With increasing audience, we believe diversity in brands will also come in for Women's IPL: Rajesh Krishnamurthy

Rajesh Krishnamurthy of Himalaya Wellness Company details how partnering with Women's IPL team RCB has led to an increase in brand engagement and positive conversations. The brand leveraged WPL for the launch of their new variant - Rose Face wash.

The first season of the Women’s Indian Premier League (WIPL/WPL), which was historic on many fronts, saw interest from new and traditional brands. Himalaya Wellness Company too tapped into the tale to cater to its audiences better and raise awareness for the brand’s inclusivity ethos. 

In conversation with Rajesh Krishnamurthy, Business Director- Consumer Products Division, Himalaya Wellness Company, Social Samosa decodes the marketing objective behind associating with the Women’s IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore, how the brand engaged with consumers around WPL, the brand’s overall marketing strategy, and more.

The Synergy With WPL

The official face care partner observed that the bias against skin color has been undermining the confidence of women for centuries. The brand used the first ever season of WPL as a platform to draw the nation’s attention to this deep-rooted problem. 

During the first two days of the match, the RCB players were seen sporting #NotFair on their headgear, which sparked curiosity among viewers. Following that, the headgear had the message “Himalaya Rose, Beauty is not equal to Color”, by that the brand claims to have generated discussion about the importance of embracing every skin color and every face.

Himalaya released the #NotFair campaign with the motive to debunk beauty myths and encourage inclusivity.

Sharing why WPL made the right platform for this campaign, Krishnamurthy said, “Himalaya Wellness wanted to use this platform to fight against another bias that women face- judging a women’s beauty by the color of her skin.”

The launch of a new product, Himalaya Rose Face Wash was supported by the campaign and the reveal was slated on International Women's Day (8th March).

Himalaya also activated digital, social, and search platforms to answer consumers who came curious wanting to know about the story behind the hashtag and used a mix of video content and user-generated content to drive engagement. 

The brand had a digital news platform (&t=17s">Quint) interviewing the audience from the stadium on their viewpoints on what they felt the hashtag could have meant and their idea of beauty and also leveraged print media and outdoor advertising to reach a wider audience and drive brand visibility. 

“We strategically placed our ads in prime locations across major cities in India to ensure maximum visibility. Finally, the brand rounded it off by promoting communication that it shot with Smriti Mandhana, Renuka Singh Thakur, and Richa Ghosh,” explained Krishnamurthy.

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"We believe that this diversified media mix helped us create a strong brand presence and establish a deep connection with our target audience."

With this partnership, Himalaya intended to forge closer ties with its target market and foster brand loyalty. 

“Our ROI expectations through the association with the Women's IPL team RCB were to build awareness for the brand message of inclusivity. Our aim was to reach the maximum number of people to announce our new launch of Rose Face Wash."

Krishnamurthy shares that through this partnership, the brand has seen a significant increase in engagement for the Rose Face wash and positive conversations around the Himalaya.

The brand also aimed to establish a strong brand identity and develop a devoted consumer base among cricket and sports lovers.

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Himalaya believes in supporting women in sports, especially cricket, and advancing gender equality and recognises the importance of creating a diverse and inclusive environment for women in sports. Krishnamurthy believes that WPL will gather diverse set of brands as its popularity rises.

“With the increasing audience, we believe diversity in brands would also come in,” said he.

The Himalaya Marketing Strategy

Outside of WPL, Influencer marketing is an important part of Himalaya’s overall marketing strategy. Adding a mix of informative content, beauty and skincare influencer videos, tips, do’s and dont’s, and moment marketing trends to its social media strategy, the brand has managed to gain a social currency of 108K followers on Instagram.

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The brand conducts events and activations to further engage with its customers offline. 

Himalaya also uses traditional advertising channels such as television, print, and outdoor advertising to reach a wider audience and create brand awareness. 

Another key part of Himalaya’s marketing strategy includes conversations around sustainability.

The brand actively promotes sustainable lifestyles and practices through its social media platforms and other marketing channels.

Consumer Trends

As a wellness brand that has been observing the evolving consumer behaviour in the skincare category, Krishnamurthy shared some significant trends that are shaping the preferences and choices of consumers.

Sharing a few trends that the skincare industry and marketing has seen, Krishnamurthy said:

• There is a growing awareness among consumers about the harmful effects of chemicals in skincare products. As a result, consumers are shifting towards natural and ayurvedic products that are free from harmful chemicals and have a more holistic approach to skincare.
• With the rise of e-commerce and digital platforms, consumers are increasingly seeking personalised recommendations and customised skincare solutions. They want products that are tailored to their specific needs and concerns.