Having an effective network is almost mandatory today: Anil Viswanathan

Your new Cadbury Dairy Milk campaign is refreshing the iconic 1994 ad with an interesting gender role reversal. How did this come about?

I think it came about as an idea from one of our agency partners, a junior creative member at Ogilvy. When this idea was presented to us, we instinctively felt that it was great to execute. You can see this film as part of the platform that we have been running on several initiatives over the last three years. Cadbury Dairy Milk stands on a platform of generosity. We express it in India as something good, something sweet. We have tried to bring this idea to life by trying to throw light on the acceptance of the illiterate. Especially after Kovid, the country has been swept away in a wave of gratitude to all those who have cared about our lives. We just felt it was appropriate for us to dial this whole message of generosity as well. We did this last year through a “thank you” campaign.

When this idea was presented, this newly emerging trend of celebrating women and their achievements struck us and we thought it was such a beautiful representation of that.

What has been the initial reaction to the campaign?

Early days, but needless to say, it completely stunned us. To be honest, when we took the initiative and put it forward, it was almost like an experiment. Now that we see the love and response it is getting, we are investing a lot behind it. We actually launched it on Kaun Banega Crorepati and Women of India (Cricket) tour of Australia. I think we’ll continue to invest in that. There are a lot of cricket properties coming up where we are going to be active.

How experimental is Mondelez when it comes to engaging with new social media platforms?

We keep experimenting a lot. One of the things that works well with us is the fact that we’re open to experimenting and trying many different things, whether it’s a Snapchat filter during Valentine’s Day, or a Twitter campaign on cyberbullying. , or mental health awareness program WhatsApp. A lot of this is already thought. When we find a good idea, we see that different platforms approach that idea differently. The only caveat I would add is that we are also clear about brand safety, given that this is an important parameter for us. We have strict global guidelines and like to be ultra-vigilant.

As social media channels become popular, do you think they need regulation?

In all industry bodies, one is clearly trying to create an element of fair play and ensure that false information is not spread or disseminated. Obviously, abuse is rampant in this medium. Hence, it would be great to have industry bodies working together and being vigilant to ensure that malicious messages are not spread and there is adequate protection not only for the consumers but also for the brands. There is a huge desire for user-generated content – ​​there are a lot of micro-influencers – this is a gray area and regulators and micro-influencers need to figure out how to regulate it.

In terms of a level playing field, today we are in a position where we are looking for a unified view from a multimedia point of view and as and when new platforms are coming, it is getting complicated. There is a cry for greater transparency and greater sharing so that there is greater stability.

Do you think that influential networks in India have lost their grip on the campaigns of celebrities?

I don’t think there can be a definite answer to this. Obviously their roles are different. There are phases in the life cycle of a brand where a celebrity can be extremely useful.

Today, the way the medium operates, it has become almost imperative to have an impressive network. They play a part for engagement, especially in social media, but with a period the lines are also getting blurred. There have been cases of celebrities who have become influential and influencers who have become celebrities.