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From a spot on the radio to a 30-second television commercial and Internet presence, advertising has indeed come a long way and is now ubiquitous. Different media competes for the consumer’s attention aggressively because in the age of information overload and hyper connectivity, while the attention span is less, alternatives are many, many. The "instant gratification" phenomenon of today is real, with Internet and new-age media making products, (both tangible and intangible) easily accessible. This also poses challenges in creating impactful advertising. So how does one keep you interested in their brands? What makes great advertising? A look at the numerous factors that work in certain successful advertising campaigns and how some ads gain the cutting edge. If you have a great idea, it’s going to be great
Catchy tunes/lyrics/taglines: Indians appreciate good music and great sounds. The proof of this trait are some movies, which go on to becoming "hits" purely due to their great soundtracks. This reasoning can also be applied to ads. The "Hello honey bunny" ad has had the whole country singing along. Even the ICICI prudential "Bande achche hain" ad of 2013 has a hummable quality. The "Haan main crazy hoon," Coca Cola ad has a good tune and lyrics. It has a nice ring to it and it may well work.
Relatability: Another ad high on the relatability factor is Airtel’s "Har ek friend zaroori hota hai" created by Taproot India. The ad’s aim to target the brand’s youth positioning is achieved since it makes a strong connect with the younger generation, with its theme of friendship. The Imperial Blue "Men will be Men" series are ads which the male population can relate to. Anuj Kala, Associate Creative Director Ogilvy and Mather, Delhi and the writer of the Imperial Blue Anniversary television commercial says "Good ads can be many but great ads, only a few. Here’s how you can differentiate between them. Right from a nursery rhyme to, say, the Mahabharata, a piece of work can stand the test of time because of its simplicity of thought, no matter, then, how long the narrative is. The other thing that goes into making a good communication is the craft. Sometimes what differentiates great communication from the good is just the way it is presented, spoken, read or seen in a media that one is not used to." Finally, the communication has to fill a need in a person’s life. Sometimes, the need is invented in the life of the consumer the communication is targeted at. This becomes the most important thing for a communications specialist when he digs for this person’s insights. Right communication means right insights.
Bodhisatwa Dasgupta, Associate Creative Director at Grey Worldwide, has been in the advertising industry seven years now, and says "Conversations are what make ads work. Good ads are all about engagement; they draw the reader (or the watcher) in and keep him hooked. It speaks to him. He remembers it because it was an experience for him."
Digital marketing Online Reputation Firms have come into being and social networking sites are abuzz with "pages" dedicated to various brands. Digital marketing firms are becoming extremely important for brands. It is, as Kanika Mathur, president of Digitas India (a digital marketing agency) puts it, "Very often the online world has conversations and discussions around brands and category which could be affecting the brand positively or, sometimes, even in a negative way. Several times you would have noticed tweets and discussions on forums that criticise certain actions that a brand takes. Online Reputation Management (ORM) is a strategic process that brands adopt to respond to customers/users in the online space." This includes listening to the buzz around the brand and the category and proactively responding to create a positive impact or to inform and educate.
Demographics tilt towards consumerism According to the Census of India Sample Registration System (SRS) statistical Report of 2011, the working population (15 to 59 years) in the country comprises 62.5 per cent of the total population chunk. Such a demographic, where the majority population is in the "economically active" category would suggest that India is in a position to tilt towards consumerism. So economically speaking, it is a good time in India for brands.
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HOW often have you
caught yourself humming that catchy jingle and smiling at the funny
tagline in an ad? Quite often, if you go by the deluge of
advertisements — be it in print, electronic media or of course
online. It sure is an (m)ad, ad world!
One such great idea
happened at the Mahakumbh Mela to market HUL’s soap brand
Lifebuoy. The line "Did you wash your hands with Lifebuoy?"
was stamped across 2.5 million chapattis made for the pilgrims
in dhabhas selected by the company with special heat stamps.
Ogilvy Action came up with this inventive, different and great idea.
Oh, and the Mahakumbh just happens to be one of the largest
human congregations. Marketing genius this?
Recall value: Again in a
world which is being overfed with information, be it the Internet or
24/7 cable channels, recall value is of supreme importance. Something
that leaves a mark and sticks is what a brand should aim for. That’s
what the Vodaphone dog ads achieved. The recall value of the Vodaphone
dog is massive; the pug could be called a symbol of "the
Vodaphone dog". Another ad campaign high on recall value is the
"No idea, Get Idea" Campaigns, for IDEA which stars Abhishek
Bachchan. Ads from the campaign included the one where Abhishek
Bachchan tells the girl in the parking lot to "Get Idea"
since she had "No idea" why her mobile bill was so much, or
the man who has two phones without network. These ads make an
impression.
Quirk works: Think
Happydent, the kingdom of lights (city lights) ad created by the
agency McCann Erickson India, Mumbai. They moved away from the
clich`E9s of "chewing gum ads" and gave us something
completely out of the box.
Creating likeable
characters: The Vodaphone Zoozoo characters are well liked. The Amul
Butter Girl, in her polka-dotted dress, first made an appearance in
1967. Since then the "utterly butterly" girl has been
winning hearts with her witty puns on current events. It is believed
to be one of the longest-running campaigns ever.
Youth as target
customers loom large: A lot of leading brands, be it in
telecommunications or FMCG (Fast-moving consumer goods) have realised
(and intelligently so) the dominance of the Indian youth population.
They have strategically targeted and shifted the focus on India’s
youth. According to the Census of India (2001), this youth population
(under 34 years) was 41per cent. This youth predominance is expected
to prevail until 2050, according to youthportal.gov.in. Marketers
cannot ignore these demographics if they have to be successful An
interesting shift that can be noted in Indian advertising, which may
be a result of the demographics mentioned, is the attention to online
advertising. Since the young generation and Gen Next are active
Internet users, it makes sense for more and more advertisers to take
to the World Wide Web.
In the case of
advertising, one message is created for mass audiences. Adds Kanika,
"In the case of ORM, we reach individuals or communities and have
the capability to address specific issues and hence be more relevant
and contextual. Conversations can be influenced and by word of mouth a
positive impression created when specific issues are discussed,
leading to a favourable impact on the brand." In this dynamic,
ever-changing "instantaneous" world of today, making a brand
stand out may be challenging. But if one can engage and create an
experience, which makes the consumer think, even after the ad is not
within earshot or sight, it can go on to become a hit.