“Scientific Advertising” by Claude C Hopkins

This book was penned by Calude C Hopkins in that era when it was just the  beginning of advertising. But it is relevant or rather important even today.

He points out clearly

” The time has come when advertising has in some hands reached
the status of a science “

As rightly said by many experts that concepts   of marketing will remain the same irrespective of any era or medium. Accordingly for a beginner like me , it becomes highly important to read and understand this book.

The following 21 chapters give you a total insight of what is advertising and it covers entire spectrum of issues clubbed together as a single unit which is hard to assimilate individually.

It begins with perspective of advertising industry as whole and how ground rules were laid over a period of time or rather evolved due to continuous changing nature of industry.

Get  your basics right

Hopkins clearly emphasizes on the fact that the ultimate objective of advertising is to help sell & success will be quantifies and not measured philosophically. In giving analogy to sales man, he clearly states that to be successful have all the qualities of successful salesman. And advertiser has to connect the company with customer whose interest is paramount by studying the consumer.

In order to sell successful, brand has to realize that they need to offer services by fulfilling the need of customer not by selling it purely as a product.

Hopkins give example of Mail order advertising to warn advertisers to be connected to basics and work on ground step by step and systematically manage their finances by keeping simple rules and focus on benefits in the end by earning their place because it requires continuous quality campaign.

Advertising is successful only when they capture the attention of the potential customer by making readable & suitable Headlines. It is not required to be complicated which can be ignored but eye-catchy  because he clearly says that irrespective of how good your product is Headlines catch eyeballs.

What’s in Customer’s mind

Chapter by chapter Hopkins makes you understand that reading the customers mind is very important by understanding the psychology of the customer which requires advertisers to think from customer’s point of view by stating specific facts which are acceptable and they should provide an effective complete story which compels them to read it again.

Now, he starts his focus on the campaign side by explaining the importance of available resources by stating that use of art form and judicious use of every inch is very important because the whole campaign cost is very high as it is necessary to connect to target audience. Any failure in pursuing a creative art form or depiction of wrong info or info in wrong manner can destroy the brand which is greater than advertising campaign.

On ground strategy- Matching action with words

Next step is creating a strategy so that you a clear direction of what your campaign will go by considering all forces like competition, potential of brand as well as on ground situation of supply chain and the most critical the advertiser should be completely be informed of what they are promoting .

After the potential customer is identified then it is time to match words with action by interacting with interested people & offering them samples which and offers which encourages them to buy the product . And it most critical to take ground situation in mind in terms of available dealership and physical distribution in mind because what you advertise and if you not deliver in terms of distributing  any offers or samples or coupons , but you should deliver it.

Hopkins now talks about basic points to fundamental points of increasing sales on ground because on ground efforts are to be matched with campaign to be run. Before scaling up the campaign it has to be tested with a suitable sample & analysed its effectiveness. He also emphasized that the tricky issue of relationship with dealers has to be sorted out because dealers also think of their own profit but you have think of maximizing overall sales not individually.

Warnings

In order to differentiate from others you need not to be eccentric or showcase anything extra-ordinary. One has to clearly understand that work which appeals differentiates from others. One has to be consistent in its approach, mannerism and style which connects ,since changing your brand strategy is like changing personality every time which does not inspire confidence in customers.

And never attack your competitor because it is not sustainable because people want whats unique in your brand and not what is wrong with another.

Summing Up

Mr Hopkins says that believe in your work and bring efficiency and good work and by being competent. He also states that letter writing is an important piece of advertising and it has to be carefully articulated how to dispatch & respond to the letter that you send.

He ultimately sums it up saying that you/your brand should have an identity and should be recognized by a name which customers can connect otherwise your whole campaign will go waste.

On that note if you read this book, you will clear your head and hit the ground running and start your campaign. Happy Advertising

What’s the buzz- Google+

The social networking site started by Google known as Google+ was third attempt by Google to launch itself in this space which it had not yet been able to crack. Now they have been successful to an extent. They have tried very innovatively by introducing various features as well as combination of features which would help them in differentiating from other sites primarily Facebook. The fact that Google+  is not just an social networking site but it one of the services offered by Google so they decided to integrate it with all their other offerings like You tube ,Gmail etc.  After few futile attempts Google realised that they needed not just a social networking site but a platform where multiple parties can benefit which would also help in differentiating them from others. The immense popularity of Facebook with having more than a billion active users has left many baffled including Google which led it to  the launch of Google+.

Vic Gundotra at the launch of Google+ in their official blog described the need for Google+ by stating that

“We’d like to bring the nuance and richness of real-life sharing to software. We want to make Google better by including you, your relationships, and your interests. And so begins the Google+ project:”

The success of Google+ is highly debated with divided opinions among analyst because although there is surge among users with around 500 million but one is not sure whether they are active users or not. Although there are half a billion users but it accounts for only 2% of all social media sphere. But the reason why it is debated because Google shares the user’s activity on any of its platforms on Google+ which makes the users account busy with content but whether or not the user users actually view the site is still doubtful. They have also kept in mind the advertisers point of view which are always on scout of useful data to have a deep insight of customers. Now this is where they score because since Google+ is an integrated platform which keeps a detailed account of every activity across Google other features this provides the most comprehensive information regarding the user covering every aspect.

The various features of Google+ like circles which was a unique concept on its own.

These are the circles or group of your contacts and hangout which  has been really attractive for many users because this feature help one to classify their contacts in a schematic fashion which eventually no other site offer. Features like circles and other  has helped Google+  to attract more matured users as compared to Facebook where young more prefer to consume time. Many of the other sites don’t offer such features which would create a club of contacts although sometimes deciding upon a circle for some contacts becomes confusing. Other regular features like photo & video sharing are there but they are connected with new concepts of real time streams where your any activity regarding any content is immediately uploaded and also receive updated about your friends. Because of these features Google+ has been able to maintain growth in user base.

Although it has not been as famous as Facebook but these features like integration with other platforms & real time updates has attracted many professionals who depend upon networking for their business. An example which throws light is that of New Zealand photographer Trey Ratcliff who has around 5 million followers on Google+ which he is able to keep track on. Now this is the point many analyst are saying like Media works, a marketing agency quoted that no individual users are quite interested in maintaining their Google+ account unless you are a professional. Since it is an integrated platform the Google+ presence will enable professional firms to establish their presence on Google database which would help when one puts up a search their name would pop up first.

The statistics released by many agencies including analysis by Global Web Index states that Google+ is growing faster than Twitter although later has caught up substantially. Now the problem here is that unlike Facebook story where there was one cause for its rise & rise which is craze the opinions for rise of Google+ is highly divided because the credit is not directly given to Google+ as in case of Facebook but instead due to external factors.

Story of Google+

Here external factors like Facebook Fatigue where people get bored of using Facebook especially with ever increasing piracy complications as well as it being a Google product which means if you a presence on Google product the whole world will know you if searched upon which is even reflected in the Google statement when they state that they want to give users a perfect Google experience.

Basically in the end business is about numbers and Google has achieved a potentially impressive number of half a billion users either way but now the future is tough & will depend upon their strategies. It has been proven great for business and marketing but let’s see if they can really transform the Google experience which they claim to for an ordinary user.

Chocolate sales – Rising graph in India

The rise of consumerism in India has created certain interesting trends which were never seen. These trends and the reasons behind them are totally different and unique which a marketer would have never had expected. The one such trend is rise of demand for chocolate which has seen phenomenal rise in demand across the geographical & demographic segments from small to big towns & from young to old people.
While the marketers had to bring up innovative & creative ideas to sell them the solution lied in not creating a new event or generating any special occasion but in the traditional events and then linking it with the fundamental aspect of celebrating them. Brand management is one of key aspects since brand retention among customers is one the differentiating factor for any company to be successful which explains that only few multinational hold the maximum market share.

Bitter problem for Sweet Chocolate                           
There are many challenges that are faced by these companies even the current players to maintain this demand because it is to be noted that not only in India is demand increasing but similar emerging economies also like China where it is even huge. But the problem here is not just about penetration and brand management it is also about availability of raw material. The main component of cocoa comes either from Ivory Coast and similar African countries or from Brazil but due to increasing demand especially from these emerging economies the production is not able to match up which basically is going to get the maths of basic economics in negative direction.

Cocoa Prices Trend Analysis

The effect of this is already visible in India because not only Indian industry has to deal with international woes the domestic situation is no less encouraging. The continuous high inflation which has pushed up the prices of raw material ranging from milk to dry fruits to even coffee beans which has a direct effect on the pricing of the chocolate. The pricing of chocolates be it any brand or from any company are exorbitantly high which has put a great limitation on the marketers to push further in the market for a healthy growth.
Although now seeing the sustainable demand now there are many farming committees have considered cocoa as a viable option which has led increase in production across the belt of Andhra Pradesh & Kerala which has been adopted well. Although the pricing of chocolate bars has been not in sync with the popular demand but still the sales are going up and there are many encouraging statistics which are a proof of it even though import of cocoa is a price dampener. The rise of demand in China for coca at outrageous level has led to global demand- supply imbalance & it also significantly affect Indian companies as well.

Great Indian Chocolate Affairs

The share of few brands is much higher as compared to other brands and is skewed in favor of multinationals and not a single domestic player has been able to make its mark pan India including Amul.

Many reports & media agencies have analysed that Cadbury & Nestle hold the maximum share in Indian market more than 80% followed by various brands. Following is analysis by Wall Street Journal

Market Share of Various Brands

The rise in chocolate sales is being attributed to strong brand management where the marketers were able to associate chocolate with celebrations like sweets. The emotional aspect of relationship & the bonding that are developed are being celebrated with chocolate. Here is the catch that marketers understood wherein they were successful in portraying that any relationship can be valued and shown by use of chocolates especially during any festival. Be it Rakhi or Diwali or any other festival and similarly be it a relationship of sibling’s friends and so on it can be celebrated using chocolates.
The dynamics of chocolate industry which is basically most relished product of all times faced with crisis which it needs to address in a scientific manner so that it does not lead to a situation where the production of cocoa collapses & along with it the entire industry.

The lack of reforms or rather the policy paralysis has created a situation of stagflation which sees no light at the end of tunnel. Therefore companies will have to grapple with high input & investment cost along with creation of strong brands which would help in customer retention significantly. The new companies would find it difficult as far as market entry strategies are concerned but once established it is further rewarded with high consumption pattern. Although the future looks bright in terms of economics but one factor –supply of raw material is a big worry

CRM in digital era

The important aspect of marketing is CRM which is maintaining the relationship with customer.The important aspect of marketing is CRM which is maintaining the relationship with customer.But with new technologies developing and specially with increasing use of software in every operation of the company CRM is no exception.

It is to be noted that the three major components of CRM – marketing, sales & customer service have all to be co-ordinated so that customer remains loyal. Extensive research on identification of stakeholders and suitable strategy for each stakeholder has been done which gets complex with advent of new age technologies with use of Big data & Analytics and how are useful insights can be derived for customer retention.

CRM is simply not Big Data

But there lies the problem like many companies are so much baffled with “big data” phenomena that they get diverted on the fundamental job that they are supposed to perform i.e. marketing. Similarly many experts have pointed that installing CRM tools is good but it is more critical to have a proper CRM strategy in place that will help company in what they want which only justify investment of CRM tools acquisition.

The direct marketing to targeted customer got a big boost with rise in mobile technology and gradually value added services with evolution of smart phones. This has taken CRM to the next level. Usually marketer had to spent a lot in physical mail or in other media where the effective PR can be done like in public events or exhibitions.

Human Touch to CRM

However using the mobile technology as well digital media now individual customer can be reached directly using apps, e-mail & social media etc. But in spite all these channel it has been analysed using these CRM tools that   human interaction and follow up is very critical. . If the company does not indulge in it then they will never get loyal customer. Whether it is after sales service or follow up offer on new season this need to be done using a sound strategy so that customer remains continuously engaged. The various research studies and many marketing companies have realised and documented over a period of time that cost of retention of customer is much less than acquiring new customer.

D-Amies Technologies clarly explain the process below

CRM Process- People Orientation

So in order to achieve the primary objective there should be uniform knowledge dissemination across the company like sales department who directly deal with customer, should be appraised of latest trends in order to achieve more effective communication with customer.

CRM – Integration must for Effectiveness

In context of the CRM tools available they are a comprehensive package which caters to every aspect which is to be looked upon. They are very useful in understanding the business process and systems which generate maximum user value. Therefore it is very necessary that these tools are completely integrated with ERP systems of the company because then only seamless flow of data will be possible which help in richer data analytics.  .  The major purpose of integration is that during its marketing research process companies study user experiences as well as identifying those attributes which was responded well by the customers.

Therefore in this dynamic market with ever changing technology and customer preferences all companies have to focus on the fundamental aspect of market which is maintaining the relationship with customer and the employees have to get directly involved in it  since any technology like mobile or digital cannot in any way replace the human touch. The available CRM tools should be used to analyse and then strategize a plan but it is necessary that that company should execute it the way it is required to be executed so that customer can be retained and a proper value is generated. Always remember customer will remember you by your actions not by the software you possess.

Social Media Effectivness

The various social media sites like Facebook, Google + & various other which have more than a billion members which are ever increasing on daily basis. Little that one knew that they would become an effective tool for marketing and now a fierce battle ground for brands.

The whole business of sharing and communication between people which is the purpose of social media sites has been seen as content by marketers and this is where they pitch in. It is a well-known fact that in the total promotional mix digital medium is growing the maximum and here’s why.

There are many channels in digital media like e-mail, search, portals and social media but it is these social media sites where the content and awareness is generated by the users themselves instead of the total campaign develop by companies unlike in traditional media mix companies struggle to find suitable content for customer retention.

There are now many tools and tech firms which are developing various softwares as explained by Mashable to handle & quantify the traffic movement in the social sites for brands and constantly highlighting the user activities related to it which is basically not in control of the brand. The True SocialMetrics & Celum are prime example of helping brands on what is known as social media management.

But this phenomena of spreading the buzz is not that easy as it looks and certain strategies have to be implemented because there’s one fact that nobody should forget here. The social media sites and accounts of users are independent identities run by individuals unlike media houses which have some sort of corporate & political backing which clearly means individual opinions have become stronger than any forced biased information. So its utmost critical for companies to crack the social media code by understanding all its features.

How do this Measure up                                    

There are many marketers who have adopted this platform but are confused about how effective it is. The parameters of measuring the ROI which is basically what business is all about are not yet clearly defined. There are various marketing research firms who have dwell into the details of how the maths would add up but still it has failed to convince many marketers. There is a general consensus among everybody that social platform presence has become necessary but not on how they measure up..

Caution Marketers

Via Dynadot

Author, writer & social media expert expresses his thoughts in his blog where he clearly says using metrics is one thing & utilizing the numbers from metrics is another

Promotional Mix Pie – Who stands where

On the flip side adoption of technology among elderly is slow as compared to youth which makes it difficult for many companies to actually recognize it as the primary channel for ads. Since still the social media users profile is majorly confined to young, there pose certain limitations on it. For many mass media TV is still a reliable choice. Although now with technology we have been seeing integration of channels and consistency in content which has helped marketers to stabilize & uniform their campaign.

One of the major reasons for adoption for social media is increase in exposure that a brand gets which further helps in gaining market insights. Since it is known that every user activity can be recorded as data which can be utilized and analysed popularly known as Analytics. This encourages markets to adopt social media because unlike other media it is the only channel where customer interaction as well simultaneous data on customer insights can be generated.

Analytical Advantage

One can see that many social media sites like Facebook, Google+ offer Analytics support for marketers & any innovative features and activities which can be quantified and analysed whenever a user uses it like Facebook Like which clearly states that if a user likes any activity, product on Facebook he likes that activity, product & it gets recorded and will give companies insight which otherwise would have been tough using traditional methodologies.

Clearly over a period of time like marketers have understood the potential of social media now vice versa also these sites have understood how by offering various features which can be dynamic, unique and totally complimenting the marketer’s requirements they can not only generate more users but also trust among marketers regarding their effectiveness.

So basically it’s a spiral of activities, wherein more the customer is attracted towards social sites, more will marketers will develop their presence there and integrate the content with other media so as to offer consistency in their campaigns.

Therefore everybody benefits & importantly it becomes apparent that irrespective of any era or time “Customer will always be the king”

IDENTIFYING THE CORRECT DATA

Given the paradigm shift in technology & its outreach the avenues for marketing has broadened and have been given totally a new shape.
But as the saying goes “Every system has its merits & demerits” same stands for the shift of promotional mix towards digital. The rise of social media gave rise to independent forums wherein customers are not relied on a particular or company feed information. With expansion of technology the channels for marketing widens and accordingly the P of marketing are now 7 from 4.
TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS
Ask any tech geek , they will list you numerous platforms which you might not have heard of; ask any marketing expert they will list you multiple platforms effective for marketing which companies can explore but ask any CMO he/she might struggle to give you an answer what is suitable or effective for their firms marketing strategy.
The rise of social media & mobile technology is now not limited to a particular segment, interestingly it is being accepted across various demographic segments including gender & age.
PHENOMENA OF DATA or BIG DATA
The rise of social media and various digital platforms have given rise to the new phenomena of Big Data. Since now every activity on these platforms are a consequence of codes or computer programmes which can be recorded. Therefore any user who does any activity becomes a profile & all its activities are noted as a data which basically reflects the critical information of the user.
Well this is the information that companies look for so as to understand what customers like so that they can sell only those things. Now in order to capture this data companies invest considerable resources to build up a team of analyst & researchers who acquire process &analyse that data technically known as Data Mining.
This deal looks simple on the first hand but if it looked at closely you will understand that there are multiple platforms and channels in which millions of users are active. The basic feature of digital media unlike traditional mass media is that it has no boundaries. So this has created a situation where now, be it any platform there is the explosion of data which is being recorded or developed.

Very often we see likes of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest boasting of how much data they process daily in terms of user activity which runs in billions of terabytes. Really nail-biting, and this becomes a nightmare for these data miners because this one such mine which unlike minerals never get exhausted but fills up every day.
Now when companies who were grappling with this situation are being increasingly warned about the relevance of data. It becomes apparent that simply going after and crunching the available or incoming flow of data has not yielded the results which companies hoped for. Maths also require some human touch wherein the company has to decide upon sources as well what channels to be taken into consideration while collecting data. On every site or platform there is enormous data generated which tempts marketers to capture everything but gradually it becomes inhuman. The following article of Tech Republic clearly emphasize this point.
It has been often been seen that companies who went after chasing big data and indulge in quantitive analysis with qualitative thought process or strategy have not seen light at the end of tunnel because the tunnel never ended.
In various interviews CMOs often say they are not able to keep pace with the change in technologies leave alone implement them. But now it is felt that it is not required to, since one cannot expect big campaigns to simply migrate from platform to platform without getting any ROI. They should focus on certain platforms and build upon them because one will see that follows tech space very keenly the pace of change & it has no limit. Forbes very clearly states in this article.

IBM has also raised this issue in its interaction with various CMOs. Here is a sum up of it.
Therefore, identifying the correct data is more important than going after Big Data because like companies no matter what the pace of technology is, even the customer does not adopt so fast. So relax , identify and then mine apparently you will see light at the end of tunnel.

BOOK REVIEW- Repositioning: Marketing in an Era of Competition, Change and Crisis by Jack Trout

With the advent of capitalism the rise of corporates ensured that for every product/service there are going to be multiple players who leave no stone unturned to sell their products. Therefore for any company to assume that it is cake walk they will be greatly mistaken. The authors are pioneers are not only understanding this competition but also to document them in al corroborative fashion so that the marketers understand it properly and clearly. The book is follow up of their initial writings “Positioning – The Battle for your mind “ which at the time of publishing had clearly anticipated the fact that given the hyper competition in this market many companies are now adapting a strategy of differentiating themselves from competitors in the mind of customers so that they are not lost in the crowd. Since with time capitalism has evolved and the companies have grown up and customers have matured. The customer are much more informed and not just lured away by anything the companies would say. Thus. The time has come for companies to start Re-positioning themselves because change is the law of the nature. If you don’t change with time you perish.
The authors have systematically addressed the issue of Repositioning stage wise where they start from the dynamics of market to touching upon various aspects which are a clear evidence that change is inevitable. The book is divided into three stages in which the first part deals with competition, then second part deals with how to change and the last stage deals with crisis companies face and how to address it.
Positioning is how you differentiate yourself in the mind of the consumer. Repositioning is how you re-adjust the way you differentiate yourself in the mind of the consumer – in the face of competition, change or crisis. Positioning is about creating that ownership, repositioning is about adjusting it. Essentially, repositioning is the art of the obvious – searching for that simple, credible, differentiating idea you want associated with your brand, and making that real in all your marketing.
The first part of the book deals with competition which is basically hyper-competition in today era. There are many companies which were successful in the past are now struggling for survival because they failed to change with time. They became complacent with time as they assumed themselves to be “too big to fail”. But there are many rivals and even smaller players who worked in bringing changes in their products in very subtle fashion and big companies failed to note these trends. When the rivals & small companies then launch their new products which hit hard these companies. They continue with their famous product line but are not in a position to compete with the changing technology.
The first part of books deals with present day reality of how an average customer is now completely informed because of internet or rather bombarded with information which makes them over-exposed to brands and all sorts of products. This has a cascading effect on the established companies which were not active in evolving. So this has led many companies to become extinct and they were not able to bounce back. By emphasizing on these examples the authors have clearly stated that if companies don’t re-adjust themselves and deliver something different then they will perish. Here the authors not only refer to new products but also change in trends and likings of people which many companies fail to read.
The authors have given the examples of not only companies but also markets as a whole also like in emerging countries where the people have become conscious and are increasing adopting brands which many companies are not able to penetrate easily or able to understand. The companies believed that they can market their time tested products in these markets but they are often taken by surprise when these products are not accepted.
Then simultaneously authors have tried to emphasize on what is necessary for companies so that they reposition themselves successfully with tie even after they have once failed. They need to understand the competition and then develop their marketing strategies accordingly.
In the second stage the authors try to make the marketers understand the basic law of nature i.e. change. There are certain factors as well as events which lead to changes and completely alter the market place. The major factor here is technology. Here the author gives comparisons of traditional mail vs E-mail. By such kind of comparisons here it is shown that these changes and especially technological changes are highly disruptive in nature and sometimes they become destructive. These changes change the very dynamics of market and create an underlying damage to the established companies who fail to recognize it. The change here refers not only to the technology but to people’s mind set which continuously evolve & mature with time. So there are many companies which were forced to reposition themselves not in terms of work or product but even in terms of name & brand visibility.
In order to explain change the authors have given example from the perspective of every stake holder involved in the process of marketing till the end customer. Each stakeholder have their own thought process and each have their own pace of change. It becomes necessary for the company to clearly understand it and then keeping a suitable time period in mind they should try to reposition themselves.
The authors have also touched upon the perspective of management of the successful companies who start to believe in a delusion that they are correct and they understand the market. Many managers develop a thought process that they clearly understand the time period when there is requirement for change which cost the companies dearly.
The authors then try to also make a point that given the dynamic marketplace it is not necessary to always change. Many companies having suffered losses due to complacency tend to develop a policy in which they set a target of change at continuous time period. The fact that change only when you have conviction in your new offering otherwise it will be a futile exercise and will backfire
There is phenomena in the corporate world which is highly noticeable that bigger a company is the more difficult it is to change. The growth of companies means increase in layers of decision making followed by emergence of beaurcracy and competition among management and employees delays the decision making and kills the innovations and adoptability in these organizations which makes it almost impossible to change within the required time period.
After understanding these issues the authors touched upon the final stage of Crisis. The fact of perishing is well known but there are many examples who have emerged from failure and time is testimony of it. The authors have stressed on the fact that many companies have emerged stronger from the crisis and have learnt to convert challenge into an opportunity.
The essence of Crisis is very deep and cannot be simply termed as end of an era. The Crisis situation can alter the dynamics and completely change the game. When companies are in crisis i.e. when they face failure then they understand the various aspects of marketing as well as fundamentals upon which the complete trust of buyer and seller is developed. Many companies reincarnate themselves in new avatar and offer better values to customer because then they realise that it is the requirement of customer that matter and not what they like or want.
The one major factor in Crisis is accountability in which the onus to take responsibility and then bring changes lies with leadership. In the time of crisis if they escape their responsibility than the whole system will collapse but if they lead from the front then they can help the companies in repositioning. The whole process of repositioning takes time because apart from changes made in the process and all issues relate to the company it becomes equally necessary to appeal to the customer and then work accordingly
Overall this book is not just a regular problem solving marketing book written by experts but an eye opener in which they touched upon every possible aspects of marketing and related it with the reality on ground which clearly states that Change is inevitable.
The process in which how companies position themselves in minds of customers but once they do it then they become relax. But then they forget that with time things change and then comes the need for repositioning which is readjustment in the times of change , crisis & competition.

REAL TIME LOCATION

With every new technology, new things emerge which create new issues and new opportunities.

Same is the case with digital technology, with emergence of new trends- Social, Mobility, Cloud, Real Time Advertising and what not. Well basically a lot of new trends & platforms have emerged.

Gradual decline of print media, saturation of mass media have put the brakes on traditional media where onetime content was generated.

Now people own smart phones, apart from not only tablets, laptops which mean people are connected to internet even on the go.

So basically it means Digital & Social media world has now become mobile because there is cloud to back your data and companies can use Analytics to you know analyse the data to know you.

Hence the term SMAC was coined and then came HANA by SAP. Well there are many acronyms being developed but it all points to one particular fact i.e Real Time Location.

How are you Located- Real Time

Well there are explosion of apps being made in any OS or for any purpose. But most of them have one prominent feature that has changed the face of advertising is the location identification of yours where ever you go with your phone/tab or laptop.

The concept of real time media has gradually coming onto the forefront where the target customer is given information and various schemes and any other selling attribute at the point of sale.

The customer is benefitted from this feature by knowing what’s in the vicinity but it also enables companies to attract customers on immediate basis with schemes/offers.

There are many apps like Zomato identify the location of user and immediately identifies the eateries and restaurant around the location.

Trend Setters

The main issue regarding the real time location is the trend which was started because of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter , Instagram and blogs wherein lot of people check in at the places they visit from their mobiles so as to share with their friends as well as giving their opinions regarding the place with photos, posts and various other things on these sites they highlight the place or the brand they are using.

So whenever any of his friends click on the link regarding the brand/ place a proper information should pop up which add up in potential customers.

Success of Apps

The primary purpose of this tag feature was to show to friends regarding the activity or location which the user is visiting on these sites as well share their experience. But gradually with the success of this feature the social networking sites have become a source of information rather than traditional search engine because here apart from features of product/ service the opinion and experience by already existing users can take. The forums developed on these sites becomes platform for discussion an opinion generation where anybody can give his/her thoughts.

User Location sharing through mobile

Via Google Play

What does this mean for Marketers

As we know  the real time location concept has empowered customer regarding the complete spectrum of knowledge from basic information to details to opinions of other people. This needs to be tackled by companies with ready content which is successful in appealing to the user and coverts him into a customer.

When we talk of various aspects and parameters which are covered in marketing such as brand impression, brand visibility to niche marketing to crowd sourcing and similar terms, each of these concepts are evaluated on the basis with respect to response to mobile technology and digital tools.

The parameters of brand impression and visibility will depend upon what type of platforms are the information regarding brand is available upon and what is the rate of acceptance and endorsement by user who can be a possible customer. When the terms of niche marketing and target marketing where in the focus is segments the rate of finding customers for these special segments is more than using traditional mass media because here you can interact directly with target customer.

The social media and mobile platforms have become a great resource for capturing quality data base on customer behaviour and analysis of trends where in their activities as well location are continuously recorded.

Thus it needs to be noted how basic and simple ideas or concept can gradually introduce a trend of communicating information and gradually become one the most critical change in marketing sphere and has become one of the most successful activity.

The purpose of real time location tagging was basically confined to simply sharing of whereabouts with other friends but this got converted into a trend with advent of mobile technology and application of social media and relative apps on it.

So basically Marketers will find you where you are and Obviously will give you the best deals.  

CONTENT MANAGEMENT

With the advent of digital world & its use as a source of communication & subsequently marketing, we are witnessing the gradual but a certain shift. Now people across ages, gender, society & geography are getting comfortable with these new age technology.

And, historically speaking with advent of new technologies, many eras of different platforms & different mediums were witnessed. But there was one thing common, the need for advertising and for people to know.

How do people know, with the way marketers communicate & tell.

How do they tell & communicate, through content that people understand & connect to.

So basically what we have realized over a period of time, that irrespective of time, era, medium, platform- you name it what’s remain important is the message.

That’s why Content Management remains important since the inception of advertising.

 Mass Media Era- Were marketer’s content with the Content

The mass media era saw rise of TV, radio, newspaper as mediums which were delivered at really mass. Maybe that’s why it’s called Mass Media. The penetration of radio followed by cable television was fast & reached a wide & greater audience. It raised the outreach of a marketer from local to national level.

But again the marketers faced a fundamental problem. Obviously content management.

Why – Because of the basic problem that Radio & TV were shared or technically consumed by entire unit of a family, friends because they are shared devices.

So stress was laid on how the delivery of message should since how does it strike the right person.

Cosmetics are mostly consumed by females. So during a broadcast watched by entire family, it becomes apparent to have a effective Ad which strikes female to buy that cosmetics.

This message can only be delivered with the correct message which is the Content of the advertisement.

In the Digital Era

Gradually with development of Personal Computer & Commercialisation of internet has changed the whole game. Well the word “Personal” has lot of meaning.  Unlike TV, radio which was a shared entity & unlike mass media which had limited coverage, the basic characteristics of PC & internet are different.

Now a single person has a personal device with a technology to access any information on anything.

This has effect on marketing also with shift in delivery of message to new digital mediums & more over it has given multiple interactive options like social media feed to short videos.

That led many marketers to think that probably Content was not that important, more important was the delivery of message to the right customer.

But soon this myth was busted because it was soon realised by the fact that if there is no proper content generated be it any platform the brand will not be differentiated in their segment.

Importance of Content Management

Therefore even in this era of social media where the user’s reviews on public platforms or online forums and also new concepts like Instagram which is instant video and use of hash tangs the importance of content is paramount because in this short span of time it has become a challenge for marketers to  deliver the message.

 The creativity and eye catchy ads can only be created with not only graphics but with words also. The words should clearly reflect message the company wants to convey otherwise the brand which needs to be promoted would become just another commodity of that product/service they are of for the customer.

Content Management Approach

Source- i-Scoop

Lessons learnt

As we all know- The factors which are kept in mind such as target audience, the attributes of product as well as the product life cycle are realised and accordingly the marketing campaigns as well the available platforms are finalised.

Eventually even for product differentiation & cross selling and gathering new target customer, it becomes even more apparent.

To touch these factors one should have a strategy to pursue the campaign.

What’s the campaign- what is our product.

And basically to convey you need Content

Therefore companies are continuously scouting for correct content strategies as well as its orientation and sources and it is now universally accepted that one with sound content strategy will ultimately lead the race.

RURAL MARKETING SOLUTIONS

Since liberalisation the economic growth over two decade has a trickledown effect and led to growth in rural areas.

Over a period of time companies are now making grand strategies to penetrate rural market because now rural customers are armed with disposable incomes has given rise to consumerism.

But over a period of time marketers have realized the profile of rural customer is entirely different from that of urban customer. After much of segmentation & profile mapping of the rural customers on the given parameters, it was gradually revealed that the most important factor here was the factor of psychology.

Basically how to tap the rural market as Bharat is different from India.

The rise in consumerism is because over a period of last decade there has been series of social schemes like job guarantee which like disbursing cash to people. This led them to spend the money without change in the basic attitude or any other factor. In fact all other parameters remain the same like influence of family and focus on basic necessities.

Corporates rise to the challenge

So this has turned out to be a challenge for marketers. But as we know challenges comes with opportunity. So now lots of companies have now developed a dedicated resources in product development to cater to the rural customers and working on marketing modules accordingly.

Now for many FMCG giants like ITC, HUL the rural markets corner a majority of their portfolio and if we study their approach it is based on extensive study of the rural markets. HUL Khusiyon ki Doli Campaign is one such example.

Making inroads into rural market

The major challenge here is how to link the product with requirement of the customer because unlike urban customer they don’t spend wishfully. Challenges galore for any marketers ranging from poor infrastructure to Brand Awareness. The major challenges that lie here are in terms of distribution, pricing and advertising to make inroads into rural India.

Well Innovation is the key here as we will see what HUL has done here by linking technology with tradition and creating awareness about the product by creating awareness about the need for it.

Many companies sell their soap by creating awareness about hygiene & health impacts of washing hands. Same is the case for tooth paste linking it to dental care (well, that works in urban market too).

How to Engage the Rural Customer

The purpose of Brand Awareness will never be fulfilled if companies don’t engage with rural people effectively as per their language & customs. This has emerged as the most critical component in addressing this challenge. The campaign designed by marketers should be designed in such a manner which would take care of all these issues and deliver on the available platforms of traditional media. Many companies indulge in training programs with local retailers & distributors because they provide effective last mile connectivity.like Coco Cola’s Parivartan Training Program.

Rural presence of Cola major- Localization

Many marketers have also done trend analysis and understood that community gathering is the most important & effective platform for interaction i.e. the customer touch point. Using these platforms companies run social campaigns focussing on these fundamental issues & then promote their brand as the solution to these issues.

With growing importance of rural markets there are many companies which have drawn long term strategies which help them sustain in this complicated market which has ever changing landscape and it has also encouraged companies to adopt disruptive technologies and solutions which have a radical effect on the market. Thus, it is to be noted that the most happening place for any marketer has turned out be rural areas.

Thus, the evolution of the rural customer has created a new market of more than half a billion people which has generated opportunity for marketers but not without challenges. It is to be noted that marketers have learnt to tame the challenges and created effective Rural Marketing Solutions which are unique & highly innovative in nature to cater to this segment.