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<ul><li>Health, immunity and fitness have become one of the top concerns for Indian consumers post COVID-19.</li><li>Healthtech platform Cult.fit has had a pretty busy year so far. It acquired three platforms, revamped its business model and brand identity, closed another funding round, and has recently launched a new campaign to target India’s youth.</li><li>Naresh Krishnaswamy, Growth &amp; Marketing Head, Cult.fit speaks to us about the platform's growth trajectory, idea behind its latest campaign and goals for 2021.</li></ul>What is that image that comes to your mind anytime someone says ‘fitness’? Do you see a petite woman with flawless skin, voluminous hair, a perfect smile posing with a small piece of gym equipment or a muscular man pumping ridiculously heavy weights? If the answer is yes, it is not your fault. Our definition of fitness is formed by the unidimensional communication we have grown up seeing. When it comes to fitness, all brands have tried to sell an ideal, unreal body image to their customers. They hire obscenely thin women who are further skewed to look even more ‘appetizingly perfect’ or muscular men who are photoshopped with 6 packs. Just in one Google image search of the word ‘fitness,’ you would notice a pattern of photoshopped images and how flawed the overall communication in the fitness industry is. The imagery we have seen in fitness advertisements, whether on billboards, TV or social media, have created a perception that has made us feel under confident in our own bodies. And people who don’t meet these idealistic body standards, feel intimidated to join a gym. Healthtech brand Cult.fit has been consciously trying to move away from this, reminding its audience that fitness is for everyone and people should exercise to feel good, stronger, and happier. Cure.fit’s latest campaign ‘Fitness is not an option’ imitates iconic Bollywood scenes to show how they would play out if the actors weren’t fit. It reenacts famous running scenes from Bollywood like ‘The Train’ scene from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and ‘The Bull’ scene from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara but there’s a twist in the plot; the actors start panting and wheezing instead, reiterating the message that fitness is not an option anymore but an absolute necessity. Everyone should take fitness more seriously. While it has been appreciated on social media for its creativity, sense of humor and great execution, there’s another reason why it stands out. It doesn’t sell an idealistic body image to its target audience. <div type="Youtube" id="xAB3CZC1BcI" title="Fitness Is Not An Option (cult.fit)" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xAB3CZC1BcI/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Naresh Krishnaswamy, Growth and Marketing Head, Cult.fit told us the genesis of the campaign. He said, “First, the idea was to go at a higher level and attack the barriers of the industry. Typically, you see a lot of fitness communication around building up muscles and looking more attractive, desirable and pumping weights, etc. We, with our communication, now and in the future, want to really drive this whole thought of fitness being really essential to life, something that you can no longer ignore and it is for everybody. Fitness can be anything from running, that you see in one of the ads, to working out in the gym or home, etc. So, the objective was to pivot communication to drive fitness as a lifestyle habit as opposed to what’s been traditionally talked about -- weight loss, muscle gain, etc. Secondly, we have significantly expanded our fitness offerings and we wanted to show Cult as a wide fitness option.” The core insight ‘fitness is not an option’ was brainstormed and finalised internally, further woven into scripts by freelancers and finally produced by <keyword id="3167731" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="supari-studios" source="Orion">Supari Studios</keyword>. The first TVC in the campaign has gone live on Cult.fit’s owned media channel, across all Sony TV channels and OTT platforms including SonyLiv. It was played during India vs England test matches and will extend into the IPL season which is set to resume on September 19. Unfortunately, Cult.fit’s first advertisement ‘Jaa Simran Jaa’ recently hit a minor roadblock. It has been taken down from YouTube after Yash Raj Films flagged it for violating copyright protocol. However, it is already back on Instagram. Krishnaswamy said that Cult.fit’s legal team is working to bring the film back. “We did our due diligence before launching that ad and we think it is completely in the clear. We are sorting a few things out and are confident that in a couple of days, it will be back up and running again.” ‘Fitness is not an option’ is Cult.fit’s first campaign after its brand revamp. In May 2021, Cure.fit was renamed to Cult.fit. Even before the revamp exercise, Cult.fit had tried to stay on top of social media trends. Now, with its latest campaign, it is trying to be an active part of pop culture. Telling us about Cult.fit’s marketing approach since its inception, Krishnaswamy said, “Right from when we started out in 2016, our objective has been to make fitness fun and relatable for individuals. If you look at our communication before the pandemic, our focus predominantly was to show people enjoying working out in a group with a smile on their faces. So no idealistic body types and showing extremely ripped, fit people. That’s been our ideology throughout. We now want to play a much larger category game and want Cult to be really associated with fitness. Our association before the revamp was with group classes, which is what we were offering before the pandemic, but now we offer every type of fitness. So, the evolution from there to today has been about the brand taking more of a humorous, quirky approach across channels. Before that, we were a little more functional -- a brand trying to tell you the benefits of working out. Now we are taking a lifestyle approach.” <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Goals for 2021" text="Goals for 2021">Goals for 2021</cmsannotation> Health, immunity and fitness have become one of the top concerns for Indian consumers post COVID-19. After gyms shut down in 2020, fitness apps and on-ground gyms rose to the occasion by shifting their focus online and providing personalised services based on different body types. With this, the Indian healthtech space saw a surge in user traffic and became a part of the new normal. According to Valuates Report, the Global Fitness App Market size is expected to grow from $3,312.58 Million in 2019 to $13,016.77 million by the end of 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 25.61%. Cult.fit has also had a pretty buzzing year. It acquired healthtech platform Fitternity, hardware-at-home platform Tread and partnered with Disney+ Hotstar, Sarva and Brilliant Wellness. Commenting on the first half of the year and focus areas for the rest of it, Krishnaswamy said, “We have been very active this year. We have done 3 acquisitions, completed another fundraising round recently, we have pivoted into digital and gyms, the next six months is heads-down growth. We will continue to remain opportunistic with any acquisitions or any other inorganic opportunities to grow. But we have all the tools we need in our arsenal. So, the next six months would be about execution and campaign activity.” After the pandemic, Cult.fit added 2 million users and out of these 1.5 million, 1 million users joined the platform during the lockdown in April and May. However, this number slowly tapered off as it moved to a paid subscription model. Today, it has 1,50,000 paid members on its content product and with gyms coming back, 100,000 people work out in Cult.fit gyms every day. As per its regulatory filings, its operating revenue shot up 174% to Rs 496 crore during FY20 from Rs 181 crore earned in FY19. “About 50% of our gym members are back. Our revenue and MAUs are on a steep upgrowing trend now, with people using our gyms and online product and we only see ourselves continuously growing month-on-month as vaccination rates increase, and we add more supplies in our gyms and consumer sentiment picks up. We foresee that over the next few months, we should get back to pre-pandemic levels of general attendance and member activity,” shared Krishnaswamy. To accelerate the vaccination process in our country, Cult.fit is also offering free vaccination to its members and one of their family members. It would be focusing on improving its online group classes, upping gym safety, polish its hybrid model and consolidate local gyms under its network. Sharing the company’s vision, Krishnaswamy said, “We want Cult.fit to be completely synonymous with fitness. When you think fitness, you should only think of Cult. The second objective is that we want to be an iconic, youthful brand. We want people to really love Cult. We want to speak to them in a language that inspires them to get fit and not be in the annoyingly motivational zone, which a lot of fitness brands are. We want to be in the top league of fitness brands in India that really lead and define the category.”

We don’t want to show idealistic body types and extremely ripped, fit people in our ads: Naresh Krishnaswamy of Cult.fit

<ul><li><keyword id="7829777" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cult-fit" source="Orion">Cult.fit</keyword> has launched its new campaign titled '<keyword id="18974" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fitness" source="Orion">Fitness</keyword> is not an option'.</li><li>The brand puts a hilarious twist to one of the most iconic dialogues to come out of Bollywood, 'Ja Simran ja, jee le apni zindagi'.</li><li>With the launch of this campaign, cult.fit wants to inspire people to get started on or get back into their fitness journeys and make it a top priority.</li></ul>The famous scene from the 90's superhit <keyword id="88064" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dilwale-dulhania-le-jayenge" source="Orion">Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge</keyword> where Babuji says, 'Ja Simran ja, jee le apni zindagi' is ingrained in our brains. And well, over the years, memers and content creators have given us enough content around the scene to make sure we never really forget it. But Cult.fit, in its new campaign has introduced a hilarious twist into the scene. <div type="Youtube" id="WHNZWOHfyrY" title="Fitness is not an option (cult.fit)" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WHNZWOHfyrY/mqdefault.jpg"></div> In its campaign, 'Fitness is not an option', the female protagonist can be seen running towards the hero, only, she is too unfit to get onto that train, something many of us leading such unhealthy lifestyles will relate to immediately. With the launch of this campaign, cult.fit wants to inspire people to get started on or get back into their fitness journeys and make it a top priority. The first TVC in the campaign has gone live on TV and OTT platforms during the ongoing India vs England test matches and will extend into the IPL season which is set to resume on 19th September. This is the first in a series of ads in this domain. The second TVC in the campaign will follow in the coming weeks. Top fitness influencers and content creators will be collaborating with cult.fit to promote the message ‘Fitness is not an option’ across their social media accounts. Commenting on the campaign launch, <keyword id="4157434" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="naresh-krishnaswamy" source="Orion">Naresh Krishnaswamy</keyword>, Growth and Marketing Head, cult.fit, said: “We are thrilled to be rolling out this campaign which redefines how fitness has been viewed till now. Our goal is to inspire people to think about fitness as a necessity. By leveraging humour and popular culture, which is a first in this industry, we want to land our message and have an impact. We are excited for everyone to see it and aim to motivate people to be proactive about getting fit.”

When Cult.fit put a hilarious twist to the famous dialogue 'Ja Simran Ja' from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaenge

<ul><li>As the whole country became more health-conscious and ‘immunity’ became the talk of town after COVID, Indian <keyword id="3224780" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Healthtech-startup">healthtech startup</keyword> <keyword id="4506924" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="cure-fit">Cure.Fit</keyword> added 1.5 million users post-pandemic. </li><li><keyword id="4157434" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="naresh-krishnaswamy">Naresh Krishnaswamy</keyword>, Growth &amp; Marketing Head, Cure.Fit speaks to us about fitness industry’s future, Cure.fit’s growth trajectory, changing consumer sentiment, and goals for 2021. </li></ul>Health, immunity and fitness have become one of the top concerns for Indian consumers post COVID-19. And those who were already battling with other problems like anxiety or depression—have found their stress levels kicking through the roof and struggles intensified. Fitness apps and on-ground gyms rose to the occasion by shifting their focus online and providing personalised services based on different body types. With this, the Indian healthtech space saw a surge in user traffic and became a part of the new normal. According to Valuates Report, the Global Fitness App Market size is expected to grow from $3,312.58 Million in 2019 to $13,016.77 Million by the end of 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 25.61%. As the demand for healthier living records a drastic rise, Cure.fit is aiming to occupy 50% of the offline fitness market in a few years. After the pandemic, Cure.fit added 1.5 million and out of these 1.5 million, 1 million users joined the platform during the lockdown in April and May. Elaborating on the growth trajectory during lockdown, Naresh Krishnaswamy, Growth &amp; Marketing Head, Cure.Fit said, “The spike came in a very big way, in the two, three months post lockdown. We used to have about 250,000 paid subscribers on Cult and within a matter of two months, we were able to get 1 million completely new customers to try the digital products, which was quite heartening to see. And we launched a paid version of the product only in May. So this 1 million base that tried our product was free, and eventually, we've managed to acquire about 100,000 paid subscribers on specifically our <keyword id="10404706" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="fitness-digital-offerings">fitness digital offerings</keyword>.” Transition from lockdown to unlock Cure.fit was quick to realise that digital was here to stay and focused on improving its app to woo its users. It launched 10-12 new online services during the lockdown period to help its users transition from offline to online. Sharing how the lockdown impacted its business, Krishnaswamy said, “We always had this vision that at some point, digital fitness will become important, but the first implication was making that product live immediately. Later, there was a good shift over to lots of forms of digital health like fitness class online, consulting doctors, nutritionist. So the next thing, we launched a huge bunch of products in the April-May timeframe to leverage the fact that people now don't have access to many of these services offline, and will want to consume them digitally. We had to reimagine all of us services, whether it's mental wellness, primary care or fitness. We realised that digital is going to grow massively. We also did a lot of marketing around that time with celebrity classes and some television ads, etc. ” While the offline fitness industry hit a major roadblock during the lockdown, Cure.fit started planning for its comeback. It focused on improving its strategy for offline services and once the country started walking again, Cure.fit sped up the pace at which the industry is evolving. “We decided to focus squarely on two things. One, our offline fitness business: how do we preserve it? And second, once we are allowed to reopen, how do we grow faster? And how do we take advantage of industry as well, because right now a lot of people will have concerns on physical centers, safety, quality, etc. So we felt that was a great opportunity for us as a brand to expand physical centers once the time is right because there'll be a lot of customers wanting to join in and looking for better quality of service. While the fitness business has taken a temporary sabbatical, we potentially can come back a lot stronger, which is something that we are seeing as well because we have grown so much in a short time,”said Krishnaswamy. However, consumer demographics adopting digital services were different than offline. More women felt safer to use digital services and boomers used yoga and doctor consultation services. So, Cure.Fit also pivoted its marketing strategy to speak to a wider set of audience and its media plan did not change much as it has always been a digital-heavy company. On how the demographics have changed after lockdown and new surge in users, Krishnaswamy said, “With digital products, to acquire customers from everywhere around the country, we had to change our marketing strategy to target a wider audience base. Young people are more comfortable with gyms and with digital, any walk in age could consult a doctor or do a yoga workout. So, there's a bit of a change in what kind of segments of customers we see -- whether it is age, city, gender, income groups. Our gyms are fairly expensive, like 18,000 rupees a year and digital products are a lot cheaper, which has given us more access to other economic segments of customers as well.” Now that gyms have opened up, Krishnaswamy told us that around 35% of customers are coming back to gym. However, smallers gyms that don’t have the resources for following government protocol and winning consumers with a marketing campaign, are still struggling. Fitness enthusiasts are, therefore, choosing the gyms they can trust. “I think one thing is clear is that a lot of people are waiting to come back to the physical centers. And the reason being, they are missing working out with the equipment with a social group. There are, of course, a good number of people that want to come back, but are just waiting for the right time. So broadly, you can assume that about 30-35% of people have come back. There is a section of the population that is just saying that they'll wait for the vaccine. We didn't expect anything different. We also spoke to a lot of local gyms, they are not seeing as much recovery as Cult and that is because of our ability to communicate safety to users and fine equipment. So, we have been seeing a good influx of new users for offline gyms as well because they trust us,” said Krishnaswamy. Future of <keyword id="7829777" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cult-Fit">Cult.fit</keyword> and the fitness industry In the future, Cult.fit is going to focus on improving its online group classes, polish its hybrid model and consolidate local gyms under its network. It is aiming to aggregate demand for all its gyms by giving its members access to different kinds of equipment and training across the city they live in through one pass. The model is in process and soon to be launched in Bangalore. Explaining its consolidation plan, Krishnaswamy said, “At Cult, we want to now participate in the overall offline fitness business. We have predominantly been doing group classes, and disrupted the gym model with that but we want to get into gyms as well because there's a segment of people who want to do machine-based workouts. So, we are tying up with a lot of gyms. We are going to create a one membership card, which gives you access to all the good quality gyms in your city. For example, you buy a membership in Bangalore, you'll have 14-15 options in the same city you can go to. As a user, you may decide to attend a few gyms that have good equipment one day and go to another gym that offers great Zumba classes. It just gives users a tremendous amount of choice and freedom.” Cure.fit will also resume its expansion plan later next year once the world starts inching towards normalcy or demand comes back to 50%. Meanwhile, it is focusing on improving the quality of online workouts and investing in technology to identify different body types and body movements as users workout. Throwing some light on the company's tech model, Krishnaswamy said, “In our digital product, with the user's permission, the camera turns on and it can detect your movements and give you an Energy Score. We are investing behind that. In the future, if you're working out in front of a screen, with your permission, our software can calculate what number of reps you've done, or it can correct your posture, etc.” As we enter 2021, Cure.fit’s focus will be on reviving its business and winning in the offline fitness business and gym aggregation. It aims to onboard 300-400 gyms by the end of next year into its network. Sharing the company’s vision, Krishnaswamy said, “We want to stay in a dominant market share of all kinds of fitness. So our ambition is to gain 50% market share of all forms of fitness in the next few years. That will happen if we expand our current Cult centers and aggregate a large number of gyms on our platform. That means a big change from what we've been doing so far, which is focusing only on online to now focusing on gyms as well. Also, I think it's not enough to just partner with gyms. We are working very closely with these gyms to improve their safety and quality of housekeeping, trainer and equipment, etc.”

Cure.fit wants to dominate the fitness industry, here is its roadmap behind its vision

Homegrown audio brand <keyword id="53189" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="boat" source="Orion">boAt</keyword> on Monday joined cult.fit to launch 'Fitness Xtended', an at-home workout programme to help achieve fitness goals. It will be a six-week programme with a mix of yoga, strength, conditioning, and <keyword id="739961" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="hiit" source="Orion">HIIT</keyword> workouts created by some of the most well-known fitness and lifestyle coaches, including Suvini Mehra, Naveen Sharma, Carolyn Theresa Simon, and Niran Ponnappa. "By customising workout routines and run plans, our smartwatches enable users to move beyond basic activity tracking and advance in their fitness journeys," said Siya Wadhawan, a Brand Manager at boAt. "With this partnership, we continue to inspire and support boAt heads with products that support healthy living and enable them to select a fitter lifestyle." Anyone who owns specific boAt smartwatches can access the programme's exclusive fitness videos on boAt's Crest App. The cult.fit app also offers access to the material. The programme will include two phases of three weeks each and will cover 24 sessions over six weeks. "This partnership with boAt is a new approach to influencing people about fitness, with the power of accurately tracking the vitals so each of us can understand our unique bodies better and find the best way to stay fit and healthy," said Naresh Krishnaswamy, Growth and Business Head, at cult.fit. Meanwhile, the boAt Crest app is currently compatible with boAt Wave beat, Wave style, <keyword id="15392136" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="wave-pro" source="Orion">Wave Pro</keyword>, Storm Pro, Storm Pro Call, <keyword id="15392135" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="xtend-pro" source="Orion">Xtend Pro</keyword>, <keyword id="15392134" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="xtend-sport" source="Orion">Xtend Sport</keyword> and Primia. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/most-indian-firms-still-face-key-challenges-towards-net-zero-goals/articleshow/95123114.cms">Most Indian firms still face key challenges towards net-zero goals</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/maruti-suzuki-recalls-9925-cars-in-india-over-a-defect-in-the-rear-brake-assembly-pin/articleshow/95198499.cms">Maruti Suzuki recalls 9,925 cars in India over a defect in the rear brake assembly pin</a>

boAt joins cult.fit to launch at-home workout programme

<ul><li>Disney+ Hotstar has entered into a strategic alliance with <keyword id="9351026" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="brilliant-wellness">Brilliant Wellness</keyword> to introduce value-added content from top fitness experts, yoga and spiritual gurus, along with celebrity nutritionists spread across more than 100 fitness programs.</li><li>The platform will bring 3,000 pieces of content in English, Hindi and Telugu on the platform. </li><li>The category and offerings are aimed at helping viewers monitor and maintain their wellness quotient while quarantining at home, and even after, as and when they resume their normal lives.</li></ul>With the aim of strengthening the health and fitness category, Disney+ Hotstar has entered into a strategic alliance with Brilliant Wellness to introduce value-added content from top fitness experts, yoga and spiritual gurus, along with celebrity nutritionists spread across more than 100 fitness programs. Additionally, Indian start-ups and game-changers <keyword id="103133" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sarva">Sarva</keyword> and <keyword id="7829777" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cult-Fit">Cult.Fit</keyword>, known for their state-of-the-art workout models, have also come on board with Disney+ Hotstar to instil a healthy lifestyle and fitness regime among audiences bound by social distancing and lockdown restrictions. According to industry studies of the Indian fitness market in December 2019, India spent $350-400 towards fitness services, which amounted to a market size worth $2.6 billion. As per estimations by Brilliant Wellness, there are about 200 million people in India seeking fitness services and this market is growing at a CAGR of 10%. There has been a significant shift in outlook when it comes to health due to the Covid -19 pandemic. People are now more inclined towards virtual workouts and are on constant lookout for interactive sessions. With the endeavour to increase access and enhance the consumer experience with regards to high-intensity interval training, yoga, gym workouts, and other forms of cardio exercises, Disney+ Hotstar, along with Brilliant Wellness, Cult.Fit and Sarva, has introduced a wide variety of content to choose from the all-new health and fitness library. Disney+ Hotstar will bring 3,000 pieces of content in English, Hindi and Telugu on the platform. The category and offerings are aimed at helping viewers monitor and maintain their wellness quotient while quarantining at home, and even after, as and when they resume their normal lives. On partnering with leaders in the <keyword id="245935" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Health-and-Wellness">health and wellness</keyword> domain, Disney+ Hotstar spokesperson said, “The alliance with these three industry leaders in health and fitness has provided the necessary impetus to our mission to connect with our audience in ways that help them lead happier lives. Health and fitness has become extremely important in our stressful lives, and never more so than today. With free access to video offerings tailor-made to suit the staying-at-home population, workout regimes that can be done through the day and fitness mantras to suit the current times, we want to help people to be healthy. To make this relevant across India, our content will be available in English, Hindi as well as Telugu. Going forward, we will also provide content in Kannada.” Celebrity <keyword id="2058" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Malaika-Arora">Malaika Arora</keyword> said, "Now more than ever, people are excited about trying new modes of working out because they have realised that this is the new normal. Sarva's app is a huge step in this direction and our association with Disney+ Hotstar is to fuel this fire. We hope it'll help us reach a wider set of audience and open them up to consuming daily content on an everyday platform. We're excited to see how it'll perform and the reaction to it.” Speaking about the strategic alliance with Disney+ Hotstar, Adarsh Gupta, Found and Director, Brilliant Wellness, said, “The current pandemic has really brought fitness and immunity building to the top of the agenda. Our current estimate is that India has an addressable market of over 200 million people, who are at various levels in their journey to fitness. Over the last five years we have worked tirelessly to create the most definitive library of do-it-along home-based workout content with India’s leading experts that addresses every conceivable need of people in the space of yoga/fitness/celebrity fitness/nutrition and gym workouts. We are happy to announce a strategic tie up with Disney+ Hotstar to power this category with the intention of making a positive difference in the lives of their subscribers.” Naresh Krishnaswamy, Growth and Business Head, Cult.fit, said, “With the Covid-19 induced lockdown, we have seen a surge in the number of users on our platform. Since we also conduct online live fitness sessions, we have witnessed a 3x increase in the amount of time its users spend on cult.live. At a time when there is such a demand for health and fitness, the partnership with Disney+ Hotstar will prove to be strategically viable for both businesses. Together our objective is to expand the reach and help users avail the best content we have to offer from the comfort of their homes.” Elaborating on the collaboration, Sarvesh Shashi, Founder, Sarva, said, "The past two months have only shown us the opportunity for health and fitness as an industry and this association with Disney+ Hotstar is a huge step towards tapping that opportunity. Yoga as a category and Yoga for immunity specifically has seen a huge surge in the last two months, given the increased importance in building immunity amid the global pandemic. We're excited to see where this association is headed and how many new doors it opens for us.” From workout videos to cooking healthy recipes, the diverse repository of fitness-related content will target advanced fitness enthusiasts, and fitness dabblers as well as fence-sitters.

Disney+ Hotstar to now offer fitness training content as it enters into a partnership with Brilliant Wellness, Cult.Fit and Sarva

<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.

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