In a conversation with Shashank Mehta, founder and CEO of The Whole Truth Foods, Revant Himatsingka aka the Bournvita guy addresses ethical marketing, legal notices, targeting people who are not health conscious, and more.
In a video on @TheWholeTruthFoodsYT, Himatsingka shares that he wrote a book when he was 22. The book had a chapter on food labels and it discussed learning how to read a food label. “It the most important skill in the 21st century. Learning how to read a food label is even more important than coding,” he states.
He highlights that besides old age, most number of deaths are because of cancer, heart disease and accidents. The first two are connected to food.
Our grandparents grew at a time when none of this packaged food was there and still survived, he points out. He recommends depending on fruits and vegetables for health and acknowledges the counterargument that people put colours on these and that is why he advocates buying seasonal fruits from a trustworthy local source.
Addressing ethical marketing in the interview on @TheWholeTruthFoodsYT, Himatsingka said, “Just because something has been happening for a long time, does not make it correct. If everyone is doing it, does not mean it is correct. Just because something is legal, does not mean it is ethical.” and adds, “Media is often focused on terrorism and murder. No doubt, they are important but larger issues are health related.”
The interview also addressed the topic of the onslaught of legal notices that Himatsingka received. He reveals that he tries to be strategic with his timings when he is posting a controversial video in the hopes that lawyers aren’t working. “The legal notices I receive are usually a 11-12 page document; once I got a 300-page document and was given 24 hours to respond.”
Maintaining the balance between having people’s trust and not giving in to fear mongering is important to the food influencer. “I don’t want my videos to be a documentary, I want to target people who are not health conscious because they need to be educated the most. The more factual you are, the more trust you can generate. If I am posting anything, there will be a screenshot of a government study. If you are consistent with posting, trust comes automatically,” he stated in the interview.
The interview also had Himatsingka claiming that till date he has not taken money from any brand. “Usually influencers take money from brands, but I am making videos against brands.”
He points out the lack of relevant degrees of Bollywood celebrities with a mass following and signs off with a nuanced question on who is the bigger health influencer – him or a Bollywood celebrity? “People are getting influenced by some actor endorsing Vimal Pan Masala. Where is their degree in nutrition who say Tropicana is healthy?” he asks.
(Compiled by Indrani Bose)