The pandemic has brought about notable shifts across industries, and the case has been no different for marketing. Today, digital marketing has become a crucial aspect in order to acquire new customers and retain existing ones. In our weekly BrandWagon Ad Talk series, industry experts highlight what has changed over the past two years and more importantly, are these changes here to stay. Abhijeet Sonar, head of marketing, Hansgrohe India, talks to BrandWagon Online, about the dos and don’ts of digital marketing, best marketing campaigns, and more.
What is the difference between launching a brand in today’s digital era versus earlier?
To begin with we have to understand that after Covid a lot has changed. Both the pre-COVID and post-COVID scenarios have their own advantages and disadvantages. We have to balance between modern and traditional marketing. The world is now about modern marketing. In a digital era, you have so many platforms where you can activate a brand and further amplify it. What it really aligns with is, your primary objective and goal. Any activation from the launch of your brand needs to be aligned with your business mandate. In the digital era, while there is a reach and amplification- an opportunity to reach millions of people. However, attention span is limited in a digital era.
Everyday, every consumer today is bombarded and influenced with different platforms, so many digital activations and avenues. To hold and limit their attention span to a particular product is difficult. Hence, it is important to balance the launching in this era. Of course yes, digital is important but, it needs to balance with BTL activities as well. At the end of the day, it is all about customer intimacy which plays an important role in bringing the consumer closer to the brand.
We have to map that journey as to how does the consumer sees the brand? How does the brand reach to him? What different avenues we talk about? I believe, it’s all about balancing the act and it’s not about following one specific direction but, to balance the overall perspective. There is traditional and modern, in my opinion it is always about how the brand balances and activates it.
What are the recent best marketing or advertising campaigns you have seen and why?
I would like to give an example of Sadguru and Isha Foundation’s campaign Rally For Rivers. The campaign which is a movement in itself raises awareness around depleting rivers of India. It is a holistic campaign exhibiting our contribution to revitalise the planet’s lifeline and ensure that the rivers flow throughout the year.
Sadguru, the man, mystique and mission, drives it himself, has chosen a perfect topic to carry and has done a phenomenal job to execute the campaign. With this program, Sadguru has managed to garner global attention of top corporates, social organisations, NGOs, celebrities and governments towards the vital topic of saving water. This campaign has the right ingredients to make it a successful campaign in the fast paced world. It has the digital amplification, drives awareness, right visibility online and offline, on-ground engagement and merchandise wherein the message is conveyed utilising all the core communication channels.
Rally for rivers gives India an edge over the others, ensuring it a place in the global map making it a win-win campaign.
Which brand in the last year has made the best use of digital and how?
I would like to talk about the campaign that still holds a space in my head and heart, a perfect blend of brand, business and emotions – #fuelledbylove by British Airways. Inspired by a true event, the campaign brings proximity between two nations which have its own history. With this ad, British Airways creates a different perception of Britain into the minds of the India travellers. The narrative, the script, how they are inclined towards Indian consumers and taps its way into Indian sentiments. Not only this ad creates an impact but also influences the crew which is working in the British Airways, imparting them a sense of compassion towards the travellers
In a post-Covid world, what are the dos and don’ts of digital marketing?
To drive growth in a digital age, marketing needs to modernise capabilities and ideation. The marketing function needs to act with speed, focussed segmentation and customer intimacy campaigns or programs to deliver the messaging of the brand and its products.
Being seen how in the covid era digital played a significant role, like I said earlier, it’s all about studying the factors that happen in the current time frame. When COVID was at its peak, people adapted to the digital era and it worked well then. Going forward, as COVID moved ahead, we noticed the consumer buying pattern changing. Now it’s all about touch and feel, they want to see what material is used, how it feels and then make an informed decision. Currently, in digital space we need to have the messaging right, be crisper and not overloading information as so much exposure to digital content won’t do any good. People have shifted their attention from Facebook to Instagram to Pinterest and to more different platforms as there is so many and so much coming every year. Key is the messaging and how you promote, what you promote. You give the messaging in a limited capacity for the consumer to process and have more of their attention span. Following a focused approach for messaging- time and frequency would play an important role in identifying a consumers needs and wants and hold their attention.
One recent bad case of advertising you have seen, and why?
One such case is of the aggressive ad campaign by Vimal Pan Masala which despite having a stellar cast has drawn flank from the audience on the usage and the health hazards associated with the consumption of pan masala.
Endorsements by the influential celebrities like Shahrukh Khan, Ajay Devgan and Akshay Kumar raise questions on their moral and social obligations. Akshay Kumar who is considered an epitome of fitness and health. He talks about his fitness routine and his daily disciplined routine and then he signs up for an advertisement of tobacco. It is wrong positioning. Today’s consumer is educated, health conscious and has knowledge about health benefits of what they are consuming.
The campaign lacked content and the messaging was not right. It was just about getting three influential bollywood endorsers and making it an advertisement appealing to the masses. But they didn’t understand that mass is also holding the consumer’s attention and interest. As a consequence, Akshay Kumar had to apologize and announce end of his association with the brand.