Haldiram's 'namkeen' packed on 1st Sept 2014, available on 31st August 2014

Haldiram's (Nagpur) Namkeen packet of 17 gm supposedly packed on 2014-09-01. However, it was available in the market on 2014-08-31.
Consume the next pack at your own risk.
Such acts and omissions deserve no pardon from we customers who are the king or queen.
P.S: The glaring fact has been brought to light by none other than popular TV actress Dolly Bindra.

Send Secret Promotions With Instagram Direct Messaging

Send Secret Promotions With Instagram Direct Messaging

Instagram is a one-feature wonder, which I love; but many marketers have a hard time figuring out how to use the platform to make money, grow their subscribers or build their email list.

Instagram’s new direct messaging feature can help.

Send private messages to share select offers to your Instagram followers.

Within the direct messaging feature, you can send a private message with up to 5 pictures to up to 15 people at a time. We’ve been using direct messages for follower appreciation, secret promotions, even text responders to build email lists.

Because VERY few marketers have caught on to this tactic, the conversion rates are incredibly high!

Socially Tag People Who Are Involved With Your Content

Socially Tag People Who Are Involved With Your Content

If you want to build stronger connections with high-value contacts, take your activity across more than one social network.

This will increase your visibility by giving you a stronger presence in several social networks.

First, know whom you’re targeting. Generally, I look to connect with bloggers and content creators, but it’s even better if you’re networking with thought leaders and prospects.

This tactic works best if you keep sharing your content in the days, weeks and months after it was published.
Next, make sure you know where those people are active. There’s no value in mentioning someone on a network they pay no attention to.

Watch the timing to take advantage of all opportunities. After you share content in one place, wait to see if it’s re-shared or generates comments. Then cross over to another network to thank and mention people who engaged.

The key is to watch for actions on one network and respond to them on another network. Here are some examples:

They share your content on Twitter and you thank them with an invitation or message on LinkedIn.
They like your post on Facebook and you thank them next time you share the post on Twitter.
They comment on your post and you thank all of them with a mention when you share it on Google+.

The combinations are endless and two things can happen when you employ this tactic:

1. The people you target may share it again on the second network. This is likely because they like it.
2. They may follow you on the second network. Now, you connect to high-value contacts on several networks, not just one.

Smart marketers think cross-channel constantly. They’re diversified, yet targeted. They don’t put all their eggs in one social network, but they’re very focused on specific opportunities, connections and potential collaborators.

Spot the 'stars' vis-a-vis 'laggards/ deadwoods"

Inspired, rather disgusted on seeing a bill-board at Rashbehari Avenue - SP Mukherjee Road crossing in front of Kalighat Metro Station in Kolkata on 28th August 2014.
The outdoor advertisement by West Bengal Tourism was trying to sell Digha as a destination point.

Don't let valuable data go waste

Consumers are constantly creating and consuming extraordinary amounts of data. Hundreds of millions of mobile phones weave infinite tapestries of data, in real time. Each purchase, search, status update, and check-in layers the web world with more of it.
How we respond to this opportunity defines not only our success or failure but also our future.

BJP Brand Marketing Campaign for Lok Sabha Elections 2014

BJP Brand Marketing Campaign for Lok Sabha Elections 2014.

Ab Ki Baar Modi Sarkar (as the message) in a non-responding ATM Customer Advice slip of State Bank of India in Kanpur.


#LokSabhaElections2014 #HowIndiaTravels #MarketingPundit

First seven seconds of an advertisement

First seven seconds of an advertisement are the most crucial in capturing a consumer’s attention and can boost a consumer’s opinion of the brand by 15 % to 20 %

#MarketingPundit

Job openings for twins as 'Front Office Executives' - Weird Advertisement

Quite a weird advertisement for job openings as 'Front Office Executives' for an Automobile dealership in Pune, India.

Why do you think they want only twins (M/M, F/F, M/F) to apply for the job. What could be the logic?

I am baffled!

#HowIndiaTravels

Friends are like BRAs - Nonsense!!

We may not be too far off from a TV commercial where the lyrics of the jingle of a lingerie brand could be:
"Har Ek Friend BRA Hota Hai"!

The advt copy of the print advertisement sucks ..... I wonder what has been the kind of response.

Incidentally, a few years ago, a bill-board (on Eastern Metropolitan Bypass, opposite the NUJS Kolkata Campus) of the same brand was frequently mutilated by a group of elderly morning-walkers seeking small doses of wayward pleasure.

Vanilla Ice Cream that puzzled General Motors!!!

Never underestimate your Clients' Complaint, no matter how funny it mightseem! This is a real story that happened between the customer of General Motors and its Customer Care Executive.

A complaint was received by the Pontiac Division of General Motors: 'This is the second time I have written to you, and I don't blame you for not answering me, because I sounded crazy. It is a fact that we have a tradition in our family of Ice-Cream for dessert after dinner each night, but the kind of ice cream varies. Every night, after dinner, the whole family votes on which kind of ice cream we should have and I drive down to the store to get it. It's also a fact that I recently purchased a new Pontiac and since then my trips to the store have created a problem.

Every time I buy a vanilla ice-cream, when I start back from the store my car won't start. If I get any other kind of ice cream, the car starts just fine. I want you to know I'm serious about this question, no matter how silly it sounds "What is there about a Pontiac that makes it not start when I get vanilla ice cream, and easy to start whenever I get anyother kind?"

The Pontiac President was understandably skeptical about the letter, but sent an Engineer to check it out anyway.The latter was surprised to be greeted by a successful, obviously well educated man in a fine neighborhood. He had arranged to meet the man just after dinner time, so the two hopped into the car and drove to the icecream store. It was vanilla ice cream that night and, sure enough, after they came back to the car, it wouldn't start.

The Engineer returned for three more nights. The first night, they got chocolate. The car started. The second night, he got strawberry. The car started. The third night he ordered vanilla. The car failed to start. Now the engineer, being a logical man, refused to believe that this man's car was allergic to vanilla ice cream. He arranged, therefore, to continue his visits for as long as it took to solve the problem.

Toward this end he began to take notes: He jotted down all sorts of data: time of day, type of gas uses, time to drive back and forth etc.In a short time, he had a clue: the man took less time to buy vanilla thanany other flavor. Why? The answer was in the layout of the store. Vanilla, being the most popular flavor, was in a separate case at the front of the store for quick pickup. All the other flavors were kept in freezers right inside the store at a different counter where it took considerably longer to check out the flavor.

Now, the question for the Engineer was why the car wouldn't start when it took less time. Eureka ...... time was now the problem - not the vanilla icecream!!!! The engineer quickly came up with the answer: "vapor lock".

It was happening every night, but the extra time taken to get the other flavors allowed the engine to cool down sufficiently to start. When the gentleman got vanilla, the engine was still too hot for the vapor lock to dissipate.

Even crazy looking problems are sometimes real and all problems seem to be simple only when we find the solution, with cool thinking. Don't just say it is " IMPOSSIBLE" without putting a sincere effort ....What really matters is right attitude and logical perception.

Moral of the story "Try to Fix the Bug instead of making it as a Known Issue".

Delivering 'personalized experiences'

Delivering 'personalized experiences' is a challenge for all marketers.

The Telegraph celebrating Father's Day 2014

A very catchy advertisement by The Telegraph (Kolkata edition) on Father's Day 2014.
Very relevant!

Made in China - Mastering Fakes

Made in China.
To sell, the Chinese guys are going over-board to fake anything and everything.

#LaughAloud
#HowWorldTravels

Business card of Durex India

Business card of Durex India with a high 'top of the mind' brand recall.
Kudos!!

Organic quinoa, local greens and sustainable seafood are leading the takeout line

Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill shot up 12% after the company reported a nearly 26% spurt in its quarterly profit. For the fast-food industry , this was fresh evidence that the world of Big Macs and Doritos Locos Tacos has room for a menu with healthier-than-average food and higher-than-average prices.
But it came as no surprise to a new generation of smaller fast-food chains that are coming up fast behind Chipotle and its peers, and taking its “food with integrity“ mantra even further.

A handful of rapidly growing regional chains around the US offer enticements like grass-fed beef, organic produce, sustainable seafood and menus that change with the season. Most promise local ingredients; some are exclusively vegetarian or even vegan.

And despite the higher costs and prices, all are thriving and planning national expansions, some directed by alumni of fine dining or of fast-food giants like McDonald's. After decades of debate about the empty calories and environmental impact of fast food, the farm-to-table notions that have revolutionized higher-end American restaurants have finally found a lucrative spot in the takeout line.
The result? Farm to counter.

“This is not a passing fad,“ said B. Hudson Riehle, the research director for the National Restaurant Association. Locally grown food and sustainability were the top two customer priorities reported this year in the group's annual poll of American chefs.

These ambitious new chains make up only a sliver of the nation's $683 billion restaurant industry. But all are within its swiftest growing segment, “fast-casual“, whose offerings are marketed as a rung or two higher than those of Burger King or Taco Bell: fewer frozen and highly processed ingredients, more-comfortable seats, and (sometimes) healthier food.

Fast food is served with a halo of virtue nearly everywhere these days: Subway introduced wholesome-sounding “nine-grain“ bread in 2009, and McDonald's made itself the country's largest buyer of apples when it started selling apple slices in 2004.

But in order to be green enough for today's customers, and to justify charging $12 for salad, the newer chains promise an even more exalted level of nourishment.

By adapting to the seasons, by eliminating genetically modified ingredients and mainly by serving “real“ food. That means no protein powder shakes, turkey wraps and egg-white omelets, the staples of standard “healthy“ chains.

“Good food doesn't have to be expensive,“ Adam Eskin, founder, Dig Inn, said. “It's not calorically defined. It's not about being vegan or vegetarian. It's just knowing where your food comes from and exactly what's in it.“ Some of these terms are little more than buzzwords and branding: “Naturally raised“ is not a category recognized by the Agriculture Department, and it is debatable whether consumers should be concerned about the amount of growth hormone in a tablespoon of cheese.

LYFE Kitchen has a mission to go with its name (an acronym for Love Your Food Everyday). Each of its 10 restaurants has a wall of fluffy herbs growing in the dining room, uses china instead of plastic and keeps all entrees under 600 calories. “We want to be the place where the vegan can come for the portobello burger with almondmilk cheese, with the Neanderthal friend who just wants a really good cheeseburger,“ Mike Donahue , co-founder, LYFE Kitchen, said. “We want to beat the vegetarian veto, where one person gets to decide where the whole group is going to have lunch.“

For SweetGreen, which has 27 outlets, the target customer for their seasonal, local salads is an active, in-the-know type of any age -conscious achiever. SweetGreen also uses apps to predict customers' behavior. “We've been bringing in a lot more men since we added these,“ Nicolas Jammet, co-founder, said, pointing to steaming canisters of organic wild rice, quinoa and farro.

(Courtesy: NYT News Service)

Poll of Facebook users by GfK Roper released by Associated Press/CNBC

A poll of Facebook users by GfK Roper was released by Associated Press/CNBC on 15th May 2012.
The survey, found that 83 percent of Facebookers surveyed said they “hardly ever” or “never” click on Facebook ads, and more than half of them feel that Facebook is a "passing fad."
Part of that distrust, stemmed from concerns about privacy and the site's handling of user-created content, with three in five users surveyed saying they have little or no faith that the company will protect their data. Only 13 percent trust Facebook to guard their data; only 12 percent would feel safe making purchases through the site.

World's #1 brand in 2010

I've read people talking of Ipad, Wikileaks, Blackberry, etc as the world's #1 brand in 2010.
However, I'd say that the #1 brand in 2010 is Hero Honda from India.
They have become the world's largest motorcycle manufacturers and had the guts to cut off their marriage of twentyfive odd years with Honda (Japan) in December 2010. The Hero Honda motorcycle brand will cruise all alone on world highways from now onwards. Cheers!

Richard Branson knows that 'Virgin' can benefit from any sort of publicity - even if he jokes on himself

Any brand owner looking to learn a lesson about getting noticed should just follow Richard Branson.
The head of Virgin has a penchant for publicity that keeps his name popping up in the press with uncanny regularity.
His latest gambit is silly but it's still making headlines. Branson bet AirAsia owner Tony Fernandes that his Virgin Racing Formula One team would finish higher than Fernandes' Lotus Racing team. The loser of the bet agreed that he would dress up as a woman flight attendant for the winner's airline.
Well, Sir Richard lost, and Tony is playing out the bet for all it's worth.
Fernandes told the UK's Daily Mail that "it's time for Richard to start preparing himself for some hard work and the likely pain of high heels." He added, "Many years ago Richard Branson employed me so I'm looking forward to him sucking up to me as a stewardess!"
Branson, who's redefining internal brand engagement by publicly answering questions from Virgin employees to honor his 60th birthday, will experience what his female in-flight crew experience by serving as a flight attendant for a rival airline brand — down to dressing the part.
Travelers can buy a ticket to be served by Sir Richard on an upcoming AirAsia flight on its Kuala Lumpur/London route. Seats will be made available through an online charity auction that will raise money for a charity of Branson's choice.The 60-year old Branson has already received his uniform and flight attendant badge from Fernandes.
Keith Collantine, editor of Formula 1 website F1 Fanatic, commented to the Daily Mail about the publicity stunt, "Richard Branson has always been a master of marketing. He knows that this brand can only benefit from this sort of publicity — even if the joke's on him."
A veteran at embarrassing himself through marketing stunts in order to promote his many brands, his self-mocking ways only endear him to the public — Virgin Airlines just topped a ranking of brands based on emotions and passion expressed by consumers on social media.

Lalit Modi (of IPL fame) would have done a better job in organising & marketing the Delhi Commonwealth Games 2010

If Lalit Modi would have been given the overall charge of the Delhi Commonwealth Games in October 2010, Delhi would have been very very different. Possibly every member of the Indian contingent would have had some brand backing him/ her.
Surplus from brand sponsorship would have been sufficient for India to think of bidding for the 2020 Olympics. Moreover, a major part of the infrastructure would have been ready in Aug-Sept 2010 itself.
With Modi around, our athletes from remote corners of India would have been marketed well & would have had access to good track & field practising venues nearer to their homes.
Its all about marketing and marketing and marketing....
Corporates can't be expected to spend money to fill the coffers of the organising committee headed by one Suresh Kalmadi!!

The payouts by most 'mystery shopping' companies in India are pathetic. Haven't they heard of the saying "throw peanuts & one gets monkeys"!!

To do the 'mystery shopping' one needs to sit in front of a computer with internet for 30 - 45 minutes to get a hang of the brief. The mystery shopper then spends Rs.200 or more on transportation to & from the location/ outlet, another Rs.100 - 200 to buy basic food or the cheapest merchandise as proof of the visit to the outlet. The shopper also has to click a couple of pics of the shopping venue and rush back home or office to upload the findings online which takes between 45 - 90 mins within 8 - 12 hrs of completion of the mystery shopping. The travelling time, in addition, varies a lot.
The shopper is generally reimbursed by the agencies a sum of Rs.250 - 400 for the entire task after a gap of 2 - 3 months.
The brands/ clients pay the agencies a substantial amount and what the shopper & the brands get in return are stale peanuts.