MxMIndia

Category: VIKAS MEHTA

  • The Thums Up ad very beautifully captures the essence of the film and establishes Shah Rukh as an action hero, writes Vikas Mehta in 'With apologies to none at all'

    Vikas Mehta: Thums Up, Kya Shah Rukh hai right choice?

    With apologies to none at all

    By Vikas Mehta

     

    Vikas MehtaThe Pathan tsunami swept the nation with record-breaking box-office collections. The film. while being a shot in the arm for Bollywood and theatres, with OTT breathing down its neck, also resurrected the career of Shah Rukh Khan. Some of Khan’s previous films had not delivered as expected and with age not being on his side, the romantic hero desperately needed a hit. With calls for boycott of the film by the Hindutva brigade and the impact of a similar boycott call having affected the release of Aamir Khan’s Lal Singh Chaddha, the huge success of the film caught everyone by surprise.

     

    To me, the interesting part about the film was that though it was a typical Bollywood potboiler replete with songs, dance, action, nationalism, Khan had taken a calculated risk by playing an out and out action hero. As against his popular image of a loveable, romantic, heart throb of females, Pathan was a spy thriller in the action genre.

     

    In all this brouhaha, Thums up released a new advertisement as part of its extreme action-oriented, Taste the Thunder campaign. With a pedigree of action heroes like Akshay Kumar, Mahesh Babu, Salman Khan, the last person one expected to be spearheading this campaign was Shah Rukh. And yet the new campaign was almost a replica of the Pathan movie with Shah Rukh being the action hero. See the ad here.

     

    To understand the significance of the move, it’s also important to understand the persona of Shah Rukh as a superstar. Ever since he burst onto the big screen almost three decades ago, Shah Rukh has captivated more than two generations of Indian women. And, yes, I have deliberately said women. Shah Rukh has thrived because he is adored by women across the country and the Indian diaspora. I don’t think he was as much liked by men as he has been the darling of women. My contention actually is not that many men did not like him, but that many actually disliked him because their wives or girlfriends or even daughters adored him. Yours truly is one such example.

     

    And this craze was contagious. Today, in a family, grandmother, mother and daughters are all his fans. They will see his old videos where he is schmoozing Kajol or Rani or Preity millions of times. They will repeat his dialogues. They will swoon over his songs. And they will even copy his mannerisms.

     

    Shah Rukh ruled the hearts of Indian women for almost three generations. He was not the typical chocalatey hero, neither was he the typical action hero. He was unconventional. He could make you laugh, cry, sing along, dance and engage with traits that were unimaginable. His first few roles were negative and even in those negative roles he became the darling of women. How many remember the hero of Darr? His K-K-K-Kiran stammering caught the fancy of his fans. His intensity came through not just in serious roles but also in romantic roles or in comic scenes.

     

    It is against this backdrop that one must look at Pathan. Shah Rukh had again made an unconventional move.

     

    This article though is not about Shah Rukh, the actor, but Shah Rukh, the marketing genius. In his heydays, Shah Rukh became the face of Pepsi. His unconventionality fit the brand personality of Pepsi being unconventional, rebel and in sync with the times, perfectly. Shah Rukh and Pepsi produced some iconic commercials which like his films are etched into our collective memories. You can watch some of them here and here and here.

     

    The timing of the new Thums Up advertisement therefore makes me believe that this was a calculated move, more likely by Shah Rukh, than by the brand. Shah Rukh was taking a risk with Pathan. He was now an action hero. And he needed to compliment the same. What better than a new ad for a soft drink brand? The ad very beautifully captures the essence of the film and establishes Shah Rukh as an action hero. The fact that the ad is not just a rip-off of the film but has been thought through, has a detailed storyline, has some very good production values, and, most importantly, has not been done in a hurry goes to show that it is a win-win for both the brand and the star. The brand was taking minimal risk. Even if the movie had not done well, the ad would have stood out. And with the movie now being a smashing hit, the brand is basking in its glory. The star’s new avatar fit into the personality of the brand.

     

    Incidentally, the other Khan, Aamir too did something similar. Though it was not as calculative or obvious as this one. When Aamir came into films he was a typical teenybopper hero who was dancing around the trees, playing pranks and had the image of a carefree youngster. Pepsi capitalised on the same and used him in a path-breaking Indian version of the Michael J Fox Pepsi ad. Incidentally, the same ad also launched Aishwarya Ray and Mahima Chaudhry. You can watch it here

     

    More than two decades later, when Aamir’s persona as an actor had changed with Lagaan, he was now seen as a mature, thinking, non-formulaic, yet an actor who could deliver big hits, Aamir did some very interesting ads with Coke, fitting the brand personality of Coke being fun but mature and more family oriented. See the ads here and here.

     

    The interesting thing to note here with Shah Rukh Khan is that this new persona of his is not to stay. It will not erase Shah Rukh’s image as an unconventional romantic at heart hero. His action avatar will just add to his unconventionality.

     

    So, does that mean that the brand will also be using Shah Rukh temporarily? We live in an age where a film is forgotten in a few weeks. Pathan, I think has already had its run. Sure, its effect will linger and it will be talked about for some time, but a brand has a consistent and enduring personality. Can it afford to use Shahrukh long term, much after the Pathan episode has been forgotten?

     

    Has it made the right choice for a brand ambassador?

     

  • All boarding schools have a monthly off wherein the parents or the local guardians can take their wards away over a weekend, and that’s when guilt commerce flourishes, notes Vikas Mehta

    Vikas Mehta: Move over e-commerce. Here comes guilt commerce

    With apologies to none at all

    By Vikas Mehta

     

    Vikas MehtaMany a moon ago, I learned about a new type of commerce. The ‘guilt commerce’. Living in Dehradun and having a daughter in a boarding school for a few months was a revelation.

     

    This year in January I revisited the phenomena. Wherever in Doon we went that weekend, the place was teeming with boarders and their parents. Stationery and gift shops, eating joints, malls, cinema, the cash registers were jingling everywhere and the businessmen couldn’t hide their glee.

     

    Let me explain. All boarding schools have a monthly off wherein the parents or the local guardians can take their wards away over a weekend. Typically, the student can go out on Friday evening or Saturday morning and be back at the boarding on Sunday evening or Monday morning, before school. So, lot of outside parents come to town on a particular weekend. They check into hotels or a friend’s or relative’s places and then they get into indulging their children. Shopping for school stuff, boarding house requirements are par for the course. And then comes ‘guilt shopping’. Dining at favourite restaurants, shopping for the odd indulgence, buying of goodies, watching cinema, ice creams…..

     

    For the students, it is a release. Not just from a structured and regimented life but in today’s day and age it also means access to technology. At the boarding schools, children have restricted and controlled access to the Web. Smartphones and social media are a no-go. So, god help a parent if they are not carrying the child’s smartphone or do not give them access to it. In fact, I do suspect that smartphones sales also pick up a bit on such days.

     

    Every time my daughter came home she had a simple wishlist… a few canvasses, colours, brushes and books. All which I agreed with. And then one day she asked for a loomkit. I had no clue what it was. She not only knew everything about it but also knew where to buy it. So, we proceeded to a gift shop type of a place and I was bowled over by the number and variety of boarders. I think I saw almost all types of school dress and designs. (Some schools allow children on a day pass in school dress). And while standing in a queue to pay I noticed some interesting buying behaviour and parent reactions.

     

    One young chap insisted he wanted the ‘Blood capsule.’ I had no clue what it was and neither had the poor mother. But remember the phrase ‘guilt shopping’? Well, the mother succumbed to it. Another mom was chiding her son for buying four pens as according to her he hates writing. At this my daughter, mumbled in my ears ‘ oh he must be buying it to play pen fight’. I was learning new things. And of course there was the usual. An 8-9-year0old insisting on the new Barbie, with a little help from the shopkeeper and getting away with it.

     

    I chatted with the shopkeeper when my turn came. While furiously punching his calculator he told me, ‘sir once in a month we face bonanza. And when festivals like rakhi or bhai dooj come along the schools are again lenient, and we have a windfall’. So, there were parents from Punjab in their Audis, from UP in their Fortuners, from Haryana in their Brezza and from Uttarakhand in their Dezires. All justifying their child’s stay at a boarding house with their wallets.

     

    And most of these parents and children have their favourite haunts. A stationery store, an electronic shop, a sweet store, a few restaurants. I learnt a few more interesting things. Some of these establishments are run by people who themselves are ex0hostelites from these schools. These places also therefore become reunion spots for parents. Mini alumni celebrations happen here.

     

    To understand the guilt complex, one has to just watch the number of children in rags selling inflated balloons to ball pens to these parents or mothers with toddlers holding out for some alms in and around the favourite haunts. It is a sad reflection of the society but the reality is that the street urchins and the destitutes also know how to exploit the phenomena.

     

    One of my grouses with business establishments in Doon has been that they open late, specially in winters. Don’t venture out till 11:30 am is the thumb rule. But because the schools allow the children to be off by 9 or 9:30 am, that one day many shops open early. Hotels have brunch menus and traffic is unusually heavy.

     

    Post the pandemic, not much has changed. Except that a new, swankier mall has opened. At the mall the food court didn’t have an inch of space. Fancy new deli and cafes have replaced the fast food options.At the ice cream parlour, the chocolates and caramels were running out of stock and at the stationery shops there was a run on the pens.

     

    We are local guardians for one child in a boarding school. The parents are in Rajasthan and if by any chance they cannot make it, they request us to take care of the child. The usual schedule includes mall, 2-3 different eating joints, stationery shop, gift shop and tonnes of time with smart phone.

     

    The sense of freedom means the children want to go for a drive. This brings a windfall for cab operators too.  Maybe Musoorie or Maldevta or Rishikesh. It’s not really the love for the outdoor or a wanderlust. It’s just that they do not want to be confined to the four walls of a hotel room or a home. That in fact was one of the biggest reasons that we withdrew our daughter from the boarding.

     

    Cities like Dehradun thrive on guilt commerce. And when I mean Dehradun, I also include boarding schools from Mussourie area. There is a tourist season and a guilt commerce season. Tourist season is for a few months but guilt commerce is a monthly phenomena. Dehradun’s economy is largely service driven. Schools, colleges, private hostels, dabba system for the students in private hostels, coaching institutes for defence exams, tourism etc. Guilt commerce, I suspect has a sizeable contribution too. Plus, it gives offline shopping a big boost too. Move over e commerce, guilt commerce is here to stay.

     

  • Why not use the millions of examples around us to tell the men that women can do little things which can make an enormous difference in everyone’s life, writes Vikas Mehta in 'With apologies to none at all'

    Vikas Mehta: The sham we enact on Women’s Day

    With apologies to none at all

     

    By Vikas Mehta

     

    Vikas MehtaSomeone asked to do a review of International Women’s Day communication. And for once I flatly refused to do so. I find it ridiculous that for one day, just one day, the whole world seems to be suddenly sympathetic to all women. Millions are spent on creating communication for one day. Every brand worth its salt becomes a crusade for woman. Products which actually pigeon-hole women into beauty compartments do not feel ashamed to be proud to be associated with the day. There is this facewash brand which used Indian women cricketers (who incidentally are the talk of town due to WPL but let’s leave that for another day) with a headline saying #Not Fair and goes on to define beauty in the way the cricketers play. Neatly done. But then what is the product actually? Natural Glow. The current euphemism for fairness. Or to put it more bluntly, whiteness.

     

    And then most of the communication is targeted at the upper crust of the society. Not necessarily the woman, but the peer group of those who create such communication. It’s like a pat on the back. Or more likely to win an award. And of course, the millions of women for whom March 8 just goes by like any other day, are not even thought of.

     

    I am not criticising the rationale of International Women’s Day. Neither am I questioning its importance. I am questioning the way we celebrate it.

     

    Personally, I think the day should actually be a start of a round-the-year  programme which helps to uplift the cause of women. And the big difference is that it should not talk to women, but to men.

     

    Let’s face it: it is us men who still control women. It is us men who still make the rules. It is us men who decide the fate of most women. So, if anything has to change, the change has to come from the men.

     

    We do not need to celebrate women. We need to liberate our women.

     

    A good start for any brand could be to tell men what women are capable of. Not by preaching to them but by using examples of common women. Not just the cricket players but a housewife, a mother and a daughter too. In communication we always say that word-of-mouth or first-hand endorsement by a user is the best way to convince the target group. So why not use the millions of examples around us to tell the men that women can do little things which can make an enormous difference in everyone’s life.

     

    Look around you. Look at the women in your own life and around you and you can see what they are capable of.

     

    Let me give you some examples from the women I know.

     

    My wife. Most know her as that. But not many know that she is actually a fighter. And she in turn was influenced by her mother. My wife lost her father when she was in Class 10. Undaunted, her mother sent her son to US for higher studies. For more than a decade my mother-in-law, my wife and her younger sister lived alone. Learning, earning and surviving. And then when I embarked on my international career, she sacrificed her dreams and work to allow me to grow. When I had a huge health issue, she stood by me like a rock. She helped me come back like a phoenix and sacrificed much more than just some materialistic things.

     

    Just before 50, she decided to reinvent herself. She relocated to my hometown Dehradun, a city totally unknown to her and embraced it with open arms. She started from scratch in a new responsibility getting involved with boarding schools. She did a one-year online course and started etiquette management as a subject in some schools. Not only that, she ventured out on her own. Today, schools offer her assignments at her terms. Parents seek her out from cities far away from Doon. And I bask in her glory. Tell me which man will not be inspired by her story?

     

    She has rubbed off on my daughter too. My daughter suffered from Vitiligo from a young age. This is a skin illness which leaves white patches all over the body. Daughter. Vitiligo. Indian society. You get the drift. We (read, my wife) started treatments from various sources. But what amazed me was the fighting spirit of my daughter. She actually became an extrovert. People would stare at her but she would hardly be bothered. In fact, she started wearing short pants and sleeveless clothes, just to make a point. Her maturity belies her age. Hey, men, isn’t that an inspiring story?

     

    Then I heard about this domestic help of a common friend. Typical Indian maid sob story. Husband was a drunk who would not earn anything, snatch away the maid’s salary, beat up and abuse her and the children. She wanted her two sons to be educated. So, our friend helped her enroll into a adult’s school, where in three years she could read and write. She opened a bank account. Learnt to do digital transactions. Because she learnt to read, she discovered that her children can go to a good school under the EWS quota. I also must admit that with her confidence and financial independence,  we tried to influence her to leave her erratic husband. But she has refused to do that. She is confident she can turn him around too. Now isn’t that something men will be glad to know of?

     

    Recently, I made a new acquaintance in my society. The lady is the wife of an army officer. She mostly stays with her children as the husband is posted in remote locations. A common story for most of our armed forces families. But what amazed me was her daughter. She is doing her UG in economics and I casually asked her what she wants to do next? I was expecting the answer to be on the lines of MBA, Teacher……but in a calm and poised way she answered unhesitatingly. She wanted to join the defence services. Here is a girl, who is spending most of the time away from her father. Who is seeing her mother bring up the kids on her own. And yet she is choosing the same profession as her father’s. Knowing that not only is it difficult but also unusual for a girl. And she has the option of doing almost anything else. Immense courage and strength of character in the mother too, for  encouraging her daughter to go ahead with her choice. This is the real discourse of a woman. Is there any man who will not admire the thinking of these women?

     

    I am sharing just a few examples. Am sure, you readers have your own such examples. So why can’t some brands build a favourable opinion about women by taking such simple, ordinary stories? Not just on women’s day but the whole year round? Why pay lip service which will be forgotten almost immediately? Women’s day has to kick start a change in the men. It’s not about any aspiration. But it needs to be about inspiration. Inspiration from such everyday stories and truths.

     

  • Technology was supposed to turn brands into your partners in need, but does it really do that, asks Vikas Mehta

    Can technology be a foe for your brand?

     

     

    With apologies to none at all

    By Vikas Mehta

     

    Vikas MehtaThe omnipresence of digital has its drawbacks. Not only are we inundated with messages galore but there is also the temptation to use technology and data in a half=hearted way. One which leaves the consumer frustrated and many a times move away from the brand. Sometimes, even category. In the rush to go digital or for everything to be online, some categories are actually doing a great disservice to customers.

     

    And my favourite whipping boy for this is online pharmacy brands. I have been inundated with messages, offers and marketing efforts trying to persuade me to try these brands. I have tried a few times. I have tried not just Netmeds but also 1mg and PharmEasy. But I have always ended up in frustration.

     

    Let’s look at this category from a consumer behaviour viewpoint. More often than not, one needs medicines in a rush. If I am unwell and the doctor prescribes some medicines, I need them immediately. But none of the online portals/apps can deliver the medicines to me in a jiffy. Not at least in Tier 1-2 towns like Dehradun. Whenever I have tried to buy prescribed medicines the minimum time required has been at least 48 hours. So, all you online pharmacies kindly tell me can I wait that long for the medicines?

     

    And clearly there is an over-promise and miscommunication. Netmed says same day delivery. PharmEasy says family ki healthwali sab zaroorat Pharmeasy deliver karta hai woh bhi same day. The communication left me confused. Digging a bit deeper you realise that what they mean is all health-related needs except medicines!

     

    Seriously, you want me to use your portal/app because I can get a blood pressure meter the same day or get a vitamin supplement the same day? And there is an asterix there also. In selected cities only. Isn’t it a case of miscommunication?

     

    I spoke to some friends and they advised me to get only long-term medicines or medicines that have been prescribed as precaution for illness like diabetes or BP which one takes daily. For all other illness, which could be small illness or an emergency, you cannot depend on these portals.

     

    So, what’s the point in sending me mail or messages asking me to buy online at 20% discount or limited time period offer. The category has to realise that limited time is about delivery in a limited time not about discounts for a limited time.

     

    Yes, associated categories like wellness or medical check-ups are a good revenue spinner but shouldn’t the players first focus on medicines?

     

    Quick delivery is the need of the hour for medicines. So, the ecommerce model has to be closer to that of Blinkit and Dunzo. Not like Amazon or Meesho. There are some category challenges like storage under controlled temperature but isn’t disruption the name of the game and shouldn’t the category be finding its disruption rather than depending upon adjacent categories?

     

    When my neighbourhood Reliance Smart offline shop opened an in-shop Netmed counter with white lab coat assistants manning it (that definitely is a nice touch. Lab coat cueing medicine) I thought that the quick delivery problem will now be sorted out. But, no, they were worse than chemist shops. Hardly any stock. They check online availability and then call you back to say that the delivery will take 1-2 days. And the situation has not changed for over a year. Frankly, It’s a waste of retail space. Reliance Retail can generate more revenue by stocking more groceries than having two chemists twiddling their thumbs.

     

    The only good thing that has happened out of this situation is that the local chemists have started giving discounts of 10-12%. So, the whole rationale of buying online cheap stands defeated. It will be interesting to see how developments unfold in this space.

     

    The problem of using technology half-heartedly manifests itself in many ways. For last six months, I have been getting mails and messages from HDFC telling me that I have qualified for an upgrade of my account to a higher category. I am given a link to upgrade which says enjoy your exclusive benefits. The problem is that the link takes me to the home page of the bank. Now, am I supposed to navigate and find my benefits? Or am I supposed to login to my netbanking and find where are the benefits? Why should I struggle to find these out? The result is that I haven’t upgraded and am still not aware of the benefits.

     

    I have a personal banker assigned by the bank. He keeps on calling me anytime during the day. And if I am in meetings or am busy and do not take his calls, I get a message that he tried to call me and if I need any help, I can call him back. When I do that to ask him about the benefits of the upgrade, I can’t get through to him as he has moved on calling another customer. The result is that on paper the bank is providing me an omnichannel experience but I am not getting it. Vague and general link, no messaging from the personal banker asking me when can he call or even returning a missed call. All of this actually leads to a situation where the bank may have been better off not telling me that I have an upgrade!

     

    There are many such peeves. Some ecommerce sites orders cannot be cancelled. On Jiomart, if the seller is anybody besides Reliance Retail, then the only way to cancel an order is to refuse to take delivery (yes, that’s what I was advised by customer service). BigBasket keeps on sending messages about BBnow which is all about quick delivery. But when I downloaded the app and try it, I get a message that it’s not operational in my area.

     

    Omnichannel, customer experience, customer satisfaction are all jargon which will remain on paper if technology is misused or used in a half-baked way. Brands and companies must start addressing these issues. Not to forget that the same brands must realise that just by being present in a few cities do not give them the liberty to publicise and talk about their services on a national level. Because when you are actually available nationally, many would have switched off from you.

     

    Technology was supposed to turn brands into your partners in need. But unfortunately, in many cases it’s turning into a foe.

     

  • Move over MI vs CSK, KKR vs RCB, LSG vs SRH… it’s now Jio Cinema vs Star Sports, writes Vikas Mehta in 'With apologies to none at all'

    A different rivalry emerging in IPL

     

     

     

    With apologies to none at all

    By Vikas Mehta

     

    Vikas MehtaThe Indian Premier League (IPL0 has become famous for franchise rivalries over the years. MI vs CSK, KKR vs RCB and, as my daughter says, now LSG vs SRH biryani wars!

     

    But a most unexpected rivalry has surfaced around the IPL this year. And it started before the tournament commenced. When the media rights for IPL were announced for the next five years, television and digital rights went to two different entities. While Star Sports continued with the TV rights, Disney Hotstar lost the digital rights to Reliance group backed Viacom18. And thus started a new rivalry. TV vs Digital. Jio Cinema vs Star Sports.

     

    If we look at the numbers, it seems an unequal fight. TV penetration in India is almost 70%. Whereas smartphone penetration is just about 50% with roughly 600mn smartphones in use. While smartphone is an individual device, TV is watched by four-five people. But what makes these numbers interesting is the fact that many youngsters in TV households may be either abandoning TV for smartphones or TVs are being connected to streaming devices. Jio Cinema has been talking about its customised device integration partnership with OEMs like Jio set-top box, Apple TV, Amazon Firestick, One Plus TV, Sony, Samsung, LG and Xiaomi.

     

    And Jio Cinema fired the first salvo by announcing free subscription to IPL. Clearly, they were trying to catch more viewers which in turn would get more advertising moolah. So, for the first time, an advertising revenue war between streaming and TV was on. Brands and companies were being enticed on two fronts. And they had to take decisions which till now they need not as Star and Disney Hotstar were playing a complementing game with Disney also charging for subscription. Viewership now was an important dimension.

     

    And soon enough an advertising war broke out. Not surprisingly, Jio Cinema was the instigator. It released a long ad on Youtube which took a dig at watching IPL on old-fashioned, non-interactive, dumb TV sets. While it was entertaining and informative at the same time, it served a reminder as to how much more personalised the viewing can be on digital. Watch it here

     

    Star Sports then released an ad which claimed that normal TV watching through DTH channels like Tata Play and Airtel (my enemy’s enemy is my friend) could allow digital features like highlights, key moments, deep statistics dive etc. Star Sports Pro was launched which could turn your TV into TV on demand with these features. Watch the ad here.

     

    While Star spoke about commentary in nine languages, Jio Cinema went ahead and announced commentary in 11 languages including Bhojpuri. I think no ex-cricketer worth his salt is free in India today during IPL and anyone who is, needs to just learn a new language!

     

    Hardly had the first weekend passed that viewership figures were being bandied about. Star took out a full-page ad in leading dailies claiming a record-breaking TV Rating for the first match which went up by 29% and 47% increase in consumption of TV time as against last year. It also claimed 130 million viewers on its channels for the first match which was almost 90% of the Pay TV universe. Jio Cinema on its part issued press releases claiming 1.47 billion video views and 50 million new app downloads for Jio Cinema over the first weekend.

     

    While Jio’s figures were based on its own actual numbers, Star figures were based on BARC viewership data that uses a base of around 50,000 plus households and the number is then extrapolated to a national level, a fact shared gleefully by even Viacom18’s CEO in his press release. Clearly, the advantage of measurability went in favour of Jio Cinema.

     

    So, is there a clear winner? Of course not. Jio had glitches during streaming. While many claimed no audio, there was rebooting happening and many took to social media to vent their frustration. And while TV seems to have the upper hand just by sheer numbers, the habit of Gen Z to watch on small screen on an individual basis will eat into TV share. But then from my limited experience, I think it is just a high income phenomena. Most Indian families do not have the luxury of a personalised smartphone for each family member. Plus, IPL is a more involved family entertainment. That would mean a point in favour of TV.

     

    One thing though is for sure, this rivalry is going to become more intense and it would mean more benefits for the consumers.

     

    Oh! What about the ads on IPL you ask? Mostly a big bore. Mostly repetitive old ads. Most using the same few celebrities. Most covering the same few categories.

     

    But the one exception that came as a breath of fresh air was Dream 11. Like in the previous years they have not disappointed and have raised the bar by not just using famous cricketers but also roping in some celebrity actors. And with an all-out war between the two sets of celebrities, things are getting spiced up. It’s a shame if you haven’t watched the launch ad which is a longer version in the form of a press conference. Watch it here.

     

    And then the other ones which involve needling each other with some real life, incisive and stinging comments. The one where Rohit Sharma needles Aamir about not attending award shows, or the one where the cricketers are needled about retakes, or the one where Aamir is reminding himself that ‘all izz well’, are all well-crafted and wonderful to watch. A relief to see creativity, relevance and celebrity all being combined so well. Watch. One more. And one more.

     

    As I write this, I see a new Pepsi ad with Ranveer and a new Pepsi anthem too. These look and sound interesting. Watch the ad. And the theme song.

     

    Now tell me what do you think about them?

     

  • Vikas Mehta feels imprisoned by a cacophony of repetitive and listless ads on the TV/OTT coverage of the Indian Premier League 2023

    IPL: Are we the prisoners of advertisers’ laziness?

     

     

    With apologies to none at all

    By Vikas Mehta

     

    Vikas MehtaSome people have equated IPL matches as the equivalent of modern-day colosseum games with the two teams being the gladiators. The stadiums are a riot of screaming chanting spectators who are fenced in almost like prisoners. I tend to agree, having watched one or two matches at the stadium before the pandemic. But I think the same spectacle is at home too. Specially if one is watching the match on a big screen. Except one feels like being imprisoned by a cacophony of repetitive and listless ads. Not to forget the myriad ads by the channel which keep on promoting the matches endlessly.

     

    I used a strong word, prisoner. For many reasons. Because most of the ads are bad. I am sorry there is no better word to describe how I feel about the decline of a profession with which I was associated for quite a long time.  And I think everyone is getting caught in a vicious economic cycle, with we, the audience at home, getting the wrong end of the stick at the lowest end of the food chain.

     

    As a sport, IPL is definitely a hot property. It’s sport, entertainment, tamasha and money all rolled into one. And it can’t get bigger. The biggest name in world cricket are a part of it. There is a bottomless pit of unlimited audience and there are big brands and corporates ready to shower crores on it. Safe to say that IPL has made the BCCI the big bully of world cricket. But in all this, the viewers, who sit at home and watch the matches on TV and through streaming, who are the reasons that the brands spend the big bucks are being served up some sports in the cacophony of the ads. Hardly a decade ago, when the IPL started, brands and companies would work towards preparing some memorable communication for the IPL. But the decline is alarming.

     

    Many people put the blame on arrival of digital. On lack of enough data to measure ad effectiveness. On short attention spans. But all of this is irrelevant. What has happened is that in the guise of all of the above both, marketeers and advertisers have become lazy.

     

    Lazy enough to repeat product proposition and forgetting the role of desired response. Lazy enough to finetune the target audience and not talk to all. Lazy enough to get some celebrities and not bother to see if their personality matches with the brand’s. Lazy enough not to have an idea which the target group can relate to. And to sum it up, lazy enough to not weave a story but happy with hammering a generic benefit while glamming it up with technical effects.

     

    And still worse, in today’s day and age lazy enough to run ads which have been on air for past few months. Be it Kingfisher, Kamla Pasand, Rajashree Pan Masala, Vimal Pan Masala, TVS tyres, Macho underwear…….and all of them use celebrities, most of whom do not fit the brand personality.

     

    There are some new ads. Spinny. It’s a vehicle buy, sell and upgrade platform. And they use not one or two but three ex-cricketers. Tendulkar, Kumble and Yuvraj. I am not even getting into if the brand personalities match but I did not even get what the product is or how it is different from other vehicle resell platforms. And seriously, does the brand want us to believe that these three are the best of friends who would be going for long drives in ordinary vehicles?

     

    Those of you who read my last column here, will remember that I had singled out the Dream 11 ad as a stand out. It’s follow up ads are also very well done. I think that amidst a clutter of fantasy sports brands, it’s Dream 11 advertising which has positioned the brand brilliantly. The others, inspite of using celebrities, are a haze of similar sounding and similar offering brands.

     

    I had asked my readers to revert with their comments on the Ranveer Singh Pepsi ad. Some who responded, mostly GenZ, gave it a thums up. I think it’s a good ad, could have been better, but Pepsi has finally found a celebrity which matches its brand persona. Frankly, I wonder what took them so long. I always slotted, Ranvir as the Pepsi type of a guy.

     

    Then there is the new Rupay Visa card ad. A very good example of story telling while communicating the product proposition. Well crafted, good stimulus and sustains interest. Watch it here.

     

    In a similar vein is the new Maaza ad with Amitabh Bachchan. I thought the second ad in the series, worked very well. It sticks to the product benefit. It uses the personality of Mr. Bachchan and very nicely superimpose it onto the brand and in an interesting way also takes care of the target groups desired response. Here it is.

     

    Last IPL, Tata the key moneybags of the tournament, had launched the Tata Neu super app. While the product got a lot of flak and the consumer experience was not as great as thought, the communication has not disappointed. Even this year, the peppy, making shopping an enjoyable experience, the ads have focused on the story of Neu coins helping you buy more. The short stories have good humour and they have focused on the product proposition interestingly.

     

    Just when one thought that things were looking up, I came across this ad for Happilo. So, you are an official sponsor. You can use some cricketers. Their availability is an issue. They maybe cannot act or emote. What does one do? Use them in a song and dance. Use them against a chroma background. Superimpose the shots with some tech wizardy. Get a rap sounding song. Highlight all benefits in the lyrics. Use some GenZ typical words or phrases. Let the brand name be mouthed in direct proportion to the number of seconds that the celebrities can speak. Voila! You have an ad.

     

    Can it be worse? Yes, watch this Ceat tyre ad with three cricketers.

    I am bailing out. Need a release from all these ads.

    So, next week I am off to watch a match. Maybe it’s better to be a prisoner in the colosseum of a stadium rather than in my TV room. Will keep you all posted.

     

  • Vikas Mehta makes a case for a boycott of the pan masala as well as the celebrities & broadcasters promoting it

    Boycott: Our weapon to fight surrogate advertising

    Image courtesy Twitter handle @RoshanKrRaii

     

     

    By Vikas Mehta

     

    Vikas MehtaIt’s time to kick a few butts.

     

    For years, surrogate advertising has been the bane of the Indian communication industry. First it was cigarettes and alcohol and now for the last few years it’s been pan masala.

     

    More than a year ago, Amitabh Bachchan had raised the hackles of many when the septuagenarian appeared in an ad for Kamla Pasand along with Ranveer Singh. The actor, who once was the darling of the masses, took quite a beating on social media when he first defended his action saying that the ad was part of the entertainment business which provides employment to many people.

     

    When he was mercilessly trolled on social media and when a national anti-tobacco agency requested him to refrain from endorsing tobacco products, the actor put on a big act.

     

    He grandly announced that he is terminating his contract with the company, returning their money and also said that he did not know that the silver coated elaichi, which was the product shown in the ad, was part of surrogate advertising. Ha!

     

    Read that again. He said that he did not know that he was part of a surrogate ad. Mr. Bachchan wanted us to believe that his lawyers and his advisors were so unaware that they had no idea of this malaise called surrogate advertising. His naivety was an act for the ages.

     

    The campaign had broken out in September 2021 and in October, on his birthday, Mr Bachchan had made the grand announcement.

     

    But the ads continued. When another round of protests hit social media, Mr. Bachchan’s office released a statement in mid-November saying that they have sent a legal notice to Kamala Pasand, to stop broadcasting the TV commercials with Mr Bachchan immediately, as it was noticed that despite termination of the endorsement agreement ‘ Kamala Pasand ‘ has ignored the same and is seen to continue airing the TV commercials.

     

    The result: Nothing. Zilch. Nada. No change. Social media got tired, bored, disillusioned of this tamasha and moved on. And the ad continued to be aired. Another version of it was also released. Right through 2022, all major cricket events unleashed the campaign. It went on even in 2023. Till almost the half-way stage of IPL.

     

    After more than one-and-a-half year of endorsing a surrogate tobacco product, a time when other pan masala brands, no doubt emboldened by the free run that Kamla Pasand had, and featured celebrities like Akshay Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgan, Salman Khan; Mr. Bachchan, seemed to have finally persuaded the brand to remove its ad. No, that should read as, the ad was withdrawn after maybe it had run the course of its contract.

     

    But the legacy of endorsing a surrogate brand continued. And the culprit this time is another septuagenarian cricketing legend along with a dashing cricketer who has a school in his name.

     

    Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce Shri Sunil Gavaskar, ex-cricketing legend, ex-Sheriff of Mumbai, Padma Bhushan recipient, Arjuna Award-winner, ICC cricket Hall of Fame member as the latest entrant to the tobacco surrogate celebrity endorser Hall of Shame.

     

    And he is keeping illustrious company. Shri Virendra Sehwag is a cricketer who changed Test cricket with his fearless approach to the game. And now his fearless approach is to endorse a surrogate for Pan Masala. Not fearing that it will influence many people into believing the veracity of pan masala. A Padma Shri recipient, Wisden Cricketer of the year and ICC Test player of the year, Shri Sehwag has also started Sehwag International School in Haryana on a piece of land gifted by the Haryana government. Undoubtedly, he will be a role model for the schoolchildren to consume pan masala.

     

    It’s really shocking that neither the government, nor the advertising bodies and nor the celebrities themselves have an iota of responsibility to clean up this mess.

     

    Why are the anti-tobacco advertising laws full of loopholes for the manufacturers to exploit? Or, if there are no loopholes, then why no action is being taken against the offending brands.

     

    ASCI is a self-regulatory body of the advertising industry. Its rules and regulations are so warped that it is an impotent body which moves to takes action against advertisers after the deed is done. It waits for complaints and it has no legal leg to impose a punishment. It hopes for advertisers to be good boys/girls and accept the punishment, which incidentally cannot be a fine or a criminal complaint or any legal action. After all, the advertisers themselves fund ASCI. So this is a case of the accused having their own kin sitting on judgment?

     

    Whereas the likes of Messrs Gavaskar and Sehwag are joining in the fun. After all if a Mr Bachchan can earn a few crores, why not them?

     

    For the media companies, this is the easiest way to recover the millions they have put not their bids. At a time when inflation is high, global recession looms, a category like pan masala which always fears a blanket ban, is welcomed with open arms and big deals.

     

    The curse of tobacco be damned.

    The curse of a generation being influenced be damned.

    The curse of lingering health issue be damned.

    The curse of making an unhealthy product seem fashionable be damned.

    And of course the legacy of the celebrities will not be damned.

     

    All the above culprits, specially the celebrities deserve a kick on their backside. Because if a celebrity cannot care for the very people who made him a celebrity, if a celebrity will sell his soul for making his bank balance heftier and if a celebrity will doom a generation just because he thinks he can get away with anything then a kick in the backside delivered by millions of his fan in the form of a boycott may just make him see sense.

     

    The boycott has been used as an effective tool in the past for political and religious reasons. For once, if we are ready to use this tool for a healthier society, then it will truly reflect the spirit of what the father of our nation meant when he introduced boycott as a weapon. Not just a tool but a weapon.

     

    Let us boycott the channels which use these cricketers as commentators. Let us boycott the films which all the above film celebrities act in. Let parents boycott the school or whatever institutions or brands these celebrities endorse. Let’s boycott the shows which invite these celebrities.

     

    Because if we do not boycott them today, tomorrow a few more will endorse an unhealthy product. And the cycle will continue.

     

    So, stop waiting for the government or ASCI or anyone else to do anything.  Just boycott anything and anyone which is associated with surrogate advertising. 

     

    And do not expect me to post a link of the ad. I refuse to use it to make a point too. Boycott the ad on you tube. If a friend forwards it, stop it from being forwarded or boycott him.

     

    Make boycott the buzzword to fight surrogate advertising. To kick a few butts.

     

    Vikas Mehta is a senior marketing strategy consultant and educator based in Dehradun. He writes on MxMIndia every other week, and sometimes more often. His views here are personal.

     

  • Vikas Mehta makes a case of brands and advertisers to stop using celebrities starring in tobacco surrogates

    IPL – A chimera

     

     

    With apologies to none

    By Vikas Mehta

     

    Vikas MehtaI was on vacation for the last 10 days and took the opportunity to do some family bonding while trekking and just doing nothing at some remote places in Himachal. We started our holidays by watching an IPL match live at Mohali, and I will come to that a bit later. But what was unescapable is the tremendous reach, following and craze about IPL. Wherever we stayed, the TV channels were blasting the IPL matches throughout the day. Small shops in far off places had a small 14-inch TV tucked away in a corner, on mute, showing the match highlights. And our fellow tourists were all glued onto their mobile phones using to catch a glimpse of the match. In fact, while talking to a resort manager he mentioned something interesting. The resort offers free wifi, but for the last few years, hardly anyone asks for the password or its details. Everyone is happy with their 4G networks to catch whatever is their poison, news or mail or social media. But during IPL times, there is a sudden surge from tourists asking for free wifi. It’s an issue of both, connectivity and consumption of data. So, during IPL they ensure that the band width is increased and the routers are working.

     

    It’s therefore disheartening to see that brands are hardly using the event for any brand-building. Let’s not forget that it was the same IPL which made Vodafone Zoozoo a familiar name. Or more recently, let an angry Rahul Dravid into our households and made Cred a brand which not many use but which most are acquainted with. The list of brands that used IPL to bring themselves glory is worth revisiting to understand what IPL can do. Unfortunately, that list is dwindling. This year, the only memorable campaign that I can remember is the Dream 11 cricketers vs film stars. And Dream 11 has used IPL very adroitly over the last few seasons, mostly the pandemic times, to establish itself as a leader in the fantasy games category. I am not aware of facts and figures but I am sure that if one looks at critical brand parameters in the category, Dream11 will be at the top.

     

    So, what ails the IPL ads?  The answer is simple. IPL is an expensive proposition for the brands to splurge on. And digital has spoilt marketers to demand measurability for every rupee spent. Nothing wrong in that. But parameters like brand recall or brand likeability or brand trust or even purchase/ use intention, need brand building. But today most marketers are looking at conversion rates or just sales. A direct co relation between ad spend and sales seems to be the only metric in mind.

     

    And that’s why brands have no distinction in the category. They are becoming soulless. Think about it. Would you rather use Gpay or Phone Pe? Swiggy or Zomato? Ola or Uber? Is there any differentiation between these brands? They are all technology children and they have all sold their generic technology. So the category has been established. But what about the brand? That’s why when I look at Cred or Dream11, I feel there is hope. Let me explain it a bit more. Cred has been of late doing cashbacks on credit card payments and some interesting offers during the matches, These are flashed on the venue screens as well as on TV. Do you think these promotions and offers would have worked if Cred has first not established a brand story? If today, Cred has a competitor who does not have a brand story but starts doling out some promotions, will it have the same response that Cred has now? Cred is now reaping the windfall of establishing a brand narrative. Same with Dream11. It has established some sort of awareness and trust with its stories using cricketers. Therefore, the promotions it runs now, during the matches get traction.

     

    This lack of patience and faith in storytelling is resulting in the drab ads that one can see on IPL. The brand narrative is missing. It’s all about the sales pitch.

     

    Last time, I had mentioned about surrogate tobacco ads. As if using people like Sehwag and Gavaskar was not enough, yesterday, I saw the same brand also using Kapil Dev and Chris Gayle. I have a feeling that all these brands are anticipating a total ban on the advertising of their products. So, now they are going all out and spending big monies not just advertising but using ex-celebrities. I guess this particular brand is trying to do a Cred by using ex-celebrities. But jokes apart, this has to stop. One of my colleagues wrote a blog on this very portal where he argued about ASCI being the favourite whipping boy of everyone but trying to defend it by saying that it does not have authority or the power to step in as it is a self-regulatory body of advertisers. Fair point.

     

    But, it looks like that this body has become a small indulgent club of advertisers who under the pretext of being self-regulated and no teeth will not act against one of its own. By law, surrogate advertising means that the product being advertised must have at least 10% of total brand sales and also some similar matrix on distribution and availability. Has ASCI even looked into that? I don’t have the figures, but most of the tobacco brands, and at the last count there were four, all being supported by the biggest Bollywood and some sports celebrities seem to be contributing towards at least 30-40% of commercial time on IPL. Isn’t that alarming enough for a self-regulated body to step in and take some action?

     

    The narrative on this cannot be wished away. Last time, I advocated a boycott of these celebrities. Now I am taking it a step further. Can other brands and advertisers stop using these celebrities? If you hit at their income source only then it will hurt. After all, associating brands with celebrities who support tobacco brands is not good for other brands. Will ASCI ask its members to boycott using these celebrities? Even as an advisory?

     

    Before I sign off, a word on the IPL match experience at Mohali. The atmosphere was awesome. The stadium was jam packed on a Wednesday night. The match itself was a high scoring thriller. But unfortunately, the spectators were taken for granted. Ticket booking and delivery system was wonderful. We went to the stadium almost two hours in advance. At the security check things like sunglass covers were being confiscated. No explanation was given. Except that one could collect the same after the match. Fat chance.

     

    Then, the police tried to stop us from using our designated seats. It was the first row and I suspect they wanted to use it for themselves. But when we insisted, they relented. We still could not use our seats as someone else plonked themselves on the same. Soon it turned into mayhem. It was like first come first serve basis. Those who came late, could not get any seats. Many people, at least hundred or more were watching the match standing. Or by sitting on the steps. And these were people who had paid upwards of Rs 1500 for a ticket.

     

    The toilets, as usual were far and few. And in bad shape hardly an hour into the match. After that, given the overcrowded stadium it was impossible to even reach the loos. The police on duty were more interested in watching the match or as in one case, asking Preity Zinta, who was doling out free Tshirts of her team, for one. At the end of the match there was near stampede. There was just one small exit with thousands of spectators from one block having to use it. As others were shut. Pushing, shoving, continued for a few minutes. And when I asked a police guy about the same, his answer was that a private security was manning this. And of course, at the end whatever was confiscated was never found. It seems that the private security, in charge of frisking was pocketing whatever caught their fancy. Indeed, some stuff was found lying strewn around the frisking area at the end of the match.

     

    For all the big claims that cricket authorities make in India, some things never change. And the poor spectator who pays for the same, is invariably at the wrong end of the stick. But then, who cares? In many ways, when we see the IPL from a distance, on TV or live streaming, away from the commercial and moral aspects of surrogate advertising, IPL seems to be an Oasis of fun, enjoyment,celebration and sports.

     

    In reality it’s just a Chimera

     

    Vikas Mehta is a senior marketing strategy consultant and educator based in Dehradun. He writes on MxMIndia every other week, and sometimes more often. His views here are personal.

     

  • Pan Masala ads with washed out celebs dominated IPL advertising, rues Vikas Mehta

    IPL Advertising – An apt reflection of the advertising industry

     

     

    With apologies to none at all

     

    By Vikas Mehta

     

    Vikas MehtaSure, the IPL this year has been as exciting as ever. Sure, Gujarat Titans have established themselves as a force to reckon with. Sure, CSK with the evergreen M S Dhoni still around, have shown that they are not a spent force. Sure, Mumbai Indians with a 34-year-old spin bowler who was bought as an afterthought, being the leading wicket-taker, have proved that the game is now totally batsmen-dominated.

    And surely, the advertising during the IPL touched new depths of despair.

    I say this with conviction because of four solid reasons:

     

    One, a big number of brands used old ads which had been running on mass media for months. So, IPL which was once an event where new campaigns would be launched or for some brands like Vodafone ZooZoo, the IPL was the only platform to advertise had now become a rerun platform for old ads.

     

    Two, it was not a category like mobile phones, or chocolates or cold drink which dominated advertising but a category like Pan Masala with surrogate ads which dominated the advertising charts.

     

    Three, even new age category players like Cred or Phone Pe gave the tournament a miss.

     

    Four, there were very few ads which did not have a celebrity. Which means that lazy advertising was at work. Just get a celebrity and spend money on location was the celebrity mantra. Or get more than one celebrity and fit them in a frame, on location. Or better still get some old, well past their sell by date celebrities and fit them into split frames, on location. As a result, advertising ideas or stories were totally missing.

     

    The twist in the tale was one brand, Dream 11, which took the celebrity route and tried all the tricks of the trade mentioned above. And yet came up with the most compelling and memorable ad campaign of IPL.

     

    The trick in the tale was that Dream 11 started with an advertising idea. Cricket stars being challenged to cricket by film stars. With a simple but endearing idea that can spawn off many anecdotes, the brand continued to evoke interest right through the event with different executions.

     

    And the biggest reason why this campaign worked was that it had many executions. It was not a one-off but seemed like a continuous soap opera. With the idea firmly established the brand effortlessly continued the story with simple executions. The personal touch like Rohit Sharma ribbing Aamir Khan about his not attending award ceremonies or Aamir Khan being a stickler for perfection, kept the audience interest high.

     

    For a tournament that lasted for two months, it’s not easy for a brand to create interest and sustain it. And for a product like Dream 11 which is all about gaming, where each match means more footfalls, more revenue for the brand, the essential thing is to maintain interest and involvement. Dream 11 achieved this wonderfully. My only grouse with Dream 11 was that it could have involved the audience much more. With a firmly established idea and a galaxy of celebrities involved, they could have invited the audience to send in their own scripts. Some good ones could have been executed and some more even shared and acknowledged.

     

    Advertising has to go beyond just ads. In its glory days, before the advent of digital, the advertising folks would think of an activation idea. Today, that proactiveness or that going beyond the call of duty has been lazily surrendered to digital. The problem is not digital but the lack of an idea. That leads to a one off which just drowns in the sea of ads that are visible during an event like IPL.

     

    Mind you, there is a difference between having an idea which can be executed in different ways and just running a series of ads. Tata Neu and Tata Tiago go.ev. Both the brands which are from the IPL main sponsor stable, spend heavily and did make their presence felt during the tournament telecast. But in my mind, these were like a press announcement. Specially the Tata Neu coins ads. The brand was trying to exhort users to use the app more and get more rewards. It did have many executions. It did start with some promise. I thought there was a sliver of an idea in the continuity loop of buying something, getting some coins, buying something else with those coins but it looked as if the brand custodians themselves were not sure of the idea. The execution idea with humour involved could have been sustained but it was hastily abandoned with the need or pressure of increasing app usage and finally it was all about the announcements of extra coins etc. A pity as a floundering product like Tata Neu app could have been revitalised with an idea-led campaign and not just a series of ads.

     

    This was the promising beginning Tata Neu, And this was the abysmal level it dropped to. Pun intended after you watch the ad. Tata Neu drop

     

    Tiago ev.go tried to sell the category of electric vehicles with the hackneyed idea of “so many reasons to buy a EV” And the execution of why go.ev # number was worse. Again, they tried humour as a route but most executions fell flat. Another case of missed opportunity. Watch

     

    But for me the most tragic case of advertising on IPL was of Airtel. Tragic, because this brand was built on the back of some great advertising campaigns. Tragic, because the brand had a new offering 5G to talk about and in the absence of its biggest competitor Jio, which had dominated IPL in the recent year with its inane celebrity led advertising, Airtel had a unique chance to build on its legacy. Tragic also because Airtel is headed by one of the sharpest marketing minds in India and it is sad that Airtel produced this drivel under his watch. See it here.

     

    And finally, an epitaph for soft drink advertising on IPL. The timing of IPL is just right for soft drink category. The onset of summer, the sight of players sweating, the humid conditions all add up to a great opportunity for the category. And yet Thums Up came with some apology of ads with Shah Rukh Khan and though Pepsi did come up with an interesting ad with Ranveer Singh, its presence was hardly noticed.

     

    It’s indeed a sad state of affairs when a category like Pan Masala with mostly washed out celebrities, dominated the IPL advertising scenario. It was an apt reflection of the sorry state of Indian advertising industry.

     

  • Today's youngster is well-connected and definitely much better informed, writes Vikas Mehta

    Vikas Mehta: The Generation Gap with Gen Z

    With apologies to none at all

    By Vikas Mehta

     

    Vikas MehtaBeing the father of a teenager, I have always been interested in the behaviour and thinking of Gen Z. I have also befriended a few teenagers whom I teach, even being part of one of their WhatsApp group. So here are some random observations. I am not at all claiming that this is some scientific research or this being a definitive guide to Gen Z. But the idea here is to generate some hypothesis and trigger debate.

     

    There is a widespread belief that today’s youngster is more aloof and gadget or social media-driven. While I shall not dispute this, I think there is a huge upside to this. Today’s youngster is well-connected and definitely much better informed. And he or she has many more friends. May not be friends in the way we traditionally describe friends. Not the backslapping, meeting every day, knowing each other’s family types; but the online friend with whom they have video calls, exchange emojis and share information. The power of networking even without stepping out from their rooms is enormous. And it’s the last part that I think is making the difference.

     

    My daughter wants to do sports journalism abroad. Being a fan of Arsenal Football Club, she is part of some official Arsenal groups on Snapchat, Instagram etc. She soon had on her fingertips all relevant information and most importantly feedback and assessment of various universities, faculty, course content, fees etc. And all this was first-hand, through alumni, current students, friends’ network etc. She had seen enough videos, read pithy comments and had shortlisted her favourites. Rankings be damned, reputation be damned and even placement record be damned.

     

    When she presented her shortlist to me, I was amazed at its details and also at her clarity. Her sources of information were fellow youngsters in almost all continents. With just one thing in common: their love for football, and for Arsenal. I asked her as to why she did not depend on the websites of the universities. Why should I get influenced with one-sided, unidimensional information, full of only good content information when I can talk to some people across the globe who can give me an experienced opinion. Her riposte left me wondering whether I should look at the websites at all!

     

    This networking has allowed the Gen Z to be more confident. The assuredness with which they talk, the depth of the subject knowledge which is not limited to just books and the rise of innate curiosity has given rise to a more confident youngster.

     

    The other quality that I admire is the courage to accept failure. When I talk to some youngsters who are undergraduate candidates, one comes across youngsters who are maybe science students but who want to shift to humanities. This was unheard of till just a few years ago. Humanities or Arts was seen to be the domain of the laggards in education. And there was also a gender divide. Boys do not do arts. But that’s no more the case. I have met enough students, not just from the metros or urban India but also from small towns who admit that they made a mistake in their intermediate choice and are now willing to course correct. Of course, on prodding it is clear that parental pressure, which is influenced by the outdated thinking of medical or engineering as the only two rewarding career choices, was mainly the reason for their incorrect choice, but they are not ashamed to course correct or even shift to a perceived inferior domain.

     

    It’s amazing to see how quickly a Class 10 awkward, shy, unsure, obedient teen metamorphoses into a confident, forceful and opinionated youngster. All because of their comfort levels with technology.

     

    For this too, I will go back to the first point. Being better connected and networked the youngsters are better informed of their career choices and they understand that the choices are not limited. So, they embark on getting enough information to convince the parents and mostly are able to do so. Another tick in favour of technology.

     

    But, invariably, this also leads to a sort of disdain towards the parents. And the phrase, you command respect not demand it, starts ringing true. I think our generation is making many sweeping generalisations. Gadgets are spoiling the child. Humanities has no future. If you are not a CA, commerce is not a good career choice. High marks are the end-all of all education. While the parents are smug in these thoughts, the youngster with technology at the fingertips, with his/her networking and with his/her fellow tech-saavy friends knows that the world is very different to what his or her parent thinks. And so, the disdain.

     

    And therein lies a contradiction too. On one hand, parents are bemoaning too much time spent on gadgets and social media and, on the other hand, there is also the preening about the child being tech-saavy or being able to look for discounts on ecommerce sites. All this is not lost on the youngster. Nicknames, descriptors, unflattering adjectives are par for the course for parents. Do not get me wrong. The respect is not all gone but its scope is narrowed down to maybe just the parents efforts and struggles and what they have provided to the child. It’s the technology divide that causes the problem.

     

    That’s the reason why I think we should stop portraying technology as the evil which has overtaken our children. It’s not all gloom and doom. Excess of anything is bad and the same is true in the case of technology. So, let’s stop making technology our favourite whipping boy.

     

    Multitasking and time management are two areas in which Gen Z contradicts itself. The ability to multitask has increased. They will be chatting online, while watching a movie and at the same time finishing the homework. Maybe it’s the ability to compartmentalise each activity and very short focus spans that enable them to do multitask, but I do find quality in their execution. They are doing everything with great aplomb and zest.  Unfortunately, this has led them to ignore time management. Their confidence leads them to do things last minute, not plan and even the preparation falls short.

     

    But one area which really saddens me is the utter neglect that Gen Z has towards environmental issues. I know this will be an unpopular observation, but I think most Gen Z, while aware of the issues believe that the threat is still not real or upon us. The selfishness which our generation showed to grow and thrive individually at all costs is also visible in Gen Z. Sure, they make the right noises. Sure, many do work with environmental NGO’s. Sure, they will make some obligatory gestures and participation, but my understanding is that their thinking is about me first making hay. Me first fulfilling my wants and desires. Environment, sustainability, circular economy are good jargons. And these must be sprouted at the right forums, seems to be the thinking.

     

    Don’t get me wrong. I am no better. But, my time has come and gone. I did not seize it. My regret is that given so much technology, so much of networking and so much of knowledge, I would have expected Gen Z to not think like me, at least on this one issue.

     

  • Unlike earlier times when multitasking was the prerogative of a few, today multitasking is a basic tool of survival, writes Vikas Mehta

    Vikas Mehta: The Gen Z Redux – Part 2

    With apologies to none at all

    By Vikas Mehta

     

    Vikas MehtaUnsurprisingly, I received some bouquets and brickbats for my last post on Gen Z. Unsurprising also, since most of the parents refuted my views about Gen Z (I can only imagine how they are coping with their children) and some Gen Z actually complimented me on the article.

     

    However, there were some notable exceptions where the parents actually thought that I was onto something and gave me examples of their children. And in one case, a Gen Z actually queried me as to why I think some points about Gen Z were complimentary when he thought they were actually negative.

     

    Let’s dive in.

    The point which most parents grudgingly admitted to was the self-confidence and drive of Gen Z to achieve what they wanted. Their comfort with technology, specially. The disdain too, most agreed to but also admitted that they tend to ignore it as they are technologically not even close to the Gen Z.

     

    The interesting thing was that most parents were against the concept of multitasking. How can one study and listen to music and watch sports at the same time? Is the tendency to focus and be the best in one thing not a better approach? Is it multitasking or multi distractions, asked another.

     

    I do admit that traditionally multitasking may not be the best way forward for a youngster. It’s only a few geniuses who can be at the top of each task they are doing simultaneously. But, let’s not forget the times we are living in. We are switched on 24/7. There is information overload. Newer technologies and evolution of gadgets is a realty. And all this leads to peer pressure too. So, in my opinion, multitasking is a basic hygiene need. Unlike earlier times when multitasking was the prerogative of a few, today multitasking is a basic tool of survival.

     

    Just look at today’s education system and the overhaul that’s in the pipeline. Higher education institutes will have no option but to allow interdisciplinary subjects. A humanities student could choose programming as an elective. Or a computer science UG student could opt for economics as an elective. And it’s not just about taking an elective for fun. It is already serious business. I have met students of fine arts who admit that their drawing skills are poor but they use programming to express and illustrate their ideas. Now tell me isn’t this multitasking? Even honours courses today offer double specialisation. Multitasking anyone?

     

    And therefore, if students today are not picking up such options they are losing out on a skill which could soon be a requisite. And peer pressure, of course. “What, you are doing a course on charcoal sketching and you do not know how to use a computer to illustrate your idea?” Today, if youngsters are not multitasking, they are labelled as lazy. Parents, multitasking is a fact and it will soon be a defining feature of what your child is. Ignore it at your own peril.

     

    I was therefore pleasantly surprised when one of my students actually raised the quality issue on multitasking. Does multitasking leads to anything being done, especially when one is unable to compartmentalise, was the question posed to me? The youngster who asked me this was on an intense onsite internship. He was also being supportive of a friend thousands of miles away, who had lost a parent. At the same time, he was reading my blog and appreciating and commenting on its nuances. Hadn’t he had answered himself?

     

    Shorter attention spans and lacking an eye for details was another criticism I came across about Gen Z. Being a part of the generation where we were told that the god is in details, I could not have agreed more. But then let’s not forget that in today’s technology age there are enough tools available that take care of the above deficiencies. A proficiency in spelling or grammar is not a must to write a good research report, a thesis or even a news item. For there are enough software programmes available which will not only correct your language but will take your thoughts and ideas into a great prose.

     

    We fear that ChatGPT will allow machines to take over even the creative domain. My take is that programmes like ChatGPT cannot work unless you give them proper guidelines and directions. So, creativity can still belong to the human domain and finessing it could be the technology domain.

     

    Shorter attention span does have a downside, though. It also leads to short term thinking. Too much of living in the present. Not wanting to think beyond the obvious. We say that the leaders should be visionaries. Unfortunately, short attention span will not allow Gen Z to have a long0term perspective. There is a problem now. Let’s solve it. Long terms implications is either too much of an effort or let it become the prerogative of the machines. That’s where, in my mind, will the machines start taking over.

     

    I know, I am connecting dots and maybe being complicated. That’s long-term thinking. And because long-term thinking is an attribute that may dwindle if attention spans are limited. The more one debates, the more one analyses, the future become clearer. As one parent put it very nicely, my son says that overthinking is a weakness. It’s not. It’s a virtue. Cultivate it. Or the machines will take over that and we all know what Deep blue did to Garry Kasporov more than two decades ago.

     

    I think Gen Z is a quantum leap in generations in the last over a millennium. It’s like moving from LP vinyl records to digital music. Rather than fight this change we must embrace it. Only then can we identify and rectify its flaws too. Together.

     

  • Any public service messaging remains just a message if one does not treat the issue as a brand, writes Vikas Mehta

    Do we need Public Service Ads or Public Service Brands?

     

     

    With apologies to none at all

    By Vikas Mehta

     

    Vikas MehtaWhen I joined the world of advertising more than three decades ago, I was lucky to be part of Lintas, now Mullen Lowe Lintas. While there were advertising agencies which were producing very creative, hard-hitting ads or agencies which produced ads that were strategically sound and would not elicit a second glance, Lintas had positioned itself as an agency which built brands. Be it Surf or Lifebuoy or Kitply or MRF Tyres or Chrery Blossom… the list was long.

    What I also discovered was that Lintas was heavily invested into public service advertisements. Many memorable ads were made. Causes like anti-dowry, you are no better than a buffalo at an auction if you ask for dowry. Or anti-drugs, drugs means death; or even the one which used sugarcane juice vendors to highlight the importance of hygiene in avoiding diseases during monsoons. The last one, I remember, was effective enough to elicit protests from sugarcane juice vendors who protested outside Lintas offices at Express Towers in Nariman Point, Mumbai.

    But I always wondered how much of an impact the ads made amongst the target group. Sure it got awards, peer appreciation etc, but did they make a change in society?

    And this thought resurfaced when a friend with family had a close shave in a car crash because the husband in the front was wearing seat belt though she and children in the back were not and they did get bruised and cut. And I wondered why people still do not wear seat belts inspite of many public service ads and messages.

    The feeling got reinforced when I saw an emotive and impactful ad on not drinking and driving. Watch it here. And again, the same feeling resurfaced. Why do such well-made ads not really work?

    One can point to many a reason. Wrong targeting, not insightful, sporadic or inconsistent messaging and so on. But the answer is actually quite simple.

    And here I go back to the Lintas analogy. While some ads are creatively outstanding, some bang on strategy, are they really building a brand? Strangely, while Lintas built many great commercial brands, I do not think it build a public service brand.

    Any public service messaging remains just a message if one does not treat the issue as a brand. We don’t communicate a product. We communicate to build a brand. We communicate to ultimately sell Lux or Dove. Not a soap. We define a focused target group. We look deep to find an insight. We try and identify what should the rational and emotional benefit be. We create a desired response and then we also build a brand personality. Finally, a brand idea is crafted.

    Do we do all this in public service ads?

    The brutal answer is no. Most of the times we identify a cause, we try and find a creative insight and work to create and ad. And that’s why the ad does not work. It’s a one-off. It’s about maybe shock-and-awe. Or it’s about tearing emotions. It could also be a straightforward presentation of some interesting facts. It’s aimed at mostly everyone, or just your peers. It has no defined brand personality and most importantly, it has no ownership.

    The starting point needs to be ownership. Someone… it could be a corporate, it could be an NGO or even the government if it seriously wants to tackle an issue needs to take ownership of the issue. And then brand it. ‘Do not drink and drive’ is a message. Not a brand. Ditto for ‘smoking kills’ or ‘wear seat belts’. The brand-owner needs to find a phrase or a name which will be used in all pieces of communication. We live in a world of hashtags and acronyms. That could be the answer.

    And then create a brand document followed by a creative brief. Define the target group. They could be multiple. For example, in case of drinking and driving, it could be the millennial partygoers or a public transport driver. Write separate briefs. Create different pieces of communication. Decide the appropriate media.

    Currently, the thinking is more to create a shock-and-awe effect. In case of both drunk driving and seatbelts, most communication deals with what can happen if one does not wear seat belt or drinks and drives. But if we look at the issue from a brand perspective, the bigger issue could be (my perspective solely) that most millennials think that this will not happen to me. Or I know I can handle my drink. If we do a proper research amongst our decided target group, we will be able to actually pinpoint the actual issue. Reach an insight. Decide on our desired response.

    To do all that lets treat public service ads as brands.

    Let’s nurture the brand.

    Grow it.

    Make it effective.

    Spend on it strategically and with proper planning.

    If, the Got Milk (note the brand name) campaign with the brand idea of moustache could work to increase per capita milk consumption in the United States, no reason why a public service issue cannot be handled like a brand.

    What do you think?