DIMK, SIMK and a phone

Sachidananda Murthy's article, 'The Precious Hour' on the last page of this week's THE WEEK magazine is really interesting. He wrote about how working couples are finding it increasingly difficult to spend time with their kids. How organizations are dealing with this problem by allowing families and kids of employees to spend time in their campuses. Late working hours and more time spent on commuting has left very little time for parents to spend with their kids.

Enough has been written on the subject of evolving societal changes happening from SIMK (Single Income Many Kids) to DIMK (Double Income Many Kids) to DINK (Double Income No Kids). Murthy writes, "Unlike the adage which says, 'Children should be seen, but not heard', working parents now see, hear and read their children on the screen, thanks to the mobile-internet marriage. Parents can keep in touch with children through mobile phones, though the mobile link can be a source of anxiety, if the child does not respond or if the child calls when one is attending to important work." He also mentions about an informal survey among college students in Delhi recently revealed that the maximum outgoing calls by the student were made to friends while the most incoming calls came from parents. This observation is nothing new, it's a simple relevant universal truth (SURT). Parents worldwide are anxious about their children and wants to keep track of them.

However what surprises me is that not many business tool brands like Nokia E Series, Blackberry or Mobile Services have explored it beyond a point. In the recent past, if I can remember, only "Blackberry from Hutch" and Airtel with it's kid commercial (The kid calls his dad to make him hear the sound of rain drops, who is working on an engineering project in a desert) explored this.

Now here is a bigger insight, "Parents have no time to spend with their kids" which allows you to go beyond a 30 second commercial. There is so much more to explore. A platform that Nokia E Series or Blackberry can own for good, occupy before someone else does it. It gives them the opportunity to explore avenues of bringing parents and kids together beyond communication, branding, advertising. A bigger ideal that create real bonding between real people.

Do discuss, if you have some more thoughts on this.

metaphor, metonymy and belief

We all know why we love our industry, isn't it? The challenge of real time problem, the excitement of finding a solution that will move people, new cross-category learning, knowing more about people and their lives, finding out how and what will make their lives better, cracking a strategy that will shake people and sometime force them to take notice, a 30 seconder that will become talk of town; the list is endless. And we love doing what we do.

As a planner, I try to inspire myself from the everyday life of everyday people. Look around, stare at things, roam about searching for something interesting and keep asking myself why. So while I was busy doing this, it sparked a thought in me and I wanted to validate, if it makes sense. I did write about it here and here, however after exchanging few email with The John Grant, I realized, maybe I was not thinking in the right direction, maybe I wasn't very clear with what I was trying to achieve in the end. John gave a twist (a new direction) to it saying that I was trying to tackle three things at the same time - Metaphor, Metonymy and Belief. I just received his book "After Image" by post from Amazon which makes me immensely happy at the moment.

So working on a problem which is quiet similar to Fair & Lovely or Fairever, though a different category, I was observing the few 'Change Points' taking place in rural or semi-urban India. At a cultural level the old assumptions of Accepting Destiny giving way to Changing Destiny. The insight for "fairness" cream category is deeply rooted in these cultural/societal change. Whether it is the groom coming to impress the bride (Fairever's role reversal communication) or the daughter getting a job as an air hostess due to her fair skin (Fair & Lovely's beti is the new beta), it is these metaphors and beliefs that will give a new meaning to brand communication.

So here is a great example of user generated content to the fairness concept and a new meaning to it.

I love the insight - Your complexion is your legacy. Immediately it gives you wings to do interesting stuff.

when you get bored

This is what you should do when you get bored at work.

power of dreams

So I spend the last few days talking to young car enthusiasts in Bangalore about cars. Why they like cars, why do they like or dislike about cars, why they think one brand is better than the other, why, why, why why....

In the end it was an enriching and insightful experience. After all they are the guys who spread the word (you know what I mean) and people at times blindly believe in what they say before picking up a car. So I thought I'll spend few hours with them and pick up their brains.

smells like team spirit

A small news about my new role at Bates Asia got published in Media Magazine, Singapore. It is a tough job to be a Change Agent and an Intelligence Manager for such a diversified country like India. Common, now doesn't it sound more like an undercover FBI Agent shadowing millions of consumers to dig information, insight and interesting stories?? Am loving it, which means double the dedication and passion to create better work, that works.

Durga in Hogwarts School

Goddess Durga, the symbol of shakti, fertility, demon-killer and prosperity showering blessings with her ten hands.

Image by Sandip Kundu

This Pandal (decorated house of Goddess Durga) at Salt Lake FD Block in the City of Joy, is a replica of Hogwarts School from J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter Series. J K Rowling has sued the organisers for copyright violation in the Supreme Court and demanded £25,000 as compensation. Phew!

Kolkata during the Durga Puja is the epicenter of creativity. The entire state of West Bengal displays some of most fascinating work of art in this five day festival . A visual treat for the eyes. For those of you who haven't experienced Kolkata during the Durga Puja, do visit here for more pictures and images from the City of Joy. And make sure to plan your trip next year without fail.

Gas - Part 2

I've been thinking a lot about Brand Image and Brand Efficacy over the last few days. GaS (Gloss and Sign) was a term that I suddenly came up with and thought why not explore more to see if something could be made out of it. Thanks to Spiritual Manager for igniting more thoughts on GaS.

A simple definition of Brand Image - The perception of your brand by the consumer or in other words the mental or emotional association of a brand in the consumer's mind. Can image also be called Gloss? Brand Efficacy can be defined as the power of a brand to produce a desired effect. Could efficacy be the Sign? Well, I've been thinking in that way.

Since you all know about brand image, efficacy is an interesting area to touch upon. Efficacy is the promise that a brand delivers using a symbol e.g. The Colgate Ring that fights 24 hours or the Anti-bacterial Shield of Dettol. Hmmm... the Anti-Dandruff Scalp of Head & Shoulders or the four stages of fairness for Fair & Lovely. Several P&G brands have been successful using these kind of signs. You may not like the advertisement or shrug off saying poor execution but for years companies have invested in these images and signs which has helped them in getting the desired response/effect/sales.

So, you simply just can't rule GaS out of your brand.

In India, you can find three distinct types of Efficacies most companies use:

Western Route - The above examples of Colgate, Dettol and H&S. Something we see everyday in the LOreal ads on telly; clinically proven; Germinol or enriched with Vitamin B+

Indian Route - Properties or qualities unique to India. Example, enriched with amla, heena or shikhakai. The natural way. Graphics of ingredients flowing into the pack which transforms into the pack shot at the end of a commercial (if you know what I mean). Something that companies like Dabur , Baidyanath, Ayur etc. uses frequently.

Hybrid Route - This is a mix of both world. Western and India. Signs you see in commercials of Biotique and Himalaya etc.

Well, this is work in progress for me. I am thinking if GaS can use some properties of how normal gases perform under pressure and temperature, about how gases expand and contracts, how gases diffuse readily or their spontaneous tendency to distribute uniformly. Properties that any brand would love to possess. So hopefully I'll be able to write few more crappy lines on this as and when it comes in my mind. Can GaS be a way of thinking for certain categories still remains one big question in my head.

Does it make sense to add GaS into your aging brand? Does it sound like wtf-you-ain't-saying-anything-new-here? Whatever. Do send me your comments and feedback about what you think.

Gas

Did you ever say to a client - Your brand needs 'Gas'? Ha. Gloss and Sign. In other words, Image and Efficacy. Working on this project, we suddenly discovered, that this particular brand needs more Gas. The brand needs more glossy image and more signs of efficacy. I thought you just might find the term "Brand Gas" interesting. Since am no brand pundit, it is really difficult for me to write a theory paper on Brand Gas with complex models and diagrams to prove my point but I think it can be a decent term used in place of brand-image-makeover. Lifebuoy is a great example of what I am saying. From a red color carbolic soap for people in SEC C to a brand that provides hygiene and health solutions that enable people to lead a life without fear hygiene anxieties and health consciousness.

If you have any examples of "Brand Gas"or whatever the f*&% you think it is, do share.

extension simplified

This is the first time as a planner, I could manage to convince a new client to consider us as a potential partner with a one slide presentation. The flagship brand of this particular client is constantly losing market share over the last few years. They are really concerned and wanted to know how they can re-engineer their growth path. This simple slide helped me to explain my point of view. They've agreed to give us a chance to present our thinking. Fingers crossed.

Cereality

This is ceriously interesting and am sure it will leave you with some cereal for thought. Ha. Many thanks to Mansi for sharing this brilliant example.

Cereality is a fast food retail chain concept gaining huge popularity in the US that urges you to eat cereal. Visit here and you’ll know what I am talking about. Take time to explore every link on the site. In one of my previous post I did write about a recent project I was working on. And this example has really helped me make our client realize the potential he has in the Indian market. Honestly I could pin him down by making him realize the benefits of breaking away from traditional marketing methods. Once again, thank you Mansi.

Since breakfast cereal as a category in India not every exciting or happening, it makes sense for marketers to try and do something different. Our taste and eating habits are different from the west. We like hot idli's with sambhar, poha, upma or aloo paratha for breakfast while they like cereals with fruits, nuts and milk. For us it's an acquired taste, so naturally it will take time. Kellogg's has been present in the Indian market for a long time and that one of the reason they haven't managed to bring in a sea change in consumption behaviour.

Fast Food retail chains like Cereality, Cereal Cabinet, Cerealogy etc. can become an answer to grow the Indian market. The strategy is simple and clear. Give consumers the real experience of cereals. If Coffee Café Day can change the consumption habit and patterns of coffee by providing experience zones, am sure cereal bars and cafes can prove the same for cereals. Cereally it’s possible. Kellogg's or others in this category should be exactly doing this in India at the moment. Call it marketing 2.0 or enterprise 2.0 some brands really has huge untapped potential to grow their market, provided their managers have the vision to see it. Once envisioned, they should be smart enough to act quickly. Entrepreneurial start-ups like Just Around the Corner in Mumbai are experimenting with the thought of breakfast bars. But it's still a niche market, unlike the Udipi Upahara's you find in Bangalore.

Since, co-creation with consumers is the latest trend among marketers, agencies, and media companies; it would be wise for brands like Kelloggs to jump into the bandwagon soon. Kelloggs can start a community, create and fund entrepreneurs, get evangelist or even fans by doing so. Think of the opportunities possible. Rationally, monetarily, laterally…phew. All it needs is a serious commitment from marketers to explore how lives can be made better.

If you have similar examples from other categories, do write back.

Issue of the Week

Do you think "Planned Obsolesce" is great strategic tool for electronics & white good manufacturers to increase consumer demand for increased functionality? Is it a part of their long term game plan to ensure repeat purchase? Is it the main reason why you keep changing your mobile phone every six months or change all your household durables every five years to keep abreasted with the latest technology or replace your laptop every twenty four months? Do you think consumer are getting increasingly clever to understand this 'planned obsolesce' strategy of companies?

Do write back with your feedback and comments. It will only help all of us understand how consumers will deal with future consumer technologies.

food conscious

The last few days kept me busy with a new project for a food brand, err, packaged breakfast stuff to be precise. Now, don't ask for more at this stage since I cannot reveal who he is. Anyway, the client's brief was simple, "I want people to eat more of my stuff and want them do so regularly."

Targeted at the new age consumer residing in urban areas of India, the product in question is wholesome, nutritious and a healthy option in a bar format. So we spend our time thinking how we can achieve it. After all it is a pitch and we're fighting against some of the biggest network agencies down south. As you know, in India we don't have a pitch fee and the client has the liberty to walk out with all our good thinking, so we decided to think bold. Let our thinking and only our thinking help the client decide which agency deserves to handle his brand. Leave the rest on the hands of the devil. First week, we spend time with consumers, having breakfast with them at their home. Let me tell you, it was an amazing-early-morning-gastronomic-experience. Yummy breakfasts; Gujju, Carnatic, Tamil, Keralite, Bengali, Marathi, Rajasthani breakfast in seven days. Hot homemade stuff that housewives prepare early morning for their kids and husband , boring stuff that you buy off the shelf which busy working wives prepare for their kids and husbands, stuff that you buy off the shelf and add your own bit to make it interesting at houses of single working women or men. We conducted our research over the table. Why this, why that, why, why why why; in order to understand how important is 'the most important meal of the day' in their lives. By the end of it, there was enough understanding and material to prove a point that was hovering over my head. Phew. Moreover, I enjoyed what I was doing.

So here are few observations:
1. Hectic lifestyle is giving way to smaller, more frequent snacking occasions
2. People are spending lot of time on traveling, food on-the-go is becoming more prevalent, having just an apple while driving makes more sense than a full plate of breakfast
3. Main meal and snack occasions are becoming interchangeable
4. Healthy eating is on the rise. Be it home cooked or bought from the shelf, healthy it should be. But not many consumers understand what is healthy in terms of dietary intake
5. Women (even traditional housewives) are seeking knowledge and expertise in hassle free cooking methods
6. Time of day is one of the main reason to help decide what kind of snacks and beverages should be consumed. As the day proceeds, indulgence takes over health consciousness

Also with more media proliferation, Indian consumers now understand three basic pillars of healthy eating. The diagram below explains it best. And if you notice, food brands in India are trying to latch on any one of them to communicate the end benefits.
Few years back it was food products enriched with minerals like Vitamins, Zinc, Iron, Calcium etc. Brands like Boost, Maltova, Kellogg's Iron Shakti made good use of those properties to communicate to consumers.

Then low fat become the trend. Consumers in India now understands low fat means less cholesterol, which means good for the heart. Brand Saffola is build on this.
Last year it was less sugar, which means no diabetes. Look at the shelf and you'll find brands with bright blurbs shouting Lite, Sugar Free etc on their packaging. Did you know Dabur Chyawanprakash has gone sugar free? It was news for me. Anyway.
The latest, I mean, the prevailing trend that most food brands are riding upon now is high fiber. Let's keep our eyes open and see how many brands actually start riding upon this high fiber trend to gain share of mouth. It'll be fun.

Expectation from food is changing for the new enlightened food conscious consumers of India. Be it functional, sensory or experiential, the new 20 something knows what goes in directly reflects on the outside. Food for the 24x7 life will see a change in consumption pattern. And it is in our own interest that an open eye will help us crack the code for food brands trying to serve these new enlightened consumers in India.

Burp.