Experiential Marketing Gives Consumers a Personal Connect to the Product: Ajay Singh Parihar, Dabur

by  Mugdha Gaonkar Industry Watch | November 5, 2020 | Interview

Ajay Singh Parihar Dabur India

Last month, Dabur India, in partnership with the CRPF, undertook a social initiative across seven cities on the occasion of Global Hand Washing Day. As part of the initiative, Dabur launched a campaign to distribute Dabur Sanitize Germ Protection soaps among frontline workers including CRPF, police, doctors, nurses and support staff in select cities.

In an exclusive interview with EVENTFAQS Media, Ajay Singh Parihar, Senior General Manager-Marketing, Dabur India Ltd, shares insights on the initiative, ROI from experiential and activations space, future plans and more.

How was the idea of distributing Dabur Sanitize Germ Protection soaps in seven cities conceived? How was the experience?

Frontline workers like police, CRPF personnel and health workers have been working tirelessly to keep us all protected from this pandemic. At Dabur, we have pledged our support to fight this pandemic by supporting the frontline workers. As part of this commitment, we are supporting the frontline bravehearts with Dabur Sanitize Germ Protection Soap, which provides hygiene to the corona warriors during these challenging times.

The initiative aims to create awareness about the importance of washing hands regularly, particularly when we are facing a threat like COVID-19. The objective is to thank and be grateful to the frontline workers for their dedicated service for the nation. We are very happy that we could reach seven cities and 120 locations across India and distribute Dabur Sanitize Germ Protection soap among the frontline workers.

Being an FMCG company with multiple brands, what is the ROI you get from the experiential and activations space? How do you view the medium?

There are so many products and services out there that companies need to market in a way that will grab consumers’ attention and stick in their minds. Experiential marketing provides a personal connect that allows consumers to remember the product or service. For a joy time, customers want to interact with brands that allow them to express something about themselves. For experiential marketing, we normally measure soft ROI, which is long term - this type of ROI can be measured at a later stage, and is based on the time and effort you put into building a positive connection between customers and your brand. More than ROI, this activation was to reach out to the people who stood tall to support India, during these tough COVID times.

What are the experiential marketing initiatives or activations you have planned for the near future?

Experiential marketing depends greatly on human interaction. Social distancing has become the norm now. Our activations will be aimed at ensuring that the message of social distancing and hygiene remains at the core of our consciousness till we resume normalcy. Our objective is to motivate people to take up steps to ensure health and hygiene to defeat the pandemic.