Exclusive | The True 'Merck' of Innovation: Siddhartha Sengupta

Merck is a global pharmaceutical and chemical company whose notability is as well established as its legacy. It was founded in 1668 and today is a transnational behemoth with 40,000 employees in 67 countries.  Merck Limited (formerly known as E. Merck Limited) was set up in India as the company’s first subsidiary in Asia, in 1967. Merck’s Performance Materials division offers highly innovative materials, advanced technologies, and high-tech chemicals for sectors such as consumer electronics, lighting, printing, plastics, and cosmetics. It is the market leader for products like liquid crystals for LCD displays, new lighting technologies, and functional and effect pigments.
 
Siddhartha Sengupta — Head-Performance Materials, Merck [India] — speaks to Adgully about the company and the performance material division, which will play a major role in a new venture called Project effexX.  
 
Adgully (AG): How does Project effexX plan to offer innovations in the field of design?
 
Siddhartha Sengupta (SS): The field of design is just one of the areas which will be tapped by Project effexX.  Our portal also caters to innovations in cosmetics and skincare.  In design, we address different realms like product, architecture, interiors, aesthetics and even packaging; so the scope is vast indeed.  When developing this portal, we realized influencers are constantly seeking new materials and concepts. Being innovators in pearl-effect pigments, we recognized this need.  Merck offers innovative effect and functional pigments for various industries like coatings, plastic, printing, brand protection and cosmetics. They all have one thing in common — brilliant colour effects, long lasting high quality and unique additional properties that enable distinct product differentiation for our partners. Over 60% of our product portfolio is unique and cannot be replicated. 
 
Through Project effexX, we encourage innovation and seed new concepts with regards to the various design disciplines. Primarily, it offers experts across disciplines a single platform to come together, interact and network. Currently, membership to the portal is free and we have on board professionals ranging from novices to those who are also well established in their fields.  However, this is only the beginning; going forward, in addition to reaching out to our stakeholders online, we plan to have seminars and workshops on the digital space as well. Virtually, we also plan to upload videos which demonstrate how effective our pigments are in bringing life to products. All of these initiatives, online as well as offline, are geared to help budding professionals get end-to-end solutions or even start their own business or a new product line. 
 
AG: What was the basic rationale in envisioning Project effexX?
 
SS: Project effexX has been in the making for the past two years and we have launched this portal in December 2011.  Its main objective is to enlighten, empower and inspire people.  The basic idea was to perpetuate and encourage innovation as widely as possible; and also give back to the community.  The freedom to innovate is not a purview of a few.  There are countless individuals in our country who are bursting with innovative ideas, but do not have a platform on which they can share them.  The consumer is king today; however, consumers might not be aware that they have the potential to demand more in terms of quality and get it!  How many of us actually think about what comprises all of the various products we use every day?  How many of us question whether we can get something better without having to pay that much more and thereby improve our quality of life?  It is our endeavour to reach out to the end-consumer through influencers across various disciplines and make them aware of their power to bring change by asking questions.
 
We hope Project effexX becomes such a platform where the consumer, demanding a better product, meets an innovator who can provide a solution; as well as an enterprise who could manufacture this solution, making it accessible to a wider audience.  Merck plays an important role in this entire equation since we offer some of the safest and best products in the industry.  And we have the necessary certification to back these claims. 
 
AG: Can you outline the projects that you have kick-started right now?
 
SS: Merck is the pioneer and global leader in pearl-effect pigments. Merck pigments go into various applications like coatings in automobiles, decorative material, plastic, printing, brand protection and cosmetics. Basically in all applications where colour exists.  We specialise in providing unique solutions to our customers, who in turn consider us as their consultants and not mere suppliers.  For example, if they wish to launch a new cosmetic product, they come to us as we provide them with end-to-end solutions; right from product formulation to packaging, branding and marketing as well.  The unique solutions that we provide extend all the applications in which we are present. The portal received an enthusiastic response soon after its launch at an on-ground event in January 2012; and we already have a few projects lined up.  However, they are still at a conceptual stage and hence it would not be possible to divulge any details as yet.
 
At this stage, we are not reaching out directly to consumers since they are not aware of what is it that we do.  Instead, we are connecting with them through influencers like architects, interior designers, makeup artists, salon owners, spa owners and product owners via Project effexX. We decided to do this because we felt that it is time that our consumer/customers are a moving to a level where they expect better and unique products. 
 
AG: What are the criteria for getting professionals on board?
 
SS: Project effexX is a portal for any professional who wishes to increase knowledge, share it with others, interact with like-minded, creative and innovative individuals and hopefully, create something together.  This has been our proposition to any influencer who we have approached for being part of Project effexX.  So whether you are famous or aspiring for recognition, our portal has something for everybody. 
 
AG: Do you provide end-to-end consultancy?
 
SS: Oh yes, we do! We actually specialise in providing unique solutions to our customers, who in turn consider us as their consultants and not mere suppliers.  For example, if they wish to launch a new cosmetic product, they approach us as we provide them with end-to-end solutions right from product formulation to packaging, branding and marketing as well.  In doing so, we end up being their partner right from conceptualisation to the development of the final product.  The unique solutions that we offer extend to all applications in our portfolio. 
 
AG: What categories are covered in this?
 
SS: Project effexX is a first of its kind co-creation platform in the world of product design, architectural design, interior design, aesthetic design, package design, cosmetics and skin care.  It is targeted at professionals working across design disciplines and aims to enhance their understanding of global trends and movements; enabling them to unleash new concepts and possibilities in the consumer product development space. 
 
AG: Could you describe the plan to make the initiative popular?
 
SS: Project effexX is a first-of-its-kind initiative which hasn’t been attempted before by anyone in the industry of effect pigments.  Presently, we are focusing on the digital space through our portal and Facebook to popularise this portal.  Our Facebook page has already garnered a fan base of 56000 and is rapidly growing.  The increasing acceptance and popularity of social media has enabled us to reach out to a larger audience. We would also conduct a lot of interactive sessions online through which we aim to engage and educate our stakeholders.
 
Project effexX is primarily aimed at influencers; whereas Facebook is intended for the end consumer.  Some of the influencers are not very famous and this is a platform from where they can talk, advertise and educate people and also reach out to a larger audience.  We will soon connect the two platforms, whereby there is opportunity to initiate dialogue between the influencers and consumers.  This, in turn, would further fuel demand and innovation.
 
AG:  Skincare is gaining ground today; how will Project EffexX harness that?
 
SS: Beauty is one of the three verticals on project effexX, which covers all aspects ranging from skin care, personal care to colour cosmetics.  Merck understands the global trends and concepts in this segment and offers top quality, safe and genuine ingredients for beauty products.  Project effexX can make everybody on the platform more aware about the products used for skin care and their benefits.  We pride on our ingredients delivering what they promise, for example, Merck has developed a variety of ingredients and additives that fulfils all sun protection needs; even after the sun goes down.  In addition to blocking UV rays, our products also counteract the build-up of free radicals and help protect the skin’s living cells from further damage.  Another example would be our anti-aging actives, which rehydrate the skin and also naturally encouraging the body cells to create collagen; thereby delivering much superior anti-aging effects.  Skin appears younger in a matter of weeks and stays so for a longer time.  Hence, brands using our ingredients can actually make certain claims, which are backed by proper certification. 
 
AG:  What kind of traffic are you getting on this site?
 
SS: Project effexX currently has more than 30 influencers and a Facebook page with more than 56000 members.  Both platforms are now in their growing phases and rapidly gaining popularity.  We are constantly engaging with visitors on our Facebook page through contests.  We plan to integrate the two in the near future and we expect that to further drive more traffic. 
 
AG:  According to you, this is a two-year project. What sort of back-end work went into the initiative?
 
SS: The concept whereby we wished to encourage the Indian consumer to demand more in terms of quality and innovative products took root around three years ago.  Since then it has been an incredible journey during which we have arrived upon this milestone of developing a co-creation portal for professionals across various disciplines.  It could be considered an idea before its time and was accompanied by the expected speculation.  However, there were those who firmly believed in the efficacy of this concept and have backed us in every way possible from Day 1.  Project effexX is by no means the end game and we still have a long way to go.   
 
AG:  What is the profile of your current TG?
 
SS: Project effexX is about reaching out to the influencers as well as end consumers. It is a portal for any professional who wishes to increase their knowledge, share it with others, interact with like-minded, creative and innovative individuals and hopefully, create something together.
 
We are taking part in an exhibition in October where architects and interior designers from all of over India and some from abroad will be attending. It is called ACETECH where we would talk about our concepts and products to them and we are also meeting a lot of car designers, product designers, packaging designers, and designers of white goods such as televisions, washing machines, and air conditioners. Anywhere you see colours we are omnipresent. We are also with textiles and cosmetics. In textiles we have Wendell Rodricks who is associated with us and for cosmetics there are spa and salon owners. We have no plans at participating in fashion shows presently. We do not want to get into that space right now.
 
AG:  What is your marketing strategy?
 
SS: Merck understands the needs of the entire value chain of its business and caters to their varying needs through a consultative approach. Project effexX is just a tip of the iceberg and is a part of the bigger brand ‘effexX by Merck’, which will symbolise purity and superiority in quality.  The strategy is to educate, inspire and empower everybody via the platform to create new possibilities using conceptual solutions through innovative products. 
 
AG:  When you talk about packaging, does it relate to only the printing part or is there a broader spectrum?
 
SS: While printing (on paper and related products) comprises a large part of our packaging services, we also offer solutions for plastic and leather products.  Our pigments can be seen on your mobile sets, on white goods like refrigerators and washing machines.
Marketing
@adgully

News in the domain of Advertising, Marketing, Media and Business of Entertainment

More in Marketing