TV with Digital: Its complicated. E-commerce 'likes' it.

Picture this:

Our Ekta Kapoor led soap serial is on. Ladies are hurt, sad; weeping, tears strolling down & all sorts of emotions.

In the midst of all this melodramatic sequence, she bounces on the couch and appalls her loved ones. She just saw new pair of earrings. 

If its about buying, ladies do not miss a glance over any fancy neckpiece or embroided saree specially the one their favorite character is donning.

Probably that’s the reason why most of the brands have svelte females as their brand ambassadors (also because females are the "Supreme" court in the house).

With no digression, lets come to the point. 

The context is ready, consumer is engaged, platform is right and sitting tight. 

Imagine a brand like Jabong, Myntra, in collaboration with these jewelry brands flash an offer, right after the end of the show, they provide them with a link and bang goes one sale.

Products like furniture, apparels, footwear and home & kitchen brands have big opportunity to mint some quick money while gratifying the customer with latest love-struck product which their favorite character is donning (Do not miss the context of this situation).

                                       

We think word-of-mouth is the best advertising??

We won’t fall short of that too.

Ladies with their chat sessions which ideally happen, in-person, calls, whatsapp will have the best of “OMG” sessions with some screeches.

Let alone ladies, advertisers would love that too!

Your views on this marriage? 
Pls share :)

7 things even a dummy knows about MODI.

Modi's campaigns have had significant affect on each citizen's minds.

This is what I captured after talking to people and observing train and bus journey conversations:

1. Modi is a Gujarati: Gujaratis are good at business hence he will be conducive for business         

    environment.

2. Modi is social media friendly: hence he appeals to generation Y; our generation.

3. Modi is out of the box thinker: he came with such different campaigns which we hadn't heard of.     He's different.

4. Modi was a chaiwallah: so motivating, a chaiwallah becoming a prime minister of largest         

    democracy of the world.

5. Modi is making news: he met leaders like Obama. Wow!

    And he's got tough stand against Pakistan.

    I'm proud of India now.

6. Modi is pro-business

7. Modi wears expensive suits (his dressing sense is god-gifted)

It's all about Modi-fications.

Slip that emotion....Make stories!

World is full of emotions, we have heard this a lot of times. Talk about emotions and you have a visual in your head.
Parents
Gf or wife
Dear friend

That’s the only thing in the entire world which hooks you to something or someone.

It either makes us sit and watch Leonardo romance his girl or a fighter like Malala opine at the center stage of the world (that was something).

Emotions never exist in isolation, they exist in context, a situation, or a circumstance. 
Sitting in a conference with suited up corporates will feel different than what you will feel when you're sitting with the same bunch of people in a canteen (context).

One FEELS different. 
Emotions.

Lets get out today and try slipping in a smile or that trust-me shake of a head while talking to your designated senior or junior or even a peon.

We do see a difference.
Better connection, empathetic and we might actually make the person listen to more than what we had anticipated.

Its difficult to dive in that kind of territory where you could actually switch on and off your EQ.

Picture this: One moment you're going through a rough patch with your team and other second the client complains of shabby work (I love clients, though)

Communication with emotions makes engaging stories.

No wonder why all brands want stories around their brand. In fact brand in itself is a story, which over the period of time become legacies

Next time around do try and slip in that emotion and make engaging stories with your peers :)

Cheers! :)

Who Demands it?

Who demands it?

A demanding person is always despised in some or the other way, your boss, your gf or a stranger who

authoritatively asks you to step aside in already crowded place.

As for a marketer, demanding person is often being focused at. He is studied, analyzed followed by the strategies to tackle or persuade her/him (its more ‘her’ than ‘him’ nowadays).

S/he is then approached, in context, choosing the words in which s/he understands with a light hearted smile, making him/her feel like a king and important.

This is what they do; they make us feel important, satisfying fourth level of Maslow Hierarchy and we feel

WE RULE THE WORLD!!

Advertisements tells us this product should be bought by these set of people, landing onto brick-mortar/websites they make us feel important, special and post sales they continuously tells us that

YOU ARE SMART, YOU MADE THE RIGHT DECISION.

Now, we understand the perks of Demand. 

P.S: Follow this with your gf/wife.

Smoke & Haircut: Will the Real marketer please stand up?

Get me spikes, but not too short haa! Keep it short on the sides, a bit long at the centre. And he exclaims, “I know sir, you have been getting the same cut for the last 3 years now”. I didn’t realize he was the same guy as I kept changing my barber. Most of the time it was my mouth fagging that kept me at bay from actually recognizing the guy.

                                              

Okay, now this isn't about my journey to become a chain smoker, nor it is about my personal shit. By this story, I intend to put some “roshni” (Light) on power of context (with whatever i have gained) and how Smoke makers (cigarette manufacturers) can help people in collecting some more “tar” (Tar) in their profoundly abused lungs. Is that guy from no-smoking film, Suresh, alive?

It usually is a Saturday or a Sunday when the barber shops are full and you have no option but to wait for your favourite guy/girl to get your cut done. Waiting leads them to a nearby “Paan ki tapri” (Cigarette shop) .

Some of you might agree or must have started introspecting at least. Go on! It does happen.

This is where the context starts to build and that’s where Marketing team of ITC or Wills shall put their heads.

At the behest of this urge, smokers wouldn’t mind trying a new brand (till he/she is brand stuck). The mental state is such that they are receptive and would not mind giving your time even to that too-much-shit, less-content sort of salesman.

                                        

Arnab Goswami exposing A Raja in one screen and “Pappu” talking about corruption free India wouldn’t go down well with the viewers. Even the strongest of the messages would go down swinging, if the context is not set right. That’s the periphery where the stuff happens.

Will the Real Marketing guys please stand up?  

While I go for a smoke break! 

Connecting FB statuses posted by my friends. Just a try :)

These statuses were posted by my dear friends, Abha Chaudhary, Mohul Kaila, Guddu Jumani, Bhami Bisht, Arunita Sen, Siddharth Sharma (sir), Pawan Raikwar, Monis Manzoor, Naina Ruhail. Thank you people!

Sipping and reading coffee, not literally but skimming through CCD’s marketing plans. They plan to overhaul design and ambiance. I see an opportunity there. 

Anyways, couple of days back after enriching myself with some profound words and wisdom through FB statuses put up by my dear friends, i plan to take a plunge and posted “I could make a bible out of FB statuses” which was followed by a comment “Do it then lazy boy”.

Monday morning is usually not that great for most of the formal en-robed beings. Inspired by statuses gave me this idea of actually writing a piece on everyday FB statuses posted by my dear friends.

Just thought of connecting scattered FB status dots with my life, it’s just a try folks.

Preparing myself for “Sun-day out”, missing you papa. I never left his hand while walking those narrow, dust laden streets, vendors shouting out loud with their just harvested (claimed) fresh, sprinkled vegetables. Ahh!! Makes your Sunday worth a walk to nearby market.

What’s so frightening after a Sun-day? A Monday, “first day” post my lazing around in bed. Arrghh!. Yeah, even as a school student, there existed an animosity between me and my class teacher. “I think i am allergic to Monday”.

School wasn’t that interesting that day. Consider it as a “Silence before Blast”. That evening, I hopped out of my school bus, had a good look around and zipped across the road. Entered my palace and mom was left agape. I crossed the road when I was 4. Received a good amount of “prasad” from my mom but then my rationale behind was strong enough; “Rules are for fools, use your head".

Next blast? a party-balloon. Phew!

I grew up, pale and not so chubby. Eating and biting my nails near people dancing around. Life does make you better and after confronted the most influencing event of my life, I did become somewhat better. I had lost my friend. “Memories rewind” of the “blast”.

'Break-Ups' can lead to 'Breakthroughs', if you do not 'Breakdown'. His support and belief in me was one such reason that I could make it on stage. He was undoubtedly “The God's Blessing's official Distributors!”

A “Pit stop”, life paused, shook me and made me believe that he went for good. Since that day, wanted to talk to him, meet him in person. Took a few days for sure but I did. I dreamt of him. Went on stage, killed it. Today I am on Cloud 9, feeling blissful after days of low point.

“You will never be as young and alive as you are at this very moment”. Just when god saw me too happy, he gave me a girl. “Love yourself first. You can love others later” and that day after, I did not get time to love myself.

Evening strolls, mall walks, window shopping, holding bags (not of my choice). Saw couples holding hands, sharing same strawberry shake (guys like that?) and smiling at each other.  “Yeh shehar nai mehfil hai, bas ishq mohabbat pyaar”. (This city is full of romantic set-ups, love is what prevails here) Delhi has always been a love-city. I love Mumbai.

“Out of connectivity does feel good. Back with a Bang!! And I will not wish you ‪#‎FriendshipDay crap. Cheers!”

“If your life isn't interesting, you are not living it right”.

Adobe's Killing move: CS to CC.

Creative Cloud Illustrator

1. Too quick, maybe

While customers are still stuck to CS, Adobe is serving them a different dish all together, theCreative Cloud (CC).

Adobe says since its inception, CC has seen 500,000 subscriptions. They see a changing, responsive market and early adoption is one smart thing to embrace.

2. One big elephant

Working on two very different platforms was cumbersome for Adobe.

Leaving aside multiple platforms and gradually moving onto one big elephant, CC, will make it harder for Adobe to maintain. Maybe it will require intense focus, energy and resources butfighting on one front is better than fighting on multiple fronts.

3. Faster iteration

The cloud version will have better iterations at better turnaround times and at a much faster rate. This model makes sense considering the adoption time of the boxed software is much more.

4. Value Driven

Faster iterations and adoption will lead to better value for customers. They will pay for what they use, which is bang for the buck.

This will help Adobe in attaining valued place in the market with respect to new upcoming technologies and collaboration with different platforms.

5. Piracy up-selling

As quoted by Adobe’s product marketing Director, “This isn’t to reduce piracy, they know how to crack, and they will”.

So instead of wasting their effort on reducing piracy, they went the other way, with a much agile, quicker and sensible subscription based model. Making it affordable for everyone.

Pricing

CC membership for individuals is Rs 2,700 a month based on annual membership

Existing customers who own CS3 (CS) to CS 5.5 can get their first year of CC at Rs 1,600 p.m. Promotional pricing for teams – Rs 2,885 p.m.

Bingo!! Two birds one stone and a burdgeoning customer base. For me, Kudos to Adobe!!

Picture Courtesy: Himanshu Khanna