How to lure the Multi-tasking Consumer ?

After a long day there is hardly anytime left for recreation. For most of us ,television is the only option when you are drained out. But seems the entertainment industry has nothing offbeat to offer. So most of the times the viewer has left with no choice at all. Same goes with ads. Believe me ,some ads are executed in such a way that though people like us who are from the same industry, are not able to understand the essence of the communication. And all we do is zapping  ...zapping and zapping which makes it tough for the advertisers. How to break the clutter? How to attract the ‘multi-tasking’ consumer and to be ‘non-intrusive’ at the same time? Off course the sales figures, footfalls, inquiries and growth which are equally important ,come later. The first important task is to attract the customer, lure him, engage him and then sell. Huh...sounds too much.

But then there are some ads which not only attract the viewer but also entertain them, amuse them and at the same time make sure that the ‘brand’ is not lost in this entertainment saga. One such example is the new Snapdeal.com campaign
(  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=1SR_jkqPPpY&NR=1 )

 Snapdeal.com provides discount deals and offers and as a matter of fact it is there first mainstream TV commercial. According to me, the idea which revolves around ‘Yamdoot’ –the central character, has such simplicity in the execution that though you are thoroughly entertained, you don’t forget the brand, its essence, functional benefits and thus succeeds in creating a space in the minds of the occupied viewer. Once you achieve this, the main task is to keep the customers glued to your brand by offering good deals which ensure repeat visits / purchase.

So the question is what do successful ads do? What is the essence of any communication? May be we can sum-up it as following:

·        Communication has to be about people, their beliefs, interests and finally about presenting various different ways to persuade them.

Any sort of ‘presentation’ tends to be effective only when it reinforces   the beliefs of its audience and finally engages the consumers with all senses.

·        No matter how brilliant or invaluable your idea is, it will be worthless if there is no reaction.

·        Not only the idea but the execution also matters. So the story should be such that it focuses the core benefits of the brand which has a recall value while the customer making a purchase decision.

 This may sound cliche but many of us are yet to put themselves in the consumer's shoes . High time to focus on these efforts .Ain't it?

Chandana Mungre Kashid

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Testimonial Advertising

We all must have seen ,heard or read statements in ads like 'Maine XYZ product use kiya aur ab meri skin nikhar gayi hai' or the same blah blah with some different words. These 'testimonials' from the consumers or an influential person amongst the target group or a celebrity are said to do wonders not only to your sales target but also the way people perceive your offerings and your brand.

As a matter of fact , I handle a client who firmly believes in exploiting Testimonial Advertising to the fullest and so leaves no chance to highlight them in most of the communication collaterals. It actually sounds quite boring to incorporate so many testimonials every now and then and it actually has compelled me to think that is testimonial advertising always effective??

If you try to put yourself into the consumer's shoes, you always want a proof which is convincing enough to make you believe that all the claims in the company's communication is true .Its true that people actually look forward to others who have already tried and tested the product, but today's intelligent and well informed consumer is aware of all the ways advertisers are using celebrities and public figures in endorsing their products . How interviews and statements are cooked up.They know that many a times the claims are nothing but a marketing ploy to get you to buy the product .It has become a common practice to woo consumers by misleading lines and so many a times its an 'automatic turn off' for the customer. So instead of blindly going ahead with the trial of the product , he actually does some research on his own (thanks to Google) and only when they are pretty convinced and comfortable with the product they are enticed to try it.

Also, many a times the potential customers start creating an image about the brand/company on the basis of the consumer base associated with the company. The existing customer base as such becomes the face of the product/ company. For example while promoting a healthcare provider all testimonials come from customers who fall in the middle class or SEC B or say SEC C , many potential customers may turn away perceiving it as a mediocre name to be associated with .

So the testimonials have to be used very carefully and judiciously so that they can actually help you in attracting new clients and build a trust around the brand name.