We have been at the forefront of engaging with artists even in Covid-19--Sameeksha Uniyal, Bacardi

The Alco-Bev industry has had its share of challenges with the factories shutting down and dealing with a space of uncertainty that was caused due to the lockdown. 

The consumer preferences were also quickly shifting in terms of consumption patterns. It was important for the industry to be agile as social gatherings were shifting to celebrations at home which in turn was opening up a new avenue.

In a recent conversation with BW Applause and Everything Experiential, Sameeksha Uniyal, Senior Brand Manager, Brand Bacardi- India and Southeast Asia said the year has given us an opportunity not only to transcend ourselves as a brand but also to reach out to our consumers across geographies. “With innovation and agility at the core of what we do, this year we had to move to digital”, said Uniyal.

She also added that there were certain event formats that Bacardi has always kept as digital pure play and one of them was “Bacardi Sessions” which is a hunt and a mentorship program for the Indie Artists.

Music has been the pulse and core of Bacardi’s event marketing and activation strategy. The brand has always been very attached to the artists’ industry. According to Uniyal, “We started this 11 years back with the Weekender and a couple of other properties that we had launched from a music perspective.  The weekender has been the longest standing property for us as this is its eleventh year. It is also a property which gives emerging artists a platform and a discovery angle.” 

This year was a mix of international and Indian acts that were showcased at the NH7 Weekender with some amazing musicians. “We have been at the forefront of engaging with the artists and this year as well we could not just turn our back towards the artists’ community because of Covid-19. It has been our commitment over the years to deliver to artists and showcase the incredible talent that we have in the country,” added Uniyal.

Sharing the brands’ plans for the upcoming year, Uniyal said, “The physical edition of Bacardi NH7 Weekender transformed into virtual edition this year. With new hope for the year 2021, we look forward to presenting something which has the best of both worlds of online and offline. We plan to go with a lot of hope, ideas, agility and massive learnings of what our consumers want. The preferences and trends have shifted so our plans need to speak to that. We need to be authentic and transparent in what we deliver to them.”

In its recent edition, Bacardi engaged with Vidya Vox and Nucleya who are looked up to by all emerging artists and musicians. Bacardi has made its events accessible to anybody who wants to attend, the only thing the audience needs to do is to tag Vidya or Nucleya and put #BacardiSessions and #Dowhatmovesyou. “This is what we are asking our consumers and emerging artists to do, that is to express themselves and be a part of our brand’s journey. The commitment has always been to be an enabler to this industry,” concluded Uniyal.