Strategizing Collaborations to Deliver Meaningful Experiences: Nitin Saini of Mondelez India

In what could be labeled as an innovative collaboration, Cadbury Silk has partnered with filmmaker Zoya Akhtar for a special Valentine's Day campaign. The goal of this collaboration is to create short love stories using Artificial Intelligence. These AI-curated stories will be featured on leading OTT platforms and brand experience zones.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, Mondelez has also teamed up with Archies to offer an exclusive lineup of Mondelez India’s gift hampers, available at Archies stores.

Impactful Collaborations

Elaborating on the collaboration strategies undertaken by Mondelez, Nitin Saini - Vice President – Marketing at Mondelez India, said, “Our collaborations are carefully chosen to align with our brand objectives. These strategic partnerships help us reach new consumers, boost brand consideration, connect with specific consumer segments, and make our products relevant in diverse occasions.”

Saini further stated, “Leveraging the social media presence of our partners, these collaborations amplify our brand visibility and contribute to a competitive edge through innovation and creativity. Ultimately, our commitment is to stand out in the market and deliver meaningful experiences to our diverse audience.”

Unique Licensing Strategies

Mondelez collaborated with Hindustan Unilever Limited to expand its frozen dessert portfolio with the launch of Kwality Wall’s Cadbury Crackle Tub and Oreo ice-cream. Additionally, Mondelez’s Gems/Lickables portfolio has seen engaging toy collaborations, exemplified by partnerships with popular characters like Motu Patlu and Chhotta Bheem.

Saini explains, “We have strategically engaged in numerous licensing collaborations, garnering positive responses within the market. These innovative partnerships have proven to be successful for our brands by infusing fresh and exciting elements tailored to the right target audience. The approach of licensing not only enhances brand affinity but also contributes to expanding flavor experiences through associations with complementary categories.”

These collaborations play a pivotal role in capturing consumer attention, fostering brand affection, and maintaining product saliency in the market. He added.

Valentine’s Day Strategy

Cadbury, through its unique collaborations and marketing strategies, has not only gained huge traction but has also won accolades at international platforms. Mondelez and Ogilvy India won the Creative Effectiveness Grand Prix. It was awarded to Mondelez's ‘Shah Rukh Khan – My Ad’. Ogilvy India was the creative agency behind the work, and Wavemaker India was the media agency on board. The brand also collaborated with DeltaX and Rephrase.ai for this piece.

Elaborating on the Valentine’s Day campaign, Saini said, “In the spirit of celebrating love this year marks a shift towards recognizing the extraordinary charm in small moments that uniquely shape every love story. To bring this vision to life, we've harnessed the cutting-edge capabilities of Generative AI and joined forces with the creative brilliance of Zoya Akhtar. Together, they power our creative platform, 'Story of Us,' empowering consumers to effortlessly transform these cherished small moments into a personalized short movie.”

Interestingly, Cadbury Five Star this year is taking an intriguing detour by adopting an idea of ‘Doing Nothing’ during Valentine’s Day.

Saini Explains, “Cadbury 5 Star has consistently supported individuals who feel disenchanted with Valentine’s Day and prefer to spend the occasion doing nothing. Building on the success of last year’s endeavor to help escape the mush, the brand along with its volunteers will introduce the world's first-ever ‘time travel vessel,’ a ship named F.N.S. Cringe Vinash, with a mission to Erase Valentine’s Day by making 3 volunteers of our mission to cross the International Date Line and skip 24 hrs in a single minute.”