Mktg - Interactive marketing plays cupid as brands court king consumer

BANGALORE: As young consumers grow in influence, the use of interactive and experiential marketing is becoming mainstream, transforming from idea which brands just used to dabble in. Consumers, especially the youth, are no longer just a 'target audience', but partners that brands must connect with.

Take for example India's largest watchmaker Titan, which tied up with Radio One for a week, renaming the station Fast Track 94.3 FM, for their brand's 'Move on' campaign. Listeners were asked to come up with different ways to use the tagline, generating over 5,000 SMSes and 3,000 calls.

"Our interactive marketing budget will touch 20% soon," said Fast Track's marketing head Simeran Bhasin.

"The interactive tilt, which started internationally a few years ago, is becoming more visible now, particularly with FMCGs in India," said Emmanuel Upputuru, national creative director of Publicis India, which is pushing a Contagious Ideas philosophy built on a similar agenda.

"Channels of communication are evolving, with consumers seeking a significant brand connection through participation," says Pepsico India marketing head Deepika Warrier. Pepsi recently tapped into this sentiment with its 'Fight For Your Flavour' campaign for its Frito-Lay snack brand, allowing consumers to choose which flavour stays in the market. Frito-Lay saw double-digit growth and an increase in brand relevance on the back of the market-energising innovations this year.

Industry players added that lifetime experiences have become more alluring to the consumer. In the Chala Change Ka Chakkar reality show, for instance, contestants went beyond just meeting and greeting stars to swapping their lives for a day with Frito-Lay's brand ambassadors.

Intel Centrino has already reached out to one-lakh consumers through its experiential 'Max Your Moves' campaign, which is still active across 25 cities. It targeted touch points by shooting a music video of the consumer, using the product to multiply grooves and roll out a CD on the spot.

"Within minutes Intel gave them a filmmaker and star's experience," said Intel south Asia marketing head Prakash Bagri. Leveraging the reach of YouTube, Intel has already generated a click-through rate of 8:1.

"Rising disposable incomes have made unique lasting experiences like flying a Sukhoi fighter plane or swimming with the whales more valuable to the consumer. Brands are going end-to-end by even taking advantage of reality TV to create a buzz," observed Jai De Costa, president of Mudra Group's promotional marketing arm Kidstuff. Experts predict that this engagement will slowly evolve into co-creation, with the consumer at the helm, very soon.