Brands
Feature-based advertising won’t work with tier 2, 3 consumers: itel mobile’s Goldee Patnaik
DELHI: Working towards democratising technology in India with its range of sub-5k smartphones with all the latest technology led to itel being named as the number 1 smartphone brand in the less than Rs 5K price segment for offline channels in the Counterpoint Research report for Q3 2019. The brand, which is just three years old in the Indian market recently touched the 5-crore user mark in the growing segment, as well.
Indiantelevision.com got in touch with itel business unit head of marketing Goldee Patnaik to understand the strategy that is driving this magnificent growth of the brand, the prime TG for which resides in tier 2 and tier 3 cities.
Patnaik shared that the brand diversifies its target audience in two major chunks—the minimalists, who are feature phone users and are looking towards buying their first smartphone, and the aspirers, the existing smartphone users willing to upgrade to a better version to have an advanced experience.
“In both groups, the aspiration quotient is quite high. They want to look good when holding a mobile. It has become a status symbol,” he elaborated.
The brand is trying to satisfy those aspirations of the new smartphone users who expect to enjoy the experience of HD screens and AI-enabled cameras within their budget.
“The entire brand philosophy is based on democratising tech. For example, our A46 flagship model has a full HD screen, AI dual camera, text translation, etc., all premium features below Rs 5000. We are taking care of the trends and technological advancements at affordable prices,” Patnaik explained.
But the brand is not using these features in its marketing collaterals to drive sales. Patnaik shares the target audience they are catering to do not always understand what the technical terms mean and therefore while creating ads, they focus on the benefits of these technologies.
“Feature-driven communication is of no use. Our current tagline is ‘Har Haath Mein Jaadu’ (magic in each hand). For our consumers, AI is almost like magic. Facial recognition and fingerprint sensor are magical to them. That’s why we market the benefits of these features.”
The brand is focusing on reaching out to the regional audiences in an emotional manner as well. itel is working on a robust localised marketing strategy. They are advertising in 9-10 regional languages including Marathi, Tamil, and Kannada. There is a keen interest in utilising all the regional festivals for promoting the brand.
“At itel, the brand emotional quotient is very high. We invest in a lot of BTL and on-ground activations. We advertise during local festivals and events. For example, earlier this year, during the Kumbh Mela we created watch towers and kiosks. And this was done with not just the intent of branding. It was to help people and avoid stampedes,” Patnaik said.
He added that all the festivals like Pongal, Ganesh Utsav, Bihu, Durga Puja, etc., are opportunities for itel to increase brand awareness as these are the times when people look for good products as well as value deals.
itel is also very particular about its in-showroom experiences and out-of-home on-ground activities. Patnaik notes, “The consumer in our segment doesn’t come to a showroom with a brand or features in his mind. He is completely reliant on the experience. He looks at the models, the packaging, and also trusts the salesperson, maybe. So, it is important for us to maintain a strong presence within the showrooms.”
Another important aspect of itel’s marketing strategy is its focus on sports and entertainment. It was the official sponsor for UP Yoddha in Pro Kabaddi League and has run two successful campaigns on TikTok that collectively gave the brand more than 11 billion video views and helped it reach more than 197 million people. Another campaign on content app Helo led to traffic of 3.5 lakh people landing on the official site within a day.
Patnaik thinks that this is because consumers are attracted to content-driven marketing. “Consumers, irrespective of tiers, are looking out for differential content,” he said.
He is looking forward to using the same trend to the brand’s benefit in the coming year as well. He sees his consumers as the next generation of influencers for itel. The brand will be running more consumer engagement programmes.
Patnaik elaborated, “In 2018 when we came to the market, our messaging was ‘Full Hai Wonderful’ as we were equipping the user with all the latest technology. In 2019, we moved to enable them with ‘Har Haath Mein Jaadu’. In 2020, we are looking forward to moving a step further and give them the ambition to lead the change, use the magic in their hand to express themselves better.”
Brands
YES Bank hands the keys to SBI veteran Vinay Tonse as it bets on a new era
Former SBI managing director appointed as YES Bank’s new MD and CEO
MUMBAI: YES Bank is done rebuilding. Now it wants to grow. The private sector lender has appointed Vinay Muralidhar Tonse as managing director and chief executive officer-designate, with RBI approval secured and a start date of April 6, 2026 confirmed. The three-year term signals the bank’s intent to shift gears from crisis recovery to full-throttle expansion.
Tonse, 60, is no stranger to scale. Most recently managing director at State Bank of India, he oversaw a retail book of roughly $800bn in deposits and advances, one of the largest in the country. Before that, he ran SBI Mutual Fund from August 2020 to December 2022, a stint that saw assets under management surge from Rs 4.32 lakh crore to Rs 7.32 lakh crore across market cycles. Add stints in Singapore and four years leading SBI’s overseas operations in Osaka, and the incoming chief arrives with a genuinely global CV.
His academic grounding is equally solid: a commerce degree from St Joseph’s College of Commerce, Bengaluru, and a master’s in commerce from Bangalore University.
The appointment follows an extensive search and evaluation process by the bank’s Nomination and Remuneration Committee. NRC chairperson Nandita Gurjar said the committee unanimously backed Tonse, citing his leadership track record, governance credentials and ability to drive the bank’s next phase of transformation.
Non-executive chairman Rama Subramaniam Gandhi was unequivocal. “I am certain that Vinay Tonse, with his vast experience as a senior banker, will propel YES Bank to its next phase of growth,” Gandhi said, adding that the bank remains focused on strengthening its retail and corporate banking franchises and expanding its branch network.
Rajeev Kannan, non-executive director and senior executive at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, the bank’s largest shareholder, said Tonse’s experience across retail, corporate banking, global markets and asset management positioned him well to lead the lender. SMBC said it looks forward to working with Tonse and the board as YES Bank pursues its ambition of becoming a top-tier private sector lender anchored in strong governance and sustainable growth.
Tonse succeeds Prashant Kumar, who took the helm in March 2020 when YES Bank was in freefall following a severe financial crisis, and spent six years painstakingly stabilising the institution, rebuilding governance and restoring operational scale. Gandhi was generous: “The bank remains indebted to Prashant Kumar, who is responsible for much of what a strong financial powerhouse YES Bank is today.”
Tonse, for his part, struck a purposeful note. “Together with the board and my colleagues, I remain deeply committed to creating long-term value for all our stakeholders,” he said, pledging to build on Kumar’s foundation guided by his personal motto: Make A Difference.
Beyond the balance sheet, Tonse played cricket at college and club level and represented Karnataka in archery at the national championships — sports he credits with teaching him teamwork, situational leadership, discipline and focus. In quieter moments, he reaches for retro Kannada music, classic Hindi songs, and the crooning of Engelbert Humperdinck, Mukesh and Kishore Kumar.
YES Bank has its steady-handed rebuilder in Kumar to thank for survival. Now it has a scale-obsessed growth banker at the wheel. The next chapter starts April 6.
