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  • Pepperfry onboards Naveen Murali as VP and head of marketing

    Pepperfry onboards Naveen Murali as VP and head of marketing

    Mumbai: Homegrown furniture and home products marketplace Pepperfry continues to strengthen its leadership team as it announced the appointment of Naveen Murali as vice president and head of marketing. 

    In his new role, Murali will lead Pepperfry’s marketing and brand strategies with an aim to drive brand awareness across lucrative untapped markets as well as capture a share in the furniture and home décor industry.

    As a new-age marketing evangelist, Murali will work towards charting out a strategy that helps to break the barriers that consumers have towards shopping online, especially for big-ticket items, said the company.

    Commenting on the appointment, Pepperfry co-founder & CEO Ambareesh Murty said, “Our mission is to spark a feeling called home across India and I am confident that Naveen’s addition to team Pepperfry will help expand and accelerate our marketing agenda towards cementing our leadership of India’s home and living market.”

    Murali has extensive experience of over ten years in marketing, sales and building business competencies. Prior to joining Pepperfry, he was associated with brands like Asian Paints and Oracle across business and marketing roles. 

    He is an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode and holds a degree in Engineering from NIT Warangal. 

    Commenting on the new role, Naveen Murali said, “Pepperfry has transformed the way Indians shop for furniture and build their dream homes. Over the years, Pepperfry has secured a significant consumer mind share in the country. I am super excited to work towards enabling Pepperfry to further increase this share and build an unrivaled brand of the future.”

  • #Retrace2021: Cautious optimism will drive industry growth in 2022

    #Retrace2021: Cautious optimism will drive industry growth in 2022

    Mumbai: The year 2021 saw work-life turning 360 degrees for former Havas media India boss Anita Nayyar, as she joined Patanjali Ayurved as COO- Media & Communications, after a year-long stint with Zee5 as head of customer strategy and relations.

    An industry veteran with over three decades of experience, Nayyar has managed many portfolios of brands across sectors. She has played leadership roles in several media and advertising agencies including Saatchi & Saatchi, Ogilvy & Mather, Initiative Media, MediaCom, and Starcom Worldwide. Nayyar spent the longest tenure at Havas – the agency she joined in 2007 as chief executive of the India operations. Under her aegis, the agency grew exponentially and expanded its offerings as an integrated communications group. She subsequently headed Havas Media Southeast Asia (SEA) in addition to her role as CEO of Havas Media.  

    As the year draws to a close, Indiantelevision.com, got into a freewheeling conversation with Anita Nayyar about her big professional move in 2021, leading the media and communications strategy at Patanjali Ayurved, and outlook on industry’s growth as we enter 2022.

    Edited excerpts:

    On looking back at 2021 and her transition from Zee5 to Patanjali

    I spent over 30 years working with agencies and publishers. After so many years on the agency side, I thought I had done my bit. Plus, the monotony tends to set in. So, it’s good to learn something new from the other side of the table. That’s how Zee5 happened. On the whole, I have worked with advertising agencies, media agencies, publishing platforms, as well as new-age digital platforms like Zee5. So when Patanjali came in, I thought it’s a good opportunity to do a full circle and explore all aspects of advertising, marketing, and communication. So to that extent, I feel it completes my circle in the industry.

    On how the year was for Patanjali as a brand, and her priorities when she joined the company in July

    Patanjali is one of those aggressive Indian brands, which has galloped its way through to the top in the Indian FMCG industry. When I took over as the COO for media branding and communication, the idea was to oversee all the strategies that are happening in their advertising domain, how they are progressing and what is it that we can do better. It was interesting to see their (Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna) vision. Sometimes, it’s even difficult to match up to the speed at which their vision for the company goes- both in the Wellness, fitness, and the Ayurveda sector. Also, the fight that they are bringing to the table for the MNCs in the FMCG category. Patanjali Ayurveda, along with Ruchi Soya, is the second-largest FMCG brand in the country.

    On any key innovation that the brand brought in this year

    The company is constantly innovating, in terms of the categories and areas they have entered in over the years. Like IT solutions or Agri sciences for example and this foresight of acquiring Ruchi Soya. The brand has kept up with the times, even by propagating the fact that they are ‘swadeshi’ as well as ‘Make in India’ initiatives. So innovation, to my mind, is the core of this brand. We have recently launched a Nutrela nutraceutical range of supplements, that’s the new category that Patanjali along with Ruchi Soya has entered into. And it’s interesting as there aren’t too many players in this segment and the fact that people have become very conscious about their health and wellness, especially in the last two years.

    On any changes in the brand’s media strategy in 2021

    This past year has fared fairly well for the brand because we have strategically invested in some high-impact properties. As a brand, we have been highly visible on the news channels and we have done a lot of GECs as well, and as such, there’s a tremendous amount of reach and awareness for the category. New marketing campaigns are on and we are in the process of working on our annualised spend and strategies, so let’s see how that goes.

    On looking ahead to 2022 and expectations for the brand

    We are cautiously optimistic. In businesses, when there’s recovery, optimism is the core. If you aren’t optimistic how will you take risks and move forward? That applies to life in general. But, if I were to wrap up my expectations for the brand in a single word, it’s ‘growth’. That is what every organisation’s looking for and we specifically do so, because we want to bridge the gap between the number one in the industry. And we are getting there. In the media branding and communications domain, I want to maximise the return on investment (ROI) that we are doing in the media industry.

    On key industry trends that might dominate next year

    The past year has certainly fast-paced the digital transformation of companies, whether it was entertainment, online shopping, or the use of digital platforms to connect with other people. It was anyways slated to grow between 25-30 per cent earlier also, the needle just moved quicker now. To my mind, next year we will see a healthy mix of both TV and digital and each medium plays an important role, depending on what the objectives are. TV, of course, remains the mainstay because of its reach and low CPMs (Cost per Thousands) that it offers.

    Print was badly hit during the pandemic. It is doing a little better, but still nowhere close to where they were pre-pandemic as yet. Outdoor is back and Cinema is also showing signs of recovery, depending on the titles that are playing.

    Each medium today has a role to play from that aspect and we use them for their attributes. So I think overall for the media industry and, as per industry reports too, there should be a growth of 12-16 per cent in the media & advertising industry, which given the situation is not a bad thing. 

    On any personal learnings that she will take into the next year

    My personal learning may sound a little clichéd, but it was very important for me to explore other areas and not remain stuck to a particular area of expertise. It’s when you try to explore other fields that you know what your proficiencies are. Every domain that I’ve worked in has given me immense learning. So, it’s a good check for one to constantly keep trying newer opportunities and opening up newer avenues for one’s own learning. If you continue to explore newer domains, it just keeps adding to your professional and personal growth as well. 

  • FreshToHome turns six; announces anniversary sale for customers

    FreshToHome turns six; announces anniversary sale for customers

    Mumbai: Online fresh fish and meat e-com brand FreshToHome has announced its sixth-anniversary sale giveaway, wherein the brand will give away six gold coins each day to its customers.

    The plan is to acknowledge the support of its consumers who have been a pivotal part of the brand’s journey of becoming a meat and seafood player in India. The platform plans to push the anniversary sale offer through the app, site, digital, print, and social, it announced on Thursday.

    FreshToHome co-founder Shan Kadavil said, “On completing six years of delivering the freshest meat and seafood to customers across India, we wanted to thank them for their constant love and support. The giveaway is our way of expressing gratitude to our loyal customers who have contributed to making us a leading fish and meat platform in India. With this, we hope to get bigger and better, delivering the freshest fish and meat products to our customers.”

    Launched in 2015, FreshToHome currently has around 100 offline stores in India, with a presence in 56 cities.

  • With no LIVE audience, PKL teams opt for digital innovation to connect with fans

    With no LIVE audience, PKL teams opt for digital innovation to connect with fans

    Mumbai: With a week left for the launch of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season eight, the excitement is palpable among fans as well as the playing teams. For UP Yoddha, the latest edition offers another opportunity to level up their game from the play-offs and clinch the coveted trophy for the first time.

    The team has consistently made it to the playoffs in every season since its inception in 2017, but has yet to win the title. “We are very excited to have the PKL return after a hiatus of almost two years. The players cannot wait to be back in the competitive environment. And, this time we are more focused and energised to reach the final step and lift the trophy,” says GMR League Games and UP Yoddha CEO Vinod Bisht in an exclusive chat with Indiantelevision.com. 

    The team is all set to begin its campaign with a first match against defending champions Bengal Warriors on the opening day – 22 December. Unlike before, the latest edition of the league will be played without any LIVE audience due to Covid protocols, and with all teams integrated into a bio-bubble. But, that has not deterred the enthusiasm among the teams, says Bisht.

    “The players’ will to win and competitiveness will only get fiercer. But, they are mindful of the changing scenarios, the absence of fans, and a testing bubble life,” says the CEO.

    Bisht, a former commanding officer (CO) in the Indian Army started his Sports journey as a business mentor for Patna pirates in PKL, before teaming up with the UP Yoddha Franchise. Based in Greater Noida, the GMR Group-owned UP Yoddha franchise was introduced into the league in the fifth season and has been part of the league ever since.

    Talking about the post-pandemic impact on the overall experience of the game, Bisht says, “We would have loved to have a full-house cheering for us on home ground, but we need to be cautious of the situation we are in. The safety of our fans is our top priority. With everything that’s happening around, everyone needs to adapt. We just want our players to play passionately, and our fans to enjoy the game even if it’s from the comfort of their home.”

    All matches will be aired LIVE on Star Sports Network, the official broadcast network, and streamed on Disney+ Hotstar, which has already unveiled its mega campaign, #JoBhidegaWohBadhega, featuring former Indian cricket team skipper MS Dhoni.

    Elaborating on how the franchise plans to elevate the experience for their fans who will be watching from home, Bisht says, “We are doing series of online activations involving our fans who we call the ‘Yoddha Toli’ and this Yodhha Toli will interact with our players and other fans through various innovative digital innovations.” The franchise will also focus more on social media interfaces, being mindful of the ongoing pandemic. “But, we definitely intend to meet all our fans at our state-of-the-art UP Yoddha BK Kabaddi Academy in Meerut once the season is over,” he adds.

    ABP News has come on board as the principal sponsor of the UP Yoddha for the 2021-22 season, and the channel logo will feature prominently on the players’ jerseys. “We are the only kabaddi team from Uttar Pradesh, the largest state in India population-wise and given the ongoing situation it was physically impossible to reach all corners of the state, and that’s where ABP News comes in,” says Bisht on association with the news channel. “Considering the popularity of the league, the partnership will help ABP News connect with a wider audience by capturing the interest of sports consumers across both rural and urban markets in the Hindi speaking states.”

    The partnership also comes at a time when the state of Uttar Pradesh is heading into polls, which creates its own buzz around activities associated with the state.

    This season, the team has also upped its game with the addition of star player Pradeep Narwal for a whopping ₹1.65 crore, becoming one of the most expensive players auctioned at a league outside of cricket.

    Talking about the growth in viewership of the sports event, Bisht says, “Kabaddi is one of those childhood games that you played with your friends, a sport that’s close to every Indian’s heart. It has been one of the most played sports in our country, and PKL has allowed teams to represent different parts of our country which shows how much the sport has grown over the years.”

  • FloBiz onboards Pulkit Saboo as director of marketing

    FloBiz onboards Pulkit Saboo as director of marketing

    Mumbai: FloBiz, a fintech startup and neobank for growing Indian SMBs, has brought Pulkit Saboo on board as director of marketing. 

    In his new role, Saboo will be responsible for creating and executing FloBiz’s brand and marketing strategy. He will spearhead partnerships and collaborations with a diverse stakeholder ecosystem while curating unique experiences for SMB partners. Saboo will also lead the creative and strategic thinking for brand and marketing functions, said the company in a statement.

    “Pulkit is an experienced marketing professional who has led high-performing teams and delivered some of the most memorable campaigns for major brands across categories,” said FloBiz founder and CEO Rahul Raj. “I am confident that under Pulkit’s leadership, we will scale newer heights as we enter into neobanking space and build deeper inroads into SMB space across cities and regions throughout the country.”

    Saboo previously served as the senior marketing manager at Ola for India and international markets, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail, and SABMiller. Armed with the experience of over a decade, he started his career as a software engineer at Infosys. In addition, Saboo is an alumnus of Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad (MICA).

    “The time could not have been more opportune than now for FloBiz to start this digital revolution for the SMB segment,” said Saboo on his new assignment. “With a deep understanding of SMBs’ expectations and pain points, we are poised to change the way of age-old business operation practices through a superior product offering. We are on a mission to deliver an unmatched experience to businesses making their digital transformation journeys.”

  • 71 per cent of Indian marketers’ budgets to increase in 2022: DCMN Growth Guide

    71 per cent of Indian marketers’ budgets to increase in 2022: DCMN Growth Guide

    Mumbai: At least 66 per cent of global marketers expect their budgets to increase next year, with this figure rising to 71 per cent for Indian marketers alone, showed a new analysis published by DCMN, the growth marketing partner for digital brands.

    The ‘Growth Guide’ released on Thursday looks at marketers’ goals, strategies and challenges going into 2022, and points to a new period of growth for the industry.

    While, in India, 71 per cent of Indian marketers surveyed expect an increase in their budgets in 2022, it was 75 per cent in France and 68 per cent in the US. It’s good news for marketing and advertising agencies with the vast majority of Indian respondents – 93 per cent – planning to increase their spending on agencies in the next 12 months.

    Aside from spending on agencies, budgets will go towards experimenting with new formats and advertising channels. Outside of digital advertising, the three channels Indian marketers plan to focus on and invest in the most are mobile advertising, podcasts and linear TV.

    The research also shows that 62 per cent of Indian marketers are more focused on long-term branding efforts, versus 33 per cent for performance-oriented goals. This is remarkably in-line with global figures, at 65 per cent versus 31 per cent.

    The new year also comes with its own challenges. As advertising campaigns grow ever more complex, marketers in India are most concerned about managing and reconciling large amounts of data across channels. Keeping up with privacy regulations comes in second place, as policies targeting iOS and the future of cookies are set to dramatically reshape the marketing world.

    The research conducted by Censuswide on behalf of DCMN surveyed 600 in-house marketers in the US, the UK, France, the Netherlands, Germany and India. The results offer an understanding of how the marketing landscape has changed after a tumultuous few years and how optimistic brands are heading into 2022.

    “At DCMN, we wanted to take a closer look at where the marketing industry stands right now, and the impact of a disrupted 2020 and 2021. The results are impressive, and point to a marketing rebound in the coming year – both in India and in other countries around the world. Overall, we’re seeing that branding efforts remain top of mind for marketers. It’s also clear that brands still have huge faith in linear TV, with mobile advertising and TV set to be some of the most popular channels for marketers to invest in next year,” said DCMN country head – India Bindu Balakrishnan.

  • TV Brand Fest 2021: Brands share mantras for enhancing market share through TV.

    TV Brand Fest 2021: Brands share mantras for enhancing market share through TV.

    Mumbai: Day two of the five-day TV Brand Fest summit being organised by IndianTelevision.com saw brands discuss their experience, with regards to increasing the market share while using Television as a communication tool.  

    Ernst & Young partner & leader – Consulting Markets Monesh Dange, who was moderating the discussion set the ball rolling by asking Lenskart media head Anupam Tripathi about the brand’s transition from a D2C brand to a house of brands model.

    “As a consumer you don’t just buy a product, you buy a brand,” asserted Tripathi. “So, having the entire control on the product- from production to the end user- eradicates the middle men which saves cost and gives value-for-money to the consumer. It was a carefully thought-of year-long strategy.”

    Matrimony.com GM – marketing communications Akhil Jain talked about how the brand replicated its urban success in rural areas. The brand has recently launched the website in Tamil version. “In the last five to six years, internet penetration has grown exponentially & led to a rise in vernacular users,” he noted. “Our overall learning is that if you can break the barrier of language then you will see tremendous success.”

    Syska Group’s head of marketing Amit Sethiya encapsulated the marketing-led growth of the over 30 years old SSK Group. For the Syska brand’s communication, the company did not go into product-driven promotions, but rather ventured to educate the masses on why they need to buy LEDs. “For almost five to six years we supported the entire category. And today Syska has become synonymous with the LED category,” he said, while adding that the brand has now expanded into wires, cables, as well as mobile accessories.

    “Marketing is both an assailant and a victim of its own creation,” said Upstox senior director, Marketing Kunal Bhardwaj, adding that a year and a half ago nobody even knew this category existed, much less the brand, but they came up with a mix of traditional and non-traditional marketing media, using them to their maximum potency. “Nothing beats Television when you want to create awareness and nothing beats digital when you want to create Call-to-actions or a reminder medium,” said Bhardwaj, adding that the Media mix, along with a “190 per cent effort on retention and user experience” were the three things the start-up focused on the most”. He also added that the English-first app is also looking to expand its language boundaries.

    The pandemic hit every business sector and category. Talking about the specific marketing strategies during the prevalence of the pandemic, Amit Sethiya of Syska Group shared that the first thing that the brand did was to remain completely agile and optimise the distribution channel.

    The government mandate that personal care appliances were considered semi-essentials helped the brand and they placed their products across all the medical and kirana shops which were the only ones operational during lockdowns. “That’s also when we saw the uptake of contactless lighting and smart home products as people were at home 24/7, so we quickly tapped into that,” added Sethiya.

    Tripathi shared Lenkskart started the digital revolution in spectacles buying in India and with time many new features have been introduced based on consumer behaviour and needs. Having started with 3-D trial more than four years back, the brand has now moved on to AR (augmented reality) & HTO (home try on) on the app.

    The panellists unanimously agreed on the importance of Television in carrying the brand message to masses. “The moment we stop TV, we see a downfall in traffic, app installations, social media interactions and even calls. So there’s no competition,” said Tripathi.

    Marketeers realised that when push comes to shove with disruptions such as the one caused by the pandemic or else technological disruptions, the key is to be very agile and help brands reach their objectives, agreed the participants on the panel.

    The five-day event is being organised by IndianTelevision.com, and co-powered by Star India.

  • PT Usha doubles up as high-speed chef in KFC’s new campaign

    PT Usha doubles up as high-speed chef in KFC’s new campaign

    Mumbai: KFC India has announced the launch of their new ‘Express Pick-up’ service endorsed by none other than the Queen of Speed – PT Usha herself.

    “Place a pick-up or takeaway order on the KFC App or website or walk into the restaurant to place a takeaway order and we will ready that order for pick-up in seven minutes,” the brand promises in its campaign film which shows the legendary sprinter doubling up as a high-speed chef in the KFC kitchen. The campaign film promises ‘Taste Amaze, Mile Tez’ as orders are readied for pick-up in seven minutes, else customers are offered a piece of Hot & Crispy chicken free.

    The film opens with two customers walking into a KFC restaurant and reading about the seven-minute Express Pick-up promise. Not quite believing it, they joke about how the order must be prepared by PT Usha, because how else would it ever be ready in seven minutes. Next, they see the Colonel blowing a whistle to mark the start of time and the chicken gets prepared in the kitchen, going through different stages to finally being packed, ready to be picked-up by the customers. The customers can’t believe what they are seeing – PT Usha serving the order, but more so that their order is actually ready within seven-minutes.

     

     

    KFC India chief marketing officer Moksh Chopra said, “The legend PT Usha epitomises all things speed and who better to convey our new Express Pick-up service than her. So if you are out and need to pick up some KFC on the go, or have a group of friends visiting and need to pick-up KFC favs for all, simply go for KFC’s Express Pick-up. Our seven-minute promise is a key differentiator, ensuring minimal waiting time for the order. So, get set to give in to your KFC-ravings in just seven minutes, kyuki haan, PT Usha bana rahi hai!”

    “While ‘speed’ is certainly thrilling for me, this even takes it a notch higher with express. The concept itself was so exciting that I jumped at the opportunity of featuring in the campaign, alongside the beloved Colonel,” PT Usha said.

    Ogilvy North chief creative officer Ritu Sharda said, “Since we’ve been kids, speed has had only one name: PT Usha. The fact is, even now, PT Usha is the icon for speed in India. So, for KFC’s super-fast take away service, there could be no better endorser to say ‘seven minute matlab seven minute’.”

  • Urban Company launches free-video consult for appliance repairs

    Urban Company launches free-video consult for appliance repairs

    Mumbai: Tech-enabled home services marketplace Urban Company has now launched free video consultation for consumers for all its appliance repair services. The company will now help consumers to understand the exact issue and provide a diagnosis and cost estimate all through a video call.

    Sometimes an issue can be solved by consumers themselves with the guidance of an expert. For example, if your refrigerator is leaking, it could be something as simple as the drain cap getting blocked. In case it is a major issue, the expert will diagnose the problem instantly and recommend a technician visit.

    The free video consults will be provided to all its customers across India, by senior experts with over 15 years of experience in the appliance repair industry, it said on Wednesday. Given that knowledge is power, the focus is to give control back to the consumers in the whole repair process, it added further.

    Urban Company senior vice president- marketing Abhinav Tyagi said, “One of the biggest issues consumers face whenever an appliance breaks down is the confusion and anxiety during the whole repair process, especially if they face overruns in both time and costs versus what they had estimated. We have launched a free and instant video consult service for repairs so that our senior experts, who have over 15 years of experience, can help our consumers with accurate diagnosis and correct estimates without having to invest significant time or money. We believe this advice will help our consumers make informed decisions whenever they need.”