This is probably the millionth post on this topic: ‘should you follow your passion?’ I don’t claim to say anything new here but nevertheless would like to offer my perspective. As with everything else in life, context is important. I guess folks bring up this topic in the context of a career. To go through life and work without a passion is not so uncommon I feel. Most people are like to label what they…
Advertising is meant to either effect a change in perception or behaviour. Sometimes, the former can lead to the latter. Most of the advertising that we are exposed to on mass media – for consumer goods primarily, operate in the realm of changing perception, to build affinity. Communication is also a tool to change behaviour, whether it is about getting consumers to invest in mutual funds or motivating them to quit smoking. Over the years,…
Traditionally, ‘value for money’ in the branding world is associated with an inexpensive brand, even a cheap one. Usually the implication is that it delivers what an expensive brand in the category does, at a lower price. Hence, suggesting a prudent buy. But even the most expensive, super luxury brand in a category can be good ‘value for money’ for someone who seeks such brands and can afford to buy them. It’s all about evoking…
The Indian Premier League (IPL), rife with celebrity ads, is not just a big event in the cricketing calendar but also an advertising event. It has been compared to the Super Bowl but the characteristics of the two events are different. Both are expensive for advertisers but the similarity ends there. Super Bowl vs IPL Cricket by nature is an advertiser’s delight as there is an opportunity to insert a spot (or two) every 5…
In real life, if you met someone who chose to give unsolicited comments on everything that’s going on in the world, that too in every available forum, chances are you’d get annoyed. But brands which claim to have a personality and tone of voice, somehow think always on’ social media is good – they have to offer a comment on every occasion and major item of the news cycle. So whether it is a cargo…
It has become customary for brands to see every occasion (such as Earth Day) or big news event as an opportunity to create ads – mainly social media creatives. Burger King posted a tweet in the context Women’s Day and got into kerfuffle on media. Eventually they retracted the original tweet which said, ‘Women belong in the kitchen’ not before outrage across media. It got me thinking about the need for context in today’s media…
Since we live in a world where everyone and every thing is under the microscope thanks to social media, I had said that it might make some brands wary of some new initiatives and look for elements that may offend some group or the other. That does not mean that brands which hitherto took a stance or made a comment on societal trends or some values will suddenly stop doing so. In any case, my…
Ad agency professionals and their clients – the marketing folks at enterprises, pretty much know that a majority of the ads are simply ignored by consumers. Now there’s a new phenomenon to worry about: social media outrage. Ad avoidance is a phenomenon not limited to digital advertising where a CTR of minuscule percentages is seen as a good metric. The problem has existed right from the days of traditional media – be it billboards, print…
Recently, a well-known Indian news personality was in the news after she put out a statement on Twitter that she had been tricked into leaving the company in June after she became the “victim of a very serious phishing attack” that led her to believe she’d been hired as a journalism professor at Harvard. The news was widely discussed on social media with various theories and speculation on how someone seemingly so aware could be…
A print ad released by Sebamed India and their ad films seem to have garnered interest and commentary among the marketing & advertising folks on social media. Sebamed is German skin care brand marketed by USV in India. The ad is for their cleansing brand and directly names brands such as Lux and Rin in the print ad comparing their pH levels. On their website, other leading brands such as Dove and Santoor are also…