Our latest VideoBrief episode features Boniface Noronha, Senior Vice President and Head of Marketing, Digital, and Direct Sales at Axis Mutual Fund, on AMF’s Socha Samjha Nivesh campaign.
In this exclusive chat, Noronha shares insights about Axis Mutual Fund’s new investor education campaign, ‘Socha Samjha Nivesh’, the creative process with Mirum India, and its effort to empower investors by simplifying the daunting decision-making process in the world of mutual funds.
Noronha also outlines the brand’s effort to address investor concerns and misconceptions and highlights the benefits of multi-cap funds for new investors.
Explaining the journey to this campaign, which began with the larger industry effort led by the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) that introduced the slogan Mutual Funds Sahi Hai, Boniface Noronha mentions, “Mutual Funds Sahi Hai did a great job, but the gap existed between this message and the number of options provided by Asset Management Companies (AMCs). Consumers were left wondering, ‘Which mutual fund is the right one for me?’.”
“Axis Mutual Fund attempted to address this challenge last year with their Socha Samjha Risk campaign, which took a bold step by focusing on market risk, an intimidating subject for investors. The campaign successfully made risk an approachable topic, turning it into the hero of the narrative,” he adds.
The new campaign builds on this foundation. “This year, we went back to customers through research,” shares Noronha. “We found that while investors understood the importance of matching their risk profiles to the right mutual fund, they still struggled with making that final choice. We needed to go further in helping them make informed decisions.”
“The campaign focuses on the emotional decision-making process investors go through while encouraging them to make more informed, thoughtful choices,” he explains, “The slice-of-life films are crafted to capture everyday interactions and address the core issues that new investors face.”
Boniface Noronha on VideoBrief: Addressing investor apprehensions
Noronha emphasizes the importance of addressing the fears and confusion many investors have regarding mutual funds. “Our goal is to tackle these fears head-on. If you can solve the consumer’s fear of investing, you’ve already solved half the problem,” he explains. “When customers conquer their fears, they’re more likely to take the next step toward investing.”
“To facilitate this,” he says, Axis Mutual Fund has incorporated tools like the Risk Commuter and Risk Profiler to help investors understand their own risk tolerance and how it aligns with different mutual fund products.”
According to Noronha, talking openly about risk in mutual funds is something few brands have done before, and Axis Mutual Fund wants to make it a core part of their strategy.
“Once consumers overcome the fear of market risk and complexity, they are empowered to move forward,” he says, “that’s what this campaign aims to do.”
Boniface Noronha on VideoBrief: On why multi-cap funds
The campaign highlights multi-cap funds as an ideal starting point for investors. Noronha explains that their research indicated many new investors were overwhelmed by the wide array of categories—small-cap, mid-cap, large-cap funds—each with its own set of considerations.
“Our research showed that investors want simplicity and ease when it comes to investing,” he says. “Multi-cap funds provide exposure to all these segments, removing the confusion about where to begin.”
Noronha further elaborates that “multi-cap funds allow investors to diversify across different market caps, reducing the fear of missing out (FOMO) on potential growth opportunities, making multi-cap funds a suitable option for first-time investors.”
Boniface Noronha on VideoBrief: On Axis Mutual Fund’s partnership with Mirum
Axis Mutual Fund has worked closely with Mirum India for over five years. Noronha praises the agency’s role in shaping the campaign and notes that their clear understanding of investor concerns allowed them to craft relatable, slice-of-life films that make investing seem approachable.
“Mirum India has been a fantastic partner for us. They ask more questions than investors themselves, ensuring every communication answers the key concerns people have about mutual funds,” says Noronha.
Boniface Noronha on VideoBrief: Long-term strategy of ‘Socha Samjha Nivesh’
The Socha Samjha Nivesh campaign is a part of Axis Mutual Fund’s long-term strategy to educate investors and simplify the investment process. Noronha underscores that educating investors is not a one-time effort but a gradual, ongoing journey. “We want to educate customers over the long term, just as we expect them to stay invested for the long term,” he comments.
The campaign’s phased approach, starting with multi-cap funds and gradually expanding to other categories, is designed to ease investors into the complexities of mutual fund investing.
“Our aim is to simplify the process, educate customers, and empower them to make informed decisions. With Socha Samjha Nivesh, we hope to continue making investing easier, more accessible, and more successful for everyone,” concludes Noronha.
