Airlines are geared to break conventional methods of advertising as they step outside the airport with some truly innovative ideas. Here are instances of some well-known airlines around the globe that ‘gave flight’ to consumer imagination with their unique advertising. Cebu Pacific Cebu Pacific, the largest low cost carrier of Phillipines used the wet weather to ensure flyers book for a sunnier Phillipines as Hong Kong has less than 100 hours of sunshine in summer monsoon season. The smart campaign used water repellant spray to draw ads on the ground in high traffic areas in the city to make them invisible until wet weather arrives and water droplets roll off the sprayed surface to reveal the tagline `It is sunny in the Phillipines.’ The ad was accompanied by a QR code which could allowed scanning of the ground through the commuters phones and receive a Cebu Pacific discount code. Air France’s FoodTruck Air France started off the ‘Gourmet Food Truck’ through Manhattan, New York and served complimentary food to all and sundry. Chefs from the Airline caterer `Flying Food Servair’ gave free food samples based on the recipe of Air France Michelin starred chef Joël Robuchon. To name a few items on the menu were Pain au chocolat for breakfast besides cucumber and smoked salmon brochette for lunch, French Shepherd’s Pie with duck confit for dinner and assorted French macarons and petits fours for dessert. The truck was parked at different locations and its trail could be followed through Twitter and Facebook. An estimated 600 samples of breakfast, lunch and dinner were served everyday throughout the promotion. Virgin Atlantic takes over a New York park bench Virgin Atlantic gave New Yorkers a flying experience on ground. Passerby could sit on a first class bench in Manhattan and an air stewardess would offer them lunch accompanied by champagne and a choice of movies in the form of a live performance. Austrian Airlines’ Café-to-go Austrian Airlines offered free coffee to passersby in the streets of New York for ten days with its `Café-to-Go’ truck and its route was announced on twitter. Vienna is noted for its traditional coffee houses and the airlines also features a ‘Viennese coffee house’ service onboard its flights. Austrian Airlines’ Café-to-go Austrian Airlines offered free coffee to passersby in the streets of New York for ten days with its `Café-to-Go’ truck and its route was announced on twitter. Vienna is noted for its traditional coffee houses and the airlines also features a ‘Viennese coffee house’ service onboard its flights. Qatar Airways promotes Britain VisitBritain and Qatar Airways tried out an experiential marketing campaign to inspire travelers to go to UK from Saudi Arabia last year. With a total expenditure of 729 million pounds till 2020, Saudi Arabia has the highest projected value percentage growth of 181 percent amidst the 20 emerging and major markets in ‘VisitBritain’ tourism strategy. It was scheduled from November 20 to December 14 and reached out to 45,000 people in shopping malls across Saudi Arabia. Consumers at the Red Sea Mall in Jeddah, Mall of Dahran in Dammam and Riyadh Gallery in Riyadh experienced the sights and sounds of Britain and got a sample of travelling in Business Class in Qatar Airways onboard Boeing 777. A black cab from London welcomed visitors to take a virtual guided tour of the streets of London. Other major attractions in Britain were brought to life through 3D models, TV screens and directional sound. Four Queens Guards were also omni-present for an experience of Britishness and photo opportunities. British Airways’ innovative advertising British Airways in coordination with Ogilvy’s digital created 12-floor custom fit digital billboards with surveillance technology to detect and activate the billboards as their airline passed overhead. Located at Piccadilly Circus and Chiswick in London, whenever the billboard detects a British Airways flight below the clouds, visible to passersby, a child runs across the board, pointing towards the sky chasing the airplane. The billboard then displays an update of the flight details such as BA flight 475 from Barcelona. It was the first of its kind not only for British Airways but also for UK advertising. The online video of the billboard had gone viral and got more than 750,000 views in less than ten days and created a record of sorts.
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The Jabong fashion week that commenced on July 25th concluded on July 30th at Hotel Le Meridien, New Delhi. Jabong Online Fashion Week in partnership with Talenthouse India was initiated with the idea of providing a platform to aspiring artists and to enable them to showcase their talent. The event called in budding talents from the field of designing, modelling, photography, hairstyling and make up artistry. The event took a kick start with Mr. Praveen Sinha, Founder and Managing Director Jabong.com, Mr. Arun Mehra, CEO, Talenthouse India and Ms. Rashmi Virmani, Show Director, IOFW. The jury panel comprised of Designers: Poonam Bhagat, Dr. Darlie Koshy; Models: Carol Gracious, Samant Chauhan; Photographers: Akash Das, Hemant Khendilwal, Sushmendra Dubey and makeup/hair experts: Rod Anker and Samantha Kochhar. The participants were mentored by Bollywood’s girl-next-door Yami Gautam. Elaborating on this contest, Praveen Sinha, co-founder, Jabong, said, ” When we came up with the idea of Jabong Online Fashion Week, the only thought process was to bring upon a positive change in the online fashion industry, with an aim to polish the gigantic talent our country has. I am elated by the unprecedented response this initiative has received in its first season itself. With India Online Fashion Week, we aspire to represent the fashion industry and provide the fraternity an online platform to grow, thus benefiting all stakeholders.” The participants showcased their designs according to a set theme and timeline. Participants included Scilicet, DIR 69 by Tanu Bagai, Shreya Mistry, Bhootsavaar by Nitin Bal Chauhan, Armaan and Aimaan, Timsy and Siddhartha, Astha Bahl, Siddharth K Kakkar, Dressology by Amit Arora, ANS by Astha and Siddarth, Azalea by Aditi Gupta, Piquancy by Sarthak Gandhi, Swagger by SAJ (Sajid Dhar), ILK by Shikha and Vinita, Threesome by Kanika;Ankit and Mehak. The event witnessed Aditya Roy Kapoor walking the ramp for Nitin Bal Chauhan and Yami Gautam for Rajdeep Ranawat. The final winners across three categories were announced with Mr. Praveen Sinha awarding Ashish Gurbani as the Best Photographer and Arvind Sharma as the Hair Stylist, while Mr. Rajiv Kumar, Director Sales and Marketing Revlon awarded Vipin Arora for Makeup Artistry. The collection from ramp was available on www.jabong.com marking itself as the first shoppable fashion week in Indian history. The sponsors included NDTV Goodtimes: Media Partner, 92.7 Big FM: Radio Partner, Revlon: Official Makeup Partner, Phillips: Official Hairstyling Partner, Ziveg: Accessories Partner, Talenthouse: Talent Hunt Partner, Le Meridien: Hospitality Partner. Along with being the first of its kind and showcasing handpicked talent and involving consumers and giving them a firsthand experience it also gave an opportunity to achieve ‘zero’ time to market –‘launch, showcase & sell’ the latest collection through India Online Fashion Week (IOFW) platform. “It is a combination of talent and fashion. If we create a few, hundreds will get motivated to aspire their dreams. This will remove the blockage, the dogma of less scope and fashion prowess will be encouraged”, added Praveen Sinha with a smile.
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A study by the Great Place to Work Institute India has revealed the 100 best companies to work for in India for the year 2014. The Great Place to Work Institute was born in USA in the year 1997. It has since opened its doors to 45 countries across the world with the aim to recognize and build great workplaces. It started operations in India in 2003, in conjunction with a local consulting firm. Over 500 organizations registered for the 2011 study making it one of the largest studies in workplace culture in the world. In collaboration with Businessworld, Great Place to Work in India published lists of Best Workplaces in India in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007. This year’s study is in collaboration with Economic Times. Around 600 organizations applied to be assessed for the 2014 study. As part of this assessment, companies were studied through two different lenses. Firstly, perceptions of the organizations’ employees were measured through surveys where over 1,70,000 employees were surveyed in all. Secondly, strength of people related management practices of the organizations was assessed using a people practice assessment framework developed by the Institute. So what’s making India a great place to work and what’s holding it back from being one? The research revealed some of the key strengths and areas of improvements for India Inc. Friendliness, non-discrimination on basis of sex & race, pride and trust in management’s competence were found to be some of the leading strengths of organizations in India. More than 80 percent of the respondents feel positive about these areas. On the other hand, perceptions about managers’ favouritism and politicking, equitable distribution of profits, lack of unique benefits, and absence of collaboration in decision making were found to be some of the leading areas for improvement for organizations in India. Only around 60 percent of the respondents feel positive about these areas. In midst of peculiarities of the country’s culture, demographics and economy, 100 organizations have stood out to emerge as the best companies to work for in India. Here’s a look at the Top 25- 1. Google India Pvt. Ltd. 2. Intel Technology India Pvt. Ltd. 3. Marriott Hotels India Pvt. Ltd. 4. American Express India 5. SAP Labs India Pvt. Ltd. 6. Adobe Systems India Pvt. Ltd. 7. Godrej Consumer Products Limited 8. Intuit Technology Services Private Limited 9. Ujjivan Financial Services Pvt. Ltd. 10. Cactus Communications Pvt. Ltd. 11. NetApp India 12. Eureka Forbes Ltd. 13. Encore Capital Group (Midland Credit Management India Pvt. 14. Microsoft Corporation India Pvt. Ltd. 15. Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces 16. DHL Express India Pvt. Ltd. 17. Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels & Resorts Pte. Ltd. 18. Vodafone India Ltd. 19. Federal Express Corporation 20. Accor Hotels India 21. Lifestyle International Pvt. Ltd. 22. Titan Company Limited 23. Bajaj Finance Limited 24. Blue Dart Express Ltd. 25. Radio City 91.1 FM Source: Great Place to Work Institute
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In the age of stringent competition, marketers need to focus on the needs and demands of the customers and delight them by slightly exceeding their expectations. Experiences generally tend to become the basis of people’s lives and conversations. Marketers thus try to imbibe elements that make an experience commemorating and what can be better than integrating a component of surprise. A surprise can evoke several emotions at the same time. Surprise does not require heavy investment; all it needs is some great ideas! So here are a few activities that instilled an element of surprise in an event… CELEBRATION TIME! Westjet is known to have always delight its customers through various surprises. Similarly, Spanair took an initiative to surprise its passengers.190 passengers travelling from Barcelona to Las Palmas on the Spanair flight at the Christmas Eve were happily surprised by the unexpected gifts they received at the luggage carousel. The agenda behind any successful experiential campaign is to emotionally connect with the customers and provide an experience that stays with them for long. So, on the Christmas Eve, when people are normally celebrating over dinners and parties in Spain, Spanair made these passengers feel at home by distributing gifts to them. NEVER MISS A BREAKFAST… Kellogg’s, the leading cereal producing brand served breakfast in a transit mode in India. To carry this out, Kellogg’s associated with Meru Cabs to provide breakfast meals to passengers in the cabs. 100 Meru cabs in the four metro cities were branded with Kellogg’s “Anaaj ka Naashta” campaign. A breakfast kit was placed in all cars keeping in mind the early morning travelers. These cabs were surprise cabs for the passenger. If they happen to book a cab for pick-up between 5am – 9am, and if they are allotted a breakfast cab, then a message would be sent to the consumer telling them that they will be sent a breakfast cab. Thus, offering the right thing at the right time incorporated with a surprise element proved to be a great experiential campaign for the brand. LIPTON’S STRESS KILLER Lipton in its Chillout surprise campaign connected to people with the help of twitter. For all those who were stressed in their lives and were venting it out on twitter, Lipton designed a campaign for them. Lipton scanned stress-filled or complaining tweets from people in Mumbai and by finding their locations, it reached out to them. The Chill Out Crew went to all the scanned locations and handed a Chill Out hamper to those people. The motive of spreading smiles and happiness was efficiently brought out through this initiative. This surprise campaign brought smiles to several faces. FEEL CONNECTED… Finnair surprised its on- board passengers during a flight to Delhi by dancing on the tunes of Bollywood songs to celebrate India’s Republic Day. It was seen as a brilliant move to connect with the passengers and promote the brand at the same time. This surprise dance culturally engaged the passengers who were travelling on the 26th of January. It was a great experiential campaign that left the passengers in the flight awe struck. HEINEKEN’S CRAZY DESTINATION ROULETTE! Travelers at the New York’s Kennedy airport became a part of the crazy destination roulette wherein they could change their flight to a more exotic destination at the push of a button. Those taking part in the adventurous campaign had to agree to drop their existing travel plans without knowing the new destination and immediately board a flight to the new place. Heineken booked hotels for these travelers and provided cash to cover expenses. It promoted the message of ‘drop everything’ and ‘go anywhere’ through this initiative. Many travelers agreed to take up the challenge and give up on their planned trips to be a part of this experiential campaign. Heineken thus engaged with several travelers providing them an unforgettable and daring experience.
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Kids are simply adorable, ask any newly turned parents. Let some years pass by, most of these parents may still say that their kids are adorable, but the truth may be far from what they admit. A child secures many relationships in its formative years, and the ones they establish with brands at an early age are usually long-lasting therefore extremely precious. KIDS MAY SEEM ANNOYING BUT NOT FOR MARKETERS, THEY SIMPLY ADORE THEM To marketers, kids represent a lifetime of opportunities for a brand. Kids are among the most important demographics who on top of having considerable purchasing power, they can also influence their parent’s purchasing decisions. The kids can influence their parents to make purchasing decision on things ranging from entertainment choices like trips, movies and excursions to clothing, foods, drinks and breakfast choices. These factors have forced brands to look at ways to reach out to young population and the advertisings to them have catapulted in the recent decades. Parents globally and in fast paced economies like India are more than willing to buy their kids whatever they demand due to factors like reduced family size especially in metro cities, the rise of dual incomes in the family and couples having fewer kids than they traditionally would have. TAPPING INTO THE PSYCHE The most valuable factor for a brand marketing its products to kids is understanding the psychology behind what ticks the kids. If a child identifies himself/herself and associates with a brand at a young age. He/she is likely to remain a loyal customer for a very long time into adulthood. It is not uncommon for most of us to cherish products we may have consumed during our childhood and the feel good factor surrounding it. As more research and technology is available at our disposal, brands are increasingly utilizing them to analyze and understand kids’ emotional, social and developmental needs. CUTTING THROUGH THE CLUTTER The market is littered with brands and their products targeting kids primarily. It becomes vital for brand managers to cut through the mundane and offer an experience that sets themselves apart. Marketing to kids alone isn’t enough, providing an experience is much more vital. This is where experiential marketing becomes vital. GLAXOSMITHKLINE ENGAGES KIDS WITH A GAME With the recent launch of its Horlicks brand’s new ‘Kesar Badam’ flavour, it took to video games for reaching out to youngsters and engage them with the brand. The experiential campaign included an online game named ‘Chote Sultan Hunt’ followed by a TVC and offline activities. Since, a lot of kids do not like drinking milk with the usual flavours, Horlicks introduced kesar badam flavour to get them drinking milk. The first touch point towards achieving this included the online game that encourages the player to collect as many kesars and badams as possible while running towards its destination. The highest scorers could win prizes that were carefully selected, which included popular gadgets like Xbox 360, iPads etc. On-the-ground activities followed with the game being taken to schools in Gujarat to attract school kids. They could play the game on a large projector screen with motion sensing. Similarly, they also planned on-ground activities in other parts of India to allow kids to experience Horlicks brand through gaming, which is very popular among youngsters. Select City Walk Mall targets Kids this Summer The Select City Walk mall located in the southern part of Delhi is quite popular and frequented by many through most part of the year. However, it would not be surprising to see a drop in footfall during summers when the temperature soars in Delhi. What Saket came up to counter this during the 2014 summer was to target kids by organizing a summer camp for them. The camp lasted two months from May till June when the temperature usually peaks. The camps offered theatre workshops, fun packages at hangout, special art & craft activities, ‘paint your pottery’ competition and workshop on Hindustani and Classical Western Music. As schools usually have two months holidays during this time, it was clever of the brand to entice kids to the mall, which would eventually bring their parents as well as friends that translates to more footfall, more spend on food and shopping. Hence, a clever way to beat the reduced number of visitors during the part of the year when most prefer to stay inside their air conditioned rooms. What’s more? Being kids, they would always remember and cherish the best days of their lives when they could do what they love carefree (having fun with other kids, painting their favourite cartoon characters, playing their favourite music and eating out at their favourite joint at the mall). This not only lasts for just two months but an experience that will keep bringing them back to the mall and relive their best times. These children-oriented experiential experiences not only provide a temporary reach for marketers to children, but tinkers with the psyche of kids in a positive way that is beneficial to any brand for a long term association.
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Murphy’s Law The most important thing one should remember while hosting any event is Murphy’s Law that states, ““If something can go wrong, there’s a chance it will.” There will always be unexpected issues to be addressed. It all depends on the approach while handling the issues that will determine if things are heading in a negative direction or if the audience barely takes notice of it. The risks that could take place should be evaluated. Equipment Failure Failure of equipment is every event planner’s nightmare as it becomes temperamental and breaks down, prior to the show. Setting up of the equipment and testing it a couple of times before the actual use is pertinent. One can conduct a dry run of the presentation at an opportune moment and ensure that the equipment and applications are functioning. This needs to be done for all the arrangements beginning from the venue bookings to the spelling in an event literature. Take personal responsibility even if there is a team to handle different aspects to ensure smooth functioning Equipment Damage THE PROBLEM: Accidents can happen even after meticulous planning and preparation, as technology may create problems. It can range from the equipment being delivered at the wrong place or get damaged during installation of the display. THE FIX: One should ensure that there is a backup for the equipment and there is an emergency kit at their disposal. It is important to remain calm as there is someone who will be willing to rent things that are required at that moment. Typo Mistake THE PROBLEM: There can be instances wherein the event is ready to take off and someone notices that there is a major typo error in the display or marketing materials. Similarly, in case the caterers have not been confirmed or if the client’s company name is spelled incorrectly on a sign boards, it can be a catastrophe. THE FIX: In case it is critical, then head to the printing store to fix the mistake before the event begins. THE VERDICT If the equipment is available at the venue, then check for specifics whether they are available or not. It is essential to have alternative methods of presentation in case there is a breakdown of the equipment. Failure of Plan The cheapest and easiest way is not always the best way. If necessary resources are not set up for a business event, it will end up in a weak and amateur presentation of the company. It is better to partner with a qualified vendor, such as a signage and event branding expert to make the event successful. Plan with the Client THE PROBLEM: It is important that there is a consensus with the client at every step so that one knows his likes and dislikes. THE FIX: One should double check with the client on each and every small detail from the beginning to the final arrangements. It is better to meet personally and not depend on phone calls that can create a misunderstandings. Avoid MC’s THE PROBLEM: It is better to decide whether to employ the services of an MC is advisable or not as it can make the guest inattentive with the onslaught of the speakers and alienate the attendees. THE FIX: It is pertinent to have a mix of speakers and activities in the event. Finalize Settings in Advance THE PROBLEM: Attendees will be annoyed to come for an event where there are last minute arrangements being made and it will look very unprofessional. THE FIX: Timing is crucial throughout the event and so it is sensible to have a `dry run’ if possible. Miscalculation of Guests THE PROBLEM: In case the venue is too small and cannot fit a massive crowd and there are not enough chair to the attendees, it becomes a problem. THE FIX: It is good to have registrations done for all attendees, even in case they are not paying for a ticket so that there are accurate numbers to plan. Do a check on the venue about the extra chairs and the room size in case it is required. One should take the guest speakers and their presentation styles into account while choosing the venue. Set cut-off dates for registration well in advance so that there is sufficient time to change something if required. Booth Over/Understaffed THE PROBLEM: A major problem will be to over or under staff as it becomes difficult to gauge the busy moments. It is better the staff meet the other vendors during the period and call them when necessary. THE FIX: The best way to keep track of staff is to keep a “Check-Out/In” list, along with a list of cell phone numbers. That way you know who is where and how to reach them, if your booth gets busy. THE VERDICT Keep Track of the Event It is good to know what is happening when the event is taking place. One staff member should be dedicated to monitor the different areas of the business event and keep track of the changes and give solutions or notify an event manager to fix it. Plan B Any event planning requires preparation and guarding against any conceivable contingencies. Plan B should be in place in case something goes wrong. It is nice to review a variety of different scenarios and options to deal with any sort of issues. Attendee Failure The most important part of making the event a success is the audience and there should be no confusion about the venue. Unclear Venue THE PROBLEM: Attendees arrive late, at the wrong venue due to the confusion over the time and location of the event. THE FIX: If possible it is nice to include specific details of the venue, date and time of the conference in all correspondence with the attendees including promotional materials, tickets and confirmation and reminder emails. Unexpected Turn of Events Unexpected Bad Weather THE PROBLEM: In case an outdoor event is planned and due to sudden rains and strong winds the hoardings and equipment gets damaged, the whole event will be a disaster. THE FIX: One should have a contingency plan in place to move the event to a secondary indoor venue. Troubleshooting any possible problems ahead of time, will help one calm and ensure that the plans are in place. Take time to think ahead, and deal with situations when something goes wrong. Unexpected Cancellation of Vendor THE PROBLEM: If the vendor or caterer or entertainer or the MC fails to arrive on time or cancels in the last moment, it becomes a problem. THE FIX: The best solution is to have a list of backup vendors and caterers, entertainers who can come immediately in case of a crisis. Staff Member Fall Sick THE PROBLEM: Another common complication that can arise is when the staff member becomes sick prior to the event. Even the absence of one person can create chaos. THE FIX: The best solution to this problem is to make sure that all the booth staff members are adequately trained on everything that is happening within the booth, and all the products are showcased. Guest Speaker Failure THE PROBLEM: Relying on other people means there’s always a possibility that they can let you down. The presenter can pull out at the last minute due to a cold, a broken leg or an accident due to bad weather or a clash of schedule. THE FIX: So always confirm the dates with the guests in advance so that holidays and sick days can be booked. Set clear expectations about where and when the presenters should be available and make sure they agree. Always have a back-up speaker waiting in the wings to step in and save the day. A follow up is required to confirm their attendance. Make a contingency plan as one cannot stop people from getting sick or hurt, so work out what one can do if this does happen. Miscellaneous Keep Calm and Carry On This is the most important tip to remember, and perhaps the most obvious. But it has to be repeated again. Cool heads prevail in any unexpected sort of situation and in case something goes wrong it is better to keep one’s wits at hand. Stay calm, and address the issue unemotionally. One has to bravely face such situations and deal it successfully without any unwanted attention. Honesty is the Best Policy Finally, if something does go wrong during an event, don’t panic and don’t waste energy trying to make elaborate excuses. Simply be honest with the guests, and explain the situation clearly and concisely. The guests will appreciate the honesty even in case of any untoward incident and earn success.
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You hear – you forget, you see – you remember! Considering the very same slant it won’t be wrong to say that experiential form has established a benchmark in the marketing industry. In today’s scenario experiential activities are not just limited to OOH campaigns and installations. Several brands are exploring and investing in innovative and experiential in-store activities, providing in-house brand experience. People memorize and speak about their experiences and if we are able to bring them good ones, they’ll eventually become a believer; a beaker of blessing, helping generate brand loyalty. - See more at: http://everythingexperiential.com/in-store-activities-the-new-experiential-benchmark/#sthash.HjIteTRk.dpuf Puma and Studio.J, Bangalore launched their Motorsport collections, visual merchandise with official licensed products from BMW, Ferrari and Mercedes Benz, aiming to create something out of the box that grabs customer attention at a go. The campaign was executed in a larger than life capacity. 3D interactive installation at the window of the store with a 9 feet speedometer that had LED lights was set up. Acrylic cut 3D letters with an inbuilt motor as well as the Puma Ferrari retail shoes were used in the fringe of the speedometer, as in the logo. The mannequins were dressed with motor sport merchandise. Race track graphics on the floors, Ferrari car in red acrylic and motor sport cat in 3D were arranged with the idea of bringing in the essence of F1 sport live on ground within the store. All these elements together showcased an experiential window, with a giveaway in the form of a memory to the onlookers. Min Chang, President –Asia Pacific at Diversified Agency Services, a division of Omnicom Group said: “It is such a large umbrella. Consumers may not respond to traditional conversation anymore, so you can start with in-store event and activation instead of a TVC; it is more cost effective with social media integration.” A creative and personalized color experience and solution called “Color Cloud” created by Fitch was offered by Asian Paints Color Store: Color Cloud Façade Delhi, India in alliance with Mudra Group, New Delhi. The remarkable lighting installation invited patrons to step on a color bar, which then fills the cloud and the entire store with the particular color. Both the cloud and facade were connected to an inner controller and motion sensor that changed its color when pressed or stepped on it. The customer interaction along with a live experience of what color could do to their homes was offered without even having them to buy a pinch of paint. Guests used RFID “color cards” to collect their ideas with a takeaway of home color magazine. A full range of Asian Paints collection was also displayed; customers could choose the desired combination and visualize their ideas in front of them in just a step. Mumbai based Design Deck associated with SVG, a home furnishing fabric manufacturer where a 49 sq m stand was built to promote and showcase their collection of products along with branding of their retail brand ‘Karma’. Three of their collection lines – Royal, Natural Eco-Friendly and Abstract were displayed with a creative experiential touch. Special catalogue books were accessible to the visitors along with the provision of trying hands on within the stand for product screening. The stand was fabricated and designed to attract consumers and build a connection with its clientele. Another name in this experiential list is Ishana Experience Centre, an ‘experiential’ retail destination at the T3 departure terminal, IGI International Airport, New Delhi Providing services like ayurvedic sessions, astrology, palm reading, music performances and live dances, mehendi application, live craft demonstration along with express spa treatment. Healthy snacks were served keeping in mind the theme. Indian music were also played by live musicians as well folk dances were performed. Free consultation with doctors regarding health was also available. Indian sweet and spices were also given to customers that they could take home. Focusing on the fact, Dhruv Kalra, Marketing Director at Vibgyor Brand Services said: “Advertising is limited in scope. Brands are looking for experiences that can create a lasting impact on their consumers and activations are helping them do just that.” Creative and innovative structures; adding to them an experiential touch is what a brand needs. In recent years, marketers from every sector, from clothes to cars and movies to housing have been aiming to make their brand presence substantial in consumers’ lives. “Clients are hungry for innovative ideas and engagement, if you can show value in your approach or an idea; they are willing to take that on.” Says Min Chang, President –Asia Pacific at DAS. Experiential activities of all sorts let people participate, touch and feel; visualize, remember and take back memories. So it will not be a bad move to start investing in an in-store experience, as connecting with people will pay dividends in the long run.
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Glorifying the existence of trucks in the country and bringing them to life, Tata invested in India’s first ever truck racing championship- ‘T1 Truck Racing Championship’. Unlike other general heavy vehicles, these trucks were worth a glance! Fleet of trucks competing on the tracks of Buddh International Circuit, caught the attention of many. The event agency behind the initiative, The Innuendo Communications (T.I.C) won gold in the ‘Best signature event category at EEMAX Awards.’ It is rightly said that being different is what makes you an outstanding player in your domain and Tata did it right… The Concept: The concept of truck racing is very novel to India. Its popularity among the general category is quite less. Developing from its roots in United States, truck racing has slowly gained popularity across the world. Speaking of which, the ‘Tata Prima T1 Truck Racing Championship’ was a model put to thoughts in December 2012, with Tata Motors deciding to take their Prima range of trucks to the tracks. In alliance with the British Truck Racing Association (BTRA), the series was designed and brought to execution. Tata made 22 specific modifications on the trucks that were used, including tweaks to the fuel tank, propeller shaft guards, brake cooling system, racing seats, etc. The trucks were modified in a way to meet the regulations set down for racing, based on the BTRA guidelines. Showcasing its technical prowess and wanting to bring a change in the outlook of trucks among youngsters, Tata made a commendable attempt. Tata has taken a step for itself to grow within the realm and has set a platform for other heavy vehicles brands to contemplate on the idea of truck racing in India. Tata’s requirements: Tata Motors’s desire to stay ahead in the game and ensure their position as an innovative brand that foresees the future of the country came true. “The company wanted to inspire the succeeding generations to take up Truck driving as an inspirational profession as well as wanted to address the scarcity of young skilled truck drivers in India. They wanted to create aspiration towards trucking as a profession amongst the second generation owners and drivers. To achieve this they required to narrow down the deficit of professional drivers along with showcasing their technical advancements through performance excellence in Motor segment”, said Gaurav Dhall, Managing Director, T.I.C. The unique platform of T1 prima Truck racing efficiently met Tata’s objectives. The Innuendo Communications POA aka Plan of Action: Based on the clients’ objectives, T.I.C did extensive planning for 3 years and came up with Tata Motors T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship. “People were used to of seeing HCVs utilized for long distance haulage of super-heavy loads at sedate speeds. However with this event, we made them see these trucks in a new Avatar: that of Hardcore 370 bhp, 1550 Nm road-racing machines!” explained Mr. Dhall. The event managed to transform the identity of trucks from sloggers to hardcore racing machines. “We partnered with the top international (FIA and British Truck Racing Association) and Indian (FMSCI, MMSC, Buddh International Circuit) Motorsports bodies and racing personalities (Narain Karthikeyan, Vicky Chandok), F1 track with International Truck Racing drivers to ensure credibility for India’s first- ever Truck Racing Championship .” Three months of aggressive 360 degrees pan-India BTL and ATL promotions and over one million man hours built the grand event. Some noticeable aspects of the event: The event saw 14 top international drivers from the European truck racing circuit. More than 5,000 on ground personnel, 800 volunteers and 250 track engineers were deployed at the venue. To list a few crowd engaging activities that became a part of the racing championship were: A fashion show inspired by Truck Panel art, Art trucks designed by renowned designer Manish Arora, Performances by percussion artist Sivamani and singer Mika, truck stunts and much more. Tata’s feedback: “All details were planned very meticulously. The agency, our T1 event partner, was imperative to the project. Having been involved in the project right from conceptualization until execution, they have delivered on all grounds and on time which is most critical in such activities. T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship, 23rd March 2014 was just the beginning to a new era of sporting in India. We hope to create magic yet again next year with the agency as our event partner.” Charu Gulati – TATA Motors. Despite exploring and investing in a concept that undoubtedly is different and fresh in India, the event gathered over 20,000 stadium spectators and 40 million TV viewers. The sport that was brought to existence abroad in 1980s was finally flagged off in India.
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