How advertiser funded films are going to change the marketing spectrum in India?

Branding and entertainment have traditionally been woven together by a simpler concept of product placement where a product is placed on the screen making it a part of the set-up in order to strike the audience with the brand and its usage by the movie/ programme’s characters.

A few years back when Adidas decided to finance the ‘Goal’ movie trilogy with about $100 million investment, it was more than just a product placement. The financial risk was high due to the huge investment while it also gave Adidas the freedom to try and convey its message and brand personality to its audience in more number of ways than what a product placement would have offered.

Such productions where the whole programme or a movie is financed by a brand or a company whose primary objective is to put across its brand communication to its audience in a way which is more entertaining and assertive than the traditional advertising are known as advertiser funded programmes (AFP) and advertiser funded films (AFF). Some people also choose to call this practice Brand entertainment since a brand wrapped in a programme or film entertains the audience.It essentially is a step further by marketers from the product placement concept in the entertainment domain for communicating with its customers.

Simply put, AFFs and AFPs are content that allows brands to forge a deeper relationship with production houses via a funding model either in full or in part. Once executed, the advertiser’s investment is employed into producing the content while the advertiser earns a great degree of ownership over the content as well as its use as a wider communication platform for its brand/product/message.

Watch a short video by Schuyler Moore on how AFFs can be the future of marketing. Click here

Outside India, AFPs and AFFs have been regularly used as marketing and communication tools. The term soap opera was so called because the original soap operas were funded and produced by soap companies such as P&G. Some of the recent examples are short films by BMW, Castrol edge, TBA by Vodafone etc. P&G and Walmart have already announced their interest and entry into this newer advertising platform.

Click the below links to watch the video clips.

BMW funded short film - Hire

Castrol funded documentary film on Cristiano Ronalo

AFPs have been common in Indian marketing context as well, though AFF is a newer concept for India. Some of the examples of AFPs in India are - Cadbury Bournvita Confidence Champion, IDBIs Sawaal India ka, L’Oreal Elite Model Look ’06 etc, MTV Panasonic face of beauty (Watch video clip) etc.

Read more on IDBIs Sawaal India ka

AFFs prospects doesn’t look bleak either with the numero uno car company of India, Maruti Suzuki having tested the AFF waters very recently by partly funding the bollywood release “Mere Dad ki Maruti” produced by Y-Films, a subsidiary of Yash Raj Films. The producers wanted to make an advertising funded movie and with the of the movie based on family car, they pitches it to multiple auto companies in the country and Maruti turned out to be the most favoured partner with highest bid. 

Maruti Suzuki invested around Rs 6 crores in the movie which had a total budget of Rs 10 crores. As for the returns for the auto major, the movie has already earned more than Rs 8 crore and apart from having its brand name in the film title, it also managed to hog the spotlight throughout the two hours as Maruti is the main protagonist of the film. From Maruti 800 to the Swift and finally the Ertiga, the story weaves in both loyalty and aspiration towards the brand. A common feedback from the movie audience was that the movie was a fun-filled 2 hour Maruti advertisement.

 Marketers’ biggest challenge these days is to secure brand-space in their customers’ minds and with customers trying harder than ever to keep traditional advertising away, the challenge has only become more daunting. Hence, newer platforms for communication must be continuously looked upon. Advertiser funded programmes (AFP) and advertiser funded films (AFF) are such innovative planks to base marketing communications on.

AFPs and AFFs can be the new flag-bearers for Indian marketing rumble but how quickly and in what spectrum they evolve, it is yet to be seen.

Cheers,

Public Service Announcements - Effective or just good to watch?

A PSA generally is a message to inform the public on issues that are considered to be in the general best interests of the community at large. These are aimed at altering public attitudes by raising consciousness about particular issues and are usually created with collaboration between private and public entities. These may be created to reflect a social message or humanitarian notion.

An interesting PSA or Public service announcement/advertisement/campaign as many call it, got my attention last week. This campaign in particular tries to address the much talked about issue in the current times, women safety. The recent unfortunate events shook the confidence of citizen in a number of agencies. Law enforcement agency has always been at the receiving end for being perceived to be callous and even inefficient at times. In order to make an attempt to restore the confidence of people into its functioning and to assure them of their help and support, Mumbai police, along with Ogilvy Mumbai came up with a PSA.

The campaign used real police men and women to convey a sincere message to its audience which translates to – “we will teach Mumbai how to respect its women.”It is a five-film campaign, each film focus on one issue related to harassment and abuse of women. All the ad-films encourage women to report any incident, big or small to police without the fear of being harassed at police stations. The campaign has been conceived and executed by Ogilvy Mumbai with the help of Mumbai police.

You can watch a couple of films from the campaign here.

Mumbai Police and Ogilvy Mumbai 1

Mumbai Police and Ogilvy Mumbai 2

The trend for public service advertisements and campaign is not new in India. Some of the most famous PSA campaigns India has ever seen are Pulse Polio mission, HIV AIDS Awareness campaigns and Balbir Pasha. These were created to raise awareness for social and health issues like AIDS and Polio.

Balbir Pasha Teaser Ad

Balbir Pasha Ad-Film 1

A recent trend that has emerged in this front is surge of businesses trying to link their brand or brand image to a social cause and hence putting their eggs in PSA basket not just as a measure of business communication but to reiterate their support to address certain social or humanitarian causes.

Tata Tea’s “Jago re” campaign, Times of India’s Teach India campaign” and Aircel’s “Save our Tiger” campaign are such examples which have tried to address issues related to governance, corruption, education and declining tiger population in the country.

However, the biggest question which everyone is asking is – How effective are these campaigns?

The answer isn’t as simple as it may appear.

On the face of it, the PSAs are definitely catchy due to their creative prowess. However, the problem lies in the fact that these ads are usually made to win awards for agencies (the ones which are on social issues without a business house backing) and unfortunately that’s the only logical consummation their creators are looking for with these creative ads. Very rarely we would see a ground work and follow-up activities being done to make these campaigns effective and be sincere to the cause. Quite the same applies to the PSAs created for businesses, as seldom are business houses serious about the efficacy and change that these campaigns can bring about. All these ads are supposed to do is to grab eye-balls and create a recall with the associated brand.  

CSR is another major reason why we find many businesses jumping on the PSA band-wagon. Corporates are required to show a small percentage of their income being spent on good for society and this seems to be an interesting avenue to show the concern and seriousness of the organization for a particular cause, achieve a certain degree of brand recall and respect in the eyes of audience and also manage the regulations and policy requirements.

How these ads can be more effective in achieving ground results, it is yet to be seen but unless there is a change in how ad agencies, government, NGOs and business houses look at PSAs as the vehicle of social messages, PSAs may continue to be marred by “what a beautiful ad!” syndrome without actually doing what it must do.

Cheers,

The Satyamev Jayate Way - Chot Dil Par Lagegi Tabhi Baat Banegi

A Moving Ad that questions the society of its guilt-free attitude while sitting on a pile of flesh-trade of its own. The poster conceives an idea and expresses it in a strong message pin pointing at the 'root-cause of flesh-trade which, unfortunately is flourishing like none.

Prajwala is an anti-trafficking organization based in Hyderabad, India.With a touching story of its genesis and inveterate efforts made to attempt what many dismiss as in-achievable and hence untrod. Hats off to the people who are making it possible.

The print ad made for Prajwala does two things distinctly. The first is "obvious" - It educates the prospective victims who fall for false promises, assurances and lies before finding themselves into this abyss that what part of bargain will they be entitled to. Humiliation, Pain and Trauma. It also tries to educate and hence shock the existing and prospective 'buyers' with the guilt of pushing a fellow-being into this dark hole.

 How successful they have been in this attempt, it is not a question to debate but to introspect, as individuals as well as a ‘civilized’ society. This must atleast make people try to spread awareness of one of the biggest shame of the society these days, where a fellow being is pushed to a point where she gives in for an act knowing what she is getting into. The idea is not to show women in bad light of weak and ignorant as many might argue but to shake-off the comfortable lack of conscience of the muted un-compassionate bunch (called society)

The end-text of the print ad leads to an "inferential" conclusion that the prostitution only exists till the buyers do. This further puts the onus on people for allowing such a shameful practice not just to continue but to also flourish. Prostitution breeds on vulnerable and marginalized sections of society and hence, an illusion of a day when no woman will be pushed into flesh-trade is as imaginative as it could get.The message hence, rightfully so puts the real culprit in the dock- the society which guarantees that this tragic experience of hundreds of thousands of women will continue till it itself decides to put an end to it.

You can check Prajwala'a website for the terrific work they are doing - http://www.prajwalaindia.com/genesis.html

Want to open a joint account like the Gandhi couple?

I came across an interesting ad that was created by Mudra communications for Union bank of India a couple of years ago. The ad shows Kasturba Gandhi's image next to Mahatma Gandhi's picture on a 100 Rs note. The ad ofcourse can irk a few who might find the use of Mahatma Gandhi and his wife's images and a photo-shopped currency note unacceptable to accomplish a commercial objective.

Nevertheless, the ad does the job brilliantly.

• The ad builds an imaginary story for the promotional piece. It subtly shows arguably the most revered couple of the country on a currency note which for sure catches the eye-balls due to its peculiarity.

• It also does well to piggyback its message on a light humor.

• It also educates the prospective customers on the idea of a husband and wife sharing a joint account, hence accentuating the service penetration by educating the customer of potential use of this service

• It may also lead to give an emotional platform for a couple to share something as confidential as a bank account

• Another aspect that is worth a mention is that the ad does not rely on any functional attribute of the service(joint account in this case) since it is not trying to build the category(which it assumes is already known to its prospective customers)

• It was especially interesting to see the ad 'pick' someone as venerable as Mahatma Gandhi as the brand's "virtual-celebrity endorser". Some might find it strange but what the ad has been able to do is - use a trusted prop(a currency note), trusted virtual-brand ambassadors' pictures together(Mahatma Gandhi and Kasturba Gandhi) and put across the message in a very simple and plain tone. (No mention of the message anywhere except in the corner along with the Union Bank logo)

It is worthwhile to mention that such an ad coming out from a public sector bank with Indian government having a majority stake in it, is especially perplexing.

Cheers,

Cheers

What's up there? - Its a flogo!

Chemtrail forming X in sky
to promote X-Men

Skyvertising – I was quite enchanted by the word when I heard it first time. Portmanteau words always have that charm, don’t they?

As you might have guessed it, it is a form of advertising in the blue sky (well not necessary blue, blue sky just sounds good!).

When I first heard the word it took me to the world of aerial advertising with all the aerial banners, airplane messages, flying banners, aerial billboards, skywriting and banner towing etc, but I was especially drawn towards the fact that clouds can be used as a marketing tool too. Astonishing, isn’t it? Flogos, as was called by its inventors, Francisco Guerra (Founder of Snowmaster factory) and Dr. Brian Glover does exactly that.

Still from T-Mobiles flogos campaign

Flogos (again a Portmanteau word made from  Floating”+”Logos”) are customized clouds at your service! Flogos are basically logos which can range from anywhere between 24 inches to 48 inches in size and are made from proprietary surfactant (soap) based foam formulations and lighter-than-air gases such as helium which makes them look and fly like clouds. Of course they can be made to achieve any given shape (almost!). These flogos in sky can last for anywhere between few minutes to an hour and can fly for 1 to 30 miles at a height of almost 5000 fts. Watch T-Mobile's Flogos video here.

citi bank flogos, India

Flogos are generated by an equipment which consists of helium and a compressed air bubble generator positioned below a custom stencil cutout (this will be your logo/message which is going to turn into a cloud!). As the bubbles form, they are forced into a relatively tight formation as they exit the stencil. Once a nice thick layer is established, a small plastic arm is dragged across the surface, liberating the foam from the stencil allowing it to float through the sky. Check video here

There are umpteen advantages of this form of skyveritising(even against its peers like aerial banners and messages). Some of the most important ones are –

• Cost-effective: The whole campaign may not cost more than a few thousand dollars (rented equipment for $1,000-$2,500). A company can choose to buy or built one of these for frequent usage.
• Novelty: It is an innovative way of marketing which breaks the clutter and hence is bound to attract eye-balls
• Successive marketing: Being innovative and effective will buy you free pieces in media talking about the campaign and the brand.
• Lack of competitors: Missing competitors at the platform(unlike television, internet or print media) helps building single equity for the brand and help in cultivating top of the mind recall
• Unobtrusive: It does not interfere in the life of your target audience and delivers the message in a subtle manner.
• Right Targeting: The equipment can be set-up at any place to target the right TG(Target Group)

These flogos events can be held on beaches, parties, streets, sports events etc to garner maximum audience. One need to be cautious about things like the location, chosen message/logo, height, size, time, weather conditions etc to make most out of this marketing exercise.

Have a look at the flogos employed by certain companies outside India.

  

In India, Citi bank used this marketing technique in Dec ’12 to promote its ‘Dil V/s Bill’ no-extra-cost EMI campaign. The whole campaign was run in parallel with social media platform and was deemed as extremely successful by the citi executives. Check video here.

Indian companies are yet to embrace this new marketing tool to reach and enthrall its TG but I guess it is just time before we see Ashirwaad and Godrej clouds in our skies.

Cheers, 

Nike – Just did it…again !

It is remarkable how Nike manages to get into the wrong bogie every time. For the most innovative company of 2012 (Fastcompany.com), it is ironical to be astonishingly innovative and sadly, succeeding in finding a terrible end to its celebrity endorsement spree, with so much consistency!

When Oscar Pistorius was caught on charges of murdering his girlfriend earlier this week, Nike added another feather to its embarrassing “endorsement-gone-wrong” cap (Other feathers being Marion Jones, Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, Joe Paterno etc)

Oscar Pistorius

Celebrity endorsement has always been counted as one of the safest marketing tactics. But the times have changed and so is the perception of brands endorsed by celebrities. In the backdrop of multiple surveys it may be safe to assume that celebrity endorsement, to say the least, is no more a safe bet when it comes to ROI for marketers. However, endorsement of sports products by sports personalities still remains to be fairly effective. 

Celebrity-Brand connection due to endorsement

It is largely because of the very association which a consumer can make between the endorser and the product. Since the endorser is not just the propagator of the brand and its advantages, but is also an aspirational figure for the same audience, the brand identity is strengthened due to such endorsements.

Consistent brand communication, synergy between the endorser and the brand, brand personality created due to the endorser and the overall credibility of the endorser are some of the other reasons why companies are still relying upon sports figures for brand endorsements.

At first look, it may seem like this is it; the big marketing tactic for any product under the sun. But since we are only halfway through this post, I guess you must have realized that I would say, No!

Factors affecting celebrity Brand endorsement

Celebrity endorsement is not a no-risk game. There are substantial risks involved and multiple aspects must be considered before going on with one. Check the smart-art figure for some pointers on these.

Nike, for sure must have done extensive research work before inking endorsement deals but these did not turned out to be as favorable as Nike wanted them to be. Hence, what also must be clearly put through is a mitigation and contingency plan in the event of risk actualization. That is where Nike has had problems too, which is rather sad considering that the other factors, of course, were beyond its control, but its own response to the disaster was rather perplexing and self-defeating.

Tiger Woods hurt the brand due to his off-field behavior when he was alleged of having multiple affairs outside his marriage. The scandal hit both his credibility as well as personality. However, Nike kept faith in Tiger Woods and made an argument that being a world-class sports performance brand it builds upon the elitist athletic performances of its endorsers and draws a line between their personal and professional conduct. It though suspended certain ads for some time but got on with them after some time again.

Tiger Woods

Nike was a tad late in dropping Lance Armstrong as its endorser after he was charged for doping, which was as per the US Anti-Doping Agency, "the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping programmme that sport has ever seen". It even stood by Armstrong initially, before disowning him emphasizing that since Lance Armstrong had betrayed the spirit of sportsmanship, which the brand stands for, there was no reason to continue supporting him.

Lance Armstrong

In case of Oscar Pistorius, Nike was quick to take off its “I am the bullet in the chamber” ad featuring him and seems to be on back-foot. This is in stark difference with the other two cases. Though the affecting behavior again is outside the field but the response was one which was supported by Nike for conduct on-field (in connection with Nike’s argument in case of Tiger Woods).

It’s a Deja-vu moment for Nike with Oscar Pistorius. It is to be seen how it respond to this known threat externally and internally but for sure, the celebrity research teams got their job-descriptions extended with - comprehensive personal information collection, analysis and risk calculation. May God be with them!

Cheers,

Organic Food Market in India - Challenges and Way Out

Photo Courtesy - Business Today

News can be bewildering sometimes.

Two reports on the same subject but vehemently polarized, caught my attention recently. It was about Organic food market in India. While one of the piece spoke about how the organic food category has been unable to mint money for the producers as well as retailers, the other story was all gaga about how organic food market is racing away with a remarkable growth.

To start, Organic food products are those agri-produce that are cultivated without the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers (process is called - Organic farming). Obviously, when these products do not grow on pesticides and chemicals, the chances of being affected by harmful chemicals are diluted to none (almost!).

This benefit, however, do not come for nothing. Organic food products are priced at approximately 40-70% (a few are priced doubled!) higher than the conventionally grown products. But the story isn’t as simple.

Much to the dismay of organic produce propagators, British economist Roger Cohen dismissed organic food as a fable and an "effective form of premium branding". Then a four-year Stanford University study found that “organic products have no significant advantage over conventional foods".

Photo Courtesy - Business Today

A Nielsan survey showed that 53% of the people are willing to pay the premium on organic food, if it meant that they could avoid toxins and chemical to enter their bodies. So, as Philip Kotler would have said, the need, want and desire are all available. Why did the product not bell the cash registers then? Multiple reasons –

•  Inconsistency in availability of the products (Missing effective supply chain)
• Premium charged on these product acts as a deterrent for customers to buy and hence they remain more talked-about than purchased products (Costs not ‘sold’(convinced) to the consumers)
• It is claimed that Indian consumers do not find the organic food palatable or fulfilling to their taste
• Skepticism about the real benefits of organic food which hinders the justification for its high cost & primary agenda of being eco-friendly

What needs to be done to establish organic products/food in the Indian market is easier said than done, especially in a 500 words blog post. But I will try to put in a macro strategy with step-by-step approach.

Reemphasizing the importance of organic food, building trust around the food category and justifying premium pricing are three major challenges for this product to settle-in.

Three levels of a Product: Applied to Organic food products

As the figure shows, the core product or benefit is good health. Actual product to achieve this core benefit is chemical or pesticide-free food products (Organic food). The Augmented product that the consumer expects is the palatable nature of the products. Hence to establish organic food in the Indian market following must be done –

Category building:

• How pesticide affected food is harming people (Negative state of consumer in absence of the marketed product)
• How Organic food is the answer to all the worries about contaminated and chemically-affected food (Positive state on acquiring the product). Females who are the influencer as well as buyers must be the TG.
• Marketing wrapped in a social message showing roping credible personalities (Activists who believe in the cause, chefs etc) and housewives.

 Market Bursting

• Targeting very tightly-focused segments which creates a special equity for the category and bran(Utilizing the 4Ps accordingly)
• This segment in turn(while traversing through the brand pyramid and reaching on top) advocates for the category as well as the product (word-of-mouth and segment-leasing tactics) (Consumer advocated branding)
• Justifying the costs by certain packaging or labeling (A small label with a sign to differentiate it from the other products) (Building brand differentiation and equity)
• Working around the researches which have showed positives of organic food products(Confidence building measures moving away from defending the stance to propagating it)

These are some of the steps that must be taken in order to rejuvenate this product category. However, as I said, the task is easier said than done and there are lot of other factors that must be considered while devising a comprehensive strategy for it to succeed. How does the fore-runners and loyalists of organic food take it forward from here, that would be interesting to watch.

 Cheers,