Brands
Bacardi repositions itself; revisits its Cuban roots
MUMBAI: Bacardi has graduated from just beaches and parties to a more emotionally relevant standpoint linking the history of the 151-year-old brand with its audience’s current reality.
Titled ‘Bacardi Untameable Since 1862’, the global repositioning campaign takes the brand back to its Cuban roots while drawing its essence – an irrepressible spirit, from over one and a half century of the Bacardi family’s passionate struggle against odds such as earthquakes, distillery fires, revolution and exile.
As a brand which believes in unique experiences and uninhibited expressions, and supporting people who follow their passion, Bacardi, wants its campaign to serve as encouragement to every young individual out there that it is never impossible to triumph over incredible odds.
Bacardi India sales and marketing director Manish Seth explains the reason behind the reboot: “The brand essence fits in perfectly with the lives of today’s millennial/Gen Y consumers, who continue to pursue their passions despite great uncertainty and a slowdown in economic growth. The time is right to tell this legendary story and we are proud to showcase it to our consumers in India.”
Created by international agencies BETC London and Camp+King, the campaign includes a TV commercial named ‘Procession’ as well as print, outdoor, digital and social media. In India, Leo Burnett is Bacardi’s creative agency, Madison its offline media buying agency, Resultrix the online media agency, and 22 Feet its creative agency for the digital platform where the brand aims to provide fans with greater details on its history and lineage.
“Digital is a very important medium for Bacardi as it allows for direct and two-way communication with our audience on an ongoing basis. With respect to our campaign ‘Bacardi Untameable Since 1862’, our digital push was done in quite a disruptive fashion with a massive roadblock including live mobile TV applications and the internet covering 25 per cent of India’s digital audience in one day,” informs Seth.
Bacardi has been associated with live entertainment properties like Bacardi Blast, where musicians perform across India; Eristoff Invasion, one of the country’s leading EDM festivals and The Dewarists, which won a Cannes Bronze Lion. “We had the privilege to bring down international artists such as The Prodigy and David Guetta, who had never performed in India,” says Seth. “An example of our efforts in experiential marketing is the BACARDÍ NH7 Weekender music festival. We have concluded the fourth edition of India’s Happiest Music Festival with Kolkata added as a new city along with Pune, Bangalore and Delhi. Some of the greatest international and national performers have graced the stage such as Megadeth, Imogen Heap, etc. Our aim is to give consumers something to cheer about and this year, we have added a new city, Kolkata, to welcome even more fans.”
The brand refresh isn’t restricted to the campaign alone; a new visual identity and typeface has been created, inspired by the Cuban Art Deco style of the early 1900s. “Our new logo stays true to the integrity of the original symbol (bat) representing good luck, good fortune and family unity,” clarifies Seth.
Bacardi claims to have witnessed continuous growth in the Indian market. “We are well placed to gain from demographic and social changes. Our objectives now are in the area of making our high-quality product offerings available to more and more consumers,” says Seth, advising other brands to know both their consumers and their products by spending more time in the market rather than the conference room on a concluding note.
Brands
Rohini Laya Venkateswaran named executive director at Gillette India
P&G veteran with two decades of experience steps into leadership role
NEW DELHI: Rohini Laya Venkateswaran has been appointed executive director at Gillette India Pvt. Ltd., bringing with her more than two decades of experience across sales, strategy and brand leadership within the consumer goods sector. In her new role, she will help steer the company’s strategic direction and growth while strengthening its footprint in the grooming and personal care category.
Venkateswaran joins the board after a long career at Procter & Gamble, where she spent nearly 21 years shaping sales strategy, building brands and driving market expansion across India and international markets.
Most recently, she served as chief sales officer for India at P&G. Prior to that, she was vice president and country manager for east gulf markets, overseeing operations in Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar while also guiding sales strategy across the Gulf region, including the UAE.
Earlier in her career, she led sales strategy and planning for India while serving as marketing leader for brands such as Olay and Old Spice. During this stint, she focused on reshaping go-to-market channels and building awareness through digital, social and influencer-led campaigns to drive growth.
Her journey at P&G also included roles such as director sales strategy and planning leader India, associate director modern retail and ecommerce, regional manager for Delhi and Rajasthan, and several key account and trade marketing roles across the country. She also spent time in the United States working on the P&G Walmart international team, collaborating on global retail initiatives.
Venkateswaran holds an MBA in marketing from SP Jain Institute of Management and Research and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from RV College of Engineering.
With her mix of sales acumen, brand-building experience and global exposure, Venkateswaran’s appointment signals a sharpened focus on growth and market leadership for Gillette India.
