The Black Box, our Digital Command Centre in Mumbai, where we measure
real-time performance of our brands

Strategic Priority

Building digital competencies, forging global partnerships, and using digital metrics to drive conversion

Capitals Impacted

Risks

• Competitive market conditions
• Rapidly changing digital landscape

Enablers

• Strong internal global and regional structures to support bold ambitions
• Strategic and internationally acclaimed agencies to improve performance
• Bespoke approach: Country roadmaps to reflect brand and regional stages of development
• Agile test and learn approach
• Future proofing the business by spending time with tech giants and start-ups

Key Focus Areas

• Building dedicated digital teams
• Ramping up e-commerce
• Leveraging global partnerships
• Strengthening our digital ecosystem
• Investing in technology and infrastructure
• Crafting consumer-generated content
• Experimenting and improving reach

Value created

We are increasingly integrating digital capabilities with different aspects of our business - how we manufacture, go-to-market and engage with our consumers. Through these efforts, we are building stronger Social & Relationship Capital by way of partnerships and more meaningful consumer connect. In the last year, we clocked a 53 per cent increase in digital reach.

We are also investing in building internal capabilities and Intellectual Capital through focused talent, trainings and infrastructure.

 

Our Global Digi Cell brings together digital marketers from across geographies to share ideas and learning. In addition to this, we partner with other internal and external teams on digital priorities. Our online education tie-up with Circus Street resulted in a 32 per cent increase in competency levels in key areas of search engine marketing and measurement.

 

We are building and leveraging global partnerships (such as Google and Shopalyst) to accelerate learning and experimentation. Our strategic partnership with Facebook helps tap into best practices and beta trials of their crucial platforms. In September 2018, our core team participated in deep immersive sessions at Google and Facebook headquarters (at Mountain View and Palo Alto, respectively), bringing us closer to our key partners and revealing crucial consumer insights. They also attended sessions with a variety of consumer-facing start-ups to build an understanding of digital-first thinking.

 

 

Seventy per cent of our brand websites have been redesigned for improved consumer user experience, organic traffic, and conversion. The average time spent on each site has improved significantly. The bounce rate has reduced, primarily due to more engaging content and deeper linking of articles to drive prolonged engagement.

Launched last year, the Black Hair Hub is an unbranded, consumer website dedicated to black hair. The site includes articles, images, and how-to videos to help and inspire African women across the globe. It has been a big success, with a run rate of 80,000 visits per month and a 21 per cent revisit rate.