Our primary medium to drive mass awareness are digital platforms: David Abraham

Duracell Durathon 2018, the family run, is all set to take place on the 25th November 2018 at Jio Gardens, BKC in Mumbai. Families will get an opportunity to run together for longer for a 2K or 5K marathon. Further to the run, Mr. David Abraham, Duracell Marketing Director for Middle East and India, gives an exclusive interview to Adgully.

Excerpts:

Duracell Durathon is the first family run in India. What was the vision behind it & does Duracell have it anywhere else in the world?

Duracell is a globally operating iconic consumer battery company which is known for its long-lasting batteries. We are the #1 manufacturer of high performance, long-lasting alkaline batteries world-wide offering as well Speciality cells, Rechargeables and Powerbanks.

Our running Duracell Bunny who is featured in our advertising across the globe always outlasts its opponents and always graciously wins. That’s why running comes natural to us, as it has been a common theme all throughout our brand communication.

That’s why we have partnered with various big running events across the world to bring the message of longevity and endurance even closer to consumers. For instance, in the United Kingdom, we partnered with the Great Run Series, featuring Duracell Bunny Pacers: experienced runners in Duracell gear, making sure that participating runners in their group can rung stronger for longer. Similarly, in Moscow we are associated with the Moscow Marathon. Our vision for India, while staying true to what we stand for as a brand, “longevity”, is to bring this message closer to consumers by giving them the chance to run together, stronger for longer, as a family.

The Durathon in India follows the exact same idea with the only differences that we a) created this run from scratch and b) for families (given that our batteries are most needed and relevant in a family household).

It’s a competitive run with a twist where the time of the slowest finisher from a family is taken as the fastest finishing time. We intend to roll this property out to other countries too, based on our success in India.

What will be different about the 3rd edition of Durathon?

This year, the run in Mumbai will be held at the Jio Gardens which is far more central and accessible to our participants as well as can host a lot more participants. The Jio Gardens has been the venue for a host of other popular events and other marathons as well and is truly turning out to be one of the iconic locations reflecting Mumbai’s culture. Also, this latest edition of the Durathon is being organised by OMCPL, our on-ground partner for Durathon 3.0 who brings with them the experience and expertise of having successfully managed other iconic runs like The Navy half marathon, The Adani Ahmedabad marathon and The Colour Run, India.

How does Durathon sync in with the ethos and values that Duracell stands for?

Duracell alkaline batteries are high in quality, deliver superior performance and long-lasting. Our batteries power consumer’s devices and simply make them perform better. With the Durathon, we like consumers to experience these qualities first-hand at a different level. Thus, through the Duracell Durathon we are getting consumers to run stronger for longer together.

Tell us about the marketing & digital initiatives being done to get Mumbaikars to participate in the Durathon with their kids?

Our primary medium to drive mass awareness and recruitment for the Durathon is using digital platforms. To drive communication to our core target group, we are using a combination of Programmatic and Social platforms.  We have also partnered with Radio City to drive brand and event communication and promote a contest that has been designed especially for the Durathon. Several PVR Cinema’s will see interesting activations too. There are also various on-ground touchpoints to build awareness about the Durathon. We have, over the past two months, conducted several mini-runs in ten top-tier schools in Mumbai. In addition, we have also done a poster campaign in over 20 schools in Mumbai. We have a programme for jogger’s wherein we are connecting with joggers across Mumbai who are already in active running mode. Along with this, we conducted a flash mob in R-City Mall and did many retail activations at Shoppers Stop & Hypercity outlets in Mumbai. We also have an activation programme is some of the leading housing societies in Mumbai. Mumbaikars can register at www.duracell.in/durathon. The aim is to reach out to as many families as possible before the registration closes on 21st of November.

 For the third time, Mandira Bedi is the face of Durathon. Tell us about the association?

Mandira Bedi is simply remarkable. Looking at her long-lasting career, she does like no other embody the quality of high performance. She’s an actress, presenter, fitness enthusiast, but above all a caring mother. This truly makes her the ideal face of the Durathon which she will run the third time with her son. She stands for power and endurance. That’s why we believe she is the ideal partner for the Durathon.

You recently launched Duracell Powerbanks. What brought about this extension in your product line & what was its response in India being a premium product?

Duracell is all about providing consumers with superior, high performing, long-lasting power solutions. And Duracell Powerbanks do exactly that. They charge a smart phone two times faster than the wall and you can charge your Duracell Powerbank and smartphone at the same time. Duracell’s fastest selling Powerbank, the 10,050 mAH, can provide consumers with portable power for up to 3 days depending on how they are being used. With that consumers can experience a much greater independence and stay mobile for longer.

Like our trusted alkaline batteries, Duracell Powerbanks feature the iconic Copper & Black. They are now available exclusively through Amazon online.

Which all brands have you partnered with for Durathon 2018?

We have tied up with some renowned brands, across sectors, who have come on board as event partners for the Durathon. Viz. Club Mahindra, Fitness First, Kidzania, Ritebite, Ola, Divya jal, Woohoo, Crossword, Fortis and Nivia Sports.