MxMIndia

Tag: Abraham Alapatt

  • The agency will handle the brand’s social media strategy, end-to-end planning, creative development, query management and much more

    IdeateLabs wins the social media mandate for Thomas Cook India

    By A Correspondent

     

    IdeateLabs has won the social media mandate across Thomas Cook India’s business lines – including Holidays Outbound and Domestic and Foreign Exchange in a multi-agency pitch.

     

    The mandate includes managing the brand’s social media strategy, developing collaterals and artworks, managing queries, end-to- end planning and so on. The core focus is to create a huge buzz around various offerings including the Holiday & Forex businesses and also engage the target audience with interesting content.

     

    Commenting on the latest win, Ashish Rana, Business Head, Ideate Labs said: “We are immensely proud to work with the iconic travel and tourism brand Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. With a vibrant legacy of India operation since 1881. It is of utmost importance to sustain the brand positioning and further enhance its presence in the market. They are a leader in their space & their hybrid clicks & bricks strategy is perfectly in sync with India’s consumer base.

     

    The brand is renowned equally for the diversity of its product range as also the quality of their services in its endeavour to delight India’s range of customer segments.”

     

    Added Abraham Alapatt, President & Group Head – Marketing, Service Quality, Value Added Services & Innovation Thomas Cook India: “Social media continues to play a defining role in the consumer’s perception of a brand – helping not only to influence purchase decisions, but more importantly build a relationship. Through our digital outreach, we aim to move from simply just being present ‘on’ multiple social media platforms to harmonize and create the perfect synergy between our offline and online campaigns. We therefore sought a partner who was equally driven by passion and who could bring a fresh take of innovation and creativity in our social messaging, while understanding the pulse our customer. IdeateLabs has showcased a deep understanding of the sector and we look forward to rolling out engaging content and impactful campaigns in association with them.”

     

     

  • The digital video campaign, #CricketDateWithDad leverages a significant trend close on the heels of Fathers’ Day

    Thomas Cook’s latest ad film for Fathers’ Day

    By A Correspondent

     

    This cricket season, Thomas Cook wants fans to travel from wherever they are to watch the World Cup with their first cricket buddy, their father. The digital video campaign, #CricketDateWithDad leverages a significant trend close on the heels of Fathers’ Day (June 16, 2019) and in sync with the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup.

     

    The campaign has been conceptualized and created by Law & Kenneth Saatchi & Saatchi and includes a TVC, which is live on social media and digital mediums.

     

    Speaking about the campaign, Abraham Alapatt, President, Group Head – Marketing, Service Quality & Innovation, Thomas Cook said: “The new wave of father-child bonding trips is a significant opportunity for our brand. Through our campaign #CricketDateWithDad, we aim to focus on the sentiment shared by father and child, and induce in our customers the need to take time out from their schedules and spend some exclusive time with their first hero – their dad. With cricket being India’s passion and Fathers’ Day coinciding with the ICC Cricket World Cup, we’ve combined the two to present it as a compelling proposition to our customers.”

     

    Speaking about the film, Debarjyo Nandi, Senior Vice President, L&K Saatchi & Saatchi added: “We don’t realise until it’s too late that these moments with our dads will never come back. We don’t realise that while we have now moved on to watching matches with our friends, he’s still at home, probably watching it alone. We don’t realize that watching a World Cup in the stadium is probably on their bucket list too, which we should prioritise over ours…else regret not realising this dream for the rest of our lives! ”

     

     

  • It implores the viewers to travel more and 'Turn what you know around'

    Thomas Cook asks people to #TravelToKnow

    By A Correspondent

     

    Thomas Cook India has launched a new campaign to promote traveling as a way to breaking cultural barriers.Focusing on North East of India, the two films feature young people from the region, who eventually invite you to their part of the world, to discover who they really are.Conceptualized by Law & Kenneth Saatchi & Saatchi India, the films are produced by Lightbox Films and directed by Rahul Nangia.

     

    Speaking about the campaign, Abraham Alapatt, President & Group Head – Marketing, Service Quality, Financial Services & Innovation, Thomas Cook India said: “Thomas Cook India has always been at the forefront of bringing fresh and exciting new experiences to our customers. However, the North East of India is undiscovered by a large majority. With this campaign our intent is to question the myths about the region and to generate a strong positive interest in the region.”

     

    Speaking about the films, Rahul Nangia, Joint NCD, Law & Kenneth Saatchi & Saatchi said: “The characters in the film were facing the camera for the first time. The idea was to keep the films real and hard-hitting.  And to use a simple visual device to turn perceptions around.”

     

     

  • BTL is absolutely necessary for the brand to engage with the audience on ground, says Abraham Alapatt, Chief Innovation Officer and Head – Marketing & Service Quality at Thomas Cook India Ltd

    BTL Baatein with Abraham Alapatt, Thomas Cook… Powered by VISCOMM

    A postgraduate in business administration from SCMS School of Business, Kerala, Abraham Alapatt has  over 20 years of professional experience at senior strategic levels from working with brands like Goldwire Communications, Ogilvy & Mather, Reliance Capital, Development Credit Bank and Future Generali India Life Insurance Company before joining Thomas Cook in October 2012. Alapatt is currently the Chief Innovation Officer and Head – Marketing & Service Quality at Thomas Cook India Ltd. We present to you the ‘BTL Baatein’ of the week which is powered by VISCOMM with Santosh Jangid speaking to Abraham Alapatt about Below The Line (BTL) advertising, the focus of the company in terms of the type of promotions and the balance between ATL (Above The Line) and BTL.

     

    How important is BTL to your overall marketing plan?

    Yes, BTL is absolutely necessary for the brand to engage with the audience on ground. Apart from that it is one of the best ways to generate good quality leads (prospective customer) for active selling of the products and give a first-hand experience of the product. While ATL works well to create awareness and generate interest about the product / brand, if ably supported on ground with activations it helps ensure direct and last mile connect with the TG.

     

    Can you also specify the range of activities that you undertake as part of the below-the-line advertising and promotion? 

    We activate events across various customer touch-points on grounds comprising travel expositions, apartment and residential societies, corporate parks and companies, schools, malls and city centers among others.

     

    Can you give a broad idea of your spends pie of ATL v/s BTL? 

    Currently, around 80% of our spendings is skewed towards ATL with BTL being around 20%

     

    Do you prefer to do this through BTL agencies directly or via your existing creative/media agency? 

    We use a hybrid model. If the task involves a large scale activation, we do consider an agency to execute it for us, but most times, our local sales teams execute it themselves on the ground in their respective locations.

     

    In terms of generating results especially from consumers and in B2B, do you find BTL a more sure shot avenue than ATL? 

    In the B2B space, direct engagement with the customer has always worked well for us. However, at times, it is supported with ATL communication in B2B media vehicles such as trade publications in order to build awareness for the brand.

     

    While sales and salience are good indicators of its success, what are the attributes you look at to measure the success of a BTL campaign? 

    The number of footfalls (engagement with the brand / product) and queries generated during a particular activity/event is the primary measure of success for a BTL activity.

     

    There are many organisations that often do new launches almost entirely on BTL aided with an outdoor and/or digital blitz? Your views on this. Given rising media costs, do you see BTL managing on its own, without ATL?

    The moment you supplement BTL with Outdoor and Digital blitz for any new product launch, it ceases to become a BTL-only launch. But it is a smart way to keep costs low and still manage to create some sort of an impact without spending millions of dollars on a mass media campaign. The only shortcoming of a pure BTL product launch could be scalability, because we can only reach out to a small set of people in the vicinity where the event / activation is being carried out. Hence there are limitations to BTL if you intend for a higher impact with a pan-India product launch.

     

  • The company has re-introduced an initiative which is not only a great product and a great idea but with a refreshing piece of communication as well

    Thomas Cook unveils new campaign aimed at Seniors

    By A Correspondent

     

    While travel and tour companies are going all out to target the traditional family and youth segments, Thomas Cook’s internal research has revealed the emergence of a viable TG in India’s Gen S- senior citizens with plenty of free time and disposable income (often enough, topped up by their children) and are increasingly fit and raring to travel. The company has thus re-introduced an initiative which is not only a great product and a great idea but with a refreshing piece of communication as well.

     

    Silver Breaks – Senior Citizen’s Holiday Plans from Thomas Cook has been specifically created for the needs and requirements of India’s Seniors / Silvers… A large population of eager travelers who may be even traveling for the first time and are filled with apprehensions and concerns about traveling on their own especially at their age. There are many people in this world especially in India who assume responsibilities at a very early age, and spend their entire lives fulfilling those responsibilities to their parents, children, family and society. They have probably never been even beyond their own neighborhood walls or city limits, never found the time or managed to save for an international holiday. This is an opportunity for them to fulfill this latent desire which they most definitely deserve to.

     

    The films have been conceptualized and created by Law & Kenneth Saatchi & Saatchi. The commercials have been produced by Light Box films and will be aired in cinemas, on TV and digital mediums.

     

    Speaking about the campaign, Abraham Alapatt, President & Group Head – Marketing, Service Quality, Financial Services & Innovation, Thomas Cook India said, “Silver Breaks is yet another endeavor from Thomas Cook to continue its innovative and pioneering legacy in products and marketing. This is not only a great product, but a great service for those who really need the care and comfort while travelling alone or to unfamiliar places especially at an age when everything becomes a challenge. With easy paced itineraries and an attractive value, we are encouraging people to travel the world, no matter what your age is.”

     

    Speaking about the TVC, Rahul Nangia, Jt. NCD, Law & Kenneth Saatchi & Saatchi said, “The film features real people in their real voices. Neither of them are actors or artists. The idea was to capture them minutes before they are about to leave for their first international trip. This is a moment when they are reflective about milestones in their life, before they embark on another milestone event.”

     

  • The company has hence re-introduced an initiative which is not only a great product and a great idea but with a refreshing piece of communication as well

    Thomas Cook unveils campaign targeting outbound travellers

    By A Correspondent

     

    While travel and tour companies are going all out to target the traditional family and youth segments, Thomas Cook’s internal research has revealed the emergence of a viable TG in India’s Gen S- senior citizens with plenty of free time and disposable income and are increasingly fit and raring to travel. The company has hence re-introduced an initiative which is not only a great product and a great idea but with a refreshing piece of communication as well.

     

    Silver Breaks – Senior Citizen’s Holiday Plans from Thomas Cook has been specifically created for the needs and requirements of India’s Seniors / Silvers – a large population of eager travelers who may be even traveling for the first time and are filled with apprehensions and concerns about traveling on their own especially at their age. There are many people in this world especially in India who assume responsibilities at a very early age, and spend their entire lives fulfilling those responsibilities to their parents, children, family and society.

     

    The films have been conceptualized and created by Law & Kenneth Saatchi & Saatchi. The commercials have been produced by Light Box films and will be aired in cinemas, on TV and digital mediums.

     

    Speaking about the campaign, Abraham Alapatt, President & Group Head – Marketing, Service Quality, Financial Services & Innovation, Thomas Cook India said, “Silver Breaks is yet another endeavor from Thomas Cook to continue its innovative and pioneering legacy in products and marketing. This is not only a great product, but a great service for those who really need the care and comfort while travelling alone or to unfamiliar places especially at an age when everything becomes a challenge. With easy paced itineraries and an attractive value, we are encouraging people to travel the world, no matter what your age is.”

     

    Speaking about the TVC, Rahul Nangia, Jt. NCD, Law & Kenneth Saatchi & Saatchi said, “The film features real people in their real voices. Neither of them are actors or artists. The idea was to capture them minutes before they are about to leave for their first international trip. This is a moment when they are reflective about milestones in their life, before they embark on another milestone event.”

     

  • Unless a brand can stay relevant enough for customers (existing and prospective) they are in serious danger of losing mind share – and therefore eventually, wallet share, says Abraham Alapatt

    The Anchor: Abraham Alapatt on 5 Ways a Brand survives with intense competition

    By Abraham Alapatt

     

    1. Relevance:

    As a category gets crowded and differentiation gets blurred, the biggest challenge for a brand to survive both with existing customers (survival) and to appeal to prospects (growth) is to become and stay relevant to the customer’s life and lifestyle. Unless a brand can stay relevant enough for customers (existing and prospective) they are in serious danger of losing mind share – and therefore eventually, wallet share.

     

    Category relevance may be relatively easier in some categories that are frequently used/discussed – cars, mobile phones/providers, FMCG and personal care products, fashion and lifestyle  and so on, because category relevance is a given. The challenge for brands in these categories is to remain constantly relevant to the customer’s evolving needs and aspirations in these categories where competitors are constantly changing the boundaries of relevance either at product/service/technology level or at a brand/imagery/status level.

     

    On the other hand, brands operating in relatively less “involved” categories like furniture, cement, insurance and others – need to constantly find ways to “create” category relevance and then brand relevance to stay relevant within the category. They usually attempt to do this with innovations, service +1s, etc.

     

    2. Personalization:

    Again, as categories (and brands within them) grow exponentially, “impersonalization” in product/service/process begins to become the norm – to handle the growing number of customers and resultant demands.

     

    Successful brands (especially in service categories) use this opportunity (provided by current market leaders being “impersonal”) to target a growing set of customers and prospects who are disgruntled with this and who demand/seek a higher degree of personalization or customization, by tapping into their innate need for recognition and acknowledgement.

     

    Customers (especially the more educated/affluent) increasingly demand to be “recognized” as individuals/names and not merely by a number/ID. Brands in the service space that manage to balance the need for this personalization with the added economic price that this entails are able to not just retain their existing customers, but actually grow their business because they do this effectively. Banks, especially the private-foreign banks and airlines demonstrate this well, using highly developed HNW programs with exclusive personalization privileges to their most valuable customers.

     

    3. Relationships:

    In tough times, the power of relationships to sustain and grow business cannot be overstated. The most powerful marketing brands, actually invest more heavily in building customer/prospects relationships during slow/recessionary periods as they see the very tangible benefits of this intangible asset.  So whether it’s an Apple (that grew/grows exponentially even when their peers like RIM/Blackberry are going out of business) or an Indigo Airlines that breaks even and declares record profits while the aviation industry is reeling from its worst years in recent history – there are enough examples to suggest that powerful brand-customer relationships can see brands through the toughest competitive phases.

     

    4. Transparency & fairness:

    Across the world, one of the most frequently used attributes used by loyal customers of their favourite brand and (alternately, one of the most often heard causes for customers to reject/move away from their existing brand) is transparency/fairness of dealings or their absence.

     

    Customers expect a fair and transparent relationship with their brands. So from the advertising to the salesperson’s pitch, from the showroom experience to the call centre response, from the application form to the statement/bill, from the welcome letter to the post sales complaint/service handling – brands that want to survive a hostile competitive environment, need to ensure that their processes are simple, easy to understand/use and their technology platform capable and robust enough to ensure error free billing/service and so on.

     

    Banks like HDFC inIndiahave demonstrated that fair, understated and transparent efficiency work with customers as well (if not better) than some of their peer banks that are a lot bigger, flashier and more aggressive.

     

    5. Consistency of service quality:

    Seemingly the most obvious, but sadly often the most overlooked. The mobile network that is often down/out of range, the bank ATM that is down often, the mutual fund that delivers consistently below the benchmark index/market, the car that breaks down often – these are often the most likely causes for customers to move away from their existing brands – especially when competition is tough and enticing them with juicy deals.

     

    Poor or inconsistent service obviously does little to retain customers during these testing times. Brands that want to survive and even grow during tough competitive times, would do well to review their basic product/service delivery quality and consistency to ensure it is on par if not better than peers – or run the risk of losing their customers much faster and easier than they gained them.

     

    Abraham Alapatt is Senior Vice President & Head – Brand & Corporate Communication at Future Generali India Life Insurance Company & Future Generali India Insurance Company

     

  • Future Generali plans to to move forward with a Rs 40 crore overall brand budget for 2012.

    Bright Future, Generali speaking

    By Shubhangi Mehta

     

    The overall slowdown has not spared the life insurance industry – a recent report by CNBC stated that overall de-growth has been in the region of 30-40 per cent, which effectively means the industry is at 2008-09 levels three full years later. Against this very challenging environment, Future Generali India Life Insurance has posted an overall business growth of 14 per cent on a year to date basis over last year.

     

    Future Generali is now increasingly looking at localised below the line activations and “reach out” programmes to promote the brand and reach out with advisory services to customer prospects. This includes school based programmes, park or recreation based programmes, mall/shopping programmes, health oriented programmes/camps, renewal camps etc. They are exploring various ways to reach out beyond the clutter and high costs of pure play advertising. Future Generali does approximately 200 such activities across the country per month.

     

    Abraham Alapatt, Senior Vice President & Head – Brand & Corporate Communications at Future Generali India Life Insurance Company & Future Generali India Insurance Company, said, “Our General Insurance business is doing very well and is well on track to possibly being among the fastest General Insurance companies in India to achieve operating break-even. We offer best in class ‘Total Insurance Solutions’ in the form of products and services across Life and General Insurance, and top-notch post-sale experience. We also offer the convenience of dealing with our branches, agents, online via our portal futuregenerali.in to buy, service and renew your policies or even via our unique Mallassurance outlets at Big Bazaars across the country.”

     

    As per the marketing initiatives this year by Future Generali, there is an overall brand budget of Rs40 crore which is line with their budget of the last FY.

     

    Among the various marketing initiatives by Future Generali is a ‘Financial Planning Tool’ which is a simple interactive tool they ask their advisors or FPAs to complete with customers/prospects. This is a 10-minute exercise, that helps one understand where one stands by comparing short-term financial needs with short-term income streams and then helps one check if he/she is prepared to meet their medium- to long-term goals.

     

    Another initiative is the FG Game of Life, a simple Facebook game which allows one to journey through the perils of everyday life and collect ‘shaguns’ along the way for protection. This game was launched in December, and a contest for higher scorers was launched 10 days ago. Since then there have been a large number of new followers, and now there are close to 18,000 followers with over 20 per cent people “talking” about it.

     

    Future Generali has also just launched the Online Video Bank which is an intuitive service, allowing a person who has bought their Online term Plan ‘Future Generali Smart Life’ to upload a short video message to his family/loved ones. This video will be stored against his policy data and at the time of claim settlement, they undertake to retrieve and deliver this message on a CD to the nominee/nominees of the policy. He/she can change/replace the video as often as they want during their lifetime as long as they are existing/registered customers.

     

    Mr Alapatt adds, “We have a five-year strategic plan towards break-even and growth and we are doing what it takes to stay true to that. I am particularly excited about Video Bank this because it delivers a huge emotional payoff to the customer (in absentia) and his/her family at the real ‘moment of truth’. Our plan is minimising cost while maximising ROI in printing and production, innovation in idea and execution for ATL, more localised reach programs in BTL and aggressive online and social media initiatives and investments.We have a five-year strategic plan towards break-even and growth and we are doing what it takes to stay true to that.”

     

    The continuous balloon chain formed of the balloons signed by people during FGIW were strung together on February 9, 2011 at Mumbai to form a 20+km-long chain – adjudicated by a Guinness World Records representative as the world’s longest balloon chain.

     

    The FGIW campaign also went on to win Indian Marketing & Advertising’s highest recognition of effectiveness, by wining an Effie award at the Advertising Club of Mumbai in the Financial Services category in December 2011.

     

  • What happens when agency heads move to the client's firm? How does life change, and do the switchers miss the agency days?

    From agency maverick to ‘khadoos’ client…

     

    By Shubhangi Mehta

     

    Switching jobs is an avenue for growth. But how does it work when the switch is drastic – such as going from an agency which creates a communication for a brand, to becoming a part of that brand? With increasing numbers of agency heads moving towards the client side, it looks like a trend.

     

    A mix of work and pleasure is what agency life promises an individual. With that also follows a pattern of sleepless nights, tight deadlines and the pressure to impress the client. What happens when one moves to the client side? How does life change, and do the switchers miss the agency days?

     

    We have an ample amount of such examples already in front of us. Rahul Kansal, Sunil Lulla, Ajay Kakar, Abraham Alapatt and Sheran Mehra are some such examples.

     

    Kamal Basu, Head of Marketing, Skoda, who was working with Saatchi & Saatchi is the most recent example of such a move.

     

    On his new role, Mr Basu said, “Moving to the client side is all about trying something new for me. I personally feel that advertising agency and brands work very closely and cannot do without each other hence the changeover is fairly easy as compared to moving from an agency into banking. For me right now, the most important thing is to have the mindset of a student eager to learn new aspects of the business.”

     

    Ajay Kakar, CMO – Financial Services, Aditya Birla Group who has worked in a creative agency environment as well, said, “The grass is always greener on the other side. Having been on both sides of the table, at the agency and client ends, I can now relate and empathize with this sentiment. Throughout my 14+ years experience at the agency side I shared the sentiment of every colleague, ie, ‘Hum kaam karte hain, while clients aish karte hain’. And during my more recent six-odd years at the client end, I can’t deny having heard or felt the sentiment, ‘Yeh agency waale kya jaane, what pressure we face’!”

     

    On the agency side, one is usually thought to be a lot more casual about ideation, creative, deliverables etc and the perspective is that it changes completely when one becomes a client.

     

    Rahul Kansal, CMO, Bennett, Coleman and Co, said, “I moved to the client’s end nine years ago. I had experienced agency life for approximately 20 years and was itching to implement my own ideas rather than just being an advisor. Though the two lives or work culture cannot be compared, yet as a client there is an ownership of the brand which leads to a personal connect.”

     

    Certainly an agency person enjoys agency life. But an invitation to partner a client is a thrilling mandate which might be quite enticing.

     

    Abraham Alapatt said, “After 10 years in the agency business, I was keen to grow into a more complete ‘marketing’ professional (as opposed to remaining a pure advertising man) and when I was offered my first head of Marketing role in 2005 with Reliance Mutual Fund, I took it most eagerly.”

     

    For those in the agency, the universe tends to revolve around advertising and agency imperatives. But as a as a marketer, one comes to understand that advertising and the agency are key cogs in a very large wheel.

     

    Sheran Mehra, Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Dhanlaxmi Bank, said, “I had planned my career in such a way that I wanted to move to the client side after working with an agency, since I wanted to play a larger part than just being an advisor for the brand. The agency setup is more informal, and more like a family. Not that here it isn’t like family, but it’s more formal, more of a corporate environment.”

     

    Alapatt further explains, “In terms of effort and pressure, being on the client side is as challenging and difficult, because the line of responsibility and accountability, especially when it comes to ROI, budget accountability etc, is a lot more definitive. If earlier at the agency, I spoke to my clients every morning and then planned my day’s priorities before catching up with my team and then breaking up jobs to meet expectations – now as a client I have to plan my day ahead (based on current business and leadership priorities) and then along with my team, chart out tasks/timelines/deliverables. I also have a lot more information available to help prepare an annual plan, review it regularly, and then make more meaningful contributions to overall marketing and business strategy then when I was on the agency side. Overall it is a lot more organised, planned, systematic, and accountable.”

     

    A client initiates a brief. And his job is not complete till long after the agency hands over its input and output.

     

    The most obvious change after moving to the client side is that one can now plan a day or a schedule and prioritize a lot more, and there are far fewer firefighting situations than when working with an agency. This is probably because ad agency teams (who work with multiple clients) need to constantly re-align their priorities in line with their clients’ changing needs.

     

    Mr Kakar further adds, “Today I feel like the ‘complete man’, because I now have a realistic perspective from both ends. Having been on the agency side I believe that I can be more sensitive to the agency’s needs and constraints. But on the other hand, I am more demanding on what I know is possible. But life in an agency is what I miss… the masti and the laughter in the corridors, the camaraderie, the training sessions, et al.

     

    “As a client we can say that one is responsible for one’s team delivery (besides your own KPIs). These are directly linked to the company’s overall performance targets and plans, and every idea, plan, activity, campaign needs to be very clearly defined and measurable as one is accountable for every rupee spent to the CEO and the board of directors.”

     

    Most of the people who have made a move have stuck to the client side, which seems to indicate that working as a client is more enthralling.

     

    “I am not sure I yet have an answer to which part I enjoy playing more. But I do believe that the agency and client are two sides of the same coin. A marketer’s success depends on his agency partner, just as an agency’s existence depends on its clients. And only when both of them come together in harmony, is there real value in the form of fun, fame and fortune, adds Mr Kakar.

     

    While Mr Alapatt muses, “Looking back, I am glad I made the shift for the growth, learning and opportunities it has afforded me. But I can confidently say that the first 10 years of grounding/experience that I enjoyed with ad agencies like Ogilvy and the exposure to multiple clients/categories has been invaluable to my growth, both personally and professionally.”

     

    The big picture seems to be that the transition from one side to another is a natural evolution and part of the growth process. And this part of the journey as a client can be said to mature one as a person and marketing professional.

     

  • It's the oft-asked question, whose answer is obvious, as creative and marketing honchos tell us

    What’s more important? Creativity or Effectiveness? Or both?

     

    By Shubhangi Mehta

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”250″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6dEI6D_rcI[/youtube]

    Regardless of how ‘simple’ the end product may seem, creating advertisements for a brand has never been child’s play. It’s a task which only a creative mind can understand. And the complexities have grown over the years. When we spoke about campaigns 20 years ago, expectations were not as high as they are today.

     

    Today, it is the age of numerous and congregating media. While advertisers have many opportunities to reach to their desired audiences, the muddle can cause them to lose out. A beautifully executed campaign may not make its audience reach for their wallets, while an average one, creatively speaking, may end up garnering better results.

     

    What is the most important element, then, for the campaign of today? Is it creativity? Or effectiveness? Or a magic mix of both?

     

    MxMIndia posed the question to practitioners – people who create the campaign and people for whom the campaign is created.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”250″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odmcmnWjK10&feature=fvst[/youtube]

    Abhijit Avasthi, NCD, Ogilvy&Mather, said, “We only believe in creating effective communication. According to me people who separate the two cannot be called creative. If we look at the past 3-4 years’ trend, most of the campaigns that win at the Abbys are the ones winning at the Effies as well. A brand communication is complete only when it is an effective creative.”

     

    According to Ajay Kakar, Chief Marketing Officer, Aditya Birla Group – Financial Services, “What is the use of a knife that does not cut, or a gun that cannot fire? Similarly there is no use for a creative which isn’t effective. Such a creative work is only meant for Jehangir Art Gallery and not product promotion. According to me each and every creative needs to be effective and only then does it fulfil its very purpose”.

     

    The IPA/Gunn Report published in June 2011 examines the link between creativity and effectiveness. The original 2010 report had analyzed 257 campaigns over a period of ten years (1998-2008). The 2011 version of the report has been expanded to examine 435 campaigns over 16 years, from 1994 to 2010. The main aim of the report was to examine both effectiveness (a campaign’s ability to drive business like sales, profit and loyalty) and its efficiency for campaigns that have been awarded for their creativity and those that have not been.

     

    Some of the findings of the report include: creatively-awarded campaigns were seven times more efficient than non-awarded ones; between 2003 and 2010 creatively-awarded campaigns were 12 times more efficient; there is a pronounced time trend – creatively awarded campaigns are becoming more efficient over time, while non-awarded campaigns are becoming less so; the much greater ‘buzz’ effects of creatively-awarded campaigns appears to be why they are becoming more effective: in the multichannel world creativity is becoming more closely associated with buzz, leaving non-awarded campaigns struggling.

     

    Agnello Dias of Taproot said, “It is effectiveness that plays a key role. If the effectiveness is backed by a great creative it’s icing on the cake but if a particular campaign is effective for a brand then even mediocre creative can be accepted”.

     

    KV (Pops) Sridhar, NCD, Leo Burnett India, said, “One cannot really separate creativity and effectiveness in a brand communication. Both of them are two sides of the same coin. If one of these two elements is missing then it does not fulfil the purpose of an advertisement for a brand. There has to be an insight, entertainment, cut-through idea and it must break barriers. Hence it is impossible to choose between creativity and effectiveness. A creative is created for effectiveness of the brand.”

     

    Abraham Alapatt, Head – Brand & Corporate Communication at Future Generali India, said, “Neither the client nor the ad agency, have the luxury any longer, to choose one over the other. Given the growing media clutter, it is now more critical than ever to be creative and different to stand out and get noticed by customer prospects. I qualify ‘creative’ by using a phrase used by the Effie organizers – creative ‘work that works’ for real customers, in the marketplace. So put differently, both clients who are facing increasing competition, media clutter and tight budgets and agencies that are operating with these client constraints are now being called on to deliver marketing communication (which I don’t call advertising) that actively amplifies, complements and makes a tangible difference to the client’s pre-determined marketing efforts”.

     

    The debate may well rage on, but the market reality is that effective communication is the child of a creative mind. Both creativity and effectiveness are, thus, essential when creating communication for a brand.