Saturday, May 29, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
The Idea of gifting
Recently a old tradition hit my mind. I was at my friend’s house in Delhi when the neighbour came over with a bowl of Kheer. After finishing the bowl aunty was perplexed as to what she should return in the bowl. This is a perplex faced by most of the housewives across India.
Some will want to send something of equal quantity back. Some will want to send something of equal value back. And then there will be the others who will want to send something of bigger quantity or bigger value back. Just to make a point. Ouch!
Living in a city is all about giving and taking. This is a give and take society. Sending an empty bowl back is not the done thing. It is against our culture of city living altogether. If someone gives, you must give as well.
This giving and taking is not all about the women alone. It is about the men as well. It is only decent to return favors. Someone paid a restaurant bill the last time round and now it is time to do the honors. Its time to fight to pay the bill. Its only decent.
This moves on. In corporate work life, the give and take syndrome transcends from paying a bill by turn to scratching someone’s back because they scratched yours sometime or the other. Favors make the world go round big time in corporate life. Somebody stood by someone some day and it is now time to stand by the person who did it for you the last time round. Never mind the issue. Never mind the situation. Those having work ex must be knowing this phenomenon very well
This give and take life has invaded our lives completely. Corrupted it totally as well.
If you sent a box of sweets for Diwali to Mrs. Popat, and Mrs. Popat did not return a box, it is time to blacklist Mrs. Popat the next time round.
Have you ever wondered about the dynamics of give and take?
If you are visiting the Agarwls, it is time to check out what to take as a gift. And it sure is time to quickly calculate the value of the gift the Agarwals brought home the last time round when they were over. Time to benchmark value and deliver it back. Give and take seems to make the world of city living go round and round. I sometimes wonder if people keep little black-books that record quantum, value and returns.
Give and take city living comes to such a pass that there sure are a whole lot of gift items that keep circulating from home to home, without ever being used by any of the homes they touch down upon. If there is a gift that lands at home which you don’t quite like, or have too many of(or whatever), it is time to buy fresh packing paper, check for engraved notations of name on the gift, and if you find nothing exists, time to pack it all up once again and set it going on its give and take routine.
I have often wondered whether something sent out two years ago by the Jalpaiguri family ever reaches them back as well. And if so, do they recognize it, or do they just set it going once again?
Why am I talking about all this give and take routine? Why am I exaggerating the point this much?
Very simply because it is time we got back to be genuine and real. Time to sit up and literally cause turmoil. Time to sit up and say that you will not simply return a gift because you were gifted something.
Time to get real and genuine once again in our lives. Time to say that I will gift something to someone only f I feel like it. Not because I am forced to return a favor.
Time to stop this charade for sure. Time to get a little uncivil and break out of the monotony of the predictable.
But why?
Very simply because what starts out as simple exchanges of Kheer for Pindi Chhole, rather quickly morph to boxes of sweets and vases and chalices and favors as well, a bit too fast.
City living seems replete with favors that are not done, but favors that are exchanged. I have nothing against favors being done to people. What I have my hackles up is against the exchange of favors altogether. At times, one favor does not deserve a return favor. Unfortunately however, we tend to forget this all the time. And that is the crux of the issue.
If you scratched my back the last time round, I sure do have to scratch your back the next time round dude! Never mind what the issue is all about. I am obliged to. ouche!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Sustaining The competition
Marketers have a lot to worry these days. The market is flooded with similar products and offerings which has created a huge clutter of brands and products. The situation is worse in markets where the entry barriers are low. Added to this is the entry of private labels by retail giants to cash in on the consumption opportunity.
Take the case of the soft drinks market in India. The market is flooded with desi and foreign brands with similar flavours and product properties. This summer is witnessing fights over mango and lemon flavours. The brands are segmenting and micro-segmenting the market with every possible variable.
For a marketer, this situation has multiplied his marketing expenditure. The focus is on outsmarting the competition by grabbing more share of voice. To standout from the crowd, marketers are using every possible trick. Multiple celebrity endorsments are increasing to get into consumer's pschies. Consumers, on the other hand, are overwhelmed by this plethora of brands. Instead of simplifying the purchasing process, brands are now confusing consumers by choices.
For brands, the abundance of choices creates a huge problem of differentiation. Differentiation based on product features has become a difficult task with competitors taking no time in copying /adopting that feature. Differentiations based on incremental product improvements /features have become difficult to develop and sustain in the market.
In an era where companies expect brands to be successful with in three months (quarter) and brand managers being evaluated on their quarterly performance, creating sustainable long-term differentiation strategies are not in vogue.
The current economic situation has now forced many marketers to rationalize their portfolio and cut the flab. It is time for Indian marketers to go back to the basics of creating sustainable differentiation strategies for their brands.
Invest in R&D
India is a R&D and product development hub for most of the MNCs but seldom Indian marketers were able to create breakthrough products for the Indian market. Tata Nano has shown the world what Indian minds can do when inspired. A project which was labelled ‘ Impossible’ by many analyst is now a reality. Nano is a lesson to all marketers. This product was created from a need and backed by conviction and support from the top management.
It is not easy and the Nano example shows the myriad of issues one can face when venturing into creating something original. But the effort is well worth the results. The market is moving in a direction where only those brands will succeed who can innovate
Protect the Differentiation
An important determinant of a successful differentiation is the brand’s ability to protect the differentiation. Patented features are powerful differentiators. But it is very expensive and time consuming process to patent features. In the case of FMCG products like soaps , such kind of patents are not a viable proposition.
Smart brands use ingredient branding to protect their key differentiators. Ingredient branding is where a particular product feature or an ingredient is branded by the company. There are two kinds of ingredient brands.
One type is where the ingredient is owned by another company. Intel is a pioneer in ingredient branding. Intel has built ingredient brands like Pentium, Celeron, Atom etc .These are not standalone products but ingredient of computers. By creating powerful ingredient brands, Intel has successfully created a space for itself in the consumer’s mind.
Another type of ingredient branding is where the feature/ingredient is owned by the company itself.Bajaj has a powerful ingredient brand DTSI ( which is also a patented technology) which it now uses for all of its two wheeler brands.
The ingredient branding strategy helps firms protect their critical innovations or even benefits. These ingredient brands can be copyrighted which will prevent competitors from copying these innovations.
Connect to a Relevant Need
Creating a sustainable differentiation is possible only when brands become customer focused. Most differentiations that we see in the market are product oriented. When products become standardised, it is important for marketers to create differentiation focusing on consumer needs.
Brand laddering is a strategy that can be used by marketers to create differentiation on a need rather than on a product feature. Raymonds is a brand that has created a space for itself by effectively laddering up to a customer need ( Complete Man). The benefit of such a strategy is that competitors will find it difficult to copy the differentiation since it is based on an intangible attribute. The brand has created a unique powerful image which is sustainable over time.
It is also important for the differentiation to be relevant to the consumers. When connecting to a need, marketers should ensure that the need is highly relevant and will fill in a very important gap in his life.
Long Term Vision through Brand Charter
Brands will take time to establish and marketers should be able to give some breathing space for the brand to discover itself and connect to the consumer. It is important for marketers to create a brand charter which will spell out the long term vision for the brands, its differentiation and positioning platforms, guidelines and strategies.
Such a brand charter will guide the future brand managers to create tactics which are in line with the overall brand vision. If a brand chose to create intangible differentiation opportunities, there has to be a consistency in the brand’s positioning and differentiation strategies. Brand Charter will help bring consistency which will inturn facilitate create a sustainable differentiation. A very good example is Hero Honda Karizma. The bike when launched was a major failure but the company had long term vision to build the brand and the success is there for all to see
Take the case of the soft drinks market in India. The market is flooded with desi and foreign brands with similar flavours and product properties. This summer is witnessing fights over mango and lemon flavours. The brands are segmenting and micro-segmenting the market with every possible variable.
For a marketer, this situation has multiplied his marketing expenditure. The focus is on outsmarting the competition by grabbing more share of voice. To standout from the crowd, marketers are using every possible trick. Multiple celebrity endorsments are increasing to get into consumer's pschies. Consumers, on the other hand, are overwhelmed by this plethora of brands. Instead of simplifying the purchasing process, brands are now confusing consumers by choices.
For brands, the abundance of choices creates a huge problem of differentiation. Differentiation based on product features has become a difficult task with competitors taking no time in copying /adopting that feature. Differentiations based on incremental product improvements /features have become difficult to develop and sustain in the market.
In an era where companies expect brands to be successful with in three months (quarter) and brand managers being evaluated on their quarterly performance, creating sustainable long-term differentiation strategies are not in vogue.
The current economic situation has now forced many marketers to rationalize their portfolio and cut the flab. It is time for Indian marketers to go back to the basics of creating sustainable differentiation strategies for their brands.
Invest in R&D
India is a R&D and product development hub for most of the MNCs but seldom Indian marketers were able to create breakthrough products for the Indian market. Tata Nano has shown the world what Indian minds can do when inspired. A project which was labelled ‘ Impossible’ by many analyst is now a reality. Nano is a lesson to all marketers. This product was created from a need and backed by conviction and support from the top management.
It is not easy and the Nano example shows the myriad of issues one can face when venturing into creating something original. But the effort is well worth the results. The market is moving in a direction where only those brands will succeed who can innovate
Protect the Differentiation
An important determinant of a successful differentiation is the brand’s ability to protect the differentiation. Patented features are powerful differentiators. But it is very expensive and time consuming process to patent features. In the case of FMCG products like soaps , such kind of patents are not a viable proposition.
Smart brands use ingredient branding to protect their key differentiators. Ingredient branding is where a particular product feature or an ingredient is branded by the company. There are two kinds of ingredient brands.
One type is where the ingredient is owned by another company. Intel is a pioneer in ingredient branding. Intel has built ingredient brands like Pentium, Celeron, Atom etc .These are not standalone products but ingredient of computers. By creating powerful ingredient brands, Intel has successfully created a space for itself in the consumer’s mind.
Another type of ingredient branding is where the feature/ingredient is owned by the company itself.Bajaj has a powerful ingredient brand DTSI ( which is also a patented technology) which it now uses for all of its two wheeler brands.
The ingredient branding strategy helps firms protect their critical innovations or even benefits. These ingredient brands can be copyrighted which will prevent competitors from copying these innovations.
Connect to a Relevant Need
Creating a sustainable differentiation is possible only when brands become customer focused. Most differentiations that we see in the market are product oriented. When products become standardised, it is important for marketers to create differentiation focusing on consumer needs.
Brand laddering is a strategy that can be used by marketers to create differentiation on a need rather than on a product feature. Raymonds is a brand that has created a space for itself by effectively laddering up to a customer need ( Complete Man). The benefit of such a strategy is that competitors will find it difficult to copy the differentiation since it is based on an intangible attribute. The brand has created a unique powerful image which is sustainable over time.
It is also important for the differentiation to be relevant to the consumers. When connecting to a need, marketers should ensure that the need is highly relevant and will fill in a very important gap in his life.
Long Term Vision through Brand Charter
Brands will take time to establish and marketers should be able to give some breathing space for the brand to discover itself and connect to the consumer. It is important for marketers to create a brand charter which will spell out the long term vision for the brands, its differentiation and positioning platforms, guidelines and strategies.
Such a brand charter will guide the future brand managers to create tactics which are in line with the overall brand vision. If a brand chose to create intangible differentiation opportunities, there has to be a consistency in the brand’s positioning and differentiation strategies. Brand Charter will help bring consistency which will inturn facilitate create a sustainable differentiation. A very good example is Hero Honda Karizma. The bike when launched was a major failure but the company had long term vision to build the brand and the success is there for all to see
Sunday, May 16, 2010
A Short Story on the Power of Persistence by S. ANTHONY IANNARINO
A Childlike Determination
Too many salespeople believe that persistence means putting their dream client on a quarterly call list. That isn’t persistence. It isn’t enough to be meaningful, and it is too easily ignored.
Persistence is a lot closer to a child asking for candy; they keep asking until they wear you down, completely unimpressed and unmoved by your objections. It isn’t simply that a child doesn’t give up; it is also the frequency with which they make their request.
As Relentless as the Rain
In the early 90’s, long before there was any real sales force automation for small companies or individuals, the great Harvey Mackay released a software package called Sharkware. I loaded it on a big, old, heavy laptop, recognizing the value of being able to systematically keep my prospect and client records. It had the Mackay 66 (requires registration) questions built in, but I mostly used the software to track my calls to prospects, ensuring that I maintained a great consistency calling my dream clients.
One dream client that I was calling on was a relatively small telecommunications company. I had the right contact name, and he was absolutely in charge of making the purchasing decision on buying the service that I sold. One day I called the contact, and after weeks of trying he answered his telephone. He said: “Listen, you must have called me twenty five times now. Haven’t you?”
I looked at my Sharkware screen, and reported the real number: “Actually, this week makes 76 weeks in a row that I have either called you or visited your site.” He said: “Really? Seventy-six weeks, huh? Well your persistence has finally paid off. I have a problem and I need some help.” I literally packed up and left to meet the client that afternoon. And, as you might suspect, I came back to the office with his business.
Sometimes Timing Is Everything
What if I hadn’t called that day? What if another salesperson from another company would have called while my dream client was experiencing the dissatisfaction that caused him to change? Although I had left my number and mailed and dropped off business cards, he wasn’t then picking up the phone to call me. Sometimes it is simply persistence and determination that opens the doors to opportunities . . . but only if you persistently keep calling.
What I Learned
Your Dream Clients Are Keeping Score: They don’t respond. It is unlikely that you will get a call back simply because you left a message (I know, it was a great message!). But subconsciously, your dream clients are keeping score. They remember who calls and how often. And they know that most of the salespeople that call them, if ignored long enough, will simply give up and go away.
And, in most cases, they underestimate how often you call!
Consistency Counts:
You have to have something valuable and compelling to say when you get your dream client on the telephone. You also have to demonstrate that you believe what it is you are saying. If you feel strongly that you can make a difference for your dream client and their business, and you call once each quarter, your not all that resolved, now are you? The lack of urgency and the lack of consistency ensure the client that you aren’t determined and that your message is one that can easily be ignored.
Conclusion
Persistence and determination are essential attributes for success in any endeavor, especially sales. But too often salespeople believe that persistence and determination are the result of quarterly calls. Being persistent requires the grit and determination to make the calls, and to make them with a frequency that is meaningful enough to be effective.
Though its a copy paste but we all can learn a lot from it
Cheers!!!!
Too many salespeople believe that persistence means putting their dream client on a quarterly call list. That isn’t persistence. It isn’t enough to be meaningful, and it is too easily ignored.
Persistence is a lot closer to a child asking for candy; they keep asking until they wear you down, completely unimpressed and unmoved by your objections. It isn’t simply that a child doesn’t give up; it is also the frequency with which they make their request.
As Relentless as the Rain
In the early 90’s, long before there was any real sales force automation for small companies or individuals, the great Harvey Mackay released a software package called Sharkware. I loaded it on a big, old, heavy laptop, recognizing the value of being able to systematically keep my prospect and client records. It had the Mackay 66 (requires registration) questions built in, but I mostly used the software to track my calls to prospects, ensuring that I maintained a great consistency calling my dream clients.
One dream client that I was calling on was a relatively small telecommunications company. I had the right contact name, and he was absolutely in charge of making the purchasing decision on buying the service that I sold. One day I called the contact, and after weeks of trying he answered his telephone. He said: “Listen, you must have called me twenty five times now. Haven’t you?”
I looked at my Sharkware screen, and reported the real number: “Actually, this week makes 76 weeks in a row that I have either called you or visited your site.” He said: “Really? Seventy-six weeks, huh? Well your persistence has finally paid off. I have a problem and I need some help.” I literally packed up and left to meet the client that afternoon. And, as you might suspect, I came back to the office with his business.
Sometimes Timing Is Everything
What if I hadn’t called that day? What if another salesperson from another company would have called while my dream client was experiencing the dissatisfaction that caused him to change? Although I had left my number and mailed and dropped off business cards, he wasn’t then picking up the phone to call me. Sometimes it is simply persistence and determination that opens the doors to opportunities . . . but only if you persistently keep calling.
What I Learned
Your Dream Clients Are Keeping Score: They don’t respond. It is unlikely that you will get a call back simply because you left a message (I know, it was a great message!). But subconsciously, your dream clients are keeping score. They remember who calls and how often. And they know that most of the salespeople that call them, if ignored long enough, will simply give up and go away.
And, in most cases, they underestimate how often you call!
Consistency Counts:
You have to have something valuable and compelling to say when you get your dream client on the telephone. You also have to demonstrate that you believe what it is you are saying. If you feel strongly that you can make a difference for your dream client and their business, and you call once each quarter, your not all that resolved, now are you? The lack of urgency and the lack of consistency ensure the client that you aren’t determined and that your message is one that can easily be ignored.
Conclusion
Persistence and determination are essential attributes for success in any endeavor, especially sales. But too often salespeople believe that persistence and determination are the result of quarterly calls. Being persistent requires the grit and determination to make the calls, and to make them with a frequency that is meaningful enough to be effective.
Though its a copy paste but we all can learn a lot from it
Cheers!!!!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Pulsar: A marketing excellence
Pulsar is one of my favorite brands as a marketer. This bike has virtually redefined biking in this country. Pulsar launched in 2001 is the market leader in the 150 cc + performance bike segment. More than that ,
this brand changed the fortune of Bajaj Auto Ltd.
this brand changed the fortune of Bajaj Auto Ltd.Before the launch of Pulsar, Indian bike market was divided broadly into Economy,Executive and Premium Bikes. In 1999 Hero Honda created a new segment of 150 cc performance segment with its CBZ. But Pulsar came and gave a new life into the Performance segment. Although not a pioneer, Pulsar made the performance segment one of the fastest growing segment in the two wheeler market.
It was not only the bike's performance that triggered the brand becoming an icon, a major part of the success was due to the classic advertising campaign by O&M. According to agencyfaqs, the birth of the "Definitely Male " campaign is interesting. The creative honchos found the new product from Bajaj distinctly different. It was Bajaj's first bike without Kawasaki label. The new bike was an R&D and design marvel.Pulsar was designed by the renowned design house Tokyo R&D. O&M knew that the communication of this brand should also be different.Starting with lot of ideas, O&M stuck upon the Big Idea of India's He-Bike. Although lot of bike take the persona of Macho bikes it was more oriented towards being "sexy". The Big Idea was to position the bike as World's first bike endowed with a Sex ( Gender).Thus born the classic campaign of all times " Definitely Male". The campaign together with the design and performance catapulted the brand into stratospheric sales level.
Bajaj targeted the 18-24 with Pulsar but later found that the brand appealed to a much older audience. This helped Bajaj to change its target audience to 21-35 years.Unlike its old ways of doing things, Bajaj did not rest with the laurels. It knew that Pulsar is the golden key to control the entire bike market. Hence Pulsar got undivided attention from the company. In 2003 another milestone event happened in the product lifecycle of the brand. Bajaj launched its new technology DTSI. DTSi stands for Digital Twin Spark Ignition which delivered more power and efficiency. The increased performance of the brand took Pulsar to greater heights. 2004 and 2005 saw some cosmetic changes in the brand which excited the customers and thus cementing Pulsar's position in the market.
Pulsar came in two variants : 180 cc and 150 cc where 180 cc excited the performance bikers, 150 cc was for the mileage conscious ones. The 150cc variant took lot of customers away from the executive segment to the performance segment.
The brand had its share of marketing flaws also. According to reports, Bajaj reassigns its media duties to two brands O&M and Leo Burnett, every six months.When DTSI was launched, the creative duty was assigned to Leo Burnett. Leo Burnett did a big mistake on the brand by changing the positioning of " Definitely Male" to "Digital Biking". Although the ads were successful in conveying the technological superiority of DTSI and making that acronym popular, it deleted the most successful tagline from the brand's elements.
Pulsar came in two variants : 180 cc and 150 cc where 180 cc excited the performance bikers, 150 cc was for the mileage conscious ones. The 150cc variant took lot of customers away from the executive segment to the performance segment.
The brand had its share of marketing flaws also. According to reports, Bajaj reassigns its media duties to two brands O&M and Leo Burnett, every six months.When DTSI was launched, the creative duty was assigned to Leo Burnett. Leo Burnett did a big mistake on the brand by changing the positioning of " Definitely Male" to "Digital Biking". Although the ads were successful in conveying the technological superiority of DTSI and making that acronym popular, it deleted the most successful tagline from the brand's elements.
After ruling the premium bike segment, Bajaj is taking their brand to another level. Bajaj launched Bajaj Pulsar 200 Dtsi to take on the comeptition from Hero Honda Karizma and the like. The new Pulsar boasts of spruced up engine, new digital console and new style. Pulsar is definitely getting better.
Pulsar 200 was launched with a new campaign revolving round the concept of Free Biking. Free Biking ( as defined by the brand Pulsar) is all about tackling obstacles.According to company officials, its
about how you ride rather than where you ride. The ads made by O&M is filmed at Hawana Cuba ( expensive). Set to pulsating Arabian music, the ad shows how two Pulsar riders discover new route when their main way is blocked by traffic jam.
about how you ride rather than where you ride. The ads made by O&M is filmed at Hawana Cuba ( expensive). Set to pulsating Arabian music, the ad shows how two Pulsar riders discover new route when their main way is blocked by traffic jam.One word to describe this ad is HYPERBOLE and too much of it. What I feel is that even though the idea was good , its execution was ordinary. It lacked the originality which made pulsar such a big success.. But in the case of Pulsar 200, it is a sort of cut copy paste from some Hollywood movie (James Bond). More over, the Big Idea is also not properly communicated through the visuals. Also most of the time I was trying to make out some meaning out of the background song, later to find out that it was Arabic.
Then came the pulsar 220 DTSi which again stood upto the promised performance. with 0-60 in less than 4 seconds it was a clear winner among its competitors like Apache rtr180, Yamaha YZF R15 and karizma.Sadly Bajaj is no longer using its blockbuster tagline " Definitely Male" but instead is using the corporate brand tagline " Distinctly Ahead". Bajaj earlier had another corporate tagline " Inspiring Confidence" when it completely redesigned its corporate logo and brand.
I still strongly believe that not using "Definitely Male" is a gross injustice to the brand itself. That tagline and positioning has lot of fire with it and except for the initial two campaigns, Pulsar was not able to build on its Definitely Male Platform.But what ever I say and what ever the agency communicates through the ads, Pulsar has made itself into a position of strength. It has a brand equity so huge that what ever that comes out of it will be lapped up in no time. The success of Pulsar 220 DTSI is no longer dependent on the quality of ads but on the performance it delivers. This brand shows the power of brand equity where customers buy ,irrespective of lousy ads......
Does photography affect Consumers perspective
Vision is the most advanced of our senses. We understand the world through our eyes and images play an exceptional role in human perception-we evolved to make fast decisions based in what we see, determining friend from foe at a glance.
Everyday we encounter a thousand sophisticated images through entertainment or advertising. These images become the prime criteria to cast opinions-in a blink of eye- of what is good or bad inferior or excellent. The power of first impression cannot be underestimated.
Everyday we encounter a thousand sophisticated images through entertainment or advertising. These images become the prime criteria to cast opinions-in a blink of eye- of what is good or bad inferior or excellent. The power of first impression cannot be underestimated.
The photography you use creates an immediate impression as to where your product stands in terms of professionalism, attention to detail and quality control. It also identifies whether you employ inferior standards in return for lower costs!
When determining the price of creating the photography that helps you sell your products or services, step back for a moment and consider the larger picture. Does the image you use reflect the way you want customers to perceive your brand?
But does doing things cheaply have to mean cheapening your brand? It obviously pays to shop around. You should never over pay for your photography. At the same time, you want to create a look that’s all your own. Start with a clear understanding of your brand, the key messages you want to communicate, and your core differentiators.
The next step is to research photography and find something that is representative of your brand. As images are researched, consider their uniqueness and how closely they reflect your brand attributes what you want to communicate to customers. This is essential for leaving a long term impression that lasts.
By using the right photography, you can truly elevate your brand and create something that communicates more than a sales letter or promotional piece. There are some things you don’t want to compromise on – and one of those is the imagery used on a continuous basis. Be clear and find the right photography to get you there.
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