Every brand tries to create some unique tune which will go well with its brand and is used for a lifetime in every communication of the brand. How many of us know that our own country India has a brand tune Jana Gana Mana….The tune is so powerful and emotional even without reciting the words people can hum it. I cannot put a figure as to how many of them would know this but most out of the 1 billion population would be able to relate this tune. One of the greatest film done by the government of India to promote national integration based on ONE TUNE ( Mile Sure Mera….using raga bharavi )is a classic example of how a great tune can infuse freshness ,energy and unite the entire country with that song and tune.
Today the tunes are being made contemporary by keeping the essence of the tune. In the same way we have we have companies producing brand tunes for several FMCG, Consumer durables ,telecoms and several other products in different space which are consumer facing.
Some of the memorable brand tunes that easily comes to mind is from Britannia, Titan, Nokia, Lifebuoy, and Boroline to a name a few. Once the tunes become popular it is hummed by the people because of its popularity, as years go by. A lot of thought is pumped in to get the right tune by spending day and night with the music composer the creative team and the client to create this. It is very similar to suggesting a brand name or designing a logo or identity for any brand.
In the last few years ever since the telecom boom started most service providers ensured that they created a great ring tone or brand tune to beat the overcrowded market. Each brand starting from Airtel, Vodafone, Idea, Aircel and Reliance tried their best to bring out memorable tunes to stand tall in a rapidly growing telecom market.
What goes in creating great tunes?
There is no rocket science involved in this it is pure common sense. The tune basically originates or takes birth to a large extent from the values that the brand is attached with, like the personality of the brand, who are we targeting and from the product offerings. Fundamentally when tunes are developed it is kept in mind that it should be from the long term point of view and should work as an important property for the brand. The tune should be catchy, memorable and powerful that people are able to easily connect and relate with product and brand. The think tank which works on a tune invariably will try to bring some differentiators to break the clutter .This could be by either using a different instrument, choice of words and the mood that one is planning to communicate from the tune for the brand.
Advantage of creating a tune:
By creating a unique or refreshing tune you try to catch the consumer’s attention on the first go. While tunes play a very significant role in enhancing the brand or product but it will work well only when it blends well with the overall communication that we want to tell the audience about the product. Hence one should not purely focus on this but see how it can be weaved with the product. Once the tunes get popular and it sinks in to the consumers mind all you need is to retain the key elements of the tune to make it as the brand property. Titan has this great tune based on Mozart. Initially this original tune was used for all their advertisements but as the brand progressed and brand extensions were launched the tune was made contemporary to fit into the new products that the company was launching. The brand is 22 years old but the basic tune and the essence of the tune stays intact. Finally the most memorable tune helps your brand to beat the clutter and create some differentiation in a very crowded market to gain some share of voice. Also most companies keep in mind to create the tune and keep the words very simple so that in a country like India it is able to reach the breadth and length of the country. At times you may spot tunes are changed according to the region but by and large brands don’t deviate from sticking to one as it is not so easy to get the regional flavor that easily.
Types of Tunes:
Tunes can be classified one for the product or brand and the other one could be for the mother brand or for the corporate. For example the tune which comes in the end for the brand Britannia is a classic example of corporate brand sign off tune. Titan tune is the one which goes into all their products. It is modified depending on the mood and the personality of the product. The Nokia tune or ring tone is a very good example of brand tune and the same is true with Vodafone, Airtel and Reliance Infocom. Over a period of time this ring tone has become the corporate tune for the brand. Brands have capitalized these tunes very well by using them in their ads and also as the ring tone that can be used by their customers. By doing this it has increased the reach and exposure for the brand. Tunes also make brand ambassadors popular. In the case of Airtel A.R.Rehman who composed the tune became so popular that people knew that the tune was composed by him. Similarly the pug in Vodafone also became famous with the tune. Moment the tune was played the pug came top of mind even without aiding the customer.
Memorable tunes become the brand property:
Some of the tunes that many brands have are so popular are created many decades back. Today you just play the tune and the brand connect happens easily with the consumer. Titan watches, Lifebuoy and Boroline tunes are some of them which have been there for quite some time. All these brands have very cleverly used their tunes and made it more contemporary by still keeping the essence of the tune. Today the tunes of these brands have become a key property of the brand. Even without any visuals attached to it the consumer is able to connect with the brand. More and more brands try and get an everlasting tune for their brand. But very few of them are patient to keep this as a long term property for the brand. Nirma washing powder is another brand which is still using their tune for years and in fact scared surf and wheel by arresting their growth two decades back when they took the market by storm. Great tune is what provides that extra embellishment to any jingle or song. Hence one needs to really sweat and work hard to crack the tune to express it creatively and ensure that it is path breaking.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Travel brands captializing on the online media
I have been associated with tourism brands for over a decade and have worked very closely with them. It is always very challenging for us to promote India to the other parts of the world but small countries such as Malaysia and Singapore who did some aggressive advertising few years back in India to promote their country have gone slow on the mass media front but have still managed to get a sizable amount of traffic to their country. On the mass media front they are working closely with the travel companies in India as well as partnering travel portals to create visibility of their brand. While they are using mass media to promote their brand but more emphasis has been given to co-marketing efforts with the travel operators in India. Look how they have changed their strategy and used the online medium to their advantage.
The Internet as a medium is becoming more powerful, popular and as a result more wannabe tourists are now using online to cull out more information before closing their decision about a particular tourist spot in a foreign land. While advertising and branding gets a particular destination into the consideration set, it is online information and online PR that has been helping many tourists today to narrow their decision. The efforts of travel aggregator and views from other online information have also been playing a very key role for many potential tourists from today’s generation to make up their mind.
Going to any alien place may be for first time or otherwise tend to bring some insecurity for any tourist. In the past the tourist use to totally rely on the tour operator and the brochure given by them. This fear has now been replaced by Social media and online PR and people are more diligently using this new medium to get all the right information before they board a flight to explore a new tourist spot in the foreign land.
The Internet as a medium is becoming more powerful, popular and as a result more wannabe tourists are now using online to cull out more information before closing their decision about a particular tourist spot in a foreign land. While advertising and branding gets a particular destination into the consideration set, it is online information and online PR that has been helping many tourists today to narrow their decision. The efforts of travel aggregator and views from other online information have also been playing a very key role for many potential tourists from today’s generation to make up their mind.
Going to any alien place may be for first time or otherwise tend to bring some insecurity for any tourist. In the past the tourist use to totally rely on the tour operator and the brochure given by them. This fear has now been replaced by Social media and online PR and people are more diligently using this new medium to get all the right information before they board a flight to explore a new tourist spot in the foreign land.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Think 360 - To launch a complete MAKEOVER OF YOUR BRAND
Different people and books have different definition as to what a logo or a brand identity means to a company. The role of a logo or a brand identity is to keep the brand alive in the consumers mind.
So let’s understand when a company goes for a change in their identity:
- Launching a brand new corporate identity to change the image of the company
- A change in the name of the company and its values
- Change in management and wants to propel new strategic signals
- Acquisitions and mergers
- Bring freshness in the design as the current identity looks obsolete
- Diversification in business
One can quote many examples as to why companies go for a makeover. But having said that most corporate and companies want to tell the world through PR that we have changed our identity and share the vision and its new values of the company. Well it definitely sounds interesting but will it create ripples in the consumers mind? To me the answer is no. So what will work? The entire communication strategy has to be well orchestrated 360 degree effort to instill the change in name or the logo in the desired audience’s mind. PR in isolation may not create the desired impact but PR with strong mass media campaign and internal communication will work wonders for the brand. The most refreshing example which still stands tall in my mind is the launch of Axis Bank. Today we don’t see much of their campaign but Axis bank has become a familiar bank name both with their current clientele and the future prospects.
PR played a very significant role as some kind of noise was made that the Bank is going for a change in their branding and positioning initially. Finally weaved Public Relations, Direct Marketing, Internal communication etc. magnificently with the mainstream campaign to build the desired noise levels and register with the right target audience.
A word of caution. When it comes to corporate identity think 360 and don’t attempt any short cuts to accomplish your ambition. Remember you are launching the face of the brand which should be remembered for many years and help consumers connect with the brand easily.
So let’s understand when a company goes for a change in their identity:
- Launching a brand new corporate identity to change the image of the company
- A change in the name of the company and its values
- Change in management and wants to propel new strategic signals
- Acquisitions and mergers
- Bring freshness in the design as the current identity looks obsolete
- Diversification in business
One can quote many examples as to why companies go for a makeover. But having said that most corporate and companies want to tell the world through PR that we have changed our identity and share the vision and its new values of the company. Well it definitely sounds interesting but will it create ripples in the consumers mind? To me the answer is no. So what will work? The entire communication strategy has to be well orchestrated 360 degree effort to instill the change in name or the logo in the desired audience’s mind. PR in isolation may not create the desired impact but PR with strong mass media campaign and internal communication will work wonders for the brand. The most refreshing example which still stands tall in my mind is the launch of Axis Bank. Today we don’t see much of their campaign but Axis bank has become a familiar bank name both with their current clientele and the future prospects.
PR played a very significant role as some kind of noise was made that the Bank is going for a change in their branding and positioning initially. Finally weaved Public Relations, Direct Marketing, Internal communication etc. magnificently with the mainstream campaign to build the desired noise levels and register with the right target audience.
A word of caution. When it comes to corporate identity think 360 and don’t attempt any short cuts to accomplish your ambition. Remember you are launching the face of the brand which should be remembered for many years and help consumers connect with the brand easily.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Checklist for PR Professional
1. Preparation of written public relations programme.
2. Development of good working relations with the press, including
newspapers, magazines, trade journals, radio and television stations and other media.
3. Regular dissemination of professionally written news and feature stories to
all media, reporting significant scientific or commercial developments, human interest stories, financial news, company organizational changes, visits of executive and scientific personnel, etc.
4. Holding press conferences, professionally arranged and conducted, when
the company has news of genuine importance to release.
5. Developing a comprehensive selection of first class photographs of
company manufacturing plants, research laboratories, administrative offices, management had scientific personnel.
6. Publication of a first class company house organ, including where
circumstances warrant it, separate editions or divisional bulletins for major subsidiaries or branch offices.
7. Producing one or more films on commercial subjects to assist in reaching
a wide audience with the company’s story, including careful planning of the distribution of film prints to achieve maximum circulation.
8. Preparing exhibits and displays for institutional public relations purposes
as well as for the merchandising of products.
9. Development of slides and slide films as well as posters and other visual
devices to help convey an important commercial o public relations message.
(a) Tape recordings and records should also be considered in this general area of activity.
10. Maintaining regular, friendly contact with a variety of organizations and
special groups whose members can have special influence on the success or failure of the company’s operations:
(a) Employees – through the use of company magazines, management letters,
discussion meetings, films, bulletin boards, exhibits and reading racks, pay envelope leaflets and special brochures, open house for employees and their families.
(b) Civic and service organizations – Lions and Rotary Clubs; chambers of
commerce and other local associations; labour unions, religious groups; political clubs; health and welfare organization; sports and culture associations.
(c) Business groups – customers, investors, dealers and suppliers; industry
trade associations; other business groups.
(d) Educational institutions – maintaining contact with, and providing
scholarships and other assistance to, a broad range of educational institutions.
(e) Government relations – maintaining regular contact with government
agencies and legislators at the national, state and local level.
(f) Community relations – doing your part as a good corporate citizen in
every local plant and office community in which the company operates by carrying out forward-looking policies in the area of wages, employee benefits, good working conditions, steady employment and proper safety measures.
(g) Beyond that, contributing reasonable amounts to local charitable, civic and
cultural programmes, and encouraging your employees to take part in various aspects of community life.
11. Engaging in a broad range of special projects designed to increase
knowledge and acceptance of the company – open house and plant tours; special visits by journalists, legislators and community leaders; publication of a newsletter for opinion leaders; development of the speakers’ bureau; dissemination of various printed materials about the company, ranging from small leaflets to booklets discussing certain subjects in depth; carrying on a program of institutional or public relations advertising.
12. Engaging in a range of public services which might include: contributions
in a disaster situation; assistance in government studies; public information programmes, contributing equipment, medicine and funds to rural groups, organizing and helping to staff useful welfare centres in a poor community.
2. Development of good working relations with the press, including
newspapers, magazines, trade journals, radio and television stations and other media.
3. Regular dissemination of professionally written news and feature stories to
all media, reporting significant scientific or commercial developments, human interest stories, financial news, company organizational changes, visits of executive and scientific personnel, etc.
4. Holding press conferences, professionally arranged and conducted, when
the company has news of genuine importance to release.
5. Developing a comprehensive selection of first class photographs of
company manufacturing plants, research laboratories, administrative offices, management had scientific personnel.
6. Publication of a first class company house organ, including where
circumstances warrant it, separate editions or divisional bulletins for major subsidiaries or branch offices.
7. Producing one or more films on commercial subjects to assist in reaching
a wide audience with the company’s story, including careful planning of the distribution of film prints to achieve maximum circulation.
8. Preparing exhibits and displays for institutional public relations purposes
as well as for the merchandising of products.
9. Development of slides and slide films as well as posters and other visual
devices to help convey an important commercial o public relations message.
(a) Tape recordings and records should also be considered in this general area of activity.
10. Maintaining regular, friendly contact with a variety of organizations and
special groups whose members can have special influence on the success or failure of the company’s operations:
(a) Employees – through the use of company magazines, management letters,
discussion meetings, films, bulletin boards, exhibits and reading racks, pay envelope leaflets and special brochures, open house for employees and their families.
(b) Civic and service organizations – Lions and Rotary Clubs; chambers of
commerce and other local associations; labour unions, religious groups; political clubs; health and welfare organization; sports and culture associations.
(c) Business groups – customers, investors, dealers and suppliers; industry
trade associations; other business groups.
(d) Educational institutions – maintaining contact with, and providing
scholarships and other assistance to, a broad range of educational institutions.
(e) Government relations – maintaining regular contact with government
agencies and legislators at the national, state and local level.
(f) Community relations – doing your part as a good corporate citizen in
every local plant and office community in which the company operates by carrying out forward-looking policies in the area of wages, employee benefits, good working conditions, steady employment and proper safety measures.
(g) Beyond that, contributing reasonable amounts to local charitable, civic and
cultural programmes, and encouraging your employees to take part in various aspects of community life.
11. Engaging in a broad range of special projects designed to increase
knowledge and acceptance of the company – open house and plant tours; special visits by journalists, legislators and community leaders; publication of a newsletter for opinion leaders; development of the speakers’ bureau; dissemination of various printed materials about the company, ranging from small leaflets to booklets discussing certain subjects in depth; carrying on a program of institutional or public relations advertising.
12. Engaging in a range of public services which might include: contributions
in a disaster situation; assistance in government studies; public information programmes, contributing equipment, medicine and funds to rural groups, organizing and helping to staff useful welfare centres in a poor community.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
PR Works if you deliver.
Few years back State Bank of India (SBI) unleashed a new advertising campaign to change the image of the bank and infuse some freshness to the brand. The campaign was around the theme “FULL OF SURPRISES”. Huge money was spent and somewhere I was not sure if the tone and manner of the communication connected with the Bank. Obviously good visibility was created as huge money was pumped in. The poignant part was the agency that created the campaign was in a hurry, to overnight change the image of a PSU bank which to me was a distant dream. A more down to earth campaign with a bit of emotion perhaps could have helped the bank in building the brand especially when PSU’s looked advertising more as an expenditure and not as an investment to build their brand.
The Bank revisited the strategy and came out with new and innovative and competitive products to woo customers. This was supported by some advertising to sell their various products. I also saw a change in the leadership of the bank and in came Mr.O.P.Bhatt to manage this big financial ship with great ambitions. Mr. Bhatt defined new goals for SBI and re defined banking in the category with speed and aggression and stood tall amongst all private banks when he delivered the goods in a very tough and tight market conditions.
Initially I did not see much of Mr. Bhatt in media nor had I heard about him. This is where Mr. Bhatt demonstrated the true leadership by first delivering value to clients and corporate and then talk to media. And once he did this there was no looking back and he was the cynosure of media or any commerce body in the country. PR here worked very well for SBI and Mr.Bhat because he delivered consistently and followed his goals and objectives in the most systematic manner that each time one picked up the new paper we could see SBI achieving their milestones and was always amidst some important news across the country.
Today SBI has been able to dictate the market with their aggressive and innovative approach and is seen has a brand not only to reckon in India but also in the overseas market.
And Shri.O.P. Bhatt has become the thought leader in the banking space and his bank has once again emerged as the best bank against all odd.
The Bank revisited the strategy and came out with new and innovative and competitive products to woo customers. This was supported by some advertising to sell their various products. I also saw a change in the leadership of the bank and in came Mr.O.P.Bhatt to manage this big financial ship with great ambitions. Mr. Bhatt defined new goals for SBI and re defined banking in the category with speed and aggression and stood tall amongst all private banks when he delivered the goods in a very tough and tight market conditions.
Initially I did not see much of Mr. Bhatt in media nor had I heard about him. This is where Mr. Bhatt demonstrated the true leadership by first delivering value to clients and corporate and then talk to media. And once he did this there was no looking back and he was the cynosure of media or any commerce body in the country. PR here worked very well for SBI and Mr.Bhat because he delivered consistently and followed his goals and objectives in the most systematic manner that each time one picked up the new paper we could see SBI achieving their milestones and was always amidst some important news across the country.
Today SBI has been able to dictate the market with their aggressive and innovative approach and is seen has a brand not only to reckon in India but also in the overseas market.
And Shri.O.P. Bhatt has become the thought leader in the banking space and his bank has once again emerged as the best bank against all odd.
Monday, July 6, 2009
The evolution of TITAN WATCHES.
The birth of Titan:
The Indian watch market for a long time was ruled by the public sector giant HMT watches. Indian consumer had very few choices starting from imported watches and other local brands like Timestar and Camy watches. The choices were limited for the Indian consumer and there was a strong need for large range of watches for the consumer to explore. The Indian consumer looked at watch more of a functional value of just seeing the time but watch was not seen as lifestyle brand. At his point of time Titan unveiled their good looking watches exactly 22 years back and launched their collection of world class watches on a Baishaki day in all major cities. This is the beginning of the Titan story and success still continues as the brand has become a household name in watches. Today the equity of the brand is so strong that the company has extended it to jewellery and eye care space in the retail market.
What aided the success of Titan?
Titan entered the market when it was just opening up and there was a need for an alternative brand with more advanced world class technology. While HMT was primarily known for its automatic and hand wound watches Titan bought in the quartz technology to India. HMT also did introduce quartz but Titan offered the consumer a larger collection and to begin with over 150 collection of watches for men and women. Titan also leveraged the name of TATA’s in the beginning so that the trust factor was established amongst consumer. They had to do this as one of their watch brands Hegde and Golay was not well received in the market and hence this time around the trust factor was of paramount importance. The major success that attributed for Titan was they took the positioning of an International watch and delivered that promise with great designs and good looking watches. This was of course supported by a strong product, distribution, marketing and advertising strategy which has positioned the brand as the undisputed king in this category.
Unique Product Strategy:
Here the strategy was simple. The consumer had a wide choice both in terms of style and design. This was backed by good pricing so consumer did not move away after looking at the watches. To begin with they had 4 four brands i.e. Classique, Spectra, Exacta and Fastrack. But over a period of time they kept on introducing new range to entice the Indian consumer. The consumer never got bored of visiting a Titan shop as each time he decides to buy a watch and goes to a Titan shop he or she was always surprised to see fresh, fascinating and innovative designs. This constant introduction of new design gave the brand a good outlook in the consumers mind. The product mix of designs were so varied that the consumer had a wider choice to choose from. Each sub brands showcased a wide variety of style and design.
Innovative Product Distribution:
Titan introduced some innovation even in their distribution strategy. Conventionally in the past watches were sold in traditional markets like D.N.Road in Mumbai or Radha Bazar in Kolkatta where most watch dealers were located. While Titan was available at these dealers the company went beyond to increase the reach for the brand. From traditional outlets they made watches available in places like fashion boutiques etc to showcase their products. Another great step that Titan took was to open Titan Shops and franchisee and changed the way watch was retailed earlier. Very careful planning has gone in choosing the locations of these outlets and utmost care was taken to design the outlets with good taste and ambience keep in mind the values attached to the brand.
This really built the brand’s credibility as the place also offered strong after sales service.
Service was another factor that Titan took keen interest. Since the concept of quartz was new there was the fear amongst the people that it was fragile and how would I get my watch repaired. This was cleverly addressed through their Titan Shops so that customers could get their watch serviced with genuine parts with complete reassurance.
Thoughtful Product Marketing:
The successful marketing of Titan came through their products by launching a wide range with world class designs. Their focus was to move people from buying imported watches to Titan which they did by showcasing good looking watches. The pricing and design was also perfectly matched to address various audiences across the pop strata.
People were always eagerly looking for fresh designs from Titan. One such product was the Moon face watch which caught the eyes of many people. Raga was another brand extension that was introduced by Titan to attract lot of women buyers. Some collector’s item with limited edition like the Jawaharlal Nehru watch, Times watch were other notable innovation in terms of design that was introduced by Titan from time to time to be noticed in the market. To keep pace with the consumer tastes and fashion trends Titan kept on innovating with new designs. Nebula, Titanium, Fastrack (with a sporty look design and later on with fashion oriented sun glasses) Sonata (for the masses). Their mantra was to keep speed with the taste and attitudes of the new modern Indian audience. Clever ideas were used to push pair watches by calling them the His and hers watches for couples. All this innovation catapulted the brand to newer heights and Titan was always in the consideration set of the consumer every time he or she thinks of buying a watch. What’s more the brand also entered the global market with great designs to meet the taste of the International customer. Titan also aggressively entered corporate gifting segment by making special watches for many corporates with company name inscribed in it. The company always looked for new avenues to increase their reach and presence on an ongoing basis.
Campaign Strategy:
The task was to entice and create aspiration amongst the watch buyers to look at Titan. Here the company capitalized on their great products by showcasing the products as the hero in all their communication. This really paid off as the customer could get a good feel and appearance of the product when it appeared in various media vehicles. The initial launch campaign always highlighted the products well. Even as time passed by and they tried to bring in some human element to break the monotony they did not sacrifice the presence of the products. The watches were well showcased and there was a good balance in each of their communication. Since color reproduction was not of good quality in the early stages care was taken to hand pick the publication to get reproduction. The end objective was to show the true / closest colors in their publicity campaign.
Tactical Promotional campaigns:
In the consumer durable category Titan has been one of the most valued brand .The brand has been very focused in their communication and hence their advertising maintained what they launched 20 years back. The brand maintained their desired perception of the most desirable watch to own or gift and truly positioned them as a world class brand. The tone and manner of the advertising has always been international and classy.
When Titan launched their initial communication people looked at the advertisement and rushed to the shops. The watches were admired but the buying decision was postponed as people already had a watch and everybody was looking the watch more as a functional one. Therefore there was a great challenge to overcome and Titan quickly seized this opportunity to run tactical campaign to woo people to own multiple watches. Campaigns were developed to talk to Parents to get a watch when the son graduates. Move loving husbands to buy watches as gifts for their wife instead of the traditional sarees. Push hand wound and automatic watch buyers to buy quartz by spelling out the benefits and educating them positively about the fears of quartz. Tactically running festive campaigns by plugging Titan in the gifting segment.
One must salute the Titan marketing team and its Advertising agency for having consistently creating great advertising which perfectly addresses the values of the brand. Titan today is a brand which is known for its world class designs; dependability and strong service back up. The advertising campaign has been delivering all this values by retaining the core essence of the brand. The great background music of the Morzat is still the most memorable one which dates back almost 20 years. The music is so engraved in people’s mind that one can easily relate the music with Titan. In fact during the initial launch when the personality of the brand was defined then Titan was connected with Rajiv Gandhi and HMT with Mahatma Gandhi. Titan was seen has international and contemporary while HMT was looked upon as fuddy duddy and old fashioned. Even today the campaign is maintaining great consistency that even when they selected their brand ambassador they ensured that it was a perfect fit. Amir Khan is the brand ambassador and the campaign around him has been smartly developed with a perfect balance between Amir and the product features.
Success continues:
Titan rewrote the watch industry. HMT a household name in 70’s happened to be too complacent and were not able to combat Titan and in the bargain succumbed to the aggressive marketing by Titan. But Titan also had a very clear ambition that they wanted to be seen beyond watches by moving to fashion space and cleverly entered the jewellery market and the eye care market. The mantra was very clear for the brand and that is to give world class products in the fashion space. And the brand has been supported with some good advertising and excellent customer service. I think this is just a beginning and we will see more brand ideas from this watch giant. What is more creditable is that all this has been accomplished in a span of two decades.
The Indian watch market for a long time was ruled by the public sector giant HMT watches. Indian consumer had very few choices starting from imported watches and other local brands like Timestar and Camy watches. The choices were limited for the Indian consumer and there was a strong need for large range of watches for the consumer to explore. The Indian consumer looked at watch more of a functional value of just seeing the time but watch was not seen as lifestyle brand. At his point of time Titan unveiled their good looking watches exactly 22 years back and launched their collection of world class watches on a Baishaki day in all major cities. This is the beginning of the Titan story and success still continues as the brand has become a household name in watches. Today the equity of the brand is so strong that the company has extended it to jewellery and eye care space in the retail market.
What aided the success of Titan?
Titan entered the market when it was just opening up and there was a need for an alternative brand with more advanced world class technology. While HMT was primarily known for its automatic and hand wound watches Titan bought in the quartz technology to India. HMT also did introduce quartz but Titan offered the consumer a larger collection and to begin with over 150 collection of watches for men and women. Titan also leveraged the name of TATA’s in the beginning so that the trust factor was established amongst consumer. They had to do this as one of their watch brands Hegde and Golay was not well received in the market and hence this time around the trust factor was of paramount importance. The major success that attributed for Titan was they took the positioning of an International watch and delivered that promise with great designs and good looking watches. This was of course supported by a strong product, distribution, marketing and advertising strategy which has positioned the brand as the undisputed king in this category.
Unique Product Strategy:
Here the strategy was simple. The consumer had a wide choice both in terms of style and design. This was backed by good pricing so consumer did not move away after looking at the watches. To begin with they had 4 four brands i.e. Classique, Spectra, Exacta and Fastrack. But over a period of time they kept on introducing new range to entice the Indian consumer. The consumer never got bored of visiting a Titan shop as each time he decides to buy a watch and goes to a Titan shop he or she was always surprised to see fresh, fascinating and innovative designs. This constant introduction of new design gave the brand a good outlook in the consumers mind. The product mix of designs were so varied that the consumer had a wider choice to choose from. Each sub brands showcased a wide variety of style and design.
Innovative Product Distribution:
Titan introduced some innovation even in their distribution strategy. Conventionally in the past watches were sold in traditional markets like D.N.Road in Mumbai or Radha Bazar in Kolkatta where most watch dealers were located. While Titan was available at these dealers the company went beyond to increase the reach for the brand. From traditional outlets they made watches available in places like fashion boutiques etc to showcase their products. Another great step that Titan took was to open Titan Shops and franchisee and changed the way watch was retailed earlier. Very careful planning has gone in choosing the locations of these outlets and utmost care was taken to design the outlets with good taste and ambience keep in mind the values attached to the brand.
This really built the brand’s credibility as the place also offered strong after sales service.
Service was another factor that Titan took keen interest. Since the concept of quartz was new there was the fear amongst the people that it was fragile and how would I get my watch repaired. This was cleverly addressed through their Titan Shops so that customers could get their watch serviced with genuine parts with complete reassurance.
Thoughtful Product Marketing:
The successful marketing of Titan came through their products by launching a wide range with world class designs. Their focus was to move people from buying imported watches to Titan which they did by showcasing good looking watches. The pricing and design was also perfectly matched to address various audiences across the pop strata.
People were always eagerly looking for fresh designs from Titan. One such product was the Moon face watch which caught the eyes of many people. Raga was another brand extension that was introduced by Titan to attract lot of women buyers. Some collector’s item with limited edition like the Jawaharlal Nehru watch, Times watch were other notable innovation in terms of design that was introduced by Titan from time to time to be noticed in the market. To keep pace with the consumer tastes and fashion trends Titan kept on innovating with new designs. Nebula, Titanium, Fastrack (with a sporty look design and later on with fashion oriented sun glasses) Sonata (for the masses). Their mantra was to keep speed with the taste and attitudes of the new modern Indian audience. Clever ideas were used to push pair watches by calling them the His and hers watches for couples. All this innovation catapulted the brand to newer heights and Titan was always in the consideration set of the consumer every time he or she thinks of buying a watch. What’s more the brand also entered the global market with great designs to meet the taste of the International customer. Titan also aggressively entered corporate gifting segment by making special watches for many corporates with company name inscribed in it. The company always looked for new avenues to increase their reach and presence on an ongoing basis.
Campaign Strategy:
The task was to entice and create aspiration amongst the watch buyers to look at Titan. Here the company capitalized on their great products by showcasing the products as the hero in all their communication. This really paid off as the customer could get a good feel and appearance of the product when it appeared in various media vehicles. The initial launch campaign always highlighted the products well. Even as time passed by and they tried to bring in some human element to break the monotony they did not sacrifice the presence of the products. The watches were well showcased and there was a good balance in each of their communication. Since color reproduction was not of good quality in the early stages care was taken to hand pick the publication to get reproduction. The end objective was to show the true / closest colors in their publicity campaign.
Tactical Promotional campaigns:
In the consumer durable category Titan has been one of the most valued brand .The brand has been very focused in their communication and hence their advertising maintained what they launched 20 years back. The brand maintained their desired perception of the most desirable watch to own or gift and truly positioned them as a world class brand. The tone and manner of the advertising has always been international and classy.
When Titan launched their initial communication people looked at the advertisement and rushed to the shops. The watches were admired but the buying decision was postponed as people already had a watch and everybody was looking the watch more as a functional one. Therefore there was a great challenge to overcome and Titan quickly seized this opportunity to run tactical campaign to woo people to own multiple watches. Campaigns were developed to talk to Parents to get a watch when the son graduates. Move loving husbands to buy watches as gifts for their wife instead of the traditional sarees. Push hand wound and automatic watch buyers to buy quartz by spelling out the benefits and educating them positively about the fears of quartz. Tactically running festive campaigns by plugging Titan in the gifting segment.
One must salute the Titan marketing team and its Advertising agency for having consistently creating great advertising which perfectly addresses the values of the brand. Titan today is a brand which is known for its world class designs; dependability and strong service back up. The advertising campaign has been delivering all this values by retaining the core essence of the brand. The great background music of the Morzat is still the most memorable one which dates back almost 20 years. The music is so engraved in people’s mind that one can easily relate the music with Titan. In fact during the initial launch when the personality of the brand was defined then Titan was connected with Rajiv Gandhi and HMT with Mahatma Gandhi. Titan was seen has international and contemporary while HMT was looked upon as fuddy duddy and old fashioned. Even today the campaign is maintaining great consistency that even when they selected their brand ambassador they ensured that it was a perfect fit. Amir Khan is the brand ambassador and the campaign around him has been smartly developed with a perfect balance between Amir and the product features.
Success continues:
Titan rewrote the watch industry. HMT a household name in 70’s happened to be too complacent and were not able to combat Titan and in the bargain succumbed to the aggressive marketing by Titan. But Titan also had a very clear ambition that they wanted to be seen beyond watches by moving to fashion space and cleverly entered the jewellery market and the eye care market. The mantra was very clear for the brand and that is to give world class products in the fashion space. And the brand has been supported with some good advertising and excellent customer service. I think this is just a beginning and we will see more brand ideas from this watch giant. What is more creditable is that all this has been accomplished in a span of two decades.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Will fatigue hit viewer ship of WORLD CUP T -20?
Recently I happen to read in one of the column where the Master Blaster of Indian cricket mentioned that Viru and Gauti are going through fatigue. Will they therefore be able to deliver the power and energy as they are the much talked about world opening pair in the shorter and shortest version of the game? In that case even fatigue can kill or bring down the viewer ship of watching cricket on television. Interesting analogy let us dwell on this. What is more attention-grabbing is 90% of the inventory has already been sold by ESPN for the T- 20 world cup where big brands are going to pump good money to leverage their brands through this world cup. One answer to this could be India are the current world cup T-20 champions and in the world cup T-20 we have only one Indian team playing the tournament unlike the IPL league where the Indian cricketers are distributed across different clubs.
There is hardly any gap between the just concluded IPL -2 and the beginning of the T-20 world cup cricket. Getting back to form after some dismal performance by some of the players will tough challenge. Weather should not play a spoil sport as invariably the early part of June it is likely to rain constantly. ( Hope that does not happen ).Various statistics, research and comments from several experts clearly say that IPL 2 did not get the kind of viewer ship as compared to the inaugural tournament. How many of them really watched a complete match? The Indian flavor and razzmatazz at the ground were missing. But the broadcasters don’t agree as they strongly feel that the IPL 2 was a success. We could see the telecom brands dominate this IPL 2 and each brand had to display their creativity power to create an impact in a power packed set of advertisements that kept on appearing. Incidentally most advertisers also seemed to be happy for being present in IPL 2.
Now will the viewer ship dip the answer is yes and no. The initial matches may not fetch the high numbers but as the tournament progresses we will we observe the excitement catch up and if India does well the premium for spots for the penultimate rounds will just shoot up. The question of fatigue is debatable as the shorter version of the game is more of entertainment and less of cricket and with no great programs available marketers will find this has a safe bet. Also the multiplex issue and no big banner movies in the pipeline viewers will have no other choice but to be glued with the idiot box. With T-20 positioned more as ENTERTAINMENT the fatigue level will not creep in so hard. Its like watching the great SHOLAY umpteen number of times.
There is hardly any gap between the just concluded IPL -2 and the beginning of the T-20 world cup cricket. Getting back to form after some dismal performance by some of the players will tough challenge. Weather should not play a spoil sport as invariably the early part of June it is likely to rain constantly. ( Hope that does not happen ).Various statistics, research and comments from several experts clearly say that IPL 2 did not get the kind of viewer ship as compared to the inaugural tournament. How many of them really watched a complete match? The Indian flavor and razzmatazz at the ground were missing. But the broadcasters don’t agree as they strongly feel that the IPL 2 was a success. We could see the telecom brands dominate this IPL 2 and each brand had to display their creativity power to create an impact in a power packed set of advertisements that kept on appearing. Incidentally most advertisers also seemed to be happy for being present in IPL 2.
Now will the viewer ship dip the answer is yes and no. The initial matches may not fetch the high numbers but as the tournament progresses we will we observe the excitement catch up and if India does well the premium for spots for the penultimate rounds will just shoot up. The question of fatigue is debatable as the shorter version of the game is more of entertainment and less of cricket and with no great programs available marketers will find this has a safe bet. Also the multiplex issue and no big banner movies in the pipeline viewers will have no other choice but to be glued with the idiot box. With T-20 positioned more as ENTERTAINMENT the fatigue level will not creep in so hard. Its like watching the great SHOLAY umpteen number of times.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
POWER OF HUMOUR IN ADVERTISING
The role of humour dates back to many years when all of us used to view films like the Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy. These actors and characters really made all of us laugh when we sat and watched their movies. Even all our Hindi and regional movies in India always had a comedian to play a very important role and provide the movie a touch of humour to give the audience some fun and joy. Every Hindi movie had an actor like Mehmood, Jagdeep, Devan Verma or an Saran who played a very important role in making the movie entertaining and thrilling. The same strategy is used by many advertisers in India into their advertising to get noticed and stand out in the clutter with memorable humour which remains sticky in the viewers mind. In fact news papers like the Times of India have made every reader smile early morning with the R.K .Axeman‘s cartoon. Even individual personality or celebrity try and use humour to position themselves differently in the people’s mind. One such example that is top of mind is our Railway Minister Lalo Prasad Yadav. Shri Yadav has used humour so cleverly to attract audience. His witty and funny speeches and replies have positioned him differently amongst other politician. So humour as a tool has been a strong weapon for many brands to draw the customers attention.
Some Definition of Humour in Advertising:
Humour in dictionary means quality being amusing or comic but in advertising it is serious business. In advertising humour is more than just making a bunch of people laugh. Some of the best brands in India have leveraged humour to such an extent that the viewers look forward for newness in humour each time they a see a new commercial from that brand. To illustrate Fevicol has been one of those brands which have used humour so intelligently and subtly that it remains sticky in people’s mind. Here again one need to closely view the product and the category before applying humour to sell your product. According to David Ogilvy 30% of advertising is based on humour. Humour sells if used creatively with a strong idea and great execution. Claude Hopkins the father of modern advertising had a different view on this. He was of the opinion that people don’t buy from clowns. But in India over the last two decade humour has been drawing lot of attention for communicating your product. Also the conventional wisdom of thinking among our people is that when you buy products it should deliver some value and benefits. These could be nutritious for a health beverage, labor saving for a washing machine or a dishwasher.
Role of Humour:
With the more and more and channels mushrooming, clutter has become a significant problem for most brands. Hence to beat the clutter and break the ice humour has been used by many brands to answer the problem. Over a period of time humour has been proved to be one of the best techniques to keep the customer laughing and grab his attention with some sticky and creative idea. The proof of the pudding for any humour based advertising remains in forcing the audience watch, laugh and most importantly is able to recall the brand easily. Brands must ensure that if they are using humour to sell a product then the connect and the equity of the brand should not be diluted. According to some research humorous ads are recalled fast and easily and it also elevates the consumer’s happiness and mood. Finally humour captures the viewer’s attention, cuts through the ad clutter and enhances recall. If not crafted properly humour can also backfire at times.
Product and Brand connect:
It sometimes so happen that the joke in the advertisement is so powerful that the consumer tends to forget the brand. Hence it is important that there should be strong connect between the product and the humour that you are trying to convey. Pizza world ad showing a hosepipe being used to cool off some one who just had a spicy pizza is a good and relevant example which connects with the brand and really communicates that when you ask for a spicy pizza we deliver it with full pride. Understanding the nuances of the brand and the audience is very important. Over indulgence of humour can put down the audience and the brand if not executed in the right taste. The Amul undergarments ads which tried to use humour and sex to sell their brand never went off well with many consumers. The brand did get some publicity due to controversy but did not win the hearts of the target audience. Hence it is important to base your joke on the core values of the product and the service proposition the brand is offering. No product connect means no effectiveness. All these results in huge wastage of the marketing budget.
Types of Humour in advertising:
Humour can be classified broadly in to the following areas:
- Using a comedian: Here instead of building humour in the advertising one can use a comedian actor to promote the brand. Your choice of comedian has to match the values of the brand. One of the most memorable advertisements that have used a comedian well has been Charlie Chaplin for Cherry Blossom shoe polish. The most recent one in this space using an Indian comedian which has been noticeable and successful is Domino's Pizza who has plugged in Paresh Raval very cleverly.
- Capitalizing on the current topics :
Use the current hot topic in all walks of life which is funny, sticky, memorable and controversial. Amul butter has been doing these for several years. The advertising deployed has been very humorous and are always based on the current topics with tongue in cheek approach. People never get fatigue watching at the Amul ads. People eagerly wait for what Amul butter outdoor campaigns by constantly looking at the prime hoarding points where Amul butter is visible
- Strong idea based humour :
Here the strong creative idea is carefully blended with subtle humour. The case in example is Fevicol. The powerful idea with humour helps in beating the clutter. Centre Shock electric gum is another good example where a strong advertising idea (Idea sprung up from the product) with the help of humour helped in translating into a great piece of campaign. Saint goblin glass is another wonderful example of how humour has been used subtly. The restaurant advertisement (Where the water is thrown) created by the company is so refreshing that one never gets bored of viewing it.
Using the right type humour in advertising will be determined by clearly defining your objectives and positioning of your product. This supported with a strong idea will further help you to create good advertising which can be sticky and memorable for a long time.
Humour will help if it is relevant:
Mostly humour is used in products which is low in investment and which has high impulse purchase. (Candy, beer and mosquito repellents). One cannot totally generalize this, as consumer durable products have also used humour effectively. Humour may not work in category like condoms, sanitary napkins as these products need to explain the benefits of the product more clearly.Similarly cars and diamonds may also not use humour as the decision process to purchase is long.
Finally we need to remember that humorous campaigns are difficult to design and create.
Over exaggeration of humour may have negative effect on the brand? People may remember the joke but not the message and the brand. Can upset individuals if not done tastefully. Products can also flop and brand equity may erode.
While humour is a strong and interesting route to create a great advertising campaign, one must also keep in mind that the imagery, core values of the brand and the positioning does not deviate. If your positioning is perfect then humour with a great idea can do wonders for the brand.
Some Definition of Humour in Advertising:
Humour in dictionary means quality being amusing or comic but in advertising it is serious business. In advertising humour is more than just making a bunch of people laugh. Some of the best brands in India have leveraged humour to such an extent that the viewers look forward for newness in humour each time they a see a new commercial from that brand. To illustrate Fevicol has been one of those brands which have used humour so intelligently and subtly that it remains sticky in people’s mind. Here again one need to closely view the product and the category before applying humour to sell your product. According to David Ogilvy 30% of advertising is based on humour. Humour sells if used creatively with a strong idea and great execution. Claude Hopkins the father of modern advertising had a different view on this. He was of the opinion that people don’t buy from clowns. But in India over the last two decade humour has been drawing lot of attention for communicating your product. Also the conventional wisdom of thinking among our people is that when you buy products it should deliver some value and benefits. These could be nutritious for a health beverage, labor saving for a washing machine or a dishwasher.
Role of Humour:
With the more and more and channels mushrooming, clutter has become a significant problem for most brands. Hence to beat the clutter and break the ice humour has been used by many brands to answer the problem. Over a period of time humour has been proved to be one of the best techniques to keep the customer laughing and grab his attention with some sticky and creative idea. The proof of the pudding for any humour based advertising remains in forcing the audience watch, laugh and most importantly is able to recall the brand easily. Brands must ensure that if they are using humour to sell a product then the connect and the equity of the brand should not be diluted. According to some research humorous ads are recalled fast and easily and it also elevates the consumer’s happiness and mood. Finally humour captures the viewer’s attention, cuts through the ad clutter and enhances recall. If not crafted properly humour can also backfire at times.
Product and Brand connect:
It sometimes so happen that the joke in the advertisement is so powerful that the consumer tends to forget the brand. Hence it is important that there should be strong connect between the product and the humour that you are trying to convey. Pizza world ad showing a hosepipe being used to cool off some one who just had a spicy pizza is a good and relevant example which connects with the brand and really communicates that when you ask for a spicy pizza we deliver it with full pride. Understanding the nuances of the brand and the audience is very important. Over indulgence of humour can put down the audience and the brand if not executed in the right taste. The Amul undergarments ads which tried to use humour and sex to sell their brand never went off well with many consumers. The brand did get some publicity due to controversy but did not win the hearts of the target audience. Hence it is important to base your joke on the core values of the product and the service proposition the brand is offering. No product connect means no effectiveness. All these results in huge wastage of the marketing budget.
Types of Humour in advertising:
Humour can be classified broadly in to the following areas:
- Using a comedian: Here instead of building humour in the advertising one can use a comedian actor to promote the brand. Your choice of comedian has to match the values of the brand. One of the most memorable advertisements that have used a comedian well has been Charlie Chaplin for Cherry Blossom shoe polish. The most recent one in this space using an Indian comedian which has been noticeable and successful is Domino's Pizza who has plugged in Paresh Raval very cleverly.
- Capitalizing on the current topics :
Use the current hot topic in all walks of life which is funny, sticky, memorable and controversial. Amul butter has been doing these for several years. The advertising deployed has been very humorous and are always based on the current topics with tongue in cheek approach. People never get fatigue watching at the Amul ads. People eagerly wait for what Amul butter outdoor campaigns by constantly looking at the prime hoarding points where Amul butter is visible
- Strong idea based humour :
Here the strong creative idea is carefully blended with subtle humour. The case in example is Fevicol. The powerful idea with humour helps in beating the clutter. Centre Shock electric gum is another good example where a strong advertising idea (Idea sprung up from the product) with the help of humour helped in translating into a great piece of campaign. Saint goblin glass is another wonderful example of how humour has been used subtly. The restaurant advertisement (Where the water is thrown) created by the company is so refreshing that one never gets bored of viewing it.
Using the right type humour in advertising will be determined by clearly defining your objectives and positioning of your product. This supported with a strong idea will further help you to create good advertising which can be sticky and memorable for a long time.
Humour will help if it is relevant:
Mostly humour is used in products which is low in investment and which has high impulse purchase. (Candy, beer and mosquito repellents). One cannot totally generalize this, as consumer durable products have also used humour effectively. Humour may not work in category like condoms, sanitary napkins as these products need to explain the benefits of the product more clearly.Similarly cars and diamonds may also not use humour as the decision process to purchase is long.
Finally we need to remember that humorous campaigns are difficult to design and create.
Over exaggeration of humour may have negative effect on the brand? People may remember the joke but not the message and the brand. Can upset individuals if not done tastefully. Products can also flop and brand equity may erode.
While humour is a strong and interesting route to create a great advertising campaign, one must also keep in mind that the imagery, core values of the brand and the positioning does not deviate. If your positioning is perfect then humour with a great idea can do wonders for the brand.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
India needs young parliament
As the parliamentary elections are coming to a close I happen to connect some interesting analogy with cricket and soft drink. I have been a strong follower of cricket and cricket is almost a religion in this part of the country. Over the last 3 decades each time we infused young blood in our team the results have been different. It dates back to the 70’s when Pataudi and the Wadekars of the world were replaced by the Gavaskars and Vishwanth followed by the Kapils and the Azaaruddin followed by Ganguly, Sachin and Dravid and now the Dhoni’s and Yuvraj has produced results. The approach and thinking to the game has been totally different and we are able to see India climbing the ladder in the world in both of forms of cricket.
Even in the case of soft drinks they keep on changing and introducing energetic youth as brand icons with Pepsi being a very classical example. From Juhi Chawla to Dipika Padukone the brand has changed their strategy and tried not to move from the youthful positioning.
These are live examples that our voters should learn and understand that India needs a very young parliament. US already have demonstrated by electing Obama. We have the bench strength when it comes to youth but it is time we handover the baton to these young and bright parliamentarian to bring a change in the way we think.
Even in the early days in England their cricket team had a bunch of oldies some of them made their test debut at the age of 38 years but that is no longer happening. Today even they have a very youthful side. They have changed that theory. Why because youth is working and it is time we in India should also infuse young blood to Indian parliament to take our great country to the next level.
Even in the case of soft drinks they keep on changing and introducing energetic youth as brand icons with Pepsi being a very classical example. From Juhi Chawla to Dipika Padukone the brand has changed their strategy and tried not to move from the youthful positioning.
These are live examples that our voters should learn and understand that India needs a very young parliament. US already have demonstrated by electing Obama. We have the bench strength when it comes to youth but it is time we handover the baton to these young and bright parliamentarian to bring a change in the way we think.
Even in the early days in England their cricket team had a bunch of oldies some of them made their test debut at the age of 38 years but that is no longer happening. Today even they have a very youthful side. They have changed that theory. Why because youth is working and it is time we in India should also infuse young blood to Indian parliament to take our great country to the next level.
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