tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77086560509133835422024-03-14T07:55:30.664+05:30People ScanConsumer Behaviour| Digital Trends| Branding Black Coffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904988824658654759noreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708656050913383542.post-69430884685493832322017-10-31T08:32:00.000+05:302017-10-31T08:32:13.125+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I wanted to buy a pair of good running shoes, the last one, a Nike Air Max having worn out way before its time. I went on to social media and asked friends for recommendation. I was surprised that 90% of my friends did not recommend popular, well advertised brands which would be my natural go to choice. Most of them recommended a brand far less advertised but well known among the running community. I went and checked out review sites and the recommended brand had been highly rated and reviewed by experts and laymen alike.<br />
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That's the sign of times to come. Millions of dollars poured into creating an imagery which would translate into sales is over. I know I am stating the obvious. But for the first time, I actually opened my wallet for a brand I did not even know how to pronounce.<br />
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That worries me tremendously. I work for the advertising industry. Everyday thousands of us chase after millions of dollars on the back of one promise - we will make the brand famous. How wrong is that?<br />
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What we really need to do is make more brand champions who will talk about our brands. Not because they are being payed to do so but because the brand has SERIOUSLY touched their lives. At Burnett, the company I work for, we try and do that everyday. Help solve people's problems through our brands but effectiveness will only show when people talk about the problem is solved and recommend it to others in the need of the same solution.<br />
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I know everyone knows this. But how many of us really practice it?<br />
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Black Coffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904988824658654759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708656050913383542.post-41166872894045087582017-06-09T01:46:00.002+05:302017-06-14T14:42:23.342+05:30I bank with Amazon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Are we headed towards a future where our key financial services provider will be a brand that started off by selling books online? </span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well, why not? With open banking becoming reality, any digital platform can become a bank. All that a good financial services platform needs is the ability to do three things: help people move their money easily, provide access to credit when and where they need it and provide value added services such as insurance and investment options. With an open banking system, any service provider can tie up with the best in each of the verticals and offer a bouquet which is quite literally, world beating. But my guess is that the brands that will win will be the ones with the best customer experience and not the most disruptive offering only. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">World of finance is daunting. It is pedantic and pedagogic. Undoubtedly, one needs more help and support to make a financial decision or even a transaction.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's where Amazon comes in. It is one brand that repeatedly tops every customer experience lists and there is a good reason for that. In his annual letter to his shareholders, Bezos wrote <span style="background-color: white;"><b>“Our focus is on customer obsession rather than competitor obsession, eagerness to invent and pioneer, willingness to fail, the patience to think long-term, and the taking of professional pride in operational excellence.” </b></span>Undoubtedly, the company's obsession with customers makes it stand apart from its competition. Not only competition in its own space but other best in class brands from the services industries such as airlines and hotels.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This obsession will one day help Amazon beat any Fintech giant at its own game. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Typical Fintech companies obsess with data. With increasing computing power, there is a ginormous increase in the amount of data that can be collected from web browsing history, social media and now the fitness trackers and even internet of things. New methodologies and tools to analyse this data is emerging every day. Fintech companies focus all their attention on providing disruptive offerings by combining innovative business models, technology and big data. But are they as obsessed with customers as Amazon is?<br /><br />If the Fintech companies want to win the race, they must look sideways at Amazon to pick up a tip or two which will help them stay ahead. A simple Google search will throw up 'n' number of articles on Amazon's superior customer service. But the three strategies that I find most relevant for Fintech companies are: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>1.Power of DIY service</b> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">People who want to use a disruptive Fintech services are also most comfortable finding a solution most suited to </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">their needs. Give people the power to find their own solutions. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Amazon has an incredibly detailed yet easy to navigate Help Centre which lets people drill down to a number of specific concerns. While on the surface, the experience is streamlined to Amazon's overall shopping experience where people can search by category, under the hood, there are thousands of articles that help people find their own solutions. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHz6Q46mCDjMzZIUjOHrkQXO3nggj4rdXbQ0QHHW4xiNGppJaCRq7c49FaNyunm7Zcf9D1tud0z6WPNwQ4Iw9uTBKRhyphenhyphenpCyq_PgsBWtINZtBv61YxGUJI_PHa8xW0fl3wLfIvHq-_QNhp/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-06-09+at+12.31.00+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="685" data-original-width="1600" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHz6Q46mCDjMzZIUjOHrkQXO3nggj4rdXbQ0QHHW4xiNGppJaCRq7c49FaNyunm7Zcf9D1tud0z6WPNwQ4Iw9uTBKRhyphenhyphenpCyq_PgsBWtINZtBv61YxGUJI_PHa8xW0fl3wLfIvHq-_QNhp/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-06-09+at+12.31.00+AM.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">People are scared of purchase decisions they make online. A 2016 <a href="https://goshippo.com/blog/2016-ecommerce-state-shipping/" target="_blank">study by Shippo </a>showed that most customers checked the return policy <i>before</i> they make the decision to purchase an online product. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUC32F_qpc9eYBErbJTvk5ZQ8fvlM5_P24PE6xfXAyFAVqoGLBnxyKx4lT68L8WD_mbpttfsP9W38FjmOQxbrXR88Ne5xxpKQVZ9oS0MvE7wkAHLuYt3z2zDXCY9laLvEpFppu0nDDz5A/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-06-09+at+12.41.49+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="1408" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUC32F_qpc9eYBErbJTvk5ZQ8fvlM5_P24PE6xfXAyFAVqoGLBnxyKx4lT68L8WD_mbpttfsP9W38FjmOQxbrXR88Ne5xxpKQVZ9oS0MvE7wkAHLuYt3z2zDXCY9laLvEpFppu0nDDz5A/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-06-09+at+12.41.49+AM.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The fear is more palpable among shoppers who purchase financial products which protect their long term needs. For example Insurance. Amazon has a no questions asked return policy which provides an immense sense of comfort to shoppers. While it has become a norm among eComm players today, Amazon started the trend in the market. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Can Fintech players give people the option to reverse their decision without a heavy penalty? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>3. Power of personalisation</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Amazon's personalisation is legendary. What makes them stand apart from everyone else is the way they can make people feel that they are dealing with a person where there is a connection, not just a transaction. Having access to Big Data is not the only answer. It is not good enough to have the right data and do the right things with the data. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Amazon is a startup at heart. Their personality is that of an explorer while their processes are nimble. They swiftly move in and out of businesses. There is absolutely nothing stopping them (except the regulators) from becoming our key financial services provider. And when that happens, I will surely move my business to them. </span></div>
Black Coffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904988824658654759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708656050913383542.post-38330037231900965522016-11-28T00:13:00.000+05:302016-12-07T08:49:23.956+05:305 things to know about mobile wallets <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
On November 8, 2016, the Indian government announced that all Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 notes of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahatma_Gandhi_Series" target="_blank">Mahatma Gandhi Series</a> would cease to be legal tenders from midnight. One cool outcome of this sudden move that's caught everyone attention is the spike in adoption of mobile wallets. While I used a mobile wallet as an in app feature in some popular apps such as Zomato and Uber, I had never really used one as a stand alone app prior to the demonetisation. Now that I am compelled to use one, I did some reading about mobile wallets to answer the questions which I had. You might find them useful as well.<br />
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<b>1. There are many mobile wallet brands in India. What's the difference between them? </b><br />
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There are close to 20 <a href="http://www.iamwire.com/2016/11/list-of-mobile-wallets-upi-payment-apps-in-india/145172" target="_blank">mobile wallet brands</a> operating in India today. While by definition they are all mobile wallets, they can be broadly bucketed into 3 types: <br />
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<u>The open wallets</u> are those launched by banks or in partnership with a bank. These apps allow purchase of goods and services, fund transfers and cash withdrawals at banks and ATMs. Apart from payments to merchants, these apps allows the user to send money to a bank account via a linked mobile number. <a href="https://www.mpesa.in/" target="_blank">Vodafone M-Pesa</a> and <a href="https://www.icicibank.com/Personal-Banking/insta-banking/internet-banking/pockets/index.html" target="_blank">ICICI Pockets</a> are examples of open wallets.<br />
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<u>Semi-closed wallets :</u> With this type of apps, one can deposit money into the app, pay affiliated merchants but cannot withdraw money from them. So the money one loads into the app will have to be spent. <a href="https://paytm.com/" target="_blank">PayTM</a> and <a href="http://www.airtel.in/money" target="_blank">Airtel Money</a> are semi closed wallets. <br />
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<u>Closed Wallets :</u> This type of wallets are typically the ones such as <a href="https://www.freecharge.in/desktop/;jsessionid=C1556A763562C4BE237A67305B3CBFCB" target="_blank">Freecharge</a>. They are issued by companies to consumers for buying goods and services exclusively from that company. This type of wallets are popular with e-commerce companies. <br />
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<b>2. What happens to the money which is preloaded?</b><br />
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When you opens an account with a mobile wallet operator, they opens an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escrow" target="_blank">escrow account</a> and deposits the money that is preloaded into that account. Only when you makes a payment using the wallet, does the amount get credited into the wallet operator's account. Neither the merchants or the wallet operator can access this money or benefit from the money lying in your wallet.<br />
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<b>3. Why should I choose mobile wallets when I already have net banking facility? </b><br />
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Making payments using a mobile wallet is far more convenient than using net banking. Money can exchange hands in matter of a gentle tap while net banking is far more tedious. Moreover, net banking is perilous, especially while making online payments as the entire account is exposed to a potential fraudster. While wallets do have a far less stringent authentication process but the money that is exposed to a potential fraudster is way lesser.<br />
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<b>4. How safe are mobile wallets?</b><br />
While I did not find any satisfactory answer to this question but my personal experience says that it does have its flaws where safety is concerned. My primary concern is the authentication process. It is far more relaxed than every other payment instrument (of course, not counting physical wallets). Anyone with access to my mobile phone and its password can use my wallet to make a payment. On a slightly paranoid note, the credit/ debit card information stored in the app can be compromised easily. While the RBI has laid down strict policy guidelines, I am not sure how much of these safety norms are really followed and what the checks and measures are. <br />
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<b>5. How do mobile wallet operators make money? </b><br />
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Each mobile wallet operator focusses on acquiring as many merchants as they can as their business model is based on commission from the merchants and payments for others apps such as Uber.<br />
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Black Coffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904988824658654759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708656050913383542.post-86100806023891955662016-07-31T11:59:00.002+05:302016-07-31T11:59:37.106+05:30Chasing Pocket Monsters <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7sthafRmLJ9E2eHl50SwfTWZUe99uE_K-RqpZD3eJu8El8Nj4h0OGwBLoHC6e3BfNnhn-_xL1-Jirj98jPHaONO2EXM1UISAn0Rlu_S0nEGD7soIzDtCBbcqaR7z6kr7raWpjQGX6prdy/s1600/Pokemon-Go.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7sthafRmLJ9E2eHl50SwfTWZUe99uE_K-RqpZD3eJu8El8Nj4h0OGwBLoHC6e3BfNnhn-_xL1-Jirj98jPHaONO2EXM1UISAn0Rlu_S0nEGD7soIzDtCBbcqaR7z6kr7raWpjQGX6prdy/s320/Pokemon-Go.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">True to my character, I have been vociferous about my dislike for the game without really knowing anything about it. I felt chasing little monsters around the city was perhaps the stupidest thing one could do, ever. But now I am a convert. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">I changed my mind when I accompanied two avid Pokemon hunters in their pursuit. Why the change of heart? I am no gamer but I think its one of the most well designed games I have ever come across. It breaks most norms that a video game typically symbolises. (If you want to know the secret of this game's success, read this </span><a href="http://www.warc.com/Content/Blogs/Blog.aspx?ID=2315" style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;" target="_blank">article</a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"> from the WARC blog.)</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The 3 most striking features which made me jump in are:</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1. It is an exercise app in disguise : The game rewards players according to how far they walk as one needs to walk a certain distance to catch more valuable Pokemon characters or hatch an egg. I will do anything to shed the extra kilos off as long as I don't have to stop eating or drinking. </span></div>
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2. It is based on the principles of socialising: The lure module feature of the game brings people together in a physical location. I would like to meet more people in my area, especially if they are the types who chase pocket monsters in their spare time. Well, why not? It takes all kinds to make the world.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">3. It connects you to your city: You have to explore the city to not only catch different varieties of monsters but also land up in 'gyms' which are fictional arena like places that are mapped onto real life landmarks sprinkled around the city. Anyone who knows me at all, knows of my love for Mumbai and my penchant for exploring the city - with or without a reason. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Come on, if you are a fence sitter, jump in! It is nothing like anything you have done in a very very long time. But oops, if you are in India, there is a minor problem. The game has not been launched in our part of the world as yet. Not sure what is Niantic, the makers of the game, waiting for but just in case you don't want to wait, <a href="http://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/features/how-to-download-pokemon-go-for-ios-862495" target="_blank">here's how</a> you can download it on your iPhone and get going right away!</span></div>
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Black Coffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904988824658654759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708656050913383542.post-7237249686055779552016-05-01T14:25:00.001+05:302016-05-02T08:09:54.959+05:30Selling Life Insurance In The Digital Age<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One industry in dire need for an overhaul is the life insurance industry. With all the disruptions in the banking sector propelled by the fintech companies, consumers are going to demand a change in the entire process - from purchase, underwriting to claim settlement. With increase in young insurable population and their higher awareness about the need for protection and pension planning, insurance companies which adopt to the needs of the millennials will do better than the others who choose to stick by their legacy systems.<br />
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Currently all 24 life insurance companies in India offer online purchase option for their insurance products but none of them have adopted a digital mindset. Learnings from the success of the new age banks and banking products indicate that a true digital mindset offers new age products, services and solutions which are not available/ cannot be offered in the offline world. Simple hybrid models is not the answer for the future world. <br />
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To adapt to the future world, companies need to focus on 2 key aspects which form the backbone of this industry.<br />
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<b>1. Customer Experience </b><br />
Currently fraught with mistrust and opacity, the customer experience across the purchase journey is an anxiety ridden one. Any company that manages to completely re-look at the existing process with a clear focus on customer delight will win the day. P2P life insurance start up, New York based <a href="http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2016/02/24/399698.htm" target="_blank">Lemonade</a> have started on the journey to revolutionise customer experience by basing their processes on behaviourial science. They are betting big on it to help them improve their underwriting and overall claim response and processing time to improve their policy holders' satisfaction level. To adapt to the new age, life insurance offerings and processes need to have a focus on transparency, agility and most importantly, intuitiveness built into their mindset which will automatically reflect in the way they do business. <br />
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<b>2. Personalised Underwriting</b><br />
With mountains of data easily available, companies which offer personalised underwriting (differentiated pricing depending on an individual's lifestyle) to the millennials will definitely win at the end of the day. This generation will be happy provide access to their personal data if they stand to benefit from it. By partnering wearable devices, companies will no longer have to rely on static data provided at a point in time but can continue to monitor their customers' behaviour overtime to provide a risk cover which is a win win for all parties concerned. Motor insurance companies in the US have already started adopting technology for underwriting. Once customers experience personalised underwriting process from general insurance companies, they will demand the same from their life insurance providers.<br />
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I can't help but wonder, in 2020 and beyond, will life insurance companies face competition from e-commerce companies such as Amazon and social media giants such as Facebook who are proficient in data mining and even more proficient in analysing what customers want and providing them with a solution which is not only convenient but also fast. Look what Uber did to the public transportation system!<br />
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I believe that adapting a digital mindset for the life insurance industry is far trickier than other industries. The industry not only needs to re-look at their business model but also their age old belief system that insurance is not bought but sold. The one thing that Millennials dislike the most is being sold to. They prefer to buy what they want, when they want and at a price they want it at. <br />
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Black Coffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904988824658654759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708656050913383542.post-8497773107997774372016-03-13T12:11:00.000+05:302016-03-13T12:11:32.948+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There is suddenly a tsunami of wrists around me with bands around them literally screaming " I am a health conscious freak". Funnily I notice these bands less often in the gym and more often at pubs when the wearer holds up his beer mug to his mouth. That led me to wonder why do people really wear these? Do they really look into the data that these devices are generating? Are they really making lifestyle changes basis their analysis of the data?<div>
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I spoke to a couple of people who wear these bands religiously and presenting the 2 most interesting quotes which encapsulates what almost everyone else had to say : </div>
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"My wife gave me this band. Looks cool, doesn't it? Since now I see the time on my mobile and I don't need to wear a watch, I decided to wear this cool piece of tech around my wrists." </div>
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"Yup I do go through the data. I ensure I do the 10K steps I am supposed to do. It allows me the extra beer in the evening." </div>
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Interesting to know that these gadgets are at worst props to make people look cool to at best being a permission device that allows an extra drink in the evening because you have been good all day. </div>
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What a waste! I wonder why aren't health insurance companies jumping in at the opportunity and linking the data to the cost of insurance premiums or health apps using it to signal an impending heart attack? </div>
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Black Coffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904988824658654759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708656050913383542.post-25833815131183932842016-02-10T07:59:00.000+05:302016-02-10T08:03:39.994+05:30Dating Apps<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Technology is fundamentally changing the nature of
relationships all over the world. The online dating industry is a </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">$2 billion
powerhouse growing at a rapid speed, fuelled by dating apps such as Tinder,
Truly Madly and OkCupid.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A <a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/10/21/online-dating-relationships/">study</a>
by Pew Research Centre says that people’s attitude towards online dating is on
an upswing. Only a minority view online
dating skeptically. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Those out to play the mating game love these virtual toys as
the location based mobile apps virtually put every single person within a certain
geography at their finger tips. Come on, regardless of one’s relationship
status, who wouldn’t want to know all the eligible hunks and sexy sirens in the
neighbourhood?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Influenced by the growing chatter on the Internet I
downloaded one of these heaven sent marvel to satisfy my curiosity and was
absolutely gobsmacked by the ease and simplicity with which one can choose a
potential mate. Based on the principles of gaming, these apps have been
designed to keep people hooked on for hours. They provide a high to the users as
the brain releases dopamine - a kick ass chemicals in the brain that makes one
feel happy every time there is a positive affirmation. Not to forget the reward
- opportunity to have at least one casual encounter for every mindless minute
spent. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Call me archaic if you will, but I am not a huge fan of
these apps. I think these are just temporary entertainment of mindless and
superficial date selection. I just can’t get my head around to the fact that why would anyone want to be a thumb swept sexual conquest? (Sorry, but that’s what it finally boils down to.) I have grown up believing that fun of the hunt is
in the chase. The instant gratification of a right swipe, bereft of any
emotional intimacy leaves me cold. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Fans of these apps rave about the 'huge opportunity' of meeting
people who they would like to casually hook up with / date/ get into a
relationship with. But my humble point to those blocks is that an ‘opportunity’
is supposed to be exciting because its rare. With options aplenty, is it really an opportunity? </span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Regardless of how I feel about it, in this techno-sexual era, mobile app based casual hook up is a part of mainstream culture and is here to stay. I should just accept it, wear my marketing hat and get busy thinking of ways to leverage this 'huge opportunity' for my brands. </span></div>
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Black Coffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904988824658654759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708656050913383542.post-10064098271689867732016-02-06T13:37:00.000+05:302016-02-06T13:37:12.929+05:30 New Age Recruitment <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Rather uncharacteristically, I am watching the IPL auction in progress. As the process unfolds, it triggers a thought.<br />
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This is 2016. Most people who are really good at their work, no longer want to work for an organisation. 24 year olds today prefer to throw caution in the wind and either freelance or set up their own companies to offer some crazy service or product. Some succeed. But those who don't, seldom hesitate to start all over again. But none of them ever want to join a regular workforce if they can help it as they consider a regular 10 to 6 job a compromise choice.<br />
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While I salute the hungry go-getters, as a manager, I worry. A year or two down the line where will we get good talent who make all the difference? Perhaps, the corporate world too will have to bid for talent in an auction on a project to project basis. Alternately, we will have to let our best talents take leave for three months to work on a project of their choice in any company who will 'buy' them for the season.<br />
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Will #JobAuctions become the next new age recruitment policy? #PointToPonder<br />
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Black Coffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904988824658654759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708656050913383542.post-29175028864696667282016-01-30T15:19:00.000+05:302016-01-30T15:19:09.063+05:30 Suitcase space on rent <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;">The sharing economy has reached a new level. From sharing homes to rides and even moms (remember the Fortune Oil initiate?) - people are now sharing suitcase space! Found this website called <a href="https://www.airfrov.com/how-it-works" target="_blank">Airfrov</a>, a Singapore based platform that pairs international frequent travellers who have luggage space to share with shoppers who want to purchase an international product but wants to save on the shipping charge. While the shopper saves a little, the traveller makes a little money on the side by carrying the purchased good in the excess space in his suitcase. What a brilliant idea! Curious to know what are we going to share next. </span><div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is how it works : </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Black Coffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904988824658654759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708656050913383542.post-4430497986181922672015-12-20T11:45:00.000+05:302015-12-20T11:45:08.857+05:305 Digital Marketing Trends: 2016 <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>It is that time of the year when everyone is busy forecasting the new black. So here I am keeping up with the season. I</i><i> am no expert and nothing gives me the right to forecast a subject as complex as digital marketing trends. But as a keen observer, I am hazarding a guess about the shape of things to come in 2016. </i><br />
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<b>#1: Back to the dominance of a single screen</b><br />
According to forecasts, India will reach 236 million mobile internet users by 2016. Not a figure comparable with television reach but when it comes to changing behaviour purely on the back of convenience and economics, you know which device will dominate. <br />
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<b>What does it mean for brands</b><br />
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To win, brands will have to invest in 2 things - gain an understanding of the unique features this device has to offer and how the consumers are interacting with their devices. Basis these, brands will need to innovate offers which will secure their place in the consideration set. While the same technology is available to everyone, it's the sheer brilliance of creativity that will help winning brands succeed. </div>
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<b>#2 Trend : Vernacularization </b><br />
India's next million online are going to be folks whose language of choice is their mother tongue. Their comfort comes from reading and interacting in their own language. Currently internet content in Indian languages account for only 0.1%. If you decode Sundar Pichai's recent talk in Delhi, companies such as Google will push for a lot more of vernacular content online.<br />
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<b>What does it mean for brands</b><br />
Going vernac will no longer be a choice. With the growing popularity of internet among the masses, every form of owned media - social assets, apps or websites will slowly require vernacular content to engage with consumers in their language. Moreover mass brands will need to focus less on the <i>oh so cool</i> ideas which appeal to South Mumbai and focus on authentic content and conversation which is relatable to the masses in south Bihar.<br />
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<b>#3 Trend: Mobile Payments </b><br />
When the big boys such as Apple, Google and Samsung all get behind a trend, it is bound to see some hot action. Rumour has it that Microsoft is also dipping its toe in this water. I won't be surprised if millions of smartphones in 2016, especially those made for the mid to low price points, comes integrated with features and apps for mobile commerce.<br />
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<b>What does it mean for brands</b><br />
Once this goes mass, the initial hiccup of merchant acceptance will slowly melt away in the face of consumer benefits that this mode of payment offers. The speed and flexibility of this payment mode will make it the choice of the new generation. Brands will have to take a hard look at their loyalty programmes to cater to the users of these services. Devising mobile coupon loyalty programmes basis location and interests could be a good starting point.<br />
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<b>#4: Search</b><br />
It's no secret that Google is now experimenting with video ads in search results. Additionally, modern search engines are receiving more and more queries from digital assistants such as Siri, Cortana and Google Now. Spoken language queries are hugely different from typed queries. I guess spoken search queries will mean a new type of long-tail keyword queries - stuff that mimics spoken dialogue will emerge.<br />
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<b>What does it mean for brands</b><br />
Key words are passé. Gear up for video ads suited for new age search and brands which still insist on writing pages should perhaps contain more colloquial, conversational content. Don't waste time. Go look for an agency that can handle the new layer to the complexity of search.<br />
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<b>#5: Live Mobile Broadcasting </b><br />
Language agnostic, easy to use live streaming apps such as Meerkat and Periscope will become the preferred platform of communication not only peer to peer but also with brands. Authenticity of the video based content coupled with the power of nowness (real time content) will help it to get ahead of text heavy mediums.<br />
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<b>What does it mean for brands</b><br />
It's the age of intimacy and no brand can run away from it. Brands that win will leverage the opportunity to showcase their human side by offering consumers the chance to interact with people behind their products, get fast feedback on R&D from real users, live Q&A between decision makers and consumers and a whole host more will perhaps become the order of the day.<br />
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So yup, a very exciting time lies ahead of us. We have loads to do. Even if some of these trends don't go mainstream in 2016, they soon will. As with most cases digital, consumers are leaps ahead of brands and we, the people behind the brands, have a lot of catching up to do. Good luck!<br />
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Black Coffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904988824658654759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708656050913383542.post-84827371392911365352015-11-21T20:13:00.001+05:302015-11-21T20:13:59.142+05:305 Totally Cool Social Media Campaigns <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am totally and absolutely in love with the awesome campaigns that are being created for social media world over. Here are a few of my favourites based on their unique use of a social channel of their choice. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinoUOJaibAvhqx6F46eY16-Ez1ql_tQsVZxhoqihaPPZTTn-EHkIIHDOV5ig5O-_e31BGuDFyr0J_aQn4BoLUtYCHQURDXWBMFcl9bV2RFQeIs_Zp7ZMwx_9sJkzN1m1GiK8iljO2ZB8HQ/s1600/th.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinoUOJaibAvhqx6F46eY16-Ez1ql_tQsVZxhoqihaPPZTTn-EHkIIHDOV5ig5O-_e31BGuDFyr0J_aQn4BoLUtYCHQURDXWBMFcl9bV2RFQeIs_Zp7ZMwx_9sJkzN1m1GiK8iljO2ZB8HQ/s200/th.jpeg" width="145" /></a><b>Brand : Taken3 </b></div>
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<b>Category: Film and Entertainment </b></div>
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<b>Media : LinkedIn </b></div>
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<b>Idea: Movie star endorses 'special set of skills' on Linkedin</b></div>
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This one is special because we don't see promotional campaigns on LinkedIn often.<br />
20th Century Fox chose to promote the film Taken 3 with a very clever contest that has the business networking site at its heart. To invite participation, it kicked off with a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=535J4gYXsxs" target="_blank">video</a> in which Liam Neeson's character Bryan Mills urges viewers to go to a special page and follow a set of instructions to participate in a contest. The prize for the winning entry was fairly unique. In Liam's own words, he promised to <i>"find your LinkedIn profile, review it and record a video of myself endorsing your particular set of skills." </i></div>
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I think its a crazy and creative way to generate conversation (Imagine Salman Khan or SRK endorsing your skill on Linkedin via a video! Woohoo!) about a movie through a contest that costs almost nothing but have many people want what it offers. </div>
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<b>Winner Announcement </b>: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp3daXxkng4" target="_blank">Watch Video</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZBSxP-hb2f5CrEi9Xvt8burO9LJjNOkU3LCdqI8ncSNvZtrYYqRa-B1Yu-Qm7KxJAEjCKi5uHKpSJ9p2TPSAdOMBIRESfOUGojjle1O85zvqWpxQXMm8MNpr_lUrb8oX3r_HmtFIyoPVj/s1600/th.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZBSxP-hb2f5CrEi9Xvt8burO9LJjNOkU3LCdqI8ncSNvZtrYYqRa-B1Yu-Qm7KxJAEjCKi5uHKpSJ9p2TPSAdOMBIRESfOUGojjle1O85zvqWpxQXMm8MNpr_lUrb8oX3r_HmtFIyoPVj/s200/th.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Brand: Abarth 500 </b></div>
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<b>Category: Automobile </b></div>
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<b>Media: Twitter</b></div>
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<b>Idea:</b> <b>Too Fast To Follow</b></div>
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This turbocharged hatchback from Germany chose not to use twitter in the conventional way. Instead, it used the medium uniquely to reinforce the brand proposition. Fans who tried to follow the vehicle's official Twitter page got a message saying that no one can follow the Abarth 500 because its just too fast. Instead, they were invited to a thrilling test drive on a real race track via Twitter's direct message. Thousands of people hit the follow button to get invited and excitedly twitted about their experience. The clever idea was promoted through a hashtag #ZeroFollowers.<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv8YKIJmjE0&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">Watch Video</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_5M_GcHeM4-2xpTMsG-SoXnzFA1J76nvooNXqPpiQLAnF7hZZQ3eV1nA9WC_1aAk4QNtJxdA_Y1dnmhJRz1cy1LgtuqP5WwvulOFFKPZeiryFk4FXUCk-zUQdGFi_DA661Qkwk-XpmjBo/s1600/th.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_5M_GcHeM4-2xpTMsG-SoXnzFA1J76nvooNXqPpiQLAnF7hZZQ3eV1nA9WC_1aAk4QNtJxdA_Y1dnmhJRz1cy1LgtuqP5WwvulOFFKPZeiryFk4FXUCk-zUQdGFi_DA661Qkwk-XpmjBo/s1600/th.jpeg" /></a></div>
<b>Brand: Puma </b></div>
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<b>Category: Fragrance </b></div>
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<b>Media: App </b><b> </b></div>
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<b>Idea: Say It With A Dance</b></div>
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To connect with the youth, Puma created an app called <i>Dance Dictionary</i> to promote its Sync range of fragrances. Puma collaborated with freestyle dancers from New York to compile a dance lexicon. The app allows users to select words and phrases which are then translated to dance moves which users can share via any social network or email. While its common for people to use songs to communicate, this was perhaps the first time that dance was used as a medium of communication. <br />
<a href="https://youtu.be/_-SaKnVRwRw" target="_blank">Watch Video</a> </div>
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<a href="http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/pumas-dance-dictionary-will-leave-you-loss-words-149711" target="_blank">Read More</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-InjkQG4d0NFZ8OQqf1SMZt2rb2kajm7nNsTDC5fOh9fsRNueUmASCc9L_BxqYo_IVmJUsT7Z_K_WU1-75dyc0_D3sQb8AdDfqQHaMwXhG9AOJ4lFmSe3XoaEeDnu9NbUOy1W-PbThIAV/s1600/forslider1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-InjkQG4d0NFZ8OQqf1SMZt2rb2kajm7nNsTDC5fOh9fsRNueUmASCc9L_BxqYo_IVmJUsT7Z_K_WU1-75dyc0_D3sQb8AdDfqQHaMwXhG9AOJ4lFmSe3XoaEeDnu9NbUOy1W-PbThIAV/s200/forslider1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Brand: Nescafe</b><br />
<b>Category: Beverage</b><br />
<b>Media: Digital Video and Facebook </b><br />
<b>Idea: Modern Art Of Conversation</b><br />
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Nescafe partnered with Faizal Lulat, an artist from London to create bespoke pieces of art based on conversations of 30 high profile bloggers. Shot in London's oldest coffee house, Jamaica Wine House, the digital video shows the bloggers having a conversation over coffee. While they talked about their different passions, Lulat creates colourful pieces of art based on the conversations. <b> </b><br />
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This activity was extended to Facebook with people able to win their own personal piece of art by posting five words that describe them best on Nescafe Dolce Gusto's Facebook page. <b> </b><br />
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<b>Watch Video:</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEiqh-Of1hE" target="_blank">Modern Art Of Conversation</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlVPryzD7_zGGReXLVqXTFhWIZDhuH_YgN5_vUan3qYCKbuC8Vx4js7rutOMrVVMfs_oEsPimZfwcN9DkixWvS7eXWGzp-olVXADpdasaA0fXoBu91UHEpTKJDYacfXGwcxnJUJcEz7lB7/s1600/th.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlVPryzD7_zGGReXLVqXTFhWIZDhuH_YgN5_vUan3qYCKbuC8Vx4js7rutOMrVVMfs_oEsPimZfwcN9DkixWvS7eXWGzp-olVXADpdasaA0fXoBu91UHEpTKJDYacfXGwcxnJUJcEz7lB7/s200/th.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Brand: Dove </b></div>
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<b>Category: Personal Care </b></div>
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<b>Media: Snapchat </b></div>
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<b>Idea: Snap away your insecurities </b><br />
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<i>This brand has an unfair advantage in this list, being among one of my favourite brands. I am absolutely blown by how seamlessly the brand leverages each medium to take forward its proposition. </i></div>
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As a part of its Annual Self Esteem Weekend, Dove invited participants to send in their 'snaps' and solicit conversations regarding their insecurities. Dove and its 'self esteem ambassadors' provided real time advice and feedback which helped the participants regain their confidence in themselves and their looks. I really liked the idea for the way the brand leverage the ephemeral nature of the media. With each action of disappearing snaps, more room was created for positive thoughts. <br />
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Black Coffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904988824658654759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708656050913383542.post-85221479597902999852015-10-18T14:27:00.000+05:302015-10-18T14:41:38.303+05:30Live Mobile Broadcasting: The New Kid On The Block <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb6LEDBhhAp7c2qPmf4gA5BXCEVxHzLZLjy48yFhxZ4bANwBgcUuEPjYkZsdWWLjM9jT8NWKIglNxGIyAcqaqhG0S61GjhGnPd4LlV7zAuyEiL1w86qnKj0EkqZQ2_zhnc0BbIA8gUwkT3/s1600/Slide1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb6LEDBhhAp7c2qPmf4gA5BXCEVxHzLZLjy48yFhxZ4bANwBgcUuEPjYkZsdWWLjM9jT8NWKIglNxGIyAcqaqhG0S61GjhGnPd4LlV7zAuyEiL1w86qnKj0EkqZQ2_zhnc0BbIA8gUwkT3/s320/Slide1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: justify;">It's no new news that live
streaming apps such as </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meerkat_(app)" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #420178;">Meerkat</span></a><span style="text-align: justify;">
and </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periscope_(app)" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #420178;">Periscope</span></a><span style="text-align: justify;"> that enable users to broadcast
live from their mobile devices are the next big thing in social media. As with
anything new, the marketing world is awestruck with this new kid on the block.
Some are fascinated, some are bewildered while others are skeptical. While not
the most popular choice, but certainly no twenty first century marketer is
ignoring this new tool. The authenticity, intimacy and the nowness that apps
offer, makes it very relevant to all marketers and especially to those whose
audience are below the age of 25. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With a plethora of tools
already available and some yet to be used to their full potential, why are
these apps attracting so much attention? Here is my take on the matter. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US">1.
Culturally, we prefer audio visual information over verbalisers. </span></b><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So far social media has
largely been text heavy with opportunities to 'share' audio visual information
which have been crafted by others. For the first time, these apps offer a
chance to lay people to create audio visual information easily. If the success
of photographs and emoticons on social media is anything to go by, it is only a
matter of time for live broadcasting apps to go from early adopters to
mainstream. In these matters, consumers are always a step ahead of
marketers and to stay relevant, marketers will have to adapt this new platform
at the earliest. So everyone is keeping an eye out to see how the journey is
taking shape. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US">2. It is
a humanising medium </span></b><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People today, especially
those below 25 want to watch authentic content which are unscripted and real.
Especially when it comes to brands, people want to connect at a human level.
Even if it is half-baked and raw, people want to get a glimpse of behind the
scenes, meet the people behind the products, have a meaningful dialogue with
the brands of their choice. The authenticity and intimacy that a live stream
creates is unparalleled. Since every 21st century brand's KRA is to humanise,
there is definitely a lot of interest in a medium that bolsters the
opportunity. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US">3. The power
of Nowness</span></b><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The medium is designed in a
manner that the content producers interact with the viewers real time. </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the first time there is
now a super fast expressway for brands to connect with people directly and
have a real time conversation like never before. Fast feedback on R&D, real
time response by customer care and live Q&A between brands and people are
some of the sure shot success measures of any new age brand. </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While brands today realise
the power of this emerging social media tool, there is an inherent hesitation
to jump in. A lot of them are sitting on the fence to gauge the initial success
of other brands and learn from their mistakes. If I had the powers to decide on
behalf of a brand, I would definitely dip a toe by now without any delay to leverage
the power that this medium offers. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Black Coffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904988824658654759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708656050913383542.post-7899248486018640782015-09-20T12:10:00.002+05:302015-09-20T17:18:08.575+05:30Coffeeshopification of workspaces <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">My first experience of a workspace was in the early '80s in Calcutta. As a little girl I would sometimes tag
along with my parents just to satisfy my curiosity about the place they called
home from 9 AM to 5 PM on weekdays. I have rather faint but intimidating
memories of large oak paneled walls, men in formal attire and lots of paper
files. Even on Saturdays, the place wore a high degree of formalness and
discipline. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvb0PrmLTdCZhf8racHGWI2PXwFur5xJs63Mw8V76OjsD08H6P2OtGrOtJ2cwz6n1pxTTp2_uXKgrcWLThvJ4zD7IqoxXBE4ntmZBWtfP7kldJv36ESewExnY8YfCsf8R0k2RBc8Z3m1M3/s1600/oldschool-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvb0PrmLTdCZhf8racHGWI2PXwFur5xJs63Mw8V76OjsD08H6P2OtGrOtJ2cwz6n1pxTTp2_uXKgrcWLThvJ4zD7IqoxXBE4ntmZBWtfP7kldJv36ESewExnY8YfCsf8R0k2RBc8Z3m1M3/s1600/oldschool-1.jpg" /></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">bada sahabs</i> and the minions lived in two separate worlds under the
same roof. Large wooden doors isolated the two worlds. Bada sahabs’ jobs were
to do something very important called ‘think and discuss’ and no efforts were
spared to insulate their world from regular office sounds such as the ones made
by clacking keys of typewriters or a stray laughter, lest they interfere with
their important work. Their oak paneled offices had large wooden tables on
which multiple telephones and leather bound files were neatly arranged. There
would also be a round bell on the desk that would be used to summon a minion
with a thump of a hand. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Junior management,
reverential to a fault, sat outside. Thick paper files jostling for space on unkempt
tables. There was no concept of interdependence. The well-attired grey haired
occupants of the oak walled cabins ‘knew it all’ and the bush shirted men who
sat outside surrounded by Godrej Steel cupboards were still learning the tricks
of the trade. Men inside instructed the men outside to do and they did, without
a question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Technology as we know it
today had not invaded the offices. Perhaps telex machines, Casio calculators,
black telephones and Remington typewriters were the only 'tech' gadgets in the
office and there was an army of people especially hired to man these gadgets.
Use of these facilities were only available in a confined space called ‘office’
and one had to be present in an office to dispense their duties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Cut to the post
liberalisation era. Technology in the form of desktop PCs had begun to permeate
offices. Every day more and more work was being done on Microsoft
Word, PPT, Excel and so on. Official communication was being sent via Lotus
Notes and more conversions were being had over handheld Nokias. The concept of
a specialized army to man the gadgets was slowly giving way to a more DIY
culture.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIh5oP218tK9lE55pHmOazApnU-fq11_9dYgfdaaSDcHHE1WXJi4G37dJ5SwWw6GX3EDGf9kMiePHwXie0fLO3DEPymNYY0KZ2vRlQ87kuHRmT5B_dhZp4GfMDW8ihS8lXkXlOfr9m-UtS/s1600/Office+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIh5oP218tK9lE55pHmOazApnU-fq11_9dYgfdaaSDcHHE1WXJi4G37dJ5SwWw6GX3EDGf9kMiePHwXie0fLO3DEPymNYY0KZ2vRlQ87kuHRmT5B_dhZp4GfMDW8ihS8lXkXlOfr9m-UtS/s320/Office+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">While there were still two
separate worlds, the barriers had begun to come down. The oak panels had been
replaced by glass, the attire had become a shade casual and calling people by
their first names was totally acceptable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">I am almost sure that the
change was not brought in as a gesture of benevolence or cultural modernization
but as a result of the need of the hour. With more and more work becoming
technology dependent, the older, tech challenged folks needed the tech savvy upstarts to exist. Just as the young bunch needed the older folks to grow. This interdependence led to workspaces becoming more transparent, both physically and metaphorically. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsoc7fTd_zKT7WpODnE39RD4HQ3hJaN-zSgLyW39EXCD7iRyFirGyv-53jJFMOhRHCze0RTytqq-RfDXbpR4sg6BOmyiIfAz-4om8jvJeoTwTCKIx0MfR5VtJdxRF4Mp2liodU_z3g503/s1600/Office.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsoc7fTd_zKT7WpODnE39RD4HQ3hJaN-zSgLyW39EXCD7iRyFirGyv-53jJFMOhRHCze0RTytqq-RfDXbpR4sg6BOmyiIfAz-4om8jvJeoTwTCKIx0MfR5VtJdxRF4Mp2liodU_z3g503/s320/Office.jpg" width="320" /></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Cut to 2015. Walk into any
modern day office and there is a high degree of chance that you will mistake it
for a coffee shop. Colourful walls made of steel meshes instead of bricks or
glass panels, fluidity of space, world-class modular furniture, absence of cabins, et
al reflects the times we live in. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">The office space is now
just a place for people to jam over coffee and come up with bigger and better
ideas. It is a place to socialise offline - exchange thoughts, meet people. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">With
portability of devices and a positive move towards paperless offices, hot
desking is de jour. Offices are being redesigned to be multifunctional spaces.
Just like its occupants, the spaces too need to have the ability to change roles
in a moment’s notice - from a work-station to a meeting room to a party
zone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Thanks to technology,
dependence on a defined workspace is shrinking every day. Armed with our smartphones,
we carry our ‘office’ in our pockets at all times. I do more work over Whatsapp
messenger, a cross platform mobile app than I do using any other device. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">The only sounds that one
hears in offices today are sounds of ticking minds manifested through music,
YouTube videos, conversations and no one wants to be isolated from it. Hence the
only job of an office wall has now been renegaded to being a canvas for
creative expressions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">While we live in exciting
times, I wonder where are we headed? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">With increasing concerns
over global warming, real estate prices and the ever increasing need to cut down commute time, will
it finally lead to a complete demolition of the physical space called ‘office’
and move to an app based virtual meeting ground? If so, what impact will it
have on human behavior and corporate culture? Curiously looking ahead to a time
not very far from where we stand now. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Black Coffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904988824658654759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708656050913383542.post-2230128231334723282015-08-24T09:09:00.001+05:302015-08-24T09:09:45.181+05:305 Golden Rules of a Great Client- Agency Relationship<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In my 17 years of career, I have dabbled in various roles - from advertising to being an entrepreneur to heading the marketing function of a start up life insurance company. But primarily at heart, I have always remained and will remain a Account Management person. Over the years I have handled marque accounts such as Unilever to small entrepreneur led businesses. No matter what the category is or how big the account size is, one thing that is key to success has been great client relationships. <div>
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<div>
<div>
I am going to list down 5 golden rules of relationship building I have learnt over the years. While they all seem pretty obvious, unfortunately, with time, we tend to forget the golden rules and my effort behind the blogpost is not be preachy but perhaps reminding myself of the rules too. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>1. Building Credibility </b></div>
<div>
We are in the business of selling something intangible. We sell ideas. Clients don't get to see the final product before they have coughed up millions of Rupees and committed themselves to the idea. They are bound to be hesitant about buying something unseen or unheard of before. Our primary task is to build credibility for ourselves, our creative partners and of course, the agency we work for. Credibility can only come from one place - consistent delivery and performance. Its a tough one. But once we earn it, rest is cake walk.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>2. Passion for Client's Business </b></div>
<div>
This sounds like a cliché. But the truth is, more we know about our Client's business, the more they feel we understand their world and can really help them. Secondly, sometimes, we get so caught up in delivering day to day that we lose perspective of the over all picture. We efficiently deliver but seldom pause to think if what we are doing is effective. Understanding of effectiveness comes only with the understanding of client's business. </div>
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<div>
<b>3. Mutual Respect </b></div>
<div>
A healthy Client - Agency relationship is one in which there is a space and opportunity for debates and disagreements. But oftentimes we lose respect for one another because 'we' were right, and 'they' were wrong, 'we' had a great idea 'they' refused to buy, 'we' are not treated as partners. If we believe that there is no 'us' and there is no 'them' but just a group of people working towards a common goal, we will learn to respect one another. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>4. Accountability </b></div>
<div>
Agency and Client relationship should be about doing the right things for the brand. The day we put awards before solutions for the client, we will lose the relationship. Similarly, if we don't flag off a wrong decision, we are not being accountable to the brand. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>5. Great Work</b></div>
<div>
Last but not the least - we must always put the best work on the table. Clients hire us to do what they can't do. Its our job to guard against lazy work, safe work, uninspiring work. It is our job to to ensure the work connects with consumers and above all, the work drives business results. </div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Great relationships make an Agency stand out. A great relationship leads to great work which builds reputation and consequently recommendations. Great relationships make us feel good about the work we do. above all it offers a second chance, no matter what. </b></div>
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Black Coffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904988824658654759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708656050913383542.post-71503331191729683122015-07-28T23:42:00.000+05:302015-07-28T23:42:01.378+05:30Ironical interdependences <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I don't watch much television but whenever I do, my attentions peaks during commercial breaks. Occupational hazard. Being in the business, I like to watch ads. Funnily, the maximum number of television ads these days seems to be of various e-commerce portals and mobile phone based entertainment. Yup, one needs the big screen to drive people to the smaller screens.<br />
<br />
Drive down from Bandra to town. Perhaps the only things that outnumber potholes on busy Mumbai streets are billboards. Another occupational hazard. I focus more the billboards that the potholes. And guess what, most the billboards staring down at me are the ones urging me to rush home to watch a programme on television. They are omnipresent and inescapable- bus backs, kiosks, bus shelters - the works! The outdoor media seems to make most of their revenue by helping television channels shop for eyeballs. <br />
<br />
Funny but true. These ironical interdependence make up much of our society today. </div>
Black Coffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904988824658654759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708656050913383542.post-39488217991732881902015-06-28T21:26:00.000+05:302015-06-28T21:29:07.754+05:30Of lions and fishes! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So the much celebrated advertising festival held at Cannes every year just got over. The company I work for bagged 69 lions this year. Looking at the well crafted ideas I marvelled at the industry I am so proud to be a part of!<br />
<br />
But reading some of the reports on scam work, stollen ideas etc I can't help but wonder what makes creative geniuses stoop so low? Global recognition is a powerful motivation I agree, but, what happens after the undeserved lion enters the office? What benchmarks do these 'Gods' set for their juniors? Do their clients respect them? Will their business partners ever think twice before cheating them? who and how will this malice stop? Are we doomed to marvel at every creative work with niggle of doubt regarding its orginality?<br />
<br />
Who cares? The. negative reports will die out soon. What will remain are the sparkling lions. The people behind the scams will move on to their next job at astronomically high salaries where they will be encouraged to pull more scam. The work they produce will continue to be aimed at the jury and not the consumers. After all what do poor people who buy detergents, shampoos and everyday household goods know about creativity!<br />
<br />
What we will lose out on are the talents who genuinely want to build brands and want to solve their clients' problems. People who will perhaps never have a lion to show. People who will never make it to the cover of popular trade journals. People who will never be celebrated for their ideas at a a global level purely because their ideas did not have the sheen to wow the goras who form the bulk of the jury. They will lose faith and move on to baking cookies and writing books which no one will perhaps ever read.<br />
<br />
Here's hoping that before the next lion is awarded, we clean up our act so that the next fish that is served up does not stink like the one this year.<br />
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Black Coffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904988824658654759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708656050913383542.post-70950784893087761442015-06-06T11:12:00.001+05:302015-06-06T11:30:37.184+05:30Now Banks Are Doing It The Way Apple Does It<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Tech futurist, <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/watch/cnbc/instant-banking-with-moven-com-455656003980">Brett
King’s interview</a> opened my eyes to the way technology is changing
the banking world. He said something rather interesting - with 25000 fintech
start ups around the world, in ten years the biggest and the fastest growing
‘banks’ will be technology companies. Amazing! A little reading up on the subject absolutely astonished me
about the new trends in the BFSI category. Here are some key trends which I would like to share: </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Game Changing Service
Experience <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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The new banks are not really banks. They are merely customer
interfaces of white labeled FDIC insured banks. Check out <a href="https://www.simple.com/" target="_blank">Simple</a> and <a href="https://www.moven.com/" target="_blank">Moven</a>. Two new age banks who have completely
revolutionized banking. They are not just transaction oriented digital
terminals of brick and mortar banks. Simple and Moven are both revolutionary
experience providers. Apple of banks, if I may say so. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just to give you an example of their level of ‘customer
centricity', a much abused word in the financial services sector, Simple’s
<a href="https://www.simple.com/goals" target="_blank">Safe-to-spend</a> feature tells the user how much she can spend today without
hurting tomorrow’s plans. When users want to know their bank balance, the app
does a simple math – it subtracts upcoming bill payments, pending transactions and
any goals that the user is saving for and then presents a more accurate picture
of how much money can be spent today.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;">
Digital
transaction slips enable users to attach memos,
photos and notes. The user can attach these via the Simple app or website to
create a diary which records where they spent, on whom and why. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Peer to Peer Loans<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;">
Leveraging
peer to peer sharing trends which is extremely popular among netizens, online
platforms such as <a href="https://www.faircent.com/" target="_blank">Faircents</a> enable people to take a loan from othe individuals
at a lower rate of interest. The lenders get higher rate of interest than they
would have got had they kept their money in a bank’s Fixed Deposit account. What more, the interest amount is completely flexible. If you are willing to take a very high risk, you could earn as high as 36% on the money you lend out. The
service provider earns a small fee from the transaction for scrutinising the
borrower's credentials and ensuring safety for the lender’s money. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;">
Banks really need to watch out for these platforms. As per Rajat Gandhi's article in <a href="http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2015-05-05/news/61833446_1_banks-interest-access" target="_blank">ET</a>, despite two rate cuts in 2015, about 70 banks have still not cut their interest rates and passed on the benefits to their customers. While the poor in this country regularly die as they are unable to service their debts, our top ten banks have an average profit margin of 30% and have been growing at over 25% for the last ten years. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Thinking Like A Designer <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Banks
such as Fidelity are increasing employing new age methods such as Design
Thinking. To develop a new product or even customer interface, banks now think
like designers – observe customers in mutidisciplinary teams, develop ideas
iteratively and evaluate these ideas using prototyping. Apple captured this
spirit in 1997 and the rest is history. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;">
If
you visit Fidelity’s <a href="https://mymoney.fidelity.com/" target="_blank">My Money</a> website, the simplicity of the user interface,
the dejargonised content and their compeling proposition communicated through
videos – will blow your mind. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Customer Reviews <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Brands such as USAA actively let users rate and review
their products online just the way one would review a film or a gadget. I
was surprised to read that they are one of the few retail financial
institutions which allow people to review their products! No wonder, they have <a href="https://twitter.com/USAA" target="_blank">84.7K twitter</a> followers and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/USAA?fref=ts" target="_blank">794K fans </a>on Facebook. For the size of its assets and audience,
they have a tremendous ratio of fans.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;">
According
to a recent <a href="http://www.cgi.com/en/financial-services/banking-and-financial-markets/bank-consumer-survey" target="_blank">CGI report</a> titled 'Understanding Financial Consumers In the Digital Era', people expect a lot more than just digital services
from their financial Services brand’s online assets. These expectation will only be met by
understanding people’s behaviour outside the limited world of finance.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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In face of stiff competition from upstart
fintech start ups, established FinServ brands need to take a hard look over
their shoulders to keep from going the Nokia or Kodak way. Perhaps, just like the fintech companies, they too need to look at Apple for inspiration. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Black Coffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904988824658654759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708656050913383542.post-78164012224689842632015-05-25T08:31:00.000+05:302015-05-25T08:37:29.217+05:30Kill the business card <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8iyxsW0W-E7jMWVHkQtgSXxKyWjfnH3RYjqVohAvoGLobSNe5auO6Il0oaHFftJw0g8W5lDzUKlTVMDlGg7XP8YR4HJUNv69zRDLpgWqCchfT1_lSE7EyTvyhD1_Am4rmo-zYsZ_oGJ8b/s1600/IMG_0730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8iyxsW0W-E7jMWVHkQtgSXxKyWjfnH3RYjqVohAvoGLobSNe5auO6Il0oaHFftJw0g8W5lDzUKlTVMDlGg7XP8YR4HJUNv69zRDLpgWqCchfT1_lSE7EyTvyhD1_Am4rmo-zYsZ_oGJ8b/s200/IMG_0730.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
We don't write letters on paper. Printed magazines are passé . We choose to send e-greetings or whatsapp messages on festivals and birthdays. Electronic payment options are making paper money history. Why do we still exchange business cards?<br />
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In these days of technology where we can't breath for a second without the assistance of a mobile phone, should we not develop the good practice of exchanging contact coordinates digitally? Why kill a tree to let people know how to reach me by email?<br />
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While I love my business card only if purely for its aesthetics, from now on, I pledge to pass on my contact coordinates only digitally. Join me guys if you love your planet as much as I do. </div>
Black Coffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904988824658654759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708656050913383542.post-59282674972867674432015-05-24T09:40:00.000+05:302015-05-24T10:30:22.452+05:30Chasing 'New Shiny' <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The elation of moving into a new house. The joyous smell of a recently purchased car. The 'butterfly in the stomach' days of a new romance. The delight of a new book. The new guy in office - we love 'New Shiny'. We associate 'New Shiny' with opening up of doors to something positive, better, bigger, happier and so on. We forget that New Shiny can only fulfil its purpose of leading to something happier or better when the relationship is based on a mutual give and take. For example, a new book comes with its set of possibilities but only the reader's open mind can lead to the knowledge one seeks from a new book. A new relationship can definitely lead to a happier life provided both partners work towards a common goal. The new guy in office can solve problems only if the organisation arms him with the right tools. Sounds fairly commonsensical, doesn't it?<br />
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In the world of marketing, Digital is the New Shiny - harbinger of solutions to all things that sound 'difficult' at practically no cost. It has the 'new' smell. Its immensely measurable ROI gives managers the butterfly in the stomach feeling usually associated with falling in love. But how often do we stop and ask - 'What do I have to do to make this new medium work for me best?'</div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;">Digital marketing is not a mesmerising mermaid. It is a highly sophisticated tool that can provide solutions at the right ROI only if the data fed into it is correct. </span>The data comes from our understanding of consumer behaviour, market conditions, category quirks and everything else we have always been mining to provide the best marketing solutions. Perhaps its time for us to stop chasing New Shiny and start engaging with it more fruitfully.<br />
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Black Coffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904988824658654759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708656050913383542.post-63111049825808069902015-05-18T07:40:00.000+05:302015-05-18T08:23:32.650+05:30Its not all about the idea, dummy! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Technology advancements are changing the world around us rapidly. Now we have cars that drive themselves. Refrigerators that notify us when we run out of milk. Even home security systems which inform you when your child returns home from school.<br />
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Technology is changing the way we live. That's happening because technology is not just about a brilliant idea but its a brilliant idea which leads to even greater experiences for its consumers. The crux of the brilliance of technology is user experience. </div>
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Old school advertising agencies spend too much time dwelling on ideas and crafting them in a manner that is compelling and differentiated. We want people to remember our brand by 'watching' it on television and in print media. In order to do so, we worry about the little nuances. We worry about the execution. We worry about every little details that will make our ads memorable.<br />
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Unfortunately people have moved on. They are no longer interested in 'watching' brands. They want to 'experience' brands in every touch point. If a brilliant idea does not lend itself to a brilliant customer experience in each and every touch point, then there really is no point of a well crafted and highly differentiated idea. Agree? </div>
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Black Coffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904988824658654759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708656050913383542.post-32914330769110338002015-04-10T16:45:00.001+05:302015-04-10T16:45:39.740+05:30Is Myntra going 'app only' too early? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This week, popular fashion website <a href="http://www.myntra.com/" target="_blank">Myntra</a> announced that they are downing the shutters on their desktop website and moving to an app only strategy. Backed by numbers (85% of all users come to the site via the app; 63% purchases are app based. Source: <a href="http://gadgets.ndtv.com/internet/news/myntra-to-shutter-desktop-website-go-app-only-678281" target="_blank">NDTV Gadget</a>) the strategy looks sound. But I have been hearing murmurs of discontentment among the avid young online shoppers in my organisation. They say they will miss the 'big screen' shopping experience. This made me pause a bit and think. If I was a decision maker at Myntra, what would I do?<br />
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Finally I got my answer. I would do the same if I was Myntra but not if I was a head of a start up operation offering exactly the same service. Reason?<br />
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For a start up operation or a new online brand, three key decision parameters would be:<br />
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<b>1. SEO and SEM</b><br />
Success of a new brand depends on being searchable and optimisable. <br />
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<b>2. Lead Generation and Conversion </b><br />
Till the brand has a regular customer base, undoubtedly an important point of consideration<br />
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<b>3. Cost Optimisation </b><br />
Most start ups don't have billions of dollars of seed funding. Cost does play a key role in all decisions.<br />
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Keeping these 3 factors in mind, I would perhaps opt for a website based or at best a mobile website based site.<br />
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However, Myntra is an epic success. It has overcome all 3 of the concerns stated above. As they move to their next level of strategy, I would imagine their objective would now be :<br />
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<b>1. Customer retention and Loyalty </b><br />
The most coveted piece of real estate today is the mobile screen. With a strong brand connect, the Myntra app is definite going to earn itself a piece of that real estate. This assures 'front of mind' visibility leading to meeting this objective.<br />
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<b>2. A clutter free 'shopping window' experience</b><br />
Inherent nature of app designs allow for a more focused, less cluttered shopping experience. <br />
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<b>3. Increase duration of visit</b> <br />
All mobile usage data underlines that consumers tend to spend more time on apps than on website or a mobile site. More time would translate to more items in the shopping cart, perhaps?<br />
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I feel going 'app only' makes perfect sense. Good luck Myntra. I hope its the beginning of yet another great journey. Where your customers are concerned, they are loyal. They will always miss 'what was' but its just a matter of time. They will soon click on the app to buy the next black dress. No worries.<br />
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Black Coffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904988824658654759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708656050913383542.post-63560080648219970382015-02-05T23:14:00.001+05:302015-02-05T23:14:54.206+05:30Public Shaming In The Days Of Social Media <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have been noticing an interesting trend of public shaming on social media. Meek and assertive alike are finding a voice to stand up against every disparaging act in society.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3nctAuX8OUrSrM213Uz9MTu-73bYzYVWtzF8q75nGw7JWkIpIC1AlAm6_U9yJrKHXgHq5dn6JOZ5RLKGq0TCZfERD8JclRpWmdiXInEjcK-FXGmQeLjTihYuj5zNX-wV3ePuQB4IEUsT/s1600/0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3nctAuX8OUrSrM213Uz9MTu-73bYzYVWtzF8q75nGw7JWkIpIC1AlAm6_U9yJrKHXgHq5dn6JOZ5RLKGq0TCZfERD8JclRpWmdiXInEjcK-FXGmQeLjTihYuj5zNX-wV3ePuQB4IEUsT/s1600/0.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Recently a <a href="http://mindfed.com/old-man-molested-girl-indigo-flight-bet-didnt-expect-reaction-2/" target="_blank">video</a> of a well off old man being publicly shamed by an young girl went viral on social media. He had inappropriately touched her on a Bhuwaneshwar bound Indigo flight. She served him justice by simply whipping out her phone camera and recording him receiving a piece of her mind and immediately uploaded it on social media. within hours, thousands had watched the man being publicly shamed.<br />
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On another forum, a young girl from Delhi, publicly humiliated popular singer Yo Yo Honey Singh for his misogynistic lyrics. She strung the right chords via a rap song she sang to rap him on his knuckles. The video went viral within hours, humiliating the popular singer and his shameful lyrics. <br />
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Every other day, we see disturbing pictures in social media of men sticking their heads out of fancy luxury automobiles to spit on the road. Spirited citizens click them in action and share their photographs on social media. These are liked/shared/commented on by hundreds of like minded citizens.<br />
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The list is endless. I am sure you could perhaps enumerate a few more. While not a new concept, technology has definitely empowered and emboldened a lot more people to take on unacceptable acts. I hope more and more of us, the smartphone toting- social media junkies will take on the responsibility of public shaming. Hopefully every little act of public shaming will lead to a ripple effect which makes people think twice before they unleash the devil which reside in them.<br />
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#PublicShaming #SocialMedia </div>
Black Coffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904988824658654759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708656050913383542.post-42125279233127346142015-01-26T12:47:00.000+05:302015-01-26T12:47:22.283+05:30Developing an ad campaign in 2015 <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt;">I had moved
out of the advertising industry to dabble a bit in marketing and then
consulting only to gravitate back to what I do best and truly enjoy doing.
Working on a large advertising project after five years, I realised how much
things have changed since I was last a part of this industry. To enumerate a
few:</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.0pt;">1. Seconds are passe, minutes are in
<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.0pt;">I remember
the time when the creative team would throw tantrums about an extra 5 seconds without
which they just could not tell the story in a meaningful way. The fight continues.
But now the struggle is for an extra minute or two! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.0pt;">2. Collaboration is in <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">For a
campaign to work really well in the modern world, it is no longer good enough
to have an art and copy duo. At the very least, a creative team needs film
makers, music directors, social media experts. While the core team conceptualises
the idea keeping the brand pillars in mind, the other experts need to come on
board much before the PPM stage to ensure the story is crafted </span><span style="font-size: 21px;">keeping</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> the current content consumption trend in mind. </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.0pt;">3. What’s the campaign hashtag?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.0pt;">Whether one
has<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a print rendition of the campaign
idea or not, a hashtag is a must! A campaign without a hashtag is like a
telephone without a dial. Incomplete as hell! (I wish we were spending a little more time in the hashtag strategy.) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.0pt;">4. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will it get shared? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.0pt;">While you
develop the campaign, apart from ensuring
that the campaign aligns with the brand and category pillars, one needs to keep
asking, will it get shared? Being ignored on social media is a fate worse than
death! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.0pt;">5. What’s a couple of crores?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.0pt;">I hear
these days, film production runs into multiple crores for a single execution.
While I have not yet had the good fortune of working on a project of such
magnitude, I am really looking forward to working on one before the party gets over. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Black Coffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904988824658654759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708656050913383542.post-13560843918749830182015-01-04T13:11:00.000+05:302015-01-04T13:11:29.755+05:30'Just what do you do young lady?'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvdWjAJBv3-6BjdJpEV8omk60XrL84B-7v2_ka6t7wN-uieFIgcyaAvmj2oWKFo31ie5HsB14-nHYLt8Du7zPnwH4Rzjp4IhJJG3Mp4MeObc20LlBrb6vvjoo9QJSq4SxO1DiSD4F9iZo/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvdWjAJBv3-6BjdJpEV8omk60XrL84B-7v2_ka6t7wN-uieFIgcyaAvmj2oWKFo31ie5HsB14-nHYLt8Du7zPnwH4Rzjp4IhJJG3Mp4MeObc20LlBrb6vvjoo9QJSq4SxO1DiSD4F9iZo/s1600/images.jpeg" height="400" width="308" /></a></div>
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The other day an aunt asked what I did for a living. I replied that I help people fall in love. She gave me a perplexed look and walked away, mumbling something about new age career choices and so on. Ah well, no. Mine is not a 'new age career choice'. In fact, it is known to be the world's second oldest profession and I have about seventeen years of experience doing what I do. </div>
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In my second stint in advertising, I have decided to view my profession differently. The job of a brand strategist is not to help companies sell their wares but to help people find love in their kitchens, garages, bars, banks, wardrobes and even in their bathrooms. I believe that when we fall in love, justifications be damned, we find our own reasons to reach out for the brand again and again. We want to stand on the rooftops and shout out loud about it. What's more, we overlook every flaw and make others too find a reason to love what we love. If it is not love, what else explains the queue outside Apple store hours before the latest offering is put on the shelves or people's willingness to pay 300% premium for a cup of coffee?</div>
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So, wish me luck as I jump into the next 360 days of helping people find love in their coffee cups, hair oil bottles and even financial investments. </div>
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Black Coffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904988824658654759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708656050913383542.post-43042429471797693962014-11-29T21:56:00.001+05:302014-11-29T21:56:53.998+05:30Is Technology Making Today's Youth More Lonely? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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My niece is a single child. Her teen years seem to be very very
different from mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unlike my childhood where I had a brother, multiple cousins,
‘building friends’, ‘family friends’ and various other segments of friends, her
primary and only set of friends her age are her school friends. Her time
outside school is spent between multiple screens – watching TV, messaging friends and browsing Facebook. I often wonder, is she growing up to be a
lonely child.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
It was quite reassuring to read a researches by two
Australain schools - Griffith University and the University of Queensland. They
say, no lonliness is not increasing. In fact, quite on the contrary – loneliness
is on a decline with every passing generation. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Their data points out that recent cultural shifts like
urbanization, increased social emphasis on personal success, freedom arising
from greater economic opportunities and parents placing less emphasis on
raising obedient kids – has led to greater sense of individuality. Individualism, in turn, reduces the feeling of loneliness. Increasing self reliance, self
esteem and decreasing interest in human interest – decreasing loneliness. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Tonight, I will go to sleep a happier aunt knowing that perhaps my tech saturated niece's tech based social interactions are perhaps making her more adept at social interactions than I ever was or ever will be. So, cheers to yet another plus point of technology. </div>
</div>
Black Coffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09904988824658654759noreply@blogger.com0