TG and channel-specific mass marketing begins to take shape

With Dulux Paints, Hyundai Eon and Tata Sky coming out with different ads for specific channels, are we entering an era which breaks loose from the one-size-fits-all TVC format? BestMediaInfo takes a look

Surbhi Chawla, New Delhi, December 20, 2011

It seems that the days of the conventional, one-size-fits-all mass marketing are numbered. Some brands have started realisng that a single communication across all television channels may not be sufficient to drill home the message. And it's perhaps this knowledge that has prompted brands like Tata Sky, Dulux Paints and Hyundai (for Eon) to come up with different television ads for separate channels. Additionally, companies like Dulux Paints and Hyundai have also roped in on-screen couples from the particular channel where the ad will be aired to convey their message to their separate target groups.

Prasoon Joshi, Executive Chairman, McCann World Group India, Regional Creative Director – Asia Pacific, McCann Erickson (who has conceptualised the Dulux Paints ad), said, “In today's world one has to make the target group experience your ideas. One has to customise the idea for different audiences, different mediums and even different channels. This is today's reality and one cannot run away from it.”

The goal of advertising has always been to appeal to large masses and suit their need, but to do that in an effective manner one will have no option but to look for newer avenues that are not just innovative to be able to cut through the clutter but also customised in such a fashion that they are relevant as well as engaging.

It is perhaps this thought process that has gone into the evolution of the new proposition of Dulux Paints – 'Apne Rang Chhalakne Do'. Though the thought per se has a universal appeal, it is centered round the concept that each individual has a unique identity, which is reflected through the person's choice of colour. To highlight this theme, the company has explored a new format that redefines traditional advertising. Apart from the regular TVCs that featured Shahid Kapoor and Boman Irani, there are three more TVCs for which it has tied up with three popular television serials from Star Plus and Sony to create small vignettes that are an extension of their campaign.

As part of the media innovation, Dulux Paints has shot the lead pair from 'Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai' and 'Iss Pyar Ko Kya Naam Doon' on Star Plus and 'Saas Bina Sasural' on Sony in the settings shown in their respective serials and created vignettes that bring alive the relationship between personality and colour. This enables consumers to connect with the characters at a much deeper level. The vignettes helped bring to life the ethos of the brand message by highlighting the relationship between different characters and how each character has a different shade to him/her. Each integration showcases the relationship between the main two protagonists and explains it in terms of a Dulux shade.

Said Mrinal Mathur, Marketing Manager, Interior Paints, AkzoNobel India (which owns the Dulux Paints brand), “Since daily soaps are huge in India and the consumer follows their journey closely, the protagonists of the daily shows hugely appealed to us in taking the idea forward. We felt the simplicity of the media vignettes starring popular television stars makes this a powerful communication.”

Even Hyundai charted a similar path for the launch of its new small car, Hyundia Eon. The brand has a very challenging volume objective of about 140,000 cars on an annual basis. Hence, it was important to have a strong advertising support for its launch.

The company had unleashed a 360-degree teaser campaign across TV channels for the launch and soon followed up with a roadblock on Sony Network. This plan was executed in conjunction with its creative agency Innocean Worldwide, media agency MPG India and Sony Network. Shedding more light on the strategy, B Sridhar, Group Director – Media & Digital Services at Innocean Worldwide, said, “We had a powerful TVC that showcased the brand features well. While we had a very high intensity presence across channels of various genres, we felt the need for a never-done-before media initiative. Since we have always had a great relationship with Sony Network for many years and they being the leading network in terms of viewership, Sony was an obvious choice to make this happen.”

At a brainstorming session, all the parties arrived at the idea of considering characters of their top shows and integrating them with our TVC. This novel idea was about audiences getting to see the brand in a new perspective, even while retaining the core proposition of the brand and exemplifying the brand's features.

According to Anita Nayyar, CEO, MPG South Asia, “These creatives, a mix of 10- and 60-second edits, showed these characters experiencing and showcasing the various attributes of the car. This ensured that there was an instant brand connect with the viewers and also ensured that we achieved instantaneous reach on the first day itself.”

Tata Sky, on the other hand, has a slightly different version of its video-on-demand ad running across Star Plus and Sony but it has not resorted to roping in screen couples for its communication.

All these brands have had a good response to their campaigns so far. But the big question is will this be another passing trend or are on-screen couples of specific channels here to stay? “There is no set pattern or 'one idea fits all' solution as far as brands are concerned. Although the trend of using on screen couples is increasingly becoming popular, any kind of media innovation has to perfectly echo the communication objective of the brand. If there is a force fit, the idea will fall flat,” explained Mathur of AkzoNobel. The company also hinted that more such channel specific communication which may feature on-screen couples may follow soon. On the other hand, Hyundai indicated that it will look at newer innovations rather than replicating the Eon success.

Joshi, on the other hand, felt that “customisation of message in every form is here to say and brands will resort to more engaging and customised ideas in future to get their message across”.

With the acute level of media fragmentation, a new door to consumer engagement appears to have been opened.

Surbhi@BestMediaInfo.com

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