Occupying a major share of the marketing budget pie, digital marketing is not only crucial but the need of the hour. With newer technologies sprouting every second day, it has become essential for marketers to be ahead of times and cater to their TG. Digital marketing is important in not only acquiring new customers but also retaining existing ones. In our weekly BrandWagon Ad Talk series, industry experts highlight what has changed over the years and more importantly, are these changes here to stay. Paramjeet Singh Mehta, marketing head- consumer PC and gaming, systems group, ASUS India, talks to BrandWagon Online, about the dos and don’ts of digital marketing, best marketing campaigns, and more. (Edited Excerpts)
What is the difference between launching a brand in today’s digital era versus earlier?
I have been fortunate to be part of the Telecom Industry boom in the late 2000s and at that time the launch primarily focussed on TV-campaign-led launch. The focus was to get the ‘call-out’ closer to the target audience’s interest as targeting options or tools were limited. The media plan covered from a country-level plan to circle/branch-level plans enabling a local flavour and media buy tactic adjustment at a micro level. The customer engagement was more from lucky draws for early adopters and a lot of SMS-based marketing was existent.
Today we have a long list of avenues of communication media, including the pre-digital era media like TV, Print Radio, and OOH. Ad aggregators and audience targeting layers have provisioned marketing communication advantages to even smaller brands and start-ups. The biggest difference is the role that social opinion leaders/ influencers play in elevating brand recall. The marketers are empowered with the ability to reach a niche and profile target audience under a set of influencer/s.
What are the recent best marketing or advertising campaigns you have seen and why?
The world of marketing and storytelling has been making notable strides in the last few years. Presenting a fine amalgamation of captivating storylines coupled with the tools to target the exact audience, marketing campaigns are becoming more holistic.
Personally, Shark Tank India Season 2 promotion campaign built maximum recall for me. Its satirical take on how businesses have started acting post the airing of season 1 hit home and got the audience a peak into what the second season holds for them. Another one that built a strong recall is Burger King’s campaign “How much jugaad is too much jugaad”, featuring Hrithik Roshan. It was a simple, clean and a witty advertisement that reiterated how advertisement spots and marketing don’t have to be exorbitant at all times, they just need to be built on a simple storyline and a hook.
Which brand in the last year has made the best use of digital and how?
I am elated to see the way the marketing industry has been shaping up over the last few years. Brands have been actively navigating and absorbing the newer channels that have helped them in building a higher recall and execute campaigns with a significant return on investment. The digital ecosystem is rampantly evolving and the manner in which food/grocery delivery-first brands are taking a lead in this phase is intriguing to observe. They are reimaging the way application’s push notifications and emailers, reflecting a common interest area while being topical and also leveraging micro-level consumer usage data sets emerging out of their CRM. These brands are setting precedence on how we can further one-on-one marketing by simply understanding our audience and using tools that are already prevalent in the ecosystem.
In a post-Covid world, what are the dos and don’ts of digital marketing?
In a post-COVID- era, we have seen communication strategists with an increased understanding of the need to prioritise media that directly translates into yielding maximum value addition to the brand’s communication objectives. While topicality is key, an emphasis on creating content that is in line with the brand’s goals and objective is key. A transition into prioritising digital platforms is helping in bringing out the optimal results that outweigh the spends.
Understanding that digital channels are key, brands shouldn’t entirely phase out television first media buying as it still helps in building credibility and impact for larger campaigns. But do avoid burning marketing dollars by carefully analysing the target media and understanding the media avenues that best reach the target audience. Layer your strategies by mapping CRM-based KPI data to dashboard dimensions first and refrain from only relying on the standalone analysis of Ad platform dashboards.
One recent bad case of advertising you have seen, and why?
Before terming a case of advertising as bad, I would want to have opinions weighing in from multiple stakeholders that are involved in the creation. I may be devoid of the layered understanding, background constraint or challenge as “good creative is an outcome of clarity and autonomy”.