The event commenced with an illuminating keynote address from Gaurav Jain, the Head of Emerging Business at ShareChat & Moj. During his presentation on 'Winning Over Bharat & Young India on ShareChat & Moj,' He spoke about the immense potential of Indian social media platforms like ShareChat and Moj to effectively connect with the audience and how their collective expertise, strong creator ecosystem, ad formats and strategies can enable marketers to penetrate the Indic language first user base in these regions.
Following the keynote address, Apurva Sircar, Head of Marketing at Bandhan Bank, took the spotlight to deliver an engaging presentation titled - 'Content and Brands: Ye Bandhan toh...and all that.'
Using a mix of real-life stories and Bollywood examples, Apurva discussed the evolving content consumption landscape, highlighting the enduring appeal of short-form videos. He highlighted that advertisers should try to generate short-format content that is concise content that directly addresses and promotes the brand. Meanwhile, the long-form content should delve deeper, providing a comprehensive and detailed exploration of the brand within the framework of a broader piece of content. His insightful presentation left everyone both informed and entertained.
The inaugural panel discussion of the evening centered around the topic - The Mishti Touch: Language and Culture's Influence on Festive Campaigns, was skillfully moderated by Seema Walia, Director of Scaled Business at Sharechat and Moj and featured prominent industry figures, including Poulomi Roy, CMO of Joy Personal Care (RSH Global); Snehja Sanganeria, from Meraqi Digital; Abhishek Singh, Co-founder of Digital Abhiyan; and Shantanu Banerjee, Head of Marketing at Dollar.
In their discussion, these experts delved into how language and cultural context influence the success of festive campaigns. They stressed the importance of brands tapping into linguistic, cultural, and geographical expertise when creating festive ad narratives.
Furthermore, they highlighted that to effectively engage with the audience and avoid unintended disrespect to the cultural traditions this festive season. Brands should prioritize social listening, on-ground research, and collaboration with cultural experts. The discussion revealed many other fascinating insights.
To liven up the event further, the stage welcomed - Murali Krishnan, Co-Founder & CMO of Wow! Momos. He indulged in an interesting session of Fireside chat with Gaurav Jain, Head of Emerging Business at ShareChat & Moj, on the topic "The Role of Social Media in WOWing the Indian QSR Market". Together, they discussed about Wow! Momos' incredible journey, branding secrets, regional challenges, and the impact of social media in driving success for the QSR industry.
They also touched on topics like the unique challenges that Wow Momos encountered in maintaining a local touch while scaling nationally and the intriguing regional variations in Momo culture across India.
The second panel discussion of the evening was moderated by Rahul Shrivastava, Director, Mid Market and Government at Sharechat & Moj and explored the topic - Minutes don't win it: mastering the art of short-form video for maximum campaign impact.
They engaged in captivating discussions, including the effectiveness of short-form videos in audience engagement and targeted advertising. The panel also touched up on a few creator-focused questions like valuable tips for marketers and advertisers to craft compelling short-form content. The discourse also yielded valuable insights into how the emergence of Short Form Videos has impacted brand strategies over the last few years and more.
Each panelist contributed valuable insights and deep industry knowledge to enhance the discussion.
City Connects Kolkata proved to be a resounding success, providing marketers and advertisers with a wealth of knowledge and extensive networking opportunities. The event delivered valuable insights into reaching both Bharat and young India audiences, equipping industry professionals with fresh perspectives to engage this constantly evolving user base.
Explore exclusive event photos here, and stay tuned to our LinkedIn page for updates on our upcoming events.
