It’s been a long time since I came up with my last post. Sorry for such a long gap, The last 1 and half months had rolled my mind off in the search for a topic on my post which landed me now on “ The promises of Marketing”. Starting from the FMCG to consumer durables whatever the segments may be, The success quotient is fully dependable upon the promises the manufacturer and the marketer hold to their product or service . The promise may be related to the product attributes , customer relations or supply chain etc. The manufacturer have their worst time when they fail to fulfill their promises which they had as their core in promoting their products or services. If this is the case in FMCG, the consumers would have given a straight slap immediately opting for the competitor brand. But this is not the scenario with other sectors. Since in FMCG ,people have a endless choices in going for brands where in other sectors like consumer durables ,people are restricted to brands and their products . In most cases the consumers gets dissatisfied with the brand is when the mode of transaction is processed through a Marketer especially on Business to consumer segment. I am not pointing at all the marketing personals but there are some exceptional marketers working with automobile and banking sector whom I came across in the past few months directly and through my surrounding circle , where their attitude towards marketing seemed to be shocking for me. As a marketer they work on all the modes in capturing the customer , But they way they proceed seems to be negative, since they put forth promises which they eventually know is just for a sake , and the consumer believes the marketer as they have him as the wholesome representation of the brand. Marketers in general have a the specific advantage of convincing abilities. But these people make use of it in the wrong side. We can’t blame the consumers for opting to these people as our Indian customers have their characteristic impatience in getting the products or services quicker and better than others. And these marketers make use of these perfectly and get their job done. Once the initial startup processes are over and as the customer gets into the circle of their business, the total scenario changes where the words holded by the marketing personal goes flying the air. And in the case of abundant pressure by the consumer, these people just pass on the blame over the manufacturer and try to showcase them as still genuine. Incentives are generally paid to these personals as to increase their sales performance but they change the objective to earn more incentives ahead of their monthly pay which is not wrong unless all their customers are satisfied over the process, but it’s not the case. At the end of the day these marketing personals would have qualified for entitling their incentives which is their ultimate goal. I don’t blame them for this but they way they choose to move ahead with false promises will surely create a negative impact on the brand as a whole in the perspective of the consumer. The managements should have a note of all these rather than just moving in their own way of just making the sales and after sales services. CRM is not just by the mean of after sales services or taking care of the customer once he is part of the product family, NO.. It should be initiated rite from the beginning well from the start process of the business. The marketing personals should also be capable in maintain the CRM and not only till the customer gives his business and CRM flies away with house flies .Though our economic growth is sky rocketing and the demand is moving on High pace it should not be taken as a negative sign as if one customer goes there will be another one to come .That’s not the attitude since one customer is a small number where he has a effective tool of brand publicity with him termed “word of mouth” which can thrash the inflow of consumers over the period of time if so its negative. The managements should work on audits over the sales made by their personals and should work on maintaining the CRM directly with consumers by addressing the grievances with full effect . The promise made by the brand as a whole should be fulfilled over the interest of benefiting the consumers rather than benefiting the individuals to make money. Since at all promise is not a joke.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Irritative Marketing- A new phenomena
This post would discuss about the promotional and marketing techniques which forms the base for every product or service in all the fields. The success rate of those product or service is wholesome dependent on these activities. On considering such activities, marketers tend to sketch it very carefully that it reaches the target audience on its right way. It may be advertisements, promotional campaigns, etc. they take such a care that the brand or product gets its place in the consumers mind. In this high end media influenced era. Most of such marketing activities are carried on through media. Especially the advertisements. The company spends lakhs of rupees on making the advertisements and again spends a lakhs of rupees to run the advertisement on tele media which is currently has a high holding population. That’s where the tele media companies are munching a hell a lot of money from the brands in the name of advertisements based on slots..This has even dragged to a situation of seeing the advertisements starting from restaurants, lifts and extended till the toilets…huh…all the credits to OOH(out of home) media and Dhoom(digital out of home media).
That all right. You may think what’s the need to talk all these when the topic is something different .So let’s we get into the topic. Irritative marketing.And the core personality whom we going to talk about is sun network who are the grandparents for these new entrants like OOH media and Dhoom.What happens when a tele media company which has just advertised the product so far now sells product where it has acquired from others. There is no such thing called a problem on the basis of advertising or promotion. Where it has its own time frame and somehow manages to make the product or service remarkable. Where entertainment is not a exception to it.. It’s all about our very own sun pictures ltd.Belonging to the sun network group.I am not here to talk how they got the movie rights and what the influence they used in.But its all about their promo tactics. It all started of with their first movie in 2008 where they released under their brand name. Even though the movie was a nasty garbage.. Sun pictures was damn sure about its profit. Not just the break even. The real profit. How could a failed product could fetch us profit..? That’s where they stood with a weapon of repetitive advertising.Irritating the audience with continuous trailers’ in their home network channel (in fact they have 5 channel especially for Tamil) getting screened with songs and some crap scenes. Which is totally different from other movies where their trailer gets screened only twice a day, where it forms as a irritation for the audience in the beginning later the repetitive sequence hits the mind of the consumer making him to somehow murmur the songs and the idiotic punch dialogues. With gained importance and expectation leads the person to the theater, there by thy have just made a sale of the audience.Not once or twice.In the period of 2 years they have released nearly about 12 films and somehow they made it a success in terms of profit.And a foremost thing with their marketing strategy is that .Releasing the movie in such a time where there is no mean of competition especially on a unoccassional time .They choose the dates in a way that it does not comes across any festival seasons. The reason because as per India movie market. Festival season is the only time where loads and loads of movies with top celebrities make their way in. Sun pictures are very much keen about it since it will be high risky to launch a movie with no content to compete among the tough competitors. It makes the movie reels gradually going to dustbin directly. In this 2 years they always made sure that there is no clash between other films and initially making their movie to sell better and making a mark of it. Since there are no other movies going around the screen there is no other choice for the audience to go and watch the movie. This all has brought to a situation that Sun pictures can even make a film with kitten and make it run. It may look like I am making fun of these people…..No…..There is nothing a word called wrong in the bible of marketing until its fulfills the desired work perfectly..Their marketing activities might be irritating and fuzzy. But on the final stage the result is nothing but profit. Which is what the goal is all about, .In simple terms their marketing activity can be simply termed as persuading through irritating..In which they get the hold of the audience for a minimum time period of 2 months starting from the trailer followed by the celebrity interviews, songs telecasting and goes on. For which the movies run for a time period of 60 to 80 days where they re-enter with another movie. The things what they do may look funny for a common man. But as being a marketer it’s a worthwhile to look on to what these people do .In fact many other channels have followed the way of sun network and started doing the same job. Starting from the sun networks rivalry kalaignar TV, where the way of marketing is same everywhere., even though many players try to venture into this entertainment sector. It’s the first in the market is one who stands tall with the name and fame of getting the tactical terminologies to the stream.the thing to be noted is this was the same method used to promote the weekly magazine Kungumam and Dhina garan (which was acquired by sun network group and re-launched into the market with a bang) on a initial phase till it got to the maturity stage.And this is the same routine they do for each and every movie they release too.Funny but true..It will be good to see them coming up with some more innovative marketing techniques. Since the consumers are like girl friends. Where it is very hard to judge their actions. And last not the least ..all the new marketing techniques implemented by the marketers should be revised periodically because they are more or less like a newly married wife, where the responses will be all good in the beginning leading to bad to worst in the future.
There is nothing called a drastic change in the people mind set
Where marketers make it happen.
And in the case of sun pictures…no doubts
They are making the sura- shark(their recent flick) to fly like a pura-pigeon…
(This picture clearly showcases the dates in which Sun pictures released their 12 movies so far making their entry effecticvely with less competition (i.e) none of the dates are of a special occassion or a festival day except padikadhavan.The reason behind that is there was no other major movie got released on the pongal day.)
Friday, April 16, 2010
"A campaign on quality with a lack on availability..."
I take my first step into the world of bloggers with my blog termed Mr. Common sense. With prolonged search on topics for my first post landed me on “Honda” .The Japanese automakers who have their presence all over the world with both 4 wheeler and 2 wheeler segments. With respective to our country with a huge junk of population using two wheelers when compared to that of 4 wheeler segment. Honda made its presence in India in the year 2004 .Earlier they were on joint collaboration with hero motors jointly termed as Hero Honda which is the highest manufacturer of 2 wheelers in India .Honda 2 wheelers made its first mark on Honda Unicorn which was of its kind in the 150 cc segment followed by various entrants like Activa , dio , shine, eterno, aviator, stunner and the latest one was to be with CB Twister. They were on their ladder on high speed where they were even expected to catch up with the Hero Honda . Since they had a perfect product split up for all category of people with perfect penetration strategies starting from Activa to Unicorn. Even there was a very tough competition over Bajaj’s pulsar and Honda unicorn and on with Bajaj’s discover 125cc over the Honda shine.
Honda marked its presence everywhere in India on a minimal time frame with very less advertisement activities on their product categories. Their eagerness to grow faster is what brought them down the ladder from 2008. The word of mouth and satisfaction levels of the consumers which made the base line for their success journey was the same thing which shook their basement. They initially wanted to create a hype and demand for their products made them to hold on the products for a quiet long time compared to of other players. So that they thought there would be a high flow in of customers. This act poked in their back gradually. It was a fixed state that one has to wait over 45 - 70 days to get a new Honda 2 wheeler over its booking( with respective to Tamil nadu market) .Where its just a minimum of a day to a maximum limit of 20 days for other 2 wheeler companies. This has created a negative impression with the consumers forming a mind set to neglect this brand. Since on a high end growing population the consumers with high end patience can be easily numbered i.e who can wait for 45 days to get a new bike when the competitor gives the same category of product within the same day of booking itself. And the main fact is they don’t hold on to their promises on their day of delievery where it extends even beyond 70 days which is totally senseless and testing the customers patience to the core. When analysed the reasons for that from the dealers is so hilarious making no sense at all . Honda 2 wheelers has dug its own grave by leaving the way to re launch of Yamaha 2 wheelers in the Indian market to be a big time hit. Which the Honda never even dreamt of. Since the Hero Honda and Bajaj where sticking on to the same old Pulsar's, Apache's and CBZ’s and with lack in availability of Honda. Made Yamaha jump to the top of the castle. In simple the Honda has lost its golden egg termed as consumers. This made Honda to think and they made a step to overcome all these issues with a hard hitting campaign through media on with the concept “I enjoy the quality”. The first one was on 2008 and the second campaign has just started. The thing to note is Honda has not been on any such serious campaigns so far in the past 6 years. The ad seems to be good. With people dancing all over. And they have sticked on with their base line of their campaign..
But they have missed out the main fact over reaching the Target audience leading to the failure of the particular cause for which they conducted this ad campaign . It may be repositioning the brand or to show case the quality of the product whatever it may be. Before the people to enjoy the quality they should make the product available in the market first. It’s not the brilliant one’s who sustain in a game rather than a smarter one is one who wins in it. It’s not a sin to take efforts to renter the market. But it should be worthwhile it taking such efforts. It makes no sense on making such moves with still the prevalence of the previous errors which spoils the brand name even more results on taking on with a much larger negative impacts. The dealers are ready to put the blame upon the manufacturers over production problems. But on the consumers perspective it is the Honda as a whole which has failed to serve the consumers. Even the campaign which came as advertisements lasted only a week or so. Where it is totally meaningless in making such attempt with no point in it.Before getting on with campaigns on positioning the marketing people of Honda should be aware of the current situation and they should think of overcoming the problem in a better way. Honda 2 wheelers have all the potential to compete with top brand 2 wheelers in India. But because of these negative reasons they are on their decline path. They can work on improving the customer satisfaction and to overcome the negative influence on a high end phase. This can improve the current situation rather if it continues our grand children will hear the story as “long long ago there was a 2 wheeler maker named Honda in India ”.
“ Quality can be the basic necessity
But above that customer satisfaction should be on first priority”
( Enclosed with the quotation forms from a reputed dealer for Honda in chennai for their 2 wheelers CB twister and Unicorn .Along with the quotations obtained from the Yamaha (FZ16 & Fazer) and Bajaj (Pulsar 135 & Pulsar 150) where the day of allotment of vehicle after booking is clearly mentioned and highlighted with a red circle for a clearer view)
Please click on the link to view the recent ad campaign of honda
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