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Tag: Pandemic

  • Battlegrounds Mobile India tackles obsessive gaming in new campaign

    Battlegrounds Mobile India tackles obsessive gaming in new campaign

    Mumbai: Online gaming has taken off in a big way in India, becoming a virtual social gathering for gamers and even a collective obsession for many. However, the fun and entertaining activity also has the potential threat of turning into an addiction that could lead to serious long-term effects.

    It is this concern that the South Korean video game developer of Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), Krafton previously known as PUBG Mobile- a popular multiplayer game title in India, hopes to address through its new campaign ‘Game Responsibly’.

    Conceptualised by DDB Mudra, this is a first-of-its-kind campaign from a major video game developer. As a revamped version of PUBG Mobile, BGMI faced issues with a negative image and negative sentiments, not only among their players but also among the players’ parents and the government. Hence, the primary objective and challenge of the ‘Game Responsibly’ communication, a DDB Mudra spokesperson told Indian Television, was to craft one cohesive message that would speak not only to the gaming audience that loves to play round the clock, but also their friends and family.

    “The goal of this film was to assure the audience that it’s safe to play BGMI by promoting the various efforts taken by Krafton to this end, including a virtual world warning message, OTP-authenticated controls, break-time reminders, three-hour gameplay limits, in-game spend limits, among other,” said the company’s spokesperson. “The measures implemented by BGMI now bring a significant degree of control into the hands of parents. Thereby, the previously annoying behaviours of their gamer children need no longer be a source of incessant disturbance in their lives. This came from the realisation that being able to monitor and exercise a degree of control over their child’s excessive gaming habits would give parents the peace of mind they desire.”

    The newly launched film, directed by Abhinav Pratiman and produced by Amarjeet Phukan from the production house of Early Man Film, tackles the core problem of over-gaming with humour while highlighting BGMI’s in-game parental-control features.

    The films address the physical, mental, and social implications of obsessive gaming, while showcasing the other features that BGMI has built into the game. By educating all the audiences and the gamers themselves with a lighter, relatable, and non-preachy narrative, the campaign shows that there are simple solutions for the obsession.

     “When it comes to a conversation on Responsible Gaming, there’s no real benefit in talking down. People don’t like to be preached to. So, we took a lighter, more relatable approach. And we brought everyone into the conversation: gamers, their families, and their friends. The films are unexpected and fun, but always human,” said DDB Mudra creative head – South Vishnu Srivatsav.

    “We care deeply for our gamers, hence we acted. These changes have been made to ensure responsible gaming practices are adopted by gaming enthusiasts, especially minors. It also asserts the integrity and fairness of our business practices of putting community first. Yes, we aim to offer our best entertainment and experiences to our gamers, but at the same time mental and physical health of our players remains one of our top priorities,” said Krafton- head of Battlegrounds Mobile Division Wooyol Lim.

     To drive the message of responsible gaming further, BGMI plans to reinforce the campaign’s key visuals with in-game billboards and banners. Furthermore, Krafton has launched a microsite that features the campaign and additional content to encourage moderated gaming practices.

  • Travel portals look to woo travellers back this holiday season

    Travel portals look to woo travellers back this holiday season

    Mumbai: In the run-up to the year-ending holiday travel season, travel portals are looking to make the most of the opportunity. With the Covid cases on decline, companies in the sector are optimistic about business picking up pace. Travel advertising too is poised for rapid growth as brands look to reset their relationships with consumers after the great rupture of 2020.

    Travel companies and online booking portals have launched several new campaigns signalling the return of the ‘wander lust’. Online travel brand Goibibo has rolled out its new campaign ‘Apna Rule Toh Full Vasool’, announcing ‘Daily Steal Deals’ for hotels and last-minute flight bookings on its platform. To bring alive the campaign conceptualised by MagicCircle Communications, the company released a series of digital films that are packed with relatable slice-of-life moments that talk about getting one’s ‘full paisa vasool’ under all circumstances, be it a toothpaste, a buffet or else then a travel deal!

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    The pent-up demand for travel is expected to drive rapid growth in travel adspend over the next few years, but it will be a long road back to pre-pandemic spending. According to Zenith’s Travel adspend forecast published last week, the fastest growth in travel advertising is expected to come from India, where travel ad spend will be 31 per cent above the 2019 baseline by 2023. Globally, travel adspend will be still 33 per cent below its 2019 level this year, as per the Zenith report. It will take until 2023 for travel to exceed 2019 levels of spending, when it will reach $19.6 billion.

    Even as wider acceptance of Indian vaccines and easing of international travel restrictions by countries has opened up more choices for Indian tourists, there is still a measure of uncertainty that continues to linger on when it comes to travel in the post-Covid era.

    It is this anxiety associated with an uncertain or a cancelled trip that Make My Trip chose to address via its new TVC starring the delightful duo of Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt. The travel portal in its latest campaign ‘JoHogaWOWHoga’ aims to encourage travellers to plan, book and travel once again without any worries arising out of cancellation or hassle of refund claims.

    Shot in a circus arena, the TVC has been smartly weaved around a Circus background that is synonymous to high risks and uncertainties –subtly depicting the times we have been living in over the past few months. With a humorous narration, the TVC communicates how users can book travel without worrying about additional cancellation charges in case of any last-minute changes in travel plans.

    The 360-degree campaign ‘Sirf MakeMyTrip pe #JoHogaWOWHoga’ has been conceptualised by MagicCircle to convey how travel plans on MakeMyTrip can be worry-free yet rewarding. From a ‘100 per cent refund on last minute cancellations’ across its hotels and homestays, to introducing ‘Trip Guarantee’ feature to help travellers upgrade to an alternate travel mode in case of an unconfirmed train ticket, to making modifications to travel bookings in just a few taps on the app through My Trips–the campaign aims to communicate it all.

    MakeMyTrip group chief marketing officer Sunil Suresh said, “As travel has returned in a big way and travellers are back with evolved preferences, the prospects of serving our customers with richer, flexible and comfortable travel choices have never been this exciting,” adding that the portal has “travel solutions for everyone and for any situation.”

    Club Mahindra, the flagship brand of Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India also reached out to travel enthusiasts through its ‘Jaana Kahaan Hai’ campaign starring the ‘Shershah’ actor, Siddharth Malhotra. The campaign captures people’s desire to travel and explore new destinations and indulge in newer adventures in the new normal.

    “There is an extremely strong desire to travel amongst people. They are eager to try new experiences and visit off-beat as well as unexplored destinations,” said Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India chief marketing officer Pratik Mazumder.

    Along with leisure travel, the pandemic also brought virtually all of Business travel and the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conference and Exhibitions) sector to a standstill for most of 2020 and 2021. To build corporate confidence in biz travel, Thomas Cook launched its “Assured” Safe Travel Program that ensures travel safety protocols covering its distribution, delivery and partner touch points in the travel ecosystem.

    Thomas Cook (India) Limited president & country head – Holidays, MICE, Visa Rajeev Kale said, “Despite the challenges of the pandemic, our focussed initiatives that included health and safety, have increased corporate confidence in MICE Travel. With increased demand for physical groups/events our pipeline for 2022 looks robust and our teams are all geared up to delivering truly exceptional programs to delight our MICE clients.”

    It would be premature to assume we are out of the woods as new variants of the virus continue to emerge. Even as the domestic travel industry expects a surge in visitors as the year winds up, the government continues to review easing of foreign travel curbs in the light of the latest threat, necessitating all optimism to be accompanied with a note of caution.

  • IBC cancels Amsterdam event amid surge in Covid cases

    IBC cancels Amsterdam event amid surge in Covid cases

    Mumbai: International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) has cancelled the in-person IBC2021 which was scheduled to be held in Amsterdam this December.

    The move follows growing concerns about the Covid-19 situation in The Netherlands, which has deteriorated over the past week, and the decision was taken after feedback from the IBC exhibitor and visitor community, it added. According to the IBC Partnership Board, the decision was made in order to prevent exhibitors and visitors from travelling to The Netherlands.

    IBC20201 will now focus on bringing the content and technology community together via IBC Digital, it announced late on Tuesday.

    On 13 November, The Netherlands government re-imposed lockdown measures on its 17.5 million population for a month to slow a resurgence of the virus, as daily infections have remained at their highest levels since the start of the pandemic. The cases have been surging despite over 84 per cent of the Dutch population being fully vaccinated.

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) has termed the situation serious, and warned that Europe and Central Asia could face another seven lakh Covid-19 deaths by 1 March.

    The annual trade show which is also touted as one of the world’s most influential media, entertainment and technology shows was scheduled to be held from 2-6 December at The RAI in Amsterdam.  The global event brings together broadcasters, content creators, equipment manufacturers, professional and technical associations and other industry players on one platform.

    The 2020 edition was also cancelled due to the pandemic.

  • As theatres reopen, PVR Pictures set to rekindle India’s romance with cinema

    As theatres reopen, PVR Pictures set to rekindle India’s romance with cinema

    Mumbai: The pandemic had rendered entertainment to become a largely indoor affair, with content consumption confined to household spaces. However, as the world begins to open up, cinema can be enjoyed on the big screen again and PVR Pictures is leaving no stone unturned to make sure audiences are spoiled for choice when they return to theatres.

    Celebrating cinema’s homecoming in grand style, PVR Pictures is slated to release big-ticket Hollywood flicks like “The Contractor,” “Spencer,” “Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre,” “Moonfall,” “C’mon C’mon,” and “The 355” are also set to hit theatres via PVR Pictures.

    Amongst this list, some of the notable names are:

    The 355

    The edge of the seat spy saga features some of the best female talents from Hollywood with “Zero Dark Thirty” fame Jessica Chastain, Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o, as well as Penélope Cruz and Diane Kruger headlining the star-studded cast.

    Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre

    The action extravaganza sees Jason Statham play a daring and elite secret agent who is forced to recruit a Hollywood superstar (Josh Hartnett) in order to save the world. The film marks Jason’s fifth collaboration with Guy Ritchie. Known for his quirky and out-of-the-box directorial style, Richie might just reinvent the action genre with this adrenaline-filled ride.

    Moonfall

    Roland Emmerich is renowned for helming epic disaster spectacles right from “Independence Day” and “Godzilla” to 2012. The filmmaker turns to space for his next adventure, and if the buzz is anything to go by, this will be his biggest one yet.

    C’mon C’mon

    Mike Mills has brought together a brilliant cast of Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffman, and Woody Norman in a story of how a man and his young nephew forge a tenuous but transformational relationship when they are unexpectedly thrown together.

    “Our upcoming arrays of big-ticket films are targeted towards making sure the audiences fall in love with the magic of movies again,” stated PVR Ltd joint MD Sanjeev K Bijli. “As a brand, PVR is known to back content that is intriguing, and our latest releases imbibe the same philosophy. The importance of content that is impactful is greater now than ever to breathe back life into the cinemas.” 

    With their firm commitment to world cinema, PVR Pictures will also bring films from other parts of Asia to Indian shores. While “Blackpink: The Movie” chronicles the journey of South Korea’s most beloved musical girl band, Japanese productions like “My Hero Academia: Movie 3”, “Kimetsu Orchestra Concert” and “Fate/Grand Order – Final Singularity” shall serve as a unique treat for anime fans.

    “As a company, we always believe in giving audiences an exciting array of films to choose from. Our upcoming lineup of releases ensures that there is everything for someone and something for everyone when they return to the movies after a long wait,” said PVR Pictures Ltd CEO Kamal Gianchandani

  • Cinema is not going to be an easy sell: Inox’s Anand Vishal on advertisers returning

    Cinema is not going to be an easy sell: Inox’s Anand Vishal on advertisers returning

    Mumbai: After nearly 18 months of strict lockdowns and intermittent breathers, the opening of theatres in Maharashtra signals the much-awaited revival of the industry that was hit hardest among all entertainment media. With an estimated 146 million people returning to the theatres, advertiser interest in the medium is also witnessing healthy revival, albeit slowly.

    For the next three months starting Diwali, an impressive line-up of movies including ‘Sooryavanshi’, ‘Bunty aur Babli 2’, ‘Satyamev Jayate 2’, ‘83 The Film’, ‘Jersey’, ‘Tadap’, ‘Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui’, ‘No Means No’, ‘Annaatthe’, ‘777 Charlie’, ‘Pushpa : The Rise’, ‘Antim: The Final Truth’ and ‘Bhavai’ awaits the audiences in 2021 alone.

    Inox Leisure Ltd chief sales and revenue officer Anand Vishal tells us that the continuous flow of content from Diwali will ensure the return of advertisers to the cinema, however, it could take anywhere between three to six months for the volumes and rates to reach pre-covid levels.

    In-cinema advertising contributes around 11-12 per cent to the overall revenue pie for Inox. Vishal is expecting a 25-30 per cent drop in rates from what he was operating at earlier. As regards volumes, in a typical week like ‘Sooryavanshi’, there used to be nearly 100-125 advertisers on board, nationally. He anticipates 75-80 per cent of them to return for the big Diwali release on 5 November.

    Even as the situation plays out, Vishal says that numbers are not his primary concern at present. The focus is on bringing advertisers who have been away from the medium due to the lack of either content or a proper timing of the release, back to it.

    “The strength of Cinema as an advertising medium is that it offers a large and relevant audience for brands across categories. Unlike TV where there is a lot of refraction or variance happening, the definite and premium price-points at which we operate are what get brands interested in us. It’s just a matter of time until advertisers taste the success of this medium once again. In the meanwhile, though, Cinema is not going to be an easy sell,” he avers.

    Given the uncertainty that prevails around the number of footfalls in theatres, brands, even though enthusiastic about the reopening, are treading with caution. While all sorts of pricing negotiations continue to happen, Vishal informs that Inox is encouraging marketers to opt for the CPC or Cost Per Contact model wherein the advertiser pays for the number of admits at a fixed rate per person.

    “The numbers of the audience may have gone done, but the quality hasn’t, and therefore we believe this model is best suited and fair for both parties. The approach is working well with the premium, regular clients who are well-acquainted with the medium, but a lot of small and medium budget clients do not understand this model, and that’s where rate negotiations come into the picture. That being said, we are carefully judging where we need to stop. In the process of making informed decisions, we might have to let people go, but we are definitely not selling ourselves short,” he asserts.

    Among the brands that are proactively returning are the likes of Manyavar, Siyaram’s, Allen Solly, Lux, and OnePlus that share a long association with Cinemas, being present on all screens throughout the year. Others that advertise five-six times in a year are the ones that the multiplex brand is making an effort to reach out to for the volumes.

    For ‘No Time to Die’ Inox roped in two new luxury clients, namely, Tata CLiQ and NDC (Natural Diamond Council). The rise of new-age, online/tech advertisers that was fuelled by the pandemic has been media agnostic. Vishal shares that he is “looking forward to a good 15-20 per cent advertisers from this space, which includes e-commerce, edtech, and cryptocurrency brands, pushing revenues for Inox”. 

  • Music listening time through audio streaming up 51 per cent: IFPI

    Music listening time through audio streaming up 51 per cent: IFPI

    Mumbai: The pandemic has taken a severe toll on people’s lives, and impacted their media consumption patterns in more ways than one. According to a new study, it has also led to an increase in the time spent listening to music across the world. People are enjoying more music today than ever before, on an average spending 18.4 hours a week (up from 18 hours in 2019) – the equivalent of listening to 368 three-minute tracks.

    The findings are part of a new study – ‘Engaging with Music 2021’ conducted by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), representing the recording industry worldwide.

    Driven in part by record labels’ investment, engagement with streaming – particularly subscription audio streaming – also continued to grow, demonstrating increasing value to fans. Time spent listening to music through subscription audio streaming grew 51 per cent, as music fans continue to embrace it for the access and autonomy it provides to choose the artists and the music that they love.

    The report measures how people engage with music across 21 countries, and found that fans make their own listening choices, thanks to streaming. The main reasons behind their engagement with streaming were being able to choose their favourite songs, artists, and their own playlists. 68 per cent searched for specific songs and 62 per cent listened to playlists they created more than once a week.

    Around the world, music fans are enjoying a rich and diverse mix of genres. In addition to popular genres, well over 300 different ones were named by at least one person in the 43,000-person study as the music they typically listen to, including gqom, axé, and hokkien song.

    Engagement is fuelled by listeners’ increasingly rich experiences, with music driving innovations such as short-form video, live streaming, and in-game experiences. 68 per cent of the time spent on short-form video apps involved music-dependent videos such as lip-syncing and dance challenges. Furthermore, one in three (29 per cent) said they had watched a music live stream such as a concert in the last 12 months.

    Music makes a powerful contribution to wellbeing, providing comfort and healing to many, especially younger people, in challenging times. 87 per cent said that music provided enjoyment and happiness during the pandemic. 68 per cent of 16-19s said new releases from their favourite artists helped them during the pandemic.

    Music is central to what people enjoy about listening to the radio. 74 per cent listen to it mainly for the music and 73 per cent tune in to their favourite radio station because of the music it plays.

    The availability of unlicensed music remains an issue for the music ecosystem and the threat continues to evolve. Almost one in three (29 per cent) of people had used illegal or unlicensed methods to listen to or download music, and 14.4 per cent had used unlicensed social media platforms for it.

    The data is based on fieldwork conducted in June and July 2021 with 43000 respondents aged between 16 and 64. Panels were nationally representative in each country.

    IFPI chief executive Frances Moore, said, ‘Engaging with Music 2021’ tells the story of how fans around the globe are connecting with the artists and music they love in ways never before imagined.

    “Record companies have enabled artists to develop their vision, licensed an abundance of music tracks to a multitude of platforms, and harnessed new technologies to pave the way for music fans around the world to connect with artists in these growing, and exciting ways. The freedom of record labels to license music to these new and immersive experiences is crucial to the future growth of the entire music ecosystem.  We are campaigning worldwide to ensure governments maintain or implement a fair environment in which such commercial deals can be made,” said Moore.

  • Appliance advertising to exceed pre-pandemic level by 24% in 2023: Zenith report

    Appliance advertising to exceed pre-pandemic level by 24% in 2023: Zenith report

    Mumbai: Forced to spend more time at home, consumers are investing in making their homes more pleasant to live in, fuelling rapid growth in demand for both large and small appliances, particularly cookers, washing machines, dishwashers, and air conditioning units, as per Zenith report. Zenith forecasts six per cent annual growth in home appliance ad spend in 2022 and 2023 in 12 key markets, including India, predicting that home-appliance advertising will grow ahead of advertising as a whole in 2021, expanding by 12.6 per cent while total advertising grows by 11.5 per cent.  

    According to the report, digital advertising accounted for 55 per cent of home-appliance ad spend in 2020, up from 51 per cent in 2019 with brand building and e-commerce expected to further drive 10 per cent annual growth in digital ad spend. According to Euromonitor International, e-commerce rose from 23 per cent of home-appliance retail sales in 2019 to 32 per cent in 2020, compared to 16 per cent of the market as a whole in 2019, and 21 per cent in 2020. 

    Zenith expects home-appliance brands to continue to invest in e-commerce over the next few years, driving 10 per cent annual average growth in their digital ad spend between 2020 and 2023. Digital advertising will rise from 55 per cent to 57 per cent of their ad budgets over this time.

    The strongest growth in home-appliance advertising was observed in India and Russia as consumers make more first-time purchases. Zenith forecasts it will grow at an average rate of 18 per cent a year between 2020 and 2023 in India. The rapid growth will be in part a reaction to its decline in 2020, which was much steeper than average, with spending down 15 per cent in India. But growth should remain strong after a swift recovery in 2021, as rising personal incomes allow households to buy new types of appliances for the first time.

    Over the past few years and especially during the pandemic, home appliances in India have witnessed substantial growth, said Zenith India CEO Jai Lala. “Consumer sentiments are changing towards the category – from being a luxury item to now as a need-based one. An increase in spends will be towards digital followed by TV and print amongst other mediums,” he added.

    Television is still a vital channel for home-appliance brand-building, supplemented by out-of-home, as per the report. Home-appliance brands spend substantially more on these media than the average brand: in 2020 they spent 29 per cent of their budgets on television advertising, compared to an average of 24 per cent, and 7 per cent on out-of-home, compared to four per cent. Zenith forecasts out-of-home expenditure by home-appliance brands to grow eight per cent a year between 2020 and 2023. Television, suffering from the continued migration of audiences to digital channels, will lag behind slightly, with growth averaging six per cent a year.

    Zenith predicts that advertising expenditure by home-appliance brands will rise from $4.4 billion in 2020 to $ five billion in 2021, well ahead of the $4.5 billion spent before the pandemic in 2019. By 2023, ad spend will reach US$5.6 billion. Despite the easing of coronavirus restrictions, Zenith expects consumers will continue to devote more of their time and budgets to the home than they did before the pandemic.

    “In most markets, the increased appetite for home improvement is incentivising home-appliance brands to step up their communications activities substantially,” said Zenith head of forecasting Jonathan Barnard. “Most of this growth is going to digital channels to support increased e-commerce activity, but traditional media like television and out-of-home will remain essential tools for maintaining mass brand awareness.”

    Digital advertising will become even more important to home-appliance brands over the next few years as they continue to embrace e-commerce, as per the study. Home-appliance brands were already well ahead of the market in adopting e-commerce before 2020, but the pandemic led to a step-change in home-appliance e-commerce. It is essential both for brand building – mainly using online video, native advertising, and social media – and performance, using paid search.

    “Faced with rising interest in the purchase, the increased role of digital in the mid-to-lower funnel, and a greater focus on delivering direct-to-consumer experiences, appliance brands have never operated in a more demanding and complex marketplace,” said Zenith global strategy lead Drew Erskine. “Successfully building brands for the long term will require agile strategies that find the balance between cultivating desire through broad communications and converting interest, often digitally, in more relevant ways.”

    The 12 markets included in the report are Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, and the US, which between them account for 74 per cent of total global ad spend. The report covers large and small home appliances, including air conditioners, dishwashers, fridges and freezers, heaters, kitchen appliances, ovens, personal care appliances, vacuum cleaners, and washing machines.

  • ReDefine celebrates its VFX work on ‘Chehre’

    ReDefine celebrates its VFX work on ‘Chehre’

    Mumbai: Global visual effects and animation company ReDefine has celebrated the delivery of VFX services for the Amitabh Bachchan and Emraan Hashmi starrer “Chehre”, the country’s second major theatrical release since the pandemic. The mystery thriller is helmed by production houses Anand Pandit Motion Pictures and Saraswati Entertainment.

    ReDefine contributed significantly to the film’s visuals with its scope of work involving over 200 crew members and also creating a great visual environment through the different stages of the day, as the film’s plot moved forward.

    The team from ReDefine was led by VFX supervisor Arijit Ghosh, successfully aligning with the director’s vision and executing state-of-the-art sequences including high-octane scenes such as a cliff breaking sequence and a major avalanche scene and quality CG snowfall sequences.

    “It is always a pleasure to bring a script to life, and offer our team’s unique vision and expertise to a project whilst building a close synergy with the director, in order to bring out the best output on screen,” said Ghosh. “While the filming was challenging owing to the limitations of the first wave of COVID, we were successfully able to beat any and all obstacles and produce the desired results. Our premier services to the project are indeed reflective of ReDefine’s continuous effort to promote great storytelling and create stunning visuals.”

    Launched in 2019, ReDefine provides creative visual effects and animation services focused on expanding international markets as well as independent filmmakers everywhere. It supports studios producing film, television, and animation content.

    “At ReDefine, we pride ourselves in our extensive experience and market leading technology, which has provided quality value additions to countless film projects and has been associated with the biggest names in the industry,” said ReDefine, general manager, Yohann Abraham. “Our work on the ambitious projects is reflective of our strategic undertakings and successful collaborations with the finest creative talents and production houses of the present day.”

    ReDefine is also providing VFX services to the upcoming film “Cry Macho” for legendary filmmaker Client Eastwood, as well as several Bollywood projects including “Brahmastra” starring Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Ranveer Singh-Deepika Padukone starrer “83”

  • Online retail market in India to rise 3X in next 4-5 years: MMA & GroupM study

    Online retail market in India to rise 3X in next 4-5 years: MMA & GroupM study

    Mumbai: The online retail market in India is set to rise three folds in the next four to five years, majorly driven by under-penetrated categories like grocery, education, and health, as per a new study conducted by MMA India and GroupM.

    Online video spends have seen the highest growth rate of 46 per cent in 2020, as compared to other media channels. Online content consumption grew 35 per cent post Covid, with a total growth of 13 per cent in time spent on OTT from January 2020 to January 2021.

    The industry playbook titled ‘Modern Marketers Guide to Connected Consumer Journeys’ launched by MMA India on Tuesday, along with the AMMP Council and GroupM India is a compilation of learnings and insights by multiple industry experts and an analysis of the e-commerce landscape in India. In the context of the accelerated adoption of online channels, the playbook provides marketers with insights into the changing e-commerce landscape and the factors driving this shift. It also delves into the evolving customer buying journey and purchase patterns, sales-driving technologies such as Voice, AR/VR driving sales and effective channel strategy for improved business ROI.

    According to the playbook, ‘Voice’ is at a nascent stage Indians are leapfrogging on Voice adoption and the market is expected to grow by 40 per cent by 2022. Not just on Google Assistant, voice is rapidly growing as a preferred medium of input across Search and YouTube, driven by vernacular internet users’ preference of voice, who find it to be a more natural way of interacting with technology, helping reduces friction, found the study. Hindi on voice assistants is second biggest globally; 72 per cent Indians prefer non-English language.

    Urban internet users are relying on online platforms for product research. At least 62 per cent of urban users are researching products online before making any purchase either online or offline, as per the guide. As many as 50 per cent of offline shopping across categories involves online product research.

    The biggest retail trend is the increasing popularity of the direct-to-consumer or DTC model, according to the handbook. D2C brands are witnessing a high number of subsequent funding rounds and strategic sales to incumbents. Brands with a DTC model can leverage direct relationships through loyalty programs, special discounting and promotions, and unique and category-specific shopping experiences, says the study.

    The study also highlights that online retail is shifting from electronics to grocery and 73 per cent of customers have purchased through online shopping platforms in the past 12 months. The deciding factors, as per the guide are – product quality ( 63 per cent), price (55 per cent ) and product information (55 per cent), return and cancellation policy, and product warranty.

    There has been an interesting purchase pattern in the consumer journey in the last three months where Amazon, Flipkart, and Myntra were the top three online shopping destinations, notes the study. Groceries, fashion and health, beauty, and personal care were the most searched product categories.

    India today has 622 million internet users (8 per cent growth over 2019) and is expected to touch 900 million users by 2025. With affordable data prices, consumers are increasingly becoming more “digital Conversational Commerce, Voice Search, Video Streaming and Augmented Reality will also help brands drive their e-commerce strategies, says the guide.

    MMA India board member; country head – India, MMA Moneka Khurana said, the playbook outlines how organisations and digital business leaders can improve their understanding of the shift in consumer behavior and solutions that will drive the next phase of growth. “Consistent digital exposure, combined with the presence of available omnichannel touchpoints has resulted in the development of a new consumer purchasing process. MMA through its e-Commerce Council aims to build an overall understanding of the ecosystem and address cluster-specific issues improving capability in omnichannel marketing. We hope this playbook will assist marketers and brands to effectively re-strategise their market approach – from the customers they target to the channels they sell-through,” said Khurana.

    GroupM South Asia president – growth and transformation, Tushar Vyas said the growth in internet users, reduction in data prices, and changing consumer behavior are the key growth drivers for the evolution of eCommerce in India. “We understand the changing online retail market and how it is set to grow 3x in the next 4-5 years mainly driven by underpenetrated categories like grocery, education, health. Considering the emergence and growth of eCommerce platforms, this handbook provides A-Z solutions on how marketers can use eCommerce as a platform to enhance a brand’s reach in these rapidly evolving times,” said Vyas.

    According to Tata Industries Ltd. executive director, KRS Jamwal, going forward, platforms and brands will need to differentiate by providing customers with a better, preferably personalised, yet holistic buying experience that enhances the browse and purchase journeys, and even attempt to bring aspects of the in-store experience online, leveraging tech. “The MMA report provides an overarching view on consumer behavior shifts as well as identifies challenges those organisations may face as a result of those shifts, with best practices and possible solutions”, he added.

  • Bhujia, extrudes and the festive season: Bikano’s go-to-market strategy for H2

    Bhujia, extrudes and the festive season: Bikano’s go-to-market strategy for H2

    Mumbai: The second half of 2021 began on a bustling note for packaged snacks brand Bikano. The Company has launched two new snack ranges – a tea-time maida-based snack range and an extrude range under sub-brand Fatax, a new campaign for its star product – Bhujia, and the festive blitz focusing on sweets. The launches are part of Bikano’s well-thought-out strategy for the rest of the year even as the Delhi-based FMCG firm sets out to achieve its larger goals of establishing itself as the Bhujia specialist and market leader, developing the extrudes category and driving volumes for sweets with festive offerings.  

    Bikanervala Foods, head of marketing, Dawinder Pal takes us through these developments and their strategic importance for the Company in the light of trends, that emerged out of the pandemic year. When Pal joined Bikano from Bonn Group of Industries in October 2019, little did he know that in addition to transitioning from leading a premium western snacks category to heading marketing function for a traditional snacks brand, he will also have to deal with another unexpected industry-wide transformation, just six months down the line. Fortunately, the change was largely positive for him as well as Bikano.

    Taste and flavours reign supreme

    There’s no denying the emergence of health and hygiene consciousness as the most important trends out of 2020. From sanitisers to ‘virus-resistant’ clothing lines, brands across categories grabbed the opportunity to come up with new offerings. Bikano also introduced a range of diet namkeen mixtures and multigrain chips. However, with the setting in of post-covid rationalisation, it became clear that while snacking had definitely embraced hygiene, thus providing an advantage to packaged foods brands, the wave of health-consciousness was short-lived.

    “Even though there’s more awareness and talk of healthy-snacking, the quantum of it is quite low. When it comes to snacks, people are more glued to the taste; there’s still an unwillingness to compromise on it,” says Pal.   

    With renewed confidence, Bikano decided to go full throttle on traditional tastes and flavours, delivered with the hygiene advantage of packaged foods. Bhujia emerged as the obvious choice to lead the Indian snacks category. The humble snack contributes a whopping 35 per cent to Bikano’s namkeen category sales. “We are targeting Rs 200 cr in revenues from Bhujia (Aloo and Bikaneri) in the next two quarters,” says Pal.

    The namkeen and snacks market in India is valued at about Rs 35,000 crore, with Bhujia and Sev enjoying a 25 per cent share. Currently, the second-biggest player, Bikano wants to become the market leader in Bhujias. To this effect, the brand recently launched a campaign – ‘Hum Se Behtar Bhujia Ko Jaane Kaun’ – positioning itself as the “Bhujia specialist”.

    Bikano’s new tea-time range of refined wheat flour (maida)-based snacks, launched in July is further expected to provide it an edge over the competition. Consisting of seven products – Bhakar Badi, Tikoni Mathi, Gol Mathi, Matar Para, Methi Mathi, Mini Samosa and Chai Puri – the range is primarily targeted at the northern markets.

    Unlike traditional Indian snacks where it is the second biggest player, Bikano’s foothold in the western category which includes extrudes, wafers and bridges are not as strong. Pal tells us that since the time he joined, efforts to capture the western snacks market have picked up significantly. With a minimal presence in wafers and bridges ensured, the brand decided to aggressively pursue the high-volume, high-growth extrudes category which targets kids.

    In July, Bikano introduced a revamped extrudes range consisting of Ringz, Puffees, Cheese Balls, Pasta Crunch and Jungle Safari for children aged three to ten years. The objective was to augment presence in the 16000cr western snacks market, within which, extrudes (6000cr) is the fastest-growing sub-category at 23-25 per cent YoY.

    During the launch, Bikano, director Manish Aggarwal had stated that the new range is expected to give the Company a sales surge of up to Rs 15 crore in this fiscal.

    Another top gainer of 2020 for Bikano was the sweets category. Explaining the phenomenon, Pal states, “While our snacks TG remained unaffected, as consumer behaviour shifted towards hygiene, we felt the change – a positive one – most prominently in the sweets category, with volumes doubling in the last two years. That’s also when festive became an important part of our portfolio and yearly plans.”

    Last festive season, the brand achieved 40 per cent growth over the previous year. It has the same target for this year.

    Overall, the Company is eyeing 125cr in revenues from global markets and 1250cr from domestic market in this financial year.

    Changing Media Needs

    Bikano’s media strategy has been a combination of ATL and BTL, with print (newspapers and magazines), tactical outdoor, BTL activations, PoS branding and digital dominating the mix along with some TV. The brand has collaborated with Chhota Bheem for the launch of its Fatax extrudes range. As its builds the kids-oriented extrudes category, more such associations can be expected to increase the quantum of advertising on TV.

    Within digital, Bikano prioritises social media. “We are using the modern social media platforms to build preference for our traditional products among millennials who are more inclined towards western snacks,” Pal remarks.  

    Pal has deployed the OTT medium significantly for the brand’s advertising needs in the US and Canada. Commenting on the rather muted presence on Indian OTT platforms, he notes, “OTT brands in the US offer clear audience segmentation, for instance, the Willow TV app is dedicated exclusively to Cricket. The phenomenon is yet to happen in the Indian OTT space, where there’s no evident differentiation, but we do plan to explore it in the coming year.”