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<ul><li>With COVID-19 impacting the hospitality industry, bringing revenues down to almost zero, to now the steady recovery of the industry, there’s a lot that has happened through the course of the year. </li><li>Hospitality was one of the worst affected industries worldwide, however, with cities unlocking and global restrictions easing gradually, India topped the charts for OYO as the most booked country.</li><li>As OYO launches its annual Travelopedia, Rohit Kapoor, CEO, <keyword id="7036155" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO-Hotels-Homes">OYO Hotels &amp; Homes</keyword>, India &amp; South Asia tells us about India's favourite tourist hotspots, COVID-19 impact on OYO, <keyword id="10519936" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="travel-sentiment">travel sentiment</keyword> this year and some trends he expects to see in 2021. </li></ul>2020 has been a unique year that pushed every brand and industry to transform itself. While it started on a good note for the hospitality industry, with January 2020 (pre-covid) being the most travelled month, April 2020 witnessed most cancellations across the country owing to the government’s precautionary lockdown. Hospitality was one of the worst affected industries worldwide. The grinding halt on travel and tourism impacted home-grown hospitality brand OYO by bringing its revenue down to zero levels during the lockdown. However, with cities unlocking and global restrictions easing gradually, India topped the charts for OYO as the most booked country while Delhi clocked in the most bookings across the world in 2020. Consumer confidence was at its highest during December 2020 as OYO saw the highest number of bookings since India unlocked. Today, Ritesh Agarwal’s OYO has reached ~45% of pre-COVID occupancy levels and its used room nights have grown steadily 40% m-o-m since bottoming out in May. Some of the brands are performing much better with <keyword id="4100346" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Oyo-Townhouse">OYO Townhouse</keyword> operating at 85% of pre-COVID occupancy levels. An OYO Hotel in Shahjahanpur and another in Chennai witnessed an average occupancy of 100% since lockdown. Over 8.5 million new user bookings were made on the OYO app and website in 2020. We caught up with Rohit Kapoor, CEO, OYO - India &amp; South Asia to discuss some of the key trends that came out in its third annual report - OYO Travelopedia 2020. <div type="Video" msid="80040904" hostid="261" title="Rohit Kapoor of OYO hotels and homes on India’s favourite travel hotspots and trends to be expected in 2021" dataSource="BUSINESSINSIDER" thumbUrl="https://denmark.timesinternet.in/cmslite/api/app/images.jpg?msid=80040904"></div> Lockdown’s impact A month down into the nation-wide lockdown, OYO realised that the macro factors cannot be controlled. As the hospitality industry came to a complete halt till the end of June, OYO decided to focus on improving its consumers and stakeholders’ pain points. It also wanted to use its space smartly by giving back to the society. It offered a helping hand to various hospitals and their doctors across the country. “After a few consumers started showing interest in travel, we launched an extensive campaign across the country to get in touch with our partners and stay in very close touch with our consumers. We tried to identify what consumers were thinking, some problems they were facing and what we could do to solve them. We worked with 24+ state ministries, 50+ government and private hospitals and hosted about a 250,000+ hospital staff and asymptomatic patients during the lockdown. 200+ sailors were safely quarantined at OYOs across India. 1,50,000 litres of disinfectant and 70,000 litres of sanitisers were used since April to welcome our guests,” shared Kapoor. OYO also on-boarded Sonu Sood as its brand ambassador, who emerged as a knight in shining armour and has been applauded for his humanitarian work to send thousands of stranded migrants back home during the lockdown. It launched a nation-wide campaign with Sood to woo its consumers. <div type="Youtube" id="ijSg92O1d30" title="OYO Sanitised Before Your Eyes" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ijSg92O1d30/mqdefault.jpg"></div> When Vande Bharat started, approximately 73,000 repatriated Indians completed their institutional quarantine at OYOs across India. Amongst these, most bookings were made by guests travelling from the Middle East, primarily UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar. Insights from OYO’s Travelopedia According to Kapoor’s predictions based on travelopedia’s insights, leisure travel is making a steady comeback - with tourist hotspots of Visakhapatnam, Kochi, Tirupati, Goa, Mussoorie recovering faster than other destinations. The data also revealed that Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad ranked as the most popular cities among business travellers while Jaipur, Goa, Kochi were travellers’ favourite domestic leisure hotspots. <div type="image" title="Oyo travelopedia" msid="80040415" hostid="261"></div> Speaking on one of the most important trends this year for OYO, Kapoor said, “One of the most humbling things we found out that has stayed with me is that a guest has stayed with us 128 times this year, something that tells us that we are on the right path and that our customers have immense faith in us even in tough times. While 2021 will be a new learning in itself, we’re hopeful that the changes we have brought in 2020 will set new precedents in the travel and hospitality sector and we are completely motivated to work towards providing safe stays to all our customers.” We're at that time of the year when people normally are in the mood to travel. Across India, without any surprise, the tourist hotspot of Goa emerged as the most booked beach destination, followed by Kochi, Vizag and Pondicherry. To target these beach-lovers, OYO also launched a campaign earlier this month titled ‘Chalo Beach Chalein.’ <div type="Youtube" id="6W_9U2C7G30" title="OYO | Chal Beach Chalein" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6W_9U2C7G30/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Interestingly, OYO has also seen a resurgence in religious tourism. Puri emerged as India’s top pilgrimage destination, followed by Vrindavan, Tirupati, Shirdi, and Varanasi. In December 2020, over 17 lakh people checked-in over the weekends. December 12, 2020 saw the most number of bookings (so far). The next estimated date is December 31, 2020 (bookings still coming in) Telling us how December turned out for OYO, Kapoor said, “This month, people are traveling to places they wouldn’t have thought of visiting earlier. For example, many of our users have shown interest in Mukteshwar, Ramgad or Bhimtal. Plus, one big change for everyone is that during this part of the year, people travel to international locations -- that’s not happening this year. That demand is getting funnelled to domestic markets and that is a trend I foresee continuing for at least 12 more months.” Kapoor has been traveling himself to locations he wouldn’t have been to otherwise. He has been to Jaipur and Udaipur with his family, then he went to Ramgad and worked from there for 15 days. He has also been on a road trip to Lucknow, Allahabad and Kolkata. From his many road trips to different parts of our country and from OYO’s in-depth research study, Kapoor noticed how people aren’t staying with their relatives anymore. They preferred living in a hotel, which is a cultural shift in our country. Walking us through Travelpedian further, Kapoor said, “If you look at the patterns emerge, the first unlock started with the big cities and we wondered what is it that these big cities offered: one type of cohort was those who wanted to just leave their homes and work from somewhere else. Secondly, people were worried about going and staying in someone else’s home, which is pretty common in India. I was in Allahabad in September and was trying to book an OYO, it was fully sold out. It was because of an exam which was going on and it was booked by parents whose kids were appearing for that exam. Third thing we saw is seasonality disappearing because work from home is allowed. The classic pattern of people travelling during peak seasons and vacations is phasing out. People are going away for staycations, working for 8-10 hours and using the rest of time for leisure. Lastly, they are also up for impromptu plans because they want to be reasonably sure that they are ready to travel.” OYO’s goals for 2021 The focus areas in 2021 would be more or less the same at OYO. Kapoor said that one thing that COVID-19 has taught us is that the future is unpredictable and the team is prepared for uncertain 2-3 quarters. “We have learnt the power of building product-led solutions for partners and that we will continue to invest in that. We want to open OYO-products and solutions to a much wider set of customers. We have all kinds of customers today but I think we have the opportunity to present OYO as the best option for anybody who is seeking good-quality experience. OYO has been recognised as the best start-up to work with and my focus would be to continue being the best place to work with for our target not just in India, but globally as well.”

Over 8.5 million new user bookings were made on the OYO app and website in 2020: Rohit Kapoor

<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>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="2808667" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO">OYO</keyword> founder Ritesh Agarwal as well as <keyword id="45473" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mahindra-Holidays">Mahindra Holidays</keyword> chairman Arun Kumar Nanda believe people are not going to fly anytime soon. </li><li>The aviation industry is staring at losses to the tune of ₹25,000 crore, according to a CRISIL report. </li><li>The fear of the crashing aviation sector is real. Billionaire Warren Buffett’s company Berkshire Hathaway recently sold all of its stocks in US-based airlines.</li></ul>“Goa may be the new Thailand,” said OYO founder Ritesh Agarwal when asked about his post-COVID-19 strategy. The CEO of Mahindra Holidays, too, believes people aren’t going to fly anytime soon. So both companies are banking local destinations more than foreign travel. The reasons for billionaire <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52518186">Warren Buffett</a>’s company Berkshire Hathaway dumping all of its airline stocks ⁠— Delta Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines ⁠— are similar. Buffett had gone on to say he was “wrong to invest in the <keyword id="34989" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="airlines-industry">airlines industry</keyword>.” And now, the chief of <keyword id="42740" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Emirates">Emirates</keyword> Airlines just confirmed the industry’s worst fears. “We expect it will take 18 months at least, before travel demand returns to a semblance of normality,” Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, said this week after the group, which operates one of the world’s largest airlines, posted 28% fall in profit as global travel came to a standstill in March. The coronavirus pandemic has left the Indian airlines sector stranded on the runway. All domestic and international flights have been suspended ever since the lockdown. “It will take 2-3 years for air travel to return to 2019 levels and a few more years to return to long-term growth trends according to <keyword id="6357957" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="boeing">Boeing</keyword>,” said a Centrum Broking report last week. <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[<div class="flourish-embed flourish-chart" data-src="visualisation/2389060" data-url="https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/2389060/embed"></div>]]></cdata></div> <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[<div class="flourish-embed flourish-chart" data-src="visualisation/2389156" data-url="https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/2389156/embed"></div>]]></cdata></div> In China, where the coronavirus pandemic began earlier, and is now abating, the economy is slowly recovering. Even <a href="https://www.china-briefing.com/news/chinas-tourism-industry-sees-signs-revival-labor-day-holiday/">domestic tourism</a> in China is still less than 60% of what it was last year. “ Foreign travel may take longer to recover. In their recent earnings call, Arun Kumar Nanda, chairman of Club Mahindra, said that shorter distances should do better than remote and that is why Mahindra is continuing with its expansion plans as well. “Domestic tourism is going to increase,” he said during the call. The aviation industry is staring at losses to the tune of ₹25,000 crore, according to a CRISIL report. “These are preliminary estimates, and aggregate losses could increase if the lockdown is extended beyond the first quarter. As and when operations resume, overall operational capacity will hover at 50-60% for the rest of the fiscal. Consequently, mergers and acquisitions of airlines, and relook at expansion plans of private and upcoming greenfield airports would be possibilities," <a href="https://www.livemint.com/news/india/covid-19-impact-indian-aviation-may-incur-rs-25-000-crore-losses-says-crisil-11588838896045.html">said Jagannarayan Padmanabhan</a>, director and practice leader, transport &amp; logistics, Crisil Infrastructure Advisory. <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/will-the-aviation-industry-recover-from-the-pandemic/article31359708.ece">Globally</a>, the industry’s revenues could be cut by $252 billion in 2020. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/bajaj-finance-shares-surge-as-sanjiv-bajaj-cheers-msme-nbfc-stimulus/articleshow/75729879.cms">Bajaj Finance shares surge as Nirmala Sitharaman’s cash injection for both NBFCs and small businesses will benefit Sanjiv Bajaj’s company</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/kotak-mahindra-bank-q4-profit-down-4-pc-to-rs-1952-cr/articleshow/75712873.cms">Uday Kotak says Kotak Mahindra Bank 'needs to be clear on lending' as profits dip by 4% fall in the fourth quarter</a>

OYO and Mahindra Holidays’ new strategy is based on the premise that airlines are doomed for a while⁠— both Emirates and Boeing agree

<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

<ul><li>The usual fervor of the Big Fat Indian Summer weddings have given way to downsized miniature ceremonies this year.</li><li>However, the global pandemic hasn’t affected Indians’ love for weddings. </li><li><keyword id="3237946" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sandeep-Lodha">Sandeep Lodha</keyword>, CEO, OYO’s Weddingz.in voiced his optimism for the recovery of the sector. </li><li>He spoke to us about the brand's journey, COVID-19’s impact and projections for 2021 and how they are sticking to their idea of togetherness in times of social distancing. </li></ul>It was at a wedding that Sandeep Lodha, CEO, OYO’s Weddingz.in conceived the idea of starting a brand that could cater to the rising need for professional and organised wedding-related venue and non-venue requirements for the new-age, tech-savvy consumer. The idea was simple. Lodha wanted his Weddingz.in to be a one-stop-shop that enables the promise of a great event at guaranteed best prices and allows the bride and groom to focus on their dream wedding and not worry about mundane tasks. Walking us behind the idea that led to Weddingz.in, Lodha shared, “It all started in 2015, while I was attending a relative’s wedding. I realized that the Indian <keyword id="562840" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="wedding-industry">wedding industry</keyword> hadn't changed at all since 1999 when I got married. In fact, it was still very fragmented and disorganized, in terms of promises made by vendors vis-a-vis lack of delivery, which became one of the biggest pain points for to-be-weds as well as their families. I realised among all services, the largest investment or budget was allotted to venues alone, and poorly managed catering, sound, decor, among other elements threw a spanner in the works for the couple on their big day.” He saw an immense opportunity to organise the wedding sector with technological solutions, and he believes that the wedding industry still has a long way to go as an average Indian parent spends about one-fifth of the wealth accumulated in his/her lifetime on their child’s wedding. According to a KPMG report, India’s current wedding market is at $50 billion, growing rapidly every year. In 2018, Weddingz.in was acquired by OYO and has grown leaps and bounds since. As per Lodha, Weddingz.in is the largest wedding company in India that offers venue and non-venue wedding-related services. “Within the first year of acquisition, we scaled great heights. Just last year (2019), we executed over 27,000+ events and just before the pandemic-led nation-wide lockdown, we executed 4,000+ successful events in February 2020,” said Lodha. From the 'big-fat Indian wedding' to 'small is the new big' The big-fat Indian wedding industry in our country has never seen a recession period. However, 2020 has been an unusual period for businesses of all shapes and sizes, as well as economies of scale. Weddings that last usually for 4-5 days in India, had to be cut down to only include the main wedding day and ‘small is the new big’ emerged as the biggest trend of the year in the industry. Until early September, weddings were not a grand affair -- the overall spending on elements such as photography, food, decoration, etc also dropped with the number of people. In March 2020, Weddingz.in also saw its revenue dip by 90% but in the same quarter, things started looking up. Telling us how the 5-year-old brand tried to minimise COVID’s impact, Lodha said, “With restrictions on large social gatherings and events including wedding ceremonies, the pandemic has changed the wedding landscape in India. In the initial phase of the lockdown, customers were holding back. During this time, in light of the situation, we offered our existing customers the option of free rescheduling and offered potential value-based packages inclusive of venue, photography and makeup, among others. Owing to this flexibility that we offered our customers, the majority of them chose to reschedule their events, as opposed to cancelling them. Owing to our efforts, in Q1 itself, over 3000+ summer weddings were rescheduled for the latter half of the year, specifically, October-November-December 2020.” Weddingz.in launched a program called ‘Wz Safe’ with a 20+ point checklist to ensure social distancing, hygiene and sanitation across venues and win its audiences’ trust. It also offered flexibility to reschedule events free of charge. During the lockdown, it launched a multi-video conferencing platform called ‘Next Gen Weddingz’, with an emcee and multiple chat rooms. It also allowed the virtual attendees to interact so that they feel as much a part of the celebrations. As of today, the government allows 50-200 guests at the wedding. Weddingz.in’s partners are also scaling their operations by embracing the digital world. “These efforts also enabled our venue partners with online demand during such ‘socially distant’ times. For instance, we’re extremely glad to share that some of our Weddingz.in venue owners that leveraged our online platforms saw approximately 50-60% demand levels, thereby making operations feasible and enabling them with the necessary cash flow to sustain expenses towards rentals, etc. In my opinion, in a way, the pandemic is an accelerant, leading to the ‘digitization’ of events, a trend that we would have seen maybe 5-10 years from today. Since couples are trying to avoid running about and meeting the multiple vendors to fulfil their requirements, there was an uptick in demand for one-stop-shop online solutions that offered packages with all services,” said Lodha. Adding on how the lockdown period accelerated Weddingz.in to become a digital-led company, Lodha said, “This (lockdown period) really pushed us to re-think and accelerate our pace of innovations for sustainable and long-term health of the business. We decided to move on from being a tech-enabled organisation to a tech-driven/led company. Through a three-pronged approach to resurrect, win customer confidence and build for the future, combined with the steady relaxation of government restrictions, as of today, we have been able to reach 75-80% demand of pre-covid levels and believe this will continue to grow month-on-month in 2021.” Trends in 2020 and 2021 Brides and grooms are now taking the punt to travel to a different state and have their dream weddings with a smaller group of people. Commenting on the trends that emerged during 2020, Lodha shared, “We’re seeing an upswing in inquiries/demand for destination weddings - couples are opting to tie the knot across exotic locations like palaces, beach-side venues, outdoor farms or even in-city affordable resorts. Preference for open-air lawns or alternatively, booking hotel banquets twice the size for a much safer and socially distanced wedding are also on the rise. Another trend that’s definitely on the rise is live streaming of events for virtual guests/attendees. As couples are also increasingly opting for one-stop-shop solutions to avoid running about and meeting the umpteenth number of vendors to fulfill all their requirements. And of course, if there’s one thing in demand more than others, it has to be a lot of stress on hygiene-focused efforts.” According to Lodha, the wedding industry could roughly be at 35% of pre-covid levels in 2021 if three factors go in their way: the scale of weddings, number of events per wedding and guestlist increase. Lodha explained, “While things are almost there, we are already at 75-80% of pre-covid level demand. Some clients still continue to postpone their events but most are now taking the punt and going ahead with it. Secondly, the customer’s willingness to go ahead with pre-wedding ceremonies like Sangeet, Mehendi, Haldi etc. will help the industry bounce back sooner and steadily. In the short term, small and intimate functions may take place, however, large scale events will take time to make a comeback. For the winter wedding season, we saw a rise in guestlist (depending on region-wise relaxation of restrictions). But as you know, if cases continue to rise, the guestlist may shrink again. We feel as long as Covid is here to stay, the guest list will continue to remain small compared to pre-covid days, but with an upward trend as customers get accustomed to the new normal.” Vision for the brand Weddingz.in is now aiming to be there for its customers from the beginning of their planning and become the most sought after tech-led platform. It is betting big on tech and customer experience-driven path to recovery. “As we enter a new decade, for our customers, we want to be the most sought after platform for weddings in India. We want to truly become a one-stop-shop for all our customer’s requirements and continue delivering on our promise of a 100% great event. To do so, we will enable customers with our technology to plan their wedding right from the beginning. For our partners, we want to enable them to scale up operations by leveraging technology and equip them with the right infrastructure to make customer transactions more transparent, reliable and authentic. We want to create significant value for their business,” said Lodha.

The wedding industry would roughly be at 35% of pre-covid levels in 2021: Sandeep Lodha of Oyo's Weddingz.in

<ul><li>EIH Hotels which operates the Oberoi, Trident chain as well as one of Delhi’s oldest hotels – Maiden, has seen its stock price battered since late February. </li><li>Chalet Hotels, which runs – Marriot, Hyatt and Novotel in India, saw its profits jump three times in Q4FY20 but even then the market fears saw its share price down by 2% on June 9.</li><li>The hospitality, travel and tourism industry being severely impacted due to the coronavirus pandemic.</li></ul>From Oberoi to <keyword id="2808667" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO">OYO</keyword>, the Indian hospitality industry opened doors for business on June 8, but the market is still skeptical of people booking rooms. The latest trigger for panic selling in the shares of hotel stocks came was the delay in declaration of earnings by EIH, which operates the Oberoi, Trident chain as well as one of Delhi’s oldest hotels – Maiden. <div type="image" title="EIH shares." msid="76281467" hostid="261"></div> However, EIH is not alone. Chalet Hotels, which runs the premier hotels – Marriot, Hyatt and Novotel in India, saw its profits jump three times to ₹42 crore in the quarter ended March 31. However, even then the market fears saw its share price down by 2% on June 9. With the hospitality, travel and tourism industry being severely impacted due to the coronavirus pandemic, almost all of India’s listed hotels have seen their share price tumble since February. “It is well known that the hospitality and tourism industry is the worst affected by the outbreak of COVID19 (coronavirus). This has been reflected in the stock prices of hospitality stocks, which have declined by 62% to 82% from their 52 week highs,” said a report by Nirmal Bang on the hospitality sector dated June 2. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"></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;">Hotels </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;">Share price change since the beginning of 2020 </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;">Chalet Hotels </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;">-53% </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;">EIH Hotels </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;">-48.6% </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;">Indian Hotels Company Limited </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;">-37.6% </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;">Lemon Tree Hotels </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;">-60.4% </td></tr></tbody></table> India’s hotels were shut for almost three months due to the coronavirus lockdown, and only some opened up as quarantine centres for international returnees in May. Sanjay Sethi, MD &amp; CEO, Chalet Hotels while announcing initiatives like sanitized stay, deferred hotel construction said they will help in the near mid-term revival. “With the new regulations to open up the economy we are gearing‐up our portfolio for a quick scale up and eagerly waiting to welcome our guests,” said Sanjay Sethi, MD &amp; CEO, Chalet Hotels. However, the optimism of the hotel industry still faces a challenge – whether travel will actually resume anytime soon. With work from home and video conferencing being the new norm, business travel could be impacted. “Leisure demand will likely be the first to bounce back. Domestic corporate travel will depend on the economy,” said a recent report by STR realty. And the economy isn’t looking good. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="76274381" title="World Bank projects global economy to shrink by 5.2% in 2020" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> For leisure travel, hoteliers are excluding ‘airline travel’ and are looking at weekend getaway spots or ‘<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/oyo-mahindra-holidays-emirates-and-boeing-agree-people-wont-fly-for-a-while/articleshow/75731204.cms">driving destinations</a>’ as India opens its state borders. The hope for budget hotels Corporates, who are cutting down costs, could now turn to budget hotels that they consider safe and hygienic. And that’s what budget hotels like Lemon Tree, OYO, <keyword id="2870818" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="FabHotels">FabHotels</keyword> are betting on. OYO Hotels &amp; Homes, FabHotels have all launched a spree of initiatives for sanitized and clean hotels to bring in consumers. “It has been a long wait, but we’re delighted to welcome our guests once again to our select hotels across India. All you need to do is look for a #SanitisedStay tag &amp; we’ll take care of the rest. #AtitiDevoBhava,” wrote OYO founder Ritesh Agarwal on Twitter. OYO’s rival in the budget hotels space – FabHotels too has gone in the similar route advertising “100% Safe Place to Stay” hotels. “From an economic standpoint as hotels and tourism in India have suffered unprecedented financial damage over the last 70 days, losing more than 20% of the annual business already, with a prolonged recovery expected now,” said Vaibhav Aggarwal, Founder &amp; CEO, FabHotels. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/parle-g-clocked-record-sales-in-may-it-may-be-because-broke-and-starving-migrant-labourers-could-barely-afford-anything-else/articleshow/76280162.cms">Parle G clocked record sales in May⁠— it may be because broke and starving migrant labourers could barely afford anything else</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/anand-mahindras-sanjivani-solution-for-cos-think-like-a-startup-and-do-a-marie-kondo-style-clean-up-of-portfolio/articleshow/76275190.cms">Anand Mahindra’s Sanjivani solution for cos – think like a startup and do a Marie Kondo style clean up of portfolio</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/titan-company-profit-revenue-growth-for-fourth-quarter-ended-march-31/articleshow/76266434.cms">Titan tightens cost enough to clock a 21% growth in profit⁠— the best in five quarters</a>

You Searched For "oyo lockdown business" and got 7 results

Over 8.5 million new user bookings were made on the OYO app and website in 2020: Rohit Kapoor

Karuna Sharma

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

Samarpita Banerjee

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

Karuna Sharma

OYO and Mahindra Holidays’ new strategy is based on the premise that airlines are doomed for a while⁠— both Emirates and Boeing agree

Sanchita Dash

Marketing: Trends to watch out for in 2021

Karuna Sharma

The wedding industry would roughly be at 35% of pre-covid levels in 2021: Sandeep Lodha of Oyo's Weddingz.in

Karuna Sharma

The owner of Oberoi and Trident defers results triggering a sell-off in India's hotel stocks

Sanchita Dash

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