The good artists are adorned with Filmfare awards but what about good marketers? Marketers work day and night to grow robust wings on the businesses to make them fly high in the sky of success. So, they deserve an applaud and appreciation in the same way as other artists of the country.

The Economic Times came up with a platform in form of Brand Equity Marketing Awards 2018 to showcase and honor the marketing excellence of Indian Marketers in a wide range of categories. Powered by Google, and in association with Mathrubhumi, an immensely talented set of people became first to receive a distinct honor on 20^th April 2018 at Mumbai.

Getting here was not easy at all…

Getting chosen as the year’s best Marketing Company, Marketer, Advertising Professional, Brand Launch, Innovation, Integrated Marketing Initiative, Digital Campaign, Social Media Campaign and Print Campaign was definitely a hard nut to crack. All contenders passed through rigorous screening in following way:

• Over, 1200 entries poured in, which on every step of the ladder were judged effectively and strictly by around 50 judges across two cities- Mumbai and New Delhi.
• These judges carved out the way for deserving entries to pass to the next and final round.
• The ultimate winners were decided by a final jury comprising some of the most successful and finest minds in India.

Meet and Greet with the few winners…

1) Best Print Marketing Campaign- “Janne Kya Dikh Jaye” (RAJASTHAN TOURISM)

The state that runs through an endless expanse of 342,239 sq. km, the tagline campaign initiated by Rajasthan government suits perfectly well, indicating that ‘You do not know what you may see’- “Jaane Kya Dikh Jaaye”.

Sand dunes, Majestic forts, spooky tales and warmth of the locals sum up Rajasthan in a single sentence. The beauty of Rajasthan attracts almost 1.5 million foreign tourists every year and the numbers are expected to get double with the launch of this campaign by 2020.

Kudos to Ogilvy…

• Managed by Ogilvy, they successfully designed this beautiful campaign comprising of an amazing background score and 6 stories which will definitely make you fall in love with this amazing state of India.
• Moreover, the new logo for the campaign is a sheer masterpiece capturing the essence what Rajasthan stands for.

The result of Campaign…

All the videos created a buzz in the internet world and over the period of two years, Rajasthan witnessed the growth in a number of tourists as shown below:

“The Rajasthan Tourism campaign is the campaign I have been waiting for the last one decade. Rajasthan is my home state and I think I owe it an impactful and effective campaign. I look forward to the exciting times ahead,” says Piyush Pandey, executive chairman and creative director, South Asia, Ogilvy & Mather

Read Also: 5 Amazing Tips to Improve SEO by Using Videos

2) Innovation Of The Year- “Carvaan” (SAREGAMA)        

Saregama, formally known as HMV cut the first record produced in India in 1902. Smartly targeting their audience, they launched a power-packed portable digital radio in May 2017 with 5,000 pre-loaded classic songs. Saregama successfully managed to add a pinch of modernity in a mouth-watering traditional dish by providing features like USB and Bluetooth along with pre-loaded classic songs, thereby attracting both Millennials and Centennials towards their brands.

Saregama would have never expected such a huge success from people all over the country. “Carvaan is a unique concept that is simple in its premise — a perfect marriage to digital technology,” says Vikram Mehra, Managing Director, Saregama. It is because of this uniqueness, Saregama was able to bag the award of Innovation of the Year.

The result of Uniqueness…

• Launched in May this year, the product recorded sales of 95,000 units in the first quarter itself and the number reached 132,000 in the next quarter.
• Music revenues for Saregama increased to Rs 73.20 crores for the quarter, up 134% year on year from Rs 31.23 crores during the same quarter in 2016.
• Saregama India has risen about four times within the six months of Carvaan release as it relies increasingly on music lovers in the country to enhance its brand salience.

3) Social Media Marketing Campaign Of The Year- “Invincible Indians” (BAJAJ V )          

Bajaj successfully managed to boost its brand image by coming up with a unique idea to buy the steel that came from INS Vikrant, India’s beloved first aircraft carrier, which was being scrapped. They had a vision to use that metal to build its new range of motorbikes called Bajaj V. This patriotic marketing tactics of Bajaj was amazingly received by people around the world.

Bajaj and Leo Burnett, taking into account the image of Bajaj V, presented a series of five films based on the lives and contributions of five ordinary Indians who have lived extraordinary lives. The stories portrayed the ‘Invincible Indians’ who lived their life with grit and courage, overcoming the challenges to serve the society. The Invincible Indians are:

• Vijaylaxmi Sharma who is leading a movement to eradicate child marriages in villages across Rajasthan.
• Chewang Norphel, the ‘Iceman of India’, who created 15 artificial glaciers in Ladakh to solve water crisis and was awarded a Padmashree in 2015.
• Bipin Ganatra, who has helped rescue people from more than 100 fires in Kolkata and has been recognized as a volunteer firefighter by the Kolkata Fire Department.
• Omkar Nath Sharma, an 80-year old, who travels across NCR to collect medicines from people who no longer need them, and distributes it to clinics and hospitals who serve the poor.
• Karimul Haque, who lost his mother because of the lack of medical facilities, has converted his bike into an ambulance to offer 24*7 ambulance service free of cost in West Bengal.

The result of Invincible Indians campaign…

• The first edition was more than successful, credits to stories of people like ‘Ambulance Dada’ and ‘Medicine Baba’, which were applauded by people all across the globe. In totality, the first edition bagged more than 34 million views and 2 lakh shares.
• Within approximately 6 months, the popular premium commuter bike, Bajaj V15 crossed the 1.6 lakh sales mark in India.

“‘Invincible Indians’ is an endeavor by Bajaj V to felicitate those solid men and women who make the country proud with their solid acts of selflessness and courage.” Says Eric Vas, President – Motorcycle Business, Bajaj Auto.

Read Also: 10 Social Media Marketing Myths You Need to Stop Believing

4) Digital Marketing Campaign Of The Year- “Durex Jeans Launch” (DUREX)          

Durex surprised the world of internet when their PR agency Reckitt Benckiser (RB) officially announced the launch of ‘Durex Jeans’. Everyone was shocked with Durex decision to step into apparel industry. With a release of a 15-second video starring brand ambassador Ranveer Singh, Durex provided a strong hint to start its own jean line.

They kept on triggering the buzz in the social media town, even when doubts were raised about the campaign being genuine. The ‘Durex Jeans’ campaign after hitting the right note finally unveiled that Durex Jeans is the ‘new age’ condom from the brand.

The product is claimed to be packed in the ‘world’s slimmest pocket pack’, making it easier for people to carry them around in their jeans or pant pockets and hence the name ‘Durex Jeans’.

The result of ‘Durex Jeans’ buzz…

• The company claims that it reached 100 million unique users, with 580 million impressions within two days, and traveled 30 plus countries, virally.
• Ever since its release, #DurexJeans has managed to bag4 million views, over 41k positive reactions and has been shared over 1k times.

Read Also: 5 Effective Tips on How to Brand Yourself Online

Apart from the above-mentioned awards, following is the list of other well-deserving awardees:

• Integrated Marketing Initiative of the Year– MakeMyTrip International campaign by MakeMyTrip.
• Brand Launch of the Year– Sonata ACT.
• Marketing Excellence– Asian Paints.

The first edition of Brand Equity Marketing Awards, 2018 has set a stage for all the businesses to work harder and showcase their triumph in form of case studies to bag the highly reputed honor in the field of marketing- Brand Equity Marketing Award.

About the author

Internet Marketing Analyst, present Director @kvrwebtech.com Since 2009. Providing Internet Marketing as a medium for all kind of businesses to achieve the modern era goals. Have been highly successful in cultivating projects in Real Estate, Financial and Education Sector.