Formality Hatao, Coke Pilao

I had been approached by Afaqs on the new campaign created for Coke India, by McCann Erickson. Coca Cola moves ahead of it's "open happiness" proposition and positions itself as the perfect drink for social gatherings.

I am of the opinion that there is nothing earth-shattering about the ad and it uses the old concept of family occasion or social gathering. It is just one more execution of the core theme of Coca-Cola on happiness, family, occasions and togetherness.

The old couple carrying a bottle of Coke is more like a 'Gift' or the joy of giving Coke. This isn't Coke trying to enter the tea/coffee space and I dont think they could make a dent there either.

You can read all my thoughts on the campaign and coke's over all strategy in this piece in Afaqs here.

Kenstar Oxyfryer: Deep fried A la Carte

The Oxy Fryer is targeted at people who love eating fried food. It is touted as the perfect solution to eating fried food in the healthiest manner. Kenstar has identified a surge in demand for appliances that enable healthy and hassle-free cooking and has even launched an advertising campaign featuring Shah Rukh Khan and announcing its launch exclusively on Flipkart. 

Launched on Flipkart

When they first launched the microwave, they priced it much lower than the usual price tag from other brands. This strategy helped the brand to get to the masses easily. With the Oxy Fryer, they have done the same thing. This is Kenstar's tried and tested way to break into the masses considering the competition (Philips) is retailing at almost double the cost.

You can read more about the category and how the e-commerce tie up strategy would work in this Afaqs piece on the category and this entrant here.

How Dare They?

Do you remember the Fair and Lovely air-hostess commercial? 

It was a commercial that hit complexion-conscious India in the gut as it also attacked the Indian predilection for a male child. Having grown up entirely in an environment where the colour of one’s skin was paramount, I could certainly relate to it. It did wonders for the brand and yet it raised the hackles of the educated, affluent Indian elite who had no use for the product.

“How dare they?” thundered the elite in their cocktail circuits. When I asked Balki (whose agency had created it), about the ad, he smilingly said “Pedder Road does not seem to like it”. I remember showing this to a delegation of international students and explained how the ad ran the risk of being banned because it had tackled sensitive issues head on. The global audience was really impressed as they believed controversy helped any ad and brand gain visibility by leaps and bounds.

Many of them were envious of the ad’s ability to evoke such strong reactions. “In the UK, if an ad is banned it is phenomenal, we would give an arm and leg for that,” said one very excitedly. I remembered this when I saw the new Airtel TV commercial.

Is the ad sexist?

 To my mind it is a needless controversy and probably an engineered one.

Why do I say this? I strongly believe in the communication principle “Either love me or hate me but for God’s sake don’t ignore me.” Today, with a smart social media strategy it is possible to ensure that an ad is not ignored. You can certainly pick up certain elements in the communication and create a controversy around it.

How can the wife be the boss? Why should she rush home to cook? Why are bosses like Hitler? We can certainly pick up enough angles and create a storm around a TV commercial, making even those who have not seen it go to YouTube to check it out.

Mobile ads set the tone

Having said all that, I still need to give credit where it is due. When I first entered advertising it was so long ago that I can’t even remember when cola advertising was the ‘hot’ category. Creative types yearned to work on Coke or Pepsi.

Today, mobile services are the colas of yesterday. Brands like Airtel, Vodafone and Tata Docomo keep us entertained with their charming, witty and, on occasion, controversial commercials. I am not complaining as often these commercials are a lot more interesting to watch than the programmes in which they are featured. But shouldn’t these companies that spend millions on advertising worry about their basic offering? Or is that asking for too much?

You can read the entire piece on the Hindu Business Line.

Lessons to learn from Infosys

“Wooing the press is an exercise roughly akin to picnicking with the tiger. You might enjoy the meal but the tiger always eats last.”

_ Maureen Dowd

Let me begin by clarifying that I am great admirer of Infosys, I have worked with them in their early days and have written about how Infosys has been built by PR and not by advertising. In that context, their taking the media to court has put them in the spotlight and I believe that there are lessons that can be learnt from this.

As the baton is passed

Was it the cold shoulder to advertising in their marketing initiatives or the PR strategy that could be faulted? From the days when the company made news thanks to the net worth of Narayan Murthy's driver to the current news items, that are focussed on the state of flux that the leadership is in, I look at what they need to implement to bring back the good old days, in the Hindu Business Line.

If you wish to read the whole story, you can find it here.

Bye Bye Bangalore?

I moved to Bangalore in the early eighties and haven't left since. The weather, the people, there are a lot of things that are agreeable in our city that have aided the migration boom that we've witnessed over the last decade.

But is it still a coveted destination for talent and entrepreneurs? After the Zomato incident, I was approached for my thoughts on where Bangalore stands.

Still preferred?

I believe that in terms of Tech talent and having the right ecosystem, players in the IT space still need to treat Bangalore as a priority. You can read the full piece here.

Brand "Amma" in the run up to the elections

I was interviewed on CNN-IBN on Jayalalitha and how she has built her brand in the run up to the upcoming elections and her PM aspirations on the eve of her 66th birthday.

You can see it here: Jayalalithaa makes her PM aspirations clearer

My opinion on Jayalalitha as shown on NewsX

My opinion on Jayalalitha and the "Amma" brand that she has built with her initiatives as shown on the NewsX channel

MTR vs Maiyas: Bangalore and Beyond

As a true blue Bangalorean, this is a market share battle that is close to my heart (possibly in the stomach region!)

An interesting piece in Business Today, on the Maiya's brand and how it will compete with the MTR foods business that it started and sold. Although the market is big enough to accommodate the two and more, I feel distribution and other factors will play a deciding role.

Datsun In India

India is a "have to be present in" market for most brands and Datsun is now being launched here as well.

Given its global story and the negative perception of its products, my two cents in this Business Standard article on what it will need to do to gain Market Share and consumers in India.

Watch out: Titan targets 400 EBOs by fiscal end

The nation’s time-keeper, Titan Industries, is hoping to add 40 more exclusive brand outlets (EBOs) by the end of this fiscal year, in the country, to add to its current number of 350. It also plans to open 75 smaller format EBOs in Tier-III and -IV towns in the coming year.

According to Rajan Amba, Global Marketing Head, Titan Industries, the company has allocated 20 per cent of its Advertising and Promotion Plan (A&P) budget to strengthen the company’s ‘World of Titan’ chain. “This includes our investments in BTL activities to generate footfalls, advertising for new stores and product launches, new fixtures, and visual merchandising,” he says.

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