Amar Sinha, Chief Operating Officer, Radico Khaitan highlights the various initiatives the company has taken to engage with consumers and employees during the pandemic We are today in such unprecedented times where globally, including India, the economic activity had come to a halt. Despite some relaxations, the liquor industry is facing some stringent taxation laws state wise. However, Radico Khaitan – an Indian company with over 15 organically grown brands – kept its spirits high and played its role of being a responsible corporate by starting operations and manufacturing hand sanitizers to extend its support to the country during the coronavirus outbreak. As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the company delivered ‘Radico 8PM Extra Strong Hand Sanitizer’ to primary health care authorities, government hospitals and police stations in many states. These states were in dire need of hand sanitizers and we supplied hand sanitizers in bulk as well as in small units. We are also actively involved in distribution of face masks and food packets to the weaker sections of the society. Radico Khaitan has also been regularly supplying essentials to the needy wherever we can and contributing significantly to various Covid-19 relief funds set up by state governments. Radico Khaitan - one of the oldest and largest manufacturers of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) in India – also remained loyal to its customers by constantly connecting with them to help them overcome lockdown blues. From organizing online music concerts to creating awareness on Covid-19 and announcing contests on social media, Radico Khaitan has left no stone unturned to keep their customers’ spirit high. With virtual concerts and live streams becoming popular since the lockdown, Magic Moments Music Studio - from the house of Radico Khaitan - partnered with one of the top music jockeys in the country to host an online concert. DJ Aqeel, one of India’s celebrated DJs, spread magic online through his live musical performance. The live musical show – on the official social media pages of Magic Moments – saw over 2 lakh views and the participation and engagement has been much higher than usual on the social media pages. We also associated with Asia’s biggest music festival Sunburn and the Bollywood themed musical event, Bollyboom for their e-concerts. A recent tie up with BookMyShow’s ticketed e-concert called ‘Sonu Nigam Unplugged’ and 8 PM Premium Black’s partnering with DJ Khushi for a virtual DJ night were some of the key initiatives that helped cement us place in the virtual music properties landscape. The Bollywood concert saw huge audience engagement with fans and followers requesting for more musical evenings. A major attraction during the music concert was the one-of-a-kind special VFX effect set. It was done to give fans a club-like experience while enjoying from the comfort of their homes. The company was quick to identify social media as the best medium to engage with fans and keep them entertained and helping them overcome the tough times. With the global lockdown limiting our movements, Radico Khaitan came up with another initiative called #StaySafeStayMagical which is a fun and healthy way to create every moment magical while staying safe indoors. Magic Moments organised a contest #CreateYourMagicChallenge on its official Instagram page calling for cocktail enthusiasts to post their stories along with unique cocktail recipe. The participants had to recreate Magic Moments’ classic cocktails with a twist within 1 minute and post the video on Instagram using #CreateYourMagicChallenge. The activity garnered an overwhelming response from audiences and brought out the best cocktail recipes with a twist. As a responsible Indian brand, we are standing with the government to help spread awareness on Covid-19 and emphasize the importance of social distancing. Magic Moments has been putting out animated videos and stills on basic hygiene. The short video focuses on promoting social distancing and the general habits which one should inculcate to remain healthy and stay safe not just during the lockdown but even after the lockdown is lifted. While it clearly delivers the message to practice social distancing, the video also asks viewers to stand united emotionally. Another important message in the video is on basic greeting etiquettes - replacing the handshake with Namaste. This is not only a way to stay safe but also the company’s way of promoting the traditional Indian gesture. Radico Khaitan will continue to use the social media platforms to tap its premium customers in the months ahead as successfully as it has done in the past. The company has also taken the following preventive measures to ensure safety of its employees in the offices and manufacturing units:
- Alternate working day for employees to ensure crowd management
- Regular sanitization of manufacturing units, offices and stores and disinfecting all touch-points
- Hand sanitizers at the entry/exit points in offices as well as manufacturing units
- Face masks and hand gloves are mandatory for all employees
- Provision of thermal scanning in all our manufacturing units
- Distancing norms of at least 1 metre within our offices and manufacturing units
- Virtual meetings and presentations instead of gathering in a conference room
