Marketing Idea No. 180 – How to do an effective fundraising campaign

Living in a society where the big things matter, breaking it down to small might be the most effectice strategy.

People generally think they are not capable of big things. They get overwhelmed by the bigness of the problem. And hence they question the feasibility of the solution.

Here’s a thought why fund raising campaigns dont work. When you ask money for a noble cause like rehabilitating Hurricane Sidr victims, you are basically talking about helping thousands of people by raising millions. Faced with a situation like that, its normal for people to think “What good will my Tk. 500 do?” or “How can i help thousands of people?”. With that in mind, people refrain from donating. Here the bigness of the problem and the bigness of the solution, deters from getting the ball rolling.

But if we can break it down by saying, “Your responsibility is to help one people, not thousands”, then people can wrap their head around that. Then they will think “yeah, i can certainly help one people get his house up!”

Conventional wisdom says make it big to make an impact. But as we have seen, in certain cases by making the problem look small, we can really work towards a solution.

Marketing Idea No. 178 – Sports marketing

Sports and marketing has co-existed for a long time without one standing in the way of other. That held true, even when Janet Jackson had the greatest wardrobe mal-function of the history of sports marketing in the greatest stage of then all – the Super Bowl. All in the name of PR and ratings!

Whether we like it or not, marketing has done wonders for sports in general. What Kerry Packer and Channel 9 did some 30 years ago has surely sparked life into a rather boring game of cricket. And IPL and 20-20 cricket will definitely take this game to another level.

But none does it better that the Americans. What they are really good at is turning a game into a spectator sport. Hence wrestling became sports entertainment. Motor-sport became NASCAR (faster and more money of course). The greatest show for Americans are not soccer final, but the Super Bowl, which it self is a great marketing exercise. By tampering with sports to make it faster (So TV viewers can enjoy it), introducing rituals like Super Bowl Sunday, (More advertising), branding sports teams ( Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons etc.), making college level sports vibrant (NCAA), unlimited substitutions (None wants to watch tired players hopping around!!! They want fresh legs jumping and running) and having multiple breaks during the game (So people can buy more soda during breaks, hence more money for Coca Cola and Budweiser) – Americans have truly shown the world how to do sports marketing.

We may not like the evil spread of marketing in sports. But for sports in Bangladesh to go to the next level, this American style sports marketing will do wonders.

 

Marketing Idea No. 177 – How to build Brand CEO

Excerpts Quoted from India Today

Take a look at this: according to a study done in the US by Burson-Marsteller with 1,400 key corporate executives and their critical audiences, the CEO’s reputation represents 45 per cent of a company’s reputation; 95 per cent of analysts buy a stock based on the CEO’s reputation; 94 per cent of analysts would recommend a company’s stock based on the CEO’s reputation, 81 per cent of the respondents said they would believe a company under pressure based on the CEO’s reputation, and 80 per cent would recommend a company as a good place to work for based on the CEO’s reputation.

That a company’s most powerful brand may, in fact, be its CEO has been known to consummate marketers abroad for a long time now. Consider Bill Gates. His studied nerdy image, accentuated by unkempt hair and ordinary oval spectacles, has been perpetuated in meetings after meetings with media, analysts, shareholders, and customers. The message: our top-most man is a software whiz himself, and when you buy any of our products, it has his personal stamp. The pr machine at the world’s most valuable company, General Electric (GE), works tirelessly to let out carefully chosen bits of information to build CEO Jack Welch’s aura. How Welch, while pulling through the now unsuccessful Honeywell deal, works virtually through a weekend, checks in for a scratched cornea, but still makes it to the first game of the World Series baseball at New York’s Yankee stadium. GE’s point: our organisation, including the head honcho, delivers, but, hey, we also know how to have fun. Any surprise then that GE is the world’s most admired company?

 

How To Build Brand CEO

In an era of growing product brand clutter, companies are realising that the most potent way of integrating and drawing customer attention is by creating a ”short cut” via the CEO brand. Here’s how to go about it.

1 THE SELF: The first step in the process of building Brand CEO must begin with these questions: Who am I? What is my corporation? What is my competitive environment, including rival CEO brands? The kernel of Brand CEO must be true to the personality core. Else, the brand will implode.

 

2 THE IMAGE: Once the corporate and CEO brand ingredients have been blended, the positioning for Brand CEO must be determined. The positioning must not be at the cost of the corporate or product brands.

 

3 THE MESSAGE: To minimise dissonance in brand portfolio, the CEO brand must communicate in sync with the corporate mission. Besides, he must amplify core values that all the brands collectively wish to communicate to stakeholders.

 

4 THE PROMISE: A corporation is not just about its present. Its value is also a function of future expectations. Brand CEO must, then, work to keep his constituents-internal and external-engaged all the time. But he must not ”talk up” the value.

 

5 THE ETERNITY: In the end, the institutional brand must outlive every successive CEO brand. Therefore, while every new CEO brand must add to the core corporate brand, it must not endanger its perpetuity by becoming too powerful

Marketing Idea No. 176 – The Mango Country

Although we see a lot of different variants in fruit juice, Indian subcontinent is unofficially a mango country. Meaning, of all the juices, mango juice is the highest selling category.

Hence we see the recent boom in mango juices, from Frooty to Fruitika.

However, looking into future business expansion, these mango juices can launch even newer variants. And while looking for such inspiration, companies like Pran and Akij will have to look no further then our own rich variants of mangoes.

From the fiber rich Gopalbhog to the tasty Langra, from the giant Fazli to the limited edition Himsagar, our country has a rich array of mangoes. And the differerence in taste for all these different types are quite well known. So if any new brand launches new variants based on X mango juice – Langra or X mango juice – Fajli, it wont be like educating the market that there is difference that exists between them. It will be like tapping into a bengali need, that different people like different mangoes at different times.

West has done it before successfully through its berry variations like Blackberry, Blueberry etc. Now its time for our mangoes, to step up to the plate. Pun intended.

Marketing idea No. 175 – How to position local airlines industry in Post-Biman days

While our aviation industry is in the middle of a boom (both in terms of number of new carriers and increase in jet fuel price), the scary perception of flying from the “Bangladesh Biman” days remains. And thats mainly due to the fact that none of these new entrants have positioned themselves carefully.

Looking at the Indian aviation industry can be an eye opener. Kingfisher clearly stands out as the glamorous and fun carrier. Jet will be the one upholding the “Service” position. And there are lots of entrants from Spice to Indian Airlines, fighting out the “low price – low frills” position.

In the same manner, the Bangladeshi airlines can position themselves effectively. Here are some proposed positioning suggestions.

1. GMG – “The High Price- High Quality” service provider

2. Best Air – Collaboration with Thai airlines, and hence grabbing the “Global Quality service provider” perception

3. Royal bengal – Should be the no frills, price player (Along with Bangladesh Biman)

Marketing Idea No. 174 – How retailers can act like doctors

Here are two new world orders to chew upon.

1. The power is shifting from the hand of the manufacturer to the hand of the retailer

2. Organized retail is the next big marketing frontier

WIth great power comes great responsibility and even greater influence. Just ask the customers of Walmart and Blockbuster entertainment.

Wal-mart and Blockbuster entertainment are two of the biggest retailers in their category. In recent times they have forced manufacturers to change their products by simply refusing to carry them. Wal-mart will not carry any magazine that does not contain family friendly content. Thats why magazines like Cosmopolitan and Vibe send their magazine prints before hitting the stand just to ensure that Wal-mart wouldnt refuse to carry them. And with 25% share of US home rental video / CD / DVD, Blockbuster ensures that movie studios make two versions of the same movie. One that is released in the theater and one family friendly version that is distributed in DVD.

With that in mind, i propose that organized retail in Bangladesh can take a more proactive role in dealing with customers. By not simply carrying the merchandise, they can recommend the customers based on their wants and needs, which brands to choose. Their role will be more like the doctors, not like the shopkeeper carrying the medicine.

This way super shops like Agora, PQS can add more value, put pressure on manufacturers to increase their brand strength, ensure better customer experience and most importantly differentiate themselves from other super shops.

Marketing Idea No. 173 – Bouncing Toys and arranging kiddy parties

This maybe a cool time for kids to grow up, but parents would think otherwise. Gone are the days when you would sit beside the window worriedly and wait for your kid to return home after a dirty game of cricket. Today’s kids hardly leave home, (no) thanks to internet with PC invasion and lack of playing spaces. Hence the campaign, dirt is good by Surf Excel, consoling and encouraging millions of mothers to send their kids outdoor for a healthier upbringing.

 

But we don’t want to talk about detergent here. What we want to talk about is trampoline, hoola hoops and other inflatable toys.

 

These are great solutions for a great time inside the house. When you are up bouncing in one of the inflatable bouncing toys, you just cant get enough of it. These toys are inexpensive, ensures that they don’t take much space and most importantly through these toys children can come together to have a great time inside the house.

 

Our event management firms can do some great business here. They can arrange small kiddy parties by temporarily hiring spaces, supply these inflatable toys and thus reach out to millions of worried mothers who want their children to have a great time with friends, especially in the face of dwindling outdoor spaces. Even without arranging parties, these toys themselves can guarantee good time. So even the toy distributors in the country can cash in.

 

In a country faced with lack of entertainment and outdoor space problem, this maybe the ultimate kid entertainment solution.

Marketing Idea No. 172 – Jamdani saree and beyond

If looks could kill, Bangladeshy Jamdani-clad women could have started a massacre.

 

Jamdani has traditionally been one of THE symbol of Bangladeshi heritage, a sort of romantic reminder of the Muslin. While its charm and simple elegance in complicated weaving is timeless, time has come to look at Jamdani and say…whats new?

 

Two opportunities lie in Jamdani sector. Saree houses and Boutiques in the country, listen up.

 

 

1. Any fashion house can launch a full range of Jamdani accessories like blouse, earrings, necklaces, shoes – all that goes with Jamdani’s.
2. Jamdani with all its pull, at the end of the day, is a generic product. Therefore, any fashion house can brand it and sell premium Jamdani at premium segment.
3. The Jamdani saree of yesteryears are significantly different from the Jamdani of modern times. Since heritage products and very chic now, fashion houses can revive the old Jamdani designs and style.

All this will ensure that even within the Jamdani category, significant differentiation and business growth can be made.

Marketing idea No. 171 – MTV Splitsvilla and the art of adjustments

Its a crazy world and none knows it better than the marketers who launch new products everyday. Despite tons of research and that weird little word called gut feel, many new products simply dont click.

For those who often wondered how to salvage a sinking ship midway through its voyage, MTV Splitsvilla last night showed how to conduct a master-stroke.

MTV Splitsvilla is a new reality show where 20 girls fight for the lust-interest of two guys. By airing this show MTV India has already pushed the controversy button a bit too far. Going against all conventional wisdom, they launched this sex-heavy show in a still traditional country. But unfortunately, MTV Splitsvilla didnt prove to be the rating busting super show to follow up the success of MTV Roadies. But that all may change with a grand stroke.

1. First of all by bringing Raghu Ram from MTV Roadies, the producers gave the show much required Roadies endorsement an hence attracted some additional viewers who watched Roadies but are not hooked into Splitsvilla. They wanted more controversy. They wanted the bitching and politics of Roadies. And hence Raghu. And he… obliged.

2. By introducing a new twist like girls now being able to choose the final guy, the producers are trying to attract the female viewers, not only the male viewers who are watching it for….surprise, surprise…the women. And also, by doing this they are trying to overcome the “chauvinistic” tag thats latched on to the show.  

MTV Splitsvilla is a good example of how once in a while you can take a blind leap of faith. Because, even if it doesnt work the way you like it the first time, you may make some changes along the way to adjust. And adjust according to customer taste is the name of the game.