"Bigger e-commerce players have made our life easy": Albinder Dhindsa, Grofers

The app-based marketplace has released its inaugural campaign in a bid to replace grocers.

It feels good when someone reads your mind or understands exactly what you need. In its first integrated ad campaign, Grofers claims to 'get' what a woman typically expects from her husband or boyfriend, after a long day at work.

The local e-commerce app has launched a series of four ads, titled 'Get It', which revolves around a couple - the woman's expectations from her partner and her consequent disappointments. Grofers then comes into the picture, meeting her expectations by delivering all that she intended to buy. Three of the four ads highlight a specific feature, while the fourth one, slightly longer, is a general one. The campaign has been conceptualised by Lowe Lintas Mumbai.

Elaborating on the creative approach behind the brand campaign, Arun Iyer, chief creative officer, Lowe Lintas, says, "The challenge was to give the brand meaning in the lives of young working couples. It is a well-known fact that women have always found men who share domestic responsibility more appealing. It is this insight that we played on for the Grofers campaign."

Albinder Dhindsa, co-founder, Grofers, informs that while the brand has a larger TG, this campaign is aimed at young, working professionals. For the brand's first campaign, Dhindsa informs that a major challenge was to incorporate all product categories, and not be associated with one use case, permanently.

While he believes that being the first in a niche category to indulge in TV advertising, Grofers will have to spend on converting people to online daily needs shopping, he adds, "Bigger e-commerce players have already made online shopping a norm. They have made our life easy."

With presence in 27 cities, the brand has decided to advertise on TV for maximum reach, while digital, print & OOH legs are being executed in the top 10 of 27 cities. The campaign that began on September 2 will continue for six weeks.

Launched in September 2013, Grofers is an app-based marketplace for daily requirement goods and delivers items ranging from groceries, cosmetics, toiletries and electronic appliances. It competes with delivery players such as LocalBanya, PepperTap, Shopration and others.

A good start?

Ruta Patel, head, strategic planning, FCB Ulka, Mumbai, has this to say about Grofers' first ever TVC: "At first viewing, the ad does compel you to watch on, whether it is the husband trying to be smooth or the realistic casting of the couple. It is definitely a series of well-made films with an interesting paradox in the couple's relationship in the fantasy world and then in reality." However, she adds that the films look like any other e-commerce ad. "In my view, it does not provide enough reason to change the current shopping behaviour, be it online or offline," she rues.

She is of the opinion that Grofers should have had a far more potent kick-off in advertising. "Being a category first, it will be lost on most viewers. To me, the campaign will work to an extent to create awareness for Grofers, but it will not be enough," she states.

Jayant Mathew, group creative director, Cheil India says, "The amusing 'dream versus real' ads have been done before. However, the exaggerated story telling, the casting, the acting, the dialogues and the little directorial touches lifts and makes these films really fresh and funny."

He adds that this is a story everyone knows, "You don't have to be married or a woman to identify with it.. And the nice thing is, the story is actually all about what the brand does and delivers."