Micro Marketing for Macro Impact....!!!

If you were to look at Marketing a decade back, much emphasis was laid on ALT way of communication i.e. T.V. , Out door, Radio, Press etc. In the last decade we have witnessed a paradigm shift in the planning a 360 Integrated Brand Communication methodology. Today Marketers want to reach out to the consumers & be present in all the possible touch points to make their Brand Visible & heard in the minds of the consumer.

As the share of Modern trade is on a rise, Marketers are re-framing their approach. Today the science of Micro Marketing is on a rise to lure the consumers. Micro Marketing is the most cost effective way of getting your Brand across to your consumers. Though the cost per contact may be a bit on the higher side it ensures that it has a Strong Top of Mind recall to ensure there are off takes for your Brand. Most of the FMCG companies today make their Brand presence at various touch points. Companies have identified their top retail outlets and ensure their Brand presence across theses outlets, through window display units. In modern trade outlets entire aisle, end caps, shelf display are showcasing the Brands with their usp to differentiate themselves against their competitors. Companies have also adopted the sampling route which enables significant trials with the target audience. Automobile companies keep a display unit of new models launched where by the consumers have a look and feel of the new variant.

It is crucial to tickle the consumers sensorial and micro marketing is the perfect way to get it done. Marketing campaign today must have the micro marketing approach which will ensure the Brand campaign is a HIT..

CrowdSourcing the Rajnikant way!!!

Crowd sourcing is the practice of obtaining needed services, ideas,or content by soliciting contributions from large groups of people. This is specially done through online community rather than from own employees or business partners.

To simplify the concept let me give you some classic examples of crowd sourcing in the Indian context.

1. Frito lay launched a contest asking consumers to submit their suggestions for new flavor of potato chips to add to its portfolio. The brand then allowed web users to vote for their favorite from the numerous entries it received. The person behind the winning idea bagged a prize of Rs.50 lakh and 1% of future revenues

2.Vodafone Essar & O&M ran a contest for FB users to watch partially completed ad featuring animates 'Zoozoos' and suggest how it might end.

3. Finally not to forget Maggi which asked their users to reveal their real life stories related to Maggi,and promised to feature them on their packaging.

Now coming back to the title of the post. The post would remain incomplete without mentioning the 'BAAP' of crowd sourcing 'Rajnikant'. You might be wondering how the hell is Rajnikant related to crowd sourcing. Ever since Enthiran/Robot has been released there has been an incredible amount of Rajini jokes that have been going around. On the web, on social networking sites, on sms, everywhere the current trending topic is the latest Rajini joke. Rajini jokes are today the best conversation starters.

There is something very interesting about this whole Rajnikanth saga. Every single joke that is going around is complimentary towards Rajinikanth. They are funny, yes, they also eulogize him. It adds to the overall brand appeal of Rajinikanth. People take immense pride in sharing the latest Rajini jokes with each other. So every Rajini joke also adds to cool quotient of the narrator.

Possibly Rajnikanth today is a truly crowd sourced brand. Made by fans. To make more fans. If there was any way of quantifying then I am sure, Rajnikanth has more fans in 4 months, than any time ever before.

There is a lot that Rajini Saar in his inimitable style can teach all of us in marketing and communication. Here are 5 possible reasons.

One: Crowd sourcing works, and how. Crowd sourcing does not destroy brand value, it does not diminish the brand equity. If you truly let the crowd control your brand, and if the crowd loves your brand they will make sure that the story of the brand is told well

Two: Like it or not, crowd sourcing will happen. It cannot be controlled; it currently is on its way to become mainstream culture. We as owners of brand will be better off acting as catalysts and not as inhibitors.

Three: crowd sourcing can actually improve your brand in ways you cannot imagine. There is a variety of inputs that comes from crowd, and if you as brand owners are willing to accept, filter and broadcast what is right for the brand, it will make the brand better.

Four: Crowd sourcing can revitalize your brand and fill it with new vitality. What crowd sourcing has done for  brand Rajni can be done for any brand. It has made the brand Rajini one of the buzziest brand of our times. Agreed that the Rajini brand has enough in it to spark off the buzz, but then most brands do have enough in them to start a buzz.

Five: To make the entire crowd sourcing effort work, nurture the crowd. There would be times when the brand will not like what the crowd does. Jump in, have a dialogue and together fix the issue. Rajini brand managers could have killed the entire wave of jokes, or they could have curated them. Curating the crowd's opinion always works better

So if Rajini can, why cant we?

(Shake your head vigorously in front of the computer from left to right to see Rajni 'Saar' in action)

Consumer Kitty in your Brand Equity

If one had to ever measure the quantum of the term Brand Equity, it would more be inclined towards the intangible part of Consumer psyche. If someone plays an important role in making or breaking your Brand is Consumer. More than just using the Brands tangible features toady the Consumer seeks for Intangible benefits he seeks from the Brand. One of the most difficult task with Marketers today is acquiring consumers from the competitor. And if the competitors Brand falls on No. 1 or No. 2 slot the task is even worst. Consumers need a rocket solid reason to switch their Brand. 

Let me give you a real life e.g. One of the consumers who had called me and was complaining about unavailability of a Brand which I was taking care of, I was saved since my Brand was No.1 in India in Sweet Spreads category. This is what I will call a Loyal Consumer, one who not only buys your Brand, but makes it a part of his life. Consumers are taken for a ride by Private Label Brands for Modern Trade, these products are Dirt cheap & offer more value to the consumers by giving Buy one get one Free. Most important task with marketers today is to provide various intangible benefits which the consumers seek out for.   

In the end to conclude The Equity in a Brand which the consumer will some how find should be embedded in the Brand itself & should be visible to the consumer, as a Consumer, he not only buys a Brand but OWNS it...!!!