From Word of Mouth to Web 2.0

Whether you are closely or loosely related to the advertising industry, you are most likely to have been bitten by the WEB 2.0 bug and the hoopla surrounding it. If you have your finger in the WEB 2.0 pie, “Tipping point” is where you start using it! Malcolm Gladwell puts forward possibly the best way to understand the dramatic transformation of a fashion faux-pas into a trend setter.

I can never get over UGG boots (appropriately named) and how everyone from Pamela Anderson to Lola Kutty to Yellow Monk owned a pair.

You can't possibly be an swanky advertiser if you don't know what the terms “Maven” or “Connector” mean. And you can't possibly be the CEO of a swanky advertising agency if you in the flesh are not one of the two! (Maybe I should call my blog The Yellow Maven for starters! ;) 

But while I was turning through the final pages of the book, the only thing that struck me was the acute similarity between the laws of word of mouth epidemics and the freshest, fanciest “it” word Web 2.0. 

My read was followed by another. Chris Anderson's The Long Tail. The natural and technological successor to the above. The book that possibly killed 'mass' culture and gave hope to enthusiasts who believe that Guantanamo Bay Punk Rock is not a myth but a real Genre of music! I happened to read the two back to back without realizing that I had just begun to wet my appetite!

Long tail is by far the best predecessor to O'Reilly's WEB 2.0 - the term that I predict will forever transform the way any advertiser or marketeer thinks! If I could bottle the blood of some tech and marketing pundits, Tim would definitely be on my top 5 list.

I would largely recommend to buy, borrow or steal the lot together and read not necessarily in that order.

PS: And as a tribute to Mr Tim O'Reilly, I am typing this post on Open Office! Currently testing it for integration in my organization and looking forward to kicking Microsoft's monopolistic derriere! :)

When the going gets tough

This whole economic set up of a global meltdown and turbulent times ahead has divided the population into two. I call it the 82-18 divide. Hindustan Times / CNN-IBN polls suggest 82% of respondents to a poll worried about the economic condition of the country. The upside, there still exists that 18% who sees the glass half full.

I am a start-up because I am an optimist and not vice versa. How bad can it really get! Small businesses have a different growth curve compared to their largely fund counterparts, and if the pundits out there say, this is the time to struggle, we haven’t actually seen it otherwise!

Why there lie good times ahead if you are a new or a small business in the services sector?

You are flexible: Imagine having to make 2000 employees redundant as compared to making your team of less than 20 work some extra hours daily. Some hot pizza from Domino's and an inspiring speech about the persistent recession and hanging on will do the trick.

Its finally an employer’s market: The talent is FINALLY available AND ready to negotiate. Note: Resources and attrition are amongst the top 5 growth problems faced by smaller businesses.

You need to save every penny and spend wisely: Like you shouldn’t when there is no recession???

Demand for cheaper alternatives: You always believed your services were as good as the market leader. Now is the time to prove it. Bigger organizations are looking for competitive prices and value for money. The axe is on all department budgets and the preferred vendors are all being re-evaluated for value.

Alternative sources of capital: Money is cheap. Yes, with the stock and the real estate drying up and no longer a lucrative investment opportunity, the money still needs to be invested. Talk to an angel investor and show him the returns, he will take notice. The risk is smaller in comparison and the returns – when you are competing with a negative return market, how difficult can it be.

Its time to get real: And the most real organizations are start-ups. They don’t have a choice.

And then if you are a brand communications agency with assumed capabilities to sell your clients product, there has never been a bigger demand for your services! You are cheap and they need you! Go get ‘em! Let’s lay the foundations of some more O&Ms, LOWEs, JWTs possibly put together!

The top-most qualities needed by any entrepreneur by far are clarity of vision and confidence.

Experiment with Experiential.

Innovate or die - The mantra of the never-been-more complex advertising world. With the arrival of fresh emerging media and 360 degree communication, ensuring your brand does not lose its connection with the consumer has never been tougher. Brand managers and marketers have a new buzzword. Brand experience is the new black!

The only aim is to step outside the mass media setting. Brand managers are constantly looking for innovation and out-of-the box ideas and traditional ways of marketing have certain limitations. Traditional media may create brand recall, but today are not enough to sustain a brand.

Saffola took a unique path to celebrate the world heart day. The registrants who could register via SMS did not only receive a coupon for a free cholesterol check but also literature seeking to educate the consumer about heart health and care.



Needless to say the brand made more than a recall point. Everyday we experience a new strategy that makes more than an impression.

A more recent campaign being Nivea MTV What's Your Sport!, engaging participants in fun activities while at work or college. Reinforcing the essence of Nivea deodorant that gives consumers the confidence to do just about anything – anywhere.

photo - agencyfaqs.com

Experiential has moved beyond free samples and testers. It’s about communicating the essence of the brand with a more personalized, memorable experience.

My favourite experiment with experiential is the launch of Absolut Cut in Australia. Not for the love of the Swedish Spirit ;) but for mere execution! To launch its new product Absolut Cut, the brand leased two bars in Sydney and Melbourne, got a party rolling and put photo exhibitions. Visitor to these bars received a bottle of Absolut Cut and an opportunity to contribute their photos to the exhibit thus establishing a viral element.

The idea - consumers are left feeling empowered and important. The gains to the brand just follow.