‘Pull’ focused strategies have paid rich dividends
The huge response Bacardi has garnered during recent digital campaigns makes it stand out in every way. Bacardi House Party Sessions managed to get conversations going within the independent music community. This saw a rise in brand mentions across mediums and also won a silver at the Brand Equity ‘Kaleido’ Awards. All these have happened in an environment in India which impeded by stringent policies on marketing of alcoholic brands, reveals Ankush Manchanda, Director – Digital Marketing (Asia, Middle East & Africa), Bacardi Ltd.
Bacardi’s communications strategy has changed hugely during the past two decades since they have been in the country. The company initially began their communications journey in the early 2000s with a TV spot which brought in the Caribbean vibes associated with Bacardi, to Indian shores. However, post the regulatory changes introduced in 2005, the strategy has evolved in the way they connect with consumers with a shift towards digital mediums and PR, says Ankush Manchanda, the company’s Director for Digital Marketing “The overall way we communicate with our consumers has changed towards a more ‘pull’ focused strategy. Audiences today are more likely to follow Youtubers, musicians, gamers and bloggers rather than brands,” he asserts. The digital campaigns have evolved to take this insight into account and work closely with content creators to seamlessly integrate brands within their content.
