MxMIndia

Category: BLOGS

  • Havells, which usually does funny or caring ads, has decided to jump onto the public service bandwagon for their new wires commercial. And they have failed to generate any electricity

    Debrief: Havells Wires: Creative spark missing

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Okay, so Havells, which usually does funny or caring ads, has decided to jump onto the public service bandwagon for their new wires commercial. And they have failed to generate any electricity.

     

    The TVC features a living room, with a dad and his little kid watching a Hindi news channel. A neta is seen ranting about the various burning problems facing the nation. Hatred, corruption, unemployment, etc. The same garbage that’s dished out to us during TV dinners. The maha bored kid gets a brainwave. He wraps the national flag around a ‘fire-proof’ Havells wire and proudly presents it to his impressed daddy. The nation is saved from ‘fire’!

     

    Now, I am quite aware what the Havells team is trying to do out here, and their intention is noble. Which is to ensure that a low-involvement product gets quickly noticed through smart alec advertising. However, this particular treatment lacks fire. For one, the association of the Indian flag wrapped around the wire with the efficacy of the wire is tenuous. It took me some exposures to comprehend what was going on. Then, using ‘burning’ national issues as a metaphor for fire protection is a bit childish, to say the least. I hate silly puns anyway. Puns are usually used by writers when an idea is missing. Lastly, I am quite tired of the precocious child thingy, it’s getting on my nerves.

     

    Yup, this commercial is basically burnt-out creative work.

     

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

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 1. Stupid pun. Forced association.

     

  • Anchor | One Big Idea by Arvind Sharma: Turning a story into two-way communication

    By Arvind Sharma, Chairman & CEO, Indian Subcontinent, Leo Burnett India

     

    Television dominance led to the creation of the term ‘brand story’ because that is what TV does best – tell stories. A story by its nature is a one-way communication. There is one story-teller and many listeners.

     

    Now technology-led changes are leading us into a world of two-way communication. How these will shape brands’ new approach to communications is the most interesting question. Some of us believe that brand communications will continue to be about brand stories with consumers as storytellers and multiple endings.

     

    I believe that just like the TV-dominant era required a new way of thinking about brand communications/brand stories, a new way of thinking about brands is needed today. A way of thinking that will drive synergies through TV and print, social media, smartphones, mall activations, PR and branded content. In my view this new way of thinking will be ‘participation platforms’. The most important task for any brand will be to define its human purpose; design ‘participation platforms’ relevant to the purpose, and invite consumers to get involved and populate the brand with their thoughts, actions and emotions. Brands that get consumers to participate in their brand world through their participation platforms using multiple converging channels will enjoy an edge. By tapping into people’s energy to do and to be heard, participation-platform driven brands will have lower marketing costs and stronger consumer affinity.

     

    At Leo Burnett, the participation platform approach shaped our thinking on Coke Studio. Coke Studio provided a wonderful platform for people to share, celebrate and spread happiness. And it is driving brand results. More campaigns based on this approach are on the way.

     

  • Anchor | One Big Idea by Punit Goenka: Narrowcasting is the way forward

    By Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd

     

    The immense paradigm shift observed in the entertainment consumption patterns indicates the evolution of a fresh ecosystem. Screens are getting smaller and the entertainment is getting more and more customized. The content also on the other hand, needs a fresh perspective, when it comes to this new ecosystem which is in its nascent stage. Avenues for premium and niche content have widened, and the audience is now in a more acceptable phase than ever before.

     

    Although broadcasting has its own strong pillars, “Narrow-Casting” is something which I believe has the potential of turning into a “Big Idea” with the scope of altering the broadcasting industry. Certainly, at this stage there are immense constraints involved in terms of internet connectivity, bandwidth charges, cost of devices, etc, but the key is that the future is definitely digital and there are two ways to it. Narrowcasting would bring in more choices for the viewers, with the influx of new channels and new content patterns.

     

    With the onset of digitization, influx of advanced connectivity viz 4g/LTE, and launches of newer product categories viz tablets, etc, the entertainment industry is poised at a wonderful juncture, where the question is not just “How to Entertain the Viewer”, but “How and Where to Entertain the Viewer”.

     

  • How long will we allow ourselves to get fooled by these frauds? How long will we allow the world to laugh at our expense? How long will we let these charlatans use us?

    Anil Thakraney: Block the gas bags

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Every second day, since the Delhi rape and murder, a deranged neta or a phony baba rears his ugly head. And lets off a wind blast that smells pretty foul. It’s okay, I guess. The Constitution allows every individual the right to free speech, and that includes farting, one might presume. The problem is: I am now beginning to suspect these dolts aren’t really crazy, they are using the gassy opportunity to acquire instant infamy. And notoriety sells too, we know that. It’s much more valuable than oblivion.

     

    So, the familiar pattern unfolds: The man farts. The social media goes into a tizzy. The news channels go ballistic. Arnab Goswami and gang find juicy fodder to feed on. Screaming and jostling happens on TV debates. Next day, the newspapers do cover stories on it. The international media now gets interested; anything that makes Indians look like medieval fools sells like hot cakes in the west. On the weekend, the news mags dutifully carry forward this trash. And Mr Gas Bag, within a single week, turns into a huge celebrity. Phony babas acquire more followers. And opportunistic netas get quick OTS. And this sequence repeats itself.

     

    How long will we allow ourselves to get fooled by these frauds? How long will we allow the world to laugh at our expense? How long will we let these charlatans use us? In fact, I must add here that some of the farts belted out by these buggers are criminal in nature, they abet rape. The media needs to ponder on this subject. My own view is that it’s time to put a stop to this crap. These gas bags must be banned from the mass media. Not able to air their stink, these sods will quit farting. As simple as that. That indeed might be the best way to stop this weekly nonsense.

     

    And all the media time and space must be devoted to the rape trial itself. Even if it’s being held in-camera. We take our eyes off the ball, and the rotten system will slowdown once again.

     

    ***

     

    PS: I couldn’t stop sniggering at this one. It appears the western world has decided to ape our desi ad guys. This is Brad Pitt endorsing Chanel No 5. Don’t miss the usual ad clichés, the ultra boring script and zero brand relevance. We get to watch this sort of rubbish celeb advertising all the time. People, our ‘talent’ is spreading far and wide.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oF8NAyqxGfk[/youtube]

     

  • Anchor | One Big Idea by Sanjay Trehan: Seamless convergence key to success

    By Sanjay Trehan, Head, MSN India

     

    Few would disagree with Mahatma Gandhi’s observation that the soul of India lives in its villages. It therefore stands to reason that any digital revolution in the country must transcend the metros and reach its heartland. To be really meaningful, the ‘One Big Idea’ that could potentially change the face of the digital industry in India must reach people with the kind of content that makes a difference to their lives (Hyperlocal), in a language that they understand (Vernacular) and on a device that is personal as well as ubiquitous (Mobile). But is that enough?

     

    To be really powerful in today’s digital ecosystem, an idea must also co-opt the community into the creative process (Social). It does not take a lot of crystal gazing to arrive at this conclusion. Here are some data points for you to consider. India’s mobile phone subscriber base now exceeds 900 million, and according to a 2011 JuxtConsult study, two-third of all mobile users in India are educated completely in ‘vernacular’ languages. The number of active Facebook users in India has grown to 65 million, an eight-fold jump in just two years. Apparently 30 per cent of these users are mobile-only! Any Big Idea born from the union of these titanic trends is bound to gain countrywide traction. So, in the new paradigm, the magic mantra of SoLoMo needs to be complemented with La as in languages to ride the crest of an empowering Internet revolution in India. Seamless convergence along with device and platform agnosticism will be the key to success.

     

    All it needs is a spark to set this heady mix alight. And if any of the MxM readers think they have it in them, I will be more than happy to engage with them.

     

  • Anchor | One Big Idea by Sam Balsara: Do TV a favour by adding another medium

    By Sam Balsara, Chairman & Managing Director, Madison World

     

    From an advertiser’s perspective, the one idea that I would like to propose to advertisers who use TV heavily is to supplement their ad spends in TV, with some spends in at least one other medium – either print, radio, outdoor or digital – if not a couple.

     

    There is considerable merit in balancing quantitative data on reach, frequency, GRPs and CPRP with qualitative aspects on how the human mind responds to a stimulus, and our experience shows that in a majority of the cases where advertising copy quality is average, multimedia campaigns deliver far better on sales and brand KPIs than single media campaigns. In fact, brands will do the TV industry a huge favour by allocating 10-15% of their budgets to at least one other medium, because diverting a small portion to another medium in fact enhances the productivity of TV spends and results in higher budget for the medium for subsequent years.

     

    Also, from a broadcaster’s perspective, media owners – especially from print and TV – to have a sustainable growth oriented revenue model, must have two streams of revenue:

     

    i. From the reader or viewer and,

    ii. Another from the advertiser.

     

    Given the digitization initiative undertaken by the government, hopefully this aspect will be taken care of in the years to come.

     

  • Anchor | One Big Idea by Jaideep Shergill: Using content for marketing

    By Jaideep Shergill, CEO, MSL India

     

    As the nature of marketing communication shifts decisively from hardsell to engagement, content marketing is becoming a powerful tool for brands to build relationships with customers. Many brands are investing in brand publishing, engaging agencies or building content teams of their own.

     

    Marketers are also using content instead of television/print/online ads to sell products. While it may not have a direct-line relationship with the achievement of sales goals, it’s the key to capturing attention. Most marketers understand this and are transforming their marketing campaigns accordingly. Brand publishing, have no doubt, is exploding.

     

    Chris Weinfeld, of BlueGrass Interactive, has been quoted as saying: “Companies are now caring about putting out content that people want to read… Instead of just investing in their blog and blogging strategies, they’re investing in content people will want to share. Even if it’s not directly related to selling something, it’s still branding.” BlueGrass is an interactive solutions firm based in the US.

     

    Hence, it’s clear that companies are using content for a variety of functions – from brand awareness to generating leads and increasing brand loyalty.

     

    To achieve all of this, you must tell a good brand story. It’s the differentiator in the competition for customers’ eyes and ears.

     

    Take the ‘Kony 2012’ campaign. It was the compelling story told by the non-profit Invisible Children about the atrocities committed by Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony that got people involved. Millions of dollars were donated to the campaign to bring him to trial and the world became aware of the internal strife in Uganda.

     

    Here are three things to remember when rolling out a content strategy:

     

    • Give up control, create a connection: The audience is your consumer and your advocate; let it drive your content. Design content for your audience, allow it to be shared and let it lead to a conversation based on mutual interests.
    • Identify the target: Any marketing exercise requires a well-defined audience; so does a content campaign. You can use demographics (income, age, geography) as well as behaviour (goals, purchase patterns). Usually, for new brands, it’s about building the audience, while for established brands it is about keeping an existing one engaged.
    • Adapt the message: In any conversation, listening is the key. A smart marketer will always note what consumers want and evolve the conversation accordingly.

     

     

     

    As you read this, it’s likely that your competitors are investing in content marketing. It’s time for you to do so too.

     

  • Anchor | One Big Idea by Vikram Sakhuja: Pressure on GECs as digitization enables greater consumer choice

    By Vikram Sakhuja, Global CEO, Maxus

     

    My big idea for Hindi GEC TV media to leapfrog is to go FTA (free to air).

     

    I am more optimistic than ever before that digitization will be a reality. And that will mean, by definition, reduced individual channel reach because of the consumer opt-in that is required. We will find that consumers will pay, even premiums, for exclusive content, be it movies, live sport, hot events or speciality genre content.

     

    But I believe that general entertainment will have more success if they play the undifferentiated reach game and keep advertising as their sole revenue model.

     

  • The approach of attracting girls has been used by bike manufacturers a zillion times, but this one stands out for going unabashedly all-out. The jingle is quite peppy too, and this adds to the ad’s appeal

    Debrief: Hero Glamour: The chick magnet

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Hero Glamour’s latest ad has a single minded promise: Pretty women will die to ride on the backseat of your snazzy bike. And in the treatment, Hero has raised the bar really high when it comes to the juxtaposition of bikes and hot chicks.

     

    So this dood rides around town on his Hero Glamour. No lady is able to resist the temptation to jump onto the backseat. Not the memsaab seated in her luxury car, not even the high fashion models. And the bike transports these ladies magically into la la land. The expression on their faces is orgasmic. This is a young biker’s ultimate dream come true, this is why he invests in such fancy machines. So from that perspective, this ad is bang-on.

     

    Features like Digital Analog Meter, Multi Reflector Headlight, etc, get hurriedly added through supers, but who’s interested in such banal stuff? All eyes are transfixed on the ladies, so much so that even the bike rider turns into a prop. The approach of attracting girls has been used by bike manufacturers a zillion times, but this one stands out for going unabashedly all-out. The jingle is quite peppy too, and this adds to the ad’s appeal. So, yes, this TVC should serve Hero Glamour well.

     

    Having said the above, the irony of the timing did not escape me. This commercial went on air around the time of the horrific Delhi rape and murder. And women across the nation have been on high alert ever since. In this charged scenario, I don’t see too many ladies wanting to hop onto the backseat of a stranger’s bike. However sexy the bike might be. So I have to say timing mein thodisi gadbad ho gayi.

     

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

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 2.5. Old thought but appealing execution.

     

  • In this depressing scenario, all the fury in the media is indeed required. The viewing public feels a little vindicated. And the army jawans might feel their own anger getting vented

    Anil Thakraney: Rage on, Arnab!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Arnab Goswami is Indian television media’s all-season angry middle-aged man. That we all know. But when it comes to issues on Indo/Pak conflict, his anger turns into savage fury. As we are currently witnessing in the case of the mutilated bodies of Indian soldiers, the deed allegedly done by Pak soldiers. And Arnab’s anger very quickly becomes contagious; anchors on other channels, who start out rather calmly, switch to the anger mode. And for days it becomes a lot of shouting and heckling on all the news channels.

     

    My first thoughts: It’s a complete waste of time and energy. The Pakistani government gives a rat’s arse about all the drama inside Indian TV studios, and will continue with what they want to do. For example, all the rage over 26/11 has yielded zero results so far. It’s also quite possible that the Pak netas and indeed their army generals had no role to play in the mutilation of the soldiers’ bodies. This cowardly act may well have been carried out by a few barbaric, retarded Pak soldiers of their own volition; therefore it would be difficult for even Pak to get to the truth. In short, a pointless exercise, a needless diversion from the anti-rape campaign.

     

    However, on second thoughts, I do believe we need the anger going on Pakistani issues. Simply because we are a proven soft state, we have a Prime Minster for whom even opening the mouth becomes a challenging task. As usual, all we are hearing is the same old useless political reactions: We will lodge a protest, we will take suitable action, we will not allow this, etc. And this can and will have a negative effect on the morale of the army. Why fight for a nation when it doesn’t care if you die, and if the head from your body is chopped off?

     

    In this depressing scenario, all the fury in the media is indeed required. The viewing public feels a little vindicated. And the army jawans might feel their own anger getting vented. This venting is very important to maintain status quo.

     

    So rage on guys! Keep insulting and humiliating the Paki spokespersons. We are right behind you!

     

    ***

     

    PS: Speaking of the Indo/Pak conflict at the LOC, here’s a stunning commercial from a music company. It’s set on Christmas Eve of 1914, when the Allies were at war with the Germans. Notice the honour code enemies dutifully follow in the zone of conflict. Wish the barbaric elements of Pakistan would learn something from this.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aRLGwsafTM[/youtube]

     

  • Anchor | One Big Idea by Rahul Kansal: Multi-dimensional appeal a must for print

    By Rahul Kansal, Executive President, Bennett, Coleman and Co Ltd

     

    Newspapers should be able to engage readers in a variety of ways and should stimulate all the senses of their consumers. What I mean is that print has been largely restricted to having a one-dimensional appeal where one plays only with visual elements. But what really is stopping us from taking advantage of the technological advances and say, adding an audio element to the medium?

     

    Or we can even look at stimulating a sense of smell in the print medium. I am not saying that such experiments are not happening but they are few and far between and the need is to increase the frequency of such innovations that will help develop better engagement with our readers.

     

  • Anchor | One Big Idea by Raj Nayak: A Sunset Date to regulate ad inventory?

    By Raj Nayak, CEO, Colors

     

    Rather than big idea, I would want to term them as big challenges. The satellite industry has been around for two decades now and I am happy to have been a part of this journey for so long. But I have also been able to witness a lot of developments in the industry during these years. From a few channels earlier, we now have over 500+ channels. In the process, a lot of growth has happened by default than by design. It has been a case of trial-and-error as there was no history to lean back on. Almost everybody has tried new things which have mushroomed and grown over the years. The ride has been both good and bad. Good because the industry has grown real fast, thereby providing employment to thousands of people etc.

     

    On the other hand, we were also the most unregulated industry and that led to fast growth. This wouldn’t have been the case if we had been regulated because entrepreneurship would have been killed. Also, it has left a lot of broadcasters bleeding. Today, only a few players are making money while the rest are incurring losses. Hopefully, digitization will change all that as it is a step in the right direction.

     

    But there is no magic wand; it will happen over a course of time. So the real challenges for the broadcasting industry are: firstly, how do you reinvent yourself? For example, there is a herd mentality in programming. How you break that monopoly is a challenge. On the programming front, I foresee two big challenges. One is spiralling cost because the cost of artistes is going up and very few people are investing in new talent. On the movie acquisition front, the costs have multiplied multi-fold. So somewhere, the industry needs to come together in terms of finding synergies in certain areas where you can control costs. For example, movie acquisitions. Today, all top four GECs are party to driving the prices up. So we need to work together to find a solution that benefits all.

     

    As for advertising sales, while we keep talking that the universe has grown 4-5 times in the last few years the yield hasn’t gone up – ad spot rates haven’t gone up. That’s a big challenge that needs to be addressed. And I do not foresee this issue being addressed unless the supply-demand issue is addressed. I may sound politically incorrect out here but the fact is that we need to regulate the total inventory on a television channel. One reason for this was because there was a huge carriage fee with advertising rates not going up… the only way they were going to grow was by increasing ad inventory. If it is done in a planned and phased manner, it will be very good for the industry in the long run. The industry needs to set itself a Sunset Date so as to bring down the inventory that’s there on television. So instead of 20 minutes, a 10+2 minutes may be a good benchmark. As, unless the supply-demand rates change, the ad rates cannot go up. This is a big challenge but one that is doable.

     

    I feel a part of the issue will get addressed with digitization and with revenue stream from distribution; it will ease the pressure a bit on the advertising front. Once the balance sheet starts looking better there will be a little more investment that will go into content.

     

    Another thing is content differentiation. What happens is when you are successful your appetite for taking risks becomes less. In India, in the fiction shows, the seasons are canned to a large extent which is a big challenge on the team that is involved. At Colors, we are trying to set a new model where we will be launching Season 2 of Na Bole Tum… which will run till a stipulated timeframe only. If it is successful we won’t extend the days but will announce a new Season 3 later. We are hoping this will be a game-changer for us in the future. A similar approach is being given to our other show 24, where we will be doing only Season 1 for now. We may do other seasons based on its success. If we are able to bring some kind of standard practice in the system then we may see things changing as we move ahead.

     

    A lot of other avenues that were not available earlier like content on mobile etc will start opening up in a big way with 4G. Broadcasters will increasingly be looking up to digital to bring in more viewers and also revenue for the network.