Paperboat has weaved its entire marketing strategy around ‘nostalgia’. Be it the brands ATL activities or its BTL initiatives, all marketing moves are drenched in childhood nostalgia, a common ground to connect with consumers on, in turn helping the brand establish a unique identity amongst the clutter of other beverage brands.
We caught up with ParveshDebuka, Head Marketing, Paperboat on the brand’s philosophies, its experiential initiatives and plans down the road.
Q-How did you decide on ‘nostalgia’ as the central theme of the brand?
A- Every Indian region has a particular drink associated with it. In North India, we spend winters dreaming about the arrival of our beloved mangos. The mango season starts with chatpata aachaar, khatta-meetha aam papad and tangy aampanna (stage 1) being made at home by our mothers and dadi-nani forces. Our motherly forces (with inconsequential advice from the menfolk of the house) made sure that every sip of the smooth aamras (stage 2,) was made with love and care. Its recipe will always be a shared yet a guarded secret. Similarly, in coastal areas, a glass of Kokum after the final cricket match between the two local schools not only quenched the thirst of little boys but also imprinted a deep love for Kokum. A stroll along the chawpati will always be incomplete without a kala khatta stain on your pristine white skirt; how can we ever forget the ‘bhaiya thoda our namak dalo please’ phrase.
These are the drinks and memories we want to share with the world. The diversity of cultures in this country has given us unique drinks, recipes of which have been passed down for centuries. We are here to find a way of sharing these gastronomical gems with the world.
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Q-What is the marketing philosophy for Paperboat?
A-We believe in life and how easy it is to be happy. There is always plenty of opportunity for simple pleasures and we just want to bring that alive. For instance, when was the last time you made a paper boat? I made one long time ago in school and I got stuck in the second fold while attempting to make one last year. I spent twenty minutes trying to figure how to make one and when I finally did, I wanted to make ten more ! I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I even floated one in rain water. It is experiences like this that we want to live again.
Q- What is the current marketing spend for Paper boat?A- We can happily say that our spends on the marketing function truly rides on the strength of the idea. The creative team is constantly working on churning out ideas that would expand the consumer base for paper boat.
Q-What do you think gives Paper boat an edge over other beverage brands in the Indian market?
A- We can vouch for a fact that no other beverage brand in the market have two adorable puppies. We just can’t have enough of our dogs Hector and Beverages. Yes, they are our cutest and most adorable assets and obviously give us an edge (with a lot of nudges, that comes with the dogs, I guess).
Q- What are some of the other marketing campaigns that you look forward to executing down the line?A- Well, there is no fun in revealing surprises. We will spring one on you soon and you will know.
Q-What will be the target market for such experiential campaigns?
A-Anyone and everyone willing to walk with us hand in hand and see lies ahead of the curve. Do you remember thinking , ‘if I eat a watermelon seed, will a tree grow inside me?’ I remember this from childhood. And so does everyone else in my office. We all have similar memories.
