From data to heart, how brands can win in a changing world

In a fireside chat moderated by Suhel Seth, Piyush Pandey and Harsh Bhat discuss the future of brands

author-image
Lalit Kumar
Updated On
New Update
Amazon
Listen to this article
0.75x 1x 1.5x
00:00 / 00:00

Mumbai: Consumers’s attention spans are shrinking and frequent brand switching raises concerns for brands regarding loyalty and trust. In such an iffy state of affairs, what should brands do? 

Brands should focus on targeting specific communities by honouring local cultures, blending data with creativity, and managing digital reputation effectively, all while staying true to brand identity.

In a fireside chat moderated by businessman and columnist Suhel Seth, brand loyalty, personalisation, and data took centre stage at the Amazon MX Player StreamNext event in Mumbai. Harsh Bhat, Advisor and Director at Tata Group, and ad veteran Piyush Pandey shared their insights on the evolving ad world and how brands communicate with the masses.

Loyalty, personalisation, and data

As pointed out by Suhel, the media is getting fragmented with each passing day, along with people’s trust in brands. Layering the conversation with his wisdom, Pandey said, “Products are made in factories, brands are made in hearts.” According to Pandey, reaching consumers requires effectively targeting specific communities. 

“While it's impossible to engage every individual personally, even within a country like India with its 28 states, brands can connect deeply by understanding and respecting local cultures and languages. We've successfully used this approach with initiatives for Asian Paints and Pidilite, identifying and engaging relevant communities. This targeted approach is crucial for building meaningful connections,” Pandey said. 

Bhat added to the conversation using an example of the homegrown brand Tata. Speaking on the art of personalisation in a highly fragmented scenario of a very populous country, Bhat said, “A large corporate brand can personalise by focusing on a unifying national ideal, like nation-building, and ensuring that message resonates with every individual. Therefore, personalisation can take many forms.” Bhat explained how Tata Tea exemplified geographic personalisation while Tata Salt demonstrated a different type of personalisation - addressing specific consumer needs. 

At the core of the personalisation brouhaha lies data, which is touted as the new oil. However, Pandey believes that only data is not sufficient to concoct engaging campaigns. “Data is only good up to a certain extent. Thereafter, you will have to use your heads. Data will ask you to speak to everyone but you cannot make an ad for every person,” Pandey said. 

Chiming in, Bhat suggested synthesising the data with a creative side. “You need a third brain which brings both data and creativity together,” he quipped. 

Pandey shaped the conversation saying, “If you keep staring at the computer screen, you will only see data. You need to look at the people. You will see how personalisation is seeped into our societies, states, and cultures.”

Influencers vs celebrities

The fireside chat also saw the rise of influencers as a significant point of discussion. Suhel laid the grounds for the discussion saying “There are more influencers in India than functional traffic lights.” 

Speaking on the impact of the subject matter on the industry, Pandey stated that it is not up to the influencers, or even celebrities that matter but what the message is for the people and how it is being propagated. 

“Many influencers mistakenly believe they are the new celebrities. However, brands need to recognise that simply labelling someone an "influencer" doesn't guarantee effective marketing. Clients must wake up to the fact that using individuals who aren't perceived as credible by their target audience can be detrimental. 

Even traditional celebrities face scrutiny; consumers often question their expertise. The key is not just who is delivering the message, but what is being said, how it's being said, and when. Brands should focus on creating impactful communication that motivates the target audience to take desired actions,” Pandey said.

Offering a slightly different view, Bhat from Tata advocates influencer marketing saying it can be even more effective than traditional celebrity endorsements. Referring to the “traffic lights” comment by Suhel on influencers, Bhat said, “It’s about finding the traffic lights at the main junctions rather than going to the ones in small streets that aren’t visible.” 

“An influencer who genuinely uses and aligns with your product category and brand values is far more effective than a celebrity endorsing numerous brands, often without a genuine connection to the products,” said Bhat substantiating his opinion. 

Future of brands

Going forward, according to Bhat, digital reputation management will be a critical juncture for brands. “Brands must be agile and responsive. Crucially, they must also discern when to engage and when to remain silent, avoiding the need to react to every comment or challenge. This requires finesse, a skill that will become increasingly important, leading to the emergence of experts specialising in navigating this complex landscape,” Bhat said. 

Adding to this, Pandey said, “While challenges surrounding reputation and trolling are unavoidable, brands must strive to cultivate a genuine soul and purpose, making them less susceptible to such attacks. Sacrificing sincerity for short-term gains will only increase vulnerability in the long run.”

Amazon Personalisation data brand Piyush Pandey MX Player influencer
Advertisment