GCPL looks at gaming and esports IPs for advertising opportunities: EXCLUSIVE
Ashwin Moorthy, Chief Marketing Officer of GCPL, spoke to Storyboard18 about the brand's plan to invest in gaming and esports as a segment and GCPL’s marketing and advertising strategy for recently acquired RCCL products.
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In the recent past, very few legacy brands have ventured into the gaming and esports space in India. With the increasing popularity and user base of gaming and esports IPs, Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL) is now planning to invest in gaming and esports soon. Philips, TVS, Airtel, and Coca-Cola have shown eager interest in gaming and esports IPs in India. Additionally, GCPL is ramping up investments in recently acquired Raymond Consumer Care Limited (RCCL) products like Park Avenue and Kamasutra deodorants.
During the launch of India’s first indigenous mosquito repellent molecule, Renofluthrin based product - GoodKnight Vaporizer, Ashwin Moorthy, Chief Marketing Officer of GCPL, spoke to Storyboard18 about the brand's plan to invest in gaming and esports as a segment and GCPL’s marketing and advertising strategy for recently acquired RCCL products.
When asked if GCPL will explore gaming and esports as part of their media mix, Moorthy said, “We don't take a position on either content or media. Under Godrej, we have a set of brands in GCPL, ranging from Park Avenue deodorants and Kamasutra condoms to GoodKnight insecticides and Cinthol soap. We serve a range of consumers, from young men making their first decision about deodorant to older people who want to protect their homes from mosquitoes.”
He further said, “We cover a wide range of audiences with varied purchasing decisions and remain open to media opportunities as they arise. We believe the time has come in India where gaming can become one of the cheapest, most cost-effective, and efficient ways to reach young consumers, and you will soon find us advertising there.”
When asked about the timeline for Godrej entering the gaming and esports space, Moorthy said, “When it becomes cheaper to reach consumers through gaming than through other methods, it will naturally become part of our media mix. That time is not far off.”
Talking about advertising spending, Moorthy said, “We have increased our ad spends by roughly 30 percent each year over the last three to four years. We moved from roughly Rs 300-400 crore to about Rs 800-900 crore. We are among the top advertisers in India. In FMCG, we rank around third or fourth. Our major spending is on TV, but we don't have a fixed position on media.”
He added, “Our philosophy of marketing is to use media to reach as many consumers as possible at the cheapest cost per consumer. TV continues to be one of the best scalable marketing mediums in India for high-quality advertising. However, we see digital expanding at both the top and bottom ends of the pyramid.”
Moorthy elaborated, “At the top end of the pyramid, many consumers with TV sets and cable connections are moving towards smart TVs because internet data is cheaper and Wi-Fi accessibility and speed is high. They are watching YouTube and OTT platforms on connected TVs, so our ad spends are directed there as well.”
Talking about reaching bottom-end customers, Moorthy said, “We see that bottom-end consumers who may not have adequate cable TV connections but are accessing a lot of their video content through smartphones, so spending there is also increasing. While TV remains a bulk of our media mix, these trends are driving additional spending.”
Explaining the bifurcation in advertising spends for GCPL, Moorthy said, “We are among the highest TV spenders among big advertisers, with roughly 80 percent of our spending on TV and the rest on digital.”
Godrej Consumer Products (GCPL) acquired the consumer products business of Raymond Consumer Care (RCCL), a subsidiary of BSE-listed Raymond, in an all-cash deal worth Rs 2,825 crore. The FMCG business includes brands such as Park Avenue Deo, KS Deo, Kamasutra, and Premium.
When asked if GCPL is adopting aggressive advertising and marketing strategies for RCCL products, Moorthy said, “We brought these brands on air after quite some time. They were not heavily invested in media or advertising before. We recently launched two new films for Park Avenue and Kamasutra deodorants. The Park Avenue Deodorants campaign, shot in New York, celebrates the rise of the Indian CEO.”
He added, “These brands need a strong marketing strategy, which we hope we are deploying, with competitive media investments. We have continuously been on air with Park Avenue, Kamasutra Deo, and Kamasutra condoms since the acquisition. There hasn’t been a month without these campaigns airing.”
Moorthy concluded, “We have not introduced new creative advertising, everything is designed by Lightbox, our in-house agency. We remain committed, continuously invested, and creative in presenting these brands to consumers.”
