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. Amit Mathur, president – Sales and Marketing, Finolex Cables Pvt. Ltd, 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?
Earlier, brand or product launches primarily relied on traditional marketing channels such as print media, television, radio, and outdoor advertising. Brands had limited opportunities to directly engage with their target audience and gather insights about their preferences and behaviors. But now, it involves leveraging various online platforms and social media channels. Digital marketing offers precise targeting capabilities, allowing us to reach the right audience with personalised messages. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn enable us to engage with potential customers in real time, fostering a sense of community and trust around the brand.
Moreover, digital marketing allows for data-driven decision-making too. Through analytics tools, we can track the performance of marketing campaigns, measure engagement metrics, and optimize strategies based on the data collected. This level of data-driven marketing was challenging to achieve in the earlier era of traditional advertising.
What are the recent best marketing or advertising campaigns you have seen and why?
In addition to our successful #NoStressFinolex campaign featuring Kartik Aaryan and Kiara Advani, several other advertising and marketing campaigns have made a significant impact in the industry. Our campaign aim was to go beyond customer expectations by providing them with reliable and innovative electrical solutions. We simultaneously introduced, two celebs to be the face of the brand and help further strengthen the brand’s connection with our customers.
It is difficult to select just one campaign as there are so many great campaigns that I can remember. Let me mention two for their ability to stand out from the clutter –
- Savlon Hand Ambassador:
This campaign stands out not only for its emphasis on ‘washing hands,’ but also for its innovative approach to brand ambassadorship. Instead of the traditional celebrity endorsement, the brand has ingeniously introduced a hand ambassador, none other than the esteemed cricketer Sachin Tendulkar’s hand. In these captivating campaigns, the hand takes center stage as the true hero.
What makes this campaign truly remarkable are two key aspects: firstly, its powerful messaging aimed at encouraging the audience to prioritize hand-washing; and secondly, the strategic use of a renowned personality’s hand to effectively drive home the importance of this message.
- 5 Star – 5 Stars Everywhere
5 Star brilliantly leveraged its online presence by showcasing its active marketing across various platforms. This innovative approach encompassed strategically placing five-star rating logos on prominent search engines like Google and embedding them within the reviews section of leading eCommerce websites. Through this savvy technique, the brand skillfully engaged in cross-marketing with other well-established brands, ensuring maximum exposure and enhancing its reputation in the digital landscape.
Which brand in the last year has made the best use of digital and how?
In today’s digital age, the use of digital marketing tools has become imperative for successful brand launches. Last year, our 360-degree marketing campaign highlighted the significance of digital channels, which garnered substantial traction. The Finolex App further enhanced the user experience by showcasing products in customers’ homes.
When Instagram introduced voice messages, Swiggy ingeniously capitalised on this feature with a brilliant digital campaign. The campaign revolved around enticing participants with a year’s worth of food vouchers on Swiggy.
The innovative strategy involved participants creating voice notes on Instagram to form waveforms resembling various food shapes. This was particularly groundbreaking as it took place in 2019, when the feature was relatively new to Instagram. Undoubtedly, it was a one-of-a-kind campaign that flawlessly harnessed the latest capabilities of the platform.
The results of this campaign were remarkable. Swiggy experienced an impressive 40% surge in its follower count while garnering over 16 million social media impressions. The response from the audience was overwhelming, with close to 10,000 entries pouring in within the initial few hours of the campaign’s launch.
In a post-Covid world, what are the dos and don’ts of digital marketing?
In the post-Covid world, we are emphasizing the online presence through an updated website, active social media channels, and online customers along with virtual product launches, and live demos to reach a broader audience while adhering to safety measures. The key to successful marketing is communication with your customers, addressing their concerns, and providing timely updates on services. Data analytics plays a pivotal role in understanding the evolving preferences of our customers. By analyzing data, we gain valuable insights into their behaviors and preferences, enabling us to create personalized marketing messages. This level of personalization enhances the relevance of our communication and strengthens our relationship with our target audience. Emotional empathy is a crucial aspect of our messaging. We recognize that Millennials and Gen Z, as the target buyers, value authenticity and meaningful connections. Therefore, our marketing messages are tailored to resonate with their values, aspirations, and lifestyle.
We also refrain from bombarding customers with excessive promotional content and mainly focus on providing value through meaningful interactions. While digital marketing is crucial, do not entirely neglect traditional marketing methods, as some segments of the population might still prefer offline channels.
One recent bad case of advertising you have seen, and why?
In the competitive landscape of advertising and marketing, launching a new product can indeed be challenging. Some campaigns may resonate well with the audience, while others may miss the mark. A lot depends on the product category, the marketing objective, the brand challenge, and the brand strategy.
At Finolex Cables, we understand the significance of responsible and ethical marketing. Deceptive marketing practices and the use of misleading advertising claims are strictly avoided. Many a time brands sign up celebrities that have hardly any fit or connection with the category. There are celebs that are real endorsement junkies, connecting their names to a host of different brands simultaneously. Brands need to be careful as this could hurt the credibility of both the brand and the celebrity in the eye of the consumer. Upholding ethical standards and promoting transparency in our marketing efforts are core principles we abide by. Our messaging is carefully crafted to ensure accuracy and reliability along with a focus on our product’s quality and resonates genuinely with our customers.
Advertising of liquor, tobacco, etc. has been prohibited for decades. However, promotion of these restricted products continues under the garb of surrogate advertising by substitution of non-restricted products with restricted products, to promote the latter. Another aspect of surrogate advertising is ‘brand extension’ where brand names/logos that are used for prohibited products, is used for non-prohibited product, and then advertised. This is clearly an ethical and moral dilemma for any marketer.
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