Pink lemonade magazine -1

VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 1

DON’T PRINT THIS. PRINT IS DEAD. By Vishal Jhunjhunwala Partner, Square Consulting

WHY UI & UX MATTER: A 2017 Guide

FROM PAWN TO KING IN 6 SECONDS! INTRODUCING THE TRENDSETTING BUMPER ADS. THE MAXIMUS STORY

MARKET WELL TO MILLENNIALS. Or Nothing!

For private circulation only

Interview with KARTHIK Y, AGM & Head, Marketing & Product Management, Jockey, India October 2017 | Marketing Maximus Magazine | 1

The Maximus Story: Market Well to Millennials.

Or Nothing!

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6

10 Fresh Fresh in the market News Snippets

Don’t Print This.

Print is Dead.

Why UI & UX Matter: A 2017 Guide

What's Inside

19

22 The Rise and Rise of SEO

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From Pawn to a King, in 6 Seconds!

Introducing the trendsetting Bumper Ads.

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18 GST for Advertising and Marketing sector: PL Showcase: A Blow or a Boost 48East Delicacies, Packaged to Perfection

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Big Data: The Advertising Renaissance is Coming!

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Take your Brand Places with Memorable Packaging October 2017 | Marketing Maximus Magazine | 3

In the News The Weather Company, IBM’s latest acquisition, delves deep into the advertising space with Watson, IBM’s AI service Facebook launches ‘Watch’ - a revolutionary new section that gives a TV-like experience OMD India gets a new CEO ﹘ Priti Murthy, former CSO at Maxus Facebook launches a new measurement tool to track cross-platform advertising Amazon’s Director, Dan Wright, speaks at the Dmexco Ad-Tech Conference, Germany on how to add value to customers through advertising Eye-tracking technology reveals that majority of mobile ads are ignored by users WhatsApp to start charging businesses to access a new set of enterprise tools

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The latest industry bites, served fresh.

Media 360 Summit comes to India for the first time at Hyatt Regency, Mumbai Twitter is all set to expand advertising in India by partnering with Hitpool’s ad network War of the Brands: Amazon dominates the advertising of festive sales in India Gurugram-based Sportoid launches unique offerings to to revolutionize sports marketing in India Pinterest partners with retail giant Target to provide an all new e-commerce service to consumers Shoppable media gains traction with a new mobile technology that revolutionizes how consumers find and buy products Twitter tests out 280 character tweets in a bid to appease users October 2017 | Marketing Maximus Magazine | 5

Market Well to Millennials.

Or Nothing!

By Anushka Chowdhury

up, whereas savings are going down. As they are extremely large in terms of size and the amount of money they can roll out, no one can ignore the millennials - be it today or in the near future.

Q

To understand what makes them so powerful, it is important to identify what these millennials are demanding which the other segments are not. Thanks to the digital revolution today, access to information is now easier, connection between peers better, and exposure to global trends greater. These lead to a shift in the the balance of power in their favor.

Well, there are couple of reasons.

To start with, the sheer size of the millennials. Since they form the largest demographic today, no brand can afford to turn a blind eye to them. Their willingness to splurge, the fear of missing out, and living for the moment are some of the core beliefs that dominate most decisions. As a result, disposable income is going

This actually keeps brands on their toes. There is a lot more nimbleness that is needed considering how dynamic millennials are since they keep moving from one brand to the other. So, every brand needs newer modes and mediums of communication if they are serious about targeting this particular consumer set.

An interview with Karthik Y, AGM & Head, Marketing & Product Management, Jockey, India Why are millennials the most powerful consumers today?

6 | Marketing Maximus Magazine | October 2017

Q

What do you predict will be the next big thing in the millennial marketing trend?

In terms of platform, mobile is certainly the next big thing. And we have enough statistics to establish that this is where it’s headed. It moved from chalk to ink, ink to print, print to desktop, and now desktop to mobile. And one can certainly expect mobile to dominate this domain for the next 3-4 years.

However, conceptually, the next big thing in millennial marketing is collaboration. Although over the past 7 years Jockey has been invested in catching attention and retaining it, collaboration will give the opportunity to take this experience a step ahead. So, give your consumers the canvas and let them become a part of the brand, while we take a backseat and be a facilitator alone. Like most brands, Jockey is also hopping onto this bandwagon and curating content from the consumer segment.

Q

According to you, what do millennials look for?

If I look at it from a utility perspective, a lot has changed of what they demand from a particular brand in terms of experience, products, and services. Today, one needs to focus on the entire journey of taking the bait and making the purchase. And millennials want this experience to be seamless, easy, and as friendly as possible.

Since attention time is very limited, it’s best not to frustrate them.

Q

Millennials form a great part of the Jockey TG as well. How did you come up with a positioning tailored to them?

In a large way, Jockey has been very lucky since the values and the persona of the brand matches the mindset of the millennials of today. So, we were never required to chase this particular segment and tailor our positioning to them. Since inception it is what

Today, one needs to focus on the entire journey of taking the bait and making the purchase. the brand has imbibed as a personality. And fortunately the millennials share the same values. As a brand, we have only tweaked our marketing approach to keep up with the changing times. In fact, we have not exactly changed the fundamental way of communication, but more in terms of our modes of communication choice of medium or the type of content we create.

Q

How do you tailor the marketing based on the culture of different countries?

Despite a stark difference in structure, our fundamental values remain consistent across geographies and markets. We take a neutral stand, whether political or religious, and come forth as a fun, young, and progressive brand. And these

are defined at a global level.

As far as that’s adhered to, the brand operates very differently based on the kind of consumers and the level of maturity. Since local offices have a better understanding of the market, we take care of the end-to-end process – from conceptualization to production.

Q

Describe Jockey in three words validating why it’s a success with millennials.

Fun, effortless, and genuine all the way! Although millennials believe in being fun and letting their hair down, deep inside there’s a sense of being real – having an identity and being genuine about it. And we boost that philosophy at all stages, in terms of the brand image and the products we make.

October 2017 | Marketing Maximus Magazine | 7

Q

What’s your most successful campaign and why did it work so well from the POV of millennials?

All our campaigns are targeted to the millennials. Since we are trying to improve with every campaign, let me talk about the latest one – sports performance and active bra.

Like always, we did the traditional - in terms of communication, the shoot, the music, and the right media plan. But what we did more is tagging in an influencer campaign with this to get the customers involved with the campaign directly.

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Q

Could you share your expert insight and advice on how other brands can find success in the millennial segment like Jockey?

Q

Which other brands do you think are targeting the millennials the best?

Advice:

At Jockey, we are quite traditional in our approach since we believe in the marketing fundamentals.

We understand the need, learn from consumer insights, and find a solution to deal with it. And this has not changed over the years.

I would share a word of caution based on my observation and experience. Although a majority of brands are tapping into this market, the attempt seems to be very short-termed with an inclination towards immediate conversion, pushing things on sales, and giving offers to attract consumers. But in doing so, the emphasis on brand promise is going astray. As a result, success is also destined to be short lived.

Although we did mostly ATL previously, we have now shifted to digital and experiential marketing.

This also includes content marketing which promotes brand-pushed or brand-led content and curates customer-led content.

So, if a brand is serious about winning their customers and keeping them, they should connect with them rather than luring them.

Because, although millennials have lots of options, they prefer brands that speak to them for who they are.

Insight:

This is a personal choice. Innocent, LuluLemon, and Urban Outfitters are some of the global brands that I follow for their innovative marketing techniques. And Adidas and GoPro in India are doing a commendable job in the Indian market.

October 2017 | Marketing Maximus Magazine | 9

Why UI & UX Matter:

A 2017 Guide

By Shantha Shankar

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It’s easy to get hung up on the aesthetics when designing or redesigning a website.

However, if you’re trying to achieve something substantial, you’ll have to do more than just make it look good. In a world where people have access to millions of websites, you have to make sure your application is easy-to-use and enjoyable, otherwise you’re likely to lose out to another brand!

Here’s how Rahul Varshney, Co-creator of Foster.fm rightly puts it:

In fact, due to this exposure, users know exactly what they want, which makes them more demanding and harder to retain.

How well a user can navigate your website or application (UI) and how enjoyable their experience is while using it (UX) will ultimately define your brand’s success.

User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) are some of the most confused and misused terms in our field.

A UI without UX is like a painter slapping paint onto canvas without thought; while UX without UI is like the frame of a sculpture with no paper mache on it.

A great product experience starts with UX followed by UI. Both are essential for the product’s success.

Unveiling the Acronyms We’ve all overheard conversations about the great ‘UI’ of a product, or the poor ‘UX’ of a website. But what do either of these mean ﹘ is it a secret conversation you’ll never be privy to?

October 2017 | Marketing Maximus Magazine | 11

So why are UI and UX design important for a business?

The success of your website depends on a well-designed UI. When done well, it enhances your brand identity, boosts customer engagement, and drives more traffic towards your business.

In the same vein, even if your website is designed effectively, imagine not being able to navigate through it seamlessly. A website is no good if you can’t provide users frictionless digital experiences that align with their daily lives - something they’ve come to expect.

The facts as presented by Forrester research show that: “A well-designed UI could raise your website’s conversion rate by up to 200%, and a better UX design could yield conversion rates up to 400%!”

So, in order to quickly gain trust, promote brand recognition, and ensure user retention, here are some of this year’s UI and UX trends to keep your brand ahead of the curve:

LEVERAGING UI DESIGN TRENDS Typography Big, bold, and beautiful typography is becoming popular, thanks to the availability of a range of web font services offering free or cost-effective font families. Even though cliched system fonts are being replaced by typography drawn from traditional graphic and editorial design minimalism isn’t going away.

Parallax When the background moves at a slower rate than the foreground, users experience more depth as they scroll. To help lift content off the page and engage users further, parallax effects are used in conjunction with imagery, text, and a less rigid layout that paves the way for fluid, layered content.

Cards Cards aren’t a new breakthrough trend but we’re seeing more and more of them across platforms such as Netflix, Twitter, and Facebook.

They’re a great way of showcasing short bursts of information, allowing the user to process them with ease. They can include text, imagery, video, and everything in between - scaling from the smallest screen to the largest.

Experimental Navigation UI design has long relied on the grid to create consistency, balance, rhythm, and order - a holy grail. However we’ve been seeing more ‘statement pieces’ that allow designers to play with layering, depth, motion, and obvious focal points. Don’t forget though, your design still needs to remain user-friendly, regardless of how dynamic and creative you want to be!

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Colors A shift from grid designs to more experimental layouts coupled with the use of rich, bold colors is making 2017 a fresher and optimistic year for UI. As was seen with Instagram’s controversial rebrand, the use of vivid colors and gradients adds warmth, dynamism, and energy into the project.

Now that you’re on top of some of the most popular UI trends, let’s look at UX. Good UX is Good Business

Analytics/Metrics Today, experience has become the product. There are now tools allowing developers to pinpoint the weak points, eliminate bugs, or design a more intuitive interface!

Snapchat Spectacles, for example, has created seamless integration of a digital product into the user’s life. It supplies them with a multi-purpose object that offers an easy way to share experiences - creating positive impact.

Conversational experience People love chatting and developers are now tapping into this interest. As a result, voiceactivated interactive platforms that use chatbots are dominating. Bots have been around for ages but the reason why it’s trending now is because of the advance of Artificial Intelligence. Products such as Google Assistant and Siri have gone beyond a fad to become a useful product with real impact en masse! Take for instance the ability to order a pizza through a conversational interface in a mobile app.

Once started as a cool niche feature, the capability to do things like this will soon become the norm across industries.

Mobile Trends this year show that most desktop websites will look like an app. Google search engine has already paved the way by removing ads from the right menu - and the industry follows! It's important because any brand wants its users to experience the same interface without the need to learn a new one each time they use a different device.

Augmented Reality (AR)/ Virtual Reality (VR) The collaboration between UX designers and 3D architects has increased to create anticipated user experiences and immersive designs. VR and AR have huge potential in tourism (for example – ‘visiting’ a location before actually visiting the physical location), construction (‘walk’ around your new house before deciding to buy), shopping (‘try’ out your new dress before buying via mobile), and pretty much any other industry.

The form of design may change and evolve but its function will remain core to many new and exciting experiences to come. As time goes by, trends of custom-fit, chatbots, and VR/AR will continue. In the meantime, get on board with this year’s trends to stay a notch above everyone else and give your brand the edge.

October 2017 | Marketing Maximus Magazine | 13

GST FOR ADVERTISING AND MARKETING SECTOR: A Blow or a Boost

By Gayathri Vaidyanathan

The key to revenue growth is tax reform that closes loopholes and that is pro-growth. Then with a growing economy, that's where your revenue growth comes in, not from higher taxes.

John Hoeven

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2017 has been a landmark year for the Indian economy.

It has withstood a lot of churns and challenges owing to the demonetization drive, government’s push towards a cashless economy, and focus on expanding the tax base across sectors. The second half of 2017 witnessed the rollout of Goods and Services Tax (GST), the biggest game changer in taxation since independence.

An act which was in the pipeline for 16 years, GST subsumes as many as 15 indirect taxes, making India one large marketplace. A plenty of expert opinions and in-depth analyses are available for the discerning on the roll out, and the sectoral outlook post-GST. Our attempt here is to present a 10,000 ft view of the tax reforms on the segment that is close to our heart - Advertising and Marketing (A&M).

The long and the short of it A&M fall under the ambit of Service industry. In the 5-tiered GST tax slab, this sector will be subjected to a service tax of 18%, an increase by 3% from the earlier 15%. While this increased tax burden may seem like a damper for the industry, the verdict on the consequences is divided.

The short-term effect of the rate differential might be negative to neutral to absorb the tax load.

The long-term effects, however, can be better evaluated if we familiarize ourselves with the standout addition of the GST tax reform - Input Tax Credit.

The Input Tax Credit is expected to be a shot in the arm for all sectors, and advertising and digital marketing agencies are no exception. The accrued benefit from the input credit system, could mean more money in the coffers for clients to invest in ad spends. While the first few quarters might be a learning curve for all involved, the overall assessment is that the advertising

costs will come down and investments would grow. In the immediate future, a revenue neutral fallout of the GST is the most likely outcome.

Possible challenges A reform of this magnitude always comes with its teething problems. Initial hiccups will exist with deciphering and cracking the new ‘Good and Simple’ tax, especially in the A&M sectors that share close synergies with other sectors. Ad agencies with operations across geographical locations need to fine tune their implementations to demarcate the state, central, and inter-state GST taxes while invoicing their clients. The GDP is projected to grow eventually once the benefits of GST percolate through the system, bringing in the

much-needed transparency and compliance. The general rule of thumb is that a fillip to the economy translates to more business to advertisers, typically in the order of 1.25 to 2 times the GDP. With the ever-expanding digital revolution and e-presence of the consumers, cyber creatives might get the lion’s share of the new ad spends.

The earnings from the Indian operations of the foreign technology juggernauts Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Yahoo were not subject to any tax in India till recently. However, the 6% Equalization levy or ‘Google tax’ imposed since June 1, 2017 brings these nonresident companies under the tax radar. This might elevate the advertising costs of a company using their online services.

Spending where it matters (Sectoral spenders and thrifters) The potential big spenders postGST are FMCG, automotive, and consumer durables firms which have seen a tax rate cut. These sectors also enjoy a cess tax credit of 0.5% to 1% which could translate to inflow for the ads.

Though the percentage is small, the number becomes significant especially for the industry behemoths.

Banking, Realty, E-Commerce, Financial services, and Hospitality might cut their marketing budgets or alter their go-tomarket strategy to compensate for the higher tax rate.

The pricing and marketing strategy are likely to see a welcome departure from the usual eyeball grabber schemes like discounts, freebies, and offers post-GST. For the Indian businesses, change is the new constant. Will GST be a ‘Good and Simple’ tax or a ‘Guiled and Stumped’ tax - it’s a wait and watch game for everyone!

October 2017 | Marketing Maximus Magazine | 15

From Pawn to King in 6 Seconds!

people actively use billion+ YouTube

1.3

Introducing YouTube Bumper Ads.

By Varun Vibhakar YouTube is the place to be these days. Through its massive viewer base, marketers can reach out to many demographics with a single ad. But there’s one hurdle you will have to overcome to build your campaign’s reach and recall – the dreaded ‘Skip Ad’ button.

But fret not! The minds at YouTube have got your back with their new Bumper Ads – super short, completely unskippable videos that can take your campaign places. In fact, these ads have proven to improve recall by nearly 40% and reach by a staggering 80%! What’s more, you can also tie these together to form a full-length video – focusing on multiple product aspects.

5

billion

2.9

billion

videos are watched on YouTube daily

hours are spent on YouTube in a month

Here’s an infographic to take you to the world of Bumper Ads and help you up the game:

A Look at the Odds

~50%

5

billion

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users access YouTube on their mobiles

videos are watched on YouTube daily

38% growth in recall after Bumper Ads were introduced in 600 ad campaigns

The Gamechanger That’s where Bumper Ads come in!

Play for 6 seconds without the ‘Skip Ad’ option

78%

The Checkmate

greater reach through Bumper Ads in 400 TrueView campaigns

Charge Per 1000 Impressions (CPM) Cater primarily to 18-49 year olds

Optimum cost

Pique interest with teasers of product releases or full-length videos

through Cost Per 100 Impressions (CPM) instead of Cost Per View (CPV)

Growing reach and recall incrementally through TrueView* and Google Preferred** Echo existing campaigns/videos/ products through updates and follow-ups Highlight specific aspects that can communicate one focused message

* YouTube TrueView: An ad format that • Allows viewers to skip an ad • Incorporates ads in between long videos • Integrates product ads in searches

** Google Preferred: An ad format that • Lets advertisers put up their ads on the channels of top YouTubers • Packages them in groups of 12 across multiple genres such as animation, fashion, and technology

Get ready to up your game!

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What does this mean for advertising and marketing?

The digital advertising and marketing industries are being catapulted into a new paradigm.

The tech revolution is reshaping the level of precision with which we approach advertising, making it more efficient. And key to this precision is the availability of data. In fact, the right data, in the right form, and handled in the right manner will reshape the way marketers stay competitive in the industry!

The Financial Times is one such fine example who are really keeping up with the times and leveraging today’s trends. It invites users to register and read up to eight articles per month for free. A whopping 5 million users share demographic, personal, and professional information.

Advertisers could use this information to target a campaign to a specific region, map patterns in reader behavior, or even convert them to full-time subscribers.

The Advertising Renaissance is Coming!

By Shantha Shankar

Aside from tracking industry trends and buying behaviors, access to Big Data paves the way for:

Ever think about what happens when you input information online download an app, sign up for a new internet connection, or even log in to social media? We’re all leaving behind a digital footprint each time we interact with the internet.

• Advertisers to target who sees their ads based on the increasing range of data and formulas in place

T

he explosive uptake of smartphones is bringing a huge influx of first-time internet users.

As a result, over 40% of today’s world population is online; laying the foundation for Big Data.

Well, there’s no fluff when there’s

What’s all the fuss about Big Data?

Netflix advertises TV shows and movies based on a viewer’s watch history. Amazon records user data to optimize customer relationships, be it suggesting items or resolving issues. GE uses a hub of data visualizations to reveal product information that helps people make better buying choices.

trends, and associations relating

rock-hard data available!

Put simply, Big Data refers to extremely large data sets that can be analyzed to reveal patterns, to human behavior. It’s like a Data Rush - information about you is 21st Century gold!

It assumes the more you know about something or a situation, the more likely you are able to gain insights and make predictions about the future.

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• Marketers to focus their efforts with accuracy and at minimal cost using real-time measurement tools • Analysts to understand their customers - who they are, where they are, what they want, and how they want to be contacted.

This helps deliver personalized content and influence customer loyalty Personal information is the fuel that drives the present digital economy. So, join the Big Data movement and continue to fortify your competitive edge.

Don’t Print This.

Print is Dead.

Industry speaks

By Vishal Jhunjhunwala Partner, Square Consulting From daily newspapers to fortnightly magazines, Vishal shares his expert insights on how the world of black and white lives on.

more socially and politically active? While one medium serves bite-sized information, the other provides a narrative that carries with it a lot of gravitas and respect.

India invented home delivery.

And e-commerce. The only gadget involved was a telephone that required you to pick up the receiver, dial the number, and have it delivered – well before the age of online shopping as we know it today.

Despite that, print will never die in India.

Because it’s delivered to your doorstep and not just to your tablet or smartphone as an ‘alert’.

Literacy levels are increasing as is Internet penetration, but Google is not your first port of call when you start to read. It’s print. You enter your freshman reading years with comic books and graduate to novels but throughout that journey, you never give up on newspapers and magazines.

The joy of holding the crisp morning paper or the latest issue of your favourite fortnightly is irreplaceable.

India understands this because print circulation has increased 12% (2015 figures) while it has declined at a similar rate in the UK, rest of Europe, and the USA. Coupled with an increase in digital content consumption, the debate shifts from ‘print vs the rest’ to ‘print and the rest’. How do they co-exist in a country which is getting younger but also getting

And for those wondering, it’s the Hindi papers that are witnessing a higher circulation rather than their English counterparts, which shows that literacy levels (and interest in the country, politics, etc) are increasing, especially in certain states. The 2016 Audit Bureau Circulation (ABC) report indicates that two of the top three circulated newspapers were Hindi dailies - Dainik Jagran and Dainik Bhaskar - followed by The Times of India.

There’s a strange pleasure in reading a freshly printed newspaper or magazine. The turn of the first page, the ironing out of the fold – It’s my caffeine shot, my morning alarm. It’s what gets me up and going in the morning.

I am a digital device multi– tasker (if you include television viewing as well) and of the worst kind. While writing this article I was watching TV and had my smartphone next to me, checking messages, the stock market, and of course social media.

But only after I finished reading the morning papers.

October 2017 | Marketing Maximus Magazine | 19

Print is dead Or is it? No we’re not following in the footsteps of Socrates. We’re just fussing over the decade-old question that’s earned a black or white answer from the advertising fraternity. And while we too add our two bits, we’d like to take you along – so that you can step out of the grays and find an answer for yourself.

Print’s your invisible hero.

PL speaks

By Priya Bala Between online ads and emails that flood our inboxes, could it be that we’ve taken print for granted? Here’s our take on it.

‘Let’s make headlines.’ Quick question. Where did this phrase come from? Now, were you thinking newspaper or the first fold of a website? With over 18 families of paper, 3 categories of ink, and a legacy dating back to 4,000 BC – Print still reigns the throne of modern communication.

Why then, do we feel like it’s dying?

Because, we’ve taken Print for granted. That newspaper you get in the morning with your milk? It’s as ingrained into your daily life as the bus you take to work or the loyal mug of coffee that gets you through the week.

In fact, go back as far as you can – you'll find that our humble guy, Print, was always there. Even if we were to step away from newspapers, there’s no dearth in the number of times Print pops out to greet us, every day.

Newspaper on thresholds Half-torn bus tickets Calendars on desks

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Magazines in lobbies Daily-planner notebooks Office posters Flyers at supermarkets Mail in post boxes Bedside books

Print’s a time machine.

Anyone agreeing that ‘Print is dead’ has to process the word irony. The whole world is rummaging through the bygone era and redefining the basics as 'au naturel'. We’re trying so hard to have the best of both worlds that the hashtag ‘#vintage’ (last we checked) has over 55,640,328 posts on Instagram! And let’s not forget to read between the lines here – we’re using digital to flaunt something analog.

Print’s a great pitcher.

The world of advertising has seen a lot of new channels and has swept up the consumers in a digital wave. But even between electronic billboards and phone adverts, any good communication agency will always vouch for the effectiveness of Print. Whether brochures, newspaper inserts, or great packaging – Prints got the trump card in making a sale because it follows the unsaid, three-step rule. A - Make personal contact, B - Make information easily accessible, and C - Make it memorable. It’s no surprise then that 67% of all online brand searches stem from offline marketing.

Quick tip: Pick direct mail over email as 80% of all traditional mail is opened, while 80% of all email is ignored.

We heart Print.

Print’s got a new family.

This is a reality that we can’t escape (apart from traffic jams and pineapple on pizzas). As humans, we’re invariably attached to things that are multisensory in nature. Why? Because the same part of the brain that processes our senses, is responsible for storing memories as well.

It’s no surprise then that Print delivers a strong sensory experience by tying in touch, sight, and sometimes even smell. So whether you decide to emboss over leather, engrave into stone, or etch onto wood – the dictionary of printmaking opens up a world of delight that you’re bound to treasure.

You can access this multiverse, right here, right now. There’s a whole wide world where print never ‘died’, never ceased to amaze, and is still the go-to choice of many. These ‘print purists’ are seen sitting with their newspaper crossword in trains, buying Egyptian papyrus off Amazon, and collecting postcards from around the world.

Inside info: Speaking of postcards, this industry now offers themed, detachable, and color-in postcard books by artists like Johanna Basford and Zoe de Las Cases.

Print lives on.

We crave Print over pixels.

October 27, 1994. When the very first digital banner ad was released, the human race was drawn to its novelty. Thousands of companies emptied their funds to jump onto the digital bandwagon and gain the firstmover advantage. But since then, much has changed. Today, digital adverts have earned the hatred of consumers who befriend ad blockers to escape the wave of push advertising. We now turn to things that don’t involve the ‘white screen’, choosing magazines over emailers and real experiences over virtual journeys.

Afterthought: While we’re here, let’s not forget another endless debate – Kindle vs Books.

60% of all downloaded ebooks in the US are never read, despite their perceived popularity. Who knew!

It’s called a box of memories for a reason. And not a folder of files.

When you open this box, you can expect a few cards, carnival tickets, worn-out books – and everything ‘printed’.

What we’re getting at is this: we’re humans, not robots. We naturally ‘prefer’ things in analog, in Print. And what truly touches us is this very Print.

We might explore digital, but that’s again only to make our experience richer. Take for example how Curved TV as a technology was only brought in to make the viewing experience more real.

Our sound logic is best illustrated thusly – you maybe reading this online, but we both know that if you’d had to save it, the best way would be to snip it out and file it like the good ol’ days. If you agree with us then, without further ado...

… say hello to Print!

October 2017 | Marketing Maximus Magazine | 21

Take your brand places with memorable packaging By now, you have a fair idea of why smart pacakaging is essential for the success of your brand. While packaging is one of the key product differentiators, there’s more to the story!

Smart Highlights

Today’s busy generation hardly has any time to stop and read the label on a product. If you need to ensure your product doesn’t get lost on the shelves, it’s absolutely necessary to communicate your product’s USP through its packaging. Take Britannia’s Digestive Biscuit, for instance.

While the name conveys one of its key USPs, the packaging has the words ‘Sugar-free’ highlighted right upfront. There’s no way this value prop can go unnoticed — especially when everyone (from youngsters to diabetic patients) is trying to avoid extra calories.

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From groceries to vehicles — a majority of the urban population relies solely on online shopping for all its needs. That’s why every marketer needs to keep the digital generation in mind. It’s important to remember that touch or smell are things that cannot be gauged online. Precisely why you need to add that ‘extra something’ when selling your product online.

Maybelline, for example, packs their nail polish sets in small tote pouches when you buy them off an e-commerce website. These classy, mono-colored pouches, featuring the brand’s logo prominently, are not too high an investment for the brand but still manage to make a huge impact. After all, it’s these little details that let your customer know you care and make them more likely to value your brand.

Online Presentability

Stable Identity

Why risk getting lost in the crowd when adhering to these simple tactics will help you build a stronger consumerbrand relationship? And why not take packaging seriously when it can be an integral part of your marketing plan as well as advertising communications — especially when it is a low-risk, high-reward scenario! After all, by now we all have learnt that we can sell the same product much better with a whole-new packaging!

Expectation is synonymous with responsibility. When a customer has grown up seeing your product in a particular container, color, and shape, rebranding can be a double-edged sword. The only trick here is to ease into the change subtly yet steadily. For instance, if you are changing the messaging on your product at a particular point in time, maintaining coherence in color, shape, logo, and communication style is necessary to reassure your customers. After all, that’s the lesson we learnt from Tropicana’s terrible tale of 20% sales drop, after they drastically revamped their packaging.

October 2017 | Marketing Maximus Magazine | 23

The rise and rise of SEO

By Prashanth Narasimhan

Search Engine Optimization or SEO is a process many businesses religiously follow to increase their online visibility. By studying and understanding popular search queries, brands construct their content around certain relevant ‘key words’.

So when prospective customers like you and I do a quick Google search, the business’ website link is more likely to pop up as a result, improving the probability of a conversion.

Fair enough, but why do businesses spend so much time and money on it? Where does it all take us? And is there an end in sight?

These are questions that market researchers constantly grapple with.

Today, the SEO industry is thriving and is expected to continue its upward trajectory. But turn the clock back a few years, and you’d find that researchers didn’t quite grasp the extent to which it would take over the business world. In 2008 for instance, the SEO spend estimated for the year 2016 was around $20 billion. The reality is that it’s closer to the $65 billion mark – more than three times the anticipated figure!

This is expected to further rise to $72 billion in 2018 and to an astounding $79 billion in 2020. Is the growth likely to even out at some point or is the end nowhere in sight?

The graph below shows the expected growth of the SEO industry for the next five years:

$65.26

$68.89

$72.02

$75.23

$79.27

Total U.S spending for SEO IN $ Billion 2016

2017

Here’s why the SEO industry could grow endlessly:

2018

2019

2020

IMPROVED ACCESS TO THE INTERNET With conglomerates such as Facebook and Google trying to make the web accessible for all – irrespective of geographical or economic status – the number of users is expected to rise to $4.17 billion by 2020.

With more than half the world surfing the net, businesses will have considerably more at stake and are likely to be more inclined to invest in SEO.

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Internet users and penetration worldwide 2014-2020

MORE SEARCHES With younger generations becoming increasingly techsavvy, searches across platforms and search engines are going to continue rising. And with internet connections growing in number and speed, it is likely that both per capita and overall searches will increase exponentially.

This graph depicts the continuous growth of internet users worldwide, for the next five years.

4.5

54.6%

4.17

2

5.3%

4.8%

2017

2018

2019

4.3%

5.8%

6.8%

0.5

40% 30% 20%

1.5 1

60% 50%

4

49.0%

53.0%

51.1% 3.82

3 2.5

46.8%

3.63

3.5

3.43

4

0

10% 0

2016

Internet Users (Bn)

% of population

RISE OF ALTERNATIVE SEARCH AVENUES Most searches today are on conventional engines such as Google and Bing. Assuming tech experts are right about the rise of alternative search engines (Baidu, AOL, Ask etc.) it would force businesses to expand their SEO budgets to help optimize their content on these new avenues.

2020 % of change

FALLING IMPACT OF TRADITIONAL ADS It is no great secret that the impact of traditional forms of advertising is dwindling. And businesses are responding to this reality by allocating less of their budgets to traditional media. Soon, the minority of marketers that still vouches for TVCs and other offline ads will have little choice but to adopt online forms of advertising to improve their visibility.

GROWING POWER OF DATA & ANALYTICS Business decisions today are largely fueled by data and analytics. Decisions regarding SEO are no different. The development of powerful technologies in this space is helping businesses adopt SEO, knowing they have the tools to track ROI, traffic, and other key metrics effectively.

While most expect SEO spend to continue rising for the foreseeable future, there are some skeptics who have valid concerns that cannot be ignored.

Here is why the SEO industry could eventually hit a deadend: STRINGENT COMPETITION AND PROHIBITIVE COST There could come a time when the increasing competition for online space will make SEO too expensive for businesses. This ‘tipping point’ could then result in lower SEO spend, channeling investments into alternative means of advertising.

EMERGENCE OF KNOWLEDGE GRAPH Google’s Knowledge Graph – a knowledge base used by Google to enhance search results – helps users find the information they are looking for on the search page. This disincentivizes users to actually visit the advertiser’s site, thereby minimizing the impact of SEO.

COMPLEX RANKING SYSTEMS SEO relies heavily on scores, which is determined by the ‘rank’ given to each link. Although it is common knowledge now that mobile compatibility and readability go a long way in improving rank, there is still considerable ambiguity in the actual processes used to determine these ranks. The uncertainty caused by this new reality could dissuade businesses from investing heavily in SEO.

What next for the SEO Industry If history is anything to go by, we should acknowledge the fact that it is hard to look further than a few years down the road. Access to technologies will continue to grow (mobile phones, internet, wearables), and businesses will formulate new strategies to adapt to these changes. Although there are a few question marks over the sustainability and effectiveness of SEO, there is enough evidence to suggest that the industry’s best years are still ahead of it.

October 2017 | Marketing Maximus Magazine | 25

PL SHOWCASE

48East Delicacies, Packaged to Perfection

By Nikita Shroff

Back in the day, packaging was used only to protect a product. But it has evolved over the years and how! From Tiffany & Co’s iconic robbin’s egg blue box to Apple’s minimalist boxes, today packaging is all about making a statement – a statement that resonates loud and clear in the market.

But how do you make packaging reflect the personality of your brand?

Here’s how we, at Pink Lemonade, cracked the code to memorable product packaging for a Bangalore-based food-delivery company – 48East.

Among the few all-Asian food delivery services in the city, 48East currently plates up dishes from across 48 different Asian countries. With this in mind, we decided to give them a distinct, clutter-breaking style.

We used the brand colors – bright red and solid black – and combined those with Asian elements such as Buddha, bamboo, and lotus flower to give their packaging a clean yet eye-catching appearance.

The result? A unique, memorable, and lovable style that visually resonates with the brand too.

Occasionally, we take on fresh and new routes as well to give the brand an edgy-look and make the design pop!

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So if you’ve got a brand that needs to make the right first impression, then all you need is the right ‘package deal’!

October 2017 | Marketing Maximus Magazine | 27

Marketing Maximus Magazine is an initiative of Pink Lemonade to help professionals stay up-to-date with the latest industry trends and techniques.

Pink Lemonade is a creative agency that specializes in visual and written communication across multiple platforms – be it digital, social, or good ol’ print.

Want to give your brand the Pink Lemonade edge and up your marketing quotient? Then write to us at reachus@pinklemonade.in and we will get in touch with you shortly.

Marketing Maximus Magazine is a property of

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