Turning Cost to Revenue

TICKETS: It’s that one thing that you very carefully preserve till the end of your journey. Sometimes you preserve it, marking a memory. And sometimes it just pops out from the corner of your bag where it rested for weeks and maybe even months. Can tickets be a powerful and effective media for advertisement? Can tickets benefit your marketing mix?

They will preserve it as their own personal property. Advertising on the reverse of tickets ensures effective one on one communication with the consumer.

Is it Targeted?

You put the brand communication in the hands of the consumer. Just choose the right medium. Need I say more?

Is it Effective?

It’s a cost effective communication method beneficial to both the advertiser and the ticket company. The ticket for the issuing company is an additional cost, which can be covered through selling advertising space on tickets. For the advertising company, it is a cheap form of brochure/voucher, targeting almost every demographic sector, flexible and effective campaign management procedure.

Is it Accountable?

Ticket advertising is one of the most accountable and effective forms of advertising available to advertisers. A set number of tickets can be printed per campaign and issued to consumers over a set period. Each ticket can have a unique code and one can accurately keep a track of how many tickets are issued at any specific time. Reach and frequency figures can also be analyzed.

How can one advertise on tickets?

• Tickets can be issued as a voucher to redeem a scheme.
• Tickets can be bar coded which can be scanned at POP.
• Tickets can be used for awareness, store openings, events, etc.
• Tickets may also be used to award loyalty points.

Where it can be used?

• Transport tickets – Bus, Train, Tube, Air
• Car Parks
• Movie/Entertainment
• Or any Electronic Point of Sale

What is required?

• Artwork
• Print Technology
• And a simple calculation of rate/ticket

Innovations Unlimited!!!

Probably the first internet marketing campaign that I can recall is the Sunsilk Gang of Girls. It was when Sunsilk was sponsoring for the Miss India beauty pageant. Sunsilk decided to establish an online presence for its first time endeavour. It started with developing a portal for young girls which spawned with hair and beauty tips and featured Javed Habib as the hair care expert. The success of the campaign however moved further from connecting with consumers to product development with the launch of Sunsilk Naturals and an exclusive all girls’ online community called Gang of Girls.  It has always operated on a thorough understanding of its target with certain fundamental principle of self-expression, interactivity and what women love to do most i.e. hair & fashion content.

Another brand for the same product category of hair care used the internet for a marketing campaign as well. Dove was launching its hair-care product in India with an ambition to deliver the most beautiful hair. Yahoo created a space for like minded women who would create their own idea of beauty. The platform was Yahoo Answers with Dove branding. However the brand wanted to match the product with the brand communication and consumer mindset. Thus, came the idea of capturing the answers from relevant consumers on the street and a big innovation - Video Answers was born. The Product launch amplified on Internet by tapping the Beat on the Streets – Getting Video Answers on Yahoo! India Answers (first time in the world).

These campaigns had set a fine example of what Internet can deliver to the brand.

Gone with the wind (Some enjoyed the glory, some didn’t) PART III

Help.. Fire Fire!!.. Bring the Cease Fire

I had seen it around so much so that till late I used to think that Cease Fire is synonymous to a fire extinguisher. The brand ruled the market, and was the one to bring domestic fire extinguishers first in the market. And it moved on to offices, theatres, commercial centres etc. the product was well received in the market and it was advertised focussing on customer awareness about a fire mishap. A fire extinguisher is a product where customers are not unhappy if it is not being used. Hence the fear of fire, kept the sales up. Not for long however. the company diversified to Vaccumizer Cooking Appliance. Makes any sense? Not to me. The unsuccessful new product like vaccumizer and the alleged mismanagement failed the brand once gloried as a marketing success story. But surprisingly, no other brands have come forward to take that position. The potential is there as long as the fear is there.

Who the hell is RAGINI?

"Ragini ka MMS dekha kya?"

"Ragini yahan baithi thi"

All of the sudden it seemed all of Mumbai rickshawallaz were sporting the same stickers on their vehicles. Forgive my inquisitive nature, but one fine morning I googled the word even before I checked my mail. “Oh it’s a movie”. Hmm quite a catchy way of promoting a movie right before its release. I guess Transit media as they call it is moving faster now. Gone are the days of busses and trains. And it makes perfect sense. Millions of people spend hours simply travelling from one place to another. Stuck hours in traffic, eyes are bound to wonder and the catchy message will surely catch up. The movie is supposedly a low budget movie and might have come and gone without much buzz around it. The medium is super cheap and wide spread. But this definitely will enable the movie to gain popularity. Whether people go to watch it or not is another question, but will people be talk about it? Well they certainly are. How does one advertise on Auto rickshaw? Simply approach one auto driver and ask him to distribute to his group, or approach an auto rickshaw union. In a city like Mumbai, there are licensed to advertise on transit media agencies. Its not a new phenomenon. Remember "Capacity 3 Idiots"?.. surely u do.

By the way, I also read that the producer of the movie, Ekta Kapoor is also sporting the same stickers on her BMW and Jaguar!!!

Cinema: The New Age Advertising Media

I recently watched the new pepy flick "Luv Ka The End" by Yash Raj Films and was amazed at how numerous brands were promoted in the movie within the storyline itself. The movie revolves around a girl (and her bunch of friends) who falls in love with a rich boy.. boy cheats girl.. girl seeks revenge instead of locking herself in d room and wasting tears.. Thats pretty much the crux of the movie. 

It starts off with the rich boy flaunting his dad owned Jaguar. Mentos, a popular youth brand of confectionary, where the lead actress of the movie gets an offer for a Mentos ad causing ripples in her social circle. When she realizes that her boyfriend is cheating on her, she decides to get even with him and comes up with innovative ideas (Dimaag ki batti jala de- Mentos tagline) to bring him down. Next comes Onida mobile phones. All the characters in the movie are shown carrying Onida mobile phones and it was ensured that the brand name is clearly in the visible range. The extensive use of video calls via 3G flaunts the fact that Onida is out with 3G mobiles. Its doesnt ends here. Cosmetic giant LAKME was also promoted in the movie where street smart girls turn into Diva's by applying Lakme make up. The movie also promotes "Love Bird" restaurant and bar in Juhu, Mumbai with a peppy item number by the lead actor (the rich brat). There was a repetetive mention of a posh Thai restaurant (name of which I cannot recall) where the rich boys goes out on a date. There were mentions of famous tattoo artist (Pali Hill), fashion brands like Diesel, Aldo etc. 

This practice of indirectly publicizing a product through movies and TV shows is popularly known as Covert advertising.  The actress in the film or the TV show may be shown to be using a particular brand of clothes or cosmetics; a particular restaurant or company may be shot so that the company name appears in the scene. The audiences watching the show or the movie are sure to notice the name advertised, thus contributing to the promotion of the product showcased. The brands used "Luv ka the end" a new youth movie as a mode of promoting products that the youth associates itself with the most - fashion, technology, hang out places. A perfect platform for covert advertising... hmm I did learn something from this brainless movie.

Gone with the wind (Some enjoyed the glory, some didn’t) PART II

Ambassador

Considered to be the definitive Indian car, was once the most popular car in India as it was perceived to be best suited to the harsh Indian terrain. Its iconic status was helped by the fact that it was the preferred means of conveyance of India's political leadership, including the Prime Minister of India, before they moved on to other luxury cars and SUVs. What went wrong?

It was unable to create barrier for potential new entrants & was unable to compete with their existing strategies. Even suppliers were not looked into deep; company was in a snail pace and couldn’t take up the challenge of new potential entrants in the market, including the suppliers of its different parts (remember Porter’s Model?). The brand was banking upon its niche markets (government and taxi). But even these two sectors were taken over by Maruti. Was it a case of a typical marketing myopia? The decline is sales can also be credited to the very simple fact that the Indian customer was awed by the new flashy foreign entrants. We just got bored..!

Gone with the wind (Some enjoyed the glory, some didn’t) PART I

Canada Dry… & GoldSpot & many more.. Sigh!

From the house of Cadbury Schweppes, if I could recall it correctly, then Canada Dry was quite a hyped drink in India. It was promoted as a champagne softdrink and it positioned itself as a premium product. The advertisements were flashed with a white tiger in an ice cold land and a tag line “Cool Cool Canada”. Its association with Cadbury further enhanced its brand image. But alas as CocaCola took over the beverage business of Cadbury Schweppes, like Canada Dry even drinks like GoldSpot (remember the Zing Thingggg) and my personal favourite Crush was brutally killed. I some how could find any particular reason for the death of these products except for the reason that Coke wanted to make space for its own products. Strangely however Limca still survived.

 

What We Miss From the Early Days

A couple weeks back, I stumbled upon a community and it just made me nostalgic for the early day’s shows. This inquisitiveness driven show had so much potential and plenty of charm back then, infusing high school drama with sci-fi twists. Obviously, things have changed since then, and not for the better.

“Bournvita Quiz Contest” – who can forget the common household name and a common high school phenomena. Growing up with BQC was a part of the Sunday routine. The nervous kids representing schools from pan India, neatly decked up in their school uniforms frantically battled with the very vocal Derek ‘O Brian. I vaguely remember the times when mothers would stuff their children with Bournvita so they could possess super sharp brains and schools would have special classes conducted to ensure that the students were well equipped with general knowledge and current affairs. And yes, who can forget the pride of participation in the BQC? Win or no win, the contestants would all come back home with loads of chocolates sponsored by Cadbury.

Who would not like to have BQC back in all its old-school glory, with questions aplenty and gimmicks only a few. Join the movement here http://www.facebook.com/bringbqcback

Party Abhi Baaki Hai - RIO Ishstyle

One of the most memorable takeaways from Pune would be a drink called RIO. Born in 2007 out of an entrepreneur  venture ‘Silver Ice Beverages’, RIO is all set to hit the cola and juice market of India. Hitting a health conscious and cola hungry market wasn’t that easy. RIO comes in three different fruity flavours with a dash of fizz, and the company has gone an extra mile by adding a healthy dose of Honey and Vitamin C. IMPRESSIVE! What makes RIO stand out in the crowded space of drinks is not only does it offer unique flavours and healthy carbonated drink, but it also comes in exceptionally good package. And mind it, when I say unique flavours, they are some that you haven’t have heard off – Karma (Blue berry and Peach), Nirvana (Green Mango) and Moksha (Wild Berries i.e. strawberry and Raspberry).

As a relatively new entrant in the beverage market, RIO has so far adopted marketing and promotional strategies that are convenient, safe and inexpensive. RIO uses the following for the purpose of sale as well as promotion:

• General Stores (convenient stores): Plan for stores; Profit ratio + RIO branding material + schemes for higher sales + schemes for exclusivity. Now that’s a lot of POS promotion.
• Night Clubs & Lounges: RIO goes hand in hand with night clubs. Being the perfect mix for alcoholic drinks and a good stand alone non alcoholic beverage. They have developed Rio based cocktails recipes as well.
• Restaurants: RIO has tie ups with restaurants around Pune which offer RIO to its customers.
• Event Management Companies: RIO has shared stage with the finest events in and around Pune city.

It is not an easy road ahead competing with brands like Coca Cola and PepsiCo in the soft drink market, with RedBull in the mixers segment and with fruit based drinks like Appy, Fruity, Slice etc. Traditionally the soft drink market has concentrated on mass media advertising, Out Of Home (OOH) media, point of sale merchandise and on ground activities. Online media is an evolving marketing space and one can experience significant advantages in enhancing customer connect. As RIO’s target audience is the young India, the internet can indeed be an important medium.

Search marketing: to my utter dismay, at present a Google search for the word ‘RIO’ does not bring up results relevant to the beverage nor does it shows a link to the brands existing website.

Website management: the existing website gives basic information about the product and an overview of the company. RIO can definitely do better than just that. Offers, purchasing online, contest, design for bottles or anything to keep the viewer engaged.

Web marketing: Nothing, absolutely nothing on social networks, micro blogs or blogs.. Absolute lack of communication! Can RIO be used in online gaming like Dinner dash?

However all in not that bad! The news is that RIO is coming up with two more flavours, tie up with Hi5 (online social networking website which intends to re-brand themselves in India by conducting camps in PVR malls across India. Hmm.. Eagerly waiting to see RIO in every town.

Financial Inclusion: The need of the hour

There is no one magic wand that will take financial inclusion to the poor across all of India. Various reforms, ideas and innovations are floating in the air. Here are a few that need to be given immediate attention to.

No-Frills Banking

Basic bank accounts with negligible minimum deposit and a set number of free transactions.

India has a dismal record with its no-frill account plan. It did manage to get 25 million people to sign up for such accounts from various banks, but today only 2.77 million of them, or a mere 11 percent, are active. The scheme will begin to work better when more friendly avenues of banking such as kiosks and mobile phones reach a large number of people. Also, the country should encourage a transaction-led model.

Branchless Banking

Spread access to banking through agents called banking correspondents (BCs).

India had tried out pygmy deposit agents in the 1970s but the experience was not good. These agents went about claiming to be bank employees and that led to a lot of disputes and litigation. In India, there is a very large informal system for transactions that authorities have failed to bring into the banking system so far. There is a need for the authorities to establish a strong viable business line for BCs rather than treating it as a mere CSR activity.

Bank without a Bank

Do away with the need to have a bank account. Use the mobile phone company as a conduit for keeping and transacting money.

In India, the RBI doesn’t allow mobile phone companies to operate as banking channels. I agree that there will be security issues but maybe limiting the number of players who are trying to provide financial inclusion seems a bit counter-productive. Think mobile, think M-PESA.

A Super Efficient Lending Mission

Focus on micro credit and allied products. Build enormous scale with supreme efficiency and the power of private capital.

The profit-led model is here to stay. In India, there are over 1,000 MFIs. The long-term success of MFIs rests on being seen as socially helpful. They can’t afford to antagonize the various stakeholders.

Why cigarette packs matter?

The government is making escalating efforts to warn smokers of the fatal consequences of cigarette smoking. Today we see the pretty dramatic scene on the packages which the government hopes will spread the message. Although I believe (strictly my opinion) this is a "gimmick" to make the masses think that our government cares. People already know the truth about cigarettes, overeating, alcohol and other actions that are harmful. You don't need a picture of blood and brains on the ceiling to realize how dangerous guns are.

Based on my observations I was wondering why all of the sudden the graphics on cigarette packs are changing every month. Ok we cannot advertise about tobacco sales, so what can our poor marketer do? Packaging has been used for brand building and sales expansion however unlike other products where one might be successful in making a sale based on good impactful advertising or brilliant packaging (convenient size, shape or just the right colour and graphics) cigarette sells itself solely on its tobacco blend. People’s preference towards a particular brand is mostly based on their preference and liking towards the taste. Price sensitivity is another issue but not the point of discussion here.

Earlier it was mostly "plain packaging". Plain packages increase the visibility, brand recall, and credibility of warning labels. Whilst I don’t dispute the effects of branding but the idea of changing graphics on packages though look lame to me, actually seemed appealing to others. Some even out of curiosity ask for the pack to have a proper look. But never did I witness change in preference because of the package. The only place where brands can showcase itself is probably retail shelves. With rows and columns stacked with multiple brands and blends available, the way a customer will recognize its brands availability will be through the look of the package. Like for example, Wills classic regular in all red, milds in white n red, ultra milds in silver and gold flake in gold (off course what else). In a country like India, cigarettes are available in packs and loose pieces as well. A customer walks into a cigarette shop or a local tea stall and his eyes browses through the rows of display. He spots his brand and viola! Makes his purchase. Incase he is unable to spot it, he will ask for it to the shop owner in doubt (or move on to the next shop/stall.. no dearth of vendors in India)

The point here is that Packaging has some influence on behaviour. If you think that changing the look of the packets will make any difference at all to the demand for cigarettes, you are fairly mistaken. But yes you are offering a refreshing new package once in a while, giving a new feel of using the same product to the customer. On a personal note, I believe the customer would still like to have its stick coming out of a pack that’s been the brand image for long.

The Gloom beneath the Glam!

"One day this city will know me"...

7am, 22nd floor in one of the posh localities in the city of dreams, Mumbai. We gazed out at the rising sun as the busy world rushed beneath us. Dreams glittered in his eyes, determination ruled his heart.

Roshan, a model by profession moved in the city six months ago. Having succeeded in his hometown, Calcutta, he dreamed of making it big, making it real. But the world was harder than he ever imagined.

Roshan has it all. The face, the physique, and the guts to face the camera. but what he fails to submit to is his own conscious. "COMPROMISE" is the word ruling the entertainment industry today. You want to walk on the ramp, and everyone from the Designer to the stylist to the producer wants a piece of you. Where will you go? Roshan's experience has been so bitter that he sometimes wants to give it up.

Karishma, another model and a familiar face in the industry has the same say. "It’s safer for the girls now", she says. Karishma is sceptical to appear for any audition, no matter how renowned the agency might be. It’s a matter of 99% luck and 1% talent. “Most of the time its all fixed.”  Karishma recalls that in one of the assignment she bagged, she got selected the moment she was entering the building gates. “Though rest of the girls all got chance for the audition, I was selected without undergoing any process.”

Anoop, a master in various dance forms is from Delhi, says his family has granted him a year to try his luck in the glamour city. “I just want fame…Anyhow and in any form," claims Anoop. But it’s your connections that can save a spot for you. For a newbie acquiring a spot is impossible unless you have the right references.

Entertainment Industry in India comprises of Film Industry and Television Industry. The Indian entertainment industry is among the fastest growing sectors in the country. Entertainment industry in India is presently in a consolidation phase as boundary lines between films, music and television are fast disappearing. Skills and resources are being pooled extensively. In terms of employment, an estimated 6 million people earn their livelihood from the entertainment industry and this number is all set to grow. But is this growth owing to a corrupt industry? Media reports are read and forgotten? But the same leaves a lasting impression when inflicted upon your own loved ones. For some, it’s an industry, for some it’s a source or employment, but for some it’s their dream, their life, their aim and only passion in life. How long can a life sustain on dreams, hope and patience? Will dreams shatter in pieces? Are we to remain deaf to the woes and cries?

This article is a narration by artists from the industry. Names changed on request.

The Social Network!!!

 

So what’s the big thing that every one is talking about these days.. With a movie out, highlighting more on how a small idea can make big, the world around me some how is divided. Yes I am talking about Social Networks. So there are those bunches of people who are fans, social network addicts, spending hours of their lives around social networking, while there is this other set of people total despising the very idea stating: it kills your social life”. The question has been raised, time and again.. Does a social networking site kill your personal life? One of the talk shows I attended on social networking raised this very question. Would like to quote the speaker, Mr. Kiruba Shankar when he questions back the audience.. how many of you have actually discussed in person, a status update, a relation status change or files uploaded by other people in your social networking sites. Not surprisingly, everyone raised their hands. Social networking doesn’t kill you personal life. I feel it actually enhances. Man is a social animal. We all dwell in a society where there is a need to be connected. Social networking provides a platform, where you can interact with new people and old, tell your story and know others. The idea is not to outcast, the idea is to connect. See what your connections are up to. Tell others what you have been doing. Here are the 10 things where social networking affected my life:

1. Found old friends from primary and high school and its great to be in touch with them. A phone call will take minutes where in a scrap or a post will take just a few seconds. Others pitch in and hence multitasking.
2. Friends visited a site and uploaded pics. A beautiful site and I pick up my bunch of friends and head on for the journey.
3. Updated with the status of all my networks, weddings, engagements, change of location, new jobs, change of jobs etc. I know where each and every one of them is.
4. Never missed a birthday or an anniversary.
5. More topics to for a chit chat based on others status updates.
6. Wonderful information packed pages, and I never miss out on any update.
7. Formed new friends with whom I share similar interest and hence more information sharing.
8. Sharing my content. I am able to share my blogs, my pictures etc with friends, not only driving more traffic to my sites but also showing people what I am good or bad at (all thanks to their comments, criticism, encouragement etc)
9. Be it music, videos, articles, photography, personal interests, blogs, your resume or status updates.. you find everything and anything from your best comfort zone.
10. The last but my favourite.. an activity to kill time anywhere, anytime J

Social networks never kill.. so get social and get networked guys

My conversation with coffee

Excited to go home for vacations I end up reaching the airport early; an hour early. I look around to do something to kill time. Right beside mw was a swanky coffee café and trust me it was not the aroma alone that pulled me towards it. The comfortable seats, the neat display of fast food items and wait a minute.. Wi Fi.. You got to be kidding me. Well they weren’t. So I buy myself a large cup of steaming hot coffee, a sandwich and start tickling on my laptop.. Boy wasn’t I happy or what. As I finished my sandwich I looked around. I wasn’t alone. The cash kept flowing in. some were in a hurry so preferred to pack. Families were around with kids sprawling all over the place. Today when we think of coffee cafes there is a plethora of local, national and international names. Flury’s in Kolkata, Café Coffee Day, Barista, Aromas, Costa Coffee, Mocha, Star Bucks and so on. So what is this entire coffee business and its marketing?

Let’s look at the P’s of Marketing

PRODUCT
When you enter one of these coffee cafes, its not just a café for coffee lovers. In comes the snack lovers, the chocolate lovers and if its summers then off course the frappe lovers. The anchor product remains to be coffee and the entire merchandise mix constitutes a wide range of products that compliment coffee. Yes there are other merchandise that might appeal to the consumers visiting the café like t-shirts, coffee mugs, instant coffee powders, coffee beans, cookies, cakes etc.

PRICE
The price is set at various brackets as per the quantity you order ie small regular large etc. a cup of coffee might range anywhere between Rs 45 – 80 or more depending upon the ingredients. A lavish heap of extra cream and best quality coffee bean will off course be more expensive than an espresso.

PLACE
Now this is where the fun lies. These cafes are usually placed in every possible location where some business can be generated. Waiting room of an airport, IT park, Malls, a busy street etc. This is a prime factor in determining the success of a retail chain.

PROMOTION
Many businesses look at promotion with blinders on. They think of media in terms of what it was able to sell. Everything you do is promotion.
Use the Internet. No matter how simple, develop a Web site featuring your specials and what products or entertainment you have to offer each month.
And yes off course cross-market; whether that means sponsoring a soccer team, donating to a good cause or working with another small business in the same area. Get your name out in the community.

PROCESS
As they say simplicity is the key. The process should be as flexible as possible. Easy takeaways, quick order delivery, open option for both self service (for those who like to do their own) and order on seat (for the royalties :P)

PHYSICAL EVIDENCE
Along with great customer service and excellent product quality, ambiance is one of the most important features that will bring people in and keep them coming back.
The overall image is usually referred to as “branding.” Use the logo everywhere. It should be on cups, employee aprons, all in-store signage, to-go mugs, T-shirts, etc. in short, anywhere a customer’s eye goes, the logo should catch.

PEOPLE
Employees are the frontline marketers. If they can’t explain the products or possess little passion for coffee the products sold, they will be unable to convince customers that the product is special and different.

It doesn’t matter if you are new to the business or have been open for a number of years — it is never too late to step back and look at your operation, to get out from behind the counter and market your business. It will be the one aspect that will make the difference between either just getting by or becoming a huge specialty beverage success story.

Advertising The Beer Way

I was browsing through youtube and stumbled across a fantastic beer advertisement. My interest and enthusiasm grew to higher levels as I searched for more and more of beer advertisements only to be surprised to find out that each advertisement was unique and better than the previous one. It was hard not to enjoy them. What I found that beer was strongly associated with sports. But as I saw more of it, I found it had venues beyond sports. The bottom line of beer advertising promises good times; great parties, travel, festivals, notorious pranks and generally being able to escape from your daily life into world of fun, travel and festivities.  We often talk about consistency in the communication to create a strong and long lasting impact on the viewer. But with beer campaigns that seem to change almost monthly and tag lines that rarely last for more than a football season. The advertisements might seem entertaining but are strategic as well. Here are a few advertisement I liked along with their corresponding marketing strategy that did yield for me surprising lessons..

1. Give yourself a good name (Heineken)

The Europeans are always known to promote their products with a sense that they are more upscale and respectable either you go to a bar or a ball. The ad shows a guy making bold decision (drinking beer with the scary bosses’ daughter) and congratulating him on the choice. It reinforces the message that what beer you choose says something important about who you are, so choose well.

2. The Patriotic Beer (Fosters)

The Australians have a thing for Beer and there is no denying it. This advertisement seems to be a video on Australia that shows Australian lifestyle; things that Australians do, that Australians are good at, the wars, the kangaroo, wrestling with crocodiles, etc. As the lines go irresistible they end with “Australians brew the best beer on Earth” showing freshly brewed Fosters Beer. With a patriotic theme and a sense of pride, the advertisement must have got the Australians off the hook. (Offcourse this Ad was meant for Australia and not other countries.)

3. The Bud Light Bump (Bud Light)

Now this brand does it all, and does it all whit humour. Sorry I couldn’t shortlist one ad campaign by Bud Light because each one of it as good as the other. They use anyone.. dogs, cats, tigers, ferrets; and they do it anywhere.. House, party, office, stadium. They simply forget about the product features and focus on the simple message that one will do almost anything for beer… Bud beer. The strategy which seems buried in most of their ads is the unwavering loyalty that the guys in their ads have for Bud Light. They will build houses out of it, jump out of planes, and even walk around naked for a day just to get more of it. Neither the name of the beer is entirely unforgettable, but also the ads stand out for being entertaining.

4. Be Unique Be Guinness

A popular ad for Guinness beer features the concept of sharing beer with your friends in a naughty way. It’s a wonderful commercial which shows a bottle of Guinness beer kept over a rocking naked chick (well not completely) and yeah you get the rest of the picture. As they say “sex sells”, the commercial sets the beer apart more than anything else. The commercial is for people who love nothing more than celebrating life with  a friend or two and this is exactly what beer can do with.

5. The Big Ad (Carlton Draught)

Probably the best one I ever came across. I would like to call this as “Honest Advertising”. Using Old Spice theme in a beer ad and adding subtitles so that no word goes unheard, the advertisement speaks for itself and its motive. It’s a big ad, it's so freaking huge. It's expensive and this ad better sell some beer. Nothing can better explain the motive behind an ad in any better way than this one.

My Social Media Blunders

So after reading atleast a hundred blogs and articles on what to do to promote your company/product online, and speaking to experts on the field I thought of implementing the methods and try to find the results for myself. I'm not not here to tell you what worked for me. Instead let me share where I failed, and failed miserably.

Mutual Purpose: So when I tried to get people to join an online community my conversion was hardly one fourth. Disappointing for sure but the main reason was that I was trying to give people what they where not interested in. Also i am assuming that the small fraction that did join in, simply did so because I(as a friend) had sent the request or some simply joined in without any real interest. Finding the balance between what people want and what you offer is not that easy. If you get that, hey you cracked it!

The Facebook Craze: This particular social network is more for the community than it is for the bottom line, and its tough for marketers to get their message in on a site that's focused on communicating with your friends rather than finding stuff to buy. I made this mistake. I tried to sell rather than communicate. People will buy if they get a hang of a product. Don't push on them, they will retaliate.

Keep it alive and kicking: Nothing happens more often than you might realize. Stagnating pages, inactive communities and your social media endeavor is burdened with dead weight and will slowly slip out with little or no fanfare. Be it your blog, forum, pages or applications, if you don't ignite it, you don't accomplish anything; except perhaps successfully wasting your time, energy and perhaps even your money.

The wrong people: Just because one has a profile on a social network or one twittered once, does not mean that he is regular or socially active online. Yes, they did give me an impressive "likes" or "members" but that's not exactly the big win I was hoping for. I was toasted. My space looked like it was an "only admin campaign". I actually brought in a bunch of "Web Gazing Sheep" who would actually consume anything but media.

Get People Talking Aint Enough: OK so i was successful in one of my ventures to establish a mutual value for my  target audience. My venture seemed successful in establishing trust and credibility. But was I able to discover the new black for the next season? I failed again. Interaction ceased and I lost my audience.

My Content Sucked: My big fat blunder. I got involved in social media, my enthusiasm was great and I probably had it in spades at the start of my venture. But instead of creating  content that get most attention, I focused too much on meaningful content. End result, it was dull and boring, not the kinds that the people in the community liked.

Absent today, kicked tomorrow: The online world moves faster than your world. You stagnate once and you loose your viewers forever. When you are on the Web World just keep a finger on the pulse of the readers. Where do they move? On the orbit that offers the most. Everyday a new orbit is formed and if you are slow you are publicly outed.

Lesson Learned:

What one might consider a success may be a failure to someone else, depending on the desired outcome.
 
Number of hits does not equal Number of reads.
 
The more the members, the more merrier - So not true
 
Don't do the "Hard Sell".
 
Don't show up as a company spokesperson, brand representative, sales executive or anything else - Simply show up as a Real Human Being.

Understanding Shopping and Shoppers

Well this should be the favourite topic for a ‘shopoholic’ like me. That’s what my friends and family thinks I am. Well I enjoy shopping. And there is nothing wrong in feeling good; feeling happy.

When I was a little girl, my mom told me that I demanded something new to wear every day. Inability to provide a sparkling new dress would result in a whole lot of hue and cry that would bring the house down. So my mom found out an easy way to go about me. She learned stitching and went to tailors to pick up little pieces of fabric to stitch me a new dress everyday. She used to dress Daddy’s little girl everyday before dad came home from work with tiara, flowers and accessories. However, as I grew up and the little pieces would no longer suffice me, she got fed up of daily tantrums. Sure I no longer looked like a cute doll anymore. So that’s when I got introduced to shopping. However I realized very early that things come in two prices. The ‘me’ prices that got all shiny and bright stuffs that would not last more than a few weeks; and ‘mom’ prices that got boring and dull things that would last months. Yes being dependent on parents there is not much to do except to go for ‘mom’ prices. But when I passed through the streets and stopped by a window, I saw a different world. A dream where every thing was perfect. I saw that if you grew up and earned your own money, you could get whatever you wanted. Little did I know that soon I got possessed by an obsession. An obsession to identify every piece on someone’s body with a brand. Shirt – Raymonds, jeans – Levis, Belt – Hidesign, Shoes – Catwalk. Yes, for me, these brands are worth every penny. With a job and money in my pocket, the brands I dreamed of owning, were soon stacked in my wardrobe. But one dream gives rise to another BIGGER dream. So now I dream of GUCCI, PRADA, ARMANI, LOUIS VUITTON, JIMMY CHOO, VERSACE, and BURBERRY… ooh and lots more. And its not only clothes and accessories. I think I am as fussy about gadgets and pets as I am with clothes.

That’s just not me; there are hundreds and thousands of us out there. Can you catch us? Do we come easy? No. we are the well informed ones. We know what price will fetch us what status and what quality. With one glance we can tell you what brand you are wearing and with a touch we can tell you what’s the composition. We know the do’s and the don’ts.

And then there are my brother types. They will wear anything they can lay hands on or people gift them. For them, shopping is a chore. If they want a shirt, they pick up the 1st decent one which fits well. It’s quick and short; means boring. But these very people when asked to buy something they really really want... Will follow the same pattern. Ask my brother to buy a gadget, and he will go gaga over it. He would search for every detail, every model, brand and features available and pick the best piece which would be value for money. So you see these people are not excited about how they look but they are as excited and sensitive to what they want as the previous category.

Shopping comes naturally to everyone. It just depends on what you really like and what you really want. And off course, how you want it. Some enjoy mall hopping by walking through the long aisle of merchandise. While some cannot think of shopping without putting up a bargain while others are merely disgusted with the though of it. For some it’s a get away, and for many like me, it’s a Therapy. Some love it, some deny it. But the bottom line is you can’t escape it...

A few I have come across often complaint the brands to overcharge on merchandise. Well, Lemme tell you that the brand does not charge you just for the brand name. They charge for assurance. Assurance of quality, longevity and comfort. For example you wish to buy a pure cotton t-shirt for the summers. Most of the things you see which are ‘not branded’ or ‘counterfeits’ look good the first time you see it. Until you look closely or use it sometime and realize it’s not real as it claims itself to be. Its cotton blended with terylene or other synthetic fibres. Maybe longer lasting, shiny and low maintenance, but when summer comes you realize that it definitely lacks the pure comfort of pure cotton. What a brand does is that it tells you what it offers. Turn any branded t-shirt or shirt you own inside out. On the left you will find a tag that tells you not only the composition (e.g. 100% cotton; 90% cotton 10% spandex etc) but it also tells you how to handle it to ensure longevity, where it is made and maybe also the size you are. So with brands, you can trust what you are getting into.

So does that mean all that’s on the streets is bad? Hell NO. There are certain things that brands cannot offer. Like cheap and easy disposable accessories which grow out of fashion real fast. Authentic Lucknow Chikan kadhi kurta, Cashmere shawls, Benarasi sari. Are they anything that I claimed earlier non branded items to be earlier? No. and that’s because they are a brand in themselves. Yes they are not endorsed by sport stars and movie stars who come expensive. Yes they are not aired on television on prime hour’s everyday. And no they do not come with wash care labels. “Cost and worth are very different things”… from the movie ‘Confessions of a Shopoholic’.

Also I have come across those who blindly follow brands, just because they are ‘branded’. Please remember. Do not shop to show others, but to please yourself. You are not defined by clothes or labels or brands. Its YOU who define them!

Stores are put there to enjoy. So next time you go shopping, (branded or not doesn’t matters), observe the glitter around you, the sheer shine and smell of new merchandise and enjoy the moment.

AGRI INPUT MARKETING – Things I Can Never Learn In Class

Every Monday morning we rush to attend a class with a sleepy head called Agri Input Marketing. Having religiously attended all classes (except the day she showed the movie and remembered me with a remark stating “the youth today is not motivated”), I though I should share a few things that I learned about Agri Input Marketing which off course I did not learn in class (also I did not learn a lot IN class either). With my previous blogs we have started viewing the rural market and we have understood that the rural population is diversified. Let’s take up a particular district to understand how marketing goes on in rural pockets. The area we would we concentrating is Lower Himachal (Una, Mandi, Kangra, Hamirpur etc).

We all know that the government provides various subsidies for agricultural produce. And seeds are also subsidized products. Anyone would like to buy for cheap. Can you imagine what role the government can play in making a product subsidized and making it available for consumption? Let’s look at seeds in particular. To understand how the government reaches the rural corners, we need to understand the government model for distribution and control.

Every District has a District Development Administrator (DDA) / District Agriculture Officer (DAO). Every district comprises of approximately five Block Offices. Now every Block office has a Subject Matter Specialists (SMS), an Agriculture Development Officer (ADO) and some Agriculture Extension Officer (AEO). Each AEO is assigned a circle to work in (i.e. a designated area). The AEO collects the demand of his circle and reports to the ADO. The ADO confirms the same from every AEO and sends the final report to the SMS. The SMS forwards the demand to the DDA. Every block office is in charge of at least 50 panchayats and every panchayat has 5 villages. So this is how the government reaches the rural population.

Now, which is the most important Agricultural input? Seeds off course... And we know that in India, seeds are subsidised. So the sale price of a seed might be say Rs. 100 per kg. Hence subsidised seeds purchased from block offices will come down to approximately Rs. 80 – 90 per kg. This margin is huge for rural population as on an average minimum 10 kg (in case of corn) is required for 1 acre of land. Now if a seed company has to tab the rural farmers to use its product, they have to make sure that their product is available at block offices at the right time. However just pushing the seeds through the government is not enough. Research says that 44% of farmers make their purchase from co operative societies (e.g. IFFCO) and distributors where as a major chunk of 56% of the farmers make their purchase through government stores/block offices. Not only that, when asked to the farmers why they choose to buy products from the above source, 41% favoured for fair price, 24% for close proximity, 14% for availability and 21% for other factors like personal relations. Let’s see now what are the other various channels that are used by companies to market their products but along we that we also need to understand the consumer behaviour of the farmers. Farmers either possess no knowledge, or they are extremely well informed. It has been found that most of the farmers were educated, at least till primary level. The well informed farmers are mostly the zamindars or ‘progressive farmers’. Progressive farmers are large land owners. These are looked upon by the smaller farmers who simple follow what these progressive farmers practice. The well informed farmers are aware about every nitty gritty detail of the farms like the technological advancements, the varieties available, the fertilizers to be used, the pros and cons of using hybrid, the PH level of soil etc. These farmers are the ones who are often willing to adapt to new technology. In rural India the most effective way to market a product is through word of mouth. Hence if a progressive farmer recommends a particular brand, immediately the word spreads like wild fire. Also what works is WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get). One cannot go on advertising about the benefits of using ones product unless one can prove the same. The rural population does not believe in experimenting as it might lead them to incur huge loss. Hence if you need to market your product and its benefits, show them so. Also the results must be visible quickly at a short period of time. To prove that, seed companies actually own farms or adopt farms to show the yield as promised. If by any chance the crop fails, it’s the end of story then and there. Word of mouth is the most reliable source of information available to the farmers. It’s wrong to say that only progressive farmers are well informed. Even small land owners are packed with knowledge. They never fail to miss an agricultural fair, a product launch campaign or agricultural meets. The farmers are inquisitive and are sensitive to both price and quality of the products.

The second most important distribution channel is the distributor. In order to succeed, the distributor must be a local as a mutual trust is established between the distributor and the consumer. A snowball effect is developed in rural areas. The distributor mostly draws customers on basis of his personal contacts. Once a good relation is established between the distributor and the customer (i.e. based on good results from the products), the customer further recommends the product to other farmers who again recommend the same when desired results are achieved. Hence a hub and spoke model is developed which deepens with every contact. Hence it is very crucial for a company to choose the right distributor for itself. Personal contact is the key to tab the rural market.

Some other interesting facts found out were that agriculture is no more the primary occupation of the rural population. Most have shifted to join the armed forces or are entrepreneurs (e.g. shop owners). Women infact are the ones tending the farms. As a result of which various Farmer Women Groups (FWG) are flourishing in these rural areas. These groups are similar to Self Help Groups (SHG) in functionality. Input companies can also see an opportunity to market its products through these FWG’s.

The present agriculture input marketing environment has thrust input companies into intense battles . This has necessitated the need for adoption of efficient marketing strategies to market new products, ideas and services to farm customers.

This Blog would not have shaped the way it has without the valuable inputs from Ms. Rishika Mittal, Summer Internee at Monsanto India Ltd, 2010.