Haldiram's has announced launch of its inaugural restaurant television commercial, "Dhina Dhin Dha". "This landmark moment marks the brand's evolution into not just a leading giant in the packaged food and snacks segment but also as a cherished family & casual dining restaurant where moments of togetherness and happiness are celebrated," said the brand

"Dhina Dhin Dha", the name of the TVC, encapsulates the emotion that people experience when savoring Haldiram's scrumptious delights. It is the feeling of happiness that fills the air when friends and family come together, sharing stories and laughter over a meal. This campaign seeks to celebrate those moments when food becomes not just nourishment but a source of happiness and connection.

Speaking about the launch, Neeraj Agrawal, Director at Haldiram's, expressed their excitement, saying, "At Haldiram's, we have always believed in creating moments of happiness through our culinary creations. 'Dhina Dhin Dha' is a celebration of those moments, of the joy that our food brings to millions of households across the globe. With this television commercial, we aim to showcase not just our products but also the heartwarming experiences that our customers share with their loved ones over a meal".

The TVC features heart-warming scenes of families and friends coming together to enjoy Haldiram's delectable dishes, all set to a soulful and catchy jingle that embodies the spirit of "Dhina Dhin Dha". From the first bite of their world-famous chole bhature to the last scoop of their delightful rasmalai, the commercial beautifully captures the journey of flavors and emotions that Haldiram's has been a part of for generations.

Haldiram's has become a household name, not just because of its exceptional culinary offerings but also because it has evolved into a place where families and friends create cherished wholesome memories together. The brand's commitment to quality and authenticity has always been resolute, making it the go-to choice for snacks and meals.

"Dhina Dhin Dha" is not just a television commercial; it is an invitation to experience the magic of Haldiram's and relish the moments of joy that its food brings. Join us in celebrating this milestone as the brand continues to bring smiles to millions of faces, one delicious bite at a time!

With the festive season beginning to pick up, the consumer durables sector anticipates great sales in the coming months. Industry players expect double-digit growth this season as a result of an improvement in economic conditions and an upbeat sentiment among consumers. This year's summer season was tough for the sector due to unseasonal rainfall, but the industry experienced a positive environment during Onam, indicating that the approaching months will be profitable. 

According to Salil Kapoor, CEO, Hindware Home Innovation Limited, there would be a surge in demand for consumer durable products and the sector will see double-digit growth in the kitchen and consumer appliances segment. For the company, says Kapoor, the growth will be on the back of the offline market presence and online retail channel engagement. 

He adds, “As we approach the festive season, we're formulating a strong marketing strategy across both offline and online platforms. This includes a balanced media mix. We have allocated a significant ad budget to maximize our reach and impact.”

Ravindra Singh Negi, COO- Consumer Products, Bajaj Electricals Ltd, is also optimistic about the season.

“The consumer durables industry is cautiously optimistic about the upcoming festive season. With festivities spreading across two months of October and November, we expect this time to be the most vital period in the year. Looking at the trends, there is a positive sentiment build-up for growth in the Indian AdEx this festive period,” he shares. The company’s flagship brand Bajaj has recently undergone a repositioning of ‘Built for Life’ and the company, says Negi, is focused on creating awareness about it. 

Also, the company has launched a new range of personal grooming products under Morphy Richards just ahead of the festive season. Bajaj has also added new categories to their popular cookware brand Nirlep and roped in a popular face to amplify the branding.

Speaking on the marketing strategy and media mix for the festival season, Negi shares that they are adopting a multi-media campaign approach with a solid focus on ATL.

“Considering consumers’ preference and affinity towards social media and digital media consumption, we are ensuring a robust presence across the leading platforms, be it on social and video content platforms or OTT and e-commerce portals. The average ad spend in our industry is around 2.5-3.5%, and this year, too, we are aligning with the industry benchmarks. As market leaders, we will invest sufficiently to retain our prominent position,” says Negi. 

According to the Pitch Madison Advertising Report 2023, the consumer durable category is among the top 10 spenders across media. In 2022, the sector invested Rs 2108 crore in advertising, 9% higher as compared to Rs 1688 crore in 2021. It contributed 4% to the overall AdEx. 

When it comes to festivals, the window is not a uniform three-month period, but one with spikes that vary by region. With the celebrations starting with Onam in Kerala followed by Ganesh Chathurti in Maharashtra and Navratri, Durga Puja and Dussehra, brands are optimistic that sales will go up especially in the month October and November, and so have planned to spend big on advertising and marketing activities during this period. 

According to Swati Rathi, Marketing Head at Godrej Appliances, “Onam saw a thrust in Kerala, with a digital and store strategy, and yielded good results. This will be followed by a larger e-commerce thrust for online events pan India. Ganesh Utsav, Navratra and Durga Puja in West and East will see localized plans followed by a Diwali burst.”

Rathi highlighs that the brand’s spending plans will be dynamic and follow their premium product placement strategy. In terms of the percentage of annual spending, she shared that it will be like previous years.

Rathi opines the key trends that are being witnessed in the sector are premiumization, evolving shopper journey and digital influence, shrinking festive window in stores, and lower seasonality of premium products. “All the key product launches scheduled are in the premium segments across categories and these will also be the focus of our communication. The key communication mode will be digital media, with a higher thrust on e-commerce coupled with attention towards store presence,” mentions Rathi. 

She explains further that given the premium focus and conversion thrust, digital lends itself well to the sharp targeting of these audiences, especially the intended audience. Driving conversion in the short spike periods through the right store presence and offers will be a focus area in the festive season. Also, lucrative festive offers and cashbacks that enable easier upgrades will continue to play an important role.

Rathi shares that with overall festivities spreading across multiple months and the brand's lineup of new premium ranges in refrigerators, air conditioners, and washing machines, the company is targeting 30- 40% growth this festive season. “The scenario will get clearer closer to festive in terms of the impact of monsoons and overall consumer sentiment. Overall, the bets are on premium segments rather than mass.” 

Disney Star, the official broadcaster for both TV and digital of the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup, has roped in eight sponsors.

While Mahindra SUVs & Tractors have come on board as co-powered by sponsor, Booking.com, Louis Philippe, Kingfisher, Surf Excel, Thums Up, Black & White and MRF are associate sponsors for the digital streaming platform.

On September 26, the official streaming platform released an ad campaign for the marquee tournament, announcing free streaming of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup on Disney+ Hotstar. In the film, the streaming platform unveiled the sponsor's name.

The ad campaign featured Kapil Dev. The Western-style drama plays out to bring to light the free streaming option on Disney+ Hotstar with a data saver mode as well to make sure that viewers get the best quality whilst consuming less data.

As earlier reported by exchange4media, the official broadcaster has bagged two more sponsorships from IndusInd Bank and Emirates for TV. PhonePe, Mahindra Auto, Coke, MasterCard and Hindustan Unilever are the other big brands that have come on board as sponsors for the tournament.

According to sources, over 50 advertisers have signed up for the tournament and the broadcaster is still in talks with other advertisers.

For co-presenting opportunities on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster has set a price tag of Rs 150 crore and for Powered by sponsors the amount is Rs 75 crore. The associate sponsorship is worth Rs 40 crore.

The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup kicks off on October 5 with a repeat of the 2019 final as England faces New Zealand in Ahmedabad. Across 10 world-class venues, 48 matches will be played in 46 days culminating in the Final on November 19.

Marketing and communications agency BBDO hosted an exclusive client event in India this week.

The event marked the unveiling of key insights from the latest study on Brand Purpose in Asia, which was carried out under the agency’s BBDO Voices insights program by BBDO Asia. The study explores the relevance and impact of using brand purpose as an approach to brand positioning and uncovers important by-country nuances that marketers in the region need to navigate to build their brands successfully across markets in the region.

BBDO Voices, now celebrating its 13th year, has provided valuable insights and thought leadership to brand marketers, planners, and creatives in China. This latest study marks the expansion of the program’s coverage to also include other key Asian markets such as South Korea, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, and India. 

TzeKiat Tan, CEO-BBDO Asia, highlights the pivotal role of India in the Asian brand landscape, owing to its rapid population growth and dynamic market. She stated, "India holds great significance for us, and in a market as dynamic as this, it's essential for brands to embrace diverse cultures and consumer perspectives for success. The insights from this study provide us with valuable knowledge to building a strong brand presence in markets like India."

Suraja Kishore, CEO-BBDO India, adds, “The report is revealing in the fact that unlike in developed nations, in developing countries like India people expect brands to go beyond selling. Indian consumers want brands and companies to do their best for the ecosystem they deal in, e.g. if you are an automobile brand then consumers expect you to also look at how can you improve the quality of roads, or how can you enhance safety on the roads or clean toilets on the highway. We believe that brands can have a meaningful impact on society and culture. BBDO Voices will further help marketers, brands and companies build effective purpose-driven brand narratives beyond their own gain when wanting to connect with consumers in India.”

Speaking about BBDO Voices, Josy Paul, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, BBDO India said “People are looking for meaning not brands. By combining the quantitative data and intelligence of BBDO Voices with the emotional data and deep listening understanding of BBDO India, we can deliver greater connection, conversation and conversion for brands.”

According to BBDO Asia's latest report, Asian consumers actively seek brands that align with their values and address critical societal topics, such as Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I), and women empowerment.  

Among the four major trends identified to watch are:

1.CLIMATE CHANGE TO LIKELY SPEED UP THE IMPORTANCE OF BRAND PURPOSE. Environment and sustainability issues are the leading social topic Asian consumers want brands to champion the most today. As the effects of global warming intensifies, more consumers will look to brands to embrace a sense of urgency and be part of the solution rather than the problem. When this happens, brand purpose will significantly impact brand and customer relations much more than now.

2. BRAND PURPOSE WILL BECOME DE RIGUEUR FOR MARKETERS AS GEN Z ASIAN CONSUMERS COME OF AGE AND TAKE OVER SOCIETY. While traditional mindsets and narratives still persist in the region, those under 25 demonstrate progressive voices on issues like LGBT+ acceptance and advocacy. They will expect brands to be their voice, and brands that do not stand for a social purpose will lose social currency.

3.BRANDS WILL INCREASINGLY HAVE THE SAME ACCOUNTABILITY AS QUASI-GOVERNMENT BODIES. This is especially true in the developing regions of Asia where consumers are 20% to 40% more likely to have sought out brands due to its perceived impact on society. Here, citizens expect brands to step up and fill gaps which public governance systems often cannot. In this sense, consumers in developing parts of Asia will continue to expect brands to embrace the same agenda as governments.

4.BRAND PURPOSE IN ASIA WILL HAVE ASIAN CHARACTERSTICS. Brand purpose in Asia can never exist in a vacuum. Among those who bought a purpose brand within the three months prior to the survey, 6 out of 10 also bought it for its functional characteristics. To be relevant to the region’s consumers, a brand purpose narrative will always need to be rooted in what the product or service is supposed to functionally deliver. It also needs to be supplemented by rational/functional content along the customer journey.

With its latest study, BBDO Asia hopes to help marketers, brands and companies build effective purpose-driven brand narratives beyond their own gain when wanting to connect with consumers in this region.   

Creative media and MarTech agency Art-E Media Tech has announced its newest collaboration with VIP Industries. In this partnership, the agency will take charge of the design, development, and management of websites and D2C platforms for various brands under the VIP Industries umbrella. Established in 1968, VIP Industries is a leading manufacturers and retailers of luggage, backpacks, and handbags. It supplies to over 45 countries.

"This milestone collaboration is set to redefine the way VIP Industries connects with its customers. By harnessing Art-E's expertise in Martech, Creative Technology, UI/UX and eCommerce solutions, VIP Industries aims to elevate its online presence and provide a seamless, immersive shopping experience for its global customer base," said the company in its press release.

Praful Gupta, Head of Marketing at VIP Industries, said ‘We chose Art-E for their ability to not just develop but also bring upon various facets of martech to the fore. Our new websites seek to capture what each individual is seeking, so as to tailor make them to suit every need with speed. Our digital-first approach is well aligned with our customer-first attitude.

Suyash Dongre, Head of Digital Marketing at VIP Industries, added “We are looking forward to benefiting from Art-E’s capabilities to understand user journeys of our customers that lead to a result-driven digital experience.

Preetesh Chouhan, Art-E’s Chief Digital Officer, was expectedly elated. “VIP Industries is a VIP win for us. It strengthens our claim of being one of India’s finest martech companies; a claim built on our multi-stack capabilities over the last few years. Really excited for the opportunity to build some world-class platforms for a world class client.

Zooming in on Gen Zoomers

Shrenik Gandhi discussed why marketers should shift their focus on GenZ which is already moving the needle on social media and emerging trends and will soon dictate consumption patterns.

Shrenik Gandhi, Co-Founder & CEO of White Rivers Media threw light on GenZ which is on its way to making up 75% of the mass consumption audience in India. He shared an anecdote from the time he realised the stark difference between Gen-Z and the marketers who are planning to target them – when he was buying a piece of clothing at an event and asked for it in his size, the Gen-Z folks who were around him gave him a ‘look’. That was when he realised that this age group does not look for a 'size,' instead when they like something they buy it. This pushed him to think about the disconnect and distance between marketing communications and the target audience. "Gen-Z does not like to buy clothing with a size in mind as size doesn't define their style", he added.

He cited an example of what youngsters call ‘Finsta,’ which allows users to create a fake Instagram account to stalk other users, saying that these are some of the new and interesting things about this age group.

He also stated that traditional marketers would never think of these elements and encouraged the new lot of IMPACT Top 30 Under 30 to start nudging CMOs to think Gen-Z-first and take proactive initiatives to catch them young before they make up for 75% of mass consumption of audience by 2030.

…

Advertising For Good

Mahesh Ambaliya enlightened the new batch of Top 30 Under 30 by sharing how responsibility is closely intertwined with the work

During his address at the event, Mahesh Ambaliya, Creative Director, VMLY&R stated "Advertising for good does not mean ideas that win big at Cannes". He further shared that solving real-life problems is a part of advertising for good.

Quoting a thought shared by Piyush Pandey, he said: "You cannot solve problems of India sitting in your air-conditioned room." Ambaliya then emphasized the practice of going to places and experiencing the concerns and problems of the people.

He spoke about the time he visited Myanmar and held a 3-month-old orphan who did not have any family or agency to take care of her. He stated that when you experience something like this, "The world shifts for you."

He concluded his thoughts by stating that the title of IMPACT Top 30 Under 30 makes the winners one of the top people in this industry in India. He urged the winners to make their company responsible for one initiative at least.

He stated, "Younger generations are focused on brands that focus on good, you have a responsibility now".

…

Being a Young Entrepreneur in the Ad World

Chandni Shah shared the story of her journey through advertising and described being a young entrepreneur in the ad world

According to Chandni Shah, Founder & COO, FCB Kinnect, her journey in advertising started when she was 3 years old. She was a child actor in several of the ad films from that time and was mesmerized by the industry so much that she stepped into it, and ended up founding her own agency at the age of 22. As a young entrepreneur, she went through several ups and downs on the roller coaster ride of running her agency. She spoke of a time when things were up and running, and her entire content team quit on her.

But that didn't stop her from growing the agency further and she added, "Building a team has been the most gratifying part of my journey". Shah also shared that finding the right mentor is as important as building the right team.

She further emphasized having a strong vision as an entrepreneur in the ad world, "We had a strong vision even when we were a loss-making company, and by 2018 we thought we achieved all of it.... But then we landed at Cannes and realized that we're just getting started".

"Lastly, the most important thing is having grit, how you show up every day with energy and march towards success..." she said.

Bear-Hug The Cynic

PG Aditya deep-dives into the changing power equation in the business and shares the importance of networking and more

PG Aditya, Co-Founder, Talented urged all ad industry professionals to be better at networking. He stressed the fact that it is an integral part of the job, and added, "Pretend you're an extrovert... who loves networking, but do it".

Acknowledging the inhibitions that an aspiring professional might have; he shared an anecdote to encourage professionals to break the ice. He mentioned that once upon a time, he didn't know the do's and don'ts of networking, so he jumped the gun with one of the ad veterans present and shared a concern he was deeply moved by but later realized it was not the time or place for that.

But Aditya stated, "The industry doesn't judge you for networking mistakes, young people do, because veterans know how to take it easy and look past these mistakes".

He shares a tiny regret from 2016, the year when he was included in the IMPACT Top 30 Under 30 list. It was that he didn't initiate enough conversations to make connections. "Your batch essentially becomes your syllabus... and this industry thrives on frepocism... that is nepotism with friends. You end up doing a lot of work and business with your friends,” he said.

A picture of cricket great Kapil Dev has been doing rounds on the internet, showing a bound and gagged Dev being led away. Many on the internet, including Gautam Gambir, raised concerns about Dev's safety after the out-of-context picture was widely circulated on Twitter and other platforms. 

Anyone else received this clip, too? Hope it’s not actually @therealkapildev ?and that Kapil Paaji is fine! pic.twitter.com/KsIV33Dbmp

— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) September 25, 2023

The mystery has been solved after integrated creative agency MANJA took "responsibility" for the so called abduction. 

To take Disney + Hotstar to the mobile screens in small town India, the agency developed a campaign to announce the free streaming of the ICC mens Cricket World Cup 2023.

With the villagers taking Kapil hostage, this Western style drama plays out to bring to light the free streaming option on Disney + Hotstar, with a data saver mode as well to make sure that that viewers get the best quality whilst consuming less data.

Campaign is live on TV and Digital in the build up to the upcoming World Cup.