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Food & beverage brands leverage popularity of foodie duo Rocky and Mayur

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Rocky and Mayur’s immense popularity makes them a favourite among marketers, say experts

NEW DELHI: When popular craft beer brand Bira 91 decided to launch its first advertising campaign, it turned to NDTV Good Times’ ‘Highway On My Plate’ show’s foodie duo Rocky (Singh) and Mayur (Sharma). Conceptualised as a nine-episode long web series titled ‘Hot Stuff’ , Bira’s first digital campaign comprises over five-minute long videos featuring Rocky and Mayur visiting eight different cities exploring spicy cuisine.

“Rocky and Mayur’s personality spells fun and exploration. They are not perceived as serious food critics that is why people identify with them. As a brand Bira also stands for fun and experimentation which goes absolutely well with these food influencers,” said Sandeep Singh, marketing director, B9 Beverages Pvt. Ltd, which sells the Bira91 brand.

Being promoted on the brand’s YouTube as well as social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, the three episodes covering cities like Delhi, Bengaluru and Coorg have garnered over two million views so far.

Known for their wit and spontaneity, Rocky and Mayur actively started partnering with brands in 2013. They like to keep the content in the campaigns real and prefer writing their own scripts. Since they have been working on the television medium for a decade having started ‘Highway on My Plate’ in 2007, they also understand how to effectively produce content.

Agrees Tarun Arora, chief operating officer, Zydus Wellness Ltd, the makers of artificial sweetener brand Sugar Free who has recently worked with the duo on a web series called ‘The Sweet Breakup’.

“We knew that the content had to be entertaining, educative and in the light genre. Rocky and Mayur know the Indian sweet palate well, their insight and the understanding of food from various parts of the country is phenomenal,” he said.

The five episode web series aims to bust the myth that the product should only be used by people with high blood sugar problem. Launched in August, the web series features chef Kunal Kapoor along with Rocky and Mayur who travel in a food truck visiting iconic sweet destinations across the county. The series has collectively garnered over 2.6 million so far on YouTube and Facebook.

Apart from web series, the food aficionados acted as hosts partnering with Pepsico India’s snack brand Kurkure for an experiential campaign called ‘Kurkure Express’ last year. The train took 40 families across 14 different states. The duo also featured in campaigns of quick service restaurant chains like Dominos Pizza, KFC India and Pizza Hut.

“While picking up a brand partnership we make sure there is an India angle because that is something we understand well. It also comes across as an authentic piece of content because viewers identify us having an experience with Indian food,” noted Mayur Sharma.

Apart from hosting a travel show on Australia being aired on Living Foodz, the duo is currently working on a content plan which will curate best restaurants or food joints to visit in different cities depending on cuisine, mood and location.

According to industry experts, the influencer marketing space is hot favourite among marketers who spend Rs50,000 to Rs10 lakh on a single promotional activity (video/social media promotions) depending on the popularity and reach of the influencer.

Noting that influencers’ are most effective in the food and beverage category, Rajiv Dingra, founder and chief executive officer at WATConsult a Dentsu Aegis Network owned social media agency, feels that Rocky and Mayur’s immense popularity makes them a favourite among marketers. “I feel their television exposure along with the fact that they can easily connect with a digital audience as well, makes them a safe bet for most marketers. A variety of brands are leveraging their presence for showcasing values of their offering,” he said.

Source: LiveMint

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