Whoever said the journey matters more than the destination surely never took a loan! Irrespective of why you need one, getting a loan approved is most often a complex and tedious process. From agents giving evasive answers to making false claims and promises, the troubles are aplenty. This leaves customers sceptical about financial services companies delivering on what they promise, according to a research conducted by Tata Capital.
To assuage these concerns and communicate Tata Capital’s ability to deliver on its commitments, the company is asking consumers to ‘Count on Us’. The campaign comprises three different messages in the form of conversations that take place between a customer and an agent. “Each message depicts one of the three facets of our message: transparency, expertise and delivering on promises,” says Abonty Banerjee, chief marketing and digital officer, Tata Capital. She adds that the campaign is part of their annual plan and the festive season was apt to launch it.
Every film begins with a warning — What doesn’t happen at Tata Capital. For instance, in one film, a man is waiting for someone at a restaurant. That’s when an agent barges in, requesting for his signature on a couple of documents. The man protests that he had already signed some documents yesterday and also asks what these fresh signatures are for. But the only response he gets from the agent are “for safety” and “standard process”. Taking some liberty, the film even shows the agent asking for signatures on his hand and forehead, while the irate customer still has no clue what it’s for. Immediately after this, the Tata Capital logo zooms into the frame, knocking the agent off as the voiceover announces, “Unlike others, at Tata Capital, you can count on us to explain exactly what you are getting into.”
“The idea was born out of reality and collective experience. We have all, at some point, had to experience a certain type of agent who makes excuses, seems incompetent and avoids answers. The campaign depicts such people through the use of humour, as the opposite of Tata Capital,” says Prem Nath, group creative director, Cartwheel.
The second film shows the agent giving ambiguous answers to pointed questions raised by the customer – like the interest rate, early repayment option – while the third film shows the agent not delivering on his promise of clearing the loan within the promised time frame.
Banerjee believes that the films stem from real customer peeves and hence, are highly relatable. At the same time, creatively, the films are highly engaging and fun to watch. Add to that Gopal Dutt’s (who essays the role of the smooth-talking agent) acting prowess and it is safe to say that Tata Capital has struck a winning combination.
