Mahakumbh: Innovation welcome, but ensure brand connect, pilgrim welfare

Over the past few weeks, most creative agencies have been kept busy by clients asking for innovative ideas for the Mahakumbh. After all, an estimated 400 million pilgrims and tourists are expected (up from 250 million last time) between January 13 (Paush Poornima) and February 26 (Maha Shivratri) at Prayagraj this year. India Inc, it is said, is set to splurge at least Rs 3,000 crore only on branding and marketing.

 

Over the years, the Kumbh has become a huge platform for brands to showcase innovative ideas. Fast-moving consumer goods majors (Dabur, Reckitt’s and Lever) have been consistent do-gooders at the Kumbh over the years. Levers’ Lifebuoy in 2013 partnered with a 100 dhabas at Kumbh to print “Did you wash your hands with Lifebuoy?” (in Hindi) onto fresh rotis with a heat stamp. This “Roti Reminder” reached 2.5 million people over the 30-day mela that year. In 2019, Lever upped the ante with the “Swasthya Chetna Thalis” with an etched message of “Kripaya Pehle Sabun se Haath Dhoyein”. Levers’ Red Label launched a “Kachra le Aao, Chai le Jaao” (bring garbage, get tea) vending machine that dispensed fresh tea when someone disposed of trash, thanks to built-in sensors. 

 

Dabur’s Red Paste “Dabur Red DantSnan” at the Kumbh last time installed dental dispensers that spurted the right amount of Dabur Red Paste onto the toothbrush. “Kumbh me Snan se Pehle, Dabur Red Dant Snan” resonated well with the pilgrims. “Baal Mazboot, Rishte Atoot” a Dabur Amla hair oil initiative to find lost people, too, gained good traction. Reckitt Benckiser created Nukkad Nataks that propagated “Har Dharam Ka Bhojan Sanskar, Haath Dhona Har Baar” through sanitation mascots and handwashing stations. Their brand Harpic launched “Hoga Toilet Vidhi Ka Gyaan, Toh Badhega Kumbh ka Maan” using 1,000 “swachhagrahis” (cleanliness workers) at the Kumbh.

 

This year, autotech app Park+ will navigate parking for over 500,000 private vehicles — visitors can easily discover, book and prepay for a car parking spot using their FASTag without any human intervention. The IIFL Foundation has introduced 15 boat ambulances to provide first-aid and emergency care in collaboration with Bharat Scouts and Guides.  Meanwhile, Tata Play Aradhana is offering uninterrupted, ad-free coverage of the Mela, including Shahi Snans, Ganga Aartis, and Akhara processions.

 

Telecom companies have also been active in earlier years. Vodafone supplied musical earmuffs equipped with built-in speakers that played religious melodies and bhajans to pilgrims — interestingly, the muffs were equally welcomed as ear protection in the biting cold! Jio’s Kumbh phone offered at Rs 501 (considered auspicious among Hindus) was pitched as “Sara Kumbh ho Aapke Saath, Jab Jio Phone ho Aapke Haath” — its special features included a family locator (khoya, paya), a Kumbh radio, and a Kumbh darshan guide.

 

There has been gamification of marketing too. Glaxo SmithKline set up a basketball ring at its stand where visitors could shoot baskets and win free Horlicks biscuits in exchange for their cups of Horlicks. This was some years ago. Welspun made its debut dip at the last Kumbh with its “Jaldi Sukhe, Jaldi Sukhaye” Quik Dry towels. Welspun had established 20 changing rooms and offered 3,000 free trials a day, hoping to touch at least 500,000 people with its experiential connect.

 

But to me, devoid of any gimmickry or innovation, it was State Bank of India’s initiative to keep bank counters open from 8 am to 10 pm every day non-stop, and set up forex counters for foreigners that stands out as a far bigger yeoman service for those at the Mela. (ICICI Bank is doing it too, besides launching a mobile ATM van). I have had some college students tell me that they have signed up for volunteering duties at the Mahakumbh — manning information desks, guiding pilgrims, managing queues, helping in emergency services, helping medical services and in logistical support — camp management, langars, event support. I tried to get some large companies and banks to sponsor them but found no ready takers. Perhaps, because such sponsorships would not get any noticeability on social media. Unfortunately, many Kumbh innovations are often designed with the primary aim of going wildly viral (with some “help,” of course), earning applause from industry peers, and, most importantly, securing bragging rights before “gora” directors at global board meetings who are awestruck by the sheer size and scale of the Mela. But I won’t get cynical. We will, for now, assume that piety and promotion can go hand-in-hand.

 

I have no quarrel with all the innovative thinking that guides many brands’ Kumbh initiatives — just that the motive should be brand connect and pilgrim welfare, not a Cannes gold.  

 

  The author is chairman of Rediffusion