Kerala recently witnessed the big fat wedding of NRI businessman Ravi Pillai's daughter Arathi at Asramam Maidan in Kollam, Kerala on Thursday, 26th November. Following the grand wedding ceremony, a reception was arranged at Le Meridian in Ernakulam on Saturday, 28th November by ‘The Royal Mandapam’. The extravagant reception venue boasted of a large indoor banqueting production of 75,000 square feet spread over different ballrooms. It took 20 days of pre-production, 300 skilled labours and 125 event managers to pull off this setup in Le Meridian which saw a roll out of 3100 elite guests which included many South Indian celebrities like Jayram, Dulquer Salmaan, Indrajith, Poornima, Mamta Mohandas and Ranjini Haridas to name a few. In addition, guests from the Middle East included the Royal families, diplomats and CEO’s arriving in private jets to bless the newly weds. The decor executed by ‘The Royal Mandapam’, was themed, 'Floral Extravaganza' with beautiful use of exotic flowers dressed up on rich drapes that adorned the hotel banquet. ‘The Royal Mandapam’ is a joint collaboration between Cochin based Impresario Event Management India Ltd., having over 20 years of experience in putting together formal events & weddings and ‘Studio Neelabh’- The Royal Group of Companies, Mumbai, one of India’s premium Design and Wedding Management group, famously known for creating unique signature events across the globe. Studio Neelabh is now consolidating its operations vertical, region wise in India and abroad. ‘The Royal Mandapam’ is a part of the pan India expansion of ‘Studio Neelabh’- The Royal Group of Companies, offering solutions in the domain of Wedding Management, Design, Stage Architecture and Entertainment for South India.
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The month of November was exciting for experiential marketing specialists and enthusiasts as it saw some of the most interesting on-ground campaigns across the globe. From brands like Sipsmith to Kelloggs to Ford and Dominoes going all out create immersive experiences for their audiences, we at EE are listing down some of Insta-Inspirational global brand campaigns seen in the moth of November this year. Sipsmith pop-up lounge at Clerkenwell This is another one of those experiential campaigns that we hope Indian marketers and agencies take inspiration from. Spirits distillery brand Sipsmith in this campaign launched a pop-up bar at London's Clerkenwell. The distillers changed cocktail lounge on the lower level into an alpine ski lodge with an open fire and fur rugs. Specially created winter cocktails like Mulled Sloe Gin and the Dainty Damsel were served to the guests the lounge could accommodate 70- people at one time. This campaign works as it provided with fans an interesting opportunity to connect with the brand and relish the offerings of the brand in an innovative new avatar. Xbox ‘Survival of the Grittiest’ Craft London collaboration with McCann London for this campaign to promote 'Rise of the Tomb Raider' and strapped eight Lara Croft fans to a billboard in Southwark, pitting them against extreme weather conditions controlled by the voting public. After a gruelling 20.75 hours, one contestant was crowned victorious and the overall campaign brought the much needed freshness of idea and execution in the experiential domain with the campaign being applauded by everyone and creating a huge social media stir. Ford Road Safety Event This campaign by Ford is a testament of the fact that how can a brand create positive experiences for its TG by simply living up to its social responsibility. Through a road safety event Ford welcomed 1,000 individuals aged between 18 and 24 across three days and challenged them with a number of driving obstacles to encourage the idea of safe driving. The highlights of this campaign were a distraction test, where drivers were tasked with manoeuvring a Ford Fiesta around a windy track and a drifting test. Good job Ford. Kelloggs personalized cereal boxes To give its consumers an exciting engagement during the lead up to Christmas, Kelloggs created this campaign offering consumers the chance to receive their very own personalised box of cereal. To get your personalised box people were asked to either tweet their favourite thing about Christmas along with the #FestiveFlakes hashtag, or include an answer to the question: "Which part of Christmas do you most look forward to?" on the campaign post on the brands facebook page. The campaign was simple, interesting and perfectly suits up the spirit of holidays while giving brand the spotlight it asked for with minimum cost involved and hence works. Dominoes easy order button Similar to Amazon's Dash button the multinational joint Domino's too launched its very own easy order button to make the act of ordering pizza even simpler and lazier this November. The button is in shape of a miniature pizza box and works by pairing with the Domino's app over Bluetooth. The button was handed over to the winners of a social media campaign by the brand and created huge social media buzz with its launch. Clearly the launch is an indication of where the world of consumer purchase experience is heading to.
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The season of holidays is upon us and it’s finally that time of the year when families come together to celebrate the joy and frolic of Christmas. If you too are looking forward to make the best out of the yearend holidays and festivities but have no idea where to go then worry not because we at EE are listing down Christmas events to look forward to in December. X-MAS BBQ COOK OUT Celebrate this Christmas Eve with friends and family over a personalized bar–be–que and live music. Your own personalized BBQ grill, with customized marinades, for a group of 6 or more. For smaller groups, one could join the community grill. The Chefs at Drift, Epicentre will be happy to assist!! Date: 24th December Evening Timing: 8:00pm onwards Address : Drift Epicentre At Apparel House, Sector 44, Gurgaon Tel: 9999326400, 9810797540 Christmas Science - Santa's Lab Give your child this Christmas a chance to hop on the Polar Express on the trip of your lifetime to Santa's home of ice and snow. In this special workshop kids will be allowed to conduct Christmas themed experiments as they have a sledge full of magical Christmas fun. Date: 19th -26th December | Timing: 8:00pm onwards Address : Community Hall, Anand Lok: Delhi, Nirvana Patio: Gurgaon X'Mas Pop-Up Private Preview Now this one is a private preview of the best featured designs by 10 designers with creations ranging from evening wear to contemporary wear, so expect yourself to go home with bags full of exclusive, beautiful clothing! Date- Thu, 17 Dec 2015 Timing: 10 AM- 7 PM Address: DLF Magnolias Club Contact- 9560047249 Christmas Fiesta Noida too, is ready to celebrate Christmas through a fun filled bonanza, games and munchies, laughter and joy. This one is a family entertainment event so be ready for a happening family time. Date- Sat, 19 Dec 2015 Timing: 10 AM- 7 PM Address: GLOBAL INDIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, NOIDA D-5, SECTOR 71 NOIDA INDIA 201301 Gift Of Christmas Love Delhi team is set to create a musical evening in Delhi to celebrate the joy and true spirit of Christmas as they journey to recapture the birth of Jesus Christ through live music, drama, friendships and story telling. Date- Mon, 21 Dec 2015 Timing: 10 AM- 7 PM Address: Connaught Place Central Delhi
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Nestle India announced the comeback of MAGGI with a one-of-its-kind relaunch event on 18 November 2015 at Hotel Novotel, Aerocity, New Delhi that was attended by over 850 employees of Nestle. The event was produced by Showtime Group. The show kicked off with a dance performance woven around a mash-up of fun and happy songs that not only created a perfect build-up to the welcoming back of MAGGI but also echoed the emotions of the entire country at its comeback. A highly inspirational address by Mr. Suresh Narayanan – CMD, Nestle India – set a perfect tone for the reveal of Nestle’s latest campaign – Khush Khush Khusham. RJ Naved of Radio Mirchi made a special appearance and enthralled the audience with his comical act, even as he narrated the excitement and sense of anticipation among MAGGI customers who he happened to interact with. The next session saw team presentations on Nestle’s nation-wide product distribution effort and how MAGGI has been welcomed back across India, with consumers making a beeline for the product at dealerships across the country. An exciting highlight of the event was a live digital activation module. Unlike typical conferences where participants are asked to put their mobiles on silent mode, the attendees were encouraged to use their smartphones and post their messages online with the hashtag #WelcomeBackMAGGI, which were then screened live. The level of interaction was at a peak, with attendees actively posting on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. The show ended with the reveal of Nestle’s theme for its sales force to motivate them to reclaim the top slot in the market – ZIDD HAI – in the form of a dance performance choreographed to a special motivational song created for the purpose and titled Zidd Hai. The event was followed by a series of branch conferences in New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai in which the local sales teams displayed their talent through skits, dance and musical performances that reflected their happiness on MAGGI’s comeback. Speaking about the event, Akshay Chawla – VP, Showtime Group said: “It was indeed a matter of great pride and honor that Nestle chose us to relaunch India’s most loved food brand. We were working very closely with the MAGGI brand team for a long time to find the best way to interact with and establish a platform for the audience to express their emotions while welcoming MAGGI back. There was a tremendous level of energy and excitement at Showtime as we worked on this landmark project.”
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Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd (KNPL), one of India’s leading industrial coatings manufacturer has partnered with Delhi, I Love You, (DILY), a 30-month movement of love. Initiated by film-maker Thomas Ellis and sculptor Aastha Chauhan the #mydillistory campaign is part of this movement. It is a way to empower the people of Delhi to reclaim the city and increase a sense of belonging among them. This unique city painting campaign will see winning tweets about people’s love for Delhi being painted along some of the city’s busiest streets. Shri Kapil Misra, Delhi Minister for Tourism, Arts, Culture & Languages, Water, Gurudwara Elections inaugurated this campaign by joining in the painting of six winning stories at the ISBT flyover, near Monastery Market. This marks the beginning of the campaign as tweets will now be painted across 40 prominent locations in Delhi. These stories were part of the entries in competition #MyDilliStory organized by Delhi, I Love you. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Anuj Jain, Director Decorative, Kansai Nerolac Paints Limited said, “Paint is one of the best gifts you can give your home. Most of us repaint our homes during the festive season. Our city is also close to our hearts and is our home. The #MyDillyStory campaign is an initiative that celebrates Delhi, the beauty of this city, its people and their heart-warming stories. Painting positive memories and thoughts is a simple but powerful process that can transform the urban environment. While the winning stories that people from Delhi have shared will be hand-painted on prominent public walls and flyovers around the city, for us this initiative goes much far beyond this as we look at the city itself as a new creative canvas.”
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‘Marketing’ as a word may sound easy to preach and define but in practicality successfully marketing a product or a brand is indeed a daunting challenge for marketers. From spending billions on hiring celebrities to influence TG, to shelling a lot more on branding and from engaging prospective consumers through on-ground initiatives to constantly keeping a tab on social media trends, marketers today have to bear it all for the success of their offerings in the market. One of such unique marketing strategies adopted by brands in their endeavor to create a maximum impact on their audiences is ‘Stunt Marketing’. For those of you who do not know, Stunt marketing commonly refers to particular forms of marketing through which a brand releases a false or humoristic breaking news for gaining media coverage and public attention. Stunt marketing as a strategy has been used for many years and is known to spell major financial successes for brands. It is often asked that when should brands opt for stunt marketing and why does it work? And if you have a curious mind about stunt marketing then we have all the questions answered right here for you. The reasons why stunt marketing works is that it enables brands to create a surprising memory in the hearts and minds of their audiences resulting in high curiosity and urge to know more about the product. The intention of stunt marketing is to gain a sudden momentum in the market space for your product rather than allowing customers to have a touch and feel experience with it or announcing the attributes embedded in the product via ATL mediums. A stunt marketing technique can be resorted to by brands when despite multiple experiments in their marketing activities, the brand has failed to created an impact in the market or a sudden announcement regarding the brand has to made. Taco Bell Corp used stunt marketing in 1996, when one fine morning an ad appeared in The New York Times with a headline that read: "Taco Bell Buys the Liberty Bell." The ad explained that Taco Bell had agreed to purchase the Liberty Bell and now one of the most historic treasures in the United States will be called the 'Taco Liberty Bell'. The aftermath of this stunt was huge as while some people found the idea simply bizzare and distasteful a few others found it an interesting way to get rid of the country's debt. Thousands of people called in their complaints to the home of the Liberty Bell, but by afternoon, Taco Bell admitted that the ad was an April Fool's joke. As a result of this stunt, more than 650 print media outlets and 400 broadcast outlets covered Taco Bell and reached out to more than 70 million Americans. Interestingly, as a result of this prank the company's revenue increased by $500,000 that day, and by $600,000 more the following day thus enabling Taco Bell to make the best out of this stunt. in 1998, Burger King too tried to pull of stunt marketing in their own unique way as they sent out an ad in USA Today, stating that they'd re-engineered their most famous burger and were now serving Left-Handed Whopper. They offered details of how the burger had been designed to fit more comfortably in the left hand, including rotating the condiments and redistributing the weight of the toppings. This marketing stunt too proved to be of great help to the brand as millions rushed in to Burger King stores to try their hands on the Left-handed whopper. However, upon realizing that this was an April Fool prank consumers laughed it off as they relished in the usual whopper burgers adding money into the pockets for Burger King. So yes stunt marketing moves are a goldmine for marketers who are desperate to get their brands under the spotlight for the moment however stunt marketing like other marketing techniques has its own set of challenges and may backfire too. Brands like Vodafone and Snapple learned it the hard way. In June 2005, Snapple attempted to erect the world's largest popsicle, made of frozen Snapple juice which was twenty-five feet tall and weighing 17.5 tons. But much to their surprise as the crane pulled the frozen treat into an upright position in Times Square in New York City it began melting. Resulting in a flood of kiwi-strawberry-flavored fluid pouring onto the streets of downtown Manhattan and forcing innocent bystanders to flee from the sticky, sugary mess. Similarly, Vodafone in 2002 failed miserably while attempting to make its brand the center of attraction through stunt marketing. At a rugby match between New Zealand and Australia, two streakers interrupted the game, wearing the Vodafone logo. This intervention was not taken well by the teams, the players, the audiences and everyone else involved and as a result the police arrested the streakers before the game was over. The brand got a lot of the heat from the media over the issue and thus Grahame Maher, one of the CEOs of Vodafone,was forced to apologize for encouraging these two guys to streak through the game and breaking the law. The company also ended up donating $30,000 pounds to a nonprofit campaign aimed at reducing sports injuries. In the end it can be said that stunt marketing is definitely one of the sure shot ways to get your brand noticed by its TG but one has to be very careful while devising the perfect stunt to make sure the brand doesn't gets into any trouble.
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India’s premier mixed martial arts event company Combat Cage Fight (CCF) is returning for its second season with a back-to-back bout session on December 18 and 19 in Goa. Following an electrifying debut season that saw crowds in Goa hankering for more, Combat Cage Fight Night finds is back to continue its streak of providing novel entertainment sport in India. This time, an audience of 1500 a night is expected on December 18 and 19 at its new venue – the scintillating Destination One right on the shores of Calangute beach. Set against the beautiful setting sun on a clear winter evening, this seafront venue offers the best seating to fans of this national mixed martial arts event coming in from across the country. Combat cage fighting is a safe, regulated, competitive sport that involves a combination of martial arts techniques within the restrictions of a confined space. The first-of-its-kind event in India intertwines a show of the complexity of technical self-defence skills with the pulsating vibe of a nightclub experience. This time, 24 fighters will take to the ring in 12 high energy bouts across both nights. Beginning at 6pm, the nights will feature some of the best music and entertainment of the season, with renowned DJs spinning unforgettable sets between bouts in the high-voltage ambience. The fabulous Barney Bowe returns as the MC and presenter for the evening, keeping spirits high and the atmosphere engaging. Goa’s main card entry for the Combat Cage Fight Night on December 18 is Nelson Paes, who stole the show last year with his quick moves and finishing with a superb knock out. Also participating are popular fighters Himanshu Kushik and Goa’s Pushka Bhosle. Returning from last season are Danny Manpola, Suraj Bahadur, Rohit Pundar, Vivek Sharma who will vie for the ultimate title in India’s mixed martial arts scene. As always, CCF places great importance on the inclusion of women in the show, with each fight night showcasing one ladies’ bout. Last year’s winner Bharti Pundar will enter the ring again, eager to retain her title after last year’s showdown with Goan boxer Sonia Parab. With the support of Goa Tourism & the Department of Tourism Goa, this season’s Fight Nights are also sponsored by Venue Sponsor Destination One Calangute, Wild Water, Cleartrip, Manipal Hospitals, and Radio Indigo with Viva Goa as the magazine partner. Tickets for both shows can be easily booked on the Cleartrip app. Combat Cage Fight is fast becoming one of the biggest and best fight show in the country. By virtue of its high value entertainment and excellent organisation, it is an invaluable opportunity for Goa in terms of both sport and tourism.
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The much awaited Delhi cocktail week has kicked off on December 12th. The event is commenced with a press conference followed by the launch party at Hard Rock café, Gurgaon. Patrons experienced the finest bar tending session with the leading International Bartenders including Antonio Lai, Ulysses Vidal & Evgenya Prazdnik. The cocktail culture in India has always been vibrant and has evolved over the period of time. With the propensity towards the finest cocktail in India, Elixir Coterie, a platform which brings the alcohol connoisseurs together, hosts the Delhi cocktail week, Dec 12th-19th, 2015. The globally celebrated event is brought first time in India in association with the renowned bars & lounges. A week-long celebration of the cocktail craftsmanship which will be taking place at 150+ restaurants& bars across the city with a variety of tasting sessions, parties and master classes in the art of pouring the perfect concoction. Patrons can buy wrist band from these bars & lounges priced Rupees 599, 1099 & 5499 and avail unlimited cocktails each worth INR 200 &400 Inclusive of taxes from a pre-selected menu Signature Cocktails of your favorite participating restaurant/bar. It will cater the finest signature cocktail from the renowned international & Indian Mixologist including Hannah Van ongevalle(Belgium), Simone Caporale(London), Hannah Waters(Singapore), Antonio Lai(Hong Kong),Arijit Bose(Singapore),Hemant Pathak(New York), Andrea Fidora(Dubai), Karina Agarwal, EvgenyaPrazdnik &Aanchal Kaushal(India). The week is not just pocket friendly fun but also includes an array of activities including Cocktail Competition, Master Classes, Pub Crawls etc. Come and have a global experience at your city. Associate partners are Whats Hot, Primo Privilege, Dine out, Delhi Now, Spiritz, Quickli, Book my show, I love New Delhi.com, Monin&Elixir Coterie. Venue: – PCO, Smokeys, Lodi, Beer Café, Cafe Delhi Heights, Mamagoto, Bulldogs, Vault Café, GaramDharam, Hungry Monkey, Zerruco, Barcelos, Fork You, Westin, Le Meriden, Summerhouse Café, The Backyard, Raasta, Yes Minister,HardrockCafé and many more Date &Time:-12th December Saturday (as soon as the first bar opens!) until 19th December Saturday (when the last bar shuts!).
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Alchemist, a marketing and talent solutions company, is bringing global sitarist Anoushka Shankar for her much-anticipated “Home” India Tour this December. The artist is touring to support her latest album “Home”, which has freshly been nominated for a Grammy ahead of the tour. This is Anoushka Shankar’s 5th Grammy nomination, a rarity, and an extra-special recognition because it is for a classical album of pure Indian ragas. For past 7 years, Alchemist is the exclusive representative of Anoushka Shankar in South Asia and the Middle East, and has organized over 40 performances of the artist in the country. Alchemist, known as much as an ace talent solutions company as it is for its marketing services, is also the producer of the tour this year The 3-city tour has begun in Mumbai on December 12th, at Shanmukhananda Auditorium, before moving to Delhi for a performance on December 13th at the prestigious SiriFort Auditorium. In Bangalore, the artist will perform on December 18th at Chowdiah Memorial Hall. Says Manish Porwal, Managing Director of Alchemist, who is not only the curator of the tour, but also the producer, “In Bangalore, we sold out within a week of going live. The response was so tremendous that we are now organizing a 2nd show at 5.30pm on the very same day. This is unprecedented for an artist, and for this genre.” Recorded in her home studio in London, Home is Anoushka’s third release on Deutsche Grammophon. After several stunning non-classical albums, including the Grammy®-nominated recordings Rise, Traveller and Traces Of You, Anoushka returns to her solo roots, paying homage to the teachings of her father Pandit Ravi Shankar. “Home” features two ragas, one, Jogeshwari, written by her father. This album is aparadigm of classical Indian raga, and showcases Anoushka’s increasing maturity on her instrument. Says Anujita Jain, CEO of Alchemist, “We are thrilled with the success of the December concerts and the recently announced Grammy nomination for “Home”. While we start the new year with more shows in Muscat and Trivandrum, our eyes are now set on the tour next winter. We are excited about Anoushka’s next album after “Home”, that is slated for a global release early next year, and will tour India in December 2016." The album is considered to be an experimental album that will feature influences from various contemporary artists with a culturally and politically relevant theme that will touch upon concepts of feminism, asylum and migration.
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The Indian Marketing Awards ’15 organized by Exchange4media saw marketers, brand experts and marketing specialists in attendance discussing the marriage of technology with marketing in the modern brand marketing environment today. An interesting keynote address on how technology is going to affect the marketing game plan for brands in the future was given by Vineet Nayar, Founder Sampark Foundation & Former CEO,HCL Technologies. Nayar started his address by speaking on internet of things. He said, “Internet of things will bring what we call the ‘safe-mode’ which will filter the data and hence data will no more be the driving force for brands and marketers. People are becoming more secure about their identity and this will lead to less data coming to marketers. Speaking on the conventional marketing strategies by brands he said, “I truly believe that the old thought of marketing on a surface level is only going to make you obsolete and not revolutionary. The CEOs are being challenged in ways you have never ever imagined before. In the 18th century. The augmented reality system that is coming is going to make the entertainment industry cringe. People are not going to be satisfied unless every single entertainment is interactive on augmented reality front. Also the retail industry will be experiencing this in a very different way.” Speaking exclusively to EE, Nayar spoke on how integral is the culmination of technology and experience for brands in order to engage with their TG. “Marketers who do not understand how rapidly is technology game changing, will see the results in future. As I said augmented reality and other technological elements are going to change how brands market themselves and how consumers will make purchase decisions. No one will have the time to physically enter a retail store and try clothes on, people will enter a store in the future via augmented reality and the entire experience of shopping will change.” Nayar added, “Consumers are evolving and brands marketing activities should evolve too. The marriage of marketing with technology to create consumer experience will be the game changer in the future.”
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