Group B1 Source 4P's

 Business reading report by Group B1

Group Name: Dopaminers

Tag Line: Coming with next 3 Ps of Marketing --- Paisa, Power, Position.

Logo:

Group Number: B1   

Members:                             

Harshit Abrol

Amrit Goenka

Viresh Bhat

Aniruddha Agnihotri

Aman Raj Gupta

Reviews of the Ads that made news for the right as well as the wrong reason

Issue : November 2012

An ad is made of various elements ranging from positioning of the product, clarity of the idea behind the product to visibility of the brand; its persona and the power of communication have to be intelligently weaved together.

Too much, too soon

Advertiser: Cinthol
Baseline: Alive is Awesome
Agency: Creative land Asia

Link TO the advertisement:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D4WlDexCdc

 There is no doubt that Cinthol is an iconic brand. But there is also no argument that the brand from Godrej has been a rather neglected one. The more than six decades old brand donned a fresh avtar some four years ago when its marketers decided to position it alongside Bollywood hunk Hritik Roshan. The new tagline ‘Don’t Stop’ endorsed by the sinuous Roshan was promising but fizzled out soon enough. The last couple of years saw only sporadic action by the brand with hardly any emphatic or continued communication. And now ‘Alive is Awesome’ – a clear attempt to add youthful zest and vigor to the 60 plus brand. The film opens with a bunch of friends throwing their bicycles and running towards a giant waterfall to bathe in the pristine waters; next come visuals of a guy bathing among tribals in a jungle; a girl sits atop an elephant as the tusker showers her with water… and other shots of young people bathing with a Cinthol soap in various adventurous conditions. The accompanying song and lyrics are impressive and the word ‘awesome’ in the tagline is clearly an attempt to touch base with the youth. An area where this ad falters in execution is its attempt to glorify the humble soap bar, as opposed to the shower gels that are more popular with the young crowd. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. And when talking to the youth, best is to speak to them in a language they like. Will you share a cake of soap with two others while bathing under a free-flowing waterfall? A bit passé, and a tad unhygienic, don’t you think? Even if we overlook that, let’s hope Cinthol sticks to this youth re-positioning now and does not let it fizzle out like the ‘Don’t Stop’ positioning with Roshan junior.

SCREAMVILLE
Issue : November 2012

Advertiser: Jabong.com
Baseline: Delivering Lifestyle
Agency: Salt Brand Solutions

Link to the advertisement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uMJL3dFfdU

If you thought that pathetic overacting, madcap hysteria and ear-piercing screams do not make for an effective communication, think again. Jabong.com has made use of precisely these ingredients to lay siege on the Indian e-commerce market and that too within just a year of its launch. Taking forward their previous concept, the latest ad begins with the lady of the house speaking to a Jabong camera. Clearly harassed, she complains about how her home has been converted into a showroom and her husband into an online shopaholic when the door bell rings. It’s yet another delivery. The husband screams in ecstasy, the wife in agony and the delivery boy in terror. The strategy clearly is to shock and awe viewers – so they at least visit the online store once and surf through the shoes, apparel, accessories, sports equipment, jewellery, fragrances, et al, that Jabong.com sells. And the ad perhaps succeeds in this purpose with its over-the-top execution of the concept of shop-o-holism. But here’s the downside. Irrespective of the ad blitzkrieg, online shopping is still very small in India. While the average customer acquisition cost online is 1,500 rupees, sources say that Jabong easily spends 2,000 rupees per customer acquisition. Worse, at a time when almost all e-commerce companies are losing money on every transaction, Jabong is supposedly coughing up 5 crore rupees every month on advertising alone. Is the business model sustainable? We are clueless but hope they know what they are doing.

Vodafone
Issue : December 2012
Advertiser: Vodafone
Baseline: Power to You
Agency: Ogilvy India

Link to the advertisement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4agpS37zAU

There were the pug ads and the Irfan Khan ads and then there are the latest, very savvy one-size-does-NOT-fit-all TV spots that somewhat underscore the brilliance of those previous communications. So here’s what Vodafone is telling its consumers this festive season - that they respect diversity and have something different for everyone. And how are they saying it? By their communications showcasing how every boy/man needs a different cut from his hairstylist and every girl/woman requires a unique style for her salwar kameez from the humble tailor. And if you thought that the comparisons are fascinating, then we assure you that the execution by the creative team is even better. The girls ask for halter kurtis, anarkali kameez, sweetheart shaped necks, anything that makes them look slimmer, et al; while the lads crave spikes, pig tails, layers, and everything else in between. The message is succinct and clear; that everyone is different and has unique needs and therefore the ‘Made for You’ offers from the telecom service provider. A welcome relief from the crazy ‘Internet is Fun’ campaign from the Vodafone stable which used bizarre chicken races and rat races to drive home the message, that is if the message reached home at all. But this latest campaign has a glaring drawback too – that of brand recall. The ad focuses too much on the comparisons and creativity therein but does not really inform what shape and form do these telecom offers take. Sure, the ad ends with telling consumers to dial 121 (toll-free) to find out what these tailor-made offers could be, but in the crowded Indian telecom space, do you think consumers really want to go through all that trouble, when the next competition is already knocking at his door for an entry. High on creativity, and low on info, we say!

Here is a compilation of Five Articles From the December Issue of 4Ps followed by a brief summary.

Travel gets Experiential- 4 Ps ( Dec 12 Issue)

Travelling to space is no longer a dream. Similarly demand for offbeat adventure sports and customised holidays are in vogue. This type of niche services which were only popular in the west, are gaining acceptance among the Indian traveller as well.  In India experiential travel segment is pegged to be of Rs.400 cr. The segment is growing at a rate of 15 to 20 %  CAGR a year and travel companies are customising their offering to grab a stake in this growth story. Department of adventure tourism and commerce marketing is also promoting adventure tourism. Customising the product with flexible holiday option and offering personalized services to woo Indian travellers is becoming the new standard as the travel industry looks to take a jaunty ride on the back of the experiential tourism market.

Article 2: Are they packing it right? 4 Ps ( Dec 12 issue )

The fifth P i.e. Packaging is said to play an important role in the last 10 seconds of decision making for the consumer and is said to be more effective than the conventional advertising, especially in FMCG.Packaging has always been a focus area to the marketers as a USP to improve consumer perceptions, especially during the festive seasons because during festivals people exchange gifts and look for attractive and eye catching packaging. FICCI,s report states that 40 % of the annual sales of FMCG products occur during the festive season that compromises of the third quarter of the financial year, so the packaging innovation is at its best during this period. The article says that if packaging changes are done properly then it is likely to follow with positive ROI through increased market share. Demand for gift wrapping and special packaging has also raised 20 % yoy in 2011 confirms KSA Technopak, packagers in New Delhi.

Article 3:Sound Seducers in Adland- 4 Ps (dec 12 issue)

Primary focus of the article is the unique sounds that accompany TVCs ,often with the words flashed that do not have any meaning but make an impact in grabbing the eyeballs . This kind of advertising is gaining credence with sound-driven ads like wakow(vanilla coke),Toing(amul macho), Olalalalalaleloe(king fisher), Waku Doki (toyota)and Jhingalala(tata sky) already making an impact. In today’s times (clutter driven ) memorability powered with authenticity are key factors. Hence these ads act as innovative clutter bursting way and when delivered brilliantly can be successful in connecting with the TG(target group).

Article 4:

Strategic Shifts Towards a more networked enterprise 4 Ps (dec 12 issue)

Social media is becoming an essential strategic element in businesses across industries; its more than just a marketing channel; its whole new way of getting things done. Everything that has human interventions is going to be disrupted by social technologies. Hence companies should educate their staff on how to best represent their company in the social space.

Companies are using social media to meet business objectives and companies are reporting that these investments are paying returns. Social media can be used to increase marketing effectiveness as well as increasing customer satisfaction. In India where social networking sites are growing at a rate of 16 % annually, it is a necessity of business units to adapt quickly to social media challenges.

Article 5:Tyre making firms are not having best of times 4 Ps (Dec 12 Issue )

 (Vinod Kumar – Head Marketing CEAT Tyres talks about challenges that company faces and brand CEAT being more visible than other brand)

He expresses his views as follows: Sales are down in commercial vehicles (CV)segment 12.49 % yoy, conditions attributing are increase in raw material prices, slowdown in infrastructure and mining activities and sad sentiments in the macro economy.

With government showing will-ingress in pro growth measures and the arrival of the third quarter (festive quarter i.e sales of automobiles will be on rise) the remaining half of the financial year will be definitely better than the first half

Growth Plan For CEAT : CEAT sees a tremendous growth in PV market and two wheeler market. CEAT plans to increase consumer pull through media engagement, providing value added services and having distribution in place.

Three Pronged strategy:

1.      Improving reach to more number of towns and get close to consumers by opening new outlets

2.      Introduce new products to create excitement among end consumers

3.      Connecting more with consumers by upping ATL and BTL activities, TVCs being the primary focus

Pricing decisions for CEAT: Pricing will depend on raw material cost and competitive intensity. He however does not see price fall by big margins but competitive intensity might automatically benefit the buyers.