Marketing Cacophony 8th december

Marketing Cacophony

Cacophony :"Mera Delhi Nehi Rukegi"

Result: 31-28-8-3 (BJP-AAP-Congress-others)

 "Delhi did stop"! At 8 for Congress and 28 for AAP!

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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.
 

Marketers of tomorrow needs to find ways to collaborate with effective resources even if it may not have single business objective. ( Crowdsourcing? )

Convention VS Disruption

 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

 Last bytes

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.