The Rise of Social Media
Let me start by saying that reaching your target audience has never been so much complex in the media landscape. While I say its complex let me also add that possibilities to do such niche targeting were never available a decade or two ago.
In the last couple of decades we have seen a major shift in the media consumption habits. First, the media got fragmented giving consumers a plethora of options to choose from and marketers an ability to do a better profiling over various media options to reach their target audience. Then, with the digital wave the media landscape got fragmented further where the battle for eyeballs was not restricted to 100s of TV Channels or Magazines but to millions of websites and billions of webpages – Mass media had truly given way to Micro Media! And now, the consumers of media have become the creators of media – Welcome the Social Media! From being a receiver to a creator we are seeing a new face of consumers. Consumers today are using the digital platforms to share images, videos & opinions giving rise to the so called “user generated content” or “Social Media”. This changing landscape has brought new challenges and opportunities for marketers & calls for novel ways to leverage such platforms.
Talking about some of the opportunities first – This new world order is bringing consumers closer where they are forming communities around their common interest and preferences. These are all consumer driven communities where they are flocking by choice and not by chance. This has given marketers an opportunity to narrow cast their communication and reach to their target audience in the right context with minimal wastage. These connected consumers are also sharing & forming opinions through blogs & message forums. The word of mouth is traveling faster today through the word of mouse. These being digital conversations, give marketers an opportunity to monitor consumer preferences and opinions leading to better product development or service delivery. The “Free for all” media content which users are creating and consuming “on demand” has given marketers an opportunity to get their message across to a larger audience at minimal cost provided the consumers find a liking for their communication & brand. One can imagine the power of this media when a Nike commercial uploaded by some user gets more than 16 Million views on You Tube. We all know how much media money one would have spent to reach an audience of 16 million!
Brands always had a personality which consumers could relate to largely because of the legacy, positioning and advertising of the brand concerned. The new media has also given a voice to the brands where they can talk to the consumer – it gives an opportunity to talk one to one with the consumers at an informal level through blogs and communities. Increasingly brands have become open to start this dialogue with the consumers. It gives invaluable customer feedback and helps establish a more personalized relationship with your customers.
Along with these opportunities the new media has also made the life of the media planners and buyers more complicated. One can only plan that can be predicted and buy only what is up for sale. The new media is changing so rapidly that at times the trends are beyond prediction, what is a cool technology today can become a potent media tomorrow – take the example of Search! It’s the most disruptive media we have seen in recent times. The simple media buying rules of the traditional media also do not apply here – the media owners are scattered all over the place. Advertising Networks to a large extent have helped overcome this challenge but is regular banner advertising the best way to leverage these niche interest pages? Or, there is some new technology waiting to surprise everyone? We will get the answers only if we keep moving along this wave.
Another challenge will be to draw line between advertising and participation on these new media platforms. Advertising is mostly a one way communication where you convey what you want to the consumers and expect them to form a preference towards your brand over competitors where as participation is engaging in an active & trustworthy dialogue with your consumers. One should know where to draw a line between the two since both are received by consumers differently. For instance, users might not click on the banner ads they see on Face Book but they will be happy to install & circulate the Trip Advisors “Cities I have visited” Application!
All said and done, the media space has never been so exciting. Today, there are no thumb rules to reach out to your target audience. As marketers, we will have to keep inventing new rules to ride on this consumer wave. The power equation of media has surely changed hands – the faster we accept this reality the better it is!
Friday, September 21, 2007
Male?Female?Does Gender Really matter
Male? Female? Does gender really matter?
The concept of masculinity and femininity is changing at a scorching pace as the lady is becoming bolder and the gentleman is gearing-up to look beautiful. All around us we witnessing a blurring of the traditional ideals of the 2 genders, characterized by a transgression into each others domain.
Enter the New Man: He loves designer wear, is seen just as often near a catwalk as competing in sport, confesses adulation for Shakira, decorates his house and even changes nappies. He’s spending his time differently - not only occupying more of it in front of the mirror but also shopping at boutique stores, drinking at bars rather than pubs, enjoying a dance at a discotheque and going to beauty salons. Infact, new terms have been coined to describe these people – metrosexual, ubersexual, etc.
For decades, ‘Mills & Boons’ perpetuated the traditional ideals of masculinity and portrayed men as active, adventurous, powerful, sexually aggressive and uninvolved in human relationships. For years macho men were straitjacketed of traditional expectations of the dark, strong, silent types and were forced to keep their emotions under wraps for the fear of being ostracized from their conventional domain.
It is only now that the image of the Sensitive new man has emerged with a sanction to showcase his gentle and caring side, and is officially allowed to invest emotionally in relationships.
Why are we witnessing this mindset change? What are the drivers to this behavior? There are a few theories floating around on the subject. One of them concerns women – more specifically, the changing role of women in society. With the changing reality of women’s social position, women today have successfully stormed bastions of male power.
As the presence of women has increased in men's social and working lives - as their rights have been belatedly recognized - men have changed the way they act. As women have pushed for equal rights, the success of that push has been the single most significant contributor to the emergence of the ‘New Man’.
The economic motivation because of her enhanced purchasing power has fueled the emergence, albeit grudgingly, of the ‘New Woman’.
The 'New Woman' - independent, confident and assertive, finding satisfaction in the world of work and recreation, seeking excitement, adventure and fulfillment. A distinct change from her earlier image of a passive, submissive, and marginal, performer of a limited number of secondary and uninteresting tasks confined to their emotion and their domesticity.
What implications do these trends have for marketers, products and brands? With gender being the most common form of segmenting and targeting used by marketers in general and advertisers in particular, the blurring of boundaries is posing its own set of challenges.
John Gray’s best selling book ‘Men are from Mars and Women from Venus’ reminds us that the fundamental gender differences in attitudes and behaviors are biologically inherent. For example, at the risk of generalizing, while women prefer lighter shades like pink and curvy lines, men prefer darker shades such as black and straight lines. While men get turned on by machines and gadgets, for women it is about looking and feeling good.
For categories predominantly used by one of the sexes, the gender choice when it comes to product development and communication is relatively simpler. It is a matter of keeping abreast with the latest trends in the dominant gender. The strategy is driven by insights emerging from a deeper understanding of the gender.
For example, Raymond’s has kept itself relevant even today by continuously evolving its portrayal of the Man. Chevrolet Optra’s famous ‘Karva Chauth’ ad owes its success to the understanding of the gentle, caring side of man. Gillette’s communication of the ‘soft, smooth skin’ benefit, up until now understood as a woman’s need, is also stemming from this evolving trend.
Advertising for women has also moved from objectifying women’s bodies to portray a more progressive image of women. These images now show women at work, adopting a male role, working as an equal alongside or even in frontline. Categories like fairness creams, refrigerators, washing machines, to name a few, have successfully depicted facets of the evolving ‘New Woman’.
But when you are a marketer of a brand being consumed equally by both the sexes, it could become a challenge answering some of the typical marketing questions. Or when the product is gaining acceptance at a fast pace amongst the other sex. Whom do you cater to - Men or women or both?
A lot of marketers are facing this dilemma today with a lot of products traditionally in the domain of one of the sexes, have gained substantial acceptance amongst the opposite sex as well. Entry level cars, mobile phones, jeans, health care products, sunglasses, insurance products and cosmetic brands, to name a few categories, are catering equally to males and females. Would gender then be a viable basis for segmentation?
While most personal care products have created differentiation at the product stage through variants and line extensions (for example, Clinic All Clear Dandruff shampoo, Emami fairness cream, Nivea and Polo have variants for men and women), the challenge still remains in ensuring a brand ethos which is all encompassing and not influenced by gender.
However, categories like cars, mobile phones, insurance, etc. do not divide consumers into demographic groups when creating a product, atleast not in the traditional sense. Every product is supposed to perform a role in the lives of the consumers. The role comes from the need(s) that the product is expected to satisfy. Hence, it makes a sense to segregate consumers on the basis of needs. Every human being, male or female, is first an individual having his/her own special needs. Take for example cars. A lot of people would assume it to be a male device. With increasing number of working women, it is as much a transport need for her as it is for men. Walk in to any parking lot or hot spot today and you would see an equal number of females driving cars. The need that the car is satisfying is that of a progressive lifestyle of the individual, be it a man or a woman.
One can observe a similar story with mobile phones. The need that the mobile phone is satisfying, in this case, is that of a big screen with a lot of features like music which makes it a unisex product.
The important thing to remember is that in today’s competitive, ever changing environment, business must keenly aware of the emerging trends to create successful products that meet and exceed consumer needs and expectations. It is essential to stay close to the consumer to learn what is influencing them.
The concept of masculinity and femininity is changing at a scorching pace as the lady is becoming bolder and the gentleman is gearing-up to look beautiful. All around us we witnessing a blurring of the traditional ideals of the 2 genders, characterized by a transgression into each others domain.
Enter the New Man: He loves designer wear, is seen just as often near a catwalk as competing in sport, confesses adulation for Shakira, decorates his house and even changes nappies. He’s spending his time differently - not only occupying more of it in front of the mirror but also shopping at boutique stores, drinking at bars rather than pubs, enjoying a dance at a discotheque and going to beauty salons. Infact, new terms have been coined to describe these people – metrosexual, ubersexual, etc.
For decades, ‘Mills & Boons’ perpetuated the traditional ideals of masculinity and portrayed men as active, adventurous, powerful, sexually aggressive and uninvolved in human relationships. For years macho men were straitjacketed of traditional expectations of the dark, strong, silent types and were forced to keep their emotions under wraps for the fear of being ostracized from their conventional domain.
It is only now that the image of the Sensitive new man has emerged with a sanction to showcase his gentle and caring side, and is officially allowed to invest emotionally in relationships.
Why are we witnessing this mindset change? What are the drivers to this behavior? There are a few theories floating around on the subject. One of them concerns women – more specifically, the changing role of women in society. With the changing reality of women’s social position, women today have successfully stormed bastions of male power.
As the presence of women has increased in men's social and working lives - as their rights have been belatedly recognized - men have changed the way they act. As women have pushed for equal rights, the success of that push has been the single most significant contributor to the emergence of the ‘New Man’.
The economic motivation because of her enhanced purchasing power has fueled the emergence, albeit grudgingly, of the ‘New Woman’.
The 'New Woman' - independent, confident and assertive, finding satisfaction in the world of work and recreation, seeking excitement, adventure and fulfillment. A distinct change from her earlier image of a passive, submissive, and marginal, performer of a limited number of secondary and uninteresting tasks confined to their emotion and their domesticity.
What implications do these trends have for marketers, products and brands? With gender being the most common form of segmenting and targeting used by marketers in general and advertisers in particular, the blurring of boundaries is posing its own set of challenges.
John Gray’s best selling book ‘Men are from Mars and Women from Venus’ reminds us that the fundamental gender differences in attitudes and behaviors are biologically inherent. For example, at the risk of generalizing, while women prefer lighter shades like pink and curvy lines, men prefer darker shades such as black and straight lines. While men get turned on by machines and gadgets, for women it is about looking and feeling good.
For categories predominantly used by one of the sexes, the gender choice when it comes to product development and communication is relatively simpler. It is a matter of keeping abreast with the latest trends in the dominant gender. The strategy is driven by insights emerging from a deeper understanding of the gender.
For example, Raymond’s has kept itself relevant even today by continuously evolving its portrayal of the Man. Chevrolet Optra’s famous ‘Karva Chauth’ ad owes its success to the understanding of the gentle, caring side of man. Gillette’s communication of the ‘soft, smooth skin’ benefit, up until now understood as a woman’s need, is also stemming from this evolving trend.
Advertising for women has also moved from objectifying women’s bodies to portray a more progressive image of women. These images now show women at work, adopting a male role, working as an equal alongside or even in frontline. Categories like fairness creams, refrigerators, washing machines, to name a few, have successfully depicted facets of the evolving ‘New Woman’.
But when you are a marketer of a brand being consumed equally by both the sexes, it could become a challenge answering some of the typical marketing questions. Or when the product is gaining acceptance at a fast pace amongst the other sex. Whom do you cater to - Men or women or both?
A lot of marketers are facing this dilemma today with a lot of products traditionally in the domain of one of the sexes, have gained substantial acceptance amongst the opposite sex as well. Entry level cars, mobile phones, jeans, health care products, sunglasses, insurance products and cosmetic brands, to name a few categories, are catering equally to males and females. Would gender then be a viable basis for segmentation?
While most personal care products have created differentiation at the product stage through variants and line extensions (for example, Clinic All Clear Dandruff shampoo, Emami fairness cream, Nivea and Polo have variants for men and women), the challenge still remains in ensuring a brand ethos which is all encompassing and not influenced by gender.
However, categories like cars, mobile phones, insurance, etc. do not divide consumers into demographic groups when creating a product, atleast not in the traditional sense. Every product is supposed to perform a role in the lives of the consumers. The role comes from the need(s) that the product is expected to satisfy. Hence, it makes a sense to segregate consumers on the basis of needs. Every human being, male or female, is first an individual having his/her own special needs. Take for example cars. A lot of people would assume it to be a male device. With increasing number of working women, it is as much a transport need for her as it is for men. Walk in to any parking lot or hot spot today and you would see an equal number of females driving cars. The need that the car is satisfying is that of a progressive lifestyle of the individual, be it a man or a woman.
One can observe a similar story with mobile phones. The need that the mobile phone is satisfying, in this case, is that of a big screen with a lot of features like music which makes it a unisex product.
The important thing to remember is that in today’s competitive, ever changing environment, business must keenly aware of the emerging trends to create successful products that meet and exceed consumer needs and expectations. It is essential to stay close to the consumer to learn what is influencing them.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Brands ageing faster....a human connection
Brands ageing faster: A human connection
Brands are like human beings in a lot of ways. In many customer researches, a common question is “If this brand were a person, who would it be?” Customers are always able to personify the brand with such detail that you could clearly visualize him/her. This is because our choice of brands is a reflection of ourselves. If we like a brand, it’s because it has positive personality traits that we either possess or aspire to have. Levi’s is cool, ipods are trendy and Chevrolet is attractive and stylish.
Apart from having a personality link, brands behave like human beings even when it comes to their lifecycles. Much like people, brands are born, they grow, and they mature, go through a decline phase and eventually die.
Today, we are witnessing an interesting trend with brands ageing faster much like what we are observing with people around us. Kathleen McDonnell in her book “The Hurried Child” looks at how children are being pushed on to the fast track to adult success by societal pressures and anxious parents. Physical and behavioral changes that would have been typical of teenagers decades ago are now common among "tweens" — kids ages 8 to 12. The lines that used to distinguish between adulthood and childhood are growing blurred and the evidence is all around us with 6-year old girls dressing-up in navel bearing outfits and 8-year old boys playing adult computer games.
Technology and consumerism are having a similar impact on the lifecycle of brands. Globalization, rapid communication and technological advancements have accelerated the ageing of brands. The internet has been a significant inflection point here as it enables the rapid dissemination of ideas and development of products around the globe. In effect, it acts to shorten the lifecycle in many categories.
Products emerge, surge, diffuse and are purged. With changing consumer tastes and preferences, some products becomes popular relatively quickly, but are also losing popularity dramatically and are being replaced by the next bright promise. Why are we witnessing this trend? Novelty attracts our nervous systems; our faith is progress and our passion is hope. Something new might be the next great thing (the last one sure wasn't); no matter how bizarre it seems at first.
All this has led to the product life-cycle curve becoming steeper today than ever before, indicating that an increasingly large proportion of sales occur soon after the introduction of the product. A narrow window of opportunity exists to earn profits on a new product before competition catches up and margins begin to shrink. It is not only imperative for companies to be first-to-market with their product, but also to be able to ramp-to-volume quickly to meet early product demand. With shortened life cycles, companies cannot afford to miss out on the initial bang, and stock-out becomes an expensive proposition. But with technological advances, the quality of products is improving greatly resulting in an interesting paradox for marketers – while the products are lasting longer, the time in which they are outmoded is growing shorter.
Thus, in effect, the S-curve is changing shape in the case of a number of product categories with the curve getting steeper at the growth stage and a longer lasting flattened curve at the maturity stage.
That is why, from planning to implementation to the final act of selling, marketers have had to fast forward their act. This impacts everything: from designing products to logistics to distribution, to marketing communication. Marketers have to invest heavily in a short span of time for the maximum returns. The gains are great, so too are the risks.
Brands are like human beings in a lot of ways. In many customer researches, a common question is “If this brand were a person, who would it be?” Customers are always able to personify the brand with such detail that you could clearly visualize him/her. This is because our choice of brands is a reflection of ourselves. If we like a brand, it’s because it has positive personality traits that we either possess or aspire to have. Levi’s is cool, ipods are trendy and Chevrolet is attractive and stylish.
Apart from having a personality link, brands behave like human beings even when it comes to their lifecycles. Much like people, brands are born, they grow, and they mature, go through a decline phase and eventually die.
Today, we are witnessing an interesting trend with brands ageing faster much like what we are observing with people around us. Kathleen McDonnell in her book “The Hurried Child” looks at how children are being pushed on to the fast track to adult success by societal pressures and anxious parents. Physical and behavioral changes that would have been typical of teenagers decades ago are now common among "tweens" — kids ages 8 to 12. The lines that used to distinguish between adulthood and childhood are growing blurred and the evidence is all around us with 6-year old girls dressing-up in navel bearing outfits and 8-year old boys playing adult computer games.
Technology and consumerism are having a similar impact on the lifecycle of brands. Globalization, rapid communication and technological advancements have accelerated the ageing of brands. The internet has been a significant inflection point here as it enables the rapid dissemination of ideas and development of products around the globe. In effect, it acts to shorten the lifecycle in many categories.
Products emerge, surge, diffuse and are purged. With changing consumer tastes and preferences, some products becomes popular relatively quickly, but are also losing popularity dramatically and are being replaced by the next bright promise. Why are we witnessing this trend? Novelty attracts our nervous systems; our faith is progress and our passion is hope. Something new might be the next great thing (the last one sure wasn't); no matter how bizarre it seems at first.
All this has led to the product life-cycle curve becoming steeper today than ever before, indicating that an increasingly large proportion of sales occur soon after the introduction of the product. A narrow window of opportunity exists to earn profits on a new product before competition catches up and margins begin to shrink. It is not only imperative for companies to be first-to-market with their product, but also to be able to ramp-to-volume quickly to meet early product demand. With shortened life cycles, companies cannot afford to miss out on the initial bang, and stock-out becomes an expensive proposition. But with technological advances, the quality of products is improving greatly resulting in an interesting paradox for marketers – while the products are lasting longer, the time in which they are outmoded is growing shorter.
Thus, in effect, the S-curve is changing shape in the case of a number of product categories with the curve getting steeper at the growth stage and a longer lasting flattened curve at the maturity stage.
That is why, from planning to implementation to the final act of selling, marketers have had to fast forward their act. This impacts everything: from designing products to logistics to distribution, to marketing communication. Marketers have to invest heavily in a short span of time for the maximum returns. The gains are great, so too are the risks.
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