Is 'Aspirational' the Most Abused Word in Indian Marketing?
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October 16-31, 2014 Volume 3, Issue 10 `100 Is ‘aspirational’ the most abused word in Indian marketing? 20 32 6 PLUS SONY XPERIA Every Girl for Herself 10 FLIPKART VS SNAPDEAL Thunderous War 14 SONY PAL 18 DEFINING MOMENTS INTERVIEW HP Betting on Ekta Kapoor Nina Elavia Jaipuria Ranveer Singh Bending the Rules DNA Known as a risk taker, her “Endorsements are part of The brand mixes celebrity career is full of learnings. my equity” with humour. Brand Page 26 (',725,$/ This fortnight... Volume 3, Issue 10 ‘Aspirational’ is such an aspirational word. It is what every word in the English EDITOR Oxford Dictionary aspires to be. Sreekant Khandekar October 16-31, 2014 Volume 3, Issue 10 `100 That sounds utterly nonsensical – but, then, so too does the dogged use of the PUBLISHER Prasanna Singh 16 word ‘aspirational’ by marketers and ad agencies in India. We’ve laughed in office DEPUTY EDITOR since long about how every product under the sun is purportedly ‘aspirational’. It has Ashwini Gangal reached a point where to admit that your brand is not aspirational is to concede that SENIOR LAYOUT ARTIST you are somehow ashamed of it. Vinay Dominic PRODUCTION EXECUTIVE This leads to the logical question: Is it only the Indian marketer who is Andrias Kisku ‘aspirational’-obsessed or is this a global phenomenon? In the course of researching ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Is ‘aspirational’ the most abused word in Naveen Arora Indian marketing? this story we stumbled upon an international Aspirational Consumer Index which is (0120) 4077803, 4077866 published each year. Clearly, we are not alone. But, then again, India tops the Index Noida 20 32 6 PLUS SONY XPERIA Every Girl for Herself 10 as the market with the highest number of aspirational consumers – more even than Pradeep Hegde FLIPKART VS SNAPDEAL Thunderous War 14 (022) 40429702-5 SONY PAL China. ‘Aspirationals’ are defined by their love for shopping and desire for responsible Betting on Ekta Kapoor 18 DEFINING MOMENTS INTERVIEW HP Mumbai Nina Elavia Jaipuria Ranveer Singh Bending the Rules DNA Known as a risk taker, her “Endorsements are part of The brand mixes celebrity career is full of learnings. my equity” with humour. Brand Page 26 consumption, among other things. [email protected] If aspiration is about hope or ambition for the future, India is the country for MARKETING OFFICE it because there are just so many young people who look forward to a better tomorrow. As one of our B-3, First Floor, Sector-4, Noida-201301. interviewees reasons, “you can’t say that youth is utilitarian”. Tel: (0120) 4077800. MUMBAI With feature-based advertising in decline over the years, brands have been trying to appeal to the heart 501-502, Makani Center, 5th Floor, rather than the head in one category after another. With product parity a reality most brands have to live Off Linking Road, Bandra (W), Mumbai - 400050 with, they have little specific to trumpet. And since there is nothing new to say, the brands might as well say Tel: +91-22-40429 709 - 712 it with emotion. SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES Akhilesh Singh So, in many ways, brands are getting pushed out of the standard category story to narrate instead tales (0120) 4077837 that rise above it. This presents an opportunity to become ‘aspirational’. There is a danger, of course. In [email protected] many TVCs today, it takes long to decipher not just which brand it relates to – but even the category to Owned by Banyan Netfaqs Pvt Ltd and Printed and published by which it belongs. That is because brands across categories are being presented as lifestyle brands, no matter Prasanna Singh, if it is only plywood. at 7-A/13, Ch. Ratan Singh Complex, Jawala Heri Market, Paschim Vihar, New Delhi-110 063. Printed at Cirrus Graphics Private Limited B-61, Sector 67, Noida (U.P.), 201301 Sreekant Khandekar Cover Illustration [email protected] Vinay Dominic CONTENTS 22 4 PLUS PEPPERFRY.COM Happy Furnishing 8 PEPSI No Pressure No Stress CAMPAIGN TRAIL The out-of-form 12 Virat Kohli represents New Campaigns the Indian youth. CHANNEL V Dare 2 Date 18 SATYAMEV JAYATE 28 14 Impact Show LIFE OK The show beefs up its promos Time to Rise 26 as it enters the third season. ZEE STUDIO POINTS OF VIEW 24 Makeover Time 28 Flipkart Fiasco COLORS THE HINDU MOVEMENT What can brands learn from Second Epic Ignore Fights, Read Us Flipkart’s ‘Big Billion Day’ A look at the channel’s The newspaper takes advantage People Movements 36 Blunder? second historical show. of the TOI-HT fight. afaqs! Reporter, October 16-31, 2014 3 $'9(57,6,1* PEPSI No Pressure No Stress innovation - in place where we innovate and create products as per evolving consumer preferences.” This is the first Pepsi campaign released after the integration of PO1 creative team at JWT. Anuja Chauhan - of ‘Yeh Dil Maange More’ and ‘Oye Bubbly’ fame - JWT’s creative consultant for Pepsico has scripted the TVC. “Pepsi, as a product, comes alive under pressure,essure, and so it inspires you to do the sameme - to stay chilled, audacious and optimistic,mistic, no matter what life throws at you,”” sheshe notes adding that Kohli is the apt choicehoice for this campaign as he is a perfectrfect representation of a young achiever withwith courage to face pressure and perform.m. Babita Baruah, SVP and executiveve business director, JWT Delhi saysys that this campaign is reflective of Pepsi brings the out-of-form Virat Kohli to represent the Indian Pepsi’s spirit of effervescence. “Thee youth. By Saumya Tewari brand connects deep, with a wink,, and reflects the confidence of youthh ontinuing with its philosophy of today who look at pressure in thee irreverence, Pepsi is back with a new “Pepsi as a face and say - ‘it’s my moment’.. Ccampaign, ‘Pressure is Good’, featuring product comes This is the spirit of irrepressibilityy cricketer Virat Kohli. Pepsi’s timing and choice of embodied by Pepsi, which comess model seems impeccable as Kohli’s performance alive under alive under pressure. Virat reflectsts has been below par recently. pressure and so it this spirit,” she explains. The TVC opens with Kohli looking out at a inspires you to do PepsiCo entered India in 1989 andd packed cricket stadium from the dressing room. generates a `1,000 crore in estimatedd Vijay Raaz (playing a journalist) questions him the same.” annual retail sales through its brands.s. about the intensity of pressure he is facing. Virat ANUJA CHAUHAN Kohli chooses to sip Pepsi and face legendary South WHAT PRESSURE? African all-rounder Jacques Kallis, answering ur experts believe that while all the questions through his performance. The OKohli is the right choice to campaign celebrates the never-say-die attitude “Today’s youth represent the success-hungry of the Indian youth with the refrain ‘Yehi hai wants to make a youth who refuses to bucklee moment, Live it Abhi’. under pressure, the ad is lacklustre.re Ruchira Jaitly, senior director marketing - social change and stamp However, the company manages to score brownie beverages, PepsiCo India believes that ‘pressure’ their individuality points for its sleek new product design. no longer is a negative term. “India is brimming on everything they For Suman Srivastava, founder and innovation with possibilities and positive force. Today’s artist, Marketing Unplugged, the campaign does youth wants to make a change and stamp their do.” not bring out the ‘Pressure’ element well. “As individuality on everything they do,” she explains. RUCHIRA JAITLY a fan, I would like to see how Kohli copes with Speaking about featuring Kohli, Jaitly points that immense pressure and performs. I don’t think he epitomises ‘confidence’ and represents young the ad brings out this aspect well,” he points generation who take pressure in their stride and out. Hiring sportsperson as brand endorsers is perform, instead of succumbing to it. “The brand risky business, believes Srivastava. According to The ad also features the new ‘swirled grip’ and connects deep, him, underperformance is a temporary element twisted-bottle, designed by the company’s global - a brand hires a sportsperson for the values he/ team. Dubbing it as ‘new equity packaging’, Jaitly with a wink, she brings to it. “Virat is aggressive and a young explains that the revamp aims to bring out the and reflects the achiever. He connects with youth who are Pepsi’s brand’s ‘youthful’ element. Apart from design, the primary TG. I believe he does full justice to the company is also experimenting with product size. confidence of the brand,” he quips. “We are now offering 400 ml and 150 ml packs. youth.” Speaking about the new product design of We changed the logo earlier this year as a part of BABITA BARUAH Pepsi bottles, Ektaa Aggarwal, creative director, brands global positioning Landor Associates, notes that the structural twist ‘Live for Now’, which is design is thought through and sleeker. “On the youthful.” this mean that the cola segment is plateauing? functionality side it scores higher. The new design PepsiCo’s major “Absolutely not,” asserts Jaitly, adding that feels a lot more ergonomic. The grooves provide a competitor is Coca- there is a strong growth and momentum in the better grip,” she says. Aggarwal believes that while Cola but increasing segment. “We understand that with increasing the new brand positioning ‘Live for now’ connects number of companies per capita income and penetration, the consumer emotionally with the TG, in India activation are launching beverages will demand better and wider choices and we campaigns outside cricket would be interesting to targeting the urban are continuously making efforts to address that.