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. Sanjay Krishnamurthy, President, GALE 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?
In today’s digital era, consumers encounter a vast array of technologies and media on a daily basis, offering brands numerous ways to interact with them. More than one-third of marketing budgets are allocated toward martech tools, and trend that will continue. Traditional media silos no longer exist, and consumers expect a seamless experience across all touchpoints. For brands, it can be overwhelming to examine all the opportunities available and know how to best execute.
Digital technologies play a pivotal role in this endeavour, with creativity acting as a linchpin. They empower brands to conduct in-depth market research, gauge consumer sentiment, and introduce innovative products or services tailored to their unique audience preferences. Brands can leverage this information to develop an integrated, customer-centric approach that taps into mainstream adoption of AI and data analytics and creates meaningful engagements.
At GALE, our audience-first and data-driven approach has helped our clients harness the power of technology and data. This approach, utilising our proprietary tools, allows us to better understand each target audience from the beginning, leading to more relevant storytelling and transformative business-driving ideas for clients.
What are the recent best marketing or advertising campaigns that Sanjay has seen and why?
Cadbury has put together a few ads that really hit the mark for me. Cadbury’s “Not Just a Cadbury Ad” campaign, part of their Diwali campaign, not only advertised for Cadbury itself, but it also lent recognition to the thousands of small businesses and store vendors that form their distribution network. To do this, they created a hyper-personalised ad featuring a well-known actor they created using their generative AI tool. The Cadbury Celebrations campaign is also worth noting. The pan-India campaign put the spotlight on the thousands of small business owners selling seasonal Diwali items, giving these small businesses their own visibility bump. These campaigns demonstrate a values alignment with their target audience, focused on the themes surrounding Diwali.
Which brand in the last year has made the best use of digital and how?
Several brands are making strides in the digital space with innovative and disruptive strategies. One such example is IKEA, which, with its adept utilisation of digital platforms and compelling storytelling, is forging genuine connections with its consumers. Going beyond mere product promotion, the brand focused on building a narrative that clearly defines its values, which align with those of its target audience. Prime examples are the “All Things Festive” and “Proudly Second Best” campaigns, which stand out as masterpieces of storytelling.
The brand also actively engages with its customers on various social media channels, fostering strong community engagement. They’ve developed personalised ads on these platforms to further enhance the digital community by attracting likeminded consumers to join the conversation. IKEA’s digital marketing approach, which champions brand values and community, distinguishes it from other product-focused companies and has therefore helped it resonate with consumers on a deeper level.
In a post-Covid world, what are the dos and don’ts of digital marketing?
Brands must not forget about their current customers and keep their CRM and loyalty programs as a priority. The economy is still tight and media costs are rising, but pulling back your investment in this area of your digital marketing footprint – as many have recently done – won’t pay off in the long run. Loyalty programs can build meaningful relationships with your customers that drive engagement that extends far beyond one purchase. It can be up to 25 times more expensive to acquire new customers than keep current ones, and 80% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase when brands offer personalized experiences.
Brand should not look at their loyalty program as an expense on the balance sheet. Brands should look at it as an asset, and ensure they are investing the right amount of time and resources in it.
One recent bad case of advertising has Sanjay seen and why?
The bad ads are the ones you don’t remember. They are the ones that were ignored and missed completely by their intended customer. Sadly, there are thousands of these each day.