HUL says that the first step for the company is to enable its employees to think technology as easily as they think brands.
It is Friday but the weekend appears to have started a day early at a large office complex in Andheri, Mumbai. Casually dressed employees mill around its central promenade which wears a festive look, and has for the time being been designated the Virtual Reality Street.
The latest video game consoles draw little clusters of people playing, watching or waiting their turn. Microsoft's new Xbox 360 Kinect controller which effectively makes a player's onscreen avatar mirror his actions in the real world is a huge draw. People on their way in to work duck and dodge out of the path of the Parrot; a camera equipped drone that hovers in the air, controlled via an iPad. It's typically what one would expect of a cash rich tech corporation, having a bash at getting the work/fun balance right. It's perhaps not what one would readily associate with Hindustan Unilever.
Quite typically for HUL, even a day full of fun and games is not merely a day full of fun and games. There's a grand plan at work here: to familiarise the staff with cutting edge technology and to get them thinking out of the box. Lined along the Virtual Reality Street are a whole host of HUL's partners in the digital space — from usual suspects like Google, MSN and Yahoo to mobile internet specialists like July Systems, Hungama Mobile and firms like Ideacts Innovations, the owners of a nation-wide chain of cybercafes.
According to Srikanth Srinivasamadhavan, general manager, media services ( South Asia), HUL, "The most important thing that such an event does is open people up to ideas. Imagine if this was a PowerPoint presentation: it would not have gone anywhere. We did this to ensure that there's an excellent transaction between the brand teams, the entire organisation and our partners." There's a dawning realisation that most business pitches and presentations are a one way street. Mere Q&A sessions that follow a battery of slides and charts just do not cut it. Especially not in a space where there are no substitutes for hand's on experience and where the barriers to implementing an experiential learning format are low.
Videogames may be the most immediate draw, but groups of HUL's employees quickly move on to the other stalls eager to see what's on offer. The vendors are ready with case studies, demos and personnel capable of holding their own on through discussions and fielding queries. What greets the Leverites is an array of possibility. To start with, there are branded pages which might seem a little last millennium. However they are getting revitalised thanks to faster computers, spiffier internet connections and greater levels of interactivity.
There's a showcase of augmented reality which finds a real world application primarily in retail and outdoor locations. It allows the average Joe consumer the chance to hang out with the incredibly attractive women from the Axe commercials for real (or at least a virtual avatar of 'real'). Blu-fi (Wi-fi via Bluetooth) allows consumers to receive brand messages and exclusive offers at retail outlets. It's a phenomenon that's catching on far beyond the FMCG space according to PR Satheesh, president, TeliBrahma.
He says "From Maruti to Mercedes, we are delivering applications on consumer's mobile in the auto space." An example from Lever's stable is a heart age calculator for Annapurna which starts with a QR (Quick Response) code embedded in print ads. This is a gateway for mobile phone users to download an app that informs them of the 'age' and health of their hearts after analysing how old they are and the lifestyles that they lead. It also makes suggestions for healthier living. A more recent example is a print ad for Dove that integrates mobile advertising allowing for the download of a video on haircare. A branded application that ties into the product's core benefit is another area that HUL is giving serious thought to. An app for Vaseline launched a few months ago, allowed Facebook users the option of lightening the skin colour on photos posted to their profiles. It even managed to get a few outraged protest pages on the popular social networking site.
Speaking of HUL's most inventive work in the digital field so far, Srinivasamadhavan says, "We have successful examples in the field like the Axe Call Me campaign which got an overwhelming response. Even in the Unilever world, it's spoken of very highly. Another example is Lipton Jigsaw. We've had a successful start on Dove. There are some brands where consumers have moved to digital faster than others and our push will be greater with them. However both digital and mobile are constantly changing even as we speak. I expect a lot more brands to join in."
An interesting debate is sparked around what works better — independent microsites like the one for Lipton Jigsaw which require consumers to alter their regular surfing patterns and sign up or piggybacking on existing platforms like Facebook or Twitter. Srinivasamadhavan admits, "It's a mix of both. I don't think we have a fixed answer for that. We would not have been as successful with Axe without the Facebook fan page. We must move to where consumers are. That gives us benefits, scale and helps us stay relevant."
HUL's primary goal is to reach the digitally savvy citizens — numbered at between 60 million to 80 million. With a multitude of methods to reach consumers launched more or less simultaneously, it is obvious that every single bet is not going to pay off. But it is something that Srinivasamadhavan and his team are prepared for: "The beauty of this medium is in experimenting. A lot of our partners and the brand teams are willing to experiment. Mobile has reached close to 400 or 500 million users. We have to find a way to use it and experimenting is the only answer."
The latest video game consoles draw little clusters of people playing, watching or waiting their turn. Microsoft's new Xbox 360 Kinect controller which effectively makes a player's onscreen avatar mirror his actions in the real world is a huge draw. People on their way in to work duck and dodge out of the path of the Parrot; a camera equipped drone that hovers in the air, controlled via an iPad. It's typically what one would expect of a cash rich tech corporation, having a bash at getting the work/fun balance right. It's perhaps not what one would readily associate with Hindustan Unilever.
Quite typically for HUL, even a day full of fun and games is not merely a day full of fun and games. There's a grand plan at work here: to familiarise the staff with cutting edge technology and to get them thinking out of the box. Lined along the Virtual Reality Street are a whole host of HUL's partners in the digital space — from usual suspects like Google, MSN and Yahoo to mobile internet specialists like July Systems, Hungama Mobile and firms like Ideacts Innovations, the owners of a nation-wide chain of cybercafes.
According to Srikanth Srinivasamadhavan, general manager, media services ( South Asia), HUL, "The most important thing that such an event does is open people up to ideas. Imagine if this was a PowerPoint presentation: it would not have gone anywhere. We did this to ensure that there's an excellent transaction between the brand teams, the entire organisation and our partners." There's a dawning realisation that most business pitches and presentations are a one way street. Mere Q&A sessions that follow a battery of slides and charts just do not cut it. Especially not in a space where there are no substitutes for hand's on experience and where the barriers to implementing an experiential learning format are low.
Videogames may be the most immediate draw, but groups of HUL's employees quickly move on to the other stalls eager to see what's on offer. The vendors are ready with case studies, demos and personnel capable of holding their own on through discussions and fielding queries. What greets the Leverites is an array of possibility. To start with, there are branded pages which might seem a little last millennium. However they are getting revitalised thanks to faster computers, spiffier internet connections and greater levels of interactivity.
There's a showcase of augmented reality which finds a real world application primarily in retail and outdoor locations. It allows the average Joe consumer the chance to hang out with the incredibly attractive women from the Axe commercials for real (or at least a virtual avatar of 'real'). Blu-fi (Wi-fi via Bluetooth) allows consumers to receive brand messages and exclusive offers at retail outlets. It's a phenomenon that's catching on far beyond the FMCG space according to PR Satheesh, president, TeliBrahma.
He says "From Maruti to Mercedes, we are delivering applications on consumer's mobile in the auto space." An example from Lever's stable is a heart age calculator for Annapurna which starts with a QR (Quick Response) code embedded in print ads. This is a gateway for mobile phone users to download an app that informs them of the 'age' and health of their hearts after analysing how old they are and the lifestyles that they lead. It also makes suggestions for healthier living. A more recent example is a print ad for Dove that integrates mobile advertising allowing for the download of a video on haircare. A branded application that ties into the product's core benefit is another area that HUL is giving serious thought to. An app for Vaseline launched a few months ago, allowed Facebook users the option of lightening the skin colour on photos posted to their profiles. It even managed to get a few outraged protest pages on the popular social networking site.
Speaking of HUL's most inventive work in the digital field so far, Srinivasamadhavan says, "We have successful examples in the field like the Axe Call Me campaign which got an overwhelming response. Even in the Unilever world, it's spoken of very highly. Another example is Lipton Jigsaw. We've had a successful start on Dove. There are some brands where consumers have moved to digital faster than others and our push will be greater with them. However both digital and mobile are constantly changing even as we speak. I expect a lot more brands to join in."
An interesting debate is sparked around what works better — independent microsites like the one for Lipton Jigsaw which require consumers to alter their regular surfing patterns and sign up or piggybacking on existing platforms like Facebook or Twitter. Srinivasamadhavan admits, "It's a mix of both. I don't think we have a fixed answer for that. We would not have been as successful with Axe without the Facebook fan page. We must move to where consumers are. That gives us benefits, scale and helps us stay relevant."
HUL's primary goal is to reach the digitally savvy citizens — numbered at between 60 million to 80 million. With a multitude of methods to reach consumers launched more or less simultaneously, it is obvious that every single bet is not going to pay off. But it is something that Srinivasamadhavan and his team are prepared for: "The beauty of this medium is in experimenting. A lot of our partners and the brand teams are willing to experiment. Mobile has reached close to 400 or 500 million users. We have to find a way to use it and experimenting is the only answer."
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