The pandemic has brought significant changes across industries, and marketing is no exception. Today, digital marketing has become a key aspect to attracting new customers and retaining existing customers. In his weekly BrandWagon Ad Talk series, industry experts highlight what has changed in the last two years and, more importantly, these changes will continue. John Thangaraj, Chief Strategy Officer at FCB India, talks to BrandWagon Online about digital marketing dos and don’ts, the best marketing campaigns and more.

What is the difference between launching a brand in the digital age today and in the digital age before?

There are many differences, but I think the crux of it all comes down to discovery and perception.The traditional model of brand launch was based on a linear consumer funnel. It all started with awareness and slowly moved to interest, consideration, evaluation, and finally purchase. Today we of course know better. Awareness often leads to near-instant purchases, especially in high-involvement, relatively low-cost categories such as fashion and cosmetics. Today, discovery is king. We need our brands to be found by the right kind of consumer at the right time. This is where the power of digital really comes into play. Interest-based targeting isn’t groundbreaking, but it represents a major shift in approach to marketing. It requires breaking the pre-existing mental models that we all (or at least someone in my particular generation) grew up with and understanding that consumer behavior has fundamentally, and irrevocably, changed. can only be truly optimized when we start with consumer behavior rather than our own firm beliefs.

What’s the best recent marketing or advertising campaign you’ve seen and why?

I am constantly overwhelmed with jealousy-inducing jobs, and the list is long and illustrious. However, two of his recent campaigns I want to talk about in particular are Spotify and Jaquar. Spotify’s positioning of music as the antidote to everyday life is the perfect blend of product functionality and consumer truth, delivered in a humorous (dare I say hilarious) and memorable way. will be They’ve also managed to take a relatively new (not to mention Swedish) brand and give it a quintessentially Indian look and feel. Cultural Resonance FTW! The Jaquar lighting campaign takes the basic brand perception (Jaquar = bathroom fixtures) and pushes the boundaries even further by introducing an entirely new product line. Both campaigns work because they’re simple, engaging, and delivered in 30 seconds. I understand that 30-second TVC is painfully unfashionable for him in 2022, but in a five-minute “long movie”-inducing coma, he’s sharp and industrious any day of the week. Give me 30 seconds of him. I’m a big fan of jobs that work, and I feel that both of these campaigns are working.

Which brands made the most of digital last year and how?

I know I’m not the first to say so, but I endorse Cadbury based solely on the back of last year’s fantastic “Not Cadbury Ads” Diwali campaign featuring Shah Rukh Khan What can we say about this campaign that has yet to be told? A truly amazing use of machine learning-based deep fake technology tied to a relevant topical post-corona cause. increase. And of course, SRK’s unparalleled charisma is just the icing on the cake. This campaign truly opened our minds and wallets to the many possibilities that digital can truly offer. It also shed light on one of my most cherished beliefs. It’s that all the data and technology in the world doesn’t matter unless it’s built on simple, brilliant, and fundamentally human ideas.

In a post-Covid world, what are the digital marketing dos and don’ts?

I believe there are no real “rules” in digital marketing. Digital as a medium is constantly evolving, and as a result we need to push the boundaries on a daily basis. Enclosing digital marketing in dos and don’ts undermines its fundamental potential. Of course, ethical issues, especially when it comes to privacy, always come to mind when discussing digital marketing, but aside from that, I can’t really recall what digital marketers have to look out for. However, there are of course easier ways. It’s engaging, contextual, relevant, and not to be missed. Strive to go beyond the obvious in the communication cesspool that digital advertising has created. everytime.

Tell us about a bad example of a recent ad you’ve seen and why.

do i really need to point this out? It has to be a Layer’r Shot commercial on the country mile. I don’t think you need to fix it. Despite the blatant misogyny of this campaign, it lacks everything needed for half-baked communication, from consumer insight to a base level of sophistication in execution. Well, to be honest, I’d like to keep it that way. Do better, guys. seriously. Our country has enough problems as it is. You don’t need an ad to be another ad.

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