Shubhodip Pal is the Chief Marketing Officer at Micromax Infomatics Ltd. He handles all marketing efforts of the company globally. Having over 16 years of experience in the consumer space, Pal in his last profile was heading BLYK India, a mobile messaging company and was successful in launching India's First Mobile magazine catering to the Youth as its Country Manager and Director. He has experience in launching, building and managing brands from consumer durables to the banking/financial, IT hardware sector and Telecom Services sector. Having worked on the whole spectrum of marketing, specialise in Product Management, Retail, Marketing Communications, Media, Sports and Entertainment Marketing, Online, Mobile Marketing He has worked with global renowned brands such as Samsung, ABN AMRO and HP.

In an interaction with India Digital Review, Shubhodip talks about Micromax’s digital initiatives, brand’s social media presence and plans for 2013.

How does the digital medium - both internet and mobile figure in Micromax India’s plans to reach out to consumers?

I think digital both internet and mobile has its own role to play. What we have done in the past one year and what we also plan to do going forward is to amplify our traditional media campaigns using digital medium. It could be a product launch or social media activation or to just start a conversation with our customers. Mobile on the other hand is still nascent somehow I feel it will take another couple of years to be as good as traditional media but it is certainly picking up very fast. User clicks on mobile has started showing results over a period of two years. I have met brand managers who have shared that mobile enters a users personal space and they seem comfortable sharing the information. So, as long as a medium is interactive and relevant for users I don’t think so it will be a deterrent to reach out to consumers. Therefore, as long as services are being provided when a user wants it or opts for a particular app or service then it will work. Once you start spamming them then that should be the end. Digital plays a big role for Micromax India going forward it will be an integral part of all our advertising campaigns.

Micromax has been launching digital campaigns for its Mobile phones and tablets like the ‘CAN CAN’ campaign promoting Superfone A110 Canvas 2 handset. How do you plan to extend this campaign on digital platforms?

We did a lot of trivia and content related activities around it. I believe in user engagement so if a user is considering buying a mobile phone Micromax should be in the consideration space. Information can be disseminated about a particular product using the online medium. User can decided what information is relevant for them pick up the lead and end up purchasing the product. Going forward, all the smartphones of our brand will be under Canvas umbrella we launched Canvas 2 we have an array of products coming up. Also, we have Funbook in the tablet category.

In 2013, what is Micromax doing digitally to promote its offerings?

I have a mandate in the team internally that whatever we do on traditional media have to be reflected in the digital media. In some cases we can promote the products on both internet and mobile it totally depends on the merit of the campaign. But it is definitely a healthy mix between mobile and internet.

How do you see the importance of social media for promoting your brand in India?

I’m speaking with my 15 years of experience that social media has emerged as an important aspect for a brand especially in the last three years. Social media is a simple yet tactical game which needs to be played in terms of how you want to connect with your users without intruding in their personal space. Social media does impact the longevity of a brand and we have to respect the medium.

For a brand, social media would translate in customer’s feedback platform and what are their likes and dislikes about the brand. It is a medium through one can easily communicate brand’s positioning to the end users. It is a platform for spreading the word around about the brand and its offerings.

Micromax’s Facebook campaign ‘Funbook with a Letter to Your Dad’ has received encouraging response. What are the new social media campaigns lined up for company’s new launches in 2013?

We have a great line up for the Canvas Series which is our flagship product. Canvas campaigns will come month-on-month we have already started since January this year. As I said, digital is an important medium it does impact our brand and it is clearly there in our online sales. So, we have launched customised ecommerce space called 'Micromax Store' in partnership with SnapDeal.

What were the digital spends of Micromax India in 2012? What percentage of your media budget are you planning to invest in digital for 2013?

The digital budget was very small in 2012 but we have increased it to 8-9 percent in 2013.

What answers do you seek from your digital advertising agencies and digital media partners while promoting your brand on internet?

I think all digital partners and agencies we work with are quite well versed with the space. The young people who work in these agencies understand the intricacies of the medium but what is lacking is working cohesively with above the line campaign. Once that campaign is cracked then digital people come in picture I’m waiting for the day when the digital agency will crack an idea and traditional advertising (print or TV agency) will follow suit. The best part about a digital campaign is once you get a good idea it can go live the next day. So, we do have competitive agencies as long as they completely understand the brand and give us good numbers not just in terms of leads we are satisfies with them. However, I feel that mobile advertising is going to play a major role in future with data becoming the voice.

What innovations would you, as a brand, want from online publishers in the country?

I think idea is very important. Once you get the right idea innovation will come along. In terms of Micromax strategy, the technology becomes the big idea take for example the campaign we did for Canvas phone it was all about changing the existing image of the brand. It is a great looking phone but unfortunately people don’t know much about the high end features that we are offering in small price bracket. So, there are many tools or features in the phone that can be demonstrated very nicely on internet or mobile medium that’s where innovation can kick in. So, how we can use innovation to make customer understand the brand better is something we seek from publishers.

Micromax has been waging its way in a turf which has dominant presence of brands like Samsung and Nokia. How helpful has been the digital space in capturing the market?

Definitely, digital has impacted our presence in terms of numbers. Both these brands have legacy of their own. Micromax is still a new entrant but moving at a very fast pace and making a strong foothold in the market what these other two brands have done.

Digital medium is all about consistency being there at the right time at the right place and smartly using it can help us catch up with Samsung and Nokia by the end of 2013. It totally depends on how aggressive and relevant we are as a brand. We can spend a certain sum of money and make a Micromax world but it would not help. So, a clear strategy and taking on other players slowly will definitely boost our position.

People are speaking about mobile being a great medium for brand communication, but still, very less amounts are spent on the particular medium. What is your take on this?

In my previous company, I had successfully launched India’s first mobile magazine I see the relevance of the medium I know how it works. I have seen some great work happening on mobile medium in Europe and other parts of the world but unfortunately that’s not the same here in India. We need more mobile evangelists we need more people who understand and talk of the medium as a great tool for brand communication. We do not have the expertise for this medium people are still very ‘old school thought’ when it comes to mobile and have no idea what it can do. Although, I would like to point out that I have seen serious brands allocating budget, though small, for mobile.

The challenge is that there is no official body though which brands can measure the impact of their mobile campaigns. But there are bodies that are working on it and I’m positive about it. Two years from now, mobile could very well be the next boom.

Micromax presently leads in the online mobile sales. How important is it for Micromax to have an e-commerce presence. Do you have any plans to launch your proprietary e-commerce platform?

As I have mentioned earlier, we have launched a separate section for Micromax products with online marketplace, SnapDeal. It is an exclusive space powered by SnapDeal where only Micromax products will be showcased.

Internet is said to be a measurable medium. What is your take on this? Have we overdone the measurement quotient and made this medium hard to understand for the brand marketers?

It is a very old debate. Sometimes I feel we are overdoing the measurement as for me as long we have got a plan for the relevant segment that I’m targeting it is important for me. The numbers are important but the product longevity is something we highly focus on. So, it is not just the number of people I’m reaching out to but their quality is also crucial. So, there are API’s and a set budget but at the end of the day as a brand it is the perception of the target audience that makes the difference. That perception helps me decided where to advertise and how much amount to spend on a particular medium.

How do you see your marketing objectives aligning with what the online medium offers from two years down the line?

Going forward, our partners and teams are well aligned. Online is definitely an important part of all of Micromax campaigns.