Consumer Psyche

A German proverb says, Patience is a bitter plant but it bears sweet fruit!

Trust on, trust on, believer! Though long the conflict be,
Thou yet shalt prove victorious; Thy God shall fight for thee.
Trust on! Trust on! Though dark the night and drear;
Trust on! Trust on! The morning dawn is near!

--- (Eliza A. Walker)

I am writing exams of MA Business Economics finals at Hosur and as this is a distance mode study most of the exams are held at some college which ties up with the university. There is absolutely no onus with the staff or facilities as it is just for transactional interaction to the college. In such cases the invigilators usually are uncaring and jovial or casual in their approach. I am used to this kind of response at the other centres and most of the time get what I want by being ruthless or adamant. This time too the situation was no different but for a particular invigilator today. He was polite and apt in the way he dealt with students, complying to most of the valid requests like adjusting the desks, Windows, additional sheets and so on. I thanked him when I left and told him that this was unexpected from people in charge of distance education exam centres and he just smiled.

Now that's my point. He could have gotten away just like others by being a spectator but didn't. Though no one told him he did his job excellently and that makes him a leader and special. You may be stuck up in the worst job possible or completely disinterested in what is happening around you. You have two options: Quit or try being passionate. Because as a customer I don't care what you feel. Also as a customer when you find exceptional behaviour make sure you express it. Goes a long way in building up morale and ever heard of employee satisfaction?

What I want is what you should give. Or else its rejected.

I was talking to a friend about branding and why would customer prefer to go for a brand and this point came up. Let us assume you have two options of mineral water available at a store: Bisleri & some local brand. Which one will you pick up? Bisleri is costlier than its local counterpart. My answer was like this... Am I dying, for water? If yes I don't care what the brand was. But if I was just taking water then I do.

Branding is important when the consumer looks for a distinctive feature, reason while purchasing. And isn't that important when the purchase is for fulfilling a non-distinctive, non-important need. Doesn't depend on what you think as a brand. Depends on what I think as a consumer. If you want to sell a brand, go ahead and ensure that the customer believes on what distinctiveness you are going to sell to him. If you are not opting for a brand ensure that your consumer believes that there is no uniqueness required and your product fulfills the requirement and works just fine. The stress should be on service, guarantee and performance.

ESPN today teased its coverage of World Cup 2010 by stating that it will be “biggest marketing campaign ever,” according to ESPN’s executive vice president of content John Skipper. According to MediaPostNews, “All 64 games will be carried on ESPN from South Africa. While making the announcement of the coming marketing investment, Skipper mentioned the tagline ‘One Game Changes Everything’ that ESPN used to plug the 2006 event, hinting it may return.”

Keep watching for the signs.

In the world of hip-hop, a five-year absence is an eternity. So for Eminem's new album, "The Relapse," the marketing team at Aftermath/Interscope Records has mounted an audacious campaign that playfully smears the lines between the rapper's troubled past and the nightmarish, fictionalized world of his latest work. By using Twitter to dispense short, often disturbing thoughts and links to multimedia components revolving around a mental institution, they've helped make the album the most highly anticipated hip-hop release of the year -- and set it up for a sequel in the second half of 2009.

While Eminem hasn't relied exclusively on Twitter to get the word out, the effort has produced some impressive results. According to Compete, Eminem.com reached 113,868 unique visitors during April, while the most popular of his tweets -- which linked to Therelapse.com on May 7 -- reached at least 41,704 people within just one week, according to an analysis of data provided to Ad Age by Tweetreach. And data provided by Native Digital, the start-up behind music-buzz tracker We Are Hunted, suggest that Eminem was the most-talked-about artist on Twitter last week, the week before the album's release.

Elliott Wilson, founder and CEO of RapRadar.com, said the micro-blogging tool is perfectly suited to the rapper, because it attracts voyeuristic fans the same way his autobiographical songs do. Mr. Wilson pointed out that one of Eminem's fictional characters, Stan -- a dangerously obsessive fan -- has, in the web lexicon, morphed into lowercase slang for a diehard yet non-violent admirer.

"Twitter is, in a way, the world of 'stans' who now have access to artists," Mr. Wilson said. Although Eminem is using the service in a "real typical promotion way, the fact that he's willing to be part of that, to be in that world, has helped him build up mystery around the record."

Is it true that most people don't make it a point to find things out? I know many lazy people who cannot walk up and find what a word means in the dictionary. It applies to several other things.

Do you know that only 8% of all the telegrams sent in Inda are in Hindi! Did you know that you can send a telegram in Hindi? Almost 80% are in English. Now do you know that its almost 50% cheaper for Hindi telegram than its English counterpart?

Most times we are content with the regular stuff, regular things. 80% of the times you order the same thing each time you dine out. Average expectations for an average life. Try to see what other options are, like the Hindi telegram. May be its better, cheaper and more comfortable. Is it the lack of choice or interest?

Saw a close save today on Hosur road. I saw a foot ball that came bouncing on to the road from a house and a kid followed chasing it. Till now saw it only in movies but this was real. The kid was around 13-15 years The Indica would have hit him straight unless the driver veered off braking. The kid ran away with his ball. If you expect this from a kid old enough to know that he has to check the traffic and then cross what would you expect from children younger to him?

Parents should ensure they have an eye on the kids when they play, especially the ones near the road. It is practically impossible for the drivers to keep looking for stray kids. But if there is a ball bouncing to the street its only natural to expect a kid to follow. With summer blooming you need to take extra care of kids.

The next Finance Minister holds a very responsible position to take up the economy of India and the financial crisis to a safe level. Who is the best man for this job? Well many suggestions are available but here are the main contenders:

• Palaniappan Chidambaram
• Montek Singh Ahluwalia Check profile here

This video sums it, almost. Where is the communication on social networking going to?

Well its clear that Congress is sweeping the election. Its Dr. Manmohan Singh's wave this time. And partly a result for what he has done. On a longer turn Rahul Gandhi's path is clearly etched. I think he would replace Dr. Singh in a few years. The credit goes to Dr. Singh, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and other leaders. A reaping time for a well planned and chartered path. Lets wait till the official results are out. But keep watching Rahul.

Few things that will happen:

• Stock market will rise(400-900 points) on Monday
  
• Better FDIs, jobs, etc.
• Stable government, confident policies
• Women's Reservation Bill will be passed (hope so)

Despite the economic slowdown, the sale of counterfeit products is booming. I was at MG Road the other day and saw how much money these people make. Name it and you have it. From pirated movies to fake brands in watches, apparels, mobiles(even 3G iPhone) you can get anything. Counterfeit products serve consumer's wish to own the original without spending so much. This fulfills a void between the desire and resources and hence grows at alarming levels. A good market segment and positioning? and you know what some buyers even give a guarantee with fake websites and registration codes too. Some fake products even work better than originals.

This effects original brand value, evaded taxes, poor perception and cheap tactics. But its a thriving business worth a few thousand crores.This is one area which seems to thrive from the financial crisis.

Upset customers get better deals. This is a truth especially when seller knows you are upset.

This applies not only to situations like small purchases but also to deals as big as cars and houses. Consumer anger can be a tool of intimidation to the seller. I am not pointing to customers throwing tantrums. Sometimes they get away too but only until they find their match. Anger has no place in business and certainly not in the customer service area. I mean, we are all adults and anger practiced in the retail business leads only to intimidation and that could lead to aversion. Anger in negotiating is meaningless and anyone who gives in to this type of negotiations deserves what they get: a one time rebate usually to wash and flush the angry customer out. Anyone out there who is confronted by someone who is angry usually reacts in the same manner and is immediately put on guard. No way to do business.

But mostly it is expected that if you don't like that price then simply walk away as there are alternatives in market. But it is true that Consumer Anger can get you the deal but ruin the relationship. Wanna try?

Each time I have a soft drink and dispose the bottle it crosses my mind. The eco-friendly thought about the bottle being dissolved in environment. I am against all fuss about the eco-friendliness and consequences but am clear about waste. I believe someone somewhere has to start being clear about manners, like disposing your waste in a systematic way. Except for a few people I have never seen any one throwing things in the dustbin. Most of the disposable glasses, tea cups are found on the road, around the dustbin and so on. Coca Cola has thought about this and is planning to come out with an eco-friendly single-use bottle with plant base which can be recycled naturally.

The “PlantBottle” is made from a blend of petroleum-based materials and up to 30 percent plant-based materials. According to the company, the bottles, which are made through a process that turns sugar cane and molasses into a component for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, are fully recyclable and will be identified with messages on the packages and in stores.

Coke’s effort mirrors moves made by other large bottled water companies all over the world including Pepsi to help the cause. I think each individual should make this a habit to be clean and dispose the waste as required. Good going Coke.

Sridhar's cartoon on Eenadu has the right depiction. All the three main contenders to the post of CM of Andhra Pradesh are waiting for the results in a few hours. Dr. Rajasekhar Reddy of Congress is hoping to be voted back to power based on the good work he has done n the last tenure. His record and policies have touched the people. The greatest success should be the Arogyasree program which ensured thousands of people availing free treatment. Chandrababu Naidu of Telugu Desam Party, once called the CEO of AP, is playing the money exchange scheme and free color TV card and is hoping a chance at holding reins of the now economically sound state. Sentiments among most people is that he will do a good job in current recessional times as he has a proven record of creating jobs and giving the IT coating to Hyderabad and AP. Chiranjeevi or Megastar, as he is known, of Praja Rajyam is playing on samajikanyayam card by which he wants to establish a common good in the state with equal opportunities to all segments. His appeal is to give him one chance to replicate what he does best on the screen. Bash up bad people and help the poor.

I spoke to few people as to whom they voted for and got diverse reviews and opinions. The sentiment is not that anti incumbent but the figures are expected to point towards a hung verdict. So whoever succeeds in making an alliance would be the CM. This shows the divide of mandate and opinion. Consumer choice of the public servant (s)he would like to choose is divided. Lets see how the new comer Chiru would fare.

Well this video sums it all up for all movie fans. Check it out.

The next sure hit is UP! Here is a trailer.

Releasing on 29th May, 09, talks about Carl who flies away along with his house by tying 10,000 balloons to it.

It's a long way I've come,
And a long way it'll be,
But baby just for now,
Let me be me

We’ll skip from one star to another,
And hop in these galaxies,
But baby just for now,
Let me be me

And lying on those snow covered capes,
We’ll feel and touch and taste and hear,
what the silly wind brings for thee,
But baby just for now,
Let me be me

For we’ll run barefoot on wet sand,
to stop the sun drowning in the sea,
but baby, just for now,
Let me be me

There are some barriers to obliterate,
And limits to left to cede,
Some promises to fulfill,
Some dreams yet to be seen,

But baby, Just for now,
Let me be me, Ohh...
Let me be me...

--- Niyati Priyam (PGP Marketing, Class of '09)

Several times we hear this: Sorry this is not my job. No body wants to take responsibility for what is happening apart from their line of duty. The reason is that they will not be paid or at least appreciated for doing that. But it is just not right. When you find something going wrong you HAVE to correct it. Its not only moral but also is the correct thing to do.

Managers, peers should make it a point to appreciate things done out of regular work to get things going. Firms should encourage such acts. On the other hand colleagues make fun of and portray it as if the person has no work to do and hence doing the additional things. This is pure incompetence.

If you are a manager ensure your team appreciates getting things right and set good examples. If your colleague does something aspirational, treat it as one.

All the followers of Fake IPL Player are waiting to know who is behind it. The posts have been anonymous and have given juicy tit-bits from what happens in the dressing room to what each of the players think. Now that IPLT20 is approaching its finale all the readers expect the owner of this blog to reveal his identity to them as he promised. Now he has put up a poll to check if the readers wanted him to reveal his identity or not. The results as of now are given below.

• IPLT20 career surely would come to an end
• Possibility of law suits from KKR management, friends
• Become an outcast from parties, circles
• Lose credibility, trust
• Lose readers, followers

Giving body and language to emoticons and creating a ZooZoo world with human like creatures in different sizes irregular bodies was a great idea by Vodafone. Stressing on the Value Added Services was the main idea. Now after a few days every one knows about VAS and various options available. ZooZooed by simple sequences, so realistic and expressive but with a limited vocabulary Vodafone's ads are being loved all over, across service providers. Some marketing lessons:

• Simpler messages are interpreted faster
• Cost is always a factor
• Segmentation can be unified
  
• Clean viral marketing is possible
• Characters, Language, medium is not important; The message is
• Keep message short(less no.of emotions, characters, time, etc.)

Too many years and still he is the King. Oh yes, I am talking about Michael Jackson. He has been the good boy, bad boy, rags-to-riches story and what not. Media loved him, hated him, ensured he was in news all the time. Thriller is still the most seen, heard song ever. Now with his London show dates being announced and tickets being sold at www.michaeljackson.com its become much easier to pitch in. Wanna go and watch? I'm sure it will be a great show. And get a clip of that video and I assure you a Billion hits in no time on Youtube.

Can we trust the statistics and surveys? Months of exorbitantly priced vegetables, fruits and pulses, and weeks of crippling supply constraints are wiping the smiles off the faces of the Indian consumer. What's more, they now have to make adjustments in lifestyles to cope with the monetary measures taken by the government and the Reserve Bank to curb the 'recalcitrant' inflation. Spiraling loan interest rates have sent the equated monthly installments for housing and consumer durables sky-high. The hardest hit are those with existing loans.

Read the full story here about fighting recession and lifestyle changes consumers adopt to fight recession.

We live in strange times. Women in Bangalore are assaulted for displaying their bare arms and wearing jeans. Imagine then, a popular hunky actor thrusting his pelvis into his wife's face and requesting the blushing lady to do what she may or may not do even in the privacy of their own bedroom. This is where discretion and good sense often fail our organisers. Clearly, it was a planned part of Akshay's ramp strut for Levi's Jeans (he is the brand ambassador of the product). I know the entire campaign is based on the 'unbuttoning' story. Great. So far, so cool. But to perform this cheesy number on the ramp was definitely pushing it. I am no prude. I am all for freedom of expression. But this is plain silly. And all the people involved ought to have known better than to go along with the script, knowing the media would gobble up the tantalising visual, and replay it a million times over. Which is exactly what happened.

Shobhaa De

KKR's journey at IPL 2.0 will be forgotten. The sooner, the better. What happened this year? What can they lean from this experience?

• You don't mess with Captaincy at the last moment
  
• Unlike movies there is no retake on the field
• Cricket is a team game
• All games have heavy odds
• Selling a Brand is different from making runs, taking wickets and catches
• Too many cooks spoil the broth. Ditto for captains(at least for now)

• KKR still is the best brand at IPL 2.0 with its brand value at $42.1 million
• KKR Reebok Jersey still sells most
• Great time to show the proven marketer in SRK

Mahindra & Mahindra registers sales of 55,924 units in the fiscal 2008-2009 of its leading sports utility vehicle Bolero. This marks a significant milestone in the history of Mahindra as Bolero is the first car in the SUV segment that have crossed a mark of 50,000 units and that also for two consecutive years.

Vivek Nayer, Sr. Vice President of Auto Sector in Mahindra said, "Bolero is among the top-selling brands in the passenger vehicle segment, excluding small cars. This clearly points to the immense popularity enjoyed by this evergreen brand." He also added, "The Bolero's superior value-proposition of style and rugged appeal coupled with our customer-centric approach to business has been major contributors to its success over the years." Mahindra Bolero is an intelligently designed SUV with a perfect combination of looks, power, and performance. Such high sales of the Bolero during this time of downturn give a perfect reason for the car manufacturer to rejoice.

Talk about STP.

When you can't please don't harp on it. Reebok, Adidas, Nike failed to meet my requirement today. I was at Forum mall, Bangalore trying to purchase a pedometer from the so called fitness brands and the salesmen had no clue what it meant.

Some even suggested that it is a large machine which would be sold in big shops and not in sports retail outlets. I don't blame them for not knowing what it is but the brand behind it. How come you don't have any accessories mentioned in your website available for sale at your outlets? That too in a Tier I city like Bangalore?

When promises and expectations don't match your customers walk away. Sometimes for good. It is no longer about the product but the total appeal. This time you guys loose it. In case you can't or don't want to, ensure you mention about it in your site that these products are unavailable at so and so outlets. Better give a list of outlets where the consumer can buy. And update your staff. Before you ask me to run to live, keep your product ready.

Call it marketing gimmick or the pick at opportunity, Hong Kong's mask makers are having a blast. With Swine Flu outbreak and a global alert being declared its time to protect yourself. Designer masks are in. This young girl sports a cool look with her shades and mask. Fools look for opportunities, wise create them.

Pic by CHANG KIM-FUNG for www.thestandard.com.hk

While most of the world is cursing the present economic turmoil for all its evils, head hunters for The Great Barrier Reef's caretaker thought to do otherwise. In what is being called a global search like never before on July 1st Ben Southall will become Tourism Queensland's newest employee as caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef.

The competition titled 'The Best Job in the World' had already generated more than $110 million in international publicity. "The whole idea of this promotion is to find the perfect person to help us sell Queensland and to tell the rest of the world we really are open for business."

The answer when things are going tough is you can complain about it or you can be more creative and more aggressive and try and get more people to come.

Several times we think we know certain things because we heard, read, saw something somewhere. Well not always this might be right.

Check certain myths busted...

• The idea that goldfish have more than 24 hour memory span
  
• Dogs can distinguish blue, grey and yellow
  
• Rabbits should always be given carrots or that cats should be given milk are also potentially harmful
  
• Larger animals sometimes bully their smaller neighbors

After almost 3 offs this is a great Monday to change. To deal with piled up mail, lots of work and dust to clear up. Some are happy to go out to work today while some feel sour and sick. Some of my friends are traveling from home back to offices from much needed break. I have a simple message for all. Do something different, something extra, something innovative. Start something.

Marketers tend to perceive there is more value in using traditional media instead of Internet media due to reach. However, this is changing as more and more brands starting to use Google Adwords, Facebook Ads and display ads on newspaper sites. This trend is expected to grow as more and more get online and marketers start looking for a better return on their investment.

Despite the risks, many experts are advising individuals to use the web and other tools to brand themselves. While not dismissing the value of more traditional networking, many experts in the art of self-marketing agree that the rapid rise over the last five years of Internet-based social networking sites is a game-changer. Such sites allow like-minded people to forge connections, not just at lunch, but across the country or even overseas, leading to unprecedented opportunities for ambitious people to expand their list of contacts, generate business leads or even develop a new career.

The numbers alone justify this argument

• Facebook more than 200 million active users worldwide
• LinkedIn 35 million users
• Twitter five million users

Well here are the ones on the chart this week

1. Obsessed
2. 17 Again
3. Fighting
4. The Soloist
5. Earth
6. Monsters vs, Aliens
7. State of Play
8. Hannah Montana The Movie
9. Fast & Furious
10. Crank High Voltage

Watched Knowing yesterday. One word to describe: Awesome. Especially the flight scene shot in continuous motions for over 2 minutes is captured very well. Excellent graphics, screenplay and use of shadows. Read the story here.

Rating: 3.5/5

If you've worked, you haven't seen it all but you get an idea of just how low a company can stoop to. Most of the firms hand a contract that "is just a formality" that "needs to be signed right away" or that deals with "basic protocols". Always ask for a copy, take it with you, read it, reread it and make sure you know what's on the paper you have just been handed. If you sign it , it means you agree with what is said on the paper. Let me put it in a better way, you're basically agreeing to everything that's put forth in the contract. Next time you're asked to sign something don't sign it blindly. You'll thank me later.

Companies when hiring or selling try to get away by printing conditions and rules about how they can escape from responsibility. Especially the list is long and font is indecipherable. I think this is a short sighted move. You are only cheating me by tricking and hence losing my loyalty and trust. It should be the other way round. The main focus should be on how you can help me use it and come back for repurchase and not on how you can be put of the warranty or guarantee net. Instead go and make a better product.

To demonstrate how easy it is to use Zillow on an iPhone, Zillow Chief Operating Officer Spencer Rascoff's 4-year-old daughter, Sophia, showing how easy it is to use the company's new application. Read about the same here.

This application not only saves a lot of time but also is aimed at making navigation easier and pleasant. House hunting trips will never be the same again and I wouldn't be spending all my weekend walking up to every door for information nor I will be fixed to my lappie. Good work Zillow.

Hi, do you come here often? Sometime I feel like a stranger on my own blog. It's been a while since I've devoted some serious time to it. Too long in fact. Will make it up this week.

I had an interesting conversation with some friends the other night. We were talking about a business idea about making furniture out of bike parts and old items at your home. It would looks something like this. It sounds a good option as most of us and corporates have lot of old stuff stashed away in store rooms. The idea is to take up this old furniture and turn it to make a designer furniture item. She is coordinating with a few students from fashion designing school and architecture school to help her out. Operating purely as high end niche market she hopes to break even in 2 years while pursuing her DBA from US. Let see what happens.

By the way can use some names for the same. Can you suggest some?