Brands
Shifting consumer communication strategies by brands during COVID-19
MUMBAI: The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented situation for everyone around the globe. As far as brands and marketers are concerned, they are unsure of what they should be communicating to consumers. Though there is no fixed strategy, companies are coping in different ways.
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To seek the answers, indiantelevision.com arranged a virtual panel discussion including Timex Group India Head market Ajay Dhyani, Duroflex Mattresses India VP-marketing Smita Murarka, Mirum India joint CEO Sanjay Mehta and FBB future retail CMO Prachi Mohapatra. The panel was moderated by Indiantelevision.com CEO, founder and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari.
According to Mohapatra it is not a time for any brand to implement push or pull strategy but to stay relevant to its brand ideology and think from the point of view of a consumer. A lot of brands and agencies are taking help from influencers and social media to engage with consumers.
She also mentioned that from a brand perspective this is not a space to be marketing everything. Mohapatra also believes that before becoming marketers they are consumers. “For example, from a fashion perspective, all I am going to do is keep my customers engaged. There is no push or pull going to happen from the brand," she said.
Understanding the importance of fitness and mental health Timex group has found a perfect way to tell consumers how much the brand cares for them. It even extended the warranty period of its watches through a push notification.
“We have one segment of watches which is focused on health and fitness. The communication slightly shifted towards communicating with our consumers, talking more about health and fitness tips. There are a large number of applications installed on the handsets of our consumer. We also have an app for registering people with quarantine. Apps were used to give push notifications to our consumers, and inform them about health and hygiene,” said Dhyani.
Mehta said that they did not have very high exposure to some of the sectors which are more impacted like travel and hospitality. They have faced a huge loss from the revenue front.
He added that a lot of clients have had to cut down on media spends, which is a large vertical that took a hit. Some of the conversations were around retailers choosing to pause marketing completely.
Mehta points out that if something is going to resume it is going to be e-commerce and delivery of all products with digital enabling that change. He believes that there won't be many people mingling in the future.
Murarka notes that before the COVID situation, there was an influx of brands, discounting and sales mechanisms. For Duroflex Mattresses, Covid 19 has been a good time to talk about what the brand stands for: sleep solutions.
She added, “We started looking at people with an intention of what relevant communication we can make during this time. So, we stayed true to our purpose and without commercial gains. I think that is when the real hallmark of longstanding trustworthy brands happen when there is no commercial gain involved." It has also tied up with a influencers to create awareness about sleep solutions.
Brands
Komerz acquires Glassbox to launch creative commerce model in India
Brand storytelling meets AI-driven distribution as Komerz targets $345bn digital market
MUMBAI: London-headquartered commerce platform Komerz has acquired brand and marketing consultancy Glassbox, creating a single integrated system that blends creativity, distribution, and measurable sales.
The move introduces a new “creative commerce” model, combining AI-powered infrastructure, brand strategy, and performance measurement within one platform. By connecting upper-funnel brand building with lower-funnel conversion and repeat purchases, the combined entity aims to provide brands with a seamless growth engine.
Komerz Global CEO Ramesh Krishnamurthy said, “Creative commerce must operate across the funnel. Contextual content, data-led activation and distribution must function as one accountable growth engine.”
Komerz global COO Siddharth Shankar added, “Creative without distribution is theatre. Distribution without brand equity is discounting. Bringing both together lets brands build equity while driving measurable growth.”
Glassbox, founded in 2021 by Geetanjali Bhattacharji and Anil Nair, works across brand strategy, marketing transformation, and integrated communications. Bhattacharji said the integration reflects how “brand building must evolve from episodic campaigns to always-on, data-informed commerce frameworks.”
Komerz, valued around $330 million, operates across the UK, Europe, Asia, and North America. The acquisition will help multinational corporations manage complex global portfolios while enabling challenger and D2C brands to scale across India’s digital commerce market, projected to reach $345 billion by 2030.
With this deal, Komerz is strengthening its global “creative commerce” footprint, following its recent acquisition of US retail measurement firm Pathformance, and positioning itself at the intersection of creativity, commerce, and technology.
