Ex-Ola Marketing Head Criticizes ₹33 Crore Spend on Deepika Padukone’s Viral Instagram Reel

Speedy Summary

• Deepika Padukone’s Instagram reel promoting Hilton garnered 1.9 billion views, raising questions about the authenticity and cost of achieving such numbers.
• Nitin Chandil, former Marketing Head at ola Electric, estimated that most views were paid – potentially costing Rs 8 to 33 crore.
• Engagement rate of the reel was only 0.07%, considerably lower than her typical posts with engagement near 5%.
• Chandil suggested organic views might account for just 10 million of the total figure.
• Debate online over whether the spend was wasteful or justified due to potential PR value from being dubbed “world’s most viewed reel.”
• Critics questioned Hilton’s expense, suggesting grassroots influencer strategies could have been more effective.
• Some defended Hilton’s move citing enormous global buzz and value for a high-profile brand.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The unprecedented view count on Deepika Padukone’s reel highlights the intersection between marketing strategy and viral appeal in today’s digital landscape. While achieving over a billion views is remarkable, concerns about artificially inflated metrics warrant scrutiny as they suggest diminishing returns on user engagement despite heavy financial investment. For brands aiming to establish dominance in PR-driven campaigns like this one by Hilton,quantifiable public buzz may outweigh direct conversion metrics.

However, such hefty expenditures-reportedly touching Rs 33 crore-raise broader questions about cost-effectiveness and business priorities in an increasingly competitive influencer market. India serves as a valuable test bed for global campaigns; lessons drawn here could help refine approaches where genuine user engagement complements viral success without disproportionate costs. Regardless of criticism or support expressed online toward this campaign strategy, its visibility undeniably reinforces discussions around ROI optimization in branding efforts across sectors.

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