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 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. Gunnidhi Singh Sareen, vice president- marketing, Head Digital Works, 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?
Brand launches are a critical component of a company’s marketing strategy as it creates an opportunity to engage with consumers and effectively communicate a brand’s unique attributes. Launching a new brand has become significantly easier in the digital era and is exceptionally convenient due to the accessibility of the internet. Social media, AR/VR, CGI and other technological advancements have revolutionised marketing strategies by brands and they can reach a global audience with minimal cost and effort compared to traditional methods. While the offline channels and traditional branding still hold their value, the digital transformation has opened an array of opportunities for brands.
Nowadays, consumers are spending a lot more time on their handhelds consuming a variety of content and engaging as well. It is nearly impossible to ignore this channel from a launch perspective as against earlier times when companies had to rely on large screen formats to build brands. Now, the one that can have better engagement with the customers in a way that keeps the brand ethos alive, turns out to be the winner.
What are the recent best marketing or advertising campaigns you have seen and why?
Marketing and advertising are ever-evolving landscapes for a brand. For a standout campaign, marketers need to evaluate the requirements and expectations of customers. Brands have to adopt innovative ways to reach out to consumers and grab their attention. While there have been a lot of engaging campaigns, the one that particularly piqued my interest is the ‘Sunfeast Dark Fantasy’ campaign featuring Shah Rukh Khan. It is an excellent example of a marketing strategy that effectively combines offline and digital media to generate interest and later engagement with the brand leveraging the widespread affection for SRK.
The teaser sparks curiosity and taps into people’s innate desires or ‘fantasies.’ The campaign following it uses modern AI tech to create a meaningful connection between the audience and the ad by enabling users to take a selfie or an ad with SRK and share it on their social media. A clever way to generate millions of impressions for free while, at the same time giving your customers something to recall. The campaign recognises that audiences today not only want to consume content but also desire to be an active part of it.
Another campaign that didn’t go unnoticed was the ‘Jawan’ movie release. The hype, grandeur, excitement and fan trigger created a huge impact on the movie’s success and drove crowds for more than 4 weeks to the big screens. The team did a good job harnessing SRK’s reach across social media, influencers, fan pages, etc. making it one of the biggest releases of the year.
Which brand in the last year has made the best use of digital and how?
Zomato impresses me with its smart use of digital marketing, blending paid and owned media seamlessly. I like how they create content that fits their brand and appeals to customers and at the same time can go viral. The brand is also great at using its media, encouraging customers to create topical content which is relatable and shareable, resulting in a digital word of mouth with a positive sentiment. It’s admirable how they consistently stay in the news and on social media, at the same time being cost-effective.
In a post-Covid world, what are the dos and don’ts of digital marketing?
In a digitally dominated world, a crucial factor while structuring a marketing strategy whether it is digital or not is to build a real connection with the user. With high information overload, there is a chance that your brand’s messaging has a gap in addressing the potential user’s problem. Building meaningful customer relationships will help solve the same.
Post-pandemic, digital marketing continues to play a pivotal role, but it comes with its own set of dos and don’ts. Brands must be online because lots of people like to shop and learn about products on the internet. However, it’s important to make your marketing personal and friendly to get people interested in what you have to offer. Make sure your customers feel safe and comfortable when they interact with your brand.
On the flip side, it is important to listen to what your customers have to say and respect their opinions. Don’t invade their privacy or use tricky marketing that tries to benefit from the tough times during the pandemic. Just be honest and helpful in your marketing efforts. Last but not least, be more responsible as a brand not just from a communications perspective but also, how a brand conducts the business and engages with its customers. Reputation is the key.
One recent bad case of advertising you have seen, and why?
Creative teams and marketers put in a lot of effort with a genuine intent to connect with the customers while conceptualising and creating campaigns and, unfortunately, consumers sometimes don’t resonate with the idea. Hence, it will not be fair to point out any specific campaign here.