Valentine Week, or the Spam Week?

Its been quite a week, and while Macy's has been selling me just the dress, Victoria's Secret is selling me its sexiest lingerie collection to seduce my valentine on the Valentine's Day. I wonder if Viagra is also at work, flooding the right inboxes with its promotional offers.

The direct-mail marketer in me couldn't help but analyze and criticize each mail before deleting it, and the only mail that I didn't find as trite was Burlington's mailer with a wee-bit creative subjectline 'Gifts that make scents for Valentine's Day' for the promotion of it's perfumes.

Seriously America, you need a course in creativity from our Bollywood directors! :)

Lufthansa Flavors

Talk about excellent Target Marketing and Customer Engagement, and Lufthansa tops the chart amongst the international airlines!

The airline recently ran an Indian recipe contest, Lufthansa Flavors, for their Indian audience. The contest encouraged and awarded people for submitting an Indian recipe, or voting for their favorite recipe, or even telling a friend about this contest, besides a weekly raffle. They had a dedicated portal, Flavors of India (click to be redirected), for the contest and promoted it heavily on Times of India (TOI) website.

They were clearly targeting the Indians living in the US since the raffle ticket prizes were gift certificates valid for major restaurants chains in the US. Anyway since they don't have domestic operations in India, it doesn't make any sense to target Indians living in India, and causing a huge spillage of marketing resources. Obviously Indians living abroad make for a more qualified audience!

Lufthansa must have availed the geo-targeting option for online advertising with TOI. This implies that Lufthansa's advertisement would show-up each time someone logs onto the TOI website with an IP address from the US. Even from a psychographic perspective, their choice of medium is interesting since a Non Resident Indian (NRI), or a prospective customer for Lufthansa, is quite likely to read the online version of TOI. As a side note, it is also interesting to note their choice of words, for instance, 'raffle' as commonly used in the US and not 'lucky draw' as in India.

But why a recipe contest? I wondered, and came up with a plausible explanation.

Well, food is an important part of both our culture and lives in general (as witnessed by the health of an average Indian). It is also an important way of showing our love and hospitality towards someone. I am sure you have heard stories of how we like to feed our guests to death! It also plays a central role in our festivals, and we do have dishes associated with certain religious and cultural festivals. Moreover, Lufthansa is not the cheapest airline to fly between India-US so I am inclined to believe that it does not target the price sensitive customer, who can put up with a crappy meal to save a few hundred bucks on a 10+ hours flight. Lastly, a recipe contest will also grab the attention of stay-home wives and moms, who by the way travel back home more often.

It would definitely be interesting to know if the contest could have any immediate significant effect on Lufthansa's revenue from the US-India sector even though that may not have been the very objective of the contest.

Hail Blackberry Boys!

Blackberry (BB) had the first mover advantage in the PDA space in India, which, amongst other factors such as the product itself, was responsible for its wide-spread corporate adoption.. to a point where it became a status symbol. Owning a BB signified that you were are a key person in your organization, who needed to be connected at all times.

However, after BB became a part of the corporate clout, a need was felt to broaden its target segment and consequently cheaper BB variants were launched. These phones still supported mailing, browsing and BB messenger to keep one connected on-the-go while compromising on functionalities such as a super camera though you could still make-do with this camera if you weren’t a professional photographer.

At the same time, to maintain differentiation and the status aura for their senior execs and corporate clients, BB was smart to launch attractive options that were sleeker and sexier, and had better functionalities and steeper price tags. Infact, these attractive handsets by BB were comparable to Apple's i-Phone in stylistic features though with a different interface, and the ultimate purchase decision was a function of preference for either QWERTY keyboard and BB Messenger, or Touchpad & i-Ph Apps. Of-course the corporate contracts with telecom operators undoubtedly had a role to play here!

The launch of cheaper handsets, starting from INR 8 to 10k, was a beginning. They also used BB messenger as a potent tool, which in my view worked as a viral. The feature supported free chatting if you and your friend owned a BB and was attractive for young adults, probably in the age group of 16 to 30. The priorities of this segment were BB messenger, browsing and emailing, in this order - the exact reverse for a corporate guy with emailing, browsing and BB messenger as a requirement in that particular order. Thirdly, the compatibility of BB services with Vodafone, along with Airtel, ensured that BB was using the distribution channels of both major telecom operators. Infact, Vodafone now supports the BB services even for its prepaid, low value customers.

It is also interesting, though obvious, to notice the change in BB's advertising message with the change in its positioning. Just try recalling and contrasting the first few ads for BB completely centered around the theme of keeping 'daddy out of his office' so that he could spend more time with his little one to the current Vodafone BB Boys ad now. Click here to view the ad! The BB Boys ad does a great job of coining a catchy term 'BB Boys', which has already become a part of the lingo and is often mentioned on social networking sites. In my view, a long commercial (1 min) such as this is expensive to air but at the same time it focuses on a single message and conveys it effectively to achieve its objective of targeting a new segment of customers.

- Namrta R

Are you Loyal?

It's amazing how the Loyalty Programs can get you hooked on! These days you can find a Loyalty Card for almost everything - airlines, websites, malls and retail outlets, grocery shops, bars and restaurants, even petrol bunks!

So if I wish to fly to Dubai to satisfy my greed for clothes and shoes, I earn Air Miles, and further reward points for every buck spent on accessorizing and pleasing myself. Sounds good. Thanks to the wallet makers who drive this fetish further by providing ample slots to 'house' these Loyalty Cards.

So I often wondered that why don't the Indian Railways start such a Loyalty Program for frequent travelers such as me. Infact, you will be surprised to know that the IRCTC website doesn't let you book more than 10 railway tickets per month whereas this deserves a discount for the 'bulk buy'! I am sure the railways would have lost a couple of web bookings due to factors such as this and also their comparatively tedious booking procedure, thus making the customers migrate to other (affiliated) travel sites with a more user-friendly interface, ease of booking, discounts and loyalty programs.

But finally they are here with their SOFT (Scheme for Frequent Travelers), and it's better late than never. Now you accumulate miles for every rupee spent on rail travel and can lay claim to free ticket(s) just like you can in any other loyalty program. Of-course they have their own terms and conditions such as they don't give miles on travel in anything less than AC 2 Tier, which in my opinion should be fine. Considering it's so hard to get a confirmed reservation in AC 2 Tier closer to the date of travel, I presume there would be ample 'takers' for this!

However, I feel they still have a few lessons to be learned from their counterparts because their Loyalty Card doesn't come for free. They charge you Rs 500 for signing-up for first year and an annual renewal fee of Rs 300 every subsequent year. Not heard of a paid loyalty program for individuals in a long time now though it may suit the likes of travel agents.

It'll be interesting to notice how this program evolves. I'll keep you updated!

- Namrta R

The Killer McD

My first few memories of Wimpy's, the burger joint, are of a the then new outlet that had opened up at Pritampura and inaugurated by Shatrughan Sinha a day before we set out foot there. And then there were these occasional stints at the New Delhi railway station! I quite liked their burgers, and recall that I wouldn't stuff myself on the flight, hoping to grab a bite at the station outlet.

Suddenly, however, they just seemed to have been wiped-off. None at the railway station, one mini take-away at Hauz Khas, and one not-so-neat outlet at Connaught Place, which I by-the-way spotted only this weekend. It looked like a weary old man, who couldn't stand tall anymore; and had a cloth banner furling in the air, with "Wimpy's" written on it, and no fascia or branding on the exterior. The menu seemed to be an interesting mix of burgers, pizzas, and even some Indian dishes that could probably qualify as 'Indian fast-food'. The crowd was a decent mix, mostly college couples who couldn't afford a date at expensive joints or average families who seemed to be taking a break amidst their 'window-shopping' spree. The washroom was deserted, and not even equipped with the "must's" such as the soap, disposable hand towels, toilet paper, or even water in all taps. But of-course this was noon, on the weekend; not sure how different would the evening have been though!

As I nostalgically grabbed a burger, sitting alone like old times, I couldn't but help wonder what resulted in this plight for Wimpy's and even other extremely popular chains like Nirula's, which have been wiped-off massively though they exist locally owing to the proximity to a popular commercial complex or housing locality. And after some deliberation, while I turned out to look towards the road through the glass, I was struck with the name of the epidemic - "McDonalds" or McD.

McD has started a new chapter in the history of "cheap" "fast-food" joints. I would like to modify the word "fast-food" to "burger", because burger is the only thing you get "cheap" at McD. There is no competing with McD's on price, since a local chain doesn't have the economies of scale. So whereas a consumer may shell out a little extra for a premium burger, which has an element of exclusivity, it would be difficult to get him to choose Wimpy's over McD. The price in turn is complemented by the wide-spread presence of McD, and even vice-versa, because that's where the volumes emerge from. The footfalls are both a result of price, as outlined above, and the branding and positioning.

The brand has a huge recognition, recall and visibility. Their fascias are a well done-up discernible logo, usually visible from a distance and the outlets have appropriate road signs, which alert you about the distance and directions, eg: "1 km Away' or 'Take a U-Turn here'. And sometimes, they change of your intention of 'not taking a break' to 'let's stop here for a while', more so because its not an expensive joint, and promises fast food, fast service and clean premises. And while the oldies take a break and rest, the children get to meet with their favorite uncle Ronaldo and gobble down restricted items of food.

The positioning of the brand adds a magical McD effect, which has become a part of our lingo and as something that we can relate to, and thus adds to the 'brand recall'. McD has become synonymous with burger, and especially if you want it fast, If you are in a mood to grab something on the go, you would perpetually end-up muttering, 'Let's have something like a burger from McDs', and that irrespective of whether you have a McD in the proximity, you would be able to get across your message and mood.

Other distinct niceties, though noteworthy but not very relevant to the context, are an open kitchen and a courteous, well-trained staff, who don't hesitate to serve you a complimentary burger or coke if you have faced any inconvenience at their outlet.

This sort of branding, positioning and some of the other niceties are difficult to find in most other regional joints, and that's why McD takes the cake while these joints get wiped-off. I would compromise on the branding and positioning, if I am atleast offered good grub at decent prices, and the other niceties in my locality, which is why some of these joints manage to thrive. And then, like I said, some thrive due to their strategic location, and so I get to eat at Wimpy's in Connaught Place last Saturday.

- Namrta R

Chrome Caricature

The Chrome ads seem to work; they also seem to be multiplying, to become omnipresent. It would be interesting to get my hands-on some statistics!

- Namrta R

Picasa

I uploaded over hundred pics on Picasa, and it arranged those pics according to the time and date stamp. Wonder how? After pondering on it for 30 seconds, I figured out that it wasn't really the time-stamp, it was the pic number that Picasa could pick-up and respond to. That was easy, and common-sense! But a lot of picture sharing sites and uploaders overlook this aspect. As a bonus, it also rotated my misaligned pics by 90 degree so as to 'straighten' them! I guess it also has a face-recognition system in place. I was quite impressed. So, Picasa did save me some of my precious time, and a lot of my efforts.


Facebook failed to recognize the sequence of the pics or rotate the misaligned ones by 90 degree, whereas Orkut did rotate my pics but couldn't arrange them. So I was required to do a bit of re-re-ordering after uploading the pics. But then again, its not fair to compare Facebook or Orkut with Picasa, which exclusively is a software for uploading and sharing pics.

A software is supposed to make our life easy by automating a set of pre-defined tasks. (That's another thing that sometimes it complicates our life further when we spend most of our time figuring out what to do with the software itself)! I wonder if we should ask ourselves if that is software for dummies, or has the advent of softwares made us dummies!


- Namrta R

Impact of Social Media

I had never doubted the power of social media, and the release of 'Three Idiots' has reinforced this belief. I logged on to fb (Facebook) this morning only to find people in India and abroad vouching for the flick, and guess what, I booked my tickets pronto. Buzz marketing it is, a viral on social media. Yet to figure out how credible, or rather discover the bunch of people whose opinion I want to go by!

- Namrta R

Chrome again

Google has expanded its promotional net to include news sites for popularizing Chrome. I came across this on 'Times of India' and am keen to follow what next!

- Namrta R

And now, Google hits television!

Eleven brilliant ads for Chrome (below), Google has done it again!

A 360-degree communication entails hitting the target audience through all media in order to cut through the clutter and the noise, and to exceed the minimum threshold level. Google's media planning seems to include consistent web promotions, rolled over several phases, and sporadic television advertising, which is also one of the quickest and most certain ways to obtain mindshare.
>> Read more here

- Namrta Batra

And yet again

Google seems to be experimenting with the 'F' and 'Z' patterns of scanning through a webpage and therefore, I am finding it more and more interesting to follow the 'Chrome download' icons. Find here yet another version the same on Google Search home page (see red box below):

I will continue following-up on this thread as and when I notice something more interesting about Google :)

- Namrta Batra

Google Yet Again

Try typing a wrong URL in your browser window and if Google is your default search page, then you can't miss Chrome yet again (read below):

I was wondering where do all these links take you to, and this is how the download page looks like (read below):

- Namrta Batra

Google: the Big Daddy of All Promotions

Google is setting a new trend in promoting its very own browser Chrome by deploying innovative and low-cost measures. 

Most avid users would list three webpages that they use frequently i.e. Google Search, Mail (usually Gmail) and Orkut (many more users compared to Facebook!). Keeping this in mind, Google probably has started a pilot to promote Chrome by constantly reminding the users of its presence and giving a quick link to an easy download. 

You can't miss Chrome on Google Search (see red box below):

And they wouldn't give-up if you don't. They have other ways to get this done (see red box below):

And when you have finally downloaded, it does exclaim 'bravo!' (see red box below):

 

So why should Google pilot the cross-promotion of Chrome with Search and Orkut? Well, Search because it is the least intrusive and the most popular. Orkut because it can fun, funny and extremely informal as contrary to something very personal such as Gmail. Also, I believe it makes more sense to implement Adsense in Gmail than promote Chrome. Any thoughts?

- Namrta Batra