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The youth has a strong affinity for music, lingo and jingles and brands attempt to capture the attention of its target audience. Research suggests that effective use of music in ads can enrich an advertiser's message by stimulating the listener, enhancing the visuals, adding tones to the lyrics, and sometimes adding energy that could not be otherwise added. It is also able to generate a positive attitude toward the advertised product.
To connect with the enthusiastic and active young generation, a brand like Tic Tac has been communicating with its target audience - the youth through catchy music and jingles.
One of its older advertisements had youngsters dancing with the breath mints pack in front of a club. The ad aimed to encourage the youth to keep their Tic Tac packs with them anywhere they go, even to a party.
Zoher Kapuswala, Marketing Head, Pills & Gums, Ferrero India, shares that the brand has always been known as one that has leveraged its iconic “rattle in a box” sonic identity, and this is evident in its name and pack. He notes that music is integrated into the brand’s DNA and has helped it provide consumers with an immersive and engaging experience.
In line with this, the brand has collaborated with musical talents like Yashraj Mukhate and SlowCheeta for its recent ‘VIBE Mera Fresh’ campaign, crafting tunes that aim to attract positive vibes and help capture the attention of its audience.
Aligning music and innovation into its advertising strategies is important in the growing Indian mouth freshener market, which is estimated to reach INR 27,491 crore in 2028 and is growing at a CAGR of 15.9% during the forecast period of 2022-2028.
Tic Tac's marketing strategy in India focuses on culturally relevant concepts and messaging that appeal to the youth. In conversation with Social Samosa, Kapuswala shares how the brand positions itself in the mouth freshener category through its campaigns, creating positive emotions within its target audience through jingles and music, approach towards reaching both urban and semi-urban markets and more.
Edited Excerpts:
Could you share the creative process behind the ‘VIBE Mera Fresh’ campaign with Ranveer Singh and SlowCheeta? What is the objective behind the campaign?
The 'VIBE Mera Fresh' campaign was conceptualised and introduced to resonate with the vibrant and dynamic youth of the country. Our key objective was to build a campaign that embodies the brand's refreshing and ‘good vibes’ spirit thereby connecting it with the enthusiastic and active young generation. We collaborated with endorser Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh and rapper SlowCheeta (fame Gully Boy and Brahmastra) to create a fun and engaging RAP anthem that resonates well with the younger generation, thereby including their favourite elements, such as music and bright visuals.
Featuring actor Ranveer Singh, the RAP song depicts the fresh and vibrant spirit of Tic Tac mints. By mixing sleek and youth lingo into the rap (like Drip Max, waddup Bro, Vibe Check), we ensured that the ad film is both fun and extremely relevant to our target group.
In the digital age where consumer attention is limited, how do you ensure that jingles like 'Vibe Mera Fresh' effectively capture and retain the audience's attention? What role do you believe jingles play in creating a memorable brand experience?
Today’s young generation has a strong affinity for music, lingo and jingles such as ‘Vibe Mera Fresh' that consists of tunes that attract positive vibes and help in capturing the attention of our audience. Tic Tac has always been known as a brand that has leveraged its iconic “rattle in a box” sonic identity, this is evident in both the name and pack. The unique rhythmic sound that it evokes is instantly recognizable. This highlights that music integrated into our brand’s DNA, has helped us provide our consumers with an immersive and engaging experience.
Given the power that music holds, we have collaborated with musical maestros Yashraj Mukhate and SlowCheeta aka Chaitnya Sharma to create compositions that appeal to our target audience. Our latest digital film aims at building consideration among the youth. The tune is not just catchy but also culturally relevant and engaging to the Indian GenZ that love rap music.
Furthermore, jingles play an important role in creating a memorable and engaging brand experience by pleasing the emotional and sensory perceptions of consumers. A well-crafted jingle establishes a memory that remains with the customer long after the advertisement has ended.
This audio branding format boosts brand recall and loyalty, helping Tic Tac stand out in a cluttered market. By regularly offering fresh, vibrant, and accessible music, we keep Tic Tac at the forefront of our customer's minds, establishing a stronger relationship and increasing brand affinity.
What are the key themes and messages the brand focuses on when approaching its marketing strategy?
Tic Tac's marketing strategy focuses on culturally relevant concepts and messaging that appeal well to youth.
Through our communication, we position Tic Tac, not just as a regular mint, but as a symbol of refreshment and good vibes in daily settings. Our advertising/ promotional assets highlight the brand's ability to create positive emotions and enjoyable experiences, which align with the lifestyle of our target demographic, especially GenZ’s.
We embed innovation and uniqueness in our product offerings to keep customers surprised and excited with each new Tic Tac variation. Incorporating these themes into marketing initiatives aims to boost brand loyalty and engagement across India's diverse customer base.
Who is your target audience? How do you ensure that your campaigns resonate with both urban and semi-urban markets?
India is a young country. Tic Tac targets young India primarily college students and early jobbers. To reach out to both urban and semi-urban consumers, we have created initiatives customised to their needs. For example, our "Fresh and Crazy" activation on college fresher's day reached 64 institutions across eight locations in Uttar Pradesh.
This effort, along with a shop seeding van activity, increased store openings and our presence in smaller communities. These measures have greatly enhanced our brand's exposure and availability among young customers in urban and semi-urban settings.
We even ensure that the Jingles and messaging gets communicated in regional languages to resonate with the semi-urban audience which is the new urban for India.
How does Tic Tac effectively reach and engage with Gen Z, and what strategies have proven most successful in connecting with this demographic? Could you elaborate on the role of influencer and content marketing in your strategy?
Tic Tac engages with the Gen Z audience by integrating innovation, digital connectivity, and youth-focused marketing strategies. Our campaigns, "Tic Tac Vibe Hai," "Chill Kar, Vibe Kar," and "Refresh Your Vibe," establish Tic Tac as a fun and refreshing mint through engaging TV advertising and web marketing.
We leverage the power of social media channels like Instagram, Facebook, Music and Gaming Apps, and YouTube to engage Generation Z with unique and interesting content.
Our strategy is largely focused on influencer and content marketing. The 'Vibe Hai' campaign employs Gen Z lingo and micro-influencers to create entertaining material and encourage interaction.
By capturing the key passion points of Gen Z, like the Cricket World Cup, we ensure we remain relevant to the audience. By constantly modifying our marketing strategies and associating with influencers, we have successfully enhanced Tic Tac's appeal among India's Gen Z, winning their hearts and taste buds.
How is Tic Tac preparing to adapt to the trends and challenges in the confectionery market in India?
Tic Tac as a brand is currently well-positioned to leverage the growth potential of the Indian confectionery sector and create unique offerings basis the evolving preferences of the consumers. Our product strategy corresponds with the growing need for high-quality, distinctive solutions, allowing us to stand out in a competitive market. We are always expanding our product portfolio by adding new and unique flavours that help us remain appealing to our consumers.
In line with the Category trends, which is seeing premiumisation, we are also upsizing by offering additional value, to ensure the right pack for the right channel at the right price point is accessible to the consumer.
In terms of Communication, we are tapping into the evolving media behaviour of Consumers, by leveraging Digital-led campaigns for the Youth, supported by Technology, Influencers and Content marketing. These initiatives help us to resonate with our TG better, in an extremely cluttered and fragmented market.
Tic Tac has always conducted comprehensive market research to answer the needs of new consumers, given the evolving trends and preferences in all aspects, including the latest flavour trends in the category. This allows us to stay ahead of the curve, understand our customers, and modify our strategy to meet their changing demands. Furthermore, we closely monitor regulatory developments to ensure compliance and maintain high product safety and quality standards.
Has Tic Tac leveraged AI technology in its marketing strategies and campaigns? Can you share examples of how AI has helped Tic Tac personalize its marketing efforts or improve consumer engagement?
Tic Tac has integrated AI technology into its marketing initiatives, increasing consumer engagement and personalisation. One such example is our "Find Your Match" campaign, in which we collaborated with Spotify to harness its AI algorithms.
This cooperation enabled us to combine flavour profiles with consumer persona and their listening histories, resulting in personalised playlists for our audience. Also, different flavour films were designed to media target the audiences on a cohort-basis approach, which led them to the microsite for further engagement.
This novel technique not only thrilled customers but demonstrated the seamless combination of flavour and music preferences using AI.
What are the brand's long-term goals?
The main aim of Tic Tac remains to innovate and adapt to the changing taste of the consumers. We are committed to staying ahead of the competition by researching new product advancements, such as new flavours, packaging alterations, or innovative forms that boost convenience.
Our focus remains on digital platforms, namely campaigns that engage our audience through influencers, user-generated content, and creative methodologies. Collaborations with well-known influencers and content creators will highlight Tic Tac's flexibility and importance in everyday life, ensuring our long-term relevance and connection to customers.