From being an International Odissi dancer to cinching the Miss India World title in 1992 and from anchoring television shows to creating her own niche in theater, Shivani Wazir Pasrich is a versatile personality donning multiple hats. In a candid rapid fire, Shantanu Jain catches up with the acclaimed actress, fashionista and compere. Q- Fondest memory as an actor/anchor? While working for the serial Mumkin I was able to perform a comedy scene with MukulDev and a tragedy scene with the same impact and conviction. Also while shooting for Dil to PagalHai, Madhuri Dixit asked me which acting school I went to? So that is another fond memory. Q- If you had to change your name, what would you change it to? Hidimba, the wife of Bheem. Q- What do you do to have fun? I laugh. I can laugh at the silliest things. Q- If you could have an unlimited storage of one thing, what would it be? I already have 16 cupboards of clothing, bags and accessories. Q- If you were to write a book about yourself, what would you name it? Namaste Shivani Q- What is one thing that you cannot stand? Dirt and mess Q- One thing that melts your heart? My girls Q- Typical bedtime? Being a travel host for so many years where we used to work round the clock. I have grown accustomed to sleeping anywhere and at any time. Q- Facebook or Twitter? Facebook. Q- Your style icon? Dr Karan Singh’s wife YashoRajya Lakshmiji. I feel she was the most elegant woman ever. Q- Your favorite TV show? I don’t watch television. But whenever my daughter comes back from her boarding school we sit and watch Desperate Housewives. Q- Your comfort food? Water caltrop (Singhara) and iceberg lettuce. Q- Where do you see yourself 5 years down the line? Back on TV with my rural awareness reality television show.
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The most comprehensive ranking of the top dealer-oriented initiatives in India Experiential marketing is aimed typically at creating a closer bond between the end consumer and the brand. But is that all? Can experiential marketing be used successfully to reach out to other stakeholders as well – such as dealers? This question laid the foundation for us to also felicitate the Top 10 dealer meets. The study period was the same as consumer oriented campaigns - a 15 month period from 1 May 2014 – 31 July 2015. While these initiatives are typically closed door – being directed to a very specific stakeholder of the company – one cannot understate the importance to reach out to this very specific group. While organizing extravagant dealer meets is not a new concept, and firms across sectors have been practicing it for a long time; now dealer meets have become grand affairs, with professional agencies conceptualizing and executing these events. Considering the importance of dealers to a firm, the effort is well directed and the money spent is surely worth it. BW Applause worked with Traverse Strategy Consultants to identify the Top 10 Dealer Initiatives, which recognizes the best dealer – oriented initiatives. Rank Initiative Name Brand Agency Name 1 Reebok and Adidas trade shows Adidas Cream Events 2 Sony P4 Mobile series channel partners launch Sony A for Pineapple Ideas & Executions 3 The Tata Motors Annual Suppliers Conference 2014 Tata Motors SALT Experience and Management 4 Honda Press launch and dealer - supplier business meet Honda Radiant 5 Lodha Channel Partner Meet Lodha Corporate Events 6 The Aditya Birla Group Birla Cellulose Liva launch Aditya Birla Fountainhead Entertainment 7 Asian Paints Dealer's Meet Asian Paints Candid Marketing 8 Oriflame’s Managers Seminar Oriflame Fountainhead Entertainment 9 UltraTech and Jaypee Partner Meet Ultratech Encompass Events 10 Grohe’s Annual Meet Grohe Vibgyor Brand Services
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Businesses face a continual challenge to market their products or services effectively. Marketers are overwhelmed with marketing strategies and there is a constant attempt to one-up the competition, using creative and cost-effective efforts aimed at building a brand. Experiential marketing allows for a level playing ground for all brands – big and small, as experiential marketing rewards creativity, and not merely the scale of the event. The buzz that can be created organically is the best thing that every marketer seeks to achieve. With increased spend in experiential marketing, every sector is utilizing the potential of experiential marketing to the fullest. While there is no dearth at the sheer number of experiential initiatives by companies, we at BW Applause wanted to felicitate the best work done in the area. For the same, we partnered with our research partner Traverse Strategy Consultants, where the research done by our internal team at BW Applause was supplemented by research done by Traverse Strategy Consultants. We looked at initiatives across a 15 month period from 1 May 2014 – 31 July 2015. The research looked at initiatives across all sectors, and the methodology included primary as well as extensive secondary research. A portal was created on the Everything Experiential website for agencies / brands to nominate themselves and share details validating the success of their initiative. The information collected was augmented by the secondary research which looked at data points collected across the following metrics: Audience reached Positive WoM and Media Coverage Live Market Research done Feasibility to scale up the event Digital Empowerment The final list of Top 75 experiential initiatives covers over 15 sectors, which is a testament to the fact that great experiential initiatives is not just meant for a select few sectors. With more marketers looking at experiential marketing initiatives as a regular tool in their marketing spend arsenal, experiential initiatives are expected to grow both in adoption and in terms of creativity. Rank Initiative Sector Brand Agency Name 1 Nissan Sunny launches across 130 locations simultaneously Automotive Nissan Sunny The Innuendo Communications 2 Halonix launches a 'safer city' experiential and outdoor campaign Consumer Appliances Halonix Cheil 3 10 city launch for Honda Mobilio Automotive HonaMobilio C S Direkt 4 OLX takes its on-air 'Womaniya' campaign on-ground E Commerce OLX Go Live 5 Nissan - Xtronic CVT Automotive Nissan Communique 6 Hero Motocorp combines power of new Karizma with passion for football Two Wheeler Hero Motocorp Axiom Gen Nxt India 7 Reebok JetFuse Run Apparel Reebok DDB MudraMax 8 Lenskart - Eye for an Eye Ecommerce Lenskart DDB MudraMax 9 Godrej Expert Hair Color - Market activation FMCG Godrej Candid Marketing 10 Philips - SpeedStyle Consumer Appliances Philips Pulp Strategy Communications 11 Jabong.com pioneers new e-fashion IP, India Online Fashion Week Ecommerce Jabong.com Talenthouse India 12 Star Sports promotes Pro Kabaddi League in eight cities Media Star Sports Pro Kabbadi Everything Goes! Communications 13 Maybelline New collection launch FMCG Maybelline Encompass Events 14 Creation of Revotron Labs in run upto Tata Motors' new car launch Automotive Tata Motors Wizcraft International 15 Bajaj Discover - Zing zong Two Wheeler Bajaj Discover Leo Burnett 16 Sony - Bravia 4K Series Launch Consumer Electronics Sony Bravia Laqshya Live Experiences 17 LG OLED Curve televisions travel to the customer’s doorstep Consumer Electronics LG Brand Promotions 18 Absolut celebrates Friendship Day with pool parties in Indore Alcohol Absolut Fusion Events 19 Jaguar concludes its month-long launch campaign for XJ Automotive Jaguar Percept ICE 20 Tempo sanitisers taken to foodies through Mumbai Dabbawalas FMCG Tempo psLIVE 21 7UP DanceUP competition FMCG 7UP DDB MudraMax 22 Usain Bolt launches Puma’s 'Forever Faster' in India Apparel Puma Cream Events 23 Nissan organizes multi-city promotions for its car Terrano Automotive Nissan Terrano The Innuendo Communications 24 Cipla - ‘BreathefreeYatra - A clinic-on-wheels’ Pharmaceutical Cipla RW Promotions 25 Fiat Chrysler launches PuntoEvo across five cities Automotive Fiat Chrysler Encompass Events 26 Tupperware - Wedding campaign FMCG Tupperware DDB MudraMax 27 Kurla’s newest landmark, Art Guild House, opens with art and aperitifs Art Art Guild House Percept ICE 28 AamAadmi Party goes experiential Political Party AamAadmi Party Brand Connect Media 29 Swiss Airlines Airline themed fashion show Aviation Swiss Airlines Ice Global 30 BlackBerry plays out a 360 degree campaign to launch the Z3 Consumer Electronics Blackberry Starcom Media 31 Axis Bank's Suvidhaa ATM taken to rural masses through an activation BFSI Axis Bank Augustus Communications 32 Lifebuoy makes washing hands a fun experience in rural schools FMCG Lifebouy Geometry Global 33 Radio City rolls out a month-long campaign to bolster its brand Media Radio City Scarecrow Communications 34 Chandigarh Tourism - Adventure destination Hospitality Chandigarh Tourism Percept Sports & Entertainment 35 Puma launches its Arsenal kits with the 'Tunnel of Time' Apparel Puma Cream Events 36 Amway launches its beauty product with a fashion show FMCG Amway EventSol 37 Amira Nature Foods - Durga Puja FMCG Amira Nature Foods Vibgyor Brand Services 38 Mahindra Two Wheelers GoGustoRide Two Wheeler Mahindra A for Pineapple Ideas & Executions 39 High Sierra lassoes in GenX with a promise of Monday adventures Lifestyle High Sierra Eccentric Engine 40 ACC cements itself in 25 cities across North India Manufacturing ACC Pinkstar Events 41 Sony- F3 Fiesta - Fun, Family, Fitness Consumer Electronics Sony A for Pineapple Ideas & Executions 42 Tic-Tac - Strawberry Fields FMCG Tic Tac Madison Integrated Experiential Solutions 43 Mahindra & Mahindra - Launch of Gusto Two Wheeler Mahindra A for Pineapple Ideas & Executions 44 TCS, Cigna TTK - Treadmillion Challenge Pharmaceutical Cigna TTK Procam International 45 Zee News - 'Misunderstood Scoreboard' Media Zee News DDB MudraMax 46 Auto-rickshaws advocate a Dr.Fixit this monsoon Manufacturing Dr. Fixit Madison Communications 47 9-city UNO Asia Challenge Retail Landmark Tantraa Events 48 Fevicol holds ‘Caring with Style' fashion show for cancer patients Manufacturing Fevicol Entertainment Bay 49 Za partners with retailer newU to showcase its skin expertise FMCG Za Vigbyor Brand Services 50 Fiat PuntoEvo - Promotion Automotive Fiat Punto Work Ventures 51 Star Plus launches Raw Star with a power-packed entrance Media Star Plus Madison Integrated Experiential Solutions 52 Mall-goers doodle with light in Gionee's light bending stalls Consumer Electronics Gionee Vibgyor Brand Services 53 BMW - i8 Launch Automotive BMW Encompass Events 54 Mika Singh and DJ Suketu rock the night for Apps Daily E Commerce Apps Daily GoBananas 55 Brand Promotions and Datsun bring in Bustlemania Automotive Datsun Brand Promotions India 56 New Vespa Elegante with new palette of colours Two Wheeler Piaggio Talenthouse India 57 9X Jalwa and 9XM Media 9X Everything Goes! Communications 58 Simpa Energy conducts rural campaign to spread solar power awareness Energy Simpa Energy Global Visionaries 59 XiaomiMi 4i smartphone launch Consumer Electronics Xiaomi Percept Sports & Entertainment 60 Vodafone and GFDC celebrate the spirit of football in Goa Telecom Vodafone Livewire Events & Promos 61 Zoya unveils its new Mumbai store Retail Zoya Phase 1 Events & Entertainment 62 Puma unveils Arsenal’s kit with club legends Ray Parlour and Sol Campbell Apparel Puma Toast Events 63 Launch of Taco Bell in Delhi Hospitality Taco Bell Brandwidth Events 64 Asian Paints - Colourpro Leap Manufacturing Asian Paints Work Ventures 65 Summer shopping campaign of Mumbai Duty Free, DFS Retail Mumbai Duty Free The Brand Brewery 66 SRK celebrates the 'Don’t Crack Under Pressure' motto with Tag Heuer Lifestyle Tag Heuer Vibgyor Brand Services 67 Asian Paints’ brand Nilaya Manufacturing Asian Paints Encompass Events 68 Pogo makes science 'Fun-tastic' for kids Media Pogo Candid Marketing 69 TVS Tyres road safety campaign in Ahmedabad and Lucknow Two Wheeler TVS Axiom Gen Nxt India 70 Thomas Cook drives tourists to Vienna with mall campaigns Hospitality Thomas Cook Brand Promotions 71 Super Saturday keeps 5,000 Bestseller customers up all night Retail Bestseller India Cream Events 72 Kidzania Father’s Day bash Hospitality Kidzania Phase 1 Events & Entertainment 73 Ferrero Rocher pyramid Hospitality Ferrero Rocher Vibgyor Brand Services 74 DLF Cyber Hub sports a new Diwali look Hospitality Cyber Hub Theme Weavers International 75 Ganga kiSaugandh Campaign Media ABP News RW Promotions
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In mid November this year the city of Chennai woke up to its worst nightmare ever. Unexpected downpours brought with them massive crisis as the life in the sun city of the country was brought to a halt. More than a hundred lives were lost in these floods while more than a thousand people were displaced. As a result work and production stopped, the modes of transportation were severely affected and an imbalance was created in the demand supply curve of food supplies. The army and the government put their best foot forward and rescue operations to help Chennai went full throttle. Yes, this was a tragedy in its worst form. However, some brands took the initiative to help Chennai by extending a hand of support. They created positive experience among flood struck areas and populace in an attempt to bring the life in Chennai back to normal. We at EE this time list down brands that turned the Chennai Floods "Tragedy to Triumph" with their initiatives. 1- Zomato- The online food ordering and restaurant search e-platform Zomato recently launched a meal plan for Chennai flood victims. Their customized offer called 'Meal for Flood Relief' was announced by their CEO Deepinder Goyal, who said, "Help get food to those affected by #ChennaiRains. We buy a meal for each one you buy here". As per the offer if someone bought a meal for Chennai flood victims, Zomato would add one to it and send two meals instead of one in the flood affected areas. Through this marketing move Zomato was able to extend support to the flood victims in Chennai and also made sure that the entire country did too. 2- Ola/Uber- Ola, the cab booking service via mobile app added the much needed support to the affected Chennai transportation system by launching Ola Boats. These boats made commute for people easier in the turbulent times and hence Ola managed to create a positive impact in the minds of the people through this unique initiative. Meanwhile Uber too added more cars to their fleet and issued emergency numbers where people could contact if they were stranded. Uber also provided free pick and drop services to hospitals for the flood victims. 3- Paytm- E-commerce platform Paytm, which emphasizes on e-wallet facilities launched its Stay Safe Chennai initiative to help the Chennai flood victims. Through its blog, the company made the announcement, "If you would like to recharge anyone's mobile number so that they can remain connected during this tough time, please call us at 18001030033 and share the mobile number. We will recharge it with Rs 30 worth of talk-time, free of cost." 4- Airtel/BSNL- Mobile operators BSNL and Airtel extended their support to Chennai through free talk time and data packs. Union Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad recently declared that state-owned telecommunication company BSNL will not charge its customers in Chennai for one week starting today. Airtel also announced free talk time with a credit balance of 10 minutes for Airtel-to-Airtel calling and 50MB mobile data to its customers in flood-hit Chennai. 5- Practo- Health app Practo came to the aid of Chennai by putting together a list of verified doctors & hospitals available to help. The list is being updated every hour. Anyone in Chennai who feels the need of consulting a doctor can check the list and get the treatment done for free.
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Do you remember the days when sports for ‘entertainment’ meant sitting in front of a 17 inch black and white TV screen watching a cricket match with half the neighborhood in attendance?In hindsight, sport was watched with the same passion as today but back then advertisers had not yet awakened to the severe possibilities of harnessing all that energy to their advantage. Sure, brands were advertising then too but the relative level of engagement was not only poor but also fleeting. Fast forward into 2015 and sports entertainment has taken a stupendous new meaning. From running contests allowing fans to bowl to their favorite batsman, to frenzied fans sporting branded gear with the utmost passion to thrilling in-stadia games and engagement opportunities, brands are going all out to connect with it’s sports loving consumerand raking in dividends like never before. A spectator base of 1.28 billion people, over a dozen sports television channels airing sporting content around the clock and a forever mounting list of keen advertisers waiting to invest in emerging sporting platforms, is reason enough to agree that the relationship between entertainment and sports in India is inseparable and interchangeable. Be it ‘KarboonKaamal Catch’ or ‘Vodafone Super Fan’, the immense value presented byexperiential marketing is increasingly being recognized and utilized with a more focused approach. Since the arrival of IPL in 2008 several parameters and trends have impacted and shaped the sporting industry, numeroussport IPs have mushroomed and unprecedented amount of sponsorship monies have been pumped in. The worldwide popularity and fan following of American sporting leagues such has Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Football League (NFL) have served as the main inspiration for IPL, the success of which acted as the catalyst for several similar leagues cropping up in the sub-continent. The industry has also seen incredible support from the government, largely to favor economic welfare of the country and also to promote the nation on the global front. The conversation around how India is perceived as a one-sport nation finally came to an end and newer fan groups saw an emergence as people began moving their attention towards other, so far under-utilized, sports. According toa study sponsorship towards sports in India was pegged at 3250 crorein 2014 and is estimated to be around 12500 crore in the next 4 years. While cricket continues to be the driver of Indian Sports, brands have opened up to engagement and experiential opportunities other sports can deliver, creating newer platforms for connecting with newer audiences. The Changing Sporting Landscape The last two decades have been transformational for India in many respects. The economy opened up to global markets, with global brands came international standards, career opportunities widened and disposable income increased across segments, the travel industry took off, with more exposure awareness grew, digitization happened, and the list could go on. A multiplying effect of all this change resulted in several other indirect changes and the face of India was drastically transformed in a relatively short span of time. Goes without saying, cricket, considered almost a religion in our country, also underwent a major facelift and, in the process, paved the way for other sports to follow suit. Ashu Jindal, COO, IMG Reliance comments, “The narrative of sports in India is an ever-changing one, especially with the socio-economic transformation that the country has seen in the past two odd decades. People are not just talking about one sport these days, but several - football, kabaddi, and of course, tennis. This revolution in sports is spurred not by policy change but by the private capital pumped in by sports enthusiasts. In addition to this, there are a whole lot of Indian sports stars shining in international circuits which indicates to younger generations that gaining global accolades is not impossible.” Now everything that is evolving has challenges but it is also important to realize that this evolution offers immense opportunities especially in a country like India. “While football might still be distant second to cricket in terms of visibility, the participation level for football in the country is promising”, says Sukhvinder Singh, CEO, Goa FC, Indian Super League. He adds, “The economy and demographics of India are favorable to football. This is something that is being researched well not only by stakeholders like us but also the investors in sports that would include brands, companies and institutions. I would like to look at football as a proposition that still needs that push but our jobs are becoming easier day-by-day.” The domino effect of the changing landscape is not just restricted to mass appeal sports such as cricket and football but mid scale, upscale and elite sports such as tennis and golf have also been embraced equally by the populace. Mr. Ihab Sorial, Qatar Airways, VP, India says “The over-whelming response received from the last season of International Premier Tennis League showcases the interest of Asian tennis fans in the region and the success of the format. The partnership with IPTL strengthens our commitment to be associated with large- scale sporting events and sports legends. We are delighted to come on-board as the ‘Presenting Partner’ for this prestigious league and our three-year partnership with IPTL reiterates our commitment to bring people across the globe closer.” It’s not just the league format sports that have cracked the code, a popular sporting platform to have gained massive momentum over the last decade are running events. Vivek Singh, Co-Founder, ProcamInternational states, “In 2003 I and my brother Anil visited the London Marathon and saw the phenomenal London Marathon unfurl in front of our eyes where young, old, professionals, businessmen, traders, grandmothers were all running together with a certain look in their eyes saying they were different. We said, this phenomenon, this magic must come to India. Whether India was ready or not wasn’t something we could put our finger on. Since February 2004 after it kicked off in India this running phenomenon has grown into a movement and is easily the fastest growing sporting activity in urban India. There is no other activity growing at the pace of distance running. More people from across the socio-economic bandwidth and across the generation divide are lacing up their shoes and getting out there to run.” Vinit Karnik, National Director, ESP Properties(formerly Group M ESP) adds, “It is true when they say sports is a great leveler. The sheer competitive power and the ‘viewer hook’ is testimony to how powerful sports event can attract people. Sports Marketing has undergone a huge transformation from vanilla in-stadia advertising to integrated content campaigns and structured sponsorships and deals. In a perpetual state of evolution and moving towards a more systematized sporting economy, India is at the brink of a much larger wave that consists of varied hues of content, sponsors, fans, in-stadia experiences and sports as a whole. From single screen views to the ‘second screens’ and content airing to content ‘sharing’, the landscape of sports has become a channelized stream of messaging, revenue and a serious business. There is tremendous excitement on sports in the market today.” Beyond Cricket In mid 2000’s the Premier Hockey League was formed in India that actually gained a lot of traction. It was the first hockey league that attracted players from all over the world. NavrozeDhondy, Founder and MD, Creatigies comments, “Every league needs a strong governing body for survival. Because the Premier Hockey League system and the board itself were fragmented, and it did not have a strong support system like BCCI is for cricket, it died an early death.” In 2008 IPL gave a template to other sports by providing the impetus to monetize cricket and initiate a process. And with BCCI at the centre of all affairs, the property has grown from strength to strength over the years. “It is a beautiful example of sport-tainment where in for 8 seasons IPL had the biggest names, players and imbibed the team spirit through regional sentiment. Kabaddiis another great example where a traditionally ‘rural’ sport changed perceptions, drew popularity and created a fan base of its own. Year 2014 could be well labeled as the year of the sporting leagues as Pro Kabaddi League, Indian Super League and International Premiere Tennis League came along offering crisp content and a short duration stickiness. Multi-lingual feeds across different screens helped in elevating the status and reaching out to many more households”, says Karnik. But with so many new and emerging sporting platforms how does a brand decide which one to bet on? Karnik adds, “The business of Sports can be looked at from ‘viewer’ and ‘on-ground experience’ lens. Depending on the key objectives of brands and the desired goal, properties may differ. For a premium real estate or a luxury car category brand, golf may work well as it helps connect with a niche audience in a captive manner where as FMCG and telecom may prefer cricket or football that has a larger fan base and following. The deal structure, content elements created within it and targeting the audience with minimal wastage is the key before opting which vehicle of sports to use. The idea is to see how leagues can build them up as successful properties.” Seeing the success of sporting leagues in India, a new entrant to jump aboard the bandwagon is ProSportify with the Pro Wrestling League slated to be held in December 2015. Speaking on this subject Vishal Gurnani, Director, Pro Sportify says, “We believe Indian audiences are changing, the approach of marketers towards sports, other than cricket, is changing and the numbers that the other non- cricket sporting platforms have achieved over the years are extremely encouraging. Sports offers brands and advertisers integration and interaction opportunities like no other medium can. We believe that the kind of euphoria induced amongst consumers during a sporting event is unmatched, and advertisers are increasingly capitalizing on this captive audience”. In response to how the Pro Wrestling League will be differentiated from all other leagues in the country, Vishal says, “The Pro Wrestling League sees representation from maximum countries around the globe as compared to any other league in India. The GMR Group has taken over the Delhi team, JSW has taken over the Bangalore team among other industrialists and business conglomerates who would be announced in the coming few days. The league offers a strong entertainment quotient, novelty factor, structural diversity and a bouquet of on-ground and on-air marketing solutions for associated brands. We feel marketing has moved beyond branding and signage, therefore we want brands to be woven into thedna of the league across its various touch points.” NavrozeDhondy of Creatigies, comments, “Today there are leagues being planned for billiards and snooker and basketball. When ISL came in last year no one thought that in a match where Guwahati is playing against Kerala it would be a houseful. The average attendance last year was 26,00 people. Which is phenomenal. Even in Delhi 20,000 people attended the match. The finale in Mumbai had 48,000 people viewing the match.” Big Spenders “Sponsorship of cricket began in the 80s and cigarette brands were among the first category of products to get attached to this sport”, says Navroze Dhondy of Creatigies. He adds, “Wills was the first sponsor of the Indian cricket team. Then in the late 90s there was a huge ban on cigarettes associating with any form of sports. Suddenly interest of booze companies grew and McDowell’s and Bagpipers found their interest in sports and a nice way to remain in the system. The McDowell’s cup, sponsored by McDowell’s, was among the first few branded cricket events in India. Cold drinks Thrill, Sprint and Rush, manufactured by McDowell’s group, were also marketed at the event. Till the late 90s although money was coming into cricket it was still very small, but it was showing signs of becoming bigger in the long-run.” Brands are increasingly recognizing the value of event sponsorship as a driver for overall brand amplification over traditional unilateral techniques of advertising. VinitKarnik states, “Brands need to understand the finer nuances of the business and look at it from a strategic investment than a short tactical result for maximizing returns. A Pay-TM –BCCI deal is the perfect example of leveraging sports sponsorship. While earlier brands which were just flirting with the sport through ad-hoc deals, this association suddenly gave Pay-TM its share of voice, recall and stand vis a vis other big spenders with equal alacrity.” According to the 'Group M-Sportzpower Indian Sports Sponsorship Report 2015, total brand spends have increased by about 10% to INR 48 billion as compared to 2014. The same report in 2014 reflected an increase of about 92% as compared to the late 2000s when brands collectively invested about INR 22 billion into sporting events. The moment Pepsi retracted its partnership from IPL no one could have imagined the Vivowould pick it up in les than 24 hours. “When DLF decided not to continue their 5 year deal people thought IPL would die, but Pepsi came and doubled the amount and Vivo matched it this time around”, says NavrozeDhondy. “DLF held the sponsorship for five years after which Pepsi held it for three years and now Vivo has snatched it for two years, so clearly there is no dearth of brands marketing through sports”, he concludes. Debabrata Mukherjee, Vice President- Marketing and Commercial, Coca-Cola India and South West Asia, adds, “We feel that the time has come for India to truly become a sporting nation. All of the sporting nations are multi-sport in nature. Hence, we believe that sports like tennis will start getting a wider acceptance and traction in this country. Like around the world, Coca-Cola in India has been associated with several marquee sporting events and also grassroots sports in the country. Apart from tennis, we have been associated with hockey, squash, badminton and football amongst others. Our partnerships with these sporting events have brought us closer to our consumers, who love and cherish watching and enjoying these premier sporting spectacles. In the same vein, Coca-Cola IPTL is one of our most prestigious partnerships, which seeks to provide an opportunity to witness the global sport of tennis and its superstars battling in an exciting format.” The initial investment put in by Standard Chartered into the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon was 5 crore. Today that amount has grown multi-fold with a range of brands waiting to jump on the opportunity incase it becomes available. Vivek Singh, Co-founder, Procam, comments, “We have been fortunate that our sponsors Standard Chartered, Airtel, Tata Consultancy services and Tata Steel have stayed with us year after year because they are reaching people directly and making a difference directly in their lives whether its through health and fitness, or charity and communal harmony. Today brands are looking at connecting with the consumer at an emotional level andnot just through branding, signage and mileage.” Traditionally most sporting events would have one title sponsor, a presenting sponsor and a handful others. While the cost of ‘front of the jersey’ branding for an IPL team ranges from 7 to 18 crore, the ISL front of the Jersey can go from 2 to 7 crore, For HIL it ranges from 75 lakhs to 2.5 crore. The league format works well as it allows each team to secure its own brand partners and brands get to create innovative marketing solutions. Since brands can opt for unique initiatives they do not feel overshadowed, their image isn’t diluted and they feel they’re getting their money’s worth even in a cluttered environment. Vinodh Bhat, Co-Founder and President of Saavn- sponsor of team Mumbai City FC comments, “While professional cricket is currently India's ‘national pastime’, we believe that football is more accessible and actually played by more people. In addition, there were also many natural integration points with Mumbai City FC, such as supporting the team and the players using our advertising inventory, working with existing sponsors to promote their association with the team, and most importantly, getting fans excited about the season. Furthermore, sports and music naturally go hand in hand. People listen at the gym, while on a run, or to pump them up before a game.” Another brand that has a history of partnering with sporting events globally is Renault. ViratKhullar, Head of Marketing, Renault India adds, “In India we do have a presence across sporting events as advertisers, but Mumbai City FC is the first sponsorship for us. We are not only analyzing both the tangible ROI in terms of the chatter on social media, enquiries at our showrooms etc. but also the intangible ROI which will be the equity that we derive as an automobile partner for Mumbai City FC.” Indranil Das Blah, CEO of Mumbai City FC says, “My opinion is that the sports pie in India today is large enough. Brands have multiple options across sports, across price points, across audiences and that works both for the leagues and the sponsors. We are a very nascent market but evolving quickly. I don’t see the Indian sports industry developing too differently from the European or US sports markets, where you have multiple successful sports leagues while two or three leagues are more successful than the others. As of now, I don’t see any cannibalization happening between the various sports properties.” CEO of Goa FC, Sukhvinder Singh, confirms that the sponsorships towards ISL are at a very encouraging level. These are the highest ever values that I have seen for football in India. I also believe that the numbers will grow as and when the clubs start putting a longer orientation towards their commercial partnership where the values won’t be limited by the 3 months of the competition but by 12 months of activation that includes community outreach, fan engagement and most importantly grassroots and youth development.” While the tournament itself spans a few weeks, the opening and closing ceremony are full-fledged events in itself. Encompass organized the opening ceremony of IPL this year with Modern Stage services handling the stage and production set-up, Sound.com managing the sound system and local support from Edge Events. Showtime Events won the mandate for the opening ceremony of ISL this year. AvikPrabhu, Managing Director & CEO, Showtime Events, stated, “10 years ago this would have probably been a press conference in a 5 star hotel. The concept of opening ceremonies for private sporting events had not yet become critical to the business model. However, now in a crowded sporting calendar with the number of Leagues competing for consumer attention it becomes critical to announce one self to ensure that eyeballs are on you.” Celebrity Alliances If cricket is considered religion in India then Bollywood celebs are nothing less than demigods. The association of celebrities with sporting events gives it a certain acceptability and marketability. From Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkatta Knight Riders to PreityZinta’s Kings XI Punjab and ShilpaShetty’s Rajasthan Royals, ever since the Indian Premier League took off Bollywood celebs have come to develop a keen commercial interest in sports. While AbhishekBachan owns Jaipur Pink Panthers in the Pro Kabaddi League, RanbirKapoor with his love for football bought into the Mumbai franchise of Indian Super League. Indranil Das Blah, CEO, Mumbai City FC says, “Having an entertainment celebrity as an owner of a sports franchise definitely helps as we have seen with the IPL. Ranbir is someone who is passionate about his football and he knows his football. At the same time, he trusts his team and doesn’t get involved with the technical decisions. He is there whenever he is needed and is also a big inspiration for our payers, especially the Indian ones.” “Saavn’s partner, creative collaborator and friend, RanbirKapoor, is a passionate football fan and owner of the team”, says VinodhBhat, Co-Founder and President, Saavn, a sponsor with Mumbai City FC. “When his agency CAA-Kwan briefed us about their plans for the team, we immediately aligned with their vision and felt that we could help create hundreds of millions of more football fans over time given Saavn’s user base and growth”, he concludes. It seems celebrities lend a certain credibility to a cause since they have a public image to maintain and are expected to be visibly accountable for their actions. IDBI has recently announced its commitment to support all cricket in Bengal. On the development Vighnesh Shahane, CEO, IDBI Federal Life Insurance shares, “Our partnership with the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) is an exciting opportunity for the organization. Through a comprehensive association like this, the company will gain immensely from the high brand visibility opportunity it offers. Also we feel confident about the growth strategy that CAB is working with. Their Vision 2020 surely has immense potential given the pedigree of its various mentors and coaches. And above all, SouravGanguly being at helm of affairs at the CAB gives us immense confidence that the state’s cricket board and administration will truly gain from his captaincy acumen.” Sukhvinder Singh, CEO, Goa FC, comments, “ViratKohli is the co-owner of our club and has invested not only the capital but also his time and energies for the brand. VarunDhawan has been an excellent ambassador who is incredibly passionate about football and connects deeply with our fans. Their presence and association is benefitting FC Goa at all levels i.e. fan engagement, commercial and credibility.” There is also keen interest from B-town celebs for the upcoming Pro Wrestling League in December. Veteran actor DhramendraDeol has bought into the Punjab team for a price of INR 8 crore as revealed by sources. Other celebrity tie-ups for each of the six teams of the league would be announced within this month. Be it an international rock star or the next DiaegoMaradona, celebrities all over the world have an immense capability to influence consumer habits for a multitude of products, and celebrity evaluation services provide updated, relevant market intelligence to identify key markets that account for maximum celebrity brand impact. Instruments like Repucom’s Celebrity DBI are driving celebrity marketing science in the global marketplace via data and actionable insights. Celebrity DBI is an index that quantifies and qualifies consumer perceptions of celebrities. It is a global celebrity evaluation service designed to provide brand-relevant insights to identify the right talent and assess impact of celebrities for endorsement deals. Ravi Chavan, Vice President – South Asia, Repucom comments, “Celebrity DBI helps strategically identify individuals that will enhance brand messaging initiatives and maximize campaign ROI via a data-driven approach that quantify and qualify a celebrity’s marketability and potential to impact consumers brand behavior. The CelebrityDBI study measures consumer perceptions of over 7000+ celebrities worldwide covering athletes, actors, musicians, models, politicians and more by evaluating them on 8 key success factors – awareness, appeal, breakthrough, trendsetter, influence, trust, endorsement and aspiration.” Catch ‘Em Young Brands realize that targeting the young consumer may not help them achieve immediate sales but will earn them significant dividends in the long run. By imprinting the brand in the minds of the youth from an early age it converts them into brand loyalists so when they acquire purchasing power they are already emotionally invested in the brand. Coca Cola’s Debabrata Mukherjee comments, “With a view to promote active healthy lifestyle, we have promoted grassroots football, where we have partnered with All India Football Federation (AIFF) to organize The Coca-Cola Cup for Under-15 football players. AIFF’s partnership with this tournament is instrumental towards identifying young talent for the India national Sub Junior team. Says VighneshShahane, “In the month of August we announced the launch of country’s largest ever student direct contact programme, Star Sports Young Heroes. The programme aims to discover the most dynamic next-gen football talent across various schools in India. The programme aims to provide guidance and a platform to under-15 footballers from over 650 schools across 15 cities in India. The mega-activation programme will reach out to about 4, 20,000 students. JamshidNassiri, Ex-Iranian striker is the Head Mentor for the Star Sports Young Heroes initiative. Despite the fact that we have a very large TV fan base for international football, India has a distinct lack of footballing prowess, at least for its home-grown talent. With the world's second largest population, many feel India is under-represented in the world's most popular sport. As an organization we were keen to partner the discovery and training of football talent across the country at the grassroots level.” In context of football, Ronnie Screwala, Founder, U Sports stated, “With the Indian Super League, the changes are positive in Indian football, but there needs to be an effort to develop the game at the grassroots level to actually help improve the standards of Indian football.” Giving Back Brands, in all their attempts to connect with their consumers, know one thing for a fact that the most lasting and deep impact happens when they are able to create emotional equity for the consumer with their service or product. A spokesperson from Tata Steel comments, “Besides promoting health and fitness, it is an opportunity to deepen our engagement with society for a noble cause. Funds generated from the event go towards supporting the cause of underprivileged cancer patients in eastern India. Proceeds generated also go towards funding the expansion of Tata Medical Center at Kolkata. The idea is to promote a culture of fitness and deepen our engagement with society while at the same time raise funds for various charities.” The Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon is India’s largest charity platform for non-profit organizations to raise funds. Participation by 292 NGOs in SCMM 2015 represented causes such as arts, culture and sports, civic and community development, disability, education, environment and wildlife, health, human rights, social services, vocational training, and women, children and the aged and collectively raised INR 24.71 crores from the marathon last year. Says Vivek Singh of Procam, “Our sponsors are associating with the consumers at their point of sweat and are not merely as spectators.That emotional connect that you build has a lasting impact on the consumers mind.” He adds, “The SCMM platform is large and open and allows for many experiential initiatives. One which comes to mind very quickly is the Good Deeds program that Standard Chartered created last year for SCMM. It encouraged people to go online and post their good deed of the day. I think it was fabulous that people across the country could log in and put down their deed for the day, thus, how it made them feel.” Road Ahead Between 2008 and 2013, while on-ground sponsorship in football went up from INR 8.5 croreto INR 14.2 crore, in marathons it rose from INR 28.5 crore to INR 42crore. According to a white paper released by Group M ESP and IIM Ahmedabad the size of the sporting industry in mature and emerging markets as of 2011 was termed to be $620 million and is growing at a rate of 6%. Our findings suggest that, specifically in India, the sports industry is growing by an averageof 10 per cent– up from *INR 4102 crore in 2011 to INR 5740crore in 2015. “The badminton league, IBL, will be re-launched in 2016”, says VinikKarnik of ESP Properties. He claims, “With players like SainaNehwal, PV Sindhu, AshwiniPonappa and JwalaGutta, the sport has become more popular in recent times. With channels and web-casts, the lesser-popular sports will now have a stage to showcase, reach and package befitting content that a population like ours is happy to devour.Early adoption of digital media, shorter and newer formats to engage audiences and regional commentary are areas where broadcasters have already made strides. These will shape the future of sports broadcasting in India.” Mahesh Bhupati, ace Indian tennis player and founder of International Premier Tennis League comments, “The response from Season one of International Premier Tennis League was overwhelming and Season 2 can only exceed expectations. The addition of a new franchise and stars like Rafael Nadal and Leander joining the ranks will surely make for some wonderful tennis on the cards. Ultimately it is about connecting tennis fans in India and Asia with some of the world’s best across the singles and doubles format.” CEO of Goa FC, Sukhvinder Singh, believes that we haven’t even scratched the surface when it comes to creating competitive environment for sports in India. He says, “While the influx of the leagues indicates the optimism within the sporting fraternity, it is critical to have a sustenance plan around the concepts. Brands on the other hand evaluate and support any sporting property not only from immediate ROI perspective but also long-term leverages. The brand managers are getting smarter with their sports marketing bucks and prefer investments on solid foundations.” “No other nation in the world has the potential we do because of impending demographic dividend so if clubs and leagues are able to successfully mobilize local fan support then the future is bright”, says AvikPrabhu of Showtime Events. Tom Annear, Tournament Director, Aircel Chennai Open,opines, “I was taught many years ago that there are four partners in making any sports property a success- the players, media, sponsors and the spectators. You need to stay focused on all these partners. You cannot stay idle in the event world with any one partner or you will not “earn” their business in the future. We are constantly being pushed to offer these partners a better experience than the year before. A couple of examples - we moved to a great hotel, improved the food service and hospitality areas for players, VIPs and the spectator; increased the visibility of the ACO by taking the tournament to the people – a road show that featured a trophy tour, exhibit and fast serve challenge at local colleges, schools and malls, the stadium and site had a makeover this past year thanks to GOTN funding so the players had better facilities – inside the stadium and on court. A lot of improvements have been made over the years.” With the whole fitness and wellness movement gaining steady traction, sport in India is certainly headed in the right direction. More categories are opening up each year giving more opportunities for wider engagement with consumers. The report by Group M and IIM also suggests that the upcoming times will be beneficial for sports marketing and entertainment as the average spending by households on education and recreation are expected to grow from 5% to 9% between 2005-2025. An added bonus to the figures is the expected average salary increase for every household that is expected to increase from 4%-41% between 2005-2025. Thus, the more entertainment served will lead to more profits earned. Size of Sports industry in India Year 2011 INR 4102 crore Year 2015 INR 5740 crore Total sponsorship in events Year 2014 INR 4320crore Year 2015 INR 4800crore (The article first appeared on Oct-Nov '15 issue of BW APPLAUSE)
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As weddings in India are getting bigger and fatter every year, each element be it big or small associated with them is also rapidly changing. Gone are the times when invitation cards for social events were merely simple announcements of nuptial bonds. Today these invitation cards have emerged as a medium to give its attendees a hint on what to expect from the invitees larger than life wedding. In a candid conversation with the biggest names of invitation card designs industry Ravish Kapoor of Ravish Kapoor Innovative Invitations and Sandy Khurana of The Entertainment Design Co, we at EE trace the emerging trends in invitation cards designs and the future that lies ahead of it. Q-What is the average price range of the invitation cards that you design and how flexible is it? Sandy Khurana- Well, it is a trick question as working on a invitation card is a creative process. On the basis of the brief we get we work upon a few designs, there are meetings, production cost for the samples and so much more. So it becomes a project cost rather than the cost of an invitation card. But in general sense you can get an invitation card for 400 INR and then the range goes up to as high as you want. It is basically like ordering the toppings on a pizza, the more toppings you want the more expensive your pizza will be. Ravish Kapoor- Price of an invitation card is a very personal subject. Whenever we are discussing a design with a client we ask them to come experience the kind of work that we deliver first and then we can discuss the other details. By sharing an approximate price for an invitation card we limit ourselves in terms of creativity and what can we add to the overall concept and hence its always better to give clients an experience of what we deliver and then everything else can follow. Q- Share with us the story of the most unique card you have designed so far? Sandy Khurana- The key to our business is innovation and doing something different every time so picking just one of our designs is very difficult. But to answer your question, for a client in Dubai recently we created a coffee table book on Shiv and Parvati as a part of the overall wedding invitation. The book was content driven and very artistic, also it had a brass trishool which locked the book and held it together. So i think it was one of the most unique and creative work that we have done so far. Ravish Kapoor- Recently for an industrialist we designed a box for I-Pad which was a very different concept. Also once we did an invitation card which also had a smartphone inside, which the attendee had to bring to the event for entry. For the box of the card we had designed it in the shape of a Lotus which went really well with it. The concept was unique and interesting and it was fun working on it. [caption id="attachment_22561" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Ravish Kapoor Innovative designs[/caption] Q- What are the latest trends in terms of invitation card designs for social events? Sandy Khurana- I feel that the success of an invitation card today lies in its packaging. As it is a sure shot way of how can you make a card different from all the others. So innovation is certainly a long lasting trend but the emphasis on the packaging of the entire card is the latest trend. Ravish Kapoor- The wedding card invitation industry is so dynamic that every day there are new trends entering and taking over the existing ones. But I think digital innovation in cards is the latest trend as people have really absorbed the social media wave. Q- An on-going trend currently is the process of sending creative e-invites instead of physical cards. Do you think this culture will affect the traditional invitation card business? Sandy Khurana- Weddings in India are very big and everyone has big desires for them. E-Invites are best suited for international invitations in the absence of proper logistics or for 'Save the Date' invitations but sending physical invites for your wedding is a tradition as old as the concept of weddings itself and is very important. Even in case of e-invitations not everyone understands technology and hence i don't see anything taking over the concept of sending out invitation cards. Ravish Kapoor-Not at all, Indians are still very rooted and traditional in their approach. Yes there are a few new age couples who believe in the cause of saving the trees but the majority of people in India still prefer conventional and traditional wedding concepts and thus tangible wedding invitation cards are here to stay forever, Q- Do you predict any changes in the invitation card business 5 years down the line? Sandy Khurana- There will be a shift to digital and invitation cards in the future will see an innovative integration of technology in them. This is undoubtedly where things are heading as of now. Ravish Kapoor- Obviously technology amalgamation in invitation cards is the next big thing and we at Ravish Kapoor innovative designs are already in the process of creating something refreshingly new with it.
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It is the last month before we say goodbye of to the year 2015 and its raining events all over. From marketing activations by brands to award ceremonies and food festivals by curators, December undoubtedly promises to be the most evenful month of the year.
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As humans, we all look for categorizations. They make our lives easier and more manageable.Therefore, it’s only natural that we at EE, after careful scrutiny, bring to you the list of Top 10 Experiential agencies in India today. For marketers and newbies in the experiential world, this list provides the top 10 agencies in India that have made their mark and given an excellent show as far as experiential is concerned. Keeping in mind the scalability factor, the brilliance in innovation, and the management of the audience, we have compiled a list of top 10 agencies. And the winners are – 1. Wizcraft Established in 1988, this agency is responsible for all the magic behind the IIFA Weekend and Awards, Green Globe Foundation Awards, Global Indian Music Academy Awards and the Film & TV Producers. Some of the prestigious projects led by Wizcraft most recently include the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, the ICC World Cup’s Opening ceremony in Dhaka, the Oman Tattoo and the celebration of 150 years of India-South Africa friendship. 2. Percept Founded in 1984, Percept Limited, they are responsible for some of the biggest shows such as Sunburn (with over 1,00,000 attendees), Bollyboom, Filmfare, Ad Films, Feature films, Fight Night, GOD, Champions of the world, Windsong, and the list goes on. Celebrating 30 years of excellence, they provide creative services,media services, digital and mobile services and and also have a vertical that handles sports and entertainment for their clients. 3. LIVE Viacom 18 LIVE Viacom18 is a subdivision under Integrated Network Solutions (INS) whose mandate is to create LIVE IP’s in the Music & Entertainment space. They are the ones responsible for creating MTV Xtreme, the Comedy Central Chuckle festival, Supersonic, MTV Bollyland, Nickelodeon KCA India, etc. 4. Only Much Louder The guys behind the multi-city, multi-day Bacardi NH7, A Summer’s Day, The Scene, NH7 Smash Up, and NH7 Shake Down, MTV Bring On The Night, and producing the Cannes Lion-winning show – The Dewarists, OML has made their mark in the events industry. 5. Fountainhead Having commenced operations in 1995, Fountainhead has worked with top global brands like MTV, Philips, Hutchison Max Telecom, Procter & Gamble, Pepsi and solid domestic brands like Tata, Blue Star, Aditya Birla Group and Bennett Coleman.They have also handled international acts such as Akon, 50 Cent, INXS, Spyrogyra, Buddy Guy and have created very successful music festivals like The One Tree Music Festival and The Mahindra Blues Festival. 6. DNA Networks A name synonymous with Entertainment in Sports, DNA Networks are the big guys behind events such as IPL, ICC Cricket World Cup Tour, ICC World Twenty20, Champions League, Athens Olympic Torch Relay. Besides sports they have also a number of music festivals such as Sound Awake, Rock’N India (an international annual music festival) and it prides itself on being the only events company in India to have produced live concerts with Music Greats such as Sting, Roger Waters, Lionel Richie, Iron Maiden, Katy Perry, Bryan Adams, Shakira, Aerosmith, etc. 7. 70 EMG Established over a decade ago, 70EMG, they are the curators behind festivals like the India Bike Week – a first of its kind biking festival in India, and the The Kala Ghoda Arts Festival in Mumbai since 2002 with over 6,50,000 visitors each year, the AAAI Goa Festival, South Asia’s answer to the Cannes Lions Advertising Festival – since 2007, the Nokia IndiaFest with over 12,000 visitors and the GJEPC India International Jewelry Week (over 800 exhibitors & 50,000 business visitors) amongst many others. 8. Encompass Events Having been in the industry for over 15 years and having more than 10000 projects in their pockets, Encompass events are the brains behind the award winning campaigns such as the P&G Thank You Mom mall activation, Gillette Shave For The Soldier campaign and the world launch of Toyota, Etios, People’s Gateway Movement, Mercedes Benz-Star Drive, etc. 9. DDB Mudra Max Founded in 1980, DDB Mudra Max has dabbled in experiential in a way that it successfully executed the 46 day long Grand Kerala Shopping Festival with the Government of Kerala, grabbed the South African Tourism OOH duties, IAA Olive Crown, and many more such properties along with handling experiential campaigns for a number of corporates such as Volkswagen. 10. Showtime Group Having been in the industry for over 30 years now, the Showtime Group has successfully executed events such as the BMW 3 Series launch, BMW Xperience, BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe Launch, DLF Mall of India launch, Swiss Unlimited launch, the Finacle Conclave, Hero Insolito, Jodhpur One World Retreat, MINI Countryman launch, Starbucks launch, etc.
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