Brands
Startup OYO features in LinkedIn’s Top Attractors List
MUMBAI: India’s branded network of hotels OYO has become the youngest Indian startup to be included in the LinkedIn Top Attractors list for India in 2016. Ranked at number 16 overall and 6th in the rank of home-grown Indian companies, OYO is the only hospitality company among the 25 companies featured. The list also features biggies such as Amazon, Google and Flipkart.
Speaking about the achievement, OYO CEO and founder Ritesh Agarwal, CEO said, “We are ecstatic at being recognized as a top attractor by LinkedIn. People and technology form the crux of our operations and this survey along with its methodology represents the best convergence of the two. OYO is a preferred employer on account of being an agent of transformation. In the very short time since our launch, we have driven positive impact in the hospitality sector as well as the experience of lakhs of Indian travellers. The OYO DNA is all about being innovative, agile and responsive. This recognition further validates our belief in our vision of becoming the most-loved hotel brand in the world.”
The Top Attractors list is the first ranking of its kind to be based entirely on actions of LinkedIn users. According to LinkedIn, the 25 companies featured on the list are the best in India at attracting and keeping top talent. OYO pipped eCommerce companies such as MakeMyTrip and Zomato, and veterans such as Cisco, Reliance and Accenture, that are also featured in the same list.
Globally, the list featured companies such as Apple, Facebook and Uber. LinkedIn partnered with Censuswide Research to carry out an online survey of 6,266 workers between 18 May and 23 May 2016. The countries surveyed were Australia, Brazil, France, India, UK and USA.
The list comprises companies where people most eagerly want to land jobs, and stay in them, as determined by 12 metrics that measure online actions taken by LinkedIn’s members. Among those metrics are the number of views and applications per job posting on LinkedIn and other career sites, the number of views of a company’s career page, and employee retention statistics as measured through profile updates.
In just three years since its inception, OYO says that it has managed to expand its network to include 70,000 rooms in 180 Indian cities, with 2.3 million room-nights booked in the first quarter of 2016. CB Insights has cited OYO as one of the top 50 startups most likely to next reach unicorn status.
OYO’s vision is to become the world’s most preferred and trusted hotel brand. It is backed by the world’s leading investors including the SoftBank Group, Greenoaks Capital, Sequoia Capital and Lightspeed India.
OYO has partnered with IRCTC, Airtel, Samsung, Lenovo, Biotique, Cleartrip, Itzcash, FreeCharge, Mobikwik, Peppertap and Grofers to deliver a seamless and standardized experience to guests.
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.
