foodpanda MY explains much discussed multi-genre teaser mistaken to be Deepavali spot

Foodpanda Malaysia has explained that its recent Bollywood-inspired YouTube clip circulating online is not a Deepavali ad but part of a bigger campaign that is set to launch. The company was called out by netizens for creating a Bollywood-inspired ad ahead of Deepavali without featuring Indian talents and for appropriating Indian culture. The video in question was part of foodpanda's latest #TakkanTakTahu campaign that shows customers pro-tips on how to unlock deals and was one of the teasers to a much larger story for the Delivery Ke Hati Seri minisodes.

The minisodes depict the story of Seri and her three-generational family as they go about their daily lives using the various foodpanda joy hacks, and are part of foodpanda's aim to share lesser-known features and hacks on its app in an engaging way with original soundtracks. The musical inspirations for the campaign include Barbershop Quartet on foodpanda's loyalty programme, K-Pop rapping about stacking discounts with promo code, and Bollywood on group ordering, among others. Additionally, the made-for-digital shorts also known as #TakkanTakTahu videos feature a five-series short rap to engage with the younger market segment.

"We understand that there might have been a misunderstanding with the video in question being singled out. However, this specific video is part of a bigger campaign and not a Deepavali ad. Foodpanda would like to humbly apologise, as it was never our intention to cause any discomfort to our consumers as we stay committed to delivering joy to your doorstep," head of marketing Vanita Menon Kris explained.

Using data and localised contextual insights of its consumers, the campaign was created to reach out to mobile-first audiences such as Gen Y and Gen Z users. Foodpanda explored the entire app experience from a consumer perspective, on how a user manoeuvres and certain features of the app that would often be missed out on even by daily users, Kris told A+M.

The team then identified the usage of these mechanics within specific demographics, cuisines, and order frequencies, Kris said, before identifying the persona of its consumers that needs to be addressed to. Finally, foodpanda injected contextual insights into the campaign build to ensure that it is not alienating these technical processes across the generations. Drawing on these insights, foodpanda decided to incorporate music to create a more memorable story. From short flow hip hop earworm to the nostalgic moments of P. Ramlee and Bollywood beats, the development of each musical element works as a homage to the generations' tunes.

Renowned celebrities were cast for the minisodes - Azizah Mahzan, Azhan Rani, Nadia Aqilah, Shah Abedul, Sean Lee, and Abidah Noor. Musical artists Man Kidal and Masdo also made cameo in the musical features. "During the casting selection for Delivery Ke Hati Seri, we knew what we wanted - talents with theatre performance backgrounds. This is crucial to the nature of the output being musical itself and the requirements for certain songs to be carried by powerhouse singers," Kris explained. At the same time, the team also wanted a good mix of familiar faces that cut across at least three different generations. 

The campaign runs on digital platforms and TV, as well as DOOH, conventional and digital radios such as Spotify and Joox. This includes a branded Spotify playlist by foodpanda which will be released in the coming months. At the same time, the minisodes will be made available on TV3 and TV9 on 11 October as well as on WeTV. 

Kris said that foodpanda remains steadfast with its joy in full circle thematic concept and #TakkanTakTahu still very much held on and delivered the joy through its content. "Of course this time round, the elements and messaging of the campaign has since matured to best reflect our presence with the consumers, educating them even deeper into the app functions and benefits. We also aim to communicate beyond the service vertical offerings, which we have done in the past," she added. Foodpanda declined to comment on the monetary value of the campaign and ROI.

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Pandemic's impact on foodpanda's marketing

As the pandemic continues to affect businesses in Malaysia, foodpanda saw this as a reinforcement towards the importance of an omnichannel approach. With the social distancing measures in place, the number of people staying at home significantly increased. Consequently, this has led to the increased adoption and diversification in the way consumers use media to stay connected, Kris said.

It’s not enough to rely on a single channel to reach a diverse group of isolated individuals, which is why we’re taking the unique experience of this campaign and looking at each channel as a potential experience point for the target audience.

By doing so, Kris said foodpanda is able to turn something that is typically dry, educational content, into an experience customised for each channel. While Kris did not comment on the company's marketing plans for 2022, she said what interests her most is what comes next and what a truly hybrid O2O world would look like with unique experiences that integrate seamlessly.

"I think for once marketers are at odds as to what comes next. At the start of the pandemic, experts were hailing the post-pandemic era as the advent rise of digital, however as many countries alternate between reopening and continued lockdown measures, old habits are proving to be more resilient than we originally predicted," she explained.

The company is in the midst of a media pitch which was called last month. The appointment will be two years with the option to extend for another. Selected agencies will be shortlisted for a round of presentations. Carat Media is the incumbent on the account.

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