Tuesday in India: Not Too Shabby for Any Shaadi

Love may be the losing game, but luckily at least wedding is a fun one.

Hotel chain Marriott India has rolled out a digital film (conceptualized by OgilveOne) to promote itself as a destination for weddings.

Elegant, emotionally charged and delivers gorgeous, lightweight brand presentation.

Some scenes were a little over the top for my taste, but my Indian girlfriends loved it and there was not a dry eye in the house.

Target reached!

P.S. When you’re done reading and watching, I’d love for you to share your favourite campaign this year? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

Tuesday in India: Having a Baby vs Having a Car

It's the old little trick: show us the baby in an ad and we will emotionally watch it.

Not this time.

Skoda has rolled out a TVC that compares experiences of having a baby vs encountering brand with new design, four-year service gear and new showrooms ("the feeling when something so good becomes even better").

Really?

I get what you're trying to do there but it didn't work.

The emotions are just so mismatching.

P.S. When you’re done reading and watching, I’d love for you to share your favourite campaign this year? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

Tuesday in India: All the Self-Respecting Women Do That

Guess..

Humourous and quirky. Intrigues you in the beginning but fails to deliver the culmination - what?

A new Godrej Security Solutions ad for its personal locker brand Goldilocks, conceptualised by J. Walter Thompson.

Watch and tell me what bells it rang for you.

P.S. When you’re done reading and watching, I’d love for you to share your favourite campaign this year? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

Tuesday in India: There's None So Blind as Those Who Will Not See

It starts as a typical ad with a beautiful famous actress, lovely music and all that jazz.

But then there is a twist.

Who said, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, weren't right..

Nicely done, Lux!

P.S. When you’re done reading and watching, I’d love for you to share your favourite campaign this year? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

Tuesday in India: Johnny-Come-Lately Making a Dramatic Entry

Only an ad can make this dirty car look so attractive. Or is it the driver?

Mahindra & Mahindra presented the New Generation Scorpio and the video is not your casual car ad.

Need I say more?

Watch it.

P.S. When you’re done reading and watching, I’d love for you to share your favourite campaign this year? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

Tuesday in India: Many Things Make the Complete Man. Letting Go is Just One of Them?

Sometimes you don't need a reason.

Some things just leave a good taste in your mouth.

Like this new video campaign from Raymond, one of India's largest branded fabric and fashion retailers.

Oh, I want to wake up tomorrow feeling a child again..

P.S. When you’re done reading and watching, I’d love for you to share your favourite campaign this year? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

Friday Research: Rude Service - Yes, Give Me More of That!

When Will You Use This?  

Creating and developing various ways of improving your customers' experience.

What’s The Red-Letter Bite Today? 

It’s quite common to hear luxury shoppers complaining about snobbery and rude salespeople at the high-end boutiques. But could this be good for your luxury brand?

Current research* examines the circumstances in which consumers increase their regard and willingness to pay after brand rejection.

Results showed that after threat, consumers have more positive attitudes and higher willingness to pay when:

1) the rejection comes from an aspirational (vs. nonaspirational) brand,
2) the consumer relates the brand to his/her ideal self-concept,
3) s/he is unable to self-affirm before rejection,
4) the salesperson delivering the threat reflects the brand,
5) the threat occurred recently.

'You think I don't belong here? Bring me everything from the menu!'

Addition To Your Bag of Tricks    

This research reveals that participants who expressed an aspiration to be associated with high-end brands also reported an increased desire to own the luxury products after being treated poorly. This was only true if the salesperson appeared to be an authentic representative of the luxury brand.

Basically, this shows that some people, when made to feel they don’t fit with the luxury brand, are motivated to prove they actually do - that is by making a purchase. When a retailer signals, “’No, you don’t deserve to be here,’ it looks like a challenge and a customer thinks, “I’m going to show you I have a right to be here.”

However, while the snobby salesperson could encourage an impulsive purchase, the experience ultimately leaves customer with a poor impression of the brand. The winning formula to increase sales for your luxury goods is to make your store and staff more approachable and less intimidating.

  

*Ward M.K., Dahl D.W., “Should the Devil Sell Prada? Retail Rejection Increases Aspiring Consumers’ Desire for the Brand.” Journal of Consumer Research, October 2014 {Thanks for the material}

P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your experience with luxury shopping? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

P.P.S. Need some help on crafting your marketing message? Let's do this together.

Tuesday in India: BMW is Making the Most of 'Live The Moment' Movement

If you're not enjoying yourself, what's the point?

That's the idea BMW, one of the most searched luxury car brands in India, wants you to embrace after watching their new ad.

Neat and appealing. But is it enough to convince future-oriented Indians to live as if there is no tomorrow?



 P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your favourite campaign this year? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

Tuesday in India: Have Fiat Just Made Life #MoreInteresting, Anyone?

What's the difference between great and interesting?

It's like a sipping step between black coffee and cappuccino, says Fiat.

The company has just launched a new TVC to highlight features of its revamped Fiat Punto...

..and it's great, or just interesting?

P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your favourite campaign this year? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

Tuesday in India: Will You Go "Ah My God!" with New Sedan from Mercedes Benz?

What a feeling!

Mercedes-Benz is trying to make you speechless.

How does it work?

I'm still waiting for #ThatAMGFeeling!


 

P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your favourite campaign this year? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

Friday Research: What's The Real McCoy Behind Luxury Shopping?

When Will You Use This?  

Developing promotional campaigns for your luxury brand or products.

What’s The Red-Letter Bite Today? 

The luxury goods market has been increasing for many years.

There are many reasons why consumers purchase luxury goods - a sense of status, wealth, and exclusivity being a few of them.

Current research* investigates psychology of pride in luxury goods shoppers and shows that there are two ways pride operates: there is Authentic Pride (feeling which motivates a desire for luxury purchases as a signal of accomplishment) and there is Hubristic Pride ("feeling that one derives from displaying those same products" or snobbery).

This study reveals that consumers purchase luxury brands' products in search of heightened feelings of accomplishment, however, other people perceive it as a signal of arrogance (rather than accomplishment).

Luxury Goods: Sign Of Arrogance or Accomplishment?

Addition To Your Bag of Tricks    

 

If you're selling luxury goods, there are a few tricks to add to your bag. As authors note, "luxury brands are sometimes positioned in a manner associating them with snobbery, for instance contrasting their wearers with laborers of lower status professions. Others, such as Rolex’s “A crown for every achievement”, suggests its product is a marker of accomplishment. Our research shows that although consumers indeed associate luxury goods with both accomplishment and snobbery, the former is more motivating in creating consumer desire. Beyond purveyors of luxury goods, the growing obsession among some consumers to acquire luxury brands, particularly when they cannot reasonably afford them, is also a concern. For those interested in helping consumers better regulate their expenditures and avoid additional debt, our results speak to the psychological factors that motivate consumers to buy products that may make their lives economically precarious."

*McFerran, Brent, Karl Aquino, and Jessica L. Tracy. Evidence For Two Facets of Pride In Consumption: Findings From Luxury Brands, Journal of Consumer Psychology: April, 2014. {Thanks for the material}

P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your experience with marketing luxury goods? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

P.P.S. Need some help on crafting your marketing message? Let's do this together.

Friday Research: The Big Marketing Fight - Time Vs Money

When Will You Use This?  

Developing promotional campaigns.

What’s The Red-Letter Bite Today? 

Time and money, the concepts deeply integrated in majority of today's ads, can affect consumer’s product evaluation strategy and lead to a specific product choice.

Current research* investigates time and money concepts and their importance to the consumer.

Authors show the difference between two concepts, stating: "as an important tool to gauge personal success and the ultimate media of exchange of goods and services, money is a tangible resource with its value being precise and relatively consistent across transactions. As a result, people are highly motivated and able to process money-related information in an analytical manner. By contrast, everyone receives relatively fair treatment in terms of time as we are all granted 24 hours per day no matter how we spend that time. Hence, compared to money, people are less motivated to process time-related information."

In life consumers are often required to choose between spending time to save money (e.g., buying separate products to prepare the dish) or spending money to save time (e.g., paying more for express delivery). This study reveals that increasing the salience of customers' time or money expenditure may change not only their distribution of resources, but also the products chosen.

Time is Money? Your Customers Don't Think So.

Addition To Your Bag of Tricks    

 

Current research might help you identify the evaluation strategies most likely to be adopted by consumers, and to highlight the aspects of an offer that will positively influence your consumer choice. As authors suggest, "for instance, the concept of money may be central to industries such as banking and luxury goods, whereas time may be more salient to educational institutions and delivery-services. Similarly, certain promotional programs put more emphasis on time investment (e.g., loyalty programs) while others focus on cost saving (e.g., coupons; see Lee & Ariely, 2006). Our research suggests that when time is made salient, it might be a good strategy to emphasize non-alignable differences, a unique verbal feature, or the overall attractiveness of an option. In contrast, when money is made salient, focusing on attribute-level advantages is crucial to marketing success."

*Lei Su, Leilei Gao.Strategy Compatibility: The Time versus Money Effect on Product Evaluation Strategies, Journal of Consumer Psychology: April, 2014. {Thanks for the material}

P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your experience with integrating time and money in the promotional material? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

P.P.S. Need some help on crafting your marketing message? Let's do this together.

Friday Research: Imagine All The Consumers Imagining Your Products

When Will You Use This?  

Developing marketing and promotional campaigns.

What’s The Red-Letter Bite Today? 

It was noticed long time ago that majority of consumers tend to imagine themselves with a product (in specific future situation) before making a purchase.

Current study* looks into the obstacles that suppress a consumer’s imagination (or "imagining the consumption of a yet-to-be-purchased product in a future situation"). Authors suggest an idea that the consumer imagination combines sensory information about a promoted product with relevant prior experiences from memory. For example, Ann is reading a magazine and spots an ad of a dress she really likes. She first imagines how she will appear at work's coctail party wearing an advertised dress. Moreover, information from memory about similar, relevant prior experiences is used to create a mental rehearsal of that future event. This information from memory includes not only relevant prior experiences but facts related to those experiences, such as type of clothing worn or food served at such an event.

This study highlights that the consumer imagination, rather than considering product features, increases purchase intentions because consumers are more likely to feel a sense of ownership.

Give your customers space for imagination race...

Addition To Your Bag of Tricks  

 

You might find it really useful to know when your customer's imagination should be tickled with your campaigns. This study particularly suggests that "clothing, sports/exercise equipment, electronics, and furniture are product categories in which touching before purchase is important. Thus, in an online shopping site for such products, a promotional emphasis on considering product features may be more convincing than stirring the imagination, especially for those consumers who like to touch products before buying. Likewise, marketing efforts designed to stir the imagination should be more fruitful for occasions that are likely to have an element of ambiguity, such as holiday parties or perhaps job interviews. On the other hand, ad appeals for products purchased for unambiguous occasions, such as going to work, may not benefit from efforts to evoke the imagination and do just as well with an emphasis on showcasing product features and attributes."

*Spears N.,Yazdanparast A. Revealing Obstacles to the Consumer Imagination. Journal of Consumer Research:01/2014.{Thanks for the material}
 
P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your experience with rankings and evaluations, how do they help to sell? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

P.P.S. Need some help on crafting your marketing message? Let's do this together.

Friday Research: Gloss And Glimmer Makes The Winner?

When Will You Use This?  

“Human beings are attracted to glossy objects. Shimmering lipsticks, gleaming cars, dazzling diamonds and sequined gowns conjure up images of the good life. This attraction to glossy can also be observed in everyday objects. “

Current series of experiments* focus on an evolutionary psychology framework and test the hypothesis that the preference for glossy comes from an innate preference for fresh water as a valuable resource. Specifically, since fresh water has a shiny surface, being drawn to glossy surfaces may have increased the likelihood of finding fresh water sources and surviving.

The results support this idea and find a continuous fundamental preference for glossy images. It is confirmed that many consumers prefer glossy to matte. Furthermore, being thirsty (as well as recently having been thirsty) seem to increase preferences for glossy.

Addition To Your Bag of Tricks    

 

As consumers have a significant liking for glossy and relate it to higher perceived quality, it might be useful to review and modify your branding campaigns and the look/packaging of the product to increase its attractiveness and sales.

Water is valued as a necessary resource to survive, therefore, its presence might generate positive feelings and affect one's choices. However, it’s important to note that preference for glossy might change conditional on the circumstance. Authors suggest a few examples: “glossy wrapping for unhealthy food products (e.g., oven baked potato chips) might raise connotations of greasiness as a result of which such products might choose to use matte packaging. In a similar vein, an intellectual magazine printed on glossy (versus non-glossy) might weaken perceptions of its credibility, and clothes made out of patent leather or shiny fabrics might raise perceptions of commonness as a result of which their matte counterpart is most likely to be preferred."

* Taking a shine to it: How the preference for glossy stems from an innate need for water. Katrien Meert, Mario Pandelaere, Vanessa M. Patrick. Journal of Consumer Research (Volume 24, Issue 2), April 2014 {Thanks for the material}

P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your experience with glossy and matte branding? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

P.P.S. Need some help on crafting your marketing message? Let's do this together.

Sunday Video: Take The Bull Of Luxury Marketing By The Horns

The future is very bright for luxury goods market.

And I want to see you setting the Thames on fire with your luxury brand. 

Here is my second video in the series of Luxury Marketing which will teach you a few tips and tricks.

Writing is cheap, watch the video.

P.S. When you’re done watching, leave a comment or Tweet me how did you like it. Can't wait to hear from you!

P.P.S. If you missed the first video on Luxury Marketing, no worries - you can find it here.

Sunday Video: Sink Your Teeth Into Luxury Marketing

The luxury goods market has been increasing for many years.

So if you're building a luxury brand, make hay while the sun shines.

Watch this light video and be fed with a few insights on the situation and specifics of luxury marketing.

Bon appetite!

P.S. When you’re done watching, leave a comment or Tweet me how did you like it. Can't wait to hear from you!