MAM
Redefining life insurance marketing, Max Life Insurance takes new age customers through a Virtual Reality tour of ‘Journey of Life’
MUMBAI: Pioneering the use of Virtual Reality (VR) for experiential marketing in the Indian life insurance industry, Max Life Insurance Co. Ltd (“Max Life/Company”), is bringing new age customers closer to the “Journey of Life”. As a company at the forefront of digitization, it is organizing a unique walk-in experience across its 200+ offices, that’ll invite customers to experience a virtual reality ride through the different stages of life from childhood to marriage to parenthood to retirement. Coinciding with Max Life third ‘Protection Day’ (three months since Company announced that it will dedicate the6th day of every calendar month as 'Protection Day' towards driving awareness regarding financial protection), the initiative will help establish how life keeps evolving across various stages, making the need for an evolving protection cover equally important.
Commenting on the occasion, Aalok Bhan, Director & Chief Marketing Officer- Max Life said, “In India, the uptake of life insurance is still alarmingly low, and most do not fully realize the need for a policy until a life event triggers action. Effective life insurance marketing that identifies and reaches out to customers at the right time with the right message, can be a powerful means of bridging this gap. At Max Life, we believe in driving customer engagement via innovative marketing and branding efforts. Our experiential virtual reality (VR) activity will take customers through a fun ‘Journey of Life’ – a roller coaster with lots of twists and turns helping them realize the need to plan upfront for every life stage be it childhood or marriage, parenthood or retirement. Through the means of this initiative, we aim to help our customers become financially smarter and strengthen our commitment towards building a financially protected nation where #YouAreTheDifference.”
Being organized from 8th to 12th July 2019, the virtual reality initiative will serve to build awareness among customers regarding comprehensive protection cover required to support all stages of life.
Brands
Abhinav Rastogi named global marketing director for YouTube Shopping
Google veteran to scale creator commerce and expand shopping across global markets
SINGAPORE: Abhinav Rastogi has stepped into a new role as global marketing director for YouTube Shopping, marking the latest chapter in a more than decade-long career at Google.
Rastogi, who took on the position in February and is based in Singapore, will lead global marketing for YouTube Shopping, a platform designed to connect creators, viewers and merchants in a single ecosystem. His remit includes expanding the service into new markets and strengthening its positioning as a growth channel for both creators and brands.
In a reflective note on the transition, Rastogi pointed to a simple but powerful idea driving the role. For years, creators have quietly built trust with audiences through consistent and authentic content, and that trust often shapes purchasing decisions. What is changing now, he said, is the infrastructure around that behaviour. YouTube Shopping aims to make it easier for viewers to discover and buy products recommended by creators they already follow.
The scale is already significant. More than half a million creators have joined the programme, with recent expansion into Japan through a partnership with Rakuten signalling further global ambitions.
Rastogi believes the future of shopping on YouTube will be driven by a blend of creators, content and communities. In his view, it is the human voice behind the screen, not just the product, that ultimately builds trust and drives discovery.
Prior to this role, he served as director of marketing, YouTube Asia Pacific, where he led regional marketing across creator engagement, brand building and reputation. During that time, he played a key role in launching and scaling YouTube Shopping across eight markets in the region.
Earlier stints at Google include group product marketing manager, consumer apps, overseeing growth for products such as Search, Maps and Assistant across India and Southeast Asia, and product marketing manager roles spanning consumer apps and YouTube, where he contributed to launches including YouTube Music, YouTube Originals and YouTube Shorts.
Rastogi began his career in consulting with Boston Consulting Group and A.T. Kearney, before moving into the technology sector. He is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management Calcutta and Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.
Alongside his corporate role, he is also an active angel investor, backing early-stage startups in consumer technology and electric mobility across India and Southeast Asia.
As he settles into the new role, Rastogi is betting on a future where every video can double up as a storefront, and where commerce feels less like a transaction and more like a recommendation from a trusted voice.
