Marketing Cacophony
Cacophony :"Mera Delhi Nehi
Rukegi"
Result: 31-28-8-3 (BJP-AAP-Congress-others)
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On
8th Dec, India created history by crafting a new political thought. In many
ways. A new form of politicking has emerged not just as "ideology" but out
of ballot boxes. This is remarkable. AAP showed the power of true democracy. Now "Mango people" of India can "do" some serious politics without a "surname". It
is a new start of "mass participation in politics" from what my
generation had grown up with "the college politics" (which was more of toeing seniors ideology). It will inspire
many who just dreamt to be "part of the change" but was not sure about the
possibility. This will give hope. Hope of true disruption. (a page that
silently got added as anex. in Indian politics.)
Among
many interesting lessons that political community has to unlearn and learn from
AAP, I think corporate marketers can learn a lot from what happened on Dec
verdict. AAP mixed the classical marketing and new format marketing to execute
a brilliant campaign. Here is an attempt to analyze what happened:
Passion
rules over Profession
Average
political experience of AAP is just 6 months compared to stalwarts of politics
like Sheila Dixit/ Diggy/NaMo. The members rarely has old hands in politics,
but what they had was missing in Congress or BJP camp. Passion.
Marketer
increasingly
need to create a team of "passionate animals" ; degree or experience
is slowly becoming irrelevant. The rules are changing so fast , that past
experience is just "an experience" and it may not work (think of
experienced "test cricketer" selected to play "T20"). One of my best
marketing teammate in Microsoft had never been to B-school. Marketing is a
broad base subject and learning starts everyday; induce infectious vision (very tought job on a leader) to
the team of passionate teammates. They will deliver.
Segmentation:
While
AAP caught the imagination of millions, a year back, with JanLokpalBill(JLB),
the primary segment were youth. Others did follow. However AAP understood
(Unlike Anna), if it has to give a mass movement and do something for India in
long run, it has to catch the imagination of all segments - middle class, upper
middle class, business people as well as lower middle class. They took Corruption
as communication plank- which is common issue to all, This could unite them and
has the power to expand to bigger segments. A businessman has to pay to get
approvals from babu, a student has to pay cash for a admission, a lower middle
class has to pay to earn his due. While Congress were targeting Muslims and LMC
with SOPs; BJP targeting upper middle class (UMC), business class selling NaMo
dream , AAP none had a strategy for targeting larger segment base.
Marketer does select a
segment (based on research and the need the product meets) and go after that.
Segmentation is critical. However AAP demonstrated there may be merit in
maximizing the target segment, by extending the value of brand to bigger
segment (corruption and not just JLB). These means exploring bigger
need and not stop at what just product delivers (corruption free India).
Positioning:
AAP
had to find a space in mind of voters. This is classical marketing theory by
Al Riece & Jack Trout, where you find the "Creneau" (the hole) and bring success by repositioning your
competitor. AAP did just that. It could have taken development as plank as
well, but what it did : 'reposition' Congress and BJP as "corrupt" (corruption= creneau). So
the existing development positioning taken by incumbent Congress and BJP as
better developer (like Gujarat model) took a hit. It is like " If you like
only development you can vote for Congress and BJP (you choose) but careful you
are voting for corrupt people (so the development you are getting may be just
20% of the possible development), but if you are looking for a corrupt free
India go for AAP, development will follow"
Marketer:
Reposition
your competitor, however big he may be. Bigger it is bigger will be its "hole (creneau)"
; find it and device the strategy around this.
Visual
communication LOGO (Broom)
AAP
is different in many ways. It is not conventional party. It could have opted for classy logo designed by youth designers
sitting at Connaught Place. But it took the unconventional route by selecting
some symbol which can be identified by lower middle class (where visual
communication plays a big role). The Logo selected was a class apart
(disruption) and born out of passion of Jogendra, Arvind and likes. It was an
instant connect with Aam junta. Especially considering AAP was were talking of
high funda stuffs like JLB and a new era of politics which may not resound so
quickly with LMC who are more worried in "tactical" issues
resolution (here and now). Also the real representation of a broom has a lingering effect in audience and sparks irreverence activations.
Marketers end up being very
knowledge intensive when it comes to creating visual identity. End up paying
millions to designers. While answer may be close to our table. Think
simple.
Brand
Name : Aam Admi Party:
The
name AAP- Aam Admi Party is simple. I think it is simple because it was born
out of passion and not with lot of brainstorming with brand consultant. The
name resonates the basic vision and does not go beyond articulation of the
segment - party for common man. Also it is customer facing name. I do not find many
such names which define the Segment so well. However if it goes national, It
may face some issue in South India, but I am not worried as AamAdmi or AAP by then can
enter English dictionary of India like “yaar”, "dost" which I hear in lanes of Chennai.
Marketer should believe in simplicity
of brand names. I admire simplicity in Google brand; very subtle. While on
other hand Microsoft examples of Xbox, Bing, Zune all come with the inbuilt
expectation of million dollars invested to tell consumers the meaning of brand itself.
I bet still many does not know the meaning of bing , though it is a very good
product. Same with dead Zune. Many a times brand names are top down (CEO to MT); it should be
left to Marketers.
Marketing
ROI (BTL VS ATL)
Some of world’s biggest marketing
innovations happened to beat budget gaps. Same here. AAP's biggest weakness was
budget, while their competitor had deep pockets. It is like local
"badapav" fighting McD. While Congress choose to communicate with
conventional media like TVC , Print, Outdoors, BJP with expensive print Adv and
Outdoors, AAP had no money for major ATL campaigns. It selected banners,
each volunteer carried it with them, handing over poster to walk-ins, Auto
banners, and Door-to-Door campaign - all major BTL activities. It used free
social media, excellent way to create online footprint. But I think above all
what helped them most are: “free PR” and “Viral marketing “ . Since the PR was
all positive (anti corruption having a latent content hunger) it helped APP a lot and lifted the visibility index more than
Congress or BJP. Separately, I wonder how crazy congress media planners can be , airing
"all India" TVC paying some XXX cgrp for a local marketing campaign. "Crazy
media buying" or "buying media" (payback)
Marketers may be asking real
question about big budget TV/ print campaign to deliver the ROI. If the same
money is pulled back to BTL, Online marketing, direct marketing, Social media ,
I think Congress could have reached to each and every household effectively at
least twice. Is conventional marketing going thru testing times? Points to
ponder.
Brand
ambassador
NaMo did a massive branding exercise
for himself. He is known for his suits , beard , half shirts. While Arvind was
just the natural. No faking . Since people are natural and having all issues in
life they accepted Arvind over others. Also Arvind was all about "others"
and NaMo was all about “what he is” . This made a difference, I guess.
Marketer usually chooses to
create brand ambassador or "dress up their brands" to catch the
aspiration of people. While faking to create aspiration brands is convention ,
disruption may be to present the reality . Average consumers has pot belly, is
stressed, happy only 10% of time, disturbed with his present situation. Taking
a page from AAP , the real people , real objects works. Should marketer
go thru this metamorphism.
Social media / online media
AAP
planned well and took their campaign to SN smartly. This was engine by real
issues and PR activations. It used Social media to mobilize resources (human)
and create viral effect. Now golden rule of any SNM is to start early - give
time- build on viral. Other rule is to engage with people without the outcome. Both was true
from AAP. Others failed to reach there.
Marketers: Social Network is
a real disruption. Start early and stay there to strike conversation. It
pays. A targeted communication with Social media is the new Game; but give time ; there may not be quaterly hikes.
Tap Resource thru collaboration (crowdsourcing?):
I firmly believe we are moving towards the age of collaboration. Since we are in the age of specialist and each resource gets outdated fast , there is a continuous effort to find the "best fit". Expecting too much in-house is becoming hard. For example I notice some of the best product manager struggles in making his products social or being available to larger audience without increasing distribution cost. Few interesting models are evolving. This cannot be termed as outsourcing but I call it business collaboration with somebody who may or may not have same business interest. The interest of collaborator with your business can be as simple as passion. We know about the success of Unix/ Linux/ wiki and many more. Tapping this into marketing for a brand is crucial. While we do the same in some forms like in Facebook and other SN (who do not have same interest in our brand business) , striking the collaboration is big task. AAP did this very effectively. They could collaborate with digital marketing guys (who never wanted to enter politics), social media marketing guys (who never was from Delhi and was oblivion to issues of Delhi), volunteers and many more effective collaboration for Brand AAP.
I firmly believe we are moving towards the age of collaboration. Since we are in the age of specialist and each resource gets outdated fast , there is a continuous effort to find the "best fit". Expecting too much in-house is becoming hard. For example I notice some of the best product manager struggles in making his products social or being available to larger audience without increasing distribution cost. Few interesting models are evolving. This cannot be termed as outsourcing but I call it business collaboration with somebody who may or may not have same business interest. The interest of collaborator with your business can be as simple as passion. We know about the success of Unix/ Linux/ wiki and many more. Tapping this into marketing for a brand is crucial. While we do the same in some forms like in Facebook and other SN (who do not have same interest in our brand business) , striking the collaboration is big task. AAP did this very effectively. They could collaborate with digital marketing guys (who never wanted to enter politics), social media marketing guys (who never was from Delhi and was oblivion to issues of Delhi), volunteers and many more effective collaboration for Brand AAP.
Marketers of tomorrow needs to find ways to collaborate with effective resources even if it may not have single business objective. ( Crowdsourcing? )
I lend this from Jean-Marie Dru, Chairman TBWA\ (my Agency on record for last 4 years). I am sold on the idea that effective strategy can start with finding the disruption out of the conventions. Like Mahatma Gandhi's "no-Violence” was the greatest disruption to happen in freedom movement when convention of freedom movement is "bloodshed". AAP could find such disruptions and challenged the status Quo of Indian Politicians and bureaucrats. Politicians / Netas were uncomfortable with this and ended up making more mistakes. Few examples: conventions: "need money to win elections- raise fund from Biggies"; disruption: “Money will be paid by those who need us and dream with us "; Convention: "candidates has to fund or bring fund" Disruption” We will fund the candidates (few candidates were paid their household expenses while they were campaigning); convention: "nominate candidate based on how powerful/ hold they have " disruption:" select candidates thru examinations process". Post winning also AAP decides to have the oath ceremony in Ramleela Maidan which is challenging the status quo and bringing disruption in politics.
Marketers can follow this flow: Identify conventions-> Identify insight-> identify disruption. Follow disruption to design strategy. Though it looks simple, it needs rigorous exercise to arrive at disruption ideas. But it is worth trying specially in age of marketing cacophony
Now that
people of Delhi has bought Brand AAP,
we need to see how the brand delivers. While
there may be perception gaps about Brand AAP, I will consider it has done its job if
it can be a brand of “political evangelism” . It is not important whether
Arvind becomes CM and be in office for next 5 years. The important attribute of
brand AAP is “It is an Idea that unlashes the hope across all segment about
creating a new India“. Many sub- brands may take birth in next few months but
for sure inflection point is nearning in Indian Politics. Disruption will happen in 2014.
