Too Yumm! bets on Bigg Boss OTT 2 to target metro markets

The recent season of Bigg Boss OTT gained traction by offering viewers round-the-clock access to their favourite influencers, a shift from the usual 60-90 second video clips in which they are mostly seen.

Too Yumm!, founded by RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group capitalised on this, and launched its newest product, "BHOOT CHIPS," in collaboration with hot sauce brand Naagin, during the show. As part of the show's challenges,  a task was organised wherein contestants were asked to create a jingle inspired by the product's imagery. 

This initiative not only allowed the brand to get content from the popular influencers on the show but also market their product on a massive scale on JioCinema.

Yogesh Tewari, vice president of marketing, RP Sanjiv Goenka Group of  FMCG division says, “We recognized this potential of leveraging this platform to introduce our product. We were already associated with the platform, and it was providing great brand visibility to us.  As the show got extended, it fell into the right window to launch a product. Rather than creating advertisements, we collaborated with the creative team to design a task centred around the product.”

With the expansive reach of JioCinema, the brand effectively amplified its presence among the dedicated followers of these influencers. The content generated by these influencers was leveraged across the brand's social media channels, thereby extending its reach. 

When asked about the calculated nature of this decision, Tewari responded, “When we entered into the partnership with Bigg Boss OTT, we were not privy to the participants. Our approach was not planned in that manner.”

The brand adopted an OTT (over-the-top) route to launch its product, driven by the necessity to align its media and distribution strategies. Given Too Yumm!'s primary focus on major metropolitan regions, the digital medium offered better control compared to television. Tewari explained, “We opted for JioCinema due to our successful experiment with IPL, and the significant response it garnered. Additionally, this was a major property hosted by Salman Khan and streamed for free on JioCinema.”

In this edition of the show, various sponsors were on board, including Vimal Elaichi as the presenting sponsor, and Too Yumm! as a co-powered sponsor. 

Given the show's context of contestants residing within a house, the association with an FMCG brand like Too Yumm! was organically aligned with the essential need for food.

Notably, the show featured a dedicated Too Yumm! namkeen zone, marked by branded cushions, bean bags, and kitchen counter branding, ensuring that the brand's presence was conspicuous. Tewari underscored, “We curated two branded tasks that provided us with substantial visibility. Our collaboration with the show extended to digital marketing and meme sharing.”

To promote its entire portfolio, the brand allocated a significant portion of its quarterly investment to BiggBoss. However, it expressed no intention to partner with the TV version due to its more massy nature.

For the specific product launch, 70% of the marketing budget was allocated to digital platforms, including JioCinema and influencer collaborations. 

The remainder was divided between out-of-home (OOH) advertising and on-ground activations Tewari elaborated, “Our OOH approach is discerning; we are focusing on the top six cities where the bulk of our business originates. In these cities, we will select high-traffic sites with significant impact to ensure optimal visibility.”

Partnership with brand ambassadors

Too Yumm! engaged Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli as a brand ambassador in 2017, subsequently bringing on board Varun Dhawan in 2023 to represent its namkeen range, and associating with KL Rahul as part of its IPL engagement.

Addressing concerns about potential confusion from multiple brand ambassadors, Tewari clarified, “Kohli oversees a substantial portfolio, Varun is synonymous with our namkeen range, and KL Rahul's collaboration was rooted in IPL. Consumer exposure to multiple celebrities and influencers has diminished the likelihood of confusion. Our brand essence remains consistent across all ambassadors. We are in the process of devising a strategy to align each ambassador with specific products.”

Varun Dhawan represents the namkeen line, while Virat Kohli is linked to Karare and other key products. The brand intends to explore synergies between the two celebrities to convey a consistent brand narrative to effectively negate any confusion.

Innovative Marketing Strategies

The brand departed from conventional video advertisements, choosing to collaborate with the influencer FunCho. The resulting video was featured during ad breaks on the JioCinema platform.

Tewari explains, “Instead of investing heavily in a single video ad, which demands substantial working capital, we harnessed content from creators. This approach affords us the flexibility to continually refresh our content. Over the upcoming year, we plan to collaborate with multiple creators, generating compelling content in line with our proposition. Subsequently, we will leverage successful content across our digital platforms.”

For this product launch, the brand produced a reaction video featuring Varun Dhawan and KL Rahul, where the celebrities reviewed the product.

Partnering with Cricket Tournaments 

Too Yumm! has previously partnered with cricket tournaments, serving as the official snacking partner for Lucknow Super Giants during both the IPL 2022 and 2023 seasons.

However, the brand opted not to collaborate with the Asia Cup 2023, focusing on launch campaigns instead. While no decision has been made regarding the World Cup, potential non-sponsorship engagement is being considered. 

As snacking is anticipated to surge during the festive season surrounding the World Cup, Too Yumm!'s association with prominent Indian cricket players will ensure their presence in some capacity.