We want our campaigns to be based on human stories: Ranjivjit Singh, Samsung India

Samsung India has been long dominating the smartphone market, being among the top 3 brands. The brand has also been in the limelight due to its various campaigns. According to Vidooly Digital Video Report, Samsung was India’s most viewed advertiser in 2017 on YouTube. Recently, the Samsung Customer Service ad won the YouTube Ads Leaderboard Award for being the most watched video on YouTube globally in 2017. It comes as no surprise that Samsung continues to be India’s most trusted brand for yet another year as per TRA’s Brand Trust Report 2018. 

Along with its campaigns, Samsung India has also been very active with its several CSR initiatives. Last year, the company launched ‘The Samsung Safe India’ campaign which aims to make people aware about responsible use of smartphones, especially when taking selfies on the road. 

In 2017, Samsung had pledged support to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ drive to reduce road accidents, especially those that happen due to irresponsible usage of smartphones. India today has the highest number of road accidents globally. A study commissioned by Samsung India revealed that nearly 60 per cent of Indian two-wheeler users admit to ‘instinctively’ answering their smartphones when driving, while 14 per cent of Indian pedestrians admit to taking selfies while crossing the road at least once a week. 

Along with this campaign, Samsung has also invested in developing safe mobility apps for two-wheelers, cars, as well as pedestrians. Safe mobility apps from Samsung, such as Bike Mode, Car Mode and Walk Mode which promote responsible usage of smartphones on the road, are part of Samsung’s ‘Make for India’ initiative. 

In January this year, Samsung rolled out the second phase of the Safe India campaign and involved school children as well as the traffic police in different states. 

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In conversation with Adgully, Ranjivjit Singh, CMO, Samsung India, takes us through the making of the campaign, the ideation, the objective, roping in government bodies and more. Excerpts: 

What was the concept behind the Safe India campaign?
The Samsung Safe India campaign is one of our flagship CSR initiatives. While we are focused on education, skilling and healthcare in our CSR programmes, we also felt it is important to focus on road safety. 

India has the highest number of road accidents globally and accounts for more than 50 per cent of total selfie deaths in the world, according to a report by Carnegie Mellon University, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi and National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli. Irresponsible usage of mobile phone, including the new trend of taking selfies on the road, is one of the major causes of road accidents in the country today. 

State and local governments across the country are now concerned about the growing number of accidents triggered by people taking selfies while walking on the road, riding two-wheelers or driving cars. 

There is a need to sensitise people about responsible use of mobile phones while on the road, whether you are driving, or walking or even when you are taking a selfie, which is the objective of the Samsung Safe India campaign. 

How have you strategised to take the message to audiences across segments?
The Samsung ‘Safe India’ campaign adopted a multi-pronged approach to spread awareness about responsible usage of mobile phones on the road in partnership with the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. 

In the first phase of the campaign last year, we built up momentum and awareness through a powerful video that was broadcast on television and also on YouTube. 

In the second phase, which was rolled out in January this year, we physically connected with people on the ground with a twin strategy of going through radio and through skits and messages in schools, colleges and malls. 

We partnered with local traffic police in Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow and Chennai, which put out relevant messages on LED walls and other public information systems about responsible usage of mobile phones. 

Radio messages on the importance of responsibly using smartphones on the road, including taking selfies on the road, by Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways; Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh; Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra; and Edappadi K Palaniswami, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, were broadcast across the country. 

Apart from the campaign, we had also reached out to school children and youth in colleges as well. A message on responsible usage of smartphones, including ‘safe selfie’ from the Chief of Traffic Police in each of the cities is being played at all schools, followed by an animation film on responsible usage of smartphones. 

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In Delhi, the 35-second Samsung ‘Safe India’ campaign, which has been viewed over 150 million times on YouTube, has already been showcased during the Road Safety Campaign by Delhi Traffic Police in 1,200 schools. 

Additionally, two trucks mounted with LFD screens played videos with messages on responsible usage of smartphones, while skits talking about the issue were organised at selected university, college campuses and malls in Delhi and Mumbai. 

What is the role of government authorities in the campaign?
In June last year, we launched the first phase of Safe India campaign in partnership with the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. Nitin Gadkari was featured in the 35-second Samsung ‘Safe India’ campaign video. 

In the second phase of the campaign, we have partnered with State Governments of Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, along with the city traffic police of Mumbai, Chennai and Lucknow to promote responsible use of smartphones. The Union Minister and State Chief Ministers joined the Samsung ‘Safe India’ campaign by not only sharing messages with the public on this important issue, but also by involving their administration and the traffic police to actively participate. 

As I said earlier, radio messages on the importance of responsibly using smartphones on the road by Nitin Gadkari and the Chief Ministers of UP, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu was broadcast in the respective states. 

Apart from this, the state traffic police also put up posters at selected “No Selfie” zones in these cities and spread awareness through LED walls and other public display signage. 

How is the campaign strategy connected with Samsung’s brand and business?
As a market leader, it is our duty to step forward and support the Government’s vision of reducing road accidents caused by irresponsible usage of mobile phones. We want to highlight that technology should be used productively and responsibly. We are today the largest mobilephone maker in the country. We are also the most trusted and loved brand in the country. Samsung cares for its consumers and the community around it. 

This is why, in 2017 Samsung pledged its support to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ drive to reduce road accidents, especially those that happen due to irresponsible usage of smartphones. 

Samsung’s communication approach has seen a shift – from being product specific to connecting with consumers at an emotional level. How did this shift come about?
In our recent campaigns, Samsung has been connecting with consumers through the warmth of the brand. We have launched several heart-warming campaigns, such as the Samsung Smart Class campaign, the Samsung Technical School campaign, which talked about women empowerment, the Customer Service Vans campaign as well as the Samsung Safe India campaign that encourages people to use their mobile phones responsibly. 

Each of our campaigns is based on the work we do with communities and how much we care about our consumers. These campaigns showcase the brand ethos of Samsung – helping communities and also caring about consumers at every step and bringing in innovative technologies to solve real life problems. 

Samsung is the most trusted brand in India. We appreciate the love expressed by our consumers and as a leader we continue to stay deeply rooted in the hearts and minds of Indians while we bring the latest technology to them through our meaningful innovations. 

We want our campaigns to be based on human stories that touch an emotional chord with our consumers. In the case of our latest QLED TV campaign, the objective was to bring out the emotional connect that a TV has within our families. 

Our campaign strategy is simple – to keep customers at the core and focus on Samsung’s ability to listen to its customers, wherever they are. 

Samsung has been in India for 22 years now and it is today the most loved and trusted brand in the country and these heart-warming videos reflect the love that people have in the brand.

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