Brands
“Reality TV shows like Big Boss Kannada often boast a wide viewership across diverse demographics”: GEF India’s P Chandra Shekhara Reddy
Mumbai: In recent years, the integration of brands into popular reality TV shows has become a trend, providing a unique opportunity for companies to engage with their consumers. One such brand that has successfully leveraged this strategy is Freedom Oil, which has made a significant impact by aligning itself with the widely popular reality TV show, Bigg Boss.
Freedom Oil strategically chose Bigg Boss as a platform to enhance its brand visibility. Bigg Boss, with its massive viewership and diverse audience, serves as an ideal medium for brands to engage with consumers from various demographics. By associating with the show, Freedom Oil has successfully embedded its brand into the daily lives of millions of viewers, creating a powerful connection with its target audience.
Indiantelevision.com caught up with GEF India (Freedom Oil) senior VP, sales & marketing P Chandra Shekhara Reddy to discuss more on this collaboration.
Edited excerpts
On the thought process behind selecting reality TV shows and the role they play in marketing the products
Reality TV shows like Big Boss often boast a wide viewership across diverse demographics. Our decision to associate with such shows is strategic. These platforms offer an extensive reach to engage with our target audience in a more relatable context. The shows’ popularity allows us to showcase our product’s qualities in an environment where viewers are receptive to new information and products.
On the effectiveness of sponsorships, like Freedom Oil’s presence in Big Boss, in reaching out to their target audience?
Sponsorships in high-visibility programs like Big Boss provide a unique opportunity to connect directly with our target consumers. These collaborations offer visibility and brand recall, enhancing our market presence and fostering brand familiarity among viewers.
On seeing Freedom Oil’s association with Big Boss making you more or less likely to consider purchasing their products
Consumer behavior is subjective. Some may find the association with Big Boss positively impactful, while others may not consider it a decisive factor in their purchasing decisions. However, the goal is to create brand recognition and recall, and such associations contribute to that objective.
On collaborations between brands and popular reality TV shows significantly impacting consumer behaviour or buying decisions
While there might not always be direct, immediate impacts on consumer behavior, long-term exposure to our brand through such collaborations reinforces brand awareness. It contributes to a brand’s overall presence in the consumer’s awareness level, influencing buying decisions over time.
On brands engaging with consumers through entertainment shows affecting your brand loyalty in their products
Importance of Brands Engaging Through Entertainment Shows: Engaging with consumers through entertainment shows is indeed important in today’s competitive market. It helps in building an emotional connection between the brand and its audience. While not the sole strategy, it does not contribute significantly to maintaining brand loyalty and helps to sustain consumer interest.
On brands utilising different marketing platforms rather than associating themselves with reality TV shows
Diversification in marketing strategies is key. While associating with reality TV shows has its advantages, a comprehensive marketing plan should involve various platforms and strategies to cater to diverse consumer preferences. We continuously explore and evaluate different channels to ensure a well-rounded marketing approach.
In essence, our partnership with shows like Big Boss is part of a broader marketing strategy aimed at engaging with our audience effectively. We value all feedback and continuously strive to refine our approach to meet consumer expectations while maintaining brand relevance and integrity.
Brands
MS Dhoni joins Cars24’s Crashfree India as Goodwill Ambassador
Cricketing legend lends his voice to the fight against road fatalities in India.
MUMBAI: MS Dhoni has traded his cricket whites for a new kind of captaincy, one that aims to save lives on India’s roads. The former India captain has been appointed Goodwill Ambassador for Crashfree India, Cars24’s national road safety initiative. The move brings one of the country’s most trusted and disciplined public figures to a cause that desperately needs both credibility and urgency.
India continues to record the highest number of traffic fatalities globally. In 2024 alone, 1,80,000 people lost their lives on Indian roads, one every three minutes. The country has roughly 1% of the world’s vehicles but accounts for 11 per cent of global road deaths. Shockingly, 66 per cent of those killed were between 18 and 34 years old, the most productive age group, and nearly 10,000 were school students. Seven in ten fatalities were linked to overspeeding.
Dhoni, known for his calm judgment under pressure, did not mince words when speaking about the issue. “A vehicle gives you freedom, but it also gives you responsibility,” he said. “On our roads, too many people still see safety as a rule to follow only when someone is watching. That mindset has cost us far too much.”
He added: “We already know what is going wrong. We know how many lives are being lost. What we need now is not more excuses. We need more responsibility, more discipline, and more respect for life.”
For Cars24, the association goes beyond a celebrity endorsement. Founder and CEO Vikram Chopra described Dhoni’s involvement as a game-changer: “His understanding of Indian roads is grounded in lived experience. He holds us to a higher standard and his involvement challenges us to push this mission further.”
Crashfree India aims to shift the national conversation on road safety from reaction to prevention, from accepting deaths as routine to treating them as the urgent failure they are. With Dhoni on board, the initiative gains a powerful, trusted voice that transcends statistics and connects directly with millions of Indians.
In a country where dangerous driving is too often mistaken for confidence, Dhoni’s message is refreshingly clear: true strength lies in control, discipline, and respect for life. When one of India’s most respected captains decides to lead this fight, the conversation suddenly becomes much harder to ignore.
The roads just got a new captain. And this time, the goal is not to win a trophy but to save lives.
