Sulekha urges users to go anti-Jugaad with its new campaign

A TVC will be followed by a 360-degree brand campaign involving a host of above-the-line marketing activities and radio promotions.

The digital platform for local service Sulekha.com launched its new campaign while taking a dig at the jugaad culture (a way to fix problems using shortcuts and quick-fixes) in the country. Titled Go anti-Jugaad with Sulekha, the campaign highlights how jugaad isn't the only solution for every problem always. Although, it may work sometimes, but when it goes wrong, it goes wrong in a big way.

As part of its digital campaign, the video highlights the importance of permanent solutions over quick fixes that users generally resort to for their local service needs. The campaign also includes a TV commercial which will be telecast nationally on January 16. The TVC will be in different languages such as Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali and Kannada. Besides the TVC, the campaign will be launched on radio and outdoor platforms as well.

Created by Ogilvy & Mather, the TVC features television actor Nitin Ratnaparkhi. In the video, he is seen providing a quick fix for various domestic crises, with hilarious outcome. The ad urges audiences to "Go Anti-Jugaad", and find professional help using the Sulekha app for every home or local service need, however small it might seem.

Commenting on the theme of the campaign, Tithi Ghosh, senior vice-president and head of advertising, Ogilvy and Mather, says, "The cornerstone of our campaign is the thought to go anti jugaad. The inconvenience and the pain involved to find a suitable service provider lead to procrastination and temporary, imperfect fixes or makeshift solutions. We decided to use the very Indian cultural phenomenon of jugaad as the springboard for the creative. By dramatising the ill-effects of jugaad at home, we deliver the message that home owners can avail expert help on Sulekha."

She further adds, "Instead of preaching or taking on a serious tone, we chose to influence behaviour change by making our audience laugh at themselves, their acceptance of jugaad which deep down they know is far from perfect. The accompanying jingle builds a sweeping scale for the campaign and will definitely add to the enjoyment quotient of the video and the TVC. We believe this campaign will break clutter in a communication landscape that is dominated by urban chic."

Soumendu Ganguly, head of marketing, Sulekha.com, says, "Sulekha is one of India's largest digital brands. People know about us and that's why we get close to 20 million visitors every month. But, we were considered to be a classified website. With an explosive increase in India's digital population, upwardly mobile Indians are looking online for all their needs. Sulekha being an early mover in this category with its vast network of trusted service professionals, wanted to appropriate this space by going on mass media and claiming the category."

Ganguly further adds, "We believe the insight for the campaign is deep-rooted in Indian culture and would strike a chord with the audience. We have all tried to jugaad our way out of situations. While it is a popular practice, we all know that it is not the optimum solution. Local service partners listed on Sulekha understand that consumers aren't looking for quick fixes, but for permanent solutions. Our "Go #AntiJugaad" campaign echoes this sentiment and aims to reach out to everyone who seeks easy access to professional, high-quality local services."

Satya Prabhakar, founder and CEO of Sulekha.com, feels that smartphones have ushered in a new era of local services in India and Sulekha ideally wants to tap on to it with the campaign. "Smartphones have revolutionised how Indians search for and consume local services. It has become an important business category and the market is currently valued at $200 billion. At Sulekha, we have had a 90 per cent growth in local services demand last year, and it will only grow. We are committed to make this business a success," says Prabhakar.

Sulekha.com is a web-based discovery and decision-making platform for organised local services in India which offers more than 800 local services which include home care, computer training, serviced apartments, party catering, baby-sitting, yoga lessons and auto repair. The Sulekha app contains options for both standardised local needs (like pest control) and special requirements (catering or interior design). Along with this, the company has recently received a funding of Rs 175 crore from GIC and Norwest Venture Partners.