: IPL Playbook: Anil Viswanathan on the eternal bond of Cadbury Dairy Milk & Cricket #IndiaNEWS #Experts Speak Be it the dancing girl or sponsoring the IPL ground staff Cadbury Dairy Milk and cricket

IPL Playbook: Anil Viswanathan on the eternal bond of Cadbury Dairy Milk & Cricket #IndiaNEWS #Experts Speak
Be it the dancing girl or sponsoring the IPL ground staff Cadbury Dairy Milk and cricket have been inseparable. Anil Viswanathan tells Social Samosa that the data on cricket as a marketing tool has been contrivable and undeniable, shedding light on the brands IPL strategy.

It was March 2020 and Cadbury Dairy Milk like most Indian brands was engrossed in brainstorming campaign ideas for the IPL 13. The brand was keen on adding a new element to their ‘Kuch Meetha Ho Jaaye’ philosophy. Something actionable that would result in real-world impact. Thus came the idea of associating with the IPL groundstaff the people who make it all happen, bringing to life their new, Kuch Accha Ho Jaaye position.

But, the universe had different plans. IPL 2022 was postponed and this wasn’t an idea that could be executed virtually.

“People have to experience it, people have to see it, which is where we held back,??? reminisces, Anil Viswanathan, Vice President Marketing, Mondelez India.

The generosity angle of their communication had to be put on hold, however, not for long.

The Generosity Chapter

Viswanathan tells Social Samosa that the brand has been adding purpose to its communication for the past three-four years, building on their chapter of generosity. “We don’t just want to stop at communication, we want to make it more purposeful. That’s where the platform of generosity came to play,??? he adds.

The roots of their chapters of generosity were sown in 2018-19 when Cadbury Dairy Milk was experimenting with the packages. While at the beginning of 2020, the brand had to pull the brakes on the campaign, the larger part of the year saw everyone speaking about gratitude and empathy. This is when the brand revived the campaign with Cadbury Thank You bars. Released in multiple languages the bars sported messages of gratitude, this was further supported by a video asset.

The initiative, however, was tied to Cadbury wrappers which eventually get thrown away. Thus, the brand decided to take it a step further.

As a part of the campaign, Cadbury Dairy Milk was associated with Kaun Banega Crorepati. “They did a very nice exercise where they turned the camera to the person behind the scenes who was actually shooting them. Amitabh Bachchan would then say that ‘These are the people who helped KBC go on’. Thus driving the notion of acknowledging the unacknowledged,??? Viswanathan recollects.

The initiative was then tied in with cricket through the ‘Batting For Good’ campaign. Cadbury Dairy Milk was associated with Mumbai Indians and for every run scored, the brand intended to donate towards relief funds.