GAIL plays the clean energy card

By backing short films on climate change the public sector major hopes to change brand image and customer behaviour, follows the example set by global energy giants

As part of a year-long campaign, public sector energy major GAIL India has released a set of digital films and communication initiatives that talk about climate change and the debilitating impact of air pollution. These efforts, the company said are an attempt at creating awareness and aimed at motivating people to switch to CNG/electric vehicles, carpooling and use of public transport. But brand experts say that the campaign, as laudable an effort as it may be, will do little more than create fleeting customer engagement. To change its image and people’s behaviour, GAIL must take a more strategic approach towards branding.

The digital short films and on-the-ground initiatives are all part of the company’s Hawa Badlo (change the air) campaign that kicked off in 2016. Since its inception, various initiatives have been undertaken to create awareness amongst people about the adverse effects of air pollution with the most recent being a short film titled, ‘Kadvi Hawa Badlo’ (change the foul air). The film is set against the backdrop of a sunken Mumbai city and stars theatre-actors such as Sanjay Mishra and Ranvir Shorey. 

For GAIL a campaign like this is a first-time and unique attempt at branding. As a public sector, it has never really worked on its image or looked at engaging with customers directly. However, globally, energy companies such as Shell and BP have been down this route and GAIL has taken a leaf out of their books for Hawa Badlo. Shell, last month released a music video called ‘On top of the world’ that also stars an Indian singer Monali Thakur in the ensemble. The song turns the spotlight on a range of clean energy initiatives being undertaken across the world.

Singer Monali Thakur in Shell’s anthem on climate change

However brand experts are sceptical whether campaigns like these really help. “GAIL is trying to communicate the global warming story through the film which is quite engaging. The topic is important and the acting brings it alive. I am only left wondering why it is doing this,” says Ambi Parameswaran, founder Brand-Building.com.

For GAIL, the campaign is meant to educate a larger audience. “We believe there is a need to educate each and every individual irrespective of their age group on the ill-effects of air pollution. This is one of the most effective initiatives that has managed to reach more than 20 million people,” the company said in an email response.

However reach is not engagement and even if the films create awareness, they fail to create a lasting association with the brand. “The problem with this and all such similar campaigns, is that they all stop at awareness. Aware we all are of the problem, but the need of the hour is to ‘wake-me-up’ and ‘shake-me-up’. ‘Selling’ air is a good creative thought, nothing beyond that,” brand consultant Sandeep Goyal explains.

Parameswaran says the PSU may have done better if it had made a stronger connection between the brand and clean air. “Could the film have worked better for brand GAIL if there was a brand linkage at the end? Or am I being an old fashioned branding professional when I say this?” he says.

The campaign may be intended at more than just the customer. For gas-based businesses like that of GAIL there is a desire to attract the policy maker’s attention as there is a need to generate better incentives and schemes to boost consumption. Many see the campaign as a cloaked attempt to nudge the government into taking a more favourable position towards natural gas but GAIL says that is not the case. The campaigns are purely an awareness initiative.

Prabhakar Mundkur, senior advertising professional is all in favour of the ongoing campaigns. He believes that the company has a good chance at reaching out to the millennial generation, a category it would otherwise find difficult to communicate with. “Millennials  are more sensitive to ecology and environment than older age groups.  So I think it is important for corporates to tell the public of their contribution to the environment. In the future all companies will be judged by the contribution to the environment.  So the campaign must be appreciated by all,” he said.

Clearing the air

Some of the short films, on-the ground initiatives and songs that are a part of the ongoing campaign:

•Kadvi Hawa Badlo: A short film that foresees a watery abyss for the city of Mumbai and stars Sanjay Mishra and Ranvir Shorey; has had more than 4.5 million views across social media platforms
 

•A Grey Day at School: A short film that revolves around how air pollution is impacting the lives of children, playing online and in schools
 

•Hawa Badlo anthem: Sung by Harshdeep Kaur and Javed Ali, the song is about a mother’s effort to change the air so that her son can pursue his interest in sports, has over three million views across social media platforms 
 

•Workshops: Discussions and film screenings in schools in and around New Delhi  about the perils of air pollution and what can be done to change the air 
 

•#GiftAMask: The idea was to gift a mask to the traffic policemen as a gesture of gratitude. Vivek Oberoi, Swara Bhaskar, Vir Das, Kalki Koechlin among others were part of the campaign