morningboy.space

morning boy's letters on serious matters and commentary on funny things aplenty

Category: A Mix

  • SMS marketing – How To Train Your Dragon?

    This is the SMS I received. Punctuation/grammar/spelling errors not mine :).

    Rent this movie –
    MAGNOLIA . Magical Stuff .
    Another solid one is SAVE
    THE TIGER . Have u see
    TRAINSPOTTING .
    Awesome .  And the movie
    which made Brad Pitt the
    star LEGENDS OF THE
    FALL . And u must watch
    NOTEBOOK with your wife .
    And yes Johnny Depp's
    EDWARD SCISSORHANDS . I
    love Martin Scorcese and
    his GOODFELLAS and
    RAGING BULL are classics .
    Oliver Stone's JFK is the
    best political drama . And
    yes Theaters are showing
    HOW TO TRAIN UR
    DRAGON . Have fun

    Just that this SMS wasn't received from folks who are marketing HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON.

    What the movie has got here is a genuine recommendation. Not in isolation but in a paradigm of some amazing movies. And the tone of message makes me believe that the movie must be good.

    Could the marketing folks think like that? Could marketers be a little (and genuinely) selfless in occupying screen space (or text space) and market their movie in conjunction with other movies?  Could they sound so authentic with all those errors?

    For her face

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  • The distance between theory, practice and perception

    What is (Brand) Activation?

    An academic's likely answer: Anything that activates a brand in consumers' minds. Notice the word 'anything'.

    An agency-professional's likely answer: On-ground (as opposed to mass media, online outdoor, etc.) activities done to market the brand.

    A marketer's (client-side) likely answer: On-ground activities/events

    Why do such perceptions build up?

    My take: primarily because of the word 'activation' which finds its origins in the word like 'act' and has references to words like 'action', 'active' and 'activity'.

    No wonder, the academic definition bites the dust. The meaning of 'activating in the mind' doesn't cut with people in general. And the simplest and closest form of meaning rules.

    For her face

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  • Help them sniff

    There's a store in Hiranandani, Powai called Su-riti, a shop for traditional hand-crafted stuff. It's located on the second floor. Whenever we are around that shop, we don't see too many prospects walking in.

    Few days back, the shop set up a tent-like exhibition on the ground floor and over-looking the main street. And the prospects you thought would never walk into the shop on second-floor were all there checking the merchandise in that tent-like exhibition which was much smaller than the shop. 

    Two points:

    • Sophisiticated environments can deter prospects from walking in.
    • Indians are a sniffing lot it seems. They like to touch this, check that, try that, move on, lift this, weigh that and leave! Or may be buy! Environments in which they are in need to help them do that. That's when they might just be lucky to make the prospects feel at home. And have a chance to convert that feeling into shopping.

    Third point, courtesy Ninad's comment. Guess that's the point why I wrote this post in the first place; just forgot exploiting the metaphor 'sniff' I used in the title.

    The shop needs to be present within sniffing distance. So the people walking by – who do not have any particular intention of buying – can just walk in without much hassle. Walking in could just be the required step in inspiring that intention to buy. Guess, the tent-exhibition did just that for this shop.

    Shops in malls also suffer from this problem. They aren't often within sniffing distance. Even when they are, they are closed with glass walls/doors. Couple that with the fleeting intentions of Indian buyers, it really becomes tough for these shops (and therefore, the malls) to turn commercially viable.

    For her face

    2 responses to “Help them sniff”

    1. Ninad Avatar
      Ninad

      Or maybe, the second floor location is a deterrent.

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    2. Siddharth Soni Avatar
      Siddharth Soni

      Thanks for pointing that out. Guess that’s the most important factor in the context mentioned in my post.

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  • One chance, one target, one gun, one murder, 10 shooters

    Imagine! Imagine 10 shooters trying to pull one trigger. Just one chance. Just one target. Perhaps, just one shot. Will it happen? Will it be successful?

    Decision making in organizations/teams is something similar. No one person 'takes' the decision. Group's working. Group's discussing. Group's taking the decision. When the decision goes wrong, group takes the blame. Or, perhaps each member is blaming the other, "See I told you." Can you fire the whole group? Unlikely. Can you point out any one person? Tough. 

    And it is for these reasons that decisions are a group work.

    What's the benefit? Who learns? Who develops conviction? All becomes so unclear.

    Decision-making is a great responsibility. The greatest skill in life, if I were to claim anything. The most critical thing to execute any strategy, to choose a certain path and not others. It involves risk but that's precisely the skill that the organization needs in its employees. Risk taking, responsibility, decision-making. And we come together, ten of us to pull one trigger!

    For her face

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  • Do you know how to do it?

    Is that the question you ask yourself whenever you try doing something? Is that the question you are asked by people around when you throw an idea? 

    I suggested to a colleague this morning that I'm gonna try making a jingle for an upcoming pitch. He asked, "Do you know how to do it?"

    I find this question on someone's 'knowing' rather discouraging. Condescending too.

    A baby doesn't know how to take the first step. It just does it. Because it wants to. It learns. It runs. It plays. It has fun.

    When musicians jam, they often do not know how the song would turn out. But they do it nonetheless. And we enjoy those songs, history unbeknown.

    Who knows much anyway? The reason, much has not been done coz the question of 'knowing' often precedes 'doing'. For me, there's no precedence. Knowing and doing happen simultaneously.

    For her face

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  • Show the client his colors

    And then show yours too.

    Working for an upcoming education financing company, that's what we did.

    The head of the company gave us a brief. We worked on the marketing communication strategy and presented some creative concepts to him. He was pleased but he had some apprehensions. He asked us to address the same and come back.

    We worked and went back. Again he had some reservations.

    We worked and met again. He said, "I appreciate your effort and your approach. But these points still seem missing."

    Our art guys weren't amused. But we insisted on giving him (the client) what he wanted. We rendered his imagination and brought it out in real. We met again. He saw his own imagination in colors. He agreed to go ahead with our approach – the approach we had adopted on the earlier occasions.

    If I am spending a good amount, I would rather have things my way. At least, where there is flexibility and where things have to be done from scratch.

    The trick is, much too often, the 'right' needs to be juxtaposed with the 'imagined'. The two approaches serve as reference points for each other during evaluation.

    Give colors to their imagination and they might like your colors.

    For her face

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  • XXX? Sorry, wrong size!

     XXX-ENERGY-DRINK

    Pic courtesy: imagesfood.com

    When I heard the name XXX energy drink, the first thing that struck was, "This would come in a bigger can." Why? Of course, the connotation of XXX.

    I get to know that it means Xperience Xtreme Xcitement. Well, not bad. But it doesn't do justice to a great concept hidden in the name XXX. Besides, right below the name it says IMMUNITY ENHANCER.

    I guess an amazing concept like XXX has been wasted here.

    Who will remember Xperience Xtreme Xcitement? Tough.

    Who will remember IMMUNITY ENHANCER? Forget remember, who will understand the term? Sure, people understand IMMUNITY and ENHANCER as words, but what do they mean to a layperson. Besides, aren't there medicinal supplements which do this job? Chyavanprash does the same job!

    To my mind the concepts of ENERGY DRINK and IMMUNITY ENHANCER aren't the same. Perhaps tending towards incredulity. 

    It's easy to play around in intellectual sounding and good looking words. But the idea is to capture one (or a couple at best) important word and tie it with an amazing visual.

    Here's my take:

    XXX should be offered in bigger cans. The big can would also stand out on the shelves and serve as an effective symbol of recognition.

    And chuck those words. Just write something to the effect XXX – BIG BIG BIG ON ENERGY.

    For her face

    One response to “XXX? Sorry, wrong size!”

    1. Ninad Avatar
      Ninad

      Yup.packaging innovations are restricted to mere colour and form changes nowadays. In this case the packaging too needs to ‘talk’ the proposition.

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  • Mattress-maker

    Yes, this is about a mattress-maker (Praveenbhai, Prashali Foam & Furnishing) here in Powai.

    What he does is respond really really quickly, reach your place really really promptly, take a seat without asking really really quickly when he's talking to you, take measurement doubly quickly and assure delivery way before your expectation. Guess what, very often he delivers quicker than what he would promise. And when he delivers, he doesn't ask where to place the mattress. His guys do it in a matter of few seconds as if they know it all, as if they are on a mission. No permissions. They just set it up. Fast and quick. They deliver at 10 in the night too. Yeah, not a pizza. Mattress we are talking about!

    And yes, you won't find him without a smile or with any answer that wouldn't amuse you.

    I doubt the guy's studied a hell lot. But he brings a lot of energy to his work. His way of doing things is as efficient as you can ask for, smooth like art. It's unique; haven't had a chance to observe such a mattress-making service ever until now.

    For her face

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  • What does MAY I HELP mean?

    If your store is big, surely you want many customers, many people visiting the store. And you want people outside the store to see that the store has a good crowd. You do not necessarily want them to feel that it is very crowded but you want them to see a good number of people shopping inside. Why? If there is a good number of people inside, surely the store must be good.

    The above point means that people should be allowed to spend good amount of time inside the store. One of the things that's important here is customer service as rendered by the shop-floor executives. Have you asked them simply to rattle out a MAY I HELP every time they find themselves near a prospect? Or have you trained them to judge the prospects' movements and eye-gazes? To ask themselves and decide whether, in the first place, the prospects require any help (intrusion) or not?

    Besides, the question MAY I HELP is a question to be addressed by the entire store, by all the staff, by the designers of the store, by the architect, by the shelves, by the aisles, by the lighting, by the music etc etc.

    I walked out of Pantaloons with a headache the other day. I noticed good stuff and I bought a few too but I simply rushed out of the shop. Apparently, it was the brand's anniversary and the store was celebrating with loud fast boisterous party music. Thank you but sorry for the party. I was there to shop, to shop with ease, to browse through the huge stock of merchandise you want to sell, to choose the best I can after looking at different stuff. You don't want to hurry me up in a dance, right?!

    For her face

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  • Not-so-royal treatment by Royal Enfield

    Just came back from the Royal Enfield Bandra showroom. Went there to collect my refund cheque against cancellation of my booking made way back on 23rd Dec '09 for a Classic 350.

    The showroom manager's smiling. His assistant's also smiling. Proudly (might say arrogantly too) announcing that the booking for 350 has been stalled for the moment and that the waiting period for a new booking is 8 months!!!

    Downright pathetic. The guys have gone mad.

    First, it's no happy moment that a customer is canceling his purchase no matter the high demand.

    Second, it's laughing matter that the waiting period is 8 months; it just tells us that you (the brand) don't care much about the customers.

    Third, Classic 350 and the new engine converted quite a few non-Bulleteers into going for a Bullet. But that's just half the job done. If your service still sucks (like it did earlier), the same guys might turn their backs to you pretty soon.

    Fourth, the company can't hold money like this and ask the person who made the booking to come and collect the money from the showroom. The least they could do is respect the customer, apologize for inconvenience and try to make up in some form.

    Sure there's only one Royal Enfield. And scarcity often leads to a favorable impression of the brand but guess they are stretching the loyalists of Royal Enfield much too far and far too often.

    I can go on and on about my disappointment but the folks at Royal Enfield might not listen. Royal Arrogance or Royal Lapses sounds better.

    For her face

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  • Ad Agencies’ Pricing Mechanism

    Now I've seen it on so many occasions. Client calls for a proposal for engagement with the agency. The latter sends in a high quote thinking the client will bargain and bring it down.

    Irrespective of whether the agency makes a reasonable/desirable amount or not, this phenomenon clearly does two things.

    1. The business and activity of communication gets a bad name. The significance of communication – as the most critical element of business according to me – gets diluted. Clients think agencies make money out of blabbering anything. They think agencies don't deserve what they quote. They come to think communication is just another function; their business runs on something else.
    2. Agencies shift the focus from the value they offer. The bargaining process often leads to loss of business and, in turn, an opportunity to build some good brands.

    On the other hand, when agencies do charge a very attractive fee (which means 'less' fee in the client's mind), clients look down and think, "they aren't that great, that's why they quote so low."

    No doubt, such attitude towards agencies does harm the clients too on quite a few occasions.

    It's a tough nut that agencies have grown. Clients don't have the teeth to crack it very often and agencies are at it making it stronger.

    For her face

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  • Horse

    You are one if you join an organization which is lesser known, small, etc etc. The entrepreneur or employer would like to ride on you, grow on your strengths, abilities and initiatives. That's why you were hired. Do you see yourself as a horse? Or do you simply read that you are being exploited?

    On the other hand, if you join a big well-known organization, you are riding the horse. You might not be hired for being one. You might turn out to be one but you can't be sure.

    For her face

    One response to “Horse”

    1. Neena Avatar
      Neena

      did i inspire you to write this blog ? he he

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  • DOUDODS?

    The little quirks and idiosyncrasies all of us have. We always have a
    little fun watching them in others, or sometimes in ourselves too :).
    DOUDODS is meant to do just that.

    So you can vote for the quirks you share with others. Or you can do a poll for your quirk and find out how many share the same with you.

    Why don't you just visit DOUDODS once? If you've already done so, a big thank you. :)

    For her face

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  • Proving vs. Stating

    When you advertise, which approach would you rather take?

    If you try 'proving' your claim, you start with a premise "consumers have a need but are skeptical/doubting" and therefore, you provide them with concrete reasons right away to consider you good enough. Defensive, as if imploring, "Please think of me as good. Please. Please. Please."

    If you try just 'stating' your claim, you start with a premise "consumers have a need and believe that those needs can be fulfilled" and therefore, you don't necessarily feel necessity to give reasons left, right and center. Instead, you show confidence in your audience and spend your energy thrilling them in a way they would remember. Isn't the last word precisely the thing you are seeking? O yes, subsequently you can give them more information and that information might not seem reasons; they would just be a few more points to get thrilled about.

    For her face

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  • What’s your priority?

    "Doing interesting work is the priority", replied this techie with whom I shared an idea and whom I asked apprehensively about the cost while discussing.

    And that brought a genuine smile on my face and appreciation within.

    How do you evaluate and reply when someone asks you about the cost of a project or some work?

    For her face

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  • I didn’t take the shot and they missed it anyway

    I was 16 then. Representing my school in a prestigious inter-school basketball tournament. We reached the finals. We were playing against 'arch-rivals' St. Xavier's Loyola.

    Was a tough game. Not because we were down in the dumps. But because strangely it turned out a very low scoring game and the scores were always neck-to-neck.

    It was 22-20 in favor of our opponents. About a minute or little more left. Was good at 3-pointers with a fair bit of accuracy. The ball was in my hands. I told my team-mates I'll take the shot. Arrange it so that I can take a 3-point shot.

    We dribbled our way to the opposite court and I was in position and unmanned. And as planned, I got the pass. I saw the 'sharpest' shooter of our team also standing unmanned and in position at the pivot. In the split second, my mind said he probably has a better chance of making the basket (even if we got just 2 points the scores would be level).

    I passed the ball to him. He took the shot. He missed it. There was a shuffle near the basket. We lost possession. My friend said, "Why didn't you take the shot?" I said, "He had a 'better' chance of making it, I felt". I justified to myself saying I did it for the benefit of the team.

    We managed to gain one more point in the remaining time. We lost 22-21.

    I didn't take the shot. I did play basketball after that. But perhaps didn't consider myself good enough to play at any higher level or in any other final.

    The deal isn't so much about winning or losing. Sure winning matters a lot. But importantly, it's about taking a chance, seizing the opportunity, trying your hand. One shot – the difference between hope and despair.

    For her face

    One response to “I didn’t take the shot and they missed it anyway”

    1. Ninad Avatar
      Ninad

      Well written. This one is inspiring me and screaming at me to write about my exploits, adventures and misadventures on the playground :-)

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  • King Kong and Dinosaur

    A restaurant called Kinn Konn Roccs has opened up in Powai. If you are passing that street, you can't miss the huge dummy of King Kong outside the place. And if you spot a banner, you can't take your eyes off it.

    On my way (NH4) from Goa to Mumbai, I spotted a restaurant called Dino with a huge structure of dinosaur at the entrance. You can see it from a distance. Just can't miss it.

    Apparently, neither King Kong nor Dinosaur is related to restaurants. But location is so important for stand-alone restaurants – they have only so many chances to make the passers-by notice and remember. And locations get no better definition than different-looking eye-arresting structures. Good or bad is not always the question. These structures are the marketing media.

    For her face

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  • Selling is tough

    when salesmen do not feel proud of what they are selling.

    Like their prospects, salesmen are also part of families, communities, friend-circles, etc. Like us, when they are amidst their friends or relatives, perhaps they also hear the same cribs and complaints:

    "These insurance salesmen/telecallers have harrowed us"

    "These insurance companies are frauds. They have so many clauses and conditions."

    "They just don't process the claim when really needed."

    And so on.

    Of course, if there is a little bit of sensitivity in these salesmen (and they are humans after all), they are bound to get affected by such remarks and when they make a pitch it shows. The prospect isn't willing to listen, salesmen's voice and diction don't do enough to make the prospect listen.

    Companies are in a hurry to tap into the 'big' opportunities. They don't have the time to think about their offerings or give adequate training to those who are selling these offerings. Nor does any body else. How will the feeling of pride arise at all? Just by setting and imposing an ambitious target? Unlikely.

    Those x0000es look great. They have so many holes too.

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  • Tired of being a furniture

    That's the status of a friend who once worked with me. She's working with a bigger organization.

    Big organizations face the same environment that a small organization faces. But they do have far more resources than a small organization. A small organization is anyway struggling to make the optimum use of resources. No wonder, people at such places are slogging like mad to get things done. Therefore, everyone who joins gets some work to be done. Every new person is a helping hand.

    Big organizations have bigger reputations, bigger susceptibilities, bigger fears. Much too often they recruit people not to make them work actually but simply to ensure that someone's there 'in case there's something to be done'. They keep paying you for your availability. Being available is the work you do. Yes, you might not like that kind of work. Are there more satisfying things than being available? Yes? You know what to do.

    For her face

    One response to “Tired of being a furniture”

    1. Anisha Avatar
      Anisha

      Perfectly! even the helper boy is wanted: for a bottle of water, a snack or two, to run some errand. i am seriously being paid for being available!

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  • Do they try to influence you, persuade you or plain simple order you?

    When an organization tries marketing its product/service, it thinks about influencers, opinion-makers, early adopters, etc. And for different products, there are different people who play these roles. Children, oldies, school-goers, techies, etc. Why? These people will help spread the word. These people will accept the product more readily. They aren't a part of rigid structure. They do not necessarily have more money. And yet marketing efforts are focused on persuading such people and according to their convenience.

    But within the organization, how often have I observed that if an idea, or a policy, or a mandate has been to be followed, it is simply put on the notice-board or sent in the mail to everyone, all at once. No influencing, no persuading the opinion-maker. Just follow from this moment on. It isn't a wonder that most employees crib, most of them just consider it a job to be finished as soon as possible.

    For her face

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