Ponderings

Last time, when I wrote about product excellence, it wasn’t lost on me that some of my friends who are in marketing would read it. And my friends in advertising would read it. And so would my boss! And it’s appraisal time. So, let me set the record straight. Product excellence or product quality by itself is only half the battle won. The other critical component being marketing and advertising…

Now, almost all of us know the role of marketing and therefore, there would be little value in extolling the need for marketing. Let me take this a step ahead and chalk out the consequences of ‘failed’ marketing. Let’s talk about some failed brands. The debris strewn along the way and the scary, grim quiet surrounding them now is unnerving, to say the least. Just imagine a brand that used to re-stock on shelves almost every alternate day, now finding it difficult to find movement for weeks together. Sends a chill through my spine.

Before I talk about these failures, I must state some disclaimers: I am neither related to Kotler nor Piyush. My two cents will therefore, be exactly that much only. Two cents. Secondly, I do understand that in hindsight, our vision is always a clear 20-20 and therefore, it’s easy to ‘analyze’ failures and pass erudite remarks. All I intend to do here is to derive some learnings with the singular hope that I don’t repeat the same ones. And lastly, I submit that marketing is a rather difficult art with no accurate science or a set success formula. It is about taking a stance. It is about taking calls. So, whatever I say about these brands, is in fact with a deep sense of admiration for the people who took the calls and failed.

It is actually great insight in advertising coupled with bold conviction that led to the unmatched success of the brand Onida. It challenged all established advertising norms: it showed the product in a broken form, used a devil instead of a suave model and spoke about an intense negative sentiment - envy. It succeeded since it struck a chord with Indian consumers who were just getting introduced to color television in the 1980s and everybody wanted to own one (rather desperately).

Rasna was once a generic name for the soft drink concentrates (SDC) category. However, in the early 90s, competition from international cold drink brands and the new convenience culture hit Rasna hard. Rasna initially relied on loyalty and the emotional connect.

The same product that was once a ‘loved’ favorite failed to evoke similar feelings as earlier purely because of its inability to connect appropriately with the changing market situation. Though, last heard, they’re trying to make a comeback.

Everybody loves Raymond. Or do they? In the 80s and the early 90s, the fabric market was flourishing and Raymond was far ahead of the race.

I must also add that Raymond does have formal garments in its product basket, however, the marketing doesn’t convey that. I’d rather they would have used the flagship brand Raymond in the relatively larger product category of readymade garments as against the current smaller category (to fully exploit the brand value). So, while Raymond may not categorize as a failure per se, it does come across a brand that could accomplish far more.

Even a seasoned marketer like GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals (Iodex) could not withstand the onslaught from Paras Pharma (Moov).

Latest: Paras Pharma, the creators of Moov, recently sold itself to Reckitt Benckiser for Rs. 3,260 crore - about eight times its annual revenue of about Rs. 400 crore. Primarily the valuation was on account of the iconic brands created within an incredibly short span of time: Moov, Krack, Dermicool, D’Cold, Livon, Set Wet and more. By the way, some of these brands were created against formidable competition from entrenched players such as Vaseline, Nycil (Heinz) and Vicks (P&G) and others created their own categories!

Needless to mention therefore, marketing does wield incredible power to lead a brand to success or failure. To make or break an organization’s future. On the other hand, product quality too wields a similar power. Clichéd as it might sound, two sides of the coin, aren’t they?

And surely, it’s not a mean feat to have achieved and maintained that for decades now.

So, what is it that makes them so successful… I decided to meet with some of them and figure it out myself. (Of course, it also meant an excuse to visit these outlets and savour some of the delectable stuff.)

I spoke to the proprietor, Vaibhav Mhatre, whose grandfather - Maruti Mhatre - started this outlet way back in 1972 (39 years back!). Within minutes of the discussion, Vaibhav’s passion about his Pav-Bhaji was apparent. The intensity with which he spoke about what he served was so palpable that it seemed for him the Pav-Bhaji was not just Pav-Bhaji - it was a mad passion. His singular purpose in life seemed to build on the legacy his grandfather, Maruti, had created. His singular customer feedback monitoring mechanism: “Sa’ab, khaane ke baad dakaar aana chahiye.”

Next on the list was the fabulously nicknamed, Mucchad Paanwala (Kemps Corner). What started off as any other paan shop has today become a legend in its own right. Jaishankar Tiwari, the humble and the proud owner of the legacy, now apparently owns a Mercedes (unverified!) and his kids go to some very expensive schools (we’ve heard that his son studies abroad, an unverified fact though). One of the first things I noticed about him is that he was an amazing conversationalist. Of course, the quality of his betel-leaves was quite delectable, but in his own words, his customers came back also for his conversations. He has an amazing view on life and shares them liberally with the who’s who that frequent his outlet. The net result is that what was once a meagre Rs. 100 a day business, is today an empire worth, in Tiwariji’s own words, “Zaroorat se zyaada”.

And another three interviews. And all of them confirmed my hunch. They all started with a mad passion. Wanting to do something really nice. And once that succeeded, they felt like doing more and more of the same. Live and die for product ‘quality’.

However strange it might sound coming from an account planner in an advertising agency, product quality hasn’t received a fraction of the attention that has been paid to ‘marketing’. How many product managers fight tooth-and-nail for superior product quality, genuine product differentiation and innovation that could be of any modicum use? No wonder then that you need no less than the handlebar-moustached advertising guru to wave his magic wand.

Somewhere amidst the powering persona of marketing, product quality has been overshadowed. You hire a firebrand ad agency, they conceive an attractive creative, throw in a celebrity, do an international shoot and up the media budgets. Voila! You have a brand on your hands! But, what about Product quality, Product innovation, Product e-x-c-e-l-l-e-n-c-e?

Surely, I admit it is not product quality alone. (1) You need to create appropriate awareness – people need to know about your product. (2) You need to create appropriate distribution – people need to be able to conveniently buy your product. (3) You need to create appropriate branding – people need to know what is the product and why should they buy it. But I guess these simple requirements have now been so overdone that instead of focusing on the end-objective (of enabling businesses succeed), the journey (of advertising) itself has now become the focus. We’ve forgotten Arjun and his singular focus on the eye of the moving fish.

Let me get a little specific here on what I mean by product quality, excellence and such:

Needless to say, it is difficult to maintain ‘quality’ while scaling newer levels but it’s not impossible. If there is a passion - a mad passion - that is willing to sacrifice growth and much more, to maintain winning quality.

So what is the secret ingredient of Mucchad Paanwala and the likes? Kung-Fu Panda, a cute little animated movie, perhaps sums up the philosophy beautifully: “There is no secret ingredient. To make something special, you have to believe it is special.” Yes, believe madly.

I’d say, the secret lies in the madness. I am reminded of Jagjit Singh who in one of his concerts had shared an amazing couplet.

And believe me, it isn’t difficult or anywhere close to being a rocket-science. I am just going to quote another superb couplet I once came across (and which has stuck to me more than my ‘permanent’ tattoo).

And now I guess, it’s time to take a KitKat break? Or would it be a paan from Mucchad.

their latest series of ads echo the sentiments of how it’s a good idea to have something sweet (aka Cadbury Dairy Milk) before starting anything. The first of many, is a tale of young, budding love. The Shubh Aarambh. Absolutely adorable!

The next one holds a special place in my heart. Remember when we were all kids, and a common prank we played was to ring the doorbells of our neighbours and run away? Wasn’t it such a great time? This ad also speaks about a kid (now all grown up) going to one of his neighbour’s house with a box of Cadbury, and apologizing for all the times he’s played that prank. All this followed by a sweet tag line: Iss Diwali aap kise khush karenge?

revenues in excess of 2.5 times that of Cadbury in India), Britannia (hugely successful brands in the confectionaries market with revenues in excess of 1.75 times that of Cadbury in India) and a handful of other players.

So, how difficult would it have been to retain this kind of share? Let’s take a look at another organization which was leading a while ago, but HLL knocked it off and other players too quickly grabbed their share from the now weakened defense. Yes, Colgate it is. This world-leader in oral care with a 200-year legacy, a true American brand-savvy firm lost their market to their European competitor in just a bat of the eye. Unilever’s perfectly crafted multi-prong strategy with their brands Pepsodent and Close Up got them to the top. Not to mention, Colgate further lost market share to smaller brands like Anchor, Babool, Ajanta, etc.

All the communication that Cadbury has been doing in India has been to create reasons and occasions for consumption. Kuch meetha ho jaaye (before the start of something auspicious), Pappu pass ho gaya (upon success or completion of anything), Aaj pehli tareekh hai (no excuses not to celebrate), To share and gift (Raksha Bandhan, Diwali, et cetra), The real taste of life (adults can enjoy it too). Superb, isn’t it?

Cuts across all age groups, social levels and geographic locations. A point worthy of a special mention is, the beauty with which they have picked up an old Indian tradition of eating sweets as a harbinger of good things and have everybody (including youngsters) believe in it. Now it almost seems like this tradition was an integral part of what we believed in and followed regularly.

While we are discussing celebrations, let me take this opportunity to share with you our very own reason for celebration at Eggfirst. Eggfirst bagged a Bronze (Print ad) at the prestigious ABCI 50th Annual Awards 2010. Shubh Aarambh, eh! Surely a reason to celebrate, isn’t it? Ab kuch meetha ho jaye…!

The ‘Munni Badnaam’ track from the latest action flick, Dabangg, quickly made its way into the hearts of an entire nation.With nearly the same speed, Zandu Balm also made its way on to the backs and necks of an entire nation. Malaika Arora-Khan’s high voltage dance on the song, replete with “Zandu Balm” and her active rub, worked its wonders on pain relief makers, Emami, the makers of Zandu Balm. Or did it?

Having seen so many brands engage in slugfests, hoardings, television sets, newspapers and other such media might as well be called modern-age battlefields. The latest battle seems to be between two of corporate India’s powerhouses - Procter & Gamble and HUL.

My curiosity got the better of me, and I had to pay a visit to the place. The place was quite abuzz with action and customers. The scheme was surely working, and it left me thinking for a while. The sugarcane vendor’s got a genuinely good sales scheme – meaningful to customers. It entices and drives serious up-sell. It makes people pull others along (to get the sixth free glass of juice). His approach is decidedly clear – bereft of confusing or ‘intellectual’ creativity. The creative put up is also very specific: the offer is highlighted upfront, followed with key details all the way up to the point of the ‘conditions apply’.

Honestly, this is how simple and inexpensive marketing can be. Stick to the basics. The first principles work.

The ganna-wala anna surely deserves a humble salute.

Noticed a certain lull in the air of late? Especially after the national mayhem the SRK-Shiv Sena stand-off had created? Now, excuse the cynic within me, but could it have been the biggest marketing ploy to promote a movie?

By now it is established that MNIK opened to full houses across the country. Only a few movies have managed to rival such an opening in recent years. Keeping aside the discussions on how good the movie actually is, one has to admit the role played by the controversy in making the movie a success. The timing was so perfect, wasn’t it? The constant war of words between SRK supporters and Shiv Sena followers provided enough fodder for the media to mark their entire fortnight’s prime time slots. The gullible public was fed 24/7 on sentiments of patriotism and nationalism. It all resulted in the movie becoming a super-hit in only the first few days of its release.

From a marketing standpoint, it seemed like a brilliant strategy. Intentional or otherwise. Without indulging in mainstream advertising, the movie generated massive buzz to drive footfalls to the theatres. From coffee tables to locker rooms to client meetings, the controversy became a part of many a conversations. But what I doff my hat to was the kind of controversy it was. It made the otherwise docile public take a stand. It drove them to the theatres with a carrot of patriotism. I actually overheard a guy saying, “I am not a movie buff and don’t like watching movies. But I am going to the theatre only to defy the Sena diktat.” This is the power of evoked emotions. It all worked well for the movie makers, who rolled their way to the bank.

But what do we see suddenly? Peaceful screenings. Zero protests. Neither has SRK apologized nor has the Sena changed its stance. So, why have the voices (SRK, Shiv Sena, Media, etc.) gone silent all of a sudden? Is it because the controversy has played its part? SRK has gotten a much needed hit and Shiv Sena, the much needed spotlight!

Whatever the case is, the product i.e. MNIK, has sold like hot cakes and is a success. And, it has got nothing much to do with ‘product features’ or, in other words, the content of the movie. Earlier we saw another movie, 3 Idiots, embroiled in the ‘author vs, the producers and directors’ controversy. Miniscule, compared to the MNIK buzz. But it worked. Both the movies are massive hits. Now it only remains to be seen whether it is going to start a trend.

Over 100 crores in 4 days!

Over 200 crores already!

Poised to become the highest grossing Bollywood movie of all time!

Clearly, the makers of the movie are singing, “aal is well”. Over and over again! The movie, 3 Idiots, is winning over everyone and the audiences are lapping it up as if it was a gift from Santa. And with the great reviews and an amazingly positive word of mouth publicity spreading like wildfire, the movie is only poised for greater glory.

The content was indeed neat, but honestly, in today’s world, is it enough? If it was, we would have had movies like Bolo Raam (heard of it?) doing pretty well, if not blockbustering its way through. But what 3 Idiots had going for it is the brilliant marketing minds behind it. With the promotional tours, the ‘catch me if you can’ Aamir Khan gimmick and the immense PR it generated, it was only one way the movie was going to end up.

And then of course, there was the well-covered controversy about script credits. The media had several field days covering the war of words. It all augured well for the movie, with 3 Idiots doing extremely well in its 3rd week as well. Just shows that being in the news is never a bad thing, whatever are the reasons.

For long brand managers have come up with creative ideas on how to sell their products. Their marketing strategy has always been about the product benefits and product features. But it is really refreshing to see the way Idea has decided to market its telecom service. It has decided to take up social issues and spread awareness about them and also focus on how communication is making the world a better place. And the Idea sure has worked! Idea has quickly become of the big players in the cellular market.

A case in point can be the latest campaign they undertook on 26th November, 2009. On the anniversary of 26/11 terrorist attacks on Mumbai, they announced that all profits made from calls made between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. would be used to buy bullet-proof jackets for the Mumbai Police personnel. The lack of these jackets was responsible for most of the lives lost of police officers on that fateful day the previous year.

We can’t say exactly how much money was raised for the same, but the campaign does give us a good feeling about the brand and makes us want to be associated with the brand.

Seriously, what an idea, Sirji!

Every time a new player enters the cellular market, there is invariably a whole lot of activity. We saw it when some years back Airtel was launched. And now we are re-witnessing it with TATA Docomo.

The entry of Docomo into the Indian cellular market caused a flurry like never before. With everyone slashing rates like there was no tomorrow, with per second pulse calling becoming a benchmark. What’s more, it has the big 3 scrambling to catch up! The product “per-second-billing” was blessing for the Indian consumer as most calls in India are of very small durations. And as expected, it caught the fancy of all Indians.

Docomo has re-emphasized the importance of product feature. It just shows that when you have a great product feature, marketing becomes so simple. And so powerful. The simple Docomo marketing was so effective that the stock prices of the other telecom companies crashed over 40%!!

A lot of ‘not so nice things’ had been said about Microsoft ever since they launched Windows Vista! Not only was the operating system very slow, but it also had a lot of bugs. And even after Microsoft fixed a lot of its issues via patches, critics continued to lampoon it.

What went un-noticed was the fact that Microsoft did not say much in public. They instead went back to the drawing board and rebuilt the operating system to iron out all its flaws and lined up the new Operating System, Windows Seven, within 3 years of the release of Vista.

What really impresses is the confidence Microsoft has in its new operating system, Windows Seven. So much so that they are offering current Windows Vista powered PC buyers a free upgrade to Windows Seven when it releases!

Quite predictably, the sales of PCs have shot up again! Now whether Windows Seven lives up to the hype is what remains to be seen. But meanwhile, we can admire the smart strategy applied by Microsoft to boost sales of its PCs even before the release of Windows Seven.

Picture this. The client is awaiting a certain mail from us. We, as usual, are on-the-dot and send him the mail well within the deadline. After a while, a frantic call greets us, "Hey, have you sent the email?" Puzzled, I check my sent mails. It shows that the mail was sent a couple of hours back. More puzzled, the client checks his inbox. Nothing. We mail him again. And again, nothing in his inbox.

We check with our respective IT guys. "No problem," says ours. The client tells his, "Hey, I'm not receiving any mails from Eggfirst. Could you please check?" And then a strange thing happens. Quite unexpectedly, the IT guy quips, "Our servers are all non-vegetarians and we believe the chicken came first!" And they burst out laughing. A Gem. Pure gem. Especially coming from somebody with a technology background!

"What's in a name?" Shakespeare had once proclaimed. A lot, we say. The way our brand name - Eggfirst - connects with audiences across. Through and through. It communicates independently. Creates perceptions. And establishes a connect with people - one of golden rules of advertising. And equally importantly, at the core of it, the name conveys what we believe in: conviction pays. Don't sit on the fence. Take a stance. Take a decision. Move on. Make things happen. Just do it! Fun isn't it?

P.S.: I am sure the mail will reach them. I know it is Eggfirst.

Cry. Laugh. Pity. Sympathize. Anticipate. Cheer. Cry again. This time out of overwhelming emotions. If a movie can make you do all this... take you on a roller-coaster ride... get you involved thoroughly... it's destined to be a masterpiece. And there's no two ways about it. Slumdog Millionaire is one. Cinema par excellence. Brilliant concept, deft execution and of course, world class production values. Bring on the laurels. And some more. But I hold my horses here. And throw myself in the ring of debate. (It's hard not to. It comes with being an Indian.)

Ever since Slumdog created the hype it did in the US, we Indians have been waiting with bated breath. Come on, it's a movie about India, having a 100% Indian cast. So what if the funds are pumped in by firangs? So what if a Brit has helmed the movie? And so what if it releases in India itself months later!? It is still an Indian movie. Because we Indians are eager to embrace anything as Indian at the slightest connection. And this is big. It puts India on the global map. Wow! Some more applause please.

Really? Should we as Indians indeed applaud? Mind you, every word of praise the movie is receiving is deserved. But wait. There's a raging debate now about whether it portrays India 'correctly'? Unfortunately, all the poverty, dirt, hypocrisy, inhumanness, even the shit shown in the movie, is for real. We see most of it everyday. And some of it, we don't. But it exists. Right in our neighborhood. There's no denying. The movie, unashamedly, rips apart the dark, concealed underbelly of India.

But then why is there such a hue and cry about the portrayal of this dark side?

Here's why: The West has always been fascinated with this land of "elephants, cow worshippers and snake charmers" (for the uninitiated, that's India). The first thought (and unfortunately the only ones) that come to a firang's mind when they hear the word India: poverty, dirt, illiteracy, crowds and more poverty. Now here's the sad thing - to most westerners, it seems that only this dark side is acceptable as real. Any other portrayal is unreal and therefore unacceptable. They believe in the poor India. The dirty India. The 'real' India.

It isn't surprising therefore, to see that most of the Indian movies that have struck a chord with the west are the ones that are dark. Haven't filmmakers like Satayjit Ray and Mira Nair (without a doubt, amazing filmmakers) made a name in these so called developed societies by showing the dark side of India?

Without a question, we all know there's a lot more to our motherland. But the West is clearly overwhelmed with what has been shown to them all these years and the perception that it has created in their minds. In a loose sense, this is what we in the advertising parlance call 'the brand image'.

And essentially that is what needs to change. We need to change perceptions. Image. It definitely is not easy to change a brand image (ask the marketing gurus and they'll shout their approval in unison). Can't be done overnight. It's a herculean task. Campaigns like India Shining and those about tourism need to go beyond words. We need to walk on talk. With a clear vision guiding us. We need something tangible to portray. We need to justify that it's not a fantasy. And in addition to that, we need quality. How many movies of Slumdog's stature can we recall? If we can make a movie as brilliant as this, with the backdrop of a shining India, recognition shall follow. We need to lift ourselves up. Wipe off the artificial gloss that adorns most of our movies and talk real. Sounds challenging? Of course. It is. Are we up for it? Ah-a. Now that remains to be seen.

Really, it's enough. It's been over a decade now. For how long will we be bombarded with the now stretched-and-abused Fevicol ad campaign? Before I'm hunt and shot down for blasphemy, let me add that the Fevicol ad campaign is a masterpiece! It's what Sholay is to Bollywood and Citizen Kane is to Hollywood. Nothing short. A benchmark. Easily one of the most creative worldwide and perhaps, the best ad campaign to come out of the shores of India. Period.

But it's high time the campaign takes a new direction. It's getting painful by the day. The campaign is struggling even to limp, surviving purely on the solid support of its legacy. The campaign hit a new low with the alien ad. Come on guys, give us a break.

There were certain elements that made the Fevicol ads so lovable and epical. What worked the charm? The surprise element. The first time we saw the truck ad, I bet no one could guess what the product was. "Ah! What an ad! Simply brilliant!" We exclaimed in unison. The repeat viewings were just in awe and admiration. Then of course, the performances. The fishing ad. The egg ad. The carpenter ad. Great entertainment.

Cut to the present: A guy wanting to commit suicide but can't because his roof falls off? A baby who can't sit still and the irritated mother makes him sit on a can of Fevicol? And of course, the 'cream-de-la-cream' ad - aliens trying to capture Earth, but one smart Alec pulls the humans and creatures back by pouring Fevicol in the well? Aaargh!! Maybe there's a deeper meaning to the ads. Maybe there's still some hidden brilliance that's beyond me. But I speak as a layman. As a target audience. Who has adored the ad and hence the brand. In fact, a hidden sense of brilliance (if any) in the current crop of ads, beats my logic. The beauty of the previous ads lay in their simplicity. In their silence. The current ads are shouting too much. And so are the viewers. "Give us something new! Challenge our senses once again!"

We had Sholay. And then we had Ram Gopal Verma Ki Aag.

Bindra dug gold,
Economy caught cold,
Of the moon we got a hold.

Dhoni's boys reigned,
1-2-3 claimed,
Confidence UPA regained.

Vishy ruled,
Bollywood fooled,
Over Nano everyone drooled.

Politicians terrorized,
Terrorists politicized,
Mumbai incized.

Adios, 2008. Namaste, 2009.
Here's to joy, prosperity and peace in the fresh year. Cheers!

Many Mumbai citizens have added a skill-set to their profiles, especially during the rainy season - swimming! The rain Gods have been overwhelmingly generous on Mumbai city for the past three - four years. And trust the wily marketers to capitalize on such a situation as well.

On my way to work on one of the pre-monsoon days, I came across a truly innovative marketing idea. From the least expected quarters. Watches are one of the biggest sufferers during the monsoons. And the promises of water-proof watches have fallen flat with the consumers. But what if you have someone who backs the promise with live proof? What if you have someone who's selling watches that are immersed in a bucket filled with water... with the watches running perfectly fine? What a way to walk the talk! Without having to shout your lungs out. Genius.

Move aside marketing managers and marketing gurus. A roadside hawker proves that simple logic is all that’s required to do marketing wonders.

Virgin Mobiles, a cellular service provider and one of the brands from the Richard Branson owned Virgin Group's stable, was all set to be introduced in India. However, the fact that the Indian telecom market was already crowded with many established players, Virgin Mobiles needed to do something strikingly different to penetrate and stand a chance to be called 'successful'.

Choosing the Indian youth as their target audience, Virgin Mobiles entered the Indian market with a strategy that summarizes what they needed to do - "Think hatke" ('Hatke' is an Indian word meaning 'different'). Market research threw up encouraging stats - there are 215 million urban youth mobile subscribers in India and an additional 50 million are likely to join in over the next three years. This would make the urban youth a juicy 10% of the total telecom market in India!

The marketing ploy was simple yet brilliant: A Virgin Mobile user would earn 10 paise per minute for every incoming call from any network! What makes this a pathbreaking marketing idea was the fact that where most rival cellular companies were boasting about how all incoming calls were free, Virgin Mobiles went a step ahead and offered to pay its users for every incoming call! Now this is undeniably 'Hatke' thinking!

Recently, the Indian retail store chain brand ‘Shoppers Stop’ underwent an image makeover. In marketing, one of the most difficult exercises is to convey a re-branding message. However, Shoppers Stop came up with an innovative way to spread the awareness.

An English daily in India comes out with a Sunday supplement, along with the regular newspaper. The supplement features the latest in lifestyle, shopping and better living – something that perfectly appeals to the target audience of Shoppers Stop. So what Shoppers Stop did was it inserted the magazine in a shopping bag carrying the new logo of Shoppers Stop.

The bag was quite a surprise for all readers. It gave the brand a very nice exposure and was also used as a mobile media for long term advertisement.

Aquaguard is an established market leader in the water purification systems in India. However, its crown has come under threat by entry of new players in the market. But trust a true leader to come up with a stunning marketing strategy at such times.

Aquaguard has tied up with the Indian Railways to set up stalls at major stations where safe and purified water, directly from the Aquaguard water purifier system, will be sold. The strength of this unprecedented, pioneering marketing initiative lies in the fact that while bottled water is sold at Rs. 7 (500 ml), Aquaguard will sell their water at just Rs. 2.

With this, Aquaguard has targeted the vast middle class population that uses the Mumbai local trains. Not only will the brand Aquaguard get great visibility and hence enhanced brand recall but the initiative will also help Aquaguard further strengthen its promise of ‘pure, safe water’.

One of the biggest reasons for losses in the Indian Retail Marketing sector is the unavoidable damage of goods while handling and transportation. However, if the new-age marketers have their way, companies will not only put an end to this problem soon, but also turn it into a profit making business.

Future Group is leading this innovation by planning to open stores where these damaged goods will be repaired and sold at a discounted rate. This is a perfect example of exploiting the Indian consumer's psychology of ‘compromising on quality for cheap pricing’.

This will not only be profitable for the company but will also please the appetite of the Indian consumer.

It's a strange irony for us at Eggfirst to be faced with the issue of 'To VC or Not to VC'. Gives us a sense of deja vu, really. While the chicken has been laid to rest for good, let's for now just take head-on, the VC question.

This is about a panel discussion we were attending at the Tie-World conference in California (May 16/17 ‘08). The panel on 'To VC or Not to VC' threw various perspectives on the issues and did a wonderful task. Salil (Bay Partners), Peter (KLM Capital) and Jasvir (Sufi) were crystal clear about possibilities and connected concerns. Ron Weismann from Apax - one of the amazing speakers on that panel, introduced Venture Incubators. The moral of the discussion was: Go to a VC ONLY if you need them. For money or any 'other reason'. This 'other reason' is what we are still trying to figure out.

For instance, one important 'other reason' could be to seek strategic advice. Well, with the sense of supreme confidence (a.k.a. arrogance!) we have, it's difficult to justify that as reason enough for dilution.
The next in line was a good one that really had us thinking: Access to markets. Connections. Well, though not quite new or path-breaking a thought, but yes, there's merit in that proposition. And it may just seriously justify dilution. However, it did leave us with a set of new questions that need to be answered, to answer the first.

And hopefully some of you can shed some practical light and brighten our day: How does one 'approach or structure' a VC relationship proposing dilution in return for access to markets? Do the VCs bite into it? Do they find it worthwhile?

Well, it does leave us with these questions yet! Wasn't life easier with answers being as conclusive and unavailable for comment, as the ones that Eggfirst leaves you with :)

Free movie tickets. A bucket full of popcorn. Just what you need to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon. We had got one such invite for the movie 'Beowulf'. Angelina Jolie was making things quite jolly while we feasted on popcorns and had a popcorn fight with the front row kids. Slurping on the large size cola overloaded my bladder.

As I ran towards the men's room to unburden myself and was just about to shoot the pot, I saw a very interesting thing written on the wall right in front of me. It was a dialogue from a movie; it read, “Not bad for a human.” – Aliens (1986). It got me grinning. Relief plus laughter! That was one of the most satisfying leaks ever taken.

Being in India it's difficult not to comment on the ongoing cricket controversy involving Australia and India. We can learn a lesson or two in communication across cultures from the incident. Let's reflect on what happened in Australia recently.

India was playing a 'test' match against Australia in Sydney. India's Harbhajan Singh was batting. Harbhajan Singh is known for his short temper. After a particular over got done, Andrew Symonds from Australia muttered something to Harbhajan. Not the one to take things lying down, Harbhajan gave it back to Symonds. Now, it is alleged, by Symonds and other Australian players, that Harbhajan called Symonds a monkey.

Here's a quick lowdown on what transpired between the two parties:
India was playing a 'test' match against Australia in Sydney. India's Harbhajan Singh was batting. Harbhajan Singh is known for his short temper. After a particular over got done, Andrew Symonds from Australia muttered something to Harbhajan. Not the one to take things lying down, Harbhajan gave it back to Symonds. Now, it is alleged, by Symonds and other Australian players, that Harbhajan called Symonds a monkey.

This one word - 'Monkey' has been the keystone of the controversy. For the Indian, Harbhajan Singh, a monkey is just another name kids call each other by while teasing. But that's the Indian culture. Distinctly different from the Australian. In Australia, calling an aboriginal (Symonds is an aboriginal) 'monkey' would be considered a racist slur (it's as good, or rather as bad, as calling a black man 'negro'). Symonds filed a complaint with the match official and Harbhajan was handed a three match ban.

Harbhajan and Symonds come from different cultures where the denotations of certain words, like monkey, are vastly different. We can learn an important lesson in communication - it's imperative to keep in mind the sensitivities of your audience. You ought to know how your audience will soak in your communication.

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It's not right to overhear conversations. However, in public places, there's little you can do. A girl and her friend, in the seat next to mine, were having a rather interesting conversation. The girl seemed pretty upset with her inability to find the Mr. Right for herself.

"It's been six years since college and no luck as yet. I don't think god has made anyone for me." Her friend tried consoling her with the clichéd PMA (Positive Mental Attitude, sic) blah blah. Naturally, it didn't help cheer the girl. Then quickly changing tact, he said, "Hey, I think God really loves you and doesn't want to share you with anyone!"

Now, that did the magic turning the whole thing around. The girl was smiling wide on hearing that. And so was I.

As they say, the medium is as important as the message. 'Packaging' your communication is vital. Being boring is passé. You and I know what the reality is, and so does the girl. But the emotional mind just wants to hear things it does.

Strangely enough, most consumer decisions are dictated by the emotional mind, and then rationalized by the intellect. Isn't the Whopper® from Burger King, with more than 600 calories, proof enough!

A fortune 500 company… one of the biggest banks in the world… customer base of more than a million, worldwide. You expect such a bank to be welcoming, friendly and pleasant, don’t you? But is it so in reality?

Recently, I was on a personal visit to the Mumbai (India) branch of the Bank (described above). Right at the entrance, I saw a bottle of a hand sanitizer with a message that read, “Clean your hands with this hand sanitizer before entering our premises.” My first reaction was, “That’s insulting!!” Are they telling me that my hands are dirty and would contaminate their premises? This ain't a hospital, is it? I understand the concern for employees. I understand the need for a 'clean' environment. But what’s with the arrogance? The intention may be fair, but the way it was communicated was distasteful and quite insensitive. How about being a little friendly and warm while communicating. Something as simple as, “It’s your bank. Let’s keep it germ free.”

Being direct is one thing; being outright offensive is another. Never undermine the importance of communication. No matter how big a company you are.

“Shoplifters beware! The store is under electronic surveillance!” or “You are being watched all the time while you’re in this store.” The age old posters always make me feel uncomfortable (even though I have no intentions of mugging). It is kind of offending too. But to be fair to the companies, it becomes difficult to balance the subtleness as well as the effectiveness when putting such a message across. But ‘Croma’, an electronic retail shop in India, has done it in a warm, friendly manner.

I recently visited Croma to buy an electrical appliance. In there, I was pleasantly surprised to read a poster that said, “Keep smiling, you’re on camera!” It immediately brought a smile on my face. The warmness with which they conveyed a blunt message is really commendable. I started pondering and recalled their brand slogan, which says, “We don’t sell. We help you buy.” Their slogan reflects how they put customer service before everything else. And the message, “Keep smiling, you’re on camera!” is so perfectly in line with their brand slogan! Three cheers for Croma.

It’s pre-election time. A candidate is addressing a crowd of about 10,000. “Please give me your precious vote. I promise to bring electricity to every household, water 24/7 and education for every child…” While the typical speech is going on, you have some people in the crowd catching some quick sleep, while some are discussing the latest movie and so on. The point is that it’s really difficult to address each voter individually. However, recently a political party in India tried a different tactic.

The mobile phone has become a household item in India. Even in the remotest rural parts. A particular political party decided to capitalize on the popularity of the mobile phone and launched a mass SMS campaign. Voters would receive SMSes, with the candidate’s name flashing on their mobile phones, urging people to vote for him. It immediately caught people’s fancy and made them feel important. Political leaders here share the same celebrity status like some of the Hollywood stars do in the West. Imagine receiving an SMS from Jennifer Aniston! Won't you feel like a celebrity yourself? Political leaders banked on this sentiment.

The SMS campaign did leave an impact and the experts say it did help the candidates to garner votes. This is the power of communication!

This is surely a winner! India’s leading insurance service provider, LIC (Life Insurance Corporation) has come up with a striking outdoor marketing campaign that communicates the message simply yet effectively, using the local trains of Mumbai as their medium.

The local trains of Mumbai are known for the huge amount of crowds they commute everyday. No less than a million people use the local trains daily; way beyond the capacity of the trains. As a result, you have people hanging by the doors precariously. The numbers of casualties reported every year by the railway authorities is unmentionable!
LIC saw an opportunity and seized it. Their logo consists of two hands (forming a ‘hand cup’) protecting a flame. Now, what LIC did was placed each ‘hand’ (the logo element) on either side of the doors of the local trains. So when someone sees it, it looks like the two hands of LIC are protecting the people hanging from the doors. Isn’t that what insurance is all about? The message conveyed. Bravo, LIC!

Uncle’s Kitchen is one of the most popular Chinese joints in Mumbai. However, it was faced with a very strange problem. Since it was so popular among the masses, everyone knew about the joint but the problem was no one actually knew where it was located. (It’s like how everyone knows about Iraq but they think it’s in Afghanistan!)

Since it’s a small time place and already quite popular, advertising wasn’t really the solution. Instead, the owner came up with an ingenious plan. He provided all the traffic cops in the vicinity with an elevated podium. The podium had the directions to Uncle’s Kitchen printed on it. Traffic cops would stand in the podium, bang in the middle of the road, to monitor the traffic. The spot was unmistakably noticeable! Everyone coming to the area would now definitely know where Uncle’s Kitchen is. Well done, Uncle! You’re driving the traffic right into your kitchen.

When hop scotching through a busy market area, I noticed a colorful character standing across the street, right in front of a McDonald’s joint. It was surrounded by a mob of kids (in India, McDonald’s is positioned as a joint for family, especially kids). As I crossed the street to get a better picture of what was happening, I realized that it was some guy dressed up as Ronald McDonald. Or was it?!

Well, it certainly was Ronald McDonald, but he wasn’t promoting McDonald’s. A hotel had employed a chap and had him dressed up as Ronald McDonald to promote their kid New Year’s Eve party. And the little kids were sure flocking to ‘Ronald McDonald’! With the least amount of resources, they effectively promoted their event, capitalizing on some McDonald’s popularity! Guerilla marketing at its best! Well, almost.