Wi-Fi Adbin: A Watershed Solution to Kolkata’s Waste Disposal Issue?

When was the last time you had used a roadside dustbin to get rid of any garbage? Let me reframe my question: when was the last time you had come across a well-maintained dustbin on the streets of Kolkata?

Ignore that; it’s rhetorical!

Although the situation has improved over the last few years, let’s face facts: we still experience a dearth of proper dustbins in our ‘Clean City’ of Kolkata. Enter ‘Adbin’ from the house of Green Clean Media Works (GCMW), the brainchild of two budding entrepreneurs, Ankit Agarwal and Joy Pansari.

Let me be blunt in mentioning that their concept is rather simple: picture a slightly superior dustbin and add an advertisement board as a support behind it! Imagine such dustbins (offering free Wi-Fi connectivity) throughout the city; it offers so much of untapped ad space for contemporary marketers fatigued by conventional outdoor advertising. Plus you get to keep the city clean. Perfect example of the Societal Marketing Concept, right? Perfect example of a Cause-Related Marketing Initiative, right? Adbin comes across as the perfect answer to our sorry state of waste disposal in the city of Kolkata. However, the summit is probably a zillion miles ahead!

I had the pleasure of meeting the two promising faces of GCMW to learn more about their initiative in detail. The details of the interview and their concept may be perused in the slideshow below.

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As a marketing enthusiast, I did observe certain aspects which this divergent startup should be looking into (or has already explored). The concept, although inspired, requires plenty of awareness campaigns and marketing shindigs to promote the initiative further. As the founders would agree, promoting their concept in colleges and institutions could be a great starting point. Although they are presently operating in major residential complexes across the city of Kolkata, the founders would definitely be eyeing a pan-India presence in the near future. For such a reality to transpire, the key would be to incentivize people to start using the bins. This is where their conceived Wi-Fi Bin could play a key role. People are crazy for free internet and with a smartphone app, people could soon be taking this seriously. Again this would require intensive coverage of Adbins throughout the city, for ensuring consumer participation. Installing separate spitoons could address the menacing spitting issue. Given that the concept is still in a product development and conception phase of the traditional PLC, I find the solution very similar to Professor Ehrenberg’s ATR Framework, where you start off with intensive advertising to build massive and widespread awareness, which in turn would induce trial, where people would start accepting the concept and attempt to change their behaviour due to various incentives given out. The final stage would be to strengthen and solidify this behaviour through enhanced coverage.

There could be so many other strategies that could be worked upon, experimented and perfected, because the concept might actually be the much-awaited answer to the pitiful state of waste disposal mechanisms in our country.

Cheers to Adbin and its founders for their brilliant initiative!

Making Sense of the Patanjali Phenomenon: A Successful Blue Ocean Strategy?

National-level FMCG giants are facing the heat, as Baba Ramdev-steered Patanjali is making a direct headway into the kitchens and bathrooms of the ‘aam’ Indian consumers!

From biscuits to facewashes, Patanjali has rattled the marketplace in such a manner that even families of renowned FMCG companies are adopting Ramdev’s products. No kidding! Future Group’s president, Devendra Chawla now begins his day with Patanjali Dant Kanti toothpaste and Amla Juice. This is the harbinger of a new wave of home-grown brands. One can get a glimpse of the future of Ayurveda consumption in India. Question is, why and how this superfast conquest? Broadcast Audience Research Council, India (BARC) reported that Patanjali became one of the top three most advertised brands on television in the fall of November 2015.

The controversial-yoga guru-cum-non-controversial-business-monarch is not only among the highest advertisers on television today, but by doubling up as brand ambassador for his enterprise, he is escalating awareness for all Ayurvedic and Herbal product offerings and further opening up the space. The products of Patanjali, are selling at such a meteoric pace that analysts are now projecting that its INR 20 billion ($307 million) revenues in 2015 could pose a threat to established, age-old Indian consumer brands such as Dabur, Emami, Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Himalaya Drug Company and Marico. These FMCG titans such as Emami, are rebooting their category strategies and investing in new products and making new acquisitions to reap in the promise of the herbal age, pioneered by Patanjali. The reason is simple. The FMCG industry is caught in a slump as Q3 results for FY2015-16 reveal that sales volumes are not growing as rapidly as it used to.

Patanjali’s success can be analysed with the aid of a Blue Ocean Strategy. Let’s prove it using a sequence to the Blue Ocean Strategy, which was developed by INSEAD researchers, W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne.

The major reason for Patanjali’s success is its unique business model of a single umbrella brand, a wide spread of categories, exclusive store network and a close association of a personality. This is of course, backed by low prices, the appeal of Ayurvedic products hyping on ‘purity’ and an inclination to procure Indian brands.

Now the question that arises is, if Patanjali is a euphemism for Ayurveda and Herbalism, why did such herbal product sales not pick up well in the past? Part of the answer is because of the prevalence of backyard herbalism or herbal home remedies. While, herbal products were eyed as dear and premium offerings, sourcing of the quality ingredients at such a massive scale for consumer products was also a Herculean task. Now, this is where Patanjali made the cut; it has consistently advertised its products hyping on quality and ‘shuddhta’ (purity) thereby aspiring to dispel consumers’ doubts on that score. Moreover, it has managed to keep its price points vividly low. Most importantly, it has consistently communicated the special features of its products as well as the price. Also an illustration of aggressive advertising, it has advertised its honey as being 43% cheaper than Dabur honey for a 250 gm pack. Again, a 500g bottle of Dabur honey is priced at INR 199; while a 500g bottle of Patanjali honey is available for INR 135 (32% cheaper). Patanjali has also steered clear of hard-hitting celebrity endorsements.

However, price can never be a sustainable combat policy. Patanjali has understood that well before and has started working on its distribution network, logistics setup and retail supremacy. It is indeed the first time in grocery retail that standalone spaces are being offered to an entire umbrella brand clubbed together. Patanjali makes use of untapped non-traditional distribution networks such as Khadi Bhandar, where competition among rivals is relatively low. With an alluring blend of online and archetypal brick-and-mortar stores (around 4000 outlets pan-India), coupled with marked retail store presence, Patanjali has already won half the battle! From a marketer’s perspective, it may well be regarded as an attempt to create an uncontested market space, in which it has achieved success. We shall conclude by summarizing this in the following graphic:

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Sources:

• http://tinyurl.com/j5majph
• http://tinyurl.com/zfj5xfd
• http://tinyurl.com/zbz2n2b

MS Dhoni and the Product Life Cycle

Probably every marketing (or non-marketing) student is au fait with the concept of Product Life Cycle (PLC) in marketing. Like human beings, products are born, followed by which eventually reach their peak (in terms of capturing market share or consumer loyalty) and finally phase out from the market sphere. Having closely followed MSD’s game for a long time, his career reminds me of a simple traditional PLC.
As a disclaimer, I would like my readers to note that I am not a so-called ‘MSD hater’, and my views are simply reflective of my opinions. Like I mentioned, MSD’s career reminds me of the PLC.

Stage 1: Introduction Stage
I remember when MSD began his phase as the captain of the Indian squad for the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 held in South Africa in September 2007. The outcome of the tournament was, as we all know, legendary! His captaincy on a stand-in basis against South Africa and Australia in 2008 and 2009 respectively was met with moderate success as well. In 2008, he captained the last game of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2008 and they retained the trophy that year. This was the time when Dhoni began to be labelled as a ‘brand’.

Stage 2: Growth Stage
In the growth phase, the organisation seeks to enhance brand preference and escalate market share. Similarly, this was the time MSD began to develop as a captain. He became popular as ‘Captain Cool’ in light of his tranquil demeanour displayed in handling his players. He started winning games abroad as well, as marked by successes in Australia as well as New Zealand. Like a product which keeps on augmenting its features and additional support services, MSD’s innovative captaincy started catching the eyes of many critics and India reached No. 1 spot in tests, ODIs and for a while in T20s as well. The peak of his career happened with the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. Cricketing greats hailed him as one of India’s greatest captains! This was accelerated due to his perennial success in the IPL year after year.

Stage 3: Maturity Stage
At the maturity stage, the rapid escalation in product sales is on the wane. The prime object is to defend market share while maximizing profit in an otherwise saturated market. The England tour post the 2011 World Cup marked the beginning of the maturity stage for MSD. His strategies and experimental tactics were backfiring and lot of new strategies were undertaken to analyse what was going wrong. The tour to Australia similarly ended on a stale note. The home turf was the only place which was rewarding Dhoni, as India managed to whitewash Australia in the 2013 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. There were plenty of ups and downs, especially in the test arena.

Stage 4: Decline Stage
This stage is simple: sales decline! I would say the decline phase happened due to MSD’s prolonged failure in test matches. Success in ODI’s were oscillating frequently and the percentage of wins started declining slowly across all formats. In this stage, companies must divest their assets to ensure survival. MSD too, retired from Test cricket to focus more on ODIs and T20s. However, success is rather drained at the moment.

 

All successful captains go through a similar phase. Sourav Ganguly went through a similar phase and rightly gave up captaincy to focus on his game. Every effective captain brings about some avant garde ideas as they take up captaincy. Soon enough, they reach a peak, followed by which their ideas and tactics get saturated. They must hence make way for a fresh up-and-coming captain, who would definitely bring about some novelty, be it change in perspective, motivation as squad-based alterations!
Do heed, yet again that this article is not written as another commentary against MSD’s captaincy, but is penned strictly from a marketing perspective. Don’t forget, MSD has won India all major international trophies. I can’t recall another captain who has achieved this feat. Like every product, captaincy also has a life cycle!

 

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Picture Source: The 4 pictures of MSD and Team India are sourced off the Internet! The pink one’s mine though!

5 ways by which WhatsApp earns its Revenues

Congratulations to WhatsApp for entering the elite club of ‘genericized’ brands, such as Xerox, Band-Aid, Escalator or Jacuzzi! This OTT instant-messaging service has taken the world by storm, due to the stunning ease with which we can share audio-visual messages or texts over hand-held devices, instead of relying on e-mails or even social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter. In India, we have another success story, Hike, which is slowly making its mark by breaking through the massive popularity cast by WhatsApp. But haven’t we all wondered how WhatsApp makes its money, especially when it follows a ‘No Ads! No Games! No Gimmicks’ policy? Jan Koum, the co-founder and CEO has emphatically voiced that WhatsApp is meant for instant messaging and forcing advertisements would disrupt the sole purpose of instant messaging!

So, here in this article, we shall observe some of the ways by which WhatsApp makes money.

❶ Massive Venture Capitalism

Sequoia Capital, a US-based venture capital firm, is known to have invested around $8 million in the WhatsApp idea, and a host of other investors are following suit by showing their interest in investing in the venture. It is this funding (plus the Facebook deal) which keeps the company afloat despite massive operational costs such as data storage or servers.

❷ Tie-ups and Partnerships

Reliance Communications (RCOM) has exclusively partnered with WhatsApp in India and offers unlimited WhatsApp access for prepaid GSM telecom users under its WhatsApp Plan. By cutting down only INR 16 from the main balance, a Reliance GSM prepaid subscriber would be able to use the WhatsApp (or Facebook) application over their mobile phones or tabs with unlimited use for 30 days. Neeraj Arora, the VP of the Facebook-acquired WhatsApp, along with his team, played a key role in making critical tie-ups with more than 50 carriers across the globe. For example, WhatsApp was coming preinstalled on several phones. This is a major way of earning revenues for the enterprise.

❸ Low Employee Strength

According to a Business Standard report, there are only 55 employees in WhatsApp, post the Facebook acquisition in 2014. A cross-check on LinkedIn profiles bear testimony to the same. These employees are mostly software-development engineers or customer support representatives. With a mere 55 engineers, they are supporting around 900 million active users (up to September 2015) which means approximately 16 million users per engineer, and an uptime of 99.99%! This is indeed a phenomenal lean operation, as, if your employee count is low, a large chunk of what you earn becomes your nest egg!

❹ Big-Data Management

WhatsApp may be regarded as a goldmine of information. This includes customer likes, tastes, preferences and demands, which are shared with other users. It is believed that the conversations on WhatsApp are stored as backup on WhatsApp servers constantly. This information is definitely invaluable to big firms where relevant customized products can be offered after necessary data sorting. Evidently so, the mega-corps are willing to shed handsome amounts for such information extraction.

❺ Subscription Charges

The cost of downloading WhatsApp on iTunes is only 99 cents, while it is available for free on other platforms such as Android or Windows. WhatsApp states that its service is free only for the first year of use, and from the second year onwards there is a fee for $1.99 levied for a period of 3 years. This way, they can monetize their app. In India, however, I have not known a single person who has paid for this service even after 2-3 years of usage. In fact, the app automatically extends its service period after the quoted expiry date. As mentioned, this is true only for Android or Windows users, especially countries, where sending text messages are more expensive.

 

Don’t forget to share your views!

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Sources:

http://tinyurl.com/omg6256 | http://tinyurl.com/oj6e4vf

5 Species of Marketers: Which type are you?

After a temporary hiatus and a week post new year, here’s wishing you Happy New Year with a fun-read!

In a hyper-competitive corporate world, marketers utilize their versatile idiosyncrasies and personalities to bring about sui generis styles in coping with the competition. 5 breeds of marketers have been identified in this post. Feel free to add more…

 

The Imaginative Artiste

The most clichéd conception of marketers, the creative specialist is more often than not, that super-snazzy or ultra-smart guy with a ponytail and stubble, who doesn’t find himself malapropos in the office floor, with a V-neck tee and jeans. They generally tend to be excellent graphic scholars and are insanely gregarious. They are often panned for generating superficial traffic, which seldom proves to be of consequential value to the enterprise, but these folks remain oblivious and consistently seek to deliver ingenious creativity! Their success quotient is measured by the degree of viral reach they actualize!

 

The Data-Infatuated Marketer

These guys are obsessed with the world of informatics. Their day starts with a meticulous perusal of yellow papers and ends with internet feeds.  Believe it or not, they even take info from mere forwards and news snippets on WhatsApp seriously. They cherish testing e-mailer and brochure campaigns. Talk to them about statistics and they can go on and on for hours…

 

The App Aficionado

These breed of marketers are what you’d technically call ‘pioneers’. They will own iPhone 7 as soon as it is launched or be au-fait with any new Android App, and guess what: this is irrespective of their age! More importantly, they will use these apps to better their corporate productivity. So don’t be surprised when you see a grown man playing GTA 5 on PS4! They know their markets more than anybody else.

 

The Tight-Fisted Marketer

God these guys are frugal! Trust me, this throng of marketers actually worship OLX, QuikR and similar other sites. They have their closest buddies in the next-door finance department and takes a leaf out of their books by focussing on relevant marketing metrics. Of course, they defend themselves with the more sophisticated synonym: ‘cost-leader’ and flush in all their attention on generating returns and developing pricing strategies!

 

The Social Networking Pundit

These guys are what you’d call the ‘whiz-kids’ of Twitter and Instagram. They use #hashtags in every possible status or update to corroborate how incredibly suave they are! You join a mailing list and these marketers will send you a counter-mail thanking you for your participation. They make optimum use of symbols and animated smileys to make viral appeals. They are probably online 24*7 and active on WhatsApp, Hike, Line, Twitter, e-mail or whatever comes to your mind!

 

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Artificer: Thanks to my friend, Mouykh Saha from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata for taking out time of his schedule to draw the graphics.

Will the IKEA model successfully work in India?

It was TOI’s article the other day, which reminded me of the unfinished tryst I had with an IKEA article. Nevertheless, I’ll start afresh!

It’s been quite some time now that IKEA has been contemplating to enter Indian homes with their globally famed furniture. Question is, will this IKEA model work in India? Or should they adopt a polycentric approach like they did in China? To understand this we need to explore two aspects:

• How does the IKEA model archetypally work? and
• How is the Indian consumer behaviour disposed towards furniture purchase in the country?

(One thing before I forget, the underlying consideration for this article is household furniture only and not contract or office furniture.)

The IKEA business model works on very interesting lines. All its furniture are pillared on manual ready-to-assemble scaffolds. It follows the concept of the family life cycle very intricately. If you’re a newly-wed couple, your furniture requirements are definitely going to be different than when you’re experiencing an empty nest syndrome, or when you’re widowed. So, based on your furniture requirements, you could check out the online IKEA catalogue and even reap the benefits of the IKEA Family initiative. You need to take your car/ truck to the big blue-n-yellow box known as the IKEA Store. You could also consider taking your children along with you, given that you could drop them off at Småland play area. After the purchase act, the IKEA staff would help you load the furniture onto the pick-up vehicle you had brought, depending on the weight of the procurement. It’s a self-help deal throughout. However, all this is true only for countries boasting of IKEA stores. By slashing all these extra costs and keeping all avant-garde furniture costs at an alluring low, IKEA has distinguished its archetypal business model. Fascinatingly, shopping at IKEA has become a tradition for customers; many of them are known to take the day off, calling it an IKEA Day, so as to spend more time with their families.

This is one part. The next part is how Indians typically buy furniture. Unless you have your household carpenter come and suggest designs, you could visit showrooms such as Godrej Interio, Damro, Nilkamal, Style Spa or a plethora of furniture retail stores across the length and breadth of the city you live in. You visit the store, look at the sample furnishings heaped around, paint an imaginary picture of how the bed or cabinet would adorn your room and ultimately make an order for home delivery on a negotiated date.

Now let’s consider the Chinese market for IKEA. The robust brand faced a severe dilemma with regard to its low-cost pricing strategy, given that it sparked confusion among aspirational Chinese consumers while the other consumer segment regarded the price to be mid-ranged to high. To add to their woes, local competitors (customarily) aped the innovative designs. Keeping these issues in mind, IKEA had adopted a ‘glocalization strategy’ for the Chinese market. Keeping the do-it-yourself (DIY) assembly concept constant to China, IKEA has built its People’s Republic of China stores near public transportation lines, unlike the western countries, where stores are usually located in the suburbs. They also offer fee-based local home delivery and long-distance delivery to major cities in China, while maintaining taxi lanes and offering other paid assembly services. Moreover, their furniture styles are tailored accordingly to blend right into Chinese apartment sizes. They used social media and micro-blogging sites such as Weibo to promote their offerings in contrast to the IKEA catalogue. Now you may argue that these strategies are prevalent in all other countries, but honestly, they aren’t prominent enough.

So, how must IKEA tweak its marketing and promotional strategies before entering India? Will it be successful? Yes, if you were to ask me. Because it’s new. More importantly, the time is ripe for IKEA to enter India, because of the sharp rise in prices of furniture. By offering its innovative designs at competitive prices, IKEA will definitely win over the mind space of the Indian consumers. But it has to alter a few strategies. Stores must preliminarily be located in centralized locations, which can be accessed from any corner of the city with ease. This is because our consumers will not be willing to spend on double transportation to travel to and fro from far-off shopping centres. Later, as the brand solidifies in the hearts and minds of the Indian consumers, it could scout for suburb locations to capture the aspiring petite bourgeoisie in those areas as well. One objective must be clear for IKEA: Think of the value that customers are getting. If I, as a customer, have to spend (say) ₹2000 on travel and I buy furniture at ₹50000 which gives me a moderate deal than other/ local competitors (who offer at say, ₹55000), I would not be satisfied, even for the ₹3000 savings. The differentiator has to be its superior value or quality of furniture. Remember that in India, you are bound to come across comments such as “I have to pay so much for transportation” or “I will have to install the furniture myself” and on top of that “I don’t think I am getting a good deal out of it”. In such cases, quality will take a backseat in the minds of the consumer, given that a major chunk of the urban masses are still largely price-conscious. Indians buy furniture differently. Hence, I would not agree to a cost-cutting strategy from the very outset. As a pilot exercise, IKEA could consider tying up with a transport agency to deliver furniture till a certain radius, although in-transit advertising wouldn’t be an option in that case.

The most important step, I believe, is to acquaint Indian consumers with the IKEA tradition and value proposition. If the consumers accept it, you are set to roar! This is where the “Future Search” program and similar customer immersion programs gain relevance. The sample must necessarily include consumers from upper-upper to middle-middle class. This is to verify if any commonalities exist, such that IKEA can fit in a central business model across all segments with subsequent alterations. “Invest heavily in consumer interaction and education”, I would say.

It’s turning out to be a very tedious article so I’ll stop here. I’ll end with a graphic containing a few other strategies. Don’t forget to add your valued inputs, in case I’ve overlooked any dimension.

How effective are Jacket Ads in ensuring Brand Recall?

Newspapers also need clothes these days!

Even a year back, people fiddled with the additional jacket placed atop their newspaper like a lottery ticket! “Extra pages at the same cost?” they wondered! Today, most of the respondents surveyed noted that they often ignore the first page.

Why?

Well, it’s the same logic which justifies the fact that the Himalayas may be cool for us to visit, but not at all cool to inhabit! Too much of anything tarnishes its charm!

The concept of jacket ads sparked with real estate companies, giving details about their upcoming projects. It was actually an effective medium of communication, given that prospective consumers had a handful of relevant information before them. By the way, I hope you’ve understood by now what jacket ads are. In case you haven’t, they are basically additional pages strapped on to the daily, so much so, that newspaper agencies have actually created a separate tariff column for jackets. Here are a few examples of print jacket ads.

Sources (from left to right): 1. http://adopinions.blogspot.in/2010/06/selling-property-creatively.html 2. http://beta.livemint.com/rf/Image-621×414/LiveMint/Period1/2008/06/23/Photos/e535a1e3-20f7-4956-98bc-f092364d99b4.jpg 3. http://itwofs.com/beastoftraal/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/olx-new.png

We also come across double jackets. But anything more than that becomes outright irritating. Once again, it’s good that a lot of suspense is being built till we reach the news, but too much suspense, will kill the interest! Here is a double jacket example. (I subscribe to Times of India, hence, 99% of my exhibits feature TOI jackets) No other intention!

So, how effective is this jacket advertisement in ensuring brand recall? Odds are high, I would say. But, there is a need to revolutionize the game. Have a look at the following adverts.

Eureka Forbes, sometime back, came up with the headline “THE WATER OF INDIA”. If the material is innovative, unique and out-of-the-box, it will definitely create a lasting impact in the consumer mind space. So, the next time, you think of buying a printer, the name Epson will positively ring a bell, if you have paid attention to and have enjoyed the jacket presentation. The battle is half won for the advertiser, because he simply seeks viewership. That is their reward for the creativity. By simple application of the law of probability, there will necessarily be at least one out of ten customers who will translate their conviction into purchase.

But advertisers must be wary of one solemn aspect. Individuals, in the morning, with sleepy eyes, sit with a cup of tea/coffee and for them, the primary objective is to catch hold of the latest happenings. News is the prime objective followed by various print ads and discount/sale news. Mind you, there are people who catch these news while travelling on local trains and buses. So, including a jacket (or more) implies more number of pages to handle. If there is any form of botheration over a prolonged period of time, there is a massive chance that the said individual may choose to unsubscribe in their next renewal.

Nevertheless, these kind of innovative covers are fresh and remain glued to the minds, often due to their sheer size. The brain has this interesting ability to register text/images with large fonts/sizes. Interesting colours or unique catchphrases will instantly organize itself in the black box of the consumer.

Saluting India’s Classic Ads: Kudos to AIB and Voctronica

This is the shortest of all my posts. Simple reason. The video says it all.

I feel regretful for having come across this #awesome clip so damn late. This feat captures most (in fact all I can remember) of the commercials you and I have grown up watching. Many a few of the contempo jingles have also been proficiently squeezed in. Keeping the issue of the popularity of the brands at bay, we must applaud the incredible spoof this ensemble troop has put on. Conceived by AIB & Voctronica and powered by Snapdeal, this tribute will definitely enthral audiences across the nation, whether you like/use a brand or not!

Enough talk. Just watch this dramatic tribute to our Indian TV commercials. It’s indeed Iegen …WAIT-FOR-IT…-and i hope you’re not using a zapper- dary! Legendary!

5 Social Marketing Initiatives to Combat Rape in India

Every half an hour, one woman in India gets raped! I’m not kidding. Google it out. Haven’t you noticed a sudden upsurge in the frequency and volume of rape cases in India, of late? As this atrocious transgression percolates into the fabric of our Indian society, it is to the best of my belief that marketing, especially social marketing shall broaden its horizons and play a dominant and proactive role. It must seek to disseminate a few essential products and services into the market, which shall, in their own way, make an earnest effort to gradually eliminate sexual violence in India and abroad. Here are 5 such rape-resistant products and services, which might just come in handy in preventing India from becoming the ‘rape capital’ of the world.

① Anti-Rape Bra [Codename: SHE (Society Harnessing Equipment)]

Nope! It’s no science fiction. You’d be glad to note that a group of Indian students have pioneered a brassiere, all-equipped to successfully electrocute an assailant by virtue of a 3800kv electric shock, without causing any impact on the victim! Thanks to Manisha Mohan (SRM University, Chennai) and team, this piece of lingerie can at least be the start of a counter-attack against these sex predators. Read more at: http://mic.com/articles/34099/indian-engineers-invent-anti-rape-bra-that-electrocutes-attackers

② Anti-Rape Underwear

Be it underwear, yoga pants or travel shorts, these garments function by creating a barrier that even the most determined rapists can’t break, rip or cut. This gives women and girls more power to control the outcome of a sexual assault. There has been a row of controversies with this product, with some critics labelling it as ‘anti-feminist’. However, despite criticism, there is a marked interest in this product, so if it can be tailored to meet certain shortcomings, it will prove beneficial. Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/anti-rape-wear-save-women-article-1.1515379

③ Self-Defence Tutelage

Where lies the basic problem? Women fail to defend themselves in such horrific times. In effect, if women and girls could be given lessons in self-defence, it would solve half the battle right there! Valuable lessons on how girls or women can use their bangles, umbrellas or their handbags effectively as weapons for self defence against miscreants, will empower and install confidence among women greatly. One of my seniors from college, Shibayan Ganguly, is the training co-ordinator at Martial Arts India, a unit of Shinkyokushinkai India, which is recognised by World Karate Organisation. A wonderful open initiative labelled as ‘’Atamaraksha – a basic human right’ ’had been undertaken by Ganguly and team, sometime back, where girls above 16 years were advocated and coached in rudimentary self-defence techniques. Such initiatives will be instrumental in arresting carnal violence.

④ Mandatory Defence Lessons What if the above service offering were made compulsory, right from school level. Karate and self-defence lessons would be obligatory for girls and optional for boys. I am no misandrist but at least it could help change the mind set of people. Schools could tie-up with say, martial arts institutions and offer resistance lessons to their students. Other value-based lessons against violence, misogyny could also prove worthwhile.

⑤ Popularize Sex-Shops

This move is rather quirky, and hence, I’ve featured it last. You see there is a reason why Amsterdam (I know it’s not a country!) has significantly lower rape stats than say India, US or the Caribbean. Not because they have popularized sex stores, but they are rather open and explicit about sex. It does not however, blend with the Indian culture and traditions, but, given the recent appalling statistics, this seems like a temporary solution. Of course, there is a risk that the exact opposite might happen. Marketing can go beyond profits and by aid of these strategies, seek to eradicate rape once and for all. This is the proactive role that social marketing can play and assist the media and NGOs in fighting the battle against rape in India. In a way, I am glad that so many incidents of rape get highlighted these days; it underlines the fact that women are no longer terrified of their social image and future. Rather, with each incident being reported, I opine, women are gaining in strength, character and self-assurance. The Indian media too, must be applauded for faithfully recording every rape case, rather than concealing them. This is a social marketing exercise as well—even if the motive is TRP, the end result is a boon in disguise!

6 Marketing Lessons from the FIFA World Cup 2014

It’s over! Brazil 2014 is over.

The last few months witnessed the entire world go gaga over the FIFA World Cup 2014. This global sporting entertainment seemed to eclipse all other news, be it the fickle share market or the glamour and glitz of Bollywood. The momentous England-India test match got shadowed in this process.

But amidst all this frenzy, there are certain marketing lessons that the 2014 Football World Cup has taught us. I have recognized 6 important lessons, which I intend to share with you all.

| # 1  | Aim for building Brand Infatuation

The euphoria of this football world cup had viralled all across the globe. Everywhere! Be it the early-risers at the local chai shops or the corporate executives moving up an elevator, mornings would typically embrace a minute-by-minute critical analysis of the night’s game. For sure, those who were not much into football felt like fishes out of water! They googled scores, highlights, critical points to ensure that they could blend right into that teeming crowd. This is what customers typically do. You remember the Gangnam Style? You may have behaved like knockers at first, hating every bit of that weird visual, but when you saw the larger populace getting insanely infatuated with it, you compelled yourself to like the song. This is the magical component of a brand. You never know what clicks. When India’s middle-class dreamt of a low-priced car, Ratan Tata came to the rescue. But there was one thing he overlooked. The petite bourgeoisie have something called ‘ego’. By labelling Tata Nano as ‘World’s Cheapest Car’ he failed to connect with the people who were ready with their stack of cash. Who wants to be called ‘cheap’? So you see, despite the demand, the brand initially failed to click.

 

| # 2  | Effectuate Brand Promise

Before the start of the World Cup, there were certain names hovering around. Neymar. Messi. Cristiano Ronaldo. Hernandez. Suárez. None of them delivered the promise they were expected to offer. So brand offering did not match brand promise. Brazilian superstar Neymar Jr. was probably the most hyped brand before the start of this key tournament. I would not disagree that Neymar’s performance was robust and crucial for Brazil’s headway until the semi-finals. However, even critics affirm that it still fell short of the hype and expectations built around him. (Wishing him a speedy recovery though!) Same applies for Messi, even though he won his consolation prize at the finale. As for Suárez, I don’t know… an example of Ambush Marketing, maybe? I’ll deal with him in the next lesson.

 

| # 3  | Don’t let Controversy be the USP of your Brand

Controversies do help boost revenues in certain occasions. This is why Brand Wars break out. I have spoken about one in my previous posts, so I shall not get into further illustrations. But they tarnish brand equity in the long run. I believe, it is a myopic strategy of boosting sales. Yes, coming to Luis Suárez. Personally, I am a fervent follower of this Uruguayan striker. But his antics in the match against Italy startled me and many others across the planet. It is the 3rd bite in his career, hence, inspiring the memes of him winning the ‘Golden Tooth’. See where it landed him! Polemical horseplay is not the sustainable solution to win brand loyalty!

 

| # 4  | Green Marketing is the Way forward

So many people across the world (especially the South Africans) were unimpressed with the opening ceremony, organized under broad daylight. No fireworks, lighting sensations or laser shows. Same with the closing ceremony. Most of the games were held during the daytime. I’m surprised why people failed to see the bigger picture. So much of electricity savings, pollution reduction. This was after all, a Green World Cup! Sustainability had occupied the front row seat in Brazil this summer, with a couple of the dozen stadiums boasting of extensive solar installations. Now, that the World Cup is over, the stadiums will continue to power about 900 homes in Brazil for the upcoming 25 years. Yingli Green Energy, a Chinese company was a major sponsor in this World Cup. Here are some other facts: 50% of the rainwater that is captured by the cover is used in the washrooms and for the irrigation of the pitch. This has helped to reduce water consumption by up to 30%! Most of the stadiums have LEED Certification, which implies that they are ‘green’ buildings. Impressive effort!

 

| # 5  | Nurture Brand Discipline to warrant Endurance

You’ve guessed it right: This one’s on Germany. A consistent force in the game of football for 16 years! And why is that? Because they play as a team. Because of their discipline. Because of their steadfastness. Today’s global marketspace is hovering about in a black hole. This is why we talk about blue ocean space and similar other strategies. Look back at the game against Brazil. Unbelievable how the Germans have tallied that balance sheet!

Consistency and discipline are the pillars to build and sustain an enduring brand. Don’t agree? Look at Coca-Cola. Look at Nike. Tata. Samsung. They have delivered brand promise again and again and again throughout. That’s what has driven their success!

 

| # 6  | Keep Faith in your Brand come what may

It does flabbergast us when the underdogs turn out to be the heroes. Players such as Götze, Vidal, Džeko have startled us with their excellent moves in this tournament. These were about individuals. Teams like Belgium, Columbia, Ivory Coast, Ghana have impressed us too. We have also witnessed some sensational and breathtaking goalkeeping this time. Be it Romero, Ochoa, Howard or Neuer, we never expected the goalies to be the surprise heroes. So the point is, never lose trust in your brand, unless it is perennially performing disastrously. Brands are not built in a day. For instance, Paddy Power, the Irish bookmaker, has astonishingly stood out as the brand which has gained most from the World Cup and it has been achieved largely through the social media. Like fitting in a last-minute Swiss surprise winner, Paddy Power has indeed come out of nowhere to prove of most use to football fans fathoming what had happened while they were sleeping or living it up on the town!

 

In essence, the FIFA magic not just drives soccer fans to showcase their passion for the game, but marketers too find it an effective tool to reach out to consumers. Why? Because of one simple secret: Emotion!

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Inspired by:

http://www.business2community.com/marketing/four-global-marketing-lessons-learned-world-cup-far-0925311#!bhgpbq

The 6th point has been inspired by my friend, Indranil Dasgupta. Thank you Indranil!