Archive for the 'Branding and Marketing' Category

“Beauty and the bleach”

charukesi August 12th, 2005

Remember my post All is fair in the fairness game ? Patricia had left a comment on it remarking on how the ‘ethnic look’ - Latina, Philippina, African American was popular in the United States. We have a friend who was born in India and grew up in the States wishing she had fairer skin. Now, however, she’s quite happy with her ethnic look…

Apparently not. The Angry Anthropologist in a post titled A Question of Skin Color points out to this article in LA Times Beauty and the Bleach. (The fulll article is not available free - I have reproduced some of it here from The Angry Anthropologist’s post)

But their popularity has sparked a debate in the Asian American community about the politics of whitening. Qui and others say the quest for white skin is an Asian tradition. But others — younger, American-born Asians — question whether the obsession with an ivory complexion has more to do with blending into white American culture, or even a subtle prejudice against those with darker skin.

The market research firm says cosmetics companies have taken note of the sensitivity, saying their Asian skin products in America are intended not for “whitening” but for “brightening.”

Whitening. Brightening. Whatever. The goal remains the same. Fair skin. And does it realy matter whether Asians just want fairer skin. Or want to look as fair as their Caucasian friends. (Somehow, I do not think this is true - I think Asians - certainly Indians - want fairer skin. With or without Americans to compare themselves with.)

Whitening products now rack up $10 million in sales a year, according to the market research firm Euromonitor. In India, the fairness creams market is estimated at Rs.800 crores. And this is just the fairness cream. And then there are the others - brightening, tightening, glowing, after-bath, elbow care…. Enough already.

Bombay reeling under the newspaper deluge

charukesi July 29th, 2005

Were you one of those stuck in the Bombay rains without a ToI? Lucky you.

Or one of those even luckier ones to receive helpful hints from Airtel on finding where the nearest coffee shop was…?

Rashmi Bansal says stop selling for once - SMS from Airtel: Stuck in the rain? (half of Bombay is , today!). Dial 501 for information on the nearest coffee shop.

%&^%$$*. Would it kill them to provide some useful info instead. Like which train lines are down, when the water is expected to recede etc etc etc?

It would not kill them, but then that would just not be in keeping with tested and proven cellphone marketing strategies… Imagine trying to provide socially useful information… (why do I have this uncomfortable feeling that Airtel belives that information about the nearest coffee shop is s.u.i)

And if you think only Airtel has behaved irresponsibly, it is because they were the only network to survive in Bombay during the first 24 hours when everything else went kaput. (I know from repeated franctic attempts to call my husband in Bombay)

And Uma writes of how the people of Bombay have survived an even greater tragedy than the rains - living without ToI for a whole day. Gasp! Nature can be so cruel…Thousands “marooned without ToI”.

I guess it would have been a lot of help to those stuck on the roads - as toilet paper, I mean…

Marketing above all. Everything else be damned.

There has been so much said and written about the paper wars in Bombay that it seems superfluous to say any more. (but then, when have I ever let that stop me ? :))

***

One newspaper, with a history of being the mouthpiece of the Congress (the Indian National Congress, not the family owned private limited company that it is today) plans a dhamaka launch in Bombay - from hundreds of stories they could have used, they chose one that was sure to stir controversy and communal sentiments - the Salman Khan tapes - why after all these years, like a greedy child holding on to a toffee - to be savoured - for maximum pleasure - or in this case, impact.

Because the launch is in Bombay - and the twin themes of bollywood and bhai log are closer to Bombay than anything else. Showing Bombay in a new light - never mind how much such “scoops” take journalism as a whole into darkness…

And then the other, the one without which people felt marooned the last couple of days. Why was the Mumbai Mirror launched at all - is there a need for such a newspaper in the market? This was clearly Bennett and Coleman’s way of anticipating the DNA attack. In other words, a pre-emptive strike… Flanking the market - we have a newspaper and a tabloid. Either way, we are prepared for DNA - the newspaper with the marketing brain and muscle of two media giants behind it…

Except it didn’t quite turn out that way. Sensible people across Bombay turned around to ask why the group needed a second tabloid when there was already one in the form of ToI. Surey, tabloid is not just about size but about content too… And if it just about size and local news, then Mid Day was already there in the market and there to stay.

Therefore, the ‘free with your daily newspaper’ strategy… I wonder how long ToI can go on with this scheme, as deep as their pockets go… What happens when the sampling stops - and people discover what is really in their DNA…?

And that also makes me wonder about DNA’s launch strategy - hornets everywhere, just waiting for their nests to be stirred…

Whatta lotta water!

charukesi July 15th, 2005

Coca-Cola Threatens Top Indian Photographer with Lawsuit (source : Indiaresource.org)

For this picture by Sharad Haksar:
coke

(photo courtesy degreecopy - these colourful plastic kudams are such a strong symbol of water scarcity in Chennai - murders have been committed over this…)

This is why - Mr. Haksar’s billboard highlights the severe water shortages being experienced by communities that live around Coca-Cola’s bottling plants across India. A community close to Chennai, in Gangaikondan, has already held large protests - protesting against an upcoming Coca-Cola plant. In the neighboring state of Kerala, in the village of Plachimada, Coca-Cola has been unable to open its bottling facility for the last 16 months - because the community will not allow it to.

The story about this hoarding is the the photographer Haksar had approached Coke before putting it up - and Coke which apprently had no problems then, has suddenly woken up to the fact that such a hoarding could cause “damage to its goodwill”.

The Kerala story - No water? Drink Coke!

More on the Coke controversy here and here

Other blog views by degreecopy and tiffix box

Related read : Vanilla Coke and ‘Wakau’

****
Interestingly, Coke was the first company to understand and fully exploit the concept of ‘competitive set’ - for them the adversary was not other carbonated drinks but water - or anything that could be drunk - share of stomach and not share of soda.. This insight is what drove Coke’s sales even during the toughest times of the cola wars and made their late CEO Roberto Goizueta a marketing legend.

Advertising to invade textbooks

charukesi July 1st, 2005

I remember some of my most exciting moments in school were when we got free samples of new products - usually food-beverage types - I would run home proudly and show them off to friends and family… And my parents would never hear the end of it till we actually brought home the stuff in a much larger quantity than the sample. Of course, many times, the stuff lay untouched after that - like the horrendous milk-additive made with soya, the name of which I forget now…

To put this in perspective - imagine this…

Parent

Speech bubble - yes, yes, we will buy the super-sugary-soya-syrup, just stop talking about it

Thought bubble - pesky brat - what did I do to deserve this?

Marketer

Speech bubble - our super-sugary-soya-syrup is the best for growing kids - it has soya which gives strength to your bones and Vitamin x+y (whole squared) which makes your teeth brittle and cool… AND you get this free tacky plastic bottle-cap with this sample. And if you buy two packs of the ssss, you get the tacky plastic bottle free!

Thought bubble - Sucker. I lovvvvve kids…

Ah! hindsight - where was it when I was a child?

***
And where is all this heading?

To this article which says that in Canada, textbook publishers McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. have been trying to coax companies into buying advertising space in their texts. (Link through Stephen’s Web)

The article in Toronto Star describes how the publisher is pitching this idea to advertisers - “Reach a hard to get target group where they spend all their parents’ money,” says a McGraw-Hill brochure touting its planned ads. “Do you really think 18-24 year olds see those on-campus magazine ads? Do you really think they could miss an ad that is placed in a very well-respected textbook?”

The really scary thing about this is that it is not advertisers who are toying with such a thought - but the publishers who are pushing for it…

There are some sane voices against this - “Textbooks are one of the last bastions,” said Randy Stein, a partner at Grip Media Ltd., a Toronto ad agency. “There are some things that should remain pure and sacred. What’s next, university professors with logos on their blazers like NASCAR?” - but it looks like advertisers and media planners are already clapping their hands in glee at the thought of a captive - and totally malleable audience…

I tried to imagine such a situation in India - apart from marketers, will political parties also jump at this opportunity? Think : Drink Diet Pepsi and Support Saffron campaigns in your child’s civics textbook…

The last time I was so appalled was when I read about neuromarketing with children…

***

Speech and thought bubbles (or balloons) is an interesting technique used in qualitative research to understand a subject’s hidden emotions and thgouhts - what is left unsaid - due to various reasons, including politeness and political correctness, often finds expression in the thought bubble…Of course, these have been used by cartoonists for many many years before qualitative researh discovered it! Read more about them here

More for less from Xenitis?

charukesi June 7th, 2005

This report from The Week says Xenitis Computers’ PC (AAmar PC in the east, AApna PC in the north, AAmchi PC in the west and NaMMa PC in the south) sells for Rs.10,000 - while the high end model is priced at Rs.25,000.

Apart from the current pricing, two more things are striking : the company’s aim to be the first Indian MNC in computer hardware manufacturing - the chairman, Mr. Ghosh is confident that Xenitis’s low-cost computer will help it emerge as the first Indian MNC in computer hardware manufacturing. “The Indian computer market is growing at an annual rate of 35 per cent,” he said. “Every third year, the market doubles in size. I am sure that, by 2010, Xenitis’s turnover will cross Rs 5,000 crore. Already, we have captured a sizeable chunk of the market in Bangladesh. In June, we will start shipping our products to Dubai and in September, we will sell AApna PC in Russia.”

And price control in the market - He said MNCs, which monopolised the Indian hardware market for long, were feeling the pinch. “Our brand has compelled most of them to reduce the price of their products by at least 25 per cent,” said Ghosh. “When our products from the new factory hit the market, the artificial price structure maintained by them for so long will collapse. My aim is to sell a PC at a price which is at least 10 per cent less than our existing cheapest set. In this regard, my idols are Henry Ford and Ratan Tata.”

From Business Line - Xenitis Group launches sub-10k PC, to set up manufacturing unit

Then what is all the fuss about the Mobilis please? (I now sit back and wait for Dheepak / Abi to answer this one - am genuinely puzzled - and I have always said I was tech-handicapped - am fascinated more by the economics aspects of this)

Also The Rs 10,000 solution? Low-cost PCs are the rage. While the price barrier has been broken, what about functionality? My understanding of this is that while such low priced computers may not provide the most sophisticated programs, they are adequate for basic computer functions like word processing and internet browsing - these computers are targeted at low end users in any case…

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And as I was surfing, I came across this - If the automobile had followed the same development cycle as the computer, a Rolls-Royce would today cost $100, get a million miles per gallon, and explode once a year, killing everyone inside - Robert X. Cringely, InfoWorld magazine

Study on ‘Mrs. Urban India’

charukesi May 5th, 2005

After kids and the young Indian male, it is now the turn of urban Indian women to be ’studied’ and segmented (ouch!)

The findings give five distinct segments with more details about the demographic, lifestyle, psychographics and brand skew of these segments. Lowe India has labelled these as Mrs. ‘Hasmukh’ Popular (27 per cent), Mrs. ‘Meri Awaaz Suno’ Attention Seeker (31 per cent), Mrs. ‘Gharelu’ Homepride (18 per cent), Mrs. ‘Pataka’ Cool (12 per cent) and Mrs. ‘Hey Bhagwan’ Moaner (12 per cent).

UGH ! And which one are you?

The brand loyalty debate

charukesi January 18th, 2005

Ongoing debate at brandchannel - Is Brand Loyalty Dead?

The two sides… Cheating Heart and True Love (!)

I think there will be a difference based on the kind of market / economy - in a developed, saturated market with few unbranded products, I would imagine more brand parity existing as opposed to less developed markets (like India?) where brands - especially the ‘old’ brands - can still claim loyalty among consumers.

And more importantly, the existence and extent of brand loyalty would also depend on the kind of product - for instance, soap? nah! (though you would be surprised by the number of people who swear by brands like Hamam and Horlicks - as I have found out again and again during research in Tamilnadu!). Many factors - how important is the product in my life, what does the brand do for my image, what is the risk in shifting brands - would go into determining brand loyalty…

What do you think?

Cool nightcap - Horlicks?

charukesi November 2nd, 2004

In an article titled, Horlicks branded the coolest drink, the magazine USP Age says, according to a British newspaper, The Sun, the 130-year old drink has been granded the world’s coolest drink. The world’s trendiest bars, clubs, and hotels are stocking and serving the old bedtime favourite instead of caffeine packed coffee and tea. blah blah blah… Horlicks is the new fad in upmarket Britain. Can India be far behind?

How and when did the tipping point happen in Britain? Is this to do with alternate - read ‘pretend to live healthy’ lifestyle trends? This would be an interesting case study on how brands and markets tip - and move drastically on the perception plane of consumers…

But Horlicks? I like to imagine that Horlicks must be about the most hated drink in the world. However, I know it is not true… In India certainly, it sells like crazy in the South and East. Which makes sense since Horlicks was initially sold as a milk substitute in these milk strapped regions. (But what is interesting is that people in South India drink Horlicks not in place of milk, but with milk. Ok, I am not actually saying ugh here, but you know).

Glaxo Smithkline has been regularly contemporising the brand with newer variants and remix versions… But can Horlicks ever get actually cool in India? A brand traditionally presented as a token of your best wishes while visiting your sick relative (I mean ill, am not passing value judgments here).

(Till I read this, I assumed USP Age was A&M relaunched. Remember good old gossipy A&M? This certainly has the same feel and layout…)

Selling via SMS

charukesi October 29th, 2004

Following this post about immersive text messaging is this paper on marketing through SMS.

A rather startling statement here - selling via SMS has also started picking up momentum and will soon be at par with the figures of trading on Internet.

Will SMS marketing really take off this way?

Goodbye to the Golden Arches?

charukesi October 14th, 2004

McDonald’s Replaces Golden Arches With Question Mark in the UK - from Adrants
(link thru adland). Imagine the McD without the golden arches…

McD has not been having it easy, has it? What with Supersize Me and beefat or not to beefat…
But is changing the logo and the line (as adrants says, just to make sure we noticed the change) all that is needed to change the image - so carefully spoilt over the years?

This is like Air India getting rid of the Maharaja and getting a flighty pigeon as its new symbol - to announce its intentions of being the all new friendly and punctual flyer service…

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