Campaign: Befikar book kar
Brand: MakeMyTrip
Company: MakeMyTrip
Agency: Publicis Worldwide
The Ad
The ad begins with Ranveer Singh cockily approaching the receptionist at a hotel, essayed by Alia Bhatt. He enquires about a room, while cheekily addressing her as “babes” first. A per night rate of `5000 pushes him to inquire about the ‘Rikki discount’, Rikki being himself. Bhatt politely informs him that all he can get is a 10% discount. Just then, another customer walks in, who happens to be a MakeMyTrip (MMT) user. Bhatt’s character makes sure Rikki hears it when she informs the recently arrived man that he is eligible for a 40% off on his booking. Rikki, predictably, is miffed.
Our Take
Online travel and hotel booking players have probably been in the market longer than some of the other e-commerce categories but they seem to still have a lot of ground to cover. MakeMyTrip, armed with two fresh faces for the brand (Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt), has rolled out a new campaign to encourage consumers to not only take to online flight booking but to also book hotels befikar. The incentives being promised are ease and discounted rates.
The brand comes across as speaking to a broader market than it previously has, not targeting just the globetrotting netizen. The aim is to trigger a shift from offline to online for hotel booking needs, says Saujanya Srivastava, chief marketing officer, MakeMyTrip. MMT’s decision to keep the conversation focussed on the aspect of bookings rather than a tease about visiting new places — which is a fixture in travel/hospitality advertising — is important to note. Rajesh Magow, co-founder and CEO India, MakeMyTrip, says, “With this campaign, we seek to bring new customers into the online hotel category. Our value proposition is that whatever is the customer need, they can find a hotel of their choice on MakeMyTrip — quicker and cheaper. Our new campaign completely resonates with this philosophy.”
The brand has also refreshed its logo to convey a more mobile ‘appy’ feel. This category, overall, advertises relatively less frequently as compared to others. Having said that, recall does not seem to be a concern for MMT with this campaign. But when a brand wants the masses to accept what is being offered it has to be ready to answer the ‘what next?’ demand. Discounts and convenience of transaction are a part of the offering, but conveying trust and service, we hope, is next on the agenda for the brand.
