lluminatiX, the Media and PR Cell of XIMB, one of the country’s foremost management institutions, conducted its annual media conclave Communiqué ‘20 on 22nd November 2020.
Centered on the theme “BRAND STORYTELLING: FABLES WITH THE POWER TO CHANGE THE WORLD,” the event focused on bringing out the creative genius and social significance possessed by iconic brands.
As the locus of effective marketing, storytelling for eons has shaped brand evolution in their path to becoming household names, even social phenomenon. As the COVID-19 pandemic’s anniversary crosses us, empathetic and novel brand storytelling has kept countless brands persevere in connecting with their audiences.
Communiquè’s 7th edition focused on igniting a compelling dialogue between the students and the students in analyzing powerful brand stories and its elements.
Mr. Nilesh Mahajan, Vice President of Reliance Jio, was the conclave’s first speaker. With a decade of experience at the telecom powerhouse, he recounted the story of Reliance Jio as a brand, from its genesis to the consumer insights key in shaping the brand.
He highlighted the need for new brands to redefine the rules to carve a niche in the industry. His final remarks captured the conclave’s essence as he emphasized building a brand not centered around selling but not on catering to consumer needs and adding value to their lives.
Communiquè’s second speaker was Mr. Prashant Aneja– Senior Brand Manager at Flipkart. With a throwback mention to Flipkart’s landmark ads of children dressed as adults, Mr. Aneja linked the fundamental building blocks of authentic brand storytelling. His final highlight concluded that there existed no perfect product, only the right product for the right set of customers.
Communiquè’s third speaker was Mr. Shahbaaz Mohammed – Senior Brand Manager at Zydus Wellness Ltd. He kicked off his discourse by educating the students about the cardinal elements of branding. Instead of relying on creative genius, Mr. Mohammed stressed the need for branding to function from infallible research and insight.
Communiquè’s last speaker was Mr. Bodh Deb– the Vice President and Branch Head of AutumnGREY, Mumbai. As a spokesperson for one of the country’s major ad agencies with a client portfolio including brands such as PepsiCo, Reckitt Benckiser, Aditya Birla Group, and Samsonite, Mr. Deb shared the value the “moment” held in crafting authentic brand stories.
Mr. Debh walked the audience through examples of iconic ads, a special one being Samsonite’s ad campaign to revive tourism in Kerala and its subsequent overwhelming reception. Through the example, he accentuated the necessity of brand stories reflecting society and creating value instead of merely delivering on hype.
The engaging interactions were interspersed with Q&A sessions directed between the students and the panel speakers. IlluminatiX also awarded the winners of the national level competitions it had hosted as a prelude to Communiqué, along with sharing a heartfelt vote of thanks, delivered by its student coordinator, Mr. Amrit Anand Mohapatra.
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