India's first comprehensive native advertising campaign which helped to enhance positive brand association and thought leadership

1. GE STEPAHEAD
KISHORE CHOUDHURY
Group Head - Isobar

2. BUSINESS PROBLEM
GE, amongst India’s most respected brands, needed to enhance its perception
amongst BDMs. The challenge given to us was unique:
o Add Value (to BDMs), enhance perception, and establish GE as a technology
leader
o Highlight work done in ‘finding local solutions to local problems’ across key
verticals
o Campaign has to enable decision making
STRATEGY
In order to materially influence BDMs, that are time strapped, we needed a pioneering
solution that they engaged with. Given they bookend their days with concentrated
media consumption skewed to news, analysis/insight, it was critical to incorporate
communication into sources they relied on, in an engaging manner while ensuring
consistency with the global communication guidelines.
Being globe trotters, BDMs most often see internet as the first port of call & hence, the
idea was seamlessly transitioned across screens they consumed.
The challenge helped us conceptualize INDIA’S FIRST DIGITAL LED, ‘3 SCREEN’ (PC,
Tablet & Mobile), ‘CONTENT FIRST’ campaign, integrating multiple formats (text,
infographics, slideshows, polls, newsletters, panel discussions & videos) into different
media, all via native activations.
CAMPAIGN CONCEPT
Insights revealed, BDMs are compulsive ad-avoiders. To counter this, we used content,
and not traditional ads, as the beachhead of our experience and built campaign
around a core theme “Step Ahead” – Ideas that transform businesses & touch lives.
Created own-able moment that armed BDMs with the information advantage they
needed to start their business day via custom integrated sponsorship. Used in
conjunction with
o GE produced brand content
o Co-created content
o Media Partner Editorial content
o Distribution of TV panel discussion

3. Delivered a brand new experience that engaged & empowered BDMs.
CAMPAIGN EXECUTION
Partnered with leading digital media house (Web18) integrating rich multi-format
content across media (Moneycontrol, IBNlive, Firstpost) and 3 screens in Native formats.
Immersive content created for key GE verticals (updated fortnightly). The repository
housed content offering BDMs in-depth analysis and information on India specific
problems and solutions.

4. Widgets with prominent placements executed across group websites to enable
discovery
Further personalized with profile and consumption patterns

5. CAMPAIGN RESULTS
o Content – Over 50 co-owned content pieces created with IP rights to GE
o Traffic – 3 MN+ Unique Visitors, 4.5 MN+ Total visits for content consumption
(across Web & WAP)
o Engagement – time spent 4.5 min/visit on Content Hub
o High profile BDM Social Influence – 0.75 MN social impressions & 3026+ Shares
o Reach - Over 1 BN Impressions panned across 5 months
Data Sources: Zedo, Mediamind, Netcore, Google Analytics, Double click, Bonsai,
Global Rese arch conducted by Kelton for GE
Supporting materials: http://www.moneycontrol.com/gestepahead/