Brands
Instagram most preferred platform for influencer marketing: Report
MUMBAI: Around 70 per cent of brands, which participated in a survey done by Buzzoka – influencer marketing company, have bet on Instagram, a Facebook-owned photo-sharing app, as the best platform for influencer marketing in 2019, followed by LinkedIn & Tik Tok at 8 per cent each.
In its third edition of Influencer Marketing Outlook, Buzzoka surveyed over 500 brand custodians and content creators in December. The brand custodians included agency and brand folks across the Indian eco-system.
While 50 per cent of surveyed brands see influencer marketing as an important tool, at least 52 per cent of them believes that it gives better reach and engagement with audiences.
According to the report, the majority of brands look for the quality of content, influencer produces before finalising; with a maximum spend of $50,000 for each campaign in a year of a brand.
Over 30 per cent of surveyed brands believe influencer marketing has been the fastest growing online customer acquisition method.
Meanwhile, around 60 per cent of the brands believe that Instagrammers are the most effective in the influencer marketing system compare to other social media platforms.
Over 45 per cent of brands are of opinion that around 5-7 per cent of the overall budget is spent on influencer marketing in 2018. However, over 70 per cent of the brands are ready to increase the percentage spends in the influencer marketing budget in 2019.
Out of the surveyed brands, 50 per cent of them are okay with influencers disclosing the content they are putting is sponsored, whereas 50 per cent are not comfortable with revealing it.
Over 75 per cent of brands see ‘determining the ROI (return on investment) of my influencer marketing programs’ as one of the major challenges for influencer marketing in 2019.
Brands
Sting launches ‘Sound of Six’ cricket campaign
Pepsico energy drink ties signature sonic to every boundary hit with Yuvraj Singh and Ravi Shastri.
MUMBAI: Sting just turned every six into its own personal anthem because nothing says “energy” like a boundary that hits different notes. Pepsico India’s Sting energy drink has rolled out the latest chapter of its sonic branding with “Sound of Six”, a nationwide campaign syncing the brand’s signature “Sting” sound to the varying power of cricket sixes this season. The push positions Sting as the audio heartbeat of high-octane moments on the pitch, using its sonic identity to “qualify” shots from gentle lofted clears to monster maximums.
The launch film, featuring cricket legends Yuvraj Singh and Ravi Shastri, unfolds on a sunlit ground with playful banter that builds into a sequence of escalating hits. As Singh smashes the ball, he quips that the length and force of the shot should dial up the intensity of the Sting sound. Shastri’s commentary ramps up accordingly, riffing on the brand name with escalating flair to match each strike’s energy turning a simple boundary into an audible spectacle.
Pepsico India category head for energy portfolio Diksha Bajaj said, “Cricket is a major passion point in this country. Our campaign is rooted in the insight that no two sixes are the same. We set out to use the Sting sonic identity as a qualifier that redefines every hit.”
Yuvraj Singh added, “This campaign turns the feeling of hitting a six into something fans can hear. It is bold and matches the intensity of the game.”
Ravi Shastri chimed in, “Commentating on a six is an exhilarating part of the game. This campaign adds a new dimension by introducing a distinct sonic. The idea of owning the sound of every six is relatable for fans.”
Leo Burnett South Asia chief creative officer Vikram Pandey noted that pairing Singh’s power-hitting with Shastri’s iconic voice lets the brand relive cricket’s electric moments through a fresh, auditory lens.
The campaign will air across television, digital platforms, and social media, timed to catch the fever of the ongoing cricket season. For fans who live for the roar of the crowd and the crack of the bat, Sting’s betting that the next big six won’t just be seen, it’ll be heard loud and clear.
