Tuesday In India: When Marketer Thinks India, He Thinks ZooZoo?

You can hardly meet a youngster in India who doesn’t know ZooZoo creatures.

That’s how well developed and beautifully executed Vodafone’s ad campaign was (agency: Ogilvy & Mather).

Check out some videos featuring these lovely alien-like creatures to puzzle out how they became national viral hits and got a lot of international applause as well.

P.S. Interesting fact: ZooZoo creatures are not animated characters but human beings who are wearing body suits.

P.P.S. When you’re done watching, I’d love for you to share your favourite ad? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

Sunday Video: Marketing World Grieves For USP

USP is dead.

How dare you, Aiste?

I say so because...

P.S. When you’re done watching, leave a comment or Tweet me how did you like it. Can't wait to hear from you!

P.P.S. I always talk very spontaneously so please be kind and take my pauses and tongue slips as natural reaction trying to be myself while imagining you :)

Sunday Video: How Will They Shop This Christmas?

Festive season is just around the corner.

And you should definitely have high expectations for UK sales this Christmas.

Why?

Well, there is something to support my optimism.

Watch the video below to find out more:

P.S. When you’re done watching, leave a comment or Tweet me how did you like it. Can't wait to hear from you!

P.P.S. I always talk very spontaneously so please be kind and take my pauses and tongue slips as natural reaction trying to be myself while imagining you :)

Research Friday: Cell Me Now And I Will Bye

When Will You Use This? 

Creating your marketing messages, especially focusing on different words affecting customer’s judgment and behavior.

What’s The Red-Letter Bite Today?

It’s important to note that initial reading processes use word sound, not word spelling, to activate word meaning stored in memory.

The current series of experiments* examine how a homophone (e.g. “bye”, “cell”)—a word that sounds the same as another but has different spelling and meaning—stimulates judgments and behaviors related to the complementary homophone (e.g. “buy”, “sell”).

This research provides evidence that homophones are able to prime and influence judgments and behaviors of participants. Additionally, this effect is more likely to occur when consumers experience cognitive load (total amount of mental activity imposed on working memory, for example, in this research it was memorizing a seven-digit number). Individuals who read “bye” - give higher “buy” amounts, individuals who read “right” - write more.

Also, as authors say, “ homophone priming also resulted in actions that were “less;” reading “lightning” lowered weight judgments, and reading “phew” produced estimates of saving less money. Reading “goodbye” influenced restaurant value judgments. Buyers and sellers who read “cell” gave higher (lower) reservation amounts.”

The Power Of Words

Addition To Your Bag of Tricks  

If seek you seek to persuade your customers with communication via advertisements, branding construction or other communications, homophones can be effectively used in these contexts to ease and speed consumers’ forming positive perceptions of the brand and product, or engaging in various consumption behaviors.

*Derick F. Davis and Paul M. Herr. "From Bye to Buy: Homophones as a Phonological Route to Priming." Journal of Consumer Research: April 2014 {Thanks for the material}


P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your experience with the play of words? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

P.P.S. Need some help on crafting your marketing message? Let's do this together.

Thursday Video: How Well You Know Who You Are Talking To?

You can talk. You can babble. You can scream and shout.

But unless you know who exactly is on the receiving end, you might as well be talking to a rock. Or a tomato.

That's why I made this short video (first one about various models which help you to target the Right Customer).

You might understand your dearest clients better with VALS model.

Here we go:

P.S. When you’re done watching, leave a comment or Tweet me how did you like it. Can't wait to hear from you!

P.P.S. I always talk very spontaneously so please be kind and take my pauses and tongue slips as natural reaction trying to be myself while imagining you :)

Tuesday In India: How Coke Connected India With Pakistan Just For A Moment

India and Pakistan.

I could write a book on their relationship and stories I've heard during my residence there.

It's pretty tensed, in short.

That's why when I was visiting India in March 2013, I was filled with contentment to hear a few stories on Coca Cola's initiative to break down the barrier and unite two nations just for a moment of fun, joy and closeness.

The key of this campaign, created by Leo Burnett Chicago and Sydney, was to engage Indian and Pakistani people in mutual light tasks such as touching hands, drawing peace, love, and happiness symbols, dancing - all done together, connected through a Coke machine.

Of course it didn't change the world but it made the day brighter for quite a few people.

Thumbs up!?

P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your best memory about Coke? Because I believe we all have one. Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

Sunday Video: Xbox One And PS4 Ad Fight

Deep down inside there is a passionate gamer lurking inside of me.

Who said Blind Hen or Musical Chairs are out of fashion? 

However, as cold windy winter has come, I choose to sit indoors and engage in the online pleasures more often.

Therefore, recently I was 'forced' to choose - Xbox One or PlayStation 4?

I checked the initial UK TV ads (you can run but you can't hide from marketer's nature!) and..

You'll be surprised by my choice.

P.S. When you’re done watching, leave a comment or Tweet me how did you like it. Can't wait to hear from you!

P.P.S. I always talk very spontaneously so please be kind and take my pauses and tongue slips as natural reaction trying to be myself while imagining you :)

Research Friday: Fun Me + Fun You = No Fun

When Will You Use This? 

 

Thinking about maximizing efforts to reach consumers in a brand-cluttered world and planning various forms of brief brand exposure.

What’s The Red-Letter Bite Today?

 

Over the course of a day, consumers are briefly exposed to hundred of brands. Prior research* has demonstrated that very brief exposures to brands can affect consumers’ attitudes and choices. It’s important to examine this influence when brands are presented together just like in a real world.

The current series of experiments** examine how being exposed to multiple brands at once affects consumers’ reactions to these brands, particularly when little effort is exerted in processing this information. Focusing on the role of brand personalities, researchers found that when a focal brand is seen with a brand that has a dissimilar personality, it will seem more distinctive and thus generate more positive consumer reactions than if it is seen with a brand that has a similar personality. However, this will only happen in low-elaboration settings (when consumers process information in more superficial, less effortful process).

Addition To Your Bag of Tricks  

 

Consumers do not form perceptions of a brand’s traits and characteristics in isolation, but instead use the context to form their impressions. That's why it’s important to plan the context carefully, especially where brands are paired together (product placements, event sponsorship, commercial slots in advertising).

• Understand your brand’s personality,

• Explore personalities of the other brands around,

• Dedicate your resources to capturing advertising slots that allow your brand to be seen with a series of dissimilar brands.

*Ferraro, Rosellina, Tanya L. Chartrand, and Gavan J. Fitzsimons (2009), “The Effects of Incidental Brand Exposure on Consumption,”in Handbook on Brand and Experience Management,ed. Bernd H. Schmitt and David L. Rogers, Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar, 163–73. {Thanks for the material}

**Linyun Yang, Keisha M. Cutright, Gavan J. Fitzsimons, Tanya I. Chartrand (2013), Distinctively Different: Exposure to Multiple Brands in Low Elaboration Settings.” (forthcoming), Journal of Consumer Research {Thanks for the material}

P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your strategies for differentiating your brand through various channels? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

P.P.S. Need some help on figuring out your brand's personality? Let's do this together.

Thursday Video: Welcome On Board, Flight #Sensory Marketing

I recently had a lovely flight experience with a pinch of sensory marketing.

This might be something you want to consider for your 2014 marketing plan.

Trying something new is a step forward, isn't it?

P.S. When you’re done watching, leave a comment or Tweet me how did you like it. Can't wait to hear from you!

P.P.S. I always talk very spontaneously so please be kind and take my pauses and tongue slips as natural reaction trying to be myself while imagining you :)

Sunday Video: Make Your Letter Impossible To Ignore

Have you been writing letters to your customers?

Do you want to increase the response rate?

Then make sure they open your letter in the first place.

P.S. When you’re done watching, leave a comment or Tweet me how did you like it. Can't wait to hear from you!

P.P.S. I always talk very spontaneously so please be kind and take my pauses and tongue slips as natural reaction trying to be myself while imagining you :)

Research Friday: Talk The Talk or What?

When Will You Use This? 

 

Generating word of mouth for your brand. Different channels might be more effective for spreading messages about your products or services.

What’s On The Front Page Today? 

 

Consumers communicate through a variety of different channels: face to face and chat over the phone (oral communication), texting, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and other online channels (written communication). But do these channels affect what people talk about and, if so, how?

The current series of experiments* analyzed more than 20,000 real-world conversations and revealed that communication type influences what gets discussed. Compared to oral communication, written communication leads people to talk about more interesting products and brands.

Furthermore, written communication gives people greater time to construct and refine what to say. Simply giving people a pause before they communicate orally led them to talking about more interesting products and brands.

Addition To Your Bag of Tricks  

While planning your word of mouth campaign, remember that different channels may bring different results.

• If you aim for more online discussions, frame the product in an interesting or surprising way. Content that evokes interest, surprises, captures attention is more likely to be discussed and shared.
• If you aim for face-to-face word of mouth, consider which benefits or features of your product might trigger people's thoughts about it – this might help to generate a live discussion.

*Jonah Berger and Raghuram Iyengar. “Communication Channels and Word of Mouth: How the Medium Shapes the Message.” Journal of Consumer Research: October 2013. {Thanks for the material}

P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share which strategy you found most effective for generating offline and online discussions? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

P.P.S. Need some help on directing your reviews? Let's do this together.

Tuesday In India: Lesson From The Magic Seller

Give me 2 minutes of yours and I'll show you the best magic show around.

That's what a smiling old man told me while I was walking down the road in Southwest India.

I couldn't say no, of course.

I was honestly intrigued by the line. Intrigued enough to want for more.

Isn't that how it all starts in a successful selling process?

You get the attention and then lead further. 

Now, apart from the magic show itself, there was another interesting part about this story.

That smiley street magician has never gone to school, he couldn't read or write. However, his language was beautifully crafted, convincing and...selling really well. He simply knew what will make your turn around and look.

The only thing I did to learn this was to do. 

He said.

Every day. With open heart and no shadow of ignorance.

P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your best memory about any talented seller you've met in tour life? What did he say? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

Monday Video: Imagine Power In Your Marketing

This just might be the most powerful word to trigger your customers.

Imagine what you could do with that power.

I take it lightly in this video but it's real.

P.S. When you’re done watching, leave a comment or Tweet me how did you like it. Can't wait to hear from you!

P.P.S. I always talk very spontaneously so please be kind and take my pauses and tongue slips as natural reaction trying to be myself while imagining you :)

Sunday Video: Marketing Cliches

Marketing cliches are attacking from the bushes every day now.

So I created a very short and light video which might help you see another angle before shooting one more same old same promotional email to your dearest customer.

P.S. When you’re done watching, leave a comment or Tweet me how did you like it. Can't wait to hear from you!

P.P.S. I always talk very spontaneously so please be kind and take my pauses and tongue slips as natural reaction trying to be myself while imagining you :)