MUMBAI: What comes to your mind when you hear “Kuch meetha ho jaaye”? Chocolate? Cadbury? Dairy Milk? Well, that’s what most people in India associate with ‘meetha’ today. Cadbury India, now known as India, began its operations in India as early as 1948 by importing chocolates. The brand has always been known for its loveable advertisements that make you want to sing along and do a little jig yourself.
The Indian chocolate industry was worth Rs 58 billion at the end of 2014 and is predicted to reach Rs 122 billion with a compounded annual growth rate of 16 per cent by 2019. According to the 2016 Euromonitor International report, the chocolate confectionery market in India is projected to grow at around 8 per cent per annum between 2016 and 2021 to reach Rs 16,200 crore (on constant value) from Rs 11,256 crore in 2016, backed by better retailing across rural areas. Mondelez is the market leader in India’s chocolate space, with over 65 per cent market share and Cadbury Dairy Milk is its highest selling product that has a market share of 41 per cent.
Mondelez India has created some of the most prominent ads in its 69 years of existence in the Indian market, with some of the famous catch-phrases being — ‘kuch khans hai zindagi mein’, ‘shubh aarambh’, ‘pappu paas ho gaya’, ‘aaj pehli tareek hai’, ‘interstellar party’ and ‘kiss me’. All these notable campaigns are attributed to Ogilvy & Mather (O&M), an advertising agency that has been associated with the brand for over 25 years.
In India, Dairy Milk Silk has been one of the marquee products for the brand, which was launched in early 2010. Ever since then, the Silk jingle has probably been one of the most loved and recognised tunes in advertising and popular culture. Mondelez recently renovated its Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk making it curvier and with a fresh packaging. Now, the company has rolled out a new music video that showcases a refreshing rendition of the jingle by Bollywood singers Armaan Malik and YouTuber Shirley Setia.
O&M wanted to explore the digital medium to showcase the fresh new look of chocolate in an impactful manner. O&M Client services director Smita Padmanabhan says, “For Silk, the jingle is our biggest brand identity and for the first time this year we had a TVC where the protagonists were actually seen singing it on screen and that gave us the idea to get more people to sing the song they love.”
This festive season, it kept a low profile on mainstream media and instead took a risk in the digital medium with the first music video. Mondelez India director of marketing (chocolates) Prashant Peres mentions, “The key objective of this campaign was to try and make the jingle a part of the popular culture through an aspirational yet mainstream portrayal as digital is gradually becoming a lead medium for youth brands.”
Digital has shattered the invisible wall between brands and customers but it questions the optimal usage of advertisements. “While digital provides us with the medium to reach out and engage with consumers on a one-on-one basis, it is always a challenge to stand out in the clutter and grab their attention. As marketers we have to be on top of trends and emerging platforms, which pushes us to constantly innovate and adapt,” he adds.
When it comes to brand recall, some of Mondelez’s campaigns occupy the top shelf in the consumers’ mind. The iconic chocolate manufacturer has managed to pull the rabbit out of the hat every time it has wanted to draw attention to new brands. With digital on top priority to target consumers, we are sure the company will come up with another breakout campaign to call out to those with a sweet tooth.
