Brand Klub Gujarat hosts Brand Fest season 2

Organisations should look to create moments of magic through brands and beyond to earn the respect of patrons, according to R. Gopalakrishnan, author and CEO of Mindworks.

 He was speaking at the two-day virtual Brand Fest 2022 organised by Brand Klub Gujarat that also saw other prominent names from the fields of advertising and communications sharing their insights and experiences with more than 600 participants. 

 “What India needs is more and more companies that can firstly get respected and admired for their honest and sustainable performance,” said Gopalakrishnan, who held senior positions at Tata Group and HUL and has 17 books to his credit. Chintan Soni, vice president-digital at Madison Media, spoke about the growth of digital media and future trends. 

“Digital media has just started picking up from the overall penetration point of view, but India is actually making a mark in the use of technology,” Soni said, stressing the need to reach out to the audience in the language they speak. 

During a session on ‘Keeping a legacy brand alive through generations’, Jayen Mehta, COO of Amul, said direct interactions with consumers has made it easier for companies to think from the consumer’s point of view. 

“The Amul model of advertising and communications is basically the establishment of a direct linkage between consumers and the brand,” he said. The first day of the two-day Brand Fest culminated with an enriching business & brand quiz by quizmaster Sanjay Chakraborty.  

“Brand Klub is a platform of professionals from the fields of advertising, marketing, and communication curated by marketing and communication professionals and through Brand Fest, we wish to contribute and raise the standards of Marketing Communication area of business,” said Sanjay Chakraborty, who is also the founding member of Brand Klub Gujarat.The second day of the event also saw great sessions on visual storytelling and branding journey. 

In his address, Rajeev Chudasama, the co-founder of Marching Ants, who is popularly known as the Poster Boy of Bollywood, spoke about some prominent movie posters he has designed.

 “When Anand Rai narrated the story of Raanjhanaa, I got a clear picture about how I am going to design the poster. I used a lot of colours in the poster, and since then, washing detergents are also using it as a trend in their TV commercials,” he said, adding visual storytelling has become even more important over the years. 

In another session, Chanpreet Arora, head of AVoD (Voot), noted that the Indian culture is so different and the history, religion, and lifestyles so diverse that no one can say it's going to be the number one global brand. “I have learned one thing that brands, when they develop a communication platform, must build it keeping in mind our cultural values,” she said.

The final session of Brand Fest revolved around how fun and happiness can play a vital role in creating a brand. 

“The moment of magic that results in consumer happiness is something we all live by. In a world that is either marketing products, brands or services I choose to market happiness,” remarked Mike Murali, Chief Fun Officer & Senior Director Marketing, Capgemini, adding he prefers to talk about smilestone rather than milestone.

 The Brand Fest season 2 culminated with a musical performance by Mukt - The Band.