Connecting with Gen Z: How Unstop got it right with Flipkart GRiD 6.0

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Half a decade ago, Flipkart GRiD debuted as an online hackathon. Season 1 opened to 40 engineering colleges and received 6,737 registrations, opening the doors for future editions. Since season 2, GRiD has been conducted on Unstop. 

6 seasons have taken place to date. At 5.2 lakh registrations, the last season was the biggest one yet. How did Unstop convince a generation with too many options to make GRiD their first choice and register? 

Dive deep to understand the marketing tools and strategies that enabled Unstop to drive the highest-ever registrations from Gen Z for Flipkart GRiD 6.0. 

Getting them on the GRiD

Flipkart GRiD gradually spread its wings. Starting with just 40 engineering colleges in Season 1, it expanded to 98 colleges in Season 2 before opening to all engineering colleges in India in Season 3. Season 3 was also the first time GRiD registrations crossed 1 lakh, and it only kept getting bigger. 

With each GRiD season, the Unstop team faced a challenge they relished—democratizing the opportunity further and inviting fiercer competition, ensuring that as many aspiring engineers as possible got a chance to test their skills. Flipkart ended up with only the top talent. 

However, Unstop had a limited marketing budget and a mammoth number to beat—last year’s registrations. Flipkart GRiD 5.0 ended with 476,000+ participants—twice the number of CAT registrants of the year (2023). 

In the face of these challenges, Unstop knew the traditional marketing approach with conventional CTAs would not work. 

Thus, they chose to talk to Gen Zs in a language they understand - memes. And target their aspirations - landing a job with an attractive CTC (INR 32 LPA) even without the “top-tier” college tag. 

Make it go Viral

Focusing on social media channels like Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter, Unstop adopted a prudent, digital-first approach. The focus was driving awareness and engagement through social media channels that would eventually translate into registrations. 

Here are some key points that defined the marketing strategy: 

Using trending memes

“Utho Anarkali,” a viral trend, was repurposed to inform the audience that GRiD was live. 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Unstop (@unstop.world)

The “dog traveling on a horse” meme was used to highlight the attractive price package. 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Unstop (@unstop.world)

Integrating Gen Z language 

Words like Pookies, Ghosting, Breadcrumbing, and more became a part of GRiD promotions.

Flipkart GRiD 6 and you? It’s a love story… Baby, just say yes! #flipkartgrid #hackathons #competitions #flipkart #engineering #casestudy #coding #programming #engineers #RIZZ pic.twitter.com/zVNCSUn89D

— Unstop (@Unstop_World) July 23, 2024

Strategically timed OOH campaign 

In collaboration with project partner Ginger Monkey, Unstop launched an OOH campaign that amplified the message and gained traction on social media.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Unstop (@unstop.world)

All of these marketing efforts were combined with regular communication channels like emails, push notifications, pop-ups, and more. 

Drumroll: It’s a new record!

The highest-ever registration number of 5,17,000+ is just one part of the story. The campaign, which saw a positive engagement from the community of students and HRs alike, also garnered significant impressions: 

• Website impressions: 1,92,38,341
• Social impressions: 11,56,873

The Unstop team turned the marketing challenges into an opportunity to channel meme marketing and change how Gen Z viewed competitions and opportunities. The success story writes itself with the numbers - proof that the experiment succeeded.