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Tag: Vodafone

  • Design Dereliction: Vi’s new logo could have been much more than it is

    Design Dereliction: Vi’s new logo could have been much more than it is

    NEW DELHI: A little more than two years after the Vodafone and Idea merger on 31 August 2018, the brand finally announced a new integrated brand identity for itself on Monday noon. The new brand named ‘Vi’ comes with the promise of “Together For Tomorrow”, ensuring users that the company will play a bigger role in the consumer journeys. In the press interaction, the senior management also indicated that the merger will move ahead with a sharp focus on augmenting digital experiences for the user.

    The branding exercise has attracted a lot of attention within the industry and started many discussions across platforms.

    Sideways co-founder Abhijit Avasthi pointed out that there was great anticipation surrounding the new brand identity when two of the biggest telecom companies in India merged two years back and this new entity is signalling the beginning of a new journey for them as an integrated entity. It’s a launch of ethos and a new persona.

    “I am keen to see how the new company will behave going forward as in their initial avatars, the two were very different companies; one was far modern, contemporary, young and the other one was a little bit more earthy.

    Abhijit Avasthi

    AVASTHI THINKS IT IS A LAUNCH OF A ETHOS
    AND A NEW PERSONA

    Almond Branding founder & director Shashwat Das said, “If I come down to the logo for what is the largest telecom integration in the world, I am a tad disappointed. While there has been an attempt to retain the equity of both Vodafone and Idea logos- the red colour and the exclamation respectively, the end outcome could have been a lot more exciting.”The new elements of the brand identity, the logo, the moving lines of the animation, and the bold mustard dot of I, has initiated a series of discussions on various media. But the industry is not mighty impressed with the new design.

    He added, “I have already seen people mistaking it for the Roman numeral six and am sure that the circular dot jutting out at the bottom will be making a lot of people uncomfortable. To some it looked like a medal. But I am also a bit concerned about the uncanny chiseling of the V at the base. The way I decode it, the bold mustard dot will be a dynamic element of the identity showcasing the amazing possibilities and also symbolizing focus – bringing back the focus on the consumer. So while the concept is good, the execution leaves us wanting for more.”

     

     

     

     

     

    Shashwat Das

    DAS IS DISAPPOINTED WITH THE NEW LOGO

    Elephant co-founder, director Ashwini Deshpande said that it is a bit premature to respond to a logo when one hasn't seen the visual language or communication around it but it doesn’t look like a mobile first logo that the company might want it to be. She quipped that the finesse that Vodafone was famous for, in its language and script, is missing in the new brand identity.

    “In the absence of a full picture, it reminds one of solid logos from the industrial era except the falling yellow penny that is out of scheme for those times. It doesn't look like a 'mobile first' logo. Also wondering how the app icon will pan out since the yellow penny will reduce the size of V & I in the app icon enclosure. Considering the exposure & choices of Gen Z & millennials, it is a bit disappointing. It neither conveys communication nor technology,” she elaborated.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Ashwini Deshpande

    DESHPANDE IS ALSO DISAPPOINTED AS THE NEW LOGO
    NEITHER CONVEYS COMMUNICATION NOR TECHNOLOGY

    Deshpande further commented, “This would have been the perfect time to liberate the visual identity from the regimented colour scheme borrowed from previous identities of Vodafone and Idea. But the design has stuck to predictable red & yellow. Looking at how the Jio logo has several colour versions (even Docomo did this earlier and Go Air too) that still look ownable due to the font and container, V! (Vi) seems to have passed that opportunity.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Das disagreed a little from Deshpande as he pointed out, “The digital-age modern identities have to be dynamic, flexible and fluid. I am sure that the new Vi identity will live upto it. I visited the new website and it did look fresh and elegant. The design is indeed minimalistic and the identity is fluid enough to transform itself into various forms and environments. The mustard dot can be seen everywhere from radio-buttons to the chatbot animations. So I believe the dynamism and fresh look can help hook the attention of the young consumers.”

    He added, “I also like the tagline “Together for Tomorrow” which captures both the aspects of the two companies coming together for a brighter tomorrow as well as WE (the company and the consumer) are in this together to build a better tomorrow. There is a lot of power in the inclusiveness and collaborative feel of Vi (read We). Hence the brand storyline has immense potential.”

  • Vodafone Idea Ltd rebrands itself as ‘Vi’

    Vodafone Idea Ltd rebrands itself as ‘Vi’

    NEW DELHI: Going ‘Together for Tomorrow’, Vodafone and Idea have been rebranded with a unified identity ‘Vi.’ The integration of two brands is a culmination of the largest telecom integration in the world. The announcement was made Monday noon via a virtual press conference. 

    Vi is built to be strong, ever-dependable, agile, intuitive, and a brand in tune with the needs of the customers, in these ever-changing times. It is future-ready and is committed to dynamically serve and enable a digital society. 

    The new brand identity has been designed in collaboration with Vodafone Idea Ltd’s agency Ogilvy. 

    Vodafone Idea Ltd MD and CEO Ravinder Takkar said, “Vodafone Idea came together as a merged entity two years ago. We have, since then focuesed on integrating two large networks, our people and processes. And today I am delighted to present Vi, a brand that will bring important meaning to lives of our customers. Indians are optimistic and want to get ahead in life. They would love a credible partner to help them on this journey. Vi’s positioning is built around this promise and will focus on meeting the customer needs to help them thrive.”

    “The brand integration not only marks the completion of the largest telecom merger in the world, but also sets us on our future journey to offer world-class digital experiences to 1 billion Indians on our strong 4G network. VIL is now leaner and agile, and the deployment of many principles of 5G architecture has helped us transform into a future-fit, digital network for the changing customer needs. The new brand launch signifies our desire to not just deliver, but delight our customers, stakeholders, communities and our employees and signals our passion and commitment to be a Champion for Digital India. With Vi, we are confident of building a brand that continues to command respect and trust, and will be admired and loved by all. We look forward to your continued support as we get ready to deliver a superior Vi experience,” added Takkar.

    Vodafone chief digital transformation and brand officer Kavita Nair said, “Vi leverages the strength of two of India’s most loved brands, Vodafone and Idea. Vi is vibrant, exciting and throbs with the spirit of rising India. It is committed to help every Indian move ahead in life. Vi is dynamic, flexible, fluid and always on. In the months to come Vi will continuously unpack exciting possibilities for its customers. Vi is built for the new age and for the connected ecosystem. We invite everyone to join this exciting journey as we move towards building a better tomorrow.”

    The team highlighted that the rebranding is not just an identity but a new design system, which intends to leverage legacy and at the same time be transformational in its intent and signals that change. It stretches across consumers and businesses, and across all classes, geographies, urban and rural.

    Nair noted, “The “i” is always punctuated with a bold mustard dot. It is confident, surprising and delightful. It reflects the throbbing and progressive pulse of India. It is unique, continuously unpacking amazing possibilities, and always putting customers at the heart of everything.” 

    Starting today, Vi ads will be on TV and digital platforms, followed by a high decibel intensive multi-media campaign, spread across the physical and virtual channels. The customers will get a personalised message to welcome the new brand identity and little surprises like creating a personalised ringtone from one’s phone number are at offer. 

  • Brands mourn the loss of actor Irrfan Khan

    Brands mourn the loss of actor Irrfan Khan

    NEW DELHI: Wednesday morning sent tremors of despair across the country as the news of the untimely demise of Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan broke out. The 53-year-old star, who had not only worked in some path-breaking Hindi films like Maqbool, Madari and Piku, but had also been a part of Oscar-winning international projects, including Life of Pi and Slumdog Millionaire, had been suffering from Neuroendocrine tumor. The versatile star was also the face of some popular brands, most notable being Syska LED and MasterCard. He had also appeared in advertisements of Indica Easy Hair Colour (CavinKare India), Candid Dusting Powder (Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd), Envy 1000, CEAT Tyres, and Vodafone, amongst others.

    Syska Group head of marketing Amit Sethiya took to Twitter to share his feelings over the sad demise of the actor. He wrote, “No words to express the sorrow. You will continue to rule our heart Irrfan and will always be remembered for your impeccable performances and humble persona. Strength to your family members. #IrrfanKhan #RIPIrfan #RestInPeace #Legend #Omshanti (sic).”

    The brand also shared an emotional video on its Instagram handle to mark his journey as the face of Syska LED, taking snippets from the very popular ads he did for them.

    Several other brands paid tribute to the actor as well as homage with beautiful creatives and heartfelt messages.

    DLF Promenade

    Limeroad

    MTV Beats

    Oven Story

    Parle G

    T Series

    YouTube India

  • Vodafone’s much-loved pug and zoozoos appeal to Indians to #StayHomeStaySafe’

    Vodafone’s much-loved pug and zoozoos appeal to Indians to #StayHomeStaySafe’

    MUMBAI: In these trying times of social distancing and stay-at-home lockdowns, citizens have been confined to their homes and are completely dependent on telecom networks to study, work, access essentials, source information and entertainment. Vodafone has brought its endearing pug and ZooZoos back to convey critical messages on safety and urging customers to carry on daily tasks from home through Vodafone network.

    Vodafone has been communicating with its customers under two broad themes – #StayHomeGoDigital and #HereForYou. Under the first theme, Vodafone has been communicating about the various ways customers can utilize the benefits of the brand’s digital touchpoints. While #HereForYou is all about various initiatives that VIL has undertaken to ensure that its customers remain connected in all circumstances.

    Vodafone has now launched a public service campaign and brought back zoozoos to reinforce the need for social distancing. The three videos under this campaign impart some critical messages, in a lighter note:

    Wash your hands

    Link: https://youtu.be/QizBJnrjNU8

    Social distancing
    Link: https://youtu.be/-uIRfR3QavA

    Fake news
    Link: https://youtu.be/4i3uEluSCUk 

    Vodafone recently released a new video featuring the pug with the #StayHomeStaySafe’ message. Telecom networks are the only window to the outside world, to just being in touch with other human beings, to staying connected to anything at all. Pug reinforces the importance of staying at home and staying connected with Vodafone in these difficult circumstances. The pug beautifully conveys the message – Our network is at home with you. Stay home, stay safe. Stay connected with Vodafone. #StayHomeStaySafe.

    Video Link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p95cuOuqYg

    Explaining the rationale behind bringing back the iconic pug and Zoozoos to convey an important social message, Vodafone Idea Limited chief digital transformation and Brand officer  Kavita Nair said, “In the current circumstances, telecom networks are our only window to the outside world, to just being in touch with other human beings, to staying connected to anything at all. While VIL has been going the extra mile to keep the nation connected, we thought it’s time to bring back our best loved icons – Pug and Zoozooz – to reinforce the importance of staying home, staying safe and staying connected with Vodafone in these difficult circumstances. We felt that these much-loved icons would be perfect to appeal to the emotions of Indians, urging them to stay safe at home and stay busy on Vodafone network.”

    Ogilvy India  CCO Kiran Antony  said, “People tend to seek familiarity in uncertain times to feel comfortable. And that is where loveable brand properties can play an important role. More than for the nostalgia factor, we also brought back the pug to stand out from rest of the ads delivering the same message. With some clever editing, we managed to re-purpose an old ad to deliver this important message.”

    With retail outlets being inoperational due to the lockdown, Vodafone is helping its 2G customers using feature phones, to access Quick Recharge through SMS and Missed call. The process is simple and easy to understand. Customers just need to send a SMS from their registered mobile number.

    Vodafone has also been creating awareness among customers on accessing and taking the benefit of digital platforms through ‘how to’ video links, GIFs, dockets that explain the process for undertaking recharge and effecting bill payments on MyVodafone App and website. Recharge process details are also being communicated via my Vodafone app, and enabled via digital wallets. Pre-paid customers can also undertake recharges through their nearest Bank ATM. Additionally, Vodafone is requesting digital savvy prepaid and postpaid customers to #RechargeforGood and help their friends, relatives and neighbors who are not familiar with digital platforms. Each #RechargeforGood is being rewarded with flat cashback.

    While customers stay safe at home, Vodafone is ensuring that they are able to go about their activities through Vodafone 4G network, whether it be facilitating online study for students, access to news on developments around the world, access essential services online, learn a new skill, workout from home and a window to a world of entertainment through Vodafone Play.

    Despite the restrictions on movement during the lockdown, Vodafone has been acknowledging the invaluable sacrifices and contributions of its ‘network heroes’ the field engineers who have been working tirelessly to support customers stay safe at home and connected through Vodafone  4G network. There are innumerable examples of these network heroes travelling long distances day and night, putting a brave front, weaving through police blockages to attend to faults and restore connectivity at the earliest.

  • The Vodafone pug is back – telling everyone: Our network is at home with you

    The Vodafone pug is back – telling everyone: Our network is at home with you

    MUMBAI: In these trying times of social distancing and stay-at-home lockdowns, telecom networks are our only window to the outside world. They are like Oxygen as these telecom networks help families and friends stay in touch with one another as human beings around the globe and to stay connected to anything at all….

    So while VIL has been doing its very best to keep the nation connected, we thought it’s time to bring back our best-loved icon to reinforce the importance of staying at home and staying connected with Vodafone through these difficult circumstances, albeit in its endearing way.

    The Vodafone pug is back – telling everyone:

    Our network is at home with you. Stay home, stay safe. Stay connected with Vodafone.

    #StayHomeStaySafe

  • How brands are leveraging Children’s Day for moment marketing

    How brands are leveraging Children’s Day for moment marketing

    MUMBAI: Gone are the days when marketing only used to target adults with disposable income. Now-a-days, kids are an important constituent of marketing eco-system for brands, as they understand that kids can influence a lot of buying decisions of their parents. It’s no wonder then that 14 November is an important day for brands, not only for boosting sales through product-specific discounts but also for brand placement and building brand recognition and brand loyalty through ethical, moment marketing.
    We take a look at the marketing strategies of brands for this Children Day, to understand better how brands are leveraging November 14 for their products and brand image.

    Google

    Every year Google organises a doodle contest for school children in India and the doodle submitted by the national winner of the contest is featured on the Google homepage on Children's Day.
    The theme for this year’s contest was 'When I grow up, I hope….’ The contest was held in five class groups. Four entries from each group were finalised as the national finalist. Each finalist entry was put up for voting from 25 October to 6 November.
    "A cumulative score based on public voting, scores by guest judges and panel of Google executives will choose one of the five group winners and announce the National Winner on 14 November 2019," says the official Doodle for Google website.
    The winner of the contest, apart from their doodle being placed on Google India homepage, will receive Rs 500,000 college scholarship, Rs 200,000 technology package for their school, a certificate / trophy of achievement, and a trip to the Google office.

    SBI

    Every year, on the occasion of Children’s Day, SBI Life Insurance releases inspiring real life videos of people who strive towards child development. Over the years, SBI Life has associated with various institutions like Parikrma Humanity Foundation’s founder, Maneka Stephen, who rose from slums to become a beacon of hope for underprivileged kids, NGOs like Canshala – CanKids…KidsCan, Freedom 4U Foundation, Smile Foundation, etc. to encourage the cause and awareness of children’s rights, care and education.
    This year SBI has associated with Muskan Foundation’s founder Dipti Gandhi to support the cause of ‘equal education’ for children having multiple disabilities with visual impairment (MDVI) under SBI Life’s digital property #DilBacchaTohSabAccha.

    McDonald’s! #ImKiddinit

    McDonald’s is trying to market itself as the ultimate family outing destination for the whole month and celebrating November as #ChildrensMonth2019. For the same, McDonald’s has launched #ImKiddinit – under which it will offer discounts on Family Meal plans from 12 November to 24 November. Besides, the restaurants will also get a kiddie makeover as the menu boards will be changed to display doodle sketches (like children’s drawings). There will also be cute toys, doodle mats, kiddie menu boards and amazing offers at its outlets.

    Parle-G

    Parle-G, the iconic biscuit brand by Parle, has launched #BackToBachpan challenge for this Children’s Day. It asks Twitter users to recreate a moment from one of their old childhood picture and share both pictures after tagging Parle-G and one or more friends, asking them to accept the same challenge. The initial response from Twitter users has been encouraging with hundreds of young people recreating a moment from their childhood picture and sharing it on social media.

     

    The fact that it’s mandatory to tag friends and ask them to accept and participate in the challenge, is ensuring that the campaign goes viral and increases its reach with every new participant. The result – hundreds of people tagging Parle-G along with their personal pictures, in the process enhancing Parle-G’s brand recognition in urban markets.

    Vodafone

    Vodafone has come up with #LookUp campaign for Children Day. The telco has also launched a 15-second supporting video for the campaign. The video exhorts mobile-users to ‘Sush Your Phone, Not Your Kid’ this children day. It encourages parents to give the most precious gift to the kids this Children Day, their time by looking up from their phones. The campaign also asks parents to share their thoughts on how they want to spend this 14 November with their kids.

     

     

    The campaign is an attempt to communicate to Vodafone users that the company cares for their family lives and their emotional well being, at the same time, increasing brand recognition and loyalty.

    GrabOn


    Brands understand kids influence the buying decisions of their parents, and a day like 14 November could be leveraged for marketing products in kids’ category. Thus, GrabOn has curated many Children’s Day-specific discount offers and coupons at one place. It says that this savings’ special is for everyone and not just kids, as everyone loves saving. Many of the discount coupons are in children-specific products and services like – First Cry, Kids Carnival, Simplilearn, etc.

    Adani

    Adani Group has tried to stand out from other Brands by sharing a warm message for India about its aged population on this Children’s Day. The message is supported by a heart warming video that reminds the nation – home to the world’s largest young workforce – that our elderly need as much care as our children.
    The campaign aims to shed light on this novel thought and bring forth the idea of becoming parents to our own parents and raise awareness amongst the youth who tend to overlook the needs and aspirations of their parents and highlight the importance of making them feel loved and needed in our fast paced lives. The campaign video highlights the innocent and compassionate relationship between a young couple and their parents along with the little things they do to take care and make him happy.
    Sharing a statement with the media, the conglomerate said: “Adani Group believes in the growth of goodness and this campaign has brought in a new perspective of celebrating the special occasion of Children’s Day with our aged.”

    Ford 

    Ford India has launched several unique initiatives on the Children’s Day – including a specially created Comic Book titled Discover More with Ford.

    A unique content initiative, the comic book inspires readers to be the change they wish to see in making travel safe – for drivers and pedestrians.

    With Ford EcoSport as the narrator, the story highlights a day in the life of Dia – the lead character -and how she never fails to follow traffic rules. Her courteous behaviour throughout the story makes her a role model not just for the kids travelling with her, but also the readers.

    “From providing the best of safety technology in Ford cars –to– encouraging drivers to be courteous to others while driving and follow rules, we believe in making every effort possible to ensure that every family travel safely,” said Kapil Sharma, Director, Communications, Ford India. “With the Comic Book, we look to put an influencer in each car, persuading others to be courteous and drive safe.”

    Besides the Comic Book, Ford dealerships will organize special on-ground engagement zones to sensitize kids on the significance of road safety with games like Spot the Hazards, Kaun Banega Safety Champion and Ditches & Bridges.

    Children visiting the dealerships will also be given the tour of the service area, wearing safety gear specially made for them, and play the technician. In return of their participation, children will be given a gift hamper of safety kits including a safety champion badge, Discover More band and a board game on road safety.

  • Facebook Thumbstopper ads can help brands save 40% on PnL

    Facebook Thumbstopper ads can help brands save 40% on PnL

    MUMBAI: Brands and agencies advocated for Facebook’s 10-second-long ad format at the inaugural Thumbstoppers Summit, organised in Mumbai on 9 October in the presence of representatives of all the top industry players from the country including creative magnates like Wunderman Thompson, Ogilvy, Dentsu Aegis Network and brands like Vodafone and Hindustan Unilever.

    Speaking at the event, Unilever general manager-media (South Asia) Gauravjeet Singh said that shorter ad formats like these can help the brands do 40 per cent savings on PnL.

    Facebook India director and head, global marketing solutions (GMS), Facebook India Sandeep Bhushan mentioned that shorter ad formats of around 10 seconds, which can work without sound with the first frame that can insist the user to click and provide consistent branding, have the ability to garner an 11.3 per cent increase in recall value and 5.4 per cent increase in brand income.

    The event saw the presence of creators like rapper Naezy, and film producers and directors Kiran Rao & Zoya Akhtar who talked about the importance of good content and shorter ad formats.

    Rao shared that it seemed a little difficult and exciting to create stories within 8-10 seconds when she first started working on this Facebook initiative in the month of February this year, but during the course she realised that the focus has to be on that one moment of emotion that captures audience attention.

    Thumbstoppers is an industry-first program in partnership with leaders from the advertising industry – Wunderman Thompson, Ogilvy, Leo Burnett, McCann MullenLowe Lintas Group, and Dentsu Aegis Network. In the last five months, almost 1000 creative professionals have been trained from 56 agencies to help drive effective business results for their clients, and cater to wider consumer sentiment.

  • Brand-building for longevity and future growth becomes major focus for top brands in Brand Top 75 Most Valuable Indian Brands ranking

    Brand-building for longevity and future growth becomes major focus for top brands in Brand Top 75 Most Valuable Indian Brands ranking

    MUMBAI:–India’s most valuable brands, many of which have built their businessesthrough disruption, are now looking to capitalise on their achievements and invest in strategies for long-termgrowthand stability.This is a key finding of the sixth BrandZ™ Top 75 Most Valuable Indian Brands ranking, released today by WPP and Kantar. This year’s results revealed a 6 per cent rise in overall brand value to $228.2 billion, a moderate pace compared to previous years, given India’s recent macroeconomic challenges. Despite that, such growth is still in line with that of the BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global brands, as India steadily rises in global economic rankings. 

    HDFC Bank, now ranked No. 1 for a sixth consecutive year,has demonstrated the rewards of maintaining a forward-thinking and innovative outlook,withits consistent focus on exceeding the changing needs of its customers. With new financial products, an ongoing drivetowards digital banking and new branches set-up throughout the country, the bankgrew 5 per cent in brand value to $22.7 billion. This is a positive contrast to the 8 per cent decline in value of the top 20 global banks .

    The BrandZ study, which is the only brand valuation ranking to combine companies’ financial data with consumer insight and opinion, shows that trust is key to develop the stabilityrequired for long-term success; highly trusted brands in the Top 75 are worth 129 per cent more than less trusted ones. 

    Trusted brands include many of the consumer-facing technology platforms and service providers. Despite owing their success to disruptive beginnings, these brands now also focus on activities to build trust such as ongoing and effective communications with consumers that generate comfort and familiarity with using the brand. With a 30 per cent increase in value, this sector was the fastest growing group of brands in the ranking.

    Notable brands include ecommerce site Flipkart (No. 12), which increased its brand value 14per cent to $4.7 billion, while unicorn brands hotel booking site Oyo($2.0 billion), online food ordering service Swiggy ($1.6 billion) and online restaurant marketplace Zomato ($1.0 billion) are newcomers to the ranking at No.30, No. 39 and No. 61 respectively.

    The fastest riser in the 2019 ranking is telecom provider, Jio, which climbed one place to No. 9 with a 34per cent increase in brand value to $5.5 billion.Itsdisruptive business model has made internet access available to many Indianswho were previously unable to afford it, thereby opening up access to digital platforms and services.Vodafone ($2.5 billion) meanwhile was the top-ranked newcomer at No. 24.

    Both digital and offlinebrandssuch as D-Mart (No. 25, $2.4 billion) have found success as a result of the rise of ‘middle India’; the growing number of people in the country’s second, third and fourth-tier cities and towns that are changing India’s traditional urban-rural divide.  These previously poorly-served segments increasingly have access to a variety of online services, with Swiggy and Zomatobuilding much of their growth on this shift.

    With an expanding choice of offerings to buy, Indian consumers increasingly care more about the quality of service than whether a brand originates in India, as long asit demonstrates that it understands what it means to be Indian. That insight is reflected in the decision by Amazon to launch itself a year ago as India’s ‘neighbourhood shop’.

    David Roth, CEO of The Store WPP EMEA and Asia and Chairman of BrandZ, says:“As India flexes its muscles on the world stage, it faces increased macroeconomic headwinds which have combined with a rise in global trade tensions to create a challenging environment.Successful Indian brands are adapting to these challenges andrecognising that longevity requires them to do more than just disrupt the status quo; long-term brand building requires new strategies that major on stability.”

    BrandZ Top 10 Most Valuable Indian Brands 2019

    Preeti Reddy, CEO South Asia, Insights Division, Kantar says “Consumer trust is a common thread among successful brands. However, it is concerning that only a few have succeeded in growing trust over the last five years. Those who done so, have done it through open and honest conversations with their customers. Brands would do well to consciously work at building consumer trust – it is the shield that gives a brand the resilience to face headwinds in uncertain times.”

    Vishikh Talwar, chief client officer, Kantar Insights Division, says: “The rise of ‘middle India’ combined with rapid growth of the mobile internet is providing unprecedented opportunities for brands.  But, with an almost overwhelming choice of products and servicesto buy, consumers are increasingly discerning; the Indian psyche requires that brands cater for local needs with offerings that genuinely improve daily life.  Today that’s as much about providing comfort and reliability as it is about generating new experiences.”

    In general, India’s top brands are taking a long-term approach to value creation. Over the past five years, a stock portfolio containing the BrandZ™ India Top 75 Most Valuable Indian Brands would have increased 33.8per cent in value. This compares to a rise of just 12.4per cent for India’s SENSEX, an index of 30 stocks on the Bombay Stock Exchange, demonstrating that valuable brands generate superior shareholder value. 

    Key trends highlighted in the BrandZ Indian Top 75 study include:

    Mobile internet access: Smartphone user numbers in India increased by 18per cent in 2018 (the fastest rate of growth in the world), mainly due to a combination of Jio’s own low tariffs and the renewed competition causing other telecom providers to reduce their rates.

    Buying power:Retail is the second fastest growing category, with online and offline both growing strongly. New entrantReliance Retail (No. 55, $1.1 billion)opened nearly 500 new stores and usedJio’s service to connect retail shops with grocery deliveries, while D-Mart ($2.4 billion) focused predominantly on offline, rising two places to No. 25.

    The Amazon effect:Amazon and Flipkart compete with many Indian brands across several sectors, with Amazon also opening its largest campus yet in India.  This has increased competition and driven brands to step up their operations to ensure they are meeting customers’ needs.

    A confident country: The success of unicorn brands such as Swiggy, Zomato and Oyo is fostering a new-found confidence in India.  This is augmented with the increasingly global outlook of these new brands as they actively seek to expand their operations outside India.

  • Vodafone’s friendship day campaign urged people to befriend people for real

    Vodafone’s friendship day campaign urged people to befriend people for real

    MUMBAI: A few days ago, Bollywood friends Neha Dhupia and Soha Ali Khan unfollowed each other on Twitter and Instagram causing a media frenzy and catching the attention of several fans and followers on social media. While the Bollywood paparazzi’s were still wondering the reasons for souring relations, the two actresses eventually revealed the reason on how they unfollowed each other so that they can catch up and befriend each other in real life. This was part of #FriendsUnPlugged campaign by Vodafone on Friendship Day. The initiative conveyed the message about the need to connect and communicate with our friends and loved ones in real world and not merely like, comment or share on their life’s updates on social media.

    Come Friendship day and we get hordes of messages on different social media platforms. This Friendship Day, Vodafone through a social initiative urged people to disconnect from social media and connect with the friends in real life. The initiative encouraged people to make it a point to meet friends more often, rather than catching up online. The dependence on social media is so high that there is very little room left for actual, real world conversations. Social media updates conveniently tell us all we want to know about our friends’ life, but we are missing on the importance of face-to-face conversations.

    Vodafone’s recently released #FriendsUnPlugged Friendship day video which was shared across social media platforms including WhatsApp.

    Commenting on the campaign, Kavita Nair, Chief Digital Transformation and Brand Officer, Vodafone Idea Limited, said, “Technology plays a significant part in our lives, but it has also managed to find different ways to get into and consume our friends/family time. We forget that offline social interactions had and will continue to have, more depth than any online conversations. Vodafone’s #FriendsUnPlugged campaign addresses this need to have real conversations. We hope that our campaign will encourage people to connect with our loved ones and create real memories. We are receiving lots of consumer love on social media as the campaign continues to win hearts across the country.”

    Vodafone’s latest campaign is based on the insight that people have begun virtual life which is pushing them away from actual conversations and connect. Knowing or unknowingly most people today choose to look into their phones even as they sit across the table from someone.

    Speaking about the concept behind the campaign, Kiran Antony, CCO, Ogilvy South and Team Vodafone, said, “Our Friendship Day initiative puts the spotlight on how online conversations have taken over face to face meetings. We innocuously rely on social media updates to know what’s happening in the lives of our friends and forget the importance of catching up for real. Through our film, we want to provoke more and more people and start a movement to prioritise real connections with friends over online chats.”

    Earlier in 2017, Vodafone rolled-out #LookUp campaign that struck a chord with millions of Indians and encouraged them to have real offline conversations and create memories that matters. Vodafone since then has been building momentum around inspiring people to form stronger and more real bonds with their friends.