9 of 10 consumers prefer brands that take a stand on social issues: P&G's Sharat Verma

In every campaign for Ariel since 2015, P&G seeks to highlight inherent patriarchy in Indian society in a thought-provoking way that encourages men to do their share of the household chores at home. The 185-year old Cincinnati-based MNC is known for addressing relevant issues through its campaigns such as the importance of menstrual hygiene through its brand Whisper.

Sharat Verma, Chief Marketing Officer, P&G India; Vice President and Business Unit Head for Fabric Care, spoke at length to exchange4media.com about the company's vision and his own thoughts behind such ad campaigns. 

Edited Excerpts:  

How important is it for the brands to remain socially relevant in ad campaigns?

Brands have no choice today but to remain socially relevant. Consumers want brands to take stance on social and cultural issues. Nine out of ten consumers prefer brands that take a stand on social and cultural issues. Some brands do social campaigns seasonally, they focus on one issue and then switch to another. This appears like lip service. We have been doing the #ShareTheLoad campaign consistently since 2015. Hence, it is important for brands to understand the values they stand for. 

Moreover, the attention span of consumers is going down to 7-8 seconds. That means even if a brand makes a statement it is likely to be missed by consumers unless it is thought provoking. P&G is a leader in supporting equal voice irrespective of colour, sexual orientation, gender, and ethnicity. It is important for us to use our voice across brands to bring about social changes. 

We have got the products consumers want to buy. Tide is the number 1 brand across the world, Ariel is the number one brand for washing machines used globally. It is our responsibility to come out with campaigns that talk about changes that consumers want to see. 

ASCI’s annual reports highlight that many ad makers and brands continue to portray patriarchy. What is your take on such ads? 

The first thing we ensure after watching such ads is that we don’t make such mistakes. ASCI is doing a great job in flagging up such ads and also making sure that brands do the needful. It is also important for brands to understand what consumers want. We are working with multiple channel partners and brands to create awareness on how to make the world a better place. We are seeing a growing sense of realization about seeing everyone equal. I am sure we are definitely going to see the change if we keep talking about it. P&G is the biggest advertiser in the world hence we have the duty and responsibility to make the world a better place. 

It's been seven years to the launch of Ariel's #ShareTheLoad campaign. Have you ever thought about taking up a new issue?

I don’t call '#ShareTheLoad' a campaign but it's a 'movement'. I started this movement in 2015 with our first Ariel campaign. Then I went to China but the movement continued. 

Our latest survey, conducted among men, reveals that over 41 per cent of them still believe that doing laundry is a woman’s job. Until our survey gets that percentage to zero, our job is not done. As a socially responsible brand, we will continue to pursue this movement. 

Digital advertising has seen an exponential rise over the past few years, especially since the pandemic. What is your digital ad share in the total AdEx?

I can’t disclose our media mix due to confidentiality. Digital has seen a huge growth, no doubt. Our digital spend has also increased over the past two years. The idea is to reach consumers in the most effective way but we can’t over advertise by bombarding them with digital ads. 

Television is not going anywhere, for sure. It continues to get the lion’s share even now for every brand that has a product for the masses and it will continue to be number 1 due to its mass appeal. Now, the mobility is coming back to normal, so outdoor advertisements will go up now. Since people have started taking newspapers, print ads are likely to see a rise.