MxMIndia

Category: BLOGS

  • The buck truly stops at you. There are no approvals to be sought; there are no conflicting egos to be settled, says Naresh Gupta

    The Anchor: Naresh Gupta lists 10 reasons why one should go independent

    Naresh GuptaBy Naresh Gupta

     

    One of the biggest misconceptions people have is that if you work for yourself, you will get richer quicker. If money is all that drives you, then going independent can be a bad idea. Here are ten reasons for which you should go independent

     

    1.  Build something

    Everyone must build something that is your own. This is a true reflection of your ability, skill enterprise and ideas. There is no better way to self-actualization then to say, I built this. Bragging rights don’t come easy in life.

     

    2. Nurture your baby

    Every new idea needs careful nurturance. The idea is yours, so one else knows the idea better than you. This is like being a father, only you know what your child wants.

     

    3. Dream big

    Ambition knows no limits in your own set up. This is truly where your dream and your vision alone control the destiny of your enterprise. There are no approvals to be sought, no forms to fill, just you and your enterprise.

     

    4. Improve quality

    The buck truly stops at you. There are no approvals to be sought; there are no conflicting egos to be settled. You can deliver truly great work to your client, sharper and quicker. It’s amazing how layers of bureaucracy can dull the edge of even the sharpest sword.

     

    5. Connect better

    Your connections with your clients are stronger than usual. They are your clients because they like you; you are their partner because you like them. There can be no better way than this.

     

    6. Challenge yourself

    Doing a job tends to make days monotonous. You follow a routine and if follow it well you would be fairly successful. But when you run an enterprise yourself, every new day brings a new challenge to face. If you never want to do same thing twice, go independent.

     

    7. Follow your passion

    You remember those days in school when you woke up early to go to cricket coaching classes or something like that? You did it because you loved it; it even made school more fun. You wanted to get up early, even on the coldest morning. That’s something true of an independent venture. You do what you love, and you love what you do

     

    8.  Greater risk to reward ratio

    This is simple, the risk is yours, and the rewards are yours too. This does not mean that going independent is a get rich quickly scheme. It may be years before you see major financial benefits coming your way.

     

    9. No retirement planning

    Retirement plans can be put on ice. Your enterprise needs you to do the best for it as long as you can. Every day you will gain experience that will make coming days more promising. There is no point of even thinking of hanging your boots

     

    10.  Give back to society

    This is where as an independent entrepreneur you can make a small contribution. Work with the society, work with yourAlmamatter, and give back in time and effort. This one singular reason can make going independent worthwhile.

     

    Naresh Gupta is the Managing Partner at Bang in the Middle

     

  • To start with, the ad is way too noisy. This is God's own country we are talking about, so perhaps there's a mystical, tranquil, classy way to handle things

    Debrief: TOI Kerala: Much too cliche ridden

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I watched Times’s new commercial for their Kerala edition. ‘A day in the life of Kerala.’ At least that’s the way the advertiser has conceptualized it. It basically features a ‘traffic jam’ on the backwaters. And all the chaos that follows. A rambunctious Mallu folk track booms in the background.

     

    Now, I know where TOI is coming from. The strategy is correct. They are trying to communicate that they understand the culture and lifestyle of Kerala and thereby the attempt is to win hearts and minds of the locals. That’s fine. But I have some issues with the execution. While I am not a Mallu and therefore am not really in a position to comment on the likeability of the creative amongst the target audience, speaking purely as a communications professional the TVC disappoints me. Here’s why.

     

    To start with, the ad is way too noisy. This is God’s own country we are talking about, so perhaps there’s a mystical, tranquil, classy way to handle things. (Recall the stunning ads done by Kerala Tourism.) In addition, the TVC is packed with the usual Kerala cliches. Fishermen, boats, backwaters, Kathakali dancer, etc. The only prop missing is elephants. They have been replaced by roosters this time, and for that I will give the ad one extra star.

     

    Sure, I admit the locals might just like this fare. But a cliche is a cliche in any region and in any culture. And so is deafening noise.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 2. The idea is right but the execution falters.

     

  • Hollywood movies, when dubbed in Hindi or other Indian languages, reach higher number of audiences than in their original version, making them more mass, says Mansi Sapre

    The Anchor: Mansi Sapre on 5 reasons why dubbed Hollywood movies work in India

    By Mansi Sapre

     

    1. Growth in channels based on international content – movies, kids animation, infotainment, sports has seen tremendous growth in the last decade. This phenomenon is thanks to Indian audiences’ increasing exposure to, and appetite for, superior content, world class talent, international glamour, authenticity and production values far superior to most local content.

     

    2. Hollywood movies, when dubbed in Hindi or other Indian languages, reach higher number of audiences than in their original version, making them more mass. Dubbed TV channels carve out a healthy share of TV viewing from both English language channels and Hindi movie channels.

     

    3. Cultural bias against dubbed content has become passe – with Hollywood studios releasing prestigious titles in Indian languages and English channels (Infotainment/ movie channels) subtitling their content, people have accepted the need of localization of international content.

     

    4. Creative and meticulously localized dubbing – led by channels and resulting in maturity of dubbing industry has ensured quality of viewing experience without compromising on accessibility of language that dubbing brings to viewers.

     

    5. All the above has led to a strong brand identity of dubbed channels and advertiser interest in the same.

     

    Manasi Sapre is Director Programming and Acquisitions, Movie channels UTV

     

  • The biggest challenge would be to find a girl who can match Priya Tendulkar's pleasing persona and chutzpah. But it can be done

    Anil Thakraney: Bring Rajani back!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Not to be confused with the southern superstar… he hasn’t gone anywhere. Not from the movies and not from the social media jokes and forwards. I mean ‘Rajani’, that lovely television soap from the good old days, the one whose protagonist was the feisty, bubbly, ass-kicking Priya Tendulkar. I recall how, as a family, we would crowd around the B&W TV set on Sundays as Rajani went about exposing assorted social evils.

     

    For those of you who weren’t around in the mid eighties, this was a hugely popular show where Rajani, a middle class housewife, would get after dhongi babas, dowry seekers, bride burners, food adulterers and other criminals. And kick the hell out of them. But what was most engaging and entertaining about the serial was the treatment; the show was not serious at all (unlike the much hyped Satyamev Jayate). While the issues being discussed were serious, the style was humourous and very lively. This made sure we kids would enjoy the fare along with our parents. In my view, Aamir Khan’s biggest challenge is going to be to attract, and more importantly retain, Young India. But Rajani achieved that effortlessly.

     

    It’s been many years since. Sadly, Ms Tendulkar is no more. The idiot box has boomed like crazy, and now there are hundreds of channels offering a huge array of programmes. And yet, programmers are forever struggling to find stories that can cater to the whole Indian family. And a lot of trash gets produced in the process.

     

    Satyamev Jayate brought back memories of Rajani. And a thought: Why not re-create that serial? With a brand new Rajani, operating in contemporary times, and using the latest gadgets as she goes about changing the world. But treated with the same simplicity and charm of the past. I think it will be a huge crowd puller, even amongst those urban kids who are forever glued to their smart phones. And it will give the very serious Satyamev a run for its money.

     

    The biggest challenge would be to find a girl who can match Priya Tendulkar’s pleasing persona and chutzpah. But it can be done.

     

    * * *

     

    PS: Who would have ever thought a day will come when the mighty Sir Martin Sorrell would be compelled to apologise for an ad created by an agency that belongs to his own group. This pertains to the hugely controversial Argentinean propaganda film that features an Olympic hopeful exercising at the Falkland’s war memorial. The promo must have really riled the usually thick skinned ad baron for him to say sorry.

     

    Link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/falklandislands/9246301/
    Sir-Martin-Sorrell-appalled-and-embarassed-by-Falklands-propaganda-video-made-by-his-ad-group.html

     

     

  • While Aamir pocketed a few crore rupees as the nation wept on Sunday morning over the female foeticide issue, must say it's a commendable social effort, writes Anil Thakraney in Hard Knocks

    Anil Thakraney: Oprah Khan

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Some observations on Aamir’s much publicized chat show.

     

    Satyamev Jayate (SJ) reminds me of Oprah’s talk show. Ordinary people’s tear jerker stories, and all the emotions involved. It’s a good idea. Have always wondered why Ms Winfrey hasn’t inspired India so far.

     

    While Aamir pocketed a few crore rupees as the nation wept on Sunday morning over the female foeticide issue, must say it’s a commendable social effort. If SJ inspires even a few people to stop killing the girl child, all the big moolah spent on its production becomes worth it.

     

    I am not sure if the malls and the streets in the urban areas were deserted, like it used to happen on the Ramayana/Mahabharata Sundays. I did tweet to ask for clues, but didn’t get enough responses to form an accurate opinion. Even if the young gen continued with their routine stuff, who knows, as more episodes roll by, they might want to watch the show. Though I have my doubts. Sadly, I don’t think the ‘Har Ek Friend’ virtual India desires to connect with the real India. Even if Aamir is in the house.

     

    In an earlier post I have already mentioned that the simultaneous broadcast on DD is an excellent idea. So even if the metros ditch SJ, the producers are assured of reasonable TRPs.

     

    On the show itself: I like Aamir’s sincerity. He exhibits all the right expressions and makes all the right noises. Tears, concern, disappointment, shock, anger, hope… that he is a talented actor, must help. Also, happy that Aamir chose to launch his TV career with a show that matters. Very different from all the other big stars who indulge in mindless game shows. This is what makes Aamir special. Good luck to him.

     

    Most importantly, the show isn’t boring. This was the concern many had expressed once it was announced that SJ will deal with serious social issues. Aamir manages to pack in a little entertainment. A few laughs and some gana bajana too. This also helps break the tension. Having said that, one hour would have been just the right duration. 90 minutes is pushing things a bit.

     

    Also, there is an attempt to provide solutions. The show doesn’t stay at the level of discussing morbid details. That’s good. But it’s important that Aamir doesn’t forget to do the follow-ups he’s promising on air. And disappears as soon as his pay check arrives. The star is notorious for his fly-by-night activism.

     

    Lastly, Aamir kept repeating he’s not a judge, and that he would leave that activity to the courtrooms. A good lesson for all the news channel anchors who love dishing out justice to the aam junta every single evening.

     

    Net net: A promising show that can lead to some social change. Maybe only a little change, but it’s a good start all the same.

     

     

    PS: An interesting presentation on how advertising objectifies women. Should serve as an eye opener for all of us in the ad industry. Have we, in the search for higher sales, been corrupting our culture and values? Something to chew on, lots to introspect on.

     

  • I guess he wants to re-create 'appointment viewing' which Ramayana and Mahabharata used to enjoy in the late eighties/early nineties

    Anil Thakraney: Aamir wants to play God

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    In 2007 when I met Aamir Khan for an interview (Mumbai Mirror), we brought up the issue of his glaring absence from television. Every single big Bollywood hero was busy raking in big bucks from the small screen. The actor appeared quite closed to the idea of television. He said various channels keep approaching him with proposals but they don’t interest him. And added that maybe he will do TV one day when something substantial comes along.

     

    Well, that day has arrived, May 6 to be precise. When Satyamev Jayate goes on air. Aamir has pulled all stops in ensuring that the show gets a roaring opening. Mind blowing marketing budget. Loads of talent in the production team. Simultaneous broadcast on Star and DD. Dubbing in four southern languages. And lots more. Not to speak of the content itself, which going by Khan’s movies, is likely to be both, entertaining and engaging. The challenge for the Star Network would be to recover the huge costs and make some profits. Not sure how that will pan out. What makes their work even tougher is that the show will have just 13 episodes.

     

    However, what caught my attention is the slot chosen for Satyamev Jayate. 11am, Sunday. This is very interesting because it demolishes the popular definition of prime time television. Clearly this is Aamir’s brain child. Guess he wants to re-create ‘appointment viewing’ which Ramayana and Mahabharata used to enjoy in the late eighties/early nineties. This is a big gamble. UrbanIndiahas totally changed in the last two decades. In those days we in the cities had nothing much to do on Sunday mornings. Now we have shopping malls, pubs, dates, multiplexes, Facebook, Twitter and many other distractions. So appointment viewing is going to be a tall task. And this explains the team’s decision to use good ol’ Doordarshan. So that if the urban audiences ditch them, the numbers garnered through DD’s terrestrial broadcast will save the day. Smart thinking.

     

    Anyways, like many other Indians I will be glued to the TV on May 6. 11am. And will also keep looking out at the streets from my window. To check if they are deserted. Like it used to happen when the gods descended into our living rooms on those lazy Sundays.

     

    Can Aamir match the gods? That’s the billion dollar question.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Too, too brilliant for words. This is the sort of stuff naukri.com and other employment portals ought to be doing. It takes a rare advertisement for me to want to the join the ad world again. This one does.

     

  • In Freaking News, Ranjona Banerji reviews the fare in the morning papers and the nightly news. And sometimes the afternooners, the newsmags and all that's on the Web

    [MJR] Holier than thou Hindu takes on the Times


    Ranjona Banerji

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    The Hindu has published a massive “expose” on paid news in The Times of India. According to painstaking research done by veteran journalist P Sainath, the Nagpur edition in 2008 carried a special feature about how farmers in Vidarbha had benefited from using Bt cotton seeds. This went against all other evidence that it was the use of Bt cotton which had led to falling yield, depleting the land, increasing debt burden and consequently the large number of suicides in the region.

     

    The TOI team spoke to farmers who said they were making much more money than they thought and were very happy. The villagers spoken to said no one had committed suicide. The trip was sponsored by the manufacturers of the Bt cotton seed – Mahyco Monsanto Biotech. The newspaper added this as a disclaimer, maintaining however that the journalists had done their own research.

     

    According to Sainath, in 2011, the same feature was dredged up and re-printed, this time as an advertising feature – paid for by Mahyco Monsanto Biotech – and published in all editions of The Times of India except the Nagpur edition.

     

    Yet, the same villagers, when they spoke to a Parliamentary Standing Committee in March this year, Sainath points out, said that 14 people had committed suicide since Bt cotton had been introduced and that their financial plight was pitiable. The enormous amounts of money being made – as claimed in the TOI report – were untenable and were also contradicted by figures provided by Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar.

    So what do we have here? A cynical manipulation of events to help a giant corporation out of a PR disaster? Or exploitation of journalists to further the commercial interests of the newspaper? Or complete contempt for the reader and disregard for the newspaper’s credibility?

     

    I would say the worst sin is number 3. The first two lead to the third. The fact that Bt cotton has aggravated rather than alleviated farmers’ problems ought to be a fact universally acknowledged. It is also well-known that Monsanto has an extremely aggressive public relations department. Further, the government has also pushed farmers to opt for Bt cotton and thereby helped Mahyco Monsanto Biotech.

     

    However, it has to be pointed out that The Times of India is not the only practitioner of paid news. This menace is prevalent through the media, both print and television. The ways in which it is done can be subtle or brazen – here TOI seems to have opted for the latter. It is also not clear if this deal with Monsanto was limited to the Nagpur marketing department which then shared it with headquarters or whether the entire editorial team was aware of what was going on.

     

    Either way, though, both the initial report and the use of that report as an ad are highly questionable. Cynicism on the part of journalists will only make life worse for them more than anyone else.

     

    There is one more question here as well. Holding the media up for scrutiny is necessary and important. But The Hindu’s tendency to take this holier than thou line is bound to boomerang at some time. It now has to keep its house cleaner than everyone else’s.

     

    The link to Sainath’s column in The Hindu: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/sainath/article3401466.ece?homepage=true#.T6tjbKDv3XQ.email

     

  • With consumers of all ages embracing digital, the threat to traditional media is real, says Raman Kalra

    The Anchor: Raman Kalra on 5 reasons how tech is going to drive media and entertainment

    By Raman Kalra

     

    1. Always Connected

    The shift to connected devices disrupts established ecosystems and present opportunities to engage and monetize the content in very different manners. It is beyond than just being digital. Multitudes of technology platforms is fast becoming a reality providing seamless experience to the consumers.

     

    2. Target consumers based on their “digital personalities”

    Personalization of content is an ‘essential’ now to be able to garner the time and wallet share of the consumers, and thereby monetize the content. While most of the ecosystem players are yet to gear up for age based segmentation, it’s already becoming increasingly important to segment the consumers based on the individual behaviours. Social media adoption and influence is further making this element lot more critical. Media companies will have to invest lot more heavy for the Customer Relationship Management solutions.

     

    3. Substitution is real

    Fragmentation continues as consumers of all ages embrace these new experiences, substituting time spent with traditional media. With consumers of all ages embracing digital, the threat to traditional media is real and which brings with it the larger impact of the multi-billion dollar ad industry. As cannibalization percentage grows, more revenue will be at risk for broadcasting and print industries. Changing media consumption habits with time-shifting and place-shifting will further add to this challenge. Technology will bring a paradigm shift in the way audience measurements and readership surveys are carried out. This will eventually work towards a 360 degree view of the consumer behaviour.

     

    4. Cable Industry will see a big shift from B2B to B2C

    With ongoing digitization of cable industry, technology – both information technology and operational technology – will become critical to succeed in the changing B2C environment. Globally, cable & satellite companies have made their profits from VAS add-on offerings. It is vital for cable companies to start understanding this important aspect and invest in technology for organizational readiness from back end standpoint as well as in revenue generating technologies to lead the ARPU growth. Consumers are more than willing to pay more, if provided content of their interest and relevance.

     

    5. Its ‘Data’ flowing everywhere

    The media industry is increasingly driven by data, shaped in different forms including news, education, sports, entertainment, and so on, flowing in structured as well as unstructured form. Media companies would need technological solutions to be able to make the data useable to inspire customer actions such as: buy, subscribe, share, recommend, like, etc.

     

    Raman Kalra is Director & Partner, Communications Sector-Media & Entertainment, Industry Leader, IBM Global Business Services, India/South Asia

  • Aamir scores far higher on parameters of good journalism. He's anchoring the show the way it should be anchored on the news channels

    Anil Thakraney: Aamir, hope this isn’t social tourism

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I can assure you a whole lot of news channel anchors must be burning with jealousy.

    Evening after evening they raise various social issues, and nobody notices and no one cares. And of course, nothing changes. Along comes Aamir Khan, and with just one TV show, that too aired on an entertainment channel, and he’s already compelled some ministers to wake up and smell the coffee on the slaying of the girl child. What must also be making these worthies a bit embarrassed (at least I hope so!) is that Aamir scores far higher on parameters of good journalism. He’s anchoring the show the way it should be anchored on the news channels.

     

    Well, now that I have patted the superstar on the back, let’s see if he can/will make a real, long term impact. Okay, so the Rajasthan CM met him for tea and agreed to set up a fast track court (a nice photo-op), but is that the real solution? In my previous blogpost I had mentioned that Aamir must keep the follow-ups on. And not disappear, which he often does. Remember theNarmadaand the Lokpal campaigns where he dropped by, for what I call, ‘social tourism’? Well, hope he’s not playing a tourist with Satyamev Jayate.

     

    The concern is this: Come a new Sunday and the show will discuss a brand new social issue. Don’t know what it is going to be this weekend, maybe it’s domestic violence or child abuse or dowry deaths. The tears and all the drama will be back, and the new issue will become the flavour of the week in the media. Female foeticide will be all forgotten, and it will be back to routine life for everyone. Aamir MUST ensure his good work doesn’t go for waste. He must keep himself involved, even as his other projects go on. If a global star like George Clooney can sail the two boats of commerce and social activism effortlessly, so can Aamir. If the issues remain at the level of a Sunday TV show, I am afraid nothing will change on the ground. The janta’s ancient beliefs and customs are too deep-rooted to be wished away by a chat show discussion.

     

    Do it, Aamir. You have the star power, the fan following, the charisma, the intelligence and the clout to make a real difference. Don’t blow this opportunity away.

     

    * * *

     

    PS: Public awareness campaigns need not be boring. Here’s a foundation set up to spread awareness about HIV. And they have developed funky merchandise items to keep people informed and entertained at the same time. Good work.

     

    Link: http://www.thukralandtagra.com/foundation/

  • Work on an intelligent, creative and smart campaign without reading too much into youth behaviour because reality is that one will never ever be able to understand how these mindsets function, says Samyak Chakrabarty

    The Anchor: 5 Reasons why Brands get it wrong with the Youth

    By Samyak Chakrabarty

     

    1. Boxing youth into strict definitions

    In a country as diverse asIndia, one cannot define our youth or predict consumption behaviour by merely categorizing them under conventional economic segmentation or geographies. Our youth is continuously evolving, especially those born after 1988 are still caught in a transitional phase from and into very different eras. It can never be obvious what a SEC A+ 20 year old male inNew Delhiwill purchase just by looking at the size of his wallet or the kind of college he studies in !

     

    2. Youth don’t wake up thinking about brands

    Just because your brand ambassador maybe Ranbir Kapoor or your communication is ‘cool’ (I hate it when brand managers say this!), one can’t take it for granted that youngsters will always have your brand on their top of mind or will purchase your product. Today, we are more conscious and calculative about what we consume, hence substance is equally as important as packaging. Second, to build loyalty with this generation, the brand has to be equally loyal to them!

     

    3. Digital is the holy grail

    There was a time when brand managers would pull out their hair trying to figure how to engage youth sustainably. Soon enough,Silicon Valleyanswered their prayers and there landed from ‘the cloud’ Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. But unfortunately, brands take it for granted that just because they are on social media or rather have a million likes/views, theirs is a ‘cool youth brand’. This is not true, these days we ‘view’, ‘like’ or ‘tweet’ about anything and everything that comes into our online space – it has become a function of habit. These numbers cannot be used to measure brand engagement/conversions in pure statistical terms. Just because your brand is now digital, it is not young.

     

    4. Trying to measure word of mouth

    Indiais perhaps the only country in the world where brand managers ask for a ‘measurement matrix’ for world of mouth campaigns conducted in colleges. I guess they like to show off to their bosses how much they know and meticulous they are. How can one ever measure, record or contain conversations that happen offline? And just because therefore there is no direct ‘ROI’, youth brands in India refuse to run simple WOM campaigns, even though in fact, if rightly administered and structured, the investment can be more profitable then all digital spends put together since most purchases/brand decisions happen through peer references that take place in conversations over chai in the canteen or a beer in the pub – NOT on Facebook.

     

    5. Today’s Youth is an alien species

    To my final point, brands look at ‘youth’ as a totally alien species, which they are trying to figure and due to that very attitude, all the numbers, insights and ideas start not making sense. I, myself, have written above that those born after 1988 are indeed a totally different than their predecessors but that doesn’t mean that we overcomplicate and give too much importance to the way they think, eat, drink and surf! I guess the simplest thing to do is work on an intelligent, creative and smart campaign without reading too much into youth behaviour because reality is that one will never ever be able to understand how these mindsets function since there is no one point where this transition will end.

     

    Samyak Chakrabarty is Chief Youth Marketer, DDB Mudra Max

     

  • Because Satyamev’s content is highly sensational and extremely disturbing, audiences are unlikely to be receptive to the idea of pure commerce in that moment

    Anil Thakraney: Is Satyamev benefiting advertisers?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Okay, so this is the third time in a row I am discussing Satyamev Jayate. What to do? It’s caught the nation’s imagination, and the show is a total path-breaker. We still have to wait to find the overall TVRs SJ delivers, so its commercial success we don’t know of yet. However, this time I want to bring up the issue of the benefit the show brings to all the brands that advertise on SJ. Does it really work to their advantage?

     

    Here’s a thought: Because Satyamev’s content is highly sensational and extremely disturbing, audiences are unlikely to be receptive to the idea of pure commerce in that moment. I haven’t conducted any market survey to suggest this (and perhaps someone should!) but my own observations tell me that audiences get busy debating the content and the points raised in a particular segment during the ad breaks. In addition, I wonder how many people actually like watching ads in the midst of grim discussions on subjects like female infanticide and child sex abuse. I don’t know exactly how much a spot costs on the programme (though I suspect it’s a lot of money), but is that spend really worth it? Something to think about. By the way, this is one of the reasons some news channels pull all advertising during the coverage of a tragedy. People are in no mood to be sold something at that point of time.

     

    Another thing: What’s most galling is that underwear, baniyan and other such floozy products are being advertised on this show. Shouldn’t these brand managers restrict their choice to a floozy tournament like the IPL? Whatever be the popularity of the programme, does the SJ format work for ALL brands? Should just numbers and hype be used to arrive at media scheduling? Or, this could be happening because the media planner has been killed by the industry. And media space and time is being sold like kanda batata. There’s no one around to tell the brand manager if the content of the show would help the brand in any way.

     

    Would be very interesting if there’s a formal study conducted on this subject.

     

    * * *

     

    PS: A fantastic public service campaign from the UK on how to stop domestic violence. With a simple phone call to the police when the horrifying sounds of violence are heard. But what got me interested even more is that the campaign is being run entirely on radio and very effectively too. A nice lesson for all those copywriters struggling with this wonderful medium.

     

    A word of caution: The ads are embedded in the article. And they are VERY disturbing. So listen to them only if you have the capacity to handle such spine chilling stuff.

     

    Link: http://www.womensaid.org.uk/page.asp? section=0001000100100021&sectionTitle=Call+to+Make+it+Stop+radio+campaign