Just recently, I realised I have been at 11 different institutes. I started off in 2009, so it's been a long 12 years. Most appearances were as a guest lecturer, but at one institute, I have been consistently teaching a course too.
So here's my attempt to explain the cliche behind my "great learning experience" of teaching.
1: Talk about your passions, and people will seek you out
I started out in marketing research, and every time I met my professors, I told them how the reality was so different from what was being taught to us in the classrooom, and that I would love to add that to the students. This constant interaction was what got me my first teaching assignment.
Once things began and people knew I was interested in this, I just kept getting more invitations.
2: You will fail first, and that's ok. Keep improving.
My first session was to a group of Executive MBA students on a weekend morning. And I was horrible. I was rejected right after the demo session. But thankfully, I gave it another shot, and then another, till I got good at it.
3: Always ask for feedback. Specific, detailed feedback.
The only reason I got better is that I asked for specific feedback. I explained to the class that I will take the feedback seriously, specify the questions, and then, keep time for students to fill up the forms at the end of the session without rushing through it. It helped me tremendously!
The negative pointers helped me improve, while the compliments boosted my confidence. So it worked both ways. Over time, I used this to also test out something new, and see if students picked on it, liked or disliked it.
4: Prepare for the session, and help others too
Like any other presentation, you will notice a marked difference between a prepared one and an unprepared one. You will sense it in the 'moood' of the room too, even though no one is actually speaking. And to get better at the preparation, it helps circulating your notes. In a way, it keeps the pressure on you to refresh the material for the next sesssion even though you are talking to a new crowd.
5: Share your experiences with others
It sounds like a repeat of the 1st point, but it's a bit different. The more you share, the more you will attract like-minded people, share notes, and improve your own work. And it also works because you will get to speak to more interested, more passionate crowds. Just like your regular job talent, this talent too is in high demand and low supply. So you will end up getting a better experience of talking.
Showing posts with label Marketing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marketing. Show all posts
Mar 8, 2021
My experience of learning by teaching
Feb 20, 2021
Myntra's logo change should be applauded, not criticised
Here are a few reasons why I think the criticism directed at Myntra doesn't hold ground.
1) Fighting a legal battle takes a lot of money, effort, and time
It's an FIR, not a customer complaint or a public criticism. You can't get done by issuing a statement on social media. The matter can drag on for a long time. And there's no guarantee of the outcome favouring the company.
2) The more this issue dragged, the worse it could become
Imagine Myntra choosing to fight the battle. It would have spread the news more. And as with any trending topic, people would choose sides and not everyone will call it "silly", like so many are doing now. Moreover, Myntra couldn't possibly say it in a court of law without risking some serious criticism as a corporate citizen.
And hey, like Karthik Srinivasan explains here, the logo has been made fun of for a long time.
I am sure that at some point on one of their Zoom calls, the Myntra brand team head just gave up and said, "let's just change the damn logo".
Got it. So criticism isn't fair, but why applaud.
Because of the extremely measured response.
Apart from taking a long time to respond, Myntra could also have taken this opportunity to revamp its entire identity. But it didn't. It went for a change immediately, and only to the extent that the "offensive interpretation" was taken care of. And that has multiple benefits.
1) Extremely low cost of change
Given that it is largely an online marketplace, the brand's offline presence would be proportionately small: The corporate office, some offline stores, its stationery, and its packaging. And given its speed of response, it can very well negotiate not to change all this branding overnight. With a new identity, it would have become a larger and costlier exercise.
2) Extremely low scale of change
When you change just the colours of a logo, it had little implications on the B&W and single-colour versions. And most of Myntra's physical presence is in this form. Look at the packaging pics below.
In all these cases, the logo need not be changed at all!
I hope that come appraisal season, the brand team at Myntra puts together the numbers and tells their bosses, "And that's how it's done!"
Disclaimer: I don't work for Myntra. Views are personal.
Jan 31, 2021
Book Reviews: 'The Goal', 'It's Not Luck' and 'The Choice' by Eliyahu Goldratt
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| Cropped cover images. Source: Amazon.in |
I have been a big fan of Eliyahu Goldratt's books ever since I first read 'The Goal' during college. I have read it multiple times, and ditto for 'It's Not Luck', which is now also titled 'The Goal Part II'.
These books are written as novels, and narrate the story of Alex Rogo, a factory manager who solves problems at his factory, in his marriage, and later at his division with the help of a consultant, Jonah. Fast-paced and gripping and yet easy to read, these books present Goldratt's approach of finding breakthrough growth by challenging seemingly logical assumptions.
Most of his other books are all written as novels too.
'The Choice' is the one I read most recently.
Here as well, his thinking processes are presented as a conversation between him and his daughter. The book is written from the POV of his daughter, a professional organisational psychologist. She takes the reader through her stream of thoughts and intermittently reads from reports to understand work done by Goldratt at various companies.
Compared to other books, this book distills the thinking processes into a set of belief systems that Goldratt holds about how humans work and solve problems. Since I had read other books, some bit of this books repetitive and slow. But the reveal of the basic beliefs was as enjoyable and mind-blowing as his other books.
Here are the links to books I have read and their ratings according to me:
The Goal, applies his theory to Production Management; Rating 5 stars of 5
It's Not Luck, applies it to Marketing; Rating 5 stars of 5
Critical Chain, applies it to Project Management; Rating 3 stars of 5
Isn't It Obvious?, applies it to Retail and Supply Chain Management; Rating 4 stars of 5
The Theory of Constraints, explains the core theory; Rating 5 stars of 5
The Choice, explains the core beliefs; Rating 4 stars of 5
Sep 9, 2020
Book Review: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
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| Cropped Book Cover. Source: Amazon.in |
If you say yes to one or both these questions, you will find this book very interesting:
(1) Do you like reading about what drives our habitual behaviour?
(2) Do you believe in this saying “culture eats strategy for breakfast”?
Much
like the cover explains, this book aims for both explaining human
behaviour and taking a shot at self-help and improvement. It also seems
reliably applicable in personal and organisational situations (sections 1
and 2), but it seems a force-fit in the social context (section 3).
Rating: 3.5 stars of 5
High rating for the applicability for the framework, cutting a few points for the 3rd section.
If you have already read and liked this book, you will like these too:
- Malcolm Gladwell’s “Tipping Point” and “Blink”
- Thaler and Sunstein’s “Nudge”
- Lewitt and Dubner’s “Freakonomics”
You can buy the ‘Power of Habit’ on Amazon here
Aug 25, 2020
Book Review: Presentation Masala by Vivek Singh
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| Cropped Book Cover. Source: Amazon.in |
Think of this book as what Dale Carnegie’s books are for Public Speaking. Loaded with examples, and yet extremely simple and crisp is why I loved reading this book.
The author delivers exactly on the expectations set out by the title. None of the chapters are about content. The entire book is about context, packaging and delivery.
A must-read for professors as well as professionals, and more so, for those who focus exclusively on content when preparing for their presentations.
I got the Kindle version for free due to a LinkedIn promotion, but it’s worth paying for, too. And I don’t know Vivek, so this isn’t the obligatory positive review. The book is genuinely good!
Rating: 4.5 stars of 5
Jul 21, 2020
Book Review: The Joy of Game Theory by Presh Talwalkar
If Game Theory sounds intimidating and complex, start here to see how it is simply all around us, and while you're at it, learn some tricks too.
While this book is a "collection" of articles, it is written in a very delightfully interesting way and makes for a fun reading. Makes me want to read about Game Theory, so yes, serves its purpose too.
Rating: 4 stars of 5
Free on Kindle Prime Reading
Nov 5, 2019
Is disruption a necessity for brand stability?
Recently, WPP's research firm Kantar Millward Brown released the BrandZ Top Indian Brands 2019 report. It has many interesting opinion pieces on the theme of 'Stability and Disruption', in line with the mood of the economy and marketing industry today.
I wrote the below piece in that report, on the topic of 'Is disruption a necessity for brand stability?'
“Relax! Nothing is in control.” Maybe you’ve seen this motivational quote. While it is supposed to be liberating – advising us to be detached from the failures and unpleasant aspects of our lives – it ends up being scary, too, by making our successes and glory inconsequential.
A similar kind of ambivalent feeling is shared by those of us in the business of building brands. We want to disrupt something in the market to our advantage, but we want everything else to be stable. Success lies in pushing past this discomfort and uncertainty to find an optimal balance between stability and disruption.
Stability and Disruption: Two sides of the same coin
Apple built its success by disrupting every category it entered – from personal computers, MP3 players, and smartphones, to its later forays into content subscription plans and digital wallet services. But all these disruptions are based fundamentally on the stability of Apple’s closed, protected ecosystem. Because its users are willing to pay for simplicity and data privacy, Apple can continue to provide more and more services at an additional fee. Even with newer technologies and VC-backed investments, start-ups will find it difficult to “disrupt” Apple’s dominance.
This is true with everyday products and categories too. Patanjali and Sensodyne rocked the Colgate boat for a while with their herbal and sensitivity-solving toothpastes, respectively. But Colgate came back eventually with its own variants, and continues to dominate oral care in India.
How should striking the balance between stability and disruption work for your brand? Here are a few lessons that we have learned working with our clients.
Identify what makes the brand stable.
All efforts to define your brand’s essence should be directed at this goal. Once a stable brand core has been identified, the brand is free to disrupt other aspects of its business.
For example, when the Savlon antiseptic liquid and soap brand looked to expand its portfolio, it decided to pivot around the brand promises of providing protection to mothers, and of making healthy habits fun for kids.
With this brand essence as Savlon’s core, its expansion into hand wash was by unlocked with the idea of making hand-washing fun. Ideas like “Healthy Hands Chalk Sticks” and “Id Guard” not only broke through the protection category’s typically serious marketing codes, but also led to stronger behavior change in the long run. The brand’s moves into hand sanitizers put similar tactics to successful use.
Over-invest in disruption to invest in long-term stability.
Pidilite’s brands Fevicol, M-Seal, and Fevi Kwik have been adhesive category leaders for decades. To maintain this leadership, the company has had to invest in multiple new products and consumer segments, sometimes without getting results.
Fevicol struck gold with Fevicol Marine, a variant that promises stronger bonding even when wooden furniture is in frequent contact with water. Not only did Fevicol Marine unlock growth in a new segment, it reinforced Fevicol’s leadership and got the brand firmly entrenched at its core promise of “Ultimate Adhesive.”
On the other hand, M-Seal’s launch of M-Seal Super resulted in only incremental growth, despite being a revolutionary, low-price DIY sealant product with multiple applications. However, had M-Seal not invested in this innovation, it would have left empty space available to new entrants to disrupt its hold on the market.
Ditto with Fevi Kwik. While repair was once seen as the exclusive household domain of the men, Fevi Kwik risked its affinity by targeting homemakers. It urged them to try repairing regular household items with Fevi Kwik, and in the process, to try to earn family members’ appreciation. This strategy turned out to be a great success, and now Fevi Kwik is the go-to instant adhesive for a much larger consumer base, making the category even more uninteresting for competitors.
Each of these projects could have gone wrong for Pidilite, but not venturing into these disruptions would have meant putting these brands’ future stability at stake.
Similar to how you can use disruption to protect, use stability to attack.
Every brand, leader or challenger, is always at the risk of being upended by new technologies, entrants, or policy changes. At such times, the very stability of big brands allows them to take risks smaller brands can’t afford.
For example, ITC’s Mangaldeep is India’s 2nd largest brand of agarbattis. This year, during the Rath Yatra at Lord Jagannath Puri temple in Odisha, it launched a special multi-layered innovation: the first-ever agarbatti with dual fragrances and dual colors, with ingredients that are special to the Lord Jagannath Puri temple (Neem, Tulsi, Kasturi, and Chandan), all in an agarbatti that’s made by women’s self-help groups from Odisha itself. This innovation was so powerful, that it got the endorsement of the Temple Trust, and every pack sold results in a contribution to the temple itself.
In the Mangaldeep example, it was the established brand’s strong, profitable core that allowed it to take bigger risks and handle larger losses. While there are agarbatti start-ups that try innovative ingredients, fragrances, and partnerships, it is likely that they will have to merge with each other to gain economies of scale (or else get bought over by an existing large agarbatti brand). Big, established brands still have strong cards to play in the competition ahead.
I wrote the below piece in that report, on the topic of 'Is disruption a necessity for brand stability?'
“Relax! Nothing is in control.” Maybe you’ve seen this motivational quote. While it is supposed to be liberating – advising us to be detached from the failures and unpleasant aspects of our lives – it ends up being scary, too, by making our successes and glory inconsequential.
A similar kind of ambivalent feeling is shared by those of us in the business of building brands. We want to disrupt something in the market to our advantage, but we want everything else to be stable. Success lies in pushing past this discomfort and uncertainty to find an optimal balance between stability and disruption.
Stability and Disruption: Two sides of the same coin
Apple built its success by disrupting every category it entered – from personal computers, MP3 players, and smartphones, to its later forays into content subscription plans and digital wallet services. But all these disruptions are based fundamentally on the stability of Apple’s closed, protected ecosystem. Because its users are willing to pay for simplicity and data privacy, Apple can continue to provide more and more services at an additional fee. Even with newer technologies and VC-backed investments, start-ups will find it difficult to “disrupt” Apple’s dominance.
This is true with everyday products and categories too. Patanjali and Sensodyne rocked the Colgate boat for a while with their herbal and sensitivity-solving toothpastes, respectively. But Colgate came back eventually with its own variants, and continues to dominate oral care in India.
How should striking the balance between stability and disruption work for your brand? Here are a few lessons that we have learned working with our clients.
Identify what makes the brand stable.
All efforts to define your brand’s essence should be directed at this goal. Once a stable brand core has been identified, the brand is free to disrupt other aspects of its business.
For example, when the Savlon antiseptic liquid and soap brand looked to expand its portfolio, it decided to pivot around the brand promises of providing protection to mothers, and of making healthy habits fun for kids.
With this brand essence as Savlon’s core, its expansion into hand wash was by unlocked with the idea of making hand-washing fun. Ideas like “Healthy Hands Chalk Sticks” and “Id Guard” not only broke through the protection category’s typically serious marketing codes, but also led to stronger behavior change in the long run. The brand’s moves into hand sanitizers put similar tactics to successful use.
Over-invest in disruption to invest in long-term stability.
Pidilite’s brands Fevicol, M-Seal, and Fevi Kwik have been adhesive category leaders for decades. To maintain this leadership, the company has had to invest in multiple new products and consumer segments, sometimes without getting results.
Fevicol struck gold with Fevicol Marine, a variant that promises stronger bonding even when wooden furniture is in frequent contact with water. Not only did Fevicol Marine unlock growth in a new segment, it reinforced Fevicol’s leadership and got the brand firmly entrenched at its core promise of “Ultimate Adhesive.”
On the other hand, M-Seal’s launch of M-Seal Super resulted in only incremental growth, despite being a revolutionary, low-price DIY sealant product with multiple applications. However, had M-Seal not invested in this innovation, it would have left empty space available to new entrants to disrupt its hold on the market.
Ditto with Fevi Kwik. While repair was once seen as the exclusive household domain of the men, Fevi Kwik risked its affinity by targeting homemakers. It urged them to try repairing regular household items with Fevi Kwik, and in the process, to try to earn family members’ appreciation. This strategy turned out to be a great success, and now Fevi Kwik is the go-to instant adhesive for a much larger consumer base, making the category even more uninteresting for competitors.
Each of these projects could have gone wrong for Pidilite, but not venturing into these disruptions would have meant putting these brands’ future stability at stake.
Similar to how you can use disruption to protect, use stability to attack.
Every brand, leader or challenger, is always at the risk of being upended by new technologies, entrants, or policy changes. At such times, the very stability of big brands allows them to take risks smaller brands can’t afford.
For example, ITC’s Mangaldeep is India’s 2nd largest brand of agarbattis. This year, during the Rath Yatra at Lord Jagannath Puri temple in Odisha, it launched a special multi-layered innovation: the first-ever agarbatti with dual fragrances and dual colors, with ingredients that are special to the Lord Jagannath Puri temple (Neem, Tulsi, Kasturi, and Chandan), all in an agarbatti that’s made by women’s self-help groups from Odisha itself. This innovation was so powerful, that it got the endorsement of the Temple Trust, and every pack sold results in a contribution to the temple itself.
In the Mangaldeep example, it was the established brand’s strong, profitable core that allowed it to take bigger risks and handle larger losses. While there are agarbatti start-ups that try innovative ingredients, fragrances, and partnerships, it is likely that they will have to merge with each other to gain economies of scale (or else get bought over by an existing large agarbatti brand). Big, established brands still have strong cards to play in the competition ahead.
May 5, 2019
Marketers: Don't be like Thanos
Yes, we have come to that stage in human evolution when we should
take lessons from fictional villains in movie-adaptations of comic book
stories. Perhaps the only saving grace is that we learn what not to do, rather than what to do, from these villains.
Lesson #1: Look before you snap!
In Endgame, Thanos gets to know that 5 years after his snap, Earth hadn’t flourished in spite of all the reduced competition for resources. And immediately, Thanos invents a new alternative of resource-planning – wiping everything out completely instead of partially.
That makes us think - Thanos had been doing this partial-killing for a long, long time before he got his hands on the Infinity Gauntlet. (Ha, that pun happened nicely!) If we start from the time of Gamora’s adoption and assume her aging process to be same as humans, it would mean Thanos had been doing this for at least a couple of decades (in Earth-time). And yet apparently, this was the very first instance when Thanos was analysing an outcome of his killings.
Does that mean he never went back and did a Return-on-Efforts-Invested analysis for all those years? Assuming he wiped half-a-civilisation every month for the past 20 or so years, he had killed half of about 240 different civilisations and not done any ROEI check! Wow!
Lesson #2: A Tree is not the same as the Forest
Thanos changes his life mission based on data taken only from Earth. But his snap had wiped out half the life in the entire Universe! That means he projected data from ‘sample’ of one, to the ‘population’ of hundreds of thousands. Maybe what happened on Earth was the exception and not the rule. He doesn't consider this. But then, even if he did, he had no way of finding out. (See Lesson 1)
I don’t suggest Thanos should do an MBA or study Market Research, but it seems even some basic knowledge would have helped him a lot!
Lesson #3: Don’t put all your Stones in one Gauntlet
To avoid getting killed, Thanos goes to a point in the past, where the Infinity Stones are with his enemy - the Avengers. Interestingly, in the original timeline, he was killed by these Avengers even when they didn’t have the Stones with them. Moreover, in the original timeline, Thanos was anyway able to get all the Stones, defeat the Avengers, and fulfill his life mission before he gets killed.
Thus, rather than just figuring out how to stay alive in his original timeline, Thanos goes to a battlefield where his enemy is not only stronger than him, but also more informed (Thanos knew nothing about time travel). And he does at the dual risk of dying and his life mission remaining unfulfilled. Why ruin an already earned achievement this way?
That’s why, marketers, don’t be like Thanos!
(And Thanos, if you are alive in any timeline, please study some research and strategy.)
Lesson #1: Look before you snap!
In Endgame, Thanos gets to know that 5 years after his snap, Earth hadn’t flourished in spite of all the reduced competition for resources. And immediately, Thanos invents a new alternative of resource-planning – wiping everything out completely instead of partially.
That makes us think - Thanos had been doing this partial-killing for a long, long time before he got his hands on the Infinity Gauntlet. (Ha, that pun happened nicely!) If we start from the time of Gamora’s adoption and assume her aging process to be same as humans, it would mean Thanos had been doing this for at least a couple of decades (in Earth-time). And yet apparently, this was the very first instance when Thanos was analysing an outcome of his killings.
Does that mean he never went back and did a Return-on-Efforts-Invested analysis for all those years? Assuming he wiped half-a-civilisation every month for the past 20 or so years, he had killed half of about 240 different civilisations and not done any ROEI check! Wow!
Lesson #2: A Tree is not the same as the Forest
Thanos changes his life mission based on data taken only from Earth. But his snap had wiped out half the life in the entire Universe! That means he projected data from ‘sample’ of one, to the ‘population’ of hundreds of thousands. Maybe what happened on Earth was the exception and not the rule. He doesn't consider this. But then, even if he did, he had no way of finding out. (See Lesson 1)
I don’t suggest Thanos should do an MBA or study Market Research, but it seems even some basic knowledge would have helped him a lot!
Lesson #3: Don’t put all your Stones in one Gauntlet
To avoid getting killed, Thanos goes to a point in the past, where the Infinity Stones are with his enemy - the Avengers. Interestingly, in the original timeline, he was killed by these Avengers even when they didn’t have the Stones with them. Moreover, in the original timeline, Thanos was anyway able to get all the Stones, defeat the Avengers, and fulfill his life mission before he gets killed.
Thus, rather than just figuring out how to stay alive in his original timeline, Thanos goes to a battlefield where his enemy is not only stronger than him, but also more informed (Thanos knew nothing about time travel). And he does at the dual risk of dying and his life mission remaining unfulfilled. Why ruin an already earned achievement this way?
That’s why, marketers, don’t be like Thanos!
(And Thanos, if you are alive in any timeline, please study some research and strategy.)
Jan 24, 2019
Defending Gillette, or maybe not
Almost exactly 9 years ago, a brand from the P&G
stable ran a very cool campaign titled ‘Smell like a man, man’. It showed an
attractive African-American man in a towel talking directly to the camera (i.e.
ladies watching the commercial) about how Old Spice body wash would make their
man smell like the man he portrays. His attitude added to the charm – his
persona was described as “wildly smug, cool-cat smooth dude”. The campaign was
wildly successful, and it also won a Grand Prix for film at the Cannes Lions
International Advertising Festival. In short, lots of claps and pats on the
back.
Fast-forward to the present. Another brand from the
P&G stable runs a campaign with the message ‘The Best Men Can Be’. This
time, it’s a razor-and-after-shave selling brand that urges men to challenge
themselves to do more so that they can get closer to their best. What an
awesome, inspiring message! What could possibly go wrong here?
Umm, if you are with me till here, you know how polarising
this campaign has been. Maybe there’s no hidden message behind the casting here
too – in two different situations, the guys about to harass women being white, and
the guys stopping them being black is just coincidence. But this ad made many
men uncomfortable, and they are raising all kinds of questions about the ad.
Rather than look at those questions, let’s look at why
they should be questioning this campaign at all. The first and most obvious
fact is that this ad evoked a reaction. Meaning, it touched a chord somewhere.
You could like it, hate it, scowl at it, but you couldn’t ignore it. Maybe it
made you feel inspired, threatened, irritated, or simply angry, it means it did
a fantastic job. It got your attention and it made you react. Strike one.
Next, is how this ad makes men feel about being a man.
Some would feel being reduced to a stereotype. Or feel guilty because it holds
them to a higher standard. Some would feel uncomfortable because it urges them
to address an issue they have been quiet about, while some others would wonder if
they really would have to interfere in a fight to earn the respect of their
sons and be their hero. Again, this simply means that it touched upon a
relevant, urgent issue that forces the viewer to take a stand. They aren’t just
paying attention, they are now emotionally involved. Strike two.
Last, is the significance of the stand that they have
taken or will take. It is not going to be an easy decision to make. If they
agree with the argument, they have to plead guilty – guilty of being part of a
group that has made not just workplaces, but every other place as well, unsafe
for women; guilty of allowing, if not propagating a stereotype about men being
aggressive, tough, and strong; guilty of asserting their masculinity by
objectifying women, feeling entitled to their bodies, being insensitive to
their feelings, emotions, and most importantly, consent. On the other hand, if
they disagree with the argument, they fear being exactly what they have been
accused of for decades – ‘good guys’ being complicit in the stereotyping of
men, and harassment of women, even if only by inaction. Now they aren’t just
emotionally involved, they are put in a moral dilemma. Strike three.
That a simple ad can do this, is by itself, pretty
amazing. But let’s not get carried away. It’s just that this is the first ad
that talks about this issue head on. And that too, by a brand that makes
products almost exclusively for men. (You had forgotten it makes razors for
women too, right?)
So, are justified men in applauding it or booing it?
Which camp is the bigger one? The right one?
What do I know? I am just another advertising guy.
Disclaimer: While I am hardly taking a side, it’s
important to point out my employer has P&G’s competitor, Unilever, as one
of its biggest clients. Also, that these views are my personal views, and they don’t
represent anyone else’s.
May 31, 2017
Choosing a brand-name: Going beyond the rhetoric
Choosing a brand name is a tricky process.
Asking how to go about choosing is even trickier.
People who emphasise how critical it is to get it right, will talk about how Nike (named after the Greek Goddess of Victory) would have been a dud in its previous avatar of Blue Ribbon Sports, or of how the friendliness and simplicity of Apple Computer made it stand out in the tech-heavy, IBM-dominated personal computer industry. Could it have achieved similar success if it were named something as geeky as Altair 8800, another computer released around the same time when Apple was founded?
On the other hand are the cynics, calling the entire process a waste of time. They talk about how Coca-Cola gets its name simply from its ingredients, Pepsi from a condition it was supposed to be a treatment for, or that Mercedes was named so, only because a car-seller/racing-enthusiast asked it to be named after his daughter. If these origins can also lead to great successes, "What's in a name"?
Both these schools of thought explain their stand by cherry-picking success stories.
And both are non-starters to help the actual process of choosing a brand name.
So how do you go about it?
1. Start with the purpose of branding
Usually, the purpose of branding is said to be to stand out or to be memorable. But these are more evaluation parameters. The purpose of branding is to establish a reputation before customers can actually experience the brand.
The reputation could come from the credibility of founders (Chanel), or uniqueness of its ingredients (Coca-Cola), or some unique processes (Blaupunkt). Or it could just "explain" the product by association (Motorola).
Brands who are first-movers want to become the default choice and communicate the same through ubiquity - Android as an OS for mobile devices, Walkman as the personal audio player and lighter alternative to the boombox, etc.
2. Go for uniqueness
Pharma and ingredient branding are great examples here. Naming a medicine brand after its ingredient molecules is helpful but not unique if all companies are doing this. It wouldn't be wise to name your shampoo after its active ingredient 'panthenol', if Pantene already exists as a brand in the market.
A caveat here: uniqueness doesn't necessarily mean exclusivity. A brand can stand out by being inclusive too. Big Bazaar is one such example.
3. Look for a great brand story
Stories, especially origin stories make for great memorability and even reputation. But they may not exist and need to be invented. Hence I say "look for". Häagen-Dazs is an invented name that wanted to convey an “aura of the old-world traditions and craftsmanship.”
4. Build the brand elements
Here comes the complete package - aesthetics like colours and designs, hard factors like physical structures and product features, and soft factors like brand personality, and customer service.
5. Rebrand if you can, and only if you must.
Flipkart started out as a book e-tailer and later, became a marketplace and one of India's biggest e-commerce companies. Should it have changed its name? Maybe. But it would have been expensive, and perhaps unnecessary. On the other hand, a hatchback from Tata Motors 'Zica' had to go for re-branding after emergence of 'zika virus' as a carrier of contagious diseases.
Hope this outline helps you go beyond the rhetoric.
Feel something can be added to the list? Add your comments.
Asking how to go about choosing is even trickier.
People who emphasise how critical it is to get it right, will talk about how Nike (named after the Greek Goddess of Victory) would have been a dud in its previous avatar of Blue Ribbon Sports, or of how the friendliness and simplicity of Apple Computer made it stand out in the tech-heavy, IBM-dominated personal computer industry. Could it have achieved similar success if it were named something as geeky as Altair 8800, another computer released around the same time when Apple was founded?
On the other hand are the cynics, calling the entire process a waste of time. They talk about how Coca-Cola gets its name simply from its ingredients, Pepsi from a condition it was supposed to be a treatment for, or that Mercedes was named so, only because a car-seller/racing-enthusiast asked it to be named after his daughter. If these origins can also lead to great successes, "What's in a name"?
Both these schools of thought explain their stand by cherry-picking success stories.
And both are non-starters to help the actual process of choosing a brand name.
So how do you go about it?
1. Start with the purpose of branding
Usually, the purpose of branding is said to be to stand out or to be memorable. But these are more evaluation parameters. The purpose of branding is to establish a reputation before customers can actually experience the brand.
The reputation could come from the credibility of founders (Chanel), or uniqueness of its ingredients (Coca-Cola), or some unique processes (Blaupunkt). Or it could just "explain" the product by association (Motorola).
Brands who are first-movers want to become the default choice and communicate the same through ubiquity - Android as an OS for mobile devices, Walkman as the personal audio player and lighter alternative to the boombox, etc.
2. Go for uniqueness
Pharma and ingredient branding are great examples here. Naming a medicine brand after its ingredient molecules is helpful but not unique if all companies are doing this. It wouldn't be wise to name your shampoo after its active ingredient 'panthenol', if Pantene already exists as a brand in the market.
A caveat here: uniqueness doesn't necessarily mean exclusivity. A brand can stand out by being inclusive too. Big Bazaar is one such example.
3. Look for a great brand story
Stories, especially origin stories make for great memorability and even reputation. But they may not exist and need to be invented. Hence I say "look for". Häagen-Dazs is an invented name that wanted to convey an “aura of the old-world traditions and craftsmanship.”
4. Build the brand elements
Here comes the complete package - aesthetics like colours and designs, hard factors like physical structures and product features, and soft factors like brand personality, and customer service.
5. Rebrand if you can, and only if you must.
Flipkart started out as a book e-tailer and later, became a marketplace and one of India's biggest e-commerce companies. Should it have changed its name? Maybe. But it would have been expensive, and perhaps unnecessary. On the other hand, a hatchback from Tata Motors 'Zica' had to go for re-branding after emergence of 'zika virus' as a carrier of contagious diseases.
Hope this outline helps you go beyond the rhetoric.
Feel something can be added to the list? Add your comments.
Dec 28, 2016
Marketer's To-Do List before 'Going Cashless'
The last couple of months have been nothing but tough for companies in India. FMCG sales are down by Rs. 3,800 crore, and consumer durables sales are down by 40%. The auto industry too is affected, but with different intensities across segments.
So companies are trying their best, by going digital / cashless.
And while business is hopeful, brands are panicking – everyone is adapting to this new trend so fast, that it has already become old news for consumers. “Cashless / Digital payment” is already the new clutter.
Here’s what can help your brand.
Step 1: Stop that advertisement release
Releasing a full page advertisement in the newspaper will make top management, investors, and partners happy, but it will do little to boost your sales, simply because your entire finance, logistics, and distribution network isn’t perhaps ready yet. Therefore, choose your media wisely, and cascade your message through targeted channels only to your most critical audiences – company newsletter, SMS, even WhatsApp groups can come in handy.
To add credibility, put up an announcement on your website, and add that link to all outgoing messages in other channels.
Step 2: Create a G-T-M plan
Going cashless will change and challenge many existing practices within your organisation. Hence, treat this new step like a product launch, and prepare a full go-to-market plan. Talk to all stakeholders and see if they are ready to switch to cashless, and also if your infrastructure is ready to handle the estimated boost in new traffic.
Step 3: Prepare a promo plan
It is very likely that by now, your consumers have already tried something from your competitors, and are frustrated with the problems they had to face. Here, your readiness is your biggest differentiator! Come up with promotions that leverage this – bulk promotions, cross-selling, preferred treatment, ready delivery, etc. And while you are at it, go for new partnerships and tie-ups too.
Step 4: Now, release that ad!
But only targeted at geographies where you are ready. With today's tools, most media can be geo-targeted. Explore digital too. After all, the consumers are already there, and they are most ready for digital transactions.
Step 5: Track all your efforts
When a business goes digital, a lot more data becomes available at every stage of the transaction. And at a much shorter lead time too. Wash, rinse, repeat.
Happy New Year!
Got more ideas? Feel free to add in the comments.
So companies are trying their best, by going digital / cashless.
And while business is hopeful, brands are panicking – everyone is adapting to this new trend so fast, that it has already become old news for consumers. “Cashless / Digital payment” is already the new clutter.
Here’s what can help your brand.
Step 1: Stop that advertisement release
Releasing a full page advertisement in the newspaper will make top management, investors, and partners happy, but it will do little to boost your sales, simply because your entire finance, logistics, and distribution network isn’t perhaps ready yet. Therefore, choose your media wisely, and cascade your message through targeted channels only to your most critical audiences – company newsletter, SMS, even WhatsApp groups can come in handy.
To add credibility, put up an announcement on your website, and add that link to all outgoing messages in other channels.
Step 2: Create a G-T-M plan
Going cashless will change and challenge many existing practices within your organisation. Hence, treat this new step like a product launch, and prepare a full go-to-market plan. Talk to all stakeholders and see if they are ready to switch to cashless, and also if your infrastructure is ready to handle the estimated boost in new traffic.
Step 3: Prepare a promo plan
It is very likely that by now, your consumers have already tried something from your competitors, and are frustrated with the problems they had to face. Here, your readiness is your biggest differentiator! Come up with promotions that leverage this – bulk promotions, cross-selling, preferred treatment, ready delivery, etc. And while you are at it, go for new partnerships and tie-ups too.
Step 4: Now, release that ad!
But only targeted at geographies where you are ready. With today's tools, most media can be geo-targeted. Explore digital too. After all, the consumers are already there, and they are most ready for digital transactions.
Step 5: Track all your efforts
When a business goes digital, a lot more data becomes available at every stage of the transaction. And at a much shorter lead time too. Wash, rinse, repeat.
Happy New Year!
Got more ideas? Feel free to add in the comments.
Dec 2, 2016
Can Colgate toothpaste go beyond Patanjali?
Leader brands usually find themselves in situations where they are working hard on keeping challengers at bay, instead of looking for new ways to grow. Colgate’s present situation in India seems to be similar.
In 2015-16, Colgate’s market share was 55.7% in toothpastes and 46.2% in toothbrushes. Considering that next 2 players in the market are Hindustan Unilever and Dabur, competition is obviously tough and has deep pockets too. But when newspaper reports start talking about new entrant Patanjali’s herbal toothpaste making a dent at the market leader, you know the battle is being fought for each basis point of market share.
But it shouldn’t be this way.
The oral care market still holds big growth potential!
Per capita toothpaste consumption in India (136 grams) is way lower than China (264 gms) and Brazil (617 gms). And the prices are even lower – providing scope of ‘premiumisation’. Colgate’s own value-added line contributed to just 20% of its sales in FY 2015.
So what has Colgate done to grow?
A lot. Through its ‘Bright Smiles, Bright Futures’ program, it has reached more than 135mn school children across 2mn schools. Its other program ‘Oral Health Month’ benefitted almost 6 million in FY 2016 alone. But these activities are expensive, and involve multiple logistical issues and free giveaways, not to mention the renewed dedication of the entire team year on year.
Are there better ways?
Yes – Using brand strengths
I have always believed that the biggest results come when consumer insights, brand strategy and business goals come together.
Last year, we saw the brand leverage its consumer base through advertising, where mothers talked about their trust for Colgate. But I guess it wasn’t very effective, not because of the ad, but because it didn’t use its biggest strength. Colgate has another franchise more powerful than mothers – dentists. For years, the brand used dentists to claim superiority and preference… Dentists, not mothers!
So let’s use this strength some more, and grow the market!
Consumption in the personal care category generally is habitual – patterns for quantity, purchase, brand choice, etc. are set. Even this brand with all its might has achieved limited success in making people brush twice a day. The Mother’s Trust TV ad, too, talks about not switching from Colgate to other brands - almost suggesting 'hey people, stick to your habits!'
But using dentists could change that, and here’s an idea about it.
The growth potential for toothpaste exists because of low per capita consumption and scope for premiumisation, and dentists can help us drive this growth more than anyone else. All we need to do is drive consumers to dentists.
Consider this.
Indians consume less than 150 grams of toothpaste per capita. That translates to just Rs. 60. In comparison, we spend more on bike servicing (avg. Rs. 150-200 at least twice a year), on haircuts (~Rs. 50 every month), and on mobile phone recharges (monthly ARPU ~Rs. 125).
Using this comparison persuasively can push people to get more involved with oral care. Similar comparisons, if made for preventive oral care versus corrective treatments, can also persuade people to visit their dentists more often. Pushing this further, months in a calendar can be designated as dental check-up months to suggest multiple options in a year – June and December as after-vacation months and being 6 months apart, fit the bill quite well.
Would this work?
Targeting a change in behaviour is tougher than proposing a feel-good idea. But leader brands across categories have taken up causes of all sorts to drive both brand and business metrics. Ariel asks men to ‘Share the Load’ of doing laundry, while Dettol urges mothers not to stop their kids from playing. Surf Excel recently rolled out a TVC where they said prison inmates spend more time in the open than kids. This was part of its ‘Dirt is Good’ campaign.
So yes, it can work wonders.
What do you think?
In 2015-16, Colgate’s market share was 55.7% in toothpastes and 46.2% in toothbrushes. Considering that next 2 players in the market are Hindustan Unilever and Dabur, competition is obviously tough and has deep pockets too. But when newspaper reports start talking about new entrant Patanjali’s herbal toothpaste making a dent at the market leader, you know the battle is being fought for each basis point of market share.
But it shouldn’t be this way.
The oral care market still holds big growth potential!
Per capita toothpaste consumption in India (136 grams) is way lower than China (264 gms) and Brazil (617 gms). And the prices are even lower – providing scope of ‘premiumisation’. Colgate’s own value-added line contributed to just 20% of its sales in FY 2015.
So what has Colgate done to grow?
A lot. Through its ‘Bright Smiles, Bright Futures’ program, it has reached more than 135mn school children across 2mn schools. Its other program ‘Oral Health Month’ benefitted almost 6 million in FY 2016 alone. But these activities are expensive, and involve multiple logistical issues and free giveaways, not to mention the renewed dedication of the entire team year on year.
Are there better ways?
Yes – Using brand strengths
I have always believed that the biggest results come when consumer insights, brand strategy and business goals come together.
Last year, we saw the brand leverage its consumer base through advertising, where mothers talked about their trust for Colgate. But I guess it wasn’t very effective, not because of the ad, but because it didn’t use its biggest strength. Colgate has another franchise more powerful than mothers – dentists. For years, the brand used dentists to claim superiority and preference… Dentists, not mothers!
So let’s use this strength some more, and grow the market!
Consumption in the personal care category generally is habitual – patterns for quantity, purchase, brand choice, etc. are set. Even this brand with all its might has achieved limited success in making people brush twice a day. The Mother’s Trust TV ad, too, talks about not switching from Colgate to other brands - almost suggesting 'hey people, stick to your habits!'
But using dentists could change that, and here’s an idea about it.
The growth potential for toothpaste exists because of low per capita consumption and scope for premiumisation, and dentists can help us drive this growth more than anyone else. All we need to do is drive consumers to dentists.
Consider this.
Indians consume less than 150 grams of toothpaste per capita. That translates to just Rs. 60. In comparison, we spend more on bike servicing (avg. Rs. 150-200 at least twice a year), on haircuts (~Rs. 50 every month), and on mobile phone recharges (monthly ARPU ~Rs. 125).
Using this comparison persuasively can push people to get more involved with oral care. Similar comparisons, if made for preventive oral care versus corrective treatments, can also persuade people to visit their dentists more often. Pushing this further, months in a calendar can be designated as dental check-up months to suggest multiple options in a year – June and December as after-vacation months and being 6 months apart, fit the bill quite well.
Would this work?
Targeting a change in behaviour is tougher than proposing a feel-good idea. But leader brands across categories have taken up causes of all sorts to drive both brand and business metrics. Ariel asks men to ‘Share the Load’ of doing laundry, while Dettol urges mothers not to stop their kids from playing. Surf Excel recently rolled out a TVC where they said prison inmates spend more time in the open than kids. This was part of its ‘Dirt is Good’ campaign.
So yes, it can work wonders.
What do you think?
Oct 25, 2016
Getting better at evaluating TV ad scripts
So a round of script presentation has just gotten over, and the agency team is looking around the room, trying to gauge reactions. The client starts speaking: one element in one script doesn't seem right. He rejects that script. And the downward spiral begins.
Somehow after multiple rounds, a script is approved, and everyone leaves the conference room happy. But when the final ad film is presented, the mood is not as exuberant. Because "the film didn't come out as expected".
So what can be done about it?
Most marketers haven't been through a film-development process, so they don't know what to expect at the intermediate stages. Here is what can help them:
1. Train yourself to visualise an ad from a scriptPick up your favourite movie and look up its script online (one source: The Internet Movie Script Database). For me, it was with 'The Matrix'. But even if it's not a sci-fi film, there will be a lot 'not said' in the script that gets added in the film.
Another option is to read a book that later got made into a movie. Notice how storytelling differs as words and as scenes. The Harry Potter book series, and 'Song of Fire and Ice' series (made into Game of Thrones) can serve as recent references. This will familiarise you with how the script that you are listening to, may look like as the final product.
2. Watch a lot of ads and show-reelsAd film directors, just like movie directors, have their unique way of storytelling. Thus, watching show-reels will get you a sense of how the director would treat the script.
3. Read comic booksSince most popular comic book characters have been around for decades, we can compare how storytelling changes from comics, to animation, to movies, and to TV series. The idea is to see variety rather than linear thinking. At the very least, it broadens our imagination for visualising the scripts.
And, still, the final result could be different!That can still happen, because non-creative people like you and I, go for the familiar, while the creative guys will go for new, different, and unique. But, the output won't come as a shock, rather an improvised version of what you already expected.
Anyway, our objective is to get the right direction, not direct the ad sitting in our armchairs.
Oct 3, 2016
Using Big Data for Strategic Communications
Once upon a time, the marketing department was data-starved and decision-making was largely about following the Marketing Head's gut-feel which in turn was influenced by 'trends' of the time.
Now, as the tsunami of Big Data shifts this decision-making to led-by-data and further to overloaded-by-data, strategy seems to take a backseat. But it doesn't have to be that way.
1. Find the Highest Common Factor, not the Least Common DenominatorMost upselling and cross-selling is based on what was searched and bought recently. This is standard data analysis and cross-tabulation at play. While that is good for incremental sales, it does little to grow large-scale business.
Instead, in a market like India, where the potential to grow the pie is still big, we can use data to solve larger business problems - to go beyond sales pitches, and find behavioural triggers.
For example, online retail seems to be battling slow growth beyond cash-on-delivery. Here, big data can help collate first gifting items purchased for delivery to other addresses - these purchases would automatically push consumers to go for some mode of pre-payment, instead of cash-on-delivery. And once they have experienced this mode, they are ripe for a complete shift away from COD.
Once these ideas are discovered, the appropriate ones can be elevated for ad campaigns too. For example: what if in this ad for Amazon, big data could provide the most correct item to purchase? Perhaps sales growth can see a steeper trajectory.
2. Redefine your segmentation criteriaIn absence of data, segmentation is usually done with geography and demographic variables - age, gender, etc. But with big data, these very factors can be challenged. What if, more than geography (small town / large town / metro), the 'life-stage' of the customer (single / married / married with kids) defined his / her purchase behaviour?
3. Redefine your competitionIn MBA classes, we were told of Coca-Cola's big growth story that came from redefining competition as 'all beverages'. Similarly, using big data, we can redefine our brand's competition based on time and money - instead of just product category. As brands move from mere products to experience (and want to charge a premium for it), this becomes interesting as well as critical.
What do you think?
Any stories to share on Big Data?
Now, as the tsunami of Big Data shifts this decision-making to led-by-data and further to overloaded-by-data, strategy seems to take a backseat. But it doesn't have to be that way.
1. Find the Highest Common Factor, not the Least Common DenominatorMost upselling and cross-selling is based on what was searched and bought recently. This is standard data analysis and cross-tabulation at play. While that is good for incremental sales, it does little to grow large-scale business.
Instead, in a market like India, where the potential to grow the pie is still big, we can use data to solve larger business problems - to go beyond sales pitches, and find behavioural triggers.
For example, online retail seems to be battling slow growth beyond cash-on-delivery. Here, big data can help collate first gifting items purchased for delivery to other addresses - these purchases would automatically push consumers to go for some mode of pre-payment, instead of cash-on-delivery. And once they have experienced this mode, they are ripe for a complete shift away from COD.
Once these ideas are discovered, the appropriate ones can be elevated for ad campaigns too. For example: what if in this ad for Amazon, big data could provide the most correct item to purchase? Perhaps sales growth can see a steeper trajectory.
2. Redefine your segmentation criteriaIn absence of data, segmentation is usually done with geography and demographic variables - age, gender, etc. But with big data, these very factors can be challenged. What if, more than geography (small town / large town / metro), the 'life-stage' of the customer (single / married / married with kids) defined his / her purchase behaviour?
3. Redefine your competitionIn MBA classes, we were told of Coca-Cola's big growth story that came from redefining competition as 'all beverages'. Similarly, using big data, we can redefine our brand's competition based on time and money - instead of just product category. As brands move from mere products to experience (and want to charge a premium for it), this becomes interesting as well as critical.
What do you think?
Any stories to share on Big Data?
Sep 14, 2016
Weaknesses brand 'Patanjali' should watch out for
Brand Patanjali's galloping success is a rare case in the FMCG industry.
But, is it a brand with no weaknesses? Of course not. Here are some:
1. It's a founder-person brandWhile phrase is a made-up one, I think it explains best the category of brands strongly linked to their founders, like Richard Branson and Virgin, and Salman Khan and Being Human.
A large proportion of the brand's power comes from the person behind it, and that may very well cause trouble. We have already seen how the Lokpal movement died after Anna Hazare moved on. Questions were raised on the future of a brand even as strong as Apple after its founder's death.
In its advertisements, there are other endorsers - Hema Malini for biscuits, Sushil Kumar for ghee. But they are not strongly used to build the mother-brand, nor do they carry any past association with Ayurveda.
2. Product quality being questioned, especially in the food categories
When product quality gets questioned, losses pile up, and even loyal customers bid goodbye. Coke, Pepsi, Maggi... the list of strong brands facing PR nightmares is long. Only some, like Cadbury Dairy Milk, were able to bounce back strongly.
In case of Patanjali, its atta noodles product was highlighted in the news for all the wrong reasons. And with the product range getting wider, the connection with Ayurveda becomes weaker. A tomato ketchup from Patanjali may increase sales in the short term, but I have my doubts on its impact on Patanjali's brand value.
With the new announcement on jeans, the brand association seems to be moving away from 'Ayurveda', and towards 'Swadeshi'. While it will help the brand tap a larger potential, the association seems more 'inside-out' at the moment, and it remains to be seen whether or not consumers also make the same connect.
3. Consumer Dissonance
The biggest success factor for Patanjali is the association with a healthier way of living - Yoga and Ayurveda. This image / perception can trump Science, by evoking association with artificial, cosmetics, chemicals, etc., and can make consumers feel happy that they are moving towards a way of life closer to nature.
But habits are tough to break, and the newly built Yoga regimen will soon be given up in exchange for an extra half hour of much-needed sleep. Then, every purchase of Patanjali would increasingly remind consumers of their broken promises to themselves. Big risk!
If the 'Swadeshi' hook takes off positively among consumers, the 'Ayurveda' association can take a backseat, and perhaps avoid this dissonance altogether. However, with that, the food section of Patanjali's product range will lose its biggest differentiator too. Tough task ahead.
Of course, for now, these are mere theoretical possibilities, and Brand Patanjali can rest on its laurels, as its products continue to topple competition at retail counters. So for now, other brands would simply have to try to ride this wave of healthy living.
Or perhaps, they could stage a comeback using positive associations with science and technology, or by using rational arguments of superior product quality (like Heinz ketchup tried last year)?
What do you think?
But, is it a brand with no weaknesses? Of course not. Here are some:
1. It's a founder-person brandWhile phrase is a made-up one, I think it explains best the category of brands strongly linked to their founders, like Richard Branson and Virgin, and Salman Khan and Being Human.
A large proportion of the brand's power comes from the person behind it, and that may very well cause trouble. We have already seen how the Lokpal movement died after Anna Hazare moved on. Questions were raised on the future of a brand even as strong as Apple after its founder's death.
In its advertisements, there are other endorsers - Hema Malini for biscuits, Sushil Kumar for ghee. But they are not strongly used to build the mother-brand, nor do they carry any past association with Ayurveda.
2. Product quality being questioned, especially in the food categories
When product quality gets questioned, losses pile up, and even loyal customers bid goodbye. Coke, Pepsi, Maggi... the list of strong brands facing PR nightmares is long. Only some, like Cadbury Dairy Milk, were able to bounce back strongly.
In case of Patanjali, its atta noodles product was highlighted in the news for all the wrong reasons. And with the product range getting wider, the connection with Ayurveda becomes weaker. A tomato ketchup from Patanjali may increase sales in the short term, but I have my doubts on its impact on Patanjali's brand value.
With the new announcement on jeans, the brand association seems to be moving away from 'Ayurveda', and towards 'Swadeshi'. While it will help the brand tap a larger potential, the association seems more 'inside-out' at the moment, and it remains to be seen whether or not consumers also make the same connect.
3. Consumer Dissonance
The biggest success factor for Patanjali is the association with a healthier way of living - Yoga and Ayurveda. This image / perception can trump Science, by evoking association with artificial, cosmetics, chemicals, etc., and can make consumers feel happy that they are moving towards a way of life closer to nature.
But habits are tough to break, and the newly built Yoga regimen will soon be given up in exchange for an extra half hour of much-needed sleep. Then, every purchase of Patanjali would increasingly remind consumers of their broken promises to themselves. Big risk!
If the 'Swadeshi' hook takes off positively among consumers, the 'Ayurveda' association can take a backseat, and perhaps avoid this dissonance altogether. However, with that, the food section of Patanjali's product range will lose its biggest differentiator too. Tough task ahead.
Of course, for now, these are mere theoretical possibilities, and Brand Patanjali can rest on its laurels, as its products continue to topple competition at retail counters. So for now, other brands would simply have to try to ride this wave of healthy living.
Or perhaps, they could stage a comeback using positive associations with science and technology, or by using rational arguments of superior product quality (like Heinz ketchup tried last year)?
What do you think?
Getting started with a Creative Brief
Have you ever tried to crack a joke, and then, suddenly realised it
didn't land right? That's pretty much how creative briefs land too, when
not written appropriately.
I realised this largeness of this problem only when a creative director pointed it out. We were in a client meeting discussing timelines, when this CD said that we need to accommodate at least 2 rounds of scripts presentation. He reasoned, the client knows what he wants only after he hears the Round 1 scripts.
So how do we avoid this? We can start by ensuring that the brief covers everything we want in the resulting ad.
If the ad has to be clutter-breaking, the brief should explain what the clutter is.
If the ad has to comprehendible, the brief should state what the intended message is.
If the ad has to be memorable, the brief should state what the killer insight is.
Most importantly,
If the ad has to be effective, the brief should cover the expected effect, and how it is communication that will affect it.
1. Explaining the Clutter:
Most briefs mention only a marketing-led background. We need to also mention what brands, products, and ads exist in the marketplace. If the brand is a challenger-brand, the brief needs to explain what brands we are challenging. If we are also challenging category codes of communication, Semantics is a brilliant tool to identify these codes.
Take the deodorant category for example. A clutter defined as 'Foreign lifestyle' will lead to desi contexts of Wild Stone's ads (one of them here). Alternatively, if it got defined as 'sex and sensuality', it will lead to Fogg's new ad.
2. Stating the intended message:
This would probably be the brand proposition itself. In case, the proposition has been around for a long time, it will be in the context of a new product / consumer insight. The simpler this message, the more hard-hitting the output can be. Think Fevicol.
3. Stating the insight:
Of course, this term is extensively abused. But that doesn't mean it is irrelevant. Without an insight, even a great product feature (the intended message) will lose its memorability. Continuing with the example, notice how most memorable Fevicol work (not necessarily the most awarded work) is in the context of fragility. Strength of bonding can best be highlighted amidst things that are prone to falling apart. Or for that matter, Ceat tyres' ads on importance of good grip.
4. Covering the expected effect:
As advertising becomes more effectiveness-oriented, this part is the key. In a way, it connects the brief to the marketing problem. Explaining the role of communication is important too. It converts the marketing problem into a communication problem, so that advertising can solve it. At Ogilvy, we were asked to follow the Do Brief. More about the approach here.
Is this the best structure to write a brief? It's not. It's just one of many.
Nor is this brief required in all cases. Sometimes, a celebrity or just a catch-phrase can work wonders.
In other cases, though, this outline (and the work that goes in writing it) can increase your chances of striking a good idea.
---
Note: While Ogilvy is an ex-employer, the objective here is to use examples, where to some extent, I was aware of the development process. Taking other examples would be just hypothesising how the ad came to be.
I realised this largeness of this problem only when a creative director pointed it out. We were in a client meeting discussing timelines, when this CD said that we need to accommodate at least 2 rounds of scripts presentation. He reasoned, the client knows what he wants only after he hears the Round 1 scripts.
So how do we avoid this? We can start by ensuring that the brief covers everything we want in the resulting ad.
If the ad has to be clutter-breaking, the brief should explain what the clutter is.
If the ad has to comprehendible, the brief should state what the intended message is.
If the ad has to be memorable, the brief should state what the killer insight is.
Most importantly,
If the ad has to be effective, the brief should cover the expected effect, and how it is communication that will affect it.
1. Explaining the Clutter:
Most briefs mention only a marketing-led background. We need to also mention what brands, products, and ads exist in the marketplace. If the brand is a challenger-brand, the brief needs to explain what brands we are challenging. If we are also challenging category codes of communication, Semantics is a brilliant tool to identify these codes.
Take the deodorant category for example. A clutter defined as 'Foreign lifestyle' will lead to desi contexts of Wild Stone's ads (one of them here). Alternatively, if it got defined as 'sex and sensuality', it will lead to Fogg's new ad.
2. Stating the intended message:
This would probably be the brand proposition itself. In case, the proposition has been around for a long time, it will be in the context of a new product / consumer insight. The simpler this message, the more hard-hitting the output can be. Think Fevicol.
3. Stating the insight:
Of course, this term is extensively abused. But that doesn't mean it is irrelevant. Without an insight, even a great product feature (the intended message) will lose its memorability. Continuing with the example, notice how most memorable Fevicol work (not necessarily the most awarded work) is in the context of fragility. Strength of bonding can best be highlighted amidst things that are prone to falling apart. Or for that matter, Ceat tyres' ads on importance of good grip.
4. Covering the expected effect:
As advertising becomes more effectiveness-oriented, this part is the key. In a way, it connects the brief to the marketing problem. Explaining the role of communication is important too. It converts the marketing problem into a communication problem, so that advertising can solve it. At Ogilvy, we were asked to follow the Do Brief. More about the approach here.
Is this the best structure to write a brief? It's not. It's just one of many.
Nor is this brief required in all cases. Sometimes, a celebrity or just a catch-phrase can work wonders.
In other cases, though, this outline (and the work that goes in writing it) can increase your chances of striking a good idea.
---
Note: While Ogilvy is an ex-employer, the objective here is to use examples, where to some extent, I was aware of the development process. Taking other examples would be just hypothesising how the ad came to be.
Aug 31, 2015
Get more from your Brand Tracking Study
Most brands that spend a lot on advertising have some kind of a
tracking study in place. And more often than not, use of the findings
are restricted to checking whether the marketing team performed better
or worse in the last week / month / quarter.
But once in a while a team of good researchers (or, as it happened with me, great researchers!) come along and teach others to do better.
Here's what I learnt:
1. Find what is generic to your category, and what drives the niches
A tracking study has a lot of image parameters and not all of them are equally important in the market. So how do we know which ones are the critical ones?
Take a dump data of fairly long period (say six months for a weekly tracking study) and run a Jaccard analysis on the image parameters and brand preference as the two sets of variables. What you will get is a score for each image parameter. These scores indicate how strongly the image parameters drive brand preference. Sort them in order and look at both the ends of the spectrum.
At one end will be the ones that drive preference the strongest across brands. These are the category generics. Your brand can't score low on these. At the opposite end, are the ones that drive preference for one or few brands, but not for others. These are the image parameters driving the niches. Pretty good data to look at while making brand portfolio decisions.
2. Track how consumer preferences change over time
Even the most boring categories will see changes in consumer preferences over time. To check this, just take two dumps of data over, say, two years and compare scores for image parameters. You can look at average score across brands, or average brands chosen for each image statement, etc. and figure out if certain factors are becoming more important over time.
There's a catch here. In some categories, these changes are a result (and not cause) of communication. For example, if deodorant brands talk about no-gas deos, it may lead to consumers asking for no-gas deos over time. Hence, discretion is advised. :)
3. Measure the lead time of communication on brand scores
The tracking study already tells you how much impact your communication has on the brands scores for you and competition. It can also give you an idea how much time it takes for your communication to show impact on the scores.
Take 2 trend lines - your advertising GRPs and one of your brand scores. Normally, we look at these trend lines as they happen in real life. But creating an overlap can provide a completely different analysis. What if you see the brand score with a one-week or a two-week lag? Maybe it shows a higher correlation between the two trend lines. This can be checked for promotions too. Then, you will theoretically have a better idea on when to begin your Diwali promotion, or back-to-school sale.
If you have already tried these or other such ideas, do share the hits and misses.
Because, well, it helps.
--
With thanks to Ipsita Arora for helping me with this post.
But once in a while a team of good researchers (or, as it happened with me, great researchers!) come along and teach others to do better.
Here's what I learnt:
1. Find what is generic to your category, and what drives the niches
A tracking study has a lot of image parameters and not all of them are equally important in the market. So how do we know which ones are the critical ones?
Take a dump data of fairly long period (say six months for a weekly tracking study) and run a Jaccard analysis on the image parameters and brand preference as the two sets of variables. What you will get is a score for each image parameter. These scores indicate how strongly the image parameters drive brand preference. Sort them in order and look at both the ends of the spectrum.
At one end will be the ones that drive preference the strongest across brands. These are the category generics. Your brand can't score low on these. At the opposite end, are the ones that drive preference for one or few brands, but not for others. These are the image parameters driving the niches. Pretty good data to look at while making brand portfolio decisions.
2. Track how consumer preferences change over time
Even the most boring categories will see changes in consumer preferences over time. To check this, just take two dumps of data over, say, two years and compare scores for image parameters. You can look at average score across brands, or average brands chosen for each image statement, etc. and figure out if certain factors are becoming more important over time.
There's a catch here. In some categories, these changes are a result (and not cause) of communication. For example, if deodorant brands talk about no-gas deos, it may lead to consumers asking for no-gas deos over time. Hence, discretion is advised. :)
3. Measure the lead time of communication on brand scores
The tracking study already tells you how much impact your communication has on the brands scores for you and competition. It can also give you an idea how much time it takes for your communication to show impact on the scores.
Take 2 trend lines - your advertising GRPs and one of your brand scores. Normally, we look at these trend lines as they happen in real life. But creating an overlap can provide a completely different analysis. What if you see the brand score with a one-week or a two-week lag? Maybe it shows a higher correlation between the two trend lines. This can be checked for promotions too. Then, you will theoretically have a better idea on when to begin your Diwali promotion, or back-to-school sale.
If you have already tried these or other such ideas, do share the hits and misses.
Because, well, it helps.
--
With thanks to Ipsita Arora for helping me with this post.
Jun 29, 2015
Is your brand being made a 'Titanic' in the marketplace?
No, the analogy is not about failed attempts at invicibility. It's about back-tracking on the invincibility.
The Titanic's claim wasn't an empty one. It was backed by solid technology. If it were to hit something that broke the outer shell, the bottom of the ship was compartmentalised in a way that the incoming water would be passed through all compartments, ultimately levelling across the bottom and not pulling the ship down to the bottom of the ocean.
Thus, even if it gets hit, the ship keeps moving.
Most successful brands have such differentiating features - patented technology, outstanding service, or even lowest-priced in the market.
But what happens when these brands hit an iceberg?
Is the differentiation well established among its prospective customers?
Is it well communicated through the sales and distribution channels, so that the team can truly survive the hit and simply continue on its path?
Or does it drop that great feature and become a copy of its competitor, only to fasten the sinking process?
The Titanic's claim wasn't an empty one. It was backed by solid technology. If it were to hit something that broke the outer shell, the bottom of the ship was compartmentalised in a way that the incoming water would be passed through all compartments, ultimately levelling across the bottom and not pulling the ship down to the bottom of the ocean.
Thus, even if it gets hit, the ship keeps moving.
Most successful brands have such differentiating features - patented technology, outstanding service, or even lowest-priced in the market.
But what happens when these brands hit an iceberg?
Is the differentiation well established among its prospective customers?
Is it well communicated through the sales and distribution channels, so that the team can truly survive the hit and simply continue on its path?
Or does it drop that great feature and become a copy of its competitor, only to fasten the sinking process?
Jun 11, 2015
Life in a non-Metro: Ch. 2 Time isn't money
This post is part of a series.
You can read the introduction, and chapter 1 here.
Chapter 2: Time Isn't MoneyMost consumers you come across in a metro will go to lengths to explain how fast their life is, and how little time they have. That would be true for non-metro consumers too... but only the explaining part.
Given that everyone is brought up with the adage of 'Aaram haram hai', people everywhere want to show that they are busy, but it takes only a little investigation to understand how relaxed life in a non-metro is.
Let's also understand why this is.
They save time on commute: In a non-metro town, people's residences are fairly closer to their workplaces. Moreover, the traffic jams aren't as bad or as frequent.
Their working hours are much shorter: Be it an industrialist, businessman, or employee, the non-metro person's scope of work is pretty much restricted to his own time zone, and perhaps to the head office that's located in Delhi or Mumbai. So it's fairly easy to complete a day's work within 8-10 hours (maybe even lesser, depending on your industry) and go home to eat dinner with family. (Yes, sigh!)
While they follow a 6-day week, Saturdays are either half-days, or pretty relaxed when otherwise.
So what would these people do with so much time at hand?
1. They socialise
Most people will be part of social groups, connecting to their communities, social and professional circles at coffee shops, restaurants, gyms, and clubs. They participate in their society's / housing colony's management, organise events and get-togethers. They attend many such events too. As a result, businesses don't mind having exhibitions and workshops on weekdays; they are able to attract a decent audience.
2. They compare before buying
Imagine having just one hour extra every evening. Would you still buying all your groceries, toys, and electronics from the single neighbourhood mega-store? People in the non-metros do the same. They visit multiple stores, multiple times, and make multiple calls to compare, negotiate, and get the best price.
3. They watch a lot of TV
The TV stays on for most part of the day. The lady watches many more soaps, even splitting them between afternoons and evenings if they overlap; the man watches news and sports and movies, and the kids would watch the cartoons.
Other implications:
1. When it comes to purchases, they are willing to wait to get a better deal.
2. As deliverers of service, they aren't punctual. They won't bother to be there at 3pm for a 3pm appointment. Most deliveries for most categories of goods are expected to be late, and are late too.
3. Perhaps as a consequence of this culture, as customers, they know that deliverers will over-commit and under-deliver. Hence, they create non-existing urgencies all the time to ensure that work gets done (and preferably, in time).
Interesting, isn't it? More about the non-metros in the coming posts.
Any unique observations, or anecdotes about the non-metros?
Do share in the comments.
You can read the introduction, and chapter 1 here.
Chapter 2: Time Isn't MoneyMost consumers you come across in a metro will go to lengths to explain how fast their life is, and how little time they have. That would be true for non-metro consumers too... but only the explaining part.
Given that everyone is brought up with the adage of 'Aaram haram hai', people everywhere want to show that they are busy, but it takes only a little investigation to understand how relaxed life in a non-metro is.
Let's also understand why this is.
They save time on commute: In a non-metro town, people's residences are fairly closer to their workplaces. Moreover, the traffic jams aren't as bad or as frequent.
Their working hours are much shorter: Be it an industrialist, businessman, or employee, the non-metro person's scope of work is pretty much restricted to his own time zone, and perhaps to the head office that's located in Delhi or Mumbai. So it's fairly easy to complete a day's work within 8-10 hours (maybe even lesser, depending on your industry) and go home to eat dinner with family. (Yes, sigh!)
While they follow a 6-day week, Saturdays are either half-days, or pretty relaxed when otherwise.
So what would these people do with so much time at hand?
1. They socialise
Most people will be part of social groups, connecting to their communities, social and professional circles at coffee shops, restaurants, gyms, and clubs. They participate in their society's / housing colony's management, organise events and get-togethers. They attend many such events too. As a result, businesses don't mind having exhibitions and workshops on weekdays; they are able to attract a decent audience.
2. They compare before buying
Imagine having just one hour extra every evening. Would you still buying all your groceries, toys, and electronics from the single neighbourhood mega-store? People in the non-metros do the same. They visit multiple stores, multiple times, and make multiple calls to compare, negotiate, and get the best price.
3. They watch a lot of TV
The TV stays on for most part of the day. The lady watches many more soaps, even splitting them between afternoons and evenings if they overlap; the man watches news and sports and movies, and the kids would watch the cartoons.
Other implications:
1. When it comes to purchases, they are willing to wait to get a better deal.
2. As deliverers of service, they aren't punctual. They won't bother to be there at 3pm for a 3pm appointment. Most deliveries for most categories of goods are expected to be late, and are late too.
3. Perhaps as a consequence of this culture, as customers, they know that deliverers will over-commit and under-deliver. Hence, they create non-existing urgencies all the time to ensure that work gets done (and preferably, in time).
Interesting, isn't it? More about the non-metros in the coming posts.
Any unique observations, or anecdotes about the non-metros?
Do share in the comments.
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