Few days’ back I happen to read a piece in one of the news papers which had highlighted how clients are seriously viewing about their relationship with their PR consultants and partners. I completely disagree in what was mentioned in that story. On the contrary brands must seriously view other communication tools to keep their brand top of mind during turbulent times when the market has slowed down for various reasons. PR is one of those tools.
Over the past few months the buzzword has been recession and in the name of recession companies are revisiting their marketing budgets to keep a tight control on expenses. This is one of the old tricks most companies apply when there is recession and the first thing they do is to slash the marketing and promotion budgets. While the global meltdown and inflation has reduced the spending power of the Indian consumer but the recent terrorist attack has further shifted the gears of most companies in all sectors. All this is fine but brands still need to in the minds of consumer but at what cost is worrying the brand teams in most organization. And which is where the power of Public Relation can play a significant role.
Why PR and not other expensive medium?
The general mood has taken a deep dip after series of incidences. Today shopping and traffic at malls has dropped considerably in spite of Christmas and New Year around the corner. Even if marketers come out with killer strategy in terms of promotion the urge for shopping is being deferred due to various economic factors. With big ticket events like Champions league in cricket has been deferred has made the advertiser to rethink as to what new communication tools will help to keep their brand alive. Although GEC programs have given fairly good viewer ship the return on investment is not encouraging for brands to spend big bucks on the electronic media.
In this scenario brands must effectively use PR to maintain the some presence in the market. While I agree it will not generate rapid awareness for the brand the way advertising does through mass media it will most certainly help clients to look at a cost effective tool. And what is important here is brands should balance their strategy while using PR by judiciously managing advertising spends. This is where PR agencies also need to chalk out new strategy to pitch stories with the journalist to get favorable stories which will help not only brands to raise salience but also build strong credibility.
PR cannot work in isolation:
Having said that companies should not completely depend on PR. Companies must use the 360 degree approach where PR will supplement and boost the brand awareness through sustenance mass media advertising and other innovative tools which is beyond advertising. For example companies can use branding through cybercafe by resting on the desktops of PC’s. With more cybercafes mushrooming both in cities and tier 2 and 3 cities brands need to exploit this new medium. Interestingly many brands have moved to this space as clients are able to capture the hits to the brands through well supported technology which is able to monitor the traffic. Also this is able to help marketers to extend their consumer outreach to smaller towns.
There is always a concern when one uses PR. Is it measurable? Yes it is measurable if companies seriously view in measuring this in a scientific manner. We have strong processes to measure this which not only helps in effective messaging but will also able to throw consumer insights which will help brands to check if the communication strategy and their messaging has met their defined objectives.
Finally as a brand custodian of the brand the brand manager has to believe in what he is doing and should have a complete faith in PR. Miracles may not happen but well thought out PR strategy will definitely yield results.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
India, a great tourism brand.Are we doing justice in marketing it ?
What ails Indian tourism boards in marketing their destinations?
One of the major drawbacks the states are facing to market tourism abroad is that we do not project India as one face. Since culturally India is divided into several states and each state is eying for their share of revenues and the concerted effort is absent. Even when we participate in some of the world tourism fairs which is held in London and Germany every year one finds an India Pavilion promoting Incredible India and concurrently we notice other states taking their own space in the fairs and making noise. Here again the might of some of the state tourism board in terms of presence and visibility is low as they don’t have deep pockets to shell out money. Invariably year after year we witness only Kerala dominating this space with massive stall display and impressive presentation. This major marketing imbalance also sends some wrong signals to visitors and trade about India and its tourism potential. This is one key issue the central government needs to sort it out and come with some cutting edge strategy so that only one brand is being promoted. On that point efforts have been made by launching the Incredible India campaign. But one is not sure how much this has helped to woo tourist to India.
Owning a strong brand property:Countries like Australia, Singapore, China, Malaysia France, UK, Spain, Italy, Dubai and USA has not fragmented their destinations and marketed it. Interestingly most of these countries market their destinations aggressively with one powerful marketing idea. If you take a country like Singapore where shopping has been the big attraction apart from some few place of interest. But the country has owned shopping as their big brand property and has cleverly used that platform as an annual feature with the Great Singapore Sale which lasts close to 2 months with great razzmatazz ambience and festivity. The timing of this event only takes place during summer vacation to tap the huge Indian market. Once the Sale event gets over they plan the Christmas and New Year event which attracts lot of tourists from the neighboring countries. Look at Dubai they have also used shopping as the great attraction with sweepstakes and raffles to woo tourist. Now watch out what Honkong as done, they have built a Disneyland there to entice tourist so each one of this country have created exciting marketing properties to get tourist. You now need not go all the way to US to see Disneyland. All of us know Hong Kong never owned any great attraction to bring in tourist but introducing Disneyland has made the country popular in a tourists mind.
Set up tourism boards for strong marketing:
Singapore has got full fledged tourism board in Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi to market their country. The board runs several joint promotional campaigns with travel operators and participates in local tourism fairs and exhibition to market their country aggressively. Even the saliency of their brand is high as they are strongly present in high reach magazines and TV channels. This is further supplemented by their national carrier Singapore Airlines who run attractive travel packages to visit Singapore. The airlines have also increased their band width by flying from most of important metros in India. Even other counties like Australia and Malaysia has set up their boards for easy access of knowledge and information of their countries.
We are lagging far behind on this front. Most of our marketing efforts to promote tourism in India are done through our foreign offices and embassies. One really does not have any idea the strength of our marketing force at these offices from the tourism point of view. If budgets are the issue to set up tourism board then we must look at strong marketing tie ups with local travel operators or have strong exchange program to promote India.
What was Maharashtra’s strategy to raise the bar?The repositioning and re branding exercise using the Maharashtra Unlimited campaign increased the awareness of Maharashtra but it was still not seen as a happening destination amongst international tourist. The state also became suddenly ambitious to double the tourist traffic in the global space. Since the state did not own one unique property like other states the challenge to take it to the next level was a big one. The objective was to ensure foreign tourist not to use Mumbai as a transit point. The state also realized some pedestal or strong platform was required to create a hook to pull the tourist .This gave birth to the idea of launching a Luxury train which was the best and most viable option available as the train could travel across Maharasthra touching all destinations in royal style. Branding the train as Deccan Odyssey with strong communication campaign helped in getting some entry in the foreign markets. The online booking and marketing of the train through travel agents in the international markets to some extent helped to push Maharastra as the preferred destination. Today Deccan Odyssey is the jewel of Maharashtra. Condensate traveler one of the reputed international travel magazine has seeded Deccan Odyssey amongst the top luxury trains in the world according to the survey conducted by them.
The way forward:
The launch of the luxury train has definitely catapulted Maharashtra in the world tourism map. The success of this has already prompted Kerala and Karnataka to introduce Luxury trains in their respective states. The state has still got to do a lot to match the world class destination. While airports are modernized and infrastructure is looked at closely the passion to promote the state as hot tourist spots should not get dried fast.
While print campaigns and participating in travel exhibition will generate awareness but it is important we must use our foreign offices and diplomats to promote the state. Credibility has to be built among travel operators and foreign tourists about the state. Strong PR strategy needs to be evolved through fam tours and diplomatic relations to make the state as one of the most attractive tourist place.
The states should look at tourism also as an industry that will generate employment and earn good foreign exchange revenue. The tourist arrival has really shot up in last few years. Today it is close to 6 million but we are way behind to even Singapore who attract close to 10 million each year. So where is the lacuna? Only continuous introspection, aggressive and friendly policies from the government on the tourism front will help us in increasing tourist arrivals.
One of the major drawbacks the states are facing to market tourism abroad is that we do not project India as one face. Since culturally India is divided into several states and each state is eying for their share of revenues and the concerted effort is absent. Even when we participate in some of the world tourism fairs which is held in London and Germany every year one finds an India Pavilion promoting Incredible India and concurrently we notice other states taking their own space in the fairs and making noise. Here again the might of some of the state tourism board in terms of presence and visibility is low as they don’t have deep pockets to shell out money. Invariably year after year we witness only Kerala dominating this space with massive stall display and impressive presentation. This major marketing imbalance also sends some wrong signals to visitors and trade about India and its tourism potential. This is one key issue the central government needs to sort it out and come with some cutting edge strategy so that only one brand is being promoted. On that point efforts have been made by launching the Incredible India campaign. But one is not sure how much this has helped to woo tourist to India.
Owning a strong brand property:Countries like Australia, Singapore, China, Malaysia France, UK, Spain, Italy, Dubai and USA has not fragmented their destinations and marketed it. Interestingly most of these countries market their destinations aggressively with one powerful marketing idea. If you take a country like Singapore where shopping has been the big attraction apart from some few place of interest. But the country has owned shopping as their big brand property and has cleverly used that platform as an annual feature with the Great Singapore Sale which lasts close to 2 months with great razzmatazz ambience and festivity. The timing of this event only takes place during summer vacation to tap the huge Indian market. Once the Sale event gets over they plan the Christmas and New Year event which attracts lot of tourists from the neighboring countries. Look at Dubai they have also used shopping as the great attraction with sweepstakes and raffles to woo tourist. Now watch out what Honkong as done, they have built a Disneyland there to entice tourist so each one of this country have created exciting marketing properties to get tourist. You now need not go all the way to US to see Disneyland. All of us know Hong Kong never owned any great attraction to bring in tourist but introducing Disneyland has made the country popular in a tourists mind.
Set up tourism boards for strong marketing:
Singapore has got full fledged tourism board in Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi to market their country. The board runs several joint promotional campaigns with travel operators and participates in local tourism fairs and exhibition to market their country aggressively. Even the saliency of their brand is high as they are strongly present in high reach magazines and TV channels. This is further supplemented by their national carrier Singapore Airlines who run attractive travel packages to visit Singapore. The airlines have also increased their band width by flying from most of important metros in India. Even other counties like Australia and Malaysia has set up their boards for easy access of knowledge and information of their countries.
We are lagging far behind on this front. Most of our marketing efforts to promote tourism in India are done through our foreign offices and embassies. One really does not have any idea the strength of our marketing force at these offices from the tourism point of view. If budgets are the issue to set up tourism board then we must look at strong marketing tie ups with local travel operators or have strong exchange program to promote India.
What was Maharashtra’s strategy to raise the bar?The repositioning and re branding exercise using the Maharashtra Unlimited campaign increased the awareness of Maharashtra but it was still not seen as a happening destination amongst international tourist. The state also became suddenly ambitious to double the tourist traffic in the global space. Since the state did not own one unique property like other states the challenge to take it to the next level was a big one. The objective was to ensure foreign tourist not to use Mumbai as a transit point. The state also realized some pedestal or strong platform was required to create a hook to pull the tourist .This gave birth to the idea of launching a Luxury train which was the best and most viable option available as the train could travel across Maharasthra touching all destinations in royal style. Branding the train as Deccan Odyssey with strong communication campaign helped in getting some entry in the foreign markets. The online booking and marketing of the train through travel agents in the international markets to some extent helped to push Maharastra as the preferred destination. Today Deccan Odyssey is the jewel of Maharashtra. Condensate traveler one of the reputed international travel magazine has seeded Deccan Odyssey amongst the top luxury trains in the world according to the survey conducted by them.
The way forward:
The launch of the luxury train has definitely catapulted Maharashtra in the world tourism map. The success of this has already prompted Kerala and Karnataka to introduce Luxury trains in their respective states. The state has still got to do a lot to match the world class destination. While airports are modernized and infrastructure is looked at closely the passion to promote the state as hot tourist spots should not get dried fast.
While print campaigns and participating in travel exhibition will generate awareness but it is important we must use our foreign offices and diplomats to promote the state. Credibility has to be built among travel operators and foreign tourists about the state. Strong PR strategy needs to be evolved through fam tours and diplomatic relations to make the state as one of the most attractive tourist place.
The states should look at tourism also as an industry that will generate employment and earn good foreign exchange revenue. The tourist arrival has really shot up in last few years. Today it is close to 6 million but we are way behind to even Singapore who attract close to 10 million each year. So where is the lacuna? Only continuous introspection, aggressive and friendly policies from the government on the tourism front will help us in increasing tourist arrivals.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Do jingles really work in ads ?
If you look at what the great David Ogilvy had said about jingles is that you land up using jingles when your product has nothing to say and therefore you have no other option but to sing. But I strongly feel the role of a jingle is basically to give that extra embellishment to a message be it in television or radio. When I think of embellishment one thing that connects my mind is music in any form be it carnatic or Hindustani music as with out the support of other musical instruments played by the musician the performance of a vocal recital will never stand out.
The same principle or logic applies to jingle. The most common example that one can easily think of is the Nirma washing powder. The entire advertisement commercials revolve around the powerful jingle which blends with the visuals to give that impact. The jingle is so powerful that even as a standalone communication also it works very well in the radio medium. Therefore there are mixed views from various quarters on the role of jingle in an advertisement but all one must make sure is to try and use the jingle at the most appropriate juncture
Memorable tune and simple lyrics can work wonder:
Most jingles which have been have been successful and sticky in the minds of the customer is primarily because of its lyrics and unique tune. The case in example is Hutch brand now Define when they wanted to emphasis the network capabilities of their service they used the jingle in the most interesting and clever manner to covey their superior network strengths.
The clever use of the pug and the boy with its jingle of ‘You and I in this beautiful world’ set new yardsticks of how jingles should be exploited. What an endearing ad! It’s a jingle with lucid and simple lyrics beautifully captured the innocent, charming world of the pug and the boy. What’s more the song and tune has become so powerful that the brand using the tune very cleverly in each of their new communication that they are trying to communicate.
Another brand that has used the tune to orchestrate with all their communication has been the watchmakers Titan. The Mozart tune has been in existence with the brand close to a decade and has been very creatively used and express in all their communication. They have also made the tune contemporary and adapted it to each of the products they launched . The tune has sunk into people’s mind over a period of a time and today people will be able to connect with the brand purely on hearing the tune of the Mozart.
What drives great jingles?
Jingle is a great combination of lyrics, music, and tune and to a large extent the way it is sung. Hence even if you have great lyrics the jingle can be effective only if you are able to produce the jingle with the right voice and a memorable tune. And this is where it is important that you identify the right music director to compose the tune.
Music contributes a lot to any film, especially an ad film. Indian commercials often have wonderful tracks. In fact, when we show Indian ad films abroad, the high standard of music usually comes in for praise. Coming to jingles specifically - creative people tend to shun them because they sometimes are a substitute for an idea. Also it makes the ad 'addy'
Hence it is the endeavor of most creative directors to make the ad a piece of film that has the potential of passing into popular culture. A vehicle for strengthening the brand that does not scream 'I am a commercial'.
Jingle and a Song what’s the difference:
The distinction between a jingle and a song is that in the former you mention the brand name. So 'Hamara Bajaj' is a jingle but 'Kuch khaas hai hum sabhi mein' for Cadbury’s dairy milk chocolate is a song. The 'You and I' song of Orange/Hutch is an immensely popular song that passed into popular culture is also a song
Having said all that, jingles have their own place in advertising. Especially, if we try to think back to commercials that have left a mark on us from yesteryears, it is 'Aaj bhi, kal bhi VIP' and the perennial 'Washing Powder Nirma'.
A recent case in example of a jingle that transformed the fortunes of a brand is 'Kya aap Close Up karte hain?' There was no idea in that campaign. But nothing succeeds like success. The jingle has hit and is being used in various avatar to make it stand out.
Only another key distinction once notices between a jingle and a song is in the case of the jingle the brand name gets mentioned in the jingle while in the song it builds up to connect with the brand.
Is jingle a must in a commercial?
The answer is yes and no. You should not force fit a jingle or a song in commercial. There are several instances where you commercials which have worked wonders for the brand without the use of a jingle or a song.
A very good instance of a successful non-jingle ad is the ‘Asian Paints’ – ‘Waah Sunil babu’ ad. The ad had a brilliant script with an element of humor. No background music, no jingles. Yet a phenomena! Another case in point being the ‘Airtel – Beyond Barriers’ ad. To use as a case study, the ad did not have any jingles to convey its message. Through the sheer brilliance of its visuals and cannily crafted exquisite background score with the signature tune of A.R Rahman it did manage to tug our heartstrings. The message was conveyed to us simple and clear – ‘Barriers break when people talk’.
Therefore if you have a strong idea you need not force fit a jingle into a television commercial? In the good old days the client will brief an agency on the product and at the end of the discussion he would say give me a catchy tune or jingle. Those days are history today as agency use song and jingles very tactfully and cleverly in their radio or television commercial. Even in radio today you hardly notice jingles even if the jingle comes on the radio it is pure adaptation of the television commercial. Most of the radio scripts today are based on strong idea with good humor and dialogues.
Finally does jingle works?
In my opinion, one cannot give a definitive response as to whether jingles are relevant in ads or not. To some extent, it also depends on the product one is advertising. If it’s an ad about HSBC, LIC policies and similar kind of product singles don’t really matter that much as jingles are usually associated with fun and frivolity. However, for the advertisement of FMCG and consumer durable products jingles do play an important role provided it blends with the product without diluting the core idea of the brand. As I said in the earlier paragraph jingles are used when they lack a strong idea and let’s also be clear a jingle and a song can only supplement the advertisement but the larger picture is that you commercial should have big idea.
The same principle or logic applies to jingle. The most common example that one can easily think of is the Nirma washing powder. The entire advertisement commercials revolve around the powerful jingle which blends with the visuals to give that impact. The jingle is so powerful that even as a standalone communication also it works very well in the radio medium. Therefore there are mixed views from various quarters on the role of jingle in an advertisement but all one must make sure is to try and use the jingle at the most appropriate juncture
Memorable tune and simple lyrics can work wonder:
Most jingles which have been have been successful and sticky in the minds of the customer is primarily because of its lyrics and unique tune. The case in example is Hutch brand now Define when they wanted to emphasis the network capabilities of their service they used the jingle in the most interesting and clever manner to covey their superior network strengths.
The clever use of the pug and the boy with its jingle of ‘You and I in this beautiful world’ set new yardsticks of how jingles should be exploited. What an endearing ad! It’s a jingle with lucid and simple lyrics beautifully captured the innocent, charming world of the pug and the boy. What’s more the song and tune has become so powerful that the brand using the tune very cleverly in each of their new communication that they are trying to communicate.
Another brand that has used the tune to orchestrate with all their communication has been the watchmakers Titan. The Mozart tune has been in existence with the brand close to a decade and has been very creatively used and express in all their communication. They have also made the tune contemporary and adapted it to each of the products they launched . The tune has sunk into people’s mind over a period of a time and today people will be able to connect with the brand purely on hearing the tune of the Mozart.
What drives great jingles?
Jingle is a great combination of lyrics, music, and tune and to a large extent the way it is sung. Hence even if you have great lyrics the jingle can be effective only if you are able to produce the jingle with the right voice and a memorable tune. And this is where it is important that you identify the right music director to compose the tune.
Music contributes a lot to any film, especially an ad film. Indian commercials often have wonderful tracks. In fact, when we show Indian ad films abroad, the high standard of music usually comes in for praise. Coming to jingles specifically - creative people tend to shun them because they sometimes are a substitute for an idea. Also it makes the ad 'addy'
Hence it is the endeavor of most creative directors to make the ad a piece of film that has the potential of passing into popular culture. A vehicle for strengthening the brand that does not scream 'I am a commercial'.
Jingle and a Song what’s the difference:
The distinction between a jingle and a song is that in the former you mention the brand name. So 'Hamara Bajaj' is a jingle but 'Kuch khaas hai hum sabhi mein' for Cadbury’s dairy milk chocolate is a song. The 'You and I' song of Orange/Hutch is an immensely popular song that passed into popular culture is also a song
Having said all that, jingles have their own place in advertising. Especially, if we try to think back to commercials that have left a mark on us from yesteryears, it is 'Aaj bhi, kal bhi VIP' and the perennial 'Washing Powder Nirma'.
A recent case in example of a jingle that transformed the fortunes of a brand is 'Kya aap Close Up karte hain?' There was no idea in that campaign. But nothing succeeds like success. The jingle has hit and is being used in various avatar to make it stand out.
Only another key distinction once notices between a jingle and a song is in the case of the jingle the brand name gets mentioned in the jingle while in the song it builds up to connect with the brand.
Is jingle a must in a commercial?
The answer is yes and no. You should not force fit a jingle or a song in commercial. There are several instances where you commercials which have worked wonders for the brand without the use of a jingle or a song.
A very good instance of a successful non-jingle ad is the ‘Asian Paints’ – ‘Waah Sunil babu’ ad. The ad had a brilliant script with an element of humor. No background music, no jingles. Yet a phenomena! Another case in point being the ‘Airtel – Beyond Barriers’ ad. To use as a case study, the ad did not have any jingles to convey its message. Through the sheer brilliance of its visuals and cannily crafted exquisite background score with the signature tune of A.R Rahman it did manage to tug our heartstrings. The message was conveyed to us simple and clear – ‘Barriers break when people talk’.
Therefore if you have a strong idea you need not force fit a jingle into a television commercial? In the good old days the client will brief an agency on the product and at the end of the discussion he would say give me a catchy tune or jingle. Those days are history today as agency use song and jingles very tactfully and cleverly in their radio or television commercial. Even in radio today you hardly notice jingles even if the jingle comes on the radio it is pure adaptation of the television commercial. Most of the radio scripts today are based on strong idea with good humor and dialogues.
Finally does jingle works?
In my opinion, one cannot give a definitive response as to whether jingles are relevant in ads or not. To some extent, it also depends on the product one is advertising. If it’s an ad about HSBC, LIC policies and similar kind of product singles don’t really matter that much as jingles are usually associated with fun and frivolity. However, for the advertisement of FMCG and consumer durable products jingles do play an important role provided it blends with the product without diluting the core idea of the brand. As I said in the earlier paragraph jingles are used when they lack a strong idea and let’s also be clear a jingle and a song can only supplement the advertisement but the larger picture is that you commercial should have big idea.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Recruitment advertising builds corporate image and branding for companies.
I was fortunate to attend the awards ceremony of the Pink slip awards last year where creative awards were given to agency and companies for creative excellence in recruitment advertising. This is a new and interesting inititiative from the Times Group to encourage both the clients and the advertising agency to produce great work in the field of recruitment space which helps in companies to draw good talent especially in today’s employment market where there is ample opportunities but limited talent available. The excellence awards are given across various industries such as finance, banking, pharma, BPO, technology and software etc. What is disturbing a bit here is that the big agencies are not involved in creating communication on recruitment ads and you mostly find mid-sized agency do this of which some of them have become specialist in creating only recruitment-advertising campaign. The larger agency does not recognize this has a major revenue earner and exciting opportunity for their creative team to do inspiring work. Hence invariably designing the recruitment advertisement takes a back seat. I only look forward with the introduction of Pink slip awards we get to see larger agencies also create purposeful communication with strong idea for their clients and brands in the area of recruitment ads. Lets also remember recruitment advertisements is one of the most powerful way of building the corporate image of the brand internally, externally and to the company stakeholders.
Corporates ought to focus on creativity and original ideas:
In the beginning of 80s and in even in the 90’s corporates used print media with powerful communication to sell their companies to attract good talent. Since the only means of communication available was the daily press and business magazines limited space was allocated by media companies to release ads. Most publications earmarked some space and special dates in a week to release these recruitment ads and as a result the recruitment space was cluttered. Most of the appointment advertisements appeared in the supplements of the main issue in black and white for senior positions and you had the classified ads, which permitted companies to release ads for junior posts and walk in interviews. The country is today in its growth path and industries have started flourishing across category and the need for quality talent is required on a continuous baisis. Earlier we had very few industries that used to advertise for manpower. That has taken a quantum leap and today the industry has grown leaps and bound beginning from BPO, Healthcare, Finance, Banking, Advertising, Media and Entertainment, Insurance, Software &Technology and the growing FMCG and Retail segment. All these up-and-coming industry are giving sleepless nights to the HR team and Search consultants, as there is a huge gap between demand and supply. The HR team is pulling all stocks and strategy to get the right candidate through various communication tools and headhunters. In doing so companies have forgotten the pivotal role and significance on the role of recruitment advertisements, which has a strong pulling power for job seekers to respond. Companies now have realised this and are actively engaged in infusing newness with original idea and creativity on recruitment advertisements to beat the clutter and draw quality talents to their organisation.
What drives to create great recruitment ads?
If you pick up any newspaper containing recruitment ads you will notice high clutter and the paper is filled with a whole of lot advertisements without any differentiation. This has been the perpetual problem even decades back when we did not have job portals. Since most advertisements were in black &white it was all the more challenging for brands to shout and stand out. With the advent of colour the scope to increase one’s bandwidth in terms of creative opened up. To create great communication in the recruitment space the first and foremost objective is to speak truth to your prospects. You should not promise them the moon and disappoint them. Give a complete run down of the company right from its values, culture and the vision of the company. In your communication you must enlighten about the entire structure and the person to whom the prospect would be reporting in the work function. This is most critical as attrition rate invariably occurs due to lack of job satisfaction or the incorrect chemistry with the boss. Many companies to create a strong image and build credibility release full-page advertisement to attract talent. This is one way of showing the bigness of the company and communicating to the prospects that we are a large conglomerate with strong guiding principles. Some MNC’s also try follow to create a design & grid with the right tone and style and use them as a template. This holds good if the post one is advertising for is at middle level. But it is always better to try and be different even within that template to catch your audience’s attention.
Job Portals barrier to recruitment ads ?
One of the major reasons that has forced many corporates to have moved from using the conventional route of advertising for drawing talent is the rise of job portals and search consultants who help these companies filling up vacancies. While consultants and job portals have made life easier for many companies but one must also understand that the reach of these portals are not so high that they can touch the length and breadth of the country. With penetration of PC’s dismally low in India and the reach of this medium is not adequate enough to address a large audience. But these portals through their brand campaigns have ensured to create very high awareness in the minds of several job seekers. They also offer a very wide choice of employment options with constant update on new vacancies. As an interesting strategy the job portals make available the relevant links of the companies with a good dose of information about the organisation. To also ensure that they should not lose their clients some of publications like Times group have extended their brand by introducing web platform such as Timesjob.com. The goal here is to provide value to clients apart from the print media with good combined media rates for effectively using both the mediums.
Adds values to the corporate brand:
A well thought out communication for a recruitment ad has direct bearing not only on the future prospects but also the stakeholders, business partners and employees within the company. A good recruitment ad also builds credibility and image of the organisation so long as the company paints the correct picture and information of the organisation. The power of recruitment ads also helps in enhancing the position of the company in the prospects mind by maintaining the right style and tone consistently in their communication. This is where creative excellence for recruitment ads will play a major role as that will motivate clients to think out of box and get their brand across in the most unique and outstanding manner instead of churning out the run of the mill formatted ads. Any piece of communication to attract talent must have heaps of energy to entice the job seekers to respond. If that energy and passion is delivered through strategic recruitment ads we will be able witness more and more HR personnel pushing their communication partners that much extra to create advertisements that will deliver great value to the brand and will motivate and attract quality talent to the organisation.
Corporates ought to focus on creativity and original ideas:
In the beginning of 80s and in even in the 90’s corporates used print media with powerful communication to sell their companies to attract good talent. Since the only means of communication available was the daily press and business magazines limited space was allocated by media companies to release ads. Most publications earmarked some space and special dates in a week to release these recruitment ads and as a result the recruitment space was cluttered. Most of the appointment advertisements appeared in the supplements of the main issue in black and white for senior positions and you had the classified ads, which permitted companies to release ads for junior posts and walk in interviews. The country is today in its growth path and industries have started flourishing across category and the need for quality talent is required on a continuous baisis. Earlier we had very few industries that used to advertise for manpower. That has taken a quantum leap and today the industry has grown leaps and bound beginning from BPO, Healthcare, Finance, Banking, Advertising, Media and Entertainment, Insurance, Software &Technology and the growing FMCG and Retail segment. All these up-and-coming industry are giving sleepless nights to the HR team and Search consultants, as there is a huge gap between demand and supply. The HR team is pulling all stocks and strategy to get the right candidate through various communication tools and headhunters. In doing so companies have forgotten the pivotal role and significance on the role of recruitment advertisements, which has a strong pulling power for job seekers to respond. Companies now have realised this and are actively engaged in infusing newness with original idea and creativity on recruitment advertisements to beat the clutter and draw quality talents to their organisation.
What drives to create great recruitment ads?
If you pick up any newspaper containing recruitment ads you will notice high clutter and the paper is filled with a whole of lot advertisements without any differentiation. This has been the perpetual problem even decades back when we did not have job portals. Since most advertisements were in black &white it was all the more challenging for brands to shout and stand out. With the advent of colour the scope to increase one’s bandwidth in terms of creative opened up. To create great communication in the recruitment space the first and foremost objective is to speak truth to your prospects. You should not promise them the moon and disappoint them. Give a complete run down of the company right from its values, culture and the vision of the company. In your communication you must enlighten about the entire structure and the person to whom the prospect would be reporting in the work function. This is most critical as attrition rate invariably occurs due to lack of job satisfaction or the incorrect chemistry with the boss. Many companies to create a strong image and build credibility release full-page advertisement to attract talent. This is one way of showing the bigness of the company and communicating to the prospects that we are a large conglomerate with strong guiding principles. Some MNC’s also try follow to create a design & grid with the right tone and style and use them as a template. This holds good if the post one is advertising for is at middle level. But it is always better to try and be different even within that template to catch your audience’s attention.
Job Portals barrier to recruitment ads ?
One of the major reasons that has forced many corporates to have moved from using the conventional route of advertising for drawing talent is the rise of job portals and search consultants who help these companies filling up vacancies. While consultants and job portals have made life easier for many companies but one must also understand that the reach of these portals are not so high that they can touch the length and breadth of the country. With penetration of PC’s dismally low in India and the reach of this medium is not adequate enough to address a large audience. But these portals through their brand campaigns have ensured to create very high awareness in the minds of several job seekers. They also offer a very wide choice of employment options with constant update on new vacancies. As an interesting strategy the job portals make available the relevant links of the companies with a good dose of information about the organisation. To also ensure that they should not lose their clients some of publications like Times group have extended their brand by introducing web platform such as Timesjob.com. The goal here is to provide value to clients apart from the print media with good combined media rates for effectively using both the mediums.
Adds values to the corporate brand:
A well thought out communication for a recruitment ad has direct bearing not only on the future prospects but also the stakeholders, business partners and employees within the company. A good recruitment ad also builds credibility and image of the organisation so long as the company paints the correct picture and information of the organisation. The power of recruitment ads also helps in enhancing the position of the company in the prospects mind by maintaining the right style and tone consistently in their communication. This is where creative excellence for recruitment ads will play a major role as that will motivate clients to think out of box and get their brand across in the most unique and outstanding manner instead of churning out the run of the mill formatted ads. Any piece of communication to attract talent must have heaps of energy to entice the job seekers to respond. If that energy and passion is delivered through strategic recruitment ads we will be able witness more and more HR personnel pushing their communication partners that much extra to create advertisements that will deliver great value to the brand and will motivate and attract quality talent to the organisation.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Repositioning Maharashtra in the world tourism map.
To the rest of world when you think of fascinating tourist spots in India the only thing
that comes to mind is the Taj Mahal the historic monument in Agra. That no longer holds true and every state has made their representation and mark in International tourism to draw tourists to India. Each state has chalked out their own marketing and communication strategy to position their state in the best and most unique manner to woo tourist to their destination. While Kerala was the first to start in the most aggressive manner Maharastra was one of the late starters to promote the state as an attractive tourist destination. The state has made rigorous effort over the last 6 years to get recognition as an important tourist destination in the world.
It‘s all about perceptions:
One is really surprised that a progressive state like Maharastra ignored tourism for many years. The state is always perceived more as an industrial state with major focus being to encourage industrial projects. Also since Mumbai being seen as the financial capital importance to promote the state as a tourist attraction never figured high on the agenda. While Mumbai is connected very well with the rest of world with world class airport the tourist always disembarked at Mumbai as the transit point to reach other tourist destination in India. This is despite Maharashtra having world heritage sites, rich in history, Buddhist caves, a 730 kms coastline, unspoilt beaches and hill stations. Since these destinations did not have any image unlike kerala, the tourist spots never figured in the consideration set of the traveler when choosing any tourist destination. Therefore the first task for the state was to re position the state, heighten awareness and get the brand into the consideration set of potential tourists.
Rebranding Maharashtra :
Positioning the state was a tough challenge. As the state did not have any one unique offering unlike other states such as Kerala which was known for its beautiful backwaters, Rajasthan for its forts, Goa for its beaches and the Southern states for its pilgrimage sites positioning the state differently was not easy. When we probed with some consumers about the travel destination in Maharashtra we found the state had little of everything beginning from its forts, beaches, temples, heritage, pilgrimage, and wildlife sanctuary and hill station. The state also had a strong connect with Bollywood .We had the option of positioning Maharastra as a 70 MM holiday experience but we felt that would strongly skew towards only Bollywood and will be more Mumbai centric and thereby missing out some of the other attraction in the state. Since the state had plentiful to offer as travel spots it was decided to position the state has SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE which gave rise to the new slogan or tagline MAHARASHTRA UNLIMITED.A new logo and identity was created which was then used in all the print and collateral communication. The logo was a typographical design using very bright yellow and touch of orange color supplemented by neat and contemporary typeface to give an earthy look.
The new positioning was then translated into print communication promoting each destination. Initially the print campaign was promoted only in the domestic market but in the next stage efforts was made to promote only the heritage sites in some select international market. Here Ajanta and Ellora the most famous heritage sites was showcased in a very interesting manner. In the next phase to dissuade outbound tourist from visiting international tourist spots due to 9/11 a separate campaign was created to benchmark Maharastra with some of the other exotic locations in the world. Why go anywhere else? was the proposition for the campaign. It was important that the campaign delivered credibility and it was ensured that the photography of the exotic destinations in Maharashtra transported the same to the audience.
Next Big Leap:
The repositioning and re branding lifted the awareness of Maharashtra but it was still not seen as a happening destination amongst international tourist. The state also became suddenly ambitious to double the tourist traffic from the global space. Since the state did not own one unique property like other states the challenge to take it to the next level was a big one. The strategy was to ensure foreign tourist not to use Mumbai as a transit port. This mooted the state to look at what Palace on Wheels is doing to Rajasthan? The state also realized some pedestal or platform was required to create a hook to pull the tourist This gave birth to the idea of launching a Luxury train which was the best and most viable option available as the train could travel across Maharasthra touching all destinations in regal style. The train was branded as Deccan Odyssey and an interesting print campaign was unveiled in some world class magazines in all Europe, US, and other key markets in Asia. A four ad print campaign showcasing stunning visuals depicted the way royalty traveled in the past, on a train of elephants, palanquins, horse drawn carriages and boats hit some best magazines internationally. To communicate the richness of experience premium and rich imagery were used showing the ways royalty traveled in the ancient times. The print campaign was well supported by online booking and marketing of the train through travel agents in the international markets. Today Deccan Odyssey is the jewel of Maharashtra. Condensate traveler one of the reputed international travel magazine has seeded Deccan Odyssey amongst the top luxury trains in the world according to the survey done by them.
The launch of the luxury train has definitely catapulted the state in the world tourism map. The success of this has already prompted Kerala and Karnataka to introduce Luxury trains in their respective states. The state has still got to do a lot to match the world class destination. While airports are modernized and infrastructure is looked at closely the passion to promote the state as hot tourist spots should not get dried fast.
While print campaigns and participating in travel exhibition will generate awareness but it is important we must use our foreign offices and diplomats to promote the state. Credibility has to be built among travel operators and foreign tourists about the state. Strong PR strategy needs to be evolved through fam tours and diplomatic relations to make the state as one of the most attractive tourist place.
The state should look at tourism also an industry that will generate employment and earn good foreign exchange revenue. The tourist arrival has really shot up in last few years.
Today it is close 6 million but we are way behind to even Singapore who attract close to 10 million each year. So where is the lacuna? Only continuous introspection, aggressive and friendly policies from the government on the tourism front will help us in increasing tourist arrivals.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Eating out. A New lifestyle for Indian consumer
With the tax rebate announced in the recent budget and more disposable income in people’s hand will definitely increase the propensity to spend. Eating out and tasting new cuisines will increase amongst the new Indian consumer especially in the age group between 20 and 45 years across metros and mini metros. It is this age group that is emerging fast and is always looking for newness in everything. What’s more interesting, in this category is that while there are traditional food eating joints on street corners but it is the new eating places both Indian and international brands that are emerging each day either at a multiplex or shopping mall in the form of food courts and standalone restaurants offer a wide spread of cuisines.
If you go to south mumbai people throng to this place called Khao Gully, which offers a wide range of eating choices, which is quite tasty but misses the value of a brand and to a large extent the hygiene aspect is questionable. To me these food courts have already been in existence in India over the last few years. Surprisingly these food courts contribute a substantial amount to the cash box of malls and multiplexes that make brisk business from food.
Changing trends in eating: With the organized retail growing and with the retail food market estimated around is 33billion dollars; more eating-places will emerge as the average Indian spends a substantial penny in eating outside. With boredom setting in with many Indian consumers the urge to eat out side has become a must every weekends if not every day. One of the other reasons to venture eating out is lack of time available in hand and it is easier to go out and have a good family outing during weekends. Today the Indian consumer whether its family or individuals seek huge value on dining., which the food courts offers them with great value deals and a great ambience to eat. For an young executive who is working in a BPO eating out saves time especially after long hours of work at the workplace.
What drives eating out? : Just like the 4ps of marketing the same principle works here also:
Price: Is it affordable? A consumer will typically look for best value deals especially when one goes out with large family. Do the place I plan visit accepts plastic currency. Enjoy now pay later has been the mantra of most Indian consumer, which has also influenced the consumers to go full hog when it comes to eating out.
Place: One looks at the proximity of the eating-place to save time. But that is not true today if I want a mouthwatering memorable meal I will still go that extra mile to relish it. Do the place offer a buffet? Is it convenient for me to park my car at that place.
Can I celebrate my kid’s birthday? Do the place offer special rates for parties. Can I get the right ambience for having a do at the place? Can it accommodate a large number of guests for any celebrations?
Product: Does the place have a large spread and dishes to offer? Will I get Italian, Mexican or Chinese? Will my taste buds come alive to have a great feast? If I go with my family will all of them get their choice of dishes? Do they give takeaways?
Promotion: Strong branding, merchandising, exciting offers and word of mouth communication will play a key role to generate good traffic and awareness about the place. Experiential marketing strategy will further augment in promoting the place as the customers need to feel the place with strong interface with the brand in terms of ambience and the product offerings to entice consumer with a unique experience
Tight Competition: The food joint brands market is buzzing with new aroma and cuisines. Today an enthusiastic foodie has got an extensive choice starting from pizza corners, multi cuisine, theme restaurants, Pubs, Discos to food courts in shopping malls. The huge invasion of food joints and restaurant has changed the lifestyle of the Indian consumer. The new age Indian consumer has become savvier when it comes to eating out. While he gets to know about the brand from advertisements and strong word of mouth communication but it is utter experience of the place that makes him faithful to the brand. Most of the foodie keep experimenting and trying new eating-places to match their taste pallet. Eating formats with new options both Indian and multinational brands are entering the crowded bandwagon of foods brands everyday. But to tempt the Indian customer these brands need to offer good and authentic food, multiple cuisines, value for money deals and a friendly atmosphere with an inviting ambience and unforgettable dining experience.
Branding, Positioning & Promotions: Strong Branding, Clever strategy and clear positioning helps most food and eating out joints stay in limelight. Like in the pizza category where most of them offer me too products a strong differentiation needs to be packed in to win the customer. In the case of Domino’s they called themselves as the Pizza delivery Experts. The brand has been using celebrities from Bollywood to promote their brand with a very catchy line Hungry Kya?. The brand has been strongly entrenched in the consumers mind as one of the pizza brands when it comes to having a pizza.
Similarly there are other brands that have occupied certain distinctive positioning slot based on their product offerings. For example in the case of the eating place Oh Calcutta in Mumbai it is very clear that the place offers authentic Bengali cuisine and therefore it is easy to position the brand for its authentic Bengal food. Likewise there is the brand Mainland China that is solely known for its authentic Chinese cuisine. Here again the core product offering positions the brand with ease for original Chinese delicacies.
We have also have many food courts which are opening at various malls which has everything to offer under one roof like a departmental stores when it comes to eating. Most of the food courts become familiar when the consumer goes shopping inside the multiplex or a mall. While the shopping gives a different buying experience it is lively engagement and the buzz around the food courts that entertains the customer after a very hectic shopping spree. Future Group’s Big Bazaar has launched a separate food court with the brand name SPOON. You will find this food court in some of the malls associated with Future Group. Over 20 different cuisines starting from Indian, Chinese, Italian, Mexican are made available .The food court has managed to brand each of its product offerings with interesting brand names that connects with the food or snack.
If you go to south mumbai people throng to this place called Khao Gully, which offers a wide range of eating choices, which is quite tasty but misses the value of a brand and to a large extent the hygiene aspect is questionable. To me these food courts have already been in existence in India over the last few years. Surprisingly these food courts contribute a substantial amount to the cash box of malls and multiplexes that make brisk business from food.
Changing trends in eating: With the organized retail growing and with the retail food market estimated around is 33billion dollars; more eating-places will emerge as the average Indian spends a substantial penny in eating outside. With boredom setting in with many Indian consumers the urge to eat out side has become a must every weekends if not every day. One of the other reasons to venture eating out is lack of time available in hand and it is easier to go out and have a good family outing during weekends. Today the Indian consumer whether its family or individuals seek huge value on dining., which the food courts offers them with great value deals and a great ambience to eat. For an young executive who is working in a BPO eating out saves time especially after long hours of work at the workplace.
What drives eating out? : Just like the 4ps of marketing the same principle works here also:
Price: Is it affordable? A consumer will typically look for best value deals especially when one goes out with large family. Do the place I plan visit accepts plastic currency. Enjoy now pay later has been the mantra of most Indian consumer, which has also influenced the consumers to go full hog when it comes to eating out.
Place: One looks at the proximity of the eating-place to save time. But that is not true today if I want a mouthwatering memorable meal I will still go that extra mile to relish it. Do the place offer a buffet? Is it convenient for me to park my car at that place.
Can I celebrate my kid’s birthday? Do the place offer special rates for parties. Can I get the right ambience for having a do at the place? Can it accommodate a large number of guests for any celebrations?
Product: Does the place have a large spread and dishes to offer? Will I get Italian, Mexican or Chinese? Will my taste buds come alive to have a great feast? If I go with my family will all of them get their choice of dishes? Do they give takeaways?
Promotion: Strong branding, merchandising, exciting offers and word of mouth communication will play a key role to generate good traffic and awareness about the place. Experiential marketing strategy will further augment in promoting the place as the customers need to feel the place with strong interface with the brand in terms of ambience and the product offerings to entice consumer with a unique experience
Tight Competition: The food joint brands market is buzzing with new aroma and cuisines. Today an enthusiastic foodie has got an extensive choice starting from pizza corners, multi cuisine, theme restaurants, Pubs, Discos to food courts in shopping malls. The huge invasion of food joints and restaurant has changed the lifestyle of the Indian consumer. The new age Indian consumer has become savvier when it comes to eating out. While he gets to know about the brand from advertisements and strong word of mouth communication but it is utter experience of the place that makes him faithful to the brand. Most of the foodie keep experimenting and trying new eating-places to match their taste pallet. Eating formats with new options both Indian and multinational brands are entering the crowded bandwagon of foods brands everyday. But to tempt the Indian customer these brands need to offer good and authentic food, multiple cuisines, value for money deals and a friendly atmosphere with an inviting ambience and unforgettable dining experience.
Branding, Positioning & Promotions: Strong Branding, Clever strategy and clear positioning helps most food and eating out joints stay in limelight. Like in the pizza category where most of them offer me too products a strong differentiation needs to be packed in to win the customer. In the case of Domino’s they called themselves as the Pizza delivery Experts. The brand has been using celebrities from Bollywood to promote their brand with a very catchy line Hungry Kya?. The brand has been strongly entrenched in the consumers mind as one of the pizza brands when it comes to having a pizza.
Similarly there are other brands that have occupied certain distinctive positioning slot based on their product offerings. For example in the case of the eating place Oh Calcutta in Mumbai it is very clear that the place offers authentic Bengali cuisine and therefore it is easy to position the brand for its authentic Bengal food. Likewise there is the brand Mainland China that is solely known for its authentic Chinese cuisine. Here again the core product offering positions the brand with ease for original Chinese delicacies.
We have also have many food courts which are opening at various malls which has everything to offer under one roof like a departmental stores when it comes to eating. Most of the food courts become familiar when the consumer goes shopping inside the multiplex or a mall. While the shopping gives a different buying experience it is lively engagement and the buzz around the food courts that entertains the customer after a very hectic shopping spree. Future Group’s Big Bazaar has launched a separate food court with the brand name SPOON. You will find this food court in some of the malls associated with Future Group. Over 20 different cuisines starting from Indian, Chinese, Italian, Mexican are made available .The food court has managed to brand each of its product offerings with interesting brand names that connects with the food or snack.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Public Relations Council of India Salutes Mr. K.S.Neelakandan
A god ‘s gift to Indian PR industry. Mr. K.S. Neelakandan was honoured and felicitated by the PR council of India in Bangalore on 26the March 2008 by the Governor of Karnataka. Several distinguished luminaries of PR and Communication fraternity were present to grace the occasion. Mr. Neelakandan has immensely contributed with untiring efforts to the PR industry for over last 5 decades. There are several feathers to his cap when you think of Mr.Neelakandan and Public Relation activity in India. Some of the notable and memorable ones that I remember is organizing the World Public Relation Congress in India way back in the early 80s. He was the Chairman of this World Congress and PR professionals in India were highly privileged to meet several great Public relation leaders and practitioners from the globe. The most notable one was the Father of Public Relations Mr. Sam Black who was one of the keynote speakers at the congress.
Mr. Neelakandan has to be credited for several PR milestones, as he has been the industry spokesman on PR affairs for several decades. His major forte being the Pharma industry where he represented the Industry on several forums and meetings with the Government and the Ministry. He also represents several music and cultural bodies and was one of the early founding member of Fine Arts Society, Chembur. (A music and cultural society in the suburb of Mumbai) and a core member of the Indo- American Society in Mumbai.
One must appreciate the enthusiasm and energy levels of Mr. Neelakandan even today.
Very recently he was instrumental in felicitating the two great singers Hariharan and Shanker Mahadevan for their significant contribution to music. The Governor of Maharashtra Shri S.M.Krishna felicitated the music duo at his new house. This was followed by another felicitation event, this time it was the sheriff of Mumbai Dr. Indu Shahani a leading educationist also held at his residence in Chembur on 28t March.
A great PR professional , innovation, perfection and style has been his hallmark of excellence
Mr. Neelakandan has to be credited for several PR milestones, as he has been the industry spokesman on PR affairs for several decades. His major forte being the Pharma industry where he represented the Industry on several forums and meetings with the Government and the Ministry. He also represents several music and cultural bodies and was one of the early founding member of Fine Arts Society, Chembur. (A music and cultural society in the suburb of Mumbai) and a core member of the Indo- American Society in Mumbai.
One must appreciate the enthusiasm and energy levels of Mr. Neelakandan even today.
Very recently he was instrumental in felicitating the two great singers Hariharan and Shanker Mahadevan for their significant contribution to music. The Governor of Maharashtra Shri S.M.Krishna felicitated the music duo at his new house. This was followed by another felicitation event, this time it was the sheriff of Mumbai Dr. Indu Shahani a leading educationist also held at his residence in Chembur on 28t March.
A great PR professional , innovation, perfection and style has been his hallmark of excellence
Friday, March 21, 2008
Holi and brands. Major disconnect ?
Festivity in India occurs almost every month across religion and across the year. Each festival stands for something and brands try to cash on the same. The most famous and auspicious festivals that most brands connect to push their sales are Diwali, Dussera and Christmas. Media spends rocket with high decibel advertising shouting with huge offers and discounts with all brands.
There are also some other festival such as Raksha Bandhan and Holi where brands try to connect and get some mileage. Brands such as Bravia from Sony has very interestingly captured the power of colours that the brands offers through their quality vision is credible and associates with the brand perfectly. As we all know it is great pictures and natural colours that pleases one's eyes when watching television especially in India where we have rich culture and heritage that is amplified with fascinating festivals and colours.
However I was a bit amazed to look at IDBI bank trying to bring some connection with holi which to me is sheer waste of money. Is it because the festival of holi comes in the month of march and banks are compelled to exhaust their budgets ? The connection with holi and bank was totally missing to me ? What are they trying to communicate ? Are they giving special rate of interest or disbursing easy loans during holi ? Banks need not follow the FMCG and Consumer durables to be top of mind as it is difficult to measure the results for the bank by using festival as a platform to build the brand. Public and Semi public sector banks need to revist their thinking and strategy and get their brand values in perfect shape to get maximum buck for the money spent.
There are also some other festival such as Raksha Bandhan and Holi where brands try to connect and get some mileage. Brands such as Bravia from Sony has very interestingly captured the power of colours that the brands offers through their quality vision is credible and associates with the brand perfectly. As we all know it is great pictures and natural colours that pleases one's eyes when watching television especially in India where we have rich culture and heritage that is amplified with fascinating festivals and colours.
However I was a bit amazed to look at IDBI bank trying to bring some connection with holi which to me is sheer waste of money. Is it because the festival of holi comes in the month of march and banks are compelled to exhaust their budgets ? The connection with holi and bank was totally missing to me ? What are they trying to communicate ? Are they giving special rate of interest or disbursing easy loans during holi ? Banks need not follow the FMCG and Consumer durables to be top of mind as it is difficult to measure the results for the bank by using festival as a platform to build the brand. Public and Semi public sector banks need to revist their thinking and strategy and get their brand values in perfect shape to get maximum buck for the money spent.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Travel Brands. What is the key brand differenciator ?
The market is buzzing across all media with travel brands yelling from the top announcing the various offers and schemes enticing the Indian consumer to go on a holiday abroad this summer vacation. Interestingly the outbound, domestic and the inbound tourism have shown a significant growth over past few years thanks to the booming economy and availability of sizable disposable incomes. According to industry estimates the combined travel market is hovering around over 330 million. The growth projection is around 15 million by 2010. Currently the Indian traveler has various choices available to plan his travel ranging from online to offline or directly talking to hotels and airlines and working out his travel plan. In the good old days one needs to work out one’s plan well in advance to visit any place either domestic or international but today that gap has been minimized and one can plan a quick holiday thanks to several new travel company brands which are offering great services under one roof for holidays both in India and overseas. The aggressive advertising campaign from most of these travel brand starts by end December or early Jan. The strategy is plain and simple i.e. cash on the traveler who plan to go to Europe on a long summer vacation. Typically any holiday travel in India is segmented into two ie summer and winter. The main summer season is the time when most travelers visit Europe as the weather is comfortable and the family has a long summer vacation in India. During winter most traveler would plan a short trip to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong and Mauritius when there are holidays for Dassera and Diwali in our country.
Factors that influence to decide the destination:
Most family household invariably decides on the dinning table with the rest of the members as to which foreign destination one should visit for their holidays. Since it is only while dining in the night the family come together and meet the decision is taken then and there and is unanimous. The women folks who constantly meet at kitty parities are another key influencers to use their meeting forum to chalk out their plan for going on a holiday abroad. Most of these women come from affluent and neo rich families who pester their husband to go once a year for an exotic holiday in groups. Typically the first time prospect is a bit more cautious. He or she seeks more knowledge from either friends or a neighbourhood travel company before deciding the destination and the travel operator. The power of word of mouth further plays a key role here. Discovering new places and new ways of leisure has also encouraged the new Indian consumer to visit places which offer spa, leisure sports, formulae one racing and adventure sports. While wearing the best labels and owning the best cars is one way of expressing your status in the society but visiting exotic foreign spots has now become a status statement amongst many corporates and entrepreneurs.
What is the brand differentiator ?
The travel brands like SOTC, Cox & Kings, and Thomas Cook with national presence have been aggressively marketing their brands with high decibel advertising. Interestingly most of these brands spend their major monies only through daily press with full-page colour advertisement shouting with all kind of discounts and offers. There is a very thin line of difference between them as the market is driven by price and the best deals the brand is offering. The campaign is very response oriented and with strong back end support to convert the phone calls which pour in non- stop when the campaign breaks. The electronic medium is used only as a support but it is press that has been dominating this category for many years. Since the prospect needs to know more about the tour details the use of television limits the brand. The advertising per says can hardly help in differentiating the brand unlike the impulse products. But the huge full page advertisement in colour in prominent position helps building some credibility to the brand by communicating to the audience that it is solid and reliable brand with wide network and strong international association.
The differentiation too comes from the product offerings and the value addition the brand is offering the consumer. Most of the brands have a wide choice of product offering starting from group tours, special senior citizen tours, women groups and customized travel tours. Importance is also given to food and cuisine so that the traveller enjoys his holidays without missing his dhoklas, rotis, puris and idlis as special chefs are appointed to cook the delicious Indian recipes at the destinations.
Infact some of the brands offer separate Jain groups for the 100% vegetarian customers. The little extras that come as a surprise plays a very key role in choosing a particular brand. Even the type of escort or guide for the tour can help in having a cutting edge to differentiate the brand. Companies tries and attract young couples with candle light dinner in Switzerland or Niagara water falls for special honeymoon packages. One company did attract by tying up with some reputed TV celebrities to be part of the group tour there by feeling elated with company of the celebrities. Even some reputed brands offer special golf holidays. While your wife goes shopping you can just enjoy an exciting game of golf in some of the best golf courses. But in the end in this category where human touch and service is of essence the brand will be known and get favourable only after traveller’s experience, especially amongst the first time traveller.
Customer expectations from travel brand:
The Indian consumer has become very savvy and has raised the expectation bars
when it comes to planning his travel. Some of the key product features that the traveller closely examines should not have any surprises. For e.g. after reaching the destination the star or grade of the hotels should not be different from what was mentioned when the booking was made. Must get complete value for money, which means A- Z converge of the itinerary and at the same time the sight seeing and visits should not be crammed. And finally must have some time for relaxation during the tour, which will help him get his battery recharged before he returns back.
If the brand is able to meet the traveller’s expectations, which mostly happen only after the first experience with brand, then he or she is likely to stay with the brand. For some reasons the brand did not live up to the expectation the consumer will look at alternative options like online or may be personally handle the travel on his own. In this category the first time experience for the first time traveller is very important as that will ultimately clinch the preference towards the brand and at the same the traveller will act as a strong testimonial to promote the brand through word of mouth to his friends and relatives. Hence it is important for the travel company to handle the first time traveller with kid gloves so that the experience one counters is memorable and filled with fun and joy to get the consumer bonded with the brand forever. All us of know in any service brand it is sheer experience that one comes across clinches the consumer and therefore it is crucial to keep the service and product offerings to highest level to retain the loyalist and win new customers.
Forceful communication definitely helps in building strong awareness and credibility for the brands to get the prospect into the consideration set. However in the final analysis it is the best deals, customer satisfaction, and peace of mind travel with unforgettable experiences will what keep the flag of the brand fluttering.
Factors that influence to decide the destination:
Most family household invariably decides on the dinning table with the rest of the members as to which foreign destination one should visit for their holidays. Since it is only while dining in the night the family come together and meet the decision is taken then and there and is unanimous. The women folks who constantly meet at kitty parities are another key influencers to use their meeting forum to chalk out their plan for going on a holiday abroad. Most of these women come from affluent and neo rich families who pester their husband to go once a year for an exotic holiday in groups. Typically the first time prospect is a bit more cautious. He or she seeks more knowledge from either friends or a neighbourhood travel company before deciding the destination and the travel operator. The power of word of mouth further plays a key role here. Discovering new places and new ways of leisure has also encouraged the new Indian consumer to visit places which offer spa, leisure sports, formulae one racing and adventure sports. While wearing the best labels and owning the best cars is one way of expressing your status in the society but visiting exotic foreign spots has now become a status statement amongst many corporates and entrepreneurs.
What is the brand differentiator ?
The travel brands like SOTC, Cox & Kings, and Thomas Cook with national presence have been aggressively marketing their brands with high decibel advertising. Interestingly most of these brands spend their major monies only through daily press with full-page colour advertisement shouting with all kind of discounts and offers. There is a very thin line of difference between them as the market is driven by price and the best deals the brand is offering. The campaign is very response oriented and with strong back end support to convert the phone calls which pour in non- stop when the campaign breaks. The electronic medium is used only as a support but it is press that has been dominating this category for many years. Since the prospect needs to know more about the tour details the use of television limits the brand. The advertising per says can hardly help in differentiating the brand unlike the impulse products. But the huge full page advertisement in colour in prominent position helps building some credibility to the brand by communicating to the audience that it is solid and reliable brand with wide network and strong international association.
The differentiation too comes from the product offerings and the value addition the brand is offering the consumer. Most of the brands have a wide choice of product offering starting from group tours, special senior citizen tours, women groups and customized travel tours. Importance is also given to food and cuisine so that the traveller enjoys his holidays without missing his dhoklas, rotis, puris and idlis as special chefs are appointed to cook the delicious Indian recipes at the destinations.
Infact some of the brands offer separate Jain groups for the 100% vegetarian customers. The little extras that come as a surprise plays a very key role in choosing a particular brand. Even the type of escort or guide for the tour can help in having a cutting edge to differentiate the brand. Companies tries and attract young couples with candle light dinner in Switzerland or Niagara water falls for special honeymoon packages. One company did attract by tying up with some reputed TV celebrities to be part of the group tour there by feeling elated with company of the celebrities. Even some reputed brands offer special golf holidays. While your wife goes shopping you can just enjoy an exciting game of golf in some of the best golf courses. But in the end in this category where human touch and service is of essence the brand will be known and get favourable only after traveller’s experience, especially amongst the first time traveller.
Customer expectations from travel brand:
The Indian consumer has become very savvy and has raised the expectation bars
when it comes to planning his travel. Some of the key product features that the traveller closely examines should not have any surprises. For e.g. after reaching the destination the star or grade of the hotels should not be different from what was mentioned when the booking was made. Must get complete value for money, which means A- Z converge of the itinerary and at the same time the sight seeing and visits should not be crammed. And finally must have some time for relaxation during the tour, which will help him get his battery recharged before he returns back.
If the brand is able to meet the traveller’s expectations, which mostly happen only after the first experience with brand, then he or she is likely to stay with the brand. For some reasons the brand did not live up to the expectation the consumer will look at alternative options like online or may be personally handle the travel on his own. In this category the first time experience for the first time traveller is very important as that will ultimately clinch the preference towards the brand and at the same the traveller will act as a strong testimonial to promote the brand through word of mouth to his friends and relatives. Hence it is important for the travel company to handle the first time traveller with kid gloves so that the experience one counters is memorable and filled with fun and joy to get the consumer bonded with the brand forever. All us of know in any service brand it is sheer experience that one comes across clinches the consumer and therefore it is crucial to keep the service and product offerings to highest level to retain the loyalist and win new customers.
Forceful communication definitely helps in building strong awareness and credibility for the brands to get the prospect into the consideration set. However in the final analysis it is the best deals, customer satisfaction, and peace of mind travel with unforgettable experiences will what keep the flag of the brand fluttering.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Emergency Contraceptive Pill ?
Few years back I had met India's leading gynaecologist Dr.Sadhna Desai to launch a 24 hour helpline to promote Emergency Contraceptive. The sole objective of this helpline was to only educate the young girls and women through the helpline and give them valuable advise. The help line was managed by a team of doctor professionals to keep a check on India's alarming population. It was a powerful concept but since this was promoted by FOGSI the doctors association practising gynaecology in India they did not have enough funds and support the launch the helpline full hog. The association was not connected with any brand but it was more or less a prescription based method that they were following
Today the concept of emergency contraceptives are marketed like cough syrup as an OTC brand. While there are several articles that are coming out in various magazines about these new brands of emergency contraceptives strongly supported by mass media advertisements can lead to problem if the pill is not taken under doctors advise. There are too many ifs and buts on the side effects and efficacy of the brand as most of the advertisement and literature carries some notes in fine prints to warn the customers . But do the patients or customers really pay attention to this ? Since the anxious patient or customer has done a blunder( Jawani Ki Bhool ) and want to have quick fix solution at the spur of the moment they ignore the dangers and after effects of the pill
How foolproof is the pill ? It is therefore very imperative for the brands and the companies to very strongly educate and insist that the patient or the customer visit a gynaecologist to rule out any further complication and get a reassurance from the doctors after popping the pill. The patient need to be physically examined to avoid any problems in the future .
Today the concept of emergency contraceptives are marketed like cough syrup as an OTC brand. While there are several articles that are coming out in various magazines about these new brands of emergency contraceptives strongly supported by mass media advertisements can lead to problem if the pill is not taken under doctors advise. There are too many ifs and buts on the side effects and efficacy of the brand as most of the advertisement and literature carries some notes in fine prints to warn the customers . But do the patients or customers really pay attention to this ? Since the anxious patient or customer has done a blunder( Jawani Ki Bhool ) and want to have quick fix solution at the spur of the moment they ignore the dangers and after effects of the pill
How foolproof is the pill ? It is therefore very imperative for the brands and the companies to very strongly educate and insist that the patient or the customer visit a gynaecologist to rule out any further complication and get a reassurance from the doctors after popping the pill. The patient need to be physically examined to avoid any problems in the future .
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