Arijeet Talapatra: Redefining consumer engagement through Bollywood, AI & Innovation

In an exclusive interaction, we sit down with Arijeet Talapatra, CEO of itel India, to explore how the brand has strategically leveraged Bollywood's emotional appeal to build a loyal consumer base. With a focus on integrating cutting-edge technologies like AI, AR, and QR codes into their marketing strategies, itel is transforming the way it connects with its audience. Talapatra shares insights into how the brand blends traditional and digital media, the future of personalized advertising, and how itel continues to innovate in the rapidly evolving consumer tech space to offer accessible, affordable solutions for its customers.

Bollywood has a unique emotional connection with audiences. How has itel leveraged this connection through product placements, thematic partnerships, and advertising campaigns to build brand loyalty among its consumers?

Bollywood ties people together not just through entertainment but also with strong emotional connections. Through strategic product placements, meaningful partnerships, and well-crafted advertising campaigns, we have found ways to touch millions of hearts. By teaming up with Hrithik Roshan as our brand ambassador, we have aligned our story with his magnetic appeal that spans across diverse audiences. Our tagline, Enjoy Better Life, captures this sentiment, reinforcing our mission to connect with every Indian by providing them with innovative technology. We recently collaborated with Pushpa 2 in creating co-branded content for our upcoming A80 smartphone and that generated massive engagement from our audience. In less than 2 hours of being live, the co-branded content generated stunning views of 80K+ while an astounding engagement of 9K+. Overall, the campaign generated an amazing 3M+ views and engagement of 250K+, enhancing brand recall and massive consumer engagement.

In your experience, how does the emotional appeal of Bollywood influence consumer decisions, and how can brands like itel use this to create more authentic and relatable marketing campaigns?

Bollywood has a unique way of touching hearts and blending dreams with reality to create stories that resonate deeply. The aspirational lives and relatable stories on the silver screen often guide consumer choices. For us, this presents a unique opportunity. By crafting campaigns that echo relatable characters and emotional journeys, we transform our products from being mere utilities into symbols of connection and aspiration. It’s this ability to infuse emotional depth into marketing that helps audiences resonate deeply with a brand’s story. Collaborations with blockbuster films like Pushpa 2 further highlight how cinema can be a powerful medium to weave authentic brand narratives, forging connections that go beyond the transactional and build lasting loyalty.

With the rapid advancements in technology, how do you see the role of QR codes, AR, and interactive storytelling in transforming the media landscape in 2024? How is itel preparing to integrate these innovations into its advertising strategies?

Imagine scanning a QR code to step into an augmented reality that brings a brand story to life or engaging with an interactive ad that feels more like a journey than a message. These technologies are not just the future. They are present now, and we are excited to explore how they can redefine our engagement with audiences. By integrating tools like AR and interactive storytelling into our advertising, we aim to create experiences that captivate and inform, offering a deeper, richer connection to our products. One of the very popular campaigns of itel “Compare Kiya Kya” integrated QR codes effectively to start conversations digitally about our A50 smartphones. This was done through 500 wall wraps which was installed at strategic locations throughout the country.

AI is reshaping how brands engage with their audience. How do you think AI will impact advertising in 2025, especially in creating personalized, targeted campaigns? How is itel utilizing AI to improve customer engagement and loyalty?

The power of AI lies in its ability to understand and personalize. By 2025, AI is set to revolutionize advertising, making it more tailored and impactful. We are already embracing this shift by proactively integrating AI to analyze our customers’ wants, needs, and preferences. This helps us craft campaigns that feel personal, almost like they’ve been designed exclusively for each individual. We are building loyalty through relevance, meeting consumers where they are, and offering them exactly what they’re looking for.

As the line between print and digital continues to blur, how do you foresee brands blending these mediums for more effective storytelling? How is itel approaching this fusion to stay ahead of the curve in consumer engagement?

The line between print and digital has blurred, but for us, it’s not about choosing one over the other. It’s about harmonizing both. By blending the trust of traditional print with the dynamism of digital platforms, we have crafted cohesive narratives that engage audiences across multiple touchpoints. This integrated approach ensures that our stories don’t just reach consumers, they resonate with them, creating stronger connections and enhancing our visibility. For us print and digital are like two brothers, whose synergy helps the overall brand to prosper.

Looking ahead to 2025, what innovations do you believe will revolutionize marketing, particularly in the consumer tech space? How will itel stay at the forefront of these trends to continue offering accessible and affordable technology to its audience?

The world of marketing is on the brink of extraordinary change. As we approach 2025, innovations like AI-powered analytics, immersive AR, and faster mobile connectivity are set to reshape how brands communicate. At itel, we’re committed to staying ahead of the curve. R&D is a crucial component of our decision making process and by continuously evolving our strategies for our mission of making technology accessible and meaningful. We aim to remain deeply relevant to our audience’s aspirations as for us, the future is about innovating and ensuring every step we take adds value to the lives we touch.