noshtradamus

What’s in a name?

Posted: April 2, 2010 by noshtradamus in Advertising, Common Sense, Learnings, Talent & Assets

Yesterday, a kid who joined my company just 2 weeks ago, quit her job with us, because she got a job with one of “the most wanted” creative agencies in the country.

The bizarre thing is, she has no idea who she will report to, nor have any idea what clients she will work on! But it’s “______” she said, “and I have always wanted to work with them”

Well mine is a new digital agency, and I am used to hearing a lot of creative people from mainstream advertising not wanting to leave the space, even if all they do is get to write a 4 second voice over in a 30 second commercial, or claim a client written ad as their own!

Then came the bigger, bizarre twist in the story. She said she realised the above, but was joining them in their digital arm. Okay, now this is really ironic, I said, and explained that my digital agency, even though just a year old, is probably bigger than the place she’s joining. We have equally good, if not better brands. And the one’s we’re in the process of signing on, are bigger than anything they can lay their hands on, because of their global alignments.

“But none of this will make any sense to you” I said “if you don’t know what accounts they have and what you will work on… so why don’t you call them and find out? Take an informed decision” I told her, and “if you’re getting to work on something better than what we have here, I will happily let you go”.

She called them with her questions, and this is what she told me they said. The large agency’s HR woman abruptly told her on the phone “you will only know when you join us and come to the office” almost threatening that if she asked further questions, she may not get the job! “So are you still going?” I asked. “Yes” she said “it is ______”.

So what’s in a name? A lot it seems. Despite having no job description, no career plan for new recruits, and no basic human resource management courtesies, they still get people lining up their doors!

And that’s life in big name advertising agencies!

Check out 7 Reasons Why You Should Fear Google

Posted: May 22, 2009 by noshtradamus in Debate, Internet, Marketing, New Media

Admittedly, I am a HUGE Google fan. User, Advertiser, Promoter… But you don’t have to be all three to find this article interesting: 7 Reasons Why You Should Fear Google via WAT Blog

It’s just Economics, stupid…

Posted: May 1, 2009 by noshtradamus in Advertising, Common Sense, Indian Economy, Marketing, Politics, What Were They Thinking??

As part of a monthly review of Indian advertising and marketing which I do for a far-east publication, I have been watching Indian political advertising very closely for some time now. I specifically mentioned the review, because if it wasn’t for it, I would have simply missed/ignored the ads… which is what I think most people have done.

The Goop, The Bad, and the Ughly!

Most of the political advertising being released all around today is dramatically inane, and looks like it is targetted specifically on the blind spot of intelligent minds.

One slice-of-life, fits all

Most of the political have the same AV feel that comes from splicing disparate images shot at different times, to ‘lifted’ filmy tunes. The rest, particularly the ones by the opposition parties, blatantly challenge common sense and suffer from an acute lack of identity.

I am particularly apalled by the ads with talking heads sharing their pains and complaints about the economy, and how they’re going to vote for a party that has promised to change the economic situation!

Add to this are the one line ads by one party which actually promises to reduce prices and increase unemployment. Without taking us back to a closed economy of 20 years back, or worse enforcing communist doctrine, how are they going to realise such promises?!

Which brings me to the point of this post…

Who are these agency genius’ thinking up these ads?! They either have no clue of economics, don’t live in this world, or believe the people of India don’t have a clue of economics and have parked their brains on another planet!

In case it still hasn’t sunk in, it’s the economy, stupid! The economy is a sea of constant movement, with waves of progress, inflation, depression, and other economy elements incoming and outgoing from time to time.

Even though India is a relatively secure island in this unpredictable sea of global economics… it is not exempt from the international gales and storms that surround and cross its shores time and again.

To blame a political party for recession or rising interest and prices and other issues like terrorism that are rife all over the world is plain stupid. And you don’t need an economics degree to understand that!

Anti-incumbancy? Or anti-reality?

People who think they can cast away rising prices, inflation, and the recession by casting a vote against any government are stupid. And political parties that feed this belief are simply misleading the public, and should be led to the exit door.

Of course, parties in power (at the centre and state level) are doing their best to highlight their achievements – which again are partly thanks to the economy, partly due to the liberalisation started by the congress, and yes, partly due to the parties in power themselves.

The recession, prices and such economic issues are best addressed by good corporate governance, banking systems, pricing strategies… the problems we face today may be due to weak government regulation worldwide, but mainly due to corrupt and incompetent corporate management!

The real issues for electing a government in my mind are just two:

1. Corruption all around: especially in the municipal organisations, the RTOs, the police, the list is endless… and of course corruption in politics.
2. The Communal and Caste Divide: we cannot choose a government based on religion or caste. the thought itself makes me shudder at the irresponsibility of such an action.

I just hope when people are out there voting, they’re listening to the voice of common sense in their heads, not the idiotic ads in the media.

Hard times? Talk tough. Talk smart. Talk focussed.

Posted: April 25, 2009 by noshtradamus in Advertising, Brands, Internet, Marketing, New Media, Public Relations, Strategy

Contrary to popular perception (and current brand behaviour all around) you don’t pussy-foot around communication when you’re in the middle of hard times.

In Hindi there’s a phrase ‘bolti-bandh’ which is quite like the English one ‘the cat got your tongue’. Which leads me to say brands that lie low in tough times, stand the risk of behind seen as a ‘scaredy cat’.

Don’t get me wrong and think I am saying that we should indulge in the loud-mouth, open-wallet communication like a lot of brands have done in the past 4-5 years.

I think we need to find the right balance between verbal diorhhea and communication constipation.

These tough times are forcing us to do what we should have been doing all along – going through a rigorous process of finding the right thing to say, and the right way to say it. They are forcing us to define a more focussed and definitive position for ourselves, and work the media planning machine like it has never been worked before.

“To whomsoever it may concern” type of communication has to give way, and the “to you, to whom it concerns” approach has to step in. And “media reach” has to give way for “media relevance”.

I know folk representing or selling mass media channels will either laugh at this perspective, or throw some ppt slides at you talking about how their mass media channel actually reaches your audience! Sure it does, like buckshot.

Which brings me to new media and the power of narrowcast communication.

And the beauty of it is new media and narrowcast communication works whether you have loads of money, or very little of it!

New Media, New Focus.

Admittedly most new media conferences do nothing to build a case for new media. The usual suspects gather to make the usual presentations on the usual case studies which they’ve been talking about for the past 3 years!

I believe no one in this industry really talks of the complexity of new media and the dynamic roles it can play in influencing and persuading audiences. Perhaps no one really knows.

Perhaps peope are all selling the wrong case studies as I mentioned above. I for one would like to talk of something more basic – how approximately 30lakhs spent on print advertising in one month, got a client of mine approximately 300 enquiries. At the same time, 30thousand spent on Google AdWords in the same month got the same client almost a 1000 enquiries. And the conversion rate was higher among the AdWords call-ins!

The point is, if we can focus on getting new media right, we can get a lot of focus on our brands.

New Dogs, Old Tricks.

The trick lies in layering time tested marketing techniques, with new media technology. The trick lies in using traditional best practices of advertising and public relations, and applying them to the internet and mobile communication.

New media strategy is not about building websites online, but about building a web of insights online. New media campaigns are not about fancy virals, but about creating a fever pitch of focussed communication. New media is not about clicks, but about clicking with consumers.

That’s the basic simple truth of the matter.

PR kiya to darna kya?

Another great tool in tough times is public relations. I believe if done right, public relations has far greater and longer term value than most people (including its practitioners) give it.

Public relations can helps you make the right point to the right people, who in turn can put out the right message. You use it to educate and influence the influencers.

PR is the only media which actually allows you to even put across a 10,000 word sales pitch to an audience should you so require. How’s that for talking tough and straight?!

Getting it right

I believe recession is one of the final nails in the coffin of euphoria over mass media advertising. The recession is telling you stop wasting money on buckshot, and find new ways of getting your audiences in the bag.

Lesser budgets literally mean “focus your communication, and keep is simple and effective”.

Which brings me to digital media, activation, and public relations. The perfect tools for getting it right.

But in order to use the above effectively, you have to talk tough with yourself and change decades of conventional media conditioning.

Then you will have to talk tough with your ‘Clients’ who will still demand ‘cover-my-ass TRPs and Reach’, since that’s the only RoI most Marketing Managers know…

Communicating for “closure”, not “ask me for a brochure”.

Communication in digital media, activation and public relations is different and works differently from print and television ads. When used correctly, they can put your brand in the right place at the right time like no other.

Communication in these new media/methods put more pressure on you, because they place your brand right up in the face of your audiences in a relevant context. Which means your message better be right and to the point.

And when you’re up so close to your audiences, they will be more demanding and less forgiving. Which means when you get your one shot at the audience, it better be the right one.

Which essentially means, when you talk tough, you must also be ready to walk the talk. If not, then tough luck.

India 2008: Working Harder, Working Smarter

Posted: April 1, 2009 by noshtradamus in Advertising, Brands, Indian Economy, Industry Review, Marketing

2008 was a hard-working year for India. As perhaps it was for the rest of the world. Not only did businesses strive to keep costs down and revenue up, people worked hard to keep their jobs alive and companies afloat.

The Economic and Industries Perspective

In terms of the economy, some sectors did very well, while some not so well. Industry, Agriculture, FMCGs and the Services sector actually showed significant growth. White Goods and Electronics stayed at decent levels. But Automobile industry and the Financial Sector showed definite signs of strain and pain.

Inflation in India rose dramatically in 2008 to 11%, against a low of around 5% in the previous year. Growth which has stayed above 9% during the past 3 years, showed signs of flagging, and the country is optimistic towards this end.

Global Impact

2008 was also a year when the global economic situation played a more significant role and impact on India and its economy. Unlike the past, when India was relatively insulated from the shocks and watts of international financial power play, in 2008 the impact was clearly visible. Inflows from large international investors dried up, Indian investments in foreign markets were put on hold, and in turn the stock market took a plunge that shook the roots of many companies and individuals.

The Rise of Terrorism

Adding to the above issues, India faced new and large-scale terror strikes by religious fundamentalists from neighboring countries in 2008. While they failed to frighten the nation, they certainly had an impact on slowing down business and lowering purchasing sentiment.

Reinventing Marketing and Advertising

Not surprisingly, marketing and advertising in India also moved from being creatively brilliant to being cleverly effective. As brands tightened their purse strings, agencies opened their minds to new media and ideas beyond the press advertisement and the television commercial.

Working harder and working smarter became the norm, as Clients challenged their Advertising Agencies and Marketing Consultants to get more efficient with lesser funds.

While detailed and reliable numbers are hard to come by, the indications are that business was not as bad as it seemed. And spends were down, not because of lack of funds, but because everyone was playing the ‘wait and watch’ game.

The top trends in marketing and advertising in 2008 can be listed as the following (in no particular order):

The year of the non-event: 2008 saw fewer large events than ever before. In the social and cultural context, India is used to having various spectacular film & television, fashion and sporting events every year. This year they were few and far between. And those which did happen, remained low key, with not much advertising or promotional support being aired. The events did what they had to do with their small and select audiences, without the hype that usually surrounds them.

The reason for this is that most events depend heavily on sponsors, who in turn depend heavily on audiences with loose and happy wallets. 2008 saw them all go into hiding, while holding on to their wallets like never before.

A shift in media mindset and strategy: As markets and consumers became fickle, the trend of moving from ‘mass media’ to ‘new media’ became even more apparent in 2008. Previously, brands were more tentative, as marketing heads did not want to experiment with new media and preferred to stick to known communication channels. However, as budgets were tightened this year, they were forced to find new and cheaper ways to communicate, and this led them to new media.

The shift may not have been dramatic, but brands began experimenting with the internet and mobile based advertising in order to gauge its effectiveness. The results have been positive for brands, emboldening them to use the medium more. Which is why, 2009 promises to see more and exciting campaigns on the internet and mobile platform.

The rise of celebrity endorsement: As brands started to feel the heat on budgets, the need to get noticed and stick in the consumer’s mind became even more necessary. Despite the constant controversy surrounding celebrity endorsement, more brands signed on film and sports personalities to endorse their brands in 2008.

Brands like Samsung and Idea Cellular who traditionally used celebrities, continued to do so brilliantly. However, there were a host of new brands who tried the ‘celebrity endorsement’ route for the first time, and the jury is still out whether the celebrities actually helped them in any way – these include HP and Nokia, both of which signed on Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan.

Rise of the citizen journalist: Related to the rise of the ‘new media’ and the internet, 2008 marked the arrival of the citizen journalist, and user-generated content and views as a force to reckon with.

The range of influence is spread wide starting from the basics with users posting and commenting on new television commercials of brands, to comparing products and services, to voicing their opinions and expressing anger where required on issues related to security, culture, public interest, and the country in general.

This phenomena revealed itself as a potent force when it helped provide informative support to people during the terrorist attack on Mumbai in November, and also forced a change in the political leadership by demanding accountability for the administration’s failure in securing its people.

In marketing terms, it was evident from the fact that celebrities started blogging, and began using their blogs to market their films and endorse brands wherever possible. At the same time, marketers started advertising on specific blogs, and public relations firms targeted bloggers and their ilk with press releases and information about new products.

Recruitment advertising in traditional media was supplemented, and often replaced by recruitment news being placed on social networking sites and spread by internet-word-of-mouth.

The year of the CFO: In the final analysis, 2008 was the year when the CFO called the shots in every aspect of advertising and marketing. Because quite simply, the CFO controlled the budgets and demanded greater accountability on spends. Unlike in the past, where ‘creative vision’ was more important, 2008 demanded ‘creative value’ from marketing departments and their agencies.

As a result, large campaigns were fewer in number, and almost all campaign took safe, tried and tested routes.

In terms of Brand leadership and trust 2008 saw a shift in the perceptions and position across the board. Two major research studies which were carried out by independent organizations reflected these changes – The Economic Times’ “Brand Equity Most Trusted Brands Survey”, and WSJ-Mint’s “Campaign Top Marketers 08” ranking.

The “Brand Equity Most Trusted Brands Survey” placed mobile handset brand Nokia right at the top, displacing long time favorite Colgate! This came as a surprise to many, because Nokia is a relatively new brand compared to others in the ranking.

The ranking also reflects the fact that consumers are now giving technology products more importance in their lives than ever before. Besides Nokia, there were eighteen non-FMCG brands that made it to the list including old favourites like Titan, HMT and Hero Honda Splendor; telecom brands like Reliance Mobile and Motorola; and four South Korean brands namely LG, LG Mobile, Samsung, and Samsung Mobile.

The WSJ-Mint “Campaign Top Marketers 08” ranking picked out those brands and companies who managed to stay ahead with their innovative products, pricing and communication, despite the global financial meltdown and sagging consumer sentiment.

The study picked the following into their ranking:

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for its Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament. The IPL took cricket beyond being a sport, into a new form of entertainment. And of course, the IPL became a great new revenue source for the Board and its players, as well as provided an exciting new platform for brands and advertisers.

Nokia. For its mind-boggling range of products and amazing pricing strategy, that includes offerings from Rs. 1,300 to Rs. 40,000! Add to this Nokia’s incredible understanding of consumers and its amazing ability to connect with consumers of all wallet-size and interests across the country.

Colors – The Hindia General Entertainment Channel from Viacom18. Despite being the 11^th player in the market, the television channel in a short span of time rose to the top of the heap in terms of ranking and popularity with an amazing mix of shows, supported by phenomenal advertising and public relations.

ITC and its various brands in the FMCG category. Foods and personal care products were not part of ITCs core strengths and product offerings a few years ago. Today, with a dazzling array of snack foods and personal care products under the Bingo, Sunfeast, Fiama De Wills, Vivel and Superia brands, it is a name to reckon with on any given day in any given market!

The Tata Group. The Tata Group was placed in this ranking for its vision and never say die attitude. From acquiring global marquee brands like Land Rover and Jaguar, to producing the world’s cheapest car, to re-opening its Taj Mahal Palace & Tower Hotel within a month of a devastating terrorist attack, the Taj Group helps India hold its head high amidst the global financial meltdown and security threats from anti-social and anti-national elements.

The list goes on further to include: Maruti Suzuki for maintaining its leadership in an extremely tight and tough 4-wheeler market; Vodafone for its brilliant transition of millions of consumers from Hutch which it bought over in India; Hindustan Unilever for its initiatives that helped it hold onto its leadership status in a market plagued with inflation, rising costs, and aggressive competition; ICICI Bank for maintaining highest service quality standards and raising the bar in terms of products and services as India’s largest private sector bank; and Coca Cola India for unrelenting sales growth throughout the year supported by a great combination of unique products, pricing, and marketing efforts.

The Agencies Behind-the-scenes

Behind the scenes of all this activity were the advertising agencies which faced the brunt of reduced budgets and increased pressures. They all came out on top, working harder and smarter, re-inventing themselves in the face of changed consumer and economic scenarios.

The “Brand Equity Ad Agency Reckoner 2008” powered by IMRB sums up their ranking and contributions to growth of brands and the industry in India.

In the overall rankings, Ogilvy retained its No. 1 position, and JWT did a comeback at No. 2, followed by Lowe at No. 3.

Mudra, McCann Erickson, Rediffusion DYR, Leo Burnett, Contract, RK Swamy BBDO, and Draft+FCB Ulka made up the rest of the top 10 in that order.

Both Ogilvy and JWT held their positions in specific areas of Creative, Client Servicing, Account Planning, 360 Degree Solutions, Innovation, and Partnership with Clients as well.

In terms of Media Agencies, the ranking was topped by Mindshare at No. 1, followed by Madison, Starcom, Zenith Optimedia, and Allied Media in the top 5. OMS, Lodestar Universal, Maxus, Carat, and TME made up the ranking from 5 to 10.

Keeping with the changed marketing scenario and mix, the Brand Equity Ad Agency Reckoner ‘08 also added three new categories of ranking this year. They included, and were topped by:

Digital Specialist Agencies ranking was topped by Webchutney, Hungama, and contest2win.com respectively.

Design Specialist Agencies ranking included Ray+Keshavan, Elephant Stragegy+Design, and Landor at the top 3.

Brand Promotion Agencies ranking was topped by Candid Marketing, Solutions Integrated Marketing, and Encompass Events.

The Brand Equity reckoner also ranked Corcoise Films, Black Magic, and Equinox as the Top 3 Ad Production Houses in India.

In summary it was a tough year. And 2009 looks to be even tougher. But seeing the industry’s ability to stay afloat and swim well against the tide last year, the belief is that the industry will only innovate, reinvent, and accelerate in the years to come. Of course, making the assumption, is the easy part!

IPL Out, Politics In!

Posted: March 22, 2009 by noshtradamus in Common Sense, IPL, Public Relations, What Were They Thinking??

Okay, I see Breaking News on CNN that the organisers of IPL have decided to hold the tournament outside India. Simultaneously, I see Narendra Modi slamming the government on the security reasons that have led to this decision.

Of course, Modi is not alone with his vulture-like behaviour, as I see the rest of the non-ruling political parties jumping around and blaming the government for what is clearly a decision of the IPL organisers led by BCCI and Lalit Modi.

WHY? WHY? WHY?

Why cannot Lalit Modi and BCCI be a little patient and waiting for the elections to get over, instead being selfish and self-centred for wanting to stick to the dates in the middle of the elections!?

Of cource, it would be stupid of me to ask, why are opposition political parties blaming the government?

But why are fans across the country falling for what seems like selfish blackmail of the BCCI, and manipulation of political parties!?

CAN WE PLEASE THINK CLEARLY FOR A MOMENT?!

Of course it will be a huge shame if we cannot hold IPL in India due to security reasons. We are a stronger nation than most, and are very capable of taking care of ourselves and our people.

But everything has its limits of stretchability. Imagine our already stretched and under-armed security forces not only having to deal with a long-drawn-election schedule, but also having to do double-time to protect sports stadiums across the venues, hotels, and other gathering spots for fans!

Of course if IPL moves out of India because of security fears, it will mean we’re bowing down to terrorism. We must hold the tournament here, and show the terrorists we are not afraid.

But who took the decision to move IPL out? It wasn’t the government, it was the impatient BCCI that took the decision. The government just told them to wait till the elections are over..!

I BELIEVE THIS IS ALL JUST BLACKMAIL AND MANIPULATION, and we the people are unwitting pawns in the scheme of things.

BCCI knows the Indian public will be aghast, and blame the government. The BCCI knew that the opposition will act in the manner that it has. The BCCI probably hopes the government will now go out of the way to facilitate the matches on the dates Lalit Modi and Co want.

Narender Modi and Co have finally found a stick to beat the Congress with… instead of beating themselves up as they have been doing over the past couple of months! They finally have something to say, which people across the country will foolishly fall for!

WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? CRICKET OVER DEMOCRACY??

Both the Modis can take their apologies and anger and… um, well, find something sensible to talk about for a change!

We have general elections once in 5 years and we need to focus on getting that right. Democracy is more important than any cricket match in my book, no matter how many Bollywood stars dance a jig in the stands.

If we want to see the matches in person, and in India, let’s just delay the IPL till the elections are over. Or watch it on TV in the comforts of our home.

Get real people! Let’s get our priorities right!

Will SBI please stop wasting money?!

Posted: February 17, 2009 by noshtradamus in Advertising, Brands, Common Sense, Marketing, What Were They Thinking??
Tags: SBI

“Ouch!” That’s the first thought that struck me as I picked up the newspapers this morning. No I am not referring to the coverage of the FM’s interim budget, but to the full front page ad for State Bank of India in the leading and very-expensive-to-advertise-in newspapers.

The full-frontal assault hurt for two big reasons:

1) You don’t spend this kind of money to advertise anything in today’s market scenario – especially to promote a brand we’re all well aware of.

2) The creative sucks as it reeks of a lie – SBI claims to be “The Banker to Every Indian”. Sorry to bust your bubble, but that is just not true. SBI is not my banker, and neither is it the banker for many, many people I know.

With this false claim, you the bank (SBI) and the agency (Interpublicity) are asking to be slammed by ASCI and every other body/person who monitors untruths and false claims in advertising.

Admittedly SBI is a huge bank. A respected one at that. It also has a long history with many Indians. And I personally have been a fan of its intelligent and insightful communication over the years. But to make claims like this current one doesn’t help SBI’s reputation of trust. And to do it in this wasteful manner, is adding insult to injury.

Google Latitude: Big Brother is tracking me!

Posted: February 6, 2009 by noshtradamus in Debate, Innovation, New Media, New Products
Tags: Big Brother, Blackberry, Google, Google Maps, GPS, Loopt, Maps, Spy vs Spy, Where

Big brother, wifey, buddy, mistress, whoever… they can all track your movements as you can track theirs, thanks to Google Latitude. Latitude is a GPS based tracking system which runs on Google Maps on Blackberry and other Windows based handheld devices.

Every length you take, every move you make… (with apologies to the Police)

When you download the app, you need to give the device permission to track your movements, then add others who also have Latitude installed on their handhelds (and have given you permission to track them!).

Not me, you aint!

It’s seems quite cool, but I still haven’t been able to convince anyone else to let me track them. Perhaps my 9 year old daughter will – if I first give her a cellphone! And this brings me to the real benefit/practicality of using something like this.

It is a great tool for parents, clingy spouses, and nutty buddies. Has great novelty value, but can be quite disconcerting to on a day to day basis… “oh look honey, I know you are at the office… or baby, don’t tell me you are in the loo, i know you are in the kitchen!”. Those of you who allow friends to ‘see your location’ in Second Life will know what I mean.

Money talks, when you walk!

From the commercial angle, it can make a great tool to know who is where, and then throw relevant offers to him or her via sms or whatever… “oh, so you are at Landmark, eh? why not step across to the new KFC next door? We’ll even throw on a chicken leg free if you grab a breast..” um. maybe something like that.

You can run, but you can’t hide!

As far as corporates go, it makes a cool tracking device for employees – couriers, sushi delivery, travelling salespersons, etc. While it works quite like other GPS tracking devices, this one is free. Only you need a high-end handheld with an unlimited data-transfer package to use it to the max.

And as I write this I am even more convinced it only has novelty value, and nothing commercial. Not surprising therefore, its predecessors like loopt and where are still to grab public imagination on a large scale.

Someday maybe

Maybe they will one day become popular. Maybe we will let ourselves be tracked and commercially violated for that free chicken leg, or the lure of 3-drinks-for-the-price-of-1 at 4 in the afternoon.

Until then apps like this will remain a closely guarded secret between the makers and the few takers. Quite like my current location.

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