MUMBAI: Diageo India has named Aanandita Datta as its new vice president, marketing and category head. She moves from Pizza Hut, where she was chief marketing officer for India and the subcontinent, and before that spent nearly a decade at Unilever.
A marketing veteran with 19 years of experience, Datta has worked across categories from oral care and foods to beverages. She launched and scaled brands such as Sensodyne and Lipton, built new categories like green tea and sensitive oral care, and led Horlicks’ major relaunch in 2010. At Pizza Hut, she drove campaigns to court young consumers and make the brand part of “young India’s daily life”.
Datta described herself as a “storyteller with a curious mind”, saying her purpose lay in “exploring the unknown and inspiring others to do the same”. She has previously managed portfolios worth over €1.3bn, partnered with the UN and Indian government on sustainability projects, and steered both disruptive innovation and mature-brand growth.
At Diageo, she takes charge of marketing strategy and category development in one of India’s most competitive consumer markets.
MUMBAI: Pizza Hut turned a national pizza habit on its head this week—and left ketchup bottles sweating. In an audacious twist to Indian food culture, the brand rolled out its ‘Ketchup’s Out, Juicy’s In’ campaign, asking pizza fans to trade in their beloved ketchup sachets for a taste of its new Juicylicious range.
The result?
Long queues, empty pizza racks, and an internet that just couldn’t stop talking.
The offer was simple: give up a ketchup sachet at any Pizza Hut store and walk away with a free Juicylicious pizza. Over 2,400 pizzas flew out of ovens across key cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Bangalore—100 pizzas per store, per day. The experiment quickly made waves on Instagram and even trended on Google Search, as consumers queued to test whether saucy pizzas could truly exist sans ketchup.
The campaign drew on a sharp consumer insight—that for many Indians, ketchup is the band-aid for dry, underwhelming pizzas. With its new Juicylicious lineup, Pizza Hut aimed to end that dependency.
And judging by the queues, the crowd was hungry for change.
To spice things up further, comedienne Jamie Lever joined the party. Her cheeky takes on the ketchup break-up lit up Instagram, making for a humorous—and surprisingly relatable—slice of content.
The Juicylicious range stars juicy paneer and chicken toppings marinated in three flavour-packed sauces: bold Kadhai, aromatic Royal Spice, and fiery Southern Chilli. Layered with 100 per cent authentic mozzarella and baked on a crisp crust, the new pizzas aim to eliminate the need for add-ons.
As Pizza Hut pushes for a cleaner break from ketchup culture, Indian pizza lovers seem ready to embrace a saucier, bolder slice. For more, check out the original campaign video here and Jamie Lever’s reel here.
MUMBAI: A tech topping on a global pizza, Yum! Brands is stirring the pot in India with a spicy leadership update. The parent company of KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and Habit Burger & Grill has appointed Manish Jain to lead its digital and technology (D&T) India Global Capability Centre (GCC).
Jain will take charge of Yum!’s India-based digital operations and shared services, bringing to the table over two decades of experience spanning the US, Malaysia and India. He will report directly to James Watts, chief people officer, Yum! digital & technology.
Yum!’s D&T India GCC is a crucial cog in the company’s global engine, tasked with building tech solutions and supporting services across all Yum! brands. Jain’s appointment marks a strategic step forward in reinforcing India’s position as a digital powerhouse for the global quick-service restaurant (QSR) giant.
“I am honored to take on this role and excited to help build the India Global Capability Centre in support of Yum! Brands’ strategy for good growth and its goal to be an employer of choice in the region,” Manish Jain said.
Before joining Yum!, Jain served as service director for the Asia-Pacific region and India country head at Getronics International, overseeing customer success and shared services. He was also the founding director of BT Group’s Global Business Services unit in India, where he spent over 10 years scaling operations from the ground up.
With Jain at the helm, Yum! Brands aims to not just scale digitally but serve up innovation with a side of world-class culture. His appointment is expected to bolster the GCC’s ambitions in tech development and shared services, reinforcing India’s growing influence in global operations.
Mumbai: As SW Network continues to onboard more global clients, landing the prestigious Pizza Hut mandate adds another impressive achievement to its portfolio. YouthBeat, the pioneering youth marketing wing of SW Network, has recently secured the youth marketing mandate of Pizza Hut, India’s most loved pizza brand. SW Network’s Delhi office will handle the account, which was secured through a rigorous multi-agency pitch.
Pizza Hut’s newly launched ‘Melts’ is stirring up excitement in the Indian market. As per the mandate, YouthBeat will be responsible for crafting engaging content for Pizza Hut Melts and maximizing its reach on campuses and beyond. They will also be spearheading an effective student ambassador program with 500 students across 8 cities to engage with Gen Z and young audiences, promoting the Melts range in the coolest, most innovative ways.
To channel its youth community’s competitive spirit, YouthBeat will introduce weekly tasks and challenges within the student ambassador program. Tasks such as increasing trials and expanding reach, with all the progress being tracked on a dedicated microsite will feature via a leaderboard. Top performers will be given the chance to win coveted rewards including MacBook, Air, iPhone, iPads, Jordans, and many other exciting prizes to ensure high engagement and enthusiasm among Gen Z.
Sociowash co-founder Raghav Bagai on winning the mandate, expressed “Partnering up a big player in the F&B space such as Pizza Hut is very thrilling for us. We, at YouthBeat, will be devising Pizza Hut’s very own student ambassador program called The Melts Squad, consisting of ambassadors across many Indian cities. We are already looking at more possible tools to optimize this ambassador program, leveraging our expertise in understanding the GenZ preferences and mindset, to enhance awareness and engagement around the new range. The Melts range comes with a tagline of “No interruptions. Only Satisfaction”- and we want to rightly put across how crispy, cheesy, and, loaded the range is, solidifying the sentiment that nothing in the world needs to pause while you binge on your own ’Melts’.”
Commenting on the collaboration with SW Network, Pizza Hut India CMO Aanandita Datta said, “Gen Z is an important demographic for us, and we are looking at many innovative ways to engage with them. Partnering with SW Network to launch the Melts Squad program is a significant step in that direction. Melts has already taken Gen Z by storm, and we are excited to take it up a notch with this partnership”
Mumbai: Pizza Hut, an Indian pizza brand forayed into a new category in India with the launch of Melts. Crispy, cheesy and loaded – melts is a convenient, and satisfying meal option, featuring a thin and crispy crust, folded over and loaded with abundant fillings, melty cheese and flavourful sauce.
Perfect for anytime, anywhere consumption, Melts is the apt meal for multitasking consumers, who believe in staying one step ahead in the hustle and bustle of life, without missing a beat. To highlight the sheer versatility of Melts, Pizza Hut is rolling out a slice of life ‘No Interruption, Only Satisfaction’ campaign, that brings out the convenience and satisfaction of Pizza Hut’s new Melts, designed for on-the-go consumption without interrupting daily activities.
The ‘No Interruption, Only Satisfaction’ campaign film opens with a spotlight on Melts. The film then cuts to various situations showing people holding and enjoying Melts with one hand while they simultaneously play a video game, shuffle songs as a DJ at party or do the viral ‘Moye moye’ hook step – all without missing a beat. The campaign showcases how individuals are effortlessly indulging in Melts while gaming, working, or dancing, elucidating that Melts perfectly fits into their everyday activities and seamlessly integrates into their busy routines.
Talking about the campaign, Pizza Hut India CMO Aanandita Datta said, “As meal-times get blurred and lifestyles get busier, consumers increasingly look for options that seamlessly blend into their lifestyle. The ‘No Interruption, Only Satisfaction’ campaign brilliantly captures this sentiment and showcases Melts as the ultimate choice for individuals on the move. Melts is a product unlike any we have ever had in India and marks our entry into a brand-new category. The variety of flavours and a great value price point will surely delight and surprise our customers.”
The ‘No Interruption, Only Satisfaction’ film has been conceptualised and shot by CreativeLand Asia and will be promoted on TV & through digital films in major Indian languages. The campaign is supported by an expansive 360-degree marketing strategy, backed by robust PR and influencer partnerships, as well as out-of-home advertising and in-store branding for effective engagement with fast-paced consumers. To further connect with a savvy, young audience, the brand has also collaborated with Playground, India’s first gaming reality show aired on Amazon Mini TV, showcasing how Melts can enhance the gaming experience without interruptions, offering gamers a convenient and satisfying meal option.
Melts is available in six delightful variants tailored to Indian tastes: Loaded Veggie BBQ, Loaded Chicken BBQ, Cheezy Cheese, Cheezy Cheese Chicken, Magical Makhni Paneer, and Chicken Tikka and Keema. Starting at just Rs 169, Melts is available in all 850 plus Pizza Hut restaurants across dine-in, delivery, and takeaway. This global bestselling addition to Pizza Hut’s menu is sure to redefine consumer preferences when it comes to relishing their favourite food while on-the-go.
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: Eloelo live entertainment app, has launched a digital campaign for its live game show, ‘Diwan-e-Cricket.’ The campaign video highlights the craze of the cricket World Cup in India. Eloelo’s game show ‘Diwan-e-Cricket,’ is an engaging cricket quiz show hosted by celebrated cricket analyst, Aakash Chopra. Cricket enthusiasts can prepare for a thrilling experience and compete for Rs one lakh in cash prizes and the chance to meet Aakash Chopra live.
Brands like Meesho, Ajio, Pizza Hut, Zee5, boAT, AbhiBus, Asian Paints, Coin Switch, Parle-G, and Zepto also reacted to the campaign on X (Twitter).
Starting on 8 October 2023, ‘Diwan-e-Cricket’ will captivate viewers during the innings break of every India match in the ODI World Cup. Aakash Chopra, former Indian cricketer, renowned commentator, popular YouTuber, and esteemed columnist, will kick off the dynamic live show with insightful match commentary and offer an opportunity for Eloelo app users to interact with him on the live show. The quiz will follow, featuring four options per question and a countdown timer. The contestant with the most accurate responses will have the opportunity to claim enticing cash rewards.
Host of the game show Aakash Chopra said, I am excited to host Diwan-e-cricket exclusively LIVE on the Eloelo App which is one of the leading live streaming platforms in India. Cricket is of course a sport that unifies the entire nation and the way Eloelo has envisioned the show, with both live interactivity with users and a fun game show combined into a first-of-its-kind concept is what really got me interested. It combines the nation’s interest in the ongoing World Cup with a deewangi for cricket in general, in a unique and fun way. Cricket lovers are sure to love the show.
Eloelo CEO Saurabh Pandey emphasised the company’s unwavering commitment to creating interactive entertainment that aligns seamlessly with Indian sensibilities. He commented, “At Eloelo, our aim is to tap into the shifting consumer behaviour from TV-based content consumption to mobile-based content consumption. With the World Cup fever across the country, we want to extend our app users a chance to not only engage with their favourite game live with an expert but also stand a chance to win big. ‘Diwan-e-Cricket’ is in line with our social games offerings that have cultural resonance with a core layer of interactivity to them.”
Get ready for an exhilarating experience throughout the ICC World Cup Tournament as ‘Diwan-e-Cricket’ blends entertainment with exciting cash rewards. This exclusive event, hosted on the Eloelo platform with 37 million users and 120K creators, invites participants from every corner of India to seize the opportunity to win INR 1 lakh in cash prizes!
Eloelo recently secured $22 million in a Pre-Series B funding round, co-led by Courtside Ventures, Griffin Gaming Partners Mixi Inc, Waterbridge Ventures, Lumikai Fund, Kalaari Capital, Convivialite Ventures, and Rocket Capital. The app continues to offer a diverse range of shows, including Lovehouse, Tambola, Ludo, the latest addition, Tol Mol Ke Bol, and the exclusively designed “Diwan-e-Cricket” for the upcoming ICC World Cup Tournament. This recent funding and continuous addition of interesting shows are intended to propel Eloelo’s business growth to new heights.
Eloelo recently secured $22 million in a Pre-Series B funding round, co-led by Courtside Ventures, Griffin Gaming Partners Mixi Inc, Waterbridge Ventures, Lumikai Fund, Kalaari Capital, Convivialite Ventures, and Rocket Capital. The app continues to offer a diverse range of shows, including Lovehouse, Tambola, Ludo, the latest addition, Tol Mol Ke Bol, and the exclusively designed “Diwan-e-Cricket” for the upcoming ICC World Cup Tournament. This recent funding and continuous addition of interesting shows are intended to propel Eloelo’s business growth to new heights.
Mumbai: Amazon miniTV friendship day campaign #CaseTohBantaHai has marked a new milestone in creating content-led entertaining experiences for its audiences. Interestingly, brands across the vertical started participating in the campaign.
When the campaign was unveiled, the streaming service opened the floor to the audiences to put forth an Atrangi Ilzaam on their friends, which is the unifying theme of their tentpole comedy reality show Case Toh Banta Hai.
The 360-degree integrated campaign started with Twitterati making funny and outlandish accusations against their friends. Along with that, a barrage of relatable memes inspired by the show also started pouring in.
Soon enough, brands jumped onto this bandwagon and #CaseTohBantaHai took over the internet. Over twenty brands including Swiggy, Pizza Hut, Noise, Tinder, Durex, Domino’s Pizza, Baskin-Robbins, Shemaroo, Dunzo, Shaadi.com, Gold’s Gym, PharmEasy, Mad Over Donuts, and Cleartrip joined the digital jest. The brands used this opportunity to poke fun at their customers’ traits, thus leaving the digital-first generation in splits.
Some of these hilarious ‘cases’ are given below:
Domino’s
Swiggy
Tinder
Durex
Pizza Hut
Baskin-Robbins
This campaign also coincided with the “Case Toh Banta Hai Celeb 2.0” reveal, which announced a stellar line-up of celebrities who will appear on the show. Concurrently, the celebrities slated to appear on “Case Toh Banta Hai” turned the excitement up a notch higher. Abhishek Bachchan, Shahid Kapoor, Ananya Panday, Chunky Panday, Sonakshi Sinha, Sanjay Dutt, and Pankaj Tripathi, amongst others, took to their social media to answer their summons to the katghara. These posts got people talking and amplified the buzz around #CaseTohBantaHai and also the anticipation for the show.
“Case Toh Banta Hai,” a one-of-its-kind courtroom comedy reality show, features Riteish Deshmukh, Varun Sharma, and Kusha Kapila in the roles of Janta Ka Lawyer, Defense Lawyer, and Judge, respectively. Each week, a new celebrity appears on the show, facing hilarious accusations and having to defend themselves. Produced by Banijay Asia, Case Toh Banta Hai is the perfect blend of sketches, talk shows, and impromptu comedy. Viewers can enjoy new episodes every Friday for free, exclusively on Amazon miniTV, which you can find on Amazon’s shopping app and Fire TV.
New Delhi: Xaxis, GroupM’s Outcome Media Company has announced that its recent voice-activated conversational ad campaign for Pizza Hut India has successfully led to a surge in order volumes and increased the customer engagement by 8.29 per cent over a period of two weeks.
Xaxis Creative Studios (XCS) had created voice-activated conversational ads, engaging listeners in a dialogue to drive awareness of Pizza Hut’s Buy One Get One (BOGO) offer. The interactive audio content generated over 2,000 responses from 60,000 impressions during a 10-day pilot. XCS accessed advertising inventory on the Gaana music app and used voice-activated artificial intelligence (AI) advertising technology to help handle conversational elements.
It also ran A/B tests to measure the effect of generic campaign creative elements vs. creative focused on dinnertime. The overall voice-engagement rate saw an 8.29 per cent increase, it stated on Tuesday.
Pizza Hut India, chief marketing officer, Neha said the brand has been experimenting with innovative marketing formats that resonate with the millennial-minded audience. “I am thrilled to see that our voice-activated BOGO campaign has received such an excellent response. Kudos to the Xaxis team for perfectly conceptualizing and implementing it. I look forward to working with them on many more exciting projects going ahead,” she said.
Brands have been using audio ads to drive awareness, but typical broadcast methods do not spur as much customer engagement as interactive formats.
According to GroupM South Asia, CEO, Prasanth Kumar conversational ads are still in the nascent stage in India. “Pizza Hut expressed its openness to leverage the expertise of Xaxis Creative Studios and use two-way conversational audio ads to reach its target audience. With conversational audio ads, there is an opportunity for brands to craft a targeted and personalized customer engagement strategy. The results of this campaign are proof that our insight-driven approach and expertise drive impactful and measurable outcomes for the client,” said Kumar.
Continuing its quest to make people see the brighter side of lockdown and social distancing, Pizza Hut has launched eleven vibrant pizza themed wallpapers to make video chats even more delightful and memorable. The wallpapers are freely downloadable from Pizza Hut’s Facebook page and can be used across several video conferencing platforms to mask boring walls and cluttered rooms. Pizza Hut is the first food brand in India to have designed and launched their own wallpapers, which are available in simple jpeg formats. The wallpapers can be downloaded from here: Link
Talking about the launch, Neha, Marketing Director, Pizza Hut India said, “As a brand that exists for the love of pizza and bringing people together, we believe these wallpapers are a great way for pizza lovers everywhere to express themselves and add a dash of personality to their video chats, as they catch-up with loved ones, do office meetings or attend classes. Our millennial consumers will especially enjoy using these quirky wallpapers to showcase their love for pizzas to the world. In these trying times, it’s also our way to make the best of being indoors and add some colour and fun to our consumers lives.”
Pizza Hut, through their ongoing #QualityTimeNotQuarantine campaign, has been urging people to be optimistic while staying at home and appreciate the extra time that they have got. The brand recently reinvented its logo to reinforce the practice of Social Distancing and inform consumers about its oven-to-doorstep contactless experience, which enables them to enjoy tasty and hygienic pizzas in the safety of their homes, as the food is delivered straight from the oven to the doorstep, without any hands touching it.
Pizza Hut has also been contributing to COVID-19 relief initiatives in India by providing quality and hygienic meals to medical and frontline staff at government hospitals across cities. The brand has added several WHO-recommended safety and hygiene measures to the existing stringent policies that it has always maintained, for ensuring the highest level of food safety, and the well-being of its customers and employees.
