COVER
STORY
TV
Commercials: A Boon or Bane? : A Viewer-friendly
Ad-management Analysis
-- Cshn Murthy
An
ever-increasing number of commercials on the television
set of a common man raises a number of questions
as to what should be the viewer- friendly ad-management
policy. As the current number of commercials during
the prime time and non-prime time has reached
a threatening magnitude, the common man has begun
zipping and zapping which frustrates the very
concept of ad-planning policy developed so carefully
in the last one decade. The article discusses
the various consequences of such indiscriminate
advertising glossing over the viewers' interests
and explores the possibilities of arriving at
viewer-friendly ad-management policy to keep the
media economy steadily progressive in the next
decade.
© 2007 IUP . All Rights
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BRANDING
Breathing
Brands : Use of Advertisement to Create Lifestyle
Brands that Live Like Human Beings -- Shirshendu Ganguli
Brands
have come and gone but over the years certain
brands have been built which are no longer brands
in themselves, but have real life personalities
like human beings breathing in the real world.
The article discusses the lifestyle advertising
technique which has helped to build such brands
with reference to successful advertisements like
Lux, Asian Paints' Gattu, etc., and also pros
and cons of such advertising and branding methods.
© 2007 IUP . All Rights
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BRANDING
Brand
Gendering : A Conceptual Framework -- Arindam Mukherjee
This
article introduces the concept of brand gendering.
It tells us how the concept of brand gendering
has been used as a tool for positioning. It speaks
about different strategic roles of marketers.
The marketers also have to consider the tastes
and preferences of different genders. The article
highlights the various factors of brand gendering.
It also throws light on the human perception of
brand gendering.
© 2007 IUP . All Rights
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MARKETING
STRATEGY
Wooing
Rural India -- Kisholoy Roy
Strategies
related to effective distribution of products
play a key role in the success of major brands
in rural markets. The Fast Moving Consumer Goods
(FMCGs) marketers have successfully leveraged
the utility of audio-visual vans. Even while developing
television campaigns for the rural folk, marketers
have been found to present not only an authentic
rural setting, they also have kept the communication
extremely simple. This article analyzes the rural
marketing in India in relation to advertising.
© 2007 IUP . All Rights
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MARKETING
STRATEGY
Direct
Selling : Gaining Big Momentum -- Ambuj Gupta
The Indian direct selling industry is growing
very rapidly because of the changing lifestyle
patterns and demand for products such as health,
personal care, insurance, etc., which necessitate
personal contact with the consumers. `Direct Selling'
has advantages for all, be it consumers, manufacturers
or sales persons, thereby eliminating other intermediaries
in the distribution network and paving the way
for faster delivery, low-cost, personal touch
and even money-back guarantees. Several companies,
including Amway India, Tupperware, Hindustan Unilever
Limited (HUL), Nature Essence, Shahnaz Herbals
and TV 18 Home Shopping Network, have big plans
to leverage on their direct selling business.
However, in the absence of any industry status
to direct selling and separate regulation for
it, it suffers from so-called `quick buck'/pyramid
schemes resulting in lack of trust from people
in direct selling. The Indian Direct Selling Association
(IDSA) is in talks with the government for a separate
regulation governing the direct selling industry.
Meanwhile, with large chunks of population, Information
and Communication Technology (ICT) revolution,
satellite television and growing awareness among
public, one can hope for a long innings from the
direct selling industry in India.
© 2007 IUP . All Rights
Reserved
EXPERT
VIEW
Consumer
Engagement : The New Buzzword Among Brands and
Marketers -- V Ganapathy
Consumerism
is booming. With more and more brands mushrooming
across categories, companies will have to proactively
think and bring innovation in engaging the consumer
at the marketplace. Brands which aim to bring
new ways to attract and engage consumers at the
retail level will only be able to survive the
stiff competition in the marketplace. Consumer
engagement can be in different forms. The engagement
model has to be unique and should have the power
to capture the mind of the consumer when he goes
shopping. With so many choices and ranges available
to the consumer in various product segments, marketers
need to have sharp and focused consumer engagement
strategy to attract him.
© 2007 IUP . All Rights
Reserved
ADVERTISING
Understanding
Media Literacy -- Jyotsna Jha
Today
various types of media are continuously intruding
into our lives and there is a growing awareness
about its influence on the society, both good
and bad. Media literacy employs an inquiry-based
instructional model that encourages people to
ask questions about what they watch and read.
By transforming the process of media consumption
into an active and critical process, people gain
greater awareness of the potential for misrepresentation
and manipulation. Media literacy provides a structure
and pedagogy of the new literacy required to live
in this modern world. Furthermore, it paves the
way to master the skills required for lifelong
learning in a constantly changing world. It gives
students the aptitude to differentiate style from
stuff, subject from image, strategy from personality
and expression from reality. The article studies
the development and future scope of media literacy
across the world with special emphasis upon India.
© 2007 IUP . All Rights
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ADVERTISING
Testimonial
Advertising : Power of Evidence! -- Kunal Gaurav and Syamala Devi CH
Marketers
do believe that the `satisfied customers are the
best advertisers' because they learn from their
experience. Satisfied customers bring lots of
business to the company by promoting the products
and services among their family and friends by
sharing their positive experiences. Very often,
satisfied customers recommend a company and its
products to their friends and relatives ensuring
constant flow of new customers to the company.
The real experience of a customer about a product
narrated in the form of statement is called `testimonial'.
Testimonial advertising uses the written or spoken
statements/experiences of the satisfied customers.
This article not only elucidates the relevance
of testimonial for the businesses, but also talks
about various ways to get testimonials from the
customers/clients/experts in order to attract
and retain their present and potential customers.
© 2007 IUP . All Rights
Reserved
CASE
STUDY
Diffusion
of Product Innovations in the Indian Retail Market
: An Application of Communication Theory -- Mahendra Kumar Padhy
This
research study is focused on new product diffusion
of consumer lifestyle products in the Indian retail
market. Firms in general spread out their innovation
through lifestyle communication. In India, new
product ideas are mainly gathered from electronic
sources, consultants and journals. Indian firms
feel that organizational support and resources
are not adequate to increase the rate of diffusion.
Firms consider consumer adoption of new products.
Consumer behavior is found to be kept in mind
while planning and evaluating diffusion. The diffusion-innovation
theory of communication is applied for efficient
market planning and execution.
© 2008 IUP . All Rights
Reserved.
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