How a homegrown agency built the narrative for Bikaji Foods, which went Public recently

On November 16th, Bikaji Foods International was listed in the Bombay Stock Exchange with an overwhelming response as its shares opened 7 percent higher at Rs. 321, and climbed 11.66 percent to hit an intraday high of Rs. 335 on the BSE.

Ahead of its listing on Dalal Street, shares of Bikaji Foods International were trading at a premium of Rs. 25-30 in the grey market, signaling a decent listing pop for investors. Bikaji Foods is India's third-largest ethnic snack company. The company's product range includes six principal categories: bhujia, namkeen, packaged sweets, papad, and western snacks among others.

3BF, a homegrown agency, has been managing Bikaji Foods International for over 30 years. The agency has worked very closely with the brand to make it a part of our pop-culture while retaining the core essence of the brand - rooted in Indian tradition.

All the marketing efforts over the years have helped build Bikaji a trusted Indian brand and that played a key role in the IPO process. While many see the entire IPO process as thrilling and full of drama, one of the most important aspects that brings sanity to the entire process is solid brand storytelling, a story that creates the differentiation for the brand vis a vis the competition.

Over the years 3BF has strategically worked on communication that provided a strong foundation for the Bikaji IPO process. The agency was successfully able to drive the consumer narrative and at the same time ensured it used advertising as a key communication tool to reach out to the other critical stakeholders, including investors.

The agency was also able to drive a corporate narrative that was backed by data and staggering consumer sentiments around the brand.

Sagar Parikh, Managing Partner, 3BF said, “Over the last 30 years we have built a narrative for Bikaji that is rooted in our culture. Our selection of the brand ambassador for Bikaji is also a strategic decision, we wanted a name that adds credibility and more meaning to the communication, and therefore, who better than Amitabh Bachchan, a man that India loves and Amitji loves Bikaji. This has worked brilliantly for the brand.

"While managing the communication for Bikaji during the IPO we ensured that it was honest and stayed true to the core value that the brand offered while also emphasizing on the leadership position of the brand. Our communication spelt out the impact the brand has created over the last few decades and how it has transformed the way India snacks. We look forward to continuing to create some defining communication for the brand Bikaji.”

Adding to this, Managing Director Bikaji, Deepak Agarwal said, "We look at 3BF as our partner as they work very closely with us in driving the brand narrative for Bikaji. Over the years we have been able to create communications that have resonated well with our audience and helped us establish Bikaji as a trusted brand in the industry.

"3BF's approach to brand storytelling is both creative and scientific, backed by data and insights. This is exactly what a homegrown brand like ours needs in a country like India which is so diverse and so full of culture and family values. It's been an incredible journey and a delightful experience to work with the team at 3BF." 

3BF, a 70-year-old family run independent agency, started as a mainline advertising agency. Over the last few years, with the evolution of communication, 3BF is now a complete content studio and an integrated brand agency that offers solutions across the spectrum, from brand narrative building to end to end digital marketing to influencers marketing to content production and analytics & research.

The company was founded in 1953 by Shantilal Parikh and was later headed by his son Hem Parikh. Currently, the agency is led by Sagar Parikh who has spent over 15 years in the industry working on several brands.

Based out of Mumbai, 3BF has helped in building some of the biggest homegrown and global brands in India. To name a few: Bikaji, Lijjat Papad, Lakhani Shoes, Kala Niketan, Dynapar QPS, Syngenta, Go-Cool Ice cream, Vimal, Zandu, Aarey Milk, Whistling Woods, Raheja, Servewell, Vinod Cookware, Unichem Labs and many more. - TWL Bureau