Thursday, February 6, 2014

APING THE "aap" ! are brands learning from it ?

Aam admi party has provided a breathe of fresh air in the current scenario of politics.A movement which was marketed the way it will target its customers, loud campaigns reaching the far flung areas and not leaving a single stone unturned in giving voice to the people. The question is , this impeccable debut by Mr. AK has taught a lesson not only to the political fraternity but also to the MARKETING specialists who are brains behind the BRANDS!
Brands always look forward to reach to the customer and gain attention in every possible way. After all honesty, accountability and a sense of newness are the principles AAP stands for and they also happen to be the virtues consumers seek in brands.Ad campaigns like - "JAAGO RE" by Tata tea , and "OPEN HAPPINESS" by Coca cola have tried to put forward their proposition in a much perfect manner , so as to spread the awakening message to society I feel to some extent the very presence of aam admi party has led to this reforms in advertising area.Customers now seek answers from advertising firms " what role does brands play in society" . till now these questions hovered around their livess but now it has reached to a different level altogether. a level that seeks transparency, honesty and accountability in whatever these brands boast of.They will not only have to now "Do the walking" but also " walk the talk". AAP always has some backup data to support their claims, similarily brands will also need to hold responsibilty  if they are proclaiming a hyperbolic thing in their promotions. being realisitc is the need of the hour !
FLIP SIDE ---
"the purpose of doing business is business".If today brands take up the concerns of social issues then it might lead to their own fallout. Since in a competitive environment your are required to outshine others in every possible way, it might seem difficult if a brand becomes to honest in its predispostion. building customer loyalty and brand evangelists is every man's dream and as far as social issues are concern then CSR will take care of that.
"Amul" is owned by an aam admi and is consumed by many consumers. in last 60 years it did not felt the need to spread a social message but were equally responsible in handling their products and catering to those masses.Political changes cannot bring down any significant effect. Instead of weaving stories around causes , it will be profitable and better for brands to convey their message in the righteous, targetted and concise manner.

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Beating retreat! Marking the end of our country's 65th republic day!


to spoof or not to spoof !

When a child taunts another child, you do not expect a response ! It is like a tantrum or a jibe. Even when you do respond to someone spoof or a comment in a funny way and even when it is supposed to be taken in a funny way, it does no harm. But when people start  taking it in wrong ways then it becomes a bitter name calling match ! For brands also the same formula applies.Todays media and advertising world we are witnessing multiple spoofs of advertisments, comedy runs on politics and gags on rahul gandhi with arnab goswami ! How far do these jabs trouble us or the person/organisation concerned ! ??
No one would like to make a mockery out of their too much busy lives and specially not, when it comes to public viewing ! In this season of election campaigning 2014, every party is behaving as a brand to outshine others in the race. Remember the ad campaign of coca cola and pepsi where: coke wrote " the official drink" and pepsi came out with a tad crazier tagline saying" nothing official about it".Also reminds me of the jet airways tagline " we've changed" to which the mallya owned kingfisher replies(intended or not)- " we made them change" ! ARE the customers really looking at this ? Brands or political parties for that matter should have some maturity level. Reacting to any spoofs or a tagline makes you no better, infact it drags you down to their levels. Their response must not be led by immediate provocation !
FLIP SIDE---
In today's world if you have to enter into media glare and attention, you have to get into the conversation. spoofs are the best way indeed.For majority of brands, it is much wiser to react to any spoof made on or by them because in a way they are attracting the eyes of the customer with their own RIVALS help! Isnt it a WIN WIN situation ! IF guilt free humour can be enjoyed and taken in no offence then why not ? In fact, it provides gains to both the parties.If your party or any company's leading brand have made a advertisement and then somebody spoofs it,overeact  and attract attention of the customers towards your idea  and if the spoof made is better than your idea/ ad , then IT is better to let it pass ! you sure do not want to bring bad name to your brand ! Do you ?  ( well, thats for rahul gandhi to annswer at least in today's scenario)

Later ;)