Why are Indian brands going ga-ga over Dubsmash!

#SocialKiAankh

Dubsmash used to be the new cool kid on the block. Not anymore. While most of us were finding it difficult to raise our gazes from the constant, pestering whatsapp notifications on our devices, Dubsmash was busy becoming the darling of Indian marketers. 

So what happened? We'll get there. First a couple of cases in point:

1. #Shopeepaah - Gaurav Gera doing ads for Titli, Shandaar, Pepsi, Pyar ka panchnaama 2, hike messenger, Big Magic Channel and basically everything that can be sold. He's serious about the selling business. He's a 'shopkeeper', after all. 

(Link: https://instagram.com/p/8yVfxXC-3l )

2. #NerolacDubsmash - A 'textbook' social media campaign of sorts. Run a contest, give a sweet bait and ask readers/ users/ netcases to lipsync to the signature tune of Nerolac.

Basically, the idea is to try brewing up a storm. Everything run of the mill except the fact that it might actually work. I say this when I see people submitting their 4th and 5th entries and all...

(Link: https://t.co/LL6QOxmMFK ) 

(Link: https://t.co/UQJYhDGELv )

(Link: https://t.co/WAFjnqLnRn )

At the time of blogging this post, this campaign is still on. I resisted my urge to upload a few dubsmashes of my own. 

(No, I've not been paid by the nerolac guys. I wish. Maybe I should forward them the link to this post and ask them to shower some of their marketing budget on me... )

Ahem, let's try to understand what's happening here. Why is it that suddenly everything marketing has started revolving round dubsmash promotions. Here are a few, arbit speculations...

1. I eat my words. Dubsmash's still the new cool kid on the block. 

Facebook is passé. Zuckerburg is answering for his candy crush sins in IIT Delhi, for God's sake. Whatsapp has become the new rumormonger. And besides, everybody hates that jarring notification sound! And Snapchat? Well, not many indians would want their nudies-exchange platform to be taken over by Gaurav Gera.

Dubsmash has caught the fancy of all the snooties who love to hate mainstream social stuff. 

2. The old-age adage. CONTENT IS KING. 

Let's accept it. Some of the dubsmashes are actually hilarious! Who doesnt' want to see hilarious attempts of random netizens at mouthing famous bollywood dialogues? #BaapKaDadaKaSabKaBadlaLegaReTeraFaisal ! #GangsofWasseypur2

3. Which brings us to, Bollywood!

For some reason, Bollywood starlets have been real generous to dubsmash. The Alias, Sonakshis and Ranveers of the world have become the brand ambassadors of dubsmash in India. Talk about saving marketing budgets! No wonder every Tom, Dick and Harish wants to know what their stars are upto! ( If you are hollywoodist, #3 still applies on you. Unless you live under a rock. Like me. High five, then brother!)

4. High on Social currency!

The best thing about Dubsmash videos? You don't need to install dubsmash to watch them! Just go to Youtube and watch till you are sick of, well, watching others lipsyncing your favourite dialogues. Then you resolve to make a few of your own. Then you download dubsmash. #TrueStory

In any case, being light videos, the dubsmashes are easily shareable on facebook, twitter and even whatsapp. Massive Reach? No problem, chief!

5. Making the common man the Star. #YahiToScamHaiJi

Anybody can make a dubsmash video. True to the spirit of Web 2.0 - User Generated Content. The biggest reason why I think dubsmash is working is that we all want to see ourselves being the heroes (and heroines) of our childhood dream sequences of bollywood movies we grew up watching.

Ramadhir Singh speaketh the truth.

Looking forward to more brands joining the bandwagon of the dubsmash marketing. Till the 'cooler' kid arrives.

#SocialKiAankh

Alok K.

Oct 30th 2015