Marketing : The changed paradigm

In the words of Philip Kotler, the Marketing Guru, ‘Marketing is a social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and value with others.’ Now let us post mortem the concept keeping in mind the modern products/ services….say Bachhna Aay Haseeno starring the most wanted bachelor of Bollywood- Ranvir Kapoor, sizzling Deepika, sultry Minisha and of course the bong bombshell Bipasha; every now and then we log on to any TV channel, or surf the pages of print media we see the 3+1 “selling their product”, trying to reach their target audience which is offered to us on the 61st Independence Day of the nation. In fact, this has become a practice…any Bollywood blockbuster ready for release, we find the filmy celebs, taking advantage of their status pull crowds not only to the multiplexes, but also in reality shows/news channels and also by visiting the shopping carnivals taking place very frequently in malls. Well… B2B marketing, you know. We may refer SRK’s efforts to promote OSO during a cricket match, which later helped him to land on certain controversy. Flaunting emotional tie ups/ break offs are the promotional strategy, these days. Well that’s modern marketing and the marketing communication tactics…oops (the social and managerial process to satisfy needs and wants of the viewers / readers, i.e., the target audience) these days. Even the ruling UPA Govt have hired a private agency to promote their party, highlighting their (USPs) i.e. activities performed in the recent past. Well …we can say that a beginning of the political marketing has taken place. Earlier too, if we remember the previous election campaigns, BJP and their counterparts had benefited immensely from the celebrity appeal at least to gather crowd, if not impinge on the ultimate output These days it is no more the monopoly of the FMCGs / Electronics / Apparels to draw on the celeb appeal to bring to light their USPs, occupy the media space and create value in the mindset of the prospective customers in order to earn desirable brand position.The stage is set for the non conventional products/services to parade in the ground of marketing-creating value in the minds of prospective customers, be it the audience or the voters, exhibiting their flamboyant traits.

Lets wait and watch what more MARKETING has in store for us.