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Tag: small businesses

  • Maruti Suzuki hits the gas on financing with SMFG India Credit tieup

    Maruti Suzuki hits the gas on financing with SMFG India Credit tieup

    MUMBAI: Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) has inked a new deal that could supercharge its light commercial vehicle sales. The company has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with SMFG India Credit (SMICC) to provide tailored auto retail finance options for buyers of its Super Carry and Eeco Cargo models.

    This new alliance is designed to give a leg-up to fleet owners and small businesses by offering flexible, tech-savvy financing solutions. With SMICC’s reach and Maruti’s dealer network firing on all cylinders, customers can now expect an end-to-end credit experience that’s fast, fuss-free and fully digital.

    Present at the signing were MSIL senior executive officers for marketing and sales, Partho Banerjee and Nobutaka Suzuki, along with vice-president Vishal Sharma. SMICC was represented by chief operating officer Swaminathan Subramanian, chief business officer Ajay Pareek, and Takamitsu Kajii, head of planning and alignment.

    “At Maruti Suzuki, customer delight remains to be our top priority. Our partnership with SMFG India Credit adds to our continuous efforts in aiding customers with easy, flexible, and personalised financing options for Super Carry and Eeco Cargo. The Super Carry has a special place in the hearts of fleet owners and drivers with its exceptional load carrying capacity & power, while the Eeco Cargo’s versatile combination of comfort and utility makes it a preferred choice. By leveraging SMFG India’s robust and wide network, customers can expect seamless, tech-driven, end-to-end financing experiences,” said Partho Banerjee. 

    Ajay Pareek added, “We are excited to offer top-class credit solutions to Maruti Suzuki customers as one of their retail vehicle financing partners. This collaboration aligns with our aim of becoming the preferred lending partner of choice for millions of Indians. Our tailor-made product offerings extend beyond auto retail financing and we are well poised to empower every Indian to achieve financial freedom, through easy and accessible loans. Keeping this as one of the cornerstones for progress, we are focused on partnering with top OEMs across key sectors. We are thrilled to ink this partnership with Maruti Suzuki and look forward to jointly serving their customers across the country.”

    With the commercial vehicle market picking up pace, this move could help Maruti Suzuki stay ahead of the curve and load up on volumes—one financed vehicle at a time.

  • Social media has evolved from a brand awareness platform to now driving direct sales for consumers: Ruksheen Palia

    Social media has evolved from a brand awareness platform to now driving direct sales for consumers: Ruksheen Palia

    Mumbai: In the bustling lead-up to India’s festive season, the digital marketing landscape is set for a significant boost, with brands across e-commerce, retail, FMCG and small businesses are eyeing this time to connect deeply with consumers through digital avenues, aiming to capture the excitement and enthusiasm that characterises Diwali, Dussehra, and other festivals. As online engagement becomes the core strategy, brands are leaning into innovative digital marketing trends that make their presence felt and drive conversions.

    This season is also known for an uptick in consumer spending and has traditionally been the prime time for brands to invest heavily in advertising. It is primarily driven by the need to engage India’s increasingly digital-first population, where mobile phones are the primary medium for product discovery and purchases. Brands are setting aside significant budgets for click-to-WhatsApp ads, video content, and social media campaigns to capture consumer interest during this period of heightened shopping activity.

    Indiantelevision.com’s Rohin Ramesh caught up with Social Panga VP – business & strategy Ruksheen Palia, where she touched upon ad spends expected this festive season and some Key trends to look out for in digital marketing.

    Edited excerpts

    On the overall marketing budget are brands planning to allocate specifically for this festive season compared to previous years

    While budgets will differ industry to industry, marketers are upping their spends this festive season for campaigns. However the focus is changing from traditional to digital advertising with real time bidding AI generation, which will allow brands to maximise their spends.

    From the past years’ experience, brands are estimated to spend 25-30 per cent of their marketing budgets on festive campaigns which is similar to previous years but will be more focused on digital advertising strategies.

    On media channels (social media, traditional media etc) you are seeing the most significant increases in ad spend this festive season

    For 2024, the obvious answer would be the digital side of marketing is going to get the biggest ad spends this festive season. From social media, connected TV & retain media playing a huge part.

    On the anticipated ROI metrics for ad spending during this festive season

    Brands are optimistic this festive season & are targeting higher ROI metrics compared to last year. With enhanced AI, content personalisation & omnichannel strategies to make content creation especially of videos more efficient & cost effective.

    Brands are also focusing on emotional connections, convenience & innovative strategies to build more long term goals to acquire customers.  They are not just looking at short-term sales but also focusing on building lasting relationships and brand loyalty, which can pay dividends beyond the holiday season

    On importance of data analytics in shaping ad spend decisions for the upcoming festive campaigns

    A crucial role! With increasing competition & higher expectations from all consumers today, brands are relying extensively on targeting accurately. Data analytics help with personalisation & targeting, Real time optimisation, Channel selection & more data analytics to help improve strategies.

    This festive season, data analytics will play an important part in decision making, helping brands optimise both short-term & long-term goals to build consumer loyalty.

    On importance of personalised marketing during the festive season and strategies are brands using to create personalised experiences

    One of the ways to cut through all the noise this festive season, will be to adopt personalised marketing! Since personalised marketing helps in boosting engagement, enhances customer experience & increases likelihood of conversion a lot of brands should adopt this strategy. Few of the strategies that can be adopted by brands are: Personalised mailers, AI, Dynamic content websites & interactive and experiential marketing.

    On the role you foresee social commerce playing in festive marketing campaigns this year

    This year even more than before, Social commerce is going to play a huge role in festive marketing campaigns. With the integration of e-commerce & social media on platforms like Instagram, FB the role this would play for customers would be: Seamless shopping experience, quick on the go shopping, influencer led & testimonial based buying.

    On brands investing more in social media platforms for sales

    Yes, most definitely. Brands are significantly increasing their investments on social media platforms for sales, especially during the festive season. Social media has evolved from a brand awareness platform to now driving direct sales for consumers.

  • OkCredit launches OkShop

    OkCredit launches OkShop

    NEW DELHI: With a global pandemic, the year 2020 has been challenging for small businesses that have been struggling to stay afloat through this. OkCredit aka ‘Digital India ka Digital Bahi Khata’ with its aim and mission of helping small businesses to grow and empower them digitally has now taken it upon them to spread some festive joy amidst the Chanderi craftsmen community this Diwali.

    OkCredit, continuing its pledge to empower small businesses by creating simple and easy to use products is all set to launch OkShop – Aapki Apni Online Shop. OkShop provides the ease of doing business to all the small merchants by allowing them to set up their online presence in two simple steps. It helps to create product catalogues with images, description and pricing, secure online payments, and easy sharing options of the inventories and offerings on WhatsApp. Vendors can also add or remove from the catalog as per their stock availability. It enables the local vendors to run a digital business-like a pro with the help of this truly Made in India app.

    With the common vision of the Nation – ‘Vocal for Local’, OkShop launches its first campaign ‘Chanderi ki Diwali’. With this campaign OkShop is on its way to onboard more than 3000+ looms, and around 6000+ weavers from Chanderi working hard to thrive the culture and struggling to create a sustainable business, post-pandemic. This opportunity will now enable the weavers to reach to their potential consumers directly along with providing an incentive to increase their sales and gain higher visibility of their products across India. There is no commission attached to it, so the weavers can sell their products free of cost to end consumers.

    OkCredit has also launched an exclusive website for weavers to add their products and for customers to buy directly: http://chanderi.okshop.in/

    The Chanderi society has also seen a great support from the government and local authorities, and is one of the initial 100 per cent free Wi-Fi community, which motivates and enable the weavers to innovate and take next steps towards contributing to the digital economy of India. OkCredit via OkShop top up to this aim to lead the digital empowerment and grow such small Indian businesses go Atmanirbhar.

    OkCredit co-founder & CEO Harsh Pokharna said, “As Shri Narendra Modi rightly says, these tough times have truly made us realize the significance of all local shops & businesses in our country, and we must take it upon ourselves to enable them to have a voice in the Indian digital economy. OkShop provides a platform to digitally empower them, and the Diwali campaign this year depicts gratitude and appreciation to the small merchants for their selfless support extended during this challenging situation; we hope we’re able to make a difference in the Chanderi society.”