#ThinkDigital ? The Fantasy Marketing

IPL is something that needs no introduction in India and it is here to stay. Well-known brands like Vivo, Coke etc. are spending higher amounts than ever on the IPL that kicked-off its 12th season recently. What makes IPL different from any other game series is the intense involvement of team franchise owners, players, as well as the audience in a short duration game in comparison to one day cricket. So far brands have been pouring money to take the sponsorships and various placements to make themselves visible on this high-quality dramatic pitch when hundreds of millions of people are watching on every possible screen.

On the other side, Fantasy gaming is a relatively new thing for India as it picked up especially in the last 4 years. Most of the people in my generation may not know that when they were in schools and early collages ESPN has brought an interesting show called SUPER SELECTOR. Contestants could win the points based on performances of the players selected by them for the leagues. We can call it the start of fantasy gaming in India.

One of the key reasons for fantasy games success in India is that it is easy to play by just selecting some key players for your team (let us call it a skill) and as they perform in the real match you will get rewards. And who doesnt love instant gratification?
Nowadays, fantasy gaming has spread beyond cricket and has stood tall in games like Kabbadi etc. However, it is needless to say that the biggest chunk of fantasy gaming fans in India still follows cricket. And Hence biggest fantasy gaming platform of India “Dream 11”, that has reportedly said to have 50 Million+ users have chosen Mr. Mahendra Singh Dhoni to be their brand ambassador.
Interestingly another breed of fantasy gaming platform is also nurturing in India and that is money-free fantasy (skill-based) gaming. Think of the Vodafone ad in which they say “Unofficial sponsor of fans”. If you are a Vodafone customer, in cricket match ad breaks you can dial a number to get a question and by answering it correctly you can win many gifts, iPhones or even get an opportunity to win an international trip.

Now if you observe closely, what are the key similarities and difference between the Vodafone campaign and Dream11? In my opinion, not many except in one you pay money and time to play, however, in the another you just pay time. On the other hand, you are contesting in both and have almost equal probability to win, provided you are using your brains or in fantasy language, what’s called skills. Another latest campaign is Zomato premiere league where you are given extra cashbacks for predicting the winners.

So whats in it for marketers? A Huge opportunity to tap the fantasy gaming generation. I call them Gen G (G for Gaming). Their simple traits are that they are young, munching into the internet or internet savvy and a bit of risk takers. So what, you may ask? Well, its how the majority of young India is inclining towards to be. Why? because a good chunk of fantasy gaming generation lives in tier 2 cities. And a huge wave of migration from tier3 and rural is going to flow towards the tier 2 cities.

Marketers have already been putting energy in engaging the audience with gaming. However, most of the budget used to go for title sponsorships (likes of VIVO IPL) or ad placements. Now the time is here to offer the young generation of India fantasy marketing experience that engages them, involve them and gratify them for being engaged with the brand. As they say, experiences stay forever, fantasy gaming-based engagement can be a new ray of light for the marketers.
Advertising is changing as digital ecosystem influences the thinking of a consumer and its lifestyle. In my column, “#ThinkDigital” I explore the intersection of the latest digital-tech, advertising and everything around. I share insights on the latest digital trends, innovative campaigns and conversations from the Innovation and data-driven digital leaders across the planet.

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#ThinkDigital ? Consumer experience is the new marketing strategy

India is a country of elections. Every year, in fact, every quarter there are some elections going on whether at the state level or the national level. 2019 is at the forefront of Nation’s biggest ever election and election spending. According to a media buying firm, approx. 180,000 Cr (or $25 Billion +) is expected to be spent in the next 6-8 weeks. Social Media, Digital, TV, and Print Advertisement will be the key drivers for this 100% increased spending from previous elections.
Since the 2014 election, Digital promotions have started to play a key role in influencing the voters. And this it’s not just the Social Media promotions, its the content that will be the key to win hearts of the voters. There are two political social media campaigns that I reviewed lately – 1. Nation With Namo 2. Soch Se Soch Ki Ladaai. In both of these campaigns, the motive is to touch the hearts of the voters with the pinch of emotions. It’s not the usual direct campaign that asks you to vote for a party, these campaigns just leave you with some food for thought.
Over the last decade, brands have started developing a strong relationship between the Consumer Experience and Marketing, however, it was primarily physical like purchase experience or service experience. Now with the age of digital, it is even more complicated and important to understand that a consumer can also interact with the brand not just physically but also digitally, not just at purchase but also at the exposure. And brands need to make sure that consumer experience is synchronized across all modalities and should be tied up with their marketing strategy.
Think of the below application example from Napolact, which brings a beautiful experience of squeezing milk from the cow digitally at an exposure/sampling event. The audience is left amazed when they interact with it digitally and as results were offered as a sample of the milk. The campaign received a great response and made half of the Romanian Facebook universe go gung-ho about it. YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/VCV9zKC-FmY
Nowadays many of your consumers are digitally active and interacting with the brand via all possible channels. This is very different from some years ago when consumer experience was only physical. It is very much important that their experience with the brand is seamless and soothing on all possible channels that it leaves an amazing print on this mind about it.

Now as a marketer or a brand manager, it is also your responsibility to understand how your marketing strategy empowers your consumer experience. Are there any opportunities where you can use consumer experience as your marketing strategy or think beyond, are there any correlations that you can drive?

Positive customer experience is always a win-win as it will result in making your customer happy, plus it may lead to additional revenue. Marketing can bring you a new customer, however when your customer refers you to others or brings a new customer that’s like Nirvana.
Advertising is changing as digital ecosystem influences the thinking of a consumer and its lifestyle. In my column, “#ThinkDigital” I explore the intersection of the latest digital-tech, advertising and everything around. I share insights on the latest digital trends, innovative campaigns and conversations from the Innovation and data-driven digital leaders across the planet.

Internationally acclaimed advertising and analytics enthusiast, data-driven digital strategist, Abhinav has worked across countries with data and analytics-driven companies such as SAP, Dell, Citrix and led consumer behavior focused data and marketing teams of JetBlue, PlaceIQ, OnDeck. Currently, he is Managing Director and Cofounder of ATechnos (www.atechnos.com), a 2012 established innovative digital consulting think-tank based out of Delhi NCR, Mumbai, and Bangalore. He is also well known in the industry as political media specialist and strategist.
Follow Abhinav on twitter @aj_atechnos or LinkedIn – www.atechnos.com/aj ©AbhinavJain.
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