FMCG Brands Online Today

by Rajiv Jadhav

We live in a world inhabited by millions of brands, each fighting for our attention. With media fragmentation on the rise, wily marketers try to leverage each and every resource in an effort to get consumers to take notice of them. Their arsenal includes (not restricted to) new product launch buzz, media advertising, product packaging and shopper marketing initiatives. Thus, the average person is bombarded by approximately 30,000 messages a day � that�s 1,250 messages an hour and 20 messages a minute! [1]

The world has indeed changed. Marketers are beginning to come to terms with the fact that brands do not reside atop shop shelves or in cute commercials � but in the minds and hearts of consumers. Evolved marketers are increasingly embracing the concept that true brand ownership lies with their consumers and not with them. This motivates them to consistently make their brands relevant to their target audience by increasingly being seen at popular venues like social networking communities. Here visitors can very often engage with the brand in a way that they consider interesting by creating content around it and discussing it intensely through numerous forums and blogs. Consider the My Space phenomenon. The community boasts of having over 106 million registered users[2] and is one of the oldest & most popular online communities worldwide. Marketers are quickly leveraging its voracious popularity (amongst teens, tweens and young adults) as a strategic marketing tool. For instance, boosted by a significant ad buy on MySpace to support the May 2006 movie release, X-Men 3 garnered 3.2 million friends on its profile. Other mainstream brands have (with much success) entered and created a niche for themselves on Myspace; each garnering numerous friend additions (Impressions, involved exposures) like Nike Soccer (43,000 friends), Jack-in-the-Box (1.64 Lakh friends), Honda Element (43,159 friends), Aquafina (16,302 friends) and mobile telephony giant Cingular Wireless� Cingular Sounds (38,108 friends).[3] MySpace seems to be starting a trend by driving adspend on social networking sites. eMarketer estimates that marketers will spend $280 million on social network advertising in the United States in 2006. The largest chunk of that spending will go toward MySpace, which eMarketer estimates will generate $180 million in U.S. ad revenue this year. eMarketer projects that ad spend will increase to $1.9 billion by 2010. This rapid growth assumes that marketers will embrace the one-to-one-to-many style of marketing that social networking makes possible. The figure also reflects aggressive growth projections that Wall Street analysts have set for MySpace.[4]

All of us know that the most potent form of advertisement is a personal endorsement/referral from a friend � since the motive to disburse the information has no commercial underpinning. It simply stems from a unique experience (good or bad) which a friend wants his peer to be aware of. This process of message transfer/communication is termed viral communication since it is akin to a cold virus transferring from one person to another or the way a computer virus spreads with every forward. Marketing initiatives are becoming more and more personal. Marketers realize that consumers are constantly talking about them and that a certain sentiment if established strongly enough could either make or break them overnight. It wasn�t that long ago (September 2003, to be precise) that the Niestat brothers created a web hysteria with their expose on Ipod�s battery replacement policy (or lack thereof) with IpodsDirtySecret.com which hosted a film that documented their experience with iPod customer service. They forwarded that web address to 30 of their friends which resulted in 300 hits by the end of that very day and over 40,000 the next day![5] The movement was so powerful and so profound that it got national news coverage and extremely bad PR for Apple � who was then forced to change its battery replacement policy within 2 weeks of that story breaking. What�s amazing about this is that, this was an act of love, not hate! The Niestat brothers were so in love with the iPod & Apple products that they thought Apple�s response was very �un-apple-like� especially since they had remained loyal to the company during its choppy past.

Marketers are beginning to recognize this and have begun to start thinking about ways and means to motivate consumers to evangelize their brand (positively) amongst their peers. Axe which woos young males with the simple yet unignorable proposition of guaranteeing female attraction is, in our opinion, on the forefront on consumer engagement with various initiatives that include Vixens (sexy models doing silly things), Evanandgareth.com, TheGameKillers.com (dealing with people that stifle the attraction game-play) all housed on TheAxeEffect.com has gone far in establishing and re-establishing Axe�s dominance in the minds of young males when it comes to deodorant fragrance choices. It is the ONLY obvious choice since consumers recognize that Axe truly understands what�s really important to them and constantly strives to deliver that in the most engaging and entertaining way possible. Evanandgareth.com is an interesting case study, wherein two everyday young males were asked to tour America and write the playbook on how to seduce women and document their daily experiences on their video blog. Needless to say, numerous people followed the mis/adventures of the duo which led to numerous repeat visits to the video blog site and active discussions on the site�s numerous visitor-created forums. Other brands like Philips Norelco, Nestea Ice are not that far behind in the race to innovatively engage and entertain consumers. They do this by: a) creating content and properties that are relevant and hip to their respective target groups and, b) create an environment that nurtures community building - where consumers may freely discuss issues that are important to them through various blogs and message boards housed on the site. The sites motivate visitors to register (in order to participate in the host of activities offered on the site) and evangelize the site amongst their peers so that they may join them in that unique experience. These initiatives all go way beyond the product/brand giving the effort a sense of vastness and credibility since the end result expected is not sales but customer engagement. Thus the consumer is so taken in by the brand�s attempt to understand his evolving world, address his latent, (at times) unarticulated needs that he totally buys into the brand at very emotional, intimate level which would never have been possible by being exposed to a TV/Radio commercial or Print/Outdoor advert.

India is not that far behind when it comes to virally powered marketing ideas. Brands like Clinic All Clear, Axe (ComeToAxeland.com), Colgate Max Fresh (MaxFreshClub) and Sunsilk (SunsilkGangofGirls.com) are making serious headway with engaging and delighting consumers in way that are fresh and new to the Indian market. Clinic All Clear�s (CAC) MakeYourMoves.com is like a virtual flirting game where one can choose between moves (on the opposite sex) and watch the outcome of their choices in a prerecorded video window. The product integration is not apparent and the entire activity seems geared to entertain and to help visitors realize that CAC truly understands the psyche of its target audience. In just five days after launch the site had received 5000 registrations, 2 lakh user sessions of 18 minutes each and 1.4 million page views. By the end of the first five weeks registrations more than doubled to over 1400, and there were a total of 3.2 million page views, of which 77,000 constituted unique visitors.[6] The site has other audio visual components like Paris Hilton�s latest music video as well as the ability to make a movie with its desi flavored movie maker which when produced can be voted on and discussed on a highly active blog. Till date over 5000 movies have been made online and the site has had over 3.8 million hits.[7] Colgate launched its foray into this new media with Maxfreshclub � a community site launched on Valentine�s Day, promoted the viral and topical �Max Muuaah� by which a user could send an e-kiss (of varying intensities!). Over 2000 �muuaahs� were sent on Feb 14th alone. �Crystal Quest� and Crystal Challenge� had users hunting for/ collecting the cooling crystals to drive home the brand message. Over 1 lakh unique users (60 percent in the age group of 21-30 � core brand target audience) came to the site over a 3 month period and spent an average of 9 minutes.[8] Sunsilk gang of girls � India�s first ever all girl community online has also tasted success with over 2 lakh members, over 20,000 gangs being created and the site boasting of over 150 million hits. The site is powered by blogs, numerous forums, games and syndicated content.[9] Even categories that do not lend themselves immediately to viral ideas like travel services (MakeMyTrip.com) and financial services (TATA-AIG Maharaksha) are jumping on to this bandwagon in a big way. MakeMyTrip.com created a buzz with its highly entertaining virals (Sita haran, Ram-Lakshan, Chidiya Udi, The Moving Train) that communicated the site�s ability to offer the best travel deals online. The virals took about 2-5 days to gain popularity with the effects diminishing in about ten days to two weeks. The entire campaign reached about 250,000 unique visitors.[10]

Gone is the era of �out of sight = out of mind�. Today�s awareness mantra seems to be more like �out of mind = out of sight� since consumers are more likely to engage products/services that they perceive to be receptive to their evolving tastes, habits and preferences and who delight them right through the purchase-consumption and post-purchase process. We live in exciting times. The rules of the game have changed significantly. The lines between what is marketing and entertainment have blurred. It�s all about entertainment now, since, it�s only when brands entertain consumers with their engagement initiatives that the consumer recalls both the experience and the brand that powered that unique and is then motivated to draw others into the fold to share in that experience to make it bigger not only for himself but for himself AND others as a group. The concept of �one� just got bigger. What�s key today is individuals and their leanings towards the communities they build, their participation within them and the way they evangelize them to constantly create richness and visualize a better, more informed and involved world.

[1] Src: Fortune Magazine: �Excuse Me, Please, Do You Mind If I Sell You Something?�,

by Anne Fisher, June 21, 1999 http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1999/06/21/261693/index.htm

[2] Src: Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MySpace

[3] Src: Imedia: 5 Brands make their mark on Myspace, by Nanette Marcus http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/11010.asp

[4] Src: iMedia: MySpace drives Ad Spend, By: Debra Aho Williamson http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/10656.asp

[5] Src: Fox News interview Jan 9, 2004 http://neistat.com/pages/press_holding/fox.htm

[6] Src: iMediaConnection: Creative Showcase http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/11315.asp

[7] Src: Clinic Al Clear flirts with the consumer, June 17, 2006 http://www.indiantelevision.com/mam/headlines/y2k6/june/junemam71.htm

[8] Src: Media2win: Building online destinations with a difference http://newmedia.agencyfaqs.com/the_net_at_work/18.html

[9] Src: exchange4media: Sunsilk Gang of Girls strikes the right chord with 150 million hits, September 30, 2006

[10] Src: Marketing Sherpa: Viral Hall of Fame 2006 http://www.marketingsherpa.com/vas2006/6.html

11 Things You Ought 2 Know About Me

1. We live in a world made up of a multitude of heterogeneous peoples. I think Humanity is the one element that binds us together. Being able to relate to people irrespective of diverse culture and creeds, in my opinion, is important for our collective harmony and growth. This belief has been reaffirmed over the years post conversing with a diverse set of peoples over the World Wide Web.

2. Fantasy dominated the early, formative years of my life. I was very taken in by Superman and his ability to be super. This inspired me to try to be super in my own unique way. The creation of 'Rajivness' - an eternal state of being abundantly pleased with the self.

3. Music is my passion and an integral part of me. I was humming Roxette's - She's got the look; one day, when a couple of people around me joined in each singing in his own style. The melody in the fusion that resulted was fascinating. The way a tune got through to a heterogeneous set of people and had the exact same (joyous) effect on each individual amazed me.

4. Learning about the world cultures fascinates me. Chatting one evening on the Internet, I met a girl from Sofia (Bulgaria) and initiated conversation in her native tongue 'Zdrasti! Kak si? Hello! How are you?' The connection that was created amazed me. I learnt that people are most receptive when spoken to in a language most familiar to them.

5. My interest in culture extends beyond our universe. The warmth and care that some of these evoke is truly remarkably. I do not believe in goodbyes. To close friends I say live long and prosper.

6. Embedded in the depths of what moves me are the virtues of Valor and Courage. To persevere in the face of adversity, even when no hope seems in sight and to emerge victorious (bruised, but not broken) is outstanding in my opinion. The movie 'Gladiator' occupies a special place in my mind and heart. It inspires me to persevere.

7. One of my favorite words is 'why'. Many people think it is trivial and childish. I guess they don't share my fascination with discovery. I think questions are more important than answers. They cause discomfort since they challenge popular belief, but they are also the harbinger of change and very often, introduce a new era of learning and improvement.

8. Michael Jordan once said that man was meant to fly. This inspired me greatly. The act of doing the unthinkable with grace and style even for a few brief moments is exhilarating. Improving my ability and pushing my limits is an enduring goal in sport and life.

9. I savor individuality. It is both refreshing and provocative. It helps keeps things alive and interesting. It is that one thing that gives us identity and a feeling of self.

10. During a group meeting late one night, when we were unable to analyze a case study a quarrel erupted since the submission was due in a few hours. I found the entire situation amusing and laughed out loud. The quarrel paused. I drew the group's attention to their childish antics. Everyone burst out laughing. After that, everything seemed much clearer and we were able to crack the assignment and do a good job as well. It was interesting how a little humor could so rapidly turnaround the entire situation.

11. At age 6, to check if a lizard could swim I let one in a soda bottle, only to watch its fatal drowning My curiosity for things has sobered down over the years and I'm still fascinated with the unknown and the undone.

TO BOLDLY GO -(an essay)

To Boldly Go..

"When you reach for the stars, you may not quite get one; but in doing so you're not left with a handful of mud either." .....Leo Burnett, Chicago 1926.
This has been my credo ever since I graduated college in Mumbai in 1997. I have always had a curious bent of mind and have enjoyed probing the undiscovered and the undone. I have found this process to be enriching, enlightening, and at most times, rewarding in some sense or the other.

For sometime now, I have had a fascination with communication- it excites me to think of the effect a message may have on a disparate set of people and how people's needs and wants may be influenced in favor of certain goods and services. I have always enjoyed and found challenging, the process of communicating effectively, creatively and in an engaging fashion with a wide variety of people. My "audience" has widened exponentially to include not only my parents, friends, and teachers, but also business associates, colleagues, clients and their customers.

I think it would be pertinent to briefly reflect upon my experiences in India, in the field of marketing communications prior to my arrival in the US. I completed my undergraduate studies from the University of Bombay in Bombay, India, majoring in Accounting and Finance. As an undergrad, and a high-schooler before that, I've always had a creative bent of mind. A trait and a personality type that I didn't think would really be the right fit for what I thought was the extremely dry profession of Accounting (however, with all the creative things happening in the Accounting profession these days, maybe I was too quick to judge). Upon graduating college I was fortunate to land a job at BDDP, a prestigious advertising agency in Bombay. I worked at BDDP for two years on the Nilfisk-Forbes account in both creative and public relations account management. As a trainee copywriter I was involved in the creation of two internal communication films for Eureka Forbes Silver Circle Club and International Sales Division respectively. As a Junior Account Executive I specialized in Internal Corporate Communications. Through this experience I learnt that in order to further my career I would need to get a Management degree. I enrolled into the MBA program at Welingkar's Institute (affiliated to Temple University, PA) in Bombay and specialized in Marketing. Graduate school was a great experience for me. Being able to choose an area of concentration and focus completely on it was an extremely motivating and rewarding experience. The experience molded me into a true team player and helped me to develop leadership skills.

Being born under the sign of the Water Bearer, my Aquarian traits of originality and inventiveness, I believe, lent itself to the field of communications. My experiences in advertising taught me a lot. Whilst at Saatchi, Y&R and D'Arcy (on various projects) I learnt the importance of research in the communication creation process - specifically Usage & Attitude (U&A) studies. Since communications are meant to be liked before they can be persuasive, the advertiser must understand the psychology of his audience. Working at these esteemed organizations exposed me to some very interesting techniques like, qualitative and quantitative studies, dip-stick surveys, focus group discussions and customer behavior observation.
The idea that effective communications needed to be entertaining and engaging was driven home through my experiences working on Philips CE at Euro RSCG and with Leo Entertainment at Leo Burnett. At Euro RSCG a copywriter asked my opinion about a television commercial he had created for Philips Automotive Lighting; the ad started on a lonely deserted highway with sounds of a car engine drawing closer and closer. When the sound was at its loudest the moon above was seen (illuminated) and then disappeared as the sound of the car engine faded. This sequence of events looped twice in the commercial before the product window appeared, followed by the 'Lets Make Things Better' tag line. I recommended him to loop the sequence thrice as I thought this would clarify the message without losing the intended subtlety. As predicted by me - the commercial won Silver at the 2001 NY Festivals.

At Leo Burnett, my main account was The Hallmark Entertainment Channel. At the time Hallmark was making its foray into the ultra-competitive S.E. Asian and Australian satellite television market. I was given the responsibility for the promotion of their movies and television programs. Through certain tactical and strategic efforts we were able to increase the channel's viewership significantly over a six month period. My most memorable and challenging campaign was the StarTrek Voyager campaign. This was an edgy outdoor, radio and internet advertising campaign. Keeping in mind the content of the show, I put together a unique on-ground event concept that was intended to be pilot tested in India's key meters. I envisioned a 'Be a Captain for a Day' campaign that allowed members of the public (present on site) to sample the show. A truck was designed to resemble the starship USS Voyager. We set these trucks up at key locations (hang-out spots) in the city. People were invited to enter the back of the truck - where the bridge of the ship was recreated. Sitting on the Captain's chair, a person would play a simulated videogame, with all the thrills of having the ship toss and turn, just like on the show. If the participant completed the game successfully, he/she would be given a certificate that stated he was deemed fit to enter Starfleet Academy and to tune in to Hallmark Channel weekdays from 9 to 11 pm for details. This 'stunt' generated both interest in the show and awareness, while skillfully plugging the show's name, network and show times in a seamless fashion.

Working in India fulfilled my short-term goals of entering and learning the dynamics of the field of advertising. However in the long run it was my goal to broaden my horizons and look toward a more global landscape. Keeping this in mind I decided to look State side. I enrolled in the New Jersey Institute of Technology and decided to develop a technical skill set that I think is critical in this day and age. I did a MS in Management specializing in eCommerce. After completing this program, however, I realize that in order for me to make a foray into the US ad world I would need the backing of a reputed communications school. One that has a well-recognized program and an influential alumni circle. Thus hath my travels brought me to Emerson College.
Emerson will help me to broaden my horizons, which, for the most part have been acutely national in the Indian context, to international and global dimensions. The wealth of knowledge that I possess through living, studying and working in India coupled with my unique educational background (BCom - Accounting, MBA - Marketing, MS - Ecommerce) will both enrich and enliven the experience for all the program's participants. Specifically, I hope Emerson, will help me strengthen and fine-tune my skills to equip me to meet the challenges and demands of working in the US. I hope to be able to leverage the one-year, which it takes to complete the Master of Arts in Global Marketing Communication & Advertising program, into a lifetime of "grabbing stars".

My PASSIONS:

I am very passionate about Star Trek. I feel very strongly that Star Trek holds the key to the progress of our species. Star Trek has shown us excerpts of a future that's not so distant where the people of earth are united and work toward one cause a common cause the progress of mankind the exploration of how man can reach his full potential. The technologies that Gene Roddenberry shared with us in the early 70s have all slowly but surely been realized ? flip communicators, mini-discs, sliding doors and Artificial Intelligent computers that respond to verbal commands. Scientists in Australia have achieved some success at teleportation they have been able to transport one tachyon particle from one location to another in a lab. Years from now people may not giggle or laugh when the phrase - beam me up Scottie - is heard since teleportation will be a reality. Star Trek has fueled our imagination. It has given us all hope that nothing is impossible and that when we 'boldly go' there is no final frontier.

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