When his events were hit by the by 26/11 tragedy, death of a political supremo in Mumbai, or while he organised a road show spanning across 36 cities in just 26 days, Sameer Tobaccowala, the CEO of Shobiz Experiential Communications, is known to brave challenges.
In conversation with EE, he talks about the evolution of BTL space and how hurdles can be converted into opportunity areas.
In the years since your inception, what is the change that you have seen with brands approaching you for BTL activations?
We have witnessed the evolution of the BTL space over the last 2 decades. Some of our first few initiatives marked the entry of Coke as well as IBM, into the Indian market. The evolution of this space owes itself to the learning curve which clients and agencies have traversed through, along with socio-economic and political catalysts such as liberation, the explosion of modern retail and the burgeoning Indian middle class. Today, unlike the past, there is a plethora of spaces where one can experience a brand. Brands are rapidly waking up to the value of positive conversation and are realising that no matter whether you are an impulse purchase like an ice cream or a high value consumer durable like a refrigerator, much attention must be paid to the ‘aura’ of the brand. More mature marketeers today will look far beyond the bottom line and include return on interaction, return on engagement, return on experience as factors that all contribute to return on investment.
Which sector experiments most with BTL activations?
From among our spectrum of clientele, FMCG, auto and mobile have been the verticals most open to exploring radical innovation in the BTL space. However, BTL is not for everyone. Sectors like pharma, engineering, technology are a difficult fit for BTL, which only means that the creative brains at the agency need to work that much harder.
According to you, what is the role of experiential marketing in the whole brand building exercise?
Experiential marketing is a potent element in the overall marketing mix, one that is measurable, one that is two-way and gives your audience a chance to speak back, one that can be a gateway for a more prolonged and deeper engagement with your audience. I do not believe that these strengths can be found in traditional media. Therefore experiential media needs to be considered as a key ingredient in the overall marketing mix.
Do you think experiential marketing is underutilized in India?
For sure I agree with this statement. And this fact belies a number of fallacious attitudes: for example, I think that a large number of big spenders indulge in way too much hedging, they love their print ads, their TVCs, their traditional toolsets of market research and focus groups. This also points to the fact that the big established global players have not cracked the experiential play in India. I hope the day is not too far when we see experiential agencies being brought on board with the same level of confidence and privy to the same information as advertising agencies. Till then the mutual admiration circle of client – ad agency – buying agency – market research agency will continue.
What are some of the major challenges of implementing experiential marketing in India?
In the past, we were in the middle of delivering a ticketed experience for over 3000 people when Mumbai’s 26/11 hit us. We were 48 hours away from a VVIP cultural experience when a political supremo passed away, throwing the city into chaos. Such were some unforeseen challenges that we experienced.
In general, in this industry, collaborating with the client to craft the brand experience is probably the biggest hurdle. Most marketers think in terms of product experience and if you actually look at the traditional brand key there is no space for brand experience. The sooner players in this space keep their gaze firmly fixed on the potential rather than the challenges, the richer both clients and agencies will be for this focus.
Can you talk about your most challenging experience in all these years?
We’ve been privileged to partner with Tata Motors to conceptualise & deliver the two editions of ‘Tata Nano Superdrive’, earning us the prestigious Exhibitor Magazine’s Corporate Event Award ‘Best Road Show/Multi Venue Event’. For quite possibly the first time here was an initiative which reached out to an ecosystem of auto journalists, bloggers, customers, prospects and urban communities across the country, activated them through a stimulus program which included radio and outdoor, and delivered unparalleled reach and engagement at a cost per contact that was scarcely more than a 30 second prime time slot. For the team working on this project, the ideation was as challenging as the delivery – with the entire exercise spanning across 36 cities and 15000 km in just 26 days.
