Advertising Insights by Kirit JAsani

Kirit JAsani

If something is easy to reach, we tend to use it frequently. That is true with information also. In past 7 months, I have shared information with you on branding and advertising by writing various topics on my blog. I hope; this information would have been of some help to you. However, it is quite possible, for some reasons you may not get connected to my blog precisely when you want to refer a particular post. So, I have prepared a PDF mini book of past 12 posts. Just download it and keep in your PC or iBooks and refer it as and when required.

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TOTAL VISITS OF THIS PAGE

Following 12 points are covered in this PDF mini book.

1. How to use customer testimonial in ad?
2. The power of simple visual
3. What if your brand name is inspired by a product subcategory?
4. Demonstrate your key feature visually
5. Perceived leader is always winner
6. How long you should continue with same visual?
7. Should PR precede advertisement?
8. Is a good brief reason of good work?
9. It’s Shockvertising!
10. In Marketing Perception is everything
11. The critical decision in marketing, line-extension or new brand launch
12. Marketing lesson in RSS’ move from shorts to trousers

 

The critical decision in marketing, line-extension or new brand launch

Kirit JAsani

When a marketer of a successful brand is having an opportunity to enter a new category, this question comes to surface whether to extend the brand in new category or to introduce a new brand? Decision is not easy!

In such a scenario, normally logic comes out as a winner and not the practical thinking. Logic says, ‘our x brand name is very well-known and is trusted by a huge customer group. So it will be very easy to have acceptance of new product under the same name. Further, we will save on cost of promotion as we would be promoting only single name’. As I mentioned, logically absolutely correct! But marketing is neither that logical nor that simple. Let’s understand it with a practical example.

Kashtabhanjan Food and Beverages LLP is the owner of brand ‘Limbu’. Under the brand-name company was selling soft drink. Gradually, they introduced Thick Shake and Ice Cream under the same name Limbu. Why under the same name? Logic, Limbu brand is popular, available at around 45 franchisee outlet and no need for separate budget of promotion. But marketing is not that simple, so we had a tough time to convince all partners of company that customer of soft drink and customer of ice cream is different. You buy soft drink products, mostly to assist in digestion whereas ice cream for taste. Now it was easy to see; the target audience was expecting a totally different benefit from the same name. Further, Limbu Ice Cream as such was misleading. The first-time user might buy it under the influence that the product is a creation with Limbu (Lemon) as an ingredient.

So under the guidance of Spotlight Communication finally client agreed to launch new brand, Livosty. Today, a wide range of Juicy, Dolly, Chocobar, Kulfi, and Cone is available under the brand-name Livosty. Limbu continues to serve as a soft drink outlet with its franchisee model. Now, the company is able to take advantage at both the fronts.

Remember, if there is no synergy in expectations from two different categories, kill the logic. Go with practical approach and launch a new brand.

In Marketing, Perception is Everything

Kirit JAsani

We experience the world around us with one or more of the five senses, which includes touch, sight, sound, taste and smell. Through these sensory experiences we gain knowledge of various elements in our environment and at the same time those experiences also help in deciding on response action. Essentially, these experiences build perception and we act on those perceptions. So, for a marketer these perceptions are of prime importance.

Let’s explore perception of three brands of soap. Dettol, this brand of Reckitt Benckiser is mostly used to clean and protect your skin from germs. Unilever’s Lifebuoy also stands on the same attribute of advance germ protection. On the other hand Wipro’s Santoor brand is focused on younger looking skin with its sandalwood and turmeric ingredients.
So, as a customer when we start using Dettol or Lifebuoy soap we develop an experience on the parameter of germ protection, but when we use Santoor soap our experience remains focused on younger looking skin. If this experience is good customer would continue with the brand and if the experience is bad the brand will be no more in consideration of future buying.

Now, all these brands have extended into the segment of hand wash. So let’s first understand why hand wash is important? Washing hands with soap and clean water is of critical importance to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Especially washing hands before any meal is extremely necessary in India, because at least to eat roti it is necessary to touch it by hands. This is exact moment when a germ can enter your body and chances of getting sick get increased.

Now, based on a perception, which brand of hand wash you would buy? Obviously the one which kills germs, right! It can be Dettol Hand Wash or Lifebuoy Hand Wash or any other brand which you think can give you germ-free skin. But the probability of using a brand of hand wash, which promises you younger-looking skin, is extremely thin. Though the brand has not been extended in a too distant segment, I still doubt on the acceptability. A product can enter a house due to promotional benefits, but they are short term. I am no astrologer to predict a future of any brand, but broadly based on perception, I can say the brand which holds a strong perception of Germ Protection or Germ Killing will get succeeded. Let’s wait and watch what happens in a long run!

Remember, create a strong perception about an attribute in your marketing and do not extend such a brand in a segment where that attribute is not making practical sense.

Perceived leader is always a winner

Kirit JAsani

Most of us would have studied on typical blackboards of school. We would have read textbook and practice books. Undoubtedly, at some point in our schooling days, we would have used educational syllabus based supplementary books such as Navneet Guide (Digest), Workbooks or 21 most likely question sets. However, in recent past these blackboards and textbooks have undergone a radical change.

Now classes are turning digital. School teachers show various videos and animations to their students to explain subject content. So who would lead this digital race in an education sector?

Short answer, the brand which gets succeeded in generating a perception of leadership inside the minds of target audience would surely lead the race.

Navneet Education Limited understood this very well. While printed syllabus based supplementary books have their own importance, digital textbook material would be an enhanced way to explain the content. So, Navneet took an absolutely right branding way by creating eSense Learning Pvt. Ltd., a digital education subsidiary of Navneet Publications. Under this new venture, they launched brand TOP SCORER.

This brand TOP SCORER offers online smart learning packs for Grade 1 to 10 students in CBSE, GSEB and MSEB. Here students can buy complete study pack or selected chapters as per their wish. This total material is having ‘audio word by word as per the textbooks’ and further they are supported with 2D and 3D animations. There is a facility to take test, check results and detailed analytics in every respect, for example, a student would know where he or she is standing in the entire state!

In my opinion, in terms of product offerings, TOP SCORER happens to be the finest in all available options of digital study material. Now, the brand will require establishing their leadership in digital study material the way their parent company Navneet Education Limited did in print segment. For that, TOP SCORER would require communicating their differentiation very clearly and with more frequency to the target audience. At this point, TOP SCORER can take the highest advantage of their fantastic differentiation ‘Audio word by word as per the textbooks’ as in a long run this may not be an exclusive advantage. For easy acceptability of product, TOP SCORER would require students and their parents to believe by using this product; study concepts will be clearer and results will improve significantly. Nevertheless, such claims are believable only when being communicated by a leader. So TOP SCORER needs to emerge as perceived leader in this segment, and I see all the possibilities of that thing happening.

Still, best of luck to TOP SCORER. For more details on this product visit https://www.topscorer.com

 

What if your brand name is inspired by a product sub-category?

Confusion is the simple answer to this situation. At Spotlight we believe, when you have a brand name which also represents a category or sub-category, confusion starts appearing on surface.

If you are a tea lover and experiments with variety of teas, you would have heard of Tulsi Tea. A very well-known brand of Tulsi Tea is Organic India. By mixing three variants of Tulsi (Citrus from Vana Tulsi, Spicy tone from Krishna Tulsi and Calming depth from Rama Tulsi) Organic India offers caffeine-free Original Tulsi Tea, which is stress relieving and rejuvenating. One of your friends explains you all these benefits of Tulsi Tea, and so you decide to purchase one.

You visit a store and find a pack of Tulsi Tea by G.M.Tea Packers Pvt. Ltd. so you buy it. Now what will happen? There will be a clash of expectation. You purchased it considering benefits of Holy Basil leaves but the one you have purchased is Dano or Patti or Kitli Special tea; no tulsi leaves as an ingredient. Higher chances, you will develop a negative impression about the latter brand, the one you have purchased. This happens because at-large Tulsi Tea is understood as a product having Holy Basil as an ingredient rather than a brand name.

So when an ingredient is an important factor in decision making; in those cases, you must avoid a brand name which would easily get associated with that product category.