Sulekha questions India's Jugaad culture with its new TVC!

Sulekha, one of India’s largest and fastest-growing digital platforms for local service need fulfilment, today announced the launch of its new Campaign which takes a dig at the Jugaad culture in India. The 360⁰ brand campaign highlights how Jugaad isn’t the optimal solution for any problem and even though, it might get you through sometimes, it might go wrong in a big way. The campaign tries to bring out the importance of permanent solution over quick fixes that we usually resort to for our local service needs. The campaign is part of Sulekh’s attempt to establish itself as THE destination for all the Local Service Needs of customers. While Sulekha’s new Digital Campaign will go live today, the first TV commercial (TVC) will be telecast nationally on January 16, 2016. With “Go #AntiJugaad” as its theme, the TVC urges users to effortlessly seek and satisfy every home/local service need with a click of the Sulekha app. The TVC launch would be followed by radio and outdoor to amplify reach and frequency.

Sulekha’s new campaign comes close on the heels of the company receiving a funding of Rs. 175 crore from GIC, the sovereign wealth fund of Singapore, and Norwest Venture Partners, a top-tier global investment firm. Sulekha, the pioneer of web-based discovery and decision-making platform for organized Local Services in India, today offers more than 800 local services—home care, computer training, serviced apartments, party catering, baby-sitting, yoga lessons, auto repair, to name a few. The Sulekha app is a one-stop shop for both standardized local needs (like pest control) and special requirements (catering or interior design).

About the Television Commercial “Go #AntiJudaad”

Sulekha’s TVC, created by Ogilvy & Mather, features the popular TV actor, Nitin Ratnaparkhi. Ratnaparkhi is seen providing a quick fix or Jugaad for various home/domestic crises, yielding hilarious outcomes. The ads urges audience to “Go Anti-Jugaad” and find professional help using Sulekha app for every home/local service need.

Commenting on the theme of the campaign, Tithi Ghosh, Senior Vice President & Head of Advertising, Ogilvy & Mather, said, “The cornerstone of our campaign is the thought of Go Anti Jugaad. The sheer inconvenience and pain of finding a suitable service provider leads to procrastination and temporary, imperfect fixes or makeshift solutions. We decided to use the very Indian cultural phenomenon of Jugaad as the springboard for creative. By dramatizing the ill effects of Jugaad at home we deliver the message that home owners can avail expert help on Sulekha. Instead of preaching or taking on a serious tone we chose to influence behavior change by making our audience laugh at themselves, their acceptance of Jugaad which deep down they know is far from perfect. The accompanying jingle builds a sweeping scale for the campaign and will definitely add to the enjoyment of the video and TVC. We believe this campaign will break clutter in a communication landscape that is dominated by urban chic.”

This TVC will be telecast nationally in multiple languages such as Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali & Kannada. The TV campaign will be supported by an innovative Digital campaign to enhance brand awareness and reinforce brand association with the Local Services category. This will be followed shortly by a 360⁰ brand campaign involving a host of Above The Line (ATL) marketing activities and radio promotions.

Commenting on Sulekha’s brand campaign, Soumendu Ganguly, Head of Marketing, Sulekha, said, “Sulekha is one of India’s largest digital brands. People know about us and that’s why we get close to 20 mn visitors every month. But we were considered to be a classified website. With explosive increase in India’s digital population, upwardly mobile Indian’s are looking online for all their needs. Sulekha being an early mover in this category with its vast network of trusted service professionals, wanted to appropriate this space by going on mass media and claiming the category.

We believe the insight for the campaign is deep rooted in Indian culture and would strike a chord with the audience. We have all tried to Jugaad our way out of situations. While it being a popular practice, we all know that it is not the optimum solution. Local Service Partners listed on Sulekha understand that consumers aren’t looking for quick fixes but permanent solutions. Our “Go #AntiJugaad” campaign echoes this sentiment and aims to reach out to everyone who is seeking easy access to professional, high-quality Local Services.”

Speaking on the campaign, Satya Prabhakar, Founder and CEO of Sulekha, said, “Smartphones have revolutionized how Indians search for and consume Local Services. Local Services has become as an important business category and this market is currently valued at S200 billion. At Sulekha, we have had a 90% growth in Local Services demand last year and this will only grow. We are committed to make this business a success.”