Biggest mistake brands make is succumbing to herd mentality: Ishwindar Singh of Pernod Ricard

With over 24 years of experience in the alcobev industry, Ishwindar Singh, General Manager of Marketing at Pernod Ricard India, revealed to BestMediaInfo.com that while consumer insights, creativity, and consistency have long been the cornerstones of his marketing career, he now emphasised the importance of conviviality and collaborations as new additions to the marketing playbook.

In literal terms, conviviality means ‘sociability and friendliness’. Having said that, Singh explained the thought behind the growing usage of it in marketing and said, “There is a growing trend of micro spaces and smaller events. We are seeing a rise in post work events. People are increasingly meeting each other post office hours. Social consumption has gone up. People don’t have to be in the same city to stay in touch.”

Elaborating on the significance of collaboration, Singh remarked, "There's a saying that suggests you are the sum of the five people you surround yourself with. By surrounding yourself with exceptional talent—individuals who challenge and inspire you with new thoughts and ideas—a company can thrive. The success of our brand is greatly attributed to the exceptional talent within our organisation. Empowering a small group of individuals with the right skills and mindset can lead them to challenge the status quo and achieve success in ways previously unimagined."

Banking on the insights of collaboration and conviviality along with music as the consumer passion point, Royal Stag Packaged Drinking Water returned with the season 2 of its music property–Royal Stag BoomBox. It’s a musical festival where the best-loved melodies of Bollywood meet the pulsating beats of hip-hop.

BoomBox has two formats:

• The On-ground format: This format will travel to four cities – Bhubaneswar, Indore, Jaipur and Pune, offering musical performances with interactive Phygital activations like insta-live sessions, art showcases, AR/VR installations, AI-based engagement, selfie-booths and more. Last year, the festival witnessed a footfall of over 50K across multiple cities generating 180 Mn+ digital views & 13 Mn+ social interactions.
• The In-studio format: It’s a musical concept featuring three original Melody x Hip Hop music tracks that will be released as singles and videos across platforms. The 4 original songs from season 1, Pehle Jaisi Baat Nahi Ft. Dino James X Jasleen Royal, Hoodie Ft. Bali X Nikhita Gandhi, Mohabbat Ft. Amit Trivedi X SlowCheeta and Imtihaan Ft. EPR X Neeti Mohan garnered close to 70 Mn+ views across multiple OTT & audio platforms.

This year, the experiential music festival is bringing back headliners Badshah and Armaan Malik. Joining them are popular artists Neeti Mohan, Nikhita Gandhi (Melody), Dino James, DeeMC, and Ikka (Hip-Hop) and DJ Ali Merchant.

Sharing the reason for the brand to launch BoomBox, Singh said, “India has four passion points –music, food, cricket and Bollywood. With music as a passion point, we aim to engage with the youth and become a cultural icon.”

Central to the ethos of Royal Stag BoomBox is the unique amalgamation of melodies and hip-hop, a blend that transcends traditional boundaries to create an immersive musical experience. Singh elaborates, "What sets BoomBox apart is our commitment to deep-rooted cultural engagement. We've crafted a distinct sound, a unique festival ambiance that merges the soulful allure of melodies with the raw energy of hip-hop."

Singh emphasised the brand's dedication to reaching beyond metropolitan boundaries, bringing star-studded experiences to smaller towns, offering youth a chance to interact closely with their idols.

Reflecting on BoomBox's impact, Singh highlights the brand's commitment to ‘live it large’, its brand proposition. "Our events aren't just about entertainment; they embody a lifestyle. For us, 'living at large' means embracing experiences that elevate the spirit, transcending the ordinary," he explained.

Talking about the objective behind the music IP, Singh said, “Through this IP, we want to build the consideration around the brand and talk about our brand proposition which is ‘Live it large’.”

For years, brands have harnessed the influence of music through jingles, anthems, albums, and more. However, Singh highlights a common mistake brands make in this approach: collaborating with music genres that don't align with the brand's ethos. Elaborating on this, he stated, “The biggest mistake brands make is succumbing to herd mentality. They often opt for mass appeal without considering the connection between the music genre and brand identity. For instance, I've seen high-energy brands teaming up with Ghazal singers simply because it's trendy.”

He further emphasised that when hosting live music events, brands should strive for uniqueness. "Without it, consumers may remember the event but forget the brand,” he said.

Continuing the discussion, Singh highlighted the brand's engagement with another significant passion point of consumers: cricket. Although the brand won't be participating in the upcoming IPL cricket league, it boasts a longstanding partnership with the ICC for the World Cup.

In 2018, the International Cricket Council (ICC) enlisted Indian alcobev brand Royal Stag as an official sponsor. Over the past five years of collaboration, the brand has leveraged AI, technology, anthems, and innovations to connect with consumers during the World Cup.

Traditionally, consumer segmentation relied on demographics and genders. Singh stressed that an increasing number of brands are now turning to psychographic consumer segmentation.

While Royal Stag Packaged Drinking Water is easily accessible at conventional brick-and-mortar stores, Singh informed BestMediaInfo.com that the brand isn't heavily invested in e-commerce. Explaining this decision, Singh noted, “E-commerce demands a robust backend, and the logistics costs for a package-driven business model tend to be prohibitive.”

In conclusion, Singh revealed that the brand has intensified its use of influencers in marketing and is considering the utilisation of podcasts due to their immersive nature.

Info@BestMediaInfo.com