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EE News Desk
The Great India Run, conceptualized by ProSportify, aspires to change the perception of running in the country. Flagging off on the 3rd of July, India will bear witness to a unique property that will see 12 elite runners start at the iconic India Gate in the capital city, making their way to the country’s financial capital, Mumbai. ProSportify’s ambition is to shed light on sports beyond cricket in India. They began their journey with Pro Wrestling League last year, and they hope to further break boundaries with their second IP. Marathoners will make their way through six Indian states ending at the Gateway of India, Mumbai on the 20th of July creating one of India’s first-ever multi-city ultra marathon, The Great India Run. This novel initiative uses an apt tagline, Jeet Har Kadam Par, showcasing that running is for everyone. The cross-country run will witness 12 Indian and International runners set a new record for the fastest time, covering a distance of 1480km. The inaugural edition of The Great India Run will see athletes Arun Bhardwaj, Mathias Jorgensen, Siddharth Choudhary, David Slotsgaard Bredo, Yuri Esperson, Lisa Stoddart, Meenal Sukhija, Satish Gujaran, Ranjana Deopa, Naresh Bharadwaj, Dinesh Heda and Joginder Chandna, going the distance. The Great India Run has partnered with mobile fitness start-up, MobieFit, creators of a free running & fitness training app which allow runners to get marathon-ready. The app also has a virtual TGIR challenge and users can participate remotely from wherever they are in the country and contribute to the cause by accumulating running distances. The ultra-marathon has also joined hands with GoSports Foundation who will be generating funds to be further donated to the country’s deserving Olympians. The Great India Run is a call to all citizens, to come join the movement toward a healthier and fitter lifestyle, and join the ultra marathoners for either a 5km or 21km run in their city. A keen promoter of running in India, celebrity and Iron Man participant, Milind Soman while speaking about his association with The Great India Run said, “The running scene in India is beginning to gain momentum, and promoters such as ProSportify are bringing it to the fore inspiring events such as The Great India Run. Apart from helping to spread the message of health and fitness, the cross-country run will also aid our athletes as they compete at the Olympics. I think this will be a fantastic initiative and look forward to it.” MobieFit co-founder and actress, Gul Panag, when talking about the event said, “It is great to see more running initiatives in the country. Apart from the awareness generated about running, it shows citizens that anyone can run. It is a great opportunity to see self-made athletes take this up, and they are truly an inspiration to all.” The Great India Run intends to promote the universal concept of running and hopes to influence Indians towards a healthier, less sedentary lifestyle. Speaking about the event, conceptualizer, Vishal Gurnani, Director ProSportify said, “The mission of ProSportify is to break boundaries when it comes to any of our properties. So when we wanted to bring out a running intellectual property, it was only natural that it would be truly one-of-a-kind. In a country that needs to get fit, The Great India Run serves as a clarion call to motivate people to take up running earnestly. This in turn, we hope, will cause a revolution to promote running, and inspire citizens helping eventually to support our countrymen at the Rio Olympics.” Registrations for the ultra marathon begin from 3rd March 2016 on the website www.thegreatindiarun.com and the Mobiefit app. Registration fee start at INR 350 for 5 km and INR 600 for 21 km.
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Who says that for a brand to experientially connect with their target audiences they need to organize consumer events or invest a bundle on brand activations? Experiences can be created anywhere and everywhere and as a result we have seen many brands executing experiential campaigns in parks, roads, colleges, on water and the list goes on. Interestingly, numerous brands have also created diverse experiences for their brands inside cinema halls to capitalize on unsuspecting customers who entered just to enjoy a movie and were left positively surprised. Let’s have a look at the 5 intense cinematic brand experiences- Gaz & Leccy cause chaos at the cinema To kickoff the smart meter campaign in Great Britain, Smart Energy GB – the organisation formerly known as the Smart Meter Central Delivery Body, rolled out this experiential campaign to showcase what happens when the electricity meter gets out of control. This experiential campaign not only was cleverly designed but excellently executed as well, you can get an idea of its success by looking at the reaction of the audiences. Corona blurs cinema screens in Spain JWT Spain created this immersive campaign for the alcohol brand Corona Extra where the brand wanted to spread the idea of drinking responsibly. As a result, the brand partnered with Sony Pictures Releasing and blurred the first few minutes of their new release in cinema to depict how things look like after getting drunk. Audi use 4DX Technology Now this is one of the most amazing experiential campaign of all time. It uses high octane technology and also shows why experiential campaigns are more effective than ATL advertising as it uses the same. Through this campaign the luxury car brand Audi used 4DX technology in cinemas to let everyone experience the new Audi TT. Ikea’s Cinema Stunt Furniture brand Ikea decided to show what their brand is all about through an innovative twist and as a result they took over a Russian movie theater to transformed it completely. They created multiple fully furnished bedrooms, replacing 100 seats with 15 bed sets complete with side tables, lamps and even rugs thus taking the cinema goers by surprise.
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Following its debut, Airtel and The Economic Times brought together who’s who of the business world to script economic change at the second edition of ‘Global Business Summit’; recently held in New Delhi on January 29 and 30, 2016. Reflecting the global nature of GBS, the Hotel Taj Palace was thronged by over 1500 business and political leaders, policymakers, economists and thinkers from more than 10 countries. Been associated with The Times group for a long time, Fountainhead MKTG, the experiential marketing agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, was roped in once again to conceptualise and execute this two-day long premier business summit. Serving as a perfect platform, the summit witnessed a keynote address by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in which he laid down his development design for India’s future. The PM’s address kicked off a weekend that saw ministers, chief executives and thought leaders participating in intellectual discussions about India’s successful contribution to the world’s business development. On the first day, the global business leaders like Andrew Witty (CEO, GlaxoSmithKline), Dominic Barton (MD, McKinsey & Co), John Rice (Vice-Chairman, GE) and Dennis Nally (Chairman, PWC) exchanged views on the opportunities and obstacles for India with, among others, tycoons of India Inc. such as Kumar Mangalam Birla, Uday Kotak and Sunil Mittal. Union ministers and bureaucrats shared space with Tom Albanese (CEO, Vedanta Resources), Michael Thiemann (CEO, ThyssenKrupp) and Hans-Pal Burkner (Chairman, BCG) on the panel of Make in India to discuss what it will take to unleash the country’s manufacturing potential. One of the many participants at the summit was Hon’ble Kathleen Wynne, a Canadian politician who is also the 25th Premier of Ontario. Among other key attractions, this year’s summit also hosted renowned economist and strategic thinker Dr. Nouriel Roubini, who presented his outlook on the developed and emerging markets and India’s role on the global stage. To take this year’s edition on newer heights, Fountainhead introduced the concept of Quote-Unquote; as each word spoken by these eminent personalities became a quote to be remembered. Aptly fitting to the occasion, this innovative concept was brought to life through all the event collaterals and set designs. The agency also handled the branding needs of different sponsors, especially the main sponsor Airtel. The entire look and feel of set designs were elegantly coloured with only red (representing Airtel) and black (colour of ink, representing the power of pen).
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Not so long ago the instant noodles Maggi from the international giant Nestle was called off the market for having lead chemicals over a prescribed limits in its cake. After the ban was imposed, even though noodles lovers shifted to different brands of noodles to bring an end to their hunger pangs, however none of the competitors could even match up to the popularity and love owned by Maggi Noodles. As a result, as the product came back in the market Maggi lovers found a reason to rejoice and the sales for Maggi sky rocketed like never before. Yes, from a child’s most favorite lunch item to a salty treat for the elderly, Maggi has without a doubt established itself as a member of every Indian’s life in its 30 years of presence in the Indian market. And to celebrate the love that millions share for Maggi, GoBuzzing a Delhi based startup recently organized the first ever GoBuzzinga Maggi Festival on Feb 28 2016 at PSOI Club in Chanakyapuri. Interestingly, GoBuzzinga is the same company that created the Yeh Dil Maange Momos festival in the capital a couple of months back which was a considerable success too. The concept of the festival was simple, Maggi being used as a core ingredient to create extra-ordinary and never seen before dishes. As an example- Maggi Shawarma, Maggi Lasagna, Maggi Donut, Seekh Kabab Maggi, Maggi Samosa, Maggi Momos, Butter Chicken Maggi Vodka Maggi, Maggi Pizza, Keema Maggi, Makhani Maggi, Chilli Cheese Maggi, and Butter Fry Maggi were some of the most popular dishes served at the festival. For those of you who think that Maggi and its variant dishes were the only highlight of this festival, think again as the festival also featured performances by Vibranium, Alakh, Ricochet, 6ix MHz, Kali Prasad and Ankit Sharma apart from some Live Doodle Art by Santanu Hazarika who has recently won the World Doodle Championship in South Africa, and Live Hyper Realistic Art by Bhrubajoyoti. The festival all in all had 34 stalls serving Maggi dishes that ranged from a mere cost of Rs. 30 to a slightly costly Rs. 180. The festival also engaged the attendees through various contests on social media and also offered a free beer for every participant at the festival. Vodafone, the telecommunication brand who were one of the sponsors for the event also carried out some engaging activities at ground zero to keep the audience spirits high. Speaking about the festival, Zoya Khan 22 said, “I love how such a simple concept has become an amazing way for us to spend our Sunday here today. Maggi has become such an important part of our lives and I am enjoying this festival to its core. We should definitely have more festivals like this.”
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The conservation and promotion of India’s art and cultural heritage is very close to HCL’s heart. To this end, HCL has been organizing HCL Concerts for over 17 years, dedicated to identifying, evolving and promoting talent rooted in the glorious heritage of Indian classical performing arts. Concerts under the umbrella of HCL Concerts are organized in Delhi NCR and Chennai across various venues every month throughout the year. These concerts are free to attend and are enriched by the presence of luminaries in the field of Indian classical performing arts. Over the years, HCL Concerts has evolved into a unique platform for the exceptionally talented veterans as well as upcoming artists – be it dancers, vocalists or instrumentalists. Over 350+ artists have graced this platform and have contributed towards reinvigorating the Indian classical performing arts. While there have been spellbinding performances by legends such as Pandit Shivkumar Sharma and Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, HCL Concerts has also provided a platform for the rare genres of performing arts like Dhrupad, Rudra Veena and Gaudiya Nritya to name a few. Ravi Iyer is a unique guitar mentor, composer and one of the most respected guitar players in the independent music industry. He began his musical journey by learning the tabla during his childhood and later in his teens took up the guitar, and there’s been no looking back since then. It has been over 3 decades that he has given countless live performances with his earlier rock bands. He has released 4 albums in the rock / fusion genres, currently tours with his World Fusion Project across India & internationally, plays as a guitar player for live concerts / studio sessions and scores music for commercial projects. He has performed with some of the biggest names in the fusion music genre like Dr. L Subramaniam, Ustad Fazal Qureshi, Padma Bhushan Shri Vikku Vinayakram, Shri Sivamani and Pandit Ravi Chary. Venue: The Apparel House, Epicentre, Gurgaon Day and Time: 4th March, 7p.m. onwards
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IDBI Federal Life Insurance New Delhi Marathon has been conferred with an AIMS certification. The marathon is now a qualifier for major marathons like Tokyo, Boston, Berlin, to name a few. Indian elite runners Rahul Pal, Naba Chandra, Sanjith Luwang, Jyoti Gawte and Kiranjeet Kaur today interacted with the media ahead of the first edition of IDBI Federal Life Insurance New Delhi Marathon. The marathon was flagged off on Sunday, February 28, 2016 from Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi. With over 80 athletes participating for the marathon, this truly is a National Championships Marathon. In the Indian elite men category, TH Sanjith who recently finished Mumbai Marathon with record 2:20:00 timing feels confident about winning the title. He competes against Naba Chandra and Rahul Pal in this edition. Says TH Sanjith, “This time around, with better training and preparation, I feel confident about winning the title.” The victory may not come easy as Rahul Kumar Pal ran a full course during the Mumbai Marathon 2016 edition and completed the race at impressive at 2:24:00. Naba Chandra also feels optimistic about his chances, given the fact that he finished the Allahabad Marathon in 2015 with first position and timing of 2:23:51. Jyoti Gawte from Maharashtra recently participated for 42 kms at the prestigious South Asian Games with a timing of 2:54:33. Says, Jyoti, “Delhi has better weather conditions at the moment and this gives me the confidence to finish the race with better timings.” In the Half Marathon women’s category, Kiranjeet Kaur is competing against other stalwarts like Kiran Sahdev and Monika Choudhary to beat the best timing of 1:18:00 by Kiran Sahdev.
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Vibgyor one of India’s experiential marketing agency specializing in brand activations and consumer outreach programs with its corporate headquarters in Delhi, has added to its talent pool various key people with successful careers and academic backgrounds. Ms Priti Kohli has been appointed as Associate Vice President – Special Events & Government vertical. She has 15 years’ of experience across all aspects of event management with a track record of successful execution of events for large corporates and government projects and 4 years of extensive experience in market research companies like IMRB and ORG. She has designed and executed some of the major product launches, International & National conferences and seminars & exhibitions for some of the major brands like Oracle, Intel, Adobe, Boston Consulting Group, Indian Oil, Nasscom, etc. Prior to joining Vibgyor, she has held responsible roles in well- known event management firms like Seventy EMG, Wizcraft International and Cigma Events generating goodwill and business from government and private organizations. Speaking on the new role, Priti Kohli said, “Vibgyor is one of the best known agencies in the country in the activation space working with almost all the top names in the corporate world, My focus would be leverage its goodwill and contacts and establish a stronghold on the large events & exhibition space as well in order to make it a ‘full service’ experiential agency.” Anush Varma has also been appointed as Account Director (special Events) reporting into Priti Kolhi at Delhi Office. He has more than 8 years of rich experience in communications and events and has worked mainly in the automobile industry. He has been with Innocean worldwide / Hyundai for and managed some of the major sponsorships with ICC and FIFA. He has also managed some of the auto launches, auto expos, media events and international conferences. Ankur Kalra, CEO of Vibgyor says, ” In order to achieve our ambitious growth plans we plan to rope in a lot of high quality talent from within the industry, Priti & Anush fit the bill perfectly. I am confident that with their strategic thinking, wide ranging experience and people skills they will help vibgyor achieve its goals and make it a force to reckon with in the large events and government space as well.”
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Every once in a while in the world of marketing, comes along a technology that makes people pause and take notice of it. A certain something that changes the conventional rules and brings in a new perspective of how brand custodians and prospective consumers reach out with and for a product in the market. And if the recent global trends are anything to go by, Periscope, the live streaming video app is that new technological innovation that is changing the way how brands are marketing themselves now. Since March last year, when it was announced that Twitter had acquired live video-streaming app Periscope, brands all over the world wondered how best to creatively use it. But they learned on the usefulness of the app fast and as a result some of the most immersive and successful marketing campaigns of late ’15 and early ’16 have been launched on Periscope. So if you are a brand, looking for ways to leverage on this app, we have got some insta inspiration for you as we look at how global brands are using Periscope. 1-Red Bull One of the early adopters of Periscope, Red Bull used the technology app in a way that build up their brand to a different level altogether. The beverage giant used the app to live stream their Red Bull Guest House event, their “ultra-exclusive weekend-long party in Miami Beach.” Though this marketing not only did fans of the brand found themselves yearning for a brand a little more than before but they also became a part of the party by being able to enjoy it at the same time as it was happening. 2-Mountain Dew Mountain Dew, the beverage brand from Pepsico used Periscope to reward their twitter followers. The brand displayed their cool gears on the app and then rewarded their fans on twitter who made the most impressions by sending them those merchandises. Simple yet smart. 3-Dunkin Donuts In an attempt to regain their market share from Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts has over the years used different marketing strategies. One of their most successful marketing strategies was emerged with the help of Periscope lately as live streamed their event “DD Summer Soundtrack,” a five-concert series with musical performances, videos, customized playlists of all the musicians and behind-the-scenes action on the app for its customers to enjoy. Since, this was the first time that any campaign by Dunkin Donuts was present on social media, its customers rejoiced and found themselves connecting with the brand once again. 4-Adidas Adidas included Periscope in their marketing strategy to live-stream Real Madrid soccer star James Rodriguez signing a deal with the sports clothing giant. This 20-second press event was broadcasted from their headquarters in Germany, and the fans of the soccer star as well as customers of the brand were happy to catch the action live and not just read about it on the papers. 5-DKNY Not all brands have so far used Periscope to directly relate it with their products and establish its presence in unexplored markets. However, New York fashion house DKNY did the same as one of their Periscope sessions involved streaming a feed inside their closet, through which people in different clothing markets too got a glimpse of what the clothing brand offered.
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Dabur Vatika, the personal care brand from the house of Dabur, worked towards safeguarding the dignity of women at the Magh Mela this year by setting up safe changing rooms for women pilgrims at three Ganga Ghats at the mela, also known as the Mini Kumbh. Dabur Vatika Shampoo installed the changing rooms to safeguard the dignity of women at the pilgrimage and to give them a safe and secure place to change. To connect with women pilgrims and direct them to these Dabur Vatika Changing Rooms, female volunteers were positioned at different locations at the ghats. A volunteer was also placed near the changing room, offering women Dabur Vatika shampoo sachets. Ms. Tiny Sengupta, Category Head – Shampoos & Post Wash, said, “Every year, millions of pilgrims visit the various Ghats during such melas. At such places, women usually face difficulty in finding an enclosed place for changing clothes. Dabur Vatika, as a brand, has always stood for women’s dignity and this initiative was planned to provide the comfort and convenience to women pilgrims and help safeguard their dignity and their privacy. These Changing Rooms were equipped with a mirror, combs, lights, table and a chair.” Commenting on the association Mr. Vineet Mittal, Business Head – Rural, 92.7 BIG FM said, “We are extremely glad to announce our association with Dabur during this year’s Magh Mela. We have been associated with Dabur for over three years now creating success stories with initiatives like Hajmola Chatpata No.1, BIG Junior RJ and Mele ka BIG Star. With this tie-up, we are extending our support to this unique initiative and contributing towards safeguarding women’s safety and convenience at a touch point with relevance”.
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Healthy feels awesome and can be hard to achieve, but one step at a time and you’re still ahead of the ones on the couch. Exercise is therapeutic – it helps not just one’s body but also one’s mind. It gets the good hormones pumping, the sweat flowing and your whole-being glowing. You don’t have to train for a marathon or get 6-pack abs or even try to be size zero to show off you’re fit, fitness just means something you do today for which you’d be thankful tomorrow! In an attempt to stimulate this ‘stay healthy’ attitude in people, Time of Sports has recently launched their new intellectual property called the Indian Fitness Festival. Mr. Yashraj Singh, the Founder & CEO of Time Of Sports tells us that after running many a marathons to check how far you can run, racing on cycles, climbing mountains and trekking, here is the chance to prove how fit you are! A feather in Delhi’s cap, and targeting age groups from 7 to 70, the one day fitness festival inviting people from all walks of life to participate and enjoy different levels of fitness and fun!! “In its first chapter, with the theme of fitness and dividing all activities under Showcase, Fitlympics and Funzone, the event is here to make people sweat it out and bring out the fittest best in them!”-he adds. Commenting further Vishesh Sehgal, Head of Events at Time Of Sports elaborates, “the festival aims to go beyond the trend and towards a revolution. Time Of Sports wants to take forward the spirit of fitness in every home, make anyone and everyone get fit, make them go the extra mile for a fitter lifestyle and want to make people aware about healthy living!” Also, for the first time ever, giving an Olympic like experience to the city, the festival seeks to celebrate sports than just promote fitness. In a land of so many lost sports and so much talent that is still untapped, the festival ensures there is something for everyone! And what’s more! There is also a kid’s getaway to fitness! Offering compelling reasons for parents to encourage their kids at the KidsZone, parents and hosts alike appreciate the wide range of sports and activities introduced to young minds and bodies. In most cases, children receive their own equipment, and everything is age appropriate, so everyone stays involved and safe at all times! The event would be held in a world-class venue in the capital, that will surely add to the fun and the fervor needed in the event! And afterwards, groove to pulsating music, get some awesome food, participate in unique contests and fun activities and much more. More details about the Indian Fitness Festival will be released shortly.
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