CRED, KFC and Netflix’s content marketing pieces are perfect examples of good influencer collaborations

• Last week, we saw three pieces of content marketing from CRED, KFC and Netflix that we think are good examples of how to use influencers right.
• While other brands usually fit their product into a sketch, these pieces of content are refreshing to see as they prioritise the storyline and product placement fits into the narrative seamlessly.

‘Content is king.’ We have heard this buzz phrase in almost every conference and award functions over the years. However, there are very few good instances of branded content that have stood out in the clutter and stayed with us for a long time.

TVF’s Tripling was far ahead of its time. It was launched in 2016, when content marketing had just started getting some recognition in India, and is still referred to as a great case study in the industry for keeping the brand, Tiago, at the center of its narrative. The car had a character of its own. It moved forward with the series, surviving various ups and downs like others.

We spotted three good examples last week that had all the ingredients it takes to create perfect content. From a few good examples in a year, to three good examples in a week, India’s content game is finally picking up. It reflects how far we have come. These pieces inform, entertain, stand-out and aren’t in-your-face. They are innovative and creative, that will stay with you for a long time for sure.

1. CRED and Rahul Subramaniam

Rahul Subramaniam cleverly integrated CRED, credit card payment app, into his famous ‘Building Uncles’ series, where he converses with his building uncles about one lockdown problem.

Subramaniam caught up with his neighbor Kunal Shah, Founder of CRED, to discuss what the app is all about and mocked him for caring too much about their consumers by offering 100 CRED points for a Rs 100 credit card bill. Interestingly, Subramaniam only posted this video on LinkedIn and Shah also responded on this post, saying ‘I need to move out of my building.’

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2. KFC and ScoopWhoop’s Akshay Nayar

Akshay Nayar, a budding content creator at ScoopWhoop, is known for his witty, trendy, relatable three-liner songs. He tries to spot a consumer insight and turns it into songs that make you smile or miss good-old-days. Last week, in a paid partnership with ScoopWhoop, Akshay Nayar created a song called ‘Chicken Leg Piece’ for KFC. He sang about different consumer pain points like not being able to eat good food amid the lockdown, not being able to concentrate while meditating, attending annoying office video calls or exercising while dreaming of food. He ends the video by reminding consumers subtly that KFC is available to order.

3. Netflix and Danish Sait

While Netflix’s Money Heist needs no promotion, Danish Sait, Comedian and Content Creator, brought a new, desi twist to this Spanish series. He showed us how Indians would react to Professor, the protagonist from Monest Heist, calling in a very candid conversation. While he was at it, Sait managed to plug-in another Netflix Original ‘Jamatra’ seamlessly into the narrative.