Bringing good via business: Realme takes the sustainability approach with new launch
Realme India CEO Madhav Sheth says their marketing communication is not only based on sustainability but design and technology as well, and depends on the consumer they are talking to
Sustainability is at the core of modern businesses as more and more consumers become aware of their impact on the environment and are willing to change their consumption habits to manage the environment in a sustainable way. Chinese smartphone manufacturer, Realme is also aspiring to take a ‘Leap To Greener’ and aiming to go net-zero carbon emission and zero waste by 2025. At the recent Mobile World Congress, the brand also announced its GT2 series of phones, which boast of high-end technology packed in a sustainable build. Ahead of the phone’s launch in India, expected to happen next month, the smartphone manufacturer collaborated with ace designer duo Shantanu Nikhil at the ongoing Lakme Fashion Week and presented the paper finish designs, created by Naoto Fukasawa, during the power-packed show.
In a conversation with exchange4media.com at the Lakme Fashion Week, Realme India CEO Madhav Sheth, while mentioning this new range of smartphones, said, “If you think about Realme, our core identity has always been about design and performance. Designing comes fundamentally to us and this time we wanted to really explore how we can up the ante by creating something that matches the ESG standards too. We, as a brand, have always been very serious about sustainable goals and it is another step in that direction.”
Realme had also launched an e-waste management programme last year wherein people can connect with the brand to know the process of recycling and also drop their e-waste at certain collection points. The brand also suitably incentivises the people who choose to recycle their e-waste.
But for a brand selling mid-range smartphones with key user groups living in small cities and urban India, would sustainability really be on the minds of smartphone buyers?
To this Sheth honestly replied, “Frankly, yes sustainability might not be the criterion to buy a smartphone for our TG but there are many people who want to contribute to sustainability goals and don’t know how to. We are presenting them with an option. Also, people who are buying it without thinking about sustainability are inevitably contributing to a good and important cause.”
On being quizzed if the brand will focus more on the sustainability angle to market the new range of phones, Sheth shared, “The series is not only sustainable but has great technology features too. Just to share an example, the phones come with an automatic screen refresh rate, ranging from zero to one hertz to 120 hertz, depending on the apps you are using. This leads to better battery life and a great experience for the user. So, we are technically strong as well.
“Therefore, our marketing communication will really depend on the consumer that we are talking to. If we are talking to the environmentally-conscious consumer, it will be sustainability, for the fashionistas, it will be the design, and for the tech freaks, it will be technology.”
While Sheth remained tight-lipped about the media budgets and pies, he indicated that the brand will be utilising both traditional and new-age media to promote the phone. “The launch strategy is all about partnering with the right people like we have done with Shantanu Nikhil here. There is going to be a lot of media interactions, digital presence and maybe traditional too,” he concluded.
