Cadbury India launched a premium chocolate - Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk recently - its got 2 advertisements on air right now aside from some below the line stuff. Cadbury believes that the Indian consumer likes the international Silk chocolate style - hence. Their stated objective being to highlight the whole experience of eating chocolate with childlike innocence and unabashed joy - its does a pretty good job.
But just as an ad film, i really loved it, especially the one where the chocolate wins over the wife. Charming is the one word that came to my mind instantly - the message is so evident while not being over the top, as its is so easy for most impulse brands.In many ways the advertisement is very much Vinil Matthew's style (Foot Candles Production - others being multiple Airtel films, Bank of India) -the warm, empathetic treatment which captures soft emotions in a very powerful yet characteristically understated way. The film has everything coming together - the mood, the music, the expressions.
The only question i do have on the campaign is - the whole Idea of "have you felt silk lately?" somehow that takes me in a direction which is slightly typical of the way sinful (as in chocolate sinful) is usually treated.. and somehow it does not capture the charm or the irresistibility which comes through in the film.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Advertainment - Dreaming in Mono
Thats the new, actually now not so new, campaign launched by McDonalds's of the Nordic Region. At a very base level is an episodic advertisement for the brand, wrapped in a story to get the audience interest.(You can catch the campaign at http://www.dreaminginmono.com/ since i may not do full justice to it.) But it ends up being much more - its almost like permission marketing** - its a non intrusive way to connect with its increasingly young audience - who are spoilt for choice and have scarce loyalty to offer any brand.
What i loved about the campaign was how it seamlessly integrated the brand, whilst not obviously marketing it - and hence builds a connection in a very subtle but enduring way. Also, if you compare this with the advertising thats on in India right now - they are in the same space,which is a challenge for most global brands. (The idea takes root in the lives of many consumers who visit McDonald's everyday - and here they share their dreams, their stories, so its about focusing on this time or these exchanges rather than really the product itself) The campaign is truly trans-media as they say, being harnessed on the Internet - on television on all popular social marketing sites - there are ipod apps,music videos, consumer contests the works.
I was curious though to find out, how easy it was do convince the Marketing Dept. to go through with this idea, its a lot of marketing dollars without obvious branding.
**Permission Marketing is a term coined by Seth Godin, the borrowed definition is - marketing for consumers who have opted in.
What i loved about the campaign was how it seamlessly integrated the brand, whilst not obviously marketing it - and hence builds a connection in a very subtle but enduring way. Also, if you compare this with the advertising thats on in India right now - they are in the same space,which is a challenge for most global brands. (The idea takes root in the lives of many consumers who visit McDonald's everyday - and here they share their dreams, their stories, so its about focusing on this time or these exchanges rather than really the product itself) The campaign is truly trans-media as they say, being harnessed on the Internet - on television on all popular social marketing sites - there are ipod apps,music videos, consumer contests the works.
I was curious though to find out, how easy it was do convince the Marketing Dept. to go through with this idea, its a lot of marketing dollars without obvious branding.
**Permission Marketing is a term coined by Seth Godin, the borrowed definition is - marketing for consumers who have opted in.
Where to?
Alice: Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?
The Cat: That depends a good deal on where you want to get to
Alice: I don't much care where.
The Cat: Then it doesn't much matter which way you go.
Alice: …so long as I get somewhere.
The Cat: Oh, you're sure to do that, if only you walk long enough.
I simply love this exchange from Alice in Wonderland - and i also think its so true about organisations - especially large ones. They are like democracies in many ways - everyone is responsible and hence often no one is. For all the bright minds in great companies - so few really have a vision - a destination they want to take their organisations too, their brands too, their businesses to. Except for a very select coterie at the top, no one is actively creating a future - they are participating in the here and now, in the short term.
What really happens then, in the long run - even to those large organisations which are supposedly great? The few on the top cant possibly be doing the thinking for every small sect - and so the momentum gets lost.. and what happens in the long run then - my guess is they cease to be great - and are left to being average, mediocre companies.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Brand You
Whats not a brand - is a commodity. That's not how most of us want to be seen in our organisations - we want to be known for who we are, the work we have done - recognised. Maybe that means we need to invest in our personal brand as well.
If we were doing a campaign for a brand - we would we talking about making advertisements, employing publicity generating tools, doing what it takes to be better than competition, aggressively getting trials in the consumer base. Without belaboring the point - each of us has opportunities to do that in the workplace. But somehow the marketing philosophy changes when it comes to ourselves.. we just want to miraculously be discovered. Suddenly a lot of people begin to say - let my work speak for me, let me not go out and promote myself aggressively. it's really the equivalent of launching a product, placing it on the shelf and expecting the rest to just happen.
On the contrary there is a set of people who apply the principles of marketing to themselves - these are the people we see confidently showcasing their work, not missing an opportunity to make and impression on the organisational consumers that matter, warding off competitive pressures. We all have such mates around us, they are not typically high on popularity charts - but maybe they are more successful marketeers. And the ones who have dominant market share.
If we were doing a campaign for a brand - we would we talking about making advertisements, employing publicity generating tools, doing what it takes to be better than competition, aggressively getting trials in the consumer base. Without belaboring the point - each of us has opportunities to do that in the workplace. But somehow the marketing philosophy changes when it comes to ourselves.. we just want to miraculously be discovered. Suddenly a lot of people begin to say - let my work speak for me, let me not go out and promote myself aggressively. it's really the equivalent of launching a product, placing it on the shelf and expecting the rest to just happen.
On the contrary there is a set of people who apply the principles of marketing to themselves - these are the people we see confidently showcasing their work, not missing an opportunity to make and impression on the organisational consumers that matter, warding off competitive pressures. We all have such mates around us, they are not typically high on popularity charts - but maybe they are more successful marketeers. And the ones who have dominant market share.
The Beginning
Actually i have thought about this forever. Really. Kept trying to look for blogs that would discuss the Indian advertising and marketing scene - did find some, but was not completely satisfied...but knew that i would make a boring writer - and so cant be the one starting the conversation. No - that's not changed, but somehow couple of days back i thought, what the hell, does not matter if no one reads it, at least i will get my say! so what if no one is listening.
So that's the short genesis of this blog.. i do think on occasion i will ramble about how life's been so unfair to me and some general musings - but mostly i expect to post my two-pence on brand campaigns (yeah, even i am uncomfortable about how grand it sounds! - but cant think of a better way to put it!)
So that's the short genesis of this blog.. i do think on occasion i will ramble about how life's been so unfair to me and some general musings - but mostly i expect to post my two-pence on brand campaigns (yeah, even i am uncomfortable about how grand it sounds! - but cant think of a better way to put it!)
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