MxMIndia

Category: MEDIA

  • Continuing with our extracts from the second edition of the MxMIndia Annual, we present contributions by Vikram Sakhuja and Mayank Shah

    What Ticks for Indian Consumers/ Family – Vikram Sakhuja and Mayank Shah

    Continuing with our extracts from the second edition of the MxMIndia Annual, we present contributions by Vikram Sakhuja and Mayank Shah.

     

    ‘There is a role for authenticity and brand differentiation coming in’

     

    By Vikram Sakhuja

     

    Where the current economic scenario is concerned, it is still a wait and watch situation. Some sectors are growing while some are not. Overall, we are not witnessing a boom like we witnessed a few years back where almost all sectors were doing very well. Inflation too, is a very worrying factor. What is more, interest rates are also preventing a major upswing in investments. The situation is likely to remain the same more or less till the elections in 2014. In my view, at least a lot of FDI decisions would wait till the elections.

     

    Slowdown and consumerism

    Consumerism is more a result of microeconomic factors. FMCG is still fine but if one looks at real estate or durables or any other high-ticket items where a loan is required, the high interest cost dampens consumerism. One needs to look at it sector by sector. Having said that, our fundamentals are strong and I do not see consumerism getting impacted in the long run.

     

    Is India moving from collective to individualistic society?

    It largely depends on what you feel are the manifestations of a collective versus individualistic society. If one is talking from a standpoint that living for self is individualistic, we are definitely not getting individualistic. As parents, Indians are concerned about the wellbeing of their children, their education and their future. They are also concerned about their elders. In India, the family value is at the heart of things, which makes it a collective society.

     

    If one looks at the western society, be it Europe or the US – it is no doubt more individualistic. There the family values are not as strong as they are in this country. However, it is nothing that has happened in the last few years. It has been there for generations. So when it comes to collectivism verses individualism, the world is the same as it was three years ago.

     

    Purchase decisions

    For most of the household decisions, more so in the case of FMCGs, the housewife is the primary decision maker. In some cases, children and husband are influencers too. Meanwhile, the typical technology and durable decisions, for instance which two-wheeler to buy, would be almost entirely male driven.

     

    Young adults of the house too play a key role in decisions related to technology products and vehicles etc. Who makes purchase decision in the family, and whether it is an individual decision or a collective one depends on the product category.

     

     

    		 ‘We are moving from a collective to an individualistic society’

     

    By Mayank Shah

     

    As we know it, the Indian consumer is evolving with every passing year. And in the years to come, their expectations are bound to grow exponentially. About 20 years back around pre liberalisation era consumers used to be happy in what they got – irrespective of whether it was good or bad. Today consumers have actually become kings, and five years down the line I envisage marketers chasing the consumer – where sample size would be equal to one. Marketers would have to look at offerings which would be tailor-made for each and every individual. We call it mass customization, where we customize our product in such a way that it appeals to everybody.

     

    Rural and urban families

    It is not that there is no difference in rural and urban families, but at a broader level they are not very different. Both are aspiring for better lifestyle, better products and better brands. Almost 80 to 90 per cent of their aspirations are similar. A guy in a city probably aspires for a luxury car and one in the rural area aspires for a car. Broadly the aspirations remain the same, though the brands and tag values might change.

     

    It is only a matter of time that we would see the rural aspirations growing further. One finds urban people more individualistic primarily because there are more nuclear families in urban markets. It is not so much in the rural areas but they are moving towards it. From the days when there used to be a joint family comprising of 15-17 people, today there might be just about seveneight people meaning that the size of families are shrinking.

     

    From collective to individualistic society

    Definitely, we are moving from a collective to an individualistic society. We at Parle Products, do research on continuous basis – we study consumer behaviour. We have seen individualistic society as an emerging trend. People are more concerned about themselves today than ever before, their opinions matter a lot to themselves rather than opinion of others.

     

    They are being more individualistic probably right from fulfilling their needs and wishes to expressing their opinions, feelings etc. The kind of change we have seen in the last ten years is phenomenal. We never had an option of using a different brand when we were small. One thing used to come for the entire family but today most things you buy are based on individual likes of family members.

     

     
    Reaching various target groups

    From a media perspective, the easiest to get is the housewife. By targeting mass TV or GEC, you can actually reach her in most cases. Youth is challenging primarily because of the amount of media they consume, especially now with the increasing consumption of online media. Challenge there is to engage and connect with the youth.

     

    Challenge with men is sometimes just getting them because it is probably the toughest TG to target and reach without too much wastage. As for kids, it is quite easy to get them, but they do not have the purchasing power. There are very few categories like candies where they are the decision makers themselves. If you look at nourishment drinks and other products targeted at them, marketers have to typically talk to the mother as well. It is not enough to just talk to the kids.

     

    Has the man’s role changed?

    His role was always that of the provider and it is by and large unchanged if one looks at the mass markets. If one was to look at the upper skewed SECs – there it is now shared with a working wife. From that standpoint, his burden has come down but then accordingly, expectations that he would contribute to the household has increased. Moreover, the old stereotype of the alpha aggressive male has changed to well-balanced human beings who are capable of some kind of emotion.

     

    Traditional media is not enough

    Clearly, traditional media is not enough, though it still has a very important role to play. There is too much clutter, and too much brand proliferation there. Advertising expects people to connect with the ad, get the message, remember the brand and actually go through the entire purchase journey – that is getting challenging.

     

    One cannot hold on to classic matrix and say is it enough to grow awareness. It is much more about the behavioural change. Increasingly, it is being felt that reaching mass audiences is not enough and there is a need to segment. One’s ability to segment and then target as laser sharp as possible is going to be a potential source of advantage. And this needs to be done across mediums.

     

    There is a role for authenticity and brand differentiation coming in. At certain points in time, one finds that there are devices other than conventional advertising that do a great job. Take the case of Red Bull. They do not spend too much on conventional advertising but invest a lot in their online presence. It is an energy drink and to some extent it is about giving the adrenaline rush to do things. Their tag line is ‘It gives you wings’. The content they talk about, whether it is Formula One, or jumping from the edge of space or other such properties brings an authenticity to the brand which is way more than what advertising can do. Another good example is Dove Real Beauty.

     

    It has done some fantastic work in recent times. From the 25 percent moisturizer inside the soap campaign many years back, it now talks about real beauty. It is not about the cosmetic model kind of beauty which is relatable to only a few, but about being comfortable in one’s skin and celebrating one’s own beauty. That insight has in fact become a platform which has worked very effectively across the globe, and not necessarily through a television ad. Digital platform plays an important role here.

     

    Brands and consumer expectations

    The initiative has to be taken by the brand to uncover new consumer expectations, and make them relevant. By and large, consumers are in equilibrium with what a category provides. The leads come from the minority e.g activist consumers making demands on wellness, authenticity or ethics in marketing; or heavy/passionate users of a brand or category who can serve as good barometers against overzealous brand managers who want to make changes in brands when in fact they are not required. Either way, the point is that a brand needs to remain closely connected with the consumer to ensure it meets and exceeds expectations.

     

    – (As told to Ritu Midha)

     

    		 Man’s role in the family

    Man’s role in the family has changed tremendously, especially in the urban setting. Today in cities, it has become a necessity for both husband and wife to work and earn livelihood. From the days when women used to do all household chores, today they are more like partners; everything is shared right from work to responsibilities. As the rural families will realize the importance of women working, things will obviously change.

     

    Most challenging target segment

    Men are the most challenging segment to reach. They are really tough to catch as they are more out of home. It is not a difficult segment to crack but to reach. Reaching women is the easiest, followed by kids, teenagers, young adults and men in that sequence. Having said that, the kids segment is the most difficult to crack – their expectations are completely different. There is nothing like brand loyalty, they want to experiment. You have to keep re-inventing yourself every now and then and keep yourself relevant to them.

     

    On top of that, from no influence or no decision making power a few years back to today, in the categories they are involved in, everything is decided by them. In categories which are meant for consumption of the family too they have a say. Parents also involve them in most other decision-making activities because they have good exposure, and at times it helps. For example, kids today are very techsavvy, so I would probably consult my kid if I want to buy a technology product.

     

    A happy family

    The values which made a happy family earlier are ageless and they remain the same. Twenty years back it was believed that family that eats together stays together. It is still the same and twenty years down the line it is going to remain the same. Some people believe that you can substitute quantity time with your kids with quality time. But I believe that your child needs your quality time. These values are timeless and there is nothing like giving time to your family. If you try to change it you might be so called family, but not a happy family.

     

    FMCG consumption

    We are still not a branded economy where we consume only brands; we consume a lot of commodities. The moment all food products consumed as commodities are branded, there would be quantum jump in the FMGC consumption. For instance, if you replace a kilogram of sugar that you buy loose with a kilogram of packaged sugar in the FMCG basket, it would change the scenario dramatically. The conversion that needs to happen from commodities to brands is slow.

     

    Brands have not really been able to establish that they provide certain value when consumers buy them, hence the customer is not ready to pay the kind of premium they want to command. A few categories, of course, are exceptions. In biscuits, for instance, there was a time when we had significant unorganized segment and things were sold as commodity. Since then the unorganised segment has gone down and organised segment is increasing. Even in the snacks market, both Indian and western, a huge amount of conversion is happening from unorganised to organised segment.

     

    They have been able to sell hygienically packed snacks without much price difference. There is assurance of quality and most importantly, it provides convenience. You can probably buy 25gm or 50 gm of snacks in a pouch or bag at a convenient price point of five or ten rupees. In an unbranded market, the same would not be available.

     

     

    Next: Monday, October 6: Men– Haresh Nayak and Vikram Raichura

  • Next generation platform integrates CRM data in addition to website and mobile app traffic for personalized cross-channel campaigns

    Komli unveils CRM Remarketing Platform – RevX

    By A Correspondent

     

    Komli Media has announced the launch of RevX, a new integrated cross-channel CRM remarketing platform. RevX moves beyond first generation remarketing solutions by enabling marketers to leverage the full spectrum of consumer insights across web, mobile and CRM to reach users across devices. Marketers have complete transparency and control to integrate their customer data with RevX and run highly personalized campaigns across multiple channels including display, mobile and Facebook.

     

    “Customer interaction with a brand is not limited to websites anymore. With the evolution of multiple channels like mobile apps, social pages , support channels, etc., customers are engaging with brands from multiple sources and are leaving rich data about their preferences,” said Amar Goel, Founder and CEO, Komli Media. “The next wave of personalized marketing involves leveraging these customer interactions and processing them intelligently to run targeted cross-channel campaigns. With RevX, we are offering this with our hallmarks of transparency and control.”

     

    Although Komli has operated as a remarketing DSP since February 2014, with RevX, comes the introduction of CRM remarketing and Facebook’s Custom Audiences and Website Custom Audiences capabilities. This allows marketers to leverage their CRM data like email ids and phone numbers to run cross-device campaigns on Facebook. Additionally, marketers can also run display and mobile remarketing campaigns to achieve their end goals of driving transactions, user engagement or app installs. Komli’s existing remarketing clients can seamlessly onboard their CRM data to RevX and immediately extend their campaigns to Facebook.

     

    “Marketing complexity is continuously increasing as users are engaging with us via multiple devices from multiple locations across multiple properties. The challenge lies in tying these customer interactions to build complete user profiles and then leveraging this information for personalized messaging. RevX’s early move in the CRM remarketing space and their integrated approach to display, mobile and social is a very exciting proposition and we are working closely with them to scale our business across channels.” said Gagan Arora, Chief Marketing Officer, Printvenue.com, India’s leading printing and personalization portal.

     

  • Presenting nuggets from the exchange4media Conclave that we caught off the event's live webcast

    Industry experts vow trade at E4M Conclave

    Although MxMindia wasn’t invited to the exchange4media conclave, since it was webcast, we grabbed the opportunity, to ensure our readers are well-informed of what some of top industry folk present spoke. MxMIndia is media-neutral and is fine with tracking the events of organizations and publications which perceive us as competition

     

    By Sneha Johari

     

    The exchange4Media conclave drew a host of the global creme de la creme of the media, advertising and marketing agency heads. Starting off at the time of post-lunch happiness, the Conclave began at 3pm with Geetu Verma, Executive Director, Foods & Refreshment, Hindustan Unilever Ltd. With over 25 years of the marketing industry experience, Ms Verma has worked with some of top-draw FMCG majors.

     

    Her topic, Marketing in the New World, was based mainly upon the fact that today, we live in a highly technology-enabled world where change is the only constant. However, change itself is not the only parameter to measure anything. “The pace of change is enabling consumer patterns. It is rapid yet insidious. But what does amplifying the dimensions of change mean for us marketing and communication specialists? When you’re looking around you, nothing seems to be changing. However, the moment you decide to look back, you see that a lot has changed,” said Ms Verma in her talk. She emphasized the fact that change is not about to happen but is here and now. The technology age has revolutionised our way of life. But this is not new. If we look back in history, we see that the industrial revolutions, the light bulb, vaccines have been changing the way people live to today’s social media and apps like Uber, which is revolutionising how we travel.

     

    “There is an explosion of info and the number of users on mobile and getting online is increasing every day. However, the control of this content is no longer in our hands. You have to have really exceptional confidence in your product or brand and the rest is up to the consumers. We have to equip ourselves with the right skills,” she added. To enlighten the marketer for today’s New World, she recommended 4 Ps: product, price, place and promotion (to be used wisely) along with another 4 Ps: purpose, participation, partners and privacy. “Brands need to have a purpose which consumers can identify with. People want to connect with a purpose. Not having a purpose makes you redundant,” she signed off. Chaired by Sam Balsara, CMD, Madison World, who asked Mr Verma about the risk smaller firms take (easily) as opposed to the risks which bigger firms are wary of taking, Ms Verma said that calculated risks were easy to take but it also depended on how good the creativity of the firm was.

     

    Tim Andree, Executive Chairman, Dentsu Aegis Network & Executive Vice President, Member of The Board, Dentsu Inc burst on the scene, literally towering over everybody. At 6’11”, he is Japan’s tallest executive, he joked. “Digital spends on marketing are currently triple as compared to that of traditional media spends,” he said without wasting any time. Speaking on ‘The Future is Technology’ and chaired by Noor Fathima Warsia, Group Editor, APAC Digital Market Asia.

     

    Mr Andree talked about the convergence of technology across platforms and geographies. People and technology are already seamlessly connected. In developing countries, the emergence of scaled infrastructure is driving social, media and mobile. “40% of users now follow a brand on social media. The industry, too, has grown consumer-centric but its connection points are always people. As digital adspends are expected to grow, media is becoming accessible on demand and in real time, especially social media,” Mr Andree explained. He further stressed that the advantage to marketers from technology was clear and inevitable. But, in order to engage, the content must be entertaining and delivered at the right time while thinking of (a user’s) personal cultural interests.

     

    “One must realise that the world is now data deterministic and technology driven. However, the data and the tech need to be used in the right way. They are just tools which help move people,” Mr Andree explained on the implications of technology and the future while adding, “We need to be visionary and brave and embrace innovation. We need to anticipate what is coming in the future. This isn’t new, technology and communication have evolved together!”

     

    Michael Wall, CEO, Global Lowe Lintas, had a slightly mixed topic to cover. He spoke about technology crossing over with creativity and what marketers needed to focus on. “The modern world is imploring us to rethink who we hire and what their skills are. We need to make a new use of the medium and technology. Technology can revitalise sectors whose health is failing by creativity. By the application of technology, the evolution of the phone happened over 150 years in a long and linear process. But emerging economies did not have to wait that long. They are now reaping the benefits of low-cost smartphones in their respective markets,” Mr Wall said. Citing an example of the Volkswagen Darth Vader Superbowl (2011) commercial, Wall stressed on how television was actually still incredibly relevant. “With the advent of digital has come the arrival of big data. Technology is a core competency today and being always on will remain relevant for users across platforms,” he concluded while maintaining that content was king. This was chaired by Rohit Ohri, Executive Chairman, Dentsu India & CEO Dentsu Asia Pacific (South).

     

    John Sheehy, President, Global Operations, StarCom Media Vest energised the audience by asking them to think about what they’d invest in if they had a dollar to invest. Well aware of the fact that he was speaking to an audience frazzled by a lot of information and the time (post 8pm!), he made a quick but important survey of the five things needed under a topic titled ‘Staying Ahead of #WhatsNext in Media’. “Change is driven by the pace of technology. The five areas to invest your dollar in are: Audiences, which is the target of your information consumption, Content, which is driven by the consumer and technology, the way to engage and drive relevancy to hit the segment at the right time, Convergence, which is everything that the traditional media is not, Programmatic, which matches the supply and demand of info and audiences in real time, and Mobility which entertains, connects, informs and enables commerce in,” were Mr Sheehy’s golden points for marketers. Coming back to the dollar he had asked the audience to think about investing in, he said that his job involves the decision making considering the following points: How to make that investment and where, What are the returns, How do we shift the mindset of our 1000+ employees to cater to the needs of certain geographies other than their own? Rajiv Dhingra, CEO, Wat Consult, and the chair of this session, helped Mr Sheehy reiterate that the next generation of businesses and business owners are going to be young, like more than 65% of the Indian population which is under the age of 35. He also mentioned that today, almost 900 million people own a phone; and that mobile search has overtaken desktop search in this new age.

     

    The event concluded with a chat with Dominic Proctor, President, GroupM Global moderated by e4m group chairman Annurag Batra on working for a balance in the fused world of creativity and technology.

     

    Note: We reported this event from a livestream/webcast. Due to a connectivity glitch, we were unable to stream the sessions of Vishnu Mohan, CEO, Havas Media, Asia Pacific (Topic: Marketing as good as it gets – Tryst with Technology), Vikram Sakhuja, Global CEO, Maxus in a dialogue with  Karthi Marshan, ‎Head Marketing, Kotak Mahindra Group, Anil Jayaraj, Chief Marketing Officer, Pidilite Industries, Sagnik Ghosh ‎Vice President & Head Marketing at Axis Bank (Topic: Only Digital matters! Or it doesn’t?) and Mike Cooper World Wide CEO, PHD (Topic: Game Change: The Future of Work is Play). Please visit exchange4media.com for detailed reports on these.

     

  • Based in Mumbai, he will work closely with the business and leadership teams at TTN and will report directly to MK Anand

    Vivek Srivastava joins TTN as SVP & Head – English Entertainment Cluster

    By A Correspondent

     

    Times Television Network (TTN) announced the appointment of Vivek Srivastava, as Senior Vice-President and Head of the English Entertainment Cluster which includes premium channels such as Movies Now and Romedy Now. Based in Mumbai, he will work closely with the business and leadership teams at TTN and will report directly to MK Anand.

     

    Speaking on the announcement, M K Anand, CEO & Managing Director, TTN said, “Vivek’s experience in the broadcast sector combined with our aggressive approach to drive growth for the network will add great value to our business. The experience and calibre he brings to the table, we believe, will set new benchmarks for our channels.”

     

    Vivek moves to Times Television Network after a successful stint at Viacom 18 Media Pvt Ltd. where he handled Channel strategy for Colors as a part of their launch team, moved to handle International Business and Distribution and over the past few years has served as Head – Commercial and Digital at Colors.

     

  • The advertisement demonstrates the USP of the phone which is a combination of superlative front and rear camera performance

    LAVA launches new campaign for Iris X5

    By A Correspondent

     

    LAVA International Limited has announced the launch of its new ad campaign for Iris X5, made for selfie smartphone. The LAVA Iris X5 is a mid-range phone designed for the selfie generation featuring a 5MP front camera with wide angle viewing lens. The advertisement demonstrates the USP of the phone which is a combination of superlative front and rear camera performance.

     

    The campaign has been conceived by Shop Advertising and will be aired on television from October 01st 2014. The TVC features a story of a group of friends trying to avoid a situation through a selfie taken from the phone. The advertisement strengthens on the essence of the product bringing out the message a notch higher by highlighting its camera performance.

     

    Talking about the new ad campaign, Tarun Verma, Head- Marketing, Lava International, said, “The new ad campaign created for Lava Iris X5 is specifically targeted at the selfie crazy generation. The ad showcases how Lava Iris X5 enables users to capture every moment of their life as a ‘Perfect Selfie’ picture. By means of the campaign, we wish to get closer to the lives of our users and enhance their overall smartphone experience.”

     

    Commenting on ongoing marketing initiatives by LAVA, Tarun added, “Today, LAVA Iris X series enjoys a good recall in the consumer mind, courtesy our recently concluded successful campaign for Iris X1. We have a total marketing budget in excess of 220 cr planned for FY 13-14,  out of which we are looking at approximately 50% spend on advertising. In addition to this, BTL and digital will be our key strategic channels, through which we will be rolling out more campaigns in an integrated manner.”

     

    Naved Akhtar, Creative Director, Shop Advertising said, “This communication has been developed to support the key preposition offered by LAVA Iris X5, which is its superlative front camera performance. The campaign captures an everyday moment in today’s youngster’s life, made complex by his forgetfulness and how the phone playing the true hero, saves the day. Teasing between friends, SOS gestures, the faux pas and the comedy that ensues, all create the drama that the TVC is all about.”

     

    The campaign will be aired across all leading channels nationally & regionally. The on-air campaign will be supported by an extensive outdoor, digital & retail visibility campaign with overall spends across all communication channels close to INR 20 cr.

     

  • As technology, data and algorithmic complexity have increased; automation in the media industry has become the new norm

    Havas unveils Meta DSP

    By A Correspondent

     

    Affiperf, Havas’ programmatic pure player has announced the launch of Affiperf Meta DSP solution. As technology, data and algorithmic complexity have increased; automation in the media industry has become the new norm. Despite this, the potential of automated programmatic methods for real-time buying have been limited by the fact that until now, agencies were limited to using inventory from different Demand Side Platforms (known as DSPs) in parallel. As the number of DSPs in the market exploded, this added a rather frustrating and inefficient complexity to the process of optimisation and data collection in programmatic buying.

     

    Following years of research from Affiperf, a Fields Medal holder and renowned data scientists MFG Labs, the Affiperf Meta DSP solution offers a way to unify and make sense of data sets across multiple platforms. It aggregates multiple assets using their APIs, i.e. data inventory, features and algorithms from a number of DSPs. It then uses modelling and decision engines to allow traders to recommend wider, more sophisticated strategic options and monitor them.

     

    Pierre-Louis Lions, MFG Labs co-founder and Fields Medal holder 1994 commented: “Thanks to three years of extensive R & D we have been able to bring technical neutrality to the conception, implementation and optimisation of campaigns. This works both in the real-time bidding process as well as the design for even more integrated approaches that will enable us before the end of the year, to start managing our Affiperf Meta DSP solution for online and offline data and media.”

     

    The Affiperf Meta DSP is powered by enhanced proprietary algorithms that offer clients fluid digitalisation, optimisation and addressability across formats. This ability to collate results and information into one unified marketing statistic marks the end to complexity in this critical area. Although increasing in size, the competitive landscape is not dominated by one DSP, but a fragmented ecosystem of DSP display, mobile and video, rich media DSPs, each of them having different rules, inventories and features. This makes it increasingly difficult for brands to get consistent answers and to see the bigger picture. Technologically agnostic, this is the first solution that is open to all DSPs and all technologies. Through this platform brands can therefore take advantage of the best technology available to reach out to and relate to people with greater speed in a more tailored environment than ever before.

     

  • Leading English news daily dna will publish a weekly special page on Media, Advertising and Marketing

    dna to publish weekly window to ad & marketing business with ‘dna of brands’

    By A Correspondent

     

    Leading English daily dna has announced the launch of a weekly window to advertising, media and marketing. The special section – to be called dna of brands — will start publication with effect from Monday, October 6 and will be published on all Mondays thereafter.

     

    ‘dna of brands’ will start as a one-pager, but will expand to multiple offerings, including a significant presence in the digital media.This new page serves as a perfect platform for the industry big wigs to share insights , learnings, forecast trends, discuss new launches and interact. dna of brands provides an interesting outlet for the makers of Brands and the entire fraternity to interact with readers.dna has appointed Pradyuman Maheshwari as consulting editor for this special page – dna of brands​ (* See Disclosure).​

     

    ​”dna is the only news daily that has been covering the advertising and marketing fraternity since its launch in July 2005.  There is much reader interest in these stories, and it’s good to have news and views on the business of brands move to the mainstream media,” said Mr Maheshwari.​

     

    ​* Disclosure​: Pradyuman Maheshwari is Editor-in-Chief and CEO, MxMIndia.

     

     

     

  • Continuing with our extracts from the second edition of the MxMIndia Annual, we present contributions by Haresh Nayak and Vikram Raichura

    What Ticks for Indian Consumers/ Men- Haresh Nayak and Vikram Raichura

    Continuing with our extracts from the second edition of the MxMIndia Annual, we present contributions by Haresh Nayak and Vikram Raichura.

     

    Men in the new OOH ecosystem!!’

     

    By Haresh Nayak

     

    Advertising companies spend a lot of time, money and man power trying to figure out the best ways to target their ads to the right people, whether it’s children, teenagers, men or women. But does it really work to target ads toward a certain gender? As it turns out, it depends on the advertisement.

     

    Advertising to men, used to be as simple as buying few hoardings in commercial areas or on mode of travel. Even though both attract large audiences, men’s interests have broadened. We live in a world changing at a dramatic pace! Posterscope Group in India is pioneering OOH that drives the new OOH ecosystem.

     

    They’re more involved with the family, visiting malls, cinemas, travel, clubs, sports etc. OCS (world’s largest out-of-home consumer survey) a Posterscope initiative, throws some interesting insights on men and their OOH behaviour:

     

     

     

     

    		  

    Engaging men consumers via mobile phones and tablets

     

    By Vikram Raichura

     

    Men! Men! Men! Men! Manly… men men men… Hardly anyone is alien to this catchy tune of ‘Two and a Half Men’ and the antics of Charlie Sheen’s sensuous free-wheeling lifestyle in the sitcom. Truth be told, we men love to flaunt our distinct charisma and flair everyplace we trod. Through the clothes we wear, the things we say and the possessions we flash. This spree of ours has come a long way since our stone-age days and though much has changed in our appearances and habits, not much so in our tastes and pursuits.

     

    Then we hunted for food now we hunt food joints, then we wandered now we explore, then we chased women now… well you know. Then we carried tools now we got gadgets and the best of all -The mobile! The gadget wakes us up, plans our day, gets us information and keeps us connected 24×7. Needless to say, we rely greatly on our smart phones and tablets for day-to-day tasks. Mobiles have proved to be a hot platform for mass engagement and brands have shifted their base quickly.

     

     
     

    a) Mobile technology: a shrunken device that now provides a host of services while you are out-of-home!

    b) A rising sense of health consciousness: healthy food and workouts are a way of life everyday!

    c) Constant lookout for fulfilling career: are diminishing boundaries of cities and countries!

    d) Emotional connect with sports: cricket is religion of India!

     

    All the above are creating newer ways to connect and engage with the male audience in India!!! OOH is all about people and places. Today outdoor advertising has transformed into OOH and has provided new touch points involving the consumer.

     

    In fact this convergence is removing the barrier between platforms, channels and between discipline and is creating an empowered connected consumer that’s engaging with brands on his own terms within this new OOH ecosystem.

     

     

     

    		  

    Now you do remember a good looking girl asking you to give a missed call just to get a call back from her, of course you do. It was one of the best mass engagement strategy adopted by a leading Men’s deodorant brand that received whooping response through missed calls. The action was complete with each caller receiving a recorded call in that girl’s voice promoting the product. Now which man won’t appreciate it? Probably none. Moving ahead, the boom of Android and Windows platform, brought us an array of applications.

     

    There’s an application for almost anything and everything. Right from banking, navigation, ticket booking, bill payments to what shirt to wear and how to tie a knot. Male oriented apps of dressing, grooming, styling all the way to counting rounds of drinks are highly in vogue. Games have always held our fancy since childhood days and they still do keep that kid off the leash virtually. Gaming is super cool over mobile & tablets with likes of Asphalt, Temple Run and hundred others.

     

    There’s one for every mood, affinity and like (Candy Crush is loved by men too, seriously). Interestingly, movies are cashing on the opportunity with this one too. It comes as no surprise that Dhoom franchise’s game built for promotion and engagement of their third film has fetched 1,000,000+ downloads. That’s big! Mobiles have been keeping us busy through Music, Movies, Social Networking and are unarguably the best communication device ever. And it’s just getting better with.. Beep beep.. wait a sec, it’s a picture of my kids enjoying at park captured by my wife. How beautiful. See mobile’s got a way of engaging every male with their unique interests.

     

     

    Tomorrow: Tuesday, October 7: Women– Monica Patnaik and Josy Paul

  • Continuing with our extracts from the second edition of the MxMIndia Annual, we present contributions by Monica Patnaik and Josy Paul

    What Ticks for Indian Consumers/ Women- Monica Patnaik and Josy Paul

    Continuing with our extracts from the second edition of the MxMIndia Annual, we present contributions by Monica Patnaik and Josy Paul.

     

     

    Stay authentic, stay local

     

    By Monica Patnaik

     

    As a radio station in tier 2 and tier 3 cities of India, one cannot afford to miss out on women consumers. Even today, a majority of radio listenership comes from housewives who switch to radio while performing their household duties or in leisure during the day time.

     

    Yes, there is another segment of women listeners apart from the housewives – the working class women. But, I think if we talk about sheer numbers, I’m sure the number of housewives listening to radio in tier 2 and tier 3 cities is bigger than the working class women – who often switch to radio when travelling. And most often they use their mobile phones to switch to radio.

     

    The ideal strategy to ensure brand recall or loyalty among women is to offer them fresh content and by keeping them engaged in conversations. Our RJs discuss common issues women face and try to address them with innovative ideas. For working women, issues such as striking work and life balance is an important aspect apart from other interest areas such as food, travel and of course, music.

     

     

    		  

    I confess…

     

    By Josy Paul

     

    I have a confession to make.

    I confess I may have been sleepwalking.

    I may have ignored the obvious.

    I look around me and I see women creating change everywhere… and yet I don’t see enough of it in my writing.

    I see women leading organizations – be it in business, government or the nation.

    And yet I don’t see… I don’t see enough of that great action reflecting in my advertising.

    I see my wife mobilizing friends, neighbours and local MLAs to build parks and fight to keep our lanes clean and safe.

    And yet I do not see… for I don’t see enough of it in my ideas.

    I confess I need to be more sensitive to the world around me… specially to the gender issue.

    I don’t need a national awakening or a violent reaction to re-focus my attention to the truth about women.

     

     
     

    We also engage with them using social media networks – Facebook and Twitter being the most active platforms. Though women are not the only target audience, they are very much part of the mix. We also see a lot of listenership from men, especially during the evening time. But, their listenership is limited in terms of time spent.

     

    Unlike metros where one tends to spend more time in traveling from one place to the other, that unfortunately in small cities is very, very short. Having said that, I think radio stations in local regions are doing a far better engagement job than national players.

     

    That is because the regional FM players are able to offer content in local languages or in the local flavour. Speaking of the content offering, one must find the right mix of content for the local listeners. If the content is local and authentic, consumers will relate to the brand and one-toone engagement with them will become that much more easier.

     

    		  

    I have grown up seeing brands portraying women as powerful influencers and change agents.

    I have seen Lalitaji in ‘Surf ‘.

    I have noticed the strong working woman in ‘Whirlpool’ with her ability to manage a happy household.

    I am inspired by the activist lady in the ad for A-one ‘Kadak’ chai – done in early 2000.

    I love reading Femina’s woman of substance. We have seen the changing face of Indian women in the new Bournvita mom. She is so progressive and hyper-competitive.

    Or the changing relationships between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in the ads done by Star Plus. Or the bindaas young women in the Fastrack commercials. It urges us to move on and stay cool.

    I know you and I have seen the change, and it is good.

    I confess I am proud of our work for Gillette… our movement idea ‘Women Against Lazy Stubble’. It proved that women can influence men’s stubble.

    Or our new work for Visa Cards where a young lady officer uses her Visa Debit card to further the cause of women’s education – in a remote village in Rajasthan.

    I realize that these examples represent some of the stronger and more realistic feminine images of Indian advertising.

    And yet I confess… that I may be unconsciously discriminating, marginalizing and labelling women.

    I know I am responsible, and influential, and have the power to change things… and I am trying.

    I have one last confession to make.

    I don’t think this is only a woman’s issue, it’s a larger sensitivity issue. It is about being sensitive to all things that are marginalized, ignored and discriminated. It is about being sensitive to all things human.

    I confess I am evolving in my effort to be more aware.

    Along with our enlightened clients we are trying to create a new reality, where brands evolve with deeper sensitivity.

    Where freedom, equality and inclusion are part of greater growth and a better world.

    I confess, we are trying to create a world where there are more acts, and not just ads. This is my confession, my prayer, my pledge.

     

     

    Tomorrow: Wednesday, October 8: Teens – Rohit Ohri and Ferzad Palia

     

  • In less than 60 days, dna has managed to bag and execute three innovations that has been the talking point for its clients

    dna executes innovative campaigns for clients

    By A Correspondent

     

    Since its inception dna has managed to redefine marketing through its innovative approach for its own branding and even extending it for its clients. Having undergone a complete brand and product revamp recently, dna since has introduced many firsts in the industry and have set new benchmarks through its innovative ideas which is evident not only for their brand & marketing initiatives but also for its clients & various stakeholders.

     

    In less than 60 days, dna has managed to bag and execute three innovations that has been the talking point for its clients. Colgate – Charcoal Toothbrush – dna front page goes black with white fonts; Bigg Boss Season 8 – dna delivers Air Sickness bag along with Bigg Boss Ad; Asian Paints – ezycolour

     

    The latest Asian Paints innovation is an exclusive-to-dna, blast of colour. On Friday, 3rd October every page of dna After Hrs was printed in a different colour. The idea was to showcase how a little colour doesn’t take away from the seriousness of a newspaper, it only adds more life to it. Similarly, according to Asian Paints, this rings true for any home, be it small, or large. The ezycolour concept by Asian Paints wants to break free of the myths and the stereotypes that bright and bold colours are only the luxury of a certain kind of home. With this innovation Asian Paints announces its new services where customers can seek expert guidance on usage of their favorite bright colors.

     

    Team dna worked closely with the Asian Paints brand team and their agency with an outside-in perspective & consumer insight to ideate and execute this innovation.

     

    dna aims to be synonymous for Innovation and wants to be the launch partner for its clients. dna looks to work closely with brands and agencies to provide customized solutions that are path-breaking, engaging and beyond just ad space.

     

  • Undergoes rebranding and emerges with a young, edgy look and a blockbuster movie library

    See it all – Zee Studio’s new brand new ideology

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zee Studio has unveiled its brand new ideology ‘See it all’ for its viewers. The channel revealed it’s all new look with a newer library of movie collection that offers a range of genres including action, comedy and animation. Zee Studio has successfully transitioned over to this new identity encompassing a sleek and edgy packaging and is all geared up to bring the best of Hollywood to its Indian audience.

     

    Anurag Bedi

    Speaking about the new brand strategy, Anurag Bedi, Executive Vice President & Business Head, Zee Studio and Zee  Café said: “Our study reflected that with vast globalization, the reach and perception of Hollywood movies has changed over a decade in our country. English cinema is not limited to a certain niche elite class anymore. The younger generation has a lot of exposure to western entertainment and that has led to massive change in consumption patterns. Thereby, with Zee Studio refreshed look we aim to give the viewer what he is looking for. Additionally, the research revealed that today’s tech savvy young generation who is major chunk of our viewer base expects greater quality content and a high definition experience from television channels. Hence the effort to renew Zee Studio’s look and content is a landmark moment for our business and brand.”

     

    Throwing light on an extensive marketing plan specially designed for the refresh, Sharlton Menezes, Head Marketing, Zee Studio and Zee Café stated, “As part of our 360 degree communication plan, we detailed out a multi-media, multi-touch point campaign to ensure that the refresh delivers the brand promise of See it all. We wish to create channel ‘Experiences’ to drive home the message, generate excitement and push viewers to get a taste of Zee Studio. Larger than life movies, big stars and famous characters are the most tangible strengths of Hollywood, which will be leveraged to endorse the channel’s refreshed imagery.”

     

    See it All reflects Zee Studio’s brand new philosophy. Tapping the potential to engage with the discerning youth via a multi-layered engagement platform, this campaign will be present at over 30 trade media agencies across Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore.

     

  • It is the first segmented channel in Indian television

    Epic gears for a significant India launch

    By A Correspondent

     

    The EPIC Channel, India’s first genre specific Hindi entertainment channel, is all set to make a breakthrough in the Indian media landscape. The Epic Channel is gearing up to showcase interesting content based on Indian history, folklore and mythology, in a uniquely contemporary format. It is the first segmented channel in Indian television.

     

    The Epic Channel identified fragmentation of audiences as a huge opportunity for differentiated and genre specific content. Effectively integrating India’s rich heritage with the current consumption patterns, The Epic Channel is creating unique and original content within the Indian history, folklore and mythology genre, using a very contemporary story telling format.

     

    Mukesh Ambani, Anand Mahindra and Rohit Khattar are promoters of the company. Mr. Mahindra, Chairman and Managing Director of Mahindra & Mahindra says, “The landscape of Hindi entertainment is undergoing a dramatic transformation. In order to appeal to a far more evolved audience, and to sustain their engagement, there is definitely a need for a revolution in the broadcast space. We have all been entertained with the history and mythology of India through books and grandparents’ stories. These stories will now come to life and can be enjoyed on television in a contemporary manner.”

     

    Mahesh Samat, Founder and Managing Director, EPIC Television Network Pvt. Ltd, adds “The EPIC Channel has generated much excitement and anticipation and we are ready to deliver what we have promised. The EPIC Channel’s arrival on Indian television marks a new beginning in the experience of TV viewing. The ‘segmented’ content will allow viewers to choose and consume genre-specific content of their liking. Our vision is to create a brand in television that will translate our vibrant past into entertainment with the objective of creating new IPs, strong characters and new heroes that strike a chord with mass audiences.”

     

    The EPIC Channel will have action, drama, comedy, supernatural and narrative non-fiction content, set against Indian history and mythology. The stories will be innovative with high production quality and a distinct look & feel that will appeal to both men and women. Most of the content is shot at real locations with HD cameras. The programming line-up has a mix of fiction shows, narrative non-fiction shows, short form content as well as films at launch.