‘Live the Thunder’ unlocks the new code of masculanity by launching a campaign shot in Bangkok. The ad opens with four youngsters sitting on the top of a building discussing their plan of action. Mahesh Babu, the main protagonist takes a sip of Thums Up and says, ‘ Aaj kuch toofani Karte Hai ‘ . He jumps off the building, and others follow him. The group does dare devil acts —jumping across roofs, gliding down wires and slipping down pipes. They cut short a 30-minute trip to just three minutes. At the end Babu says, ‘ Tees minute ka raasta teen minute ka bana diya. …, aur kal kuch toofani karte hai.’ For the first time, they have shown a girl indulging in extreme sports. The brand is widening its space to include women. The Thums Up man is no longer ‘chasing the thunder,’ but ‘living the thunder.’
Category: Promotion
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Sales Displays
Displays work at the level of the stores i. e. point-of-purchase ( POP ). These help move the merchandise and add to the ambience. Each display should contribute to the store image and must be consistent with its display policies.
A display brings about dealer involvement. It allows sales to take place anywhere in the store. It allows the organisation of product line. It improves brand identity. It is a good input for marketing research.
Principles of Display
A good display is one where the trade channels participate enthusiastically on account of some incentive. In a display, the customer must be brought closer to the product, so that he can physically inspect it, try it and feel it. A display attracts the customers to the retail outlets and builds up traffic. A package must be used strategically to enhance the effect of display. A display should be designed keeping in mind the outlet—say a neighbourhood store or a super market or a shopping plaza. Graphics and copy must be consistent with the advertising. A display should be easy to set up . Some companies provide pre-packed cartons, which unfold into a display. Timing of the display is also important, say Deepavali or Christmas. Product must be emphasised, and, it should not be dominated by the display.
Displays allow people to experience the product and to come closer to it. Packaged products come out of the package, say a perfume spray which must be sprinkled on the handkerchief or the body of the customer.
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Public Relations – PR
PR is defined by the ( British ) Institute of Public Relations ( IPR ) as the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain good and mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics.
Planned and sustained effort implies that PR is organised as a campaign / programme and is a continuous activity. Its aim is to ensure that organisation is understood by others. Beyond understanding it achieves specific objectives which involve solving communication problems—converting negative attitudes into positive attitudes. It brings about change. Publics are those groups of people with whom an organisation communicates either internally or externally. Such groups could be community, employees—existing and potential, suppliers, investors, distributors, consumers and opinion leaders.
Propaganda is the means of gaining support for an opinion, creed or belief. It concentrates on matters of heart and mind. These are spiritual, emotional or intellectual topics. Propaganda benefits the propagandist, but not necessarily the recipient. Propaganda may be used for good, bad or indifferent causes.
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Publicity
Organisations have to do some public relations, a major portion of which is the media relations. Publicity is the coverage we get for our organisation and product range in the media. Media can cover our products in a favourable manner. This endorsement by third party, say a journalist or feature writer or an editor, carries more weight than direct advertising, which is paid for.
We can pass on our literature and press releases to the editors and talk show producers. We can also keep in touch with the trade publications. Our write-ups should have a hook which gives it news-value.
A company can think of building appropriate values in the product itself to make its publicity credible. Publicity and advertising must support each other.
A PR professional has to arrange press conferences, video releases and satellite feeds. Media tours of the plant and offices can be arranged. A presentation is the best way to get good coverage. Publicity is on the look out for topical ideas that can be linked with their product.
Sponsorships and special events having high visibility may be chosen by some companies as the central point of promotion to which other elements of promotion are tied up
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Mannequins
A mannequin is a silent salesperson who neither argues nor throws tantrums. Garments displayed on mannequins sell faster. There are more mannequins in retail today than in the past. There is a 30 per cent growth in demand every year. The Spanish fashion brand Zara’s mannequins were eye – catching and stylish and found its way into India. These are imported in bulk or copied here and are called Zara mannequins. Mannequins were formerly voluptuous, but are now tall and chic. The faces are oval – shaped or sometimes they are headless. They used to come in various sizes, but have now been standardised – 5 feet 10 inch height with 34 – 24 – 36. vital stats for a female dummy and 6 feet with 38 – 32—38 for a male. Indian-made mannequins cost RS. 2500 – RS. 10,000 while imported ones cost anywhere between RS. 8000 – RS. 50,000. A modern full- bordered mannequin weighs around 10 kgs without a stand and 15 kgs with a stand. Domestic companies sell handmade fibre mannequins. Plastic dummies are imported from China. There are imports from Germany, Japan , Vietnam and France. Shop floor employees nick name the mannequins after their bosses, and ill-treat them to vent out their stress. Visual merchandisers expect the floor staff to respect the dignity of the mannequins while draping them.
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Public Service Advertising (PSA)
Advertising can be used to promote community and social causes and is called public service advertising. Public service advertising touches upon people’s deepest fears anxieties and values. An egg being dropped from a height into the frying pan is equated to ‘ human brain on drugs’. Cocaine is compared to a barrel of a revolver pointed up the nose of a teenager. We can promote causes like family planning. Lintas made the slogan ‘ one or two, that is enough ‘ or in Hindi ‘ ek ya do, bus’ very popular. Sometimes public service ads lack impact. One reason is human nature. We may be appalled by images of starving children but very few of us are willing to part with our own food to do something about it. Noble thoughts are not necessarily followed by noble deeds. Public service advertising, however, creates awareness. It is difficult to change the mindset of people. Public service advertising should answer the following questions:
Are there any alternatives? Maybe public relations or other kinds of communication may do a better job than advertising.
How to solicit media support? Media has to choose amongst a host of such advertisers while providing free time or space.
What are the the expectations from the viewers or readers? Sometimes, we intend to change the behaviour, say the voting pattern or the drug habit. Sometimes,we seek some munificence. Sometimes, a toll free number call is required to induce someone to action.
How to measure?
We have to measure its effect. Just emotions are not enough.
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Brand Building Advertising Campaigns
Any successful brand is generally backed up by strong advertising and promotion. Pepsi is the choice of ‘young generation’ and ‘generation next’. Maggie noodles is just ‘two-minutes’ meal. Complan is completely ‘planned food.’ Indica is ’ more car per car’. Wills Filter cigarettes are ‘made for each other’. Campaigns have the potential to build up brands and business. In a campaign, a theme or idea is advertised with consistency. This idea is integrated to all other communications. A campaign carries the same idea with different execution in future ads. A campaign gives a consistent look or feel.
Some of the elements of a campaign are as follows :
Visual Similarity
The same visual image continues in a series of ads. Maybe a spokesperson gives this link.The grandma of Ayurvedic C oncepts is such a spokesperson. A character can be created to perform this function. Animal symbols like a monkey in Bytco tooth-powder, a tiger in Goodlass Nerolac, an Appu boy in Asian Paints and a Maharajah in AirIndia ads is such a visual link. Esso with a tiger symbol changed to Exxon but though ‘it changed its name, but not its stripes’. A demonstration that appears in every ad also can hold a campaign together. Milk being poured into a glass or moisturizing cream pouring into Dove Soap are examples of how a short sequence carried from ad to ad provides visual similarity.
Verbal Similarity
Some people think that sloganising is the be-all and end-all of a campaign. It is not so . Words thrown at the end of a commercial may be just throw-always. They may not be relevant for the brand. Some slogans, however, are classic and have a long life. But this life is derived by investing in its extensive use. Just on papers they do not seem to be great and lasting campaign words. We should use a set of words which capture the essence of the product or company. A distinctive sound or music can help a campaign to register.
Similarity of Attitude
Maybe , there is no distinguishing theme line in a campaign, especially when they are initiated. But they have a consistent attitude towards the product and target audience. Some campaigns are built on quality, values, authenticity, style and so on. Attitude is on expression of brand personality.
Product Ideas, Not Just Communication Ideas
Products are positioned not just by communicating what they stand for but by incorporating the positioning idea at the design stage itself. Later these are expressed in advertising. Thus half-an-hour-delivery of Pizza is possible by scheduling each stage properly e.g. preparing, baking, packing and dispatching. This is built into the product. It is not necessary to improve products to get the ideas. They may be present in the product as it exists. They should be properly highlighted by advertising.
Evolving a Campaign
American Express is built on “don’t leave home without it”. This idea supports travel-related services, banking, and credit cards. Amex depends on its prestige position and service superiority. It thus has a consistent personality and user image based on prestige. Its built-in marketing idea is service of personalized nature around the world. Its umbrella theme is ‘don’t leave home without American Express’.
Changing the Campaigns
Even the most original campaigns need to be refreshed. The whole environment changes. ‘Neighbour’s envy and owner’s pride’ for Onida TV based on jealousy and sense of prized possession is no longer contemporary with a host of TVs which are as good-looking as Onida, or even better. A campaign thus cannot be sustained on this old theme any longer. It must evolve to keep pace with the time. Only then it remains relevant. A campaign is refreshed by using new ideas and improved products.Campaigns also show wear-out, when markets change. Campaigns must be changed before their full potential has been realised.
Integration
Other elements of promotion like direct marketing, sales promotion, public relations and an advertising campaign must be integrated. It is necessary to give unified product/brand image. The message retains its focus. A brand strategic view is taken where each element has to contribute something. Integration of communication needs a good grasp over the media and the authority to coordinate so as to create a campaign.
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Digital Advertising
A tweet from BudweiserIndia read, ‘ How are you coping with your # Monday Blues! Keep your # Buds close and watch them disappear!’ This is a tweet promoting beer consumption. As such, liquor products ads are banned, but these companies make use of the social media. Diageo, King Fisher of the UB Group, Budwiser, Tuborg, SAB Miller, Johnnie Walker are all active on Face book and Twitter. Smirnoff India, a Vodka brand tweeted, ‘ You don’t need an occasion to gift someone gold! Treat your friends to the royal taste of Smirnoff Gold toaday.’
Companies target their ads properly, for instance, a pizza company pings about them at lunch time or just before supper. Home decor companies are active in the afternoon to target the office goers. As against this, TV and print advertising is generic. Mapped browsing facilitates, the assessment of consumer behaviour by using analytics. Consumers leave a digital footprint behind as they browse. These marketing tracks are valuable for one-to-one targeting. In industry, close to 15 per cent of ad budgets are shifting towards digital advertising.
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Psychedelic Art ( Psy Art )
It is fine art characterised by vibrant and neon colours, metaphysical and surrealistic symbols, extreme depth, geometric patterns and creative typography. It started with the hippy culture of the 1960s and was created to begin with under the influence of hallucinogenic substances. Later Pop culture adopted it. It was used in underground magazines, concert posters and rock album covers. It had a profound effect on what we call modern art today.
Psy art has many branches. Celestrial-fantasy art is magical, dream-like, surreal and ethereal. It is inspired by nature. Fractal art is created on computer using an iterative numerical process. It is a visual symphony of art, maths and digital imaging. It is similar to photography. Meditative art is an expression of the meditative state of the artist. Digital psy art was initiated by the rave movement of the 1990s. It uses computer software. The visuals are mind-expanding. Neo-surrealism is a revival of surrealism mixed with pop art. It illustrates the bizarre imagery of dreams or the subconscious mind. Visionary art portrays a higher awareness and portrays clairvoyant visions. The paintings are innately timeless.
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DIGITAL ADVERTISING
In any industry , we come across disruptive events. In advertising , the first disruptive event was the advent of the TV inthe1940s . Thereafter , we had just incremental changes – print to video . It was all an era of mass advertising . Another disruptive event is the advent of digital advertising . It is a far bigger shift than the previous three shifts – print to radio to TV – put together . It is not just a change in the media – but a change from the mass media to personalised media . It is the beginning of customised ads – a different phase of creativity and distribution . The ads are tailored to user needs . Thus shaving gel ads will be shown to men only and diaper ads to new mothers . The old media will continue to co-existwith the new media but most innovations will happen in digital space . A search engine may figure out an individual’s personality and preferences and may project the relevant ads to him .
Traditionally , an Agency has the creative , production and media departments . Media buying is related to radio , TV , print or a mix of them . Digital buying is not so simple . There are display ads , search or campaigns on YouTube , Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn and so on . Each has a different social graph.Creative and media will work together, along with the techies . There will be emphasis on user data. It will influence the structure of the agencies.
Nissan Mexico’s launch of the Pathfinder was done in digital space.In India, there was YouTube campaign around Lifebuoy.
The chase for the ‘holygrail for advertising’ has begun – one ad for every individual . The surface has just been scratched . The next ten years are important .
TV in the 1940s . Thereafter , we had just incremental changes – print to video