RR Kabel outspends competitors on advertising and marketing: CMO Shishir Sharma

New Delhi: RR Kabel, which recently launched its Future Ready Wires range, says it continues to outpace peers in both advertising investment and brand innovation.

“Compared to peers, we’re always leading. We spend more than our competitors. The range may vary over time, but we’ll always be ahead,” said Shishir Sharma, Chief Marketing Officer, RR Kabel, when asked about annual marketing investments.

The new range of RR Kabel wires: Flamex HR+FR, Superex Green HR+FR, and Firex LS0H-EBXL, come with the promise of greater safety, performance, and sustainability.

Sharma is clear that Future Ready Wires is more than a marketing slogan. “It’s a philosophy. Even when we entered the wire market 25 years ago, we wanted to manufacture cables that are technically advanced and can be exported globally. The world has changed a lot since then, and we need to change accordingly.”

He pointed out that modern homes are increasingly energy-hungry, with multiple gadgets, air conditioning units, and soon, electric vehicle chargers. “Will your home be able to take that load? That’s where this wire comes in.”

On the media front, Sharma said RR Kabel’s marketing mix has evolved from a heavy Above-the-Line (ATL) skew to a more balanced approach. “Earlier, we used to divide spending between ATL and BTL, with ATL higher. But now, with so many linear TV channels, OTT platforms, and digital entering the scene, it’s more evenly split among all three.”

Digital and outdoor advertising, he added, are delivering the strongest results today.

He said, “Going forward, digital media will take over. Linear TV is facing challenges, one being the increasing number of channels, and the second is our product line. My target group is electricians and retailers, so digital helps us focus better.”

RR Kabel’s marketing is perhaps best known for its high-profile brand endorsements. Its campaigns with Bollywood star Akshay Kumar have been widely visible. “Selecting the right celebrity is key,” said Sharma. “We chose Akshay Kumar because his persona fits our brand values, which is to showcase trust, and he brings the patriotism part to it. We take pride in being the largest exporter of made-in-India cables. His image fits well. That said, the brand’s core quality should always rise above the celebrity. Still, when a brand is growing nationally, celebrity endorsements help.”

The company also leverages sports partnerships, with its tie-up with IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders continuing this year.

Sharma also stressed that RR Kabel’s marketing strategy has always recognised the importance of regional and rural markets. “We may be the youngest among national players in this business, just 25 years young, while others are much older. But our rural marketing campaigns have been a big reason for our success. We continue focusing on our rural markets and connecting with them via rural campaigns.”

Language customisation, market prioritisation, and on-ground activations in smaller markets form a critical part of this approach, particularly because, as RR Kabel noted, electricians are their key influencers and often the decision-makers for end consumers.

Wires and cables, Sharma admitted, are a “behind-the-wall” product, making emotional resonance a challenge. “People don’t keep returning to the same brand again and again. It’s a tough business. But it depends on how well it’s remembered. Our focus is more on electricians than end consumers, but we keep meeting people through ongoing programs.”

Unlike many consumer durables, wires and cables don’t see a pronounced festive season sales bump. “Wires see an evened-out sale throughout the year, no major festive spike. But for our consumer-facing products like fans, lighting, switches, switchgears, geysers, and appliances, there’s definitely a seasonal spike, and we’ll focus on those,” said Shreegopal Kabra, Managing Director and Group President of RR Global.

While RR Kabel’s core wire business is primarily offline, appliances and certain cable SKUs are sold online. “Our appliances are doing well. We’re on e-commerce platforms for wiring and cables. Appliances work well online, so we’re there,” said Sharma.

“E-commerce boosts visibility. Year-on-year, we’re growing. It’s been three years now on e-commerce,” added Kabra.

The CMO summed up the brand’s marketing ethos simply: be ahead of the curve. Whether through technological innovations like low-smoke, zero-halogen wires or through marketing innovations in digital targeting, celebrity endorsement, and rural activation, RR Kabel aims to lead the pack. And while the Future Ready Wires range reflects the company’s engineering foresight, Sharma made it clear that the same future-readiness applies to its marketing. “We’ll always be innovative in marketing. Compared to our peers, we’re always leading. We’ll always be ahead.”