MxMIndia

Category: SANJEEV KOTNALA

  • With the democratisation of communication and the advent of broader, global concerns, there is a race in the brand world, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Sanjeev Kotnala: Does a brand purpose serve any purpose?

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Are you someone with a purpose, a life purpose? Or perhaps, like most of us, you know you probably do have some higher purpose, but you wake up every morning and prefer to simply focus on the day’s tasks?

     

    Life purposes can guide and influence behaviour, shape your goals, and offer you a sense of direction. It lends meaning to your everyday life. At least it is supposed to. Richard Leider, a preeminent executive-life coach, says: “When your authentic purpose becomes clear, you will be able to share it with the whole world.”

     

    Now, translate this concept to a Brand. All companies know what they do and how to do it. But there are a few companies who delve into the why. It is the question of ‘why’ the company or brand exists. No, not the obvious reason that there are consumers out there willing to fork out money for the brand of product or service. The ‘why’ of a brand purpose goes deeper than that. It is about defining a higher purpose for a brand’s existence.

     

    BUT IT’S GETTING RIDICULOUS!

    With the democratisation of communication and the advent of broader, global concerns, there is a race in the brand world. Be it gender and race equality, inclusiveness, empowerment, and environmental sustainability, every brand suddenly wants to show-off a ‘higher purpose’ to strengthen its lifecycle. A purpose that is supposed to align its business to its consumer and prove to us it’s not about the money. Brands want to be recognised for working to advance societal causes. Yes, brands are anxious to leverage the supposedly broader concerns of the millennial customer.

     

    But my dear friend and marketing guru, Vermajee, begs to disagree! He believes there cannot be a bigger myth! According to him, brands chasing a ‘larger purpose in life’ and shouting about it from the rooftops are losing sight of reality. While the brand purpose and being purpose-driven make for good conversation, he says there is very little of it that genuinely percolates within the four walls of corporate life. He believes corporate entities should focus on their primary goals of offering functional, cost-effective products and services. And by all means, offer them without harming the planet’s resources. Just don’t go around crowing about it!

     

    ‘BRAND PURPOSE,’ MY FOOT!

    Taking a sip of his Antiquity and No.1 Club Soda, he declares that it is plain foolishness for a brand to expect consumers to pay a premium for being ‘purpose-led.’

     

    Adjusting his posture with an extra cushion, he begins to vent his ire. Let’s listen to his rant.

     

    Every consumer out there is busy delivering what their bosses want and what their boss’s boss wants. People have deadlines to meet and have limited resources at hand. They have families to take care of and ensure a proper education for the kids.  Commuting is a nightmare. The monthly grocery bills are an ordeal, rents, and painful EMIs to take care of, scraping around to save a bit.  Then there are the unforeseen medical expenses. And the foreseen family functions, festivals, and the promised vacations, all of which ensure one is always operating well above already stretched budgets. Add to this the emotional battles and fragile egos. Envy, jealousy, and understandable frustrations. Social status, peer pressure, and family demands.

     

    Do you really think amidst this fierce whirlpool of everyday living, a consumer has the time to give a F@#K about a brand’s purpose? When the social ecosystem is fraying at the edges; and our security and safety under constant threat. Fleeced by corrupt public and private infrastructure providers, our lives a never-ending struggle for basic dignity. Who gives a F@#K about the ‘higher purpose’ of a brand of shoe or a mobile phone?

     

    GIVE US A BREAK!

    Vermajee is not done. He has a word of advice. Wouldn’t it do all of us a world of good if companies quit blowing monies on communicating their ‘purpose’? Instead, invest their resources in improving the quality, reliability, and affordability of their products and services?

     

    Do you think it matters to me what your purpose is? If my purpose in life is to make the world a better place through my poetry or music, I don’t keep harping about it! I go ahead and make the world a better place through what I am good at. My life purpose is mine to define and mine alone to abide by. The moment I start bragging about it, I have crossed a line and made it my life purpose to promote myself!

     

    Who cares? Who the F@#K cares?

     

    The initial thoughts for this article were mine (Sanjeev Kotnala). However, it was my Bengaluru-based dear friend, Peter Suresh; a media research analyst turned content writer, and an ex-colleague from Dainik Bhaskar, who gave it the Tint, Hue and Colour, in an almost perfect articulation of my thoughts. Thank you, Peter. 

  • The brand has done what it felt right, and one respects that, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Sanjeev Kotnala: Cadbury – The Digital Corporate Baba Ka Dhaba

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    When you know the story behind the Cadbury Diwali ad supporting local retailers, you appreciate the idea, creative and the efforts. However, most consumers neither have access nor the time to read the strategy deck. They just see the campaign, and they react.

    My initial reaction to this ad was ‘Another annual Diwali Gifting ad from Cadbury’. However, ‘NOT JUST A CADBURY AD’ immediately raised my ‘for award antenna’. I saw names of retailers contextually feature with the gifts or the occasions. That’s it. The ad was over.

    I viewed the ad again. This time focussing on the message.

    I realised the technology and the efforts behind it.

    Names of few retailers also registered.

    A new respect for the thought and implementation grew. It is not easy to cover 1800+ retailers across more than 260 pin codes in Mumbai, Delhi, Lucknow, Indore & Pune. Or that’s what some coverage told me.

    I do hope this campaign is a huge success ad shows direction and possibilities to other brands. I think we will see more simple and direct innovative campaigns in future.

     

    So, What Is My Problem?

    Cadbury Celebrations data-driven campaign ‘Not Just A Cadbury Ad’ highlights the spirit of generosity in action. And that kills it. Saying, ‘It is not a Cadbury ad’ makes it that much more of a Cadbury ad. Why disguise? That line adds nothing to the message or the delivery other than conning people to expect something different! Which they understand only when they get the tech/context AV.

    Cadbury claims to provide an advertising platform to local retailers impacted by the pandemic.  This is no advertising platform. The non-paying advertiser (the small retailer) does not have any control of the content or the exposure of the ad. Additionally, we use the same visual for all the shops in a  category across cities and pin codes. This commoditise them. Maybe I am finicky and should just look at the intent.

    I Would Have Done A Deal.

    I don’t know if the featured outlets are also generous toward the brand. Are they allowing their premises for an enhanced visibility of the brand?  I would have done that. At least the retailers like ‘Chhadava Dry Fruits Powai’, from who the Cadbury celebration pack is bought in the film, should do.

    My Problem Is Insufficiency. 

    This is more of problem of big city retailers. I saw ‘Kalpana Sringar Andheri West’ and ‘Bhandari Optician, Andheri West’. Now we all know how big  Andheri West is. As a consumer interested in jewellery, the possible reactions are;

    1. I earlier bought from them. I know where the shop is.

    2. I have seen the shop and I remember where it is.

    3. The vast majority – where the hell in Andheri West is this shop?

    Adding another variable would have done wonders. It just needed one more line. ‘Kalpana Jewellers, Nr Sammelan Party Hall*, Andheri West’.  Seriously and sincerely, it would have completed the act. No new data required. And a few more lines of code to pick another static variable.

    Minor Checks could Help.

    I cannot locate ‘Kalpana Sringar, Andheri West’ on Google map. So, no positive action possible, even if I wanted to buy from them. Google is the ultimate. Could Cadbury done anything to ensure Google Map presence for these shops. A bit more. That extra mile! I know it is not Cadbury’s business. And it is not even the purpose! Or am I wrong?

    Too Many Categories.

    Five different product categories in 60-seconders!

    I hope the brand knows how people consume advertising. They must, as the film ends on Cadbury Giftpack! And you do remember it. The film make sense for the brand and the audience, only if one watches till the end.

    ‘When all of us support our local stores, all of us can have happy Diwali’, says Cadbury. So poetic. I appreciate it. However, I would sacrifice being poetic for being direct and effective.

    It would been superlative.

    It would have been fantabulouslyextremelygigianticsuccess if Cadbury could have further helped these non-digital foot-print retailers get on e-commerce presence. No, that’s again not Cadbury lookout.  But, what if they did it? What if they really created a #CadburyLocalRetailGift or e-commerce setup with some start-up like #Dunzo or even get them on Flipkart or Amazon. Oh, people like me with not much skin in the game, can keep thinking of such integration. I know, business have constraints. And I appreciate that. But, for me that is the difference between Aha and Wah..

    Simplifying At The Cost Of Creativity.

    You need to watch the ad completely.  Then make sense of a globally valid statement of collectiveness. Maybe refer to the strategy document for details. Personally, I believe in more simple and straight direct communication. Like, ‘Support Local Retailer in your area’ or ‘Find the local retailer of YOUR Pin code  area in this Cadbury ad’. Or something like that. However, I understand and appreciate that this is a creative decision, and what is right or wrong is always debatable. The brand has done what it felt right, and one respects that. But…

    So, Iss Diwali Aap #KiseKhushKarenge? Cadbury waale Kush toh honge.

    ……………………………………………………..

    NOTE 1: Shilpi D Pathak, is a friend and an content marketing specialist. Her reaction to Cadbury Diwali ad; it reminds her of the ‘Baba Ka Dhaba’. Now, you look at it, the intent and the expectations form the audience is the same. Where it differs is the use of platform, process and technology.

    ………………………………………………………………………..

    NOTE 2: The YouTube  version that I watched had a mixed set of retailers across cities. Kajari Selection-Pune, Jyoti Optician-Indore, Sahil Jewellers-Delhi, Ajanta Times-Ahmedabad and Chhadava Dry Fruits-Mumbai. Would have preferred that even this version was city specific even if the pin-code technology does not work there!

    *Dummy street name. And well, the Google Map did not show me this retailer.

    …………………………………………………………………….

  • Tanishq, like every other brand and organisation, is a social entity and by definition, needs to be exceptionally sensitive to the ecosystem it operates in, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Comment | Sanjeev Kotnala: Is Tanishq on a Hat-trick of Taking Down Ads?

    Screengrab from the Tanishq Diwali 2020 ad

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

    When someone including me asks What is wrong with Tanishq? There is a counter-question, what is wrong with us? And What’s Your Problem? And the answer is: Everything.

    Tanishq, like every other brand and organisation, is a social entity and by definition, needs to be exceptionally sensitive to the ecosystem it operates in.

    Why?

    It takes too much of a strategy, guts or stupidity to do it again and so soon.

    To antagonise the community during the festival when you expect large sales to happen.

    So, here are a few possibilities:

    • Buoyant with the last BUYCOTT and buzz it created, the brand now uses it as a strategy. Release an advertisement. Withdraw it.

    • The brand does not bother with the boycott calls on social media. It knows that as a trusted brand, people will still buy from it. Which did happen last time.

    • The Tanishq team at the client and the agency’s end, including the consultants, have a long learning curve.

     

    NOTHING WRONG!

    On the other side, there is nothing wrong with the Tanishq Diwali Advertisement.

    Many brands could have taken this No Crackers as a CSR communication. Quite a few more may do so and not have a backlash.

     

     

    What did the ad say?

    The simple and good-in-its-intent Tanishq Diwali ad has four well-known women talking about how they will celebrate Diwali this year.

    Sayani Gupta tells how she is hoping to meet her mum after really long, and she is definitely not going to burn any firecrackers. She even adds – ‘I don’t think anyone should light any firecrackers. Lot of diyas. Lot of laughter hopefully and a lot of positivity’.

    Alya says she will eat a lot of sweets and food. She will spend time with her family and close friends. Neena Gupta says she will dress up and wear nice jewellery. Then finally Nimrat Kaur tells you that how this year it’s all the more important to be with family.

     

    The last outing with Love Jihad.

    The last time Ekatvam faced Love Jihad. Call for the brand to be sensitive was loud and clear. The brand withdrew the advertisement. And the brand was criticised by people, who believe that taking down the ad was a sign of weakness. And maybe the brand did not believe in what it was saying. 

     

    The Cracker-free Diwali

    Some states have banned firecrackers. A few have banned bursting firecrackers in public spaces. The new generation is quick in adopting green initiatives and is sensitive to the pollution issue. The cracker-free Diwali message should have been okay. 

     

    Brands must have its ears to the ground

    However, if the brands have been using their digital listening tools properly, they would have got a hint of resistance. These are definitively charged times. Hindus as a community are fed with multiple messages that question the treatment they get in a state that they believe should not have been secular but a Hindu Rashtra. They feel they are singled out in the politically and socially. They hate the temples controlled by the government when other religious places are mostly free from such governance. They see only their festivals, rituals and traditions questioned. They see the need to prove their faith.

     

    Any Spark would do

    The Hindu feel weak not in the number but in unity, in protest and acts. They believe that as a majority, they have the right not to be questioned for everything. They see how some other communities and religious groups can semi-dictate the agenda and their demands. How being a majority works against them? This is a charged environment. Anything and everything can be the spark that can socially have an equivalent of the Beirut Ammonia Nitrite blast.

     

    The brands have to realise it and be sensitive. No one would have said anything if it was burn crackers responsibly, burn less. 

     

    A Suggestion

    The concept of Ekvatm is excellent for the time. Somewhere it has been lost or robbed of its sheen because of few pieces of communication being interpreted differently.

    Maybe the brand could do well to bring alive what is hidden in its websites. The collectivism of multiple artesian, jewellery styles like Meenakari, Laser, Stamp etc. to create and celebrate Ekatvam.

     

    Sanjeev Kotnala is a senior marketer, business strategist and educator. He writes for MxMIndia weekly, on Wednesdays, and also on many other days. His views here are personal.

     

     

  • Sanjeev Kotnala applies his PaRAM (Pause, Reflect, Absorb and Move-on) principle on a Karva Chauth observance at home

    Sanjeev Kotnala: Karva Chauth under Covid-19 impact

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    KarvaChauth is a festival that is entirely celebrated by women. Funny men are hardly included in the festivity, when the whole festival is about  the long life of their spouse. But, under the Covid-19 spectre, it was not the same. Women were not meeting in groups to apply Henna (Mehndi) or sing feri during the KarvaChauth puja. Even at the rooftop while sighting the moon, they kept to social distancing.

     

    It was the evening before KarvaChauth. The day women in the society would have collected at someone’s home with Mehindiwali busy drawing intricate designs on their palm. Covid-19 ensured nothing of this nature was happening. Every married woman was on her own. Tradition and rituals still need to be adhered to. So, the task of applying mehndi on my wife’s palm now rested with my daughter, Preetica. At night, while SRH was slowly making way to qualify in the IPL playoff, Preetica was applying Mehndi on my wife’s left hand. It was her first time, and yet She was doing an excellent job of it.

     

    Preetica, who is soon to go to Great Lakes Chennai for her PGDM course, showed sign of project management. She proactively brought Mehndi cones home and for the last two days practised the art by applying Mehndi on paper. (Practice results below)

     

    I was busy watching David Warner and Wriddiman Saha at IPL20  bat full throttle. I was also waiting to watch BiggBoss after the match, to watch Pavitra Punia and Eijaz Khan banter.

    I was not ready for what happened next.

     

    CALL FOR ACTION.

    My wife realised that it may take longer for Preetica to apply Mehndi on both hands. Hence, she requested me; the Compulsive Doodler if I could do the honours for the right hand. It was a festive time, and then Mehndi applied by the spouse is an auspicious sign. She was okay with whatever the results may be, and there was no way I could refuse. Moreover, right now, she was asking with a smile, and it was still a request.

    People know me as #CompulsiveDoodler. They wonder at the #structuredDoodles I create. Recently I have done few commissioned assignments for Vanshakti Mumbai, a motorcycle enthusiast and Cottage Nirvana at Mukhteshwar. My confidence level was very high.

     

    You can check out the doodles and if interested, order your exclusive doodle as home decor or gift.

     

    EXPECTATION Vs EXPERIENCE.

    Hence, everyone other than me expected applying Mehndi to be a cakewalk for me. I knew the reality. I remember the last time I tried the stunt of playing Mehndiwala in one of my cousin’s marriage. The results were not worth writing home.

    I could have said NO and ended up with some arguments, and it was not the right time for it. So, I went with the flow. I took her right hand and opened the cone by removing the pin. Suddenly, from the opening mehndi started oozing out like thin worms. It made me nervous, and I was told it does happen because of the pressure. I removed my hand faster than Shekar Dhawan in Dream11 ad. After some time, the oozing did stop, and I was ready for the act.

    My daughter was referring to some design on her mobile. But, I the ardent follower of Zen Tangles and Mandala art tried doing my own bit. I decided to experiment with unsymmetric patterns. The design ended with crooked lines, thick blobs of Mehndi and looked not-good’.

    I was getting an anxiety attack as I expect much better from myself. My hands were not steady. The grip was not proper. The pressure on the cone not well managed. The Mehndi solution never obeyed my command and continued to ooze out in the form of thin spaghetti type of droppings. There was not a single straight line.

     

    PAST EXPERIENCE NO GUARANTEE FOR FUTURE PERFORMANCE.

    I remember my earlier fiasco with Golf at one of India’s oldest Golf Course at Naldehra, 23 Km from Shimla. Just because I play cricket, I thought, I can be reasonably okay with Golf. What is the difference? In Golf you have is a thin odd-shaped bat and a stationary ball. How tough could it be?

    That was before I took some 55 shots for the 322-yard Par4 first hole. For the record, the 18-hole 5987-yard Golf course is a Par 68 round. Needless to say, that was the only and the last hole at a Golf course I ever played in. Though, I still try my hand at the driving range and believe have got the hang of it.

     

    DAMAGE CONTROL.

    Back to KarvaChauth. By the time I had covered one-fourth of her palm, my wife had realised that it was going to be disastrous, and the shagun of the auspicious act is over.

    It was left to Preetica to do damage control. Despite it being her first time, she did a fantastic job, and that includes her doing corrective work on the mehndi of my attempt.

     

    PaRAM LEARNING

    As a habit, I thought about the whole act and realised that if I follow the PaRAM ( Pause, Reflect, Absorb and Move-on) process, there are some important learnings in the episode.

    Here they are.

    1. The performance pressure kills creativity by enhancing anxiety.

    2. It is OKAY not to be good at everything.

    3. Everything can be done if you want to and if you practice.

    4. If you can’t do something today, it does not mean you won’t be able to do it ever.

    5. Just because you can do something, does not mean you should.

    6. I still have to earn how to not say YES when I want to say NO.

    7. You can be proactive by anticipating things and taking action, or you could be reactive. The decision is yours.

    Oh, by the way, we were left with few unused cones. We kept them to practising later, which I know will never happen. And if it does, it will be near to the next KarvaChauth.

     

    THE LOOP WILL KICK IN.

    I know, Preetica buoyant with her first successful attempt will practice. She has the loop of appreciation working for her. I won’t practice because the experience was not right, and it is definitely not my priority.

    You get to learn so much by merely analysing and thinking over episodes in your life. What lessons you take and what lessons you implement is your call.

     

    BRANDS LOST ACTIVATION.

    There were few Mehndiwali and wala in action. Women were not stepping out for Mehndi due to the Corona scare. Maybe this was a time for some brand to create a hygienical safe pool of Mehndiwala and like the bank separated counters – keep the customer and then separated with Glass/acyclic window.  Maybe it could have been possible.

     

  • Despite the need for sensitivity to ground realities,  time and again, brands and services try leveraging them for their advantage, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Sanjeev Kotnala: My Symbols, My Beliefs, My Culture

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    ‘To Boycott’ is a powerful call when it is laid on the foundation of a religion, culture or nationality. The emotions get charged, and the societal pressures demand you to take only one side, the side calling for the boycott. Despite the need for sensitivity to ground realities,  time and again, brands and services try leveraging them for their advantage. Many a times with disastrous results.

     

    I am a practising Hindu, I know the significance and the holiness of our symbols. Things associated with our Gods and Goddesses, Culture and Nation are sacred to me. No one has the rights to play with them, tweak them, misrepresent and misposition them. I have initiated project #IgnorantHindu for people who may have forgotten our religion and its simplicities. There, I share mythologies, story and reasoning around our festivals.

     

     

    MORE EXPECTD OF AMAZON.

     

    In the case of Amazon, it being an aggregator and not having full control of products sold on its platform is a lame excuse. The argument is open to debate. Hopefully, the services at Amazon comes with fully defined guidelines. If not, it is easy for it to build such contractual obligations. Every time, Amazon escapes by taking off the product and saying sorry. It has happened many a time.

     

    Why can’t the clause of ‘Not using symbol and names’ built in the system? Amazon says: “All sellers must follow our selling guidelines and those who do not will be subject to action including potential removal of their account.” What are the ‘Selling Guidelines that the sellers are expected to follow?

     

    Is the penalty mere removal of the account? Is that the cost of deep impact on my psyche? Why does Amazon not initiate legal proceedings against the offender? If it did so, there will be two benefits. One, such issues will not arise, and two the same group calling for the boycott would ask people to buy from Amazon.

     

    On the other side, if Amazon or any other brand continues to play with fire and takes no firm action, things will change for the worse. Soon, in addition to carrying the tag of the country of make, products and associated  visual will require approval before they are uploaded, so that no religious sentiments are hurt.

     

    ‘To Boycott’ is a powerful call when it is laid on the foundation of a religion, culture or nationality. The emotions get charged, and the societal pressures demand you to take only one side, the side calling for the boycott. Despite the need for sensitivity to ground realities,  time and again, brands and services try leveraging them for their advantage. Many a times with disastrous results.

     

    I am a practising Hindu, I know the significance and the holiness of our symbols. Things associated with our Gods and Goddesses, Culture and Nation are sacred to me. No one has the rights to play with them, tweak them, misrepresent and misposition them. I have initiated project #IgnorantHindu for people who may have forgotten our religion and its simplicities. There, I share mythologies, story and reasoning around our festivals.

     

    Sale of such controversial products  actions can be seen as a violation of Section 295A. ‘Any person deliberately and maliciously intended to outrage religious feelings can be punished for the term prescribed or extended up to 3 years.’ And the repeat offence only suggests malicious intent.

     

    Amazon should be happy that it is the silent tolerant majority demanding the boycott. One can only imagine the possibility if this was done against the symbols and beliefs of other religion.

     

    Why can’t brands and services be sensitive to the social realities of their ecosystem?

     

     

    WHY ARE HINDUS SO TOUCHE IF IT’S OKAY WITH SOME?

     

    It is OKAY for some of the religion and countries to allow flags and signs to be freely used over undergarments, T-shirts, bedsheets and doormat. That is their problem. We Indian and specially Hindus are sensitive about the misuse of our religious symbols for a commercial purpose not only in India but in any part of the globe.

     

     

    IT BECOMES EASY WITH SOCIAL MEDIA

     

    Nowadays, with active social media, real and fake news spreads faster. There is a crazy urge to play the  fastest finger first in case of objections and protests. It is so easy to be an armchair protester. However, if found genuine by the majority it has possibility of turning into an ugly ground reality in no time.

     

     

    PERSONAL POINT

     

    I can be said to be well-educated and can be considered progressively liberal. However, I am sensitive about my religion, rituals, culture, nation and national symbols. I am completely against anyone (including people from my own faith) to play with them. To make fun of them. To misuse them for commercial gains. Liberalism and secularism do not mean taking pot shot on Hinduism.

     

     

    ARGUMENT

     

    There is an argument that people find it easy and open to abuse these symbols and pictures, as Indian’s and Hindu’s  have commoditised them with misuse over multiple product categories. So if you can have Lakshmi Cement, why not Hanuman beer.

     

    The difference is that businesses in India use these names (as Brand), symbols and images in the most respectful way. There is no need to add subjectivity by confusing the judgement basis the user and the purpose.

     

     

    JUDGMENT

     

    In 2015, a bench headed by Chief Justice HL Datta said, ‘there is nothing wrong in people using pictures of God for commercial purpose in the products’. The courts said, ‘If I have my God on my car, house or home, then what is wrong with it. Why should we restrain people from using picture of God’. And indeed the judges have a point there.

     

     

    THE NEED.

     

    Personally, I am of the favour of creating a library of protected words, pictures and symbols across religions. That defines what cannot be used for commercial purpose. Be it brand name, visual depiction, advertising or any such commercial use. We are sensitives to misuse and we need to be protective.

     

    Some may say, religion and religious symbols are just representation not the core of it. The true power of prayer and the belief is in the heart and the mind. A true believer sees his or her god in everything, everywhere, including in the act of  their misuse. When someone plays with the symbol, and misuses them, does their value and importance decrease?

     

    The question has no answer. I don’t think there is a need to try answering it.

     

    It is My Religion, My Symbol, My Culture And My Nation.

     

     

    SOME OTHER INSTANCES OF MISUSE.

    Just to share how tolerant the silent Majority been.

     

    It is for each one of us  to judge if the protest is valid. When does the brand, product or service crosses the line. Here are some instances of misuse.

     

    1. 2020. (1) Amazon withdraws products featuring Hindu deities. (20 Enlighten Clothing Company removes GAESHA balance mini skirt (3) California- Use of Hindu Deities statues in Nightclub as decor. (4) Brahma beer by Budweiser (5) Protest against toilet seat cover with Hindu God images.

     

    1. 2019. (1) Another Brew Company withdraws Hanuman Beer . (2) Gucci trolled for selling Sikh Turban as an accessory. 2018. (1) Amazon withdraws Lord Ganesh stockings. 2017. (1) Jawed Habib uses Hindu Gods in the Newspaper advertisement. (2) On Amazon, doormats with tricolour were on sale. 2016. (1) Wayfair and Kess Bathroom mats. Toilet seats. Shoes. Dog tags with Lord Ganesh visual. (2) Hindu God-decorated skateboards and bedding at Amazon. 2010. (1) Newsweek cover depicts president Obama as Natraj.

     

    Just to make the case, if you know of cases where symbol-god-culture-images and  iconography of Islam, Jew and Christianity has been misused, do share.

     

    —

     

    Sanjeev Kotnala is a senior marketing strategist and educator. He writes on MxMIndia on Wednesdays. His views here are personal

     

     

  • It is easy to see the game politicians play with fragile impressionable minds. We must prevent bastardisation of history with such populistic moves. Because a change picturisation of history impacts everything that follows, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Sanjeev Kotnala: Fake News More Potent than Highjacked History

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Recently, I experimented with ‘Audible’- where you listen instead of watching or reading.  My expectations were not too high and the experience polarised. Audible was great for talk shows, book summaries and audio drama. But, when it came to books, I have a mixed reaction. Well, it does help me utilise time as I listen to them during my walks. What flipped me was the audible original ‘Hijacked History’.

     

    I have heard of fake news. Here Dominic Sandbrook, a British columnist and television presenter, was talking about Fake History- something new to me. Have we all not already corrected our history.

     

    While I was growing up, the printed word and what my parents told needed no proof, unlike today, when kids check with Google Uncle if what their parents tell is right.

     

    FAKE HISTORY IS AS REAL AS FAKE NEWS

    Dominic Sandbrook explores two-and-a-half millennia of human history. Slavery and American Deep South to the air raid shelters of wartime Britain. He demonstrates how the past has been manipulated, rewritten and reshaped. How it been re-crafted much after the event and while serving a different set of masters. Both democratic and dictatorship states suffer from it. It is done in the name of national moral and fight for the identity. And some time to correct the past or wipe it from public memory. Hijacked history creates a new perception that with time become a fact. And till then, the perception remains adulterated with reality. And we know, perception always wins.

     

    THE CASE OF HIJACKED HISTORY- NORTH MACEDONIA.

    In the last episode of ‘Hijacked History’, Dominic Sandbrook presents the case of ‘Republic of North Macedonia’. The ‘Republic of North Macedonia’ not only stakes a claim to the name Macedonia but also tries hijacking the legacy of ‘Alexander the great’ from Greece Macedonia. To achieve this, they erect a large number of statues of who else but Alexander the great, construct new buildings with ancient Greek façade and rename streets. Sounds so much nearer home.

     

    OUR ACCESS TO HISTORY

    All of us access history more through the names of streets, stadium, stations and cities than the limited book we read on history. Much of our knowledge is comes from films, story-books, comics and now social posts based on history. When this corrupted new history is imprinted in the impressionable minds, generations grow up with a notion that in reality is fake or hijacked history.

     

    No doubt, today when you talk to the young adults, their point of reference on Hindu mythology is Devdutt Patnaik, Anand Neelakantan and Amish Tripathi. For them, separating the fact from fiction is complicated. No doubt, a lot of what we know is based on lies or misrepresented history passed or thrust through generations.

     

    WE MUST CORRECT HIJACKED HISTORY.

    Nearer home, the textbook history has mainly been Mughal, British and Gandhi-centric. What is needed is Indianisation and Bharatisation not merely saffronisation. We must give just representation to regional and religious identity to reflect our national diversity. There is no point being myopic in renaming the streets, stations, airports or building statues of our glorified local heroes. We must be correct and inclusive, culturally and factually.

     

    RENAMING IS NO SOLUTION. RELEARNING IS.

    As a nation, we have been busy naming streets and stations. Mughalsarai Junction Railway Station became Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction. Aurangzeb Road in Delhi became A P J Abdul Kalam Road. Gurgaon became Gurugram. Mumbai ( Bombay), Bengaluru ( Bangalore), Kolkatta ( Calcutta), Prayagraj (Allahabad), Kanpur (Cawnpore) and Jabalpur (Jubblepore) are some of the examples.

     

    Did it change anything? Nothing. Do people still call them by the earlier names? Yes. So, stop renaming and work to ensure that the correct history is shared for learning.

     

    CONTROLLING PAST IS THE SEED OF CONTROLLING THE FUTURE.

    Maybe George Orwell’s is absolutely right when he said: “He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past”.

     

    It is easy to see the game politicians play with fragile impressionable minds. We must prevent bastardisation of history with such populistic moves. Because a change picturisation of history impacts everything that follows.

     

    MEDIA TRIALS AS SINISTER AS FAKE HISTORY

    Media trials on TV are almost as bad as reality shows. Sledging and trolling on social media is nothing short of an entirely skewed witch hunt. Both of them are powerful in shaping point of views and impacting memories. They are great in seeding polarised arguments in the mind of viewers.

     

    In fact, no one is worried about the life that is getting ruined and stamped with perceptions. Something that they will never be able to wipe off irrespective of the final verdict. This high decibel cacophonic repeated shouting is crude but is highly successful.

     

    We need to find a way to control it without blasting the right to freedom of expression and investigative journalism. Otherwise, it will again happen. And people will not be able to differentiate reality from propaganda.

     

    FAKE NEWS TODAY IS EQUALLY DISASTROUS.

    Fake news today is sharing fake narratives and impressing fragile imaginations with differentiated polarised ideologies. It is making them raise questions that do not exist. It is giving them a lopsided view through a tainted coverage. Laying the foundations of non-inclusiveness, gender and caste divide, religious and regional divide and hatred where none should exist. There is no way the audience can check all the fake news.

     

    NEWSPAPERS FILTER AGAINST FAKE NEWS.

    Every media platform wants to fight fake news, or so they claim. There are a few who are the propagator and super-spreaders of the fake narrative.

     

    Newspapers too, have been shouting against the influx of fake news. Newspapers are also suspectable to fake news. However, the percentage of fake news in the newspaper is negligible or drastically less than any other media. Bias is a totally different story. They are still credible and trustworthy. And that is the reason that irrespective of the media you get your news from, maybe it is time that you again subscribed to a newspaper.

     

     

  • How can brands avoid the outrage against their ads? And will this spectre of social outrage kill creative voice, process and intent, asks Sanjeev Kotnala

    Sanjeev Kotnala: Time For Smear Index & Scar Service

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Well, I have some news. Remember Vermajee, my dear friend and a well-known  brand-marketing consultant. I met him yesterday. I wanted to pick his brains over the recent social media outrage, serious trolling and boycott call against some of the brands.

     

    Vermajee was tired after what was a day-long meeting on a similar subject. Being a friend, he did not have the option of terminating my call.

     

    SOCIAL MEDIA OUTRAGE.

    We have recently seen social media outrages against a few of the brands and campaigns. Amazon on use of deity images. Tanishq for the baby shower of a Hindu daughter-in-law in a Muslim family and for the call for a cracker-free Diwali. Gillette for supporting #MeToo with  toxic masculinity.  Zomato on hate money. Airtel for the empowered wife asking husband what he will eat. Ike yoga issue. Kumbha Mela, Red Label Tea  for asking people to take care of adults. Man Force Condoms in celebrating LoveRatri. Fortune Foods for insulting Hindu faith by showing couple consuming non-veg during puja. Netflix for kissing in temples. Beer brands for using the names of Hindu Deity and many more.

     

    I had some idea of what the brands should do. However, I wanted a second opinion. How can brands avoid such situations? And will this spectre of social outrage kill creative voice, process and intent? 

     

    BRANDS MUST GET THE BENEFIT OF DOUBT.

    Start with a basic assumption that no brand is doing this intentionally, Vermajee said. Brands also hate this undesired buzz in social media. Let us presume that no brand uses this as a strategic tool to amplify their media weights and message delivery. So, for all practical purpose, it is a genuine mistake. An oversight. An irresponsible act of compromising brand values. And then only we should address what can be done?

     

    VERMAJEE’S ADVISE TO THE BRANDS.

    Vermajee was clear, the first step for brands have to act proactively. Predict and plan. Resolve and ratify and Rectify. Brands must keep an ear to the ground and be aware and sensitive to the realities. They must read every tremor caused by the tectonic plates of  Religion, Region, Politics, Gender, Caste and such issues.

     

    It is good to have a purpose but then risking it in a purposeless world does not make sense.

    There are segments of consumers pushing  against each other, just like the tectonic plates. Pushing for dominance.  Everyone thinks they are right. Consultants expect the brands will listen when they tell them what to do. 

     

    BRANDS MUST BE PROACTIVE.

    Proactive means that when a creative is developed, before approval, run it through a common-sense sensor. Ask within the team if it wrongly presses any of the current socio-political tension points.  The answer, if the brand will be able to take a hit and stand for what they communicate.  Still then, build a possible scenario and design an  honourable escape. As for location, model costumes- with preferably a pan Indian looks and feel.  The brand CMO should never forget that they should be answerable to Brand more than the Management. Just like the consultants, the brand must choose the battles they want to really fight.

     

    In fact, Vermajee sees an opportunity and recommends the agency to add a  ‘Social Media Engagement and  Adverse Reaction’ ( SMEAR) report as a part of the presentation. A short deck, advising the client on the probability  of adverse reaction in the social media and escape plans. 

     

    SMEAR INDEX. FRESH INNOVATIVE APPROACH.

    Vermajee as you know is a strategically sound and a highly confident person. He has the mind of a curious researcher. In the current scenario, he saw an opportunity and has developed SMEAR INDEX©  and SMEAR PREDICTOR©.

     

    It is based on category sensitivity, past reaction, customer psyche, fringe group interaction, current political and religious climate. It gives a numeric value between 0 to 1 as a possibility of adverse social media reaction to the Campaign.

     

    Test runs are more encouraging than the  Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. In fact, there have been few false-positive reports but mostly the predictor worked.  Anyone interested to know more about it or be a co-developer, founder or funder can connect directly.

     

    Vermajee has meanwhile applied for the trademark for the name and copyright for the process. He shared a part of  initial working on SMEAR  and promises to make a full presentation with a revenue model, sometime later. 

     

    LOYALTY PROGRAMME.

    One could buy just the Index or predictor or the complete report with reasoning. Available as a per creative basis or loyalty programme with up-to 10 creative a month. In loyalty programme also included is the suggestions on how to SAFE  or SAVE the creative with least changes. 

     

    INSURANCE AGAINST SMEAR.

    Vermajee is a smart cookie. He has gone a step further and is in talks with three big Insurance Companies to start a Social Campaign Adverse Reaction (SCAR™) insurance.

     

    As usual, brands with certain pre-existing strategic problems will not be offered this insurance, just like most insurance companies do not offer Covid Kavatch to smokers. The  pre-existing strategic ailments.

    :: The brand has a past history of adverse social media reaction.

    :: The brand campaign is based on senseless brand purpose not supported by actions or tangible results.

    :: The brand is a surrogate product for any Tobacco—liquor, Weed, Drugs, prostitution or dating service.

    :: The Campaign features anyone of the well-known usual suspect brand endorses.

    :: The Campaign talks of National integration, Inclusive community and inter-caste, region, religion environment.

    :: The Campaign takes a dig at any recent celebrity death or natural calamity.

    :: The Campaign involves

     

     

    Vermajee was in a happy mood. He shared a story to make his points as to how the brands must behave. The old wise saying tells us,  ‘if you want to hit with a stone, wrap that is Muslin cloth’.

     

    He said, brands do not have to change their stance or the promise. They don’t even have to  the ad or the act. But they have to be creative while messaging.

     

     

    THE STORY.

     

    Once there was a King, and two astrologer friends came to his Darbar. The first one read his horoscope and said- Raja, all your relatives will die before your eyes. The Raja was very furious and asked the astrologer to be beheaded.

     

    The second astrologer read the horoscope. He realized that the first Astrologer was right. He also knew as an oath to his profession, if he did not tell the right thing Maa Sarawati ( Goddess of knowledge) will leave him. So he said, ‘Rajan, Your will live longest among all your relatives’. The second astrologer was praised for his prediction and given lot many gifts.

     

    It is time for the brands and their agencies be the second Astrologer. Better they should be made to discuss the moral of  a Panchatantra story every Monday.

     

    CAN YOU HELP VERMAJEE.

     

    As a friend, I want to help Vermajee. We welcome  strategist and consultant to share their gut-feeling about the potential of such process  and product. I am talking of SMEAR and SCAR.

     

     

    …………………

     

    The one Cadbury ad that the predictor gave a wrong reading. Vermajee is still trying to understand what went wrong. Is it because of the background structures?

    I think the brand is smart and in touch with reality.  That’s the kind of neutrality brands need.

    Just visualise it with the guy with a pathani or surma in the eyes and the girl with Bindi on her forehead. There you go.

     

     

     

     

    Sanjeev Kotnala is a senior marketing and business strategist and educator. He writes on MxMIndia every Wednesday. His views here are personal

  • Would you share a well-kept shocker of a secret on national TV? Sanjeev Kotnala writes after watching Episode 42

    Sanjeev Kotnala: Secrets Anyone?

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Here is a simple question. Do you have a well-kept shocker of a secret that you can share on national TV? Are you mad? I expect that from you. The question comes to mind after watching Episode 42 telecast on November 30, 2020.

     

    Everyone knows I love Bigg Boss. It was my favourite show for long. However, despite WFH, I have been missing the telecast. The tasks have been repetitive, lacking originality and creativity. And many times crossing the unsaid rules.

     

    This year, I did not even write a blog on Bigg Boss. I did watch a few of the episodes on Voot in the afternoon and did not miss ‘the weekend roundup’ with Salman Khan. It will take some time to wean me of Bigg Boss.

     

    Bigg Boss At Interesting Point.

    Bigg Boss season 14 is at an exciting stage with six ex-contestants (seniors) getting into the house. The four existing contestants have some real competition at hand.

    The seniors who walked in invited as wildcards are well known and loved participants of earlier seasons. Rakhi Sawant, Mastermind Vikas Gupta, Arshi Khan, the dumb face Rahul Mahajan, want to prove a lot Kashmira Shah and confidence my second name Manu Punjabi. I’m not too fond of a wildcard at such a late stage and hope this is another fake move or they will get evicted at some stage. But that is not the reason for this article.

     

    Bigg Boss Observation Deck.

    Bigg Boss is a reality show around strategy and human reactions. There are umpteen reasons to watch it. The way to watch it is to bet on one of the contestants.

    Watching the episode 42, I realized there is another way to get immersed in it. Virtual participants. Some of the episodes and the task are apt for it. Get on take a stance and play the Game.

     

    The Episode Task.

    At the start of the task, Rubina had the IMMUNITY STONE. She could have used it anytime to avoid getting nominated. Maybe she was holding it back for a critical moment and ended up getting nominated for eviction.

    Now the immunity stone was at stake.

    The task was simple. Rubina will share a secret about herself. Preferably one that even the people close to her do not know about. More of a shocker better the secret. After her, another contestant will share his or her secret. The rest of the contestant will then vote, which was a more significant impact secret. The winner will get the immunity stone.

    And then the winner will again defend the immunity stone in four more rounds of participants sharing their secret. The immunity stone will keep passing winner to winner.

    I frankly loved the episode. However, I do not subscribe to playing the trauma sharing and reliving for generating some shocking and controversial content. How far should the format be allowed to go and stretch human tolerance. Truthfully speaking, they have the right to rise to the bait or deny participating. But, you don’t do that in this show.

    As a coach, I do understand, sometimes sharing and opening of a trauma or a secret can be therapeutic, but under supervision.

     

    The Game.

    (if you have watched the episode 42, you could jump to ‘The Game- Case discussion’).

    Rubina shared her secret. ‘Abhinav and I were getting divorced. To give our marriage a second chance, we decided to come to Bigg Boss together. We have given ourselves time till November end’. The episode telecast date- 30th November 2020.

    Now the Game is open, and the heat is on the other contestants to share their secret. No one wants to do that on national television. They think of their families and parents.

    Ali and Rahul Vaidya decide they will not share the secret. They opt out of the task.

    Still, no one wants to be the first one to get on stage and share the secret.

    Eijaz decides to take the plunge.

     

    Your Secret More Shocking Than Mine.

    Eijaz drops the bomb. The reason I have a problem with unannounced unwarranted touch is that in childhood, I was a victim of physical abuse without my consent.

    Eijaz wins and the immunity stone. Rubina loses it.

     

    The Gates Open Up.

    With Eijaz opening up, the hesitation finishes, and the other contestant follow.

    To take on Eijaz in walked Abhinav with his secret. ‘My first film flopped. I got depressed. No work led to me getting bankrupt. And this is not even known to my wife’. Eijaz won. But why would Abhinav walk in with this small secret? Was it because he was replying to Rubina who shared the divorce possibility without asking him?

    Next attempt to get the Immunity stone was by Jasmin. Her secret. ‘After facing umpteen rejection due to some prominent marks on my body. I decided and tried to commit suicide, and I consider that as my biggest mistake’. Rejection is part of a struggler’s life. Everyone there has faced it at some stage. Eijaz retains the immunity stone.

    Niki and her secret; she was paid four lakhs for an international modelling assignment. That was too much money for her at that time. While she was returning, some people tried kidnapping her and walked away with all the money. No, she was not kidnapped. And maybe this secret was just for the facetime. EIJAZ retains immunity stone.

    Kavita Choudhary was the next and the last one to attempt. Her secret had to be bigger than Eijaz’s secret; otherwise, there was no point. Her secret was now to find how much the male-female victim card was worth in the show. ‘When Kavita was young, her 60plus Mathematics tutor tried to talk dirty with her. He tried to molest her. And when she shared it with her mother, her mother did not believe her’.

    Eijaz secret won and became the first finalist.

     

    The Game as CASE discussion. 

    Would Eijaz still have won, If all the contestants shared their secrets before the voting for the best secret started?

    What if the opening was not by Rubina and she was the last one to share? Would she share some other secret?

    Would the sequence in which the secrets were shared affected the outcome?

    What if Eijaz was to share his secret at the end.

     

    You In The Game.

    Now, think if you were one of the contestants in Bigg Boss. What is the secret you carry? Do you have the guts to accept that secret on national television? What would that secret be that you would get the immunity stone? Will you be able to share your best-kept secret on National Television? What kind of secrets will you not share? Will you create a story for the Game and deny that later?

     

     

  • It’s Not A Big Deal, exclaims Sanjeev Kotnala

    Nothing has Changed, and Nothing will Change for Marketers

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    There I have said it! Am I being out of sync with reality? Or just being provocative to grab your attention? Everyone across the world is busy discussing the impact of Covid-19. Pundits have sliced, spliced and dissected the truth. The old way, it seems, is no longer relevant. Brands worth their loyalties, and brands seeking to be loyal, are all busy realigning to ‘The New Normal.’ The new AD to an older BC. But something in me refuses to accede. Yes, I insist, nothing has changed for the marketer.

     

    The world continues to rotate

    Births and deaths continue. The nature of elections and protests haven’t changed. There seems to be no end to discrimination based on race, gender, color, caste, religion, or geography. Stockmarkets remain entirely unpredictable. RCB and our irascible Kohli persist in failing at the IPL. Arnab continues to dominate as the accused, plaintiff, and judge. E-commerce platforms and startups continue to sell a dollar for 50 cents. We continue mixing politics and religion with relish. The doomsayers and the devoted continue their daily clash. And to the utter glee of all marketers behind the scenes- perception remains a better influencer than reality. Consumers, of course, stay illogical, irrational, and completely mesmerized. We remain uncertain about the most certain thing in life- death and are sure about every other uncertainty.

     

    So, well, if nothing has changed, then nothing has changed.

     

    But, isn’t change the only constant?

    Ok, I am not for a moment saying Covid hasn’t affected us. We all know things have indeed taken a turn. For better or worse, only time will tell. But, here’s my point- For marketers and whatever it is that they are selling us, change has always been the only constant. Change is natural. Sometimes it is a slow erosion of culture and values, and occasionally a violent wave completely transforms everything instantly. Covid hit our collective conscience like a sudden earthquake, with aftershocks continuing to reverberate around us.

    Yes, things have changed. We have realised that men of means can actually accomplish household chores, even cook and babysit. We are painfully aware of the workload of a homemaker. We are suddenly conscious of shielding our coughs and sneezes and maintaining a polite distance in a queue. We are teaching ourselves things that should have been the norm in the first place. From sniggering at someone wearing a pollution mask, we are now picking up facemasks that match our shirts and shoes.

     

    We are reluctantly acknowledging the power and the curse of social media. We have learned the difference between a friend on Facebook versus the real deal who you can trust. To recognise the essential from the feel-good. Covid has given us all pause for thought. A lifestyle based on overt materialism is being questioned. And as a result, insights that were once leveraged by products and services are undergoing a transformation.

     

    Marketers are expected to be ever vigilant and evolve with changes. It is their job to adapt. The changes are just an occupational hazard. So that is why I insist, nothing has changed for the marketer.

     

    It is merely time to rehaul the template

    If you upped your key season by unleashing a Sale with front-loaded spots on TV and activation solutions tailored to find the approval of your boss’s wife, it probably didn’t work this time around. Your pre-Covid consumer insights maybe failed to pack the same punch. And even if all your post-evals forced you to look for excuses, Covid has indeed seeded a nagging doubt. Deep in the pit of your stomach, you know there is a broken template that needs to be repaired or replaced. Maybe forever.

     

    But the fundamental drivers of consumerism remain true. No one is ever satisfied with what life serves them. And all consumers continue to believe that they deserve a better life. They also believe that life is, in many ways, biased. And when we marketers take a hard look at it, we know that essentially the task remains intact. It is only the template that is broken. And changing a template to accommodate a changing scenario has always been the only reason for good marketers to exist. So, again, nothing has changed for the real marketer.

     

    Every day is a New Day

    We have moved through stops and spurts and have come a long way in a brief period. From branding as a differentiator, to the 4Ps of marketing, perception management, and then preference creation, to USP, to visual dominance to now, purpose-driven brands, we have come a long way. We will slowly find a new solution for this highly fragile market, where information updates continue to overwrite everything every minute.

     

    For a marketer, life changes when the consumer changes. Experimenting, learning, and moving in tandem with society are what keep the home fires burning. The landscape of marketing is littered with broken templates. Every time technology takes a leap, every time a new medium takes center stage, every time the latest pop phenomenon breaks a record, your template too takes a shattering blow. This year it was the turn of a biological virus to introduce a twist in the plot, but with the same results—just another day in your marketing life. So, let me repeat, nothing has changed for the marketer.

     

    Freeze, melt, or mold a new path.

    How we react is a question of the mindset we have. While brands were busy holding back and cutting short their dreams, Amul boldly launched new products and gained media-weight efficiencies. McDonald’s, Volkswagen, Burger King, Adidas, Fevicol, and The Hindu empathised with their audience, reflecting in their communication. Tanishq tried to be corrective by defining inclusiveness across religious boundaries, leading to outrage in some quarters. But they were at least trying. Lifebuoy and Dettol took full home-ground advantage with their soap and handwash brands. The fact is, every brand is fully aware that their templates have been irretrievably broken. If you are not busy finding your new template for the new normal, then you are a victim of the virus. So, I say again, nothing has changed for the marketer.

     

    It is time for Re-WORLD.

    Yes, marketers need to Re-WORLD. To Re-SEARCH inward and outward. Re-EVALUATE options and maybe Re-DEFINE and Re-PURPOSE for current and future consumers.

     

    The ecosystem will keep evolving, and we must make the best of the situation, better than the competition, or what the audience expects. Every marketer is in the game till the experience-expectation gap is positive.

     

    Marketers are expected to be agile in addressing every Probortunity (Problem or opportunity) with an open mind. To watch what can be exploited and leveraged. Like, Centre fresh – primarily a mouth freshener, keeping itself alive through the romance of a class struggle.

     

    UnAcademy talks of ‘Aur kya sheeka,’ and Amazon says the ‘show must go on’. The marketers better watch these two along with the Facebook story of a small-town milk center. They would suddenly agree with me; neither their roles and responsibilities nor accountability has changed. The process and the approaches remain valid; only the template is broken.

     

    Nothing has Changed for the Marketers

    The marketers must not forget that this is the time for them to remain faithful to the process, the SOP, the art and science of marketing- the results will follow. How simple it is to say, Chai Peeni Thi AA Gaya. Nothing has changed. Marketing, Yeh Toh Aapna hi game hai.

     

    ………………………………………………………………………….

     

    Excerpts from my talk ‘NOTHING IS CHANGED FOR THE MARKETERS’ to Amity University, Uttar Pradesh.  However, it was my Bengaluru-based dear friend, Peter Suresh; a media research analyst turned content writer, and an ex-colleague from Dainik Bhaskar, who gave it the Tint, Hue and Colour, and curated the jumbled thoughts to make them presentable . Thank you, Peter

     

  • Thank the year 2020 for 16 powerful lessons, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Not everything was bad about 2020!

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Life is a school. And 2020 was a harsh taskmaster. There in the life school, you learnt your lessons in two types of experiences. Aapbethi; learning from Self-experience and Jagbeethi; Learning from others experience. Both powerful ways teaching you through Success, Failure, Opportunity, Crisis, Solution and Barriers. The year 2020 ensured the lessons were ingrained for life. However, as usual in schools, the most exacting teacher gets wrongly branded. Ma ybe it never had the chance to defend in the anxiety loaded world. There every experience was shared and amplified in a highly polarised way. Many years later, when the historians look back, they may list it as a narrative that was not wholly right.

     

    When you reflect on the way we all blame the year and call it names, you realise that the year and tie space got nothing to do with it. Any other year would have been fine. The things that were wrong were the virus, which was result of human interreference with nature, the infrastructure and quality check. Poor 2020, it got branded for no fault of it.

     

     

    THE LESSONS OF 2020

     

    LUXURY AND ESSENTIALS

     

    How fast did the year taught us what Luxury is and what are the real essentials? It told us what must be priced and what is priceless. It showed us where our priorities should be centred. We realised the difference between friend and acquaintances to people who may know us. Our definition, approach and attitude towards family, friends and society at large were questioned. I hope we have learnt our lessons.

     

     

    WFH: WORK FOR HOME

     

    Initially, the WFH started as a mere acronym for Working from Home. A mid-year realisation happened. The running of the home is a collective responsibility. We work from home. We Work For Home.

     

     

    SHARE THE LOAD

     

    The age-old myth that the housewife does nothing and the chief wageearner due to his role qualifies for the treatment got busted. The gender and roles merged. Family members realised what all is needed at home, what all the mother, sister, wife, daughter or son in law does. Slowly but in no small extent in the long-drawn lockdown sharing the load gradually became the norm.  

     

     

    TOGETHER

     

    It is not about I v/s you v/s we v/s them. The threat and repercussion were highly secular and did not differentiate based on any caste, creed, race, colour, region, religion, seniority or intellect. The world realised that we are in it together. In fact, hard lessons on interdependence have been delivered time and again.

     

     

    UNPREDICTABILITY

     

    How predictably were we facing the unpredictable? We had every corner covered, and we were in control, or so we thought. We now know, of the unpredictable and probabilistic nature of life means. We know even the best plans can fail. We are better at adapting to changes. We know the importance and have started to incorporate flexibility in every aspect of life.

    We have finally learnt that everything comes at a cost. That our constant playing with nature will cost us. Even with the advancements in technology, perfection is still work in process, and failure is a part of life.

     

     

    COMMUNICATION

     

    Being together is an exciting way of life. The family truly lived together for a long stretch. The guards and mask dropped with time. Questioning the discipline, misunderstanding with ego in the play was a natural outcome. Charged emotions lead to learning to be patience choice of words, actions, reaction and inaction. The importance of communication was demonstrated. Hopefully, we all moved towards a more open, transparent communication style.

     

     

    RISE

    Life goes on. The losses are real, and we must find ways to tackle them on materialistic and emotional levels. There is still a good day or a hope of a good day. Life-death, good-bad, opportunity and crisis are cyclic. When one of them happens, it almost comes with a guarantee of the other to happen, sooner or later. These are polarities with a continuum in place. How you see them and react to them is defined by your mindset. So, you can see opportunity in crisis and crisis in an opportunity.

     

     

    INSURANCE

     

    We all need more than accidental or medical insurance. We need emotional insurance. The insurance that comes with having, family, friends and close ones depends upon, just like we need savings for a lousy day. And the way to plan for the is really when there is no crisis.

     

     

    EVERYONE CAN BE A HERO

    Gone the days when the heroes wore a cape or a uniform at the border. A different set of heroes emerged. The common man, the Covid warriors, the helpers, the solution provider, saw heroes everywhere. Maybe it taught us about real compassion and empathy. Perhaps it planted the seeds of being a hero and helping others in each one of us.

     

    TRUST

     

    At the end of it, what matters is the level of confidence and trust you have. The trust in people, processes and knowledge. How much can people trust you, your decisions, actions, reactions and inaction?

     

    Surprises are fair, and they too are part of life. But trust is how you understand, expect, anticipate and willingly accept even the surprises. Trust need no explanation. We learnt to earn and respect trust.

     

     

    CONSISTENCY

     

    Trust comes from consistent expectation and experiences. We learnt how SOP and precautions need to be adhered to. How the chain is as weak as the weakest link.

     

     

    POSSIBILITIES EXIST

    This is my favourite learning. Everything is possible if you put your heart and soul into it. If the resources could be collaborative if not even centralised. The past performance is not even a yardstick to set an expectation. A vaccine in a short time. A lockdown. Trains stopped, state borders sealed. Last rites disallowed, and people accepted that. Temples, Mosque and churches closed. A common man waking up to help people they don’t even know about. Everything is possible.

     

     

    PAST IS DEAD

    We learnt the solutions may not come from old learnings and knowledge. The past is a rich source of wisdom. That we cannot change anything that has already happened. We may still be able to reduce the impact and effect, but the thing cannot be undone. So watch what we say and do, but don’t carry the baggage of past into future. Make every decision as an open-eyed conscious decision after evaluating every possible known information. And then don’t regret if it turns out to be wrong.

     

     

    EMOTIONAL OWNERSHIP IS BAD

    Materialistic attachments ate fine, you can renew them. You can replace them. However, emotional attachments and ownerships hurt. It prevents you from being flexible and adapts to the changes. Emotional baggage ground you to current status and templates. Ownership makes you resist changes. Let that ownership of an emotional win linger just for that moment and then move ahead with the learnings.

     

     

    CHANGE

     

    The more things change, the more they remain the same. These changes just break the template; the learning and knowledge do not fail. The process does not fail, though it may need slight correction. We need flexibility and a mindset that builds freedom to adapt and react with agility. But, when was that not the truth. 2020 only brought it in focus. There is nothing that is temper proof. Everything is developing and redefining relationships. This is a Re-World, where you have to continually research, re-evaluate, re-think, re-align and in short re-working your plans and implementation processes. We have realised the need for constant monitoring and the criticality of completing a feedback loop.

     

     

    THE FINAL PIECE

     

    The year 2020 got highly polarised reactions. The perception building was fast and ruthless. It got so wrongly branded. And no amount of repainting efforts will change the perception. Humans are not immune to such branding and perception creation.  If you do not take conscious well throughout consistent strategic measures to brand yourself. To get the desired Brand-I perceptions. Don’t worry,  you will be branded by default.

     

    ……………………………………

     

    Try finding time to Pause. Find a space for yourself and try re-living the episodes in your life in 2020. See which dots you can connect? Look at the positive side? You may have a different set of learnings. Do share if you can. I want to know what you learnt and how did the learning come around.

     

     

  • Fantasy is always better than a fantasy Fantasy, writes Sanjeev Kotnala and gives us a peek into his travel bucket list

    Sanjeev Kotnala: Crazy Travel Bucket List Seeks Sponsors

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    We all have dreams, desires and aspirations. We have our list of things we want to do before we die. May be few of them already has a timer ticking. To focus on them, we create Bucket Lists. I am sure you also have your Bucket List.

     

    I am a disciplined, organised and process-driven man. Hence, I have many bucket lists. You can filter and search my lists across parameters like category, possibilities, potential, desperation, desirability and experience. In Mudra, A G Krishnamurthy told us: ‘You have first to dream before you can realise the dream’. And a few of my dreams are trapped in my bucket lists.

     

    I may not have ticked any in the bucket list, but I periodically clean the mess in there. I revaluate and trim the list as per the changing scenario and possibilities. What are the dreams in your bucket list? 

     

    My Travel Bucket List

     

    One of my bucket list is about travelling. Naturally, I am super excited about every item on it. One that tops the list is the proposed Delhi-London road trip.

    Twenty thousand kilometers across 18 countries in 78-odd days! A trip by Adventure Overland with opportunities to spend time in Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France and the UK. What more, only 20 passengers per bus.

     

     

    Help Me Make It Happen

     

    Someone said on WhatsApp, “this time they are not going to Europe in year-end due to covid-19 scare”. And then added, “every year we don’t go because of money”. I empathise with the statement. It is my problem too. And if I manage to get the right sponsor in this era of social media, it could start a trend.

     

    I would love to get on this trip in 2021 but will miss it for the Covid-19 scare. However, if I miss it in 2022, it will be because of the lack of sponsors. So, here it is out in the open. I am looking for sponsors to help me tick my bucket list.

     

    I am not fussy about the sponsor. I am okay with any person, Brand, Company, Corporate, NGO, Education Institute or even a trust sponsoring me. All I needs is around 55 Lakh PLUS for a team of two. The PLUS depends upon the deliverables the sponsor would want.

     

    Do write to me if you want to sponsor the whole or part of it.

     

    Deliverables. What does The Sponsor get? 

     

    What the sponsor gets defends upon what the sponsor wants and the funds available for the trip. We can always discuss it over a cup or glass of whatever sponsor likes. We will sketch out an experience benchmarked against a realistic expectation.

     

    Many possibilities exist. A dedicated updated website, Blog, VLOG, Instagram feed, FaceBook stories and Twitter are hygiene. Discussion, comments and coverage of International brand presence and support service are possible.

     

    I can pre-commit to a coffee table or a travel book if funds are available. A coffee table book with beautiful pictures shot in iPhone 12 ( take the hint) will be fantastic. Photos of brand product or category captured through the lens across different countries. The brand can convert my experience into 3-4 episodes.

     

    We can always brain-swarm ( Brainstorm is dead) what works for the sponsor. 50 Lakh Plus should not be a deterrent for a brand that can amplify it. I am an advertising-marketing professional and an advisor, so I know how to take mileage of the project better.

     

    What about running a contest for my partner on the trip. Gender and age is not an issue. Do connect if you want to sponsor the whole or part of it. Agencies may wish to connect and discuss the possibility for the brand. I Prefer ONE BRAND TAKES IT ALL APPROACH. 

     

     

    Another Trip in My Travel Bucket List.  

     

    Now, the art of managing bucket list is to prioritise what you want to tick off first and be flexible in your approach. In addition to a few international travel, I have India travel too in the bucket list waiting for the right sponsors. This one is not crazy enough, but absorbing it is.

     

    It is to drive through 18 states of India. Stopovers in more than 54 cities. Meet people, interact, deliver talks and guest lectures. It should start in November in one of the years and end by April 30, next year. It will cover more than 10,000 km in 180 days. Interested?

     

    My Complete Travel Bucket List:

     

    :: Route 20.The loneliest road in America. It is the GOLD RUSH ERA HIGHWAY that paves the way to the west’s Last frontier. I borrowed that from National geography and will borrow more. “It’s a place where the lines between John Wayne Westerns and everyday life blur, where ghost towns bleed into living ones. You can’t count on cell service or gas stations, on places to eat or even people to wave at as you pass”.

    :: The Trans Canada Train Trip. Toronto to Vancouver. 84-hour.

    :: Jammu- Kanyakumari Express– Indian railways are you reading this? Train Himsagar 16317. Covering 3714 KM touching some 67 stations in 74 Hour.

    :: Mumbai Guwahati Express. The fastest train on this route is 02519 LTT KYQ AC EXPRESS takes 44 Hour to cover 2500 KM. Indian railways interested?

    :: Manali Leh SUV Mahindra!

    :: Trans Siberia Train. Beijing to Moscow. 7621 KM in 6 nights.

    :: The Orient Express. The original does not run any longer—the Orient Express train ( by Belmond ) between London and Venice.

     

     

    This is the newly pruned list. A realistic possible Fantasy is always better than a fantasy Fantasy. Maybe there is a crazy idea of starting a company that picks these crazy dreams of perfectly loony people and then matches them with the Brand needs and purpose.

     

     

  • The self-regulatory body is often called a toothless tiger,  but the recent decisions on some advertising are welcome, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    ASCI Vs Surrogate liquor advertising 1-0. Game On

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Congratulations, ASCI. I serious sincerely love this. However, I am not fully satisfied. There are mixed emotions. It was waiting to happen for a long time. ASCI banning brands for Surrogate advertising– mainly Surrogate Liquor Advertising is excellent.

     

    ASCI (short for Advertising Standards Council of India) is often compared to be a toothless tiger or a dog that can bark and not bite. Recent changes in the law dealing with Surrogate Advertising gave ASCI a positive momentum. May be this is a result of it.

     

    Blatant Surrogate Advertising

     

    To a layman and public at large, the surrogacy of these liquor advertising was never in doubt. Often, questions on industry turning a blind eye to such rampant surrogacy were raised and not well defended in the classrooms. The law should take its own course used to be the only saving grace. The change in the rules and the framework have added to the ASCI power and intent to act.

     

    ASCI’S Surrogate v/s Genuine Brand Extension

    • For a brand extension of a product (liquor, tobacco, etc.) to be considered genuine, it must be registered with an appropriate government authority such as the Food and Drug Administration and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.

    • In-store availability must be at least 10% of that of the leading brand in the category that the product competes, or sales turnover must exceed Rs 5 crore per annum or Rs 1 crore per annum in each state it is distributed in

    • It must have a valid certificate from an independent organisation for such turnover and distribution data.

    • Advertising for such brand extensions cannot feature what is prohibited by law or banned products. Neither can the advertising allude to or hint at products that cannot be advertised.

    • As per the law, advertisements for liquor brand extensions can run on TV if they have a CBFC certificate.

     

     

    Nexus

     

    This blatant use of Surrogate Advertising could not have happened without a substantial nexus between the clients, advertising agency, media houses and Brand Ambassadors. Names like Ranveer Singh, Rohit Sharma, Jaspreet Bumrah, Virat Kohli and Priyanka Chopra have featured in what seems explicit surrogate Liquor advertisements.

     

    Are these celebrities, including sportsperson not sure of what they are doing and how the youth idolises them? It seems they don’t care. I am yet to see icons refrain from the lure of surrogate advertising.

     

    Ethics – Morality V/s Blindness V/s Business

     

    For agencies, media owners it is business as usual. Do we seriously believe they do not know that the brand that they are advertising is a surrogate and may not be a genuine brand extension? How is that possible? These are big Agency brands. What makes them work on such projects? Creative license. Celebrity association. Awards. Maybe awards cannot have a category for best Surrogate Advertising.

     

    Yes, I have also said that I will work on any brand that is legally allowed to be advertised. And I stick to it. But, I will not do misleading advertising.

     

     

    ASCI not on time

     

    It is good to note that ASCI as a self-initiative took some 14 brands under the scanner. Another 12 were taken to ASCI’sASCI’s Consumer Complaints Council (CCC).

     

    In November 2020,  ASCI wrote to brands within 24 to 48 hours of commercials’ airing during the Indian Premier League (IPL). But, once again, the process seems too long.

     

    Inaction by ASCI in the past has been called out by many. This includes the possibility of exposing under Legal Drinking age kids; rightly pointed out by Sandeep Goyal as more toxic and injurious than a mere commercial transaction. In his article in Brand Equity, Sandeep pointed out that ‘surrogates use the logos, colours and graphics of the original liquor parents. Just, the ASCI doesn’t seem to see them. It violates Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, Rule 7(2)(viii). The act prohibits the direct or indirect promotion of cigarettes, tobacco products, wine, alcohol, liquor and other intoxicants. Moreover, it prohibits using particular colours and layout or presentations associated with prohibited products.’ 

     

     

    Surrogate Advertising Wins. Feel Cheated

     

    It pains to see that the industry body has not named the 12 brands that have been banned. I am in with Sandeep Goyal in feeling Cheated by the process and non-transparency. ASCI always called brands – then why is Liquor Category being treated differently. A review petition filed by four of the advertisers is a strong statement to show that many know what they have been doing.

     

     

    LEGALLY ADVERTISING. 

     

    A press note that appeared in 2019– clearly pointed out that the Whisky Brand has signed on the celebrity. In 2018, ICC took Royal Stag as a partner with ”Make It Large” brief – what was Large was obvious. It even had a limited edition world cup pack– and what else do you need to influence and connect with the youngsters. In this case, the sports Governing body, the Brand Royal Stag and the celebrity all maybe legally doing right what is wrong. But then that is not surrogate advertising.

     

    Here is ROYAL STAG – make it large. Trust it is just the PACKAGED MINERAL WATER.

     

     

     

    I enjoy the Imperial Blue Men-will-be-men series. But, I am sure it is an example of surrogate advertising.