Gunnidhi Singh Sareen on being innovative to push for responsible gaming

In conversation with Adgully, Gunnidhi Singh Sareen, VP - Marketing, Head Digital Works, elaborates on the A23 Cares brand campaign, pushing for responsible gaming, roping in Smriti Mandana for the campaign and why she is a perfect fit to convey the message of “Breaks Make Us Better”, and much more.

Please tell us about the A23 Cares brand campaign and its objectives.

A23 Cares is an initiative to spread the message of Responsible gaming so that our players can enjoy online gaming in a healthy and sustainable manner.

The A23 Cares campaign, featuring Indian women’s national team cricketer, Smriti Mandhana, talks about the importance of taking breaks to excel and also to raise awareness about when to take those breaks. Its integration within A23 apps enables self-discipline among gamers, to improve their game.

What role does Smriti Mandhana play in the A23 Cares brand campaign?

Smriti Mandana is an inspiration to all. She is a natural fit for A23 and our message because she understands the importance of taking regular breaks to improve one’s skill. In the “Breaks Make Us Better”/ #bettergaming campaign, Smriti emphasizes the importance of taking breaks and how those who genuinely care for you will only ask you to take a break. Whether it’s in sports, gaming, or everyday life, breaks refresh our minds and enable us to perform better.

How does the brand film depict Smriti Mandhana's life and schedule?

The ad featuring Smriti Mandhana provides a captivating glimpse into her life and schedule. It portrays her as a dedicated cricketer who balances rigorous training sessions, matches, and travel. From intense practice sessions on the field to preparation for match days, Smriti shines through it all. Juggling cricket commitments, media interactions, and personal time, she remains resilient.

In the later part of the video, you’ll find her coach asking her to take a break while training and also that she needs some rest. This brings home the message of ‘Breaks make us better’.

What message does Smriti’s coach convey in the brand film?

While on one the hand everyone is cheering for her to play hard, win all matches and be on top of her game, her coach realizes the importance of breaks as he truly cares about her. He then advised her to take a break as she needs rest. This is when she realizes the same thus saying ‘sports ho ya gaming, balance dhoondna zaroori hai’.

Could you elaborate on the significance of the message "sports ho ya gaming, balance dhoondna zaroori hai" (whether it's sports or gaming, finding balance is essential)?

The tagline “Sports ho ya gaming, balance dhoondna zaroori hai” promotes well-being by encouraging breaks and responsible play while gaming offline or online. The core objective of A23 Cares is to instill a responsible play habit amongst all users while they seek thrill, leisure or entertainment on our platform. A23 has been the pioneer of educating users and the sector about responsible gaming via self regulating practices. This initiative will further our messaging towards it.

How does the A23 integrate the theme of balance and healthy practices? What specific features does the A23 RMG platform offer to users to promote a healthy gaming environment?

A23 has been the pioneer when it comes to talk about responsible gaming. The integration of A23 Cares via industry first features into our apps is what sets us apart. A23 promotes balance and healthy practices through features that enable users to limit their online gaming such as setting daily and monthly budget, cool-off period, etc. The app also notifies users to take breaks at specific intervals, reminding them to step away and reduce limits.

Our in-app algorithm identifies user’s gaming patterns that may not be in line with responsible gaming and thereby, help us reach out to them with specific advice and actions.

Other specific features which A23 offers their users are:

Responsible Gaming: A23 educates players about responsible gaming practices, encouraging them to set limits on playing time and spending. Taking breaks and maintaining balance are emphasized.

Easy KYC: To prevent underage gaming and also to ensure real-players participate on the platform.

Self test: Test your gaming pattern and know yourself exclusion options.

No bots certification: Play with more than 65 million real players on the apps. The platform ensures that only real players compete against each other on the virtual game table.

Secure Payment Gateways: Users can confidently engage in financial transactions on A23, thanks to secure payment methods. Withdrawals of earnings are hassle-free.

Fair Gameplay: The platform ensures unbiased outcomes through its algorithms, creating a level playing field for all users. Our RNG (Random Number Generator) is certified by i-Tech Labs Australia.

How does the A23 Cares brand campaign contribute to raising awareness around healthy gaming practices among users?

This campaign comes in the wake of the ever popular cricket season in the country, hence aimed to get a lot of eyeballs. We are dispersing the campaign across all major OTT, OLV, TV and social media channels. Smriti Mandhana, a national sports icon, instantly connects with viewers and cuts through the clutter to deliver an important message.

In the long term, we will continue to champion A23 Cares with even more innovative yet impactful features to create value to our users. On ground level, our users will always be at the center of decision making be it our messaging or our product. You will see more such groundbreaking initiatives from A23 in the recent future.