Content marketing is no longer just a buzzword that’s used interchangeably with the word viral or content writing. It’s encouraging to see many Indian brands pushing the envelope and really believing in the potential of content marketing – and seeing results! Here, I’ve tried to list down some interesting campaigns and companies nailing content marketing.
1. Unacademy’s ‘Kota Factory’
Unacademy teamed up with TVF in 2019, to introduce a first-of-its-kind web series called ‘Kota Factory,’ which sheds light on the lives of students trying to further their dreams of getting into IIT. A natural spin on the lifestyle of college-aspiring youth in India, the web series addresses the student point-of-view quite brilliantly. This collaboration was a match made in heaven, as Unacademy speaks to the same audience. As a top-rated show on IMDB, the success of the partnership was stellar. I found this a really out-of-the-box way of embodying the brand values that the brand holds into an entertainment format. It’s unexpected, irreverent and aspirational – perhaps everything the youth of India can relate to.
2. Nike’s ‘You Can’t Stop Us’ video
Nike is one of the largest and most recognized sports brands in the world, with their reach in the market expanding across the entire globe. A strong brand identity requires an even stronger assertion of brand presence. Nike spent close to $3.59 billion in advertising and promotions during the FY2020, which shows how seriously they take their consumer’s opinions.
In 2020, Nike broke the internet with a video ad campaign called ‘You Can’t Stop Us,” featuring renowned sports stars and athletes from across the world. After a research of 4000 unique pieces of sports footage, Nike’s ad agency narrowed down to 72 sequences featuring 53 athletes from 24 different sports to create a masterpiece advertisement that racked millions of views within hours of release.
The secret to Nike’s advertisements has always been rooted in promoting values that can transform the world. The ad titled “You Can’t Stop Us” targeted racial tension, gender and equality, while addressing the impact of the pandemic on sporting events worldwide. When the world’s most admired sports stars come together for a social message that resonates with the vast majority, it can change lives. The ad was narrated by American soccer athlete Megan Rapinoe, who moved the world with her words.
The video was key in ensuring that Nike is viewed as a brand that cares about important world events and is still, after all these years focused on the good that big-name brands can do in the real world. By inspiring people to take the right step in the face of challenge, Nike got one step closer to reaffirming their position as a leading people’s brand of the world, through a video.
3. Duroflex Sounds of Sleep
In 2021, Duroflex continues to be a widely popular brand who manufactures mattresses and advocates comfortable sleep. Their industry presence is strong and the average Indian consumer is well-aware of the ‘Mattresses for Everyone – Recommended by Doctors.’ This year though, Duroflex took their conventional marketing efforts a step further. To assert their long-lasting relationship with the Indian consumer, they decided to stimulate a discourse through music. The focus of the Duroflex ‘Sounds of Sleep’ campaign was traditional Indian lullabies.
Featuring 6 episodes of renowned folk musicians singing some of the most enthralling lullabies, Duroflex really took their content marketing to another level. They’ve released 4 videos so far with lullabies sung by India’s top singers like Monali Thakur, Shalmali Kholgade, Sanah Moidutty, Chinmayi Sripada, Shilpa Rao and Geetha Madhuri.
4. Ixigo’s a marketing genius
Ixigo is a leading travel planning app that has reached over 60 million people through its Facebook page alone. They have a following of 1.1 million Facebook users and their marketing efforts continue to inspire people with creative content marketing. They haven’t had to invest in TVCs for this and that’s commendable.
Ixigo has been praised for its ability to relate to the adventurous spirit of viewers. Their most popular videos include, ‘Stuff not to take from hotel rooms, ‘What not to do on a flight’ ‘Train mein ghar wali baat’ which raked in a whopping 15 million views.
To stay relevant on the internet itself is a big deal, but when you can surpass the benchmark of inspiring brand advocacy, you are doing something really right.
5. Amul India
Amul is one of the most loved brands in India, with a massive reach in consumer share through their dairy products alone. Their influence was built on values that the Indian consumer could easily correlate. Who can forget the adorable Amul girl with her ‘utterly, butterfly delicious’ tagline? The truth is that Amul was playing and nailing the content game, long before content marketing even existed in India. Through its clever, timely ads, it spread the message that embodied the brand’s motto, transparency, social consciousness, and the fact that it’s truly an Indian brand.
Amul uses comic strips, fun elements, and powerful taglines to pitch their industry presence as a voice for many social issues. They use their brand to kindle a sense of togetherness that their famed mascot inspired in children.
Do you have any favourites? Share your examples in the comments!