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Tag: Sanjeev Kotnala

  • Brands are using different tricks for engaging with consumers, but they don't always work, observes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Brand Engagement in the Lockdown

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Brand Engagement is always relevant and more so during the lockdown. Brands are using different tricks for engaging with consumers. Some of them are relevant and impactful, few original and innovative. I believe if there is nothing to say, being silliest is a better option.

    The car manufacturer shares tips on how to take care of the parked car. Banks deliver newspaper in your inbox. Antiseptic cream makes sanitisers. Porn site gives free access to premium content so that you stay at home! Soaps shouting about washing the virus and Apps are updating for smoother operations.

    Brand engagement during lockdown is part of the strategic initiative in preparedness for the post-lockdown market. Naturally, every brand wants to be on the top of the consideration-set whenever markets open. So, they need to keep the brand connect alive through brand engagement. It is known that the brands engaging the consumers now are most likely to emerge as the front runner post-coved scene.

     

    BRAND ENGAGEMENT

    It was interesting to see Durex playing mindgames in its territory. The brand also suggested an innovative way to help out the audience like using it to cover the finger while pressing buttons in the lift.

     

    On the other level, DOVE went ahead to celebrate the Beauty called Courage. It remains credible as the brand is operating within its pre-Covid coordinates defined by inner beauty.

     

    Consider, ‘TAKE THE LOAD’ by Ariel, and it falls in place. The brand is continuously thinking of engaging consumer in different ways and situations. It is an attractive proposition, but I have a problem with it. The brand still addresses housework as a woman’s load. I will discuss this some other day.

     

    Keeping the conversation going during such a crisis is a sensitive area. Some brands have learnt their lessons the hard way. The strategy and the message must remain incomplete internal and external sync. The brand can not have different visible standards or expectations across geographies, product lines and services, internal or external.

     

    BRAND ENGAGEMENT – A TWO WAY STREET.

    The brands must realise that ‘The consumer will treat you exactly the way you treat them during this period of crisis’. Remember, we live in an era of information democracy, and it is driving everyone crazy. Once the message is released in the public domain, you no longer are in control. If you are in the arena to commercially exploit the situation, your life will become miserable, sooner than later. At the same time, it is a beautiful space for brands with real purpose and empathy in engaging the audience.

     

    BRAND ENGAGEMENT – PLAY WITH RELEVANCE.

    During the crisis, sometimes it is best to remain silent. The well-informed consumer is aware of the situation. Brands are looking towards contactless delivery, but it still is no time for impact-less irrelevant engagement.

    The consumer’s transactional deal is restricted to the brand delivering the best at a reasonable price. Or the brands are playfully engaging the consumer while sending a positive, relevant message of importance. Just like the various brands supported Social Distancing by playing around with their logo’s.

     

    BRAND ENGAGEMENT – BE SIMPLE.

    One of the compelling ways beyond talk play and intent is to act the intention. Let sharing of the news surrounding the Brand Act be amplification, instead of trying to send out a video in the social space. However, when brands move beyond transactional arena to show their soft touch treating consumers as part of the extended family, the equation shifts from being purely a stakeholder to an active partner. It required empathy, care, understanding and being sensitive to the ecosystem. The brand needs to understand the covert -overt needs and continuously re-defined expectations. It is a tough and risky territory to walk. The brands that see it as only a commercial leveraging opportunity, they fail to understand the double-edged dimensions and in effect do more wrong than the right to their image.

     

    BRAND ENGAGEMENT – ACCEPTANCE COMES WITH RELEVANCE.

    Such situations like coronavirus and the lockdown demands that the brands demonstrate care and empathy. However, there is an un-stated boundary between compassion and pity. The brand operating within the bandwidth of experience and tonality have higher chances to succeed.

    Mumbai police use of citizen vigilance for Stay Home campaign makes sense. People relate to it, knowing that ultimately police can do that much only. They emerge as a partner- as a peer.

     

    Nearer home, Surf team remains true to the thought Daag Aache Hai. And extends it with Daag Bhai Ghar par Rahenge. The brand extends engagement by sharing fun activities for home on Instagram.

     

    Now, this was brilliant as it came well in the early phase when people were still thinking about how to manage work. It works for Sony It works as the scope remains restricted to helping the daily wage earners in the film and television industry. But what is the Kalyan Jewellers link?

     

    When EMIRATES tells you to stay home and assures with positivity that we will fly soon, you like the approach and the tonality. They are, in fact, not making any new point.

    https://youtu.be/IRoAQ3dmOUw

     

    On the other side, when UBER uses a similar tone to thank you for not using them, it seems forced. It is the result of earlier experience and perception of the brand ethos, culture and expectations.

     

    Vodafone used both their famous hugely loved mascots, the ZOOZOO and the PUG to deliver the message. The Pug communication still has something going for it, but the ZooZoo fails to impress.

     

    ASIAN PAINTS keeps the tone of voice consistent in ‘Jab Ghar Mai Saab Ho Toh Ghar khilkhilata hai’, #stayhonestaysafe. It remains within known brand coordinates using a picture of everyday life. Similarly, TATA SKY talks about ‘Ghar Baite Kuch Seekhe’. It is an example of excellent connect with its known educative and activity-based channels.

     

    BRAND ENGAGEMENT – CAN ALWAYS MOTIVATE.

    And when there is nothing -nothing to say and the brand still wants to keep the conversation going. They fall back on positivity to keep people motivated, usually with a dose of singing and celebrities.

     

    When you overstretch and try being arty like HUL. It snaps because of a hyper stretch. It fails to evoke similar emotions.

     

    However, when Mahindra says,- Some wheels will keep moving, you relate to it. And the treatment makes you feel so much better.

     

    BRAND ENGAGEMENT- AUDIENCE AWAIT ACTION. 

    Though travel is a bad word during the lockdown, I was looking forward to engaging relevant and sharply focussed communication from Samsonite. It had reoriented its coordinates when they made the earlier communications including the one during Kerala floods. It will be a waste of a marketing opportunity if Samsonite does not subtly engage the audience in this crisis.

    ……………………

    BRAND ENGAGEMENT- LIGHTER MOMENTS.

    On the side, the crisis also made room for some absurd but thoroughly enjoyable videos. The one that is my favourites features Shekhar Gupta and @HoeZaay. He tries explaining the concept of tomorrow in a Swami Nityanand style. Shekhar Gupta may not need new audiences – but this viral must have worked for him.

  • If you have been asked to be quarantined and before you embark on an escorted journey, you are told that you can only take 15 items with you, what will they be, asks Sanjeev Kotnala

    Sanjeev Kotnala: Coronavirus Lockdown Quarantine Survival Test

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Our brain’s first principle is to survive survival. That is what makes it to  Freeze, Fight or Flight in a crisis. Lockdown and self- or enforced quarantine is a rare situation. Our survival instincts get tested during such hard times. We are forced to take sides and make  hard choices from the available alternatives. We use our individual choice algorithm based on experience and expectations to decide and priorities actions.

    In numerous leadership and team workshops, one had the chance to participate or inducted the Desert Survival exercise. In this exercise, you are given a brief.

     

    DESERT SURVIVAL BRIEF.

    You crash land in a desert, you have been flying on visual root. You have your coordinates and are some 150 km away from the nearest inhabited place. You are then asked to  priorities the list of 15 items you will consider keeping till the help arrives. It is a classic case demonstrating the impact of  collective wisdom Vs Individual wisdom  on the chances of survival during such situation.

    There are variations of a survival scenario. In one of the situation, the group is stranded in an uninhabited island in Andaman and Nicobar. In another, a bus travelling in night falls into a gorge in the thick Meghalaya jungles. You have to survive till helps comes your way.

     

    QUARANTINE SURVIVAL REAL-TIME.

    Post the PM Modi’s announcement of a complete lockdown, one of my friends flew on the last international flights to land in Delhi in the wee hours of March 23 2020. He was stranded as Delhi was not his final destination. His experience and inputs are the inspiration for this Work-in-Progress case (copyright).

     

    THE CORONAVIRUS QUARANTINE SURVIVAL CASE.

    You are a freelance creative person who was scheduled to speak at the ‘Marketing in crisis’ event in London on March 26, 2020. Due to the globally deteriorating coronavirus situation, you had to return to India.

    You took AI 104 (London-Ahmedabad- Delhi) flight and landed at the Delhi airport just after midnight on March 23, 2020. You were further scheduled to take the AI469 at 0600 hrs hours you would have reached Nagpur by 0740 hrs. As per government directive, all domestic flight operation will cease from 0530 hrs.

    You don’t know anyone other than your ex who you refused to help in her hour of crisis. There are no trains and busses or taxis that are operating.

    You have cleared the immigration and picked up the customary chocolates, perfumes and liquor from the duty free. It has taken time, but you have cleared the medical check,. You do not show any symptoms associated with Covid-19.

    You are now told that as per rules, you will be placed in compulsory quarantine for 14 days. You have to survive the lockdown or the period till you are twice tested negative for coronavirus and there is transport-facility available for you to reach your final destination.

     

    QUARANTINE OPTIONS.

    1. A hotel at Aerocity where the Delhi Government has an option worked out. It cost INR 3100 per night per person per night. Meals cost INR 500 per meal. You will be given 2 bottles of 500 ml of water complimentary every day. The rooms have AC, and there is a kettle with an unlimited supply of tea coffee.

    2. The ITBP managed isolation ward at Dwarka mess. There are no charges for stay or food.

    3. Self-quarantine at your home and be available for testing and checkup anytime.

     

    As per new regulation, you have selected the isolation facility, and before you embark on an escorted journey, you are told that you can only take 15 items with you. These will be sanitized and given to you. You can claim the rest of your luggage when the lockdown is lifted.

     

     THE CORONAVIRUS QUARANTINE SURVIVAL ITEM LIST.

    1. Five face masks.

    2. Stereophonic Bose Bluetooth headphones with inbuilt mike.

    3. Torch with a new set of batteries.

    4. One 24-Watt emergency light.

    5. A strip containing sleeping pills – Valium 10.

    6. One litre of your choice of alcoholic drink under INR 4500.

    7. One Plus seven Mobile with charger.

    8. Macbook Air 13-inch laptop and charger.

    9. Kindle White and charger.

    10. Aadhar Card.

    11. 10 Pack of 20-Cigarettes.

    12. SBI Elite credit card with a limit of INR 2.5 lakh.

    13. A book titled ‘Complete Pandemic- Corona Virus; precaution and care’.

    14. Bag of Toiletries that has personal soap, toothbrush, Gillette Sensor razor and shaving cream, moisturizing lotion, mirror, Shampoo and conditioner, perfume and deodorant.

    15. Amazon Firestick with a one-month subscription.

    16. Medicine kit that has emergency medicine and your daily Blood pressure tablets.

    17. New suit you purchased for the award function.

    18. A small booklet. Home remedies to build up Immunity.

    19. American Express Credit Card with a definite limit of INR 4 Lakh

    20. 4 set of shirts and trouser, under-garment, socks, handkerchief and sleeping dress.

    21. Gel-based Sanitizer 250 ml.

    22. Airtel high-speed Hotspot 4 G with 150 GB data preloaded

     

    WHAT IS YOUR LIST FOR CORONAVIRUS SURVIVAL KIT”

    Share which isolation facility you will opt for and your priority list for the 15 items you will pick and carry with you. Email your list to editor@mxmindia.com with Survival Kit in the subject. We will check how different your choice is from the collective wisdom of the Experts. The one nearest to the experts will be published as part of this column next week. We will share the expert opinion sometime in the next week.

     

     

  • After a while, the consumer will act as if the lockdown never happened, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Re-Search to Re-Set in Re-World Post-Lockdown

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    At the end of this extended lockdown, we would want a Re-Set button like the one we have the factory reset button on our mobile devices. How wonderful it would be if we could with one click get everything to the pre-lockdown, pre-coronavirus stage; a time which we can now qualify as a state of less ambiguity than what we expect to deal in future. We are never going back to that stage.

     

    What we are going to do is Re-search (Not research) to Re-set our lives in sync with the unknown – the new normal. It remains an un-identified, undefined and unchartered. It is going to impact us across professional and personal life. However, it is tough to predict. Many of us want to build different scenarios and be prepared to have an added advantage. However, we must be ready to act and play as it evolves.

     

    Re-set and Re-Search are not new. 

    In-fact in our business realities and personal life, we have been Re-setting, Re-aligning and Re-synchronising for better control and result. Re-set and Re-search are proactive behaviours.

    However, there is a big difference from then to now.

    Coronavirus and the resultant lockdown has been an un-anticipated, un-welcomed and disruptive experience for all of us. It has impacted at multiple levels; individual, family, society and the Nation.

    The consumer is shocked. The things consumer took for granted are lost.

    Everyone has a stark polarised view of the situation. The reaction depends upon how profound the impact is. In real-time, the consumer is concerned more with his Family, Relatives, Friends Community, Religion, Region and then the Nation. The order is neither static nor guaranteed.

     

    WORRIED BRANDS RESEARCH.

    Naturally, brands are worried. They fear the possible changes in consumer behaviour. Many technology-supported research projects are already on to harvest insights.

    Unfortunately, brands end up using the old model and framework to identify emotional triggers and changes. The result: research is restricted by the team’s bias, experience and expectations. When brands are unaware of the changing parameters, they most likely will end up measuring something different.

     

    THE CONSUMER HAS OTHER ISSUES. 

    The consumer, on the other side, has many problems to solve. They have been living in a reverse zoo. People have been scrutinised, threatened and cautioned time and again.

    The release of pressure value of lockdown and the fear of coronavirus is a must for the new normal to get defined. And it will not be evident immediately but take six to nine months even to be visible. Banking on post-lockdown scenario to define the future will be a mistake.

    Initially, it will be a period of hesitation and fear of replay—a period of mourning. The consumer will wait for the Tehravi– the last and final rites of coronavirus before re-gaining complete composure. And the economy may wait for the Barsi– the one year of mourning.

    I expect the community to yo-yo for some time. We must expect multiple minor and significant ‘V’s’ before an upward positive. On the other side, if there is a repeat, it will strongly end up negating all the positives and pull the consumption curve down.

    Consumers have been living a burrowed acquisition lead economy. Where dreams, aspirations and ambitions always have been a step ahead of their reach and capabilities. Everyone was happy chasing them. They will still chase, but not with the same enthusiasm, confidence and zeal? The reason not much shift will be evident as we are behaviourally hard-wired to be positively selfish.

     

    THE CONSUMERS HAS RE-LEARNED MEANINGS.

    The general public has realised what Essentials means and what is Luxury? What is materialistic success and how important it is when compared to the family bonds and relationship? What has been driving them, and what should have been pushing them?

    During the lockdown, they have focussed on Re-Searching what LIFE is all about. What is Important, what is Critical, and what is FeelGood? How important is what other people think? What is the value of comments- share on social media?

     

    CONSUMER IS RECALIBERATING LIFE.

    In this situation, the real value of Money, Freedom, Dreams, Aspirations, Ambition, Abundance, Scarcity and Relationships has been individually re-calibrated. The consumers have traded in for variants and other brands in a forced-no-question-asked-prepaid-sampling. The difference between friends, well-wishers and interdependence is w understood. The regional and religious lines re-drawn. Their known rationality is under the microscope. Not everything has been unexpected.

    Consumers have seen the brands share the burden, act as a community solution provider, demonstrating empathy, behave responsibly in this fight against corona. The consumer still distrusts, and questions brand engagement activities and repeatedly doubts the motive behind it. They have seen the human face and the transactional interface within communities. In this materialistic Kalyug, nothing surprises the consumer. Hence for impact, the brands must demonstrate consistent purpose-led brand acts with high frequency and effect.

     

    THE CONSUMER IS HUMAN- THEY FORGET.

    The consumer will soon forget and forgive brands action or inaction because they understand the situation. They will remember the brands that have touched them or helped them in this fight.

    In the end, a highly religious centric population will not know whom to blame and whom to punish. Instead of the doctors, nurses and medical science, people will thank and credits their Gods and Gurus.

    Once out of the Covid-19 Chakravyuh, they will come back to reality and their natural self and forget. They will adapt and play to the new realities.

     

    THE CONFUSED CONSUMER WILL SEEK STABILITY AT ANY COST.

    The consumer is going to come out of lockdown more confused than confident. More willing and wanting to re-gain what they lost in the lockdown. More concerned about safety and security, both materialistic and spiritual. All this will be important, till the time the fear retreats and the semblance of peace and new normal stabilises.

    The consumer in the era of polarised media and fake news will have a lot many questions than there will be real answers. A weakened economy is trying to recover. Unemployment and income drop. Possible bankruptcies and break in education. Transient inflation and lower interest rates. Lowered value of the real estate. And a strong need for functional products. All this along with stories of losses and success will create collectivism that is going to make him generalise the impact, find stereotypical heroes to celebrate the win and distort information to the extent that it helps him make sense of the surrounding ecosystem.

     

    THE CONSUMER WILL FORGET THE LOCKDOWN.

    The consumer, after a time, will act as if this lockdown never happened. Just like they remember SARS never Happened, and the 2008 meltdown did not occur, the Kashmiri 370 did not happen, the Taj Bomb Blast did not happen. They remain closed memories in our archive and a not a subject of interest that impacts our everyday behaviour.

     

    NO POINT IN BEING A MARKETING SAMURAI OR KAMIKAZE.

    The consumer has witnessed the lockdown and has been through a dictated phase of uncertainty. They have experienced the fear, upfront and close. However, the consumer is a survivor and understand the situation. They do not expect a change. Brands must understand the difference between being a Marketing Samurai or a Marketing Kamikaze

    Brands disoriented with the market condition and feedback will be under pressure to perform, sustain and at least survive. And for this, they will look to Re-align their purpose. They will re-tweak for the impact, importance and their roles in the life of consumers.

    Instead of getting on to the marketing campaigns that they may be right now working at, the brands should invest in understanding and re-segmenting their audience, Re-define their position and re-create the magic with Brand acts. Remember, you can tweak but don’t immediately try major shifts unless the brand has a fresh offering, or has engaged with the consumers during the period of stress. Consumers forget, but they remember the experiences and the promises.

     

    NEW NORMAL MAY NOT BE A NEW MARKETING CANVAS.

    Brands owners and custodians will see this canvas of new normal as a possibility to leave a mark. They may impulsively want to re-define in the Re-World, they must Re-SEARCH internally. Re-look at the problems and issues they faced because they were constrained and ill-prepared. Re-seek consumer appreciation and re-gain trust. To achieve that, instead of jumping to conclusions, the brands can attempt PARAM; Pause, Reflect, Absorb and Move-on with the learnings.

    In the re-world to re-engage the consumers, brands can and will rush for product and service design changes along with new communication challenges. The brands can use the Lockdown21 experience and learnings, use the Lockdown-19 in answering a few questions.

     

    The brands must take a step back to Re-SEARCH with PARAM.

    1. Why is there a need to do any rethink?

    2. Is there anything wrong with status-co?

    3. What are the gaps in our brand strategy and delivery?

    4. How did they impact the brand’s consumer association and involvement?

    5. What action and inaction of brand and competition have impacted consumers?

    6. Did the consumer dropped us from usage basket, replaced within the category or a identified a new replacement?

    7. Which opportunities (not necessarily marketing) did we miss?

    8. How could we have maximised brand impressions with these missed opportunities?

     

    BRANDS MUST BRIDGE THE GAPS.

    The consumers will have the answer or can give brands a hint that is good enough to solve the puzzle. However, the brands must further Re-SEARCH in creating guidelines so that they can avoid such a situation again. Brands should talk to the existing and lapsing consumers to find out the gaps in their strategy and implementation. Just like Brand-I, there are only two significant gaps for any brand.

    1. The gap between what you claim and how you behave?

    2. The gap between how the brands see itself engaging/performing/delivering Vs how the consumer sees it.

     

    THE CONSUMER OF TODAY IS THE CONSUMER OF TOMORROW. 

    He has far too many problems in his life. He does not indulge in mental gymnastics and ego management sitting in conference rooms for his choices and decisions. He is like a smoker

    The consumer is going to behave like a smoker. A smoker curses tax increase for a few days and comes back to the old habit soon because it is a habit and there are more important things in life.

    Expectedly for some time, the consumer is going to be touchy and sensitive for brand messages and exercises trying to be the saviour in post-COVID-19. Because in his fresh recently engraved memory is the new understanding of essentials that define existence, survival and social status. The brands should understand the power of nudging and not shift, tease and not necessarily reveal, hint and not serve.

     

    CAUTION.

    The brands must Re-Search to help Re-set, Re-define, Re-gain in the new Re-world. And in this period, one basic questions the brand must keep re-evaluating is If the consumer of today is the consumer of tomorrow, can the brand purpose, delivery of today continue to be the brand of tomorrow.

     

    Sanjeev Kotnala is a Brand-Marketing Consultant, Coach and Author. He can be reached at Intradia World.  His views here are personal

     

     

  • I have heard creative teams keeping busy thinking and many getting the answers in their dreams, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Sanjeev Kotnala: Controlled Decoding of Lucid dreams to solve Probortunities

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Way back in the early 1990s, AG Krishnamurthy taught this to us at Mudra: ‘One needs to first dream the dream before they can  realise the dreams’. He would ask you to leave the campaign and promise to react after he had slept over them. He, in a way, used his subconscious in dealing with the reality by connecting the dots in his Lucid dreams.

    I have heard creative teams keeping busy thinking and many getting the answers in their dreams. In earlier times, there was grass which worked equally well in connecting the dots and helping you dream disruptive ideas which you presented with equally enhnaced confidence over a drink. Nowadays, things are different, cost control and legal constraints don’t allow many of these creative solutions. So, what is left is dreaming and what if we could have a way to really leverage them for our probortunities. In the past, I have also discussed what if we could insert advertisment in someone’s dream.

     

    What are Dreams?.

    ‘Dreams are important’, and dreaming is an integral part of life. I pity the people who can’t dream. How can they live within the costraints imposed by reality.

    Dreams are nothing much but a collection of images, thoughts, emotions, expectations that one involuntarily experiences in sleep. These can cut across situations, emotions, expectations and experieces.

     

    Why Do We Dream?

    Dreams just happen! No one really knows why we even dream. In the absence of any definitive theory, I rely on Sigmund Freud’s theory of dreams. He suggested that dreams represented unconscious desires, thoughts, and motivations. The dreams mostly deal with what is suppresses and unwarranted within the coordinates of social expectations, norms and taboos. According to him, dreams are just ‘a disguised fulfilment of repressed wishes’.

    Dreams do not need any special occasion to happen. They happen when everything is looking up. And  when everything seems bleak. We see dreams with open eye and we try to realise such dreams.

     

    The Real Dream.

    There is another type of dream, the one we see with eyes closed. Dreams ensure we deal with emotions, memories and any associated experiences in a positive way. These dreams are fluid. They have their own way to give us directional hints on what to do or what not to do.

    Unfortunately, most of us forget 95% of dreams by the time we open our eyes and rest within the few minutes. A faint trace of the dream at times tantalisingly remains in our memory and usually is of no use other than further confusing us.

     

    What if you could remember dreams?

    If you do believe that dreams are important and I am sure you would want to remember them. What if you could actually get up in between the dream, go to the washroom and rejoin your dream where you left? I do that sometimes. I am few of the luckyones, who remember their dreams quite clearly for few hours.

    What if you could control what you will be dreaming tonight? Lucid dreamers do that. The real test Lucid dreaming is the ability to know you’re dreaming while you’re dreaming! A lucid dreamer can objectively even control and question the dreams.

     

    Dreams are unconscious Mind’s consious way connecting the dots.

    Think of the brain as a computer. Lets say uour normal laptop. RAM is our images and scenes during the period we are awake. The icnidents are te files that are being created, junked and archieved at a fast pace. Hard Disk is the area which is constantly busy in storing these images etc. However, when you are dreaming is like you switching off the terminal, there is no use for RAM but the files in your hard disk memory are now super activated. Your brain, which is conditioned to genrnalise, distort and delete  to find patterns is in its unique way interpreting all the data and memory  that has been collected throughout the day. It is creating patterns that will help it understand and predict things including your emotions and reactions. In this slack time ( sleep) it is busy creating the grid it can understand.

    While the brain finds, create and archive the patterns, the screen captures a few of these visuals, sound and smell, and that is what your dreams are made of. Dreams are sometimes linear but mostly completely chaotic, randomised way of data processing and presentation.

    In fact, dreams are the most creative phase. And, what if we could really control what we are going to dream today and remember what we dreamt?

     

    Three Basic Questions About Dreams.

    Once you are open to the idea that dreams are there for a reason, and that they try to signal or reach out to us to tell us something that our consciousness is unable to interpret. Three questions come up immediately for consideration. How can we control what we dream? How can we better remember the dreams we see? And , once we remember, how to interpret the dreams?

     

    Experiment To Experience LUCID dreams.

    Like every experiment, LUCID dreaming needs some support and practice. Few parameters must work in coordination to make it happen, before yiu reach a stage where you cqan command yourself to see the dreams you want to see. It will not happen on day one, it will take time, but someday you will be able to command your dreams.

     

    Dream Journal.

    Dreams are subconscious interpretations. There has to be a relationship between the period one is awake, and the signals dreams may be sending. You may have a Diary, if not, then satrt keeping one. A diary captures memories and interpretation of activities during the sleepless hours. Now add to it a Dream Journal. When you wake-up, try remembering details from the dream you saw. Note it down diligently in as much detail as possible.

     

    Decoding the Lucid Dream.

    So, this is your data and it needs interpretations. Try making sense of the signals you are getting in  your dreams and the experience during the period when you are awake. There are some accepted codes dream readers use to interpret dreams. Still, they have to spend a lot of time to understand the person before they can interpret then properly. Like the child, ever dreamers dream language is different.

    Understanding frequent dreams help. There are things things, object, locations and events that is repeated. All these will help in better interpreting the dialect of your dreams.

    So, keep a diary, tell yourself what to dream and keep the dream journal with as many details as possible, including people, locations, sound, feeling and even odour. Create your own codebook and check it against the experiences during the day.

    There are also apps and music to take you into deep REM ( Rapid Eye Moment) which is the Lucid dream stage. You may want to experiment with music and possibly some smells.

     

    No Stimulants to Dream.

    Lucid dreams are deep state dreams, and they last for a short time. Hence a good nights sleep is an essential requirement. And for that, you must avoid stimulants like tea, coffee, drugs and drinks.

     

    Controlling the Lucid Dreams.

    Now comes the self-fulfilling directive. Tell yourself about the thing that you will be dreaming about. Try to be in a state of rest an hour before you sleep. No Tv, No social media, no blue screens. Just keep thinking of the probortunity you wish to dream about.

    Lucid dreaming is controlled dreaming. However, there is a tendency to lose controls during the dream. No harm in it. But, lucid dreaming is addictive. It makes you realise that reality has different perspectives and is multidimensional. The mind interprets things differently when it is awake, and while it is trying to connect the dots in your sleep and dreams. You will have to decide what works for you. Some can  self-guiding, some demand and some request their brain to serve the dream they want.

     

    DIY or Ask for help?

    For someone like me LUCID dreaming is natural and as I remember them in quite a details, I have been reading, understanding and experimenting on how to decode a frequent dream. You can do get to Lucid dreams and decoding them using the process they have detailed above. However, it will be more of a trial and error way. And it will take time. If you are in a hurry, you could invest time and resources with someone like me who has been experimenting and has reasonable success in decoding dreams. Watch the catch phrase, reasonable success.

    Or the otherway could be to legalise Marijuana.

     

    Sanjeev Kotnala is a senior business strategy advisor and educator. He writes for MxMIndia every Wednesday. His views here are personal

     

     

  • The power of collective praying could help to re-align global resources, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Sanjeev Kotnala: Coronavirus and the secret of collective Praying’

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi tried to harness the power of collective praying. He asked citizens to align their thoughts into the application of appreciation of the ‘Daily Life Heroes’ at 1700 hours on March 22, 2020.

     

    We know what happened. The instruction was incomplete. At the precise hour, at 1700 hours, people came out on street and started celebrating. It was not what Mr Modi wanted. But people were behaving as if Coronavirus was already defeated. There was no dictated dedicated focus.

     

    It made me think and I revisited the ‘Laws of Attraction’. Many call ‘Laws of Attraction’, a pseudo-scientific theory. My small-scale experiences have been different. So, I wondered if Laws of attraction in someway could help us in the war against coronavirus.

     

    22 March.

    On March 22, we were not in sync with the thought. We failed to take the moment and convert it into a powerful synchronised moment of collective prayer with conviction and determination.

     

    The Laws of attraction simply says: “like attracts like”. What we think is what happens. Whatever consumes our thoughts is what we will eventually get in our life. If we only think of all the things we don’t want in your life, we will only get the things we don’t want.

     

    We can cause nature or that unseen power to roll the dice in our favour if we totally dedicate ourselves to the desired outcome. And, it only works, if we have the confidence that it will happen.

     

    Now if I look back, the media news on Coronavirus is getting scarier by the day. We all have more negative emotions, feeling, fear and anxiety. The good parts are tucked somewhere. Moreover, good news is doubted and people refuse to believe it. We have active cases counts and the deaths. There is no focus on count of people who have recovered or people who have been saved.

     

    If we link ‘The Secret’ it to the power of collective prayers… not on an individual or regional level but something on a global scale, will it work?

     

    Prayer Is Our Way Of Communicating With Gods.

    A prayer re-establishes our dedicated, selfless service relationship with the undefined external powers, and even nature itself. Collective prayers and joint celebration exponentially raise the power of our prayers.

     

    Prayers and the Secret or the Laws of attraction have never been scientifically proved. However, there are enough people who do believe in it. Many have self- experienced the power of collective praying and dedicated attraction and devotion to things and events.

     

    Sustained Collectivism.

    Try this power of collective praying and laws of attraction. You are not going to lose anything. So every day at 5pm, we could take time out and tell ourselves with full conviction what we desire.

     

    The prayer could be as simple as ‘Dear God. Thank you for all we have right now. There must be something right in your will to make us bear the pain and pressure of Coronavirus. We may have got the message you want to deliver. The earth belongs to all of us. Forgive us for our greed and unplanned unsustainable robbing of Mother Nature. And please remove this Corona Virus from this world. Please make this world the same happy, chaotic place, and we promise we will now be a better citizen of this globe’.

     

    Secular Virus.

    The virus is the most secular thing you can find on the planet earth. It does not differentiate between caste, creed, colour, age, gender or social  strata. Don’t believe that nothing will happen to you. So follow the precaution and all instructions.

     

    Power Of Collective Praying.

    The power of prayer is not dependent on the strata of the person, the amount of donation or the number of times one prays, but only on the passion, dedication and the confidence with which you do your prayers. The words could be different if the summary and the intent remains the same.

     

    The belief that your prayers will be heard is the most potent part of praying. There is no problem if you use a different language, syntax, and grammar or make mistakes while praying. Remember, God is omnipotent and knows well in advance what you will b praying for.

     

    The Secret.

    On the secret and the laws of attraction, it is hardly complicated. You manifest your desires. You must precisely know what you want, and you must have the confidence that you will get it. It is then that you ask for it. Then the whole world around you will work in mysterious ways to ensure your desire is fulfilled. Remember SRK in Om Shanti Om, he summarises it as ‘Kehte Hain Ki…. Agar Kisi Cheez Ko Dil Se Chaaho toh Puri Kayanat Usey Tumse Milane Ki Koshish Mein Gag Jaati Hai’.

     

    People who believe in secret swear by it. It works every time with every person. But, it must be stated in positive of desire want and need. It does not understand the negative of Not’s and No’s. So, we must believe and think positive. We must look at the count of people recovering and for few moments ignore the number of deaths. See good comedy shows and not keep your mind cluttered with all the negative gloomy thoughts about Coronavirus downloaded from the university of WhatsApp.

     

    Focus With Positive Intent.

    Currently we are deep into negative thoughts. There is fear and anxiety. Nothing seems to be right. More rumour and fake news than something we could reply on. We are criticising and commenting on people without questioning our own behaviour. If laws of attraction works, we are walking towards doomsday.

     

    We need a positive mindset. And take every precaution that the government prescribes. Believe that the precautions are necessary and following them will keep you healthy and safe. And if you are following them, you are on a good wicket.

     

    Think of the time when this will be over. Think of that as present time. Pray that every person on this planet earth is safe and keeps away from the horrors of this disease.  That will be your secret. You with others will make nature align itself to your demand and ensure it is delivered exactly the way you want it.

     

    No Harm in Trying.

    Maybe The Secret and the Laws of Attraction work. Maybe they do not work. Perhaps the power of collective praying helps to re-align the global resources. Maybe they don’t. But nothing is wrong in trying and checking it out. Last time I checked the laws and worked on the secret, it worked for me.

     

     

  • You have to refresh your approach and attitude towards work, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Sanjeev Kotnala: 7 Tips to make a success of Work From Home during the 21-day Lockdown

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    On 24th March 2020, the government, in the fight against Coronavirus, took another hard step of imposing complete LOCKDOWN for the next 21 days. Thus in effect extended your WFH ( Work from Home ) period. This lockdown is long and can be further extended, so it calls for another re-look at what all you can do to ensure a smoother curve when we all back to the new normal.

    I do hope you have read my earlier article on productivity during WFH and implemented a few of the suggestion. The Lockdown Watchlist on Alt-Balaji and Netflix will be of help in filling the gaps.

    I believe it is an excellent time to catch up on some reading. You may want to refer to my 2018 list of books that I will never UnCage  or 10 recommended books. You can also refer to my recommended reading lists 2017. There is also the list of books to read from 2016 and 2015, but maybe these lists are outdated.

    By now you have a first-hand experience of WFH first-hand experience. You have found your space at home and realised which part of the day best works for you. Life is changing. The new 21-day lockout has raised many questions about the new normal that will hit us after the Corona crisis is over.

     

    WFH – NO LONGER  EXCITING.

    WFH now may have outlived initial excitement. The advantages and disadvantages would be reasonably clear.

    The 24 hours of in-home experience is contributing to the different type of itch and stress that has started building up. You are missing the constant aligning and syncing of project development and thoughts with the stakeholders, teammates and colleagues.

    You are working in isolation physically and most of the time, even mentally. You have ventured into a space that has no sensors. It is an alien space for you. It is not comfortable. It is tough for when no one is nudging, guiding, discussing every step. The need to rescheduling work priorities time and again is breaking your new-found work rhythm. You have started noticing how much time does it really takes to complete a given task!

    Time to remind yourself of two simple things:

    WFH is just a change of location and not job responsibility. Your organisation’s expectation may be recalibrated, but they are unchanged. You as a person have not changed, and the team or organisational dynamics has not changed.

    Professional success is not merely a function of your performance, skill and talent set. How you are branded in the organisation is what majorly impacts your growth. This is the time to realign your Brand-i.

     

    WFH Demands A Change In Approach. 

    There are newly acquired pressures. You have been on calls, on chats and on groups and quite a lot on WhatsApp. You kept answering e-mails, and the pile of e-mails never seem to end. You now miss the instant praise, reprimands, feedbacks, approvals, colleague appreciation and the infectious smiles along with high-fives and much more. So, you have to refresh your approach and attitude towards work. Here are few tips to help.

     

    WFH Tip 1- Suffocate E-mails during Lockdown

    Here is a trick, it worked for me. Some of my friends adopted them, and they swear by how effective these are. it

    The first part is easy, open your e-mail box only thrice during the day.

    Once around an hour after your WFH schedule kicks in. Once post-lunch- when you are anyway more lethargic. And the third time around- an hour before your time to call it a day. Act and respond. Clean your inbox and then close the e-mail inbox.

    If you start playing e-mail ping-pong, you will be the loser. The best way is to call and discuss if it involves up to 3 people and kill possible e-mails. Be sure while addressing e-mails.

    You should use ‘TO’ to address the person who is expected to take action. ‘CC’ for the person who should technically be aware of the situation and ‘BC’ to the person who should be kept in the loop for CYAUYH. TO and CC never see the BC address and hence are unaware of the third party. Understand and accordingly act when you are addressed in TO, CC or BC part of the e-mail. Avoid reply all.

     

    WFH Tip 2- Restrict Social Media during Lockdown

    The second part is tough but equally important. Close your social media when you are working from home. Access social media profile for 15 minutes just before accessing your e-mails and then forget about it. So what if WhatsApp is the second most trusted brand. You are unnecessarily getting too many forwards, fake news, alarming nudge and hardly much of value in social media. Fix a time and apply, three times, 15 minutes each time visit to social media during your office hours while you WFH. And restrict the  TV news to 2-3 bulletin of 15 minutes each across the day.

     

    WFH Tip3- During Lockdown Invest in developing Network Over Phone

    The third is simple and easily doable. However, it may not make any sense right now. Network over the phone. Call your colleagues, teammates and talk to them. Call your business associates, family members and friends. It does not matter if you have any specific relevant thing to talk or discuss. Just keeping conversations going, hearing each other voices and knowing of their well being helps.

    Remember, there is a post-Covid-19 life, and your network during this period will lay the foundation for future success.

     

    WFH Tip 4- Take Breaks In Between

    Fourth and the last one is to take rest from time to time. Use that mobile phone. Build-in alarms for e-e-mail check as well as for resting. Take a break every hour. You are at home, but you are WFH. And now, life-work balance calls for a different strategy than taking the family out for a movie or dinner. Each one of us has to find our own keys to this balance. The only thing you must believe that the Key is there. Maybe this is the time to find it.

     

    WFH Tip 5- Deploy CYAUYH Protocol during Lockdown.

    Remember, the coronavirus threat is an extended one. Many things would be redefined by that time. Post-Covid-19 era is not going to be the same. Get ready for the new normal.

    Work styles, evaluation parameters and expectation, will get tweaked. Workforces will get realigned. New processes will be forced upon and maybe here is where most will learn what is synchronised aligned coordination is all about.

    Do not forget the CYAUYH protocol. For people who do not know it- it stands for ‘Cover Your Ass Using Your Head’. Document all the decisions and approvals. Be available for skype and facetime and any other way your team want to discuss things.

    If you are merely an observer, don’t be Sanjay of Mahabharat, the unbiased narrator. Nobody needs a Sanjay, take sides and make your stance clear. Before doing so, think things through. Keep on contributing to the system.

     

    WFH Tip 6- Its Lockdown Be Sensitive

    If you are responsible for the brand image, then it may be worthwhile to see how you are engaging with your audience. Remember, the customers will recall and brands and services through the new filter of Covid-19 experiences. Don’t push and don’t get too aligned to any forces. At the same time, do not quaratine the brand. Engage audiences in the new scenario with relevant brand-centric communication. Do not create realignment that reeks of commercialisation- the customer can smell it from far.

     

    WFH Tip 7- Use Lockdown to Develop Expertise

    Think of the new normal post-Covid-19 era and the probortunities it will force brands and people to face. Identify which of these could you best address based on your strong past experience. Now, every day, in the next 22 days – get into the digital world, search for articles, opinion, case studies and read at least 4-5 of them a day. Treat Digital as Dronacharya, and you be the Eklavya. No there is no Guru Dakshina of right thumb at the end of it.

     

    Two Simple Rules to Remember

    WFH, is just a change of location and not job responsibility. Your organisation’s expectation may be recalibrated, but they are unchanged. You as a person have not changed, and the team or organisational dynamics has not changed.

    Professional success is not merely a function of your performance, skill and talent set. How you are branded in the organisation is what majorly impacts your growth. This is the time to realign your Brand-i.

     

     

  • Sanjeev Kotnala offers tips on ensuring the new experience can work for you

    Working from Home during Covid-19

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    The Covid-19 situation is worsening across the globe.

    Functions and events are getting cancelled or postponed. People are avoiding large gatherings, and travelling is curtailed. The result: people and organisations are promoting work from home, which could be a new experience for many of us.

     

    DEFINING MOMENTS.

    For most organisations, this is new. Some think they will lose out as productivity will drop. In contrast, there are people who believe that workers will be happier and more productive. You will decide the post-Covid-19 way of working for your organisation, by the way, if and when you act and deliver during this period.

    It is just the location of your office that has changed. There is no change in the role, responsibility and expectations. So, similiarly, it is for you to ensure that your family role, responsibilities and the expectations don’t suddenly change. Most of us will be back to working in and from office in a short time.

     

    WORKING FROM HOME.

    Working from home requires self-discipline. In such a situation, it is natural for people to first relax and see it as an opportunity to get away from their pressurised, timeline-dictated schedule. With hardly any travel time to work and for meetings, things may seem better. However, nothing much changes. The need to be productive and still deliver the timeline soon catches up.

    This leads to experimentation and re-educating people on working from home. And when the situation improves, quite a lot of organisations would have learnt the advantages of this ‘new’ way of working. Moreover, they would have recognised the degree and quantum of unnecessary travel they had been indulging in. And how new era technologies like Skype, Facetime, Slack, Zoom, Google Hangouts, cloud computing, drop boxes etc. can be of help.

     

    MY EXPERIENCE.

    Till 2014, I too was trapped in a 10am-to-you-don’t-know-when office-working syndrome.

    Then I turned independent and started working from my home-office. It took me time to realise how one can remain productive in such a work scenario and the amount of self-discipline needed while working from home. Otherwise, it can have a reverse impact. The life-work balance instant of improving may deteriorate as a result of you being available all the time or having the flexibility of stretched working hours.

     

    KEEP THE OFFICE HOURS FOR WORK.

    Do not redefine your work-day. Stick to your office timings. I have found that dressing up for the day- as you would do if you were going to work helps. It psychologically keeps you in a work mood. At the same time, do not give office time to house or family work. Sounds so silly. But in case there is essential housework, then apply for leave to yourself and then attend to the tasks or re-schedule your work, just like you would have done if you were working from the office.

     

    DEFINE YOUR WORK AREA.

    In case you have space, please mark an area as your work station. It could be a study table, dining table, living area. It does not matter what it is, but it matters that you have a defined work area. Better if it can be quiet, well lit private space that is nearer to the router. Not to add, that minimise distractions.

     

    GET THE TECHNOLOGY YOU NEED.

    Make sure you have the technology and infrastructure required to do your job. From getting to a higher speed internet connection in case, you need it, to having an electricity point or an extension cord to charge your phone and laptop. Remember, your home WiFi is going to be heavily overdrawn and divided with multiple family members accessing it.

    Check if your job profile and the organisation allow logging in from public or domestic WiFi. If not get alternate arrangements made.

    It is best, unless your work requires it, avoid facing the television and watching the news or any other programme. This is not really the time to catch up on all the episodes you missed on Netflix, Amazon Prime, OTT platforms, or surfing through the enticing e-commerce platforms.

     

    FIND THE BEST HOUR TO WORK.

    Experiment. Remember, we all have our unique work clock. Most of us do not have any idea, which is the period we are most effective and productive. Use this opportunity to realise, if you are the morning person, the mid-day person or late afternoon person and once you know that, schedule your most important task during this period.

     

    BE BETTER PREPARED AND AVOID PROCRASTINATION.

    Now, you don’t have the liberty of cooler talk, discussing things over smoke, or lunch or repeatedly meeting over the same thing over and gain. It would be helpful and far more productive to be better prepared for meetings over the phone and drafting easy to understand simple e-mails. The advice will be to do more on-mobile and face-time communication with colleague them on e-mail. E-mail should be the best use to share document and or record decisions. Otherwise, the ping-pong you will end up playing over e-mail will be the ultimate destroyer of the advantage of working from home.

    You will need to let people know when you are available for discussion. And more importantly, if you are interacting with multiple sets of people, get into a habit of also defining end time for such distance meetings and conversations. Maybe this is the time to really use the calendar on your mobile to best advantage.

     

    DON’T DO ANYTHING YOU WOULD NOT DO AT OFFICE DURING OFFICE HOURS.

    Please don’t keep the TV on and start watching OTT offering on it. If you used to keep your Whatsapp and Facebook off during work hours, keep the good habit. Don’t spoil yourself with the newfound liberties.

     

    AVOID STRETCHING WORK HOURS.

    Try sticking to your office reporting time and exit time while working from home. Give the additional hours to your family. It always belonged to them. This extra time is what you had previously stolen from your family time and sacrificed it at the altar of your professional career.

     

    BATTLE OF EXTRA TIME.

    This will be battle you will have to win on yourself.. Now you are more at home. So what constructive use you put these additional hours may really be the key to working from home. Use it to connect with friends and relative over the phone. Use the internet to gain further insight and updated in your field. Or maybe read books or chit-chat with the family.

     

    RELATIONSHIPS REDEFINED.

    One can only hint at it. Once you are now at home all the time, the relationship gets redefined. Your role in how you tackle them will be important. For example, I ensured that my tea breaks were defined. My lunch hour was fixed. And if my wife suddenly wanted to go shopping, I refused getting trapped without prior notice. That was not the covid-19 period, and you could actually go out to pubs-malls without any fear.

     

  • While the Coronavirus scare may have stopped onground celebrations, there was no stopping digital/video messages and forwards, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    No major impact on Brand Holi…

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    This March 10 could possibly be recorded as the driest Holi in the recorded history.

    What governments, NGOs and schools could not do, Coronavirus did easily.

    It once again proved that the human subconscious mind works on the first directive of survival. The moment it became apparent that the enemy is unknown and contagious; it can attack from anyone; fear took over.

    HOLI THAT WAS NOT TO BE.

    The collective celebrations in societies like Holi Milan, rain dances and organised Holi parties were the first victims. The cheap pichkari and colours coming from China were missing from the market. Even if the colours and pichkari of Indian makes were available, the buyers were limited.

    People started questioning the need for family friends gathering or visiting friends and relatives for Holi celebrations. Most decided to remain confined to their private spaces for god reasons.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that he will not be participating in any Holi celebrations. The health minister appealed for not using Chinese products. Significant events were cancelled. Talk of postponing events like IPL and Olympics was all over the media. All this further accentuated the Corona Virus fear.

    The masks and sanitisers disappeared from the market. Whatever was left was killed by the reports of rising cases in media did the rest.

     

    SOMETHINGS DID NOT CHANGE.

    The digital messages and playing fastest finger first in forwarding the forward continued. I loved the message boards by Indian Express. One could have used these Indian Express branded messages as Holi wishes. It is different that none of them landed on my timeline- but the idea was excellent.

    THE BRANDS CONTINUED WITH THEIR FILMI HOLI

    The brands and influencers rightly did not see the reason to curtail their activities to connect with audiences. Anyway, Holi dampeners started too late, and by that the time the brands were most probably ready with their intervention and did not have many options.

     

    THE 2020 HOLI ADS

    The Facebook film is an emotional pot pourri. But, the brand uses and possibilities are well-demonstrated in the film. It is an engaging story. Well done.

    Livpure leveraged the still relevant water-saving message. Here, the children talk about water-saving by not using water-balloons. The production qualities are questionable. However, the message is right on the dot.

    FBB, on the other hand, tried tackling the expected but unacceptable part of Holi celebrations; zor zabardasti in Holi.

    MP CEMENT went overboard in trying to establish durability with colours and Holi. The long film has good lyrics, but the message and brand integration is forced.

    MAX went too functional layering it with ‘Holi Hai rango waali’. Well, it does nothing. A waste of time and energies. Even Fanta with its absurd reasons to avoid Holi was a letdown.

    AUDIENCE INTERPRETATION CAN NOT BE CONTROLLED

    The video entertainers on various digital platforms continued with their Holi messages. In a few of them, there was an attempt to add the un-necessarily communal religious angle.

    Social media debate on what was right and what was layered continued. One realised that what the audience sees or interprets could be very different from the brand or communicators intent. What one controls is just the message and the media.

    It’s about this video pic.twitter.com/wqGQiX12Q2

    — Kurshi (@Kurshi) March 10, 2020

    People have seen this communication as stereotypic communities, their reactions and expectations! Hindi and Muslim polarisation. Maybe the intent was right, but the resultant forced interpretation by many is colouring it differently.

    BEST HOLI ADS

    In my last blog, I commented on the SURF advertisement as an example of reiterating communal tensions. However, I still find it one of the best Holi advertisements.

    Another one that is full of colour and an extended holi and still lays the brand promise of binding the nation is the 2013 IPL film; Koi Nahi Bachega.

    https://youtu.be/iNUx5LnJQLs

    And I must mention the spirit of Holi and a silent brand integration is well done in the Parachute Holi ad. It would have been best if the last slate with the oil bottle was subtle.

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

  • It has been a thought that was not verbalised for the sake of freedom of expression and creative licence, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Sanjeev Kotnala: Should advertising rethink its role in communal harmony?

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Should Advertising seriously think of these emotions it fuels at times? Is it evaluated during the debate of cause marketing? It does not matter if the end if perfect and everyone lives happily ever after. It has been a thought that was not verbalised for the sake of freedom of expression and creative licence.

    During the recent DemoCrazy times, it forced one to rethink. There was some help in thinking from the What’s app university of knowledge. I am fortunate enough to be a member of a few groups that poke you with exciting reading, thoughts and debate them out.

    In one such group, dear friend Prahakar Mundkar shared two articles:

    One from Live Mint by Manu Joseph, it said ‘Riots happen because we tend to romanticise chaos’.

    The other one from Harvard Business Review (HBR) by Nicole Torres which speaks of a study by University of Warwick’s Andrew Oswald, in which they found that Advertising makes us unhappy. That more advertising leads to more unhappiness.

    I realised we referred to a specific incidence or an event everytime we touched the emotion and associated feeling of secularism, inclusiveness, regional and regional unity,

    In a way, we reiterated that it is not an everyday affair. Where was the fun in creatively using it, if these were part of our daily life? They would lose their potency.

    In a way, reignite the skew between communities, their primary deep down reasons of angst and distrust.

    Can we be a bit more sensitive while using such narratives for a commercial purpose? Do not at any stage hint at any of the reasons of conflicts based on religion, caste, creed and gender. Currently, more important is to consciously avoid Hindu-Muslim, Minority- Majority conflict even if it is used to reflect on the positive side. Daag Aache Hai par Har Daag Aache Nahi hai. Spots are good, but not every spot is good.

     

    Rethink

    Now with this in mind, see the following TVC and rethink of the emotions they fired up.

    The Google ad- Reunion, which is about two friends across the border meeting with the help og Google.   It reminds of the raw emotion of partition.

     

    Daag Achhe reminds of the gap between communities.

     

    The cement advertisement that I was so enamoured with, now reminds me of the internal rivalry and the interference of religion. The Ambuja Cement Independence day ad.

     

    Even the Tea spot by Red Lable  silently reminds you of the gap and the mistrust among communities.

     

    The famous cricket world cup communication was all about teams and nations. Yet, there were undercurrents of religion and hatred. It is not for anything that whenever we are in such a condition- we are willing to accept losing the trophy but loosing to the neighbouring nation.

     

    There maybe many more such advertisments which may not pass the new scrutiny. However, these were the few that immediately popped up in my mind. And it speaks about their potency and impact.

     

    The Question Remains Unanswered

    Can we really avoid creating such ads?

    Is it asking too much from the Industry?

    Should Government interfere in this or should ASCI self-regulate such representation?

    Once you start thinking about it, it becomes clear that this battle of self-regulation is far critical than the fairness, magical remedies or celebrity brand ambassador issue. Even this article in a way contributes to polarising your thinking, hopefully in the right direction.

    I am sure that none of the advertisements and the brands I listed had anything other than a positive outcome in mind.

    What I am not sure is how much subconsciously they provoked the very thinking that they wanted to avoid.

    You know, if I ask you not to think of Micky Mouse or Eiffel Tower, you will feel about it. You can’t avoid it. And that is where I rest my case.

    I like the writings of Sadat Hasan Monto, and they are compelling stories. Unfortunately, they also keep igniting the wounds that the nation may want to forget. Should such films, literature and advertisements be banned? Or am I unnecessarily linking them? Will it be further strangulating advertising with social expectations?

    Do share, What you think about it?

     

     

  • It's rare for a brand to come with two exceptional executions in quick succession, but the Burger King-McDonald's rivalry has ensured , writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    This Burger is Moldy, but..

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Now, it is rare for a brand to come with two exceptional executions in succession. May be it is the rivalry between the two big brands; Burger King and McDonald’s that have made it possible. Personally, I wish for a hattrick.

     

    THE FIRST WIN FOR BURGER KING WITH THE LONELIEST PERSON ON EARTH.

    Recently during the Valentine’s Day week, Burger King made one relook at Ronald, the McDonald’s mascot as the loneliest person on planet earth. One was still admiring the way they did the Valentine’s Day communication when one was rattled with the MOLDY BURGER- celebrating no preservatives.

     

    IMMORTAL MCDONALD’s BURGER.

    Before, the Burger King- Moldy Whooper, let’s talk of the immortal McDonalds burgers. Time to time reports of McDonald’s burgers that seem to defy time has been flooding the internet. There have been reports of people having 10-12-20-year-old McDonald’s Burgers  that have hardly shown any change. They seem to be fresh. The internet even offers the explanation for such a phenomenon- but then life is all about Perceptions adulterated with reality.

    A few of these immortal McDonald’s burgers were recently featured on the internet. One could presume that it may have something to do with the other brand. If it did, then Burger King’s Moldy Whooper campaign becomes that more exciting.

     

    So what is Burger King MoldY Whooper?

    Moldy Whooper is a simple demonstration. A Burger King’s Whooper deteriorating with time, because there are no preservatives added in any component of the Burger King’s Whooper. As per reports, this is Burger King’s way to move towards more natural ingredients and food. Currently No preservative is a claim across 400 outlets in the USA, soon to be the fact across all US outlets and then take on global sales.

    https://youtu.be/oSDC4C3_16Y

    Frankly, it is unappetising to look at. There would be debate among brand strategists and creative teams if this was the best way forward to make the point.

    We must remember, marketing is all about sacrificing and not merely choosing what to present. I frankly have huge respect for the Burger King’s team. They have taken a disruptive way forward to use such a powerful demonstration. Most of us would love to be a part of a Brand team that does such work.

     

    Moldy Whooper, a creative winner too!

    In India, some well-known creative heads have tweeted the possibility of Moldy Whooper winning big time at Cannes. The timing is just right, and most likely, the statements will come true. I, on the other side, am waiting for a hattrick.

     

  • Sanjeev Kotnala on what worked and what didn’t with the advertising around Valentine’s Day 2020

    Did brands succeed in staying relevant on V-Day?

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Valentine’s Day 2020 is just another day. For a majority, this templated festival of expectations, the celebration of love and care would come and go like the other such days, Rose Day, Proposal Day… associated with it.

    It was Valentine’s Day, and the prices of roses expectedly hit the circuit-breaker around February 14. In the era of proximity, floating or fleeting loyalty, the app-led search for love and commitments, high cost of expression and permanence of tattoos, it was templated.

    It was celebrated because the marketing community had put peer pressure for you to celebrate it. The ritual of love, roses, gifts and dining were performed. It was no longer about what you wanted to do but about what you should be doing.

    For the brands addressing young adults, It was an opportunity to stand apart, be quirky, cheeky and leverage the festival mood.

    In my timelines, WhatsApp was full of silly jokes around love, sex, wife, girlfriend ex or otherwise, commitment and future relationships.

    For me, the evening was spent with wife dressed in Valentine colours at the St Andrew’s College Auditorium, Bandra. Ad Club COO Bipin Pandit and his group of specially talented singers and musicians under the banner of Khumaar, a celebration of love and romance kept one entertained with songs of love and romance.

     

    BRAND AND VALENTINE’S DAY.

    One of the regular readers of my blog (thanks) sent me two clips. In her view, they were a great example of brands attempts to remain relevant. The brands were willing to innovate within the constraints. And that made me think.

     

    VALENTINE AND AFFECTION

     

    Oh, Yes, the nation again saw some groups disturbing couples in a few cities. The self-proclaimed extra-vigilant valentine social regulators took upon themselves to draw the line according to their ill-defined interpretation of culture and social expectations.

    Brand Manforce after having burnt their fingers during Sunny Leone Navratri hoarding some year back recognised this unbridged gap in the era of video traping. It urged young couples to exercise caution during Public Display of Affection (PDA) and digitally capturing their moments of intimacy. It was purpose-led safer sex. #YouAreNotAlone follows their earlier campaign #ShutThePhoneUp. Lovely, to see a brand continuing to focus on the same idea.

    Durex, the other condom, moved towards 365 days of love, care and sex. Three years back, the brand asked couples to connect on Valentine’s Day and give your mobile a rest. The brand has been slowly evolving. And if you see their international work, you will realise they are at different point of evolution across countries.

    So, Durex now sees the redundancy of Valentine’s Day. Who needs it when every day could be Valentine’s Day. It seems to talk the language of the current generation, always-on, curious, and questioning traditional relevance.

     

    Valentine’s Day is here and we’re NOT excited! Because let’s face it, with Durex everyday is a celebration and hence #EverydayIsValentines! So, select the most boring gifts you have received on this day from the options below and we will gift you something super exciting instead!

    — Durex India (@DurexIndia) February 11, 2020


     

    OTT GOES OVER THE TOP ON VALENTINE DAY.

    Netflix, on the other side, has a finger on the pulse of young adults. Their message ‘We are sincerely and terribly sorry for all the drama we’ve caused before. We promise to be better’ was definitely beautiful and relevant. Netflix apologised for all the fights it has started. It silently made the point of its high viewer engagement and involvement. It is a nice cheeky way to leverage the festival with strong product service association. It was treated like a Netflix original and starred ‘Maskaby’ cast, a Netflix original to be released later this year. I hope the audience loved it.

     

    BURGER KING BRILLIANT TAKE ON VALENTINE’S DAY.

    The Burger King and McDonald’s rivalry is well-known and documented. The brands have given us many moments of wow. This one is no different.

    This year, way Burger King looked at Ronald (the McDonald Clown Mascot) and branded it as the most lonely person on earth, it is just superb. The script remains true to the valentine ethos while refocussing on the competition.

    The communication is cheeky. The loneliest man in the world has always been in front of their eyes. Burger King asks customers to go ahead give company to the loneliest man on earth, take a picture or two and tag @burgerkingindia to get a free Whopper this Valentine’s Day. #LonelyNoMore. Must compliment the team that saw this opportunity.

    PEPSI SOLO LOSES THE PLOT.

    Now compare Netflix, Manforce with a brand like Pepsi using an overexposed fifty-plus star for Solo Swag. The timing absolutely bang on. The message and brand ambassador choice questionable. The spot has high visibility and attracted millions of viewers. Hope, the brand does not misinterpret views with brand affiliation.

    https://youtu.be/MOVM4757i-Q

    BOROSIL FAILS ON VALENTINE METER.

    BOROSIL in the changing societal environment tries exploring the first Valentine Day for the same-gender couple. The idea is excellent. The curtailed expressions of the same-gender couples in the earlier era have been well-captured. ‘I hated Valentine Day, not because I did not have someone to share, but because I did’ is brilliant and powerful.

    The brand missed because of a weak product association. And whatever was left was destroyed by adding the end-super about Supreme Court’s favourable verdict on section 377 in 2018! Should it be the first or the second Valentine’s Day? The subtlety was lost, and the forced brand integration is fragile. It happens when brands search for a purpose and find one that is constrained.

     

    BRAND GRAVEYARD ON VALENTINE’S DAY.

    Few brands remained functional, so they played safe with their communication on Valentine’s Day, neither gaining or losing. Brands like, Hide and Seek, KFC (Bucket bae), and Platinum Bands.

    Kalyan Jewellers tried to play the patriotic card to align with the feelings of women missing their husbands who are on duty at the border.

    Don’t forget ‘The Man Company’ trying to make it simple for all kinds of love. ‘Love knows no age, religion or gender’. Very stereotyped expression.

     

    MELORRA RUINED SOMETHING.

    Here is the one I loved until it exposed itself as a pure selling tool. Upping the game fell flat when it got down to giving brand items as a gift. Melorra campaign was was bubbly, strong, confident, cheeky, empowering and full of attitude and then it was just about sales. #UpYourGiftingGame

     

    THEY DON’T MAKE THEM LIKE THIS ANYMORE.

    The one that I would rate highly is SBI INSURANCE Valentine’s Day ad. Watch it to know how it touches the chord. It is an excellent example of emotion and product linkages. ‘Hira Kya Zane Tumhari Umar’.

     

    Leave it, if there are no dots, stop connecting them. If you have a real purpose that is brand linked and allows you to leverage an opportunity- go right ahead. Otherwise, it is a waste to do forced integration.

     

     

  • Police represent the civil authority of government. It is typically responsible for maintaining public order and safety by enforcing the law, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Sanjeev Kotnala: Traffic Campaigns – because ‘We are like that only’

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Whenever I see a campaign by traffic police, I wonder why Indians do not obey simple laws?

    Most likely we know, in India we will get away with it. Moreover, we see everyone breaking the law. It is not the best of the excuse, but then ‘We are Like that only’.

    Jokes apart, the civic sense in the country is missing.

    Police represent the civil authority of government. It is typically responsible for maintaining public order and safety by enforcing the law. The responsibility extends to preventing, detecting, and investigating criminal activities. In short, they are to protect the people and the property. Yet, citizens seem not to respect the laws from any angle, be it Uniformed officers, Detectives, Highway Patrol, Traffic, Tourist, Railways and even border Police. tAll of them keep trying for corrective action and at times threatening the law-breakers with penalties.

    Time to time, traffic and city police do run special drive and challan the offenders. ‘Drink and Drive’, ‘Helmet’, ‘Honking’ and ‘Traffic rule violations’ are some subjects Indian Police run campaigns on continuously in an attempt to help change the predictable behaviour.

    There has been some success. However, traffic Police have more often failed than succeeded in their efforts. We all contribute to this failure by our actions and inaction.

    SAAM ( Logic), DAAM ( Price/penalty), DAND ( Punishment) and BHEDH ( difference) – the four pillars of persuasiveness and behaviour moulding and Police have used all of them. However, we have remained true to our DNA, ‘we are like that only’.

    The heightened penalties have been foolishly contested and toned town, withdrawn, or the Police has been asked to look the other way.

    Here are some of the efforts.

    If we can behave appropriately, maybe this money could find some other better use.

    I am not discussing ‘Drink and Drive’ as it has been discussed many times- and as they say- right now is the time for it. And you can see many good campaigns here at the ‘bored panda’.

    One of the most talked-about campaigns on traffic rules has been the one featuring Akshay Kumar. It takes on the simple catchphrase ‘Mera Baap Kaun Hai’ and turns it around into humorous situations. We all saw it, loved it, laughed at it and then broke a rule as per need and convenience.

    Recently Mumbai Police tried using technology to get their point across to the travellers who never behaved right. They took action against un-necessary honking, even when the light is not green. So, if you honked and the collective sound crossed a pre-identified decibel threshold, the traffic light counter would reset to original. The more you honk. More, you are delayed.

     

    Chandigarh Police is seen as one of the most efficient and unbiased. They are neither impressed by your network nor interested in knowing ‘Trea Baap Kaun Hai’. Here is their attempt to use music to pass on the message on traffic rule violations.

     

    And this is not the first time. Earlier the Chandigarh police had focussed on illegal, unauthorised parking. Now that they have done it twice, I would like to believe it is effective and not because Chandigarh Police force is interested in singing.

    https://youtu.be/7-IunD84r-o

     

    Many times Police and other NGOs try innovative methods. Such, videos go viral. However, the way they are shared and appreciated, one would think they will be making an impact. The ground reality shows there is no difference. Here is an example of Air-hostess at Indore humorously relaying the message.

     

    Here is the Singapore police ad for road courtesy. It is informative; however, don’t think it has been as effective as the ‘fines’ in the fine city.

    https://youtu.be/J8CnRH2hBlY

     

    REDFM tried making people understand what ZEBRA crossing is all about with ‘Walk The Haq’ campaign. It was shared a lot. However, there was no change in behaviour. It is an irony that there are hardly any roads with properly painted Zebra crossing. The only time we saw people stop was when the high penalties were imposed before most states rolled them back.

     

    YAMRAJ has been called into action in various campaigns and here is Hyderabad police using him to drive home the message. Even Mumbai railway police have used Yamraj for people crossing railway tracks.

    So, hoping that we do put hefty fines on people breaking these simple rules. And well, here is to more campaigns knowing that ‘we are like that only’. Or I am wrong and this is a perfect case of  ‘Perceptions are adulterated with reality’.

    ………………..

    ADDON

    Just to close on a good note. Watch this dancing cop from Indore. He is totally devoted to his job and enjoying his work.