“Bhai ko piles bhi hai, likh na!”, yells Arshad Warsi as his character Circuit.
This scene is from a recent television commercial that features the famous actors. Sanjay Dutt convinces his side-kick that it is good to share all information during a medical test for insurance.
This message is contrary to what we Indians have been conditioned to believe in. We want to share as less as possible about our ailments. This is to ensure insurance doesn’t get rejected or that we do not end up paying higher premiums.
These commercials are by the young and challenger insurance brand, Acko.
The company’s premise is that right diligence on customers ensures that claim settlement is a breeze.
They do not have insurance agents, as they want to own the relationship with the customer.
Why do I know all this?
Some of you may remember that edition 90 of this newsletter was titled ‘Acko Insurance’s Varun Dua means business’. I wrote that newsletter much before these commercials were aired.
So when I saw this ad in the campaign being run by Acko, I realised that most of the hypotheses and messages come from the founder, Varun Dua.
And in this case, I feel that the creative agency has done what it is supposed to do. Deliver creative and engaging rendition of stories that deliver the company’s message.
Insights, narratives and stories are Varun Dua’s strong points. Whether that’s by default or an acquired set of skills is something I intend to figure out in the days to come.
In fact, all of Acko’s creative campaigns hit home. The ones with Saif and Sara Ali Khan or even the older one ‘Don’t be like Murthi’ which did not feature a celeb.
And my guess is that Varun’s insights, consumer and industry understanding play a big role in guiding these sucessful campaigns.
But what’s the leadership lesson in this? That’s up next.
One communication tip for today.
Narrative is a leader’s responsibility
Varun Dua’s key insight and narrative about the Indian insurance industry is important in building Acko. I firmly believe that without it the company would not be as successful as it is.
And sometimes this is what leaders miss out on. Without the right insight and narrative, the responsibility gets outsourced to marketing. Or worse to the creative agency.
Marketing, sales or creative can effectively deliver the message or insight. But it is not their job to discover the founding principles of a company.
So without a leader’s conviction in the narrative, the brand may not perform to its full potential. That’s why it’s important they discover and build the narrative on their own.
Just like Varun Dua has.
That’s why I’ve built a process called story-flection that’s helping founders and executives 10x their growth. Through this coaching programme they discover and develop their signature narratives and personal stories.
Know anyone who’d want to build impactful narratives for their company, talks, presentations, investor pitches or even team building ? Ask them to get in touch, I am keen on coaching the next Varun Dua 🙂
That’s it from me today. Hope you found this newsletter useful 🙂
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