MxMIndia

Tag: Sanjeev Kotnala

  • The Ambuja Cement commercial was no longer making sense. What made sense is the MTV and  GoldMedal electricals ads, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Another wake-up call this R-Day

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    The Nation was celebrating its 72nd Republic day. Dressed in a kesaria kurta, I had returned from a drive to Bandra Band Stand. The taste of Jalebi-Dhokla-Vada Pav from Punjab Sweets at Pali Hill was still fresh. It was slowly getting subdued with the fresh cup of Society Masala chai. A heavy dose of customary patriotic songs over the radio stations during the drive had charged me. On return to my society, I had even stopped and shot the typical picture, saluting the National Flag. And I had just watched the Republic Day communication developed by Manish Bhatt and the team at Scarecrow M&C Saatchi for the client Ambuja Cement.

     

     

    For a change, the TV set tuned to NDTV I was watching the live parade telecast. In such a pleasant situation, dulled with everything will be right. The NCC cadets marching on Rajpath, the helicopters flying over the parade.

     

    I was jolted to reality.

     

    In between the parade coverage, the channel kept the viewers updated with visuals from the three alternate parades happening in the capital—the tractor rally of so-called protesting farmers.

     

    What one saw was disappointing. One felt ashamed for the fellow countrymen taking this solemn moment to act in the way they did. They have been playing cat and mouse game with the government for long. January 26 was just a culmination of ill intension most likely supported by outsiders. This time it was not as bad as the riots of 2020.

     

    One wished we were not a democracy. That the protesters had some fear of the law-and-order machinery. That the machinery was allowed a free hand to do what they are meant to do- maintain law and order. Hoped that they were amply supported with right weapons and intelligence. And when one saw the visuals from Lal Qila, one wished they allowed to shoot at sight, instead of allowing the hooligans to keep the city terrorised.

     

    The law-and-order machinery was never in the game. The Government was put into catch 22 situations. The Government was anyway getting called for not acting. And would be called if they did act. Charged with this confidence, the patriotic farmers were busy challenging the Government.

     

    The WhatsApp groups were full of typical armchair analyses if the situation. I was one of the vociferous participants. Whatever may be the Rajneeti, the politics of protest. Whoever may be supporting such a protest and gundagardi. If they were Nihangs or Jats. If they were on tractors or on foot. If they agreed or were protesting against a law that the elected representatives have crafted. And one that a large part if the country finds no problem with. None had the right to act the way they did. I go a step ahead; none should dare to act the way they did.

     

    There is an urgent need in this country to bring new laws and take hard actions. Bring the destructors and penalise them. And if that calls for an emergency type of situation, so be it. The Nation has a responsibility. The Government has responsibility and accountability. What about the citizens of the country? What should the country expect from them?

     

    I don’t know how, but we cannot afford such destructive protests. The Nation cannot be held to ransom. The laws are enacted by the elected representatives, and any question must be raised in the parliament. In my view, they should not even be challenged in the supreme court. At the worst case just like the president, the court can ask the Government to reconsider – but not force to amend a law duly enacted by an elected government. The battle has to be fought inside the parliament. If the regulations are anti-people, the people have the opportunity in the next election to reject the appeal.

     

    When one sees the Rajpath Parade, and the Protestors violent parade side by side on the TV screen one gets disoriented. When one views a highly emotive campaign by brands on such occasions, one tends to get disoriented. When one listens to those songs that charge you up, one is unsure which country they refer to.

     

    I know advertising cannot reflect this violent mood of the Nation. It will still continue to play on the emotions that you hold so dear. The campaigns will remain idealistic and the brands purpose-led. I am sure no brand will comment on what happened on January 26, 2021. Not sure, if they should. The taste has soured. The Ambuja Cement commercial was no longer making sense. What made sense is the MTV and  GoldMedal electricals ad.

    https://youtu.be/yMd29gMcJXQ

     

     

    What I am sure is that we, hopefully, feel the need to wake up and take a stance. Tell the government we are with them. The citizens do not need to be threatened and terrorized of such gundas. We have elected a Government to keep order. As citizens, we just want to go about our business in peace and have a good night sleep. The citizen wants no more such incidents.

     

    That the citizens feel about the Nation. They are patriotic enough not to raise questions if the Government acts decisively. The citizens feel charged when they see the patriotic campaigns not because it is not real-life. But because it is the Nation, they want to live in. And for it to happen, the citizens look at their elected government and the whole opposition to be constructive and decisive in action. Otherwise, none will be spared, and that is not being said figuratively.

     

    So, if you are still not up. Here is another to close the argument- this time from Adani. And I am happy to note that instead of mussy-mussy all for the Nation- Tera Hai Par Mera Hai feeling- some are raising the questions.

     

  • The jury is divided on the question, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Sanjeev Kotnala: Communication. What to Say v/s How to Say It

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    ‘You are wrong, and you know it’, thundered my mentor and consultant friend Vermajee. ‘Sometimes, what matters more, is not what to say but how to say it. You seem to have forgotten the Tanishq fiasco. The SMEAR index. Baat Niklegi Toh Dur tak Jayegi’.

     

    I had just updated Vermajee of my meeting with a new client and the opportunity that came with it. We were debating the brand communication. The client wanted a creative according to what he thought should be done. And, I was insisting on doing a no negative research, if not one dedicated to find what to say.  The discussion pingponged between strategy and creative. I told the client: ‘We would be home, once we lock-in who we are addressing and what we need to say. That is the tougher part. How and where to say it is far easier’. The client, as you would have guessed thought otherwise.

     

    Vermajee cooled down. Took a sip of hot steaming cup of tea and I knew another masterclass like ‘consultant dharma and loyalties to the  brand’ was in the offering.

     

    He said, ‘It is always about balance. One needs to prioritise the resources. All must optimise all four to get the best ROI from the intervention. We often know what is to be said, but issues and constraints do not allow to say it clearly. Or maybe we are unable to find the best way to say it. Engaging and involving enough for the targeted audience’.

     

    Vermajee added. “Error in getting ‘What to say’ wrong can lead to significant issues. However, knowing that is not a guarantee of success, if you end up not saying it correctly. The problems  may get magnified. Here are two examples. You may love or hate the creative. But hell I am sure, they knew what to say and have said it right’.

     

     

    TOILET SMELL. #ShitSmellsBad

     

    Toilet Smell. The subject is not new, and we all have faced the issue.  So, how do you address it, without sounding cheap or irritating? And how innovative is the hashtag #ShitSmellsBad. They took the call not to go the  logical hygiene and smell way—the removal of the odour. PeeBuddy’s ‘Before and After Toilet Spray’ is working on a higher plane. Damn it. Their purpose, saving relationships and marriage. Taking you on a  148 seconds tour to say #ShitSmellsBad.

     

     

    UNWANTED. #ShhNotOkPlease

     

    OH NO. OH YES. That’s it. Female Contraceptive. The choice and the message is clear. Control of unwanted pregnancy. Don’t hush and shh the discussion. Friends and relatives are in a hurry to hear the good news. Take it head. Don’t shh. The brand decided not to take the most obvious, the educative communication loaded with rational arguments. Instead, the brand introduced a song and dance routine for the UNWANTED 21 Days. But somewhere Unwanted21 branding is questionable. Are they not wanted 21 days!

     

     

     

    FINAL SALVO.

     

    Many brands have invested in how to say a lot more after what and who to tell. Always invest in creative.

     

    Here, watch a few more brands taking on the challenge. Naukri.com was telling you about changing the job, Onida- neighbours envy for TV purchase, Maggi Sauce- its different, FixIt– water seepage solution, Erickson was showing how small the phone is, Fevicol demonstrating the bond, M-seal doing a slice of death advertising, RIO pads using red instead of blue in advertising for sanitary pads and then Sunny Leone telling you not to smoke in 11 minutes. All, demonstrating the importance of ‘How to say’.

     

     

     

    The jury is divided on the question: what is more important -what to say or how to say? While we are at it, another voice rises to question the importance of where to say it. But that is for some other time. Resources are always limited and you have to choose what to prioritise.

     

     

     

  • Any day, I will take an advertisement that clearly delivers the brand message, than one with convoluted creativity resulting in much appreciated creative but lacking clarity, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Sanjeev Kotnala: Fixed. Simply, Functionally & Emotionally

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Creative minds always try to find different ways to present things. It is part of their role expectation. The brands also want to Innovate and Improvise. The brand guidelines are often wrongly quoted as constraints and stifling freedom of expression. These at best, are excuses. More so when the recent campaign tries to match past brilliance. No one wants to just fix it and remain faithful to the brand’s creative language.

     

    Any day, I will take an advertisement that clearly delivers the brand message, than one with convoluted creativity resulting in much appreciated creative but lacking clarity. Simplicity is critical in such executions. Here is one of the recent example.

     

     

    1. FIXIT, REALLY FIXED IT. 

     

    The recent communication by Dr Fixit is one of the functionally loaded campaigns. Yet, it manages to deliver the message while adhering to the brand’s creative language.

     

    Fixit uses Amitabh Bachchan as Amitabh Bachchan. The script is excellent, and it even makes Big B interaction sound convincing. In the TVC, Big B asks the unaware consumers some probing questions and in the process introduces him to the right solution for roof repairs and waterproofing; Dr Fixit Roof-seal.

     

    The brand attacks the prevalent practice of using paints and patch-up as a solution for water seepage. What is creditable is that the story creates an almost perfect environment for the protagonist to give a perfectly valid answer and technical reasons. With visual support, Elastomeric Nanofiber Technology does not sound like a technology bomb. It seems a perfect explanation. It makes you believe that the brand will provide long-lasting protection against water seepage and leakage.

     

     

    FIXIT HAS BEEN FIXING IT FOR LONG.

     

    The brand retains its humorous take and tonality in its communication. There is somewhat of a questionable sarcasm like in case of Leakage ka doctor, rising star, Jodi, Leakage man  and my favourite the waterrrrr series ) Dr Fixit Roof-seal TVC. The script is sensitive to the situation—the dialogues delivered in a typical banter between the brand Ambassador and the unaware consumer. Yet, the consumer is enlightened without being embarrassed. That’s the beauty of it.

     

     

    Fixit is not the only brand that has successfully used the brand communication language to build familiarity through continuity. Here are some more examples

     

    One cannot  forget how the Happydent campaigns always bring a smile to your face. The new TVC has evolved with time and addresses a social problem, but the smile and the flash retain past campaigns’ language.

     

     

    With its Men Will Be Men series, Imperial Blue shows how a brand can stay true to its creative language. The brand does it consistently enough with not-so-subtle situations that it even encourage spoofs and customer-generated content. To me Imperial Blue along with Fevicol and Tata Tea that symbolises this consistent brand language.

     

     

     

    And while we are at it, a small reminder from MTV. Saal Khatam Khatra nahi.

     

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

    ASCI Vs Surrogate liquor advertising 1-0. Game On

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

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

     

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

     

    Blatant Surrogate Advertising

     

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

     

    ASCI’S Surrogate v/s Genuine Brand Extension

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

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

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

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

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

     

     

    Nexus

     

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

     

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

     

    Ethics – Morality V/s Blindness V/s Business

     

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

     

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

     

     

    ASCI not on time

     

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

     

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

     

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

     

     

    Surrogate Advertising Wins. Feel Cheated

     

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

     

     

    LEGALLY ADVERTISING. 

     

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

     

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

     

     

     

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

     

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

    Sanjeev Kotnala: Crazy Travel Bucket List Seeks Sponsors

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

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

     

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

     

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

     

    My Travel Bucket List

     

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

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

     

     

    Help Me Make It Happen

     

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

     

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

     

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

     

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

     

    Deliverables. What does The Sponsor get? 

     

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

     

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

     

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

     

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

     

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

     

     

    Another Trip in My Travel Bucket List.  

     

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

     

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

     

    My Complete Travel Bucket List:

     

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

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

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

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

    :: Manali Leh SUV Mahindra!

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

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

     

     

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

     

     

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

    Not everything was bad about 2020!

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

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

     

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

     

     

    THE LESSONS OF 2020

     

    LUXURY AND ESSENTIALS

     

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

     

     

    WFH: WORK FOR HOME

     

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

     

     

    SHARE THE LOAD

     

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

     

     

    TOGETHER

     

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

     

     

    UNPREDICTABILITY

     

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

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

     

     

    COMMUNICATION

     

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

     

     

    RISE

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

     

     

    INSURANCE

     

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

     

     

    EVERYONE CAN BE A HERO

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

     

    TRUST

     

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

     

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

     

     

    CONSISTENCY

     

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

     

     

    POSSIBILITIES EXIST

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

     

     

    PAST IS DEAD

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

     

     

    EMOTIONAL OWNERSHIP IS BAD

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

     

     

    CHANGE

     

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

     

     

    THE FINAL PIECE

     

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

     

    ……………………………………

     

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

     

     

  • What is the advantage of knowing new trends if you have failed to take advantages of the trends you know, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Trends that will hold True in 2021

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Surprisingly, even after the unpredictability demonstrated by the year 2020, the year-end trends are still in demand. They now come with T&C applicable, subject to all-bets-off in case of a natural or man-made disaster.

    I admire the forecasters and trend readers. It is tough to differentiate between real trends and fads, a slight tremor and a tectonic shift without apparent earthquakes. Somehow, the current trends expected to hold in the coming year and near future are never in focus. These are trends we are more familiarity and better placed to exploit. But, they have been discussed in the past, so people typically avoid talking about them. However, my dear friend and consultant, Mr Verma is not one of them. He believes one bird in the hand is better than two in the bush. A near certainty is better than something where odds are still to be calculated.

    Here is a not too serious attempt on sharing trends and predictions most likely to hold true. There are no uncertainties like cricket or the nagging line of Hazelwood 5-3-8-5 at Adelaide playing havoc with projections.

     

    Agency- Brand- Clients.

    • The role of CMO will continue to be threatened, and the tenure CXOs will continue to get shorter. The organisations will continue to move towards a flatter framework.

    • Traditional Agencies will continue to be acquired by the consultancy services, or they will continue to be re-vamped, re-merged, re-christened, re-shaped in an attempt to remain relevant.

    • Boutique creative and digital agencies will see mergers, buyouts, and splits younger the agency more probability of it being sold.

    • The consumer will continue to be irrational and illogical in their approach and deciding on brands and services. The rationalised world of brands, advertising, marketing and communication will keep putting forward rationale logical theories to explain this behaviour.

    • Digital Information and peer-reviews will make it more challenging for the brands to provide reasons to buy and prefer them over the competition.

    • Consultants and agencies, in alignment with the clients, will keep pushing the Brand Purpose agenda. The large audience in Bharat will continue not to give any weightage (F$#K) to brand purpose. Sales will refuse to show correlation with brand purpose outside the bigger towns.

    • The brands will need to remain agile and responsive to the market’s chaos and dynamics. Non-predictability will be the only predictable part of the business.

    • Few brands will be trolled for their innocuous silly advertising. Religion, region, caste, gender, equality, inclusiveness and sexual representation will be the trolled advertisements’ central theme.

    • Brands will have to find ways for a local presence and micro-targeting local communities.

    • Buyers may predominantly check offline to order online.

    • Brands that will invest in research and find genuine insights to properly exploit will continue to make sense.

    • Research organisation to flourish in these times will have to repackage their offering.

     

    Media.

    • The print will survive another few years. It will continue to remain the most trusted source. However, this trust will fail to do anything for the revenue and subscription.

    • The digital media will see a further explosion. It will be questioned on effectiveness and ROI.

    • TV screens will be more and more used to access OTT platforms.

    • Cable TV and DTH will find pressure as people move to OTT platforms and expand their entertainment scope.

    • OOH will see a rise in the business, and DOOH will expand. The radio will find it challenging to grow. OTT will see consolidation and Podcast will remain an emerging media.

    • The validity, confidentiality and confidence of measurement data across media will be questioned.

     

    Digital.

    • We will keep fighting against Data Tracking, Sharing And Misuse.

    • The fight between Facebook and Apple will fizzle out.

    • People will get divided into two subsets. One willing to pay the price and refuse their data tracked. Another, continue to crib about data tracking but not willing to pay for the services.

    • Swara Bhaskar, Radhika Apte, Rakhi Sawant, Vivek Agnihotri, Kangana Ranaut will continue to be trolled.

     

    Education.

    • The online management degree will start finding more acceptance as 2021 will see almost every management pass out half their degree completed on screen.

     

    Fake News.

    • Attempts to curtail Fake News will continue to fail in the absence of stiff penalty and punishment. It will find more acceptance and seen as less nuisance as people will start to live with it. The audience will treat every news as fake until confirmed.

    • Expect the launch of an APP promising to check and tag fake news. It will come as a paid service and fail to get the audience or VC interested.

     

    Sports

    • IPL will see yet another audience milestone. Dhoni will continue to lead Chennai. RCB will yet again shimmer to disappoint

    • Indian TOP programme will get discussed again with the below-par performance of larger than required Indian contingent at Tokyo Olympics.

     

    Covid-19.

    • More COVID-19 Vaccines will get approved. One set of people will want to get vaccinated as early as possible. Another group will oppose it and will refuse to get vaccinated. The third set will sit on the edge, watching every development and not take a decision.

    • The Government will not agree to indemnify Vaccine manufacturers against adverse reactions. Few of the Vaccines will be pulled off from the market. Meanwhile, a new, unanticipated, unknown threat will be identified, and another race will begin.

     

    Government.

    • The Modi Govt will continue to be attacked by the fragmented opposition trying to portray a collective image of solidarity.

    • A senior opposition leader will continue to put his foot in the mouth leading to some entertaining memes.

    • The court will continue with their much-maligned outreach programme, including late night and holiday hearing cases involving celebrities and religion. However, justice for the aam Adami( not the party) will continue to be out of reach.

     

    Money Markets.

    • Share Markets will remain unpredictable. It will refuse to toe the line of market analysts.

    • Cryptocurrencies will find more acceptance and a new high.

    • A scam involving a senior bureaucrat or banking-financial celebrity status person will be un-earthed, and then nothing will happen about it.

     

    Office-Office.

    • Many more organisations will give the WFH option to employees.

    • Stay-vacations will see a rise.

    • A set of employees will shift job to an organisation where they have to work form office.

    • Hybrid working-from-home, working-from-office- working from anywhere anytime models will emerge.

    • The number of office romance will decrease – but sexual exploitation will remain a problem.

    • People 45plus will continue to face difficulty in job switch and remaining gainfully employed.

     

    Business.

    • Businesses will continue to be faced with are multiple challenges. They will worry about losing market share and changing consumer behaviour, increasing the cost of reaching their audience, innovations and category future trends.

    • Business and organisation transformation will be the buzzword, and a few books will be published on the subject. Few transformation certificate programmes will be offered that many silly consultants will buy into. Later in the year, a personality development coach and trainer will rename the same offering and launch it as Power Transformation for personal achievement. Many suckers will fall for it.

    • The number of free webinars, virtual meets will increase. You will be offered free discount vouchers in addition to the recording of the session for attending these sessions.

     

    Other Trends And Predictions

    • The competitive exams will keep seeing people with marginalised resources outperform.

    • Divorce rates will go up. Paternity test rates will come down.

    • The majority and minority conflict will continue across religion, region and caste.

    • Love Jihad will remain the topic of discussion.

    • Women education and empowerment will continue to remain subject of forums, conferences and discussions.

    • Manels will still be the predominant Panel formation even while discussing subjects of women interest.

    • Some Padma winner will come forward to return just the non-materialistic representation items of the award.

    • Horse trading will continue in corridors of power.

    • Corruption will see a bit of a decrease in the data released by Government.

    • The unprovoked firing on the western border will be a regular feature.

    • A set of candidates will start preferring jobs with no or less WFH element.

    • Rapes and crime against women will continue to hog the limelight and time-to-time the headlines, however, nothing will change.

    • Salman Khan will agree to host Bigg-Boss at a higher cost. Amitabh Bachchan will host KBC and Shetty KKK. Ekta Kapoor at least one episode of some serial will create controversy.

     

    I am serious. We are yet to fully understand and exploit the known trends to the best of our capabilities. And my friend, Vermajee believes, a known devil is better than unknown. He believes unless you are ready to exploit new trends and gain a first-mover advantage, you better watch and learn from others mistakes. And really, what is the advantage of knowing new trends if you have failed to take advantages of the trends you know.

    I hope the above is of interest, and you can leverage a few of them.

    Happy New Year. May your today always be better than your yesterday. And this year at least this wish should come true.

     

     

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

    Nothing has Changed, and Nothing will Change for Marketers

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

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

     

    The world continues to rotate

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

     

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

     

    But, isn’t change the only constant?

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

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

     

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

     

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

     

    It is merely time to rehaul the template

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

     

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

     

    Every day is a New Day

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

     

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

     

    Freeze, melt, or mold a new path.

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

     

    It is time for Re-WORLD.

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

     

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

     

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

     

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

     

    Nothing has Changed for the Marketers

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

     

    ………………………………………………………………………….

     

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

     

  • Remember, learning is half the battle, the other half is applying what you learnt, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Sanjeev Kotnala: Staying motivated even when you don’t feel like it

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Success is relative, and as our self-expectations differ, we have different ways to measure it and to keep ourselves motivated. However much we may be successful, have the drive, passion and hunger for more, at times we do feel demotivated. In fact, this desire to create new benchmarks and reach new milestones is a boon as well as a curse.

     

    Given that Covid-19 has impacted the world with economic insecurities and damaged templates of business success, staying self-motivated is a task. Don’t worry, there is enough help and solid advice in your spam folders. The unsolicited emails asking you to act. The shout-outs telling you everything is possible. Enough communication nudging to reimagine your dreams. It is all there.

     

    I filtered through such mails and curated some advice from people in the business of motivation. Hopefully, it will help curate an experience that will keep you motivated. The way to test it out is to actually get in the field and act on them.

     

    Like so many other businesses, my independent brand and marketing advisory, coaching, mentoring and ideating is also impacted by the economic situation. Like most of us, I am also in the game for more challenging assignments to engage and contribute. Some of this advice helped me. Hopefully, some may help you.

     

    Be curious and act with understanding.

    Be clear about your actions and the levers pulling you to take the actions. Whatever you may be doing, understand the reason behind it. Understand the possible outcomes, including success and failure. Be ready and willing to accept the favourable and not-so-favourable roll of dice. Keep nudging yourself to ask all the vital questions.

     

    In ‘The subtle art of not giving a F#$K’, author Mark Manson puts it very simply: What is the pain you are willing to buy now for future success? What are you ready to sacrifice to get to your goal? When you know, what you are doing and why are you doing it, doing it becomes that easier, involving and engaging. Then there is no lack of motivation.

     

    Think of Problems as Lego Toys.

    More significant problems are made of multiple smaller interlocked problems. Break down a problem into small subsets. It then becomes possible and manageable. And it adds celebratory milestones to keep you moving. However, remember not to drill it down to a level that you miss the real picture of why you are doing what you are doing.

     

    Problems Are Lock With Multiple Keys.

    There is not a solution but multiple possible solutions to any given business problem. The paths and the keys could be different, but the ultimate goal remains the same. You need to find your kind of solution to the problem, and it is okay if it is not ‘the solution’ because there is no ‘The Solution’.

     

    Believing In Self And Possibilities.

    There is saying, if you think you can do something, you will be able to do that. If you believe it is impossible, then you are accepting a failure or creating the ground for an excuse at a later date. When you believe the process and the possibilities along with your own potential to achieve it, you are more likely to achieve it. Knowing why you are doing it and visualising it like a Lego toy helps in enhancing the belief.

     

    Perfection Is A Myth And Failure Is A Reality.

    Nothing is perfect, and no one is perfect. It also says, no solution, path or process is perfect. By nature, perfection is work-in-progress, and failure is a part of life. Being alive and aware of the possibilities and taking failure or rejection as a given reality of life helps you from getting demotivated. Even with the best of us, with luck backing us, things do go wrong. They will go wrong. Even the past successful templates will require new tweaks to prevent failure. Remember between the two flagpoles of life, the birth and the death, everything else is merely probabilistic.

     

    As the problems are made of multiple problems, it is always like a chessboard. There are multiple options at every stage, and hence you must build in flexibility. It enhances the degree of freedom in operations. The result, you find more ways and means to achieve the same objective. More flexibility enhances the chance of success.

     

    Invest In Skill Enhancement And Learning.

    Learn as much as possible about the field you are working in. Scour the net and read at least three articles every day. Ensure you read a score plus of books on the subject. Keep yourself updated on the changes that are happening in the ecosystem. Anticipate changes and challenges. But, more than anything else, get to a positive environment that believes in possibilities, that tells you yes it is possible to achieve, that motivates you.

     

    Compete With Self, Compete With Others.

    Here I remember one of my batchmates at IIMA. He was not from a big city. He had a modest middle-income background. But where he scored was in his attitude. I respect him, when he says: ‘I don’t worry about my rank and position in the class. Still, I worry, if every day in the Institute I can enhance my version. If there is a better Bihari every day’. And I respect him more when I know he practises what he says. That is the way to compete with yourself.

     

    But with business environment or even social, personal spaces, you don’t live and work in a cocoon. There are always more people running after the same objective, consumers, revenues, choices, territories. Competition like a failure is a part of life, and in addition to competing with self, you need to compete with others.

     

    When you compete with others, remember the bell curve. Differentiation and differentiators exist. So, don’t let someone’s success demotivate you. In fact, look at it differently, If someone can do anything, you can do it and maybe do it better than them.

     

    Use the competition as a motivator as a challenge to think through and apply what we have shared above.

     

    Stop Procrastinating.

    Time is the only luxury we do not have. So, stop deliberating for far too long. It is good to think through your acts and decisions. But it is better to arrive at a decision, fully believe in it and implement it wholeheartedly.

     

    When you act, you succeed, or you fail, you learn, and you are better equipped for the next moment.

     

    Follow PaRAM. Be Eklavya.

    Self-learning and self-evaluation are a critical way to remain engaged and motivated. So, after each milestone, Pause for a moment and introspect. Reflect on what all has happened. Absorb the learnings and move forward without old baggage.

     

    Past is just a story, where the character, process, acts and results are frozen. You can do nothing about it. All you can do is to decide how the new chapter of the story called life will be written.

     

    All Of Us Are Good. All Of Us Are Average.

    Yes, we all are ordinary people with extraordinary possibilities in our subject of choice and interest. And there are people with exceptional skills, do not envy them, just appreciate them. They have for the five minutes of perfection, successful and being famous, invested years of their lives and rigorously sacrificed other desires.

     

    Don’t worry, if you are not good at everything or not good at what you do today. Please, invest time and energies in finding what you really want to do and where can you be best at. And go chase the dream.

     

    Practice Does Not Make One Perfect, Perfect Practice Does.

    Simple, do everything with an ‘All-In’ attitude. Give everything you do the 100% and more of yourself. Enjoy and celebrate the successes and love to encounter failures and learn from them too.

     

    God Is There To Help If You Are Here To Act.

    So, if you wanted God to help you win a lottery, then you will have to at least buy the ticket. Go ahead, buy as many tickets.

     

    The Final Advice.

    No one can motivate or demotivate you. Only you who can do that. As you decide your action, reaction and inaction. You take every cal. You are responsible for the choices and decisions you make in your life. So go ahead and get ahead in life.

     

     

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

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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

    Sanjeev Kotnala: Secrets Anyone?

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

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

     

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

     

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

     

    Bigg Boss At Interesting Point.

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

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

     

    Bigg Boss Observation Deck.

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

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

     

    The Episode Task.

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

    Now the immunity stone was at stake.

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

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

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

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

     

    The Game.

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

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

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

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

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

    Eijaz decides to take the plunge.

     

    Your Secret More Shocking Than Mine.

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

    Eijaz wins and the immunity stone. Rubina loses it.

     

    The Gates Open Up.

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

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

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

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

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

    Eijaz secret won and became the first finalist.

     

    The Game as CASE discussion. 

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

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

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

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

     

    You In The Game.

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

     

     

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

    Sanjeev Kotnala: Time For Smear Index & Scar Service

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

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

     

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

     

    SOCIAL MEDIA OUTRAGE.

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

     

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

     

    BRANDS MUST GET THE BENEFIT OF DOUBT.

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

     

    VERMAJEE’S ADVISE TO THE BRANDS.

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

     

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

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

     

    BRANDS MUST BE PROACTIVE.

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

     

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

     

    SMEAR INDEX. FRESH INNOVATIVE APPROACH.

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

     

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

     

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

     

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

     

    LOYALTY PROGRAMME.

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

     

    INSURANCE AGAINST SMEAR.

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

     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    :: The Campaign involves

     

     

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

     

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

     

     

    THE STORY.

     

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

     

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

     

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

     

    CAN YOU HELP VERMAJEE.

     

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

     

     

    …………………

     

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

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

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

     

     

     

     

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

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

    Sanjeev Kotnala: Fake News More Potent than Highjacked History

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

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

     

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

     

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

     

    FAKE HISTORY IS AS REAL AS FAKE NEWS

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

     

    THE CASE OF HIJACKED HISTORY- NORTH MACEDONIA.

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

     

    OUR ACCESS TO HISTORY

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

     

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

     

    WE MUST CORRECT HIJACKED HISTORY.

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

     

    RENAMING IS NO SOLUTION. RELEARNING IS.

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

     

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

     

    CONTROLLING PAST IS THE SEED OF CONTROLLING THE FUTURE.

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

     

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

     

    MEDIA TRIALS AS SINISTER AS FAKE HISTORY

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

     

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

     

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

     

    FAKE NEWS TODAY IS EQUALLY DISASTROUS.

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

     

    NEWSPAPERS FILTER AGAINST FAKE NEWS.

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

     

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