Britannia on-boards Sonu Sood to familiarise kids with self-defense...

On the sidelines of the launch of the brand’s five-part video series, we spoke to VP marketing Vinay Subramanyam about the impact of COVID on the munching habits of Indians.

In a virtual press conference held last week, Britannia Tiger Krunch launched a five-part video series campaign with actor Sonu Sood depicting martial art forms from across the globe. The campaign aims to familiarise kids with self-defense through martial arts, which build mental and physical strength, and resilience to counter conflict situations.

Through the ‘Krunch Khao, Punch Dikhao’ campaign, Sood encourages kids to resolve conflicts - first through a friendly conversation, or by sharing Tiger Krunch biscuits. However, in a situation where all means of resolving a conflict amicably seem impossible, then the second best thing to do is to stay alert and defend oneself using some of the techniques taught in the series.

The actor takes the children on a virtual tour around the globe to familiarise them with five different forms of martial arts: Krav Maga (Israel), Judo (Japan), Jujitsu (Brazil), Kalaripayattu (India), and Taekwondo (Korea).

While speaking at the conference, Vinay Subramanyam, VP marketing, Britannia, mentions that the campaign builds on UNESCO’s recent findings that children face bullying at school all over the world. One in every three students are subjected to attacks at least once a month.

Launched in 2011, Britannia Tiger Krunch is available on all online and offline stores for Rs 5 (pack of 10 choco-chips). Talking about the pricing of the biscuit with afaqs! over a call, Subramanyam says that it is priced low to stay relevant to the consumers, who demand more for less. “… being able to give consumers a very indulgent experience at Rs 5 is a huge unlock to make sure (that) you are able to sell products across the country.”

He points out that though children are the core target audience, the biscuit is consumed by all age groups, genders and sections of the society.

We asked Subramanyam about the impact of the ongoing COVID pandemic on the in-home munching habit of Indians. He says that it changed dramatically in the initial days of the lockdown. “There was a lot of stocking up happening because people were wondering as to whether they will have enough provisions.”

He adds that this change in behaviour was temporary. Today, people’s consumption is largely in line with what it used to be in the pre-COVID times.

“It was not entirely a consumption behaviour change, but a buying behaviour change. Consumption of in-between snacks (largely) continues to be the same across India.”

Subramanyam also mentions that during the initial days of the lockdown, the demand for products that delivered more value, shot up. However, things are returning to normal gradually.

To take the newly launched campaign to the masses, Britannia Tiger Krunch has also collaborated with Udemy, a leading global learning platform. This association will enable youngsters to take special online courses ranging between 40 minutes and seven hours on the five martial art forms at discounted rates, starting from Rs 525.

Once registered, the user will win a Rs 150 Udemy voucher that can be redeemed to complete these special courses. By logging on to the campaign website and going through the five videos, the kids also stand a chance to get a ‘Krunch Khao, Punch Dikhao’ certificate, which they can then download.