Not all Positives are Negatives in the Time of Pandemic

In the times of pandemic is it good to do away all marketing? The answer would be obviously NO. During such crisis, it becomes imperative for the ‘brands,’ to remain connected with their customers. However, nCOVID 19 crisis is unknown zone and no brand was prepared for this. In such crisis hour, when there's immense panic across the globe and pan India, brands across categories are going the extra mile to ensure the safety of their products. The country is cruising through bad weather with three-week lock-down due to nCOVID19 outbreak. People are running out of essentials, maintaining social distancing, stock market crashing while others are testing positive and battling for life in isolation. Society is panic gripped. During such severe hardships what stories would brand tell their consumers? Any brand communications would be perceived and labelled as opportunistic statements. The need at this hour is to spread social messages through prevalent media vehicle. Let us have a look at some of the communication. In this hour of crisis, people need support and brands demonstrate as a ‘back-up support,’ through their communication. In this process, if a brand clicks correctly, they could possibly win customers for life. Brands can’t remain silent and wait for the crisis to get over. Connectivity is the order of the era; hence brands are required to find prospects that will enable them to develop customized solutions and maintain long-term relationships with their customers while maintaining suggested distancing. Brands obviously looks for sensitive, innovative and cost-effective ways to converse during this difficult time. Unless it is an essential offering, brands do not make attempts to sell as this does not add value in a pandemic situation. Rather, brands will be required to make use of all touch-points, from logos to warehouses and manpower. This is a time to be supportive when brands can come together and launch collaborative initiatives. Examples are Netflix, Paytm, Radio City, OlaFood or even BookMyShow which are utilizing their network to help. BookMyShow, known for out-of-home (OOH) entertainment, is organizing live events on social media platform, in the format of in-house entertainment, free for users. Radio City urges through a social message to its audience to stay at home to break the chain with a hashtag #garvsegharpar. This would help people sail through this crucial time and develop loyalty with their customers. The pandemic has led not merely a health crisis but also economic instability across the world. The longer the duration of lock-down, more burden will it cause on the economies, consequently affecting the balance sheets of its companies leading to layoffs and pay cuts. Therefore, expecting a huge surge in unemployment rates, ‘The One Club for Creativity,’ a non-profit organization designed a social message ‘The One Club COVID-19 Jobs Board’ to support the creative community. This sets an example of the ‘support’ a brand can offer to the industry to connect the global community with job opportunities. Axis Bank in their effort to connect with customers demonstrates the way to be relevant and still remain helpful in the gloomy times; requests employers to transfer the salaries of their domestic helps directly into their bank accounts, which fulfills the objective of social distancing. Financial institutes are also promoting their digital financial services, which are of immense help during these difficult times, for example Paytm. Hospitals brands too are promoting their tele-consultation services. Ola Foods released an advisory that emphasizes precautionary measures undertaken by the brand with ‘Eat safe, stay safe!’ message to its customers, highlighting the hygiene measures while preparing and delivering food. Also, the brand created engagement among its audience by inviting their audience to confess their cooking experience on twitter with a hashtag #CoronavirusLockdown #StayHomeStaySafe #CookingFails #Khichdi. In addition to the brand stories, there are some more positive takeaways of the pandemic times. Family time has increased, options for digital and online platforms have quadrupled, not limited to business only, but also education and worship to name a few. Follow the rules of nature, remaining quarantined, social distancing, work from home and praying from home will be the new normal. Time for some self-reflection from our otherwise busy routine schedule. Just as the saying goes ‘all that glitters is not gold,’ so also all positives are always not negative.

It's time we do our own SWOT Analysis

Hey folks, writing after a long hibernation....... A post of one of my friend on Facebook prompted me to write few lines on this theme. In this busy hustle, specially living a hectic professional life, do we really give importance to our close relationships? When I say close relationships, I mean our spouse, children, parents, close friends (if any) or even team members at work. The equation we share with different levels of our colleagues at work occupies a substantial portion of our 'mind-space' as my blog is named. Sometimes we also bring back the memories of our relationship transactions of work at home and consciously or unconsciously we allow to create an impact on our close relationships. We need to work on our relationships, many of us do not realize; on the contrary we start expecting from each other. Sometimes success lead us to a certain level that we tend to forget our roots, ignore those close relationships who helped us in our struggle. We also come across different people in our lifetime,some we forget; with some we maintain friendship, with few others we try to keep touch and if there is no reciprocation, then the one-sided communication comes to a halt. A thought on which I often ponder.. Do we allow success to intervene our relationships? Are we capable of handling success? The recent brawl that happened between the famous comedian Kapil Sharma and one of his colleagues, Sunil Grover teaches us a lot about relationships. Success does not entitle us to live with a high ego. We need to respect human relationships. It is time we do our own SWOT analysis and identify our core competencies. Success of a project cannot be achieved single-handedly. It depends on the team members. Respecting the team members is one of the greatest qualities of a good leader, if not a good human being. In short life calls for respecting relationships. We cannot expect happiness, satisfaction or climbing the ladder of success all by ourselves. Life is good, life is beautiful, let's learn to respect and love each other instead of putting anyone down.

Game of Rebranding

One of the significant marketing changes in the past decade involves the dramatic increase in various ways in which consumers can express their identities. A key driver of this change has been the growth of one-to-one marketing and mass customization, which has not only expanded accessibility to traditional means of self-expression(e.g., hobbies, cheering for favourite sport teams and music groups, wearing iconic brands) but also introduced a variety of innovative self-expressive formats. This trend has led many organizations to rebrand and reposition their products or services focusing on functional attributes to focusing on how they fit into a consumer’s lifestyle. This rebranding exercise is welcomed by managers who believe that by positioning their brands as means for self-expression, they are less likely to go head-to-head with their direct competitors. Rebranding refers to repositioning or revitalizing a brand. It is also changing or reaffirming the existing marketing niche. It is different than the initial launch because the marketers usually don’t want to lose their existing brand equity with their current customers and clients. It is one of those terms that cropped up in the last two decades or so. There are many different interpretations of re-branding, and ideas on when it's needed and exactly how it should be undertaken. There are two divergent opinions about re-branding. The first is that re-branding is essential for business success; one needs to re-brand in order to evolve its brand so that it keeps up with the time and meets consumers' ever-changing needs. The other, that re-branding should be avoided at all costs; after all, if brands like Kellogg's, Kodak, Coca Cola and Gillette can still be market leaders in their categories as they were in 1925, then is re-branding really necessary? Rebranding can have a dual purpose; one, to assign a new name to a product or service and two, it can mean to reposition an existing brand. It can be applied to either new products, mature products, or even unfinished products. The process can occur intentionally through a deliberate change in strategy or occur unintentionally from unplanned, emergent situations. Rebranding is thus a process of giving a product or an organization a new image. Too often companies perceive Rebranding as just another cosmetic exercise. Adding a new color here, tweak of the logo there and putting up some nice TV commercials, but rebranding can only be successful when it is more than this. It signifies the second birth of a brand, so along with the outer look there also goes certain changes in the inner aspects of the brand, like changes in offering methods, changes in the product, changes in policy, etc. Rebranding is often necessary after M&A or if the brand has outgrown its identity / marketplace. When organizations have failed to establish a brand, or have been through any kind of scandal, total Rebranding may also be in order. In these cases, the intent is to erase any previous brand identity and replace it with completely new imagery and messaging. In the recent years, we have seen a growing trend of rebranding in our country starting with Vodafone, Airtel, to media channels, and many others. But the pertinent question that blogger seeks to find out from her readers, if any, is – “what is the end result of such massive and expensive exercise on the consumer? Was the change cosmetic only? Was the image of the brand affected in the consumer’s mind? What makes this affect positive or negative? What changes does it bring in the consumer buying pattern? How does the rebranding affect the bottom line (if any)?"

Mind : The Best Charmer

Charm is magnetic…. It strikes the cord and leaves an everlasting impression in heart. Probably this is why it is said “first impression is the last impression.”

Recollecting my childhood memories.... when I used to accompany my parents at Ramakrishna Mission at Satribari- Guwahati quite frequently, once came across a very interesting read from the writings of Swami Vivekananda. Although I did not understand much that time what was written, but on the advice of the Maharaj present there I, very hastily noted down the same. Today, when I read and ponder, I could realize how valuable these lines are…

Few of the directives which I still remember are noted below that can go a long way in making one’s personality more & more charming and life extra worthy..

# 1 – One should have control on his / her mood; we must make a habit of breaking bad moods.
# 2 – We should offer understanding, empathy & help.
# 3 – One should avoid fault finding and spend time to analyze self.
# 4 - One must create his / her own influence and not be the center of attraction.
# 5 - Show interest, give encouragement & appreciation.
# 6 - We must be cooperative, helpful and generous.
# 7 – One must avoid desiring to be considered as superior.
# 8 - Be pleasant & look cheerful.
# 9- While speaking, one must be proactive and look pleased to see people
#10- One must be enthusiastic and energetic
# 11–Last but the most important, we must avoid talking behind the back of the people.

These may not be the standard set, but I am sure, it is definitely the basic primer for good life and healthy personality. We can all create our own laws as long as we keep on analyzing, learning and analyzing our own real self. The more we study our-self, we will come to know more about our-self. There may be many books which will help to be charming, but, yes, there is one perfect book which will help and guide us constantly to be CHARMING and that is our own MIND.

We didn't have the green thing back in our earlier days

While checking out today at a grocery store, the young cashier suggested to the older woman standing next to me, that she should bring her own shopping bags because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment.


While the woman apologized and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my earlier days." the cashier responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care much to save our environment for future generations."

She was right – our earlier generation didn't have the green thing in its day.

Back then, I remember my Dad returned milk bottles to the milk depot/ store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so they could use the same bottles over and over. Yes, they really were recycling.

I also recall how we refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen; Dad replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. Yeah, we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

We walked up the stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every shop / grocery store and office building.

Back then, Mom washed our nappies because we didn't have the throw-away concept. We dried clothes on a line, not in an 'energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts;' wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got "hand-me-down" clothes from senior siblings, not always brand-new clothing.

We had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And, the TV had a small screen - (the size of a big handkerchief- hope we all remember.. ), not a screen the size of the county of Yorkshire.

In the kitchen, Mom blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. But, that lady is right. We didn't have the green thing back in our day.


When we packaged a fragile item to send in the post, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

Bach then, we drank water from a fountain or a tap when we were thirsty instead of demanding a plastic bottle flown in from another country.

We accepted that a lot of food was seasonal and didn’t expect that to be bucked by flying it thousands of air miles around the world.

We actually cooked food that didn’t come out of a packet, tin or plastic wrap and we could even wash our own vegetables and chop our own salad.


But, we didn't have the green thing back then.


Back then, people took the tram or a bus, and kids rode their bicycles / bikes to school or walked instead of turning their mothers into a 24-hour taxi service.

We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances.

And we didn't require a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.


It is sad... the current generation laments how wasteful the old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then..

Emotional Branding: Way to the Heart of Next Gen Consumers

Over the past two decades, it has become resoundingly obvious that the world is moving from an industrially driven economy where machines are the heroes toward a people driven economy that puts the consumer on the hot seat. Airplanes are less about transportation vehicles these days, but more about travel organizations that enhances our lives in many ways through their elaborate bonus – point programs. Food is no longer about cooking or chores but about home or lifestyle design and most important sensory experiences. The universities are branded and more or less function as modular knowledge banks focusing on a new kind of flexible, global learning that caters to students all around the globe, both off and on campus, with differing backgrounds and agendas rather than the traditional structured UG and PG programs. To be relevant and to survive, it becomes important that the marketers understand the vast changes afoot and compete differently. Value proposition is changing. Speed has replaced stability; intangible assets have become more valuable than tangible assets. The traditional supply / demand economic models are being completely reevaluated. Corporations have realized that the new market opportunities are based on growing new lines of revenue with innovative ideas. Creativity is overtaking capital as the principal elixir of expansion. In this hypercompetitive marketplace, ideas are a new currency altogether, much more powerful than money. Goods or services alone are no longer enough to attract a new market or even maintain existing clients. It is the emotional element of products and their distribution systems that brings in the key difference between consumers’ final choice and the price they pay. Now when we say emotional, it means how a brand engages consumers on the level of senses and emotions; how a brand is created for people and forges a deeper, lasting connection. Cadbury's Temptations or the Surf Excel’s Daag Acche Hai uses emotional appeal in its TV commercial. Pepsi, another product in the sensory category, uses the feeling of belongingness through reference group appeals. In India, Coke too uses group appeals, which generally involve `groups and activities appealing to the target segment.

Hence, corporations must take definite steps towards building stronger connections and relationships which recognize their customers as partners. Today industry need to bring people the products they desire, exactly when they want them, through venues that are both inspiring and intimately responsive to their needs… well this is the world of emotional branding.... It is a dynamic cocktail of anthropology, imagination, sensory experiences and visionary approach to change. Bernard Arnault of LVMH, the hugely successful luxury group that own Dior, Vuitton and countless prestigious brands, lives by this credo. Given this emotionally driven paradigm, is it fair to say that consumers are thinking more with their heart or gut than with their head when choosing a product? Or that the public wants to be assured of a company’s unequivocal commitment to them? May be yes in both the assumptions. The largely unexplored territory of emotions – including how people feel about corporate world at large is an increasingly crucial part of the buying routine at a time when most products offer the same quality and are in danger of becoming mere commodities in an overcrowded market space.

Brand IPL is back and so are the Super Zoozoos

Greatest sporting extravaganza, Brand IPL is back and so are the Super Zoozoos . In a country with 3 Cs dominating (in order of popularity)- Cricket, Curry and Cinema..people are glued to catch up with all the antics of men in blue. Like all other cricket frenzy Indians, my 12 year old son Anuraag, who is yet to come over with the greatest sporting victories-World Cup 2011, is once again working out his schedules of school & tuition. The date sheet of IPL and the players’ memoirs are on the tips of his fingers… wish the 4th C- Curriculum also occupies some place among the new generation.
IPL, the ultimate brand wagon captures the maximum number of eyeballs in Bharat. Today cricket in general and IPL in particular are vehicle to escape--- to escape from the everyday life with its usual problems. However for the marketer, “passion for the game” is the catchphrase. Nothing excites in India as the game. Cinema in India has taken a back seat since little more than a month and the lull is expected to continue for few more weeks—reason the first C- cricket is the subject of animated discussion at corporate bashes or the kitties alike. It is an icebreaker. The marketing guys love to reap this zeal into their respective brands as well. It is said that in the IPL, everything sells. A quick rewind to recall some of the memorable advertising that punched the screen of World Cup-- the ultimate winners were the brands-Hero Honda, Pepsi, Sony Bravia, Adidas and many more. Few more brands that follow are MSD, Sehwaag, Kohli, the God of cricket, Sachin or Gautam Gambhir (one of the expensive most brand in IPL )

Next in line- the brands that is in question are whether it is Delhi Daredevils or KKR/ CSK or Mumbai Indians/ Rajasthan Royals or RCB? Well my son is lost in thought…..probably many of us !! Time will reveal …

Logo Change :Is It a Mere Touch Up??

As the saying goes, nothing but change is permanent, change is continuous too in both external and internal environment of a business and there is a dire need for an organization to revamp itself with the changes in the environment. In today’s operating industry, external environment is volatile, competitors are shifting, new brands are approaching, business cycle is unpredictable, consumers are evolving all the way and there is a change in the industry dynamics. It becomes critical for companies to stay contemporary and connected. As logo with its visual illustration seeks to arrest the intrinsic values of the organization it represents, a change in the environment invites a change within the company and resultant change of logo. Corporate identity, specially when manifest in symbol, gives tangibility to the communication strategy adopted by a conglomerate. As a symbol, logo plays an important role in the overall marketing activities of a company and helps organizations in their brand building exercises.

A growing number of Indian companies are repositioning themselves to be relevant in a cutthroat market, a trend set in motion in the recent past by banks such as IDBI Bank, Canara Bank and Axis Bank and business houses like Reebok India, LG India, Dabur and Godrej Industries have gone for a major facelift to reach out to one of the significant customer base- young Indians and give their customers a contemporary feel. Hence to capture the globe-trotting new generation’s attention span which is otherwise growing thinner, the re-designing efforts of telecom powerhouse Airtel and now the Mahindra & Mahindra’s recently announced campaign ‘Rise’ is on the rise

But how far is logo change justified? Is it a mere image touch up or a serious overhaul? Does it impact their customers at all? In the recent past the logo change has become a significant area for business. There’s a lot of brouhaha, acres of newspaper columns and heaps of e-comments over the recent makeover of the Airtel logo. The brand still continues to be Airtel; the only thing they have done is to change their logo; its typeface followed by some new advertising and their signature tune. Customers are not led away by the way an ‘a’ looks on crimson background. Also the paid “ooohhs and aaahhs” of filmstars does not add to the customer experience. As long as they respond to customers promptly, maintain great pricing, have no call drops and their mobile service is of high quality, the story is all over. Infact that is why a customer purchase a service / product. Do people buy more or less Colgate because of the way “CP” is written or because of their prior association with the brand? If Tata were written with lower case “t”, would customers stop buying them? On the global front,whether the customers of Starbucks are equally excited when the lady (logo or the Siren) goes for seductive makeover?
Even a huge cutover from UTI Bank to Axis Bank failed to discourage customers, may be because they had very little choice. Earlier in the mobile space, Hutch became Orange became Vodafone. Sure they crafted the changeover beautifully. And to be fair – the credit goes to the customers. They figured it would be a bigger headache to switch numbers, as MNP was not available in those days and in any case the Hutch/Orange/Vodafone service is as good as anyone else’s. Hence there are many relatable factors which effect and impact Brand choice – the least of which is the way the Logo and symbol looks. Certainly it is recognition, it is an evocative shortcut to such recognition – but it’s rarely worth the effort spent on it. It has much more meaning for its owners than for its audience or customers. Customers are a selfish lot – they will pick and choose what they want, when they have the opportunity. If they figure out rationally or irrationally what they want then a fancy logo, logotype or symbol is hardly going to be a reason for or against purchase.

Anybody listening to the customer?

Blogging after a long time...to begin with, let me put a question.. How do we react to bad customer service?? Press 1 to toss the phone, 2 to yell at ourselves, 3 to pull our hair, 4 to dissolve into tears, 5 to do all of the above or 6 to reach a customer service associate-although it seems exasperatingly polite and jargon-dripping voice from over the phone (usually unable to help) is the face of customer service of the modern times. On top of it, the delicious irony is that to disapprove /condemn an organization on its Facebook page (the most talked about flavour of the season), we have to register our Like for it first.

How has customer service changed in the past decade, that started off with people getting more relaxed with the internet and now moving onto social media where, it would seem, it’s so simple to draw a company’s attention to how it hasn’t paid any attention to its customers. Promptness has become very significant. Earlier the promise of a visit on Saturday has moved on to Saturday between 12-1 p.m. because customers don’t have the time to wait for hours. Earlier there would be somebody at home all day, but the situation is not same now. Thus, most of the service visits are made after 7 p.m. or on the weekends

Customer service campaigners scrutinize mammoth technological revolution in the past decade has changed the expectations of customers drastically. One can now bypass the tedious queues and book railway tickets online and bank and buy through the internet. The flipside is that the barriers have plummeted, several businesses of the same kind have proliferated and customer service has become a hygiene factor. Business houses, these days are investing in technology thinking it will make the customer happy but they are spending only to be in the race of business. And in this process, they are only focusing on customer acquisition and not on retention. A million dollar question that arises now is whether these companies have the back-up systems to manage the load? Customers of today are much more empowered and enabled, thanks to technology but the core driver needs to be sensitive. Speed of response is a necessary component, but that does not call for an automated response. It’s not only hi-tech but a hi-touch that is important today. People want a voice and a business deal is not just sales, but the total experience with the organization. Products have become commoditized and customer service is the major differentiator. The biggest challenge for the senior management is to institutionalize customer relationships..

Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu.. Shakti Rupenu Samhistitha..

Misty early morning at 4 AM, the mind is refreshed hearing the sanskrit slokas “Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu, Shakti Rupenu Samhistitha..Namostashya Namostashya Namoh Namaha…”
Yes, I can remember very well being grown up with this.. every year on the day of Mahaloya, mamma used to tell us to get up early in the morning, switch on to AIR, Kolkata..and get ready for the Mahaloya hymns and recitations. I remember, how all of us used to get enthralled hearing the slokas, being recited by Shri Birendra Krishna Bhadra...It is the day, Mother Durga leaves her heavenly abode and starts her voyage along with her children to the earth.. We get ready to welcome the Divine Mother on the earth..

I could remember the days at Guwahati, how me and my little sister kept track of the number of new dresses we purchased...because.. we never wanted to repeat any dress twice during the puja days.. the festivities would begin by the evening of Shasthi..(6th day of Navratra) when the idol of the deity was brought in our community Puja pandal.. we, decked up with our new attire (from our latest collections, of course) were totally excited.. me and some of my friends performing matri vandana.. the purohits performing sandhya aarti.. and few others playing the Dhaak to give a warm welcome to the Mother.. next three days, we used to be extremely busy, adorned in best outfit, the menfolk dressed in Kurta Pyjamas, our mother and aunties draped in bangla taant / pure silk sarees… arranging the flowers, offering thaalis for the Puja…. We all assembled together to offer Puspanjali to the Divine Mother….and then the long wait and that too in large numbers for the community lunch.. “Bhog” ( Khichdi, Payesh etc)..

The evenings had a little different story.. we dressed up in another set of new attires, alongwith our parents / relatives hopped around in different puja pandals throughout the city..and yes, I am able to recollect few of them till date…. Durga Mandir and Rest Camp at Maligaon, the idol brilliantly placed on the Silpukhuri Lake… the exotic electrical display at Beltola and Athgaon Puja Mandap, the huge Ashura at Khubchand, near Fancy Bazaar that used to attract huge number of children…. eating out till late night and so much of hustle and bustle everywhere.. the last day (Vijaya Dashami) we used to assemble to give a tearful aideu to the Mother…

Today, on the day of Mohaloya, while on my way to office, occupying a seat inside the cool Delhi Metro, I could not stop remembering my early days.. yes, even today we do carry on with the puja shopping etc.. but the craze of wearing a new attire every time we move out during the puja days, is no more.. The turns and twists definitely bring change in our life….I could not manage to tune in to AIR Kolkata today… however, switched on to E TV Bangla / Zee Bangla, also made sure that my 11 year old son is awake to see the recitations/ hymns on the occasion of Mohalaya….

Hoping to have a great Durga Puja next week… taking part in all the community activities… my naughty little son also has some plans … offer Puspanjali at Matri Mandir, enjoy the community lunch “Bhog” at Kaali Baari..and enjoy good cultural program at Chittaranjan Park…

Face of Facebook

It's time to discover the face of facebook

A group of individuals spending time either in verandas of homes or in a neighbour’s homes is very much a part of Indian culture for decades. But chances of such jamboree were probably based more on the homogeneity of the group, specially in terms of interests and lifestyles. A social media allows a homogeneous group as well as several heterogeneous groups to blend with one another on variety of aspects. The size and enormity of the groups have been transformed by the digital revolution. This characterization reflects the implication to understand how a social media like Facebook or Twitter impact the marketing of products and services.

Facebook, Twitter, MySpace etc glint off associations of youth, coolness and possibly constant socialization. The world of social networking seems to have created a peripheral thrill among both consumers and marketers and along with the thrill and excitement, comes the challenge of using this mysterious medium. What is the psychology/sociology behind using these social networks? Would they be useful for marketers and advertisers? If so, would these be useful only for mammoth brands like Mercedez or Gucci or Omega or can they be applied to regular and common offerings.

If iphone 4 has product related troubles, it exponentially and perhaps graphically too reaches millions of FB users in amazing and short span of time. If Nike’s campaign on using Rooney’s real life “on the ground” mistakes are to be a part of the teaser campaign, millions on FB or Twitter get energized and a layer of that gets “rubbed off” on Nike. Trust these are the implications of social media for marketing practice and the formation of brand attitude among a target segment of consumers.

It is not the homogeneous groups that demonstrate similarity on several counts that helps marketers; the need for excitement and gratification of discovering a group that is not compatible with oneself is the digital revolution’s value add to the consumer behavior. Few years back, Adidas launched a game on MySpace, which suggested to the visitor two soccer teams (Predator and F 50). Such digital campaign has a plethora of advantages- an opportunity to explore the profile of individuals who register for either teams and their psychographic orientation by follow up efforts, (if required) tracking the attitudes of individuals on the category and specific brands and even using the concepts of virtual personality to know how consumers try to experiment with groups that may not be oriented towards their own self concept.

While the above example is simply to showcase the potentialities of using social media, there are several facets that marketers need to be clear about the media to deliver results. Social media is not to be viewed in isolation- it needs to be viewed as a part of the IMC associated with the brand. Whether to decide social media is apposite, marketers in today’s clutter need to have a conceptual focus. If that happens, FB will present serious face that is good enough to market the traditional Chikkis, Nokia gadgets or even promote a noble thought of keeping Yamuna bed clean and green.

They are the unlikeliest brand ambassadors ever-

People are known more for what they do than who they are.
It is a delicacy to free a brand’s communication from an already overcrowded space that has seen brands use film personalities to well known TV faces to celebrity child artistes to sell to the end users. Mahindra XYLO is not alone; even Mitsubishi has launched its SUV- Outlander with an ad campaign featuring fashion designer Rohit Bal. The commercial shows Rohit being inspired by the Outlander 2010 and launching a fashion line titled Outlander Signature Collection, unveiled next to the SUV at a fashion show.

While professionals who have excelled in their respective area have been used by brands—for example Kiran Bedi or even Chef Sanjeev Kapur; marketers at both Mahindra and Mitsubishi say using unexposed famous professionals help break the clutter. If the positioning of the brand is very clear, this strategy will craft wonder. The Outlander has been positioned as a luxury car with a competitive price and the emphasis is on fashion and style. They looked-for someone from the fashion industry who is wedded to Indian proclivities with international standards. Hence, Rohit Bal was the obvious answer. For a person from a tier II city, which is a burgeoning market for both, passenger cars as well as SUVs, Rohit would be just another model endorsing a car brand- which still wishes for the SUV brand.

The benefit of using unexposed professionals is that there is no danger of the brand ambassador overpowering the brand. In the case of Mahindra XYLO, the emphasis is rested on space and comfort; the attempt was to present XYLO in a fresh commercial retaining its brand values. Most of the celebs are over exposed and XYLO will lose its credibility if they use a celebrity. A specific strategy is taken to promote the XYLO as a spacious and comfortable car. All they wanted is someone really tall for the ad—either supermodels or basketball players. Therefore, Atul Kasbekar who is 6 ’3 ’’ is the right pick. However, Mahindra XYLO didn’t depend on just above the line to push the campaign. A week prior to the release of the commercial, Mahindra ran a competition on Twitter asking people to guess the brand from the stills posted online. Approximately, there were 7000 hits on the first day of the online contest, including a comment from the living legend, Sachin Tendulkar.

In such campaigns, aspiration of the creators are more vital than the ad or the creatives itself. Moreover, it stands out in the clutter because they try to compete with a very low brink of quality. Celebrities are usually cast for the entertainment value… the proof will lie in the responses that the brands get on the floor. Both Mitsubishi and Mahindra claim their respective campaigns have received positive feedback. We need to wait and watch if the promise of these professionals will help these brands drive smoothly on a road seldom taken.

Cola Wars: Where have they gone?

Summers have set in late March this year, yet we don’t get to see much, the war of coloured, sugared, fizzy water on our television screens.. Usually it is the time, when two cola giants spend a lot on TV and more....

The cola wars are actually confrontations made to look like battles by the major cola marketers. The idea is to elevate an otherwise dull and drab category into a high appeal class that has the entire nation gossiping about the television mêlée. The cola giants depend on community media such as television, print, radio, internet and not to forget the social networking sites to chitchat more and take the battle ahead. These battles have been waged season after season and the ingenuity stands worn out in these continuous conflict. I may not be wrong in quoting, that the USP has been exhausted (my readers, if any, excuse me for that) and if one does the same thing repetitively, things are going to get monotonous. Hence, I believe the lull… Colas will undoubtedly continue to remain a big category as India continues to be a major cola market……..

The only larger drink is water… let us look forward for the battle of waters now.

The Fourth Screen

The mobile phone is taking over as the universal medium for most Indians. It is drawing the internet onto its small screen and turning into a tool that offers more than calls and SMS. This is making the mobile screen an increasingly favoured advertising tool. Santanu, my bro, is a true inhabitant of the wired world. Right from the moment he wakes up to the time he hits his bed, whether it is the last minute changes to the client presentation or to check the latest cricket score or to catch up with friends on Facebook or even listen to some foot-thumping music……. His world starts and ends with his Blackberry. This shows how seemingly innocuous looking gadget is quietly taking control and touching our lives in ways unimaginable.

As mobile telephony grows rapidly, it is used not just for voice communication. Even SMS is passé today. Multitasking is the operative word here with a camera, computer and music player, all packed into the hand held. From downloading software to games, entertainment to accessing content across genres, mobile users are looking for new ways to personalise their handsets with utilities and multimedia content that make their mobile experience richer.

The Indian media and entertainment industry stood at Rs 58, 400 crore in 2008 and over the next five years, the industry is projected to grow at a CAGR of 12.5 % to become Rs 1,05, 200 crore by 2013. (FICCI ; KPMG) Though internet advertising contributes only 1.8 % of the country’s total advertising expenditure, it has grown a whopping 65% as against 17% growth of advertising on the whole. The newer options for marketing communication are on the shore and are harnessing the hot market of the current time. With the upswing of mobile market and swift rise in their sale, business people are taking the mobile medium as a promising sector for marketing and advertising. For the past few years, marketing practitioners have been suggesting that mobile devices would become the next generation marketing channel and supersede print, audio-visual and email and even web. With 400 million mobile users and 8-10 million more every month, India should be one of the hottest markets for mobile advertisers.

Often called the fourth screen after the TV, Cinema and the Internet, the mobile phone is the way to connect with the next billion and the increasing middle-class consumers in Brazil, Russia, India and China. For consumers, the mobile phone has become more than a communication device, it is now a complete entertainment gadget.. They expect their mobile phones to double as state-of-the-art digital cameras, gaming consoles and web access. These uses increases advertisers’ chances to connect with consumers on the move, who get engrossed in these multi-tasking devices. Mobile advertising will receive another boost because of the shift in the advertising industry itself. Advertisers are focusing away from broadcasting through a one way medium to narrow casting for one-to-one consumer engagement and feedback. Marketing is changing from mass-media-push to mass-customisation-pull… PULL IN ANYONE, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE is the mantra.

Will keep updating the latest marketing moves made by the hand held device, from time to time..

What does a customer want?

Brands are continuously trying to augment their relations with customers. But is it wise to invest in the front end of the business or on product modernization that will keep customers happy in the long run? What is the hush-hush recipe for any company or brand to retain its customers for life? Is it innovative product? Amazing services standards or engaging customer loyalty program? Unmatched store experience or store design of international standards? These are few million dollar questions that are faced by most of the CEOs today.

Today the customers have multiplicity of choices even in the same product / services category. As customers’ aspirations keeps on changing, his / her spends across various categories keep on shifting. When we talk about spending money on entertainment, there are plethora of options- TV to watching movies in a multiplex, to watching cricket matches or even hockey matches, as it is promoted off late, to seeing a musical program or a drama or many more. Each of these are mutually exclusive and cannot be consumed simultaneously and hence fight for the same wallet share. Also we should not forget the fact that, consumers are always hard pressed for time- either travelling for work or for leisure or spending quality time at home. In such a scenario, consumer’s make a choice by using their heads and hearts—the former helps them towards making a rational choice while the emotional appeal connects them to the heart. Whether it is a cute character called ZooZoo or a star brand called SRK / Sachin Tendulkar / Big B.


Besides, this is the age to flaunt. Many marketers believe that a larger than life marketing launch will pave way for brand’s success. They assume that breakthrough clutter free advertising, big stars as ambassadors or even owning media vehicles will lead to enhancing a brand’s connect with their customer. Many leading Indian companies have taken this trend seriously and have been spending big bucks on the touch points of the customers.

Since last 2-3 years, film marketing has taken a new edge. Several contests, events, appearance on the reality shows combined with tittle-tattle about the leading pair (KITES.. Hrithik Roshan -Barbara) or even trade in tie-ups have been able to create a pre-launch excitement about the film. Corresponding to this, technical aspect of film making has improved with bigger budgets, striking locations, better quality prints and sophisticated multiplexes. However, much efforts goes down the drain, if the core product is an average one. In spite of all the media glitz and hype some films vanish. (Chandni Chowk; Blue or even MNIK). We may contrast this with the success of IPL which is now a $4 bn franchise only in its 3rd year. The mishmash of film star power, international cricket star power, the backing of top brass of cricketing authorities, cheer leading ladies, the sponsors big advertising spends would have fallen flat if the games would have been trite and colourless. The triumph of the low – profile Deccan Chargers or Royal Challengers proved once again that at the end of the day, talent and cricketing prowess counts for winning a game rather than a star power.

Marketing fireworks is like Sone pe Suhaga…it cannot breathe life into dead product.. The key for connecting to the customers’ heart & head is the great product / service. Great products brings in large number of customers again and again, bringing in high profits. Winning businesses require such players to fuel their continuous growth making them successful and connect with the customers through a blend of great touch points and superiors products and collaborate with customers all the time.

Global Bollywood ?? Global SRK ??

How important it is to have the patronage of a Hollywood studio giant for a Bollywood film to get the kind of visibility of MNIK has got? The answer, as the box office results come pouring in from overseas, is clear: whatever its creative genious, K Jo’s newest film, which marries such incongruent subjects as disability and religious identity to raise the flag of world peace, has attained the distinction of being the biggest Bollywood release till date.. Truly, Indian films are no more confined to Indian territories or Asian borders…it has become a global entertainment service … a perfect example which I was compelled to quote to my students while delivering a lecture on Global Marketing, yesterday evening.

MNIK made Rs 25 crore on opening day and the box office results suggest that, finally this may be the big fat Bollywood movie which really cross over. From the zealous embrace of NRI loyalist, for whom SRK has godlike status, to the non-traditional audience which may finally be willing to experiment with full blown Bollywood film, (thanks to TV channels, I get to see more of SRK these days than my family members) to holding out, as blandishments, the biggest Indian star, unabashed emotional moments, in a subject which had universal appeal. Who doesn’t want world peace? … Again a Global Issue

The film has been slammed in several quarters as being opportunistic, of being made simply to succeed in the west. It needed to be different, so K Jo (director-producer) dreamt up a central character who has Asperger’s Syndrome, a kind of autism which makes brain cells work in superb order, but leaves the person socially inept… Here I am compelled to imagine how a socially inept Rizwan (SRK) could woo Mandira, played by the bong beauty Kajol… guyz need to take some tips from him.… US audiences will probably not accept anything too Indianised or too alien, thus a familiar location… K Jo is known for mounting his films extremely lavishly with foreign locales and MNIK looks lovely all painted up warmly on screen. SRK is both more or less normal than average Asperger’s person, but that’s because it is next to impossible for a normal person to get what is like to be an autistic person. Hats off to SRK’s acting competence !!

However, the box office frenzy over the weekend usually does drop after a Monday, but trade analysts say the film lost out a huge, nearly Rs 5 crore as it was not released completely in Mumbai on its opening day, thanks to Shiv Senas. However, what is noteworthy is the film’s global takings : if it can hold on till next week. MNIK will be the film to bang in the global mart. Shall have to wait and watch..

WOWing the shopper !!!!

What are those elements that go into making a never to forget shopping experience?

Peoples’ expectations are high. It is easy to fall short of those expectations and hard to eclipse with something that’s over the top. A recent research report carried out by few of my students on "Discovering WOW- A study of Retail Shopping Experiences in the Metro Cities," points to five major areas that contribute to a never to forget shopping experience.

The ingredients of WOW

Brand Experience: Exciting store design and atmosphere, consistently great product quality, making customers feel they are special and that they always get a deal.
Expediting: Being sensitive to customers’ time on long check-out lines, being proactive in helping speed the shopping process.
Engagement: Being polite and interested in helping, genuinely caring, acknowledging and listening
Executional Excellence: Patiently explaining and advising, checking stock, helping to find products, having product knowledge and providing unexpected product quality.
Problem Recovery: Helping resolve and compensate for problems, upgrading quality and ensuring complete satisfaction.

Retailers can focus on creating a platform based on five major pillars of retail satisfaction to increase the probability of creating a wow experience.
Brand experience and engagement are the strongest drivers of loyalty. Younger consumers aged 18-30 were most likely to recall having a great shopping experience. Their experiences are coloured by greater comfort with multitasking and familiarity with the internet, making them more transaction oriented, rather than relationship oriented and less tied to brick – and –mortar stores. Those over age 50 like being treated and acknowledged courteously.

In the current recessionary climate, though price is important to consumers, but it is only one factor in the overall WOW shopping experience. It is the product excellence that matters more to modern consumers. While the Great Depression led to an era of penny pinching, today’s economic crisis is leading consumers to focus more on value than price, specially with credit cards, retail and telecom. People are being more scrupulous about what they buy and where they buy from. More educated customers are looking for a better value in everything. Hence, despite shortages of resources and store closings, it is still possible to delight and surprise consumers. The possibility exists when retailers have everything in place. The best way to lay foundation to WOW customers is that store owners to hire and train staff who are able to take basic information about shoppers’ preferences and convert that knowledge to customized service.

My name is (not) Khan

Well this piece has nothing to do with K Jo’s forthcoming film “My name is Khan,” but the recent hue n cry created by the King Khan.. ala Shahrukh Khan ( who happens to be one of my favourite) and the media, on the former’s recent visit to the US. Even the former President of the country was also frisked in our own land by the staff of an US airliner and very few eyebrows were raised. In fact there are many Indians, who were frisked.. Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, Irfaan Khan, Neil Nitin Mukhesh, Salmaan Khan, Jayanti Natarajan, to name a few.

I fail to understand, why we Indians are so conscious about the VIP status, specially when the formality is carried out at the cost of the security of a nation and involves the lives of millions? We, Indians are very emotional, and very easily tend to forget the consequences of ghastly terrorist attacks. I am actually surprised that SRK, who happens to travel to the States, very often, is passing such a remark, rather he should be used to such a practice.. (yes it would have been wrong, had they strictly limited to carry out such a formality on the basis of a particular religion) Very recently, the US cops were found seeking ID from a Professor of Harvard and most surprisingly from American Icon & Legend Bob Dylan. This is the reason, why no terror attacks had taken place in the US post 9 / 11.

It is high time, we Indians should learn from the US. Though the Honourable T & T Minister, Ms. Ambika Soni said that we should also do the same (Tit for a Tat) with the US celebrities / VIPs… the protocol should be religiously followed in our country, no matter whether there are US celebrities, Indian VIPs, Pakistani nationals or aam Hindustani… Thank God,my name is (not) Khan, and I am a common Indian and I would not mind waiting for hours, if it demands so, for my nation. Jai Hind.

Repositioning is in Fashion

The challenge for today’s market leaders is to reposition so as to sustain. It is always tempting to compare the competence of today’s leaders with those of the previous generation. People who have watched Gavaskar take on the best fast bowlers of his time would certainly rate him higher than Sehwag. People who have watched Big B on Don might rate him on a higher scale than SRK.

A leader is a function of the times he lives in, just as much as a batsman is function of the opposition that he bats against and the pitches that he bats on. The biggest challenge for today’s leaders is to reposition themselves to the point they aspire for. Starting from consumer durables, FMCGs, footwear, entertainment, media houses, advertising agencies, web portals have repositioned themselves. To add to this, even Himesh Reshammiya (Jai Mata Di, Lets rrrrock, fame) for his forthcoming film has repositioned his voice, keeping aside his new looks. As a teacher of marketing, the theme excites me and hence, collected few information on revamping/ repositioning workouts, which, I thought to pen down on my blog.

Media in India has transformed. From the few mainstream papers and one TV channel, the industry has metamorphosised into a maelstrom of choice. It is only few years back, the newspapers were busy saying “no space” and even magazines like India Today wished they had multiple “ front sections;” so acute was the demand for space and preferred positions. The performance of media managers were evaluated mainly on their ability to get space. The emergence of cable and satellite and the growing literacy of India has lead to vernacular media making its presence felt in more ways than one. Regional media is growing and is no longer the country cousin of English.

In the footwear market, Bata is on the front foot; seventy five years and still running strong. Generations have gone to school and grown up on Bata. Now the footwear major is re-inventing itself to appeal to a younger generation. The first footwear brand to set foot in the country, Bata is now looking to “surprise” customers with an expanded range- all at “great prices”- in a new and improved shopping environment. While being strong in men’s shoes, Bata also has grown in the ladies, children and sports segments. Furthermore, they also launched a new specialized division “ Bata Industrials”, offering footwear meant for various sectors such as defence, automobile, agriculture, construction, agriculture, metals & petroleum. The stores are now more spacious with more than 3,000 sq.ft of retail space, some are even larger than 10,000 sq.ft, not to forget that these stores have been designed by a specialist team of retail designers from Italy in collaboration with in-house team of architects. Bata’s retail environment underwent major changes with superior store fit-outs and furniture. Although the global meltdown did induce Bata to cut down its expenses, the company did no compromise on expansion or even modernization. With a revamp and new product range, Bata battles it out with the players in the organized sector like Adidas, Liberty, Nike, Reebok, Khadims, Metro, Woodland and many more.

Burger King's New Ad Campaign

I am shocked to see Burger King's new ad campaign where Goddess Lakshmi is featured seated on top of a burger..What is wrong with the creative department? Are the ad agencies falling short of creativity, that they had to make a mockery of Hinduism??