The new empowered digital consumer is like friends with benefits: Preeti Reddy, Kantar
An interview with Richard Ingleton, COO, Kantar and Preeti Reddy, CEO, Kantar Insights, South Asia, on the changing dynamics of market research firms
In an interview with exchange4media, Richard Ingleton, COO, Kantar and Preeti Reddy, CEO, Kantar Insights, South Asia, talk about the sheer diversity of Indian consumers posing as a challenge to market research businesses and the global importance that India commands when it comes to the business. Excerpts:
How popular has the use of big data become in the Indian context and which industries are driving that trend?
Preeti Reddy: Big Data is today’s absolute buzzword. Most of our clients are using it in one way or the other. Largely what they have been doing is using their own data which includes transactional data, sales data etc. Lately clients have started talking to us about using primary data and other multiple sources of data with own data, which is something the big data is all about. What we are finding is that the usage of big data for strategy and for bringing better options for consumers is higher among the service businesses like telecom, finance and retail. Our FMCG clients have been a little slower in coming to it. Moreover, India is a very large backend market and provides backend services like advanced analytics on big data to markets like the US and the UK. So, the use of big data is common among the non FMCG clients, the FMCG clients are just getting there.
Richard Ingleton: What you see happening, almost everywhere, is clients struggling with the volume of data. The concept of big data is nice but applying that data to specific business problems is still something which we have not yet codified. In marketing, I think people are still struggling to bring multiple data sources to predict brand strategy, they are still struggling to find out which part of the consumer journey they can best influence. In many cases they are struggling to use it to calculate price points. Some businesses, which are big data businesses, are generally good at it from a functional marketing perspective. However, it’s still hard to see codified, consistent solutions anywhere in the world.
Does the sheer diversity of Indian consumers pose as a challenge to market research businesses? Also, what are some critical areas in which market research firms have evolved over the years?
Richard Ingleton: We are increasingly trying to move towards helping the marketers to make decisions in the moment. The ability to understand a consumer’s context and to send a message which is relevant to a particular moment is the trick that many marketers are pursuing. When you look at India, given the diversity of this place, having one marketing method alone isn’t going to work and it often is challenging to understand consumers with such limited approach.
As we know, market research firms are chiefly concerned about what people buy and why they buy. Historically, the only way to do market research has been through surveys and there are many different ways to do that. Now, I can know not just why people buy what they buy, particularly the why factor, simply because there are a lot of things I can do now, like mapping consumption patterns, using smart technology and many other things. The way the market research is conducted is evolving fast and we have dedicated teams to figure out how we can keep moving forward. What I have observed is that in less mature markets or the non-western markets, people don’t want to spend too much time on strategising. They want to know what to sell, where and at what price now and are not spending time on strategy like the western markets would, but with time that may change soon. Moreover, when the world is changing so fast and it is almost too complicated to understand sometimes. Earlier, the path to purchase was relatively simpler, but now the situation is entirely different. So, for marketers, the consumer behaviour complexity has become bigger than ever before and so we have to move faster to understand the insights that we offer to clients.
Preeti Reddy: What Richard said applies to India, especially when it comes to need for speed and need for greater experimentation. This has shrunk the strategy time for clients. A client today is saying that I would prefer 80% accuracy faster than to have 100% accuracy slower. So, those are the kind of trade-offs that we are making in the interest of speed for clients. It is also important to use the data that we already have than to generate new data every time. So, the ability and skill to look at multiple data points and connect them is the other change that we are witnessing in the case of what we offer to our clients.
How enduring are the insights that you offer and what kind of lifecycle do such insights have?
Richard Ingleton: If you look at the market research data closely, it is the context which changes and that gives rise to new data possibilities. So, understanding how I can go after those universal desires in a context makes sense for my consumers and those are the insights that we share with our clients.
Preeti Reddy: Even clients now can predict how long certain equilibrium is going to last and they have competition coming from all sides. So, while there are some enduring principles or fundamentals, however, there is also need that the tactic of that strategy is much faster and for that to happen we have to create a lot of agility.
Has digital complicated the data gathering game?
Richard Ingleton: It has got more complicated for sure. When you add a new variable to any equation it gets more complicated. We have added e-commerce and social media to the things that we need to understand the consumer, so it has got more complicated. At the same time, it doesn’t mean that we can’t solve it. Many information industries are evolving at the moment in the way that they have become more complex and the fact is that we have got to deal with it.
Preeti Reddy: I keep saying that this new empowered digital consumer is like friends with benefits. At one level they are far more empowered, while on the other hand they are giving you information voluntarily and we have to develop the ability to make sense of all the information that they are giving us. Earlier, we had to give incentives to people for their opinion and here are these digitally empowered people who are voluntarily doing so. Now, we are working towards harnessing and leveraging that information in a holistic way.
How would you explain the future trends in market research?
Richard Ingleton: The fact that we are in the business of understanding consumers will never change. For me there are two things that will change, one is about not just bringing together these disparate data sources in a coherent way, but also being able to analyse them. The second one is to what extent can we automate everything--from data collection to insights delivery. As the machines get more intelligent, you can expect to do more in the automated way. So, these are the two big changes that I foresee for my industry.
Preeti Reddy: The other trend that we will see in the coming time will be related to the kind of people that we will need in the research industry. Some of the old divides of the research business like quantitative, qualitative and analysis, all of that may actually disappear. When you will have data so freely available and data becomes a commodity, the value that we add to a client has to be the meaning that you extract from that data and the ability to do that will become extremely important.
What are Kantar’s plans for India?
Richard Ingleton: India is one of our nine focus countries and there are many reasons why it is so. One is the quality of people that we can develop in India. The second is the economic opportunity. But most importantly, it is the social opportunity by improving the life of the people through the public work that we do, like the sanitation schemes or the schemes related to infant mortality. We are also witnessing the emergence of local giants in the developing markets which is a good development and India is witnessing it along with markets like China, Indonesia and Mexico.
Preeti Reddy: Talking about India, you can expect greater use of technology in the way that we work. As Kantar in India, we are the largest when it comes to the research business with all the big brands that we have here. Some of the changes that we need to bring to the industry, Kantar in India will drive it, because we have the scale the will and the wherewithal to do that.
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Crossbeats gets Suryakumar Yadav as brand ambassador for its smartwatch category
The collaboration is part of the brand's endeavours to penetrate new markets
By e4m Staff | Sep 21, 2023 2:30 PM | 2 min read
Consumer tech brand Crossbeats has roped in ace cricketer Suryakumar Yadav as the brand ambassador for its smartwatch category. This is the first time Crossbeats has signed a brand ambassador since its inception.
Suryakumar Yadav (SKY) will be the face of the brand’s existing and upcoming range of smartwatches. The collaboration promises to be a game changer for Crossbeats as it will open doors for the brand to penetrate the new market.
Archit Agarwal, Co-Founder of Crossbeats said, “We are thrilled to collaborate with SKY and extend a warm welcome to him into the Crossbeats family. His consistency as a match-winner reflects Crossbeats' energetic and dependable persona”.
On this association with Crossbeats- Suryakumar Yadav, who is exclusively managed by RISE Worldwide, said, “I have always believed in innovation, style and walking the extra mile for excellence. I am excited to partner with Crossbeats for their smartwatches category, which also pushes boundaries to strive for performance, design, aesthetics and technology.”
Crossbeats has always been the industry leader, however, this collaboration promises to be a game changer as it will open doors to penetrate the new market. With this new development, the brand is looking at redefining the smartwatch experience for the new generation and rigorously pushing its smartwatch segment in India. It is set to tap into new audiences and take the world of smartwatches by storm.
Stay tuned for what promises to be a game-changing inning in the world of smartwatches.
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Tennis player Sumit Nagal ties up with Gatorade
'This association comes to me at a pivotal time,' said Nagpal
By e4m Staff | Sep 21, 2023 2:02 PM | 2 min read
After coming across Tennis player Sumit Nagal’s heartfelt confession, Gatorade® came forward to support Sumit by welcoming him to the Gatorade® family with a 3-year association.
"With a vast history of supporting athletes across the world, Gatorade® has believed in enabling athletes to achieve peak performance. This move by Gatorade® underscores its commitment towards helping athletes. In addition, Sumit will be assisted on his recovery and nutrition needs under the guidance of a team of experts at the Gatorade® Sports Science Institute (GSSI). Gatorade® Sports Science Institute help athletes optimize their health and performance through research, innovation and education on hydration and nutrition science which is key element for sportspeople," said the brand.
Ankit Agarwal, Associate Director, Energy & Hydration, PepsiCo India adds on the association, “Gatorade has always believed in supporting sportspeople to achieve peak performance. Sumit is a role model for the new-gen athletes of India with his career being a true example of hard work and sweat that makes talent shine. As a brand that is dedicated to supporting athletes in removing barriers to sporting success, we are delighted to welcome Sumit to the Gatorade squad. We wish him the best as he represents the nation, and we hope to empower the next generation of athletes with this association as they continue to pursue their dreams.”
Tennis Player, Sumit Nagal said, “I am deeply moved and grateful to join hands with Gatorade. This association comes to me at a pivotal time, and I am thankful my hard work and passion is getting recognized and appreciated. With Gatorade by my side, I am sure I will reach new heights and give it my all both on and off the court.”
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KRAFTON India teams up with Hardik Pandya
This collaboration will soon bring exclusive in-game items inspired by Hardik Pandya's style and personality
By e4m Staff | Sep 21, 2023 1:48 PM | 1 min read
BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA (BGMI)has announced a new collaboration with cricketer Hardik Pandya.
This collaboration will soon bring exclusive in-game items inspired by Hardik Pandya's style and personality, such as outfits, helmets, skins, voice packs and cricket-themed emotes. BGMI players will be able to enjoy these items and express themselves in the game with Hardik Pandya's flair and charisma.
Sean Hyunil Sohn - CEO, KRAFTON India, expressed his enthusiasm on the collaboration, stating, "We are delighted to launch this collaboration with Hardik Pandya. Embodying the spirit of grit, skill and survival, he is a dynamic force in the world of cricket, and his passion is something that BGMI players can relate to. This collaboration is a celebration of this shared spirit, and we're excited to bring a fusion of cricket and gaming to our players. We look forward to working with him and creating memorable moments for our players."
Hardik Pandya, who is exclusively managed by RISE Worldwide, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, saying, "I have always enjoyed seeing the passion and fire of BGMI players, which has made it one of the most unique and popular games in the country. I am excited to be part of the BGMI family and can’t wait to see the players sport their cricket-themed avatars, emotes, and gear.”
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Our marketing budget is up by 15% this year: Shashank Srivastava, Maruti Suzuki
Srivastava, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki, talks marketing strategies and budgets on the 6th anniversary of the company's retail channel ARENA
By Aditi Gupta | Sep 21, 2023 1:41 PM | 3 min read
Maruti Suzuki has rolled out a campaign ‘Find Your Match’ for its young buyers on the sixth anniversary of its retail channel ARENA.
exchange4media caught up with Shashank Srivastava, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki, who shared the idea behind the campaign and how this time the marketing budget is close to around Rs 1,000 crore, 15% up from last year.
Tell us about the campaign ‘Find Your Match’. How was it conceived?
We have launched this campaign on the occasion of the 6th anniversary of ARENA channel which is the number one channel in the automotive space. We have reached over 7 million people in six years and add 1 million every year. The rate is one lakh a month. India has a growing economy and a lot of young buyers come into the buying space every year. ARENA is normally the place where younger people buy their first cars. So we thought we’ll have a campaign not just for the product but the entire channel with ‘Find Your Match’.
It is based on the research on what the buyers are really looking for when buying a car. It is not just about buying functionality that is transportation but also their lifestyle and aspirations. Cars enable them to socialise and it is also a status symbol in Indian context. Consumers have a relationship with their first car and we wanted to give them the good experience of buying the car through ARENA. It meets different requirements.”
What will be the marketing strategy for the campaign and the media mix?
We have realised that it has to be vernacular. Young buyers are consuming a lot of vernacular content. On TV and OTT, it is GEC that we are focusing on. For digital, we are spending almost 30 % of our overall spends. For ARENA anniversary we have especially used influencers.
What are the plans for the festive season? Will the marketing be any different from last time?
We are looking at vernacular in a big way. We’ll have 12 festive films in vernacular which we will run on GECs, OTT space and digital too. We ran one film in Malayalam during Onam. We have a whole calendar line-up with Navratra, Durga Puja, Dussehra, Diwali, Christmas, Lohri etc. We have 12 such films which we will run in the next few months largely in the TV/OTT space and digital as well.
What will be the marketing budget this time ?
We have the World Cup also this time so we will be rolling our campaigns there too. The budget has increased by 15 % over the last year. The annual budget for the marketing campaigns this year is close to about Rs 1000 crore.
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Kareena Kapoor Khan turns 43: Brand Bebo goes big this year
From Tira to Tata Play, a look at all the brands endorsed by the actor
By Sohini Ganguly | Sep 21, 2023 1:04 PM | 3 min read
With the release of the crime thriller ‘Jaane Jaan’, Kareena Kapoor Khan has created quite a stir in the showbiz. The Sujoy Ghosh-directed Netflix Original went live today, on her 43rd birthday.
From the fearless Geet in ‘Jab We Met’ to the regal Poo in ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’, Khan has etched her presence in Bollywood ever since she set foot in the glam industry. As one of the highest-paid actresses, Khan has a net worth of around Rs 485 crores today. She ranked 7th on the Indian Institute of Human Brand's survey on Power Couples (2022) along with her husband Saif Ali Khan. Khan has 10.9 million followers on Instagram as of this day.
But her cinematic journey is not the only facet that defines her. Most of her net worth is defined by the brands she endorses and is associated with.
For instance, her most recent association with Reliance-owned Tira Beauty made headlines. The brand roped in Kareena, Kiara Advani and Suhana Khan as the faces of its campaign. The campaign celebrates the role of beauty and how people use it to express themselves, including this star trio.
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MyTrident, the flagship home furnishing brand of Trident Group, also roped Khan in this year, as their brand ambassador during the launch of its Fall-Winter’23 collections.
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MyTrident, the flagship home furnishing brand of Trident Group, also roped Khan in this year, as their brand ambassador during the launch of its Fall-Winter’23 collections.
Warner Bros. Discovery in India launched a TVC this year, featuring Khan to promote its new network channels bundle including Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, TLC, Discovery Kids, Cartoon Network, Pogo, Eurosport, Discovery Turbo, CNN, Dtamil, Discovery Science, and Investigation Discovery.
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One of her longest-standing associations has been with sports apparel brand Puma, which has continued since 2020. Every time one decides to scroll through Bebo’s Instagram handle, a Puma collaboration is most likely to appear among the top posts!
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She has also time and again been seen on Tata Play Binge ads, alongside her husband. The ads generally take a quirky and humorous tone, that further leads to a massive engagement on social handles.
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Apart from mainstream endorsements, Khan has also collaborated with names like UNICEF, to spread awareness about the importance of education to children and the impact on their future. Her collaboration with GSK too, looked at ensuring kids are vaccinated against flu.
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Among other brands in Khan’s list of brand associations are Berger Paints, Fizzy Goblet, Drools India, TOPS, Netmeds and Springfit Mattresses.
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e4m Pitch Top 50 Brands 2023: Celebrating trailblazing brands in ‘Digital-First’ category
This category includes technology-driven brands that drive growth and business through digital capabilities
By e4m Staff | Sep 21, 2023 11:45 AM | 2 min read
The upcoming edition of e4m Pitch 50 Brands will be held on October 18 in Gurugram in the presence of top industry leaders and experts. The one-of-its-kind event is set to be a gala affair, bringing together the brightest minds and trailblazing brands from the advertising and marketing ecosystem.
From breakthrough technologies to groundbreaking strategies, the award night will honour top five brands across ten categories for their exemplary work. The 10 categories include - Bottom of the Pyramid, Challengers, Digital First, Evergreens, Impactful Debuts, Luxe, Newsmakers, Regionals, Resurgents and Social Contributors.
In this article, we will explore more about the ‘Digital First’ category that includes technology-driven brands, a technology product or a technology-enabled product. The brands under this category must have technology at the heart of the product or brand and must have a clearly-defined revenue stream. Digital-first brands are those that leverage technology and the digital landscape to create seamless, personalized experiences for their customers through innovation and data-driven insights.
In the fast-paced and evolving scenario that we live in today, the digital-first brands are characterized by their agility as they are quick to adapt to emerging technologies to enhance customer experiences. The ‘Digital First’ brands have the potential to leverage the power of data analytics and streamline their strategies and connect with their audience.
This year, the Advisory Board will be chaired by D Shivakumar, Operating Partner, Advent International, and Former Chairperson & Chief Executive Officer, PepsiCo India. The other members include Anuja Mishra, CMO, Honasa (Mamaearth, BBlunt, The DermaCo, Aqualogica), Amal Kelshikar, Executive Director, Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd; Ajay Gupte, Chief Executive Officer-South Asia, Wavemaker; Dheeraj Sinha, Managing Director, Leo Burnett; Poonam Kaul, Former CMO of Apple India; Rohit Ohri, Chairman & CEO, FCB Ulka India; Rahul Talwar, Chief Marketing Officer, Max Life Insurance; Sunil Suresh, CMO, Global Head of Marketing, Corp Comm, Loyalty & Business Head eCom, Air India; Sanjeev Jasani, COO, Cheil India and Vikram Sakhuja, Group CEO, Madison Media & OOH.
In 2022, a total of four brands won under the ‘Digital First category. Lenskart, Nykaa, Pharmeasy and PhonePe took home the honours under this category for effectively embracing digital technologies and channels to engage with customers and drive business.
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Hyundai Motor India posts 38% jump in ad spends in FY23
PAT saw an uptick of 63%
By Sohini Ganguly | Sep 21, 2023 8:44 AM | 2 min read
Hyundai Motor India posted a 37.6% jump in ad spends, in FY’23 as compared to FY’22. The company spent around Rs 491 crores in FY’22, and increased it to Rs 677 crores in FY’23. The auto major also saw around 27% increase in its revenue from operations, as it went from Rs 47,042 crores to Rs 59,761 crores.
The standalone profit before tax and profit after tax for FY’23 was around Rs 6,268 crores and Rs. 4,653 crores respectively as compared to Rs 3,722 crores and Rs 2,861 crores respectively for the FY 21-22, recording an increase of 68.4% in PBT and 62.6% in PAT respectively.
In fiscal year 2022-23, India's electric car sales surpassed one million units. According to the data from the Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV), the whole EV industry sold 11.7 lakh units in FY’23, as against 4.58 lakh units in the previous financial year, a significant 154% year-over-year increase with two-wheelers accounting for 62% of the sales and 4 wheelers only 4%.
Hyundai in its financial report shared the company is also accelerating its electrification strategy to become a market leader in the EV system.
The total production of the company for FY’23 was 7.27 lakh units as against 6.06 lakh units in the previous year, an increase of 20%. It also registered its highest ever sales in FY’23. All the Marquee Hyundai models like Creta, Venue, Alcazar, Tucson, Aura and Grand i10 Nios registered their highest ever annual numbers in FY’23.
The domestic sales during the year was 5.67 lakh units as against 4.81 lakh units in the previous year, registering a growth of 17.9%. On the export front, Hyundai’s sales increased from 1.29 lakh units to 1.53 lakh units, a growth of 18.4% contributed mainly by African and Latin American markets.
The company is also in the process of increasing the production capacity to 8,50,000 units p.a. to meet the market demand by further automating certain processes. It mentioned in its report that it will introduce advanced technologies like AI and digitalisation to enable the transformation of the entire factory to a Smart Factory.
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