Tag: promotional campaign

  • “Leaked WhatsApp chat” gives a sneak-peek into Zomato’s birthday celebrations

    “Leaked WhatsApp chat” gives a sneak-peek into Zomato’s birthday celebrations

    MUMBAI: Known for its witty marketing campaigns, the food delivery app Zomato has once again sent social media into a tizzy, choosing an innovative way to give a sneak peek into the company’s birthday month celebrations.

    The Gurgaon-based food-delivery company turns 13 this month and has made big plans to celebrate its anniversary on 10 July. As part of its marketing outreach, the brand shared a screenshot of a purported “leaked WhatsApp chat”, that reveals conversations between its CEO and various departments, wherein they discuss their ideas to celebrate Zomato’s Birthday Month.

    The chat is a satirical take on the brainstorming sessions between the finance, marketing, and other departments with the company’s boss. The screenshot shared by Zomato shows the CEO initiating the discussion around the celebration with inputs from various teams. It depicts quite simply and hilariously how each department suggests a plan which doesn’t have a collateral effect on it, while also trying to thwart any suggestion which could potentially involve any risks for it or backfire on it later.

    While the marketing team merrily pitches a ‘ten-day holiday’ plan, the Boss puts in a timely reminder that it’s supposed to be a celebration ‘with the customers’. The growth team then generously comes up with a ‘BIG Discount’ idea to which the Finance team cautiously adds that it’ would be a good idea to have a discount ‘on the birthday’ only. But as the proposed discount gets bigger and gets extended to more number of days the finance team is no longer amused, till finally its unanimously decided to have an offer of “60 per cent OFF for the entire July ”. The chat ends with the finance team exiting the chat, declaring its disapproval.

    The screenshot of the quirky chat was shared by Zomato as a mailer to its customers as well as on the app’s social media handles across platforms. On LinkedIn, the post sparked a light-hearted banter between the company’s chief executive officer Deepinder Goyal, and its chief financial officer Akshant Goyal.

    This isn’t the first time that the Food delivery app has used this idea to draw users’ attention and start social media chatter. At the start of the year, Zomato had come up with a similar ‘leaked WhatsApp chat’ mailer, that ‘revealed’ conversations around ‘New year resolutions’ with the boss. The group chat, while fun to read, even managed to drive across the message that the delivery app is on point & prompt with its orders and deliveries.

    Now with its latest ‘leak’ revealing a “60 per cent discount”, the brand looks set to win more than just eyeballs for the month of July!

  • Writer locks horns with ETV Kannada over Akka

    Writer locks horns with ETV Kannada over Akka

    MUMBAI: We’ve heard of instances where writers have been unable to stand up to errant television channels that have produced shows based on their scripts without informing them, let alone involving them.

    However, having such a writer drag the channel to court and succeed in getting a stay order against the concerned show is a rarity in the television industry.

    One such is Akka, the story of twin sisters, which was to air on ETV Kannada at 8.30pm starting Monday. As soon as Kannada writer-producer Rekha Rani got wind of the show being a replica of the draft copy she had submitted to the channel some months ago, she raised a stink. When ETV Kannada didn’t pay any heed to her allegations, she approached the Bangalore civil court which passed a stay order restraining the channel from airing the show from Monday.

    When contacted, Rekha Rani told  indiantelevision.com: “It is my story and idea that they have copied. The channel also came to me for monetary settlement but that’s not what I’m after. I want my story back.”                                         

    Rekha Rani says she only wants her story back, not money

    “I had given the story to the channel and they seemed interested but I had no idea they had taken it ahead without my involvement.” Rani claims she has audio recordings of programming head of the channel Parameshwar Gundkal, asking her to come to a monetary settlement as well as recordings of the show crew describing the show which she says she has produced in court. When contacted, Guntakal refused to comment on the matter.     

    Promos of Akka are already on air and a larger promotional campaign amounting to Rs 10 lakh is running across the state.

    When contacted, Viacom18 EVP Ravish Kumar who heads ETV Kannada, Oriya and Bangla refused to comment saying the matter is subjudice. Asked about the replacement for Akka, he simply said: “Wait and watch what we do on Monday.”

    “This is totally unethical. How can a writer now approach him? This is a clear signal to channels not to mess around with creative professionals. We need to safeguard the interest of writers,” says a senior executive from a rival channel.

    Meanwhile, ETV Kannada lawyer Shyamsundar has this afternoon submitted a reply to the court to vacate the stay on Akka. Coming to Rekha Rani, it’s now a fight to the finish…