 Well, ladies and gentlemen, now it is my honor to call upon our next speaker. Well, our next session is by someone who absolutely needs a no introduction. He's been working with Asian Pain since the last 30 years in various capacities across sales, marketing, and manufacturing. He's currently working as the MD and CEO of Asian Pain's Overlooking Business of more than 18,900 crores in India. He has been responsible of propelling the Asian Pain's brand into a league of its own and has initiated a lot of new initiatives to grow the business over the last decade. He's somebody who's closely associated with color and is also called the game changer for bringing color into the AP strategy. He's also a member of the color marketing group CMG, USA, and a keen member of the AP Color Next Trends Group. Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time to welcome none other than Amit Singhal, MD and CEO Asian Pain's. Well, I'd really like to welcome you with a huge round of applause. And I hope a lot of people in the audience Mr. Singhal could also clap along from wherever they are watching. So a lot of applause coming right there. Thank you, sir, for joining us. Over to you. How are you feeling today? Yeah, thank you, Bhavna, for inviting me over here. It's great to be on this platform. Pleasure, sir. Feeling great to have you over to you. We'd love to hear what you have to say. Thank you. Okay, as part of being here and looking at TV first in terms of what is there, I wanted to just share some thoughts which I had in terms of how TV as a media has been really very, very strong in terms of building brands. And while we see that there is an emergence of lots of other media mixes which are kind of coming up, but I think TV still kind of reigns supreme to that extent in terms of the way it is to that extent. So I wanted to share a small presentation with you and I'll take some quick time and not bore you in terms of some, you know, deary facts or something like that, but just share some stuff which are thoughts emanating from how as a brand we have used TV in a very strong way. So I'm just sharing my screen in terms of, so hope my screen is visible. And there we go. Thank you. So I think the whole essence of this session is all about how building brands with TV first is the most trusted and the most effective way in terms of what we kind of do. We all are aware in terms of some of the facts and figures that today when we look at TV as a primary screen for overall Indian households, we reach out to, you know, more than 892 million viewers who are kind of residing across 210 million households. So I think that's a huge ambit in terms of what you are able to touch just by being on this media. And for example, that any brand which has got a pan India presence and is really kind of all across the country into the hinterland as well. You know, this is a media which really maximizes the reach and to be very, very effective. It is something which you can use to really build brands and keep your saliency high. And obviously all this comes at a cost which you can really see that over a period of time, this is something which can really be kind of taken on because that's the cost which finally flattens out as you look at the whole area of the brand equity which you have built up with this kind of media. Obviously, I think 2020, I think the year of TV and some people say the year of digital but I would say that very clearly I think overall when we see the entire unprecedented situation, I think we saw so many people just glued onto the television, you know and looked at various things in terms of what they were there and therefore I think the kind of eyeballs which were getting were pretty strong to that extent. Overall, viewership grew by 9% as per the data which has been published. TV, household ownership and rural markets also grew by 9% and if you look at the Hindi-speaking markets that was also a growth of about 8% and overall at the all India level at about by 7%, okay. IPL viewership in 2020 for the opening match was a record by itself, I think which kind of really justifies that any impact property like that can really kind of shake the viewership in a very, very strong manner. Overall, I think as we saw 2020 a very, very difficult year, you know really unprecedented the way it kind of really went. We saw that TV was a very, very strong choice media across households in a very strong way. So I think these are some things which I'm sure all of you know and this is something which is there. I wanted to just now take you through some game changes which at Asian Pains we have used when we have looked at TV in a very, very strong way. And I wanted to give you a short and crisp case study in terms of the whole area of how we really built up a brand which is the whole area of Harghar kuch kaita hai. I'm sure you're all familiar with this and you know way back in 2000 when we started early 2000 when we started this, okay. We said that let's look at in terms of how we could kind of really build this across over the years and see how its progression in TV can be which can really give us a brand which really connects. So I think what we really learned at that point of time that emotional advertising works the best and we really looked at connecting with the people in a very, very strong way. And what we soon learned was that, you know it is definitely and this is obviously an estimate but it is definitely about one and a half times more effective as compared to functional. And therefore it also has a very, very strong residual value in terms of as we see in terms of going. Like to just share, you know, a masterpiece at that point of time what we created and that started the whole journey of Harghar kuch kaita hai. kya tata hai. yeh andar ish mein. gaun raita hai. shat batati hai. yeh kis ka asma hai. rang kya tata hai. ish ka yeh jahaan hai. kumro mein kis ki kalp na chha rakti hai. ish fash par nang peyar. kis ke bachi chalte hai. kaun chun chun ke ishe byaar se sayata hai. kaun ish mahkaan mein. ab mahak hai bazaata hai. Harghar kuch kaita hai. ki andar ish mein. kaun raita hai. yeh shun paints. kumki harghar kuch kaita hai. So effective was the entire communication that, you know, the kind of feedback if we got, I think people cried, people related to the whole emotional quotient very, very strongly and obviously there was a master craftsman Piyush who had rendered his voice which I think really kind of cut, made a cut through in terms of the overall media and that started our progression in terms of the whole journey. And then we looked at going in terms of a step further and say that, you know, as we kind of keep on building this on the TV, what is it that we can do? And in the year 2007 we looked at in terms of seeing a different facet of this Harghar. So wherever the first facet was more internal, we looked at Harghar in a very strong way where even the external connect with the home comes in very, very strongly and this is what we did. So the entire thing started building very, very strongly. So the entire thing started building very, very strongly as we saw in terms of the whole emotional connect building up and I think the reach was really multiplied in terms of the way we use TV across and I think this was almost language neutral in terms of how it kind of reached and started kind of really affecting the people and we took this journey forward and then looked at in terms of saying that another time went by when we started building with lots of things. We were flooded with stories across from households in terms of how their home has identity of their personality in a very, very strong way and we started kind of really seeing the stories and this is one of the story which actually came out from one of the recipients who kind of spoke off that this is what really happened and this is what we translated it to. So enjoy this ad. So I think this really completed the whole area of Harghar and I think the emotional connect was very, very strong and what we saw was that it kind of really made Asian paints as a household name. The whole area of mind share was so big that we saw that almost 8 out of 10 people who were visiting any shop had first recall of Asian paints coming in very, very strongly and I think this was something very strong in terms of how the brand was built and when we looked at, you know, just an extension of it last year, we looked at really building it further and you know the time when the pandemic had just come in there was a lockdown completely Asian paints was the first one to kind of really see that how we can really help the government and the community and we launched the whole range of sanitizers in a very, very strong way and we said that we can leverage this so that we can really kind of announce that you are literally, you know extending the home equity through the sanitizers in a very, very strong way and thus emerge this entire property called and that's something which what we did very strongly in terms of looking at how we could kind of communicate that we have launched sanitizers and to protect sanitizers from Asian violence. Now is the time for the first one. So this was also amazing. And this just kind of sets a tone for all of you to just understand that how emotional advertising works. And I think when you kind of use TV as a media, it just multiplies the whole effectiveness in a very, very strong way. So I think that was the game changer one really in terms of how we used going forward. The second game changer, which I would kind of really talk about is the impact properties in terms of how they can be a very, very strong zone in terms of really giving you effectiveness. And I think this is something which we have kind of built into a strategy in a very strong manner, where we keep on looking at impact properties. They might come at higher CPRPs, but I think what you get is a huge amount of effectiveness, which is almost three times regular compared to the other GRPs in terms of what you would kind of get. So therefore, I think that becomes a very, very strong zone in terms of how we would work. So whether it is national or it is the Hindi-speaking markets or even it is in terms of regional, I think this is something which works across in a very, very strong manner. And that is something which we have used in a big way over a period of time. The third game changer, which is very important is that the whole area of building brands, I think it is very, very strong because today I think the whole diversity with respect to what you get in terms of reaching your target groups is very, very strong. So whether it is a far more younger audience which you are looking at or there is a certain customer classification in terms of what you want to reach out if you look at across media. Obviously, I think TV is something which gives you the max, max kind of effectiveness and reach in a very, very strong manner. And this is something which I think has been true over a period of time and it still stays very strongly. Obviously, I think there is part of the mix which you kind of really evolve if you want to kind of concentrate on a certain segment or a certain younger generation in terms of what you want to do. But today actually I think very clearly the diversity which you get in terms of reaching various kinds of target audiences is something which is really supreme in terms of what you keep on getting through this. So the other thing which so how we use this whole kind of learning was that we use this in terms of building a brand. So whether it was a premium brand we have a waterproofing brand called SmartCare and how we built it. So whether it was a CTA which is a call to action kind of advert which we kind of used which the TV really helped us maximize the reach which was almost like a 75% plus reach at one plus kind of a zone. We got terrific results, one lakh missed calls every year, 200% increase in search volumes and a 70% plus cut through. I think it was amazing that you could kind of do something which is premium and it gave you such results. And at the same time, we did something which was diametrically opposite in terms of a tractor brand which is a value emulsion which draws an unorganized customer into the organized kind of market where also I think the results were stupendous in terms of building the brand through both urban and rural India in terms of 80% plus reach at one plus kind of a zone. So I think what we saw in there also was that in terms of total awareness the second most recalled AP brand again a 75% plus creative recall and really it established the imagery of being something which is affordable and durable to that extent which really served the purpose in terms of the preposition which we wanted to really take to the customer. So I think this is something which we are finding that today you can use it for any kind of customer segmentation far more strongly and it has got this really universality which kind of comes in with the kind of diversity it kind of offers overall. The game changer four is about rural as being very, very critical and I think we all saw in 2020 that how T3, T4 cities were doing far better and really what we call as the rubber rubber and I think was something which was the call of the day where we saw that there were a lot of customers who were still buying into a thing because it was largely unaffected as compared to the metros and T1 cities and TV really helped us to deliver in rural markets so whether it was FTAs, GECs, movies, news and support all critical genres we use regional channel boosters and cable channels also to kind of maximize the whole reach across and we found that by doing all this there was a very, very strong brand disposition and a higher reach across rural markets which came in in a very, very strong manner and it really kind of gave us that kind of a penetration which was required at that point of time and I can really say that the rural markets as we say were growing at almost three times the rate as compared to the metros and T1s and this really gave the Philip in terms of making this possible as we went by. The game changer five is about being always on and one could question in terms of how would you kind of really see in terms of monies spread like this but this is something which we have experienced that that is something which has been giving very, very strong results. So you need to maximize weeks on air and it kind of gives you a very, very strong brand saliency and that is something which we have used and it's almost like that you kind of launch something and to maintain saliency you have got at least 50 weeks on air and this really is what bringing the top of mind awareness and brings the whole credibility and trust for key categories and then we just heard Sam saying also this that in any key brand building effort it is not like a on-off switch that you just put in something on the air then you kind of are absent for two, three weeks then you again come back to something there and kind of go off, it can't be like that. So I think what we've learned the lesson very well is that today I think sometimes situations will come but that should not deter you because I think it pays long dividends for being salient over a period of time and it can't be used as an on-off switch in terms of going just like this. So I think that is something which is a big learning which we have taken over a period of time which always helped us in terms of building the brand on the TV. The game changer six which has been very strong is to partner with TV channels and create content and really this integration connects better with the viewers because people are glued to their favorite impact properties and if you are able to integrate the brand there and look at content which makes sense I think that is something which really works. So I wanted to just show you some examples in terms of the work which we did here. This is an exterior brand in terms of what we tied up with Indian news and see. So that was one example. The second example obviously tied up. Thank you very much. I wanted to talk to you again today and I enjoyed the opportunity to talk to you about Gandhi Janti. Before leaving I want to give you a question. Devi and Sajjano, all the players who have come to the hot sheet this week have shown another color in their lives. Now it is time for them to fill their homes with colors. And this responsibility has been taken by ancient paints. So I think this is an example in terms of what you have been kind of doing. I don't want to show you every impact work which we did in terms of creating content. But this is a very, very strong example in terms of how you really built up your brand and really use content to integrate with impact properties in a strong way. And I think this really kind of really energizes the whole brand building in a very strong manner as we kind of go ahead. When we look at the game changes, game changes seven, I think a very strong piece of advice to everyone. I think we need to very, very strongly concentrate on creators and creatives really play a very, very important role. So whether it is a creative which is for the Northwest market or it is for any of the regional markets, what we felt is that even for regional markets, the dubbing really doesn't help in terms of a creative way. I think if you keep it local and you keep it simple, I think it really kind of really helps you in terms of in a very strong manner. And obviously I think the average duration, I think is a very, very important part in terms of getting a certain frequency in terms of what you can really add in a big way. So I think just quick examples in terms of how local and how regional you can get and how the cut through really works very strongly. Asian Fates, Ultima Protect, we need to get lamination. Another one there. What is this, Colonel sir? Is it going to be good? Lamination is only for India, not for you. Asian Fates, Ultima Protect, we need to get lamination. So I think this is something which is very strong and I think a lot of us who kind of keep on building brands in the regional market should keep in this mind that the whole area of keeping it local really works. And if you make it simple, I think that's something which really gets you a very good impact and a mind measure. The last game changer, which I want to speak is the one where we use how we kind of really looked at connecting with the youth very, very strongly. And today, youth is becoming a very, very strong part of our target audience. And how we looked at when we moved away from our brand ambassador who was safe and moved to a much youthful positioning through Born to Decorate kind of a zone where this is the time when we really kind of made the possibility of decorating your homes with textures which were far more vibrant, far more playful and therefore we said that how do we kind of really start reaching to the younger audiences far more stronger? And this is how we kind of really use the media in terms of TV, in terms of very strongly to kind of build this. Enjoy this. Let's play Asian Pains Royal Play, Born to Decorate. So I think, you know, massive spike we got in terms of people just quering in terms of what is Royal Play. And, you know, we became almost more search brand amongst the target audience at that point of time. And I think this game changer really worked very, very strongly in terms of what we were able to achieve. So I think in summary, I think the most important part I would say is that, you know, these are some of some basic simple areas which we have learned over a period of time that using TV, which is so effective and so trusted that we are able to kind of really multiply the impact, look at really causing and building your brands in a very, very strong way. And it is something which is, you know, such a strong medium that we feel that it will always be there. Obviously, I think now today when we look at is that it's not that you don't kind of mix and really use a multitude of media. So it could be, you know, like the digital, which is coming up in a big way and you use sometimes sprint in terms of looking at generating more CTAs. If you have a CTA led kind of an advert, which kind of really happens. But at the same time, I think today TV kind of still reigns supreme, as I said earlier, and it is finally the most effective and the most trusted to that extent. So I think that's it. I wanted to share this stuff with you. And I think this is something which has been a bit of a learning from our side. And I thought it would be good to kind of share it with you in this forum. Thank you. Thank you so much, Mr. Shingal for joining us and definitely for being our jury chair. It really means a lot to us. Thank you for that. Mr. Shingal, I have a couple of questions coming in from the audience. Would it be OK if I can take it with your own life? Sure. Thank you. Well, Mr. Shingal, you mentioned that rural grew at a faster rate than urban. Which markets do you see driving growth in 2021? So what I see is that, obviously, again, the way we have started, it has been very, very unexpected, unfortunately. And I see is when I see even quarter one this year, I see very clearly that the rural markets would kind of really be very, very strong when we have the harvest, which is coming for a good agricultural output, which has happened. And secondly, what we see is that even in today's regime, the rural markets are lesser affected and so on support. So I think the demand areas are very, very strong. But I think as we kind of really see this phase turnover, I would say that possibly there is a bit of a pent up demand, which is there in metros and T1, T2 cities as well. I think the urban markets would also strongly come back as we near more the festivities of quarter two and so on, so far to that extent. So I would principally say that the first half could be dominated by the rural markets. But second half, we would kind of say a very strong participation from the urban markets coming in very strongly. Sure, Mr. Shingal, as a marketer, should we continue advertising in tough times to build brand awareness or be in top and be top of mind? Or should we look at conserving cash now, your views on that? Okay, I am very, very clear and very strong on this. And I concur with Sam in a very big way in terms of what he said earlier. I strongly feel that marketing and advertising is not like an on and off switch. You can't really just switch it off when you feel that the environment is really kind of working against you and see that you could kind of come back when the environment is conducive. Because what I feel is that the brand building is more medium to long term to that extent. And if you kind of really take off your monies at a certain point of time, you will impact your brand because in today's world, the way competition is there, if you lose your positioning and if you lose your connect with your loyal consumers, you will find it very difficult and you might spend three times the money to really get back those consumers a very strong way. So I'm a bit prominent of the fact that you should not kind of really withdraw from your marketing mix to that extent and keep on kind of nurturing your loyal consumers, even if the situation is not looking great. Sure. And Mr. Singlet, what's with such a rich experience you have, what's that advice to the advertisers currently, your few takes on that whilst we conclude your session. So I would say that I think the golden rules are that we need to kind of really keep our marketing mix simple, use very, very strong creatives which possibly really touch the consumer in a very strong way, go emotional wherever you could kind of really go in terms of touching people because that is something where the residual value of the brand really kind of builds up in a very, very strong manner. And I would just say that be wise and be very, very creative in terms of how you use your monies because today in terms of reaching out the audience is not very simple. You need to be creative and you need to be really applying a good thought in terms of how you want to maximize reach to your target audience. Right. Thank you so much Mr. Singlet, every word you spoke definitely creates a huge wave because a lot of people would be looking for for your guidance right now. Thank you once again for joining us. Thank you so much Bahuna for inviting me here. Thank you so much.