At BLR Airport, our market initiatives have been diverse. We have always approached every task at hand with a 360-degree integrated marketing plan. One of the projects that reflects this is the creation of BLR Cargo brand, says Shalini Rao, Chief Marketing Officer, BIAL.
CT Bureau
Tell us about your journey as a marketing professional – how different are things today compared to when you had
started out?
My professional journey began in the early ‘90s when Indian markets were going through a period of transformation and change. Several international brands were making an entry and the fast-moving consumer products industry was where all the action was. It was an exciting time, and I had the pleasure of working on several brand and product launches. Captain Cook, Saffola, and Gillette were the brands I worked on, and I was a key stakeholder in the launch of Pedigree in the Indian market. The trajectory changed after I joined McKinsey & Company where I began working across multiple industries. Handling global marketing at the Taj Group and working on digital transformation, customer centric thinking and relaunching the loyalty portfolio, is what I fall back on even today. There are several similarities between hospitality and the current role I play at BIAL. In 2019, just a few months after I joined BIAL the entire world came to a standstill because of Covid-19. And in the strangest possible way every single tenet of marketing that I had learnt in my early days came alive after so many years. One had to fall back on the basics; get insights, understand how people are feeling, respond to their needs and reassure them and of course engage with them even though they aren’t in the Airport. The one big change from the early days and now is the visibility level of everything we do. The age of social media, quick responses and reactions, makes the going a lot more challenging today. I am a quintessential marketeer at heart and that early training is the lens through which I view my professional delivery even today.
The role of airports today is getting redefined, and we’ve witnessed how BLR Airport is evolving and has done things differently in the past two-three years. How has marketing played a key role in this?
In any business, marketing increasingly plays the role of integration. It provides that one wrapper or string, which brings the entire intent and delivery story together. Likewise in the airport business, marketing has a significant impact on the brand reputation and the way the airport is perceived by its various stakeholders. At BLR
Airport, our marketing initiatives have been diverse. Whether it is the aero business or non-aero business, we have always approached every task at hand with a 360-degree integrated marketing plan. One of the projects that that reflects this is the creation of a brand like BLR Cargo.
Covid-19 reiterated the importance of the cargo business and that’s why the organisation decided to create an independent identity for it under the BLR Airport brand. This approach has helped our cargo business’ market position and how people perceive our cargo brand. The business has had several achievements over the years and getting the status of becoming the number one airport in handling perishables, just further strengthens the brand offering and helped us consolidate our image in the market.
Storytelling is an integral part of our marketing approach and we’ve told many stories about our cargo business. For example, with our Valentine’s Day rose story (narrated by an actual farmer who has been our partner for many years) we showcased how we handle millions of roses during the busiest time of the year for the flower industry. Our expertise and commitment to excellence was the premise of our story through which we spoke about the transport and handling of these perishable products which resulted in a 14 per cent increase in rose shipments compared to last year.
Speaking about BLR Airport being the No.1 Airport for perishables, how have you been communicating to the world about this and further strengthening your position? What role has marketing played in this?
At BLR Airport, handling perishable cargo is one of the core expertise. To spread awareness of our cargo capabilities, we have employed various communication channels, including digital and print media, events and exhibitions, and collaborations with industry experts. The end-user experience is what matters to us a lot and hence our communication is always focused on this.
Apart from the print ads, and social media posts that we periodically create, films are informative sources of communication. Our films on BLR Cargo and The Rose Farmer (both available to watch on our YouTube channel) showcase our cargo business and what role we play in the supply chain. These videos serve as an educational tool to highlight our processes, infrastructure, and team that contributes to our ability to handle approximately 104 packages every minute at our airport. When we tell these stories, it reiterates our
strength and position as the No. 1 Airport for perishables. Through various marketing initiatives, we have been able to raise awareness about our cargo capabilities and reach out to potential partners and customers in new and innovative ways. Fundamentally, marketing works with the business team to put together stories about the strategic initiatives and pillars that we have.
Tell us about BLR Cargo… why was there a need to create an exclusive brand for a business that’s part of the larger airport business?
As a dedicated cargo business of Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), BLR Cargo was created to give a unique identity to our cargo business within the larger airport business. This move has helped us showcase our strengths and capabilities to potential customers, partners, and stakeholders, and has contributed to our position as a leading cargo airport.
It was also important for us to call out the Cargo business and give it the due space and focus it deserved. The end-users and the people we are speaking to are entirely different. This is what makes the Airport business extremely interesting because it is a business of businesses and Cargo was one such business that needed to be called out and focused on as a brand.
In CY 2021, BLR Airport handled over 400,000 metric tonnes of cargo, marking an impressive 29 per cent growth over the previous year. Cargo volumes in 2022 were 412,668 metric tonnes, the highest tonnage handled since Airport Opening Day (AOD). Our state-of-the-art infrastructure and strategic location in South India have made us the preferred choice for shippers of perishable goods, pharmaceuticals, e-commerce, and other time-sensitive cargo.
The need to create a brand identity for BLR Cargo was apparent, given the increased demand for cargo transportation. With its unique branding, BLR Cargo has been successful in showcasing its capabilities, further strengthening its position as a leading cargo airport.
COVID did teach businesses a lot. It wasn’t the best of times, but also a big learning phase… what were your learnings and how differently did you approach communications?
The period of Covid-19 pandemic was a time of reflection and learning for businesses worldwide, and we at BLR Airport were no exception. During this time, we focused on finding new ways to deliver our communication in response to rapidly changing circumstances. For us, Covid was a time to step back and reflect on how we could do things differently. As an airport, it was crucial to communicate important information to our passengers at every step of their journey, from arrival to departure. We had to adapt our communication strategies to ensure that passengers felt safe and informed both before and during their travel.
We also realised that creating awareness about air travel was essential during this time. We had to communicate how we were addressing the challenges posed by the pandemic and the measures we had implemented to ensure the safety of our passengers and staff. Similarly, our cargo business played a vital role in supporting the global supply chain during the pandemic. We had to adapt our communication strategies to create awareness about the importance of cargo transportation and how we were addressing the challenges posed by the pandemic.
The entire airport ecosystem worked together to ensure a safe experience for passengers at BLR Airport. In May 2020, we introduced a contactless journey to minimize surface contact and exposure. Advanced digital thermal screening, RTPCR testing, and strict protocols were implemented for contact tracing, quarantine, and isolation. We also had round the clock sanitization and fumigation, with over 700 hand sanitizing points within the terminal.
Overall, our communication approach during the pandemic was dynamic and largely focused on sharing relevant information, providing reassurance, and staying engaged so that we could adapt to what we heard. We learned to be more agile and responsive to the needs of our customers and passengers, and we will continue to apply these lessons as we move forward.
As a woman leader and someone who keeps reinventing and looking at things through a fresh lens, what do you have to say to those who look up to you as a role model?
My mantra is to stay curious and open-minded, and never forget that the customer comes first. Coming from a retail and hospitality background has ensured that I have a customer centric approach towards all stakeholders (internal and external). I am a firm believer in continuous learning, reinventing oneself and approaching things with a fresh perspective, and I believe this applies to human beings as well as brands and entities. What I would like to say to those on the growth path and aspiring to leadership is – define your brand, identify its key tenets, build it and stay true to it. This way you will not create any dissonance when people interact with you. This is my definition of authenticity, be true to your brand (your personal brand)!
What do you have to say about the Women’s Day theme this year – ‘Embracing Equity’?
The Women’s Day theme ‘Embracing Equity’ is a powerful and timely reminder of the need for greater inclusivity and gender equality in all areas of life. At BIAL, we fully embrace this theme and believe that it is our collective responsibility to create a workplace where everyone is treated with respect and dignity, regardless of their gender or any other inequities.
We have launched an initiative called ‘B Included’, which aims at fostering a culture of inclusion and diversity in our workplace. The initiative is designed to make all our employees feel comfortable and included. We are committed to providing equal opportunities for all and to creating a workplace where everyone can thrive and succeed.
I believe that embracing equity is not just the right thing to do, but it
is also good for business. Companies that are diverse and inclusive tend to be more innovative, more competitive, and better able to attract and retain top talent.
To me personally, embracing equity means celebrating difference and accepting that one size does not fit all. It is about being sensitive to each individual’s needs and modifying behaviour and actions accordingly.
