#SamosaTalks: Main thing in a client-agency relationship is 'partnership': Vivek Nayer, Mahindra & Mahindra

In an exclusive interview with Group Corporate Brand CEO of Mahindra & Mahindra, Vivek Nayer sheds light on their new campaign, insights on the M & A Industry and its business.

Mahindra & Mahindra is known for campaigns such as 'Ladki Hath Se Nikal Jayegi' and the 'tree' campaign where the brand planted near to 15 million trees, Mahindra & Mahindra is known. In their recent campaign, " target="_blank">#NurtureYourCuriosity, the brand takes an emotional route again, bringing out their point of view.

Vivek Nayer, Chief Marketing Officer, Group Corporate Brand of Mahindra & Mahindra, shares, "This time, we have put our attention to curiosity and we are saying what is required if the world is to be made better. If challenges in the world have to be met, what is fundamentally that is required. The answer that came to us was curiosity. People have to ask the right questions and challenge the status quo", he says.

Also read: #SamosaTalks: I like to believe that strategies are a trade-off says Vishal Chinchankar, Madison World India

On explaining the background of the campaign, he highlights that they want to encourage people to 'nurture their curiosity' because according to the brand, that's the way to solve most of the problems in the world.

Speaking on the causervertising and storytelling format of the ads by marketers, he quips, "Brands not only need to have a purpose but need to live and deliver on the purpose. Otherwise, it’ ll cause a trust deficit. So, we are glad that the conversations are actually happening".

Nayer also sheds light on the Wokewashing phenomenon and how consumers are smart these days and can see through things. He further explains that it is better to live the values and then encourage others to join in.

"For the brands to be admired and loved, authenticity is very important. Many studies will tell you that you have to be authentic and different. I believe that Wokewashing is falling into a trap because if you are not authentic and saying something which you are not, then you are asking for trouble".

Nayer explains that hence, Mahindra wants to encourage its audience to nurture the value of curiosity. To enable people to inculcate this value, they have syndicated a curiosity test from Harvard Business review where people can take the test and check where they stand on the 5-dimensions of the curiosity, he mentioned

Explaining the Curiosity Test by Harvard Business Review, Nayer highlighted that the users will realize that they are stronger on some levels and not so strong on other levels of curiosity.

He also mentioned that there is a gamification aspect to it. Participants can share their scores on social media and encourage, challenge their friends to take that test and have conversations around it.

Further, commenting on the client-agency relationship he shares that partnership is the key.

"I think the agency must feel that they are a respected partner for the client. It doesn’t work where this is different. I have been managing agencies for 3 decades now. They must feel valued and respected to come up with the best work. You might not agree with them for everything. That’s true for life anyway".

Digital media presents its own sets of challenges. He elucidated on the aspect that marketers, these days, have to be on multiple social media platforms and have to understand every channel very well.

The second challenge is that there is a trust deficit in people. He explains that marketers will have to be more agile than what they used to be, 20 years back, and be where their target audience is.

"The world will ask for more and more validations on even social media. You will not just believe what Facebook tells you or Google tells you. I think the world will move towards the third-party validations", said Vivek Nayer.

Watch the entire interview to understand his views on platforms such as TikTok, the relevance of viral marketing, and more.