Armed with humour, memes, and pop culture references, the Indian Police social media handles band together to inform citizens about hyperlocal challenges.
Whether it is asking you to drive safely or be aware of cyber crimes, the Indian Police departments will remind you of them in a gentle manner. Mumbai Police and Bangalore Police departments have perhaps been the frontrunners of this change.
Sunchika Pandey the Founder of HAT Media, the agency that has been handling Mumbai Police's social media, in 2020, told Social Samosa how this journey started. “The move might have been considered very unusual and that nobody ever happened to imagine. The team is just like other creative minds. What brought all of us together was our mission to present the real picture of the police department and the municipal body to the people.”
Since its debut, Mumbai Police's quirky approach made it to the headlines many times. Police departments, airports, and even a number of Government bodies since have taken to social media with a quirky and pop culture driven route.
Mumbai and Punjab Police even joined the Zomato-blinkit moment marketing trend, reminding people to ask for help. On the other hand, Assam Police made sure to ask parents to not become a 'Sharent' and share too much information about their children.
Armed with pop culture references, Bollywood-style content, and the 'punniest' creatives, they have all banded together to inform us about hyperlocal challenges, updates, and solutions. Social Samosa takes a closer look at India Police's social media strategy.
Road Safety Initiatives
Mumbai Police’s road safety initiatives make use of Bollywood and involve celebrities to caution people. On National Road Safety Day, actor Akshay Kumar emphasized five effective rules to follow while driving. Its social media also has a range of musical references, movie dialogues, and more. The brand used Instagram's new features to drive engagement.
Assam Police also has some funny takes on rash driving and makes use of movie references. It used RRR’s recent Golden Globes win to educate people on driving rashly.
Punjab Police alerts citizens on driving safely during the winter fog. Nagpur Police pointed out the ramifications of making dangerous reels while driving. Delhi Police used a popular driving game to raise awareness on staying in our lane on roads.
Drug Control & Health Awareness
Rajasthan Police believes ‘breaking up with smoking’ could be a much safer option for our health. Assam Police warned of the control drugs have on people on International Day against Drug Abuse.
Delhi Police especially cautioned people with matters of the heart and lungs by asking drivers to help lower air pollution by cutting off their engines at red lights. Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AIQ) stands at a hazardous rate of 465, as of writing this article, and this initiative named ‘Dilli Maange Pure’ is an attempt at reducing the advent.
Cyber Crime
To curb the rising cases of fraudulent cyber crimes, police departments have raised awareness via a mix of clever creatives. For Christmas, Mumbai Police asked people to scan a QR code to get a gift, which led to an important message - Never scan an unknown code. It joined in on viral reel trends to keep people from sharing their OTPs.
Assam Police has a great idea to leave scammers ‘breathless’ by using strong passwords in a creative with A.R. Rahman’s song. Nagpur Police made use of matchmaker Seema Taparia’s famous dialogue to give tips on safe passwords. Bengaluru Police informed people about apprehended individuals using fake passports with pop culture references.
Women’s Safety & Case Updates
Various departments like Mumbai and Delhi Police make sure to give regular updates about important cases, especially when it comes to women’s safety. In fact, the Delhi department got a woman to share her own story. Punjab Police launched Punjab Police Mahila Mittars (PPMM) to help safeguard women, children, and senior citizens.
Behind The Scenes
The Police departments also share the behind-the-scenes from various initiatives and heart-warming moments with citizens. Mumbai Police, in particular, has many talented personnel and makes sure to share it on its page. The initiative named ‘Sunday Streets’ lets Mumbaikars get together and enjoy their early Sunday morning with music, games, and more. Punjab Police provided financial assistance and winter utilities to the poor and documented the process.
This clever use of relatable memes and pop culture in their social media marketing strategy has successfully created fans amongst the youth, all while alerting them of the laws of the land.
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