True Sustainability Should Be At The Heart Of Brand Initiatives: Virat Khullar
With a knack for brand and consumer insights, Virat Khullar’s journey is a testament to adaptation and continuous growth. The senior marketer has devoted much of his work experience to the Indian auto sector and has over the years made an impact on the sector itself.
In a time marked by uncertainty, Khullar predicts cautious yet value-driven marketing strategies for the year ahead. He believes that a substantial growth trajectory might not be on the horizon, and businesses are expected to prioritise return on investment (ROI) and performance-driven marketing. “How the festive season turns for all the categories by the end of this year, will define our budgets for next year,” he says.
Deeper Connections
Arguably, the auto sector is among the large legacy industries where digitisation has had the widest impact, which was also accelerated by the pandemic. On the marketing side, the rapid evolution of technology in recent years has unlocked hyper-personalisation capabilities in content generation and digital marketing. Citing these, Khullar sees Generative AI (artificial intelligence) have a transformative impact on marketing decisions as well.
“AI is set to change the way we generate content and the way we communicate in this mass personalisation environment,” he says. Hyundai India is cautiously experimenting with these aspects, aiming to strike a balance between leveraging AI’s potential and maintaining the human touch in communication.
The marketer and agency partnership is another facet impacted by AI. For Khullar, this relationship has been strong from day one. “The only difference is the role of the agency or the skill set it brings versus the role and skill set of the marketer,” he notes. A shift in skill sets is required in this hyper-tech environment. Agencies are expected to possess expertise in new technologies to identify trends while ensuring brand safety and collaborate more effectively.
Pursuing Larger Causes
With debates around purpose, sustainability and woke-washing abound, Hyundai India remains committed to sustainability as a genuine cause, asserts Khullar. The company has global carbon neutrality targets and actively implements sustainability measures, such as rainwater harvesting and solar energy programs, in its operations. Khullar highlights the example of how ‘The Hyundai Ionic Five’, launched earlier this year, incorporating sustainable materials into its design.
In an era where purpose and sustainability are central to companies, brands are also trying to greenwash the audience. “Greenwashing is a reality that is unfortunately happening. The question of authenticity is pertinent in these times. Actions should precede communication, and true sustainability should be at the heart of brand initiatives,” he states.
