USD 146 Bn! That's the annual turnover/market of the global cosmetics industry (and these are last year's statistics). What is it that makes this segment of the industry tick? In the business community's lingo, have they got the 4Ps of marketing - product, place, promotion, packaging - in place? What is it that makes millions of women (and an increasingly growing number of men, eager to jump on to the 'metrosexual' bandwagon) around the world buy such products every year? Is it the superiority of the product? Or is it that gorgeous starlet endorsing one of those age-defying creams?
If you look around you can instinctly figure out the answer. More often than not it ain't the product (none of those argotic AHA's or Provitamin B5 makes sense to the general masses and to be honest, their isn't lot of fun in researching a lot before buying something that is gonna be used up in a few days). It ain't the price (we all know how absurdly these products are priced). It ain't the place either. Not many dedicated stores are present which sell only such stuff exclusively. Promotion? Umm ... that could be it. Let's see ...
It's one of those uneventful days. After 'toiling hard' at workplace (hehe ... can't I abuse my artistic license? After all, I am the author of this blog!) one is going back home. Rows of glittering, neon-bleached billboards greet you. There's Schumacher telling you to drink responsibly and drive safely (Whoa! He's got more to offer than just that ... come March 2010, the maestro is gonna be back scorching the tracks with his racing antics! Countdown set. Fingers crossed and with bated breath, I am waiting :)!).
If you look around you can instinctly figure out the answer. More often than not it ain't the product (none of those argotic AHA's or Provitamin B5 makes sense to the general masses and to be honest, their isn't lot of fun in researching a lot before buying something that is gonna be used up in a few days). It ain't the price (we all know how absurdly these products are priced). It ain't the place either. Not many dedicated stores are present which sell only such stuff exclusively. Promotion? Umm ... that could be it. Let's see ...
It's one of those uneventful days. After 'toiling hard' at workplace (hehe ... can't I abuse my artistic license? After all, I am the author of this blog!) one is going back home. Rows of glittering, neon-bleached billboards greet you. There's Schumacher telling you to drink responsibly and drive safely (Whoa! He's got more to offer than just that ... come March 2010, the maestro is gonna be back scorching the tracks with his racing antics! Countdown set. Fingers crossed and with bated breath, I am waiting :)!).
Then there is that petite beauty flaunting her Tanishq piece. There are also those not-so-subtle versions almost provoking you to go buy that product (Remember the Thums Up ad: 'Bade ho jaao bacche!'). Amidst all this clutter there is also that pristine beauty of an automobile - the BMW 3 series masterpiece - menacingly staring at you in a prancing posture, reminding you that that's the good life!
Saifeena are busy sitting pretty atop one such billboard endorsing that a particular telecom giant's MPEG4 technology-charged product indeed makes it all 'look so real' for them! And then there are those cute models wearing all sorts of clothes actually making you believe they'd look as good on you. Stop! How many times have such marketing instruments actually 'inspired' you to go buy that piece or at least prodded you to go check it out? That's where you lost it. That's where the acolytes of Mr Kotler won.
The point I am trying to drive home is that it is these subtle, subliminal messages that emanate from such adverts which impel one to check out a product and also influence the final buying decision to a substantial extent. gone are the days when Sachin would pop up on television and tell you that Boost is the secret of his energy and we'd all go madly to buy that product. Today's advertising has evolved to a degree that ads almost get away without projecting the message explicitly but still ensure that the cash register keeps on clicking. Remember the Cadbury ad: 'The real taste of life!'. It was an ad about chocolates with nothing but the last 6 seconds that showed one of the characters actually eating one. That's when Indian advertising evolved from being in-your-face to subtle, subliminal! In this ad instead of selling the chocolates on their original USP, they were associated being all about happiness (a higher emotion) and freedom of expression.
The point I am trying to drive home is that it is these subtle, subliminal messages that emanate from such adverts which impel one to check out a product and also influence the final buying decision to a substantial extent. gone are the days when Sachin would pop up on television and tell you that Boost is the secret of his energy and we'd all go madly to buy that product. Today's advertising has evolved to a degree that ads almost get away without projecting the message explicitly but still ensure that the cash register keeps on clicking. Remember the Cadbury ad: 'The real taste of life!'. It was an ad about chocolates with nothing but the last 6 seconds that showed one of the characters actually eating one. That's when Indian advertising evolved from being in-your-face to subtle, subliminal! In this ad instead of selling the chocolates on their original USP, they were associated being all about happiness (a higher emotion) and freedom of expression.
Today one can see this happening all over the advertising place especially within the tobacco industry. Liquor and tobacco advertising has mostly been banned but haven't you seen an ad wherein a mineral water brand is being sold with the tag line: 'King of good times!'; We all know what good times are being referred to here :|. That's a more clever form of subliminal advertising and is bluntly and aptly called Surrogate Advertising! Mr Martin Lindstrom, author of the popular book Buyology, hints at the impending ideal state when all this will evolve into neuromarketing, when the ad companies will be actually able to 'manipulate' customers' decision making process in their favor through subtle surrogate messages not explicitly discernible!. Is that scary? You bet!
Victimised in a similar manner, like those ladies mentioned above, who go buy those age-defying cosmetics again and again with a hope that it'd actually make them younger (to the state of sweet sixteen in the ideal sense!), yours truly went to buy a complete care-kit from a reputed brand - not for himself, but for his suede leathers. In an optimistic frame of mind, one actually believed that those rain-lashed, puddle-soiled suedes will actually get a new lease of life, or in simpler terms, be able to defy their age. But alas! the various creams and brushes in the kit did their trick only to the extent that I am convinced to try it again next weekend, and may be again on the weekend after that. There was no instant effect - as *advertised*! As I said - the acolytes won! The various stages of treatment have been captured in these snaps posted here, as part of post-operative documentation:
Victimised in a similar manner, like those ladies mentioned above, who go buy those age-defying cosmetics again and again with a hope that it'd actually make them younger (to the state of sweet sixteen in the ideal sense!), yours truly went to buy a complete care-kit from a reputed brand - not for himself, but for his suede leathers. In an optimistic frame of mind, one actually believed that those rain-lashed, puddle-soiled suedes will actually get a new lease of life, or in simpler terms, be able to defy their age. But alas! the various creams and brushes in the kit did their trick only to the extent that I am convinced to try it again next weekend, and may be again on the weekend after that. There was no instant effect - as *advertised*! As I said - the acolytes won! The various stages of treatment have been captured in these snaps posted here, as part of post-operative documentation:
Ladies in the parlour: The one on the right has just been cleaned with the "cleaner" liquid while the one on the left has already been tormented with the "renovator" liquid.
A close-up shot reveals the scars of the past (a pretty small past for that matter ... it's just been six months)!
The typical Woodland shot: Inspired by the print ads that appear in Sunday Times, in this 'pose' we see the baby drying up after a nice bath!
2 comments:
I know what you mean...buying something that doesn't give you the results you were tricked into dreaming of often does this to people :P
The best way to deal with it is to tell yourself that the thing you bought is the best....like for example.....look at those shoes....they look awesome now!!
What a makeover!!
How did u do that!!
:D
That's the best you can do :D
P.S.: I love that Cadbury ad!
Had I been asked...I wudve given it the title of "The Cutest AD of the Century!"
:)
Hehe ...
It's actually the last snap that I wanted to post up here which prompted me to concoct this entire post :|!
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