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<keyword id="340376" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ramesh-agarwal" source="Orion">Ramesh Agarwal</keyword>, the father of Ritesh Agarwal, Founder and Group CEO, OYO, has died after falling from the 20th floor of a high-rise located on the Golf Course Road in Gurugram. According to the police, whetehr he committed suicide or fell from the 20th floor accidentally will be known after a detailed investigation. Ritesh Agarwal said in a statement, "With a heavy heart, my family and I would like to share that our guiding light and strength, my father, Shri Ramesh Agarwal, passed away on March 10. He lived a full life and inspired me and so many of us, every single day. "His death is a tremendous loss for our family. My father's compassion and warmth saw us through our toughest times and carried us forward. His words will resonate deep in our hearts. We request everyone to respect our privacy in this time of grief." Further details are awaited.

OYO founder Ritesh Agarwal's father falls to death from Gurugram high-rise

<ul><li>It has been a dull year for initial public offerings (IPOs) this year because of several concerns including the Russia-Ukraine war, rising inflation, higher interest rates and a strong US dollar.</li><li>However, the last few months of 2022 saw a pick up in IPOs.</li><li>The number of IPOs launched and the funds raised through them so far in 2022 have halved from last year.</li><li>Analysts believe the <keyword id="402627" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ipo-market" source="Orion">IPO market</keyword> could witness recovery in the coming months thanks to a strong pipeline and the recent successes of IPOs.</li><li>Popular garments and furnishings retailer Fabindia, Sachin Bansal-founded Navi Technologies and Biba Fashion are among companies that may list next year.</li><li>Currently, there are 61 companies looking to collectively raise ₹92,403 crore via public listing.</li></ul>The primary markets have turned optimistic since September, compensating for a lull in initial public offerings (IPOs) for a greater part of this year. Most of the 15 companies that listed on the bourses in the last quarter of 2022 have rewarded investors. Several concerns – the Russia-Ukraine war, rising inflation, higher interest rates and a strong dollar – led to a halving in the number of IPOs launched and the funds raised through them so far in 2022 compared to last year. So far this year, ₹55,101 crore has been raised through 32 IPOs (as of December 6), down from ₹1.18 lakh crore raised through 64 IPOs in 2021, shows data from Prime Database. In fact, nearly 40% of the amount raised this year has been through one IPO – that of insurance behemoth Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), which garnered over ₹21,000 crore from the public. “Between last year and this year there has been a slowdown in the IPO market. The difference is even more noticeable if you remove LIC, which contributed to a lion’s share of the amount this year. Primary market always follows the secondary market, albeit with a lag. Last year, markets were extremely bullish with a lot of liquidity floating around, which resulted in a huge number of IPOs,” Pranav Haldea, managing director of Prime Database told Business Insider India. The last few months, however, have seen an increase in the number of companies taking the IPO route. Issuances seen across sectors, except new-age tech A report by EY on IPO trends highlights that the end of Q3 (July-September) has seen an uptick in IPOs, after a slowdown post Q2. Technology, banking, capital markets, media and entertainment were the most active sectors in the IPO market in Q3, says the report “Issuances are happening across sectors, except for new-age tech companies. Now, companies have also been asked for additional disclosures, so it may be a while till we see a new-age tech company launch its IPO,” added Haldea. New-age tech companies like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/new-age-tech-companies-rake-in-business-but-are-still-making-losses/articleshow/95837559.cms">Zomato, Paytm and Nykaa that listed last year and Delhivery, which listed this year</a>, have sharply corrected, making investors wary. Moreso, the stock of LIC, which was India’s largest IPO, too corrected since listing in May this year. Analysts, however, believe the IPO market could witness recovery in the coming months thanks to a strong pipeline and the success of IPOs over the last few months. <keyword id="8964554" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="upcoming-ipos" source="Orion">Upcoming IPOs</keyword> for 2023 Currently, there are 61 companies looking to collectively raise ₹92,403 crore via public listing. These are companies that have already received approval from market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) but have refrained from opening their IPOs due to weak market sentiment, which could also impact valuations. “IPO happens when there is agreement on valuation between issuer and investors. Companies that have not yet launched their IPO even after SEBI approval are probably waiting for better valuations and perhaps do not have any fresh capital requirement or pressure from PE/VC investors to exit,” added Haldea. With the reemergence of the IPO wave, these companies could launch their IPOs next year, say experts. Popular garments and furnishings retailer Fabindia, Sachin Bansal-founded Navi Technologies, and Biba Fashion are among companies that may list next year. Top ten largest IPOs among 61 that have received SEBI approval <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Company </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Issue size </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Aadhar Housing Finance </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹7,300 crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">API Holdings </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹6,250 crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">TVS Supply Chain Solutions </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹5,000 crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Macleods Pharmaceuticals </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹5,000 crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Bharat FIH </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹5,000 crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Emcure Pharmaceuticals </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹4,000 crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Fabindia </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹4,000 crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Navi Technologies </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹3,350 crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">TBO Tek </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹2,100 crore </td></tr></tbody></table>Source: Prime Database Apart from these, 32 companies are in line to collectively raise ₹53,115 crore after SEBI approves their draft prospectus. Hotel chain OYO, Snapdeal and condom manufacturer Mankind Pharma are among companies awaiting the regulator’s nod. This strong pipeline augurs well for the IPO market in 2023, despite predictions of volatile global markets and other external pressures, analysts say. “While volatility in the overall global markets and other macro factors will continue to affect investor sentiments, the pipeline of IPOs and momentum created by successful IPOs towards the end of Q3 2022 could lead to a recovery in the market,” said Adarsh Ranka, financial accounting advisory services leader, partner with an Indian member firm of EY Global. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/news/i-am-glad-i-fd-up-so-much-in-life-that-it-is-content-now-says-ankur-warikoo/articleshow/96282722.cms">I am glad I F**%*D up so much in life that it is content now says Ankur Warikoo</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/upcoming-web-series-on-amazon-prime-netflix-hotstar-sonyliv-in-2023-in-india/slidelist/96217782.cms">Made in Heaven, Paatal Lok &amp; all the web series in between hitting the screens in 2023</a>

IPOs pick up steam in last three months of 2022 – Strong pipeline likely to propel listings in 2023

<ul><li>In our latest interview series, we speak to a few CMOs to understand how they are helping out their organisations find the right ways to connect with consumers.</li><li>Mayur Hola, Head of Global Brand, OYO tells us how the brand has been using its marketing tools to help out people.</li></ul>India crossed the three-lakh mark of fatalities on May 24 as it reported 4,454 new deaths in a single day due to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/india-becomes-third-country-to-surpass-three-lakh-mark-of-covid-19-deaths-with-4454-new-fatalities-in-a-single-day/articleshow/82900228.cms">Covid-19</a>. India is the third country to cross three-lakh deaths after US and Brazil. This second wave of COVID-19 has impacted our livelihoods and businesses like never before. All employees are struggling to focus at work. At such dire times, many companies are trying to launch wellness programmes at work to ensure a positive work environment or doing their bit by amplifying the SoS requests and/or donating to NGOs. And this battle is far from over. Understanding the gravity of the situation, India’s hotel unicorn OYO has extended its support to help out its employees and customers. OYO’s employees who have lost their lives due to COVID-19, will be given 8 months payment and the company will support the education of their children for five years. It has also moved to a 4-day working week for the month of May. “2021 is grim. What's going on is just a whole other challenge to deal with. Almost every single person of our team is impacted either personally or with someone amongst their family or friends getting infected,” said Mayur Hola, Head of Global Brand, OYO. “There's organisation-wide tracking and a Covid war room setup to help people with whatever they need; Oxygen cylinders, OCs, hospitalisation, meals, medicines etc. What we've done in addition to that is set up a team level tracker to check on folks every day. It's just a more personal way to do this we find. And if anyone or their family is impacted then it's just normal for us to check on them daily and see if they need anything. Both as someone who works with a team and as just a human being, you have to make time to check on people today. It's not a formality, it is a necessity.” In the interim, OYO has also shifted its marketing strategy and has recast its business model. It has turned a few of its properties to function as quarantine and isolation facilities for COVID-19 positive patients. On how the second wave has impacted OYO’s larger business goals, Hola said, “Ritesh gave us a very simple goal for the next little bit. We will help whoever we can and prevent as many lives from being lost as possible for us to do. I think it's a great goal to focus the organisation towards. And we've got hundreds of people coming together to do exactly that.” The company had conducted a guest survey to identify upcoming industry trends. As per the survey, 87% of the OYO customers said that they will prefer hotels with immunised staff when they plan to travel again. “Vaccination visibility when self-reported timely and accurately will become a confidence builder for travel recovery,” tweeted Founder and Group CEO Ritesh Agarwal. So, during the second wave, OYO’s two major focus areas have become: OYO care and VaccinAid; the latter is a feature on its app that shows self-reported vaccination status of hotel staff across the country. Telling us more about OYO’s focus areas for this quarter, Hola said, “It really helps when you've got a direction as clear as we have to help people in general and OYOpreneurs and their families in particular. Today, the brand we all are focusing on is OYO Care. Our quarantine and isolation stays project is a big focus area for us. Both on the retail and corporate (b2b) side. And the VaccinAid feature that transparently declares properties which have vaccinated staff and encourages our guests to vaccinate themselves is another focus area for the mid to long term. It is not business as usual, but it is perhaps more rewarding than usual to be able to help even one person today.” During the nation-wide lockdown 1.0, the grinding halt on travel and tourism also impacted home-grown hospitality brand OYO by bringing its revenue down to zero levels. However, with cities unlocking and global restrictions easing gradually in the second half of the year, OYO reached ~45% of pre-COVID occupancy levels in December. As many other CMOs, 2020’s uncertain time taught Hola how to draw boundaries between work life and personal life. He told us that 2021 has been a little easier in terms of adjusting to the sudden waves of changes as felt more prepared for the uncertain challenges that come in his way. “The first wave was like learning to surf. We fell off the surfboard a lot. It was a lot of getting used to. But now working from home is something you've learnt to deal with and you just get on with it. Schedule wise, I find that it's more sorted. Work days are intense as usual but everyone has fallen into a pattern and there's a lot more respect for post work hours and weekends. More than anything, 2020 taught us what to expect and as such we're a lot more prepared (work wise) to deal with the second wave,” said Hola. On social media front, OYO has been focusing on connecting with COVID survivors and reminding people to get vaccinated. Business-oriented communication has taken a backseat for now. <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Image"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Image"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Image"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> Its print ad won hearts on the internet for using the advertising space wisely. It published a ‘handy Spo2 chart’ on the first page of Hindustan Times for people who are tracking their loved ones oxygen levels on a daily basis. The copy read, “We can keep saying that we care but unless it helps you, it’s a waste. So we decided to give you our ad space to take care of yourself and your loved ones.” <div type="twitter" handle="RohanKochhar" handlename="Rohan Kochhar" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1357300572601286656/FuosOMJ1_normal.jpg" favoritecount="142" retweetcount="23" status="This advertisement by OYO Care today is marketing at it’s brilliant best!Well done @oyorooms https://t.co/EGWoowmJbB" createdat="1621589586000" id="1395674000873836547"></div> This print ad is a great example of how brands can use advertising, which is the biggest and strongest weapon they hold, to provide value to its audience and bring about change. “Right now, our only focus is to help and we're using whatever tools and channels we have to do so,” said Hola. Many marketers have chosen silence to help their audience deal with the horrifying situation that our country is facing or they have chosen to continue selling products as usual. There are a few handful brands that have taken a kind, empathetic approach in their advertising campaigns. On what should brands do in today’s scenario, Hola said, “If you can help, please help. Even if you're selling goods or services that are helpful, that's fine. But whatever you do, don't moment market this crisis. There's a special place in communication and marketing hell reserved for that.” <keyword id="4964826" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO-hotels">OYO Hotels</keyword> and Homes currently has over 1,00,000 small hotels and homeowners across 800 cities in 80 countries on its platform <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="82099226" title="OYO’s ‘Hockey’ print campaign is winning the internet; there’s a lot more in store, says its head of global brand Mayur Hola" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Don't moment-market this crisis; there's a special place in communication and marketing hell reserved for that: Mayur Hola of OYO

<ul><li><keyword id="7355473" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO-Life">Oyo Life</keyword> currently operates 40,000 beds across 9 cities. </li><li>By 2019 end, it aims to have 100,000 beds.</li><li>OYO has also claimed that it is now the largest ‘long-term’ coliving space. </li></ul>OYO Life has set ambitious target of adding more than twice its beds by the end of the year. It means the co-living venture of OYO will expand from its current 40,000 beds to 100,000. “We expect the co-living market to continue to grow further and we are geared to provide over 100,000 beds by 2019-end,” said Rohit Kapoor, CEO of new real estate businesses at OYO. OYO now claims to be the largest ‘long-term’ coliving space. It currently has an occupancy of 85-90%. “Originally targeted at young professionals and first jobbers, we have been seeing interesting case studies of customers across various stages of life ranging from students, couples, right up to families and senior citizens across diverse income groups, choosing OYO LIFE as their preferred option,” said Kapoor. In September, it also partnered with IIT Delhi and Plaksha University to manage over 500 beds. Oyo claims to provide students with amenities such as surveillance and security, Wi-Fi and food. The prices start at ₹6,500 and goes up to ₹12,999 per bed, per month. According to a report Student Accommodation Provider Association of India (SAPFI) and CBRE, the student housing sector will attract as much as $700 million investment and add 600,000 beds by 2023.

Oyo’s co-living venture wants to expand twice over in two months

<ul><li><keyword id="7355473" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO-Life">OYO Life</keyword> has partnered with <keyword id="57604" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="iit-delhi">IIT Delhi</keyword> and <keyword id="8149820" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="plaksha-university">Plaksha University</keyword> to manage over 500 beds. </li><li>The pricing starts at ₹6,500 and goes up to ₹12,999 per bed. </li><li><keyword id="2808667" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO">OYO</keyword> Life was launched in 2018 and is present in 4 cities – Delhi, NCR, Pune and Bangalore. </li></ul>OYO Life, a subsidiary of OYO Hotel and Homes, announced that it is expanding into <keyword id="4372526" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="student-housing">student housing</keyword> segment. It also partnered with IIT Delhi and Plaksha University to manage over 500 beds. “The demand for fully furnished, fully maintained, internet-ready accommodations and innovative services has increased manifold. We are confident that our growing presence in the student housing segment will enable us to scale 100K beds by 2019-end,” said Rohit Kapoor, CEO, New Real Estate Businesses, OYO. Oyo claims to provide students with amenities such as surveillance and security, Wi-Fi and food.The prices start at ₹6,500 and goes up to ₹12,999 per bed, per month. OYO Life launched in 2018 and is present in these cities – Delhi and NCR, Pune and Bangalore. They operate over 30,000 beds. The competition in the student housing segment is heating up. Recently, home rental startup Nestaway too said that it will enter the segment. Stanza Living is another player who has been catering to this segment for the last two years. According to a report released today by Student Accommodation Provider Association of India (SAPFI) and CBRE, the student housing sector will attract as much as $700 million investment and add 600,000 beds by 2023.

OYO enters the student housing segment, partners with IIT Delhi and Plaksha University

<ul><li>Prasidha Menon, VP &amp; Global Head of Communications - <keyword id="4964826" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO-hotels">OYO Hotels</keyword> &amp; Homes writes how the cardinal rule for all marketing and communications teams is to build a company’s communication strategy on the pillars of transparency, consistency, authenticity and empathy. </li><li>She shares a few drive impactful internal, external and social media communications in 2021. </li></ul>When in peril, it’s a human tendency to question the authenticity of the problem. The next step is, of course, solving the problem itself. When the COVID-19 crisis hit the world, some countries spent time understanding the magnitude of the virus. Some others were quick to acknowledge the problem at hand and then accelerate their decision-making processes based on the available information, learning from past crises of somewhat similar magnitude and embracing the uncertainty around this health crisis. Visibly, the latter group was able to control the situation better. To do this, such nations leveraged the power of timely and relevant audience-focused communications, and instilled a sense of urgency and collaborative responsibility, all of which helped bring people together and collectively rally towards the common goals of ‘beating the virus’ and adapting to the ‘new normal’ while the pandemic continues to create uncertainty. Today, as the world is slowly moving forward and taking a step towards embracing a new way of life, it is important to remember that the pandemic isn’t over yet. In my view, during such times, the cardinal rule for all marketing and communications teams is to build a company’s communication strategy on the pillars of transparency, consistency, authenticity and empathy. Needless to say, their communication should also reflect the same to all stakeholders - consumers, partners and, most importantly, the organisation’s employees. Here are a few ways to drive impactful internal, external and social media communications during a once-in-a-lifetime crisis (hopefully) like COVID-19: <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Purpose-driven communications: Redefining communications objectives in a disrupted world" text="Purpose-driven communications: Redefining communications objectives in a disrupted world">Purpose-driven communications: Redefining communications objectives in a disrupted world</cmsannotation> In a world where COVID-19 disrupted the disruptors, there is increased scrutiny and skepticism on companies, especially startups, and their long-term success. Thriving in such an age of disruption and a fast-evolving situation requires every organisation to have a well-thought-out purpose, an objective that drives all engagements, and a clear long-term plan. Leaders should lead with purpose. To put it simply, a brand’s objective would greatly differ today than it used to be in the pre-COVID days since the impact of the pandemic on the business calls for re-tooling everything. Today, organisations have a never-again opportunity to recalibrate, go back to basics and rebuild a future-proof business, with a renewed focus. While companies focus on doing this, the PR &amp; Communications function must be deeply entrenched within the business to identify opportunities to engage with various stakeholder groups and rebuild the trust and confidence in the brand. While positive developments from the vaccine space give us hope, overarching communication plans must still be agile and designed to battle uncertainty at any given point. Flexibility is crucial, as is cohesiveness and scenario-based engagement or planning to ensure that the company’s reputation doesn’t suffer during the recovery process. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Elevated Role of Communications: As brand custodians, there is a need to find authentic ways to keep your stakeholders engaged" text="Elevated Role of Communications: As brand custodians, there is a need to find authentic ways to keep your stakeholders engaged">Elevated Role of Communications: As brand custodians, there is a need to find authentic ways to keep your stakeholders engaged</cmsannotation> Good communication efforts are incomplete in today’s times if they are not authentic enough to win the hearts and minds of your key stakeholders. Everything that the company does should have the ability to move people, drive brand love and build loyalty for the organisation. Even in cases of companies that had to take inevitable and tough decisions to safeguard their future, those that led with empathy and authenticity were respected for leading from the front. So far, the marketing and communication teams were working towards reputational goals, while driving business outcomes. Today, it is extremely important for them to be the voice of reason and play a significant role in helping the management arrive at key business decisions, whose impact goes beyond the brand’s external reputation. Storytelling in times of crisis needs to be purpose-driven and action-led. There is a clear need to remind business stakeholders that it’s not always about business afterall, and drive initiatives that matter to one or more of your stakeholder groups - consumers, employees, partners, or the larger communities that the company serves. For instance, it is often said that in times of distress, a customer or a partner’s interaction with a brand triggers an immediate and lingering effect on their sense of trust and loyalty. It is, therefore, important for brands to stay ahead of the curve and engage consumers and partners with content that matters - relatable messages that interest their well-being and ‘evolved’ lifestyle. To achieve this, communication teams need to synergize across functions - be it brand &amp; marketing, business &amp; data analytics, tech or business teams - and drive decisions and improvements that are in the best interest of their stakeholders. Such integrated efforts across audience-focused communication channels (social media, traditional media, SMS, emailers, webinars, etc.) enable organisations to stay connected to their stakeholders and drive brand resonance. When it comes to employee communications, the communications team needs to work closely with the HR department as well as the leadership to find interesting ways to understand the pulse of the organisation and design campaigns that address their needs - morale-building, learning &amp; development, dealing with the ‘new ways of working’ or mental health and wellness. Owing to remote working, employee engagement and team bonding activities may have taken a hit, however, through exciting topical virtual events with external experts, coffee sessions with leaders, and upskilling workshops, organisations can continue to keep the morale high among their workforce. Sustaining momentum during a long-drawn-out crisis like COVID-19 requires organisations to be bold enough to acknowledge that they might not have the perfect answer to every situation. Or, for that matter, even a complete understanding of the situation and its impact in the long term. But they must still commit themselves to ‘act responsibly and engage empathetically’ and their communications should reflect that with as much authenticity as possible.

The holy trinity of communications: A guide to a cohesive internal, external and social media strategy in the next normal

<ul><li>In our latest interview series, we talk to brands to understand how they are coping with the new normal and their strategies towards navigating these difficult times.</li><li><keyword id="5030059" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mayur-Hola">Mayur Hola</keyword>, Head of Global Brand, <keyword id="2808667" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO">OYO</keyword> Hotels &amp; Homes voiced his optimism about the future with us as he told us all that OYO will be doing to make things safer for all its stakeholders.</li></ul> The world is slowly opening up, trying to get back to a normal routine. With cities opening up, so are businesses. Travel has been an industry that has impacted massively. With people stuck at homes, many travel-related businesses came to a complete standstill. However, with flights slowly opening up, people are still cautious. People are still only travelling if there is an absolute necessity. We are probably still some time away from people getting comfortable with travelling for leisure, things are definitely moving in that direction. In an attempt to understand how things have been for an organization which has its core businesses closely wired with the travel industry, we caught up with Mayur Hola, Head of Global Brand, OYO recently. And we are glad we did because he gave us just the right dose of optimism that we need during these bleak times. Hola not only told us how the organization has been coping all this while but also shared some really quirky learnings from the <keyword id="91743" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="lockdown">lockdown</keyword> experience. Edited excerpts: Q) The world as we knew it has perhaps changed forever. The post-Covid world will be very different, and so will be the consumer’s expectations from different brands that have been a part of their lives. As a brand, how are you prepping up to meet these uncertain expectations of the future? The world isn’t in a great place right now (figuratively). But it’s not all bad. I’ll try and inject a few mg of optimism here. Women leaders are managing their countries brilliantly. The world needs more of them. Doctors (and the entire healthcare system) are helping hundreds of thousands of people make a full recovery. Millions of people are speaking up for issues that matter and not sitting on the fence. There are countless sensitive and caring souls willing to help each other and our fellow creatures in the real world. Billions of dollars are being donated. Amongst it all, SpaceX has sent a manned space flight to the International Space Centre. People are people and while the worst amongst us get seen and noticed, it is the best within all of us that will bring the world back to being the imperfect little rock we know and love. The same is true for brands. We do the right things to support our universe and sooner than later they come back to support us. We’ve been helping our hotel partners reopen and sanitise their spaces. We are informing our customers about the efforts we are making together to welcome them back and keep them safe. And today many are returning to us. Q) How have the past few months been for the brand? Since hospitality has been one of the worse affected, what is your expectation from the rest of the year? We’ve been set free! Free from office, from 9 to 5, from conference rooms and belts and creased trousers, from blow dried hair and appropriate attire. We can live in PJs, work from wherever! So we will actually see more domestic tourism coming our way than ever before. However we aren’t a tourism-dependent hospitality brand. We get a huge number of same city and business travel bookings. We’re seeing a lot of our pre-lockdown booking patterns make an encouraging comeback and are fairly positive in the long term. We might see a lot of work calls being made from hilltops and beaches later in the year, but that’s a whole other matter. Q) How did you, as an organization, deal with this dynamic situation? How did you ensure you kept the morale of your teams high? Being optimistic and helpful gets one past a lot of the doomsday theories. When you focus on hosting those who need to quarantine, on feeding the hungry and contributing monetarily and in all ways possible for you including housing Lucy the beagle and her doctor father (they were pushed out by their society, we helped), then keeping morale high is not a challenge. Our job was to stay open, help and communicate with those who needed help so they knew where to come. We did that. Q) As a marketer, what have your key learnings from this experience been so far? In no particular order, here are some learnings that may or may not help market stuff. 1. Mahabharat over Netflix. 2. Ludo over PS4. 3. Daru over dawa. 4. Motiyon waaley masks over motiyon waaley daant. 5. Binge wash over binge watch. 6. Namaste over shake it baby. 7. Sonu Sood over Akshay Kumar. 8. Ghar ki daal over bahar ki murgi. 9. Air India over hot air. 10. Kirana store over app store. Q) How difficult was it to figure out your communication strategy during these adverse times, considering it is easy for consumers to misread <keyword id="6354839" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="marketing">marketing</keyword> communications as opportunistic? Difficulty is relative. Here’s what was easy. Working together became super easy, as everyone realised that we need to help each other. Deciding to be empathetic and sensitive was easy. Making sure that all our acts and our communication about those acts, was designed to be helpful and not tactical. All this was easy. Q) Going forward, what is your marketing strategy going to be for the next few months, which from where we are now, is still shrouded with uncertainty? Do you think, marketing as we know it, will also change in the post-Covid world? Will your priorities as a marketer change? As a country we need to get back to work, get the economy going, get life back on track. This is what we know and it is what we will do. Every single brand’s strategy has to be to support that. So as folks go about reviving life and business, we will scrub our spaces and protect them. ‘Sanitised Stays’ is our strategy to build consumer trust and meet their expectations. We’ll focus our efforts to deliver this on-ground and convey the same via all channels and mediums to our partners and guests. This will include some key partnerships which we’ll announce soon. We will play our part in helping India reopen. Finally, the world will find a way to recover, we just will. I don’t know if that is visionary. But it is the vision OYO has.

As folks go about reviving life and business, we will scrub our spaces and protect them: Mayur Hola, OYO Hotels & Homes

<ul><li>Often Valentine’s Day is associated with the young, and love is marketed and celebrated as a young person’s thing. </li><li>We have developed an ageist perspective towards love, believing that one loses the ability to express and celebrate love as one grows older. </li><li>Breaking these stereotypes, OYO’s Valentine’s Day campaign stood out in the clutter of puppy love this year. </li><li>We caught up with Mayur Hola, Head of Global Brand - OYO Hotels &amp; Homes to understand what encouraged the brand to feature a mid-age couple, the process of its casting, and discussed why Indian brands have been neglecting people in their mid-age while celebrating love. </li></ul>Imagine a cafe and a young couple on a date. You see a bunch of roses in the background, chocolate heart-shaped boxes on the table and the guy proposes. You don’t need to try too hard because that’s basically the template Indian advertisements have been following for their Valentine’s Day ads for years. We are seeing more representation of LGBTQ couples, intercaste marriages, live-in couples, young women taking charge but rarely do we see women in their late 40s or older, falling in love all over again or sharing a romantic moment with their partner in public. Often Valentine’s Day is associated with young people, and the idea of love is marketed and celebrated as something that’s mushy, young and sweet. We don’t often get to see mid-age couples on dates or in any romantic settings. Even in mainstream cinema and pop-culture, it is only now that we have movies like Once Again and Badhaai Ho with mid-age actors as their protagonist and ads like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/advertising/brands/article/colgates-endearing-campaign-encourages-people-to-stop-worrying-about-whatll-people-think-and-just-follow-their-hearts/articleshow/77782264.cms">Colgate's</a> Remarriage. These movies and ads have nudged us to reconsider our attitude towards love. However, an old couple still in love or mid-age people falling in love is still treated as a different conversation - just as talking about LGBTQ+ is only remembered during pride month, it doesn't fit into the larger umbrella of love yet. With this, we have developed an ageist and limited perspective towards love, believing that one loses the ability to express and celebrate love as one grows older. So, we were pleasantly surprised when we saw a young hospitality brand, OYO, take a different route this Valentine’s. Its Valentine’s Day campaign is about a mid-age couple who is loyal to OYO and has a rather mature idea of love. Featuring a brilliant cast comprising <keyword id="1813" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="neena-gupta">Neena Gupta</keyword> and <keyword id="21050" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Swanand-Kirkire">Swanand Kirkire</keyword>, the campaign celebrates the spark that keeps long-term relationships alive. Titled ‘Long-term relationship with OYO,’ it is a 4-film digital campaign. In the first film, the protagonists engage in playful bickering. Kirkire asks Gupta why she sticks to choosing the same hotel and room every time they travel. Gupta replies with another question ‘I am not bored, are you?’ subtly hinting at their long-lasting relationship. It is those adorable glances at the end between Gupta and Kirkire that stole our hearts and the sound of a playful tune of ‘Yeh Rishta Hai Thoda Khiska’ acts as a cherry on top. <div type="twitter" handle="oyorooms" handlename="OYO" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1336945719781945344/WyBChLdY_normal.jpg" favoritecount="25" retweetcount="5" status="Relationships are in a long term relationship with #OYO. Just like these two cuties.#YeRishtaHaiKhiska… https://t.co/xWLBtbH6qT" createdat="1612536531000" id="1357702732744806400"></div> The campaign is supported with social media posts and emailers. Each post brings in a pragmatic perspective and reminds the audience that love is not all mush, it is a little complicated. For example, OYO dropped a truth bomb on Teddy Bear Day saying that women don’t play with teddy bears anymore. The copy read, “Dear adarsh balak, sasta ho ya mehenga, she stopped playing with teddy bears when she was 10. This is un-bear-able. Love, Neena.” <div type="twitter" handle="oyorooms" handlename="OYO" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1336945719781945344/WyBChLdY_normal.jpg" favoritecount="11" retweetcount="0" status="Agli baar emoji se bhi kaam chal jayega 🧸🐻 Teddy was my chuddy buddy, buddy. #TeddyDay #YeRishtaHaiKhiska… https://t.co/UWOFyqMxGt" createdat="1612935766000" id="1359377248172732416"></div> Another realistic comment was on Chocolate Day, advising people to avoid cliches and not give heart-shaped Chocolate boxes to your loved ones because it is less chocolates, more air and lacks utility purpose. <div type="twitter" handle="oyorooms" handlename="OYO" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1336945719781945344/WyBChLdY_normal.jpg" favoritecount="24" retweetcount="1" status="Avoid cliches, swaad anusar 🍫@Neenagupta001 #ChocolateDay #YeRishtaHaiKhiska #Valentinesweek https://t.co/jTD19oGZ22" createdat="1612847985000" id="1359009068547903489"></div> On a day when brands neglect mid-age people, OYO has broken many stereotypes but it did not intend to make a statement by onboarding a mid-age protagonist, it all happened organically. Moreover, Gupta and Kirkire were the brand's first choice. Mayur Hola, Head of Global Brand - OYO Hotels &amp; Homes said, “The best movies, the ones that leave a lasting impression on you, come from stories and faces that are lined with age and character. That's really where great cinema emerges from. Advertising sometimes tends to feature bright shiny objects. I'm not just talking about human beings, even food. So the food you see in ads, you don't necessarily see in real life. We have sculpted bodies, perfect faces, etc. OYO might feature young faces from time to time as well, but we just felt these stories were better told by a couple who are ageless. Time has no relevance to the stories we are telling. It could be anyone, anywhere. We know that we are talking to such a varied audience as ours. We know that the lead protagonist needs to have a certain amount of chutzpah as well as stature. So yeah, we decided let's go get an actor not lower in age because sure, puppy love is awesome but I think we have a winner here in Neena.” While we still continue to fight with a global pandemic, OYO aims to remind you with this campaign that some familiarity is comforting and gain its consumers' trust. After conducting a consumer research and chatting with a few of them one-on-one, OYO found that that in eight out of 10 cases, women drive the conversation and take the final decision around travel. It also highlighted consumers who visit OYO once, they tend to go back to the same hotel. And this insight fueled the idea and gave birth to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/yerishtahaikhiska">#YeRishtaHaiKhiska</a>. The first ad currently boasts 2,322,307 views. Telling how the brand stumbled upon this idea of celebrating long-lasting relationships, Hola said, “The starting point of any campaign for us is inclusivity. We’re a mass brand that is adopted by so many diverse sets of people; SMEs / corporate travellers, leisure travellers, couples, among others. This is an inclusive campaign that speaks to all, rather than an old vs young one. Secondly, over time our core customers see a very high repeat rate. To the same location and the same property. Our guests are literally in a long term relationship with OYO. Additionally when we spoke 1:1, woman to woman with a lot of our women guests we came across the fact that women were the key decision-makers when it came to booking a getaway, holiday, or vacation. So join the dots and the campaign comes together. Inclusion, relationships, consideration amongst women in particular.” Both, the concept of the campaign and script of the films were written by OYO’s in-house global brand team, with support from Oink Films on production. Hola said the brand aims to woo female audiences with its Valentine’s campaign. “We’re expecting greater consideration overall. And in general, likeability because this is just such a charming campaign. I think we don't necessarily need to feature your audience in your communication for them to like it. So in terms of interests and mindset, couples will relate with it, no matter what age group they are. I do think one of the intentions is to have greater likeability and affiliation with a female group. And I feel sure we’ll see that happen,” shared Hola. OYO will roll out a unified view across 45+ OTTs and apps programmatically. This includes platforms such as Inshorts, Sharechat, OTT platforms (Hotstar, MX Player, Sony Liv, Voot), music streaming apps (Gaana, Spotify, JioSaavn,) and dating apps (Tinder, Bumble, OkCupid). It will further amplify the films through an influencer campaign based on the theme #RishtaThodaKhiskaHai via a mix of celebrity and lifestyle influencers such as Smriti Khanna, Meeth Miri, Natasha Singh, and Siddhi MahaJankati, among others. As a brand that caters to a large audience, OYO is also making a conscious effort to be more inclusive in their advertising and marketing campaigns. On whether we will see more sections and communities of our societies in OYO’s campaign, Hola said, “Absolutely, We’re a brand that is adopted by the world’s middle class. And we will look to do work that appeals to a large mass.”

OYO’s Valentine’s Day campaign with Neena Gupta and Swanand Kirkire stands out in the clutter of mushy, young love

<ul><li>Nearly 1.8 - 2 lakh guests spent their long weekend at OYOs across India </li><li>OYO’s <keyword id="9896751" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="booking-trends">booking trends</keyword> reveal that Jaipur, Goa, and Kochi topped as India’s most <keyword id="10055480" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="popular-leisure-destinations">popular leisure destinations</keyword> among travellers this long weekend.</li></ul>With state borders opening up and relaxation of restrictions across the country, travelers are back into action. As per OYO’s recent consumer survey, 57% of respondents said that their next trip would be for leisure, while 61% had already decided the destination for their coming vacation. OYO’s booking trends for the long weekend, between 02nd and 04th October, clearly reflects India’s travel aspirations and confidence to hit the roads once again. As a result, <keyword id="7036155" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO-Hotels-Homes">OYO Hotels &amp; Homes</keyword>, saw a 72% surge in bookings for leisure destinations between 02nd October and 04th October. Over the weekend, nearly 1.8 - 2 lakh guests spent their long weekend at OYOs across India. OYO’s booking trends reveal that Jaipur, Goa, and Kochi topped as India’s most popular leisure destinations among travellers this long weekend. Interestingly, most of this demand came from Delhi, making it the city with the highest aspirations to travel again. Through OYO’s consumer survey, safety emerged as the consumer’s top priority, further to which 56% would opt to travel via a private vehicle to nearby locations with their family or friends. The survey also highlights that travellers are most likely to plan their vacations between 1 - 3 days. Very close to the survey findings, OYO has observed that Delhiites took inter-state road trips to tourist hotspots, with Jaipur and Agra topping charts. Majority travellers from Pune, Bangalore, Mumbai preferred to spend their long weekend along the exotic and relaxing beaches of Goa. Down South, Kochi was the most popular leisure destination, with most people coming into the city from Bangalore, Kozhikode, and Thiruvananthapuram. As for leisure destinations like Lucknow, Jaipur and Vishakhapatnam, most demand stemmed from Bhubaneshwar and Vijaywada respectively. Here are the top leisure destinations across India and the four zones across the country: <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Region </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Most popular leisure destinations for the 02nd October long weekend </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">India </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Jaipur Goa Kochi Vishakhapatnam Agra </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">North India </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Jaipur Agra Mussoorie </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">South India </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Kochi Vishakhapatnam Pondicherry </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">North East India </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Digha </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">West India </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Goa </td></tr></tbody></table> To ensure their health and safety, during their stay over the long weekend, OYO’s consumer survey shows that the majority of travellers are looking for value for money and cleanliness while booking their accommodation. Standing true to this insight, a whopping 91% of guests chose OYO hotels and homes with the ‘Sanitised Stays’ safety tag. Commenting on the boost in bookings and comeback of leisure travel, Rohit Kapoor, CEO, India &amp; South Asia, OYO said, “Travel is coming back, faster than we expected. All around the world, people are now looking forward to travelling and especially, exploring exciting local hidden gems. With safety being the traveller’s first priority, air travel has taken a backseat for more private and safer options like in-city staycations and roadtrips to nearby domestic vacation spots. We’re extremely happy to share that we saw a 72% surge in bookings this long weekend. These green shoots for leisure travel are a positive sign of rising consumer confidence. It shows that people are ready to move beyond the challenges brought about by the pandemic and embrace solutions to resume life in the new normal, with precautions and by diligently following the necessary government guidelines.” He adds, “At OYO, we are listening to our consumers, ensuring that we address their concerns, their worries and their requirements to make travel decisions simpler, more convenient. To do so, our senior leaders personally spoke with 2000+ consumers and through these conversations, we understood that leisure travel will eventually come back soon, and therefore, we strengthened our preparedness to welcome guests safely with Sanitsied Stays. We also introduced Travel Assistance on our app to help with COVID-19 testing and state-wise guidelines, and thereby, becoming a part of our guests’ journey right from the very beginning.” While there’s a surge in demand for leisure travel across the country, consumers are increasingly looking for trusted clean &amp; sanitised stays, with 80% users searching for sanitised stays, while 46% users seeking regulation related information while planning their next travel.

Indians are travelling again! OYO saw a 72% surge in bookings for destinations like Jaipur, Goa and Kochi during the long weekend

<ul><li>Internet harassment against women is at an all-time high in India. </li><li>To help address this issue, OYO is discouraging smutty comments directed towards women on its social media tactfully. </li><li>This initiative also led to improved behavior on the company’s social media, with a 42% drop in negative sentiment towards the brand in less than two weeks (precisely 11 days). OYO also observed some users deleting distasteful comments.</li></ul>“Have we ever come across a woman who hasn’t faced online threats, trolling or harassment at least once in her life? And how are we as members of a responsible society tackling this menace?” These were some of the questions that Mayur Hola, Head of Global Brand, <keyword id="4964826" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO-hotels">OYO Hotels</keyword> &amp; Homes pondered upon. The answer came to him through a quick scan on social media. As internet harassment against women reaches an all-time-high in India, OYO Hotels and Homes decided to tackle this situation tactfully by using Online Relationship Management (ORM). In OYO’s efforts to make online spaces safe for women, the startup took on online harassers across its social media platforms by identifying offensive or vulgar comments directed towards women and reinforced trollers to spread positivity and cheer. To achieve this, OYO’s in-house Brand and Social Media teams creatively leveraged ORM. A first responder function that is used to curb negative sentiment, and instead got it to motivate users to respect women. <div type="Youtube" id="AaZYkS8P8oI" title="Making online a safe space for women every single day" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AaZYkS8P8oI/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Not only did OYO discourage users who left smutty comments, it’s initiative also led to an improved behavior on the company’s social media -- with a 42% drop in negative sentiment towards the brand in less than two weeks (precisely 11 days). OYO also observed some users deleting distasteful comments. Additionally, post-OYO’s active outreach campaign, the company’s social media platforms are now witnessing a higher share of positive or neutral speech at 26% and 62% respectively in comparison to only 12% comprising negative comments. Hola said, “As a hospitality chain, it is our responsibility to provide safe spaces for all our guests and especially women, be it offline at our hotels and indeed online on our social platforms. With this core thought, we mobilised ORM, usually, a function that deals with consumer complaints and transformed it into a first responder that supports women and corrects lewd behavior. This is brand building at its simplest yet deepest level. This campaign started out as a Women’s Day initiative and has now become a policy at OYO. We are now tackling this issue on a daily basis by identifying lewd trolls targeted towards women and schooling them through positive reinforcement.” Talking about how brands can use their power to spur a change, Hold added, “A brand has to influence behavior, both within the organisation as well as our consumers or external audience. We as a brand want to set an example and not stay at the surface level. This policy does both. It essentially walks the talk of our content. We’re super thrilled to share that since the past couple of weeks since this has gone live, there’s been a significant drop in <keyword id="1423058" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="online-harassment">online harassment</keyword> of women on our platforms. Similarly, we will continue to mobilise every part of our organisation to address various issues that exist in the social media world. This is a first but very important step in tackling lewd behavior against women. By creatively addressing such social issues, there is a lot more we will continue to fix going forward.”

OYO aims to create a safe online environment for women with its latest initiative

<ul><li>2020 turned the marketing world upside down. All businesses had to adapt and relook at their strategies. </li><li>More traditional brands moved online and increased their investments in digital marketing. </li><li>As we end our series, in today’s feature, we speak to new-age brands to find out how the pandemic impacted their perspectives towards marketing and a few trends that they expect to see this year. </li></ul>The ongoing pandemic has revolutionised how businesses function in the entire world. While COVID-19 pushed Indian brands to move online, it also made them relook at the tone of their marketing campaigns. As consumers tried to adjust to the new normal and heightened stress levels due to an uncertain future, advertising became more conversational and empathetic in 2020. Brands reminded their consumers and even their competitors that we are all in this together. According to Zeno, when a brand is perceived to have a strong Purpose, consumers were four times more likely to purchase from the brand and 95% of surveyed Indian consumers were likely to continue to support brands in the event that they were to make a misstep or receive public criticism. The pandemic has given the brandverse some time to pause, reflect, rework their strategies and they even kept aside competition to prioritise consumer interest. Consumers have started appreciating <keyword id="10689248" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="empathetic-advertising">empathetic advertising</keyword> instead of adversarial advertising, especially in stressed situations like extended WFH, threat of Covid and living away from their family members and friends. Apart from that, there was more conversation on AI, MI and XR. There will be more focus on videos, influencer marketing and hybrid events. With a new-found appreciation for life and altered perspectives towards marketing, we reached out to new-age brands to understand how did COVID-19 change their marketing approach and what are some of the trends that they expect to see in 2021. Here is what they said: Mayur Hola, Head of Global Brand, <keyword id="7036155" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO-Hotels-Homes">OYO Hotels &amp; Homes</keyword>: <div type="image" title="Mayur Hola, Head of Global Brand, OYO Hotels &amp;amp; Homes" msid="80636771" hostid="261"></div> I thought I’d do some research for this one and read pieces posted by global consulting firms, A&amp;M publications, gurus, digital agencies et all. They were all super and gave guidance on personalisation, look-alike cohorts, selling on social, VR, chat bots, influencer marketing, programmatic, omnichannel, SEO, mailers, PNs, video content and so many other helpful things. But. We’re doing all this already. So is doubling down on what’s already working the new trend? I thought that was called common sense. Here’s the one trend I see in 2021. Delivering on your promise. Brands will speak 1:1 with their consumers more than ever and look to deliver what is asked of them. Because false promises and random unconnected purpose is being seen through and called out. Doing right by your consumers. There’s your purpose. Now put out some awesome creatives based on that. Rahul Deorah, Vice President- Marketing at Urban Company: <div type="image" title="Rahul Deo urban clap" msid="80636860" hostid="261"></div> Marketing has always been about understanding how a consumer reacts to certain triggers and how brands can use that to influence them. The year 2020 made us all think on our feet. Everyone had to go back to the drawing board to think of how to communicate the “safety” of purchasing or availing their products and services. However, in 2021, the trend I foresee emerging is deeper investment in the core consumer offering and, with consumer media habits changing, a declining trend in the absolute investments by brands to reach customers, with deeper efficiencies in the media mix. Naresh Krishnaswamy, Growth &amp; Marketing Head, Cure.fit: <div type="image" title="naresh-krishnaswamy-curefit" msid="80636918" hostid="261"></div> We have seen massive upheavals last year in terms of marketing with consumer focus shifting primarily to digital channels owing to the pandemic. While such changes and shifts in trends happen each year, last year in particular saw a faster pace of change in marketing strategies and execution, opening up a great vistas for innovation and experimentation. Going into 2021, I expect the trends from 2020 to still continue. This coming year might mark a comeback for some companies who may up their marketing strategies in accordance with lessons learned from 2020. To solidify their positions in the market, brands need to focus on the development of a deeper level of trust with their customers. People will continue to place a higher premium on trust and transparency and companies need to be able to communicate efficiently with their customer base. Moreover, with some pandemic-related restrictions still in place, virtual events and platforms will continue well into the coming months. While there is some amount of burn out from online events, there is also scope for further innovation. Marketers will have to be prepared for technological advancements. Emerging technologies, automation, AI/ML, augmented reality, etc. can heighten the immersiveness of such experiences and create space for more one-on-one interaction with audiences. More marketers should shift their focus on creating more enhanced consumer experiences online while we wait to physically get back to our previous lives. Kartik Johari, Vice President, Nobel Hygiene: <div type="image" title="Kartik johari nobel" msid="80636931" hostid="261"></div> Consumer Trends: Consumer spending will moderately rise, but economic woes will start weighing down on people. So far, we have survived the lockdown and the macroeconomic situation by burning our accumulated wealth and health. Sooner or later, there is bound to be a deep impact on our collective national psyche, of worsening unemployment, of a worsening economy, healthcare, etc. Additionally, areas such as healthcare and personal care have taken an irrevocable step forward. We will see more growth on this front. People will focus on their physical health and will reorganize their time around it. There will be new problems to face, with a growing threat from medicine-resistant bacteria, growing now due to a heightened consumption of hand-sanitisers. Value-based spending and ecologically sensitive spending is here to stay. People will henceforth buy/support brands with a similar ethos (true or not, is immaterial). Similarly, brands' efforts towards minimizing their carbon footprint will be appreciated by consumers. Market Trends: Hygiene and FMCG will trend upwards, while other indicators will remain muted. Even IF the vaccine is successful, our market dynamics have not improved overnight. We are still an agrarian economy, without adequate public infrastructure on healthcare and education. We will require massive government spending to boost our market performance. Markets will remain in a state of limbo as they are now, wildly volatile and without impetus. We are now going into the 13th year without a market correction; at some point, this is bound to catch up. Online Trends: Video content all the way, and a permanent boost to eCommerce. People have become comfortable consuming content and making transactions online, including using E-Wallets. However, apart from the obvious, only time will tell which long-term trends will sustain. There will be a boost in services that can help effectively target individuals in this new crowded realm, and some that can help them make sense of the breadth of content and services available. Teaching and Training will have permanently moved online, and the sector will continue to grow tremendously, and will also help other sectors to aid in ancillary teaching services in person. Dunzo's brand team: <div type="image" title="dunzo mascots" msid="80636941" hostid="261"></div> One of the most important takeaways from 2020 for all content lovers has been the stories that uplift and inspire them. In a changing world, stories of the human spirit and the impact we as individuals and brands can have in our world, resonate most with users and customers. Going forward, we hope to keep that positive trend going with more stories from our community, touching on important human issues, and delivering some hope and delight with every post. Another trend we foresee is the continuation of moment marketing and putting our brand's unique spin on a viral sensation. It's always like an inside joke that is shared by a large audience, with no need for explanations or context. Finally, as we focus on quality over quantity, we plan to dive deeper into some of Dunzo's impact and inner workings through mediums such as podcasts and blogs. Using a combination of all three trends, we hope to expand our audience as well drive stronger engagement and shareability of content.

Marketing: Trends to watch out for in 2021

OYO Hotels &amp; Homes, the world’s second-largest and fastest-growing chain of hotels, homes, managed living, and workspaces, is enabling micro-entrepreneurship opportunities for thousands of real estate owners and helping them build a successful business. The company’s innovative business model turns around assets that were either lying unused or operating at standards that are not at par with the industry, into spaces that generate high yields, hence, turning many of these asset owners into crorepatis. Some of these asset owners who have seen tremendous success with their properties after joining hands with OYO belong to Gujarat. As Deepak Shah, an asset owner from Ahmedabad, says, “It has been three years since I have been managing this hotel with family along with OYO’s support. The biggest challenge for me earlier was to approach clients and market my hotel. With OYO and its support, marketing my property and getting clients to take notice was no longer a worry. Our property is at a convenient location that is in close proximity to different corporate offices making it a preferred place to stay. We have an in-house multi-cuisine restaurant and also have the facility of outdoor seating in the terrace area which can be booked for different occasions. Owing to great marketing, quality accommodation and customer service that we have been able to provide with OYO’s help has resulted in a 90% occupancy on average. It has been a very fruitful association with OYO and we aim to continue with this in the years to come.” OYO is continuously working with 500+ strong asset owner community in Gujarat to build successful and sustainable businesses. In line with this, OYO plans to expand and hire 2000+ employees across multiple functions, including Business Development, Operations, Service, Sales and Enterprise Partnerships, in the next one year in Gujarat to empower asset owners and enable them to ensure a great hospitality experience for guests, hence, increasing yields. Further to this, OYO also announced its partnership with Mountania Developers, to open the doors to its first upmarket business hotel in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. How can you be benefited after becoming an asset owner with OYO? Twofold value proposition OYO offers asset owners a two-fold value proposition. First, OYO provides partners with the necessary capital to bring a building up to OYO's standards. Moreover, it also leverages available data to predict RevPAR, internal rate of return and ROI. With these details, OYO can indicate yield guarantee to the underlying asset owner. End-to-End Support OYO invests in the assets alongside asset owners to offer end-to-end solutions and support. Right from offering free design consulting to upgrading and transforming hotel infrastructure, to easing access to finance, transparent payment protocols, multiple touch-points, marketing excellence, tech innovation and regulatory compliance assistance ----OYO’s focus continues to be on generating high yields for asset owners along with offering excellent customer service. OYO can transform and renovate assets in a record time of 3-14 days and on-board them at an even quicker pace — a stark contrast to the industry standard of up to 90 days. Increase in Occupancy An asset owner, Rick Patel, based in the US elaborates on the jump in occupancy. He says, "Before OYO, our occupancy was about 20-25% and now, we are running at about 80% occupancy. We have never reached this occupancy rate before in the last 5 years. I would definitely recommend OYO to my friends and family interested in getting into the hospitality industry. My experience with OYO has been amazing. The team is great to work with, very energetic and supportive. We are just looking forward to the next level." OYO brings to the table a successful model of combining design, hospitality, and technological expertise, financial acumen and operational capabilities to real estate owners around the world, giving them the ability to get a higher return on investments, access easy financing opportunities, transform their hotels, and offer good quality customer service, thereby significantly increasing occupancy and profitability – in every OYO building. There are over 35,000 of these buildings worldwide. OYO has been able to generate a high yield for asset owners by maintaining 70-80% occupancy, which is often an issue with an asset-light model. On an average, over 75% of hotel owners associated with OYO have seen an increase of 20-30% in occupancy, a 2.5 x jump in RevPar and a significant jump in profit, for every asset operating as an OYO-branded property. Another asset owner, Narendra Saini from Ahmedabad, says, “It has been three months since my partner and I joined hands with OYO and are already witnessing great results in terms of occupancy and yields. Prior to joining hands with OYO, our main challenge was promoting our hotel through different channels. There was a time when in the offseason we used to get only 25-30% occupancy which now, post associating with OYO, has jumped to more than 80%. With OYO, it has been a true collaboration of sorts where we both are mutually benefitting. Our hotel witnesses bookings from corporate clients. We have an in house restaurant and are soon going to open a multi-cuisine rooftop restaurant by next month.” Best Pricing Mechanism in the Industry OYO has introduced dynamic pricing in the hospitality industry to create a level-playing ground even for an independent or small hotelier. OYO’s pricing, inventory allocation, and revenue management are driven by a machine learning-based algorithm for prediction and dynamic pricing. The algorithm makes 60 million micro-optimizations, every day, to arrive at the optimal price point that ensures an affordable stay for guests while driving higher yields and occupancy for the asset owner. Above &amp; Beyond To further support the business goals of asset owners, OYO launched OYO Partner Engagement Network (OPEN) in India - an industry-first series of year-long initiatives. This was followed up with another industry-first initiative called ‘Cash in Bank’ facility to offer asset owners across India quick, hassle-free and collateral-free business advances to upgrade or renovate their buildings, with the never seen before ease, turnaround time, and convenience. This will further help asset owners improve the guest experience along with direct and repeat rate that’s already approximately 90%. OYO also introduced Partner Privilege Program in India to boost asset owner success and growth on the one hand and create a mechanism for continual engagement and recognition on the other. The Partner Privilege Program provides exclusive benefits and opportunities to OYO India’s top-performing hotel owners for their personal and professional advancement. Amol Dhir, an asset owner from Agra and a member of OYO India Partner Advisory Council, says, “I strongly believe that getting affiliated to a brand like OYO can help the small, unbranded hotels in tapping the guests within the brand ecosystem. OYO’s sales team is fabulously supporting my hotel. They are running the show from behind the curtain, where a number of sales representatives, are pitching my hotel, even beyond the country’s boundaries to intended travellers.” On his partnership and journey with OYO, Amol says, “When I joined this hotel 12 years back I had a big vision for it, perhaps way too big than what my grandfather, my father and my family had for this hotel. I wanted a support system, a partner who could assist me in this. One day people from OYO walked in and they pitched me the idea of getting my hotel onboarded. I felt that they were just the right people who I could entrust my idea and push my vision further and we could grow along. The biggest change I found when OYO came along was how tech-savvy they were. Now, sitting at home I get to check the occupancy reports, employee management, booking and revenue reports. As an independent hotelier, I could not have achieved this or would have taken a little longer to get there. Technology with OYO became more accessible, affordable. Our life as a businessman became easier through this technology. For me, OYO has always been a partner and it is giving us various opportunities to get featured and grow along.” If you are inspired by these success stories, you can know more about how to become an asset owner with OYO here: <a href="https://partner.oyorooms.com/in">https://partner.oyorooms.com/in</a> Disclaimer: This article is a part of a commercial partnership Oyo and Business Insider India.

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