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Tag: Sonali Shah

  • Guest column: Brands have to re-strategise for impactful engagement with consumers

    Guest column: Brands have to re-strategise for impactful engagement with consumers

    MUMBAI: 2020 has been a year of hard lessons that will leave an impact across industries and societies for decades to come. The year of the pandemic made us change the way we conduct business, and rethink our strategies, compelling us to adapt to the changing realities of the times. We’ve already witnessed a fundamental shift in how companies approach their marketing. However, one thing is clear to all of us: the pre-Covid2019 world is gone for good and 2021 is going to be about how brands amend and adjust their strategies for the new normal. We don't know yet if schools will open anytime soon. We don't know about the functions of vaccines, however, we have to re-evaluate, gear up and think of a way forward for 2021 and beyond.

    1. Digital expansion

    When the dust from the Covid2019 crisis finally settles, it will be clear that we’ve dramatically accelerated the adoption of digital technology into our lives. The pandemic has shown us how this digital transformation has made many aspects of our home and work continue almost as normal, despite the abnormal circumstances. Agile marketing and a presence on both online and offline platforms is the need of the hour. Our online presence and digital engagement have always been high and we would also be focusing on how our brand can work on making the digital community stronger.

    2. Reconnecting with the normal world and fostering human connection

    As we’re navigating a new way, we know that many of those activities we took for granted have transformed. From going to the grocery store to children attending school, our lives have changed for good. For many of us, work has also shifted from full time work in an office to work from home. This has impacted the ways we humans interact with each other and we’re transitioning to virtual relationships. Now that we all are getting to grips with the new normal, it’s never been more important to stay connected to the people and embrace flexibility. Brands will have to re-target and re-strategise to engage with consumers in newer and more impactful ways.

    3. Ease of purchase

    As the pandemic has compelled consumers and us to adopt e-commerce/door-to-door services and dependency on digital means at a rapid pace, 2021 will see brands working further to improve product accessibility for consumers as India's digital revolution gathers pace after a subdued economic year overall.

    4. Climate change and sustainability

    Even though it might not be obviously clear, the Covid2019 pandemic has highlighted the fragility of human existence itself, and that in turn has forced consumers to prioritise sustainability and climate change issues that might have been overlooked five years ago. The rising penetration of social media in every aspect of lives has also compelled consumers to signal to their peers that they care about the planet. Caring for the planet and sustainable ecosystems along with proselytisation of veganism have become key virtue-signalling elements in our thought process. Brands across the world have responded to this change and even fossil fuel conglomerates are presenting “Green, sustainability” funds to mitigate the effects of climate change. The world is witnessing the power of mass behaviour change and everyone is remembering the importance of leading with purpose. Consumers prefer to connect with brands that display a sense of sustainability ethic.

    In 2020, Faber-Castell launched its recycled range of paper pencils, made with recycled and repurposed paper. The rainbow shavings in this product underlined the brand’s priority to promote inclusivity. Added to this, the water-soluble seeds found at the bottom of the product emphasized its eco-friendly quality. Through this one product, we are forwarding our goals of sustainability as well as inclusivity. This is not to say that we are resting on our accomplishments. Through advanced research and product development, we are constantly attempting to further improve our sustainability score through innovation in our packaging and products. The consumers have always positively responded to this and we hope that we will continue to be appreciated for it.

    (The author is marketing director of Faber-Castell India. Indiantelevision.com may not subscriber to her views.) 

  • Faber-Castell sees 300% hike in downloads of painting patterns and drawing tutorials during the lockdown

    Faber-Castell sees 300% hike in downloads of painting patterns and drawing tutorials during the lockdown

    NEW DELHI: The Coronavirus pandemic with all of its challenges has changed societal structures around the world. Fears and concerns about personal and familial health, as well as the long-term economic outlook, are a massive mental burden on millions of people. Since the beginning of this “new reality,” many have increasingly turned to means of creative expression – as a self-prescribed and astonishingly effective therapy for stress, anxieties and loneliness. During lockdown periods, Faber-Castell registered an increase of 300% per colouring patterns and tutorial videos, with plans for an expanded range.

    Cancelled pre-school education, enervating homeschooling, work from home, absence of friends and grandparents, growing fears about the future. And drawing and painting on paper can help in easing mental strains. Seeking contemplation to retreat from a seemingly hostile outside world is a human reflex that tends to intensify in times of uncertainty or even crisis. Creative expression has long been used as a therapeutic tool to alleviate stress and focus the mind. While never an adequate replacement for treating serious mental issues, drawing and painting are proving an effective therapy for calming, the stimulation of brain activity and relaxation.

    The Swiss psychiatrist and Freud disciple Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) described the positive psychological effects of colouring figural Mandala images, for example. He described them as “holy geometric patterns,” a direct invitation to listen to the inner self and find harmony. These patterns, said Jung, would strengthen the spirit to foster personal growth has been frequently proven that interaction with artistic tools can help in better coping with traumas or difficult stages in life. According to the US magazine “Psychology Today”, the involvement with art can considerably relieve stress, improve symptoms of depression and anxiety and evoke more positive memories. Such artistic self-realization truly has healing powers.

    Feelings and ideas can be expressed through pencil and brush, in shapes and colours, with each interpretation a completely singular one: Blue shades can mean open sky to some, the vast ocean to others, orange, red and yellow may represent the sun, a hearth or campfire. Others may prefer all hues of green, associating forests, summer meadows or a secluded garden. Such exercises are a means for reflection and mindfulness, no matter the individual artistic talent. They offer an opportunity for meditative relaxation and convey positive associations such as success and contentment.

    Faber-Castell head of digital marketing -Oliver Hempel has monitored concrete download figures to outline the growing demand for creative activity: “During the lockdown phase of recent months, our drawing patterns and tutorials have been downloaded about three times as often as in the comparable period last year,” explains the manager. “Our online sales also went up significantly.”  

    Faber-Castell, India marketing director -Sonali Shah notices a hike in the engagement rate by almost 30-40% on the tutorials uploaded by the brand during lockdown than pre-COVID times. At the same time, she also says we have seen substantial growth in Art and colouring products like paints, colour pencils and accessories like canvas and brushes.

    In Brazil, they offered free online drawing lessons during quarantine times and successfully so: These courses were downloaded three million times, with the number of subscribers rising by 4,500%.

    In response to the fast-growing demand worldwide and the emphatically positive feedback, the stationery giant plans offer new designs and instructions on a continuous basis.

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  • Faber-Castell art business grows by 300% y-o-y during Covid2019

    Faber-Castell art business grows by 300% y-o-y during Covid2019

    NEW DELHI: Faber-Castell is a name most children grow up with. As one of the leading manufacturers of wood-cased pencils with a varied range of products for writing, drawing, and creative design, as well as decorative cosmetics, it also found Covid2019 challenges and is now changing its strategy.

    Faber-Castell marketing director Sonali Shah says, “When the country was in complete lockdown, schools were shut, stores were shut, we were completely shut. But we saw a lot of latent demand coming from e-commerce. And when stores started opening, we saw that a lot of people started putting their attention towards DIY (do it yourself) products and art which helped us gain demand for our products.”

    Self isolation, work from home and study from home options led to a growth in demand for art and other stationery supplies. Faber-Castell tied up with Swiggy Genie to make stationery available at the doorstep for its consumers. 

    “Demand for products including highlighters, text liners, which are generally used for office purposes, now because of digitisation, people actually want to do hands-on things. Our art business has grown by 300 per cent over last year and we have recently launched our liquid paint. Art is divided into dry medium and liquid medium. Dry medium products include crayons and coloured pencils and liquid medium is acrylic paints, fabric paints, poster colours and watercolour. Our liquid paint business has grown by 84 per cent,” she shares.

    Faber-Castell had restrained from any overt advertising during the pandemic. “I thought it's quite insensitive for us to do it. But what we continue doing is putting up tutorials on different techniques that people can use to do art and crafts and DIY techniques and how they can spend their time at home. So, that was something that we had done during the lockdown. Now that things are opening up, we will probably look at launching eco-friendly products, make in India products because that’s the need of the hour. So, we are launching our paper pencil and eco pencil. For now, we have taken a conscious call to not do any overt advertising as such, but we will try and put as much content out there to help people get through this tough time,” she shares.

    With the thrust being given to Make in India products and eco-friendly items, Faber-Castell will refocus its attention and fast-track its product developments to meet the demand.