MUMBAI: India’s golden boy of athletics is attracting more than just medals. The inaugural ‘Neeraj Chopra Classic’—India’s first global javelin competition—is drawing serious brand muscle ahead of its 5 July debut at Bengaluru’s Sree Kanteerava Stadium.
The event is headlined by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and backed by a power-packed sponsor roster that includes Visa (official partner), Audi India (mobility partner), BodyArmor Lyte ORS (hydration partner), Duolingo English Test (learning partner), and Snapchat (content partner).
Radisson Hotel Group is the hospitality partner, JioStar the broadcast partner, and FanCode Shop is handling official merchandise—making the NC Classic a 360-degree sporting spectacle both on-ground and online.
Speaking on the response from brands to the NC Classic, JSW Sports chief commercial officer, Karan Yadav said, “The versatility and range of brands that have decided to come on board with the NC Classic is testament to the potential this competition has. These are the biggest names in world javelin, spearheaded by Neeraj, competing on Indian soil for the first time. The event has all the ingredients to be a blockbuster, and a regular fixture on the world athletics calendar. The response to partner with the event has been fantastic, and it only augurs well for the future of live sport planned to global standards, in India.”
With the world’s top javelin throwers gearing up to compete, the Neeraj Chopra Classic is shaping up to be more than just a one-off event—it’s India’s blockbuster entry into the world of elite field sports.
Mumbai: Short-form video content on social media is Google and Metas’ answer to TikTok, which disrupted the video-sharing industry during the pandemic. Though TikTok became big and was used hugely by brands in the USA, India got YouTube Shorts & Instagram Reels to do the same. Before launching globally in mid-2020, Instagram reels attracted billions of daily views. One year later, in 2021, these short video-sharing platforms surpassed 5 trillion views globally. Thus, what was originally only watched for leisure has become integral to every business’s marketing strategy.
Brands understood that video creation enables organizations & startups to:-
1. To increase brand awareness
2. To promote sales
3. To grow the social media community
4. To educate customers
5. To enhance brand strength
According to a 2022 report by Wyzowl, 86% of businesses now use video as a marketing tool, and 93% say it’s an effective tool for reaching their target audience. Short-form videos (under 10 minutes) are having a major moment on social media, with platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels seeing explosive growth in recent years. A 2023 report by Cisco found that short-form videos will account for 82% of all internet traffic by 2022. A 2023 report by HubSpot found that 63% of viewers say they are more likely to watch a short-form video than a long-form video.
With all this happening globally and in India, brands must use video content & ensure it becomes as viral as possible through social media. Let’s ponder deeper into how some well-known Indian brands have benefited from short-form videos on social media.
Top Indian brands leveraging from short-form videos and how
Netflix
Being the most watched OTT platform in the world, short videos have predominately been the best way to promote this brand on social -media. The best part for Netflix is that they already have the commercial rights to pick short snippets from their ongoing movies & TV shows to promote their page. The number of engagements, impressions, and discussions started with the utilization of short-form videos alone are only one of the many elements that make Netflix supreme at online entertainment.
Sabyasachi has been acing in the social media space for a long time now. They have been following the idea of using the video content of their happy customers and garnering a steady follower base through organic methods. Sabyasachi knows this very well because they regularly introduce their customers on their Instagram profiles. This was a pleasant surprise for customers to be featured on the official Sabyasachi page. They are also well-placed among celebrities and thus recruit influencers for raw original content. Engaging influencers helps attract more followers because these influencers have a loyal following. It works wonders for a fashion brand when you see the designs live in action through short-form videos.
If you’re looking for quirky content and the encouragement to try out tasty food, Zomato helps you binge on some mouthwatering short-form video content. Not only have they become the lead in the food delivery sector, but they have also become one of the country’s best brands on social media. Food discovery brand Zomato knows its audience well and how to retain them. Be it contests, trending topics, or innovative video content, Zomato is attracting attention across all social media platforms.
This brand wholly & almost has been relying on short-form video content for brand building & upscaling. Since their business proposition is unique, they are here to break through many stereotypes. They are going all out in exploiting the trend of video content to showcase their range of products & effectiveness on Indian Men skin types. Both men & women have been applauding their efforts, and it has become a popular gifting option for Men.
Pizza Hut is the leader in the pizza market on social networks compared to other pizza chains. The brand regularly launches UGC campaigns for its viewers to participate and increase its follower base. The brand uses social media influencers to discuss its products through challenges, which has worked for them so far. The short videos are raw and real since they reach out to celebrities, food bloggers, and other popular influencers, maximizing their follower base.
On International Women’s Day, Audi India launched a catchy short video campaign called #drivethechange. The campaign was a big hit as it resonated very well with the changing trends in societal reforms towards women. Also, it tried to break stereotypes about women driving cars in general and all comic remarks around women drivers. It encouraged modern-day women to step out and chase their dreams since they are the true force that drives our lives. Hundreds of women participated and appreciated the initiative.
Short-form videos are here to stay.
The rise of social media has changed the concept of online communication and the division between personal and public space online. According to HubSpot’s 2022 Marketing Industry Survey, short-form video has the highest ROI among all social media content. That’s why 30% of marketers prioritized short-form videos in their marketing budget this year.
These are lessons for all new startups and upcoming brands to use short format messages to tell their story and build a narrative around their brands. Integrating Internet features, such as digital music and video, user-generated content, and digital media sales, improves content consumption. Hence, short-form videos, the brand-owned tool, must be maximized to gain credibility and brand recognition in the long run and sustainable marketing strategies.
The author of this article is C Com Digital founder/director Chandan Bagwe
Mumbai: L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, an integrated business and brand growth agency has bagged the retail communications mandate for Audi India.
The automaker brand has engaged the services of L&K Saatchi & Saatchi to support its dealer network across India for its marketing initiatives. The agency’s role will be to make sure that there are efficient consumer engagements and brand experiences across touchpoints, said the statement.
“We are happy to have an experienced team of L&K Saatchi & Saatchi as our partners for our retail communication,” said Audi India marketing & PR head Gaurav Sinha. “In this new ‘unlock’ era, it becomes imperative to drive innovation at the last mile along with driving our brand philosophy of ‘Future is an Attitude’. It is this understanding of the brand that made L&K Saatchi & Saatchi stand apart from the others.”
Audi, the German luxury car manufacturer, is set up as a national sales company operating as a division of Skoda Auto Volkswagen Group Sales India Pvt Ltd. As part of this setup, Audi has multiple dealers allocated who represent the brand across 38 cities in the country.
“We pride ourselves in understanding the automobile category the best and it is that expertise that was represented to the team at Audi India,” stated L&K Saatchi & Saatchi executive VP of head North and East Atin Wahal. “In the context of today, we believe that retail communication has moved beyond POSM. It is now about how we make consumers experience ‘Brand Love’ for the brand and look forward to this challenge.”
Mumbai: Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli will continue his association with Audi India, the German luxury automobiles manufacturer announced on Saturday. Kohli has been associated with Audi India since 2015 and has been an integral part of the brand’s marketing and social campaigns.
“Whether it’s behind the steering wheel or on the pitch with a bat in the hand, performance, consistency, and technique are what define perfection. I have been an Audi fan even before I was formally associated with the brand. Audi cars reflect elegance and sportiness, which resonate perfectly with my personality. I am extremely delighted to continue my association with Audi India and be a part of the brand family. It is safe to say that my relationship with Audi India is more of a test match than just a T20”, said Kohli.
The Indian skipper has featured extensively in campaigns like #TogetherWithAudi, #MovingForward, and a few product launch campaigns. His continued alliance with the Audi brand includes advertisement campaigns, social media engagement, and event collaborations, said the company.
“Kohli perfectly embodies the progressive premium image of the brand Audi,” said Audi India head, Balbir Singh Dhillon. “He has been a part of the Audi India family for more than half a decade and is clearly a great fit, as both exemplify brilliant innovation in their performance. We look forward to an even more exciting journey going forward.”
MUMBAI: Audi, the German luxury car manufacturer, announced a vital step in its digitalisation journey with the roll-out of digital sales and after-sales offerings. The incorporation of Augmented Reality, a 360° Product Visualizer, and online bookings on the Audi India website bring the buying experience straight to a prospective customer’s fingertips.
Audi India head Balbir Singh Dhillon said, “Digital customer-centric initiatives are a key focus area for Audi in India. We have been at the forefront of enabling and introducing future technologies for our customers – including Augmented and Virtual Reality elements. Taking this Digitalization strategy a step forward, we are pleased to announce digital sales for our product portfolio and after-sales support for our existing and future customers. While our belief in a digital future is already profound, the advent of Covid-19 has only made it stronger as to how we interact with our customers going forward. With the initiatives announced today, we are taking digital experiences to the living rooms of our customers and offering them the flexibility to purchase their preferred Audi of choice and even book their next service appointment online.”
Buyers can now familiarize themselves with features, configure their Audi, explore finance options, and place an order, all from the comfort of their home. Audi was the first luxury car manufacturer in India to leverage Virtual Reality (VR), enabling Audi Q8 and Audi A8 L buyers to engage with, and personalize their cars in a never-seen-before manner.
Further, existing Audi customers can now book a service on the Audi India website and can schedule a car pick-up and drop as per their convenience. Real-time service status updates and online payment options will be added over the course of time.
Dhillon further added, “Digitalization plays a major role in buying and engaging with a customer. Audi India leaped into 2019 by becoming the first luxury car maker to unveil and introduce a digitalization roadmap – “myAudi Connect”. Digitalization will continue to be at the core of our strategy. As a brand, we are investing holistically in all possible avenues to be ‘Future Ready’. Through all our digitalization initiatives, we want our customers to experience what we stand for – ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’.
In 2019, Audi India launched Connected Car technology with the ‘myAudi Connect’ App. The App gives complete information on the car to the customer with features like Time-based curfew notifications and Disturbance notifications which alerts customers in case of any incident with the car. The ‘myAudi Connect’ App also complements the lifestyle of the Audi owner by bringing a host of lifestyle features and offers. As part of its Digital Retail initiative, Audi had also taken e-commerce to the next level. Customers are able to purchase genuine Audi merchandise directly from the Audi Shop on URL (www.audiindia.in/audishop).
MUMBAI: Audi India has announced the appointment of BBH as its lead agency in India, handling mainline and digital work. The appointment follows a multi-agency pitch which took place towards the end of 2018.
BBH and Audi’s global partnership goes back 37 years with the brand being BBH London’s founding client in 1982. The alliance has birthed the iconic ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’, a line and ethos that is still used today and sits at the heart of every piece of communication from the brand. In 2018, BBH London won the Grand Prix at IPA Effectiveness Awards for its work on the brand.
The appointment comes as Audi looks to its next phase of growth in India and is looking to their communications strategy to help fuel that growth. With its breadth of integrated capabilities, BBH India will lead Audi’s brand communications across mainline, experiential, activations, digital and social media. A multi-channel, multi-faceted, fully integrated mandate in its truest sense that will evolve in line with Audi’s India business.
Commenting on this occasion, Audi India head Rahil Ansari said, “Audi is geared for an exciting year with a fantastic line-up of products and activities. While finding a partner, we were looking for someone that understands modern India and brings energy and disruptive thinking to the table. Audi and BBH have had a great partnership globally and the India team demonstrated a deep understanding of the local market and was able to translate that into exciting work across the consumer journey."
BBH India chief creative officer Russell Barrett added, “Audi is one of the founding clients of BBH. And the opportunity to create extraordinary stories, from the tiniest interaction to the final decision was something that genuinely excited us. We hope, along with Audi India, our bespoke, cross-functional, integrated team will help in crafting work throughout the customer journey. We look forward to a great partnership and the opportunity to bring to life the idea of progress through insightful stories and surprising technology.”
