Shaping the Future of Brand Building by Utilizing Consumer Needs and Choices!
Have you ever wondered about the intricacies of consumer decision-making? As a keen observer, have you marvelled at the choices people make and the factors that influence them—the sights, sounds, and sensations that shape their preferences? From an early age, Hemal Anil Thakkar witnessed firsthand the power of word-of-mouth and trendsetters. She observed her mother selecting products based on her friend’s recommendation and her sister purchasing items her favorite celebrity uses. These experiences enlightened the profound impact of a well-crafted brand and ignited her passion for creating long-term brand loyalty; a passion that would ultimately transform her career in brand management.
Hemal, a passionate marketing professional, is making her mark in the industry. As a Senior Marketing Manager at Kitopi, she has played a pivotal role in driving the growth and success of the company’s brand portfolio. Her love for her profession of brand building is evident in her dedication and approach.
At Kitopi, Hemal’s vision is to provide a cost-effective solution for restaurants seeking to expand their delivery reach. Her growth strategy encompasses not only customer satisfaction but also the acquisition of brands across various cuisine categories, elevating Kitopi’s role as a leading innovator in the F&B industry.
The pursuit for the perfect formula for brand building is an ongoing challenge, but she has a clear vision and the necessary skills to navigate this delicate balance. Her approach entails utilizing social media and creating campaigns that connect with customers and increase brand loyalty.
Let’s learn more about her journey.
Crafting Meaningful Connections: A Journey in Brand Building
Her curiosity for marketing gradually expanded and inspired her to create long-term brand loyalty that transforms users into brand ambassadors. When she started her journey in advertising, she was fortunate to work across various categories, including OTT, FMCG, Finance, Pharma, and Social.
One interesting realization was that each industry and brand have its complexities, but a needle in the compass that stays consistent is the focus on creating meaning in consumers’ lives.
Consistently creating space and relevance is how legacy brands are built. This desire to work with brands committed to creating a legacy inspired her to embark on this sector. Kitopi: Revolutionizing the Food and Beverage Industry Kitopi, founded in Dubai in 2018, is the region’s leading house of brands; discovered, curated, and created from the region, for the region, Kitopi operates over 200 outlets, including both restaurants and delivery-only locations, across five markets: the UAE, KSA, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait. With a team of more than 6,000 Kitopians, Kitopi has transformed beyond a tech-powered multi-brand restaurant powerhouse, bringing magical food experiences to customers whenever and wherever they crave them.
Through strategic acquisitions across various cuisine categories, Kitopi remains committed to satisfying the world’s appetite while solidifying its role as a leader in culinary innovation.
This journey gave them an accelerated start, but soon they realized they needed to do more as part of their growth strategy, and the next step was to acquire brands across various cuisine categories, pivoting their strategy to become a tech-powered multi-brand restaurant.
At the heart of Kitopi’s, is the tech-powered kitchens and diverse portfolio of brands. This customer-first approach firmly establishes Kitopi as the region’s leading house of brands and a pioneer in culinary innovation.
Navigating Brand Building Across the GCC and India
Hemal’s experience in brand building across the GCC and India has always been about navigating the unique nuances of each region while leveraging the similarities. Both markets have diverse cultural landscapes and consumer behaviors, but the significant difference lies in their economic contexts and market dynamics.
In the GCC, brand building is influenced by the region’s cultural diversity, high disposable income, and higher per capita income. The market is characterized by a blend of expats and locals, resulting in a diversity that aligns with global preferences and nuances.
Hemal’s strategy in the GCC focuses on creating aspirational and culturally resonant brand narratives, emphasizing premium and customized offerings, exclusivity, and urgency created via limited product offerings. Digital marketing, influencer collaborations, and experiential events are crucial for engaging with consumers and building brand loyalty.
In contrast, India is a highly diverse market with significant regional, religious, and emotional sensitivities and an average per capita income. Her approach in India centers on affordability, accessibility, and forging strong emotional connections with consumers.
The strategy here is to be more inclusive and culturally sensitive, communicating primarily through mass media platforms. While digital media is integral to the campaigns, television remains a vital medium for reaching a broader audience. Mass marketing campaigns, regional language content, and community-driven initiatives are key to resonating with the diverse Indian consumer base.
Evolving Digital Marketing Landscape
Hemal has a deep understanding of the ever-evolving digital marketing field. She views the industry through the lens of three key buckets: communication trends, media trends, and format trends. In the realm of communication, she observes that users are seeking personalized messaging, transparent information, interactive and immersive experiences, authentic user-generated content, and caring, responsible actions from brands.
From a media POV, personalization through hyper-targeting and data analytics, supported by AI, is attracting user attention in the vast digital landscape. The emergence of social commerce, which seamlessly integrates business channels within social media, is another notable trend.
Regarding format trends, she highlights the growing demand for quick, engaging, and unique content to cut through the digital clutter. Short-form videos, ephemeral content, and interactive AR and VR experiences are some of the formats that captivate users. Additionally, the rise of voice search is transforming the way users seek information, catering to the fast-paced, multi-tasking world.
Her insights into the evolving digital marketing landscape position her as a thought leader in the industry, equipped to navigate the ever-changing trends and deliver impactful campaigns for her clients.
Chin Chin’s Kung Fu Panda Collaboration
Chin Chin, the iconic Chinese restaurant in Dubai, collaborated with the global sensation Kung Fu Panda to create an immersive dining experience. Reflecting Kitopi’s commitment to delivering magical food experiences, this campaign tapped into nostalgia and pop culture with the launch of the ‘Dragon Warrior Collection,’ featuring dishes like ‘Inner Peace Noodles,’ ‘Furious Five Fried Rice,’ and ‘Dumplings of Doom.’
By integrating both on-ground and digital elements, this collaboration set a new standard for how Kitopi’s brands can connect with customers and create lasting memories.
The campaign’s success was evident in the consistent shoutouts from guests on social media and the overwhelming response during the opening of the Chin Chin store in Dubai Mall. By achieving a 360-degree approach and generating significant user-generated content, the campaign set a new benchmark for integrating popular culture with culinary delights.
Building an Iconic Brand
Despite joining during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hemal’s tenure at Burger King India was marked by her ability to navigate the challenges of a late entrant in the category while staying true to the brand’s philosophy of ensuring customers enjoy their food “their way.”
During her time, she brought the Burger King app to life, built BK Café, and injected the love for the Whopper into the hearts of guests. He also shaped iconic campaigns like “Jugaad” featuring Hrithik Roshan, Meme Premier League, The Greatest Hack during IPL, and “Date the Whopper” featuring Sima Taparia for Valentine’s Day.
Her focus on building iconic, topical, and regionally relevant campaigns paid off when Burger King India successfully went public within six years of entering the market, becoming one of the most loved burger brands in the country. She adds that Burger King will always be a treasure that she cherishes every time she looks back on her journey.
Long-Term Brand Building and Short-Term Milestones
Hemal believes that long-term brand building is about bringing the brand’s personality to life, relating emotional connections, and consistently delivering on brand promises. This lays the foundation for building consumer loyalty and creating a lasting brand legacy. On the other hand, short-term milestones focus on satisfying the consumer’s appetite for instant gratification through new product launches or offers. The key, according to her, is to seamlessly integrate snippets of the long-term brand vision and personality into these short-term initiatives.
While agility is essential in responding to macro and micro factors, she emphasizes the importance of being proactive rather than reactive 9 out of 10 times.
Navigating the Information Overload
In today’s day and age, the challenge is not just about consuming information but also about validating its credibility. Hemal emphasizes the importance of discerning between predictable trends and those that come out of nowhere.
Sources of information include social media channels, network events, consumer conversations, experiments, news channels, tech company updates, and simple Google and YouTube alerts. While incorporating trends into brand communication can be tempting, the key is to be quick, agile, and ensure alignment with the brand’s persona and tone.
She advises finding the right hook rather than blindly jumping onto a trend for quick traction. By being authentic, brands can effectively leverage trends while maintaining their unique identity.
Kitopi’s Expansion and Exciting Brand Initiatives
Kitopi’s diverse portfolio of brands reflects its mission to deliver magical food experiences crafted specifically for the region. With exciting plans on the horizon, including expansions across the GCC, the launch of the Kitopi Rewards App, and innovative brand-specific campaigns, Kitopi continues to elevate food experiences through its selection of restaurants. To stay updated on Kitopi’s journey and its house of brands, follow @kitopi on social media, as well as individual brand accounts like @chinchinuae, @high.joint, and @taqadomexicankitchen.
