Subscription ,User generated content and Brands

Subscription , User generated content and Brands

OK, Let me start by asking you a question. The question is would you believe if i say that you will get all the broadcast products ( mobile, DTH, Chromecasts, Datacards ,TVs, radios etc) for free in future?

Skeptic?

Well, two years back , while having discussion with someone, i mentioned that in future all products typically will be same , it is the service levels which will define differentiation ( since all products need repair/service as of now)

Then i went ahead one step further and said that next wave of products will be service free ( as the shelf life of every product is going down), people will be preferring use and throw products/technologies, they would not like to spend heavily on hardware but they will pay through subscription.

I am feeling so good, seeing the world going the subscription way, here is my first header:

Subscription

Now, You pay subscription charges for DTH ( brands have started giving set top boxes for free)

You pay monthly subscription/usage charges for internet/data cards,Be ready to pay what you consume, no need to pay extra!

Now lets look at few details about world's great online content streaming website "Netflix"

In 1999, Netflix launches the subscription service, offering unlimited rentals for one low monthly subscription ( for movies, TV shows)

• In 2007, Netflix introduces streaming, which allows members to instantly watch television shows and movies on their personal computers.
• in 2009, Netflix partners with consumer electronics companies to stream on the PS3, Internet connected TVs and other Internet connected devices. 
• in 2010,Netflixis available on the Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, the Nintendo Wii, and other Internet connected devices. 
• in 2013, Netflix garners 31 primetime Emmy nominations including outstanding drama series, comedy series and documentary or nonfiction special for “House of Cards”, “Orange is the new black”, and “The Square” respectively. House of Cards won three Primetime Emmy Awards. Netflix was the first internet TV network nominated for the primetime Emmy

We are witnessing a time where content ( movies/TV shows) are exclusively launched on web only. just imagine that they are not available in mainstream cinema/TV. 

So if you want to watch them ( content is great, so you will) , you will have to subscribe only.

So be ready to get products for free till brands get an addict out of you on subscription! 

by the way recent addition in subscription- Hotstar app

User Generated content to feature more and it will be exclusive

Here comes the era where users will be creating the content and they will be uploading on web and if you are their TG, you can access the content (of course by paying)

People will create ( and are creating) lot of content, Yes , there are passive users who are also increasing, but lot of this content is getting unnoticed worldwide. 

We only come to know about something if it has done some viral, the people are talking about it, then only we go and search for it. 

So tomorrow, you and your team can create some magic ( say a play on how to improve internal communication) and post it online and charge people for viewing it.

In the end, only good content will be monetized.

This didnt happen overnight, in the past, dominance of studios was increasing day by day, their control on overall content ( including payments to actors) was so high that professionals decided to go against studios, they did  tie up with online streaming companies and started to generate content and choose exclusivity that this content will only be available on certain platforms only, hence started an different era.

So, create content, sell the same to these online platforms now!

Role of Brands in subscription and use generated content era?

So, what is the role of brands now? they cant continue focus on Saas Bahu serials , fight for prime time, they have a larger role to play:

• Become the part of the content in someway at the core level 
• Connect with TG at an experimental level, now no more push will work, brands will have invest in a relationship with its TG and keep on innovating since concept of loyalty is diminishing now
• No more feature selling about your product/service, connect is the differentiate, people will figure out features themselves
• Pleasantly Surprise the customer 

The role of technology is huge now, we will witness fusion products , the products with multiple use ( mobile phone has killed camera and mp3 players industry , Onida is offering AC which you can control from your mobile)

One brand, i observe is making the efforts, Tata Sky, excellent service, customized offerings, surprises ( Karoake services at 1990 for six months, kid education packages etc)

Next big change is E`wallet , stay tuned ( Paytm is coming in big way and i am waiting for Netflix launch in india)

The views are strictly personal ( Typical line i had to write :), images used in this blog are for reference purpose only

Vikas Sachdeva

Whom are we speaking to?

Scene- My desk, on Phone

Me: Hello, I am Vikas Sachdeva, I am in Marketing Team, Can you please help me with the sub categories of awards for the entry - Advertising, Events, Print ads, TV ads,Communication collaterals, any research insights, concept innovation etc?  I have sent all the entries for the awards.

Other side: Yes, I will mail you all the details.

Scene 2, A glass cabin mixed with few walls 

Me: Sir, I will be getting the details of sub categories of awards

Other side: whom did you speak to?

Me: Some representative from awards, but i don't know the name.

Other side: Its always good to know who is the person we are speaking to, at least the name.

Though this conversation has become the pretext of the thought , I have been thinking for last 6-7 months about

Whom brands/marketers speak to promoting their products/services/brands/companies/offerings.


I read somewhere "Marketing for prospective customers needs to be different than Marketing for already acquired customers"

So whom are we speaking to?

Only communication perspective

Prospect 

Brands speak very nicely to him/her, he/she is the most pampered person on this earth, he is approached/influenced on everything, Which car he should buy, which phone is best for his/her needs etc , Brands make him believe that they are the only best choice available to him if he wants to redeem himself.

If we are speaking to prospect, In our communication, We should be

• Giving him knowledge about the product/service than pushing it 
• Giving him experience of our brand/product service first than telling him its advantages over others
• Lucrative incentives to try  

As a prospect, i may not know what to buy, it is the trials with the different brands which will help me choose. Better is the experience , better are the chances of getting picked.

Through deal sites like Snap-deal/group on, what they do is, they discount the full time service/product to trial mode, customer pays say Rs 599 for a spa treatment where he/she experiences services and then choose full time packages.

 If a toothpaste or a cream continuously speak about how it is better than others, beyond a point people start mistrusting the same.

Customer

It is the most misunderstood word, There is a distinct difference between customer and a user. I may be a customer of a hypermarket when i buy detergent but i am not the end user. The requirements of end user may be different than a customer. While I may choose X brand based on availability/location of the hypermarket/convenience while end user may think of price/quality of the product.

If we are speaking to a end user

• Focusing on targeting/communication based on quality of the product/durability/tangible aspects. He/she always looks for functional aspects first
• Comparisons with other brands/services, challenging his rational mind to think, giving him reasons to choose your product/service rather than you pushing it
• Offers/discounting

In the end , I should be proud of my decision in choosing the brand/product/service. If i as a end user have not got kick of purchase, if my rational mind is not happy, all in vain.

If we are speaking to a customer

• Focusing on targeting his triggers of choosing the products/service, We need to involve the customer into our journey, how this product/service is made, how it started, engaging him more through story telling.
• Giving him more reasons to be loyal, family outings in the plant where we manufacture the products, making him feel special, making him feel important and valued
• Involvement of his friends/family in your business
• Involvement of his in new product/service design
• Understand his/her emotional needs

Today thanks to tight budgets over variety of media options available, same communication is released for all types ( prospects/customer/end user), then we wait and wait for the results. 

We need to craft tailor made programs for each type we are targeting and administer each program effectively.  

At the end, i would like all of us to think " Communication/Marketing for Prospect/Customer/End user is distinctively different from each other, we need to think differently for each set" 

By the way, Just 20 days left , we will have new government at the center.

Keep smiling!

Vikas Sachdeva

Is Social Media making us anti social?

Is Social Media making us anti social?

No, I am not trying to answer headline of this blog, I am just attempting to give my inputs how social media has become part of our lives and how people are behaving on social media platforms.

One thing i would like to highlight is Social Media is not facebook, twitter and linkedin though these have become definition of social media. Social Media is a platform on which people express their views. Tomorrow anybody can come with some innovation in the way people express which will be more than likes, comments, Retweets etc.

Lets talk about nature of Facebook and twitter and LinkedIn to understand more about them. By nature i mean the way these three platforms behave. Facebook is more visual , Visual cues play important role when people express their views.You know research says blue color is soothing to eyes, it is calm in nature, hence Facebook color scheme is blue. Due to its nature it engages people in pictorial way which means people tend to post pictures on this platform. I loved one line somebody mentioned "The urge in the people to speak/express themselves is the reason of success of this social media". People want to tell about themselves, what they are doing at any given moment and want others to acknowledge it. Thats why more no of likes, comments gives people a high.

Twitter is a different phenomenon. In 140 characters, it forces people to write/express relevant. Text/word is a hero, people think high about usage of right words to express themselves. Hence it is more of text. If you are hyper active on twitter, people don't mind much as one tweets in less space and can tweet more in number however if a person is hyper active on Facebook , pressure of likes/comments makes him feel that people will not respond beyond one point.

Linkedin is a different animal altogether, it supposedly captures professional aspect of a person, his career, his connections. It is basically used by professionals and a kind of no- nonsense platform.

here is a catch, 3 major platforms, different nature! and a most of the people behave differently in all these platforms!

I am a different person in all the three platforms. By nature , i am a content creator not a passive reader. On facebook, i tend to write humor/witty lines as i like entertaining people, on twitter, i play a role of a observer where i tweet about my observations in any topic , be it advertising, brand, politics, bollywood, cricket, management etc. On linkedin, I like to read articles, participate in discussions apart from interacting with right people who have similar interests.

CAN A SINGLE PERSON BE DIFFERENT ON DIFFERENT PLATFORMS?  

In my perspective it is possible , provided you are reasonably active on all these platforms.

I have few other observations:

1. I am beginning to have perception that passive readers on these platforms are increasing.They would scroll down the page and like to read the content of others than posting their own.

2. Since the updates are real time, that gives other people a kick to read more  about other peoples' post.

3. Social media platforms are acting a vent for the people to express their emotions & feelings.

4. These platforms are good for brand awareness not selling of product/service.  

5. With the adding of people in their friend list, people believe they are in touch with each other, but that is not true, through these platforms people have become more accessible. People who spend more time on these platforms are increasingly becoming disconnected since they are not putting efforts on meeting people but interact on these platforms.

Facebook asks " What is on your mind"

Twitter asks " what is happening"

Whatsapp and BBM are too playing their role.

One of the professor in my college mentioned it to me once " Always make efforts to meet people, you will learn and unlearn"

And I thought I am in touch with people though this internet based platforms!!


Vikas Sachdeva 

I am a customer

I AM A CUSTOMER

I am a customer, lot many companies approach me daily, I get flooded by calls from credit card companies, everybody is trying to give me money, every product is claiming to change my life, every brand takes care of my comfort, whether my room is cool or not, whether there are mosquitoes in my room, whether my telephone bill is more, whenever I walk on the road, every hoarding is telling me I am the best, when I sit down and read newspaper, then also every brand is shouting I am the best! Everybody is decreasing prices for me, giving me plenty of discounts.

They have made me the king.

What they want in return is loyalty , I should stick to them forever but the problem is how I can be loyal to all the brands, so I asked all of them a question.

Are you loyal to me?

No brand spoke, silence!

I asked few more questions!

Have you understood me well enough?

Do you know what problems I face daily? Have you tried to understand what makes me happy? Do you  know which color I like? Do you know what my family loves the most? No, you are just throwing some freebies for me, some discounts for me, ok, I will be happy for that moment when I have to pay less price for buying your product, but in the long run, when I will have choice, I will move to the product which understands me better! I will move to brand who genuinely thinks about me, plays with me, display love for me when required, feels happy for me and you thought that you can play with greed forever! NO!

What Special you are doing for me?

Tell me, why I should buy you? What special you have done for me? Just spend some time will with my family and you will realize that what it means when somebody sends a birthday cake on my son’s birthday? When pizza guy comes, takes the money and says “ apni family ke saath khana, acha lagega!

When I am sitting in a flight and attendant plays with my daughter!

When doctor says, “ Koi baat nahi paisa phir kabhi aa jaayega, aap healthy raho”!

Try to do special for me then I will feel special about you!

Have you made my life simple or complex?

I really feel bad when you don’t mention delivery charges extra explicitly whenever I order online, you try to fool me by showing lesser price and then adding huge amount of delivery charges! Mention the price directly and say ‘delivery charges are included in the price’, I will be clear what I will have to pay. You do multiple verifications when you have to sell a credit card but when due to slow internet , transaction fails, then you say that we will revert to you in 7 days

Why 7 days?

Why can’t you check things online and call me next day and update me with the status.

Why inspite of heavy luxury tax, service tax paid by me in your restaurant, your waiter returns the change in coins? So as I can leave few coins for him.

Why don’t you try to simplify my life, once you do that, we both will grow!

Don’t overpromise if you can’t deliver!

Don’t overpromise, you don’t know how many people apply your fairness cream because you promise that they will be fair someday, Instead say it improves skin texture.

Deliver the parcel in time committed to the customer; someone may be waiting for the parcel.

Don’t say yes when you know it is no.

Don’t think I am angry at you; I just want to say that if you are seeking loyalty from me, then you should also be loyal to me!

Sincerely

A customer!

Apple and 4P's of Marketing

 

Apple- not following 4Ps of Kotler?

Out of many thought provoking lines, I just started thinking about a tweet from one of my respected senior.

“Apple, a Failure of traditional 4P’s of Marketing and yet a success!

I analyzed the same, I began to run through 4P’s and yes, bang on, it seemed true! And I was convinced of greatness of apple brand who had challenged the traditional theory.

But there were some counter views when I discussed the same with one of another respected senior who was of the opinion that it was not true.

Two different people, same tweet, two opinions, I was confused! I wanted to get to depth!

View

Product- Apple has not done any innovation in products, portable music player was not launched by them, Apple may seem to be innovative company and brand but they have beautifully done innovations in product design and user experience, all perfect! If you compare features of apple phone with competitors, features are same or even less, so nothing great features wise! An Ok product!

Promotions: an apple has never promoted its products, only word of mouth has been the sole reason for its success (because of good product design and user experience), one may argue what is the need of promotion if your product is selling well on word of mouth ( highest form of marketing) but apple has never focused on promotions.

Pricing- Apple products are way to highly priced (one may argue its their pricing strategy) but why? what does the product/brand hold to deserve such high pricing? Great product, no? Great value, no? Great features, no? Why then he is charging so high pricing? 

Place- Apple has been purposefully denying its availability of products in India, a country who can give its sales a great spurt, a country with affordability? Why such demarcation?

Overall, a sidelined view of 4P’s, but apple brand /product is a success story in itself! It’s a league, it’s a community, and it’s the pride of owning apple products which is driving its sales.

Counter View

Product- it’s a brilliant product with such a great user experience, experience is driving people crazy and people are buying it, wanting it, waiting for it! What else a product can offer, experience only which is there in apple, one up for apple product!

Promotions: It’s a company strategy not to promote its products so extensively when their product is selling like hot cakes. Why promote? Word of mouth is enough.Who said a brand needs to promote?, it’s a calculated decision and in some ways of the other , it is creating required word of mouth promotions required to sell the brand., two up for apple.

Pricing: it’s the experience for which people are paying it, high or low doesn’t matter and they are ready to pay much more.

Place- it might be possible that there is enough demand outside and they are not able to match the production levels, they may be wanting to ramp up production levels to cater to that demand and then possibly make easily availability in india.

What a Magic , apple has created, I have not figured out yet, what made me spend on iphone , I don’t know, was it experience? Was it the features? Was it word of mouth created by others?

Yet lot to learn from apple, a masterpiece!

Vikas sachdeva

Brand Amul- Connecting with people efforlessly

Brand Amul- Connecting with people’s effortlessly

  

It was 12^th July 2012, I just entered the Hotel Red Fox in Hyderabad at around 11.15 pm, after a day of making arrangements for our new outlet launch in Chandanagar, freshened up, was just about to close my eyes for a good sleep, my room phone rang, wondering who it will be at this hour, It was my boss Mr Alok Kapoor on the another line.

We were called in his room at 11. 30 pm to share some data!

Just as we were discussing some points, My boss stood up and there was one book “Amul‘s India” in his hand.

“This is a gift for you, he said!

I was astonished at his gesture, i had always considered books as most valuable gifts (last week only, my wife had gifted me Steve jobs biography) and a gift from boss, wonderful, i really felt happy!

I slept well that night!

The book is about brand Amul, not how it was made in detail, but how it grew strength to strength.

Few points it taught me-

How Amul system works

Milk Producer---------Village Dairy CO-OP----------District Milk CO-OP union--------State CO-Op Milk MKTG Fed------------Consumer

1.       Cartoon form: First and foremost thing i like about brand Amul is its form, Cartoon Amul girl, it has not tried to become real, had it become real life character, it would have lost the charm, brand Amul is not intimidating, not boasting about its products, this form is most engaging. The sketches are still hand coloured.

2.       Brand Amul: After observing the communication over the period of time, brand Amul is positioned in my mind as “ Priceless products with complete consumer trust” , this brand is so approachable, it’s never far, it tells me “ i have best products whatever milk can produce”

3.       Communication messages: They always are topical, let’s remember it’s really difficult to choose one subject to communicate on as topic need to have dramatic potential, of sufficient interest, they need to appear immediately otherwise impact of that topic will be lost and at the same time, there should be a way to connect with the brand. Amul has always chosen topics which have the maximum connect (Bollywood, Politics and Sports). The messages are thought provoking, lovable and charming.

4.       4-5 words of wittiness and humour and teasing - The best part about brand Amul is that it’s messages are of just 4-5 words and in some cases even lesser than that.

 It’s really difficult in 4-5 words to

           

  Connect with the topic/issue

                Putting humour

               Connect with Amul brand and its products

5.  Amul addressing everyday problems – With its journey from attacking politicians, connecting with Bollywood stars, it started addressing grievances of customers like power shortages, bad roads. Admissions ,Legal age for drinking and more, so customers felt brand Amul as their spokesperson, somebody who is highlighting their problems not as if brand Amul will solve the problems but at least addressing to large public through its hoardings.

6.Controversial nature of messages- Why it got connected to most people was that its controversial Nature, it was put people into thinking for few seconds and then smile, customer would nod in agreement, Yes, i have understood what you meant!

Journey of brand Amul

1970-1980- In this period, Amul billboard documents the disconnected concerns of small group

1985- Mid 1990s- Amul billboards covers beginning of liberalization and change of political discourse.

Post 1991- Political scandals and controversies

After 2000- Bollywood and television

Amul, Utterly Butterly delicious, a brand!

Vikas Sachdeva