sharp shot messaging

Got this sms on valentine's day.

'Heart for your valentine, and Gelusil for your heart burn'

No phone numbers to call. No email ids to enquire. No web/wap sites to visit. No offers to announce. 

A clear message that established the product benefit, in relevance to the occassion, using the brand's awareness. 

Now what pops with the word heartburn?

The game of newletters

Every other online service prompts you to sign up for their online newsletters & updates the moment you enter your email id on the website (or even if you dont)

Newsletters are now considered almost inevitable to a marketers' online kitty. While most of us want people to want to know, about what's on with our brand or the organization, the reality is that they don't. The content is not the hero, but what it does, is.

Yes, people might generally want to know more about their fave brands. But signing up for a newsletter means filling up your inbox with more junk.  

Now, what if the brands were not speaking about their products or how the technology head addressed a glitch in the user interface, but made it more about the people that are subscribing, their lives in general, or interesting things around. There are a million things that you could talk about, that have nothing much to do with the brand/organization, but can still revolve around the essence of your brand, or your organization's philosophies, in just one string, and use that to create content. As long as it involves people - to think, talk, feel, act, laugh, share, etc..

(Think gossip)

Infomercials. did you know?

Just read Rohit Bhargava's new post on Infomercials. (if you're in India you'll know Asian Sky Shop!!)
Here's an interesting preso he's made to explain what goes behind their success (yes, success).

5 Marketing Lessons From Infomercials

View more presentations from rohitbhargava.

Demanding Customer Loyalty?

Somewhere in jan this year, King Club (the frequent flyer program of Kingfisher Airlines) sent an e-mailer to its members.
The subject line read 'Vote King Club a "10" in the Freddie awards'
Obviously Kingfisher was participating in the Freddies, and was soliciting members to vote.

A few things one could note here

1. King Club was asking a favour from its members. Fair enough, but they went overboard. Not only did they ask to vote, but they wanted a "10"

2. Again, there was no incentive for members to vote.

3. How does voting King Club a 10, make the program, or the King Club service better? What is the benefit - did they forget to mention, even if its not tangible?

The last line of the mail read 

"With your valuable vote, we can bring home the Freddie and add another feather to our cap. We'll be honoured if you take out 2 minutes of your precious time and "Vote a 10 for King Club"."

Doesn't the objective of getting my vote sound like a personal interest of King Club?

And I thought they were talking of 5 star flying experiences and trying to create passionate Kingfisher fans?

The fact is that they are as many Kingfisher loyalists who would've obliged with this one off request, if they had been humble, genuinely requesting for a favour, to just vote, while mentioning what the award would mean to the entire club (not just the Kingfisher team).  The 9s & 10s would've very well come by..

Simple.. but personal

--------------

Dear SANDIP KUMAR,

We have missed you since the last time you purchased tickets online at Fame for Rock On.

We want you back!!!, so get

A FLAT 25% off on SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE!

--------------

Thats a mail I got from Fame cinemas at lido mall, bangalore. Seem to be more enterprising than the other more popular multiplexes in the country.

Im not saying that its amazingly creative, or a wonderful offer. But in comparison to the rest, certainly good work. 

The communication brings in an element of emotion, makes it personal by mentioning that they know something more about me than my name, and closes with a good offer.

The basic ingredient of any marketing communication, any loyalty program, and any effort at creating favourable customers - get to know who they are, and make best use of it.

Unfortunately, we're still lagging behind, and pretty much at large.

UK Un-Creative Industries

Had recieved the UK Creative Industries campaign viral videos some time ago. What's amazing is that it still lasts in my memory as the most uncreative, badly executed, and the least viral campaign ever. Coming from a creative  'industry' trying to promote creativity, I really wonder how creative the industry is at all.

Been looking for these videos in my mail box and youtube. If you do have it, please send me the link and I'd post it with due credits.

Meanwhile check out their website, it'll tell you enough.

1010 Asia - The Digital Wonderland

The ripple. The vibration that every idea emits. Spreading across, touching lives, gaining ground. 1010 is the digital form of 141 Sercon.

The website is a fantasy trail down the rabbit hole, inspired by Alice in Wonderland. And while you're there, don't forget to attend the beer party. 

Have fun at www.1010-asia.com

And hey, the tracks at the rhyme n blues bar have been produced in-house. Lyrics by Rajiv Menon, Vocals by Ajit & I.