High on marketing...
August 2012, Vol. II, Issue 1
Here we go again!! It is the same time of the year again; new confident faces with eyes which are aspiring extraordinary dreams are roaming around the campus. The new batch of future marketing professionals has arrived and so have we. Completing one year of successfully publishing Brand.i, we again begin the journey around sun hope this will bring more laurel and accomplishments to us and you all. The XXX London Olympics games are going on in London which is a big marketing phenomenon in itself. When an event is participated by more than over 10,000 from around 200 national Olympics committee its coverage is bound to be exceptional. The opening ceremony of the games was being watched by more than 4 billion people worldwide which is more than half of the entire planet. This kind of coverage for a brand can't be generated by any other event. The many event winner will be showered with not only awards and rewards but also get good enraging from endorsing brands but that will be after the event, for now we should talk about the Brand.i. In this edition we have covered a wide variety of marketing practices and phenomenon ranging from NGO branding to the Kolaveri Di fever, surrogate advertising to Flash Mob and even more. Our authors this time comes from even more diverse background than ever. While Bhushan Mahajan from FMS, Delhi has written about the flash-mob and its use as a marketing tool, Garvita Kumar from IIM Lucknow has discussed the benchmark Indian social campaigns, including my favourite piyo glass full doodh tv commercial. Authors from Jamia Millia Islamia, Symbiosis Pune and NITIE have contributed in this edition of Brand.I The cover story by Sanjay Raturi and Sahil Lohra of MIB, DSE does not tell you about a marketing concept but about phenomenon in itself or better about the madness named The Dark Knight Trilogy. This article explores various facets of the trilogy from social media following to real life role playing from some fans. Feedback, Op-eds, suggestions, complaints, and brickbats are welcome. Do write to us at marcom@mibdu.org, now I signoff with hope that you will found this edition as interesting and unputdownable as the previous editions. Cheers Himanshu Chauhan Editorial Team Brand.i
Disclaimer This magazine does not reflect the views and opinions of MARCOM, MIB or DSE – they belong to the fabulous individuals who contribute to it. The images, logos, photographs and other materials are use for non commercial purpose and are proprietary content of the owners.
The Team
Team Marcom Arjun Kant Chadda (Convener) Akshaya Shah Himanshu Chauhan Sahil Lohra Sanjay Raturi
Editorial Team Arjun Kant Chadda Akshaya Shah Himanshu Chauhan Sahil Lohra Sanjay Raturi
Concept & Design Himanshu Chauhan
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
4S of Facebook Facebook asa
Brand
By: Nikhil Goyal BITS-Pilani
I
t all happens on the Facebook “wall� where 845 million active users make friends, share pictures and videos, and comment on posts. From friends and games to advertising, Facebook has emerged as a brand in social networking. Let us understand Facebook in a brand's perspective with the help of 4S.
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
Solve-The Problem Social networking sites (SNS) solve the problem of connecting to people we already know. Facebook in particular solved the problems like corporate advertisement and gaming on social networking. Users have a wide option of games and applications available on Facebook. The primary problem that this SNS solved was Privacy. It was user's privilege to allow others to tag him/her in a picture or share the personal information with particular set of people as settings were available for visibility of profile to be public, friends, friends of friends and custom. In other SNS like Orkut, people were able to view others' profiles, friends, communities, and friends regardless if they were 'friend' or not. Facebook solved this problem to a great extent. Significant- Differentiation Since its inception, Facebook was different from other SNS like LinkedIn (considered to be more professional), MySpace (applications and gaming options were absent), Twitter (you will have more following depending on your popularity), Orkut (failed to meet the integrity and privacy expectations) and the new Google+ (it failed to give a reason to the users to migrate from Facebook as most of the features were already in Facebook). For users, Facebook was an entirely different experience. The tagging system, the 'Like', applications and games (Mafia wars and Farmville are among most popular games) addicted the users to Facebook. For corporate and brands, Facebook was different. While the community pages in Orkut could foster negative feelings in users by comments and forums as there was no control over them, the Official Facebook Page became a one-stop of the brands and products to publicize,
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recommend page, generate direct discussions, and monitor customer feedback and brand reputation. Scale-Up Facebook is getting bigger and bigger. The biggest year for Facebook was 2010 when the number of active users went up by sixty nine percent to 248 million. In 2011, Facebook generated revenue of $3.71 billion. Over the years Facebook became a global story. Facebook was a venture which had a lot of potential for customization and growth. Facebook actively added new features which attracted more users and hence became a potential house for advertisement. The latest feature 'Timeline' displays the profiles activities over a period of time. Facebook also attracts the best talent around the globe and this is a one reason for the constant innovation in Facebook. Now FB plans to go public in 2012 and it is expected to raise $5 billion of funding. Secure-The Market Share By the end of the year 2011, FB had a market share of 63.26% in social networking. Facebook has focused on privacy and usability which its other predecessors failed to do. Facebook is simple to understand for every age group person. The 'Mini Feeds' which show the activity of other 'friends' on the user's wall like 'ABC is now friends with XYZ' is the fuelling feature of Facebook. Such features enable users to expand their network and being active. Such innovation has helped Facebook to secure a double digit growth and secure a stable environment to generate revenues. Facebook is the new meaning of being 'Social', and it has added a new value to the world. Facebook innovated how we connect.
A
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
Bullet for my
Valentine
By: Karabi Kachri MIB, DSE
O
f course, not a bullet being shot through the barrel of a gun, but the “Bullet� whose thunderous sound makes me skip a heartbeat every time somebody zooms past me in this machine, which has always caught my fantasy ever since I set my eyes on them.
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
Thanks to my uncle, who introduced me to the “Bullet” while I was quite young (I am yet to learn how to ride one, but someday I’ll and that day is not that far away!). And ever since then, this has been to me what shiny black or white horses are for the knights or princes or princesses.
partnered with Madras Motors in india to form what was called “Enfield India”. As per their agreement, Madras Motors owned majority (over 50%) of shares in the company. The Enfield
Let’s flashback to time, and see what and why “Bullet” is a “Bullet” and not just some product providing you a mode of transportation. The Royal Enfield Bullet was originally a British overhead valve single cylinder 4-stroke motorcycle made by Royal Enfield in Redditch, West Midlands, but now produced by Royal Enfield Motors, the successor to the British company, at Chennai Tamil Nadu in India. Royal Bullet thus came to dominate the Indian highways and with each p a s s i n g ye a r, c au ght t he attention of the entire nation and its popularity kept rising.
Enfield motorcycles were being sold in India ever since 1949. The Bullet 350 was chosen as the most suitable bike for the job of patrolling by the police forces as well as for the armies by the Indian government. The Indian government ordered 800 of these 350cc motorcycles, which was quite a huge order during those days. Eventually, in 1955 the Redditch Company
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In 1990, Enfield India entered into a strategic alliance with Eicher Group and later, merged with it in 1994. It was during this merger that its name changed to Royal Enfield. In 1996, when the government decided to impose stringent norms for emission, Royal Enfield was the first motorcycle manufacturer to comply, a tradition which has stuck on thus making emission norms being one of the most important factors the company focuses on. Most of us who have grown up watching Hindi movies will definitely remember the hero on a motorbike ... it had to be a Royal Enfield Bullet. Notably starting from the 1975 movie Sholay,
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
featuring Amitabh and Dharmendra on the Bullet, now 36 long years down the line even if we just look at 2011 movies, we can see the Enfield featured prominently. In fact over 5 movies have the hero or heroine using the Enfield! India still loves the Royal Enfield Bullet and it has a special appeal. Indian movies featuring Enfields in 2011 are: Singham, Zindagi Na Milega, Dabangg, Tanu Weds Manu, Turning 30, etc. And just while driving around in the streets of Delhi, you will find a lot of men zooming past you in their Bullets with that thunderous appeal… Siddhartha Lal’s (MD and CEO of Eicher Motors) memorable ride at 18 on the Royal Enfield Bullet has transcended his passion into a full-blown
obsession and is now manifesting itself in his efforts to infuse new life into Royal Enfield and its enigmatic flagship brand “Bullet”. As with all Bullet die-hard bikers, for him, the Bullet symbolises the ultimate biking experience on Indian roads; everything else on two wheels and even four wheels for that matter, is insignificant. The business model is finally working after more than a decade-long struggle. In the past few years the brand has been successfully
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repositioned as a cool urban bike though a third of Enfields are still sold in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. “If our all-India market share is 0.5%, our Sardar market share is 10-15%,”says Lal. “The really long-term master plan is to take Royal Enfield to a very different space. Our brand must be intricately woven in with long rides. When someone buys this bike it should be because he thinks he can drive it to the Himalayas,” says Lal. He also plans to look at areas such as aftermarket service, spare parts, customization, accessories (though Enfield has tried the last before and failed), and exports to developing markets. “It’s counterintuitive but developed countries were buying us earlier because of the vintage factor. Now that our products are much better in terms of reliability, we can sell to developing markets,” he says.
What “Bullet” offers is an experience, and a strong emotional connect with its owner. It’s not just, as I earlier mentioned- a product, but something beyond the materialistic aspect… It has evolved as a brand; people associate themselves with it such that they in fact have Royal Enfield Riders Club across the globe. It’s not just the passion of biking, but riding a “Bullet” itself is a passion.
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
Subliminal Advertising in Ambient and Media limitationsto creativity By: Anubhav Rawat MICA
S
o would you not bat an eyelid when Coke tries to sell you a bottle made in the shape of a curvaceous woman, or when the intimidating Jolly Roger of Walt Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean reminds you of its flagship trademark Mickey
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
Sometimes I imagine myself as a fish. A fish swimming through the vast oceans of seemingly endless aquatic environs. A fish that sees through its diminutive globular eye the expanse of a world submerged in water. It sees the myriad hues of sprawling coral reefs and desolate outcrops as it scuttles through every nautical mile. And then I wonder if it could ever imagine a world outside of the ocean. A human brain may not be as primitive as that of a fish, but it is undoubtedly susceptible to manipulation through a massive influx of ambient media in contemporary times. Every day we step out for work, there is always a huge billboard waiting to grab eyeballs. We get on a metro or a bus and we are surrounded by hanging straps that tell us about a new mobile phone service. Even on our weekend getaways to nearby shopping malls we see a flurry of hoardings with spectacularly b e au t i f u l f ac e s t h at implore us to buy what they have to sell. With various corporate houses now scaling up on their OOH (Out Of Home) advertising budgets, it becomes crucial to understand the effects of subliminal messages hidden within an otherwise forthright advertisement. One that can be seen or felt gets registered and the one that gets registered moulds our perception towards the world. So would you not bat an eyelid when Coke tries to sell you a bottle made in the shape of a curvaceous woman, or when the intimidating Jolly Roger of Walt Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean reminds you of its flagship trademark Mickey Mouse? And this doesn’t apply solely to visual media. Adverts are out there to tap into all of your sensory faculties. So don’t be alarmed when you come across theories of backmasking of songs to propagate subliminal messages. The digital banners, that
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flash hundreds of images for you, are not always as lucid as they seem to be for the simple reason that they convey a lot more than what meets the eye. In a paper published in an online edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers report that people can unconsciously process the meaning of subliminal words. In another report, Princeton University’s Joel Cooper found that television viewers watching a program of “The Simpsons” became thirstier when subliminal messages related to thirst were embedded in the program. And this may be just the tip of the iceberg. In the wake of widespread forays into ambient media advertising, the saturation of ideation becomes inevitable. According to a study conducted by Derren Brown, A UK based mentalist and sceptic; two copywriters from one of London’s leading Ad agency were made to design a campaign for a product. It turned out that Derren already had a design ready with him and when the two of the agency men came up with theirs, it was an 80 percent match. Derren goes on to explain that he studied the milieu extensively to come up with the design, and the copywriters came up with almost the same, although in their case the elements were registered subconsciously. This underpins a critical argument about the vulnerability of some of the most creative minds in the industry to pick up cues from their surroundings so much so that ideas are never created; only recycled and that too in an increasingly predictable fashion. Subsequently the discussion brings to the fore an arguable lack of ingenuity in ambient media advertising and poses a serious question mark on free-flowing creativity. A way out: Don’t be a fish in the ocean. But I’d rather hear a fish say that.
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
Branding Throughout
Life cycle of
Product By: Ashish Agarwal FMS, Delhi
B
ecause the purpose of business is to create and keep a customer, the business enterprise has two – and only two – basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs. - Peter Drucker
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
Marketing in its very etymology includes ‘market’ and that is what any product or service launched desires to serve. The aim of a business to earn profit is met through its customers and herein comes the role of Marketing. Marketing is necessary to realize what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development . An idea is just a potential business. Now to realize the possibility of the conversion from idea to business is where the point of marketing starts. Marketing since Inception of the idea of the product or service to be offered is when the curiosity is created in the minds of the customer. Marketing during initial phases helps to nurture products, position them strategically, assess the competition, and work toward products’ development. A very generic idea of marketing an idea was displayed by Mark Zuckerberg when he used the faces of students of Harvard University to spread his idea of comparing photos online. Successful Launching a product is as important as developing it. Devising a Marketing strategy aligned with the Customer and partner needs provides the product much needed recognition and acceptance from its target audience. Various aspects of Marketing in launch broadly involve (a)Market Analysis, (b) Competitor Offering, (c)Targeting Customers, (d) Unique Value Proposition, and (e) Pilot Customers among others. Apart from creating awareness about the product it also dictates important budgeting and long-term planning decisions. A successful marketing campaign drives hundreds of first time consumers who in turn spread word of mouth driving other thousands. Today it is common to see Bollywood movie makers exploring new avenues to market their product (the movie, its music, its ringtones) during the release of the movie.
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As the product changes from being introduced to being accepted by the customers, the role of Marketing in growth of product changes from establishing the Brand to creating brand Loyalty and increasing the customer base. It is more about making the consumer realize the company’s unique product proposition that demarks it from the competition around. The growing market share in Telecom is the youth and realizing the same Airtel has recently launched its ‘Har ek friend zaroori hota hai” campaign. The campaign catches the youth’s sentiments and positions the brand in the most vibrant and happening target segment. In today’s fierce market competition, relatively similar product quality, and excessive marketing by all companies, the quality of service provided after-sales of the product becomes a major differentiator for any customer. Poor after-sales has more annoying effect on a customer than minor faults in the product quality, as it directly reflects on the customer friendliness of the firm. Moreover, recent Economic downturn has made everyone realize the importance of after sales service marketing (eg. Chevrolet Motors) when customer buying sentiments were all time low. There has never been any doubt about the importance of marketing but realizing its potential from inception to conclusion has led to the creation of successful global brands in Ford, Apple or Indian Brands; Tata, Airtel. From Inception of the idea of Product or service to its conclusion which covers the whole life cycle Marketing has definitive and significant role. At last it becomes imperative to mention that Quality of product or service is quintessential and Marketing can only enhance and accentuate the USP of the product making them more desirable.
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
Whydid
the
night k Rise????
Dar
A
superhero with no superpowers is like a warrior without a sword. Or is it? Think again. Batman, the titular superhero, defies all such preconceived notions of proprietary for one.
By: Sanjay Raturi & Sahil Lohra MIB, DSE
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
He does not have any superpowers but his own scientific knowledge, detective skills, athletic prowess and sophisticated weaponry more than make up for it. There have been innumerable merchandise and multiple movies related to the Batman franchise, but what really stands out is the Batman Trilogy. Thematically darker than the other Batman movies, the Batman Trilogy, conceived by Christopher Nolan, has curiously been a successful movie franchise. Objectively assessing, it has an intelligent and coherent storyline with a strong emphasis on character building. The Trilogy consists of the movies :" Batma n Begi ns(2005), T he D a rk Kni ght( 2008) and The Dark K n i g h t Rises(2012)", all o f which have a cardinal ele ment of the win of good over evil. Batma n, however, has often been a butt o f several jokes on the internet. A number of videos are available online which parody the Batman series and have attained the "viral" status. Some of those compare Superman with Batman and display the latter comically as an inferior superhero by sheer comparison. These jokes, parodies and spoofs have significantly been instrumental in fuelling the hype that surrounds the Batman Trilogy. Evidently, there has been a patent fanaticism for Batman and this transcends geographical boundaries. One of the recent cases in question was that of the Colorado Shootings, when a masked gunman, apparently inspired by The Joker(one of the villains in the Batman series), entered a movie theatre and went on a shooting spree, resulting in the death
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of 12 people and seriously injuring several others. Yet another, albeit a little less horrendous case, involved the movie website www.rottentomatoes.com, wherein fans vented their anger on some of the critics who gave negative reviews to the recent movie in the franchise(The Dark Knight rises) Some even went as far as to send death threats to the critics. The interesting thing is, the critics provided their reviews after watching a special screening of the movie whilst it wasn't even released for the populace. Still, the fans lambasted and hurled expletives at them on the website even b e f o r e watching the movie and forming an opini on themsel ves. This c l e a r l y indi c a t e s a s t r o n g allegian ce towards t h e franchi s e . And in its entir e t y , it is quite evident that the Batm a nTrilogy has indeed left a successful imprint in the entertainment arena, the world over. Now, this is an understatement to say that Batman series is blockbuster trilogy. It would be justified to say that dark knight has turned out to be more than a movie, it has become a phenomenon. Some of us might argue that if this is a phenomenon than so was all the other superhero movies that came before it, however how many movies caused a massacre like Colorado on its opening day. Indeed the dark knight rose beyond all the expectations. Colorado incident gives rise to a new debate, was this incident by any chance caused due to a very
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
successful marketing campaign of Christopher Nolan's team. It's one thing to see images of violence and brutality in our movies; it's another thing to be subjected to them through a massive onslaught of ubiquitous movie advertising. That's what troubles me the most about the
Colorado killings: the possibility that the accused killer's violent fantasies had somehow been inflamed not by the movie but by the unsettling advertising images surrounding it. Without getting into right or wrong, let's focus on what did we learn from this experience. It made one thing very clear dark side appeals to today's generation. Historically, all batman movies have done well on the big screen, ever since the first Batman movie in 1966, hence the expectations of Batman fans were always high. Amidst these expectations Nolan's team did what a good showman is supposed to do, they gave the viewers what they wanted. More than a great hero, people needed a greater villain. As rightly said “every hero needs a villain�. Ever since the beginning of the Batman trilogy in 2005, every time they came up with an even
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darker antagonist. First it was The Scarecrow & Ra's al Ghul then Joker and now finally Bane People relate more to joker than to Batman. All over the Internet, facebook, twitter, myspace etc told you how expensive it was to be batman. I mean, just to look like batman you needed to spend $6 million and almost same amount for his flashy toys. The movie was marketed in a way that it showed dominance of Joker's character. Grim posters were designed; Joker was marketed all over social media as the biggest villain of the decade. We see the same pattern being repeated with Dark Night Rises. Also the role of modern day meme cannot be ignored in the social marketing of any product. Trolling has serious impact on a products perception in the market. You open any such site and you find multitude of meme showing you bad boy image of Bane. This tactic was never in place at the time of Avengers, they never emphasised on the dark side of Loki in the advertisements. If you see the promos of the Dark Knight Rises carefully you would notice that appearance of Batman in the official trailer is intentionally kept scarce. In a 1min 39sec long trailer batman appears for about 10 seconds that too mostly using his fancy bat mobile or other toys. All of the above leads us to one conclusion here dark side is in demand, gone are the days when good guys were in demand; it is the time of Dark Knights.
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
Branding The Way To Enter
Rural Markets
R
ural India consists of about 6 lakh villages with around 70% of country's population. It constitutes a market where life has evolved through deep rooted community values, social rituals, joint families and age old customs and traditions.
By: Aditya Mittal SIBM Pune
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
The rural market is heterogeneous, fragmented, complex and remains largely untapped. Due to this increased exposure of brands and products, the rural youth have evolved as influencers in the purchase decisions of households .The rural consumer is shifting to toothpaste and toilet soaps, to motorbikes and consumer durables and this transition is fueled by factors like awareness, affordability, availability and acceptability. The five major factors in creating brand awareness among rural consumers are communication through mass media, publicity through word-of-mouth & opinion leaders, experiential education, price sensitivity & value for money proposition and distribution reach & overcoming language barriers. Today distribution and reach are the most important yardstick in creating brands for rural markets. Even expensive brands are doing well because of deep distribution. Branding strategy Rural Branding The rural market is a fast growing one and has a huge population with a great level of disposable income. To encash this, products have to be specifically developed to meet the needs of rural markets. Rural branding is different from urban branding. The first step towards rural branding is to research and gain insights about the rural markets. Based on the research, different communication campaigns have to be developed with a lot of rural sensitivity. A strong insight into rural consumer behavior and sensitivity to their values and beliefs are essential. Rural market research includes not just gathering data but analyzing them and linking the findings to promoting products. Communication campaigns The entire communication strategy has to devise a system based on research findings. These have to be developed in the regional languages and set in the local culture for easier
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acceptance and reach. Rural gatherings like festivals, cinema halls and so on can be used as venues to promote brands. Direct Marketing and events( like road shows, film shows and street theatre) can also be used to promote brands. The success of any DM campaign depends on the field workers and their sensitivity and emotional connectivity to rural markets. Rural Events: In the rural context, one of the best ways to capture the attention of the audience is through Event-management. Some of the interesting events that can be conducted are Road Shows, Melas, Street-Theatre, Film Shows and so on. These make a visually strong impact and build long term brand recall. Rural public are the target audience and hence the portfolio of event management has to be handled professionally with diligent care and broad perspective. Database Creation & Management Information Systems Branding in the rural context can be highly effective and there is a need to create a database which will contain details of target segments at the village level .This data is essential for reaching the target accurately and helps our marketing plan and communication strategies. Management Information System along with Database management paves ways for a congenial rural marketing through the information and data available for effective interpretations and use. The biggest hurdle is low penetration rates. Distribution is the key to generate sales. Brand builders acknowledge that income levels are going up, infrastructure is slowly improving and lifestyles are changing, but the pace of this change is slow. Hence, long term gains become more prominent but the golden rule to sell in villages remains the same: products must be priced low, profit margins must be kept to the minimum and the marketing message must be kept simple.
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
Logos
and the Success of Divine Proportion
T
he creation of differentiated, successful and sustainable international brands has gone beyond the promotion of tangible, functional and salient benefits into the mystical realms of emotion, perception and image.
By: Mohit Talwar NITIE
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
In an attempt to create global brands, companies now strive to evoke emotions in customers, and then link these to the brand in ways that can be sustained across international borders. Symbols, more specifically logos, are a more efficient management tool to orchestrate the desired features that the organization wants to express towards its stakeholders. Selecting a logo is an arduous task for companies and includes the d i f f i c u l t i e s distinguishing which logo would be remembered the best, be most liked, or create the strongest sense of familiarity on initial exposure. In addition, it is possible that desired responses are not achieved because the selected logo has a design that is difficult to store or access in m e m o r y, i s n o t likeable, or fails to evoke any sense of meaning. Logos are successful only if two preconditions are fulfilled. First, stakeholders must remember seeing the logo (correct recognition). Second, logos must remind stakeholders of the brand or company name (recall). Logos can fulfill them in two ways, either by intrinsic or by extrinsic properties. Intrinsic properties of a logo are properties resulting directly from a confrontation with the
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logo itself, divided into: a perception of the graphical parts and perceptions of the referential parts. Extrinsic properties are properties originating from the associations with the company behind the logo. These associations, in return, are partly defined by the behavior of an organization in the past, and by the intensity of the communication in which they express their values to external and internal audiences. Few people know that visually compelling logos created follows Aesthetic theory and t i d - b i t s o f mathematics, called Golden Ratio or The divine proportion (a/b = 1.1618!!). Petal arrangements in a red rose, da Vinci's “The Last Supper�, The Monalisa and the Greek Parthenon all have in common the same geometrical proportion. Indeed, the same proportion is found in many globally successful brands' logos like Toyota, Pepsi, Apple, NGC, BP, Disney and many more. Some believe it is a universal constant of design, the signature of God. Whatever you believe, the pervasive appearance of divine proportion in all the logos we see and the sense of balance, harmony and beauty in all those brands we see is amazing. Isn't it?
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
Taking the road
less travelled
W
ay back in 1970s when the Indian "brandscape" was relatively young and unexplored, a company was striving to liberate itself from its Western York and adopt a truer Indian character.
By: Zainab Sayeed, AJK Mass Communication Research Centre Jamia Millia Islamia
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
A more fitting birthday present could not have been than the one ITC gave itself on its 16th birthday (August 24, 1926). Purchasing a plot of land which is now famously renowned as Virginia House was the company's first step towards Indianization- shedding the title of Imperial Tobacco Company and adopting India Tobacco Company. In the present era, when branding has come a long way from distinguishing cattle ownership, ITC has held itself in good stead. What makes the brand's story unique is the subtle and delicate manner in which the transition from a predominantly tobacco product manufacturer to a socially responsible corporate was made. Ask your parents to v o i c e t he f i r s t thought that comes to their mind on hearing ITC and the least common response surprisingly will turn out to be cigarettes. This is despite the fact that Wills is integrally associated with ITC. However, the company has very strategically ensured several recalls to the term, 'Wills' other than the socially ostracized cigarettes. For even till this date 50% of its revenue share is from tobacco and its products. So how did ITC manage its brand repositioning? In 2001 when the Government of India banned advertisement of cigarettes and several anti tobacco groups were into heavy campaigning, ITC, like a wise man, decided to go with the wind. It dropped the dots from its name to the extent that ITC ceased to be an acronym for Indian Tobacco Company and became a brand identity
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in itself. As far as advertising was concerned, the company recognised the fact that advertising plays a crucial part in the marketing approach by persuading customers to buy products. Hence, reducing the emphasis on having to sell. Two years later when their biscuits were launched, the company used the very same colours of Red and Yellow as were the trademarks of Wills Cigarettes. In an age when corporations were viewed as money minters who were only concerned with bottom line figures, ITC chose to debunk all those mental frameworks by devising E Choupals so as to spread the benefits of technology in rural India as well. The idea was exemplar and radical, so much so that it was later chosen as a case study at H a r v a r d B u s i n e s s School as well. It paved the way for more w e l f a r e schemes later b y t h e government also and hence can be credited as the first impetus provider that worked towards creation of a sustainable society as well as environment. This investment towards the creation of what ITC fittingly terms as “responsible luxury� has been possible only through its far sighted planning. Venturing into hitherto neglected sectors and creating a niche for itself through both backward integration and synergizing its varied businesses, the ITC growth story is definitely inspiring as it set new rules in the brand game.
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
Sticky Brand Loyalties: a Strategy
B
isleri and Thumbs Up. What is common between these two brands apart from the fact that both of them have grown into generic names for their respective product categories?
By: Rishi Sonthalia Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Bangalore
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
Well, they both were born in the same stable of Parle! Along with these two, Parle has long been an incubator for several of India's iconic brands like Parle G, Frooti, Monaco, Mango Bite, Krackjack and I can go on and on. But how come not many know about the parenthood of these products? It's simple. Until a few years ago they did not add their own name to the product brands and let it flourish as single entities (except for Parle G biscuits of course). This is why the loyalty of the customer lies with the product brand and not with Parle. This brings us to the modern day scenario where branding is multi level and multi faceted. It can be at a Corporate Level, Product level or Joint Branding. This is how companies like Tatas maintain loyalty with their organization and the parent brand is more endearing than the product itself. The Tata brand name is much larger than just Tata Steel or a Tata Motors or TCS. Tata Sons which is the owner of the brand has infact signed an agreement with all its subsidiaries regarding a royalty payment system and a code of conduct based on it. The agreement entitled Brand Equity and Brand
Promotion (BEBP) involves payment of royalty ranging from 0.1% to 0.5% of the turnover based on the brand leverage in the organization. So back to the main topic again. In case of the Tatas, it is not possible that the companies or brands of the same can ever become bigger than the parent company itself as it happened with Thumbs Up or a Bisleri. This makes it easier for a competing company to acquire the brand rather
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than the company itself. In such a situation in order to prevent the acquiring company to take
advantage of the target companies' decades of branding exercise. Companies like the Tata group entities have set up a “Poison Pill” as well. In case an entity of Tata is acquired by way of hostile takeover by any competitor the entity can no longer use the Tata brand name in the new entity. Although this will save on the royalty costs but will lead to a transfer of only the physical assets with the character of the brand. But this strategy has its downside as well. How do you account for this promotion of Tata name above the business unit name? Why should, say, Tata Motors pay for branding the Tata brand all by itself and then pay royalty for the same as well. To truly understand this dilemma one must see Tata Steel or a Tata Motors as an entity separate from its parenthood whose objective is to maximize profits and “value” for its stakeholders. To resolve this issue many companies have come up with a solution. Apportionment of costs between the parent brand entity (in this case 'Tata' name) and the Product brand (say, Tata Motors). This solution seems plausible as they also receive revenue in the form of royalty for it. So your child and customers remain yours forever!!
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
Look who is Screwing Us
M
arketing as a function has changed a lot over the years. And unlike finance function, marketing is not based on cold logic, which makes the “change” very tough to measure. Below is an illustration for what we can say – Marketing: Coming of age.
By: Reema Verma
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
Marketing as a function has changed a lot over the years. And unlike finance function, marketing is not based on cold logic, which makes the “change” very tough to measure. Below is an illustration for what we can say – Marketing: Coming of age.
Nielson’s research, modern trade is picking up, and consumer spending on FMCG items at modern retail stores is set to triple to nearly US$5 billion by 2015 from US$1.8 billion today. And imagine the extremities of options available – shop in malls or local nearest store, or choice to buy a watch, mobile or car - every product has a range- a low price to high price. Rewinding back to post 1991, we see that this was not the case. There were very few players - Bajaj for 2-wheelers, Fiat and Ambassador for cars, Crown and Sharp for TV, Godrej, Kelvinator for refrigerators. People had to book a car two years prior, there was a lottery system and waiting for getting a product.
Here, “color” is used as a symbolic entity; Though we would all agree that it is the true story of color too!
After 1991, power of consumers started growing. And now is the age when companies have to withdraw and replace their products even if a minor fault is noticed. Sometimes clichés do the
Future of Marketing: Marketing boasts itself to be metamorphosed from being blatantly selfish to subtly selfish. Though all the marketers would hate the latter, but it is one of the main ingredients requisite to run a business successfully. A company’s marketing function is absolutely right in being self-interested, self-seeking. “The real best companies in the world and best marketers imagine the unrecognized needs of their customers,” declared author Chip Conley , author of “The Peak” and a highly sought after speaker. And yes this is indeed the future. In continuation of our simplified example, it essentially means that based on rich customer experience data and proactive triggers to my future event they would know what colored shoes I need in that particular event. This is an oversimplification, but we get the point there. Status Quo in India: India is now a buyers’ market. According to
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best justice – Today customer is in fact the king in India. So does that mean companies or their marketers are at the mercy of consumers? To a little extent yes, but they are smart too and gather brownie points for creating a need for products that the “Kings” are not even aware of before. And before you realize, you are already addicted to café latte and we continue to fill our lives with more and more things we can live without.
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
Piyo Glass Full Dhood The
for
Indian benchmark
Social Campaigns
M
ost of us would instantly recollect the famous dhood dhood campaign which stormed the Television in 1998. It was an instant hit among the masses. It showcased people of all ages, of different lifestyle and the fact that milk is an essential part of their life.
By: Garvita Kumar IIM Lucknow
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
Can you name the Bollywood singer who began his career with singing a jingle for a milk Advertisement? (Hint: The Doodh hai wonderful advertisement) Yes, it is indeed Kunal Ganjawala. Most of us would instantly recollect the famous dhood dhood campaign which stormed the Television in 1998. It was an instant hit among the masses. It showcased people of all ages, of different lifestyle and the fact that milk is an essential part of their life. Explaining in jingle the varied uses and health benefits of milk, the campaign set a high benchmark for the Advertisement Industry in India. The campaign was launched as part of Operation Flood or White revolution of India, which was started by National Dairy D eve lo p me nt B o a r d ( N D D B ) f o r t he development of dairy Industry in India. Following the increase of outlets for milk and milk based products, the campaign aimed at increasing the consumption of milk amongst Indian population. The consumption of milk in 1995 was 198 gm/day which was too low as compared to internationally set standard of 250 gm/day. Therefore a survey was conducted in 1995 by NDDB among 1,00,000 households. It showed that there was low direct consumption of milk because of the rising popularity of soft drinks among teenagers and the conception amongst adults that milk was essential for growing children but not for them. The campaign was aimed at repositioning the milk among the three primary target segmentscomprising children, teenagers and adults. For teenagers, milk was repositioned as an exciting, refreshing & energizing drink from the old, conservative & traditional drink. Be it two couple romancing over milk, a beautiful girl licking her lips after the tasty drink or the muscle hunk vouching for it, all targeted the youth of the time. For children, the campaign showcased milk as tasty and healthy; with a bunch of
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children shown shouting ‘give me more‘. The recommendation of a magician & a cricket player made it attractive for kids. The Advertisement showed a man in office singing about his favourite drink. Also, two elderly couple dancing their way to 99 years of age!! How can it be possible? Apparently, milk can make it possible. Thus, it was conveyed that milk is not just for children but also for adults. But one important aspect was missing in the campaign, which nowadays women‘s horlicks is using. Horlicks advertisements consist of soulful jingle with strong lyrics about the life of women. The advertisement depicts the varied roles and responsibilities of women thus recommending milk with Horlicks for their health. This element was missing in the NDDB campaign. They could have shown women drinking milk to gain energy for their routine household choirs or work in office. Traditionally, milk was consumed only in winters (hot badam or haldi). But this campaign delivered the message that it can be consumed in any season. The advertisement also specifies the quantity of milk one should consume. Also this campaign tried to spread awareness amongst consumers to check for purity by checking the symbol of Mother Dairy on the product. So the quality is assured & subsequently so is a healthy life. China, traditionally non milk drinking society, is eyeing India to export its dairy products. But India banned the products following the quality threats. Maybe China should, instead of trying to export dairy products to India, launch such campaigns in their own country to increase their sales in the home country. To conclude, the influence of this campaign over our minds has been immense, from repositioning it as a cool drink to influencing adults to drink and lastly to drink milk in all seasons.
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
Car on lease iAspire, are you? By: Anshika Srivastava
Y
our neighbor, the one with two small kids and a Benz; how does he do it? Is he just rolling in extra money to buy a 30 Lakh car? Chances are, he isn't. This is because many luxury cars makers are providing cars on lease.
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
In the era of “Use and Throw�, a luxury car on lease may prove to be a good move. If you appreciate good things, enjoy a luxurious life or change cell phones every 6 months-it's likely
22,000 bought luxury cars in 20111. It indicates that there is a huge scope to target the population that aspires to have an expensive car. An operational move
that you shall be driving the latest model of Mercedes after reading this. To make car ownership economical and hassle free, Mercedes-Benz introduced car on lease in India in Oct, 2011. The concept has already gained popularity in US and Europe and now it is in India. In my opinion, car on lease is a profitable step for any car manufacturer because it covers all aspects of business, as shown in the figure below:
For securing a car loan, you would probably end up with lots of meetings with the bank, loan officers and endure a plethora of documentation. But for a car lease, you only need to contact the car dealer and understand the contract. It is more or less like testing a car. After the end of the lease, if you like it, take it home. If not, just drive it back to the dealer without worrying about finding new potential buyers. More so, it will make your life easier.
A strategic move
A financial move
India - home to 150,000 millionaires- is a place where young businessmen and executives are increasingly stepping in. Out of these, only
If you are in love with a luxury car that is too costly for your financial status, a car lease plan can provide that car to you without any down
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MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
payment. The best part is, you need to pay lesser monthly fee in comparison to a car loan; you can even pay lower rates if you want to take the contract for a longer time. A car is depreciated at a high rate, approximately 15 – 20% WDV2, i.e. after 3 years it would cost 30 – 50% of the original cost. So in a lease plan, if you really love the car, you can still own it by giving the rest of the cost, which is quite less. The table below shall provide a rough idea of the prices: *Source: LeasePlan India; lease tenure: 4 years; interest rate (fluctuating from 17% upwards at
an additional channel for marketing their new models and can connect with the potential luxury car customers. In fact, this will enable car makers to introduce comparatively newer cars into the used-car market. It will easily attract individuals (high net worth) because they can proudly own the vehicle without having to withdraw the last dime from their bank account. A move for aspiration In India, aspiration levels are very high and people are willing to spend that extra penny. This plan is a perfect match for this aspiration. The value given by car leasing contract cannot be measured in monetary terms only. It in fact
Segment
Ex Showroom Price
Lease Rental/ Month*
Monthly EMI (RoI: 14%)
Segment A
Rs. 3.5 Lakh
Rs. 9,600
Rs. 9,453
Segment B
Rs. 5.1 Lakh
Rs. 13,760
Rs.13,775
Segment C+
Rs. 9.4 Lakh
Rs. 24,500
Rs. 25,390
the moment); includes repair and maintenance; includes taxes; discounts from the dealers; value-added services. 1 Shally Seth Mohile (2012, January 16). Mercedes, BMW target wealthy individuals with lease model. livemint.com, page 6. 2 The written down value (abbreviated as WDV) is the depreciated value of an asset (movable or immovable) for purposes of taxation. A marketing move With this concept in place, companies can secure
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feeds one's ego by being someone who drives the latest car model. Yes, there are some disadvantages too, such as expensive auto insurance and mileage penalties. But if you like driving a new vehicle every few years and not paying for costly repairs, you may enjoy the advantages of leasing a car, and you can. There are a few potential pitfalls for car makers as well. They need to have a thorough methodology to calculate the residual risk. If such values go wrong, it can cost the company a lot of money.
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
Flash mob: the
marketing tool
I
By: Bhushan Mahajan FMS, Delhi
magine you are heading to work or just shopping in a mall when suddenly, about 200 people serenade you whilst singing and dancing. When the song ends, the mob disperses as quickly as it appeared! All over the world, people have been left inspired, surprised and amused by the wonderful haphazardness of flash mobs.
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
1. Make use of social networking like Facebook, Orkut and Twitter to its potential. Set up a Facebook event, organise “tweetups” and use mobile apps to assist on the day whilst the event takes place.
bring loads of traffic, but if you don’t have the product to keep people’s interest, all your hard work could be wasted. 4. Select a bustling and a lively, central location – give people no choice but to notice you. A flash mob won’t be a success if there is nobody to see it. 5. Select an appropriate performance and a routine and make sure it stays true to your brand or cause. If the firm is a start-up, a “Freeze flash mob” could be an exciting and thoughtprovoking way to get people talking about your brand.
2. Be proactive and upbeat. Take pictures and upload the show and performance onto YouTube or Daily Motion. The more the pictures and videos are circulated, the more you increase brand awareness. 3. A good quality product behind the flash mob is essential. A creative and an original stunt will
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Flash mobs appeal to a wider audience- both on and offline. The contemporary stunts are distributed on traditional and digital media, reaching out a wider audience and helping to create stronger brand awareness whilst impelling traffic to websites and products. This tool is gaining momentum in India but upon becoming a hit marketing tool, flash mob may perhaps lose its sheen later due to frequent use.
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
Flash mob is a kind of guerrilla marketing, which is basically an unconventional system of promotion that relies on time, energy and imagination rather than a big marketing budget. Nevertheless, flash mobs are not just quick stunts. Since the first mob in 2003, the trend has become worldwide, transforming from a random way to bring people together to an astute marketing tool. In reality, more
way last November when a 23-year-old person led a 200-people mob to dance to the popular tunes of 'Rang de Basanti' (RDB) at CST railway station in Mumbai. The entire crowd was caught by surprise as they never witnessed such an extraordinary dancing mob in one of the most crowded stations in Mumbai. • Don 2 The one planned at Ambience mall in Gurgaon for the promotion of Shahrukh Khan starrer Don 2 started off with a small cluster of boys indulging in a fake fight and asking each other :"Where is Don?". And then, the boys, along with other group members, started dancing over the song “Zara dil ko thaam lo” from the film. The budget was very low for this kind of promotion and the mob got a phenomenal response from the crowd. • Nokia Lumia
businesses( including Ray-Ban, Fox and Wells Fargo) have drawn insights from these performances as part of strong, interactive marketing, advertising and PR campaigns.
In December, Nokia India held five simultaneous flash mobs across Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Kolkata to mark the launch of the Lumia 800 in India. Right in the centre of popular malls in all these cities was the
Success stories from the flash mob marketing arena: • T-Mobile In 2009, T-Mobile produced a series of three flash mob ads which is now among the most successful viral campaigns in recent history. The first of the three Ads showed some dancers breaking into a routine on a busy London station. Voted “TV Commercial of the Year” at the 2010 British TV Advertising Awards, it is now the most watched flash mob video ever, with over 30 million views on YouTube. Coming to Indian front: • In India, the flash mob tool kicked off in a big
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Nokia Arc kiosks, and tons of Lumia 800 branding where the customers were introduced to the new product. Following are five advisable points for a successful occurrence of a flash mob:
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
Surrogate Advertisements
and The
Liquor
Industry
A
dvertisements have a strong influence in our life. We like them because they provide information and create awareness about the market.
By: Sourabh Sahu IIM-Indore
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
Their significance in the corporate world cannot be underestimated. But many times, some advertisements are accused of misleading people. Some such instances made the Government impose a ban on advertisements of alcoholic beverages in the media in the year 2002. What Is Surrogate Marketing All About? As a reaction, the liquor majors have introduced various other products with the same brand name for the purpose of reminding their old customers. Heavy advertising is done so that the customers do not forget their liquor brands, for which advertisements are banned. The advertisements for such new products are placed under the category of "Surrogate Advertisements". With the only objective of compensating for the losses arising out of the ban on advertisements of liquor, this new avatar of advertising has become a loophole that's challenging the Government's action. However, the companies can claim that the order is being implemented and advertisements of liquor are banned, but the objective of the Government behind imposing the ban is not fulfilled. Backing By The Alcohol Industry The liquor industry is a prominent player in this game. Few surrogate advertisements shown in print, electronic and outdoor media are Bagpiper soda and cassettes & CDs, Haywards soda, Derby special soda, Kingfisher mineral water, Imperial Blue cassettes & CDs etc. These products bear exactly the same brand name and logo, which we saw earlier in liquor
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advertisements. Later it was found that the basic aim of these surrogate advertisements was to promote their liquor brands like beer, wine, vodka etc. This brand extension is an act of bypassing the advertisement ban. What Do The Corporations Have To Say? The industry segment has its own standpoint in defense. The liquor lobby claims that everything is in accordance to the Government regulations. "If a brand has equity, why shouldn't it be allowed to advertise? Also, brand extension is an industry practice adopted by different product categories," comments Alok Gupta of UB group. "When we advertise our products, we follow all the guidelines," declares president, sales & marketing, RadicoKhaitan. They clarify that they have stopped showing liquor advertisements and they are free to use the brand name for any other products. Even the C o n f e d e rat i o n o f I nd i a n Alcoholic Beverages Companies (CIABC) advertising code maintains that advertisement of products (real brand extensions) by the liquor industry must be allowed. The Final Verdict? After the directive from the ministry of information and broadcasting, the surrogate advertisements are seldom shown on television. Now the companies will have to reframe their policies. But who will take care of print and outdoor media is not certain. Also, according to ASCI (Advertising Standards Council of India), surrogate advertisements are harmful. Now it will be up to the ASCI to take up the matter with the respective companies.
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
Branding an
NGO D
oes branding a particular identity commercialize it or add a selfish motive to the particular product or entity?
Suneet Choudhury IIFT, Delhi
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
This is precisely what we will try to understand by studying the impact and the need of branding in an organization, such as an NGO, which has a different motive altogether from any business unit or operation. We will divide the following article into three parts 1. Branding— Unique Emotional Proposition 2. The need for story telling in an NGO 3. Establishing a two way communication channel process for an NGO 1 .Branding—Unique Emotional Proposition What sets one NGO apart from the other when
prospective donors and volunteers. In order to ensure that there is greater participation from volunteers and the donors alike we can use the following approaches: Character-driven story: Pick up one person whose story identifies with the story of your organization. It can be a staff member, a client, a volunteer if you’re an NGO, or a beneficiary of your activities. Tell the story of that character as lively and humanly as you can. It will carry your message across and it will add an aura of humanity to what you do. Action-driven story: Can you build your story on the dynamics of a plot and conflict with a common enemy? Journalists love conflict because it gives life to the story. Who are you fighting and why? Atmosphere-driven story: Your activities take place in a location / moment of utter magic. Describe this magic and make people want to be a part of it – and of your organization and your story.
they are all involved in philanthropic activities? In an ideal scenario all the NGO‘s would have been able to attract participants from the society to take part in working for various causes which affect and impact our world. However such a case doesn't exist and it becomes essential for the NGO to make an emotional pitch to the target audience just like in the case of any product or service. Most NGOs believe that fund raising is the biggest problem which is impending them. However with NGOs we must remember one rule: “Money is not an obstacle nor is it a goal”. 2. The need for story telling in an NGO— The need for a proper story to be developed by an NGO is to capture the attention of all its
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Emotion-driven story: People engage because they find themselves in your story. 3. Establishing a Two way communication process for an NGO— The figure below describes explicates the need for two way communication process for NGOs
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol.Vol. II, Issue 1, 3, August 2012 MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, I, Issue Feb 2012
Viral Marketing The Kolaveri
Fever!!!
K
o l av e r i d i ? ’ W i t h o ve r 1 crore views within a few days of its online release on Youtube® and the fact that it is the most downloaded song over Ko l av e r i c r a z e w a s phenomenal.
By: Nitin Gaur 06
Brand Trivia
SIBM, PUNE
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
The quite recent craze among today’s youth is the song – ‘Why this Kolaveri di?’- A song with silly lyrics and a peppy tune. Over 1 crore views within a few days of its online release on Youtube® and the fact that it is the most downloaded song over the past few months has publicized a very important medium of marketing used by smarter marketers- THE ONLINE SOCIAL MEDIA.
link that read something like this: “WANT A FREE E-MAIL ACCOUNT? SIGN UP FOR HOTMAIL TODAY!” And yes, believe it or not, this strategy went on, as we now call it VIRAL. Viral marketing and viral advertising refer to marketing techniques that use established social networks to produce exponential increase in brand awareness, through self-replicating viral procedures, similar to the spread of a computer virus. It can often be word-of-mouth delivered and improved online; it can harness the network effect of the Internet and can be very useful in reaching a large number of people swiftly. In foreign countries, this has been a regular facet of marketing campaigns – be it films, TV shows, product launches or even campaigns of elections. Viral marketing starts with a single recipient, increases in geometric progression to target a bigger audience and then through exponential progression targets a large population and
Viral Marketing refers to the marketing techniques that use pre-exiting social networks to produce an increase in BRAND AWARENESS through self-replicating VIRAL processes. It is a marketing phenomenon that facilitates and encourages people to pass along a marketing message voluntarily. Viral marketing is a medium of marketing which uses the online network or media to promote the product or services. The term VIRAL MARKETING first became prominent when used to describe a marketing campaign for the e-mail service HOTMAIL.COM. When hotmail first began, they decided that the best way to entice new customers would be to reach the friends, family and colleagues of each user they had. So, in the footer of each and every mail that was sent from a hotmail account, the HOTMAIL team placed a
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finally it becomes a population in itself. Earlier, people’s social lives were dependent on the number of parties they attended, number of neighbours they knew and the community activities they were part of. Now, it is dependent on the number of friends they have on Facebook,
MIB, Delhi University|BRAND.i, Vol. II, Issue 1, August 2012
the number of likes they get for their posts, fan followers on Twitter or the number of online communities they are a part of.
the footer of the electronic message. Examplewww.hotmail.com
And so it is not unwarranted to expect that viral marketing will probably redefine the way marketing is carried out in the years to come. The reason is that this significant part of the global population is tech savvy and is connected to the internet the entire day. Regular promotions might cover only a particular set of audience at a particular time but online marketing will reach people at their homes, offices, schools and colleges.
Buzz Marketing: Involves celebrities discussing about products and experiences with a hint of controversy.
TYPES OF VIRAL MARKETING Pass-Along Buzz Marketing Incentive Viral Undercover Marketing User-managed database Pass-Along: A short note that will be sent on to other internet users and it is usually attached to
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Incentive Viral: It calls the users to take action in order to be rewarded. Undercover Marketing: It occurs when people do not know they are being marketed to. User-managed database: It refers to different database of prospects that client generate themselves with the help of online service providers. 4 Pillars on which VIRAL MARKETING rests areUsers Visibility Awareness Trust
MARCOM - The Marketing Cell of MIB, Department of Commerce, Delhi School of Economics University of Delhi, New Delhi - 110007 To Subscribe a free online copy, write to : marcom@mibdu.org Like us at facebook.com/marcom.mib