CCI NG 3.5 Product: ETMumbaiBS PubDate: 25-05-2016 Zone: BrandEquityWest Edition: 1 Page: BEWFP User: sandeep.dutta Time: 05-20-2016 23:09 Color: CMYK

KIDS SPECIAL ISSUE

THE ECONOMIC TIMES MAY 25-31, 2016  WEST

Pg2 Chhota Bheem: The rise & rise of India’s first Under The AUTO homegrown hero Baby, You Can inside Buy My Car? Given the family car is a rolling testa- ment to its cool quotient, children INFLUENCE typically have a lot to say about this With a few weeks of vacation time at hand, Brand Equity ester power was used to se- cure entirely different purchase. By Ravi Balakrishnan brings you a handy guide on how to talk to an elusive, fickle products over the last few decades. It got a kid a 5 Star ost kids — frequently but not exclusively little demographic: children or a Double Decker in the Mboys — go through a gearhead phase. A time Angry Birds: P70s; a Barbie, a Walkman or when they plaster their rooms with posters of Will the film reboot He-Man’s Castle Greyskull Lamborghinis or Ferraris and can actually explain why in the 80s, another deck of ‘wrestling the six cylinder Ducati bike is a marvel of technology. the franchise? cards’ or a gaming PC in the 90s. These With luck (for the auto industry) the phase may never days, kids have set their sights higher. pass and the kid who gawped in amazement at a Harley Pg3 Think actual cars, the apartment block Davidson or a BMW actually buys one before he’s 30. you live in and what you Add To Cart But then, this phase is also a great time to catch a family while browsing the next Big Sale Day. looking to buy a car since at this point, the child emerges From a time when children were seen but as self-appointed expert, inquiring after rear seat airbags not heard, kids these days have a say in and unusual paintjobs. And, of what were traditionally boring adult con- The child course, the parents are listening. versations. From being informed, the emerges Says Sanjeev Handa, VP – market- child these days is consulted. Blame it on ing, Maruti Suzuki, “As families be- (or praise) parents who are less authoritar- as self come nuclear, the kids born in this ian than they used to be, kids who are bet- appointed century have a lot of say in what peo- ter informed than before, peer networks expert. ple choose. From colours to features Some of India’s finest and peer pressure where everything from And, of they will do research and are more on kids: what makes cars to houses are pitted against each oth- course informed than we are.” It’s some- them tick and how er by their tiniest occupants, and a market the par- thing he has noticed on school visits where the glut of choice has made the deci- where children know more about they’ve changed sion making process a lot harder. Baffled ents listen cars, their variants and sub vari- by the differences between Quadcore pro- ants, a phenomenon that was not cessors, phone memory and storage mem- seen a mere 15 years ago. As a result, addressing their Pg4 ory and just how the iPhoneX is different needs and acknowledging them in ads has become more from the ones that came before it? important. Maruti Suzuki did this recently with an ad From the You can always count on one of the tots for Alto commemorating sales past the 30 lakh mark via mouths of in your circle to do the spadework and a film called India Ki Pehli Sawari showing kids hitch- babes: BE break it down in a more understandable ing rides on their parent’s backs. It’s not just ads speaks to way. BE gives you an insight into a though; while children are enthusiastic about show- handful of categories where con- rooms and test drives, they lose interest when the time young Indians sumers are, for want of a better comes to seal the deal. And so all Maruti Suzuki show- on what word, under the influence rooms have special play areas (minimum 120 square they want of or at least giving due feet) that kids are directed to by the showroom manag- from life & consideration to what their er. According to Handa, these are part of the corporate the brands kids think. identity for the brand, so the deal can be made in a dis- traction free environment. they love. Turn to Pg 4 for e-commerce, Prepare to be Real Estate and BFSI categories>> surprised ILLUSTRATION: ANIRBAN BORA The New Rules Of Marketing To Kids What Indian marketplace can learn from global brands that gave up on advertising to the 6-12 year olds. By Shephali Bhatt and Amit Bapna

Did you know that Mondelez can feature kids below here are several such ‘Did You Knows’ per- eight years of age in its advertisements only if they’re taining to the rules of marketing to children shown under the supervision of parents or guardians Tthat a lot of seniors from the industry ‘did not who’re ‘affirming responsible and monitored con- know’. (We are refraining from naming them sumption’? here lest it costs them their next pitch or account). In Or that Coca-Cola can’t place ads in media advertising’s national interest, we’ve put together a where over 35% of the audience is children set of rules that can help safeguard the children of under 12? men from being exploited at the hands of Mad Men. And that Nestle can’t put any outdoor ads within 50 (Check ‘The Rulebook’ on Page 3) metres of a kindergarten, primary school, or a play- ground, unless it’s for food and beverages that are ‘nu- Why Marketing To Kids Requires New Rules tritionally compliant’ with its global policy? * Firstly, kids under the age of 12 are considered to be malleable. Adults, one assumes, know that ads are meant to “sell” things to them; but you can’t expect all kids to be that discerning. Kids these days are ex- posed to more media than any other generation ever was in its childhood. And as Mondelez puts it in its code of conduct: Younger children have a limited ca- pacity for evaluating the credibility of (or the deluge of) information they receive. * Secondly, childhood obesity has become a worldwide issue. In its 2011 UN Summit on non-communicable dis- eases, the United Nations appealed Adults to the private sector to “reduce the know ads impact of marketing of products are meant high in salt, sugar and fat to children to sell. in light of the dramatic rise in child- You can’t hood obesity over the past decades.” * Thirdly, and this is specific to the expect Indian market: Single TV house- kids to holds are in a majority in this coun- be that try and mothers often control the re- discerning mote during prime time. So, a child in the 4-14 age group inadvertently ends up watching advertisements meant for an older audience. (Point highlighted by Nikhil Gandhi, VP and head of revenue for Disney India media channels). Therefore, not only do brands have to exercise cau- tion while making ads meant only for kids’ channels; brands falling in the Food and Beverages category have to ensure all their advertising maintains a uni- versal standard that promotes healthy lifestyle.

Because Rules Are Meant to be Broken? It’s because of the aforementioned reasons that regu- latory bodies have become stringent about the imple- mentation of rules regarding marketing to kids. Yet, a lot of companies don’t adhere to these rules quite often. In 2010, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation — the United States’ largest health-centered charity or- ganisation, conducted a study. It showed that “fast- food companies have not adhered to the food industry’s self-regulation guidelines when it comes to marketing to kids.” Continued on Pg 3>> CCI NG 3.5 Product: ETMumbaiBS PubDate: 25-05-2016 Zone: BrandEquityWest Edition: 1 Page: BEWPG2 User: sandeep.dutta Time: 05-20-2016 23:08 Color: CMYK

ECONOMIC TIMES THE MAY 25-31, 2016 2 Bheem Me Up Can The Birds How homegrown hero Chhota Bheem took on Mickey, Spidey, Oggy, and won. By Ravi Balakrishnan Fly Again? e are sure this fight plays out in Chhota Bheem V/S The Critics the minds of chil- Rajiv Chilaka, CEO, Green Gold reacts to some of the Will a big screen outing revive the fortunes of dren all over In- most common critiques that have come the way of dia: in one corner, Chhota Bheem the mobile gaming franchise, bringing back kids WSuperman, Iron 1. Kids get hooked to the show when very young and kick up a and their parents? By Amit Bapna Man and maybe fuss on being told to stop viewing it. Parents know best about Doraemon. Facing off against them a what age children should start watching the show. It’s also up scrappy nine year old with an inexhaust- to them to control the TV. Often, when busy fi nishing chores or ible appetite for laddoos, clad only in a catching up with friends, they put on a kids’ channel and then dhoti, surrounded by a ragtag band of suddenly expect the child to switch off in a second. Children are not going to do that. Parents should restrict time on Chhota sidekicks. Chhota Bheem’s triumphs are Bheem or any other show and ought to take time out to play, not just of the imaginary variety, though. which is more important. I would any day promote a kid going It’s the country’s largest home grown outdoors, but the way India and its cities are growing, I doubt children’s entertainment brand, starting there’s even 10 metres children can run without bumping life as a TV show and now extended to a into objects, unless they live in a gated community. vast array of products. Okay, maybe it’s a 2. The show is too violent and leaves kids with the far cry from Hello Kitty, worth upwards impression that all problems can be solved with a fi ght. of $7 billion and present on everything We received that feedback initially and toned down a from school bags to maternity wards. But lot of these things. But at the same time, it’s important over its near decade long existence, Chho- Kellogg’s, for the new generation and children who are growing up ta Bheem has trounced every other Indi- Odomos, to understand that you have to fi ght for your rights. You see so Knorr and an and global contender when it comes to Parle G many bad things in the world and nobody stands up to that. The winning over kids in the subcontinent, (below) message in Chhota Bheem is you have to fi ght evil but it’s not all clocking in a stated 40 million viewers in piggyback about violence. India. When we asked Rajiv Chilaka, on Chhota Bheem 3. While Popeye’s associations with spinach convinced kids to eat CEO, Green Gold about the value of the something healthy that they disliked, Chhota Bheem’s laddoos brand, he cites a study done three years inspire them to go in for fat and sugar laden diets. ago that put it in the `300 crore bracket. Traditionally laddoos have always stood for something good and Industry estimates indicate it could have are distributed on happy occasions. They need not be made of deva, country direc- more than doubled. sweet and ghee. We’ve heard from smart moms who have made tor (India and South The character was born of Chilaka’s fas- them from rice and dal and convinced their kids this is what hojal Gelda, an In- Asia) Rovio. Claiming cination with Bhima from the Mahab- Chhota Bheem eats. While I don’t think we should be eating too dia-born software to be the largest download- much sweet; kids have a sweet tooth. We shouldn’t worry too haratha and a childhood spent with Dis- engineer based in Dallas, ed entertainment brand on the much about this and keep childhood happy. ney’s animated shows, Tintin, Amar Chi- Bplayed Angry Birds since its mobile space (more than 3.1 billion tra Katha and superhero comics. On first release and still plays it inter- times), it’s had its share of challenges of starting his animation studio Green Animation snobs were dismissive of “Pretty much every product is covered. mittently. He admits it got monotonous and his at- late as interest waned with reduced merchandise Gold, he wanted to move beyond service Chhota Bheem claiming it crude and Whatever you see Disney in, Bheem has tention was grabbed by other games but he is still sales globally and even job cuts at the Finland-based jobs for other companies and create his functional compared to shows like Ben 10. replicated that,” says Chilaka, of the looking forward to the film based on the franchise. firm last year. The film, if successful, could cata- own IP. Chhota Bheem and gang were But slick production values mattered a lot characters that crop up even on a range of Sweden based digital entrepreneur and former ad- pult the birds into a different and more profita- conceived in 15 minutes: an adventurous less to its core audience. What they looked ceiling fans from Usha. man Eddie D’Sa feels if the movie is good, it could ble trajectory. young boy with the strength and attrib- for (and have found in abundance) were The associations have got deeper over offer new life to all parts of the game- A slew of global, regional and local tie- utes of the mythological Bhima living in relatable characters and situations. San- the years. In case of Parle G it goes beyond brand. He cites Transformers ups and alliances have been cobbled to- an unspecified period in mediaeval India. tosh Desai, MD and CEO, Futurebrands special packaging, with Bheem and his where the movie resurrected a gether to do just that including H&M, What followed was a long gestation pe- sees in Bheem the continuation of the friends embossed on to the actual product range of toys thought to be a relic Lego, Walmart and McDonald’s global- riod, owing to the lack of backers and the strong man archetype seen in Chacha and stretched into a mobile game. Says from the 80s. For ad-man Raghu ly. In India, Mondelez-owned Gems and high cost of animation. It would be five Chaudhary’s sidekick Sabu and Dara Manish Agarwal, CEO, Nazara Games, Bhat it is not just an addictive game PepsiCo’s Kurkure have come on board. A years before Chhota Bheem made his Singh. He says, “As a child, Bhi- “We want Bheem to be a virtual but a cultural icon, a franchise new version of the game has been launched first appearance. Chilaka recalls, “VCs ma was the easiest character to Chhota friend rather than just being with potential which could be real- to tie into the movie. More than 1 billion didn’t see logic in the model since you relate to in the Mahabharatha. Bheem watched on TV. We seamlessly ised through the film. The always BirdCodes have been released worldwide and 100 lose money for four or five years.” He ad- They’ve taken him out of the won over integrated Parle G into our Jun- controversial and profane online million in India that will connect the physical and mits the firm had many tough times and original context and spun it in a Indian kids gle Run where the biscuit is part film reviewer, The Filthy Critic, the digital world by helping unlock additional pow- came perilously close to winding down, way that becomes more rele- because of of the power ups. Over 1.5 billion posted the following on his Face- er-ups or a slew of Angry Birds characters. These “both an emotional and an economic vant. There’s a need for a charac- virtual biscuits have been con- book page: “Please, please stop ask- codes would be on a packet of Gems, a McDonalds struggle.” ter that con- its strong sumed. People are no longer in- ing about the ‘Angry Birds’ movie. The fran- happy meal box, a Lego playset, or a pack of The home grown animation space nects to local con- fluenced by just passive adver- I’m as excited as the rest of you for chise was Kurkure. That’s not all, the BirdCode will appear was nascent and had been that lo- nect and tising.” With four games, includ- this timely sure-to-be classic, but born in even as the credits start rolling at the end of the way since the 1980s when relevance ing educational ones that teach all of your questions can’t make it a small film, shares Sachdeva. Ghayab Aaya, a show liber- kids math, Agarwal believes come out any sooner. Why it seems screen, and Jiggy George, founder and CEO, Dream Theatre ally inspired by Casper, the cal imagina- these are a hit with parents and grandpar- like only five years ago that I played is now tra- which represents Rovio in India and South Asia for friendly ghost, debuted on tion.” Adds ents too. the game on my Windows Phone.” versing the licensing and merchandising feels the movie will Indian TV. Most channels grav- Dheeraj Sin- Green Gold is constantly tracking its au- Four different people, with vary- journey buffer the brand with a strong strategy around itated towards purely mytho- ha, chief strategy offic- dience to see which characters and plot- ing opinions on the chances of the to the big games. He agrees there has been a plateau but in his logical content. And so, after er – South Asia, Leo Bur- lines work the best. Chilaka admits, “This mobile-first brand, as it gets ready screen view, secondary sales are still very good and the Vikram Betal and Krishna nett, “No matter how much is our 9th year and while we were still No for the next phase in its 6-year ex- Anurag trade, which is predominantly ‘Mom and Pop’ retail proved Green Gold had you translate Spiderman, 1 through last year and this one, some istence. The $73 million film being Sachdeva, is always looking for something new. the chops to pull off there’s a gap between charac- other shows have dominated us a few distributed globally by Sony Pic- COUNTRY Besides other franchises that were thought to have DIRECTOR animation and ter and language. Chhota weeks. The biggest challenge is keeping tures has already released in more (INDIA AND lapsed into dormancy have been revived by films storytelling, Bheem is vernacular in con- kids interested.” He hopes to do this in than 74 markets even as we write SOUTH ASIA), points out Bhavik Vora, founder & CEO, Black Pogo gave the struct.” part via Super Bheem a full 3D superhe- this story with more countries, in- ROVIO White Orange, a Mumbai-based brand licensing firm a chance From the outset Green Gold had roic variant on Chhota Bheem and with cluding the US and India lined up. start-up, citing Ninja Turtles and Pokémon. on Chhota an eye on taking the brand be- other characters like Mighty Raju and An excited Alex Lambeek, To the sceptics who feel the Birds have had Bheem in 2008. yond TV: merchandise and com- Arjun The Prince of Bali. As for the ulti- Rovio’s chief commercial officer, speaking their day, and there are quite a few of those, The time was ics were launched in 2009, fol- mate vision and whether there might con- from China where the film was premiering Sachdeva replies, “Angry Birds certainly be- right for the show, lowed by toys in 2010. The first ceivably be Chhota Bheem theme parks in says it’s an opportunity to take the game and came very popular very quickly, and when you says Chilaka; even brand to come on board was a the future, Chilaka says, “Disney has al- grow it into an entertainment company. An- have a start like that, expectations can be daunt- three years down the drink called Notty. Soon, it ways been an idol and if we are able to gry Birds had a scorching growth trajectory, ing. But we never intended for the brand to become line would have been attracted the attention of replicate that even in the next 30 years, I’d especially when compared to brands like Disney a short-term fad.” Lambeek on his part is very clear too late. “As a small company, I felt it will Hindustan Unilever which be really happy. I’m not sure if it will be a and Lego that have been around for over 50 years. that the franchise is a family brand with the TG get tougher as time goes by. It was never started promotional theme park; we’d like a nature park.” The It created a bubble of its own with many developers changing with the different touchpoints. While about building a financial empire but cre- packs for Knorr Soupy plans in the works at the moment include believing the path to fortunes lay in cracking “the the game attracts an older audience, the con- ating something Indian kids could grow Noodles featuring Chho- virtual reality and augmented reality. “At next Angry Birds” but its success has been notori- sumer products have an appeal for a much up on. International shows often made ta Bheem in 2012. Over the some point, there will be a larger plan,” ously hard to duplicate. “What sets it apart is that it younger clientele. The film, he hopes, gets references to things that even the adults last few years, the brand Chilaka admits. was born in a small screen, and is now traversing all of them inside the theatre. here don’t know about.” has become ubiquitous. [email protected] the journey to the big screen”, says Anurag Sach- [email protected] ByInvitation

here are upgrades happen- changes and are scaling down the lad- cratic. It should reflect the increased ing faster: in mobile tech- der to relive childhood. The pressure of democratisation of the household de- Wnology with 2G, 3G and staying young is dictated by 60% of the cisions. Like it has happened across now 4G or in the classifica- population being below 30. At the same toys, food, drinks, pop music, etc — PAPA tion of consumer types from Gen X to time, kids are attaining mental maturi- brands too must be ready for rapid Gen Y and now Gen T (let’s call them ty earlier than ever. Thus when the par- transformation, literally and func- Generation Technology). They are the ent-child meet midway on the ladder the tionally. Remember, the highest gross- youngest networked section of the hu- relationship is very democratic. ing movie series in recent years is DON’T man race, with a blurring thin line be- The era of handing down — clothes, been Transformers and its sequels. tween their virtual and real worlds. books, footwear, etc — is drawing to a Transformation of technology has Their time can be defined as A.T. (After close. Instead, today’s kids are more played a significant role in shaping ex- Technology) and the all the epochs that likely to say “Hold my hand, and I will pectations. From a flatscreen to tab to preceded it as B.T. (Before Technology). guide you”. Gen T is involved in any pur- a smartphone to an Xbox — life is all PREACH Earlier, it was easy hooking young cus- chase decision — be it a white good, au- about upgrades, updates in the form tomers by promoting cola as the Choice tomobile, home furniture or food. Kids of versions 2.0, 3.1, etc. FUTURE GROUP’S of the New Generation. That genera- have become their parents’ private This generation has taken the mean- DEVENDRA CHAWLA DECODES tion constitutes the parents of today’s Google. ing of customisation to a different level. Gen T, which in turn is opinionated, With more families having dual in- They are non-conformists to standardi- A GENERATION THAT’S MORE well informed, understand they are be- come partners, children have to spend sation and uniformity. They adapt de- ATTUNED TO DIALOGUE THAN ing marketed to and thus more open to a considerable amount of time away sign and fashion to suit highly individu- A ONE-SIDED SPIEL FROM peer influence than direct advertising. from parents and hence become inde- alised tastes and preferences. They are more tolerant of diversity be- pendent faster. Brands must be en- Listening to their health and figure AUTHORITY FIGURES cause of the heterogeneity of interac- cally. This generation supports IPL anymore, there is just their dream and gaged with the youth of today in a way conscious parents and thanks to infor- tions on social media. stars from other countries against they want to win. that allows them to share and contrib- mation available digitally, kids know A couple of decades back, an entire home players while cheering against At the same time, Gen T is seemingly ute, rather than impose content on more on health than brands think. My generation looked to the West, deriv- them in national cricket tournaments more aware of its culture, roots and her- them. final advice: brands, don’t take them for ing influences from movie stars, musi- with equal ease. They are growing up itage, connected with families kith and Gen T prefer a brand that acts as a cata- a ride, unless of course you are ready to cians, brands — a pop culture smor- seeing Indians like PepsiCo’s Indra kin albeit many times virtually via lyst to their way of life. A brand as a hand over the GPS. gasbord of the so-called American Nooyi, Google’s Sunder Pichai, actor Whatsapp, Instagram or Facebook. This friend, so true just about a decade back, Our generation rebelled vicariously dream. All that changed with this gen- Priyanka Chopra and composer AR is a unique situation — while their out- is an alien concept. Today’s youth mar- via songs like Papa Don’t Preach by Ma- eration: more global and yet more Rahman play and win across the look is global, they are still very much keting strategy must encompass a super donna since in our lives, we had no desi. Globalisation is happening lo- globe. There is no American dream aware of real surroundings. They wear charged antenna to listen to what they choice but to listen whenever anyone a number of hats at any given time and are saying and support what they intend chose to preach. But preaching to Gen Today’s youth marketing strategy must encompass a super exactly know when each of these comes doing. In an era when parents are listen- T? Forget about it! charged antenna to listen to what the youth are saying and on. They extrapolate their virtual expe- ing hard to kids, brands must listen The author is group president, riences in real life as virtual enters their even more intently. Food FMCG at Future Group and a support what they intend doing. In an era where parents are life first in most cases. Brands, as well as their communica- father to two kids who typify Gen T. listening hard, brands must listen even harder Parents are not untouched by these tion strategies, must be highly demo- Views expressed are personal . CCI NG 3.5 Product: ETMumbaiBS PubDate: 25-05-2016 Zone: BrandEquityWest Edition: 1 Page: BEWPG3 User: sandeep.dutta Time: 05-20-2016 23:09 Color: CMYK

ECONOMIC TIMES THE MAY 25-31, 2016 3 Snap, Crackle, Mom and Pop

dmission to the Kurkure for dinner; children influence all these probably better than any other. Like on tress, away for long periods. Family Express, a train experiences. phones, vehicles and cameras. Chauhan: Friendship with my dad was a specially chartered by Pep- Boman Irani: I don’t know if it’s scarier Irani: I’ve stopped taking that advice total no-no. My mother is 81 and now I’ve siCo, is typically restricted or a good thing when a 12 or 15 year old is since it changes every three months. achieved friendship, frankness and Ato winners of the summer influencing you. Sometimes it’s conveni- equality. I’m friends with my daughters promotion for the snack ent that the information comes from How do you view regulations – either more than my son; the girls are older. But brand, ferrying them across the country. them. voluntary — or by government bodies I’ve always made it clear I’m your parent. But we got on board the Mumbai to Pune Anuja Chauhan: With us, there was no against marketing to kids? It’s not my business to be your friend. I leg for an impromptu roundtable with D electricity half the time; there was no Gulzar: It’s very intelligent to target ad- will give you mother values, mother com- Shivakumar, CEO, PepsiCo India; film- power let alone being empowered. (The vertising at children because they are per- pass, earthing and advice. We can talk maker Meghna Gulzar, actor Boman Ira- kids today) are more empowered and sistent. If they want something they music, emotions, crushes etc, but I’m ni and ad woman turned author Anuja have no option but to grow up faster. make sure they get it and don’t give up. your mother and no one else can give you Chauhan for a freewheeling chat on chil- They are dealing with more than I was How it influences choices is a mat- that. Once everyone is a certain age, you dren: empowerment, attitudes and how dealing with. ter of tremendous responsi- can hope for friendship. they are changing. For a longer version, bility. That has to be moni- Irani: I never met my dad since I was please visit etbrandequity.com Do they make suggestions and more tored by the agency or born posthumously, but my mom was a By Ravi Balakrishnan importantly do you listen? brand. big influence. She realised I probably had Gulzar: My son makes suggestions on D Shivakumar: We are learning disabilities: dysgraphia and Are kids today more empowered than everything. In the industry, the film team part of a consortium All aboard: (left) Irani bonds with families on the dyslexia which we came to know more you were at their age? is mostly men. When I was making Tal- of eight companies train (above) DDLJ with a twist about thanks to Aamir Khan. The techni- Meghna Gulzar: Absolutely. My six and a var, he told me “You work only with men. that do not target ads cal term in those days was “duffer.” She half year old son knows how to work an You should not work with men so much; to kids. The basic also because society embarrassing 30 years hence, I don’t care. realised this kid is not a duffer and is bal- iPhone. We didn’t have even a TV remote. you should work with women.” He was premise is kids are sen- is now challenging anced with something else. She encour- The film a family sees or the TV show five then. sitive and prone to this people to change, say- Do you think kids these days are aged me to watch films, sing or do thea- they watch over dinner or where they go Chauhan: On technology, their advice is type of messaging. It’s ing is it fair to target a smarter or just better informed? tre. She was my IMDB and Wikipedia; simple mind? Irani: (It’s not IQs but) Superficial aware- we’d talk till the wee hours of the morn- Chauhan: It’s probably not ness. Eventually they have to face the big ing. But then it was a different genera- smart to target kids since I’ve nev- bad world. All the precociousness and tion. I could never speak to her about er seen such a bunch of cynical non-be- information go for a toss. They have to girls. With my sons, I pull rank except I disagree lievers and sceptical people. Anything settle for one damn phone and make a ca- when we are playing the FIFA video about kids you put out there, they say ‘that’s not go- reer. It boils down to have you prepared game. We are supposed to be friends ing to make you fairer’ or ‘that won’t your kids to be affable, amenable, honest while playing that these days being make you taller.’ You’d have a better and to have a certain sense of ethics? articulate. They chance with a middle aged woman like That will take them further than shit- What do your kids expect from you? say ‘awsum!’ for me who says “Ah, seven signs of aging? It loads of superficial information. Shiv: Kids want their parents to have every damn will all go!” My 16 year old is not going to Shiv: Kids today are in a hurry to become deep values, be role models for their thing buy that. teenagers. They are more articulate and friends and finally be cool; a very diffi- Irani: Every 30 to 40 years, if you look at hence have a broader knowledge of cult combination. Boman Irani advertising from back when, it looks ter- things. A couple of areas where there is Gulzar: My kid believes he needs me to rible. You think, ‘Are these the ads we serious loss is handwriting and spelling look after him, his father to get him toys were listening to?’ (For instance) Ciga- due to autocorrect. and we need to listen to him; whether he rettes — the energy stick. When we see it Irani: I disagree about them being articu- will listen to us or no is up for debate. now, we cringe. I don’t know what we will late. They say ‘awsum!’ for every damn Chauhan: My kids demand consistency. I cringe about 50 years from now, but I’m thing. cannot afford to be caught in contradic- sure it will include many ads that we tions. You can’t say one thing and do the thought were pathbreaking. Or will we Are you friends to your kids? Did you other. Also, they just come down on you: be targeting infants in the next 30 years? consider your parents friends? they say you are being racist, ageist, sex- I really don’t know. Gulzar: Not my dad but my mother. I ist... We used to make these mild jokes at But the right thing to do over a period of mothered her more than she mothered the expense of communities and reli- time is to not influence a mind that’s so eas- me, growing up. She tells me I am doing gions and you can’t do that anymore ily influenced. It’s only fair play. If that can now for your son what I couldn’t do for you since they jump down your throat. (Left to right): D Shivakumar, Anuja Chauhan, Meghna Gulzar and Boman Irani stick around, and the advertising looks since she was a working woman, an ac- [email protected] Continued from Page 1 >> ISIS has released a new Android Shuddle, an ‘Uber for kids’ The New Rules... app aimed at children startup, runs off the road The Robert Wood Johnson The Rulebook A news broadcaster affiliated works: The app has games for Foundation study further ob- Dos served “That they tend to em- with the terrorist group ISIS memorising and how to write Use kids when the context is right. phasise toy-giveaways and has released an Android app the Arabic letters in addition Use them as they are movie tie-ins when marketing to that teaches children the Arabic to including a nasheed (a cap- kids on TV, rather than focus on food.” Ensure that what they say is alphabet — and it’s full of refer- pella Islamic songs) designed controlled enough to match reality Ideally they should just be focusing on the ences to weapons and jihad. Al to help teach the alphabet. The health aspect of products they choose to mar- Don’ts Bayan Radio, which broadcasts lyrics in the nasheed are lit- ket to kids, instead of luring them into buying ISIS propaganda on radio waves tered with jihadist terminology, ancillary items with their product. Glamorise actions and reactions of in the Middle East and through while other games within the The study singled out McDonald’s and Burger kids to suit your brand’s need its Android apps, made app also include militaris- King for airing fast-food ads on kids’ channels Use a kid in your advertising as a lure the app available to tic vocabulary with — Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Disney XD, and bait and Nicktoons. This, when they had reportedly supporters on the more common, basic Make a kid mouth stuff that he or she “pledged to devote 100% of their child-directed encrypted words. Words like should not advertising to healthier foods and lifestyles.” messaging ‘tank,’ ‘gun,’ and ‘rock- And if they weren’t able to do that, they would Practice Pester-Power. STOP please! app Telegram et’ are among just not advertise to kids at all, read the pledge. (Based on suggestions from brand and other plat- the first few Brands Pleading Guilty consultant Harish Bijoor who has been a forms ISIS com- taught within Shuddle, an “Uber for kids” startup, shut down recently after Both McDonald’s and Burger King disagreed part of CII National Marketing Committee monly uses. The the application. running out of money. In an email sent to drivers, the company that looked into the issue of advertising self- with the study (obviously) and alleged the data app isn’t avail- The website noted regulation and advertising to kids) said that it worked hard to find the financial resources, but was old and didn’t reflect current output. Post able on the Google that this is ISIS’ first couldn’t raise the money in the end. Since 2014, the startup the episode, at least McDonald’s showed some Play store, but can be app, however, aimed had raised $13.2 million, including a $9.6 million round last improvement in its kids offering, notes Mau- accessed through files exclusively at children. year set aside for expansion, but had burned through the cash reen Morrison of Advertising Age. shared online. But it’s far from the Closer home, McDonald’s has been using its Quick Take just in the Bay Area. CEO Doug Aley told The San Francisco This app is the latest step in Al only example of ISIS (which Chronicle’s Carolyn Said that it needed to raise an additional mascot Ronald McDonald to conduct interac- Every region’s advertising regulatory Bayan’s expansion — the radio is also known as the Islamic tive sessions with school children on balanced body has rules for marketing to kids $10 million to $15 million to “pull us through to profitability.” lifestyle, good food habits, and road safety, network broadcasts on FM fre- State, ISIL, or Daesh) trying to Faced with a market slowdown and investor demand for prof- Many brands are known to disregard shares Kedar Teny, director of marketing, Mc- quencies in the Middle East, but indoctrinate children under the itable businesses, the company failed to attract the cash and these rules despite pledging allegiance Donald’s India (West & South). “Last year, we has also recently released other pretense of educating them. The wound down. Shuddle also faced competition against other to the regulatory body’s principles had launched books as part of the Happy Meal Android apps and Telegram group has also released text- established startups — not to mention Uber — for transport- takeaway,” he says. A healthy fruit-based Historically, brands have found channels that distribute its books that teach various sub- ing kids. In San Francisco, Shuddle went head-to-head with drink that can be swapped with soda in themselves in trouble for flouting propaganda to a wider audi- jects using weapons and other Kango, formerly known as KangaDo. In Southern California, regulations the Happy Meal has also been in- ence. The Long War Journal terrorist motifs. HopSkipDrive is valued at $15 million and has already poached troduced recently. Taking these regulations for granted explained how the kids’ app (Source: businessinsider.com) executives from Uber. Some brands have had to can lead to erosion of trust parents (Source: businessinsider.com) pay rather heavily for flout- have in the brand ing rules. Last year, Coca- Brands should not risk losing parents Cola was asked to pay $21000 trust no matter how influential kids (USD) to the Quebec gov- become for their category ernment for advertising Fanta in a Canadian amuse- ment park. “In India, the around emotional and feel-good factor kid’s category communica- — not too many numeric claims in the tion has mostly been F&B sector, which is possibly a big rea- son why the complaints are so few here,” says Shweta Purandare, secretary general, ASCI (Advertising Stand- ards Council of India). Things are changing for the kid’s genre that’s long been under-in- dexed in India, notes Nina Elavia Jaipuria, EVP and business head of Kids cluster, at Viacom18 Media. Af- ter GECs and movies, kid’s genre is possibly the biggest, she tells us. “The genre has been growing rapidly, the sub- scription revenue has been increasing.” The consumer awareness and the regula- tory framework may also become stronger. Soon, what happened in the US with Mc- Donald’s and Burger King could well be hap- pening here with some other brands. In such circumstances, it’s imperative that brands move beyond 30 second brand pro- motions and start thinking of aligning with IPs in a way that doesn’t disregard advertising guidelines. For whatever it is that you do, you have to keep the “gate- keeper’s” (parents) trust intact.

THINKSTOCK [email protected] CCI NG 3.5 Product: ETMumbaiBS PubDate: 25-05-2016 Zone: BrandEquityWest Edition: 1 Page: BEWBP User: sandeep.dutta Time: 05-20-2016 23:11 Color: CMYK

ECONOMIC TIMES THE MAY 25-31, 2016 4 Kids Say The Darndest Things Whichever marketer claims to know the kids of today can do a humble rejig, for this smart generation can out-guess any planner and marketer. They know what they want. Do brand-custodians have the guts to get inside these smart minds and make sense of the chaos inside? BE speaks to a bunch of the 7-14 year olds across the country to check on what gets this Gen going. By Shephali Bhatt and Amit Bapna

Advay Karthik, 12, Bengaluru Ashwin Iyer, 12, Mumbai Bike/Car you’d want to own when you grow up: Lamborghini Gallardo Bike/Car you’d want to own when you grow up: Mahindra Favourite Gadget at home: Playstation 3 Rajkaushik Logan Favourite Sport/Sportsman: Football/Neymar Jr and Virat Kohli Boruah, 11, Guwahati Manasvini Sharma, Favourite Gadget at home: Mother’s Lenovo phone, LG Favourite Book: Diary of a Wimpy Kid 11, Navi Mumbai desktop Bike/Car you’d want to own when Favourite Actor/Actress: Harrison Ford Favourite Sport/Sportsman: Cricket/ AB de Villiers you grow up: Hyundai i10 Bike/Car you’d want to own when Favourite Snack/Drink/Chocolate: Doritos/Mountain Dew/Lindt Favourite Book: Malgudi Days Nikita Robertson, 12, Favourite Gadget at home: iPad you grow up: Rolls Royce Favourite Actor/Actress: Amitabh Bachchan/ Deepika BE’s little note: Advay is a first-world kid in our third-world nation. He Kolkata Favourite Sport/Sportsman: Favourite Gadget at home: interacts more with Marco Polo by way of the PS3 game Uncharted 2 Air-conditioner Padukone Bike/Car you’d want to own when you Cricket/ AB de Villiers rather than his textbooks. He is clear about his ambition - “I want to be Favourite Sport/Sportsman: Favourite Snack/Drink/Chocolate: Maggi grow up: Jaguar Favourite Book: Tintin a billionaire,” he tells us. He represents the Gen ‘Y Not’. Doesn’t have Volleyball/ Sania Mirza BE’s little note: Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome aboard the Favourite Gadget at home: Mumma’s Favourite Actor/Actress: any favourite actresses because he thinks they’re all “Okay types.” Favourite Book: Attack of the aberration, the exception to the norm — a non-Virat-Kohli phone: Oppo Mr Bean (Rowan Atkinson) Brands, think your communication is good enough to impress him? Bandit Cat/ Geronimo Stilton fan. When most of your timelines and offline conversations Favourite Sport/Sportsman: Dodge Ball/ Favourite Snack/Drink/Chocolate: Favourite Actor/Actress: are discussing whether Kohli is cricket’s equivalent on the Lionel Messi Cadbury Crackle/Coca-Cola Hrithik Roshan/ Aishwarya Rai Second Coming, here’s a boy who thinks Kohli is too Favourite Book: The Diary of a Wimpy BE’s little note: Here’s a boy who Favourite Snack/Drink/Chocolate: aggressive to be in his list of cool sportsmen. In fact, the AB Siddh Narhari, 13, Jaipur Kid surfs the net on an iPad and reads Vada Pav/Fresh orange juice/ de Villiers fan picks Rohit Sharma over the God-contender. Favourite Actor/Actress: Siddharth Tintin in his leisure time, and yet, Bike/Car you’d want to own when you grow up: Royal Enfield Dairy Milk Also note that the boy doesn’t like cold aerated beverages or Gupta/ Deepika Padukone doesn’t bother to find out who Favourite Gadget at home: Mobile chocolates. Hello there, FMCG overlords: Are you ready for Favourite Snack/Drink/Chocolate: Hot plays his favourite Mr Bean Favourite Sport/Sportsman: Cricket and Virat Kohli BE’s little note: Manasvini knows the Ashwin Iyers of the world? BE’s little note: Siddh chocolate/ Thums Up/ Cadbury Dairy character. Well that’s millennial- Favourite Actor/Actress: her mind and how. For starters her is an avid robotics en- Milk Silk ings for you. He wants to drive an Hrithik Roshan and Deepika chosen gadget in the house is not thusiast and has been i10 when he grows up because his Padukone BE’s little note: Nikita loves her daily soap the obvious laptop or the mobile one for a few years dad owned the same car. His dad Favourite Snack/Drink/ operas. That should explain why she picks phone — it is the more functional Angad Singh, 9, Gurugram now. He has already passed away a year and a half ago. Chocolate: Fruits/Blue a TV actor over Bollywood and air-conditioner. She hates heat, Bike/Car you’d want to own when you grow up: travelled the globe. Lesson for brands: Age has very Lagoon/Lindt Hollywood stars. Not a die-hard sport- she informs. She likes to cook and Lamorghini Aventador The fav gadget at little to do with sensitivity, please fanatic, Nikita is okay with playing purely can rustle up a mean pizza she Favourite Gadget at home: iPad home is what else, but be sensitive to that while crafting for “recreational” purposes. What makes confirms. True to her generation, Favourite Sport/Sportsman: Football/Cristiano the ubiquitous mobile communication for this breed. her special however is her clarity of you cannot box her into any Ronaldo which lets him speak, ambition. She wants to own a Jaguar specific type. She likes Vada Pav Favourite Book: Horrid Henry chat, play and com- when she’s older because it’s her maa’s since it is spicy and yet she likes Favourite Actor/Actress: Robert Downey Jr/ pete. His game of dream. “My mother wants me to succeed fresh (she reminds us about the Scarlett Johannson choice currently is Mi- in life,” she tells us. Good luck catching her fresh bit) orange juice. She wants Favourite Snack/Drink/Chocolate: Mother Dairy necraft. He likes crick- attention during the GEC commercial to become a pilot and also wants Ice Cream/Coca-Cola/Cadbury Dairy Milk et because it is the breaks. to dabble in social work. Go figure only game, in his view, out this type for yourself, planners BE’s little note: Angad loves football, and where one team gives therefore Cristiano Ronaldo, and that’s a target for the other. why he wants a Lamborghini Aventa- He plans to be a robot- dor when he grows up. (Ronaldo ics engineer and is , 10, BE’s little note: Wondering why a Virat Kohli owns one right now). When he already on that jour- Naman Singla aficionado picks skating over cricket as his wants to buy time to think about ney. His weekends Kurukshetra favourite sport? It’s because, believe it or what you’ve asked him, he even during Bike/Car you’d want to own when you not, there are towns in this country that are promptly tells you: “Good vacations are grow up: Ferrari turning anti gully cricket. And in such question.” Angad doesn’t choc-a-bloc Favourite Gadget at home: Dell Tablet circumstances, kids like Naman are taking to read that much, he says. Yet, with the Favourite Sport/Sportsman: Skating/ sports they can play respectfully. His school he knows he’s the second classes and Virat Kohli encourages skating. And skating saves member from his family to sessions. Whoever Favourite Book: 3 Friends Naman from the wrath of Gupta uncle and get featured in Brand Equity. He said, this gen Favourite Actor/Actress: Shah Rukh Bhatia aunty who’ve sacrificed enough may not remember the author of his is lacking in focus? Khan window panes to his potential sixers. Fancy favourite book, but this lad is definite- Favourite Snack/Drink/Chocolate: sponsoring a skating league now, brands? ly a “smart boy.” Cadbury Dairy Milk

Continued from Page 1 >> Under The... ECOMMERCE BFSI REAL ESTATE Game Of Clicks Beyond The Piggy Bank The Realty Check AUTO How kids have gone from ‘adorable’ to Kids have long been used in BFSI ads for the cute Are 7-12 year olds influencing purchase in Kids are also interested in cars be- ‘authoritative’ in ecomm advertising. quotient. Is kids as customers the next logical the real estate category? By Shephali Bhatt cause they represent bragging rights. By Shephali Bhatt step? By Amit Bapna “My daddy strongest” is no longer as kid being lifted in the air by his father, is the most common important as having a parent cool and pril 2011: Bengaluru-based indie Happy Creative Ser- hen a leading Indian private sec- Atrope of real estate ads. One encounters several such ads rich enough to afford the snazziest set Avices showed kids as adults in Flipkart’s ‘No Kidding, No Wtor bank set out to use kids for with a pithy “Give your child a happy future, a happy of wheels. Renault’s ad for Scala Worries’ campaign. It was instrumental in putting the its children’s account it was do- home.” For a 30-something parent, his/her kid is definitely a fac- showed a geeky kid being accorded dis- homegrown ecommerce player on the map. The intent: to show ing something different; pushing a prod- tor to consider when making a decision as big as buying a house. proportionate respect from his school that operating Flipkart (back in the day of extremely low tech- uct meant for kids, by deploying pester L&K Saatchi & Saatchi went with a similar-themed picture for mates angling for a ride in his new car. savviness) was child’s play. The insight: Indians love kids. In power – in the not so obvious for kids BFSI Omkar Alta Monte. The target: parents looking to shift closer to According to Anil Nair, CEO and man- fact, kids, animals, and elderly people, have been advertising’s category. While most banks do have prod- the highway, just so they’d spend less time commuting and more aging partner, L& K Saatchi & Saatchi favourite for ages now. It was purely a creative decision, says ucts aimed at children, none saw merit time with their kids. “Kids are the trigger for buying decisions who handles Renault, “When taking on Kartik Iyer, co-founder and CEO of Happy Creative Services. enough in going to the market with a sepa- but I won’t go to the extent of saying they have a role as influenc- Featuring kids in your communication so that they influence rately crafted communication piece. In ers yet,” clarifies Anil Nair, CEO and managing partner of L&K the purchase is done differently, he feels. “BMW did it by creat- general, the BFSI category — banks, mu- Saatchi & Saatchi. Everyone talks to ing strollers for kids, or Gucci by introducing children’s line of tual funds and insurance — have been the man and woman, he adds. Speak clothes. That’s how you create deploying kids at a fairly prolific clip in to Percy Chowdhry, director of love for your brand in the getting the message across. Which could campaigns which both can connect with, Mumbai’s leading realty major - child’s head and she/he influ- be in the form of a 30 second ad or brands it has a dual impact — the brand affinity Quick Take Rustomjee, and you may think dif- ences the parents to pick you sponsoring content on the specialised multiplies for the parent, who is our TG ferently. When Rustomjee rolled out Quick Take over others,” he adds. channels. LIC is the sponsor for one of the and the children may possibly grow up to Even if not direct a massive ‘Childhoods Available’ influencers, the Online shopping Cut to April 2015: Amazon ongoing shows on Disney. be our brand advocates.” One of their campaign, it became the first choice safety, welfare the Innova with Lodgy, the kids put the instinctively taps into a features a child in its ‘Aur Historically, financial ser- popular associations has for parents who were pining for and proximity idea into the parent’s head that they child’s desire for variety Dikhao’ campaign who’s de- vices has been known for been the PNB MetLife Jun- more quality time with their kids, didn’t want the Innova which they manding to see more options ‘happy smiling faces’ and ior Badminton Champion- to children are a he tells us. called ‘taxi wala car’, the vehicle that Kids are used to show online, encouraged by indul- featuring the entire family ship which claims to be the huge consideration But does that mean parents were factor in real estate took them to the airport or train sta- how easy online gent parents. There are sever- in advertising. But chil- Quick Take biggest talent hunt for the actually asking their kids which tion.” Getting family acceptance for shopping is — even a child al videos in that series that dren are making inroads future badminton star of In- purchases brand to put their money on? In some can do it was the theme the car was a stated goal from Sumit feature kids but this one says Ajay Kakar, CMO – fi- In this category dia. The brand had an- A secure cases they did. Chowdhry tells us of a famous Flipkart Sawhney, CEO of Renault India. So the stresses the involvement in nancial services, Aditya children nounced Snoopy (of the Pea- comfortable about one of them: “Aparna Nadkar- campaign next time, you hear a tot in a mall or the purchase process. “Kids Birla Group. After all the personify the nuts family) as its mascot in environment for ni, now a Rustomjee customer, would elsewhere haranguing the folks over a In some parts of the are a massive influence in the best way to the wallet is responsibilities of 2015 with the stated aim of kids is one of the bring her 8-year-old son along every vehicle, he may be gunning for a lot country, children’s category,” says Rajdeepak through the heart. Re- and expectations increasing its familiarity most common time she came to check Rustomjee’s more than the next addition to his Hot interest in and comfort Das, CCO of Leo Burnett search has repeatedly from the chief among children. It’s not all tropes of category Project Thane. 50% customers take a Wheels collection with technology makes (whose sister concern Or- shown that the Indian male wage earner happiness and laughs advertising day to seal the deal but she made them the primary chard devised the campaign). wants to be seen as a car- Companies like though: Three leading in- three visits. Maybe she wanted to ne- shoppers Every time Das is on his iPad ing, selfless and hard-work- PNB Metlife are surance players — HDFC gotiate. At one point we saw her son trying to buy something on- ing provider. And what bet- trying to appeal Life, Tata AIA and Birla Sun telling her, “mummy, lelo yeh ghar” Quick Take line, his four and a half year ter way to make him feel to kids directly Life in close succession (Mom, buy this house).” Her son is old daughter participates. proud of his efforts and de- via mascots like launched brand campaigns 12 now. And Nadkarni feels kids Kids these days are far more “She swipes, swipes, swipes, cisions than to show the Snoopy. in which a single father these days are a lot more aware than informed about and invested stops her finger at what she smiling face of his fami- faced various adversities for she was at their age. “Their inputs in the minutiae of cars likes, and walks out,” he ly….and child! their offspring. are well thought-through and one shares. Maybe she’s a metro Many players follow the formula. Children while not key stakeholders must take them into account be- Companies acknowledge kid who’s been toying with “There is no doubt that kids are future seem to be the anchor, at least as can be cause ultimately your child’s happi- their role in the deciding her father’s iPad since she was consumers, driving consumption deci- seen in recent campaigns from ICICI ness is paramount,” she says. While colours and asking after a year and a half. But Das says his research shows several vil- sions and marketers are doing a lot of Bank and IDBI Bank. As per D Ramki, not decision makers their inputs features lage households with one mobile having an internet connec- things to appeal to kids”, concludes Ra- CEO, Cartwheel, “It’s merely a reflection are certainly valued. Even in mat- Maruti Suzuki has even made tion where the 7-12 year olds guide the family into buying ghu Bhat, co-founder, Scarecrow Com- of what really happens in homes.” Kids ters involving millions of rupees, its showrooms more kid things online. It would seem then that the days of uttering munications. have a strong and informed views about their opinions aren’t being brushed friendly, realising the child “Bachcha hai yeh toh” (He’s just a kid) are long gone in many PNB Metlife’s MD & CEO Tarun Chugh everything and they are expressing aside anymore. is an integral part of the car parts of the country. “Baap log hain yeh bachche” (These kids explains, “If we provide unique experi- them democratically in family discus- purchase process are wise beyond their years) is the new normal. ences for children and parents or launch sions, he adds.

Regn.No.MAHENG/2002/6711Volume 15 Issue No. 21Published for the Proprietors, Bennett Coleman & Company Ltd. by R. Krishnamurthy at The Times Of India Building, Dr. D.N.Road, Mumbai 400 001Tel. No. (022) 6635 3535, 2273 3535, Fax- (022)-2273 1144 and printed by him at (1) The Times of India Suburban Press, Akurli Road, Western Express Highway, Kandivili (E), Mumbai 400 101. Tel. No. (022) 28872324, 28872930, Fax- (022) 28874230 (2) The Times of India Print City, Plot No. 4, T.T.C. Industrial Area, Thane Belapur Road, Airoli, Navi Mumbai-400708 and (3) TIMES PRESS, Plot No. 5A, Road No. 1, IDA Nacharam Ranga Reddy District, Hyderabad-500076. Editor: Ravi Balakrishnan(Responsible for selection of news under PRB Act). © All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of the Publisher is prohibited.