A TAM report stated that during IPL 2023, three out of the top five categories that were endorsed by celebrities belonged to the F&B sector.

The ad volume share of celebrity endorsed ads experienced a growth of 6% in comparison to the previous season, across 55 matches. Film actors held the highest share of brand endorsements, accounting for 51% of the ad volumes, followed by sports persons at 40%.

When comparing first 55 matches, Ranveer Singh topped IPL 15 while Aamir Khan emerged topper in IPL 16.

Among all professions, film actors led in brands’ endorsement with 51% share of ad volumes, followed by sports persons with 40% share during IPL 16. Share of film actors and sports person endorsed ads per channel grew in IPL 16 by 16% and 17% respectively compared to IPL 15.

 
Aamir Khan was on top with 10% share of ad volumes during first 55 matches of IPL 16. Out of 55 matches played in both IPL 15 and IPL 16, two of the top five celebrities were present in both seasons' overall celebrity list. Among the top 5, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were common sports celebrities on both IPL 16 and IPL 15.

Pan Masala, e-com gaming, aerated soft drinks were amonst the top advertisers.


Film actors lead in brands’ endorsement with 51% share of ad volumes in IPL 2023: TAM

During IPL 2023, three out of the top five categories that were endorsed by celebrities belonged to the F&B sector.

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Virat Kohli is a name that resonates with cricket fans worldwide. From his audacious stroke play to his fiery on-field demeanor, Kohli has redefined the game with his sheer passion and commitment. However, Kohli’s is a story of controversy and confrontation, a narrative that has shaped his journey to greatness. Whether it's his heated exchanges with fellow cricketers or his outspoken nature off the field, controversies are no stranger to him. 

Clash with Gautam Gambhir: One of the most memorable incidents involving Virat Kohli occurred during the 2013 IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore. As the captain of RCB, Kohli engaged in a heated argument with Kolkata's skipper Gautam Gambhir, resulting in a tense standoff that was eventually diffused by umpires and players.

Middle Finger Incident: During his early days in international cricket, Kohli courted controversy during a tour to Australia when he was seen showing the middle finger to the Sydney crowd. Kohli later explained that his actions were in response to abusive language directed at his family, highlighting his fiercely protective nature off the field.


Outburst at Journalist: The 2015 Cricket World Cup saw Kohli embroiled in another controversy when he lashed out at a journalist whom he believed had written an unfavourable article about him and his then-girlfriend, now wife, Anushka Sharma. 

Umpiring Controversy: In a Test match against Australia in 2017, Kohli accused Australian captain Steve Smith of seeking illegal assistance from the dressing room for a review.


Sunil Gavaskar Controversy: During the 2020 IPL, Sunil Gavaskar made a comment about Kohli’s performance, suggesting that he only practiced batting during the lockdown with Anushka Sharma bowling to him. Sharma’s public response underscored the challenges of being a public figure in the age of social media scrutiny.


As Virat Kohli continues to etch his name in the annals of cricketing history, his journey serves as a reminder of the complexities of success. While controversies may have punctuated his career, they have also been a testament to his unwavering spirit and fierce determination. Kohli's story is not just about cricket; it's about resilience, passion, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. As he continues to push the boundaries of the game, Kohli remains a symbol of inspiration for aspiring cricketers and sports enthusiasts around the world. His legacy is not just in the runs he scores or the matches he wins, but in the indelible mark he leaves on the hearts of fans everywhere.


Virat Kohli: A brief history of controversies and confrontations

Microsoft owned LinkedIn was down for a brief period, impacting thousands of users on Wednesday after a brief outage.


According to outage tracking website Downdetector.com, there were 48,000 reports of outages related to LinkedIn in the US.


March 5 saw the global outage of social media platforms Facebook and Instagram. Following the outage, as per multiple reports, parent company Meta’s chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg net worth declined by $ 2.79 billion, in a day, to hit $ 176 billion on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.


However, he continued to maintain his position as the world’s fourth richest person.


The global outage of Meta-owned apps Facebook and Instagram sent users rushing to Twitter now known as X to check about the outage. The apps were not working for users across the globe who experienced problems with Meta's popular apps. #InstagramDown started trending.


Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly known as Twitter) and Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg’s rival, shared a series of tweets about the outage stating, “we know why you’re all here now”.


<strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/metas-facebook-instagram-down-for-thousands-of-users-worldwide-25534.htm">Elon Musk reacts to Instagram and Facebook outage</a> 

After Facebook and Instagram, LinkedIn sees brief outage

<em><strong>Note to readers: Our latest column Marketing Mocktail breaks down and explains the big ideas, new disruptions and old concepts and marketing practices that matter in the modern age.</strong></em>


The creative brief is one of the most integral parts of advertising.


Yet, of late, briefs have become griefs - sterile and unimaginative.


We keep indulging in the over optimism of giving a bland brief and hoping for exciting creative work in return. Garbage-in, garbage-out.


Putting together a good brief is a dying art which needs to be revived.


<strong>From logic to magic</strong>


A brief is the inflection point in creating advertising and communication.


It’s the point where logic (the strategy) starts turning into magic (the idea).


It’s where planning ends and creativity begins.


<strong>Re-energising the brief</strong>


Definition of the brief should read, ‘The most insightful, inspiring, and igniting point in the creation of advertising’.


<strong>Insightful -</strong> Packed with gems and nuggets that bring the strategy to life.


<strong>Inspiring -</strong> Makes the creative team go ‘Wow!’ and take ownership of the brief.


<strong>Igniting -</strong> Triggers the creative to buzz with ideas that they can’t wait to get cracking on.


In fact, a good brief is like ‘an ad for creative people’.


<strong>What makes a great brief</strong>


While most agencies have their own briefing formats, based on their conceptual frameworks and creative philosophies, the basics of a great brief remain the same.


Here are a few key ideas that can help re-energise creative briefs.


<strong>Keep it simple and sharp</strong>


Don’t try to impress with mumbo-jumbo or jargon. Make it simple.


Rather than saying, ‘Increase TOM (Top-of-mind awareness) and brand salience’, it’s much better to say, ‘Make the brand famous.’


Instead of ‘Enhance width and depth of consumption’, why not ‘Get more people to use more’.


Also, never overload - stay focused, sharp and crisp. A brief should not be more than a page or two (that’s why it is called a brief).


<strong>Pull out little nuggets</strong>


Don’t dwell on information, instead dive for gems that bring your strategy to life and tell a story. Embed your brief with evocative and powerful nuggets.


When Taj Mahal tea bags were being launched, the nugget in the brief was to position them as ‘The Walkman of Teas’ to encapsulate the mobility, convenience and modernity of the format.


When Dabur honey was being repositioned as a health food from a home remedy, the brief summed up the challenge as moving the brand from ‘the medicine chest to the dining table’.


<strong>Bring your target person to life</strong>


One of the biggest sacrileges in briefs is the vague and rather generic definition of the target audience. You really can’t get a handle of who you are talking to until you bring that person alive.


This is how a bland brief will define the target audience for Axe deo:

Young men aged 16-25, who are concerned about their appearance and how they attract the opposite sex. They buy deodorants to smell fresh and feel confident. Axe with its masculine fragrance is the perfect choice to be attractive to girls.


Here’s an inspiring definition of the Axe target person:
Imagine Benjamin… he thinks about women a lot. A lot, a lot. But he’s not dreaming of romance, he’s a dirty boy who can’t stop thinking about sex with extraordinarily welcoming women. Yet in the real world, women are a completely different country - it’s somewhere he’s never been, it may be a while before he gets to go there, and you’re guaranteed he won’t be able to speak the language when he does. 
Deep down he wishes he could just be himself around girls and that it wasn’t so complicated, that he didn’t have to try so hard. What he wants isn’t deodorant at all, but a secret babe-magnet.


Which one do you think created the ‘Axe Effect’?


<strong>Dramatise it</strong>


A brief is more than just a piece of paper. It’s a piece of theatre.


Once, a bunch of creative people were packed like sardines into a cramped car and were told they were being taken to the client’s office for a briefing. Midway, they were intercepted by the account supervisor, driving a Maruti van (a move that was engineered). 


They were immediately transferred into the more spacious confines of the van and as they sprawled themselves, someone exclaimed, “Guys, this is the brief - travel in space.” How’s that for a powerful demonstration?


Here’s what a leading creative director told me, “I once had an account executive give me a brief with a hole burnt into it. That got me curious. Then I noticed it was for a fiery hot pizza. Right there, she got me.”


It’s time we changed the way we look at briefs, because great advertising is born out of great briefs. It may be a good idea for the industry to introduce an annual award for the best briefs as an incentive to encourage and reward great briefs. 


Can we bring the glory back into briefs? Can we have more briefs than griefs?


Yes, we can!


<em><strong>Anand Narasimha is a corporate turned academician with over three decades of experience spanning Brand Marketing, Advertising, Consulting, and Teaching. He writes the column Marketing Mocktail for Storyboard18. Views expressed are personal.</strong></em>



Marketing Mocktail: Brief or Grief - the creative brief explained

Most brands divide their advertising budget between creative development and media buying in a ratio of 1:10. However, when recalling famous advertising campaigns, it's likely that people remember the creative teams behind the ads, rather than the media planners and buyers who ensure that the ads reach the right audience with the right frequency.

In the past, when advertising was limited to one or two mediums such as TV and print, media planning and buying were relatively straightforward. However, with media becoming increasingly segmented, this is no longer the case. The role of media in the success of any campaign has therefore increased significantly. Without proper alignment between the creative campaign and media plan, the chances of failure are high.

Traditionally, advertising campaigns were conceptualised by establishing business objectives, which were translated into marketing objectives, and then communication objectives. Based on these, a brief was created, and the creative agency would uncover consumer/category insights and develop a core campaign idea. This idea would be presented alongside the TV commercial script, which formed the centrepiece of the campaign. The campaign idea would also be extended to other media such as print, digital, and OOH.

Although media objectives and planning would also be carried out concurrently, they were often not considered inputs or constraints for the creative agency.

Now, there are three problems that happen with this approach:

1. This leads to some campaign ideas/scripts which are not native to the primary platform as per the media plan. Because of a digital native TG, you might have a media plan which is heavily skewed towards Youtube to build awareness. And the best way to build awareness on Youtube is by using the 15-second non-skippable ad. Now if your hero creative is a 30 sec one and impossible to tell a coherent story in the 15-second cut, the campaign will fail.

2. Sometimes you have a wonderful clutter-breaking script, but it is not going to be registered by consumers when they watch it only once/twice. You might have a budget constraint which will limit the input GRPs in your markets. That would mean that at best you can optimize your plan to maximize reach at a three-plus frequency instead of 5/6. Now if your hero creative is witty/difficult to understand easily, your campaign will fail because of lack of enough number of exposure.

3. You might have a media plan which is skewed towards a certain region, but the core insight/communication might not resonate with that region. For Example, 50 percent of your sales might come from the five Southern States, but your campaign idea/core insight resonates more with the Hindi belt. If the TVC is also conceptualized in Hindi and only translated later to regional languages, the chances of the campaign failing will be higher.

All of these problems could be solved by making only a single change in the approach to rolling out a campaign. Include a tentative media strategy/plan, and the constraints that come with it as part of the brief that goes to the Planning team of the creative agency. This will ensure ideas and creative outputs which fit like a dream with our media strategy and plans.

If you want to use Meta in your media plan, your creative agency will ensure that vertical videos that seem native to the platform( Reels) are part of the creative output. If you have a reach plan to maximize reach at three plus frequencies, your creative agency will ensure that the communication is simple enough to understand in one go. If Kerala is a major market for you, your creative agency might recommend creating a separate campaign altogether conceptualized and taught in Malayalam using insights from the Kerala market.

The real magic happens when creative and media teams work together on a brief right from day one. This used to happen few decades back. Maybe it's time to go back to the same practice to ensure that brands get the highest RoI from their marketing spends.

<strong><em>The writer is the founding member and chief business officer of Atomberg. Views expressed are personal.</em></strong>

The power of collaboration: How including media planning in briefs can improve RoI

<strong>MAST</strong>

<strong>Brand:</strong> Oakley

<strong>Campaign:</strong> Be Who You Are

<strong>Agency:</strong> Brandmovers India

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Growing up, we were constantly asked to fit into the mould of societal expectations. Somewhere, amongst the increasing noise, doubts, aspirations and constant chatter, ‘being ourselves’ took a backseat. We forgot to focus on ourselves, be comfortable with making mistakes, and taking risks.

The latest commercial by Oakley stays true to its value of “Be Who You Are.” As the ad film rolls on, right from the hopes of 1.3bn people being shouldered by cricketer Rohit Sharma, to the doubts and noise surrounding him, the commercial shows how Sharma does not let the people’s uncertainties stop him from always giving his best. The ad film conveys the message of being your authentic self, and the importance of knowing “Who you are", where every frame of the film radiates courage and confidence. Overall, the ad film gets a thumbs up for its realism on a crucial subject.

<strong>MEH</strong>

<strong>Brand:</strong> NutriGlow

<strong>Campaign:</strong> NutriGlow

<strong>Agency:</strong> In-house

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For years, most of the ads that touched upon the subject of beauty have either been explanatory in nature, or had a pair of girls dancing to stress upon the brand, and convey positive effects. NutriGlow’s latest campaign follows the same unsatisfactory pattern. Actor Genelia Deshmukh along with a bunch of girls are portrayed as ‘GlowGirls’ who are moving to a beat to highlight NutriGlow’s varied range of products. However, Deshmukh, who serves as the brand ambassador for the brand and is known for her bubbly and fun loving nature could not save the commercial from being a dull and disappointing one to watch. An engaging and different storyline could have prevented a Meh.

<strong>Mast</strong> 

<strong>Brand</strong> - Thums Up

<strong>Agency</strong> - Ogilvy India

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From sitting on tree-tops, listening to radio commentary to gathering around paan shops, Indians have found many unique ways to tune in to their favourite cricket matches. Cola brand Thums Up, plans to provide cricket fans in India with a never seen before, innovative experience through in its feature. The ad featuring Jasprit Bumrah, Umran Malik and Brett Lee, showcases an option that allows you to experience watching an ICC T20 World Cup match through a camera fitted in a wicket. Fans will have to scan a QR code on the Thums Up bottle to get access to the camera feed and become part of this immersive experience. That is as close as one can get to being present at the actual game. If this works, it is bound to leave all cricket fans stumped!

<strong>Meh</strong>

<strong>Brand</strong> - Casio India

<strong>Agency</strong> - In-house

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Are you an over-thinker? Yes? Then Casio’s latest ad is definitely one for you. The film opens with a student, who asks his father to buy him a Casio calculator. When his father asks if he can get any other calculator if he doesn’t find one by Casio, the son starts to overthink a series of probable events and scenarios that might impact his life, all due to the repercussions of using an ordinary non-Casio calculator. While the concept works well on paper, the execution doesn’t translate well onto screens. A great concept, poorly planned and executed resulted in us providing this spot, a meh. 

<strong>Mast</strong>

<strong>Brand:</strong> Tata Motors

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Festive ads can seem too filmy and over the top with all the songs, dances and unnecessary drama around festivities. However, sometimes there are ads that truly have a feel good factor to it. The Durga Puja TVC from Tata Motors is a perfect example. The ad features the most celebrated actor of Bengali cinema, Prosenjit Chatterjee for the spot but not in a way you’d normally expect. His presence is subtle. His role is of the narrator who acts like a catalyst, adding a slight hint of glamour to the ad without being completely involved in it. The narrative is clean and well packaged with the integration of car features that seamlessly blend in. In true festive fashion, there is a sweet story, a great song and a product that is being rightfully celebrated. All the fun elements work perfectly in unison which makes this new TVC from Tata Motors a good one to watch. A definite Mast in our books. 

<strong>Meh</strong>

<strong>Brand:</strong> Hindware

<strong>Agency:</strong> In-house

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Hindware has a new TV campaign – ‘Go Larger Than Life’  starring actor Tamanna Bhatia and The Great Khali. This is the first ever TVC from Hindware Italian Collection since the company forayed into the tiles segment. The tiles shown in the spot look beautiful and appealing for sure but unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the spot itself. With an inane narrative and an unnecessary objectification of a tall man being compared to huge tiles is unimpressive and doesn’t leave a good lasting impression. A very poor concept and even poorer execution awards this spot a MEH 

<strong>MAST</strong>

<strong>Brand:</strong> Cadbury Dairy Milk

<strong>Campaign:</strong> Cadbury Dairy Milk Bodyguard – Kissi aur ki Khushi mein shaamil hokar dekhiye

<strong>Agency:</strong> Ogilvy India

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Tigmanshu Dhulia never fails to impress viewers with his performances. In this spot, his appearance as a politician paints him as a ‘larger than life’ character. Dhulia, who is seen making his way towards the dais along with his bodyguards amidst the cheering crowd, to celebrate the success of one of his guard’s daughters who cleared the medical entrance exam is warm and comforting to watch. He is seen feeding the daughter a piece of Cadbury Dairy Milk as a token of appreciation and celebration. The ad film stays true to its message “Kissi aur ki Khushi mein shaamil hokar dekhiye.” A ‘Mast’ watch in our opinion. 

<strong>MEH</strong>

<strong>Brand:</strong> Myntra

<strong>Campaign:</strong> Myntra Big Fashion Festival

<strong>Agency:</strong> In-house

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The absence of any fun factor for an ad that aims to be comical is very evident right from the start. The campaign, which aims to promote Myntra’s Big Fashion Festival does not really generate any curiosity to check out how interesting the fashion festival might be. Even the presence of celebrity couple Virat Kohli and  Anushka Sharma, does not seem to add any drama to the dulness. Ironically, Myntra’s idea of using ignorance to draw attention not only tanked on screen but also failed to attract audiences in real life. An interesting build up to the story along with some festive cheer to promote the fashion festival could have prevented a Meh.

<strong>Mast</strong>

<strong>Brand:</strong> Coca Cola

<strong>Agency:</strong> In house

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Durga Puja for Bengalis is like a five-day long party. Like any party, food and soft drinks are an important part of this celebration. So if you are telling a Durga Puja story and you add food and soft drinks to it, you definitely make for a good storyteller. This new puja anthem from Coca Cola is a perfect spot for the pre-festive weeks. Casting the OG cool guys of Bengal (read members of Bengali band Chandrabindoo) and the catchy song add to the festive mood and cheer. The ad comes with its share of glam factor too, with Bengali superstar Dev adding spark and being a part of the 39 second screenplay. Overall, Coca Cola has done a great job with capturing the mood of the Bengal market right now with everyone preparing for the upcoming celebrations. 

<strong>Meh</strong>

<strong>Brand:</strong> Pantaloons

<strong>Agency:</strong> Production: KITCHEN, Concept: Ogilvy

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Rap songs and hip/hop as a genre are very popular with millennials and Gen Z. However, when used in an ad, it resonates only if executed and performed well. Unfortunately, this new Durga Puja spot from Pantaloons banks on a below average rap jingle that pulls down the overall vibe of the piece. Moreover, the Bengali voice overs are heavily accented. It could’ve been done on purpose to go with the background score but doesn’t help the tune in any way. It stands out as  a noticeable blunder. The song, the script and overall performance of the cast makes this a wannabe number desperate for attention. We’re still on the look out for an ad that captures Gen Z mentality correctly and executes it well. 

<strong>MAST</strong>

<strong>Brand</strong> - The Body Shop

<strong>Agency</strong> - In house

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Breaking the popular notion that young citizens are becoming increasingly apathetic towards societal issues, The Body Shop launches a campaign calling upon policy makers to evaluate lowering the age of candidacy in the Lok Sabha from 25 to 21 years of age. The goal is to get greater youth representation in the Lok Sabha. To spread the message, the brands video campaign features young leaders from across the country including Sudhanshu Kaushik, founder, Young India Foundation (27), Jalandhar High Court lawyer Inderpreet Kaur (24) and Sachin Rathod, independent panch ingalangi (29) talking about their efforts in bringing change in society thereby inspiring others. The ‘Be Seen Be Heard’ initiative is being rolled out through a partnership with Young India Foundation. The WHY25 drive has been launched across India at all The Body Shop stores in September 2022 and will run till end 2024 in over 25 states with offline and online petitions to support the cause. Now, that's what you call a brand with a purpose. A mast ad, definitely a great watch. 

<strong>MEH</strong>

<strong>Brand</strong> - Levi’s India

<strong>Agency</strong> - Spring Marketing Capital

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Levi's India’s series of ads with Deepika Padukone follow a pattern that has become repetitive and boring. In the new ad Padukone is seen in a space that needs to be set up and decorated. The camera follows her doing various chores like pushing a sofa into place, sticking a poster on a wall while ambling around with her friends, etc dressed in a new baggy Levi’s jeans of course. The spot ends abruptly leaving viewers confused. While Levi's baggy collection might be in vogue, its advertising seems really last season! It’s time for a refresh. 


<strong>MAST</strong>

<strong>Brand</strong> – Bombae Fuzz Off Trimmer | Painless hair removal for women

<strong>Agency/Production House</strong> – Talented, StudioFry

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This 30 seconder is an edgy one. It’s probably the only hair removal brand that has shown body hair before women shave/wax/trim it off. Bombae says #FuzzOff to societal expectations. It shows the pain women go through to go hairless and attempts to normalise never-seen-before body hair imageries. An empowering ad that breaks boundaries. It’s a mast watch because it is changing the narrative of the category.


<strong>MEH</strong>

<strong>Brand</strong> – Manyavar | Taiyaar Hokar Aaiye

<strong>Agency</strong> - Shreyansh Innovations

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The hyperactive actor Ranveer Singh for the new commercial of Manyavar is featured as a spunky wedding photographer. For a change, he is dressed perfectly fine. However, he singles out a suit-clad ‘mausaji’ by saying he is ruining the perfect family photo in his western outfit. Okay, we get it, this was all supposed to be in good fun and maybe for the sake of advertising. However, we think the brand could have picked a better line of thought to stitch the script. After all, isn’t fashion a personal choice? Shouldn’t Singh know that better than anyone else?



Mast & Meh: Oakley, Thums Up, Tata Motors, Myntra, Levi's India

The biggest test Indian girls face in their school years is the "beauty test", says Unilever-owned beauty brand Dove in its latest campaign released on International Daughters Day 2022 (25 September). The ad has been viewed by millions of netizens, garnering over 12 million YouTube views in four days. 

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While the campaign gained appreciation for starting a conversation about deeply ingrained beauty biases, a section of audiences also criticised the company for double standards. Unilever sells Glow & Lovely (earlier called Fair & Lovely) which largely hinged its communication equating fair/light skin with success. However, in 2019  Unilever changed the product name and also its advertising strategy to be more inclusive and conscious. 

This is reflected in the new Dove ad as well. 

Made by advertising agency Ogilvy India, the ad shows how young girls are subjected to socially accepted standards of beauty which drastically impact their confidence and self-esteem. The Stop The Beauty Test 2.0 is an extension of its previous campaign that was focused on beauty judgements faced by women during marriage.  

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To be sure, Unilever said that Dove launched a study which stated that 80 percent of Indian school girls have faced unjust beauty tests as a teenager. Hence, this year the conversation has shifted focus from prospective brides to the stage where it all begins – adolescence.

 In an exclusive conversation with Storyboard18, Harman Dhillon, vice president, hair care, Unilever talks about the backlash on its new campaign, changing ideas of beauty and how Dove is striving to stay relevant among Gen Z consumers.

Edited excerpts:

<strong>There is a certain set of audience that have criticised the new campaign. How does the brand deal with the negative feedback?</strong>

Our intent with #StopTheBeautyTest campaign was clear - to make society aware of a prevailing issue faced by young girls on a daily basis. To bring about a tangible impact with the Dove Self-Esteem Project, we are training teachers to deliver educational modules around body confidence and self-esteem to young minds. Our purpose of the campaign is to create awareness regarding when these beauty biases start, and the impact it has on women. We respect everyone's point of view and hope they see that our objective is to redefine the scope of beauty - celebrating it in its authentic and diverse form.

<strong>What kind of research went behind picking the theme for this edition of the campaign?</strong>

At Dove, we’re constantly working towards making beauty a source of confidence and not anxiety. Last year, we brought to light beauty-based judgements women especially faced during marriage and the impact it had on their confidence. However, during our research we uncovered a key moment of truth wherein societal standards of beauty are imposed on women much earlier on - as young as adolescence. Capturing this sentiment, we shifted our focus on the root of the problem - moving our communication from prospective brides to teenage girls. At a time when these girls should be concentrating on education, they are being unknowingly subjected to beauty biases by society. We felt that this was a crucial stage of intervention and wanted to bring about a tangible change. Thus, with #StopTheBeautyTest 2.0, we aim to raise the self-esteem of these young girls and break through beauty led stereotypes. 

<strong>Where did the inspiration for the execution of the campaign come from?</strong>

As always, we wanted to share real stories enacted by real girls and feature the real-life implication beauty judgements have on their self-esteem. So, the brand film is a portrayal of exactly that. We want to highlight how family and peers, in the guise of guidance, are pressuring young girls to fit prescribed beauty standards and how this can lead to body image issues in their young minds - eventually stunting their confidence. The #StopTheBeautyTest movement is an attempt to bring awareness about this issue so we can stop subjecting young girls with beauty-based report cards and grading them on external appearances. The focus instead should be on building their self-esteem so that they can be comfortable in their own skin and realise their potential to the fullest. 



<blockquote>While Dove’s global markets may be slightly more evolved, we’re not far behind where customers are demanding equal representation and opportunity. Brands no longer can superficially support progressive social movement but need to be actively engaged and be true drivers of change.</blockquote>



<strong>What is Dove doing to stay relevant among the Gen Z? How do they define beauty and is it different from older consumers?</strong>

The Dove Self-Esteem Project is aimed at the Gen Z with a vision to empower 8 million young minds by 2025. As part of the initiative, we partnered with experts in the fields of psychology, health and body image to create educational modules around body confidence and self-esteem which will be delivered by teachers under the life skills curriculum. Through this we will be reaching girls and boys in grades 6, 7 and 8 in selected schools across 8 states.

The ultimate goal is to change ‘beauty’ from its conventional lens and redefine and realign what it means to be beautiful. In comparison to the older generation, the younger audience is demanding an ethical, inclusive and diverse representation of beauty in media and Dove’s Real Beauty motto stands tall to deliver on the ask - ensuring beauty is not defined by shape, size or colour but being beautiful is to be the best version of yourself.

<strong>Any unique trends in terms of advertising or consumption you are witnessing among your TG in India? How's it different from Dove's global markets?</strong>

The Indian woman has gone through a complete metamorphosis in the recent time, especially when it comes to her portrayal in advertising and media. We’ve come a long way from women being conditioned to believing their self-worth is dictated by the perception of others, to now where they are seen taking charge and having a voice of their own.  At Dove, we’re proud to have been one of the leading contributors to this change and are glad that brands across categories are following suit.

Today, our TG makes their own choice and has the spending power. Beyond expecting brands to deliver high-quality products, they also demand the brand drive a thought-provoking dialogue. While Dove’s global markets may be slightly more evolved, we’re not far behind where customers are demanding equal representation and opportunity. Brands no longer can superficially support progressive social movement but need to be actively engaged and be true drivers of change.

<strong>How do you measure the success of a campaign now? Has the benchmark changed over the years?</strong>

Today, the success of a campaign, especially when it comes to the type of campaigns Dove has been leading, is very different from the benchmarks traditionally set in place. The impact is no longer purely number driven. The campaigns of the current era are heavily driven by the impact they have on people and the type of change we can drive through the efforts of the campaign. 

<strong>Are the days of big splash TV campaigns long gone? What works for new gen consumers?</strong>

Television is a relevant medium even now, in my opinion. There is still a large set audience in the deeper pockets of our nation who yet rely on television for entertainment as well as information. Thus, given that our target isn’t just the metro markets but pan India, TVC’s are a prime medium for us to bring our narrative alive. On the other hand, speaking about the new generation of consumers, social media has emerged as a stronger medium of communication than most others since it allows a two-way communication unlike TV. Thus, it is essential for us to keep the balance while strategising our media plan.

Exclusive: Unilever’s Harman Dhillon responds to feedback on viral Dove ad

Two years ago, YouTube introduced Shorts in India. Today, Shorts are generating 30 billion views per day, which is four times more than one year ago. Ajay Vidyasagar, Regional Director, APAC, YouTube Partnerships, says the language platter and the content genre is only growing in the market and Shorts is fueling the growth. He also talks about monetization on the platform and more. 

Edited excerpts.

<strong>Shorts completed two years in India. How has it been? And what has the growth story been like from where you started to where you are now? </strong>

YouTube as a platform is over 14 years old in India. When we got started, our primary mission was to democratize video creation. Until that point, the world really saw storytelling as being the forte of a few. Our goal was to really, truly, truly democratize this in a manner that anyone who is interested in sharing a story should be able to share it. Our role in that was to use technology to take out all the friction in the operationalization of it and help good stories to be discovered, consumed and engaged with. That is really what we’ve been able to do in scale over these many years.

YouTube Shorts was announced two years ago; we flagged that off in India. The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) program was only available and enabled for long form and mid form content.  So, we launched a YouTube Shorts fund, in which we worked closely with content creators to help them see a line of revenue for their work.

<strong>While we see a lot of entertaining content on the platform, what is the kind of interest you have seen brands? Are brands using Shorts like they are using other UGC platforms for integrations? Help us understand with some examples.</strong>

YouTube has enabled so many different formats to co-exist and speak to one another: long form videos, snappy Shorts, livestreams and deep dive podcasts. Advertisers can, therefore, choose to talk to their target audiences- in as many forms of stories, across as many devices, as many languages and as many times a day - effectively and at scale. 

YouTube Shorts are generating 30 billion views per day globally. India was the first country where we launched Shorts and we’re proud of how quickly YouTube Shorts have become popular in India. Brands are starting to see results too. For instance, Oreo, which started its very first Shorts Challenge in Tamil Nadu with 10 of our top creators in the market to launch Oreo Double Stuf during Pongal last year. With 8 million views on their content, the brand was able to build salience in the market, improving branded searches and household penetration in a key market for them. 

<strong>How important is India as a market for YouTube when it comes to Shorts? How does it compare to other markers?</strong>

We saw the great potential and engagement short form content has for today’s increasingly mobile viewer. That’s why two years ago, we introduced YouTube Shorts, first in India, to make it easier to watch and create short-form content on YouTube. It was where our journey began, and it’s encouraging to see the adoption and excitement the product brings to both creators and viewers. 

We truly believe that what moves India, has the potential to shape the world. Digital video has become a gateway to the world for millions of Indians. In particular, short form video, which is easy to consume and create, represents opportunity like no other - to be entertained and inspired, to learn and earn, to connect and grow. 

When we introduced Shorts, we knew that we were bringing an important new format for creators and that our creators are leveraging Shorts to help breathe new life into their existing channels or inform a new content and engagement strategy is testament to their creativity.

We’re constantly impressed that creators are getting really innovative with how they use the full breadth of video formats that YouTube offers to meet their personal and business goals: from growing views and subscribers, reaching out to new audiences and growing their earning potential. 

Shorts has helped capture the interest and imagination of mobile-first creators and viewers who from whom a smartphone is a window to a world of opportunity. In India, Shorts is lowering the barriers for under-represented voices to come to the fore and pursue their passions; many of whom may otherwise have not had a platform to do so. We’re seeing creators across languages, socio-economic backgrounds and even India’s hinterlands turn to Shorts to share their passions, grow their channels and build successful careers.

<strong>Shorts has introduced a new monetization format. Please help us understand how it will benefit the platform and the creators?</strong>

We recently unveiled the next chapter in rewarding creativity on the platform by expanding the platform’s monetization system, YPP, to allow more creators to join the program, introducing new ways for creators to earn revenue through Shorts, and re-imagining the music industry and creator dynamic by opening up ads monetization for those who feature music in their videos. 

Starting in early 2023, Shorts-focused creators can apply to YPP by meeting a threshold of 1000 subscribers and 10 million Shorts views over 90 days. These new partners will enjoy all the benefits YPP offers, including ads monetization across Shorts and long-form YouTube videos. This is another option to the existing criteria where long-form creators can still apply to YPP when they reach 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours. Creators can choose the one option that best fits their channel while YouTube maintains the same level of brand safety for advertisers. To support creators who are early in their YouTube journey, YouTube will also introduce a new level of YPP with lower requirements that will offer earlier access to Fan Funding features like Super Thanks, Super Chat, Super Stickers and Channel Memberships. 

To reward the new creative class, beginning in early 2023, we’ll be moving away from a fixed fund and doubling down on a unique revenue sharing model for Shorts for both current and future YPP creators. Because ads run between videos in the Shorts Feed, every month, revenue from these ads will be added together and used to reward Shorts creators and help cover costs of music licensing. From the overall amount allocated to creators, they will keep 45 percent of the revenue, distributed based on their share of total Shorts views. The revenue share remains the same, no matter if they use music or not. 

<strong>YouTube Shorts came to India at a very opportune time. It came right when UGC was becoming very popular and the market was expanding beyond metros. Throw some light on how you managed to gain footing in the Bharat market?</strong>

When you look at all of the digital platforms in the country, YouTube is fueled by voice, video and vernacular. So, because of that, the innate ability for the platform to go to every nook and corner of the country, and be understood, be loved, and be engaged, is very natural. It actually is the easiest form of communication that somebody can get on the digital connected platform.

We started off with a predominantly English language journey and then Hindi language content started to take off from India’s metro cities. If you remember, back in the day a lot of our creators were comedy centric and from urban centers.

Now in the last five to seven years, two very big things have happened with YouTube. The content creation has gone into the heartland of Hindi speaking markets. Hindi has become far more reflective of the evolving user base that has happened. Now it’s no longer a metro phenomenon.

We’re also seeing a host of other languages also doing very well on YouTube. Telugu and Tamil continue to be heavy-use cohorts for us. The richness of the language space has been unbelievable for us. From Punjabi, Haryanvi, Bhojpuri, Bengali, to Marathi, Gujarati, there is just an extraordinary breadth of languages. Shorts has helped these markets as well. We have seen extraordinary volume from these language markets.

Ours is a journey that is really about going wider and deeper and Shorts is helping us fuel that in even more in a significant manner.

<strong>Platforms that offer both long form and short format content often see the latter stealing all the limelight. Have you noticed any such pattern?</strong>

No creator says that I want to be a short-form creator or a long-form creator. They want to be storytellers and they want to express themselves and tell their stories in different forms. We might think about telling a story today that may need 10 or 20 minutes but tomorrow, we may have a story that may shine in 30 seconds.

Our role as a platform is to give a very versatile toolkit that can help a creator succeed in every format. That’s the core of what we do.  When you think about video creation, our job is to give a toolkit that helps any video creator, do what they want to do, and express themselves with the least amount of friction.  We do believe that both creators and users do not ever say that I’ll only consume a story, if it is, of this size or this form.  They actually want a powerful story. The ability to have that sort of freedom with scale and the best technology is really what we do.  That’s what we’re focused on. That’s what we’ll always be focused on.

<strong>What are your future plans for the offering? What are the top priorities when it comes to new plans for Shorts in India in FY-23?</strong>

Shorts is a natural evolution for us: YouTube Shorts is a new way to create and watch short, mobile videos. If you think about YouTube’s earliest days, we launched with a short 18-second video, ‘Me at the Zoo’. What changed since then is how easy it’s become to create and watch short-form videos. We wanted to make it even easier for people to create short videos on YouTube using their phones, so Shorts is a natural evolution for us. 

We’re building features that are unique to YouTube. We’re bringing all short-form video to YouTube, and all of YouTube to short-form video in a really significant way. There are billions of videos on YouTube - by unlocking those videos for features like remixing so people can sample from those in their own Shorts, we’re creating a real playground of creativity like never before. We have the ability to connect multiple ecosystems - YouTube as we know it today, YouTube Music, and now YouTube Shorts. You can imagine what this might look like in the future - it will allow people to connect more deeply with the content, creators, and artists they’re most interested in. This truly is just the beginning.

EXCLUSIVE: What moves India has the potential to shape the world, says YouTube's Ajay Vidyasagar

<strong>Leo Burnett and Jim Beam</strong>

Publicis Groupe-owned Leo Burnett has been appointed as the global agency-of-record (AOR) for Beam Suntory’s Jim Beam, an American brand of bourbon whiskey. The account, which was won following a multi-agency pitch, will see the agency develop a new global positioning and creative platform. This is the second time Leo Burnett has been appointed as the AOR for Jim Beam. 2016 marked the year when the agency was first selected as the AOR for the American brand. Recently, Beam Suntory announced that it would invest $400 million in renewable energy systems while boosting bourbon production. 

<strong>Hashtag Orange and Signify India</strong>

Digital marketing company Hashtag Orange has won the creative mandate for Signify Innovations India, erstwhile lighting division of Philips Eindhoven of Netherlands. Their responsibility would include ideation, development, and execution of the company’s creative campaigns for both online and offline channels. As per a media report published in June, Signify was looking to grow by 18-20 percent during 2022 in India. Last month, Hashtag Orange appointed Shraddha Iyer as the branch head of its Hyderabad office. Further, the agency bagged mandates across several key accounts. They include GMR Hyderabad International Airport, Monte Carlo, Rock-It, Hype Ryno, EDGE by Pearl Academy, HOUSR co-living and Tulips Hygiene.

<strong>Carat India and TimesPro</strong>

Marketing agency Carat India has won the integrated media mandate of TimesPro, an edtech initiative of Times Group. The responsibility of the agency would include managing TimesPro's omnichannel media services, and this will be handled by the agency’s Mumbai office. The account was won following a multi-agency pitch.

<strong>Bharat Media Group and Newell Brands</strong>

Newell Brands has appointed Bharat Media Group, a 360 degree marketing agency to handle its brands - Reynolds and Sharpie's strategic and creative duties. The mandate includes co-creating the growth roadmap for both businesses in the Indian market. Three weeks ago, Bharat Media Group was appointed as the Agency-Of-Record (AOR) for Super4, Indian fantasy sports platform. The role of the agency will include overseeing the integrated strategy and media mandate which includes creative, performance and experiential marketing, media planning and buying (across medium, traditional and digital), OOH, and cinema. Bharat Media Group has recently made key hirings including Unilever’s former head of Trading and Partnerships, Rohin Desai, who joined as national buying head in August. Desai will head the group’s entire media buying activities across India. He will be based out of the Mumbai office and will report to Anand Charles, CEO, Bharat Media Group. In May, Debarghya Mitra joined as national head of planning. Mitra was VP of client services and head of South at WPP-owned Essence.

<strong>Option Designs and CFS Vision</strong>

Creative and digital marketing agency Option Designs won the creative and digital mandate of CFS Vision, an optical retail chain of Center for Sight Group of Eye Hospitals, which is backed by Mahindra Partners. Their responsibility would include developing creative digital branding strategies for the company. By 2027, CFS Vision aims to create 500 retail locations. In the coming years, the brand will also begin manufacturing frames and lenses under the Make in India initiative.

<em><strong>Compiled by Kashmeera Sambamurthy</strong></em>

Biz Moves: Bharat Media Group gets cracking; Carat India, Hashtag Orange and Option Designs win accounts

Dating app Tinder, in a recent survey, reveals that most young adults in India have little or no confidence in navigating consent and find it hard to have conversations on the subject. Amongst those surveyed in Mumbai, more than 64% of young adults are hesitant to give consent, ask for it, and to withdraw consent when dating someone.

When asked about situations when their consent was violated, 65% of young Mumbaikars chose not to speak to their date/partner about it and turned to a friend and looked for resources online, illustrating the need for continuous dialogue on this subject. In fact, 83% of these young adults in Mumbai believe that consent should be discussed more openly with partners.

The findings are based on research conducted by YouGov which surveyed  1,018  young adults (18-30 years) across  Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad.

Young Indians want to learn and discuss consent with 1 in 2 recognizing themselves as the biggest channel for normalizing conversations around consent.

Around 8 in 10 young adults in Mumbai believe that consent should be discussed more openly with partners, 76% want it to be even taught formally in schools and colleges, and 72% have taken steps to personally understand the concept of consent.

More than 7 in 10 young adults in Mumbai seek more resources and safe spaces (both physical and online) on consent to be more educated and aware in their personal settings. Amongst a broad group of stakeholders potentially responsible for normalizing conversations on consent, young people identified parents (55%), themselves (44%), and schools and colleges (39%) as the top three influencers responsible for that conversation.

Across various aspects of consent education, most of the young Mumbaikars are most interested in learning about how to give consent (44%), understanding their own boundaries and limitations (41%),  followed by how to ask for consent (40%), emphasizing the need for consent education in the city.

The survey highlights that there are a myriad of factors that prevent young adults from communicating consent or the lack thereof to their dates or partners. The most frequent reasons include: afraid of hurting the date/partner’s feelings (41%), themselves are awkward having such conversations (36%), not knowing how to say no (33%) and anxious about not being liked (30%).

Young adults in Mumbai also have clear categorisation of widely understood metaphors for warning signs.They listed top three red flags include making fun about your interests/beliefs, asking for personal/intimate pictures, and not being empathetic towards others.

Yet putting them into practice proves harder than imagined: 3 in 5 young Mumbaikars say that they would hesitate to say no to a kiss and an almost equal number say they would hesitate to dismiss intimate advances even though it might make them uncomfortable.

Young adults in Mumbai believe that consent extends beyond intimacy and includes a larger concern for privacy and emotional boundaries.
 
The survey was a part of Tinder’s effort to create awareness around the importance of consent.  The platform is bringing back ‘Let’s Talk Consent’, its initiative to encourage conversations around consent and safe dating. This year, the campaign launches with “We Need To Talk”, a short film that explores the nuances of consent in interpersonal relationships amongst young Indian adults.

This will be followed by a Consent and Safe Dating curriculum, developed by experts and available online and in person in select universities, to give young adults access to appropriate information and a safe space to have a healthy discourse on the subject.
 
''Our Let’s Talk Consent initiative aims to give young adults the tools and resources to understand how consent equates freedom in making choices, mutual agreement and normalizes open discussions on tough topics. Coupled with safety products in the app and initiatives such as these, we are committed to working towards creating a healthy dating ecosystem in the country,” says Taru Kapoor, GM, Tinder & match group, India.

Young adults don’t know how to give, ask or withdraw consent while dating, Tinder study

Sleeping disorders are so common and yet there is not enough awareness about them in India. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), for instance, is a disorder caused by the repetitive collapse of the upper airway during sleep which leads to difficulty in breathing while sleeping. While it's one of the most common sleeping disorders, not many people know about it.

To tap this massive gap in the market, medical equipment company ResMed India has launched a campaign featuring singer and rapper Baba Sehgal.

Created by advertising agency Bang in the Middle, ResMed’s #AwakenYourBest campaign is aimed at creating awareness on sleeping disorders like sleep apnea and emphasis on sleeping well.

In the video, Sehgal, in his quintessential rap style, is seen crooning a rap or sleep anthem that talks about taking a simple at-home test to diagnose sleep related disorders. The purpose of the campaign is to create awareness about the importance of good sleep in a full-filled manner.

“There’s a great gap when it comes to talking about sleep disorders and we wish to start the conversation and create awareness,” says Seema Arora, business head - consumer and digital, South Asia, ResMed.

<strong>Acute sleep deficit</strong>

ResMed conducted a study, speaking to over 5000 people digitally to understand the impact on sleep post-pandemic. The findings show that Indians take a long amount of time (close to 90 minutes) to fall asleep which is far higher than Japan (25 minutes), China (42 minutes) and Korea (30 minutes). The longer duration is equated with extended screen time on devices.

“Data also confirmed a severe pandemic impact on sleeping habits in India. The survey also stated that 62 percent Indians agreed that stress has impacted their sleep during the pandemic as well as post pandemic. Erratic work schedules, excessive digital exposure and unhealthy lifestyle is contributing to poor sleep quality,” shares Arora.

Although ResMed is targeting consumers aged 30-69 years residing in the top 20-25 cities, it is also looking to connect with young Indians (under 25 years) who could be potential influencers in their household.

“We do wish to speak to audiences above the age of 25 years to have the information and encourage their loved ones to take the test and check about the quality of their sleep,” says Arora.

Social media and digital platforms are the likely places where ResMed is hoping to engage with potential customers.

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<strong>Market potential</strong>

India is a huge market for ResMed. Arora quotes a Lancet Respiratory Medicine 2019 study, which states that an estimated 5.4 percent of all Indians ages 30-69 years (28.8 million) have moderate to severe sleep apnea. The level of sleep awareness continues to remain low in a country like India, with only a handful of sleep labs for a population of over 1.3 billion.

The study states that people are often unaware about sleep issues and even if diagnosed with sleep disorders, they tend to hide them. Hence, there is a need to create awareness about the importance of sleep and sleep related disorders.

“The potential in the India market is huge. 28.8 million people could be dealing with sleep apnea. Diet and workout can have a positive impact but it is not the gold treatment for a sleeping disorder. It requires a proper sleep check-up followed by a CPAP (Continuous positive airway pressure) machine to treat sleep apnea. As we start creating awareness we foresee a demand for these products,” says Arora.  

Currently, there are barely 30,000 to 35,000 odd CPAP devices which are being sold in a year. Compared to the population the penetration of these devices is still less. ResMed is looking to change that.

<strong>Agency speak</strong> 

Naresh Gupta, co-founder and CSO, Bang In The Middle says that Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a life-threatening condition and it's easy for the brands to be in the zone that is a bit scary.

“All our consumer chats pointed towards the fact that instilling fear doesn't work as well as creating a happier curative story. Baba Sehgal has a unique style of telling the story, we merged it with an interesting way of taking the consumer on a journey with us," says Gupta.  

"The way the music flows and the way the scenes change in the commercial brought the audience into the brand fold,'' he says, adding, "The simple call to action of asking for a Home Sleep Test was made possible with the magic that was weaved through earworm quality of the music." 

ResMed has kicked off its campaign with a song and dance and the hope that its rap track can help Indians sleep well.


ResMed hopes its rap track can help Indians sleep well

On April 24, Sachin Tendulkar, known as the ‘God of Indian Cricket’ celebrates his 51st birthday. Tendulkar has been the face of not just Indian cricket but the face of many Indian brands as well. His success globally in the sport instantly made him a brand favourite and a personality that all Indians today, look up to. 

Some of the biggest brands in the company have associated themselves with Tendulkar to target the large audience of the cricket loving nation. 

Let's take a look at the top brand endorsements in Sachin Tendulkar’s portfolio that have catapulted his brand value, making him a sought after personality even after retirement. 

BMW: Luxury and Performance with Sachin Tendulkar

BMW and Sachin Tendulkar's partnership was one that worked very well for the brand. Tendulkar’s status as a cricket icon and a car enthusiast, known to love and drive BMW vehicles made him the perfect ambassador to leverage the widespread appeal of cricket in India.

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Unacademy: Inspiring Education with Sachin Tendulkar

Back when Unacademy was the official partner of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the brand utilized Tendulkar’s influence to offer interactive classes, aiming to educate and inspire the youth of India.

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Castrol India: Fuelling Passion for Motorsports with Sachin

Castrol India found an ideal ambassador in Sachin Tendulkar to showcase its commitment to excellence in motorsports. Tendulkar’s well-known passion for motorsports mirrored Castrol's values, making him the perfect choice to represent the brand.

Boost: A 25-Year Partnership of Energy and Excellence

Boost and Sachin Tendulkar shared a remarkable 25-year partnership, becoming synonymous with each other in the minds of fans and consumers. The iconic tagline, "Boost is the secret of our energy," resonated deeply, firmly establishing Boost as the go-to choice for drinks in India. Tendulkar’s association with the brand played a pivotal role in its success. 

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Airtel: Connecting Lives with Sachin Tendulkar

Tendulkar was the face of Airtel's "Express Yourself" campaign. This collaboration aimed to seamlessly integrate mobile communication into everyday life. His ability to reach a large audience worked well in favour for the brand. 






Sachin Tendulkar turns 51: A look at his brand endorsements

Remember when a few days ago, Shahid Kapoor’s extravagant travel itinerary was leaked on social media? It got everyone wondering about who the mystery friend was who had sponsored all of his bookings. 

Well, in a moment marketing stunt, the answer has been revealed by Kapoor himself. He took to Instagram to reveal that the friend was no actor or influencer but in fact, SBI card miles. 

A great marketing tactic by SBI to partner with Kapoor and leverage all the virality that was created on social media. 

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Kapoor revealed that spending via the card helped him get flight miles and hotel loyalty points. 

We’ve usually seen moment marketing in the form of social media static posts or OOH campaigns. An all out advert is a fresh take that has landed well. 

Was the whole thing an SBI plan or was it just good spotting of trends? Guess we’ll never really know. 

Shahid Kapoor reveals the mystery friend behind his travel itinerary

The intersection of celebrity and branding has always been a compelling space, offering brands a powerful tool to captivate audiences. Yet, the mere presence of star power is but a single facet in a multi-dimensional brand strategy. As the landscape of consumer engagement continues to evolve, so too must the strategies brands employ to leverage celebrity endorsements effectively. Today's savvy consumers crave authenticity, a deeper connection to the brand story, and a sense of genuine interaction with the stars they admire.

Let's look at how modern brand storytelling is being shaped with creativity, topical relevance, and cutting-edge technology fused with celebrity power to forge indelible experiences for a consumer spoilt for choice!

<strong>Celebrity Endorsement with a strategic twist</strong>

Gone are the days of generic celebrity endorsements plastered across billboards. Modern brands are crafting more nuanced campaigns that go beyond simply showcasing a famous face. Stella Artois' latest collaboration with global icon David Beckham offers a strategic blueprint for celebrity endorsement that prioritizes brand ethos over mere star power. In a departure from traditional celebrity-centric campaigns, Stella's print ads ingeniously feature Beckham as a hand model, while outdoor ads spotlight his iconic tattoos. This approach not only captures attention but also emphasizes the shared experience and authenticity associated with enjoying a Stella Artois.  Closer home, MakeMyTrip's latest IPL campaign takes a novel approach to 'star power' by featuring Jackie Shroff, Prabhu Deva, and Shankar Mahadevan without revealing their faces. Each film in the campaign leverages the unique style, voice, and attitude of these celebrities to create instant recognition among viewers. 

These campaigns serve as a masterclass in leveraging celebrity influence to enhance brand messaging, highlighting the importance of authenticity, shared values, and humour in cutting through the clutter of conventional advertising.

<strong>From Wit to Win: The Growing Role of Humour</strong>

Humour remains a powerful tool for brand engagement, and a well-placed joke can go a long way in creating a memorable connection. Tide's collaboration with Shah Rukh Khan is a prime example, leveraging the star power of Bollywood's 'King Khan' to create a whimsical Instagram Reels post featuring an oversized bag of Tide greeting fans atop the iconic Mannat. This unconventional approach eschews the traditional celebrity spotlight in favour of a more playful and engaging narrative.

Similarly, Uber Eats showcased the magnetic charm of humour in its Super Bowl campaign featuring David and Victoria Beckham. The campaign cleverly employed wit and satire, with the Beckhams playfully teasing their own upcoming ad while recreating an iconic moment from their Netflix special "Beckham." This meta-narrative not only entertained viewers but also sparked conversations, illustrating the power of humour to resonate deeply with audiences and elevate brand messaging.

<strong>Celebrities as Content Powerhouses</strong>

Beyond strategic endorsements and humorous campaigns, celebrities are now playing a crucial role in powering a brand's content engine.  Today's social media-savvy stars are adept at creating engaging content that resonates with their audience, and by extension, the brand they represent. This shift empowers them to act as brand advocates, fostering genuine conversations and connections with consumers. Actor Ryan Reynolds's humorous approach to marketing for Mint Mobile is a great example here.  Reynolds' self-deprecating humor and witty social media interactions have not only boosted brand awareness for Mint Mobile but have also garnered significant positive sentiment  and online discussions.

<strong>The Technological Vanguard: AI and Beyond</strong>

The advent of artificial intelligence and advanced technologies has ushered in a paradigm shift in brand-consumer engagement. Leveraging AI, brands can now orchestrate personalized, celebrity-driven narratives at an unprecedented scale. This enables a level of customization and relevance that transcends conventional marketing paradigms. For instance, with the integration of cutting-edge AI technology, Max Life is elevating customer and seller experiences backed by our brand ambassador, Rohit Sharma. Our initiatives encompass end to end created- personalized videos, messages, and greetings for customers, fundamentally enhancing the audience’s interactions with the brand. Personalization also extends to the company's valued sellers, who receive tailored greetings, messages, and specialized sales training support. Recognizing the long-term nature of life insurance relationships, these innovations aim to build stronger, lasting connections.

In synthesizing the elements of creativity, topical resonance, and technological prowess, brands can forge a potent formula for success in celebrity-led brand narratives. However, the pursuit of differentiation remains a critical, ongoing imperative. In an increasingly saturated marketplace, brands must continually innovate and redefine their value propositions to carve out distinctive niches. While celebrities and technology can serve as catalysts, it is the brand's unwavering commitment to delivering differentiated experiences, exceptional value and resonant storytelling that will ultimately captivate and inspire consumers.

<strong>The author of the article is Rahul Talwar, Chief Marketing Officer, Max Life Insurance. Views expressed are personal.</strong>



Post COVID-19, there has been a notable surge in awareness about the importance of both term and health insurance. This awareness trend is expected to grow steadily, according to Sai Narayan, Chief Marketing Officer of Policybazaar. Today, the insurance marketplace’s product mix is about 55-60 percent protection insurance, incorporating health and term insurance. On the savings side, it accounts for about 25 percent of its mix, while motor insurance contributes roughly 15 percent. While motor insurance is growing, the rest of the business - health and life are growing at a much faster pace, highlights Narayan. And that’s partly because of Policybazaar’s intensified focus on these areas, reflecting its goal to provide comprehensive and impactful solutions to customers' evolving needs. 

Marketing and advertising strategies in the sector have had to change as fast as the consumers’ needs, habits and preferences. Insurance brands today have moved beyond just the use of ‘fear’ to get people to buy insurance. 

Brands are finding more creative, precise and effective ways to tell their stories and reach their consumers. In this CMO spotlight, Narayan breaks down the insurance marketplace’s media and marketing approach, stating that a healthy mix of TV and digital platforms offers the brand targeted reach, measurable results and dynamic engagement opportunities. 

Read on.  

<strong>What is the crux of Policybazaar's marketing and advertising strategy this year and specifically now around IPL and election season?</strong> 

Our marketing strategy remains laser-focused on emphasizing the importance of protection insurance, which is health insurance and term insurance. These instruments serve as a vital safety net, safeguarding individuals from the financial repercussions of unforeseen illnesses or accidents. Additionally, we highlight the value proposition for car and two–wheeler insurance buyers nationwide. We firmly believe that engaging in topical events like election season and sports marketing during IPL prove to be highly effective, given their widespread public appeal. This strategic approach not only enhances brand visibility but seamlessly helps us to maximize demand and adoption of insurance products, particularly in tier-2 and tier-3 cities of the country. 

<strong>As a marketer how are you seeing and responding to this season that is packed with two mega events - IPL and elections? How are you planning to leverage these?</strong> 

As a year-round advertiser, our category typically experiences its peak performance during quarter 4 of the financial year. Despite this trend, we recognize to maintain momentum around the next couple of months. We do leverage our presence during events like the IPL and elections and deliver content in a balanced approach that truly speaks to our audience, raising interest and engagement towards safeguarding their financial stability and securing their family's future with a comprehensive health and term insurance plan. 

<strong>What are the key campaigns you have running across media and how are they faring? What is their objective and how and what are you measuring in terms of their effectiveness?</strong> 

Our campaigns primarily focus on protection products, showcasing how Policybazaar simplifies insurance purchases to make them more transparent, seamless, and affordable for our customers. We have run several campaigns recently, like "Apka Apna Saathi Policybazaar," that highlights the emotional journey behind every insurance claim and the profound impact it has on people's lives. Policybazaar's commitment to providing streamlined claim assistance, particularly when the customer needs it the most, is the word we want to spread through these campaigns. 

Majorly, all our campaigns show strong consumer response evidenced by a notable increase in website traffic and specific product inquiries. It's heartening to see how our message resonates with customers, reaffirming our mission to empower individuals with accessible and reliable insurance solutions.

<strong>What is your media mix currently and where are you investing?</strong>  

The lion’s share of our marketing budget is allocated to television and digital channels. It is our strategic choice and we anticipate to maintain it in the foreseeable future as well. This allocation towards our media mix reflects our commitment to reach audiences through both traditional and modern mediums, ensuring maximizing impact across diverse demographics.

<strong>Within television and digital, which genres are you investing in?</strong> 

Our advertising strategy spans across a wide array of genres, incorporating news, movies, GEC and sports channels, among others. Our diverse and thoughtful approach enables us to reach audiences with varying interests and demographics, ensuring that our brand maintains visibility and resonance throughout India. 

<strong>In the media mix, where do you see the most ROI and effectiveness for your brand and business?</strong> 


We have observed particularly strong ROI and effectiveness from television and digital platforms. These channels offer us targeted reach, measurable results, and opportunities for dynamic engagement with our target audience. 

A few months back we integrated the brand into a poignant moment, leveraging the popular daily soap Anupama's widespread popularity. In a scene, the show's protagonist emphasized the importance of term life insurance, particularly for young individuals who often prioritize spending on fashion and dining. Notably, the scene included a mention of PolicyBazaar, showcasing the brand's advantages. During the show's airing from 10 to 10:30 p.m., customer leads increased 4X  in the 10 to 11 p.m. time slot. We witnessed a significant surge in customer leads indicating that viewers were highly influenced by the message and were motivated to take action. Their level of engagement was evident as they took the initiative to visit our website and fill out a form to compare term insurance quotes from different insurance companies. 

By striking a balance between traditional and digital channels, we maximize our overall impact and ensure that our message fosters financial literacy. 

<strong>Break down your influencer marketing strategy. How critical is it in your scheme of things? Who do you work with and why? What are the key learnings in terms of what works and what doesn't?</strong> 


We collaborate to work with influencers in the finance space. This has been a cornerstone of our marketing strategy, particularly in reaching consumers seeking information about insurance products like health, life, and term insurance. Additionally, we leverage language and region-specific influencers that can help our audiences in tier-2 and tier-3 regions establish awareness in this category because people in India still procrastinate their insurance purchase decisions unless triggered by an unfortunate event.  


Over the years, this partnership has proven highly effective, enabling us to showcase Policybazaar as an essential resource in consumers' insurance journey. We highlight how Policybazaar empowers individuals to compare products from various insurance companies, facilitating informed decisions and maximizing value for customers. This approach not only enhances brand visibility but also reinforces our commitment to providing accessible and transparent insurance solutions tailored to the needs of every consumer. 

<strong>Influencers in the financial services space have come under greater scrutiny from the government. How has that affected your plans and what measures do you have in place to ensure your brand's trust, integrity, and safety?</strong> 

We are very particular and lay great emphasis on the accuracy and reliability of the information disseminated across all our marketing channels, including our influencer collaborations. Our approach involves carefully selecting credible influencers and rigorously vetting the content to ensure its accuracy and credibility. We prioritize transparency and authenticity, aiming to foster trust and confidence among our audience. 


<strong>What is your strategy on CTV? What are the advantages and disadvantages of CTV as it currently stands for advertisers?</strong>

CTV has been fundamental to our media strategy for an extended period, and its significance continues to grow progressively. CTV is an important avenue for connecting with digitally savvy customers, particularly those who prioritize premium content consumption. Its immersive nature and targeted approach offer unique opportunities for us to engage with our target audience effectively. CTV makes an increasingly valuable channel of our marketing strategy.

PepsiCo reported a "high single-digit growth" in its beverage unit volume in the Indian market during the first quarter of 2024. The company's convenient food business reported a "double-digit growth" in the country during the period, as per the global earnings statement from the food and beverages major.

PepsiCo's net revenue in the Africa, Middle East, and South Asia (AMESA) division, which covers the Indian market, went up by 2 per cent to USD 1.04 billion. 

The growth reflects an "organic volume growth and effective net pricing" and a partial offset of the impact of unfavourable foreign exchange, the company said. In AMESA, PepsiCo's "beverage unit volume grew 2 per cent, primarily reflecting mid-single-digit growth in the Middle East and high single-digit growth in India". The growth was led by PepsiCo's international business, which delivered "notable volume improvements versus the previous quarter, as well as strong organic revenue growth and core operating profit growth", said the New York-headquartered multinational.

Net revenue of PepsiCo, which owns popular brands such as Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew and Quaker, in the first quarter was up 2.26 per cent to USD 18.25 billion.

Its convenient food unit volume grew 4.5 per cent, "primarily reflecting high-single-digit growth in South Africa, double-digit growth in India", and offset by a double-digit decline in the Middle East.

However, PepsiCo's operating profit in AMESA declined 10 per cent in the first quarter on account of "certain operating cost increases". This includes a 17 percentage-point impact of higher commodity costs, primarily packaging materials, sweeteners and potatoes, and a 7-percentage-point impact of adjustments related to the sale of a non-strategic brand last year. It has also gained savory snack share in China and India year-to-date, the company said.


The growth was led by PepsiCo's international business, which delivered "notable volume improvements versus the previous quarter, as well as strong organic revenue growth and core operating profit growth", said the New York-headquartered multinational.

Chairman and CEO Ramon Laguarta said, "During the first quarter, our businesses remained agile and performed well, with a strong performance from our international business. We delivered a sequential improvement in our volume trends, and year-over-year growth in our net revenue, operating profit margin and EPS, despite the impact of certain product recalls at Quaker Foods North America and a difficult net revenue growth comparison from the prior year." Over the outlook, PepsiCo said it has been consistent with its earlier guidance for 2024 and expects "at least 4 per cent increase in organic revenue".


PepsiCo reports "high single-digit growth" in the Indian market during first quarter of 2024

Tata Consumer Products Ltd. today announced its results for the quarter and year ended 31st March 2024. For the quarter, Revenue from operations grew by 9% (8% in constant currency) as compared to corresponding quarter of the previous year, with strong performance in India business, which grew 10%. Profit before exceptional items and tax at Rs 509 Crores is higher by12%. Group Net Profit before exceptional items at Rs 427 Crores is up 46% driven by strong operating performance and one-time tax credits during the quarter.

Sunil D’Souza, Managing Director & CEO of Tata Consumer Products said “We delivered good topline growth of 10% in FY24, but importantly an EBITDA growth of 24% and significant expansion in EBITDA margin. During the year, we recorded growth in India tea and salt businesses. Our premiumization agenda continues to progress well with the premium portfolio in both tea and salt showing good growth and contributing to an increasing share of the overall portfolio." 

Tata Salt also launched a new campaign celebrating its strong heritage with a twist in its iconic jingle ‘Namak ho Tata ka, Tata namak’, earlier this year. 

He added, "Our growth businesses (Tata Sampann, RTD, Tata Soulfull, Tata SmartFoodz) continued their strong growth trajectory with a revenue growth of 40% in FY 24. Tata Starbucks made consistent progress in its expansion agenda with a store footprint spanning 61 cities. We also delivered strong performance in our International markets, along with significant margin improvement. The UK business saw its EBITDA margin touch historic highs led by restructuring initiatives taken during the year." 

D’Souza highlighted, in India, Tata Consumer Products solidified its sales and distribution infrastructure. Now total reach has expanded to 4 million outlets as of March ’24. He said, "We implemented split routes in all 1 million + population towns and have seen significant improvement in assortment and growth. We are strengthening our Rurban focus and are deepening reach into rural areas. Alternate channels (modern trade and e-commerce) recorded significant momentum and continue to be strong growth drivers." 

Alternate channels continued to fuel our growth and innovation agenda Ecommerce channel grew 35% and Modern Trade recorded 9% growth in FY24. E- commerce accounted for 11% of India business in FY24, up from 9% last year.

Following the recent acquisition of Capital Foods (owner of brands Ching’s Secret and Smith & Jones), both front end and back-end integration has been completed on an accelerated timeline, within 60 days of the acquisition, the company stated, adding that it is leveraging Tata Consumer’s GTM to deliver growth across channels while delivering on cost synergies. 

On Tata Starbucks, the company added 29 net new stores during the quarter and entered 6 new cities. This year saw the highest store addition at 95 stores. This brought the total number of stores to 421 across 61 cities. The My Starbucks Rewards loyalty program crossed 3 million patrons, a 30% growth YoY. Starbucks and renowned designer Manish Malhotra also launched an exclusive line of lifestyle drinkware. 

Modern trade and e-commerce continue to be strong growth drivers: Sunil D’Souza, MD, Tata Consumer Products

BharatPe, a fintech company has announced the launch of BharatPe One, all-in-one payment product that integrates POS, QR, and speaker into one device. This innovative product is designed to streamline transactions for merchants, offering payment acceptance options including dynamic and static QR code, tap-and-pay and traditional card payment options, across a wide range of debit and credit cards. The company plans to launch the product in 100+ cities in the first phase. It will further scale it to 450+ cities over the course of the next six months.


Equipped with a high-definition touchscreen display, 4G and Wi-Fi connectivity, and powered by the latest Android operating system, BharatPe One delivers enhanced performance and security. With user-friendly interface, portable design, and comprehensive transaction dashboards, BharatPe One caters to the diverse needs of the offline merchants, stated the company.


Commenting on the launch, Nalin Negi, chief executive officer, BharatPe, said, "With BharatPe One, we bring another disruptive product that will transform the digital payments landscape, enhancing efficiency and convenience for millions of offline merchants across the country. By combining multiple functionalities into one cost-effective device, we're providing a comprehensive solution tailored to the varied needs of small and medium businesses across diverse sectors. BharatPe is a merchant-first company and this state-of-the-art device underscores our commitment to be a preferred partner for offline merchants, delivering value and empowering their business growth."


Added Rijish Raghavan, chief business officer- PoS Solutions, BharatPe, “BharatPe One has been designed as ‘the one-stop device’ to offer a unified and seamless payment experience to our merchant partners. I am confident that this device, which is India’s first all-in-one payment device, will help merchants ensure an enhanced customer experience, in turn, ensuring customer delight. We have received an overwhelming response from our merchants in the pilot phase and we reckon that this will be another game changer for the digital payments ecosystem, further consolidating our position as a trailblazer in the fintech industry.”


<strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/bharatpe-elevates-its-cfo-nalin-negi-as-ceo-29164.htm">BharatPe elevates its CFO Nalin Negi to CEO</a> 


BharatPe launches BharatPe One to streamline transactions for merchants

India's  food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), will conduct sampling of major spice and infant nutrition brands in India, a senior government official told Mint. The move follows two separate reports of alleged food violations by brands in spices and infant nutrition categories, as per reports.

FSSAI has deployed state food commissioners and issued orders for samples of major spice brands to be taken from their manufacturing units pan-India, the official said. These samples will be sent to accredited testing labs to detect pesticide ethylene oxide, as per the reports.

Following reports of presence of added sugars in Nestlé’s Cerelac brand of baby cereals, the regulator has also initiated collection of samples of multiple infant nutrition brands sold in the market to test for added sugars. 

The move follows an investigation by Public Eye, a Swiss investigative organization, and the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN), which claimed that all Cerelac baby cereal products sold by Nestle in India contain added sugar—on average nearly 3 gm per serving. 

“While the findings are global, we have to see if they violate our local rules," the person added.

India’s food regulator permits use of lactose and glucose polymers as “preferred carbohydrates" for food for infant nutrition.

“Sucrose and/or fructose shall not be added, unless needed as a carbohydrate source, and provided the sum of these does not exceed 20 per cent of total carbohydrate," per the Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Regulations, 2020.

FSSAI will sample and test multiple brands of infant nutrition being sold in the market.

Nestlé India has stated that its products manufactured in India are in “full and strict compliance" with global food standards and local specifications pertaining to the requirements of all nutrients—including added sugars.

“Compliance is an essential characteristic of Nestlé India and we will never compromise on that. We also ensure that our products manufactured in India are in full and strict compliance with CODEX standards (a commission established by WHO and FAO) and local specifications (as required) pertaining to the requirements of all nutrients including added sugars," a company spokesperson said.

Over the past five years, the company has reduced added sugars by up to 30 percent,  across its infant cereal range, depending on the variant, the spokesperson said.



FSSAI to conduct sampling of major spice and infant nutrition brands in India

Mukesh Ambani-led oil-to-telecom-to-chemicals conglomerate Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) on Monday, April 22, declared record annual earnings on the back of robust performance in its core oil and petrochemicals business along with sustained growth in its consumer-oriented retail and telecom divisions. The company reported a record annual consolidated revenue of over Rs 10 lakh crore, driven by continued growth momentum in consumer businesses and upstream business.

RIL's quarterly net profit surged to Rs 18,951 crore in the January-March period of the financial year 2023-24, recording a 10% sequential jump, from Rs 17,265 crore the conglomerate had posted in the preceding October-December quarter. RIL's net profit in Q4FY23 was at Rs 19,299 crore.

RIL's revenue in the January-March quarter came in at Rs 2.37 lakh crore, higher than Rs 2.25 lakh crore it posted in Q3FY24 and Rs 2.13 lakh crore in Q4FY23.

Reliance became the first Indian company to cross the Rs 100,000-crore threshold in pre-tax profits. In FY24, Reliance also achieved the landmark of becoming the first Indian company to achieve a turnover of Rs 10 lakh crore.

RIL's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) came in at ₹42,516 crore in Q4FY24, higher than ₹40,656 crore in the October-December quarter and Rs 38,440 crore in the same quarter last year. RIL Margin came in at 18% in Q4FY24.

Reliance Retail reported a 10.7% rise in revenue at Rs 76,683 crore, up from Rs 69,288 crore in the year-ago period. The earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) came in at Rs 5,829 crore, an 18.4% jump from the year-ago period. Reliance Retail's margin in the quarter improved to 7.6% on account of mix and operating leverage. For the full year, Reliance Retail business crosses Rs 3 lakh crore topline.

"Acquisitions and partnerships continues to be a core part of our strategy for our consumer brands business. During the quarter we completed the acquisition of IP rights and trade, including trademarks and recipes for Ravalgaon," said Dinesh Taluja, CFO and Corporate Development, Reliance Retail. 

"For Jio Mart, our focus was to increase average order values, which were up 30% on a year by year basis, as well as increase the number of units per order, which is up 37% YoY basis," said Taluja. "We also continue to enhance the functionalities of the platform to improve the shopping experience for the customer."

Reliance Industries’ telecom arm Reliance Jio Infocomm saw its net profit rise 11% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 5,337 crore for the January to March 2024 quarter. This beats the CNBC-TV18 poll projection of Rs 5,268 crore. Jio’s revenue for the March 2024 quarter came in at Rs 25,959 crore, up 11% YoY from Rs 23,394 crore.

Reliance Jio added 10.9 million subscribers during the quarter and an industry-leading subscriber addition of 42.4 million during FY2024. Reliance Jio's ARPU (average revenue per user) came in at Rs 181.7.

Commenting on the results, Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and MD, RIL said: “...All segments have posted a robust financial and operating performance. This has helped the Company achieve multiple milestones. I am happy to share that this year, Reliance became the first Indian company to cross the Rs 100,000-crore threshold in pre-tax profits... With over 108 million True 5G customers, Jio truly leads the 5G transformation in India... Reliance Retail continued to provide customers endless choices through its robust omnichannel presence... Strong demand for fuels globally, and limited flexibility in refining system worldwide, supported margins and profitability of the O2C segment. Downstream chemical industry experienced increasingly challenging market conditions through the year. Despite headwinds, maintaining leading product positions and feedstock flexibility through our operating model that prioritises cost management, we delivered a resilient performance.”

Reliance Industries Q4 results: Annual revenue crosses a record Rs 10 lakh crore

Cleanliness is an important initiative. Non biodegradable items like plastic cause a lot more harm to the environment than any good. Britannia has been 100 percent plastic neutral for over two years. Ahead of Earth Day, Britannia along with Talented has released a compelling advert showcasing the importance of cleanliness and how all plastic should be thrown in dustbins. 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FigGTM3U_d4?si=4wbaeRYGaD-GFg2W" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

In the ad, a little girl is seen collecting Britannia plastic wrappers from the streets and stuffing them in her pockets and her bag. When she reaches her home, her mother questions her about all the waste plastic wrappers that she has collected in her bag. The little girl reminds her mother of a lesson that she taught her. All plastic waste should be put in your pocket until you find a dustbin to throw it in. 

‘Small habits bring about a big change’. Britannia’s campaign also highlighted that the company has been able to process more than 4 crore kg’s of plastic in only one year and has thus, been plastic neutral for the last two years. 

Through the campaign, and on account of Earth Day, Britannia urges everyone to adopt a new habit. ‘Until you find a dustbin, make every pocket your dustbin’.  



Film actors lead in brands’ endorsement with 51% share of ad volumes in IPL 2023: TAM

During IPL 2023, three out of the top five categories that were endorsed by celebrities belonged to the F&B sector.

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