<div><em>Like all other media, digital will also face the test of cost, reach and efficiency, says Regional Director for Reckitt Benckiser South Asia, Nitish Kapoor. <strong>Noor Fathima Warsia </strong>reports</em><br><br><br>At the launch event of the BW Businessworld Marketing Whitebook 2015-16 in Delhi on July 1, 2015, the Regional Director for Reckitt Benckiser South Asia, Nitish Kapoor, put a few things in perspective for the marketing business. While optimistic on the growth and impact of technology, he was also cautious about the approach that companies should take while taking digital routes for connecting with consumers.</div><div> </div><div>In a conversation with Annurag Batra, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Businessworld Group, Mr Kapoor stated that even though digital adoption and advertising will grow in India, like all other media, digital will also face the test of cost, reach and efficiency. He said, “Gone are the days when you would mandatorily allot some portion of your advertising spends to digital because that was the way to go. There are instances when you gain incremental reach through digital but it still has to show returns.” While some of the RB brands such as Durex are advertised on digital platforms only, for some of its larger brands targetted at a mass audience, nothing would beat traditional forms of media such as television.</div><div> </div><div>In that context, Mr Kapoor noted that digital was set to become the second or third largest media in India, but for some time television would be the most popular medium in the country. He acknowledged that the younger audiences showed all signs of a paradigm shift, stating, “I cannot remember the last time my 14-year old daughter watched TV. She is either on her laptop or mobile even if she is consuming the same content. However, there is still time before this becomes any kind of a norm.”</div><div> </div><div><strong>Ecommerce - Not a Bubble; Social Media – A Double Edged Sword </strong></div><div>As conversations grow around the sustainability of ecommerce business models, Mr Kapoor emphatically stated that he believed ecommerce is in a phase of incredible growth. “There are many players at this stage who are chasing several ideas. Eventually stronger business models will emerge and there would be shakeout but ecommerce is not a bubble,” he said.</div><div> </div><div>Ecommerce was playing a role for a company such as Reckitt Benckiser as well even as it was not possible for some of its categories to be aggressive on ecommerce platforms due to the nature of these products.</div><div> </div><div>Responding to a question on how brands should behave in controversial situations, Mr Kapoor advised that it was important for brands to actively participate in such conversations. He said, “The worst thing you can do while experiencing a controversy is to run away from it. You will miss out on any chance of clarifying or injecting any positive thought in what would otherwise turn out to be a negative conversation. Especially in a world where social media sites are dominating and has a healthy share of trigger-happy people, it is important to be active and responsive.”</div><div> </div><div>It was evident that Mr Kapoor placed an equal amount of significance on the views of the go-to-market or the sales team, who he believes bring a firsthand experience of the marketplace and product performance.</div><div> </div><div>An important comment that Mr Kapoor made was about doing good in the line of business. He said, “It is an important area for companies right now to do something good. We had the opportunity to associate with a national cause Swach Bharat, and do something good. If people are genuinely trying to do something, and even if it is not connected to a commercial gain, eventually it will benefit the company. We are company that exists to make people’s lives healthier and happier. We serve a purpose and it also leads to building a category, and when a company does that you are achieving both objectives,” Mr Kapoor stated.</div><div> </div>
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