Client Name

GroupM

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Mohammad Kamran Mumtaz

SBS Thought Leadership Areas

Other

SBS Thought Leadership Area Justification

Our selected thought leadership area—Marketing Research & Strategy—is strongly justified by the nature and execution of our project. From the outset, our goal was to create a PR and communication strategy for Dear Bestie that was not just creative, but deeply grounded in consumer insights. To achieve this, we conducted extensive marketing research, including surveys, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and SPSS analysis. This multi-method approach helped us extract both quantitative and qualitative insights about Gen Z and Millennial audiences, their media preferences, and their emotional triggers.

The findings from our research directly influenced the strategic direction of the campaign. For instance, we discovered a strong audience preference for authentic, emotional storytelling and real-life relatability, which shaped key PR strategies like the “Bestie Diaries,” “Healed in Pink” video series, and “Pink Khat” mystery drops. These ideas not only drove engagement but also ensured alignment with Sunsilk’s brand narrative and values.

By converting raw audience data into actionable marketing strategies, we demonstrated our ability to bridge research and creative execution, which is at the core of marketing thought leadership. Our project showcases how strategic thinking, backed by rigorous research, can lead to campaigns that are both impactful and relevant.

Aligned SDGs

GOAL 5: Gender Equality

Aligned SDGs Justification

Our project aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality, both in the storyline of the web series Dear Bestie and in the strategic communication we developed around it. The series highlights real and relatable gender-based challenges—such as a female employee being denied a professional opportunity solely based on her gender, and another character being restricted from riding a scooter by her mother. These situations reflect deep-rooted societal biases and help initiate conversations around the need for equal rights, autonomy, and opportunity for women.

Our PR strategies were intentionally designed to support and amplify these themes. Campaigns like “Brides with Texture” promoted self-love and natural beauty, countering rigid beauty norms. The “Best Friend Makeover” and “Healed in Pink” series celebrated women’s friendships, personal growth, and confidence—positioning women as strong, independent, and empowered individuals. These efforts aimed to not only engage the audience but also promote inclusive narratives and challenge stereotypes.

By using media and marketing as tools to address gender stereotypes and elevate diverse female voices, our project made a meaningful contribution to reducing inequality and promoting empowerment, thus directly supporting SDG 5.

NDA

No

Abstract

This research study was conducted under the Experiential Learning Program (ELP) with the cooperation of GroupM and client Unilever to enable the launch of Sunsilk's very first digital web series called Dear Bestie. The goal of this research is to develop a data-informed, consumer-led PR and marketing strategy that caters to the changing media consumption patterns and content tastes of Sunsilk's core demographic—18- to 35-year-old Pakistani women. The campaign is based on narratives of feminine empowerment, friendship, and selftransformation, and is an effort to reinvent Sunsilk's brand in an increasingly authenticityoriented, digitally dominated world. In order to achieve this, a mixed-method research approach was used, which included two focus group discussions (FGDs), five in-depth interviews, as well as an exhaustive online survey with 151 participants. The data collected allowed for an exploration of: the audience's perception of Sunsilk, their interaction with branded content and negotiated moments with influencers, and how they percieve the effectiveness of antiquated formats, and are emotively engaged in deciding when to engage with web series and branded digital stories. The research suggests that although Sunsilk enjoys strong brand awareness and visual memorability thanks in part to its pink color, celebrity brands, and links to wedding beauty, the brand lacks in messaging consistency and emotional richness. During the focus groups, respondents expressed over and over their wish for more realistic, emotionally rich content, and tiredness about influencer content that appears overly staged or insincere. They appreciated relatable humor, behind-the-scenes pieces, and stories that reflect their own lived realities particularly those about female friendships, college living, and messy beauty regimes. Instagram and YouTube surfaced as the leading platforms for finding and interacting with digital shows, while memes, GRWM content, sneak peeks, and user-generated challenges 8 were termed as strongly engaging content formats. Statistical analyses, as performed through SPSS, also reinforced these behavior patterns and used to segment the audience into three personas, further presenting more focused approaches for content and PR planning. Drawing from the observations made, the report suggests a four-stage PR plan— Announcement, Launch, Running, and Finale—laid out with explicit division of platform options, influencer tactics, content types, and audience engagement mechanisms for each stage. The overall suggestion is to transform Sunsilk's digital personality from one that is glamourfixated to emotionally empowering, relatable, and community-oriented.

Document Type

Restricted Access

Document Name for Citation

Experiential Learning Project

Download

Share

COinS