MxMIndia

Category: BLOGS

  • Complete madness carries on in desi candy advertising. The latest uproarious comedy has been churned out by the makers of Center Fruit

    Debrief: Center Fruit: Full-on masti

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    And so, complete madness carries on in desi candy advertising. The latest uproarious comedy has been churned out by the makers of Center Fruit. The promise is totally wild: The desire for Center Fruit will make your tongue rock and roll in the mouth. Creating a bizarre sound effect. ‘Laplapana’ is the word they’ve coined for this action, and am certain it’s not from the dictionary.

     

    The TVC is set at a tourist spot. A firangi couple is harassed by the local guides (as it often happens in India), as these jokers pitch their services. One smart dude comes along, impresses the firangs with his ‘laplapana’ trick, and wins the business. The commercial is insane, it’s difficult to even describe it, best you hit the link below! As an aside, I wonder how the creative team presented this idea to the client. The meeting itself must have been wild.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RncqBF5NjDs[/youtube]

    Well, what can one say, there’s absolutely no logic at play out here. All I can say is, this sort of outlandish advertising is perfect for a time pass candy. It will evoke some chuckles and (hopefully) some recall at the retail outlet. That’s all one can do in this category.

     

    PS: I do hope this offensive ‘laplapana’ sound doesn’t catch on, and some deranged buggers don’t do it in my presence. They’ll get some serious tongue lashing from moi! 🙂

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 3. Insane stuff, and it works.

     

  • This is the digital space… fast, evolving, driven by the masses, if it's good it will sell online, writes Chhaya Balachandran Aiyer

    The Anchor: 5 Emerging Trends In Digital Media

    By Chhaya Balachandran Aiyer

     

    Funny that what is emerging today can become passe in couple of years, if not less. But that’s the digital space… fast, evolving, driven by the masses, if it’s good it will sell online. So if you had to look at the near future, and that’s just planning for the one year ahead, then here are 5 things that seem to be quietly brewing in the various nooks and corners of the wireless world – the Internet.

     

    #1 Mobile Internet: Don’t underestimate the power of mobile internet.  The number of people accessing the web on their phones is much more than those accessing via desktops/laptops. Mobile is very quickly but surely changing data consumption, infotainment, social connectivity. http://blog.bcwebwise.com/2012/06/08/web-internet-and-mobile-internet-usage-statistics-india-2011/.

     

    #2 Social is Going Visual: There is a lot of visual content out there, with the exception of twitter and LinkedIn where the visuals are yet to come of age primarly given the interfaces of these networks. Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest… its all about visual content that is getting shared  — images, videos — impressive compelling content that is engaging. Everyone is sharing and adding their viewpoint to these visual treats. Brands out there need to build their visual content quickly and smartly understanding that branded content will not be shared.

     

    #3 Digital AdSpends Unleashed: Even as a few homegrown giants have recognized the power of the digital media, and are slowly and surely increasing digital spends, most multinational players have mandates from their global headquarters to go digital. Indian arms are being questioned why their digital spends are less than 1 per cent of total ad spends. And CMOs are being forced to get involved in learning the digital ropes and diving deep into the digital waters themselves.

     

    #4 Digital Workshops: How can one increase spends when there is little knowledge to cope with the medium. Digital workshops within large MNCs are the order of the day. Indian corporations should ideally take a lesson or two and get their top line marketing and sales people, the decision makers to hone their digital acumen.

     

    #5 TV v/s Digital – Push v/s Pull : For the fence sitters still smug about TV reach v/s Digital reach – think about the 80:20 rule. That 20 which is the cream of your business is on the web, and they never were much influenced by TV advertising and even more so today. They are researching online, no matter where they are buying products from. It is all about peer to peer recommendation, perception, and information you have put out about your brand online, and how quickly you can respond to individual customers.

     

    Chhaya Balachandran Aiyer is Founder-MD at BC Web Wise Pvt. Ltd

     

  • Key points to remember which cash in on radio’s immediacy and appeal, from Rochak Kohli

    The Anchor: 5 ways a radio station can attract more listeners

    By Rochak Kohli

     

    #1 Be Here And Now – Topicality is the key to listenership. Radio is a here-and-now medium and one must stay true to its basic nature.

     

    #2 Entertain – Radio should act as best friend to the listeners. Entertainment doesn’t mean being frivolous… Radio should be meaningful entertainment. It should inspire listeners.

     

    #3 Utility Heavy – Regular utilities make listeners habituated to your station. They match their clocks with you, follow the roads as you say. Utilities are the easiest way of making radio part of the listener’s lives.

     

    #4 Interact – Listeners always feel special when they hear their voice on the radio. They feel heard, and believe that they are also a part of the system. An opinion, a dedication, a debate will make them stay tuned.

     

    #5 Innovate Constantly – Innovation always helps you remain fresh. It’s simpler to innovate in radio, as execution of an idea is instant. New benchmarks, surprise songs and new formats will make you the favourite.

     

    Rochak Kohli is AVP Programming at 92.7 BIG FM.

     

  • The act of WaPo journalist picking up "lovely" Caravan magazine quotes without a 'courtesy', was worse than Fareed Zakaria's transgression, writes Ranjona Banerji

    Ranjona Banerji: Denyer’s unfair and ‘lovely’ act

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    The right of the Washington Post and its journalist Simon Denyer to say what they want about Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh is undeniable. And equally undeniably, the government is wrong in trying to either demand an apology or even get publicly petulant about criticism.

     

    However, it now turns out that Denyer had used quotes by Ramachandra Guha and Sanjay Baru which had been given and appeared in Caravan magazine. Denyer was asked by firstpost.com about this lack of clarity over where the quotes came from. Denyer said he had an email exchange with Baru about his quotes in Caravan and later spoke to him: “Then I raised the Caravan quotes which I thought were lovely and asked him if he could freshen them up.

     

    He said I could use the quotes but gave me his mobile number in case I wanted to talk.

     

    From the Washington Post
    “Correction:

    An earlier version of this article failed to credit the Caravan, an Indian magazine, for two statements that it originally published in 2011. The assertion by Sanjaya Baru, a former media adviser, that Singh had become an object of ridicule and endured the worst period in his life first appeared in the Caravan, as did an assertion by Ramachandra Guha, a political historian, that Singh was handicapped by his “timidity, complacency and intellectual dishonesty.” While both men told The Post that the assertions could accurately be attributed to them, the article should have credited the Caravan when it used or paraphrased the remarks.”

     

    I called him up. We chatted about the PM’s record. He said the first half of the PM’s second term was a “disaster” and “completely wasted.” He also said PM “could have made use of the opportunity he got in 2009. He chose not to.”

     

    It is hard to understand why, having already “chatted” with Baru, Denyer needed to use the Caravan quotes at all. He could have asked Baru for fresh quotes, which he already seems to have. Even if he thought that the Caravan quotes were “lovely”, that’s to Caravan’s credit.

     

    All possible explanations do not do Denyer much credit. Caravan is a small Indian magazine – maybe he thought no one really reads it and certainly not in the US. Or that Baru and Guha were unwilling to provide similar “lovely” and juicy quotes to him – although it is hard to understand why. The Caravan interviews were in 2011. The UPA’s plight has significantly worsened in 2012.

     

    A simple act of courtesy would have been to credit Caravan for the quotes. A correction (at the end of this article) has since been appended to the story on the Washington Post website.

     

    It is interesting to compare this case with the Fareed Zakaria one. Zakaria was suspended for a month when it was revealed that he used data from an article in his blog, passing it off as his own or without crediting the writer. Zakaria picked up a few facts and did not change the language or order in which they appeared, which is what gave him away.

     

    His transgression was far less serious than Denyer’s and yet he had to face suspension from Time magazine and CNN. He made an immediate apology.

     

    The Government of India appears to be more than happy to try and curb and curtail the media in any way possible. Instances like this will only make their resolve stronger, even though the Washington Post’s transgressions are to do with media ethics and courtesy and do not take away from the media’s right to freedom of expression.

     

    There is a lesson here for all journalists, young and old, who like to take shortcuts in the way they do their stories or get their information.

     

     

     

  • I am all for some wild action in this low-involvement product category. We usually leave the choice of the plywood to the carpenter, and a disruptive ad is needed to break the end-consumer apathy

    Debrief: Centuryply: Beastly tale!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The makers of Centuryply have decided that boring is pointless in the plywood category. It’s time for some fun. And to do the honours, they have hired the services of… not a celebrity… a gorilla!

     

    The TVC features a man being chased all over his house by a very angry gorilla. The chap finally hides inside a cupboard, and the frustrated gorilla isn’t able to smash it. We soon discover the beast is actually his wifey, who’s livid that the cad has forgotten all about their marriage anniversary.

     

    Well, I am all for some wild action in this low-involvement product category. We usually leave the choice of the plywood to the carpenter, and a disruptive ad is needed to break the end-consumer apathy. Also, even if the Centuryply guys don’t admit to it, Greenply’s zany ads must have inspired them. The latter has shown the way for the rest.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATOwSep_B0k[/youtube]

    However, the problem with this execution is that the gorilla, while it demonstrates physical toughness, takes away from the anti-termite narrative. While this does get mentioned in the voice-over, all the sound and fury in the TVC drowns it out. I think for plywood, threat of termites is an important story. And since Greenply hasn’t taken this positioning overtly, Centuryply could have made it their own, albeit without diluting the madness.

     

    So while the intent is correct, the positioning needs to get more focused.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 2.5. Entertaining, but needs strategic direction.

     

  • Being seen reading a daily is still considered a more civilized habit than watching a news channel, writes A S Raghunath

    The Anchor: A S Raghunath on 5 reasons why print media is still relevant in India

    By A S Raghunath

     

    Aam Admi in India is not a global citizen who has easy access to information that empowers him. Imagine him to be from Jhumri Talaiya and India’s best of GDP is coming from those roots.

     

    1. Print in India is an uncomplicated means of individual empowerment. The more the information is on common man’s personal life’s issues, the more empowered he becomes. Print is local, hence it is a tangible means of his empowerment. My aam admi is also as local as the muffasil reporter, whose reports he daily reads, is. Both of them take good care of each other’s empowerment. TV news on the other hand can rattle the Parliament and the nation but it cannot move the individual life of a common person, unless he has fallen in a deep pit or is self-immolating!

     

    2. Despite the fraternity’s doom prediction for the print media in India, our own 21 newspapers brands have made it to the Top 100 global list [basis circulation], according to a WAN list. Of this, five are in English, Six in Hindi, two in Tamil, Two Malayalee, one Gujarati, two Telugu and one Bengali Newspaper. If world newsprint demand forecast is any indicator for the global growth area for the print media, while North America, Europe may have been on sharp decline, but Latin America, South Africa, Australia and Asia are on ever-rise. Asia’s consumption base, which is larger than most continents, the newsprint consumption is up by 13 per cent and is on ever-rise.

     

    3. The pulp version of his news and information delivery is within easy reach of a common man. It costs him less than a cup of coffee, it is also door-delivered to him every morning and the subscriber is entitled to get the entire month’s supply on credit! No advance payment is ever demanded. Moreover, to keep him engaged in reading, media houses also reward him! Does this happen with any other media options in India?

     

    4. If printed news is the first need in the enlightened mankind’s mornings in India, this is also the first luxury that a ordinary man affords himself as he moves up the ladder of social status. Print is also aspirational. Being seen reading a daily in the morning is still considered a more civilized habit than sitting in front of a TV and watching a news channel that hardly allows you to digest anything. An argumentative Indian is best served by reading a topic in the morning on which TV anchors debated last night with eight highly opinioned panelists, whose banters left him completely confused. My common man’s Random Access Memory works faster when he reads and stores it in his hard disk!

     

    5. Take a look at the forces that drive country’s GDP today. The consumer power has shifted base to the more aspiring people residing on the country side. And they are the ones who are ringing in the cash registers for all product categories across the board. Mobiles, durable goods and the other FMCG products categories are finding newer consumers with enhanced consuming frequencies. And print is poised to move in that direction to reaping the newer growth. Advertising revenue stream therefore has to follow where the consumer is and not where the advertising fraternity is headquartered!

     

    William Powers, the author of Hamlet’s Blackberry had said, ‘Paper is the most successful communications innovation of the last 2000 years, the one that has lasted the longest and had the profoundest effect on civilization. About his book he said, ‘Hamlet’s Blackberry is not about circulation or ad revenues not even about journalism or strictly speaking, about newspapers! It’s about the material that newspapers are printed on – Paper’. On the question of future of newspapers, he had said, ‘It seems to me that the question of whether newspapers have a future is related, in a very related deep way, to whether the paper itself has a future!’

     

    The pulp occupies mankind’s mind and heart space. Be it crisp hard currency that gives you supreme confidence or legal papers that affords you security. Or be it a tiny booklet called passport that allows you access as Global citizens, or even the hard copy of your appointment letter that makes you feel more secured in an era of pink slips. Or that neatly folded bundle of joy that you eagerly await every morning for your Random Access Memory’s fill. Pulp and Newspaper are here to stay, dominating your mind space even as you read this on your tablet or computer screen!

     

    A S Raghunath is a senior print media brand consultant based in New Delhi NCR.

     

     

  • While I agree that charges of sedition are misplaced in this case, it is equally true that Trivedi needs to face the music

    Anil Thakraney: Criticise. Don’t piss

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    And we are back to debating that same old contentious issue: Freedom of speech. This time it’s been triggered by a young cartoonist who decided to have some cheap fun. And Trivedi has got what he obviously wanted: Attention and free publicity.

     

    No, I am not supporting the fellow. While I agree that charges of sedition are misplaced in this case (and are likely to be dropped due to the brouhaha in the media), it is equally true that Trivedi needs to face the music. Yes, I am totally fine with freedom of expression as guaranteed in the Constitution, and am all for criticism and negativity (I thrive on it myself!). But I have no time for people who piss on symbols/emblems that are sacred to the nation. Because, aside from generating some publicity for the creators, they bring about no change at all… in fact, they make many of us cringe with disgust.

     

    Writers and cartoonists must understand that while it’s kosher to lampoon netas and their political parties, it’s not cool to trash the nation itself. India is a great country, it was founded on the correct principles, it is indeed the microcosm of all the good things the world has to offer. It is the unworthy leaders of post-independence India who have consistently damaged the idea of India, and it is THEY who deserve our scorn. Not the nation itself.

     

    In that context, I am all for Trivedi being punished a bit. So that the right lesson goes out to all attention-seeking mischief mongers. RK Laxman made us smile/angry/sad with his satirical cartoons on politicians, but not once in all those years did he cause offence. Young cartoonists like Trivedi must learn something from him.

     

    Having said the above, the one good thing that must emerge from this controversy is that the law of sedition needs to be redefined and amended. It must be reserved for those who provoke violence and hatred in the country.  Cartoonists with ‘g&%d mein kida’ must be made exempt from this charge. Ironically speaking, it’s too big an honour for them!

     

    ***

     

    PS: Noticed this at a shop in London. Free mineral water when you buy a newspaper! An example of the intense pressure to survive that newspapers find themselves under, in the Western world. One fine day this is going to happen in India as well. Proprietors will have to offer condoms and papads to entice us into buying their akbaars. Sad.

     

     

     

     

  • The Anchor: 4 reasons why digital media’s mergers and acquisitions are a good sign

    By Rammohan Sundaram

     

    #1 It is a sign that the market has matured:

    It shows that India as a market has matured. All these agencies which have been acquired are at least 10 years old and these are the people who have done all the hard work – whether it is Communicate2 which was acquired by Aegis Media or Hungama Digital acquired by JWT, etc. It’s a natural progression and these are things which happen when businesses are scaling up.

     

    #2 Large agencies bring large clients:

    When large agencies acquire a standalone agency, it comes with large clients and as a result, it helps the standalone agency maintain continuity in the business, especially for clients attached to the agency that they have been associated with over the last several years.

     

    #3 Standalone agencies are allowed to retain vision:

    It is important for continuity in the business, and there is no reason why the standalone agency needs to change post-acquisition. While operational and financial processes will inevitably change, how you run your business usually doesn’t. This is so that there is a continuity of the vision that first started the standalone agency and has ensured the continuation of its growth.

     

    #4 Brings more talent to the agency:

    The companies which are successful today are those that have got tremendous talent. In order to build talent, loyalty and attrition rates which are lower than any other competitor is the key to success for an advertising agency in the business today. This is what most of these agencies have managed to do and that’s the differentiator.

     

    Rammohan Sundaram is CEO and MD, NetworkPlay Media Pvt. Ltd

     

  • How does a vibrating chip relate to the Polo and the Vento? I really hope the cars don't vibrate while being driven, that would be quite alarming!

    Debrief: Volkswagen’s senseless ‘innovation’

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Volkswagen celebrated 9/11 with ‘shock and awe’. No, they didn’t drive their zippy cars into buildings, they did something even more spectacular: Stick a vibrator on the last page of certain newspapers, as the message read: ‘Feel the shiver of excitement?’. If this provided some, ahem, excitement to the female readers, that was short-lived; the gizmo was a cheap chip that vibrated the entire newspaper… this is Volkswagen’s method of showing us that they are an innovative company.

     

    Well, Volkswagen has fooled around with newspapers with their wild ideas on previous occasions too, so this was nothing new. Clearly, their strategy, much like that desperate cartoonist called Trivedi, is to get attention at all costs (and for Volkswagen, the cost of these tricks must be phenomenal). So, yes, the idea worked, people hotly discussed the vibrator in the social media.

     

    However, I would urge Volkswagen to try and put out ideas that connect with their cars. How does a vibrating chip relate to the Polo and the Vento? I really hope the cars don’t vibrate while being driven, that would be quite alarming! So this is trickery for the sake of trickery. And that’s not very smart thinking.

     

    Also, must tell you, I had to purchase the TOI from the street vendor after I heard about the vibrating newspaper. And this is because my own copy arrived all soggy and wet (9/11 was a very rainy morn in Mumbai), water had seeped into the contraption and it had gone kaput! Again, hope that sort of stuff doesn’t happen to Volkswagen’s gaadis in the monsoons, hehe.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 1. Silly, costly, irrelevant ‘innovation’.

     

  • The mobile, as a handheld device, is a lot more personal and contextual. Advertising on this medium thus cannot be the same as on the internet

    The Anchor: 4 challenges hampering mobile advtg growth

    By Narasimha Suresh

     

    #1 The mobile, as a handheld device, is a lot more personal and contextual. Advertising on this medium thus cannot be the same as on the internet. A promotional ad that is sent to a handheld device can excite. But if it does not, it can create more harm to the brand. Thus, contextual and relevant marketing is missing, and this is the foremost challenge.

     

    #2 The current inventory and mechanism available does not address the advertising issue for mobiles. The banner advertising or SMS might not be relevant at all times. There are clearly not too many options that are available or that an advertiser can leverage.

     

    #3 Brand marketers do not know how to measure the impact of mobile advertising. Advertisers need to engage consumer not only through content but also through context. The mobile advertisement should not be a push, but pull consumers. Since this is all about advertising on handheld devices, the advertising needs to target the person there and then. If a person is checking out a product, the offer or advertisement about the product or category should reach them immediately.

     

    #4 There exists an ecosystem problem as well. The penetration of 3G and smartphones is still limited. If 3G spectrum is present, the network is too slow. Smartphones are priced highly, and thus limit the reach.

     

    Narasimha Suresh is CEO and Founder of TELiBrahma.

     

  • To begin with, it is the developers who went to court, it is they who should be paying the penalties on late VAT payment. Why are the developers being allowed to pass this burden on to flat owners?

    Anil Thakraney: Flat buyer ki VAT lag gayi!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    One industry that rarely gets attention in the media is the real estate sector. And that is strange, it should be under the scanner all the time. In nexus with dirty politicians, certain developers have not only usurped public land, they have directly contributed to promoting massive corruption in the country.

     

    Developers are in the news these days (for the wrong reasons, of course), because the Maharashtra government is all set to levy VAT on properties purchased between the years 2006 and 2010. The developers’ association went to court against this order, but they lost the case in the High Court, though the final verdict has still to arrive from the SC.

     

    When I first read about this news, I almost collapsed from a heart attack. Imagine a middle class aadmi being suddenly ordered to cough up lakhs of rupees for no fault of his. (I bought my house in the year 2008.) Later when I discovered that the VAT is only applicable on properties purchased in under-construction projects, I shrieked hysterically with joy, as I don’t fall in that unlucky category. But thousands of residents who do, will now suffer. Simply because the developers are merrily passing on the VAT burden and the late penalties onto the flat owners.

     

    Where is the justice in this? To begin with, it is the developers who went to court, it is they who should be paying the penalties on late VAT payment. The residents had no fricking clue about this! So then why are the developers being allowed to pass this burden on to flat owners? Secondly, many developers hid the clause of the possible VAT payment from the buyers, while selling the flats. So why must the latter suffer today because of this deliberate omission of fact? To give you an example: If the developer had said to me at the time of booking the flat, ‘Dude, the total cost is Rs 75 lakhs, but you may have to shell out another five lakh rupees because of VAT’, I might have backed out of the deal altogether. But this wasn’t communicated to me.

     

    So, as usual, the poor consumer will suffer. The developers and the state government will both, as usual, laugh all the way to the bank (or wherever else they keep the loot). I really think the mass media and the business press needs to keep a sharper eye on the goings-on in the glittering world of real estate business. I am actually looking out for many sting operations to happen.

     

    ***

    PS:  Seems like Volkswagen’s ‘vibrating’ innovation has landed the company in a bit of bother. Someone from Volkswagen posted a highly sexist and offensive tweet, obviously miffed at all the negative comments in the social media. And then they quickly deleted the said tweet, but it was too late, the damage had been done. So who’s the one shivering now? Hit the link for details on the sexist tweet.

     

    http://lighthouseinsights.in/volkswagen-india-twitter-fail-story.html

     

  • The days of treating digital as a postscript are far behind. Here's how to play it in the new age

    The Anchor: 5 things clients should keep in mind when engaging a digital agency

    By Kushal Sanghvi

     

    #1 Treatment – The digital agency should be treated on par with traditional media. In today’s age, digital is as important as any other media and is a must. The client should realize that digital should be part of their media plan.

     

    #2 Not a mere lead-generator – Digital today should not be a medium to just generate leads or a sales channel. It’s not a channel to get databases. You can get those from various CRM channels. The medium is a necessity today and should be looked at in a different light.

     

    #3 Creativity in digital – It is not about putting a print ad or a TV ad on the digital medium. The digital agency should have the capability to come out with solutions that is unique to the medium and perhaps can be adapted and amplified to traditional medium as well. It is about co-creating creative messages especially on the digital which can then be taken forward.

     

    #4 Respect – The clients should be open to see the changes that the medium is doing in other parts of the world. There has to be a wider view of the medium and the willingness to explore the medium to its maximum. This also would mean that they should have respect for the digital agency and their capability.

     

    #5 Budget allocation – Clients should make budget allocations for the digital medium at the very outset when doing their media plan. Digital is a part of the 360-degree communication offering and should not be seen as an afterthought.

     

    Kushal Sanghvi is the CEO of Span Digital