Read Between the Ps

Have been consistently inconsistent in blogging for while now; Would it would take a New year’s Resolution for me to be back to this forum again? Maybe…Maybe not . A bit of extra time would be just fine :). Guess, this is where most of the blogs lead to. Too much of thought and too much of dreaming. But little on execution. Incidentally, this place will NOT be like most of the blogs, and I am pretty sure about it. However, till the time I get into proving that part of the practical and actionable side of my thoughts, there ARE some great leaders, some living legends who have done it, and done it with some perfect finesse. So much so that they are now honored with the “ World’s best thinkers ” Awards People who have made a difference, people who belong to an elite class of thinkers, people who not only have thought about themselves, but have oriented the entire world by providing an altogether new dimension to their thinking, people…..who are probably underrated by being called “ pe...

If someone told you to keep a vegetable shop open 24 by 7 next to the busy bypass roads of Delhi, without a soul to guard it, and a tray kept for collections, even having change inside for the convenience of the customers, would you be interested? :) In all probability, you would mock at the idea itself or discard it as pure rubbish! Well, Delhi might be an extreme case, but most parts of the country would never function with a business model, that is based on unmanned shops for purchases. Surprisingly, such a model IS functioning in India currently, in the state of Mizoram, on the Aizawl-Champhai Highway . And not only is it working, it is expanding and scaling up, too! Just found this nice piece in the Hindustan Times – Keeperless shops . Interesting read – an interesting business model in Rural India there! Read the article to gain an insight into this business. Why and how is it possible to run this model, considering that poverty and honest means are perceived to be too difficul...

Was browsing through New York Times , when an article struck me – a new way to get voters to vote – by offering them incentives! According to the article , votes are being promoted as “lottery tickets” in Arizona , wherein a voter could win a million dollars by voting. They would be given ballot-cum-lottery tickets, which would be used for lottery post-elections. One lucky winner would get a million dollars , and many others would get 1000 dollars each! Funding would be done by the unclaimed amount of lottery winnings (around $2.7 million! ). Promoting “ very high odds ” as the underlying theme, this sort of promotion would definitely attract attention from majority of the population, who would not mind a “ free shot ” at the lottery. Meanwhile, they just have to go and vote alongside! One could argue that this is not a correct way of pulling voters, and that " socially conscious ” voters do not need such financial incentives. However, there was some convincing logic provided ...

Could you think of resolving the sectarian divide between Hindus and Muslims during partition in India through media? Could you make people conscious of the implications of the divide and the rationality behind it? Unfortunately, that did not happen... Probably, the awareness levels were never there…. probably, the resources were never there… or worst, probably the will was never there. But, if anyone believed that advertising is not a solution to religious conflicts and is ineffective, he needs to reconsider, and have a look at a small organization which is present in a small country called Lebanon, but is doing something that would make a difference to the larger part of the world. In a country, where every faction of social structure is based on your background, where intra-group affinity and inter-group animosity seems to be rising, where reservation is present in all domains of the political, economic and legal environment , sectarianism seems to be pervasive. This system...

"Then, a consumer wonders…. Is there is any place where I would not be noticed?? " Advertisers are no longer satisfied with the media they have for Ad exposures – the traditional media is history . Outdoor media is no longer restricted to billboards and road signs. Globally, the trend is changing. A few examples.. In Shanghai, China , a giant ship carrying an LED advertising board patrols the Huangpu River in Shanghai. According to a news item , " the LED board is 30 meters long and 8 meters high, more than half the size of a standard basketball court. During the sail, the board will display various ads. Currently it is mainly showing public service announcements, but the company is looking to sell time to commercial enterprises. " The medium has got mixed reaction from the public, with shopkeepers finding the bright light uncomfortable in the evening, while tourists are awed by the scenery. However, Even though there are complaints by the troubled shopkeepers, l...

Been ages since I wrote something. Something or the other kept me occupied. Am sure generations of blog-tourists would have come and gone. Though I have enough to self-justify for this absence, there’s no point in harping over it since it seems to be irrelevant and out of context at the place! A few days back, I came across an interesting piece in Pune Times that covered a rising trend – a trend that has entailed an emerging psychographic segment for the Tourism Industry – a trend that would evolve and be reinforced with the changing consumer mindset and maturing economy – a trend of women preferring to travel “solo” as independent tourists ! According to the article “ Go Solo! ”, Indian women are beginning to explore the country and outside on their own, in their own ways, on their own terms! “ TILL some time back single women exploring the world on their own was a rare thing. In a country like ours where holidaying with the family is a norm, traveling for pleasure was not somethin...

With rising consumer preferences, and emergence of more discerning consumers, marketers are revisiting their marketing and communication strategies. Shaping up a consumer’s mindset no longer seems to be an effective mode. Instead, higher consumer involvement in the early stages of Marketing activities seems to be the mantra in the marketing world of the future. In a recent article at imedia by Jim Nail , titled " The 4 Types of Engagement ", the future of advertising has been mapped to the consumer’s decision making process . The author discusses the various kinds of engagement and their corresponding implications. A proposed model based on a level of engagement suggests disbanding the traditional model of AIDA ( A ttention I nterest D esire A ction ) and incorporating Engagement Marketing instead. The AIDA model prescribes getting attention of the consumer, arousing interest in your brand, creating a desire for it, ultimately leading to Action (purchase) towards the bran...

It’s been a while since I wrote about something. Have a few pending subjects, but need to delve a bit more before I post them here. For now, I read about this interesting campaign at Ad Punch by McCann Ericksson for their client Nestle Romania (Brand Maggi). . This campaign recently got shortlisted for the Golden Drums Awards 2006 . The theme of the campaign reads ‘if only women spent less time cooking’ , and reflects the places women could reach, beyond the kitchen. Undoubtedly, very good execution, but the concept per se does not seem to be too appealing. For one, it reflects a strong gender stereotype. Though the creatives include popular male-dominated reflections like Godfather, Tarzan and Mount Rushmore , the “connect” is missing, somehow. How does spending less time in cooking relate to being Jane, or Godmother, or for that matter, the President of the United States? However, all said and done, it does entail a good recall and has a strong “entertainment” value , and is a we...

A new wave of telemarketing is getting a lot of attention in the Australian Mobile market and annoying a majority of mobile users in Australia. Termed as “Missed Call Marketing” , it is the practice of giving a missed call to mobile owner, who upon seeing the “missed call” notification would perceive it to be a legitimate call and ring back. On ringing the number, he/she would hear a recorded promotional message. Normally, telemarketing is done the other way round. This method, however, passes the cost of the call to the mobile owner, and leaves the choice of calling/hearing the promotional message with the owner itself. Thus, it is a marketing tactic which tries to shift the cost of a telemarketing call to the consumer – whether or not they want to hear about the promotion. There is a debate going on these days at various forums over the classification of ‘Missed Call Marketing’ as Spam . Some relate it to email spam which includes link to an unknown website. Some others believe it ...

Exactly a year ago, I had celebrated the 136th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi at this place. Logically, it is his 137th Birth Anniversary today. Last year, I had discussed “Brand Gandhi” and how he has been instrumental in endorsing brands. Elevated to Celebrity status, the use of his name and stature has been instrumental in attaching credibility to a lot of companies. Taking it forward, I intend to discuss one such illustration which highlights incorrect use of “Brand Gandhi”. How ethnic differences impact marketing and what are the implications? Wait for the next entry. For now, a smart application of the legend, by Apple - “Think Different” Could not really understand the one with Hitler and Stalin (I think) . Maybe I will have to wait till I understand some Russian! Incidentally, there is an entire generation of people (mostly Europeans and Africans) who know him as " Ghandi " and not the actual " Gandhi ". Am clueless about the origin of this word, b...

Proliferation of Media channels has entailed a decline in the effectiveness of existing traditional channels. Measurement of the efficacy of the traditional media is no longer treated with enthusiasm by the industry professionals and new requirements and expectations are emerging for innovation, insight, experimentation, and measurable returns . According to a report by Boston Consulting Group , titled “Darwin Pays a Visit to Advertising” – Opportunities for Action in Consumer Markets Marketers have moved beyond the “Mass Marketing” era, and there is a need for much more precision in targeting consumers. The traditional value chain has been disintegrated and has led to an evolved framework in the advertising industry with “targeted marketing” as their measurable goal. A concerted effort is being made towards an integrated, holistic campaign across alternative channels. Thus, New and unconventional methods of marketing are being looked at and experimented with. There is greater foc...

Some creatives invoke a thought process, others simply make you smile ...Found some of these creatives at Arvind's Blog Though some of them may be tagged as " cheap humor ", they do make you laugh. And yes, you need a bent of mind for this kind of stuff to understand these as well...;) The Campaigns are: - Zandu Ads created by TBWA India "Dont Sneeze" - Mini Guerilla in the Urinal "Test your handling Skills" - The "It can happen anywhere" Axe Campaignm, and - Jik Cleaner ... Check your sense of humor..