Authentic, relevant and need-solving content always finds a way amid clutter, says Shantanu Bhanja of Pidilite Industries

As more and more new brands go for content marketing strategies for effective solutions, it won’t be wrong to say that the content ecosystem has become much more competitive over the years.

The unparalleled challenge for the established old brands or new brands remains the same: to break through the clutter and social media noise to engage with their TG and be heard.

In an interaction with BuzzInContent.com, Shantanu Bhanja, CEO, Consumer Products, Pidilite Industries, said that the amount of content out there is truly phenomenal, which is growing exponentially across channels and there is definitely some clutter.

To break this clutter, he said, “It is time-tested that endearing messages that are authentic, relevant and solve a need will always find a way.”

Taking forward this belief, Fevicreate had recently launched its campaign #IndiaCraftingMemories in collaboration with Momspresso to engage children, parents, teachers and school authorities in creative pursuits.

In addition, it is building awareness about Fevicreate, the content platform, as well through the campaign.

Asked why there was the need for the brand to create its own content platform when most brands are supporting their content strategies with existing platforms, he said, “YouTube is a great platform for video-based content and Fevicreate is present there as well. However, the aim is to provide not just videos, but other resources like downloadable templates, lesson plans for teachers and homeschoolers, and other benefits to schools to give their students this fun-filled creative approach. Hence, there is a need to go wide.”

The platform promotes a ‘learning by doing’ approach and aims to give children a way to get, practice and hone their creativity to ensure all-round development.

The platform has content present in all three formats: images, videos and text, which Bhanja said has a role to play to demonstrate the emotion and ease of creating.

Considering that access to material is limited and constrained in these times during the pandemic, the brand created and chose to promote those pieces that can be made with things lying around the house.

Further, realising that there is a need for schedule and connect more than ever nowadays, the content has daily live craft sessions by an expert using contextual topics, where people can ask their queries, real-time (every day at 4 pm till April 19, 2020).

Bhanja said as long as the content is relevant and can add value to the lives of people, it is always a great tool to engage and excite consumers towards a brand.

Talking about the future of organic UGC, he said, “Powerful organic UGC can be created. The threat always is the possibility of misinterpretation of the message or the possibility of making the message negative by the few undesirables. However, when it is closely knitted to the strategy of the brand, and strongly anchored in the business with community owners and champions, it remains vibrant and relevant.”

Pidilite for its varied brands is increasingly relying on using content marketing as an effective way of educating and influencing its consumers to make the right choices; be it art and craft or construction practices or furniture making. 

And to serve a better purpose in the time of crisis, the brand just followed a couple of simple principles.

“We are making it easier for people to discover and give them content that is relevant to the times and limitations that consumers are in. With the campaign, we are trying to help parents and children make the most of this crisis and rather than feeling frustrated and unhappy and hemmed-in,” he added.

Fevicreate already has a school programme that helps schools with a creative approach. With schools being shut, it has taken this opportunity to encourage the development of children at home. It has also reached out to school principals and teachers and provided them easy-to-do crafting recipes that they can mail out to parents to engage in with their children. In the coming months, Bhanja said the brand will continue these efforts both on digital and off-line formats.

To amplify the reach of the campaign, the collaboration with Momspresso helped the brand to engage with parents in their native languages, while trying to create the content in the other 10 languages.

In addition, Bhanja said that the association with celebrity influencers helped the brand in giving a strong voice to the idea of creating and sharing memories with family and drive awareness around the campaign, across India.

The brand has already started to witness a surge in traffic on its digital platforms, and thus it has planned many activities like live sessions, easier content and enabling digital conversations across all its platforms like Hobby Ideas, Fevicreate and other community programmes like Fevicol Champions Club.

And to manage to keep content hygiene and quality check on the website, it is working with Schbang and First Economy to monitor and sanitise the content.

Talking about future plans, Bhanja said, “We shall continue the work we are doing and get more done digitally and augment and support the digital and offline content work through synergies with like-minded partners. We are always exploring collaborations to help reach or convey the message better and in a more engaging way to our audiences.”