Paanchvi Pass - SRK on your car

My good friend Nirav shared his experience with Shahrukh Khan's Paanchvi Pass*. No, he didn't watch the show but was involved in a great Viral gimmick. In his own words below

Here's the pictures of the "paanchvi paas" promo tools that we talked about a few weeks back. These 2 glasses were stuck on to the bonnet and back of my car by someone at a crossing, and I spent a good 20 minutes trying to shake them off by sverving the car. On reaching office I took them off and found the magnet which said "Magnet sticks to Iron – a Class V question – SRK Saying Paanchvi Paas"

Nice innovation, but don't know how effective. My guess is less effective than normal outdoor media. But the fact that we were talking about it proves that the innovation at least worked.

What do you know?? Crazy things like this do get talked about!!

* Paanchvi Pass is the Indian version of "Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader

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Zuritel car insurance - Can ads get more relevant !!

Well this ambient ad is interesting, one of the few examples of ambient where a real consumer problem is sought and relevant advertising delivered to the consumer at the right time.

Zuritel is a car insurance firm trying to push a policy which covers damages up to 3000 Euros. The strategy they adopted was to find cars, with little dents across town and just sticker them with a "what a pity" symbol as shown in the photograph below.

This is as targeted as you can get in the offline world. Let me know your verdict

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Money for Nothing and the Chicks for free

Mark Knopfler penned the lyrics for this song by listening to delivery men crib about their jobs while watching MTV. Thats an awesome excuse for bad lyrics. Just to be non controversial, let me say "innovative lyrics". The title though, could well have been inspired from a trend that the modern world is now seeing.

It doesn't matter if you aren't a rockstar, or even Bill Clinton for that matter. You can still get chicks for free and make money doing absolutely nothing. As some of you might argue, chicks for free is a moot point. For this very reason, there is a Statutory Warning at the end of this post.

The Internet is free, So are many other things
The internet has long been a leader in distributing free content, but it would be naive to dedicate a post to how information is now available for free.

What we are increasingly seeing is the offering of everything free, right from photograph prints, free air tickets(thanks to advertising on Ryan Air) to free phone calls and messages(thanks to skype,Jaxtr etc) and even free student textbooks.

What about free music thats legal - take a look at qtrax.

The costs of creating and distributing your product and service has become so low that it more often than not tends towards zero per consumer. Revenue is driven mainly by advertising, for example, free phtographs are accompanied with ads at the bottom of the photograph print and free textbooks have ads inserted at chapter breaks.

Free is passé - Now get paid to do what you would do anyway

Its interesting how many services have been launched, which will pay you to do what you would do anyway. Like Agloco for example, which would pay you to browse and 3-2-1mail which would pay you to check mail. You can go here for a more comprehensive list .

It would make an interesting study as to why such services haven't really taken off. It could be that the consumer inherently disbelieves that he can make money out of a service he/she is receiving. One day someone will get the model and the promise right, and this could take off in a big way. More on this in a totally different post.

To sum it up, stuff is available for free, you can get paid for stuff since ads help generate revenue. Just don't be under the illusion that eventually everything will be free. There will always be a large chunk of advertisers, whose products you will have to pay for.

Statutory Warning - If you are lucky (handsome and rich might be other pre-requisitions), chicks might flock to you for a zero acquisition fee (also known as "free"). Nonetheless we would like to inform you that your monthly outflow will not be nil. Your credit cards magnetic strip will certainly undergo tremendous wear and tear to sustain your prized acquisition.

Related Free Articles from the Web:
Wired
TrendWatching

P.S - I wish I could pay you for reading my article. Though thats a little difficult right now, I am sure its the thought which matters, right? :)

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The Irony of a USP

Electronics and Convergence
The consumer electronics space is ridden with attempts at convergence. All companies are building more features into existing products and hope to charge more. There are 2 schools of thought, one which favours convergence and the other which says that marketing has always been about segmentation, products will always be more divergent than convergent.

The iPod is a divergent device, while the iPhone is convergent. Is it reasonable to assume that there will be a time when the iPod will be completely subsituted by the iPhone or devices similar to the iPhone?

The consumer loves convergence. Just ask a jogger and he would tell you how sunglasses with an mp3 player are god's gift to mankind.

Marketer has no clue
The marketer is clearly confused. He has designed a great convergence device, with a 100 functions, but the laws of marketing force him to convey just one USP (Unique Selling Proposition).

What happens when the ideal convergence product is created? How will it be communicated. Nokia has attempted to communicate that the Nokia N95 is "Not one thing, but many". Does that statement create trust in the product, does anyone realize what the product can do?

Convergent devices mean different things to different people, and choosing just one route to sell the product could prove sub optimal.


Companies and Online Marketing - Is it about Adwords alone
It brings me to the issue of how these companies market online. The reason this question begs to be answered is that the online medium is where you can engage the consumer and interact with them. It is also the only medium where the consumer actively seeks information and it can be delivered to him. In other words, this is the only medium, where more than one USP can be communicated with ease.

Currently companies are stuck with buying adwords, creating banner ads and hope to redirect consumers onto their site or partner sites to buy. Most of the adwords work only when the consumer has made a decision to buy and is searching for where to buy. It does not influence his buying decision, it only aids his buying process by simplifying it.

How can the marketer move beyond unidimensional communication to creating a group of followers of the brand, who speak and influence fellow buyers more than the marketer himself. It is possible on the internet, and there are brands who have achieved it. But the effort involved in building brands online is much more than just creating an ad and uploading it on youtube (which is probably what a number of companies call innovation on the internet).

Marketing Online and managing People on the Web
Is marketing becoming more about managing people, than managing a brand? Manage people online, who will sell the brand in more ways than you can, who derive greater meaning from your brand than what the marketer projects.

It might mean a techtonic shift in how resources are deployed by companies. There could be huge teams dedicated to just the internet, who actively participate in various forums to educate consumers about the product and influence word of mouth for the brand. The age of unidimensional communication might just become history, and with it all rules of conventional marketing

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India vs Australia Cricket Controversy. What if it were a gimmick?

No one is insinuating that the India - Australia controversy is a farce. A test match has been lost, an umpire has retired and claims of racial discrimination have been made. Be rest assured that these are not the results of a marketing gimmick.

The PR generated from this controversy though, has the sponsors in a great situation. The test match has received heightened publicity levels and more eyeballs from viewers. Even channels who were selling the spot for Rs. 50000 per 10 second spot will increase rates to Rs.75000 for the match at Perth.

"There is no such thing as bad PR" has just been reinforced. This has been repeatedly used by the Indian movie industry. The period one month before a launch will have a rumour of a relationship, an affair, a breakup or an attempt by one of the chief protagonists to bare it all. All controversies & rumours hit headlines and the movie gets prominent coverage, way before its launch. This almost ensures a great first week.

Or check out the Indian media news channel of today. There is a lot of sensationalism and the term "Breaking News" can be hilarious. Drama is everywhere. It is less credible and I hate it at times, but it works for the masses (let me admit, sometimes its just entertaining).

Let us compare this with test cricket. Test cricket in its 5 day format has long lost out to its exciting cousins "one day" and more recently "20-20". What can one do to make this more exciting? How do you drive viewership? How can test cricket get more moolah for the channels? What can the boards do to heighten interest and eventually the game?

Let me reiterate that I am not saying that the current controversy was created. It is sad that this has happened to cricket. Nor am I saying that controversies of such levels should be created just for some extra publicity.

What if we look at something smaller - a "Controlled Controversy", or should I call it "Drama", in test cricket. The objective could be to make the audience relate not just with the game but with the players, their emotions, their antics etc.

Currently, very few members of the team speak to the media. It is controlled, so that one view goes to the media and the public. If freedom of speech were given to every individual player, would their thoughts make greater news than politically correct statements from a captain. People then get to relate with the players, identify with some of them and choose to support or go against opinions/antics.

Such drama, if used well could heighten interest by creating an illusion of greater rivalry. It serves as drama for the viewers. It suddenly becomes interesting.

A highly engaged & involved audience is surely every marketer's dream.

Of course it has to be controlled so that it does not get out of hand and probably curbed in cases of matches between teams like India & Pakistan, where there is absolutely no necessity to create greater rivalry.

Which brings me to the question of Why are India - Pakistan matches / the Ashes more interesting and deliver greater moolah for all concerned? What if that rivalry and passion could be recreated with more teams? What if drama in the sporting world increased? More mind games were played? Does it add layers to the game, the individuals competing and hence increase interest? Yes, there is a possibility of killing traditional sportsmanship, but would you hate it or love it? Would you follow the sport more closely for developments?

Too many questions in this post and no answers. The next time you see a "controversy" before a sports series begins - it could just be someone marketing innovatively.

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Can New Year Resolutions be used as a Marketing tool?

Well Happy New Year to all of you. I have been a little busy holidaying the past couple of weeks. On New Years, I was contemplating the conventional "Happy New Year to all my readers" but stayed away because I wanted to start this year by doing something different (Not wishing my readers seemed logical :)).

I couldn't ultimately think of anything different because I had a hard time waking up and staying in my senses, but what I do have this year is an innovative marketing attempt from a Recruitment Consultancy below.

These guys have used New Year Resolutions as an innovative way to advertise their offer. They shot an email which was eventually forwarded to me. The mail has been appended below - go through it and subscribe to their email groups if you are in India. I will be doing so.

Hi,

Wishing everyone a very happy new year. May god bless you with a great personal life. As goes good professional life and career, Green Rootz would surely like to make some contribution.

For all those who have made any of the following resolutions, we are always there to support you:

1. I will not work till late hours
2. I will maintain work life balance
3. I will not succumb to unnecessary pressures of management
4. I will no more accept that "Boss is always right"
5. I will look for jobs with better designation
6. I will look for designations that really mean something and aren't just fancy ones
7. I will look for profiles that justify the designation
8. I will look for companies that put me on high trajectory growth
9. I will no more do monotonous mundane boring work
10. I will move from sales to marketing
11. I will move from marketing to content acquisition
12. I will move from content acquisition agency side to client side
13. I will move from content acquisition client side to movie production house
14. I will look for more strategic oriented profiles
15. I will look for assignments that provides international exposure
16. I will double my salary in the next 12 months
17. I will look for responsibilities that aren't restricted by geographical boundaries
18. I will look for assignments that requires understanding of multiple functions
19. I will not make more than one presentation or pitch in a week
20. I will no more waste time checking and approving artworks
21. I will work for companies with enough cash reserves to support ambitious business plans
22. I will invest more time reading and updating myself with the happenings around the world so that I can explore better opportunities
23. I will not work for companies that don't have employee friendly culture
24. I will not work for boss who is less intelligent than I am
25. I will not work in the company wherein I have already learnt what I could learn.

Go on and make more such resolutions. We will try our best to make sure you keep them.

To keep yourself updated of vacancies in Media, Entertainment & Telecom sector, register with Mediajobs Googlegroup created by Green Rootz. It takes 30 seconds to register if you have gmail id. Click on the link below for the same:
http://groups.google.com/group/mediajobs

Thanks & Regards,

Harish Jain
Green Rootz Manpower Consulting
2nd Floor, C Wing, R.R. House, Mathuradas Mill Compound,
Opposite Kamla Mills, Near ICICI Bank,
Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel
Mumbai 400 013
Email: harish.jain@greenrootz.com
Phone: 022 32465007
Mobile: +91 9819 511 007
http://www.linkedin.com/in/harishjain

"We call ourselves Green Rootz because Green is the color of life and Roots are the reason for growth. Thus, all the endeavors of our company are focussed on Growth of Life. 'Z' at the end of Rootz signifies 'new-age; with the time' attitude of the company. Thus, relevancy is at the core of our beliefs"

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The Perfect Christmas Gift !!

If you have come here in search of the top 10 gifts for your girlfriend this Christmas, then I should redirect you here . Alternately, if you want to get dumped this Christmas, then here is a list of worst ever gifts.

If none of the above is applicable, then let me tell you about this fabulous British Hotel Chain called Travel Lodge (No, I have never stayed with them). The opinion is born out of an absolutely fantastic promotion that the hotel has launched this Christmas.

Travel Lodge is offering free accommodation across its 322 UK hotels, as a gift to all married couples called Joseph & Mary. This is valid from Christmas eve till the 5th of Jan 2008. Their reasons for this consumer offer is stated below.

The 'gift' of free night's stay is to make up for the hotel industry not having any rooms left on Christmas Eve over 2000 years ago when the original 'Mary and Joseph' had to settle for the night in a stable

They even offer a free parking space for a donkey - great reason to get yourself one :))

I don't recall high decibel PR as a result of consumer promotions run by any brand, but this chain has achieved just that (A simple google search will establish this). Being innovative and driving a connection with the consumer, sure has its benefits. Want to try it sometime?


Source - IBN Live

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Social Messages use more than shock value to reach out

Every now and then, you see a social message being communicated by an NGO or by the police about the ill health of smoking, drinking etc. Most of these messages try to deliver a shock value suggesting impending doom as the only outcome of the activity you are undertaking. . Intelligence, wit and subtlety seem to be lost causes in most of these ad situations.

What we have below are two examples of social messages, which are witty, intelligent, relevant and eye catching. Check them out and if you know other good social ads, drop me a link so that the message can get a little more exposure through this blog.


1) A WWF ad below cleverly uses green paper in a tissue dispenser to indicate harm you are doing to the world with every tissue you use. Fantastic would be an understatement !!

2) Crashed witches were up on poles with this message "Don't drink and drive this Halloween". A very innovative outdoor marketing initiative. Wonder what effect it would have generated if it had been timed with the Harry Potter Book/Movie release - hmmm...

* References - Ads of the World & Frederik Samuel

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Coolhotmail.com - Why it could kill Gmail (And why it won't)

What is CoolHotmail?

CoolHotmail.com is a site where you can get a unique email id which truly reflects your personality. The email ids could be anything ranging from ishwar@underpaid.co.in to ishwar@ufoff.com. (Visit the site for a complete list - some of them are pretty good). It is currently launched in India and many ids are very India specific.



On the face of it, this seems like a good strategy against Gmail and Yahoo. Hotmail could have recaptured the lost email space with this piece of innovative marketing. An almost perfect understanding of the concept of "Cool" and yet not at all. Let me elaborate.


Concept of Cool

Lets first understand the concept of cool from the visual below.


In the above graph, the innovators form a niche market. They actively seek new & innovative brands/products and talk/adopt them. This section is considered very cool and also known to be opinion leaders. The early adopters catch on fast enough and also adopt the brand. The cool factor rubs off on them too. If the brand becomes mass and is adopted by the late majority and the laggards, then it is clearly uncool to possess and show off this brand.


When are you cool?

To state it simply, its when you are different. How can you be different is the next logical question. Simple answer again is when you assert your individuality through what you say, what you do or what you have / possess.

Is being different good enough? You not only have to be different, but also belong to a relatively niche club. "I listen to rock, not boy bands" is the easiest example. An even better example would be a Harley Davidson owner - I bet he feels way cooler than the rest.

Then there are the cool guys who wouldn't touch an ipod with a 3 foot barge pole. The only reason is that the whole world has one, they like the creative mp3 players and would go against the world to defend their purchase (they defend pretty well and they are a lot cooler)

I have to add that there is a thin line between being cool and being "just different". Not everything that is different makes people want to imitate or aspire for. "Cool" is something everyone wants to be.

Fundamental Philosophies for a Cool Brand

• The brand has to promise something different
• Has to give scope for people to assert individuality and yet belong
• Remain exclusive by making the brand inaccessible (like a Harley that is priced so high that by default it is inaccessible)
• The easiest way to have a cool brand is when the category itself is so well segmented that its exclusive for everyone. Though not a perfect example, lets consider music genres. Since there are a zillion categories, its easy for everyone to be different, belong to a niche club and feel cool at the same time. This can be sustained by periodic new introductions and for a sustained period of time.

The biggest problem is everyone wants to cash in on their "cool" brand and hence make it more mass, which opens the space for a new brand to be niche, exclusive and hence cool.


So you want to Cash in on a cool brand?

• Be accessible in all forms - available & financially viable.
• Make it available and yet seem exclusive. Gmail has used this to good advantage by making registration seem exclusive as it is subject to an invite from an existing member. This will delay the shift in perception from cool to uncool (only delay not stop)
• Crunch speed of adoption from innovators to laggards by enhancing awareness, word of mouth and PR. This makes everyone seem like they are getting onto something new & different. But the difference between innovators and laggards should not more than 6 months. This principle has been used by Apple on their ipod and iphone series very effectively.

Why could CoolHotmail have been the next big thing?

Its got all the ingredients of a cool brand

• Expresses individuality and yet gives the opportunity to belong to a niche club

• A number of segments and options for everyone on the same platform to feel they are different, even if they create a mail id at different points in time

• In a sense its like the music genre example I stated earlier, so many options that everyone gets individuality and belongs all in the same breath

• Of course its fundamentally different from other offerings in the market

• Decent viral - Check it out

One addition I would like to see is the freedom to create your own domain name. For operational reasons, they could have one extension like ishwar@innovativemarketing.mi (where .mi is an extension they own). Then any extension is possible (a .com flexibility will be impossible considering the number of registered companies out there)

Why CoolHotmail will fail?

I hate to say it, but the single most important reason is they called it "Cool". Anything which is called cool can never be cool.

• 5 GB of space seems less when other mail options have unlimited space
• Lastly the website features are not different and certainly not great. None of the cool gmail features that we are accustomed to. Nothing to write home about.
• Too many non targeted ads overtly intruding my space

What do you think? Can hotmail regain lost supremacy?

Update to this post!!

Alexa Rank : 1325 ranked site in India. 3 month reach has dropped by 47%. The anonymous comment left on this post doesn't smell of authenticity.

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How to drive footfalls to a bar / pub / restaurant

So everyone has seen signboards & direction boards for restaurants, shopping centers and cafes? Of course you have, and you probably think that its been so done to death, that nothing can be done differently...

Traditional advertising is trying to break clutter more than ever before. An ad on a new medium is always likely to attract attention for a while, but gradually consumers develop a blind spot on this medium.

The purpose of many marketers and this blog is to break through this blind spot. The means to achieve the end is - either use innovative media, use existing media differently or create clutter breaking ads. The ad below uses the second option and innovates on existing opportunities to reach the consumer.

Source - Ads of the World

This guerrilla marketing was initiated by Soma Coffee House in Canada. The primary objective was to advertise the addition of a wine bar to the coffee house. The secondary objective was to direct people in the vicinity to the venue.

Not only did they advertise the Wine Bar addition using a sign board / direction board, but also coupled it with footsteps which took consumers to the outlet doorstep. The beauty is that the footsteps were little drunken footsteps, in sync with the added wine bar.

I love this, Cheers to Soma (hic!!)

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Cadbury's fantastic Mobile marketing campaign

I think every marketer has toyed with mobiles and how to use them in Integrated Marketing Communication. Being consistent and complete in this communication medium is a difficult task, so when I came across this mobile marketing initiative by Cadbury India, I just had to give it the finger (Naaah! not that one - the thumbs up).

The interactive campaign for "Pappu Pass Ho Gaya" which means "Pappu* has passed in his exams" bagged a Bronze Lion at the prestigious Cannes Advertising Festival 2006 for 'Best use of internet and new media'. The idea involved a tie-up with Reliance India Mobile service.

It allowed students to check their exam results using this mobile service. If the student passed, he got an sms congratulating him saying "Pappu pass ho gaya" alongwith the exam result and hence encouraged him to celebrate the moment with a Cadbury Dairy Milk.

Creative thought, great execution, innovative use of a marketing medium and fantastic association with a key moment in the consumer’s life. Do you give it the finger too?

* Pappu is a common nickname given to children in India

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And the mobile phone will be extinct (not kidding)

Here we are, inseparable from our dear little handheld mobiles and yet the takeaway will be "Hmmm... it could get extinct". To understand why, we have to understand or rather define convergence.

Defining Convergence

"Convergence" refers to the blurring of dividing lines among traditionally distinct products and services, technologies, markets, industries, and regulatory structures.

For example, the Playstation2 is not only a games console, but also a CD player, DVD player and Internet connector. Mobile phones are actually the best example, in that they increasingly incorporate digital cameras, mp3 players, camcorders, voice recorders and other devices.

For the consumer it means more features in less space.

So does everyone love carrying their mobile phone?

Whats wrong with the mobile?

As Matt would put it "The pain in the neck of carrying both a PDA and a phone - along with my notebook, wallet, cigarettes, keys, business card case, and other miscellaneous bits and bobs - would inevitably cause me to abandon ship"

His problem was more with the PDA + phone, but I get pretty pissed with the standalone mobile. House keys, car keys, wallet, mobile phone, random sheets of paper, coupons, bills I have to pay and sometimes my ipod go into my pocket. I can kill myself for the thunder thighs effect generated.

So is that reason enough to ditch the mobile?

The Wrist Watch will replace the mobile? No Way...

Not yet - not until the new generation wrist watch kicks in. Wrist watch manufacturers have focussed on fitting in absolutely useless features like an altimeter, a temperature sensor etc.

To really get an idea of the possibilities that a watch can converge into, check this out.

This cool watch doubles up as a USB device to store your music, documents etc and also serves as a plug and play with Windows and MAC operating systems.

So you love the cool videos and the smartphone feature

Its not going to take long to give the watch the core feature of a mobile phone - the ability to "talk" & "sms". Its a watch & time keeping is the core function, so "alarms" & "reminders" are easy too.

What about all the cool videos that you can see on an iphone and what about the smartphone features? It does look like a stretch that the watch will cater to this need as well, so most probably the low end mobile phones will only be under threat. A thought I would like to leave you with - No one thought that the simple phone would become a computer in itself.

So do you think a Rolex or a Tissot could replace the Nokia's and Motorola's of the world?

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The last quarter of this Football Final was so..... yummmy ???!!!

There are many amongst us who think a newspaper print ad will remain just that - the same old print ad. Its not that we dont see great messages being communicated using this medium, but thats more to do with the creative.

So to bring real innovation in the picture, take a close look at the Vegemite ad.

Images of four quarters of toasted bread were placed at the 4 corners of a sports column. A simple line above the last bread quarter reads "Good to the last Quarter".

Execution was timed to coincide with news on the Grand Final of the Australian Football League. Great way to connect a 'bread brand' with a football final. Its topical, relevant and brilliant !!

Its not the creative thats innovative, its the precise placement on the sports supplement, the timing of the ad, connect with the article, and speed of execution (absolutely required to execute great ideas in cases like this).

Seen more like this? Let me know...

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Girls get Naughty!! (The ___ Effect)

Pretty young girls mysteriously left their lingerie in Men's restrooms at discotheques in Montvideo. I know your mind is working overtime right now but breathe easy my friends.

Sorry to disappoint you, but the lingerie is a result of printed stickers. Quality of print and the shadow for the lingerie give them a very realistic touch.

This Out Of Home marketing initiative is very impressive. The fit between brand, location, the moment, message and TG is just so perfect. Discotheques + sex + naughty girls and guys who love naughty girls - Just Perfect for Axe!!!

The one below is another kickass idea at a nightclub. Saw this at Ads of the World

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Dad vs Kid - Wilkinson wins !!

Every married man sees a dramatic shift in affection from his loving wife post child birth.

Wilkinson used this “shift of affection” as the insight and created an awesome viral - Fight for Kisses. Its not easy to create engaging advertising in this category, especially advertising that brings the brand into the consideration set. This great viral is also accompanied with a game download which acts as another viral marketing tool that can be forwarded. I haven't caught the game yet - let me know if you liked it...

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Woah! Tiny Parachutes in the courtyard... Where are the aliens?

Don't worry, I haven't sighted a UFO yet. Just noticed this interesting direct marketing technique at Adverbox. Samples of coffee arrived at different neighborhoods apparently via parachute. The key communication being that everyone can get great coffee from Hawaii delivered to their homes, in the quantity and frequency they desire.

The direct marketing initiative communicates the USP of Coffees of Hawaii. For those who would have normally questioned how anything from Hawaii could ever get to their doorstep, the parachutes proved that it might be difficult but certainly possible.

The parachutes in fact play the role of attracting attention and interest towards the direct marketing initiative. Contrary to traditional direct marketing initiatives (leaflets, envelopes etc.), which end up in the dustbin with immediate effect, this initiative would guarantee a second look and certainly greater response rates.

Now how many of you would buy from Coffees of Hawaii if you saw the parachute in your courtyard. Let me know

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Best Direct Marketing Ever!! (60% conversion rate)

Harley Davidson and marketing genius - there seems to be a connect. For the cult brand it is, its not easy to market to the evolved consumer. Every marketing effort has to surpass any previous effort and uphold expectations of the consumer.

Just check out the direct marketing effort below.



A 'Freedom Box' was sent across to potential customers. When the box was opened, a ventilator released fresh air on the consumer's face. "Feel free" were the words mentioned on the box. The effect it generated was that of a ride in the country side with the wind blowing against your face.

Did It Work?

According to this claim, 18 out of 30 consumers reached bought a Harley (To put it in perspective, normally Direct Marketing efforts have a response rate of just about 3-4%). A classic example of how experiential marketing was built into a Direct Marketing effort. This will rate as one of my best Direct Marketing efforts of all time. Any other brand upto the challenge?

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Can brands take you for a "Ride"

In India and probably the world over, branding opportunities have been exploited on trains & buses. Opportunities with taxis have been largely sidelined. I am not talking about printing "Wong's Restaurant - Great Chinese Food" on the door, but looking at branding opportunities inside the taxi.

Taxis lend themselves to Point of Sales merchandise, sales material and sales itself. I have been extremely bored (and hungry) on many a journey undertaken. These moments can be used by brands to communicate significantly more than what is possible on a hoarding or other outdoor media. Costs are relatively cheap as your only spend is on brochure material - which will be carried along only by interested consumers. Some fixed fee has to be paid to the taxi operator

Why : People have nothing better to do on journeys apart from read or eat. Its extra income for the taxi and there is no other avenue to get the consumer to read as much about your high involvement/knowledge intensive product. Many consumers will in fact like to catch up on the latest in investment options.

What to sell : Its ideal for sales material on real estate projects, insurance, investment options, New mutual fund launch, IPOs, Magazines etc. The consumer is well defined as a corporate traveler and likely to be on the lookout for such info.

You might just be able to extend it to sales of FMCG products like Chocolates / Gum / Snacks by using the available space on the dashboard near the windshield to stock limited merchandise

Which taxis : Those used by Corporate travelers. Taxi operators who have tie ups with large companies

How many brands : Very limited space implies very few brands can be stocked - so hop on immediately

Operationally : Sell it to the taxi operator who distributes it amongst his taxis. He is also responsible to train drivers on creating awareness amongst Corporate travelers.

Brand PR : Good for the first guys who jump on

Brand Awareness/Knowledge : Builds not just brand awareness, but also brand relevance and preference

Is Sales Significant : Yes, since its high value and low effort. Also all those who read are favorably impacted.

Just make sure the driver does not push for sales, as that would become frustrating. The driver should just inform the consumer of brochures and magazines available. Can the driver slowly be upgraded into a role of a consultant on the various investment options available?

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Low Cost Airlines can get Cheaper!!

Oh god!! I was planning on publishing this post on this "great idea" that I had - unfortunately I got a proposal this morning about the exact same idea. Well, I still claim that the original idea was uninspired.

Anyway getting on to the idea itself - I always wondered why low cost airlines in India don't leverage branding opportunities available to the max. There is a captive audience sitting in the plane with absolutely nothing to do. Low cost airlines don't even have in flight entertainment to distract their flying guests.

And when you aren't doing anything, you normally don't mind staring at the face of a pretty model right? Or even learning why the Honda City is better than the Toyota Corolla. Low cost Airlines should sell space to advertisers and the really obvious locations are

1) The food trays (when its closed and when its open) - Should be the most expensive place to advertise
2) Luggage compartment branding - Next most expensive
3) Window shutter - 3rd most expensive

Unfortunately not really a low cost option for advertisers - but if used well by low cost airlines, it could result in incremental revenue which could then be used to lower fares even further. There should be more revenue streams for low cost airlines. Let them know about it and we can probably travel around the world for free!!

To read more about this concept and how it has been used on American airlines click here

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Brand Name Promotion - Cool "Stunts"

Just checked out some cool promotion gimmicks at entrepreneur. "Sign Spinners" as they are called, involve using acrobats and balancing artists to twirl sign boards around their fingers. These stunt men are typically located on high traffic junctions and twirl signboards around their fingers. It is a display of great skill.

Reports have it that it has had some serious car stopping effects, and is bound to generate tremendous buzz value for the first brands to attempt it. Its very low cost and involves getting permissions (from the government - All the best!!) at some key vantage points but no major additional expenses.

Of course the message being communicated should be minimalistic and I see only a brand name communication as possible. It automatically has a great fit with website traffic generation & communication of discount offers. Theme message communication looks difficult. There should be more ways to use this medium - Maybe two spinners, also doing a juggling act...

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