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Shantanu writes for Everything Experiential
Vanesa Group, which came into existence in 1983, is amongst the leaders of aerosol manufacturing in India. The brand currently valued at 350 Croreand under the Denver India umbrella aims to further expand its wings in the experiential domain with its key products Denver and Envy 1000 deodorants. In conversation with Saurabh Gupta, Marketing Head, Vanesa Care we gain insight on the brand’s marketing roadmap and the importance of experiential. Q-How important is experiential marketing for Denver? A-Experiential is extremely important for any brand but it is rather critical for us due to the nature of our product which will not sell unless and until experienced by a prospective consumer. We at Denver realize this and as a trade practice we send in a lot of testers with our products. Any retailer who buys as little as 6 units from us is given 1 tester for people to try. Even in an ice-cream shop today flavors are experienced before making a decision on what to purchase, so experiential is clearly important and we at Denver have made it the crux of our marketing strategy. We understand the fact that it is only when a consumer likes the experience it is only then when he will buy the product. Q- Denver’s experiential initiatives are largely targeted towardsthe college goingdemography- a sub segment of the youth age bracket. Any specific reasons behind this? A-It is not true that we are catering only to the college going audiences. Yes, our past experiential initiatives and associations might be targeted towards that direction but if you look closely to the overall campaign you will realize that the story is different. Our latest communication campaign for Denver deodorants is the one, where Saif Ali Khan is playing Golf in his office is very aspirational and is relatable to everyone in the youth bracket that aspires to be successful. As depicted in the advertisement that when Saif hits the shot the ball goes towards various directions but finally enters the cup so with this communication we have tried to symbolize is that the entire youth bracket who goes through a series of hurdles and struggles like the golf ball before finally achieving success. At Denver our aim is to create an aspirational product. In this pursuit, apart from the college going audiences we are also trying to focus on the prospective customers who have just started their professional career. Q-Your competitors in the deodorant segment, Axe and Wildstone, have done a fair amount of experiential while Denver feels to be venturing into it now. Why so late? A- I do not agree to this as the birth of Denver as a brand happened at India International Trade Fair which was an experiential event itself. Also we have been doing our bit in experiential also but as one of the most important parameters of such initiatives is the budget and target audiences and thus our experiential initiatives have been limited in that sense of reach. We have done experiential campaigns such as branding of the BMW car during Formula 1 race and also we have been the sponsors of the French open for the past 3 years. So yes experiential has pretty much always been an integral part of a marketing plan but it has so far been only executed in pockets. Q- A mainline productthat’s put your brand on the map is the Denver Beer Shampoo. What defines its marketing strategy? A-Through the beer shampoo we have tried to penetrate into a niche segment that is conscious about vanity and personal care. The benefits of beer for hair is known to a few people only but through this product we are trying to create that awareness and establish ourselves in the minds of an elite target group. We also do understand that people will be hesitant to experiment with a new product for their hair and hence we have launched 7Ml sachet for the product as well so that people can try on the shampoo first and then after they are satisfied with its inherent qualities they can purchase the product. Experiential is the going to be an integral aspect here as well so we are in the process of launching the first round of the Denver Hair Spa Session, wherein we will be calling bloggers, journalists, and writers to experience the shampoo. In the second round, we will be reaching out to various press clubs in numerous states and the third round will be executed in malls and colleges. Q- Is there a separate budget for the experiential marketing initiatives of Denver? A-That is right. Usually out of our entire revenue we take out 2%-3% of the amount as an experiential marketing budget. So if our company is making 200 Crore then 6 Crore of the amount is segregated for experiential. The amount is not small however a challenge is covering the entire country with it. Q-Is there a pre-defined method to allocate the money from the experiential budget to different regions? A-Yes, every year we have a key market and a focus market in place which is derived after a careful scrutiny of the sales report and figures. As an example for this year our focus market is West Bengal accordingly and hence we will be designing our experiential marketing initiatives accordingly to cater the same target market. Also the Indian calendar for the year is already set in terms of festival dates and this is something that also determines our experiential marketing budget allocation. Q-Are there any fixed elements that you wish to incorporate in your experiential initiatives? A-It all depends on the mandate at the end of the day. If we have a new product launch then the campaign is designed around it. As an example our campaign running currently ‘the real scent of success’ will be the message all our experiential ventures will carry. Our main aim at the end of the day is to develop an integrated marketing campaign where all media channels display the same message but in their own way. Q-What are the upcoming experiential campaign that Denver looks forward to executing in the near future? A- Currently we are in the process of executing activations at malls and also we have tied up with an American licensing agency who have a good experiential connect with brands partnering with them we look forward to executing a lot of high street experiential initiatives. Also currently we are in talks with Warner Brothers as we want to collaborate with them and then carry forward a full-fledged product launch and then an experiential campaign. We are also working on mobile campaigns in form of organizing road shows and exhibitions and in the future we will be branding some exotic cars and then take them to different locations. We are expecting that people will be taking a lot of selfies with these cars and hence the brand imagery will be leveraged through these experiential initiatives. (The story has been extracted from BW APPLAUSE)
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Our weekly Saturday afternoon meetings were routine affairs. Over samosas and chai, crucial decisions were made, as back then, we were primarily a TV production company. Six years down the linewe became a factorychurning out formats, inventing soaps, re-imagining game shows, and the weekly meetings then were an opportunity to catch your breath, let your hair down and assess. Our colleagues, Sharupa Dutta and Manika Berry Asgaonkar, looked stressed and suggested we stop! Stop? How would that work? My partner, Mohit Satyanand, mulled over the thought, but after some number crunching, announced that the only people making money from the shows were the channels, who used to pay us in 90-120 day cycles. In essence we could, if we wished to, take a break. Hara-kiri has many forms: this was its finest! The channels, unhappy about our decision, delayed payments even further. The overheated TV scene collapsed with channels sputtering out, sacking people and financially ruining the producer fraternity. We were cash strapped, overstaffed and having to paddle hard to stay afloat. Mohit then calculated that given our outstanding payments across channels and money owed for an ongoing Television Awards project sponsored by Onida, we would have enough to keep us afloat for a while, till we reinvented ourselves. However, Onida ran into serious financial problems and decided to wind down the awards. Stung by non-payments, many of our trusted colleagues left in search of fresh pastures. In the same year, Mohit, his sister Kanika and Val Shipley had begun a bi-monthly get together where friends and family would gather to listen and make music. And, thusThe Friends of Music (FOM) group was born. A slew of today’s stars, SusmitSen& and Indian Ocean, Mohit Chauhan, Bobby Cash strummed and sang their way to stardom from those early concerts. We took heart and expanded our work to include dance and theater. In the eighties and nineties, the British Council in India was a hub of activity. SushmaBahl, the council’sDirector of Arts, had boundless energy, a rare vision, and the experience to work across international borders. Having seen me perform in Primetime Theater’s ‘Me and My Girl’, she invited me to visit the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1999. This set the agenda for our first cross-festival presentation in 2001. Working closely with the Festival Fringe, the International Film Festival, the Edinburgh Tattoo and the Edinburgh International Festival, we created an annual platform of work from across India, enlarging our presence from six productions to sixteen. Many thought we were mad, but our long-term objectives paid off as we presented an array of artists: AditiMangaldas, Mrigaya, Indian Ocean, LilletteDubey and her Primetime Theater group, Adi Shakti, LushinDubey, DadiPudumjee and the Ishara Theater Company, to name a few. Even Shah Rukh Khan, made his way to Edinburgh, in a celebration of the best of Indian arts. The year we presented Ishara Puppet Theater’s `Transposition’, the infamous liquid bomb incident took place at Heathrow as we landed. We arrived in Edinburgh after a 16-hour delay, only to find that 24 of our 30 odd suitcases and outsized puppet boxes and bags had been lost! Five days and three cancelled shows later, BBC ran a story on our predicament. Hours later, a passenger Dana Macleod, rang to say strange-shaped bags were going around the carousel with stickers bearing her name. Thus, the show was back on the road! SushmaBahl&Edmund Marsden drove British Council’s agenda and for three years we worked together, we worked to create offsite weeklong programmes for artists, managers and art administrators. This culminated in the setting up of the six-month long ‘Great Arc Festival’ across the UK. Commissioned by India’s Department of Science & Technology and steered by an innovative Amitabh Pandey, the then joint secretary, this project virtually brought us to the brink of bankruptcy due to the intransigence of government organizations. `Reinventing’ sure sounds cool but the process is terrifying! Television paid salaries which the arts could never afford and Investments in shows and festivals meant that our balance sheets were red, year on year. Setting up or collaborating with existing festivals led to some degree of success, with annual presentations in Singapore, Wellington, Perth and Melbourne. Prompted by our then Counsel General, Navdeep Suri, we then set up the Shared History Festival in South Africa. With an audience returning to the theater, New Town had now seen a rise in property prices, new businesses opening and residential blocks being re-built. Our accidental business model kicked in as we expanded out of Johannesburg to include Durban, Cape Town, Pretoria and Pietermaritzburg. We were able to amortize costs across the cities and build on revenues in a unique private public partnership model. A series of Art Therapy & and Theatre workshops run by Puneeta Roy and the Tehelka Foundation, helped us reach out to a demographic somewhat different to our average theater-going population. Governments rarely credit the direct contribution that Arts interventions make to marginalized communities. At Salaam Baalak Trust (SBT), an organization providing support services for street and working children in Delhi set up in 1988, we laid great emphasis on theater, music, dance and visual arts as therapeutic tools for homeless children, most often violated and abused. Salim, a four-year old boy, lost his family during a religious procession. The police brought him to us and our social workers sent out photographs and we were able to reunite Salim with his family. He was later cast in an Academy award-nominated short film and went on to become a full time contemporary dancer and actor. Vicky Roy, an enthusiastic photographer, one of our older kids who had a rare ability to capture incredible imagery, went on to win the All India Photography Award and a commission by the World Photography Association in Amsterdam. Other SBT kids -Kapil, Pawan, Shamshul, Shameem, Viraj and Kumari were trained as puppeteers with DadiPudumjee and went on to become independent artists. In India, we have 110 million children out of school. And thus, even if the GDP spent on education were to double, it would take 20 years to build the brick and mortar to house this population and train teachers required. Hence, new ideas and out-of-the-box solutions need to be found, to deliver education to these children. Story-telling forms through the arts could be one way of delivering much needed literacy to those who live outside the system. Recently we took the Kahani Festival to Dantewada, Chattisgarh, an area at the heart of the Maoist insurgency movement. Thousands of kids from a 100km radius were bussed in for the three-day programme of workshops, music, dance, storytelling and art. Their day of discovery was to access the wonders that non-verbal forms like puppetry and dance brought to their lives. Transfixed and transformed, they left enriched, even if for a fleeting moment. As India’s economy gained momentum, we began consolidating our position by setting up a slew of platforms: for theater (META), literature (Hay Festival, Kerala) & and puppetry (Ishara International Puppet Festival). Entertainment districts traditionally contribute to a city’s economy. Broadway offers up $9–-11 billion and London’s West End £3–-5 billion through its restaurants, nightclubs, theaters, bars and concerts. The Edinburgh festival too contributes £225m of additional spend during the seven weeks of the festival. At our annual DSC Jaipur Literature Festival, which brings together 250 speakers over five days and attracts over a 100,000 visitors, the additional contribution to the city’s economy has been estimated at approximately Rs 15–-20 crores. In India, where tourism and culture should contribute a greater share to the GDP, we are still stuck in the 5-6 million visitors. India however has a million heritage sites, all waiting to be rediscovered and leveraged. Faith and John Singh, in their landmark initiative in Jaipur, showed that built heritage can be preserved with help from the city and local communities. AmanNath and Francis Wacziarg pioneered the conservation and conversion of crumbling forts. Maharaja Gaj Singh (Bapji) of Jodhpur has demonstrated how investment in the arts builds bonds within communities and creates a platform for development and progress. In today’s polarized world, it is imperative that we use the arts as a window into other cultures. The arts know no language and have a universality that allows the viewer to absorb the exotic, within a given context. India needs to learn from this. Our concept of jugaad, which rescues us in the nick of time, is no match for years of diligent planning and preparation. Why can't state governments use lottery money for the arts and sports, much as the UK government does to fund arts infrastructure projects? While a few first steps have been taken in creating an education policy, which includes the arts as formal coursework in schools, there has been little thought of how this will be delivered in the short term. Barring the initiatives of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) and sporadic schemes brought about by the Ministry of Culture and its many institutions, there are few initiatives to realize the needs and aspirations of India’s creative class. These shortcoming need to be redressed. It is sad to see that the capital city of Delhi has not one new public space, with a sense of aesthetics or pride reflecting the national culture. Projects based on the lowest bid will never create excellence and will only lead to further corruption of the nation’s soul. Every journalist loves to do a story on the dying art forms or the revival of an art form. In India nothing ever dies, artists like the societies they inhabit, adapt and move on. In a country like India, all you need to do is create a ground that is fertile and enrich it with the nutrients of imagination, social and economic inclusion, vision and resources. May a million fireflies rise in to the night sky illuminating our hearts and our minds! (The story has been extracted from BW APPLAUSE)
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With an illustrious career in marketing spanning over 20 years,Navdeep Dhindsa today leads Cheil India’s specialist team of event marketing and activations specialists. Educated at PPS, Nabha and at Hartmann College, Navdeep went on to earn an MBA in Sales & Marketing before working on a number of leading brands across different product categories including Consumer Electronics, FMCG, IT and brands from other media-averse categories such as Liquor and Tobacco. In addition to brand activations for audiences in both urban and rural markets, Navdeep has handled a wide range of product launches and high-profile national events for Samsung, Philip Morris, P&G, Bharti Walmart, Cisco and suchlike. In an exclusive conversation, Navdeeptalks about the need for experiential, the challenges of running a campaign and extracting the most from it. Q-You have 20 years of experience in the field of marketing, how has experiential marketing evolved in this time? A-When I started working, there was excessive focus on ‘exposure’. It was said and believed that if you exposed the brand in the best possible manner, then the leads would follow.But a lot has changed over the years and I fervently believe the change is all for the good. Gone are the days of the museum-like brand space where consumers were invited into a stagnant atmosphere without any engagement with the brand at all. Today in this dynamic world, all brands understand the need to engage the consumer and let them experience the product versus simply being exposed to it. And because the payoff is quite high, brands today are willing to spend a significant part of their marketing budgets on experiential campaigns that resonate with the consumers. Q- How important is it for brands to engage customers through experiences? A-How many of us switch channels when an ad appears on TV or skip them while watching a video on Youtube? We also do not pay any heed to pamphlets being distributed in our residential complexes. So obviously there is a strong need today to market brand products in an interactive way that generates curiosity in consumer’s mind and induces him to experience it. Through experiential marketing you step into the shoes of the consumer, you understand him, listen to him and then narrate his story back to him with your product as its protagonist. It is a win-win situation for both – the consumer and the brand. Q- Share with us a challenging campaign brief that you take pride in having designed and executed. A-Every brief is a challenging brief these days. Consumers are exposed to different things and the market itself is very competitive so the ideas which we think of should not only draw TG attention but also help brands to reach out to a larger group. One of the recent campaigns we conceptualized and executed for Reckitt Benckiser was for their flagship brand, Dettol. The objective was to spread awareness globally about the importance of washing hands. Our team came up with an integrated experiential idea #GiveLifeAHand led by on-ground activation. On the occasion of Global Handwash Day, this campaign was launched in 32 countries wherein we went to different schools and educated children on the steps to a healthy hand wash. The baton of good health was passed on from one country to another through live global handwash relay. People were also invited on social media platforms to share the #Handfie for a selfless cause of care. The response of the campaign was overwhelming and the campaign was awarded as best brand campaign by GMO of RekittBenkiser. So that’s the beauty of integrated experiential marketing. As an agency, Cheil Worldwide believes in ‘Ideas that Move’: Our intention is to move products and move brands but most of all, we strive to move people through our work. I think the work our agency did for Dettol was a great example of that promise in action. Q-In your opinion what are the elements that make for an enriching experience for consumers? Today, consumers are always on the move. That’s why more than ever, brands need to communicate seamlessly and in an integrated manner across all touch-points.One should think of integrated campaigns with a mix of on-ground, digital, mobile as well as print so that it covers the entire consumer journey and creates top-of-mind recall in the consumer’s mind. Q-Cheil India is known to use the latest in technology in many of its campaigns. Any specific reasons why? A-Our biggest client is a leading technology giant so the usage of technology comes most naturally to us. Also, we believe that technology lets you do so much more in a smarter and more meaningful way. It helps you to deliver your brand story to the consumer in a more interactive manner which builds curiosity in the consumers’ minds to experience the brand/ product. Q-After the brief from the client has been received, is there a specific process that you follow to formulate an experiential campaign around it? A- We are a company driven by ideas. We believe it is important to understand the consumers and their behavior first so that we can use that learning to come up with a powerful and moving idea. Once our planning team does the research and finds the most powerful and relevant consumer insights, our integrated team brainstorms together and works on ideas to meet the campaign objective. Q-What are the elements that an event agency should think of before designing an experiential campaign? A-Before designing an experiential campaign, it is extremely important to understand the message that needs to be communicated. Secondly, it is also important to know whowe are speaking with. Who the consumers are. What are their motivations. Thinking of it as one series of events is usually not enough to create the buzz required. One must be consistent in order to get the desired experience. Pay utmost attention to feedback. Today in this dynamic world, and more so, thanks to the power of social media, reputations are made and marred in absolutely no time. Listening continuously allows us real-time information about what our worthy consumers think about us. Q- What changes in the world of marketing can you predict in the next 5 years? A- I fervently believe in the fact that we are in the business of telling stories. We have been doing it for some time now and I believe we will continue to do so. The consumer has been and will continue to be the hero of these stories. However, I think what will create the difference is the way in which these stories are told. The way we engage and interact with consumers will change phenomenally. The way we create key consumer experiences will also see a stark change. Already, we find that technology is blurring the lines between different media like – ATL, BTL, Digital and Media. This leads to an immersive experience. I also believe that ‘transparency’ will be the new black. Brands will be expected to deliver what they claim more so now than at any previous time. Summing it up, I think it is a whole new level of integration that we are looking forward to. Consumers in the upcoming times will be served with totally memorable and more immersive experiences. (The story has been extracted from BW APPLAUSE)
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Before an event organizer can even get down to the specifics of what needs to be done, one question that invariably haunts him is- WHERE it needs to be done!Making the venue selection process more challenging is the universal emphasis by clients to create a-never-seen-before brand experience. And in this way even the most creative event planners find themselves in a fixwhen it comes to finding a venue that allows them the freedom of customization. The challenge is not easy as most planners end up restricted by the “Big list of No’s” by private properties and the painstaking licensing issues at government venues. What happens next is a compromise on ideas, creativity and the ethos of an event altogether. As a result, what was once conceptualized as a never seen before experience for its attendees ends up being merely a caricature of a just-about-managed-without-fallouts execution. Every event organizer understands that for an event to truly standout its venue space has to be re-lifted. However, how to make the first step towards a venue transformation is the part where most event organizers begin stumbling. An event agency widely lauded for its ability to transform a space completely is Showtime. On 21st December in 2014, the agency took up the task of executingthe 1st wedding anniversary celebrations for a client whose brief was to- raise the bar! With a total of 800 guests to be served, the option of opting for a privately owned venue was out the window. Theyinstead had to find a bigger venue that could fit their needs. TheJawaharLal Nehru stadium in Delhi was finally chosen. And that’s when the real taskbegan-The transformation of all that space! As part of the event execution, the agency transformed 50000 sq. ft. of the stadium, by setting up a 270 ft x 120 ft German A-frame hangars. These hangars housed three surprise experience zones and their designs were inspired by Arabian and Provencal architectural styles. Additionally, 1500 feet of special Aluminum trussing was used for the eclectic décor, lights and support. Two 600 sq. ft. water bodies and fountains were created at the entrance porch and a central ramp at the entrance for wheel-chaired guests was also created. The three zones were revealed one by one to the delighted guests through 80-feet motorized curtains. Adding to the concept were ten large format projection screens which were installed to showcase the story of the couple’s one year of togetherness. A hundred specially crafted glass shells, over a dozen floral chandeliers, birdcage chandeliers and several palm trees were used to create a wonderland garden setting. And, to add the final touches a floral design consultant from Russia was specially flown in to create the Garden of Eden! This was not the first time that the agency had transformed a venue. At K.P. Singh’s 80th Birthday Celebrationsover 500 high-profile guests were transported to the city of Udaipur where the water-bound venue, Jag Mandir,was transformed completely, replete with aerial acrobats being performed on heliospheric balloons. The major highlights of this transformation includedthe Pichola Lake which was dotted with colorful illuminated floating installations in the shape of swans, peacock arches, a banyan tree and a zorb. 400 tonnes of material and equipment wasferried in to theJagMandir Island on Lake Pichola with only a limited number of boats. Some also remember this event as one for which Shakira was specially flown in. A lot of event agencies often argue that it is not the venue transformation that is challenging. For them the issue liesin convincing private property owners to permit their ideas to fly. Prince Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Executive Director at Historic Resort Hotelsand custodian ofone of the most sought after venues in India,Jagmandir, comments, “Venues are exceptionally important for an event and we understand this fact. And if an event agency comes up with a concept that elevates the experiential element of the venue, we always encourage them and are willing to walk an extra mile for their comfort. However, there are times when we get some unacceptable requests wherethe property is likely to suffer damagesdue to use of tools and machines. In such cases we put our foot down.” He further states, “I was once asked by a planner if they could paint the venue structure Pink as it gelled with the theme of the event. There was also a requestonce, to cover the entire historical venue with drapes. My answer to all such agencies is that if they want these kinds of modifications then they should opt for an empty space instead.” Commenting on the future of venue transformation Prince Lakshyaraj says, “Even after hosting over 500 odd weddings in the last decade, with every new wedding that we host we realizethere is so much more that can be done to elevate the experiential quotient of a venue. As managers of such properties we are game for interesting and innovative ideas and will always be. The onus is on the planners to understand that the core fundamentals of the venue should not be disturbed.” (The story has been extracted from BW APPLAUSE)
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Motorola as a mobile brand has always somewhat shied away from taking the experiential route as far as the marketing strategy of its products is concerned. With other competing brands such as ASUS, MTR, Samsung going all out on experiential it was rather an intriguing question as to why Motorola restrained itself in this regard. However, with the recently launched Moto X play, the brand has decided on jump on the experiential bandwagon and aims at turning its marketing strategies around. In an exclusive conversation with EE,Rachna Lather, Marketing Head, Motorola reveals about experiential campaigns of the brand and what defines its marketing strategies. Q- Motorola launched Moto G third generation last month itself and today you are launching Moto X. Why so many successive phone launches? A-Most of the phones that we have in our series of Mote-E, Moto-G and Moto-X are very popular in the world over. Moreover our customers want to be updated with the latest technology present in the market. However, technology is dynamic, and changes so fast that we are compelled to launch phones so quickly. Q- But don’t you feel launching different phones under the Motorola brand name so quickly is going to impact the sales of the individual phone series itself? A- No, actually. As with every phone that we produce we cater to a different market segment and separate customer base. While Moto G caters to the younger lot who college is going, or in their first jobs phase, Moto X is for a more seasoned veteran user who expects more from their smartphones than just hardware. Also the price bracket for all our series isdifferent. The target age for Moto-X is 15-35 years which is more elaborate than that of the Moto G series. Q- What are some of the other products Motorola is about the launch by the end of the year? A- There are many in pipeline currently. But we have already made announcements about Moto X style, Moto 360 second generation, so that is about to happen before the end of the year. Q- What is going to be marketing strategy for this newly launched phone? A- With this phone we have tried to establish the concept of how your phones loves you back and that is how we are going to position it. We are going in with a 360* approach this time around as well. ATL is obviously going to be an integral part of the marketing plan but this time around we will also have an experiential driven campaign kicking in. We are looking at an engagement with customers through a ‘Moto Tour Bus’ wherein a person can come in to engage with the brand and also display their passion. Currently we are working out on the logistics and the campaign is slated to begin in the mid of next month. We are currently looking at a 15 city tour which will include tier 1 and tier 2 for now. Q-But why is Motorola investing in experiential so late? A- So far the overall marketing for the brand have also been limited. Till now all our marketing activities were driven by flipkart and hence were more sales oriented but this year onwards we have taken charge and you will see a shift with experiential coming in a big way now.
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I never imagined my life would take this course; nobody from my family had any background in the arts. I studied Political Science while at Lady Sri Ram College in Delhi and after I graduated, I worked in event management, marketing and public relations for four years. It was when I moved to England to study at the University of Arts that everything changed. I was hugely enthused by the diversity and dynamism of the art scene, the calendar was bursting with exhibitions, cultural programmes and fairs and I began to realise the potential of arts in society. This got me thinking, why didn’t we have more of this back home? That simple thought turned into an ambitious dream - to create a world-class art event in India. When we started, we only had four months to plan and execute the event. I didn’t know a soul in the arts fraternity here and that caused a lot of scepticism. There were many naysayers who told me that it was impossible to do something like this in India to an international standard but rather than being discouraged it motivated me to prove them wrong and create a world class arts event. After the first edition of the art fair, people began to see the potential of what could be possible and they started to rally with us. Within a year, we had many key galleries and top artists participating and our partnerships began to grow. By the fifth edition we had 91 exhibitors showcasing over one thousand artists from twenty countries including many internationally renowned artists. From 10,000 visitors in the first edition, we had over 100,000 visitors in 2015. Today India Art Fair is a meeting point that provides a large canvas (20,000 square feet) for discussion, discovery, collaboration and commerce. It is a major national platform that exposes a wide range of Indian galleries and artists to international audiences, collectors and museum groups. Conversely it also provides international galleries with the opportunity to showcase their galleries and artists to the Indian community. This two-way exchange is echoed in the Speakers Forum where a comprehensive series of talks encourages cultural exchange, debate and discussion. India Art Fair also serves to unite the local art scene with a coordinated series of collateral events around Delhi during what is traditionally becoming known as the country’s busiest week in the cultural calendar. However recognition and success has only meant greater responsibility. When I started out, ignorant of the art market and all of 28 years old, there weren’t any expectations of me. Now I can see the huge task that lies ahead. The challenge is to continue to build a vibrant platform for the arts in the region, remain fresh and relevant but also viable and profitable for our investors and participants. The main ethos of the fair is to encourage all visitors to find a way to connect with art. In the early years many visitors would simply take pictures of themselves in front of the works but now they talk to the gallerists about the work, they ask questions, they engage with the art in a different way, which is exactly what we want. I used to feel intimidated walking into art galleries, for me the art world was removed, something apart from everyday life. India Art Fair was created in part for people like me, to break down existing barriers and make art accessible for wider audiences. Working in the arts is a hugely enriching experience and I would like to bring art into more and more people’s lives. Today the fair continues to provide a platform for artists and galleries from the region as well as internationally to present their art in India. We are currently the largest showcase of Indian art in the world and we hope to build on our experience to provide high quality gallery presentations and programmes throughout the fair to engage the huge variety of visitors the fair attracts. The next edition of India Art Fair is scheduled in Delhi from 28th to 31st January 2016. About NehaKirpal NehaKirpal is the Founder of India Art Fair, an annual modern and contemporary art fair held in New Delhi. Founded in 2008, the fair is India's largest and most popular art exhibit attracting upwards of 80,000 visitors across 4 days of the event, as recorded in 2015. Twitter- @NehaKirpal1 (The story has been extracted from BW APPLAUSE)
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Imagine a world where cars purely performed a functional duty of getting you from point A to point B. Today, it’s unthinkable to view cars in this way. They are global beacons of design; a stimulus for constant innovation; the vanguard of new technology and connectivity. Did you know that the average luxury premium car now incorporates over 300 million lines of computer coding compared to just 8 million in the F35 fighter jet? All this amounts to an industry gripped by considerable and constant change. Automotive manufacturers cannot afford to stand-still – they are locked in an ongoing battle to out-perform, out-wit and out-run their competitors. And, this is why the automotive world remains such an exciting and intriguing sector for experiential agencies. However, the majority of work for agencies has little to do with the actual product. The fundamental issue when I and my partner, Jeremy Garbett, founded our company- Deeper Blue- was to understand that the way customers purchased cars had changed forever. The digital revolution had re-drawn the customer journey. Our job was to provide a new pathway for dealers to cultivate a relationship with their digital customers and to embed the tools, processes and dealership culture to respond to the demands of the 21st Century buyer”. The agency is now four years further forward with a culture-change programme that has revolutionised the retailer sales process. It has armed dealers with a deeper understanding of how to activate and retain customers; supported by a rigorous measurement capability that continuously monitors their performance. The communications programme itself merged live events, film, workshops, training and digital solutions to form a long-term, integrated roll-out of activity - a constant drumbeat of relevant, actionable and timely information. Interestingly, when Deeper Blue was recently invited to launch a new product for Opel and Vauxhall, the product was not a car but a revolutionary, hi-tech personal connectivity and serviceassistant called OnStar. The challenge was to generate customer enthusiasm and a clear understanding of the features and benefits of OnStar. In short, we had to make the complex appear simple, human and fun - in 8 different languages. We created a series of eight, easy to understand animated films - each showing exactly how all the features work. Each 60 second animation featured our ‘On Star family’ and demonstrated how this advanced information technology could assist them in their everyday life situations. The films are now available to watch on Opel’s You Tube channeland are also used in dealerships to make sure that no questions are left unanswered when the order books open. Amidst the constant change, there’s one truism that remains unaltered – the way to drive sales is to get customers behind the wheel. For the past two years, Deeper Blue has designed and delivered the most sophisticated form of experiential ‘sampling’. For 3 weeks every summer on the Island of Ibiza in Spain, the agency acts as a ‘connector’ between high net-worth individuals and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Building deep relationships with the Island’s most attractive hotspots where the wealthy hang-out and play, Rolls-Royce offer individuals the chance to test-drive the car at a time and place that suits them. Perfectly delivered, in a highly personalised but relaxed style, a team of professional drivers is primed to interact with prospects and give them access to the Rolls-Royce of their choice. It’s all about finding the right people, at the right time. Thereafter, we let the cars speak for themselves – no fanfare, no fuss, just all-eyes on personally experiencing any one of five beautiful vehicles. Since 2014, Deeper Blue is now engaged in India, with the formation of Deeper Blue Asia operating from its Bangalore HQ. Already, its automotive specialism is attracting attention from manufacturers keen to address some of their most pressing issues across the Asia-Pacific region. When we imagine the world of creating experiences, it’s no longer about getting our automotive clients from A to B. Agencies need to be a true partner on their longer journey – developing deeper understanding, anticipating their needs, and assisting them in innovating a better marketing platform. (The story has been extracted from BW APPLAUSE)
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There are places I’ll remember.All my life, though some have changed. Some forever, not for better. Some have gone and some remain. All these places have their moments. With lovers and friends I still can recall. Some are dead and some are living. In my life, I’ve loved them all. The quaint old Beatle song strikes a consonant note as I sit down to write this. Growing up may now be far behind, but the people, places and moments it imprints in one’s mind and heart will always remain special. In the long journey of life (or at least in this case my own life),music will always remain my most consistent and special companion. I have always considered myself to be extremely fortunate to have grown up in the vibrant and multi-cultural suburb of Bandra – a beautiful slice of this crazy city of Mumbai.This once quaint and leafy milieu has been the cradle of some of the finest talent of music specifically, and the arts at large. It was Bandra’screatively fertile environmentthat personally helped me bloom, as it did so many others. It all began with impromptu weekend street jams and sing-songson terrace tops and at house parties. Constantly networked with like-minded friends, I developed an early love for music. Back in the day, the love affair launched with nostalgic vinyl. Cassettes – so passé today – were the premium of the day... prized possessions that you owned only if you were lucky enough to have a relative abroad. Then of course, technology gave us laser discs and VCDs, before cable came along and changed the entire dynamic. My passion for music was as strong as my love for theatre. My thrust into the spotlight came by way of roles in musicals such as Joseph and the Amazing TechnicolourDreamcoat, Greased Lightning and Evita, to name a few. Meanwhile, with talented friends who shared my passion for music, we formed our own band Voices – Aid Bhopal amongst our biggest gigs. Other musicians were also trying to make the scene and get some momentum going; but despite everyone’s best efforts, the independent music scene simply failed to get off the ground. There were,however, green shoots of hope of a different kind. What began with The Police’s almost incognito gig in then Bombay back in 1980 would lead to a steady trickle in later years. Bryan Adams made India his stomping ground for a bit, while JethroTull, MLTR, Deep Purple, America, Bon Jovi and Michael Jackson made fleeting, but significant, stopovers too. Fan passion was being ignited. TV helped expand our exposure to the world of music. I remember the marathon Live Aid concert being televised live (or at least some part of it) back in 1985. The arrival of satellite television in the 90skind of opened the floodgates as, for the first time, Indians could keep abreast with the latest in music, with negligible time lag in terms of releases. FM happened almost simultaneously and suddenly we never had it better – endless hours of music programming, countdown shows, live banter... RJs were becoming the new celebrities.All this increased the appetite for music. CDs, DVDs and LDs were being voraciously lapped up.New-age music stores were the hip place to hang out. And then the Internetblew everything out of proportion. Indians were now truly up-to-the-second with the latest trends in the world of music. YouTube, iTunes, Facebook, Twitter... there was no stopping us now. Concerts,as a concept, sprung from this platform. Sunburn, Mahindra Blues Festival, Johnny Walker – The Journey, NH7... they all became potent properties for their owners and focal points for the fans. All of this coalesced into an environment that opened up never before opportunities for the Indie scene. Local talent started to experience a warm acceptance and, more importantly, gained platforms to showcase their wares to music fans with now open minds. But there’s still a long way to go. The way forward is to introduce larger volumes of audiences to newer music genres and to promote local independent artistes. Infrastructure will hold the key. We need to see the immediate development of new concert venues – both small and large. Radio, which now enjoys immense traction especially with younger audiences, can play a pivotal role here. It must allow quality local music to share space with international content. Today’s youth and Gen Next will continue to consume music of their choice. They are a privileged generation with multiple mediums at their behest to explore and pick and choose from the very latest, as they please. Consumption mediums and patterns will continue to evolve and be defined by technology. The message is clear to providers of music content: Merge with evolving trends or be eased out. About the author Brian Tellis is the Chairman at Fountainhead Promotions and Events. He boasts of a multi-faceted career in the entertainment industry spread over three decades. Popular for hosting the Mahindra Blues Show on 94.3 FM he is also the man behind for organizing the Mahindra Blues Festival since 2011 in February each year. Twitter Handle: @Brian_Tellis
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It is gala time for all food lovers in Delhi/NCR again as The Grub Fest is back and promises to deliver so much more than just food in its second edition which is expected to take place from the 23rd to 25th October at the Ambience Lawns which is at the border of Delhi and Gurgaon. The announcement of Grub Fest 2.0 was made by its co-directors, Chaitanya Mathur and Arjun Jain at B Bar, Select City Walk recently. Speaking on the occasion, Arjun Jain said "The response we garnered from our first edition of Grub Fest in Delhi was absolutely overwhelming. We couldn't resist waiting for the next edition, so we collectively decided to host another one within a span of 7 months. Chaitanya Mathur, further added, "Apart from more food, music and entertainment, we are introducing some remarkable new concepts that will be a first in the country. We will also be integrating the business fraternity of the F&B industry, whilst giving an opportunity to small businesses, start ups, blogs and tech savvy entrepreneurs in the food space to showcase their products. And for our foodie fans, we've planned a bunch of exciting new contests and events, before and during the festival." The first edition of The Grub Fest which took place in April showcased a variety of cuisines to the population of Delhi including Lebanese, Chinese, North Indian, Italian, Mughlai, Mexican, Coastal, Sushi, amongst others. The exhibitors included renowned names like Royal China, Fio, Townhall, Smokeys, Zizo, À Ta Maison & PCO, Khan Chacha, Punjab Grill, Zambar, Holy Smoke and many more, most of which are already on board for the upcoming edition. Adding to that, new names like B Bar, Social, Indigo, Indigo Deli, Backyard, Urban Pind, Zerzura, Room Service, amongst others, are also excited to be a part of this food carnival. Everything Experiential went behind the curtains and in a conversation with Arjun Jain, Co-Director, The Grub Fest managed to scoop out exclusive information on what can be expected from this edition of The Grub Fest. Speaking about the engaging elements scheduled for the season 2 of The Grub Fest, Arjun says, “One of the highlights for the festival this time is certainly Grub Explore wherein we will be bringing to food lovers authentic chefs and cuisines from different parts of India. Our team has spent in a lot of time identifying cult flavors from the country and we are going to serve as a platform for these. Also this time the festival will be high on entertainment quotient as well as the lineup for performing artists will include the likes of Parikrama, Astitva, Nikhil Chinapa, Hari & Sukhmani, Vir Das's and the band Alien Chutney. We also have a surprise entertainer for the event the details however will only be unveiled when details are locked in.” Additionally Cafe Epicuria is popping up at The Grub Fest, bringing along the renowned brands under its roof and a courtyard will be curated by House of Sunrydge to include brands like Indigo, Indigo Deli, Qla & others. Speaking on the surprise element of the fest Arjun says, “This time we also have a unique concept of Grub Storey's which will be the first of its kind multi storied, travelling restaurant at a food festival.” Interestingly, the second edition of the food festival also packs a punch for art lovers. Speaking in this regard the co-directors share that the festival can be expected to feature some interesting art installations which are going to be headliners of the event in their own aspect. However, all such additional elements at The Grub Fest have come at a price for foodie lovers as the entry ticket for this edition of the food carnival is expected to be somewhere around 150-200 Rs. The Grub team has also announced that the festival will be travelling to Pune, Bangalore, Mumbai & Chandigarh, and even internationally to Dubai & London.
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The role of a customer in the fortunesand success of a brand can hardly ever be overstated. In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the customer, his loyalty and continued patronage is what a brand strives for and thrives on. Building brand credibility in order to foster loyalty is, one of the most pivotal focus areas for any enterprise, regardless of its nature. And to achieve this, an organization has to offer the most superlative levels of customer experience. Only then can it aim to acquire new patrons every day and retain the existing ones to turn them into veritable brand ambassadors.While building brand advocacy amongst your audience, it is important to: Know Your Customer Nurturing a brand reputation is a particularly tricky task for a B2C business where the market is larger and harder to pin down. However, a brand that successfully manages to identify its target audience and understand it well has already won half the battle. Once the key customers have been ascertained, it is easier to gauge their preferences, propensities and desires. The foremost task of a brand or marketing manager is to comprehend the eco-system which his target client inhabits. For a premium brand, the marketer has to get a sense of what echelons of luxury the customer is exposed to and expects, and then outdo this benchmark to wow him. Building a credible brand identity involves plugging the gap in the market when it comes to the desires of patrons and also establishing new standards of excellence ensuring customersfeel proud to be associated with the brand.Brand experiences create customer affinity that leads not just to consumption but also brand advocacy through word-of-mouth advertising, one of the most powerful ways of cementing the business’s market reputation. Define Your Vision To elicit this kind of unstinted loyalty, there has to be considerable investment in intelligent marketing tools. A business today has to carefully outline the values that it is driven by as this is what differentiates it from any competition. It has to then ensure that this value proposition or brand philosophy is communicated articulately and audibly to its target demographic.According to many studies, brands tend to have a higher perception of credibility if there is uniformity in their marketing mix over a long term. Therefore, marketers must not have a myopic vision when coming up with a brand communication. If these values and communications appeal to the identified target market, they are sure to create an indelible recall in the minds of consumers when thinking of ways to meet their needs. The consistency in branding activities is especially imperative in today’s age of digital interactions. While social media creates an opportunity for a brand to have a two-way interaction with the customer, it can also lead to adverse consequences if the communication strategies are not pre-defined and well-thought through. Fulfill the Brand Promise The most definitive way of building credibility and loyalty, however, is to fulfill the brand promise made to consumers.While many a times, we find that the focus of marketing shifts from the product itself, this can be a grave trap that brand managers fall into. The only way of ensuring continued association of target customers with your brand is by offering them the experience that your communication platform, product qualities, service platform assure. For instance, if you promise a perfect amalgamation of functional superiority and visual excellence, each aspect of product must be a manifestation of these qualities.Over and above that, if the business retails through a physical store, the outlet must offer a shopping experience in perfect consonance with the brand identity. Build showrooms that give customers an experience of what it will be like to bring home your products. If your brand vision talks of quality, design and technology, then these attributes must be palpable from the moment they enter the store. If they are pampered and indulged from the word go, their perception of your brand image immediately gets enhanced. Also, they will begin to associate the company with the fulfillment of a higher, aspirational desire and are likely to come back repeatedly for the same feeling of importance and luxury. In essence, customers must always feel a sense of delight on interacting with your brand. Capitalise on your brand strengths and leverage these pro-actively to deliver a customer experience that no other player can match up to. With a good mix of smart marketing and superlative products and services, building a credible brand is only a matter of time and patience. With sustained efforts and a shot of innovation in brand building activities, customers will find it increasingly easy to identify with your brand vision and will be more likely to invest in your brand on an ongoing basis.
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