All about game theory

Book review - "Lessons from the Playground"; Author - Vinay R Kanchan

Sport is something that excites, enthrals and rewards or on occasion even devastates the viewer. Business — on the other hand — is dull, serious, strategic and, in some cases, can even be a matter of life and death for those running organisations.

Clearly, at a first cursory glance there is nothing in common between the two. You work to earn a living and watch sport to make that life interesting, is what the average person might tell you. But Vinay R Kanchan, the author of Lessons from the Playground, is no average person. He seems to be a ‘sports tragic’ whose interest spreads across a variety of games.

In his book, Kanchan attempts to give a method to brilliance and success on the sporting field and talks about the learning that the corporate world can take out of that. So, whom does the book target? This book is for anyone in business who is interested in some sport or the other.

Is this all about cricket? Sadly (for me) it is not. The book covers a multitude of sports and sporting personalities such as tennis star Roger Federer, Brazilian football legend Pele, boxing giant Ali, US basketball sensation Michael Jordan and our own cricketing phenomenon, Little Master Sachin Tendulkar.

Of course, I have missed a few others thanks to my ignorance of sports other than cricket.

What’s it about?

The book is classified into four Ps (such as the four Ps of marketing that we grew up with). They arepeople, platforms, processes and pinnacles.

The section on people highlights and eulogises the achievements of heroes of the sporting world who have thrilled spectators and audiences in different playing fields of the world. This section features Tendulkar.

The section on platforms is interesting, talking about Wimbledon and the uniqueness of the grass surface, not to forget the rituals of strawberries and cream, and other huge sporting events such as the Olympics and the cricket and football World Cups.

‘Processes’ is a significant section given the Indian fixation with results.

One remembers the much vilified Greg Chappell (the former Australian cricketer and erstwhile India coach) constantly talking about processes. But he was sacked unceremoniously as all we wanted was results, the process be damned.

The final section on pinnacles speaks about unforgettable sporting achievements. What better example could be chosen than Kapil Dev’s match-winning innings against Zimbabwe when the cause was almost lost.

As luck would have it, the BBC was on strike, so we came to know of this after the fact!

Some lessons

The book is strewn with examples on all the four ‘Ps’ with pertinent questions to corporates on what they could learn and apply from Lessons from the Playground.

I must mention too that at the end of every chapter there is a quick summary of the lessons from the examples detailed.

Having authored two books in English and one in Tamil, I believe I have an understanding of how authors go about writing and positioning their books.

Marketing a book is much like marketing a brand — just as brands try to differentiate themselves from the competition in a multitude of ways, authors too try to position their books differently.

Both my books, One Land, One Billion Minds and Googly. Branding on Indian Turf, were built on the fact that India is a cricket crazy county. India must be the only neutral country in the world which watches a Bangladesh vs Ireland match! My books catered to this audience with extensive references from the cricket field and related it to the world of marketing, branding and communication. It worked I thought.

Kanchan has realised that India is evolving. Its youngsters are no longer unidimensional in their viewing.

They are watching a variety of sport from across the world. They are equally familiar with football, tennis and basketball (the NBA), unlike my audience.

Their exploits are firmly entrenched in viewers’ hearts. Hence Lessons from the Playground is perhaps extremely relevant to today’s sport-loving audience which is spending time at the corporate work place.

I have nothing but admiration for the author who seems to have followed every game under the sun. Where would he have had time for anything else!

On a more serious note I found the book comprehensive, well-researched and addressing the modern Indian viewer who watches NBA, the English Premier League, and Wimbledon in addition to the inevitable cricket, unlike my generation who were fixated on just one sport.

On strategy

As a management teacher, I tend to be really annoyed at the indiscriminate and ill-advised use of this word ‘strategy’ today.

Thankfully, the book addresses this sensibly with examples and speaks of innovations in sport like the switch hit which have become an integral part of modern cricket.

The author urges corporates to think out of the box and reinvent themselves the way sports and sportsmen have done. While there are many parts of the book worth talking about I will stay with one as it struck a chord.

Indian hockey has lost its lustre over the years. In many ways it is like a brand that was once dominant and which is now struggling for visibility and recognition.

What can we learn from this trend? How do we ensure that our company or brand does not tread the same tortuous path? This is a question we might wish to ask ourselves.

Food for thought

To sum up, Lessons from the Playground is an interesting if somewhat long read (434 pages). It has examples from multiple sports to cater to readers with diverse interests. Read it if you love sports and are working.

From my side, I learnt a lot about sports other than cricket, even if I had the niggling thought that some of the greatest sportsmen such as (former West Indies cricketer) Viv Richards were naturals reared on the “see ball, hit ball” principle and that, to my mind, could well be the difference between sport and business.

Sport values natural ability while business might be a little more mundane.

Meet the author

Vinay R Kanchan is a Mumbai-based brand ideation consultant and trainer. A former advertising professional, he has worked with Lowe Lintas, Mudra, Rediffusion, Everest, Triton and Network. Kanchan is the author of The Madness Starts at 9. An electronics engineering graduate from Mumbai University, he holds an MBA from NMIMS

Quote featured on Afaqs: Thoughts on Dabur's latest

When Dabur's bold ad about ode to brave and beautiful women commercial came out, there were mixed reactions from experts in the marketing and branding arena.

The quote below highlight my thoughts on the idea.

"Ramanujam Sridhar, founder and CEO, Brand-comm points out that the reference to hair care is subtle because one can see photographs of the lady when she had long hair. Though the ad catches one's attention, Sridhar is not sure if he would share it online. "It is not stark enough to provoke action or a change in attitude. To my mind, a truly effective commercial in this category must provoke either an action or a change in attitude. It must rouse me from my normal apathy. This one has the beginning of an idea that has lost its way in execution," adds Sridhar."


Read the full article here: Dabur Vatika's ode to brave and beautiful women

Flashback 2014: How many billions do you have?

A few years ago Fastrack the iconic youth brand did a fantastic campaign with a sign off “how many you have?”The cheeky tone of voice represented the jauntiness of the youth brigade which had this phenomenal urge to move on. This phrase might well be the catch phrase of today’s entrepreneurs whose twist might well be “how many billions do you have?” Yes, if one attempts to do a review of 2014, one must remember that while several things happened in the year which had a tremendous impact, not the least of it the elections, the most significant happening has been the emergence of the billionaire entrepreneur with VCs beating a path to his front doors.

A brand called Modi

Though Modi’s election strategy and on line blitz has been arguably done to death it would be almost impossible to ignore it when one is doing a review. One saw again the power of the “personal brand” in winning an election and leading the nation. The operative word was “strategy” and we had a mix of young kids on sabbatical to famous business leaders pitching in. Not to forget the importance of the online medium as a tremendous media to influence, engage and finally motivate voters to vote out “the hand” and vote in “the lotus”. The power of “WhatsApp” in UP might well have an alternative headline!

She shops for grocery too

Whilst change seems such an inadequate word to describe what is happening to the Indian consumer, that’s the operative word as people not only buy books, music, movie tickets and mobiles, they buy grocery too! What a sea change it has been with the advent of the smart phone! And while Flipkart’s “big billion day sale” might have made the founders get some egg on their faces, there is no denying the fact that the online shopping habit seems to have spread in no uncertain terms to the smaller towns as well. In fact the “un metro’ as some people might call it could well emerge as the next big opportunity as a consumer base as the cities get increasingly crowded and more difficult to woo.

The year of the full page ad

When I was wet behind the ears in advertising and that was ages ago, a full page ad in the Times of India was an event. A phenomenon if you will. A talking point even. Not anymore. Today the full page ad is more common than the quarter page ad of my times.  Not that the ad is any more creative! Newspapers are anxious to give away everything including their mastheads and the only thing that has lost out is the creative.  Still on the subject of creative what was the breakthrough ad of 2014 on TV? Something that made you stand up and cheer? I am searching for campaigns like Airtel, Vodafone or Fastrack of earlier years. Another interesting trend was the emergence of YouTube as a serious medium.

Brands get discounted

A distressing sign has been the discounting of big brands in the online medium and that is a shame. Here are the big brands like Nike, Adidas and Levi’s who have spent years in building their respective brands and yet what is happening online? Some big e-commerce major is discounting these very brands to build their business and valuation and the consumer is laughing all the way to the bank. For who would not like to get these brands that I would give an arm and leg for at discount? And right through the year to boot! I wish though that somebody would think about the implications of this. Like the BCCI, we shouldn’t end up killing the golden goose.

The consumer is finally king
 

How often have we heard this statement about the importance of the consumer to the business or MK Gandhi’s famous lines on the subject which have almost become part of the furniture in most organizations. Today that is changing, thanks to the power of the social medium. Today consumers go to Facebook or Twitter to vent their ire and the results are there for all to see. Companies must respond and soon to customer complaints. Though one does wish that consumers would use their new found power judicially and not get completely carried away as they have on occasion.
So let’s cut to the chase. How was the year? It was exciting. It provided tremendous opportunities and learning. It was the year of the entrepreneur and let’s hope 2015 will continue to build on the start that the year gone by provided them with.

And before I forget, here’s wishing each and every one of you a phenomenal year ahead!

Microsoft's branding will be difficult after Nokia

Microsoft has officially dropped the Nokia brand name and is working on rebranding its mobile phones division. It continued launching the Windows based phones under the brand name Lumia and held on to the Nokia name for the other existing products. Last week, the company also killed the Nokia Asha branded low-end smartphones, and is now on its way to completely doing away with the Nokia brand in one country at a time, including India, where the phone was at one time ubiquitous.

Snake anyone?

The consumer is also getting promiscuous. The consumer wants a good product and even the most loyal ones are moving away from the brand, particularly of late since a lot of negativity has resulted from the news of the shutting of the manufacturing plant in Chennai and the resultant loss of jobs. Although Nokia was considered to be one of the most trusted bands in India, despite it still being on the list, it will require Microsoft being proactive to garner some of this trust.

You can read the full piece on the merger in the Times of India here.

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.

RIP Time Machine: HMT

The announcement of HMT's imminent shutdown seems to have rejuvenated interest in the brand and its memorable timepieces. It definitely gave me a dose of nostalgia, having worked on the brand in the late 80s in my stint at Mudra in Bangalore.

The technology was then shared by Citizen

Somehow, the marketing division in HMT figured that quartz watches would not work in India and concentrated on manufacturing its mechanical range. Indians who were going to the Gulf to get their watches suddenly found alternatives in Titan, with its elegant range, and HMT failed to see that. The communication then positioned owning an HMT as a point of patriotism, but this did not work with the evolved Indian consumer. 

You can read more on my take on what set back HMT, in this piece in Open Magazine, 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.