Ultimate goal of storytelling is to be relevant, not just efficient: Ajay Dang, Ultratech

Ajay Dang, President and Head of Marketing at Ultratech Cement, spoke about leveraging digitech with storytelling to create an impact on consumer minds at the Programmatic Advertising Conference 3.0

by e4m Staff
Published: Sep 20, 2024 8:42 AM | 5 min read

At the Programmatic Advertising Conference 3.0 organized by exchange4media (e4m), Ajay Dang, President and Head of Marketing at Ultratech Cement, shared valuable insights in a session titled “Blending DigiTech with Storytelling to Create a Forever Bond.”

Ajay Dang began by addressing the common misconception about Ultratech Cement’s market position. He asked, “How many of you think we are a B2B company or a B2C company? How large do you think our B2C part is?” While many assume Ultratech is predominantly B2B, the reality is that 70% of the business is B2C."

Ajay highlighted Ultratech’s scale, noting that last year the company touched ₹70,000 crore ($8.5 billion) in top line and ₹12,000 crore ($1.6 billion) in bottom line. He also noted that over the past 6–7 years, Ultratech has grown at 16–16.5%, with 65% of its volume coming from rural areas. This growth rate, nearly two to three times the GDP growth and twice that of the FMCG sector, sets Ultratech apart.

“Storytelling first, then learning the rules of DigiTech," he said, underscoring the importance of storytelling, stating that some of the most influential leaders, like Steve Jobs, recognized the power of stories. “The oldest and most durable technology in the world is storytelling,” Ajay remarked.

He pointed out that while digital technology, targeting, and narrowcasting are often overhyped, they have under-delivered in some ways. The key challenge, Ajay suggested, lies in understanding the audience and their problems. “Our job as marketers is not just to deliver a message from point A to point B like a postman. It’s to ensure that what is registered in the consumer’s mind is our job,” he explained.

Ajay also emphasized that storytelling is about persuasion, not just delivering facts. “Facts are the least persuasive. Our job is to create memory structures, something that consumers will recall when they need it,” he said. The ultimate goal of storytelling is to be relevant and effective, not just efficient. As Bill Bernbach famously said, “If no one notices your advertising, everything else is academic.”

Ajay’s focus remained on the human element of marketing. “We are not talking to machines, but to human beings,” he reminded the audience. He discussed the limited attention spans, belief systems, and personal contexts that affect how people receive and process information. “Context is everything. If you can’t define the context, you can’t define the storytelling.”

He also touched upon the limitations of digital technologies. While they have added a lot of value in terms of physical availability through digital reach, Dang stressed the need to understand both the strengths and weaknesses of digital tools. Referring to a study by the Association of National Advertisers, he revealed that out of every dollar spent on programmatic advertising, only 36% reaches the consumer. “If your water supply had that kind of leakage, you would fire the plumber,” Dang remarked, drawing attention to the inefficiencies in digital ad delivery.

Dang highlighted listening as the most critical aspect of storytelling. “If you don’t have something interesting or insightful to say, no matter how good your storytelling is, it will be wasted.” He pointed out that marketers often love their brands so much that they forget the consumer doesn’t care as much. “The consumer has their own problems, and our brand is the least of them. If we don’t find a way to be relevant in their lives, our storytelling is irrelevant.”

He shared an example from Ultratech’s own experience. While most competitors were focused on showcasing the strength of their cement, Ultratech listened to its consumers, realizing that home building was not just about financial security but a matter of identity and competence. “A 35-year-old building a home isn’t just securing his family’s future. He’s proving his competence to the world. This is an irreversible process, and the cost of going wrong is enormous,” Dang explained. By focusing on this emotional insight, Ultratech was able to connect with consumers on a deeper level. Their digital campaign, which addressed the irreversible nature of home-building decisions, touched 450 million people over the past two years, resulting in significant brand equity growth.

Dang cautioned against overcomplicating marketing communications. “Consumers understand simple things. Our job is to be consistent and clear about the one thing we want to stand for in their minds.” He stressed the importance of building distinctive brand assets and sticking to them. “In a world full of distractions, simplicity and consistency are our greatest assets.”

In closing, Ajay reminded the audience that technology is just a tool—“a superpower we don’t fully understand yet.” The key is to remain focused on storytelling and persuasion, leveraging technology without losing sight of the human element.