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Tag: Shubhangi Gupta

  • Sports partnerships in the era of streaming services – Optimising Digital and Offline Marketing

    Sports partnerships in the era of streaming services – Optimising Digital and Offline Marketing

    Mumbai: In India’s fast-paced digital economy, the sports sector is going through a major upheaval, mostly as a result of the emergence of live-streaming services. Sports fans are increasingly preferring the digital way to consume sports content, limiting the scope of traditional distribution channels thus, limiting the scope for brands to effectively advertise their cause. This digital transformation presents opportunities as well as challenges for brands keen on investing in sports.

    Traditionally, television has dominated the viewership in the realm of sports. In India, just a decade ago, the influx of the internet was far less pervasive than it is today. Live sports streaming on OTT platforms was not affordable and accessible and, thus, was not the norm, and fan engagement strategies were confined to offline channels. However, as the internet began to gain momentum and accessibility across India, a gradual shift occurred. The coming of the digital age brought up the emergence of online streaming services and digitally created content for fans across the globe. Fans started to enjoy the freedom to access their favourite sport and sport-related content regardless of the region, breaking free from traditional television schedules. This shift marked the beginning of a digital revolution.

    People today are more connected than ever before, thanks to the internet era. Thus sports leagues, sports tournaments, athletes, and the sports industry in general have also started to connect with their fans via digital platforms. Today, live sports broadcasts and live sports consumption have majorly shifted to OTT platforms to make it accessible for fans to engage with sports. Additionally, the emergence of social media platforms and the presence of fans on these platforms have made it all the more imperative for sports to take the digital route. Interestingly,  the emergence of these digital platforms, may it be OTT streaming or social media, has made it possible for previously unattainable ideas, material, and opinions to be shared. The digital route that sports today across the world is taking is affecting the brands positively as it gives them access to more accurate data about their target audience and also opens a new mode of communication, especially with the new generation. This has also led to brands partnering with specific sports tournaments and organizations and curating customized material that is specific to the audience and the platform on which it is being placed.

    This makes us question if offline marketing still holds its value. Though digital means have a worldwide reach, they lack two crucial components that prevail in all walks of life: trust and credibility. Trust, credibility, personal touch, and camaraderie are what make offline marketing, especially in sports, significant.  In face-to-face encounters, whether at live sports events, sponsor activations, or community initiatives, there exists a tangible sense of reliability and authenticity that can be orchestrated with the fans present at the moment.

    Online marketing is very good at drawing in new customers since it primarily targets a large audience. With online content, brands have more scope to explore creativity with captivating imagery and narrative to engage potential customers. In order to appeal to certain demographics, interests, and behaviours that resonate with the target audience, brands, and organizations also get the opportunity to customize their message and creative assets. On the other hand, offline marketing initiatives effectively target local geographies and demographic audiences. Companies and brands have the ability to target certain regions, organize events, and choose the material that appeals to the local population in those locations. Sports is one such area that offers brands the opportunity to leverage both of these ways of marketing.  Brands investing in local sports by organizing or partnering with local sports tournaments or promoting local talent by supporting their journey can help the brand create a stronger bond with the community. Brands can take the digital route or a more traditional offline marketing route; sports offers a 360-degree advertising opportunity with the added advantage of positive brand building and long-term connection with the community.

    ‘Decathlon’, one of the leading sports brands in India, is a great example of how companies may interact with their audience by combining offline and internet marketing techniques. With multiple digital campaigns such as ‘Play Your Own Way’ or ‘HERoes of Decathlon,’ they promote the idea of sports and inclusivity within sports effectively while hosting sports tournaments, partnering with local sports events and sports communities to establish real connections with customers and provide them with an in-person opportunity to interact with the brand and test out new items.

    In order to survive in this fast-paced world where consumers have easy access to thousands of brands, it is crucial to blend online and offline marketing strategies. The development of the digital age has created many fan engagement options, ranging from interactive social media marketing to immersive stadium experiences. Brands must choose the right opportunity and leverage the growing sports community in India.

    This article has been authored by  SportVot co-founder, CMO Shubhangi Gupta.

  • The art of storytelling: How content marketing is changing sports advertising in India

    The art of storytelling: How content marketing is changing sports advertising in India

    Mumbai: In the heart of India, where every street corner echoes with the chants of cricket enthusiasts, every school has a rich history of rivalry against other schools’ football clubs and every district has an annual Kabaddi championship tournament which the entire community awaits eagerly,  sports are not just games; they are a way of life. This very passion for sports has many brands strategically planned their campaigns around the sporting events happening in the country throughout the year. From the extravagant IPL or the PKL to domestic sports season at the state and national level, brands from across industries have always been in a tussle to capture the essence of the season and reach out to their target audiences in the most effective way possible. This quest has become the canvas for some of the most creative and compelling brand narratives that transform the brands with mere products into representations of the community all through the power of storytelling.  

    The idea of brands presenting themselves in the form of a narrative or a compelling story is not just another marketing gimmick to grab the audience’s attention but it has a deeper sense of connecting with the audiences on a personal level, becoming a part of the community and recognising and celebrating the impulse of the masses. Let’s say the cricket season for example, in India is not just a sporting season but as the IPL 2015, tagline said ‘India ka Tyohaar’, is a festival in itself. May it be a multilateral or bilateral series between nations, an ICC event such as the World Cup or an annual league event like the IPL, the tournament grabs everyone’s attention. Now the amount of exposure to audiences via digital and social media has surpassed all limitations, but it has its drawbacks. With consumers being bombarded with information about thousands of products from hundreds of brands, it has become essential for brands to stand out and develop a real connection that the audiences get hooked on. This is where the art of storytelling in an advertising campaign has taken a front seat.

    The storytelling approach has proven to be effective for brands across industries. One such is from the Disney Star network of channels in India. In 2016, promoting their new approach towards content and society when Star Plus launched a new tagline of ‘ Rishta Wohi, Soch Nayi’, in alignment with Disney Star’s ‘Nayi Soch’ campaign, the most narrative-driven movement was run by the brand when they asked the Indian Cricket Team, with star-studded cricketers such as MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma to wear a jersey with their mother’s name on the back. This initiative created a much-needed buzz around that particular game and indirectly towards Star’s new tagline and approach. Followed by a video series of player interviews where they expressed their thoughts about their mothers, it struck a chord with every individual. Thus, capitalising on a universal relation between a mother and a son, Disney Star subtly pushed ahead its narrative.  

    Another example of a highly content-driven campaign comes from Unacademy. Unacademy, one of the official partners for the IPL 2020, seamlessly merged its product with its association with the tournament. The target audience for the edutech platform being school and college-going students, Unacademy created a fun, easy-to-remember jingle song that instantly appealed to the masses. Utilising some of the most prominent video footage from the IPL season and turning it into simpler examples of complex educational concepts. For example, showing the Pythagoras Theorem using how MS Dhoni sets his field or taking Virat Kohli’s on-ground aggression as an example to explain Volcanic eruption, all of this in just one song, Unacademy created an experience for the students both while learning the concepts as well as watching the game, thus, giving the brand an incomparable recall value.

    These compelling narrative-driven campaigns now have seeped deep into the lower tiers of the sports ecosystem, with newer brands taking a similar approach to establish their presence at the domestic level. One such example of this can be the Nexus Day Surgery Centre, a world-class medical facility, specialised in sports injury treatments, that adopted a similar approach. Nexus Day Surgery Centre with a vision to establish its presence in Maharashtra’s vast local sports ecosystem, partnered with four National level women athletes from the state, becoming their official healthcare partners for the season 2023-24.  Nexus Day Surgery Centre timed this announcement with International Women’s Day to show their support and encouragement towards women’s participation in sports. Following this, the Nexus Day Surgery Centre also provided discount incentives to athletes from Maharashtra for their treatment and checkups. This way, Nexus Day Surgery Centre reached out to the close-knit Kabaddi and football community, established its presence, extended its support to the values of the community, i.e. of women empowerment and made a lasting impact on the minds of the people.

    As sports seasons continue to captivate the nation, innovative brands will keep pushing the boundaries of creativity. However, this innovative, story-driven approach is certainly transforming the way audiences or consumers perceive commercials. Now it has become less of an interruption and more of an essential chapters in the grand saga of sports, connecting us on a level deeper than mere fandom. As the sports advertising landscape evolves, with every match becoming a story waiting to be told, brands will continue to find new and ingenious ways to transform their products into legends, ensuring that the passion for sports in India burns brighter than ever before.

    This article has been authored by SportVot co-founder Shubhangi Gupta.
     

  • Havas Group India brings in Shubhangi Gupta as associate VP

    Havas Group India brings in Shubhangi Gupta as associate VP

    Mumbai: Shubhangi Gupta has joined Havas Group India as the associate vice president, according to her LinkedIn update.

    Gupta comes with an experience of over 14 years. Previously, she was associated with Mindshare as senior director for nearly three years. She has worked at organisations such as Discovery Networks, OMD India, Vizeum India, Brand Capital, Group M, and Star News, having started her career as a business manager at Maxus in 2007.

    Moving from there, Gupta joined Star News as assistant manager. She also worked with Brand Capital as the deputy manager for more than two years. Gupta joined Discovery Networks in 2016 where she single-handedly worked on the successful launch of Discovery’s new mass entertainment channel among other things.