LEAD LIKE A #BOSS by Adsert Web Solutions

`100

Volume 12 | Issue 11 | September 2018

`100

Volume 12 | Issue 11 | September 2018

LEADERSHIP AND MARKETING LESSONS FROM TOP BRANDS AND MARKETERS

LEAD LIKE A

#BOSS

SID

Pitch Top 50 Brand Report

COVER STORY SEPTEMBER 2018

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Annurag Batra Director Amit Agnihotri Director Nawal Ahuja

LEAD LIKE A

#BOSS

EDITORIAL TEAM

Executive Editor

Jyotsna Sharma

Correspondents Smriti Mishra Anam Khan DESIGN TEAM

Art Director

Shivaji Sengupta

Senior Graphic Designer

Joby Mathew

Photographers Vilas Kalgutkar (Mumbai) Suresh Gola (Noida) Cover Design

Shivaji Sengupta

BHAVISH AGGARWAL

PANKAJ DUHAN

AMIT WADHWANI

Co-Founder and CEO, OLA

Chief Marketing Officer, RB South Asia Health

Managing Director Sai Estate Consultants Chembur Private Limited.

AD SALES Runa Sinha (National Business Head) runa.sinha@exchange4media.com - 9810497903

Sneha Walke (VP Special Projects & South Head) sneha@exchange4media.com - 9845541143 Ashish Kudalkar (Regional Manager West - Sales & Business Development) ashish.kudalkar@exchange4media.com - 9820541742

0FFICES

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Director, Marketing Solutions - India, LinkedIn

Chief Sales and Marketing Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

VEEJAY RAM NAKRA

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VIRGINIA SHARMA

Mumbai: 301, Kakad Bhavan, 3rd Floor, 11th Street, Bandra (W), Mumbai - 400 050 Phone: (022) 2640 3303/09/14/16 Bengaluru: # 18, 3rd B Cross, Domlur II Stage, Bangalore 560071 CIRCULATION/DISTRIBUTION

Vinod Sharma (Delhi) - 9999447209 vinod@exchange4media.com Anandan Nair (Mumbai) - 9819445200 anair@exchange4media.com On News-stands ` 100/www.pitchonnet.com Printed and published by Annurag Batra on behalf of Adsert Web Solutions Pvt Ltd B-20, I-Floor, Sector-57, Noida, Uttar Pradesh - 201301 Printed at All Time Offset Printers, F-406, Sector-63 Noida, Uttar Pradesh - 201 307 An exchange4media Publication

6 | PITCH | SEPTEMBER 2018

TECH

GADGETS 18 LIFESTYLE

RAPIDFIRE 47 TÊTE-À-TÊTE 84

Chief Marketing Officer, Pepperfry

LEADERSHIP & MARKETING LESSONS FROM

TOP BRANDS AND MARKETERS

MAARTEN GERAETS General Manager Foods, Nestlé India

AVP – Marketing, Jewellery Division at Titan Company Limited

CEO, Watches and Accessories Titan Company Limited

Head – Consumer Insights & Special Projects, Reliance Jio

TANUJA RAI PRADHAN

NEERAJ KANWAR

ULF SMEDBERG

ALI HUSSEIN COO Eros Digital

AJAY BHATIJA

Director-Colas, Coca-Cola India & South-West Asia

Chief Marketing Officer, Lenovo India

AMIT DOSHI

RAJEEV GOEL

Country Marketing Manager, IKEA India

DEEPIKA TEWARI

S. RAVI KANT

Vice Chairman & MD Apollo Tyres Ltd

Co-Founder & CEO Pubmatic

PITCH TOP 50 BRAND REPORT

DEEPAK MEHRA

D K DAS

VIVEK SHARMA

RAHUL PANSARE

SIDDHARTH SHAKDER

SILVIA TALLON

CMO, Ambuja Cement CMO, Hindalco CMO, Pidilite

AVP & Head Marketing, JEEP COMPASS CMO, HOTSTAR

Sr. Marketing Director, REEBOK

SEPTEMBER 2018 | PITCH | 7

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF’S NOTE “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” - John Fitzgerald Kennedy

B DR. ANNURAG BATRA

Chairman & Editor-in-Chief

abatra@exchange4media.com @anuragbatrayo www.facebook.com/anuragbatrayo

eing a leader requires a number of attributes like being forward thinking, taking risks, and being a lateral thinker etc. While all these attributes are important, the one key trait I find most fascinating is emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and leverage your own emotions and that of others to affect a positive and desired outcome of a situation. It was Author and Psychologist Daniel Goleman’s book in 1995 on the subject that made the term popular, even though, it had appeared in studies earlier. Goleman also studied the concept of emotional intelligence (EI) in relation to business leaders and found that without it, even the most brilliant minds were rendered useless in the area of leadership. He went on to hypothesise that to be an effective leader - EI or emotional intelligence was twice as important as IQ or intelligence quotient. In his work he laid out five key attributes of emotional intelligence: Self-awareness: The ability to understand one’s own emotions and their effect on others. Self-regulation: The ability to be flexible and adapt to changing circumstances; and most importantly, to manage disruptive impulses. Motivation: An ability to work for reasons beyond materialistic gains. Empathy: Being able to understand the emotional makeup

8 | PITCH | SEPTEMBER 2018

of people; skill in treating people according to their emotional reactions, with expertise in retaining and building talent, cross-cultural sensitivity, and service to clients and customers. Social Skills: Proficiency in managing relationships and building networks. An ability to find common ground and build rapport. Effectiveness in leading change, persuasiveness, and expertise in building and leading teams. Indira Nooyi, CEO, PepsiCo comes to mind as the foremost example of a leader with high emotional intelligence. She is known to write letters to the parents of her employees to let them know how valuable their children are to the organisation and what a good job they have done raising their kids. The letters make the employees feel appreciated and their families proud. This obviously translates in to workplace satisfaction and employee retention. Not just this, her brainchild ‘Performance with Purpose’, which put social responsibility of the company on the same level as financial gains helped employees feel that they had more than just a job; they felt they were giving back to society. In addition, it created a deeper bond between the consumers and the brand. I believe, in today’s environment where we are moving towards and relying more on AI (Artificial Intelligence) and Big Data for insights, emotional intelligence as a trait becomes invaluable.

T W I T T E R AT I

SEPTEMBER 2018 | PITCH | 9

ACROSS THE GLOBE

INVEST INDIA AND UAE MINISTRY SIGN MOU FOR TECHNOLOGICAL COOPERATION

nvest India and the UAE Minister for Artificial Intelligence (AI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding which will spur development across areas like Blockchain, AI and Analytics. This partnership will generate an estimated USD 20 billion in economic benefits during the next decade for both countries. Data and processing will be a catalyst for innovation and business growth and serve as the backbone for more effective and efficient service delivery systems. It is expected that by 2035 AI can potentially add USD 957 billion to the Indian economy.

THE $1 TRILLION EMPIRE

pple became the first US Company to be valued at $1 trillion on the New York stock exchange. This makes it the second public company to be valued in 13 digits. PetroChina Company Limited, the Chinese giant was the first public company to achieve the milestone on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 2007.

ONE PLUS TOPS INDIA’S PREMIUM SMARTPHONE MARKET

hinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus becomes the fastest growing brand in the premium segment during the second quarter of 2018, as per a report by research firm Counterpoint. OnePlus surpassed Samsung and Apple to lead the Indian smaartphone market with nearly 40% share of the overall market.

10 | PITCH | SEPTEMBER 2018

Infrastructure is one of the top 5 focus sections of UAEIndia bilateral trade. The UAE has committed USD 75

PEPSI CEO INDRA NOOYI TO STEP DOWN AFTER 12 YEARS

epsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi will step down from her position after leading the food and beverage giant for 12 years, on October 3rd this year. She has been associated with the organization for 24 years and will be replaced by Ramon Laguarta, currently the President of PepsiCo. Nooyi took to Twitter to share her journey and stated, “Leading PepsiCo has truly been the honor of my lifetime. We’ve a made a more meaningful impact in people’s lives than I ever dreamed possible.”

billion towards infrastructure development and invested over USD 5.3 billion in India.

THE BILLION DOLLAR DEAL

utch brewing company Heineken has acquired a 40 % stake in China Resources Beer Holdings, maker of China’s largest beer brand “Snow Beer”. Heineken is buying a $3.1 billion stake in CR Beer which would help boost the growth of the brand in the world’s largest beer market. Through access to CRB’s distribution network, Heineken aims to catch up to rivals.

STARBUCKS AND ALIBABA COLLABORATE IN CHINA

tarbucks will partner with e-commerce giant Alibaba to launch delivery services, set-up a delivery kitchen and create a virtual store to boost its presence in China. Through its partnership with Ele.me, a food delivery platform acquired by Alibaba this year, Starbucks aims to deliver coffee across 2000 stores in 30 cities by the end of this year. The service will allow customers order through an app and receive their coffee without going to a store.

DAIMLER TO BUILD ELECTRIC SMART CARS

ROBOT TURNED COMPANION FOR KIDS

erman luxury carmaker, Daimler is in talks to manufacture electric smart cars in China with a local partner in an attempt to enhance the sales of tiny smart branded cars. The automaker plans to set up a joint venture with Beijing Electric Vehicle Co., a unit of its long time Chinese partner Beijing Automotive Group, to make smart EVs in the country that is the biggest market for EVs in the world.

humanoid robot iPal developed by AvatarMind, was revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show Asia in Shanghai with an aim to provide companionship, care and education to children and the elderly people. The 3.5 feet tall robot can move, dance, talk and keep a track of its charges through facial recognition technology. It engages with children through a six inch LCD display fitted to its chest which also helps parents monitor their child’s progress and ensure their safety through their smartphones or desktops connected to the robot.

UBER LITE

WALMART AND JD.COM INVEST $500 MILLION IN A CHINESE ONLINE GROCERY COMPANY

ber, the ridesharing company, has launched Uber Lite, a reimagined version of the rider app. The new, spacesaving app that is built in India and designed for the world, also works in low connectivity areas and on most of the Android devices.

D on any Android device and on any network.” Peter Deng, Head of Rider Product, Uber added, “A onesize-fits-all app doesn’t work for the diversity of network conditions, devices, and rider needs across Uber’s 77 countries and 600 cities. After extensive research with our riders, it was obvious we couldn’t just make a smaller copy of Uber. We needed to reimagine the experience for India and key markets around the world. The result is Uber Lite. A completely redesigned app that is light, simple, and works

Uber Lite’s new interface was designed to make booking rides quicker and lighter in spotty connectivity, on basic Android phones, and for people with limited data plans. The key product features are that it is less than 5MB to download (equivalent to just 3 selfies), it uses guided pickups by detecting your current location and to keep the app light and fast, maps in Uber Lite are not loaded by default, but are available with a tap when you need them.

ada-JD Daojia, a Chinese online grocery delivery company has raised $500 million from U.S. retailer Walmart and JD.com in its latest round of financing. JD Daojia (JD.com’s onlineto-offline business) and Dada

Nexus (a crowd-sourcing delivery platform in China) merged to form Dada-JD Daojia. JD Daojia delivers goods via a location based smartphone app and has close to 20 million monthly active users.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | PITCH | 11

LEADERSHIP QUOTES

The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.

-RONALD REAGAN

In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders.

-SHERYL SANDBERG

The secret of leadership is simple: Do what you believe in. Paint a picture of the future. Go there. People will follow

Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve

-NAPOLEON HILL A winner is a dreamer who never gives up

-NELSON MANDELA

-SETH GODIN

We’re here for a reason. I believe a bit of the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark.

-WHOOPI GOLDBERG

Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It’s about impact, influence and inspiration. Impact involves getting results, influence is about spreading the passion you have for your work, and you have to inspire teammates and customers

-ROBIN S. SHARMA

Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek -BARACK OBAMA 14 | PITCH | SEPTEMBER 2018

The leader is one who, out of the clutter, brings simplicity… out of discord, harmony… and out of difficulty, opportunity -ALBERT EINSTEIN. Victory has a hundred fathers and defeat is an orphan -JOHN F. KENNEDY

The test of organization is not genius. It is its capacity to make common people achieve uncommon performance.

-PETER F. DRUCKER

APP STORE

WHAT YOU GOT IN YOUR

MOBILE?

SAY HELLO! TO YOUR LINKEDIN CONTACT

inkedIn adds voice messaging to the professional networking platform. This feature will be available to all users in the coming weeks. The feature is available via the iOS and Android app. Users can receive messages both on the mobile and on the LinkedIn website. Voice messages can be up to one minute long. Now you can literally say what you feel.

LET’S PHOTOSHOP ON THE GO, WHEREVER YOU ARE!

hen you have a hectic schedule and a busy life, you look forward to innovation as God’s blessing. One such convenient feature is what Adobe plans for its iPad users. According to Bloomberg, Adobe is bringing all the Photoshop features to the iPad. The company is planning to announce the release of the full version of Photoshop for the iPad in October of this year, and it will release the iOS app in 2019. Keep in mind Adobe already offers several photo manipulation apps for iOS devices, including a simplified version of Photoshop called Photoshop Express. But these mobile editions do not compare to the company’s PC and Mac apps, which are loaded with precise editing features and tools.

EBAY’S FRIENDLY ACCEPTANCE TO APPLEPAY

bay bids farewell to long term partner PayPal, and has started accepting Apple Pay on its marketplace starting this fall, and has also teamed up with Square Capital on seller financing. The Apple Pay rollout will begin this fall in the U.S. on

16 | PITCH | SEPTEMBER 2018

a limited scale, allowing buyers to purchase using Apple Pay in iOS and Safari, both on the mobile web and in eBay’s app.

GOOGLE PLANS IT’S RETURN TO CHINA

ccording to an explosive report from The Intercept, Google’s search service could make a dramatic return to China next year. Google yanked its search service from China in 2010 in the face of pressure over censorship, but now the publication reports that it has

IT’S TIK TOK ON THE FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM CLOCK!

eems like Zuckerberg has got some interesting plans for his audiences this year. Facebook has launched its digital wellbeing screen-time management dashboards for Facebook and Instagram in the U.S and will be rolling them out to everyone in coming weeks. So, if you are overdosing on Facebook or Instagram, the apps will let you know.

A DATING APP FOR MODERN WOMEN

umble is the much talked about app of tinsel town. The only dating app so far that has made an effort to put an end to women being spammed by creepy messages. This is possible because women are required to message first with the Bumble. Not just that, but the match expires in 24hrs, if a message has not been sent to the match within that time period.

YOUR PERSONAL MATHEMATICIAN

VOICE ASSISTANT FOR IOS! NOW SPEAK AND SEARCH! !

his lifesaver does the math for you while you only have to worry about which dessert to order on a night out with your girlfriends. Yes, seriously! Splitwise allows you to split payments across groups and also for different events - it helps you manage what you owe better.

pple is making a huge change to the way you search for products on its online store. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company just released an update to its Apple Store app on iOS, which allows voice search. You only need to tap the microphone icon in the search bar and say the keywords out loud to search the entire store for the product you’re looking for. Let’s get talking!

developed a censored version that could launch in the country in six to nine months, according to information supplied by a source with knowledge of the plans. The Chinese version

YOGA GURU

minutes daily is all it takes to get fit. Yoga 15 is like your personal yoga coach that helps you relax and improve your physical and mental strength through Yoga. The first six videos are free.

would block Western services already outlawed in China, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and also scrub results for sensitive terms, such as the Tiananmen Square massacre, and international media including the BBC and the New York Times.

AN APP FOR LIKE MINDED PEOPLE

he League is an exclusive dating app, which screens based on educational and professional history in order to ensure like minded singles meet. To keep your work life separate from your dating life (and ensure your privacy), The League keeps your LinkedIn Connections and Facebook friends out of your queue.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | PITCH | 17

GADGETS

WONDERS OF GADGETS IT’S SILVER LINING FOR BLACKBERRY LOVERS IN INDIA Optiemus Infracom launched BlackBerry Evolve and Evolve X smartphones at a price of INR 24,990 and 34,990. With features like full touchscreen display and face recognition, the phone also comes pre-installed with BlackBerry’s DTEK security app. The full touchscreen displays on Evolve X and Evolve smartphones are protected with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5 protection. BlackBerry Evolve X will be available exclusively via Amazon India towards the end of August, while Evolve will be available around mid-September.

HUAMI AMAZES INDIA WITH ITS NEW FITBIT BANDS The popular range smartwatches by Huami, makes a grand entry in India with the launch of two brand new smartwatches, ‘Amazfit Stratos and Amazfit Bip priced at INR 15,999 and INR 5,499 respectively. Amazfit Bip, is grabbing lot of attention because of its luxurious looks and astonishing battery life of 30 days with regular use, and up to 45 days with minimal notifications on a single charge. Equipped with features like sleep and advanced sports tracking including outdoor running, treadmill running, walking, and cycling. Xiaomi backed Huami watches cater to every aspect of the health-conscious millennial. PR Innovations, a leading technology importer, has started to retail the products in India. For online shoppers, the products will be available only on Flipkart.

CLICK AND SHOOT WITH LEICA C-LUX CAMERA Leica Launched the C-Lux digital camera in India with a Leica DC Vario-Elmar 8.8-132mm f/3.3-6.4 ASPH lens to enable 15x optical zoom. the Leica C-Lux camera has a 20-megapixel image sensor that brings 4K video recording support. It sports a touchscreen monitor and an electronic viewfinder (EVF) that is touted to cover 100 percent of the image field. The Leica C Lux will be available for purchase by end of the August.

18 | PITCH | SEPTEMBER 2018

ENERGISE YOUR DAY WITH ENERGY SPEAKER BZ6 MUSIC BOX With an active presence in more than 40 countries, a Spanish technology giant, Energy Sistem has partnered with Alchemie Commerce Pvt Ltd in India to launch several products like Energy Tower 8g2, Energy Tower 5, Energy Tower 3g2, Energy Tower 1, Music Box BZ6 and Music Box BZ3. Music box BZ6 are Bluetooth wireless speakers and FM. They support playback with SD Card and a USB Drive (upto 64 gb) and are priced at INR 7,999. Talking about plans to expand in India, Mr. K. Sunil, CEO and founder of Alchemie Commerce, official distribution partner of Energy Sistem, said, ‘Our target is to first create demand in the market for products which let music lovers experience music in a delightful and stylish way, and then supply them with the same. With quirky designs and good quality products available in trendy colors, we aim to create competition from a range of products we offer to our consumers. We have brought disruption in the audio market

by providing customers with a variety of products to choose from as per one’s need. We aim to populate our audio product portfolio with 100 products by the end of 2018.”

7th, SEPT TAJ SANTACRUZ, MUMBAI

KEYNOTE SESSIONS

SPEAKERS

RAJESH RAMAKRISHNAN

SUNIL KATARIA

SUNIL LULLA

ANANTHA NAYAK

Managing Director

CEO - India & SAARC

Group CEO

Chief Executive Officer

PANEL MEMBERS

KANIKA SAXENA VP - Content Services

MADHAVI IRANI Chief Officer Content

ARUN UNNI

Chief Content Officer

BHUVAN BAM

Youtuber, Singer - Song Writer

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LIVE LIFE JEFF SIZE Amazon. com once promoted itself as Earth’s biggest bookstore.

In 2018, the big boy of Amazon, CEO Jeff Bezos became the richest man on this planet. Here are some interesting facts about the man and the Company

The first item ever to be sold on amazon was a textbook titled “Fluid Concepts & Creative Analogies: Computer Models of the Fundamental Mechanisms of Thought”. A believer in getting a good night sleep, Bezos wakes up every morning naturally without an alarm clock.

20 | PITCH | SEPTEMBER 2018

The meaning of the amazon logo; get anything from a to z signified by the happy yellow arrow starting from a and ending on z.

Type relentless dot com into a web browser and watch the magic happen! You guessed it- It opens on amazon.com Amazon was originally named Cadabra, as in ‘Abracadabra’ and Relentless before settling on Amazon.

The net worth of the Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is $150 Billion

30 year old Bezos quit wall street to start

Amazon in 1994

In 1994, Bezos founded Amazon in a garage in Seattle When he had to take his dog for a walk he made sure that it made news. The Amazon CEO posted a picture of himself walking next to a robotic canine built by robotics firm Boston Dynamics.

“Taking my new dog for a walk at the #MARS2018 conference,” Bezos tweeted. The dog is named ‘SpotMini’. We would travel to Seattle to experience the fabulous Amazon Go- the new age store with no lines, no checkout – just grab and go. SEPTEMBER 2018 | PITCH | 21

COVER NOTE

LEAD LIKE A

#BOSS Jyotsna Sharma

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Let me define a leader. He must have vision and passion and not be afraid of any problem. Instead, he should know how to defeat it. Most importantly, he must work with integrity.â&#x20AC;?

- A.P. J Abdul Kalam

Being a leader in contemporary times is not an easy task, especially for brands and marketers, given the intense competition and the rapidly changing landscape of every industry. So, what does it take for a brand to be a leader?

22 | PITCH | SEPTEMBER 2018

INNOVATION IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS TO DO, BUT A SURE SHOT WAY TO SUCCESS. TRANSFORMATION AND RE INVENTION ARE

ESSENTIAL FOR GROWTH

SEPTEMBER 2018 | PITCH | 23

COVER NOTE

OBSESS ABOUT YOUR CONSUMER The key factor is that the brand needs to think from the point of view of the consumer at every step of their journey - they should become consumer obsessed. Being consumer-centric in their product positioning and communication with consumers, is also extremely important. Amazon Prime Air is an example, or do I say a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;prime exampleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of this. It is a delivery system from Amazon designed to deliver packages to customers in 30 minutes or less using unmanned aerial vehiclesdrones. Its first successful delivery was in 2016 in England. The Prime Air service will add value to the good consumer service, the company is known for.

24 | PITCH | SEPTEMBER 2018

Source: Amazon.com

SEPTEMBER 2018 | PITCH | 25

COVER NOTE

CONSISTENT & DETERMINED WINS THE RACE! Next comes, consistency. Consistency in the product and the service, and delivering the brand promise is very important. It is through this very factor that brand advocacy is built. Amul for example, is a brand that has been consistent over the years in its products and communication. Founded in 1946 by Dr. Kurien, it has always delivered quality products. The Iconic Amul Girl, that the nation is so fond of, appeared for the first time in 1966, and has since been an integral part of the brandsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; communication, which revolves around topical issues. The adverts are extremely effective and much loved.

Effective communication is not only important for delivering the brand message, it also impacts the brand value. The Pepsi advertisement featuring Kendall Jenner was pulled after a huge backlash. It was

SUSTAINABILITY IS USUALLY RELEGATED TO ONE DEPARTMENT IN THE ORGANISATION. WHAT IS REQUIRED, IS TO HAVE THE ENTIRE ORGANISATION AND THE TOP MANAGEMENT INCLUDING THE CEO TO GET BEHIND IT 26 | PITCH | SEPTEMBER 2018

criticized for trivializing protest over social issues. Of course, the brand apologized and made it clear that their intention was altogether different and that they missed the mark in getting their message across.

Therefore, the key is to know your consumers, the channels and mediums thoroughly, so as to be able to determine the communication going out through each channel.

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX Innovation is probably one of the hardest things to do, but a sure shot way to success. Transformation and re invention are essential for growth. Innovation is not only about filling a gap in the market but also, at times, about moving away from the very thing that made you successful. Appleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s iPod introduced in 2001 comes to mind as an example. MP3 players existed in the market but there was nothing like the sleek device that could hold up to 5GB of music. By 2004, the iPod had become extremely successful. Also, Kibble or Netflix as it is known as now, changed the way we watch movies. It started off as a DVD rental- bymail service in 1998, then started its subscription model, and a decade later started streaming videos.

Sustainability is usually relegated to one department in the organisation. What is required, is to have the entire organisation and the top management (including the CEO) getting behind this, and adopting sustainability as a part of the overall brand strategy & purpose. Boston based Reputation Institute in their 2017 study on most socially responsible companies found Lego to top the CSR list (key findings suggested that it behaves ethically, operates transparently, protects the environment, conducts business fairly, and supports worthy causes.)

which they need to adapt to quickly or fade into oblivion. For instance, Wipro, one of India’s leading IT service companies started off as Western India Vegetable Products, manufacturing and

For a leader it is important to adapt to change to stay on top of his game. This might also mean embracing crisis at times. For

selling vegetable oil. Soon they diversified into other consumer goods such as soaps and detergents etc. It was in 1966 that the company moved in to IT under the leadership of Azim Premji.

marketers it is important to keep in mind the fact that changing consumer demographics, digital transformation etc. lead to a rapidly changing landscape,

While all these are important aspects of leading effectively, the most important of them all is integrity. The right mix of all these is what builds true leaders.

ADAPT TO CHANGE

GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK ! Brands and organisations need to have a future thinking mindset, a mindset that promotes sustainability. Consumers today want to be associated with brands that are meaningful and give back to society. There is a change in mindset taking place, which is generational. People across the planet now expect businesses to contribute towards solving environmental and social issues.

“We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.” – J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series SEPTEMBER 2018 | PITCH | 27

INTERVIEW

MISSION ELETRIC

The le ab n i a t Sus ute Ro

Founded in 2010 by Bhavish Aggarwal and Ankit Bhati, online cab aggregator Ola currently operates in India, Australia and has recently announced its plan to expand its services into the UK market. Ola now conducts 1 billion rides each year globally, with more than 1 million drivers and 125 million customers in over 110 cities. As per Allied Market Research, the global electric vehicle market was valued at $118,864.5 million in 2017, and is projected to reach $567,299.8 million by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 22.3% from 2018 to 2025. While the electric vehicle market is still at a relatively early stage of development, more organizations are making a foray into the segment as part of achieving their sustainability goals. Under â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Mission Electricâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; programme, the SoftBank backed cab aggregator launched its first electric vehicle project in Nagpur in May last year. They plan to get one million electric vehicles on the platform by 2021. 28 | PITCH | SEPTEMBER 2018

BHAVISH AGGARWAL CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, OLA

LESS THAN A YEAR AGO, WE LAUNCHED INDIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FIRST MULTIMODAL ELECTRIC PILOT IN NAGPUR. AFTER MORE THAN 4 MILLION ELECTRIC KILOMETERS TRAVELLED AND MANY LESSONS LEARNED, WE ARE SIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDING OUR COMMITMENT TO ELECTRIFY MOBILITY IN INDIA. OLA LEADS BY EXAMPLE, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH STATE GOVERNMENTS AND OTHER PARTNERS TO INTRODUCE ACCESSIBLE, AFFORDABLE, AND SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY SOLUTIONS AT SCALE

SEPTEMBER 2018 | PITCH | 29

INTERVIEW

There is increased awareness about electric vehicles and going green. Considering there are a number of players entering this category, how do you plan to market yourself? Ola’s mission is to transform the mobility experience for citizens and driver partners, and positively impact the environment by reducing hazardous vehicular pollution in our cities. Ola is leading the development of the Electric Vehicle Ecosystem in India. Currently, the company is developing ‘Mission: Electric’ as a platform to bring one million Electric Vehicles on the road by 2021. ‘Mission : Electric’ has set a global example for electric vehicle adoption with Ola being the only ridesharing company in the world, to build sustainable mobility in a multimodal approach, at scale. The objective of developing the electric vehicle ecosystem in India goes over and beyond marketing; and is more focused on the far reaching results the product can solve for the country and society at large! The company’s efforts of building a smart and sustainable electric mobility ecosystem differentiates it from the other players in the market. We are working with driver-partners, cities, vehicle manufacturers,

THE OBJECTIVE OF DEVELOPING THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE ECOSYSTEM IN INDIA GOES OVER AND BEYOND MARKETING; AND IS MORE FOCUSED ON THE FAR REACHING RESULTS THE PRODUCT CAN SOLVE FOR THE COUNTRY AND SOCIETY AT LARGE!

and battery companies to make sustainable technologies costeffective and viable in daily mobility. Ola is the market leader in app-based hailing, and intends to leverage its scale to bring cleaner, more comfortable, and safer products to market. Presently, we are continuing our experimentation with ways to optimize batteries and charging, to develop a strong business model for EV deployment in the country. As India’s largest private vehicle fleet operator, Ola represents a natural catalyst for EV technology. Ola is in discussion with several state governments to create an appropriate policy to deploy electric three wheelers. The company is also talking to OEM partners and EV innovators globally to bring vehicles on the road in a planned and phased manner.

What are the challenges in this segment?

The biggest challenge faced by Ola was the lack of conducive infrastructure that could help the electric mobility landscape thrive. To this end, Ola has played the role of a catalyst to build an end-to-end electric mobility infrastructure from scratch.

ISHAN GUPTA SENIOR DIRECTOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES OLA

Under ‘Mission Electric’, Ola has been working with the Government, OEMs and battery manufacturers to bring EVs on the Ola platform. The multimodal fleet comprises electric cabs, e-rickshaws, electric auto rickshaws, and electric buses from a range of manufacturers including Tata Motors, Mahindra, and Kinetic. The company has made some large scale investments and partnership with companies to build charging stations across the country to build a holistic and sustainable ecosystem. Ola has not just included electric vehicles on its platform but has also contributed to elements like policy, infrastructure, and other ancillary products and services to build the ecosystem.

30 | PITCH | SEPTEMBER 2018

7th SEPTEMBER 2018 TAJ SANTACRUZ, MUMBAI CONFERENCE FOLLOWED BY AWARDS

THE GRAND JURY PANEL

R BALKI

ABHISHEK DESAI

ADITYA SWAMY

AJIT VARMA

AMIT GUJRAL

ATIT MEHTA

DEBRAJ TRIPATHY

DEVENDRA DESHPANDE

DIMPLE SIDHAR

FRANK Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;SOUZA

HARSHAD RAJADHYAKSHA

Film Director & Former Chairman & COO, Lowe Lintas

ATUL GARG

Media &Advertising Consultant

PwC India

HIMANSHU BAKSHI

KARTIK KALLA

PALLAVI CHOPRA

SAGAR KARGUTKAR

SANJAY GUPTA

SAPANGEET RAJWANT

PARIXIT BHATTACHARYA

SHUCHI SINGHAL

RAVI DESAI

RONITA MITRA

VIKRAMJEET SINGH

INTERVIEW INTERVIEW

HE BUSINESS OF BUILDING TRUST Most Trusted Brand The brand that started off its journey with Dettol Antiseptic Liquid over 80 years ago, has since expanded its products across the healthcare category to include Liquid handwash, bar soaps, hand sanitisers and so on. Through its quality and service, the brand continues to stand strong amongst the 10 most trusted brands in India over the last ten years. Dettol is a part of Reckitt Benckiser Group which is a British multinational consumer goods company headquartered in England and a producer of health, hygiene and home products. Its revenue for 2017 was 11.512 billion GBP. 32 | PITCH | SEPTEMBER 2018

PANKAJ DUHAN

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, RB SOUTH ASIA HEALTH

BEING A MARKET LEADER COMES WITH A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR A BRAND LIKE DETTOL, WHICH HAS BEEN LEADING THE HYGIENE CONVERSATION AND HELPING INCULCATE HEALTHY HABITS. THIS MEANS, WE ARE CONSTANTLY INNOVATING AND WORKING TOWARDS BRINGING IN MORE PRODUCTS THAT SUIT EVERY CONSUMERS NEED. DRIVING BEHAVIOUR CHANGE HAS BEEN A TOP PRIORITY AND IT HAS BEEN OUR MISSION TO SPREAD AWARENESS AND REITERATE THE IMPORTANCE OF LIVING A HEALTHIER AND HYGIENIC LIFE ACROSS ALL SEGMENTS OF THE SOCIETY. WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MOVE THE NEEDLE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION WITH SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGNS THAT HAVE LED TO A SHIFT IN PERCEPTION AND WILL CONTINUE OUR WORK IN THE SPACE.”

TRUST EMOTIONAL CONNECT

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Dettol is one of the most trusted brands today, could you tell us the key aspects that went into making it one of India’s most trusted brand? Dettol, the gold standard in germ protection has been a leader in the hygiene and health care segment. It has earned the love of millions of mothers across the country. It has been consistently ranked amongst the top 10 most trusted brands in India for the past decade which comes from the brand’s undisputed equity in the market. Leading behaviour change communication in hygiene under the flagship of Banega Swachh India has helped the brand build trust, credibility and brand love among its consumers.

What are the challenges you faced along your journey? In the earnest desire to keep improving our brand engagement we believe in constantly innovating the brand offering and communication and this is our biggest challenge. Diversification in audience keeps the journey interestingly challenging. Even today, the dynamic temperaments and changing behaviours of the Millennials and Gen Z consumers

SEPTEMBER 2018 | PITCH | 33

INTERVIEW INTERVIEW

With a robust presence on various platforms online, Dettol also launched a Hindi website to reach out to a wider audience in the country. Regular market and consumer dipsticks are conducted to understand what the target consumer is looking for, so that the brand can stay one step ahead.

are the biggest trials and also present an opportunity for us. Their brand preferences and spending habits are different from their predecessors and brand strategies need to be aligned accordingly. Staying relevant to this set of consumers is very important and Dettol has been talking to them through various products under our brand portfolio.

How do you connect with and engage the distracted consumer? As hygiene leader of the country and most trusted brand, Dettol does lot of brand engagements at grass root level with students and mothers under Banega Swachh India program. Under this initiative we have been driving behaviour change on a mass scale through advertising efforts that instantly create an emotional connect with our audience, community level direct engagement and social change movements. To take this one step further, Dettol also goes to schools across India to teach children the importance of hand washing to stay healthy. Every year millions of new mothers around the world receive a free starter kit from Dettol,

34 | PITCH | SEPTEMBER 2018

containing product and hygiene information to help them keep their babies safe. This helps build a personal connect with the consumers. With a robust presence on various platforms online, Dettol also launched a Hindi website to reach out to a wider audience in the country. Regular market and consumer dipsticks are conducted to understand what the target consumer is looking for, so that the brand can stay one step ahead. With all communications falling in line with the campaign, the product relevance always shines through. From a social responsibility point of view, for Dettol Banega Swachh India we also have the voice of Amitabh Bhachchan on board to lead the conversation pan India and drive behaviour change.

What are the variants / product extensions we can expect in the future?

We as the Dettol team understand the importance of inherited trust by 100 crore Indians on the brand and work every day to strengthen the same. With a consumer first approach, we continuously work to improve our formulation and provide better solutions. We

are working towards safer and more effective solutions given the new consumers are more demanding than ever. Apart from this we will continue to bring modern solutions and formats to help Indian homemakers keep their home hygienic and family healthy. Stay with us and see Dettol, Dettol Ho!!!

What inspired the ‘Bahaar Ho Toh Dettol Ho’ Campaign? We are all exposed to unhealthy processes in our lives and keeping this in mind, Dettol launched the Back 2 School campaign under #BaharHoTohDettolHo. It addresses a mom’s concern when it comes to her kid’s health. When school restarts after the summer break, the kid steps out of the mom’s control zone. This is when Dettol comes in as an ally to ensure her kid is protected even when she’s not around, which is why we say” Ghar ke andar handwash aur ghar ke bahar sanitizer”. By helping mothers inculcate a regime on how to use the sanitiser, Dettol, the leader in Hand Hygiene in India, is educating kids about the importance of handwashing in a fun and engaging manner.

#MediaAceAwards

For all event related information, please contact: Cara Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;souza: cara.dsouda@exchange4media.com | +91 9820247582 For sponsorship opportunities, please contact: Runa Sinha (National Sales Head): runa.sinha@exchange4media.com | +91 9810497903 Sneha Walke (VP Special Projects & South Head): sneha@exchange4media.com | +91 9845541143 Ashish Kudalkar (General Manager - Sales & BD-West): ashish.kudalkar@exchange4media.com | +91 9820541742

INTERVIEW

Transparency Innovation Collaboration AMIT WADHWANI

MANAGING DIRECTOR SAI ESTATE CONSULTANTS CHEMBUR PRIVATE LIMITED.

te a t s E Real wth Gro rs e Driv

Q. Your views on: a) The difference between the global and the Indian real estate market Real estate is a heterogeneous product that depends on various aspects such as location, construction, economic scenario and so on. The global real estate market accounts for around 29% of the overall services market and is considered as the second largest market. Globally, the real estate market delivers strategists, marketers and senior management with critical information needed to assess the real estate sector. While Indian real estate is currently placed as a ‘semitransparent’ zone, it has emerged as one of the top ten countries to register maximum improvement in transparency over the last two years. Overall the improvement in the transparency scores across all markets has started to benefit

IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE STRATEGIES IN PLACE THAT WILL HELP YOU MAXIMIZE VISIBILITY AND STAND OUT.

36 | PITCH | SEPTEMBER 2018

INTERNET HAS CHANGED THE WAY THE REAL ESTATE MARKET AND REAL ESTATE MARKETING OPERATES, IT HAS TURNED OUT TO BE A POWERFUL TOOL FOR THE REAL ESTATE SECTOR.

INDIA’S REAL ESTATE MARKET

RETAIL PROJECTS IN TIER2/3 CITIES RECEIVED INVESTMENTS OF US

TO REACH

US$ 180 BILLION

$6.192 MILLION

BY 2020 FROM US$ 126 BILLION IN 2015.

BETWEEN

2006-2017. Source- IBEF

Source- IBEF

THE GLOBAL REAL ESTATE MARKET IS EXPECTED TO GENERATE REVENUE OF USD

4,263.7 BILLION BY 2025. FACTORS

ASIA PACIFIC AND MIDDLE EAST ARE THE HOTSPOTS

SUCH AS THE INCREASING DEMAND FOR HOUSING REAL ESTATE SPACE, RAPID URBANIZATION THROUGH MIGRATION IN SEARCH FOR

FOR REAL ESTATE

DEVELOPMENT Source- Grand View Research, Inc.

BETTER AMENITIES.

Source- Grand View Research, Inc.

the Indian real estate market in the form of increased volumes of international capital being deployed into the country.

Smart cities

In the coming future, twothird of the world’s population will live in cities, leading to newer challenges as people will expect their homes to be smart. Smart cities are defined by extensive use of technology

to make life simpler and more comfortable, while being friendly to the environment. They are a solution to problems that residents of Indian cities face due to poor planning and maintenance. Smart cities is a combination of various components like energy, technology etc. brought together to bring multitude of benefits for the real estate industry. In a smart city,

infrastructure and amenities such as water, sanitation, energy, transport, public safety, education and health care are integrated and managed through technology for efficient governance and delivery. Smart city features, also include automated parking and traffic management, eco-friendly lighting, and efficient waste management.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | PITCH | 37

INTERVIEW

How has marketing in the real estate sector evolved over the last few years?

The real estate industry has had some interesting ups and down over past few years and I have eventually realised that no matter how good one is at selling real estate, but one can succeed only if they can market effectively. It is important to have strategies in place that will help you maximize visibility and stand out. Today, with websites, social media and knowledgeable consumers, real estate players also need to know about larger markets and have an understanding of how these markets work. Internet has changed the way the real estate market and real estate marketing operates, it has turned out to be a powerful tool for the real estate sector. Going ahead promotional ideas and marketing will continue to evolve in the digital space. Most

THE CITY WISE

COMMERCIAL SPACE DEMAND

FOR BENGALURU WAS

32MN SQ. FT. FROM YEAR

2013-2017.

NCR ACCOUNTS FOR 49% OF THE TOTAL UPCOMING

MALL SUPPLY.

38 | PITCH | SEPTEMBER 2018

real estate player have evolved as they tie-up with parallel brands like FNB, fitness, hospitality etc. They also successfully reach out to consumers and millennials by collaborating with events organised by media houses, business schools, etc

In terms of marketing projects, which medium have you found to be most effective?

Real estate is an evolutionary industry that’s constantly on the go. As technology becomes important in our lives, it becomes equally important for real estate sector as well. Now-a-days the use of internet is done to answer most of the questions at the touch of a button giving the buyers and sellers a continuous source of knowledge. According to a research, over 90% of the population opts for internet before visiting any location. Real estate players today leverage

MUMBAI, NCR AND BENGALU RU ACCO UNT FOR 60% O OFFIC F TOTAL

E DEMAND SPACE IN INDIA AS OF 2017 .

social media platforms namely, Facebook, Linkedin, twitter, Youtube and Instagram as well.

How has the Wajood App changed the dynamics of the brokerage business?

This app has been launched at a time when brokers across India have been brought under the ambit of RERA. RERA has made it mandatory for every real estate broker to register with it and market only those projects which are RERA registered. Digitalization of the brokerage business is critical as it has the potential to connect with brokers on the go and increase business. The Wajood app is facilitating this and also acting as a validator and enabler for the broker community. Also, existing brokers are getting a platform that unifies them and gives them a platform to grow further.

The future of the real estate market (considering the Amrapali and Jaypee situation)

According to a recent report, there has been a 24% jump in real HOUSING estate sales in SECTOR IS the last quarter EXPECTED TO as compared CONTRIBUTE to the previous AROUND 11 % one. The sector is witnessing a TO INDIA’S steady growth and GDP BY 2020. is under recovery. With RERA, the accountability and delivery of projects has become transparent, thus boosting the confidence of buyers. The NBCC coming forward to ensure the completion of pending projects has certainly helped in boosting the consumer sentiment. In fact the total number of unsold units in India’s top seven cities have fallen to 7,00,000 at the end of June from 770000 at the end of December 2017. The increase in the sales has encourages real estate companies to announce new projects launches as well. All in all, we see a great opportunity for the real estate sector in the coming future.

#TheMaddies

The judging panel consists of mobile visionaries who will explore the advancements in technology making an impact on marketing.

26th October 2018, Mumbai JURY BOARD MEMBERS- THE MADDIES 2018!

ANSHUL PUNHANI

ASHA KHARGA

KAACON SETHI

KAVITA CHATURVEDI

KEDAR APTE

KRISHNA MENON

NANDAN SRINATH

NAVIN KHEMKA

NOMIT JOSHI

RAJIV BAKSHI

PRATHYUSHA AGARWAL

GULBAHAR TAURANI

RAMEET ARORA

SHOUMYAN BISWAS

More names to be added... TRADE MEDIA PARTNERS

MUSIC COMMUNITY PARTNER

BUSINESS MEDIA PARTNER

To send in your entries, please contact:

Priyanka Bhadouria - priyanka.bhadouria@exchange4media.com | +91 9312634276 For Partnerships, Please Contact:

INTERVIEW

REBUILDING TRUST Maggi is an international brand of instant soups, seasonings and noodles that originated in Switzerland, it was acquired by Nestle in 1947. In June 2015, a crisis hit Maggi when the (FSSAI) Food Safety and Standards Authority of India banned the noodles for containing lead beyond permissible limits. Maggi has since regained consumer trust and attained 60% market share, and is nearly back to the pre-crisis level in terms of value. Consumer habits are changing because of a fast-paced life, which is pushing them to eat healthier meals more frequently. Convenience is highly valued and prioritized by them. These are exciting times in the food-space, with lots of transformation - dining in is becoming more fashionable than dining out, digital recipes are balancing nutrition with taste. we spoke to Maarten Geraets, General Manager Foods, Nestlé India about what makes Maggi tick.

What has made Maggi a brand that everyone loves? It is a universal favourite whose iconic taste cuts across regions and demographics, it is strongly anchored in the palette sensibilities of the Indian consumers. Maggi Noodles encouraged an entire generation to cook for the first time, because of the convenience at which it can be prepared. Since 1983, Maggi has brought innovative and tasty products to the consumers. It has been a long journey with Maggi Sauces in 1985, Soups in 1988, Atta Noodles in 2005, Pazzta in 2007,

40 | PITCH | SEPTEMBER 2018

Gravies and Cup Noodles in 2008, first-ever-fortified flavour enhancer, which is Masalaae-Magic in 2009 and more recently the noodles innovations like Oats noodles, HotHeads and Masalas of India.

Q. trust?

How has been the journey of rebuilding

We make sure noodles from each and every batch are rigorously and scientifically tested to ensure the highest quality, safety and consistent taste. Care is taken to cover the entirety of the product value chain, encompassing

MAARTEN GERAETS GENERAL MANAGER FOODS, NESTLÉ INDIA

the sourcing, production to enhance consumer trust. Nearly 650 quality checks are conducted from procurement to manufacturing in order to ensure that all quality and safety specifications are adhered to. This year we introduced a campaign ‘from our kitchen to your kitchen’, which is a digital video series and a dedicated website that gives the consumer an inside look in to how their favourite noodles are actually made. This is a first in India, where a brand has opened its doors for everybody to see the highest quality standards under which the product is being manufactured.

THE GLOBAL PASTA AND NOODLE MARKET SIZE WAS VALUED AT USD 59.6 BILLION IN 2016 AND IS EXPECTED TO GROW AT A CAGR OF 3.6% TILL 2025 Grand View Research

Further, we are exploring a number of opportunities to build on the food product bouquet, from renovating the core existing portfolio, to gradually bringing in new and healthier propositions, to the development of services. For example, on the core portfolio, we are continuously working to reduce sodium and fat and at same time improve spices and vegetables â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all of which the consumer seeks. Last year we launched Maggi Masala Noodles which were iron-fortified, contributing to oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s iron intake. On the innovation front we have also been very active, launching Maggi Nutrilicious, Atta and Oats noodles with the benefits

SEPTEMBER 2018 | PITCH | 41

INTERVIEW

of Protein. We are also helping consumers make better choices, by placing GDA labelling on the front of all our packs, detailing exactly what the role of the product is in your diet.

Please tell us about the ‘Maggi Kitchen Journeys’ campaign As a brand we have always believed that cooking does not stop in the saucepan. The simple act of cooking not only makes us more curious, creative and empathetic, it also teaches us independence, resourcefulness and awareness. “Kuch Achha Pak Raha Hai” is aimed at driving advocacy on this thought and is supported through multiple initiatives. Taking this concept further Maggi Kitchen Journeys

42 | PITCH | SEPTEMBER 2018

is a communication platform that will engage with women and celebrate the grit and zeal of women who have used the power of their culinary skills to carve their own dreams, overcome personal tragedies and change the fortunes of their family. Maggi Kitchen Journey showcases 12 inspiring stories of women who have established their own unique identity, using food as a medium. These women have all used their culinary skills creatively in various ways and made a difference. It showcases how the women have taken challenging circumstances in their stride, overcome challenges and converted their passion into their business. It is not only about sharing of stories by people who are

THIS YEAR WE INTRODUCED A CAMPAIGN ‘FROM OUR KITCHEN TO YOUR KITCHEN’, WHICH IS A DIGITAL VIDEO SERIES AND A DEDICATED WEBSITE THAT GIVES THE CONSUMER AN INSIDE LOOK IN TO HOW THEIR FAVOURITE NOODLES ARE ACTUALLY MADE. THIS IS A FIRST IN INDIA, WHERE A BRAND HAS OPENED ITS DOORS FOR EVERYBODY TO SEE THE HIGHEST QUALITY STANDARDS UNDER WHICH THE PRODUCT IS BEING MANUFACTURED.

passionate about food, but it goes a step further and offers online courses that enables women to further equip themselves with skills. Some of the courses are on food safety and hygiene, how to be a better cook, and financial management for a start-up. As Maggi continues its journey as a cooking brand in India - quality, trust, and innovation continue to be the bedrock through which it strengthens its bond with the consumers – by endearing them and engaging with them.

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INTERVIEW

The Emotional Connect Established in 1984, Titan Company (a joint venture between the TATA Group and the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation) is India’s leading producer and retailer of watches, jewellery, eyewear and accessories. Being the world’s fifth largest watch manufacturer, Titan Company has created and sold more than 150 million watches all over the world. Through brands like Sonata, Raga, Nebula, Octane and Fastrack, the company established itself as a brand of great quality and unbeatable value for the customer. With a view to expand into other markets, Titan Company launched the jewellery brand ‘Tanishq’, eyewear brand ‘Titan Eyeplus’ and the fragrance brand ‘Skinn. Today, the organization covers a retail footprint of over 1400 stores spanning over 240 towns.

DEEPIKA TEWARI

AVP – MARKETING, JEWELLERY DIVISION AT TITAN COMPANY LIMITED

Tanishq was launched in 1994 by Titan as a seller of jewellery and ornate watches. Today, it has over 173 retail stores. In 2017-18, Titan’s total revenue grew 20.44% to INR 15,656 crore, of which jewellery sales fetched INR 13,036 crore.

What are the methods through which u can create an emotional connect with your brand?

We place the brand into the lives of our customers, in their cultural, festive and personal context while also focusing on what is most important for them, which is their family and other relationships. We are part of our customers lives defining and celebrating moments with them, which naturally helps us develop a deep connection. Coupled with the exemplary experience we provide at our stores, today we are fortunate to have become an integral part of their memories and relationships.

How is Jewellery marketing different in India from across the globe?

Globally, jewellery has been at

44 | PITCH | SEPTEMBER 2018

the centre of the most important occasions in an individual’s life and this holds true for India as well. Indian jewellery lovers are more focused on product types, varieties and above all, the design of the jewellery. This presents a different challenge for an Indian brand as it needs to cater to multiple customer groups in multiple contexts in multiple geographies within India. Whereas, in the global market, a brand chooses to remain singular in context. Additionally, diamonds are the predominant face of jewellery in the west while we have gold as the face of our jewellery in India with designs changing every 100 miles.

What are the methods of building brand trust?

3 Cs – Stay Consistent, Constant and Committed in what you market and offer to the customers. We have always

Titan has a strong retail network presence across metros and Tier II & III markets. Keeping in mind the evolving Indian consumer and the burgeoning E-commerce industry, we have also bolstered our online presence. Titan’s online presence has gained traction in tandem with a thriving offline network. An integrated multi-channel approach helps us balance and encourage both offline and online retail.

A sharp focus on consumer needs along with a differentiated product offering catering to the same has helped us maintain our leadership. This focus on consumer needs has helped us identify different consumer segments and create brands and unique offerings for them. Titan Fastrack and Sonata are brands that are a product of this consumer focus. For the coming year, we have also sharpened our focus on fitness trackers, connected and hybrid watches, in line with industry trends.

What has worked better for Titan as a brand, offline stores? Or online retail?

How have you stayed relevant through the years?

AS A TATA BRAND, TRUST IS INTEGRAL TO ANYTHING WE DO. THE PILLARS ON WHICH WE HAVE BUILT TRUST ON ARE AN UNRELENTING FOCUS ON QUALITY, CUSTOMER CENTRICITY, AND AFTER SALES SERVICE.

S. RAVI KANT

CEO, WATCHES AND ACCESSORIES TITAN COMPANY LIMITED

believed that transparency is one of the key facets that we prize along with pride since our inception. In addition, being able to set benchmarks on quality and design has helped us to build strong brand trust.

How do u engage with customers in tier 2 cities?

We do not differentiate our customers in the way we engage – irrespective of their location. However, we find that the ritual and cultural connects are stronger in tier 2 and 3 and therefore our being relevant – whether it is design, product, occasion, festival – is one of our main ways of reaching the customer and engaging with them. We also do several outreach initiatives and in store programs to engage customers and help them celebrate and strengthen our relationships.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | PITCH | 45

INTERVIEW

Leaders & The Digital Age

In a world full of leaders trying to sound ‘politically correct’, social media gives you the power to be the real you- the unpolished, raw and blunt version of you. It is this version that helps you establish a personal connect with the people. As political parties gear up for the 2019 general elections, it is this ‘connect’ which the party leaders are seeking to create. And why should they not? From President Trump to Prime Minister Modi, every leader has been actively involved with the public through social media before finally coming to power.

How helpful are digital campaigns when it comes to political marketing / building your brand in politics?

India has over 400 million internet users, and roughly the same number of smartphone users. In an age where people wake up and sleep with their smartphones, ignoring the digital medium can be selfdefeating. Online campaigns compliment offline ones and have emerged as an effective means to engage with voters in real time.

Lately, political parties are taking a dig at each other through comments and questions. Do you think that these affect the brand image of the party being blamed?

46 | PITCH | SEPTEMBER 2018

Or is it simply creating confusion in the mind of the public? Trolling, fake news and propaganda are not new phenomena; what has changed today is the medium - offline has come online. But people are smart, they differentiate rhetoric from results, propaganda from promises. At the same time, it is crucial to call out disinformation campaigns since they have the potential to deepen social discord and compromise democratic principles (as we are already witnessing today). Congress President has been at the forefront of this effort.

RUCHIRA CHATURVEDI NATIONAL CONVENOR SOCIAL MEDIA INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS

Keeping this in mind, the 132 –yearold Indian National Congress has chalked out an aggressive social media strategy for the upcoming elections. Unlike the 2014 elections, the digital media team is betting high on social media to reach out to the masses. To begin with, @ RahulGandhi replaced @OfficeofRG on the microblogging site Twitter to bring in a more personalized approach. The party is tapping into the potential of the digital medium through conversations, interactions and feedbacks on every big or small issues happening across the country. Rahul Gandhi has also made sure that negative remarks or critics don’t affect him. He leverages these to bring out the best version of himself. From the progressive campaigning like “Har haath shakti, har haath tarakki” and “Kattar soch nahi, Yuva Josh” to the newly found love for digital medium, Congress has embraced changes to connect with the ever changing needs of the public.

RAPID FIRE

SHANE WATSON

Former Australian International Cricketer and Captain

your s i h c i h W band? e t i r u o v fa

is Roses Gun n n a b d ourite my fav ime of all t

If not a cricketer, what would youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been? A Rockstar!

Your favorite App?

e Ways. It helps m e th h ug ro th cut traffic and get places on time

Your favorite gadget?

My Bluetooth n rp ea hones to liste ic to mus

vorite a f r u o Y spot? n o i t a c va Home

ou How do ys de stres work? g day after a lon and ting Medita g time in spend amily and f y m y h wit with m g playin ids k

SEPTEMBER 2018 | PITCH | 47

OPINION / GUEST COLUMN

MarTech - fostering Instant Loyalty

Reliance Jio is the name that comes to mind when we think disruption in the telecommunication space. The 4G VoLTE services launched in September 2016 for the public, gained immense popularity through its ‘Welcome Offer’ and ‘Happy New Year Offer’. From then onwards, there was no looking back. Through affordable tariff plans, launch of the Jio phone, and GigaFiber FTTH broadband service, the organization has been making major announcements in the telecommunication sector to keep up with its plans of making India truly digital. At the recently concluded Reliance Industries AGM, Mukesh Ambani announced that Reliance Jio has 215 million customers now within 22 months of its start, thereby making it one of the largest data network in the world.

TANUJA RAI PRADHAN

HEAD – CONSUMER INSIGHTS & SPECIAL PROJECTS, RELIANCE JIO

t is a paradox that humans alone are no longer good enough for offering personalized experiences to customers. Brands need the help of sophisticated technologies which work better than humans do. Do you know why instant coffee was invented? … it could be made faster, had lower shipping weight and a longer shelf life. The current world on Internet is also offering instant product launches, instant advertising and also instant insight to brands. In any given five seconds, the amount of data/ information going out in front of your consumers is huge and in multiple forms like comments, shares, brand activations, etc. All this instant,

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resulted in an era of “Instant Marketing” or “In the moment marketing”. Using the same instant coffee analogy, instant marketing is faster, low investment and also has a longer shelf life in terms of brand loyalty. So yes, the need for instant marketing is inevitable. Social Media + Data = Continual, In-the-Moment Marketing Opportunities = “Instant Marketing” Not sure if it fits in with the definition but it does help directionally. Volvo’s campaign “The great Interception” from Superbowl would not have possible without this instant world. In order to leverage the opportunities thrown up by this instant world, the world of marketing is dating technology, and that is “MarTech”. Such is the speed of technology, where research shows that four out of five executives feel overwhelmed and underprepared for this challenge in near future. A Marketing strategy cannot

be taken far without deep customer insight. A deep dive into customer needs, requirements, aspiration, culture, ethos etc. need to be weaved well for both online and offline platforms. With the help of machine learning, AI and Big Data analysis, we now have an insurmountable advantage when it comes to establishing insightful predictions. These sophisticated tools are becoming the most important tools to engage with customers to encourage loyalty – and here’s why. Marketers can instantly assess the quality of prospects for a particular offer, the impending demands, the preferred touchpoints to get to the brand communication. From artificial intelligence (AI) that can assess and adapt campaign performance in seconds, to technology that measures sentiment via facial muscle tension, your creativity with technology is limited only by your imagination. They are going beyond and capturing softer aspects too. With these

technology interventions, brands are able to grasp the opportunity of every “micromoment”. They are able to optimize the knowledge and come up with suitable price, personalized ads, tailored content, and also offer relevant recommendations. In an era where expectations are extremely high for customer service, chatbots are the only ones that can meet these expectations. These virtual assistants are able to evolve and provide better service, which plays a crucial role in promoting customer loyalty. In light of that, it’s fascinating to see how machine learning is being used to create highly personal and human interactions that essentially entice attachment. Some say “fail fast”, but we prefer “experiment and learn at speed”. With today’s technology you’ve got the agility to react at speed when something isn’t working, and the ability to scale up quickly when it is. These technologies should be considered the “best marketing assistant one could ever have”.

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INTERVIEW

Acquisition Collaboration te u o r Expansion Thegaining to ction tra

NEERAJ KANWAR VICE CHAIRMAN & MD APOLLO TYRES LTD

Apollo Tyres Ltd. was founded in 1972 and has since been a trusted name in the business of manufacture and sale of tyres. The company markets its products under two of its global brands- Apollo and Vredestein. These products are available in countries across the globe through a vast network of branded, exclusive and multi-product outlets. Through its vision to be a premium tyre company with a diversified and multinational presence, Apollo Tyres has set up multiple manufacturing units in India, the Netherlands and Hungary. The company clocked a turnover of US$ 2.28 billion at the end of the financial year 2018, backed by a global workforce of approximately 16,000 employees. It was also ranked number 1 in the small car segment in the recent â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;JD Power 2018 India Original Equipment Tyre Customer Satisfaction 50 Indexâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; | PITCH | (TCSI) SEPTEMBER 2018 Study.

What are your expansion plans in India and the Global market?

In India, while our Chennai expansion of truck-bus radial tyres to 12000 a day is going to be complete in a month or so, we are now looking at setting up the Andhra Pradesh greenfield facility. The company will invest Rs 3,800 crores in this facility over the next three years, which once completed, will have a capacity to produce 15000 passenger car tyres and 3000 truck-bus tyres per day.

in R&D to provide state-of-theart quality products under both Apollo and Vredestein brands for our customers. Our products have been rated highly on several occasions by leading auto/testing magazines, which is the single largest influencing factor for tyre purchase in some of the global markets. In addition, we have tied up with Manchester United Football Club, as their global tyre partner, with Borussia Monchengladbach in the German Bundesliga, with Chennaiyin FC in Indian Super League and Minerva Punjab FC

head-on, and converting them into opportunities, we are now poised to be a major force in key international markets.

How has the market evolved over the last few years?

The centre of gravity of the automotive manufacturing is moving eastwards, propelling the development of Tyre Industry in the entire region. For example, India has become a hub for several auto makers. Similarly, for tyre manufacturing, there is lots

Our Hungary facility, which was inaugurated last year, is also in a ramp-up phase. From approximately 7,000 passenger vehicle tyres per day, the capacity will go up to nearly 12,000 tyres/ day by end of this fiscal. We will also start manufacturing truckbus tyres in this facility this year itself. In addition to expanding our product portfolio, presence and market share in India and Europe, we are focusing on the ASEAN, Middle East, African and US markets for our next phase of growth. We have been using our existing regional Sales and Distribution hubs in Dubai (for Middle East region & northern African region), Johannesburg (for southern African region) and Bangkok (for ASEAN region) to enter newer markets in their respective locations. We have also recently put a team in place for the North American market, which, along with the R&D Team, is working on the products to suit the US market requirements.

What are the three key methods of building brand trust & loyalty?

Better quality products which are technologically advanced, and suit specific requirements of the customer/market, backed by a superior after-sales service, and all these at a competitive price, is what one needs to build trust and loyalty in any market across the world. The two key pillars for us have always been R&D and Marketing. We have been investing heavily

in I-League. We are leveraging these associations, along with our relationship with OEMs, to build both the brands globally.

What have been the challenges along your journey?

I always believe in making the challenges turn into opportunities for us. These challenges, in other words, opportunities, presented the company a rich history of ‘firsts’. Apollo Tyres was the first Indian tyre major to take on the challenge of an international acquisition in 2006, followed by a second one in 2009; was also the first one to start selling India-made products in the European market, considered as the most advanced and challenging automotive market. The inauguration of the Hungary Greenfield facility -- again a first for an Indian tyre company -- just added to the list of ‘firsts’ for us. As a result of taking the challenges

of action happening in India and the ASEAN countries, in addition to China. The improving infrastructure and the regulations in different countries are driving the maximum changes in automotive and tyre technology in that region. Having said that, any transformation in technology should also be relevant to the market as well, where it is being used. With connected vehicles, the tyres are also becoming intelligent, as they now contain more and more enabling technologies within its structure. We are also witnessing the shift of consumer preference towards SUVs and 4x4 vehicles from the past few years. Our investments into R&D have been increasing rapidly to keep ourselves ahead of the technology transformation curve, and develop products that are aligned to the latest market trends. We have been engaging with the OEMs a lot more to develop products suited to their stringent requirements.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | PITCH | 51

GUEST COLUMN / OPINION

TURNING

B2B MARKETING ON ITS HEAD B2B marketers are coming into their own, and LinkedIn’s 2018 Top 5 B2B content marketing trends state how unlearning some known marketing rules can in fact increase ROI and create long-term value There has been a steady evolution in the B2B marketing landscape owing to digital transformation, and this is changing how brands talk to the buyer today. Companies are also increasing the investments they are allocating to content marketing spends every year. The LinkedIn Marketing Team of Tomorrow December 2017 study reported that content marketing emerged as one of the top areas of investment for Indian marketers (61%) in 2018. Across the world too, the June 2017 research from emedia reported that 21.6% of B2B marketers in Western Europe and the US dedicated 26% to 50% of their annual marketing budget to content marketing. But connecting brand experience to demand and eventual sales and measuring effectiveness of a campaign continue to be the biggest challenge that B2B brands face today. LinkedIn’s 2018 Top 5 B2B content marketing trends ask the sophisticated marketer to revisit some old marketing adages and turn them on their head to think awareness, think full-funnel, and think long-term to create value and deliver maximum ROI.

1. FIRST-TO-MIND IS BETTER THAN FIRST-TOMARKET Being first to market is not always a guarantee for success, a more memorable brand often has greater impact and longevity. In fact, there is direct correlation between brand awareness and

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market share. The brand with the highest awareness usually claims 40% to 50% market share, which is why ‘first to mind’ promises greater ROI. But what if you can’t be first-to-mind because you’re competing with large brands with limitless marketing spends? Create a new category! The Amelia Earhart analogy best addresses the dilemma of the B2B marketer today. She was not the first aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic, but she was the ‘first female aviator’ to stake this claim - she created a new category and a new conversation.

VIRGINIA SHARMA DIRECTOR, MARKETING SOLUTIONS - INDIA, LINKEDIN

Exemplifying this, a leading Indian pharma company reached 2.2 million consumers on LinkedIn by building a ‘category-first’ initiative for their new service, which led to them owning a topic and driving conversations in health and wellness.

2. THE ORIGINALITY DELUSION: SELL MAYA Did you know that only 1 in 5 new marketing campaigns outperform old campaigns? Marketers are obsessed with newness, but new isn’t necessarily what sells. What sells is relevance and familiarity and being relevant is always more important than being original. That’s where we believe we can take an alternative route - MAYA: Most Advanced Yet Acceptable. This radical principle by industrial designer Raymond Loewy has become

The 60/40 Rule: 1. Spend 60% of your budget on thought leadership

and branding and 40% on demand generation or bottomfunnel messaging

the basis to understand why people like what they do. Invest in a familiar franchise and build a connective tissue to the core of your brand and to what people already love about your brand. For instance, when Tropicana’s decision to change their iconic packaging cost them $50 million in 5 weeks, they recalibrated their strategy to a ‘light refresh’ retaining a lot of the old brand elements, winning back market engagement and reach in a short span of time.

3. TARGET TOMORROW’S DECISION MAKERS The best marketers look for undervalued audiences, just as investors punt on undervalued assets. In this case, going beyond

the C-suite decision maker and hyper-targeting to reach the current buyer - the Individual Contributor (IC) - will yield you solid long-term results and help you build communities.

brand to gain market share. It is time to call it a truce between acquisition and performance marketing in brand. Three simple rules to integrate the two:

Our research states that 55% of people in the buying community are tomorrow’s decision makers; this IC is going to be a manager in two-three years, and now is the chance to build a relationship to create maximum value in the future. Additionally, as you grow and expand your audiences, your cost per leads do go down, contrary to popular belief.

5. INVEST IN ‘LIFETIME’ CONTENT OVER ‘REALTIME’ CONTENT Every B2B marketer needs to start measuring time as a metric for a campaign. Lifetime content or all-time content is what leads to lifetime customer value, which leads to retention and sales. The best companies are thinking about content that has longevity. Find content that works and reinvent it for different audiences

The 10:1 Rule: For every $1 spent on 2. creative development, $10 should be spent on distribution. In today’s content

marketplace, where competition is infinite, and no one remembers anything, it’s just not enough to have great creative

The 80/20 Rule: It’s been around since 3. 1896, but B2B marketers are starting to apply the 80/20 rule to their media planning efforts. While

investing in a lot of content and a lot of channels, bear in mind that only 20% of your investments will deliver 80% of your returns.

Niche Indian research firm Beroe used ‘smart targeting’ on LinkedIn to establish the world’s largest procurement community. Through this campaign, the LinkedIn CPA using Sponsored Content was 30% lower than other marketing channels.

4. SYNCHRONIZE BRAND AND DEMAND TO DRIVE PERFORMANCE Performance budgets show short terms wins. But over the long term, you want to build your

by packaging it in different ways. Don’t chase trends, focus on the content and its relevance to your audience. Vodafone India with its decade-old but good-as-new Zoo Zoo campaign is a great example of longevity. By leveraging the legacy of the Zoo Zoo, the telecom brand never fails to stand out during the IPL season. It’s a simple and smart lesson for the marketing community to invest in content that lasts forever to create lifetime value for its audience.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | PITCH | 53

INTERVIEW

Seven decades in the making, the history of the Mahindra Group is definitive of the growth of modern India. It is a story with an upward curve, of how an Indian company — and all the associations that arise with that phrase — rose to become a global powerhouse. With a wide range of products like SUVs, saloon cars, pickups, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, tractors etc. Mahindra & Mahindra Limited is one of India’s leading vehicle manufacturers today. It is also the world’s largest tractor brand by volume and India’s largest utility vehicle manufacturer. The company marks its global presence across 6 continents and 100 + countries. VEEJAY RAM NAKRA

CHIEF SALES AND MARKETING AUTOMOTIVE DIVISION, MAHINDRA & MAHINDRA LTD.

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The

DIGITAL

Connection

How do you engage the digitally connected consumer? Digital is a way of life for most of the consumers now – across geographies and industries. Today, 60-70 % of user journey in the automotive industry, is through digital touch points. In fact, the frequency of dealership visits by prospects for test drives has come down from 2.3 to 1.1. This significant shift has driven our digital strategy in both brand building and lead management. On the brand building front our budgets and spends toward digital marketing have increased significantly and almost 18 to 20% of spends on some of our SUV brands are in the digital space. We use a lot of analytics to specifically select the digital mix in order to target the relevant target group. The result of this is we continue to have the largest fan following on some of our Power brands like Scorpio and XUV. Today we have over 15 million fans, many more million engagements and over 100 million views, which are a testimony to the effectiveness of our social media strategy. On the Lead Management front, we reimagined the whole customer purchase experience by embarking on a digital transformation journey for an end-to-end solution from

the pre-purchase stage to the post purchase ownership phase. These include industry first initiatives of creating a pre-sales digital platform like Syouv.com and a post purchase digital platform called ‘With You Hamesha’, in addition to our multiple tie-ups with portals for online booking of our vehicles. We have taken the disruption to the next level by changing the way automotive retail is perceived in India by practically taking the dealership home for our potential customers through a highly immersive VR experience. It is a portable, mobile based, interactive Virtual Reality experience, wherein a customer would get a 360 degree, all-encompassing and immersive virtual showroom

TODAY, 60-70 % OF USER JOURNEY IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY, IS THROUGH DIGITAL TOUCH POINTS. THE FREQUENCY OF DEALERSHIP VISITS BY PROSPECTS FOR TEST DRIVES HAS COME DOWN FROM 2.3 TO 1.1.

experience. In India, where vehicle purchase decision is mostly influenced by the family, our ‘Bring the Showroom Home’ initiative will get the showroom closer to our customers and their families.

Q. Of the tools like mobile marketing, social media and video sharing- which has worked the best and why? The ones mentioned above are not mutually exhaustive channels. Today, mobile, social media and video have all converged and together they offer a unique value proposition to consumers and businesses as well. While brands create exciting brand videos, it is put up on social media and people consume it on mobile. All these have come together and led to an explosion of brand content & communication which gets distributed with the right targeting at a lightning speed. All one needs to do is to create relevant and exciting, content and through right targeting reach the audience. I am sure this is just the beginning. Marketing will be driven by technology in a big way in this digital era and all these digital points will keep converging, thereby minimizing spillover and maximizing business results.

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LIFESTYLE

THE CHANGING PICTURE OF THE

FURNITURE MARKET O ver the years the furniture industry has developed greatly and is no longer restricted to the production of tables and chairs. It has expanded into manufacturing an assortment of interior home furnishings that exhibit elegance and class. The luxury furniture division today significantly benefits from the rise in the disposable income, globalization and major population shift to urban areas worldwide. Furniture companies in the luxury furniture market, concerned about reducing their carbon footprints have now started offering environment friendly alternatives.

BIG THINGS IN A BIG WORLD According to Allied Market research report, Luxury Furniture Market is expected to garner $27.01 billion by 2020, registering a CAGR of 4.1% during the forecast period 20152020. Competition from countries like China and the rise of imports into the U.S. has

impacted the global furniture market considerably. Further, ban by government on import and export of timber in specific countries is a restraint to the wooden furniture market. The key vendors in the furniture market include Durham, Alfresco, IKEA, Pepperfry, Furlenco among others. Low price, easy to build and innovative furniture manufactured by IKEA has helped propel the market growth.

ACCORDING TO ALLIED MARKET RESEARCH REPORT, LUXURY FURNITURE MARKET IS EXPECTED TO GARNER $27.01 BILLION BY 2020, REGISTERING A CAGR OF 4.1% DURING THE FORECAST PERIOD 2015-2020.

AN ERA OF CHANGE WITH PEPPERFRY In 2011, Pepperfry came into existence, courtesy, Ambareesh Murty and Ashish Shah. Pepperfry today is by far the largest online furniture retailer in India, with 50% of the market share. It has raised INR 250 Cr in a fresh round of funding from US-based financial services firm State Street Global Advisors (SSgA). According to Kashyap Vadapalli, CMO, Pepperfry, ‘India’s furniture market looks promising with a projection to

KASHYAP VADAPALLI

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, PEPPERFRY

WE ARE GEARED TOWARDS SCALING THE STUDIO PEPPERFRY PRESENCE FROM THE PRESENT 37 TO MORE THAN 100 OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS 56 | PITCH | SEPTEMBER 2018

cross $22 billion by 2020. While the total offline market is growing at 10-15% YoY, the online component is growing at 50-60% YoY. Over the next few years, we expect the online home and furniture (H&F) business to become 9% of overall ecommerce, 6% of the overall H&F market. Pepperfry sees a huge opportunity to lead this growth. An Omni-channel approach will continue to be a key growth driver for improving reach, conversion and experience. We are geared towards scaling the Studio Pepperfry presence from the present 37 to more than 100 over the next two years having recently rolled out a franchise model.’

OFFLINE GOES HAND IN HAND WITH ONLINE Shifting from online to offline may sound strange in today’s day and age, but the presence of experiential furniture studios with a touch of technology is gaining popularity. Mr. Vadapalli stated, ‘While our website elaborates on the detailing of each of our merchandise through an array of static images and product detailing, we also recognize the need to touch and feel a highinvestment item like furniture, and therefore we embarked upon the omni-channel route by launching our experiential Studios across the country. At the Studio, customers can experience the cutting edge design, and get an idea of the overall look, feel and quality of the furniture from Pepperfry. In a span of 3.5 years, Pepperfry has established a formidable omni-channel business in the furniture and home segment in the country with a footprint of 37 Studios across 20 cities in India. The Studios currently contribute to 25-30% of the overall Pepperfry business. In the journey towards building the largest omni-channel network in India, we also pioneered an exceptional franchise model to expand the offline footprint.’

Ingvar Kamprad. It is known for its modernist designs and simplicity.

ULF SMEDBERG

COUNTRY MARKETING MANAGER, IKEA INDIA

OUR ENTRY HELPED GROW THE ENTIRE MARKET AND THIS IS HAPPENING IN INDIA (HYDERABAD) AS WELL.

SWEDISH BRAND SWINGS IN INDIA The Swedish furniture brand Ikea, has entered the Indian furniture market. With the launch of its first store in silicone city Hyderabad. It witnessed over 40,000 footfalls at the store on day one. Ikea is one of the eminent global players of the furniture market, founded in 1943 by

Ulf Smedberg, Country Marketing Manager, Ikea Group, said, ‘Now we are at Hyderabad and we are preparing for Mumbai next. Mumbai is very exciting because we will have big stores at great locations and will be actively engaging our consumers online as well. But all this will be happening next year and very close to that we will be moving to Bangalore, Delhi, Pune etc. By 2025, we should have 25 different touch points, when I say touch points I mean the combination of huge stores and online. ‘ Comparing the current scenario of global and Indian furniture market, Ulf said, ‘We are a global brand but the competition is local as per each country. You cannot say it is a global retail environment rather it depends from market to market. Before coming to

India, my last assignment was in Korea where there are a number of local retailers who were very concerned that we would take away their customers. Instead, our entry helped grow the entire market and this is happening In India (Hyderabad) as well.’ These are exciting times for the Indian furniture market and we plan to keep a close eye on it.

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TECH

WIRES WORRIES E

arphones and Headphones have been in trend since generations. Remember the 90’s when walkman music system with those long wires was in everyone’s wish list? Now fast forward to 2018, where these technologies are not just a trend but they also

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come with convenience and quirkiness. Let’s take earphones for instance, who ever thought of listening to music without getting the wires tangled? Adding to the wonders of technology are Jabra’s elite active 65t earphones that have proved that technology is only going to get better in future.

PEACE BEFORE NOISE Jabra elite active 65t earphones have a number of features to serve its customers, but the main and basic function which has been a blessing for the customer is ‘active noise cancellation’. YOU GIVE VOICE COMMAND, JABRA GIVES YOU CHOICE Given the wide array of choice available for voice assistants including Siri, Amazon Alexa and Google voice assistant, Jabra aims to further extend its connect by giving consumers the choice to connect to these assistants. Through Jabra Elite Active 65t, you can instantly connect to Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant, thereby quickly getting the required information– be it setting appointments, finding nearby events, or having messages read back to you. And with Bluetooth 5.0, you can seamlessly connect the Elite 65t to your smartphone.

WALK A MILE AND GET NOTIFIEDNothing could be better than getting notified on your daily workout activities. Whether you walk, exercise or run, Jabra’s elite active 65t earphones, keeps a track of your daily workout routine and your calorie count. Amitesh Punhani, Head of Marketing, India and SAARC, Jabra, caught up with the pitchteam. EXCERPTSVoice assisted earphones are the newest trend in the market. How has Jabra incorporated this technology to their Jabra elite active 65t earphones

All our products which are coming in the market for example 45e, 65t, 65t active have voice assistant incorporated within them. In fact, we are the first ones to incorporate Amazon Alexa in our headphones. We ensure that we give our customers a choice on whether they want to choose Siri, Google voice assistant or Alexa because as we move forward voice assistant is going to be the key mode of communication. Since Artificial intelligence is becoming more prominent and is getting integrated into everybody’s life. Jabra has always been a pioneer of ensuring that we provide the state of the art to the customers.

The 65t earphones have a number of features. Do you believe that these features could hamper the basic functions of the earphones? For our products we perform a consumer survey and understand what the consumer wants. Now on the basis of that, we start putting features accordingly for our different products. If we look at any product from our earphone series, the primary feature on which we have focused is music because we have one of the best microphones in the industry and again one of the best speakers. When we talk about added features like voice assistant- we realize one cannot have bad microphones for a voice assistant to work well. If I want to make an

order on Amazon Alexa, then one thing to be expected is good microphones, for Alexa to understand the voice command. Therefore, I don’t think these features could be compromised. All our five products have brilliant calls features and they are engineered for best in the class performance. For instance, active 65t is sweat resistant and it is designed keeping in mind, the basic necessity of people who want to go the gym or run whereas 65e is designed with a 3 microphone technology for superior call quality.

Do these features help in better marketing of the product? If you look at marketing fundamentally, marketing is ensured that the correct consumer segment gets to know about the product features. As a marketer, my job is to bring out the right product in front of the right segment. Incorporating number of features to the product is definitely technology, but bringing out the right one in front of the right strata of consumer is marketing.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | PITCH | 59

GUEST COLUMN / OPINION

BRAND BUILDING

VIA STORY TELLING Eros International Media Ltd is an Indian motion picture production and distribution company, based in Mumbai. Founded by Arjan Lulla in 1977, it is considered one of the leading production and distribution companies in India. Eros co-produces, acquires and distributes Indian language films in multiple formats worldwide, including theatrical, television syndication and digital platforms. As per reports by Amigobulls.com, the revenue of Eros for year 2017 was estimated to be $ 252.99M with the gross profit of $ 88.75M. ALI HUSSEIN COO EROS DIGITAL

rand Building in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day and age has become a supremely complex function. The customer has become smarter and even more discerning and the media mix and behavioural habits have also evolved. Flashback to 1980 and there was a handful of newspapers, radio stations and a few options of Black & White Doordarshan Channels. Creating a brand was relatively easier as you had to tap into the consumer topical sentiment and use mass media to deliver that strong messaging. Fast forward to 2018 and now we have about 600 Million+ viewers on Television watching 800+ channels, 250 Million

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internet video users,400 Million+ smart phones and the job of the marketer is more complex than it has ever been. In this world of confusion

the one thing that has been a constant is the power of quality storytelling, whether it is done via a 30 second ad commercial or a 120 min epic movie or a 400

min high budget digital episodic original. The key attempt here is to develop that emotional relationship or a bond with the customer and most importantly setting a reason for why you exist in their lives. For us in the space of online video, not only do we battle the global video giants like YouTube, Facebook and others in the space of social online video but about 30 new brands have sprung up in the last 18 months. By the nature of the business we belong to, storytelling is inbred within our brand, however we have developed a simple two step approach to become India’s most powerful OTT Brand

The customer needs to know what to expect from you – For this we follow the guidelines as below •

Content and Product Strategy to be precise – Movies at the core of the Eros Now service

•

Aspiration of the content Pull – Large Budget Movies and Episodic Originals to allow customer to sink into the deep narrative

•

Un-learn, Learn and Re-learn: Never assume that you’ve achieved your objective as this exercise is Cyclic

Create a Culture that you would like your viewers and fans to imbibe •

Inclusive Messaging: Don’t talk to them but talk with them

•

This culture and communication needs to be consistent across platforms and also the team working on the product needs to live and breathe it

•

Transparency with the customer, it’s okay to mess up and apologise

WE HAVE ABOUT 600 MILLION+ VIEWERS ON TELEVISION WATCHING 800+ CHANNELS, 250 MILLION INTERNET VIDEO USERS,400 MILLION+ SMART PHONES AND THE JOB OF THE MARKETER IS MORE COMPLEX THAN IT HAS EVER BEEN Eros Now’s recent brand campaign ‘Bolo Kya Dekhoge’ is an interesting example wherein we celebrate the characters we love and are used to seeing on the big screen. The campaign is a great example of our commitment to the movies business and our promise to our customers to continue delivering the best service at a super affordable price. Marketers need to understand that there is no real end goal for each campaign but being able to build that customer

relationship. So when the destination become blurry try and enjoy the ride. It’s truly the age of the consumer where they control the conversation and decide who they want to engage with. To strike a chord with the consumers, it is necessary to build the right amount of transparency which allows you to show the ‘Human’ side of your business. By demonstrating your values, vision and the people behind your brand, you develop a deeper emotional connection with your audience and in turn relatability with the consumer.

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GUEST COLUMN / OPINION

BRAND BUILDING THROUGH EMOTIONAL ENGAGEMENT The Coca-Cola Company is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 brands in more than 200 countries. Ever since its re-entry in India in the year 1993, the Company has gone on to establish an unmatched portfolio of beverages, with its leading beverage brands like Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Thums Up, Limca, Sprite amongst others. With a vision to innovate and meet the demands of the youth, the company plans to further invest $5 billion till the year 2020 in India. AJAY BHATIJA

DIRECTOR-COLAS, COCA-COLA INDIA & SOUTH-WEST ASIA

n this hyper-connected world, each and every brand wants to go beyond the obvious and wants to be able to carve out a specific identity and place in the hearts of consumers. The industry has witnessed a revolutionary change wherein the power has shifted from companies to customers. The conventions of branding are evolving day-by-day since consumer consumption patterns are no longer static but fluid in nature. They no longer concentrate on just the product and its functional benefits but have an equal focus on the meaning and value that a brand adds to their lives. This very change in power relations led companies to innovate, renew and think of building brands through new-age methods in order to build a long-lasting connect with consumers,

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enabling them to become brand advocates in the long run. When one looks closely at the recent industry patterns, be it automobile industry, lifestyle industry, e-commerce industry or the luxury market, the most noticeable observation is that almost every industry is incorporating emotional

engagement as a vital element in their brand building operations and brand promotion strategies. However, they are not just relying on trends but are actually conceptualizing narratives that could move consumers. Thus, producing a powerful emotional connect and creating a crucial touchpoint for customers.

For instance, in case of automobiles, emphasis is laid on happiness and comfort. The campaigns highlight how families or couples can spend quality time together while driving through lush green valleys. The lifestyle industry is constantly aiming to build a connect by evoking beautiful emotions, namely love, affection, and care. Luxury products also leverage similar trends of emotional engagement via building a significant historical or cultural legacy eventually culminating in making a consumer feel powerful and empowered by the possession of such brands. The e-commerce industry thrives on the spirit of festivity and harmony and enriching lives with fulfillment in order to gain momentum in the market. Thus, all the key players in the industry

the gaps and moving beyond the traditional geographical boundaries and stereotypical constraints.

are taking emotional routes to build brands effectively and engage consumers in the most captivating manner.

ALMOST EVERY INDUSTRY IS INCORPORATING EMOTIONAL ENGAGEMENT AS A VITAL ELEMENT IN THEIR BRAND BUILDING OPERATIONS AND BRAND PROMOTION STRATEGIES

Coca-Cola India, as a company has always focused on consumer centricity and has always been wholly committed to the preferences of the consumer. Over the years, it has launched campaigns like “Sabka Thanda Ek”, “Open Happiness” and “Share A Coke” and each of these campaigns spearheaded a major success for the brand. The simple reason for this is that it appealed to the senses and emotions of the consumer, filling

‘Share A Coke’ campaign by Coca-Cola India, is one of the most successful global campaigns which has been reinvented to connect with Indian consumers, using ‘Relationships’ as a key concept. With the theme ‘Har Rishta Bola, Mere Naam Ki Coca-Cola’, the narrative draws upon the significance of relationships for Indians and emphasizes moments of happiness that from sharing

a Coke. What worked well for ‘Share A Coke’ was the inclusion of the emotional engagement in its entire integrated communication model. From print advertisements to television commercials, from product packaging to on-ground activation, the focus of every element of strategic brand promotion remained impactful emotional engagement. The positive reaction of consumers towards ‘Share A Coke’ campaign itself speaks for qualitative branad building and promotion. The most important factor that contributed to widespread consumer engagement and acceptance is

that the campaign took extreme care of regional diversity, thus, catering to a large chunk of the audience base and increasing the scope of its reach and frequency. The brand’s idea of delving deep into the meaning behind shared experiences supported it to garner much love and attention. “A brand is not just a name or a logo; it’s a feeling”- This is the standard concept that has always been followed by CocaCola. This is a brand-building solution that every key player and industry must resort to, to build unique, timeless brand-consumer relationships.

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INTERVIEW

OFFLINE AND ONLINE BALANCE AMIT DOSHI

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, LENOVO INDIA

The history of Lenovo dates back to 1984. Founded in a guard shack in Beijing, Lenovo grew to become Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading PC Company, while also expanding its product portfolio. Today, the organization boasts of being a $43 Billion global technology company with 52,000 employees, having customers in over 160 countries and standing at 226 on the global fortune 500 list. In 2014, Lenovo acquired Motorola and has since focused on a dual branding strategy in India. Lenovo has been able to achieve 52 % of its revenue from the PCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and tablets section in India and was ranked number one by International Data Corporation (IDC) in the tablet segment last year. The Company continues to innovate through its range of thin and light laptops, ThinkPad and Yoga series in the PC category. 64 | PITCH | SEPTEMBER 2018

We try and do our basics right – listen in to what consumers are saying on e-commerce sites and keep our product content relevant and refreshed to simplify decision making.

We are focused on building wider access. Our teams are doing it in 2 ways - expanding our network of exclusive outlets and distribution in general. E-commerce has also opened up possibilities for consumers to learn about our complete range of products and order those that may not be easily available near them. I feel, thanks to internet and connectivity, the gap between consumer preferences in Tier 1 and Tier 2/3 cities is reducing rapidly. The brand and Service teams at Lenovo also work closely to deliver better and faster post sales experience to customers in these markets: this is crucial to building trust.

Customer’s decision journey has become extremely complex. Our research suggests that customers take 4 weeks on an average and engage with 20+ touchpoints or information sources before they decide on the product or brand. It is important to assess our experience quality at these touchpoints and improve continuously. What’s more, the journey is non-linear. One customer may search on google and then walk into a store, while the other may start the journey in a modern trade store and buy on lenovo.com. I don’t think that this challenge though, is unique to India or just our segment.

How do you engage with consumers in the Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities?

What are the challenges of marketing in your segment in India?

How do you engage with consumers on e-commerce and make yourself stand out? Through relevant targeting and friction-less experience when they are on lenovo.com or browsing through our product pages on Flipkart and Amazon - In the last 2 years, we have significantly ramped up our media technology capabilities that allow us to build better audiences and personalize experiences on lenovo.com. We try and do our basics right – listen in to what consumers

are saying on e-commerce sites and keep our product content relevant and refreshed to simplify decision making. We are also seeing small businesses interested in buying online. We have recently tied up with Paytm and Intel to host a dedicated Lenovo brand store on Paytm Mall to drive discovery and sale of the SMB range of laptops.

Which medium have you found to be most effective? Over the years, we have found the combination of TV + Digital to be most effective. Over the last couple of years, we have also invested in the brand’s presence on e-commerce websites and have seen good returns. In the B2B segment, we think Face To Face events help in conveying our brand story effectively to CIOs and IT Decision Makers.

What are the key aspects that have helped Lenovo claim its place in a cluttered market?

Our products! Lenovo has consistently stayed ahead of the curve with its innovation. Talk about ThinkPad and Yoga in the PC category or moto Z with moto mods in the Smartphones category, they are truly market leading and distinctive experiences.

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LIFESTYLE

NYX’S FRENCH CONNECTION WITH L’OREAL

THE ROAD TOWARDS BEAUTY NYX cosmetics have built a successful brand name because of the variety of products they offer. Founded in 1999, by Toni Ko, in Los Angeles, it was named after Nyx, the Greek goddess of the night.

The first products developed and sold were jumbo eye pencils, which brought in revenue of $2 million within the first year. The products were initially sold only to beauty professionals before Ko expanded sale to massmarket outlets. NYX used social media ingeniously to promote their products – they sent free

product to independent YouTube makeup artists and vloggers in a bid to encourage them to use and blog about the products.

AN AMERICAN BRAND WITH THE ESSENCE OF FRANCE! In 2014, Ko sold NYX to the international beauty company L’Oréal for five hundred million dollars that was when the makeup range started evolving beyond just eye pencils. In September 2015, L’Oréal introduced brick-andmortar stores devoted to NYX cosmetics. In 2016, NYX reported an annual sales growth of 4.7 percent and launched a complete Professional Makeup range.

BANKING ON BEAUTY!

According to theL’Oreal Finance Report 2017, the world of beauty in 2017 was estimated at more

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Year 2017 ended on a techie side for NYX as they partnered with Samsung to Launch Innovative Virtual Reality Makeup Tutorial at Los Angeles. A new, immersive experience using Samsung Gear VR with Controller powered by Oculus was launched for consumers to shop for beauty in an entirely new way.

than 200 billion euros. The worldwide cosmetics market has grown steadily, spurred on by innovation and the limitless diversity of consumer aspirations. L’Oréal has maintained its leadership with the help of trusted subsidiary brands like NYX.

BRAND BORN DIGITALLY FOR MAKE UP JUNKIES! NYX Professional Makeup is a modern makeup brand at the forefront of today’s emerging beauty trends born on the digital platform. A leader in the global color cosmetics industry, it is an affordable professional makeup line with every shade, color and tool needed to create makeup artistry at every level. Ultra-digital brands like NYX Professional Makeup capitalize on trust to accelerate growth.

As it pursues the opening of international points of sale, the brand remains very active online. Each store opening becomes an online event followed by thousands of influencers and shared by their followers. The brand’s star products, particularly in the lip category, are available in infinite number of shades and versions, which fly off shelves immediately.

NYX INVADES INDIA In 2016, L’Oreal launched NYX in India, making it’s the 1st makeup brand in India to be launched online. It was available through Nykaa.com, and later moved to specialty cosmetic stores, standalone boutiques, professional beauty stores and also brick & mortar retailers.

TOO REAL FOR A VIRTUAL REALITY Year 2017 ended on a techie side for NYX as they partnered with Samsung to Launch Innovative Virtual Reality Makeup Tutorial at

Los Angeles. A new, immersive experience using Samsung Gear VR with Controller powered by Oculus was launched for consumers to shop for beauty in an entirely new way. Now this was a well executed step to bring NYX Professional Makeup fans closer than ever to their brand ambassadors. The experience included three visually stunning makeup tutorials lead by top beauty vloggers Kristen Leanne, Mykie (also known as “Glam & Gore”), and Karen Sarahii Gonzales. Consumer could use the Gear VR Controller to select products they wanted to learn more about, and at the end of the experience, users received a special offer to purchase the products featured in the tutorial at a special price.

2 YEARS AND STILL COUNTING…. In just two years, NYX has created a strong identity among makeup enthusiasts. Grand celebrations marked their two-year anniversary in India this July.

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ADVERTISING / GUEST COLUMN

WHO

DARES, WINS RAJEEV GOEL

CO-FOUNDER & CEO PUBMATIC

’ve returned excited and energized from Advertising Week APAC in Sydney where I felt a great amount of positivity in the programmatic industry. The number of high-profile investments and acquisitions in ad tech in recent weeks is a testament to the levels of confidence and growth that our industry is experiencing. The last 18 months, in particular, have been a real turning point, as the market has galvanized to address key challenges around transparency and brand safety. We have collectively emerged stronger, more mature, and ready to innovate a bright future ahead. I strongly believe the key to success is achieving innovation at scale and I’d like to share three

important areas where we’re seeing this in the industry.

THE EVOLUTION OF PRIVATE MARKETPLACES

Private Marketplaces (PMPs) described as a way of buying and selling inventory that offers preference to both the publisher and the advertiser. As brand advertisers increasingly seek the efficiency and dataled decisioning provided by programmatic, traditional PMPs have become hugely popular. PubMatic platform data showed that in Q1 2018, average mobile PMP eCPMs worldwide continued to exceed those paid for impressions transacted through open exchanges, earning a 170 percent premium. A very positive

outlook for a mobile-heavy market like India. New solutions from PubMatic, such as PMP-Guaranteed (PMP-G) and Targeted PMPs, have emerged to offer greater capabilities and opportunities for growth. In India PMP-G deals are popular because publishers prefer the predictability that comes from fixed budgets and price. However, these guaranteed deals can sometimes limit the buyers’ ability to target using their data, as targeting is controlled by the publisher. Thus, a single approach to PMPs does not translate to all markets. PubMatic recently created Targeted PMPs to offer the best combination of targeting and scale. We partnered with Publicis Media APAC to launch Targeted PMPs in SEA during the World Cup, resulting in three key benefits: deeper insights and campaign planning capabilities, cost-efficient access to unique data sets, and reduced wastage and increased operational efficiency over site-specific PMPs. Ultimately, employing a Targeted PMP strategy drove greater campaign performance, with two Publicis Media advertisers seeing triple digit growth in CTR. With the growth of Indian OTT video publishers, demand for video PMPs has surged as

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RECENT SCANDALS AROUND FAKE NEWS, DATA LEAKS AND EXTREME CONTENT HAVE REMINDED BRANDS WHY THEY BOUGHT ADVERTISING DIRECTLY FROM PUBLISHERS IN THE PAST. ADVERTISERS ARE REDISCOVERING WHAT PUBLISHERS HAVE KNOWN ALL ALONG, WHICH IS THE VALUE OF PLACING AN AD NEXT TO PROFESSIONALLY CURATED CONTENT AND FACT-CHECKED STORIES.

advertisers look to channel brand dollars to programmatic whilst ensuring premium content and brand safe environments.

IN-HOUSING GAINS POPULARITY About a decade ago, publishers were starting to utilize sell-side platforms (SSPs) and, at that time, most relied heavily on a single partner. Since then, the pricing model of choice has been a revenue share. This choice was driven by publishers who were looking to minimize risk while testing these new programmatic systems. With the introduction of header bidding, the cost and technical overhead to implement and utilize additional SSPs dropped significantly. Thus, publishers started using multiple SSPs to increase yield. However no SSP, alone, can achieve real economies of scale, therefore fees

rose. This trend prevented the programmatic ecosystem from becoming more efficient, and players across the supply chain have demanded an alternative. As a result, we have seen a rise in brands and publishers bringing programmatic in-house. Cloud-based solutions, often used by those who bring programmatic in-house, allow publishers access to enterprise-grade technology that programmatic vendors have built their businesses on, allowing the publisher to scale their programmatic business at a fraction of the cost of a revenue share and without the need to build (or acquire) proprietary technology. The improved economics are just one benefit. Cloud-based solutions, such as PubMatic Cloud, also provide publishers with accelerated time-to-market, full transparency, and increased control over user experience

and business decisions. DSPs also benefit by leveraging fewer integrations, thus decreasing the need to maintain and upgrade connections with each SSP. We are excited for the opportunity to fuel industry growth with this new business model.

OPEN IDENTITY STANDARD Healthy competition benefits everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;we see this come to life in ad tech, particularly. Competition drives innovation which in turn breeds choice. This cycle should sit at the heart of any growing economy. A great example of this competition is the work taking place to create an open identity standard which provides a credible alternative to dominant players in our industry. The biggest advantage of Facebook and Google is their understanding of consumer identity, available at a depth and scale that is compelling to advertisers. Independent companies in our industry find it difficult to compete. However, if you combine all of the independent companies and their data together in privacy-compliant ways, this can collectively offer advertisers and publishers similar, if not larger, scale than the walled gardens. Recent scandals around fake news, data leaks and extreme content have reminded brands why they bought advertising directly from publishers in the past. Advertisers are rediscovering what publishers have known all along, which is the value of placing an ad next to professionally curated content and fact-checked stories. It is those who dare to execute on big ideas that will win the programmatic race. Scaled innovations like Targeted PMPs, cloud-based solutions and open identity standards are currently in the spotlight and show promise. However, our industry is characterised by rapid change. Building strong and trusted partnerships has never been more important to identify the big opportunities. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no longer enough to be smart; you need to move quickly to stay ahead and ride the waves of innovation.

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VALIDATION PARTNER

The 8th edition of e4m Pitch 68 Brands, took place on 19th July, 2018 at the Leela Ambience, Gurugram. It is an annual property of Pitch, from the exchange4media Group with an objective to unveil the top 5 brands across 10 categories. The list is a means to acknowledge the impactful, efficient and commendable marketing practices being upheld by brands in various categories. The process aims to identify the best approaches with respect to ideas and innovation, consumer connect, communication impact, execution and results.

The top 50 brands included 10 categories.

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PITCH TOP 50 BRANDS

Pitch Top 50 Brands, an annual property of Pitch from the exchange4media group awards top 5 brands in each of the 10 categories that it covers. This is a recognition of brands that have adopted impactful, efficient and commendable marketing practices. The various dimensions assessed relate to idea and innovation, consumer connect, communication impact, execution and inmarket success. The categories awarded are Social Contributors, Evergreens, Impactful Debuts, Disruptors, Digital Strategists, Resurgents, Master Connectors, Globetrotters, Bottom of the Pyramid, Gender Equitable The first stage of the research was conducted by E4m & Decode Research Analytics. Kantar IMRB was the validation partner for Pitch in this exercise and did secondary research to find information on the shortlisted companies. This information was used in the selection of the winners by the jury. Though efforts were made to keep the criterion consistent, evaluation metrics were different for each category considering the category nuances. The common themes that emerged across categories were:

PERFORMANCE: Performance evaluated basis revenue, profit and market share wherever available. Also, for established brands growth was assessed through their year on year performance on various parameters BRAND COMMUNICATION & CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT: The brand campaigns in both television and digital formats along with all other touchpoints the brand has used to reached out to its stakeholders were evaluated NEW PRODUCT LAUNCHES & EXPANSION: Innovative and new product launches as well as expansion through acquisitions and new markets too were part of the evaluation process

The information gathered for the final evaluation was completely through secondary research of the data available in the public domain. Sources like annual reports, press releases, company websites, industry reports, marketing campaigns, creative communication, media coverage and Kantar internal assets were used. VALIDATION PARTNER

PITCH TOP 50 BRANDS 1

SOCIAL CONTRIBUTOR

WINNERS

This identifies brands that take ownership of doing well for society. This can manifest through a great public awareness campaign, supporting a cause, raising money etc. Brands that were chosen as winners were those that have made a significant social contribution over the last one year and it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just a one-off publicity stunt.

DEEPAK MEHRA,

CMO, Ambuja Cement

In the cement Industry, sustainability is something which we have been working on for a number of years. Our plants are located in remote areas and we are continuously trying to do something for the society through the Ambuja Cement Foundation.

D K DAS,

CMO, Hindalco

Sustainability currently is one of the key concepts of every business that we run. As a large organization we are involved in diverse range of businesses, right from metals to cement, even fertilizers, chemicals and fibers. We have to ensure that we are responsible corporate citizens and that all our businesses at least respect the discipline of sustaining the natural resources that we used up for our business. In addition, we are also responsible towards corporate citizens who assist us around our companies and locations. 72 | PITCH | SEPTEMBER 2018

EVERGREENS WINNERS

These are classic and timeless brands that we have seen over the last few decades. The eligibility here is that these brands have been around for at least 25 years. This category looked at brands that have managed to adapt themselves based on changing market trends and continue to be successful today. Another metric considered is that they should have ideally had some form of brand revamp in the last year.

VIVEK SHARMA, CMO, PIDILITE

Fevicol stayed evergreen over the years not by just fulfilling its functional promise but by winning the hearts of people. Brands just don’t stay evergreen over decades because when consumer changes, market changes. Fevicol has done it by changing the functional promise into an emotional promise and then transcending that vision into a challenge. Fevicol as a brand stands for ‘Unbreakable Bond’ and that bond transcends beyond a physical bond into an emotional bond, a bond towards the nation, a family, so much so that it has become a part of our culture. Now that’s what makes Fevicol endearing to its consumers and users.’

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PITCH TOP 50 BRANDS 3

IMPACTFUL DEBUT These are the brands which made a resounding entry into the market. This includes completely new brands as well as strong brand extensions in a completely new category. The brand should have launched in the last year – and have had shown its impact in the market through various means – advertising, positive word of mouth etc.

WINNERS

RAHUL PANSARE

AVP & HEAD MARKETING, JEEP COMPASS

Jeep is a premium global SUV brand. The original Jeep that came into existence on this planet earth was Willy’s Jeep. Since 1941, now 77 years old, the Jeep brand is present across the globe. We launched the Jeep in India in 2006 and in 2007 August, we launched the compass. Compass has been a runaway success for the company. The key challenge for us was that Jeep was a generic name, and all SUV’s were also called Jeep. Therefore, the challenge for the marketer was to actually tell people that the Jeep was an American brand and not a general SUV. From day one, we have always focused on doing something which is out of the box, something which is innovative and are sticking to it.

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DISRUPTORS WINNERS

These are brands that have challenged the conventional thinking in the market, and they did this not by merely replicating a previous business model but by completely disrupting the market based on customer insight. These are brands that were not afraid to step out of the mould of their industry.

SIDDHARTH SHAKDER CMO, HOTSTAR

The category is clearly counting out people who have disrupted a certain business model, a certain consumer behavior, established a better way of doing things. Marketing is only one facet of being a disruptor, in reality it is the product, the experience, and your promise to the consumer. In the OTT space in the future, a key offering will be trying to build entertainment that speaks to the consumer as India is a vast country with different geography, taste, and choices.

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PITCH TOP 50 BRANDS 5

BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID WINNERS

These brands are aimed at the masses. These brands are not to be looked at merely from a rural viewpoint – but as an approach towards the masses (eg. suburban). It is crucial here that these brands have huge volumes; and more importantly are developing the category, and are not merely cheap inferior alternatives to the leader in the market. The product positioning should genuinely be value for money and not a compromise on any front.

VIVEK SHARMA, CMO, PIDILITE

Fevikwik stands for an instant- bond in the mind of consumers and it has remained so since the time the brand was born. The reason Fevikwik is remembered always is because it has remained true to its proposition, ‘chutki mai chipkaaye’. The creatives of Fevikwik have always been humorous in an effort to engage consumers. Off late, we have realized that we have a younger audience that is perhaps watching less tv and spending more time on digital media. Therefore, we are active on social media platforms and are constantly engaging with younger audience through our video content which is specifically made for digital.

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GENDER EQUITY WINNERS

The category honors and celebrates the most effective way to communicate gender sensitivity by a brand or modification of behavior by raising awareness of gender equality concerns. These are brands that have made a remarkable contribution to championing gender balance and equality of opportunity.

SILVIA TALLON

Sr. MARKETING DIRECTOR, REEBOK

‘Marketing in India is as aggressive as it is in the rest of the world. It requires special cultural connect and cultural adaptation to the tone and sensitivity of the public. Other countries are not that sensitive about certain messages but in India, especially in the rural parts, there are stereotypes and religious beliefs, which have to be kept in mind while communicating.’ ‘Unfortunately, Gender inequity is a problem across the globe and its scenario is the worst in India. At many different levels, women are considered inferior to men.

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PITCH TOP 50 BRANDS 7

DIGITAL STRATEGIES WINNERS

This category looks at technology driven brands. It might be a technology product (like an app) or a technology enabled product. Technology should be integral to brand functioning and create core competency. It is not necessary for the company to sell a technology product. It is possible that it is using off â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the â&#x20AC;&#x201C; shelf technology (like online advertising), but the important factor is that it should be used in a completely unique way.

RESURGENTS This identifies brands that have made a comeback in the market. There needs to be an element of the brand losing its market space and managing to recover it through concerted efforts. This can also include brands that were in the spotlight for some wrong reasons eg. poor customer feedback; but managed to win back customers.

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WINNERS

MASTER CONNECTORS WINNERS

This will look at brands that have managed to establish a connect with people. The approach might be different (for example a master connector might be a FMCG company OR a person) but the effort is directed at being a people brand. Over the last year, these master connectors would have had their own legion of followers. For this category, scale is definitely very important. A niche product that managed to have a cult following might not have the scope to be awarded a high rank here.

GLOBETROTTERS WINNERS

These are brands that have spread their roots worldwide. It is important here that the brand should have had an organic growth eg. expansion of Indian brands into foreign markets. Acquisition of foreign brands is also considered.

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GALLERY

CUSTOMERS THE NEW

BRAND MANAGERS

The impact of brand advocacy goes beyond the revenue aspect of an organization. It increases visibility and the brands’ reach immensely as the customers start ‘speaking’ for the brand.

he 8th edition of Pitch Top 50 Brands 2018 was organized at the The Leela in Gurugram on 19 July. The event is aimed at recognizing the efforts of top 50 brands that are doing exceptional work across various categories including social contribution, Impactful debuts, disruptors and so on. The theme around which the event revolved this year was ‘Building a Brand That Drives Passion’. In this regard, a panel discussion took place wherein marketers talked about the aspects of building brand advocacy. They also spoke about the need to find and nurture customers who are so passionate about a particular brand that they become the brand’s strongest and most

Gurmeet Singh, Chairman & Managing Director, Hitachi & Annurag Batra, Chairman and Editor-in- Chief, exchange4media & BW Businessworld presenting winning trophy to Deepak Mehra, Chief Marketing Officer, Ambuja Cement.

(L-R) Ashwin Padmanabhan, Head Trading & Partnerships - GroupM; Anupam Bokey, VP Marketing (CMO)-FMCG Business, RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group; Anurita Chopra, Area Marketing Lead - Oral Care, GSK Consumer Healthcare India; Mayank P Shah, Category Head - Biscuits, Parle Products Ltd; Puneet Das, Head Marketing, Tata Global Beverages; Soumya Mohanty, Managing Director - North & East and Chief Client Officer, Kantar IMRB; Sandeep Shukla, Head Marketing & Communications, Jaquar Group; Sudhanshu Nagpal, Category Head - Biscuits, Mondelez India.

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In coversation with Mehraj Dube, Vice President, ZEE Media Corporation Limited (Right).

vocal advocates. At the panel discussion, Sudhanshu Nagpal, Category Head – Biscuits, Mondelez India said that a strong consumer understanding coupled with consistent product promise, rewarding the consumer for his loyalty and amplifying the user’s moment of joy were the key aspects of generating brand advocacy. Similarly, Puneet Das, Head Marketing- Tea, Tata Global Beverages believed that it is when customers develop a sense of ownership that they feel they are part of the brand and would convert into being brand advocates. The session concluded with the panelists agreeing on the fact that iconic brands have stood the test of time due to brand advocacy. The second session was a one on one conversation with Mehraj Dube, Vice President, ZEE Media Corporation Limited who spoke about the ‘New League of National Channels’ and believed

Shantiswarup Panda, Chief Marketing Officer, Raymond Lifestyles Business.

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GALLERY

Shubhodip Pal, Chief Marketing & Commercial Officer, Micromax.

that news is going to be more constructed and structured with the growth in the space. He believed that the news space is the business of the fittest so only the best ones will survive. A speaker session was conducted on ‘The Art of Brewing a Brand’ where Sunayan Mitra, VP Marketing & Business Head - Beverages, Nestle India spoke about the three key factors that spoke for Nestle’s brand value over the years. “It begins with identifying your audience; once identified you become soul mates following which you then decide where to build relevant insight keeping the language right towards your targeted audience”, said Mitra. The event went ahead with other speaker sessions where Silvia Tallon, Sr Marketing Director, Reebok spoke about ‘The Secret

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Silvia Tallon, Sr Marketing Director, Reebok.

of Generating Passion in your Customers’. Similarily, Shubhodip Pal, Chief Marketing & Commercial Officer, Micromax talked about ‘Building Brands by Connecting People to their Passions’, he spoke about the importance of understanding consumer needs. The last speaker session on ‘Being a Gentleman never goes out of fashion – The Raymond Story’ was conducted by Shantiswarup Panda, Chief Marketing Officer, Raymond Lifestyles Business. He went on to share the story of the brand and how innovation has kept the brand going. He also spoke about how Raymond’s focus on the three key pillars Product, Retail and Brand Communication has helped the brand stay relevant. After these insightful sessions, the felicitation ceremony of the Pitch Top 50 Brands took place in association with validation partner Kantar IMRB and the presence of jury members. Sunayan Mitra, VP Marketing & Business Head - Beverages, Nestle India

Winners of the Pitch Top 50 Brands.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | PITCH | 83

TÊTE-À-TÊTE

ABISH MATHEW Indian Stand - Up Comedian AIB, Host: Son of Abish

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stuck You are ator, ev in an el d ul how wo te a ia you init ion at convers e with th ing follow ? people

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