensure that your customers have a positive experi

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ence with your brand throughout and help maintain a coherent experience

Customers today are bombarded with advertisements from all angles, in various mediums, every day. It is easy for brands to get lost in this vast sea of ads and competition With minimalism in branding and marketing, the brands can charm customers and make a meaningful connection with them

With a focused color scheme, fewer words and less packaging, the brand has a real chance of standing out in the customer's eye Minimalism helps the gap lessen between a brand and its customers. Brands can most accurately communicate their story and satisfy the customer's needs and desires. Today's brand logos are minimalist, with a small number of design elements, a singular color scheme and a focus on communicating the brand message in as many fewer elements as possible.

These changes can be most evidently noticed in brand logos which now have a more straightforward design and use negative space. The brand fonts are simpler too, which are simple to understand yet hold a depth of meaning The products have become simpler, too, with more focus on utility and function than frill and grandeur A great example that is etched in everyone's mind is that of Nike

The simple swoosh logo is synonymous with the Nike brand story of determined, confident individuals who associate with the fierce athleticism of the products

It can also be recommended to content marketers as they build their campaigns, schedule communications, personalization and the most advanced Next Best Action

Decisioning

tAs seen from this example and many others, following a path of minimalism in branding and marketing offers a multitude of benefits to the brand.

From brand recall to brand story communication to even beautification of the aesthetics, this trend can be touted as one to stay.

Surrogate Advertising

Gaurav GangulyEffective or Not?

A surrogate advertisement is a form of advertising where tobacco and alcohol brands promote their brands in the name of brand extensions Surrogate ads are a guiding light for the Indian Alcohol and Tobacco industry generating revenue of up to 1 3 trillion and an expected annual growth rate of 8.7%.

A study shows that 42 people out of 50 recognize surrogate advertisements, which means most people are aware of which tobacco or liquor is being sold to them The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) is a govt body that regulates the grey areas of advertising returns for them According to them, if a brand wants to adv

ertise something they need to sell it physically in the market as well.

Effective Surrogate ads create a culture that ends up in a community of loyal customers who tend to vibe with the ad or the belief of a brand These loyal customers act as brand ambassadors, promoting products through word of mouth

Some brands don’t necessarily sell a product, instead what they do sell is an emotion. An epitome of this category would be the No 1 Yaari ad by Mc Dowell’s Whiskey where they are seen promoting a feeling of friendship.

Also, it needs to have 10% of the B market share and a turnover of 5 nationally. In 2021, the ASCI put out rule where it says if a product of a is less than years old, it needs to s turnover of at least 20 Lakh a mo advertise it

For a brand to be effective in Surrogate advertisement, it needs to realise which stage the brand or the product falls in If the brand is new, then brand awareness needs to be done Here, an ad based on a global trend can be brought so that mass awareness can be achieved. If the product is already existing, then a Consideration or try me tactic can be implemented where the brands play with the emotional positioning of the brand

For Surrogate ads, they need to identify the common passions and link their product to them For example, linking one of the three from Music, Sports, and Food. Another way of promotion could be by placing the brand materials like tent cards near the POS.

Why doesn’t the government act on these surrogate ads?

India happens to be the third largest liquor market in the world with 160 million liquor consumers and 267 million Tobacco consumers Hence, there is a scope for collecting huge revenue from the mass. In 2019, the Indian government obtained 2 25

trillion only through taxes from alcohol, and in 2020, they received 3 56 billion from tobacco.

Hence, it can be said that surrogate advertisements play a major role in achieving the top line which is revenues through extensive brand recalls from the customers.

C A L L F O R A R T I C L E S

November 2022 Edition

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

How IOT [Internet of Things] will transform the way Marketing is done

Green Marketing Is it the next big thing?

Brand Evangelism among customers and its overall effect on boosting sales for companies

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.

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QUOTE

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Stephen King

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