[Interview] Amit Syngle, Asian Paints sheds light on influencer marketing

From being a buzzword to a must have on a social media marketing mix - influencer marketing has come a long way. Nonetheless, brands are still seen groping in the dark to get its use right. Amit Syngle, President- Sales, Marketing and Technology, Asian Paints throws light on how the concept worked for the brand.

Where does influencer marketing stand in the scheme of things at Asian Paints?

Influencer marketing is an important component of our marketing mix and the Asian Paints website has a section called Ideas Engine, dedicated to blogs by members as well as expert bloggers. This section is regularly updated with décor ideas by some of the most prominent bloggers in the home décor space. When the customer visits this page, he/she actually looks at Asian Paints as a consultant to give ideas and advice for new looks for his/her home. It is also a platform for users to share their own décor stories.

We also work with some bloggers who have their own dedicated blogs on DIY, as this is emerging as an important aspect of home décor nowadays. Working with one such blogger, Rukmini Roy, helps us connect with her follower base as well, building a strong brand presence in their minds and hearts.

 Please take us through the influencer marketing campaigns done by Asian Paints.

• C1D1: Objective of the campaign was to create the buzz around our Smartcare brand which is a waterproofing product. We conceptualized a campaign called C1D1 (cracks and dampness) on the lines of H1N1 virus. We wanted to create the buzz around the term without revealing the brand in the initial stages. Influencers were roped in to start talking about this strange thing which they are noticing around them using the #C1D1. The hashtag got viral and started trending in India. It was during this time, we revealed the brand and ensured that we get maximum visibility for the campaign

• Speechless campaign: Speechless campaign for our Brand- Royale Aspira was another campaign where we used influencers. We asked our fans to share their #speechless moments with us and we picked up the best moments and converted them into “Mimes” in real time using a professional team of artists. More than 75 videos were churned out dedicated to the users whose Tweets were picked. Influencers were used to seed the idea of the campaign and start sharing initial tweets

The campaign was a huge success and #speechless was on the India trending list for more than 48 hours.

What worked well for Asian Paints with these campaigns?

Generating buzz and visibility over a very small period of time.

 Please shed light on best practices for Influencer Marketing in India

Identify the right influencers for quality reach

Decide success parameters of the campaign basis the objective and not random reach

Make influencers your advocates and not ambassadors

How do you determine the terms of engagement with the influencers before the onset of a campaign?

It depends on the overall objectives of the campaign and may differ from one campaign to other

How doesAsian Paints approach influencer marketing – basis number of posts or the kind of content?

We take a mixed approach and it depends on campaign objectives. For example, in C1D1 we wanted to create buzz around the hashtag and it required a content led approach. For Speechless, it was more of participation led approach

How doesAsian Paints measure RoI on influencer marketing campaigns?

Again it depends on the campaign objectives- in some cases, it is ensuring that a particular hashtag trends to video views to site visits

What kind of objectives Influencer Marketing serves for Asian Paints?

The influencer is our mutual friend with the customers. Influencers help us reinforce the bond with customers and also build new ones. When we align with an influencer, they not only bring their audience, they bring the audience’s network as well. The best part is, the influencers don’t force themselves upon an audience. Followers consciously choose to follow them, and absorb their recommendations like a dry sponge.

Hence, influencers form an integral part of our inbound marketing; they generate content about Asian Paints, recommend our brand to their network, they indulge in conversations regarding our brand – they truly are assets to our brand and we value them a lot.