Kanan Devan creates a unique property to narrate its story to younger consumers through the Photograpy Escapade

...making innovative use of media for its campaign.

Kanan Devan, a 31-year-old traditional tea brand from the house of Tata Tea, has remained refreshing through the years and has sealed its place in the hearts of the masses and the market. The regional tea brand has been the everyday cup for many, for years. Now is the time to bring the younger audiences on board the tea brand.

What was needed was to create a brand image that was relatable with the younger digtally savvy youth and piques their interest in the brand helping them choose it over others. And what better way than to bring them to view the majestic lush green tea plantations of Kanan Devan hills and give them the opportunity to capture moments and learn the magic behind.

And this is how the first season of Photography Escapade was born, where the younger target group was in for a breathtaking experience at the tea plantation itself. A contest on social media was held which led to a shortlisting of 10 photographers who were given a chance to indulge in the beauty of the hills and learn the art behind creating the refreshing tea.

The season 1 of Photography Escapade was a raving success with the TG, who kept querying for the next season, helping in making it the largest photography reality show in India. Keeping in mind the excitement and anticipating more conversions, the second season engaged with the TG through various other platforms and means like influencer marketing, native advertising, published case studies, and Instagram apart from the earlier used social platforms. The amplification also included promotion in regional languages.

But what made this property exclusive was a once in a lifetime chance to co-create a limited edition pack featuring the picture of the winner. The brand used a video showing a 360-degree view of hills on core platforms like Facebook and YouTube which allowed the consumer to experience the tale of Kanan Devan and for photographers to know about this not-to-be-missed opportunity. The brand also incorporated regional publications in its promotion plan with visuals and content, making the brand more relatable with audience other than mainstream English language speaking. The content was later picked up by various sites that publish case studies on well executed social campaigns.

This opportunity to connect with a tea brand on such a personal level inspired the youngsters to become a part of the brand leading to a 14% increase in awareness and an average 4% sales growth.

Brilliantly crafted and executed, this campaign not only was successful in creating awareness about the brand but it was also successful in creating a personal brand connect with its younger TG. The unique idea of amalgamating a hobby (photography) with nature (the hills of Kanan Devan) and amplifying it though innovative use of media is a great example of a regional brand creating a unique property for itself and connecting with its customers. The campaign will conclude with the launch of the limited edition pack featuring the winner.