Social media is the saviour of long duration ads. Is it?

This morning I read an article from an ex colleague about how media and creative need to come back together to address new media realities. Nothing wrong in that except that they should have always been working together, new media realities or no. (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/brand-equity/collaboration-between-media-creative-necessary-to-envision-storytelling/articleshow/45036585.cms)

Whilst there is no doubt in my mind that the collaboration between creative and media is long overdue, what caught my attention in Hari’s article were some online video statistics. They were pretty impressive and making a strong case for longer duration films on social media. Indeed the biggest advantage of social media has been that as a media it offers almost anyone the chance to upload any video without paying for it. And if the content is good then viral plays it role and the video hits make up your reach.

But this thinking is more from an advertisers viewpoint. Let's look at it from the viewpoint of the user or the viewer. With TV at home he has a cable or a DTH connection. He pays a certain fixed amount every month and then watches whatever channels he has paid for unlimited.

On the other hand a broadband or 3G subscriber pays for the data downloaded. Yes, there are those unlimited schemes but once you download a certain amount your speed gets reduced to a trickle. Certainly not conducive for online video. And the cost of these schemes are not cheap, certainly not compared to cable.

 

So my question is, will a person who pays maybe Rs 250 per month(around Rs 300 after taxes etc) for 1GB download be willing to watch longer duration commercials on social media?

 

I am at the moment based in Dehradun and I meet youngsters at the management colleges or at the gym. In my conversation with them, I know that they are very choosy about what they do with their monthly online data plan. Whats app is big for them. So is Facebook and to a certain extent Twitter. But you tube is way down their priority list. And the reason is simple. Downloading a video is expensive. Even videos on FB the first thing they check is the duration. And ads or commercials are the last thing they want to check online. Long ones, I have my doubts.

 

What I am saying is based on my observation and a few chats with some youngsters. And their video watching habits, online. In fact yesterday I asked three four of them which ad they have seen online. And most of them were blank about ads. One mentioned about the Pepsi Kurkure Diwali ad but that was after some thinking. Ask them about any videos, and they chirp up about some comedy videos or film clips or even some sports action. But ads and that too long duration….?

 

To me the point is not about whether we should put up long duration ads on social media, but about who is watching them at the moment. My long shot is that it's the upper middle class urban Indian who is at the moment enjoying these. But the cost conscious middle and lower middle class smart phone owner is using his online data mostly for entertainment and very sparingly for information. And in that information list, watching an ad is way low in his priority. For him to watch online ads is like paying to watch an ad. Definitely not long duration ads. The ad needs to be really good, should have generated enough buzz and word of mouth before maybe they will make an exception and watch it online.

 

As I said this is my observation and intuition. I don't have any data to support it. But before we go gaga about an opportunity to release long duration ads on social media, let's pause and think about them from a viewer’s viewpoint. Does it have the power to go viral? Does it have enough chatter value? Will it make the user, for once forget about his download cost. And maybe do some research on the same. What online video is being watched? What is the average data plan that a consumer buys? How different is non metros online video watching habit from a metro?

 

Guess, the more the things change, the more they remain the same.

Interesting lesson from challenger brands - Himalaya Face Wash

Having worked on some global brands which not only have a rich heritage but are a learning school by themselves, one sometimes tend to be dismissive of communication from new or if I may call them challenger brands. But scratch the surface and these brands have great learning too. Because as Avis car rental said it beautifully a few decades ago "We try harder"

A few weeks ago I came across two commercials from Himalaya Men's Face Wash. Now Himalaya as a brand positioned itself more as a herbal brand but somewhere down the line Herbal became a mere footnote. And at the first glance the two commercials seemed to be more of the same old formula (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gLff2u8HlA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHfFmzfSukU). Introduce a problem, incomes the brand as a saviour, few seconds pack shot, end of story. I had dismissed the commercials as such.

Imagine my surprise therefore when interacting with some students and youngsters who have just finished education I found the commercials had a good recall and more importantly an empathy. And therein was my lesson. Sometimes it is not the thinking or the uniqueness of the idea or even a great insight which works, its just identification with the TG which is enough.

It would be right to assume that the product is aimed at 20-35 year old professional. But psychographically the communication is aimed at a youngster who is seeking/worried about a new job, wanting to make an impression at the work place and finding his place in the big bad corporate world. And it is this bulls eye psychographic which has done the trick.

The formula is old and tried a few hundred times but its ingredients are bang on. The problem definition in both commercials identifies totally with the TG. Getting rejected at a campus interview is a final year student's biggest nightmare. Boss tending to ignore you is any beginners worst fear. And the little touches added to it....your mother or girlfriend not telling you your problems....beautiful.

Also the execution is perfect. The protagonist is not the alpha male. He is a good looking next door neighbour person. The setting is not too outlandish or way aspirational. It is a modern office that could exist even in the smaller cities. So the communication is not Mumbai or Delhi centric, it is any town in India centric. These details have made a big impact. And the touch of girlfriend is perfect. It is a reality in India's small towns too...and importantly, it is aspirational.

As I have said in my earlier posts also, Himalaya has not stumbled on some great insight but they have found a great stimulus which tickles the TG in the right places. Sometimes we forget that it is basics like this which can make or break a communication.

But my grouse with the brand still remains? When they started maybe 15-20 years ago, they had a strong herbal positioning with some memorable advertising. At that time, maybe it was too niche. Why give it up now when herbal and all things natural are fast becoming a rage? Or I am missing something, somewhere? If anyone knows, please enlighten me.

How social media changed Diwali communication

Undoubtedly Diwali is the biggest festival in India. It is also the time when Indians go all out to shop. Be it buying electronics or durables or gold or jewellery or clothes....Diwali makes or breaks lot of brands and categories. Of late Diwali has become famous for offers. Many consumers delay buying just to grab some good Diwali offers. And top of the heap in the charge of the offer brigade were durables.

But this Diwali, something changed. Sure the offers were there. The freebies continued. But some FMCG brands went and build beautiful bonds with Diwali theme. I am not talking about usual culprits like Cadbury Celebrations which for almost a decade has been unleashing some terrific Diwali related gifting excuses. They did the same this year too.

What changed was brands like Nestle Kitkat, Pepsi and Kurkure using the occasion of Diwali to weave beautiful stories around the spirit of Diwali. If you haven't seen them then do watch the same
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6493771657497976552#editor/target=post;postID=8533123562776098219
http://www.collegeokplease.com/techtainment/har-diwali-gharwali-diwali-honi-chahiye/244

So what happened?

The answer I think is simple. Social Media. Three points.

First was the luxury of building and sustaining the emotions. With creative free from a 30 sec or a 60 sec format, the thinking changed from making a TV commercial to communicating a story. #GharwaliDiwali worked because the build up was something that millions of young Indians, away from their parents could identify with. The guilt of ignoring your parents could not have been communicated with a 30 sec framework constraining the creative. #FreedomfromDuration is the biggest gift that Social Media has given to the creative types.

Second was availability of new media channels at your fingertips. With smart phones, accessibility to new messages and brand communication has literally come to your finger tips. Yes, I am talking about the power of viral but more importantly I am talking about the concept of sharing a message or communication which touches you. You saw the film, were moved by it, wanted to share it with your friends, your family....and did that immediately. And you could relive it again and again.

Third was the opportunity to really go 360 degree. Usually brands would keep 80% of its media budget for TV. Now with social media, these brands have taken the huge risk of avoiding TV almost completely. Yet the films have had their audiences. And audiences which matter. So media money could go into promotions like Kitkat #MyDiwaliBreak twitter contest and celebrity twitter promotion. Though frankly on this front the effort still seems half hearted and not yet there.

Would Kitkat and Pepsi or Kurkure done the same without social media? Possibly they could have, but imagine doing a film as strong as #GharwaliDiwali in one minute or imagine the multiplier effect of #MyDiwaliBreak without social media.

What these campaigns have achieved is allowed emotional bonding to dethrone the plethora of offers that Diwali throws at you. Emotion tugging at your heartstrings and not offers tugging at your pockets, has again become the king.

 

In defence of Flipkart

First a disclaimer. I have been an ardent user of Flipkart for the last few years. For almost anything, I first login to Flipkart before checking the offers on other ecommerce sites. But I am not a blind fan too. If I find a better offer at other site, I do not hesitate to buy from there. So in the past few years I have experienced almost all the ecommerce sites, Snapdeal, Jabong, eBay, Amazon, Myntra......

Thus it was with some anticipation that I was looking forward to the Big Billion Day. I had some things on my mind, nothing big in electronics or household items but mainly lots of personal care items.

I logged in around 10:30 after having seen the ads in the newspapers and had no problems logging in. Maybe because I used the iPad app. I chose the items, saw that a decent discount ranging from 10% to 60% was being offered on all the items( it helped that I knew the MRP of the products) and added 10 items to my cart. After adjusting quantities etc which took a little more time than usual, I paid with my credit card and the act was done. Yes! I did not get the customary email or SMS confirming the order, but the order was showing in the "My order" column.

Post that I did try to indulge by looking at some of the crazy deals like Samsung Galaxy Tab for Rs 1390 or the 16GB pendrive for Rs 1. But just could not find the same. So I gave up.

A bit later while on Facebook and Twitter I started seeing some posts criticising the sale. Basically there were 2 types of posts. One was from disgruntled users who could not login or could not find the deals. And they have the right to be disgruntled. Server crashing or heavy user interface cannot be the reason in today's day and time that a company like Flipkart can offer as an excuse. They created a hype, they built up expectations and they failed to match it with their technology. Even though I did not have a similar experience, I do believe that there were many who did go through a lot of pain.

But it was the second type of grouse that perplexed me. This was some people who were complaining that Flipkart had raised prices of some items in the past few days and was had now reduced them to show massive discounts. And there was an article http://missionsharingknowledge.com/flipkarts-the-big-billion-day-a-pricing-scam/
which actually highlighted this with some impressive charts and examples.

But I have a fundamental question? What did Flipkart gain by increasing the price in the last few days and then decreasing it today? The sole parameter of discount comparison is against MRP. So lets take a hypothetical case......a printer has a MRP of Rs 5000 and it was being sold for Rs 4000 till last week and 2 days ago its price was raised to Rs 4500. Today it is being sold for Rs 4000. Flipkart will shout saying a discount of Rs 1000, not Rs 500, correct? So what's the deal? Why this big brouhaha?

I simply cannot understand the logic of this article or what people have understood about this article. From what I have seen all the prices have been benchmarked against MRP. Unless someone is implying that in the last few days Flipkart increased the price to beyond MRP. Again something which is not allowed by Indian laws and which will be foolhardy for a ecommerce company to indulge in.

There were some more grudges about offers expiring within minutes of the sale opening but that's a fact of life. There were crazy deals on some items and the ads mentioned in small print that these were on limited stock. Don't we face the same the moment IRCTC opens the booking for the festive season travel or holiday season travel? All tickets get booked in minutes. Nothing illegal about that. Unethical, maybe, but show me one ecommerce site or even a brand which does not use the fine print to it's advantage.

So what's the gripe all about? Is it a case of sour grapes? Is it a case of competition employing dirty tricks? I don't know.

What I know is that Flipkart is not a lala Indian company. I have experienced their customer service and systems and they have left no stone unturned in trying to give the customer a good experience. It would be really foolhardy for a company which is in the service sector and already has a turnover of USD billion to resort to such cheap gimmicks.

My only gripe. I am still awaiting email confirmation of my order!

  

What about the creative leap?

This week I saw four new ad campaigns. In terms of communication all four of them were very strong. Their clearly was a good strategy behind each one, the planner had done a good job....and in two cases the planners brief was also the creative output!

No, I am not trying to confuse. I have always believed that unless a planner gives a good crutch or builds a nice platform the creative cannot take that critical jump to produce breakthrough work. I also know that a good creative person is a good planner also. So a lot of times a good planning brief/strategy turns out to be the creative too. Nothing wrong in that but as some people pointed out in my previous blog, creative has to entertain too. A good piece of creative not only informs and makes the consumer inquisitive but also entertains. And it is the entertainment that creates an affinity for repeat viewing while creating an emotional bond.

Still confused then let's look at the four campaigns I spoke about.

The first one was for Vodafone Red postpaid. Here the task was difficult. The brief must have been to promote a 3 in 1 offer (data +minutes+SMS). I think the planning mind must have drafted a brief to the effect 'One good thing does not attract but many good things available all together is a winner'. And the creative leap was about this one man band who can play the flute, guitar, drums....all together to produce a nice symphony. A brilliant analogy which entertains and delivers the perfect message. Not just information but also creative which is memorable and one you would love to watch again. Do you agree? (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tfGWo-gDt6s)


The second example is of Indian soccer league. I think the brief here was very simple. Create pan India excitement about the new football league. The planner, in my mind took it one step further by identifying a platform "The whole country is involved in football" or maybe even "Let's Football". This is clearly reflected in the film. It is a nice montage of people from all walks of life, from all geographies playing football. Is it entertaining.....? not to me as I got a sense of deja vu...seen this, done that. For me it did not take the creative leap but was a good interpretation of the brief. Not a leap. (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7CPAV3-PM18)

The next one is controversial. It has received rave reviews on social media, but I guess somewhere it has missed the trick. This is the Jabong.com Be You campaign. It has got many things going for it. It's a refreshing break from the various offers and discounts and range and happy satisfied family ads that various ecommerce sites have unleashed on TV. It has a good sound track (but it's not an anthem, please!), great casting but in my mind it never progressed beyond the planner's brief. Be yourself, do not follow others and all that the voice over says is what the planning mind has put down. But did it break the mould and take the creative leap? Will you want to see this ad again? Does it entertain or just informs? Almost like the Indian soccer league ad it has nice montage shots from people across India wearing different fashionable clothes and a deep sounding philosophy as voice over. It will definitely resonate with the social media types 40+ audience. But I am not sure it will resonate with the cool young India. Be the judge...(https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bxfuSWttOFU).


And finally, my favourite. It could have fallen into the Indian soccer league trap. It could have played out the planner's brief, but it took the leap. This is the champions league t20, nights are back campaign. The planning mind must have said that t20 nights are exciting. The creative took that a step forward reminiscing about the exciting t20 nights. How those nights were special. How those nights made people do things that they usually did not, just to watch the matches. How people became nostalgic about those nights. They did not fall for some great shots or goose pimply moments of the previous editions, they did not depend upon montages. They created their own vocablury and language and regaled the watcher. This is, in my mind is by far a path breaking campaign for a sports event. Even if you are not a cricket fan you will agree (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G93Nz4X9ZPA)

Would be nice to have your views.
 

I have always believed that advertising is the favourite punching bag of everyone. My uncle, your aunt, her granny, his mistress, that one’s maid, next door neighbour’s driver…everyone has an opinion on an ad. Like it, love it, hate it, adore it…advertising as a profession has through the ages had many critics and critiques. After all it is not called the world’s second oldest profession for nothing. Even Confucius had, in my opinion unwittingly commented on the same. Read on to see what historians, authors, philosophers, economists etc had to say about advertising. In no particular order or preference.

The naysayers
Page after page, advert after advert. Lipsticks, undies, tinned food, patent medicines, slimming cures, face-creams. A sort of cross-section of the money world. A panorama of ignorance, greed, vulgarity, snobbishness, whoredom and disease- George Orwell, author.
The real lie that advertising tells is not so much in what it shows, but in what it leaves out- Stefano Beni, Italian satirical writer, poet & journalist.
Advertising, a judicious mixture of flattery and threats- Stephen Leacock, author.
Advertising is the modern substitute for argument; its function is to make the worse appear the better- George Santayana, philosopher.
There’s no difference between the products. If the products really were different, people would buy the one that's better. Advertising teaches people not to trust their judgment. Advertising teaches people to be stupid- Carl Sagan, astronomer.
Advertising departments, as you know, are crawling with people whose frontal lobes are so underdeveloped that if you flatter them a bit they'll swear shit is platinum- Ryu Murakami, novelist, filmmaker.
Gatekeepers and people that work in marketing are suckling pigs at the helm of Satan’s phallus. They are the death of art, and ultimately the death of the human spirit- Paul Huhn, author.
Advertising is not only the graffiti on our streets, but also the graffiti that tags the surface of our malleable minds- L.V. Hall, author
Advertising design, in persuading people to buy things they don`t need, with money they don`t have, in order to impress others who don`t care, is probably the phoniest field in existence today- Victor Papanek, designer, teacher.
It is really not so repulsive to see the poor asking for money as to see the rich asking for more money. And advertisement is the rich asking for more money- G.K.Chesterton, author, journalist.
If I were asked to name the deadliest subversive force within capitalism--the single greatest source of its waning morality--I should without hesitation name advertising. How else should one identify a force that debases language, drains thought, and undoes dignity? If the barrage of advertising, unchanged in its tone and texture, were devoted to some other purpose--say the exaltation of the public sector--it would be recognized in a moment for the corrosive element that it is. But as the voice of the private sector it escapes this startled notice. I mention it only to point out that a deep source of moral decay for capitalism arises from its own doings, not from that of its governing institutions- Robert. L. Hellbroner, economist.
Advertising is 85% confusion and 15% commission- Fred Allen, comedian.


The definers
The principles underlying propaganda are extremely simple. Find some common desire, some widespread unconscious fear or anxiety; think out some way to relate this wish or fear to the product you have to sell; then build a bridge of verbal or pictorial symbols over which your customer can pass from fact to compensatory dream, and from the dream to the illusion that your product, when purchased, will make the dream come true. They are selling hope.

We no longer buy oranges, we buy vitality. We do not just buy an auto, we buy prestige. And so with all the rest. In toothpaste, for example, we buy not a mere cleanser and antiseptic, but release from the fear of being sexually repulsive. In vodka and whisky we are not buying a protoplasmic poison which in small doses, may depress the nervous system in a psychologically valuable way; we are buying friendliness and good fellowship, the warmth of Dingley Dell and the brilliance of the Mermaid Tavern. With our laxatives we buy the health of a Greek god. With the monthly best seller we acquire culture, the envy of our less literate neighbors and the respect of the sophisticated. In every case the motivation analyst has found some deep-seated wish or fear, whose energy can be used to move the customer to part with cash and so, indirectly, to turn the wheels of industry. – Aldous Huxley, writer.
Advertising is to a genuine article what manure is to land, - it largely increases the product –P.T. Barnum- Showman, businessman, author, philanthropist
The believers
The codfish lays ten thousand eggs. The homely hen lays one. Codfish never cackles to tell you what she has done. And so we scorn the codfish, while the humble hen we prize, which only goes to show you that it pays to advertise!- Nikhil Sharda, writer, filmmaker.
You could write the best book in the world but if nobody knows about it, it is nothing- Brendon Reece Taylor, author.
Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing but nobody else does- Steuart Henderson Britt, historian, culture critic,musician.
Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising- Mark Twain, author.
You don't sell the product, you sell the philosophy. When you sell a product, you have customers, when you sell a philosophy, you have believers- Soumeet Lanka, writer.
The alluders
The superior man understands what is right; the inferior man understands what will sell- Confucious, philosopher.
Copywriters, journalists, mainstream authors, ghostwriters, bloggers and advertising creatives have as much right to think of themselves as good writers as academics, poets, or literary novelists- Sara Sheridan, writer.
Advertising, an art, is constantly besieged and compromised by logicians and technocrats, the scientists of our profession who wildly miss the main point about everything we do…-George Lois, art director.
The television commercial has mounted the most serious assault on capitalist ideology since the publication of Das Kapital. To understand why, we must remind ourselves that capitalism, like science and liberal democracy, was an outgrowth of the Enlightenment. Its principal theorists, even its most prosperous practitioners, believed capitalism to be based on the idea that both buyer and seller are sufficiently mature, well informed and reasonable to engage in transactions of mutual self-interest. If greed was taken to be the fuel of the capitalist engine, the surely rationality was the driver. The theory states, in part, that competition in the marketplace requires that the buyer not only knows what is good for him but also what is good. If the seller produces nothing of value, as determined by a rational marketplace, then he loses out. It is the assumption of rationality among buyers that spurs competitors to become winners, and winners to keep on winning. Where it is assumed that a buyer is unable to make rational decisions, laws are passed to invalidate transactions, as, for example, those which prohibit children from making contracts...Of course, the practice of capitalism has its contradictions...But television commercials make hash of it...By substituting images for claims, the pictorial commercial made emotional appeal, not tests of truth, the basis of consumer decisions. The distance between rationality and advertising is now so wide that it is difficult to remember that there once existed a connection between them. Today, on television commercials, propositions are as scarce as unattractive people. The truth or falsity of an advertiser's claim is simply not an issue. A McDonald's commercial, for example, is not a series of testable, logically ordered assertions. It is a drama--a mythology, if you will--of handsome people selling, buying and eating hamburgers, and being driven to near ecstasy by their good fortune. No claim are made, except those the viewer projects onto or infers from the drama. One can like or dislike a television commercial, of course. But one cannot refute it
- Neil Postman, author, media theorist.

The seed thought for this blog originated from my last blog (No, the client is not the king https://vikasmehta19.blogspot.in). Nowadays brands keep on changing communication agency relationships almost every season. Agency folks while looking at future horizons keep looking over their shoulders more often, scared that another agency may get into the picture. And the reasons are myriad. Lower fees, personnel changes at the client or at the agency, lack of relationship, failure to understand the issues at hand.....

Yet, amongst all this chaos there are agencies and clients who have had long term relationships. Agencies like JWT, Lowe, O&M, Mudra.... and clients like Unilever, Asian Paints, Idea, GSK, Pidilite, Rasna.... have been faithful to each other for decades.

Client agency relationship is no different than a successful or unsuccessful marriages. And funnily enough the reasons for long term or short term client agency relationships are also very similar. So let me try and list down a few factors which contribute to long term relationships or the lack of it.

1) Equal partnership: A relationship is strong when there is a mutual respect and understanding. Understanding that each brings something worthwhile to the table. Understanding that it is not a master slave relationship. The agency must understand the brand and the products as well if not better than the brand manager. The agency team must be knowledgeable enough to stand in for the marketing team if required. The client must be a fair remunerator. He must realise that even the agency is running a business. And if the agency cannot make money, what right it has to advise the client on how to make money? In short behave like ideal pati and patni.

2) Command respect, do not demand it: Applies to both. Client should not think because it's their money, because they have the freedom to hire and fire, the agency must listen to whatever they say. They must command that respect by being clear, transparent and focussed in their problem assessment, briefs and creative judgement. The agency should expect a client to listen to them and buy into their ideas by the sheer weight of its ideas, creative solutions and consistency in the work and not because they are supposed to be creative or because they have a creative reputation. Don't think that the pati has a right to boss or the patni a right to nag.

3) Inspire: A client should be always looking to inspire the agency and the agency inspiring the client to inspire. Are the clients thorough with their briefs? Do the briefs excite or are they just a diarrhoea of words? Can the brands be experienced by the agency? I remember on a motorcycle brand once the client got the agency to test drive the bike and ended with the words "Feel the power between your legs?" And the campaign that came out of it was mind blowing. Hmm pati and patni sweetly coochie cooing into each others ears.

4) Stimulate: This is very important in a relationship and the onus for this usually falls with the agency. Does the agency have sessions with clients to share the bigger picture of what's happening beyond his category and geography? Does the agency share and discuss different art forms with client. Movies, sculptures, exhibitions....? Have you met to discuss Cannes winners? Have you been to the film festival together? It is very easy to get jaded in a relationship. The same old meetings with the same people and the same discussions about the same brands. Stimulation replaces the monotony. Remember when the children are packed off to the parent's house for a candlelight dinner!?

5) Distract from temptation: In a relationship both sides have enough temptations to stray. The client will always be wooed by your competitors. Different agency will always be around trying to pitch or present exciting ideas. He will get impressed with a new team with new thinking and even lower remuneration cost. It is therefore important that the agency stimulates and has its own version of the same. Bring a new perspective, get sessions organised where you get a different team to share its thought with the client and even the agency team. Otherwise there are enough wohs waiting around to pounce on the spouse.

6) Be proactive: Remember how you surprised your better half with a surprise birthday party or an unexpected gift. Why not do the same with your client? No, I don't mean throwing parties and giving gifts. Be proactive. Present new work when not asked for. Write your own brief and share with client. Go and meet the consumers and present insights. Meet up with his sales force and understand any distribution or pricing or sales promotion issues. Have a solution for the same? Don't wait for the client to ask you to do something.

7) Tolerance: You may not like the fact that your husband can never be on time for any social occasion or you may loathe your wife's gossipy friends. But hey, there are enough positives in your spouse to overlook some such negatives. Isn't that tolerance? You give them leeway. The same is between the client and the agency. Sometimes the client briefs are pathetic. So you step up and rework his brief. You don't just whine or go into a negative tailspin. Sometimes the agency delays jobs. But don't they make up with work which is absolutely smashing? Don't wait or look to find faults. Forgive some.

8) Me time: Both pati and patni do need some time on their own. The pati wants to go out for a drink with his friends or sleep late on Sundays without being disturbed, The wife revels in kitty party with her friends or going for a mushy movie. So don't be upset if the agency wants some more time as its people want to attend an awards show in Goa. Or if the client is spending more time in solving an industry issue with his competitors and for all you know meeting with a who. Maybe he will realise how valuable you are when he meets a woh!

9) Celebrate milestones together: So after giving each other some me time also remember to share some good moments together. A particular campaign increased market share. Go out celebrate with the whole team. A piece of work was honoured by the industry feel good for your agency and show it. Don't you do the same when your spouse achieves success?

10) Build your own rules along the way: There is never a fixed way to do everything. Treat the above as a prototype but build your own model for a long term agency client relationship. And please do remember to share that model.

Finally, go watch Pati, Patni aur woh if you haven't watched it till now.

Advertising has for long been bracketed as a service industry. Excuse me, are you saying that what we do is the same as hotels, restaurants, call centres......? No disrespect meant for these industries but I for one do not think we can be bracketed with them.

That is what I think is the core of what is wrong with us. We are in a communication business. By definition communication is a two way process. Someone says or talk to someone else. The recipient understands the communication and either reacts to it or ignores it. If the reaction is positive then it adds to the communicators bottom line and if it is negative or there is no reaction at all then the communication has obviously failed. Where is the service factor in it?

Of course all communication agencies are purveyor of service but by that definition all brands and products provide some service. So let's lay this service industry mindset to rest.

This mindset of being a service industry means the client is the king. He is always right.  Because he is paying for the communication. I am sorry but client is not the king...it is the consumer who is the king. We try and mould our communication to the client's mindset. Will he buy this? Will he approve this?  That's so wrong. We have to convince the client that his consumer will buy it. If we aim to produce the work which the client likes and which fails with the consumer, then anyways the client will not continue with us. So why do we want to just suck up to him and do not give him our honest viewpoint.

The clienst pay us to be their consultant, their advisors and their partners. Not to be their yes men and lackeys. They are looking for partners who understand their consumers and can suggest the best way to engage with them. So unless we are honest to the consumer we will never do our job properly. Even if it means standing upto the client and telling him that he is wrong. Don't just say it because you feel he is wrong but show him why you could be right and he could be wrong.

And that's why we must change our remuneration structure. Right communication impacts the clients bottomline in a big way, similarly wrong communication causes equal grief. We must insist that our remuneration is based on results. Pay us a basic fees which covers our costs but if we want to make money then our work must work. It must show results.

Once we know that making money is dependent on the success of our work then we will not be working as in service industry. We will not be client's yes men. We will voice our viewpoint. We will fight in what we believe. We will ultimately do work which will show results. And we will be proud communication people.

Another advantage with this way of working is that campaign goals will be well defined with result parameters also discussed before hand. This in turn helps the client to articulate a better brief, the most common bane of all agencies.

I think most client's will love it too. They will have an agency which is appointed or retained with a performance based criteria. They will not always have to look at ways to cut fees or look out every year for a new agency which will charge less.

And if there are clients who will not agree to this then an agency better be wary. Because it could mean that the client is not looking for an able partner but a yes man. It would mean that the client considers himself as the king and the agency its vassal. Better not to be involved with such clients.

The problem is mostly with the agency. I think many, if not most of us are not confident of our work. We hesitate to take up the challenge of being result oriented. We fear that we may be not successful. So we want to play safe. Give us a decent fees upfront. Everything else can be a bonus. We are happy to earn averagely and then we blame the client for paying us poorly.

The interesting part is that there always have been clients who want an independent agency and not "his master's voice". When I joined this industry in the mid eighties, I had one such client, Kitply. We launched the brand and in fact created a new category. From day one the client was very clear."I will accept all your recommendations because you are the experts in this field. You understand the consumer and tell me what to do. But if your recommendations fail then you are out." And he was true to his word. He never interfered with creative, in fact he vetoed even his family's suggestions if we did not agree to the same. And we continued with him for a decent period of time.

In today's day and age where technology and new medium makes it easy to track the success or failure of a campaign it is surprising that most agencies are working on an outdated model. And continue to regard themselves as a service industry, servicing the client, treating him like a king. Pity!

 

Advertising as we know it has always had it superstars. Not only internationally but also in India. When I joined advertising it was Alyque Padamsee who along with Mohammed Khan was the doyen of the Indian advertising industry. Alyque of course, was famous for his English theatre too. This was in the era of print and in print Mohammed was the God. Of course, the world of advertising in print at that time was dominated by English advertising and the reach and fame of these gentlemen was limited to the Indian speaking audience.

The advent of TV changed the scenario. With its wide reach, the opportunity to speak in the local idiom opened a new world for the industry. Non English took centrestage and the likes of Piyush, Prasoon and Balki were its new purveyors.TV also encouraged a move from information to story telling. Soon Cadbury's Dairy Milk, Fevicol, Vodafone, Surf Excel, Happydent, Tata Tea, Saint Gobain etc became the talk of the nation. TV also gave the creator of these campaigns a medium to talk about their work.

So now with the digital wave on us where a 30 sec commercial is not necessarily the norm, will we see the end of such creative superstars? These great storytellers who used the TV media so brilliantly to build brands, will they have no successors?

I think the answer is already around. In the last few years except for Aggy, no new superstar has arrived. I suspect one reason for the same is that the work of creative has changed. When TV was the lead media the focus was to produce a great campaign around a TVC. That focus has changed. It is no longer a TV lead game. Now its about how do we use digital media? Its now about how to go viral? Its about how we involve the consumer? The trick is not just in TVC but on how to take the TVC further.

There is no denying that the idea is still core to the communication. One needed a great idea for a TVC and one needs a big idea for a digital campaign too. But the subtle change that has come in has been that communication has truly become a two way process. Whereas a TVC was a one way process, a monologue at its best, the digital era means that we need to involve and let the consumer participate in the communication. So its no longer about just bonding with the consumer. Its about letting him be part of a dialogue. Its not about making a TVC and then watching it work. Its about unleashing a piece of communication, tweaking it, adding to it and responding to the consumer interaction.

This means that the creative person who till a few years ago was content with grasping the nuances of film making today has also to be a technology geek. He has to understand and keep on evolving with the digital medium. He cannot just be an ideas person. He has to mould his ideas with the nitty gritties of the medium. So it is a complicated task.

And that's the reason I believe that the next breed of creative superstars will not be the creative types but the technology types who will be bold enough to experiment with ideas and ready to take creative leaps. These will not merely be a writer or an ideas guy or even an art person but someone who understands what digital is, what it can do, how it can work with the consumer and how it can enter into a dialogue with the consumer.

Yet another reason for the fading away of the TVC type creative person is the evolution of product and hence brands and hence marketing. Brands life cycle is becoming short. Brand differentiation in features is blurring. With technology progressing by leaps and bounds no brand has a feature edge for more than few months. You would say, well more reason to create a differentiated brand. But the truth is that the process of creating a differentiated brand has taken a back seat. It is now about, got it flaunt it. So there is less of brand build and more of brand sell. Less about a story, a tale and more about buy me why and buy me now. Its about seduction and not flirting. The message is about a feature or a price or an offer. That does not really need a story telling TVC. It needs an interesting way to pass on information and use digital to focus the message and get the consumer involved.

E commerce is the best example of the same. Flipkart started with some brand building TVC's but they have now moved on to deals, weekend offers, exclusive offers and so on. Amazon is all about offering more than 1.6 crore products. Myntra is about likes, Snapdeal is about the electronic sale....so where is the creativity...its all about offers, deals. They put up a TVC for information, but what they are creative about is digital media. How do they score there is what matters. So Flipkart seals an exclusive 30 days deal for Sachin Tendulkar's autobiography and uses Social Media to tap cricket fans, uses sites like ESPNCricinfo to tap their data base or banners in the live scores....that's what counts.

So for all you know the next superstar is actually a number cruncher. Maybe he is already there hidden behind all that data and charts. Thinking on how to differentiate in media and how to get more eyeballs, more likes, more hits and more consumer comments. Know anyone matching that description?

 

When I was quite small and growing up in places like Assam or Kolkata we were encouraged to help out the disabled and the elderly. We were also taught not to help any able person begging or asking for alms as we would not be helping them but spoiling them. Then while growing up we heard tales about gangs forcibly disabling people, specially children and force them to beg. So every such beggar was seen with suspicion and many a times I learnt to look away from such people, sometimes wondering whether I denied someone who was truly in need. I then focussed my attention on to organisations who were big and who were dedicated to some good causes. Cancer Aid, Blind school etc.

And I was happy. In my own quite way, I was doing my bit towards society. In fact just yesterday I wrote a blog on CSR and how corporates can use social media much better for CSR (https://vikasmehta08.blogspot.in). The blog was inspired by the ALS Ice bucket challenge. I thought it was a good example of involving the audience to generate funds for a good cause.

Until I read a post by a gent named Jose Canura, based in US. He had done some research on the net and had some shocking findings. ALSA had dedicated only 7.71% of its budget to research, administrative cost at 10.54% and fundraising cost at 18.11% was much more than the research allocation, in 2012. To me this was an eye opener.

I had indeed heard rumours of this kind before. During the Tsunami crisis we as an office were donating one day salary to the Red Cross. A dear colleague who happened to be in Sri Lanka at that time beseeched us not to do so. She told us tales of senior people from world renowned charitable organisations staying in 5 star hotels and hiring fleets of AC cars. Later on I heard similar tales about some UN organisations too. I also remember getting a fancy new year card from one respected charity organisation not more than 2 years ago. I had got so miffed by it that I had written a strong note to the Director of the organisation taking him to task on such wasteful expenditure. He was defensive about it saying that it helps to pamper donors. Well he did not pamper me. I cut him off my list of donors.

In today's age of everything available online, I guess it is not difficult to do some research on your own. But if such figures are true then it means that even people like Bill Gates or George Bush have frittered away $ 93!!!

What is happening to charity? Is it become bottomline oriented business? Are there shareholder returns being calculated here also?

Or is it that this was always the case and only now with easy access to information these things are coming out in the open. I am confused and annoyed. I think charitable organisations are hell bent on killing the goose which lays the golden egg.

But I am now going to be very aware and watchful. I shall go through the annual reports and audited accounts of all organisations to whom I contribute. And I would urge you to do the same. Your responsibility does not end by donating. It in facts starts by ensuring that when you donate, donate to a cause where the maximum amount is being put to good use. And not ensuring big perks, fancy cars and bonuses to the people who are in the business of charity.   

The ALS ice bucket challenge has been a big hit on the internet. It has spread virally across the world and since the challenge began the ALS association has collected 41.8 million dollars in contributions. So the challenge has done two things very well. One it has raised the awareness of ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig's disease and two common individuals have also got involved and contributed $100 each to the association. A great example of crowd funding, though the raising of awareness has contributed to big time donations too.

Social media is a great opportunity for corporates to get involved in CSR activities. CSR needs to be something which is transparent, genuine and which is seen to be benefitting the society. What better way to achieve all this than social media. Your customers or consumers can see you making a difference.

Just as an example, if this challenge was in India maybe a private hospital chain or a pharma company or any socially responsible organisation could have come forward and raised the bar saying that for everyone participating in this challenge and contributing $100 or Rs 5000 they will from their side contribute something extra. It could be even Rs 1000 per person. But imagine the goodwill they can generate with this gesture.

In India on the occasion of a festival or even valentines day or new year we see companies/brands make desperate attempt to link with the occasion. They will have offers or discounts and try to make it look like an offer because they want they consumers to enjoy that festival or occasion. Can they turn the same into a CSR opportunity which increases sale and also generates good funds for a good cause.

Last year in Oman for Valentines day, we did a proactive twitter campaign for a confectionery client. Confectionery are sweet, gooey, mushy things which come in handy on a valentine's day. But could we use the occasion to bring a smile to the underprivileged?

So we had a simple tweet offer. Instead of using the word love use hasgtag name of the brand in your tweet. So instead of saying "I love valentine's day" say" I #nameof brand valentines day". For each such tweet the brand will donate one candy and one unit of the local currency towards an orphanage. We invited some local celebrities to tweet the message and ask their followers to retweet the same. And there was a linked micro site which was keeping a tab on the scores.

Results were great. The brand had a high recall around Valentine day. The tweets got the brand to donate money and candies, bringing a smile for some orphans. The consumers got involved. Sales increased at the opportune time. CSR was achieved transparently and genuinely.

On hindsight we missed a small trick. We could have announced some simple prizes for the best or the most tweets. This way the consumer would have been motivated to do more and the healthy competition would have helped us to get better CSR response.

The point here is about doing CSR by involving the consumer. It's not just about donating some money to charity or sponsoring some event which can generate charity. It's about making the consumer be at the forefront. These ideas get bigger and gets viral because the consumer sees his own involvement. Its like their own contribution to a good cause. The brand or company's contribution become secondary.

I think there is a huge opportunity here. The festival season is now approaching. Brands like Cadbury's etc will spend quite a bit of money on promotion and advertising. Other brands like Raymonds, Samsung, Coca Cola (these are all indicative brands) will spend a lot on feel good ads. They will have promotions, contests, discounts. Can we expect them to think a bit differently this time? Can they use the festive occasion to spread cheer not just as an emotion but as a result of a good act? Can they first think of an idea of what they will do and then look at a TVC or press ad? Can their agencies take up the challenge to think about activities which will help the needy, involve the consumer and help increase the brand bottomline as well as the bottom line of a cause?

I am hoping to see some genuine CSR lead activity/media campaign/social media campaign this year. It's not a difficult thing. The challenge is to think Digital or more specifically social media first. The challenge is to think an activity. The challenge is to create a win win situation for all stake holders. Who will take the lead? #Mohit HiraNishad RamachandranKushalSanghviAtulHegdeJitenderDabas

Just before the turn of the century, I started getting some noises in my ears. It was not a distraction but was definitely an irritation. I was in my early 30’s happily married, upwardly mobile. Had just got my first international posting and the world was mine to conquer. Within months it all came crashing down.

While in Egypt I was diagnosed with Menniere’s disease. It’s not a life threatening illness. But it is a social taboo illness. It affects the hearing and sometimes causes vertigo. It’s cause is yet unkown but is linked to an unhealthy lifestyle…..anxiety at work place, irregular eating and sleeping habits, processed food rich in sodium, cola and caffeine culture….all of which I was guilty of. There is no cure but one needs to take preventive measure. I went for diagnosis and treatment to UK, US and even got an unsuccessful surgery done in my inner ear. But my tinnitus in the ears kept on increasing, my hearing diminished. Frankly more than the hearing it was the speech discrimination which was an issue. In plain language, I could hear but was not sure of what was being spoken.

My first reaction was that this cannot be happening to me. But my immediate second reaction was that I am going to fight it. I acquired hearing aids of the highest order in order to improve my speech discrimination, I changed my eating habits totally. Cut out all tea, coffee, colas, processed foods and salt from my food. Started daily walks and jogs and also alternate medicine.

And I never allowed it to interfere with my work. I was concentrating much harder, was more focussed even developed a bit of lip reading! And the results showed. Some of my best years in terms of results happened in Egypt and Indonesia. In Egypt I turned around an ailing division restored client confidence in the agency on all globally aligned MNC clients and broke all records in client performance appraisals and bonuses. Exactly the same results came in Indonesia too where I was leading a team of more than 50 people and also handling regional responsibility, which meant extensive travel throughout Asia and London.

But I noticed another change. In the way society started dealing with me. I was no more a high flyer or a rising star. I was not shunned but when people realised I was wearing hearing aids, suddenly there would be doubt in their eyes and actions. Since I was wearing a hearing aid therefore it was assumed that I was at a handicap. People would raise their voice automatically, repeat the same things twice and if I asked them to repeat what they said would look at me with pity. First I thought it was mind playing tricks but on closer observation I realised it was a definite behaviour trait.

Worse was to follow. People started assuming that I was getting dumber. I could see exasperation setting in if I did not follow something at the first attempt. I could see impatience because it was assumed that having a handicap meant that I have become an inferior person.

And then the worst social behaviour emerged. I would notice people sniggering behind my back. If I misinterpreted something it was because I was hard of hearing, and I did face some moments when people actually took advantage of my condition. There were some colleagues and also superiors who blatantly lied, “But I told you so. Oh! You may not have heard it!” There were times when I knew that some one was trying to shift blame on me and use my problem to their advantage and I could do nothing about it. It was almost as if I was marked out.

Mind you I was in a communication business. I was at the beck and call of my clients 24x7. And I had to always keep in touch with my consumers too. Attending group discussions, strategy meetings, new business pitches were all a normal part of my day. It was a high pressure, result oriented, deadline driven career.

All this did get to me. It was not only frustrating but also dealt a severe blow to my self confidence. Maybe, I actually didn’t hear what he said? Maybe, my mind is not processing information with same precision? Maybe, I am not capable of handling big projects? Maybe, I should retire and look at a more sedate profession?

My strength was my wife. She not only believed in me but was my walking talking medical advisor. She would be on the net for hours surfing for more information on the disease. She would look at all types of alternate medicines. She would become part of medical groups or patient grous related to the illness. She would restore my self confidence and she would exhort me not to give up. She always looked at the brighter side of things. At least it is not a life threatening disease, would be her usual refrain. That certainly put things in perspective.

The interesting part was that while I was being set up for failure due to societal and even peer rejection, my results at work place weren’t bad at all. Yes, there were hiccups and lows but then these happened when my confidence was at the lowest. In fact more often than not I realised that my clients were very appreciative but my industry and peers were not. The word was out on the street. He wears a hearing aid. Poor fellow, he has lost it.

I was really frustrated. Down in the dumps. I started withdrawing into a shell. I was never a firm believer but I started losing faith in God and even humanity. I would decline invites to client social meets, I would shun office group events, I would not be part of any weekend outing trips….the more I secluded and cut myself off, the more tongues wagged. The more people became convinced that I am no more a capable professional or even a friend.

But I recovered with the help of my family support system. Luckily the worst in terms of the disease was also over. My ears stabilised and I doggedly got back into my groove. My life perspective had changed and I was now determined to change some more people’s.

This is not an attempt to make a victim of myself. I don’t want this piece to get me sympathy. But I think there has to be an understanding of how some acquired physical disability does not make the person less than what he used to be. How can society and work place change their impression about someone just because he is using a device which has him labelled, handicapped? Just because I had become poor in one of my physical faculty did not mean that I had diminished as a person.

It is funny. If I had a heart attack and I had survived it, I would have been more accepted than as a person who has got a disability. Isn’t that ironic? So I soldiered on. Bagged new assignments, made a difference in my job. But the fact that I wore hearing aids always caught up.

Our society is full of preconceived notions. In as much as we try, it is not easy to fight and break these notions. My experience shows me that no one will fight for you. If you are lucky as me and have a good support system like my wife, my family, my in laws then you can fight. But what about those who do not have such support system. And also an economical support system. What do those people do? How do they fight these pre conceived notion? What do they do? How do they survive?

I turn fifty today. According to our customs and belief this is an age when a person gets into Vanaprastha ashram. Give up worldly goods, emotionally detach yourself from the world, give up the materialistic things. I will do none of that. For I want to be a role model. For I am a survivor who has survived to say his tale.

I want to tell everyone who has a disability that they are not inferior. They are just differently abled. I want them to not accept sympathy. I want them to not expect a warm, accommodating society. I want them to not accept preconceived notions. I want them to not disrespect their own self belief.

I want them to understand that the only disability in life is a bad or wrong attitude.

I want them to know that they may be disabled in one aspect but they are better than the abled in many more aspects as they will always try harder. I want them to understand that they can be more compassionate as they realise others pain.

I want this compassion to drive them. I want their disability to drive them. I want the hostile world to drive them. I want the sympathetic looks to drive them. And I want the desire to prove the preconceived notions wrong, to drive them.

And I need your help, to help them. From today when you meet a disabled person, treat him as a normal person. Respect him for what he is. Motivate him, encourage him and look at his strengths. Help him fight any preconceived notion. And if you find any other person doing the opposite of this tick him off. Educate your children on these issues. In fact introduce them to handicapped people. Let them know that they are no different than anyone else.

If each one of you demonstrate this attitude to even a single person with disability, it will be my best 50^th Birthday gift. I hope you will not shy away from giving me one.

This morning while browsing through the Times Of India one innocuous looking ad suddenly jumped out as its implications sunk in. It had a very boring, oft used, hackneyed headline but when I looked at the name of the advertiser, I was surprised. For it was a joint ad of OLX.in and Flipkart. One brand which specialises in selling your old, outdated, not useful for some products online and the other who specialises in selling new, upto date, in sync with times products, also online. The line read upgrade now. Sell old goods on OLX.in and buy new ones on Flipkart. Brilliant. Great strategy, which automatically translated into effective creative. (Scroll below to see) Link http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/index.aspx?EID=31808&dt=20140806#

I have often wondered why brands which have synergistic products or which can be strategically in sync cannot talk together or use each other's strength. More so when a masterbrand has complimentary products addressing the same TG. When I handled Philips, I would wonder why the TV division not talk to an audio product buyer? Or the vice a versa? Why couldn't the packaging of a hi fi audio system not have an interesting leaflet about some great sounding TV's? Why couldn't the database of decorative hi end home lighting system buyers be shared for a hi end TV audience?

And today's ad actually proves that one can do good co branding communication with disparate brands also.

 Imagine an ad for La opala dishes which says to keep the shine on these dishes always use Vim. Or an ad for a SUV which promotes a 3 day adventure package to tented living in Ranthambore.....And why just ads. It could be any mode of communication. DM, leaflet, contest.

The usual practical problems faced in these situations is the practicability. What's the share of each brand? Not just in size or space or airtime but also costs. Whose agency does the creative? Whose  ego to be satisfied? And the problem exists even within divisions of the same company. It's not easy to sort out these issues even within say Philips Lighting or Philips appliances. I remember one of my bosses actually recommending me to stay away from such proposals. He had burnt his hand in the past as both of his clients whom he tried to involve in co communication accused him down the line of favouring the other one!
Ok, by now I hear some of you say that co communication has been existing for ages. Don't washing machine detergent manufactureres claim that they have been approved by so many brands. Or doesn't Samsung give you airtime free with Airtel or Aircel bundles an iPhone amazing free 3G offers. Yes, I hear and agree with you. To me that's no co branding. That's endorsement or enticement. And without spouting jargon it means that these are not based on an insight. But these are either natural extensions of a product usage or they are conveniently bundled products or manufacturers claims.

Look at the OLX.in and Flipkart ad and think about it. To me it has a solid insight. In today's disposable world and flaunting the latest here are two brands which allow you to dispose off what's out of fashion or need and upgrade to the latest. That's why this piece of communication is a wow.

Similarly a person buying a high end TV would want to have proper lighting in the room to facilitate good viewing and accentuate the beauty of the TV itself. A la opala buyer would want the beauty of his dinner set to be sustained. A 4x4 buyer is a high end buyer who would want to run the vehicle through it's pace.

I think there is a huge opportunity in co branding. Egos aside, practical issues can be sorted out, insights waiting to be developed. Any takers?



 

After India's victory in the second test match at Lord's, England was down and out. They had not only lost comprehensively but their established players, including the Captain had serious form issues and there were calls for his head and radical changes. But in a week's time, England had bounced back with a resounding victory, their Captain was amongst the runs as were the other established players. The team astounded critics and supporters alike. It is one of the best examples of "bouncing back" in cricket.

In communication business too this terms carries a lot of weight. The business is service intensive. It is result oriented and deadlines are sacrosanct. Technology today plays an important role but ultimately it's the business of ideas so human intervention and error is inescapable. Mistakes therefore are part and parcel of the business. But it's never the mistakes which define the men in the business it's the bouncing back which separates the men from the boys.

And it is critical that agencies have bouncing back in their DNA. For mistakes are inevitable. But if an agency can learn from these mistakes and then prove that they can yet make a difference, then their worth is in gold. And clients understand this. Or at least good clients do. They are tolerant enough to accept agency mistakes because they know that the agency will more than make up for it.

To encourage the culture of bouncing back agency must also show patience with its employees. In today's day and age of hire and fire there is a tendency for employees to indulge in blame game or deflect the blame. This was because they are keeping their jobs safe. But if the management can inculcate a culture of people owning up to mistakes and then suggesting how they will bounce back and overcompensate the client with their bounce back ideas, then the blame game will disappear. It will contribute to more transparency and team work. In fact I have always been a great proponent of bouncing back and whenever faced with a mistake my first thought has been to bounce back. And mostly it has paid off handsomely.

Let me give you an example. Almost two decades ago with the advent of satellite channels new types of programmes were coming on air. Zee was starting with a new programme  showcasing Top 10 Bollywood songs of the week. The idea was to create a programme which had a theme with a compeer and songs interspersed throughout.

We at Contract were at that time handling the Philips audio business and were convinced that the programme suited the profile of the client. This was of course the pre separate media business days. Agency was handling the full business including media and money was made through agency commission and not a fixed fees.

The channel had proposed a naming right programme and we were excited to call it Philips Top 10. Fortunately our client concurred with our views. But the problem was that the audio business did not have enough budget for the programme and the other parts of Philips business, Colour TV and Lighting were handled by different agencies. And these agencies were not too happy with us getting a programme for their clients as it would eat up into their revenue. With a tight deadline and other big clients showing interest in the programme we managed to convince both Colour TV and Lighting to come on board. This would be India's first naming right programme and we went about trying to milk it to the maximum extent possible for our client.

We called a press conference to coincide with the launch of the first episode of the programme. The idea was to hold the conference live while the programme goes on air at 9 pm on a Friday evening. We hired a hall in Mumbai's only revolving hotel, installed latest Philips TVs, audio systems and lighting solutions all over the place. We also had a small contest for the press as to which would be the top 3 songs of the week. As the programme started the excitement mounted. And the commercial breaks carried the ads of the three product divisions. Or at least they were supposed to. For some logistics and scheduling reason the Lighting division ads never came on. And then all hell broke loose. The lighting division took us to task and accused us of negligence and not caring for them since we were not their agency. They even threatened to withdraw.

Thankfully the response to the programme was very good and the PR was excellent. We also negotiated with Zee and managed to get some extra free commercial time for a mistake which was evidently from their side.

But we at Contract weren't still happy. We wanted to bounce back. For some time we had been eyeing the business but could not as it was handled by our big boss HTA (JWT). So we decided to bounce back by impressing the client so much that we could get them to ask us to pitch for the business.

We over serviced them ( with no assured revenue except for the committed spend on Philips Top 10). We inundated them with ideas. We met up with their senior management whenever possible and within 6 months the client asked us to pitch. To cut a long story short we pitched and won the business under the noses of our big brother HTA, which they had been handling for about 35 years. All because we had been inadvertently involved in a major goof up but we decided to bounce back.

It was not as easy as it sounds. We had detailed internal meetings on who would be responsible for what. We briefed creative pro actively, we had meetings with Zee on how to highlight each division, we did our own market research, we met the lighting dealers. And it was all done on shoestring budget, strict timelines and as addition to our regular client responsibilities.

The best part was that our bond with the Audio team strengthened. They were more proud of us, would almost flaunt us within the company and allowed us to take creative risks. They also became our vocal spokesperson within Philips.

I firmly believe in the process of bouncing back. Of course it does not mean that we continue committing mistakes and then making up for the same. It means that as and when mistakes are committed learn from them, do not repeat them and try to convert the same into opportunities.

Sometimes, I wonder why all the brands today who have big customer service departments, who mouth impressive slogans and have serious mission statements cannot follow this simple philosophy? Why have I never got a feeling that after committing a mistake these guys still deserve me? Even after their CEOs intervening, why they have never felt the need to bounce back and reconvert me into their brand (http://vikasmehta64.blogspot.in)?Why have they never let me feel that the mistake was only an aberration and not a habit?

Maybe it's time that "bouncing back" philosophy is taught in business schools and at corporate campuses?

The most abused term I have come across in marketing is insight. A simple word which has powerful connotations has become a mere jargon which is thrown around with impunity. And I have seen senior, experienced marketing and communication professionals fall for this, not just in India but globally. Insight is a very powerful term if used correctly. Through this blog I will try and explain what in my opinion is an insight and how it can do wonders if exploited properly.

Let's start with a simple exercise. Just think of a few campaigns or communication pieces that you really liked and try to remember what you liked about them. Let me list some of my favourites, not in any particular order. Surf Excel -Daag acche hain, Airtel - Har ek friend zaroori hota hai, Cadbury -Kuch meetha ho jai,  Bournvita - Jeet ki taiyari.

The common point amongst all these ads was that they had strong insights. Let's start with Jeet ki tayari. The TG in this ad is the customer or the buyer of the brand, the mother. And every mother wants to see his child win. In every sphere of life. Now that's not an insight its a plain simple truth which cannot pass as an insight. Most of us marketing and communication types fall would call that an insight. A general well known truism is not an insight. So what was the insight in these ads?

Actually the whole series of three ads evolved. Yes, there is a common thought bonding each ad in the series and it is about the hunger to win, that's why the line Tayari Jeet ki. But each execution has a unique insight. The first judo ad (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=580oal8sSAA) has a unique insight that the biggest enemy of a child getting into winning ways is the mother herself. This is a simple human emotion but that's what makes this ad stand out. Imagine this ad without this insight, spouting voice over on the lines of clichéd "come on, you can do it...." would it have worked as wel? Not at all. It stood out because it exploited the insight of a mother not wanting her son to suffer. It's a thought that is unique and differentiated.

In the second ad which is about the girl boxer (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fhDBqBnkp-k) the campaign evolved with another insight. After warning the mother in the judo ad that don't spoil your child's victory preparations by going soft on him, the mother has now started playing an active role in the preparations. And now she believes that the best preparation is with people who are stronger than her child. Because the insight is that life throws up challenges which are more powerful than you, better captured in hindi "Kyonki jindagi mein muqabala kabhi barabari ka nahin hota". And that's the reason why it is the girl child pugilist who is preparing by fighting with stronger boys. Again this insight to throw a girl fighting with boys in practice is what makes this ad stand out.

And then to the last ad. Race. (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwmcz2uZxSq). The evolution is complete. Now the mother is participative and ruthless, she believes that the habit of winning cannot be taught by the mother siting at home.And the son has to earn his spurs. The insight of "I will not allow him to beat me" is what makes this ad stand out. Winning will never be served on platter.

So what have we learnt? What is an insight? It is definitely a universal truth but it is slightly more. In my mind it is the deep and relevant understanding that pegs the brand into a target group need or emotion. And it has to be unique, fresh, enduring inspiring and finally competitive. Wasn't the Tayyari Jeet ki campaign fulfilling all these criteria?

If we look at the Kuch meetha ho jai campaign the insight is very simple. Indians have a sweet tooth. No that's not an insight but a fact. The insight is that we Indians need any excuse to have sweet. We look for opportunity to have sweet. Kuch meetha ho jaye is a fantastic line and beautifully makes this insight come true.

Same for Airtel har ek friend. The insight here is not about the importance of friendship but that friends are beyond the rose tinted hues also. Don't define a friend just because he is good, nice, helpful, generous but accept a friend with his negatives also. That wholesome approach to friendship is what catapulted the Airtel campaign into an iconic status.

Or the Surf Excel insight. Let a child learn in the laboratory called life. Do not stop him from getting practical experiences. And therefore with Surf Excel dirt is good.

I need to emphasise that insights work brilliantly only if they are relevant to the TG and they link back to the brand. The current Airtel campaign has an interesting insight. Modern (rather contemporary, urban ) woman can easily switch in her role as a career woman and a housewife. Ruthless at work and tender at home.But where is the connect to the brand? Does it have something to do uniquely with Airtel who is a service provider, not even a handset provider.

My favourite all time example of a good insight is Axe. Yes the much maligned deo category where female baiting seems to be the only pastime. But if you look at some old Axe advertising Axe had a brilliant insight. "It is every male's fantasy that the woman makes the first move." And Axe helped fulfil that male want. It was deep understanding of the male mind, it was relevant, it was unique and it helped the brand to own an emotion. Look at these ads and tell me if I am wrong. (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D6EOcOvSJNA & https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OBMyJWbu5DE) Maybe it was not enduring and competitive enough but it was a hell of an insight.

Now please do not use the term insight at the drop of a hat. I sincerely hope you realise this is one jargon which is worth its weight in gold.
 

Three experiences in the last 6 weeks have left me wondering if companies/brands really understand what customer service is? My experience tells me that it starts and ends with the CEO, the vision and mission statement document and with some obligatory training sessions. In real word in India customer service is just an added cost.

 

Let me elaborate. I have relocated to Dehradun a few months ago and after buying a house (that's a story for another day), I was setting up home. Having lived in a rented accommodation for a few months, with a prepaid SIM card and a gas connection to boot (no, there is no story there; I had a valid transfer certificate) I was now ready to be a regular citizen in my own house.

 

So I approached the local showroom of a prominent mobile service provider, the one who has been the only constant source of employment for a famous film star’s son. I was told that they have the best network and rates locally. So I marched into the showroom (that is if you can call a 12 foot by 6 foot of space with 4 employees and 8 customers crammed in, a showroom) with my wife in tow, wanting two post paid connections and 3G along with that. We had all documents in place and were given some packages to consider. Having made our choices we asked for a nano SIM for my iPhone and a micro SIM for my wife's Samsung. We were told that these were not available but we could go to the grey market area and any respectable shopkeeper there would cut our normal SIMS into the right shape. And this we were told is a standard process in Doon. The customer service executive seemed very surprised that I did not know about this. She then confirmed that within 24-48 hours after verification our SIMS would be operational and she would give us a call. She even gave us her number.

 

When no call came after 36 hours, I called her. No response. Tried for 2 hours, no response. Then magically she picks up and drawls that she was about to call us and our numbers have been activated. But the SIM problems we will have to sort out ourselves. So I took out some old phones and first confirmed that the SIMS were operational. No surprises! Only one was working. Second one after confirming with the customer centre number also was not working.

 

Not wanting to try my luck on the phone I marched down to the “showroom”. Uh oh sorry sir, the fault is actually in the SIM card. We will replace it. Hello, I haven't even used it and it is faulty? Well it happens sometimes. But I still need to go to the grey market dealer to cut my SIMs.

 

By now I had decided to act. So I find the name of the CEO of the company, find his email id ( not very difficult, you just need the email format and most companies have one of the three types types!) and shoot off a long mail with my woes. And then I sit back.

 

Next day morning 10 am the local head along with his technical chief are at my residence. With brand new nano and micro SIMs and within 15 minutes my new numbers were operational, my 3G was on and I had been advised to switch to a more economical post paid plan. So you see the CEO had understood customer service but no one else had.

 

Around the same time I wanted to shift my DTH connection. Now my service provider has an international tie up and I am one of their oldest customer and also have multiple connections which are HD. So I call the customer service number tell them my requirement and other details. I am assured this will be taken care of and a local technician will call me. And he does. Within 15 minutes. Takes down my current address and also the new address. We agree on a date and time and he promises to be there. So far so good.

 

24 hrs before the agreed date and time, the technician lands up at my place. You see he had decided to be proactive. I politely informed him that I could not shift that day and needed 24 hrs more. No problems, he shrugs. Will be there tomorrow.

 

25 hrs later he was still not there. I call and call and call. And he picks up. Running late, he says matter of fact. Will be there in 30 minute. Well he did land up but after 60 minutes. Got to work immediately. Disconnected all the connections, removed the dish and all wires, dumped them in front of me, thrust a paper for me to sign and wished me goodbye. I had been dazzled by his speed but recovered in the nick of time to ask him about fixing up the connections in my new house. Sorry am too busy today, and you have to start a new work order he says and zooms off.

 

Time for me to get in touch with the one person in the company who understands customer service! I remember that a friend of my friend on Facebook is the CEO of this company. I immediately write an impassioned Facebook message to him, praying that he is a 50 plus youngster who always has FB on on his smart phone.

 

And he was a 50 plus youngster addicted to smartphone FB app. Within 15 minutes of my message I had a rather pompous sounding lady on the line speaking from Mumbai who assured me that everything will be sorted out in the next 2 hours.

 

And it was. My connections were up and running in time for World Cup Football. Because one person in the company took customer care seriously and I managed to get my message across to him.

 

So I shifted and was just getting used to my new digs when the elevator in the building decided to conk off. I stay on the fourth floor but don't forget that I am approaching my fiftieth birthday too. The elevator is serviced by a German company who are still not well known in India but globally are a big player in all types of heavy industries. The building management society informed me that it will get repaired in a jiffy. Well 3 days was not my idea of jiffy. So I decide to investigate ( you see the Famous five were my first heroes since I was 10 years old). I spoke to the local rep who assured me that they have finally found the fault. The motor had burnt off and now they were trying to remove it and take it for repairs ( it's called rewinding). That's when I realised they had taken 36 hours to diagnose the problem and another 24 hours to organise to remove the offending part and send it for repairs. And they were non committal about how long it will take to get it back.

 

Since my 71 year old mother in law who had recovered from a breast cancer operation was staying with me I decided to….yes you are right. Get in touch with the one man who understands customer service in the company.

I promptly send him a mail and no surprises, I got a prompt response. No further surprises when the north zone head got in touch and explained that the repairs will take 3 days more. He tried to throw some jargon at me but what's the use of a management degree if you can't handle some jargons. I remembered some of my physics lessons ( I did study for the exams) surfed a bit on the net an told him that if they prioritise this job could be done in less than 2 days. Of course all these conversations were also marked, yes yes, to the one person in the company who understands customer service.

 

So the fancied designated north zone person lands up in Dehradun on the weekend ( of course the fact that he belongs to this place and has friends and family is a sure shot magnet), meets up with yours truly and the building management people assures us that our work is prioritised and the elevator will be operational in the next 6-7 hours.

 

Smiling like a Cheshire Cat having impressed the building committee people I wait. After 8 hours a smug looking mother in law looks at the elevator and shakes her head. I immediately send a message to “Mr Right Person in the company”.

 

The next morning a spare motor with a motley crew had been despatched from Delhi. By lunch the elevator was purring again and my marriage was safe. For now.

 

So the moral of this story. Well….if you haven't got it till now then do wait for my next blog. It will be on the moronic consumer.