Religion- The Brand You Never Chose

Religion- The Brand You Never Chose

For a student of Marketing Management there is no bunker that can save him from the marketing models which continue to confuse the students with their degree of relevancy in present times. One of such models is consumer decision making process which explains how we make our decision. Before studying the course we thought a decision is made by saying a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ but to our folly we found that is programmed too!

The major steps involved in decision making process are need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase and post purchase. Also, the experts have mentioned that a consumer is the end user of the product or the service offered.

Given such a backdrop I wondered how well would an infant fit into the consumer decision making process given his noninterference beyond need recognition. In such a case as an infant we were not just deprived of making the choice of a brand but a few ‘brands’ have become indispensable to our lives since beginning. One such brand is religion.

Religion, inarguably, is the most powerful brand across countries. It also strongly defines the cultural landscape of the region to which other brands adhere. This brand is recognized by the strongest logos, symbols, values, associations and occupies a vast space in the minds of the consumer.

The unique position through which the ‘brand’ interacts with a highly receptive new born allows it to be perceived as an essential. The communicators of the brand religion- the parents, immediate family- are by default the most trusted medium of communication. The benefit derived from brand religion may be different to various sects. While for some the benefit derived is ‘nirvana’ for others it could be ‘accumulation of wealth’ but for the young ones there is no personal benefit in any given situation. By the time one grows up to be able to understand the environment the ‘brand’ has already become an imperative part of that individual.

Coming back to consumer decision process, it is interesting to note that we have been ‘consuming’ religion as a brand without recognizing the need in the first place (forget evaluating alternatives!). Inspite of being irreverent to the decision making process we have transformed into staunch brand loyalists wherein we wishfully donate wealth on religious grounds without giving it a second thought, but when the question arrives of helping the needy we comfortably refuse.

Bloemer and Kasper mention attributes of a true brand loyalty as (a) biased, (b)behavioral response, (c)expressed over time, (d)by some decision-making unit, with respect to one or more alternate brands and (e)psychological process resulting in brand commitment. Current communal tension exemplifies the presence of above five attributes found in the practitioners of religion.

Understanding profoundly what makes religion establish a powerful connect could help marketers when formulating the marketing strategy for their brands. For example, ‘finding oneself’ is acknowledged across all forms of religions. Thus, the brands that inspire great action leading to individuality (Apple, Harley Davidson) have successfully managed to create a brand religion of their own.

In India, two other such brands that follow impregnable loyalty after religion are cricket and cinema. Yet as a brand religion cannot be categorized as top-of-mind of bottom of the mind, instead it is a ‘back of the mind’ brand which defies most marketing ‘fundas’ applied prevalent today. Interestingly using the same models marketers try to make their brands a religion. Those who are able to find such affiliation continue to live as ‘Classic’ brands and others thrive for the materialistic gains!

“Live from Peepli”

Not often do we come across a movie on the silver screen which defies from the Cinderella storytelling, serves you the harsh reality on a steel plate as it tickles your funny bone and points fingers at a socially accepted norm. Peepli Live is one such movie which takes you in a remote village of India scoffing at the serious issue of farmer suicide which is entangled in the unruly mess of media and politics.

Peepli Live is the story of the sibling farmers namely Natha and Budhia who lose their land to the bank on nonpayment of the loan. The piece of land being their last asset left they visit the local politician and plead him for monetary support. The disdainful politician insults them and suggests that they commit suicide to benefit from the government scheme that supports the families of those farmers who chose to do the same. A witty conversation follows where Budhiya convinces Natha to sacrifice his life for the sake of their ancestral property. Rakesh, a local reported manages to capture this news in the local newspaper which turns into a prologue of media frenzy and political debate.

The movie wears a coarse coat throughout and flaunts its non celebrity actors who make you roll in the aisles with their peculiarly accented dialogues. Natha is a timid man who is beaten by his wife, overpowered by his brother and ridiculed by his children. He is hesitant on expressing his desire to live but that desire too is nullified by his brother and the media. It also shows how futile is the life of a poor farmer unless he turns it into a sort of entertainment, in this case- a live suicide.

Peepli Live doesn’t fail to make fun of the cosmetic politicians at the ground level. Natha’s suicide is a golden opportunity for the opposition to take pots at the ruling party while the party in command tries all possible solution to save Natha from committing suicide. Caste-based political drama of politicians and their goons is not new to the Bollywood industry but it is the treatment of the issue which is commendable in the movie.

Director Anusha Rizvi has taken immense pleasure in attacking the media for its foolishness and lack of newsworthiness which is highly relevant in the 24x7 news era. The fight between the news channels to broadcast the “exclusive” glimpse of Natha when he goes in the fields to beckon his nature’s call makes you fall off your chairs. The overzealous media turns the quiet subdued village into a “mela” as Peepli becomes a talk of the nation. Meanwhile the media scripts not just the answers and opinions of the respondents from villages but also manages to get the Devi Mata’s prophecy on their side, all for the sake of TRPs.

The actors are the torch bearers of Peepli Live although “Amma” (Natha’s mother) remains the show stealer when it comes to tickling the audiences. The performances are real, crude and give life to the black humor that lines the script. The much loved song “Mahangai Dayan” is entertaining but it is the Indian Ocean’s “Des Mera Rangrezi” that adds spark to the situations.

Director Anusha Rizvi’s has debuted with a strong punch and a strong backing by Aamir Khan and UTV Motion Pictures. It would be saddening if Peepli Live becomes an Aamir Khan movie and the brain behind it is forgotten. However one wonders if Peepli Live could manage to get audiences rush to theatres had Mr. Khan not associated with it.

What’s Uncommon in the Commonwealth Games?

The only law that seems to be in vogue and trusted is the Murphy’s Law. Suresh Kalmadi would agree that in spite of having left no stone unturned to make the Commonwealth Games a memorable feather in his hat, all the efforts have been rubbished with critics rebuking him to be a ringmaster.

The Games still have time to kickoff in Delhi but the political squabbling has surfaced intermittently. While Mani Shankar Iyer’s comment on wastage of public money on events to uphold national prestige is worth pondering, but does it justify abstaining from hosting international events because of the prevailing economic disparity?

Moreover Commonwealth Games has landed in a putrid scam with overpriced items and refusal on the part of the organizing committee to share the unrecorded financial dealings with the various companies, marring India’s image in the international arena. Major sponsors are rethinking on their association with the Commonwealth Games as what could have become national pride has now turned into a national shame.

While the past cannot be undone and the controversies won’t rest, efforts must be channelized to keep the show afloat. Hence the measures to enable India to conduct the event must simultaneously go along with the probe into the scam. If the India fails to conduct the Games this year, it will take away a bundle of opportunities and credibility of the nation to hold mega events in future along with its pride.

Games are expected to give a boost to the tourism sector thus helping the national economy. For a nation which is still seen as a country of snake charmers, this event provides a great opportunity to nullify the perception and exhibit its technological and infrastructural base as an emerging power. It is also quite evident that inflow of the foreign exchange funds would fuel further international transactions of India.

It is interesting to note that Mani Shankar Iyer is concerned about a majority of the youth not being able to access basic sports facilities and that there is no doubt that hosting Commonwealth Games opens up new vistas in sports in a country that is spellbound by cricket. Would the critics hold the similar opinion had India organized a Cricket World Cup instead of the Commonwealth?

The solution does not lie in abstaining from organizing such events but in dealing with the challenges and resolving the bureaucratic deadlocks which we confront in such situations. It is a valid opinion that the money spent on the Games could have overcome the obstacles for those facing poverty and everyday challenges of living. Or would it? Have there not been enough government schemes and allocated funds that have failed to trickle down to those for whom it was meant owing to rampant corruption. For this reason is the argument justified that (only) Commonwealth Games is a waste of public money?

There are lessons to be learnt from South Africa and China- the organizers of last two biggest sporting events. China, an undemocratic state, did a commendable job by organizing the Winter Olympics. South Africa too has emerged as the most preferred tourism destination after World Cup Soccer 2010. Other than marking their space on the world map they also benefitted with an increasing economy which included job creation, better transportation, roads, safer environment and access to public sports facilities.

For once the capital sorted out the problems of delayed flyover constructions and dug up metro tracks. It looks refreshing and all set to invite the event with a warm welcome. True that there were huge costs involved due to the perennial chaos caused by authorities that led to severe incoordination but that need not blame the opportunity that Commonwealth Games bring along.

There are numerous other challenges that we face every day be it external and internal, terrorism and price rise. But tackling corruption remains the biggest challenge throughout this country primarily because it seems in the country of Gods the moral and ethical values are restricted to its religious texts and scriptures.

Just like that!

A Brand Graveyard

When everyone in the world talks about winning and eulogizes success, here is a book that prefers to showcase failures. Brand Failures, the book by Matt Haig, changes the perspective of success by completely entertaining the reader as it takes him through the 100 Biggest Branding Mistakes of All Time.

Brand Failures is an amusing narration of how the biggest brands failed to crack the market. What is further interesting is that these companies at fault are not just small scale enterprises but global giants whose managerial decisions have fallen flat. The ‘honored’ list includes Coca Cola, Pepsi, Mc Donalds, Virgin, Harley Davidson, British Airways to name a few.

Matt Haig’s hall of failure is categorized into Classic Failures, Idea Failures, Extension Failures, PR Failures, Cultural Failures, People Failures, Rebranding Failures, Internet and technology failures and Tired Brands.

The book divulges the brand with the ultimate bad idea of smokeless cigarettes, classic failure of Ford Edsel, Barbie’s boyfriend Ken’s ‘coming out of closet’, boo.com’s spectacular failure in dot.com era amongst many more.

‘Cultural Failures’ forms the most enrapturing read. Matt Haig has collected classic cases of cultural misfits. To quote one- Scandinavian vaccum manufacturer Electrolux came up with the slogan, ‘Nothing sucks like an Electrolux’ in United States.

Through his engrossing writing style and well researched cases Matt Haig also deconstructs the brand myths such as ‘good products always sell, strong brands are built on advertising, if it is new it will sell and big companies always have brand success.’

The saying, “Learn from the failures of others”, gets further restated but only after one has had a good laugh on the failure. In the end of each case Matt Haig has listed what one could learn from these brand failures. In these learnings Matt Haig helps the reader to analyze what really went wrong. The book also mentions the bounce back of a few companies who took the bitter with the sweet.

The book is a compelling read for all those who love creating and talking about brands. It is highly entertaining and gives fascinating facts about ‘Branding’ which one realizes after reading is no piece of cake. The author though has cautioned in the introduction-“Don’t have nightmares.”

Click Me Please!

I split my sides when I receive a friend request from a ‘Cool Boy’ with a message that says,” Will you ‘do friendship’ with me?” Visit ‘Cool Boy’s’ profile and you may feel the need to recheck how a dictionary defines cool!

Like most, I too am a frequent visitor at the social networking sites. I wonder if we share the privilege of stumbling upon such whacky profiles on Orkut, Facebook, Ibibo etc. Profiles with elements like superhuman names, photographs, larger than life self description, seem to work as a rule of social networking.

We often look at our photographs and think, “Do I look like that?” We live with assumptions. And we wish to be recognized the way we see ourselves, irrespective of what we really are.

Social networking gives us just that, a platform to project ourselves to the world according to our way. The advantage is that people have no other option but to believe what is served to them. It is a shift from reality, a virtual space where we may design our identity according to our aspirations- a reason why social networking is so popular.

Social networking sites are not just to make new friends and relationships. Most use it for the purpose of increasing contacts, friend circle, to be part of communities etc. But at the end of the day just like in an unmediated environment these define your social standing in this virtual set-up. There is a great scope of acceptance if you are part of the community made for “Coldplay”, “Save the Tiger”, “Manchester United” etc whether you are really interested or not.

This process of acceptance is also a form of self gratification. When devoid of social approval in real life we look for that in the garb of anonymity. It is easier for us to forge our real identities and create a profile using text, audio, video, that generates maximum clicks. The more the clicks the more popular we become.

When I see it closely, I feel we are eventually “selling” ourselves. The whole process of’ profiling’ revolves around the advertising model of AIDA. Let us bring ‘Cool Boy’ into the picture. His USP is that he is ‘cool’. He has named himself in a peculiar way to attract ATTENTION, created a profile to increase INTEREST of the visitor. If his profile is DESIRABLE to anyone, that person may ACT by accepting the friend request. By embellishing our identities to gain acceptance we have reduced ourselves to mere toothpaste.

The real danger though is not really in becoming toothpaste but to fall prey to social network predators. Especially in case of growing adults who are prone to experimenting with new things. In their search of acceptance they become victims of online abuse, bullying and identity theft. Researchers say social-networking sites are shortening attention spans, encouraging instant gratification, and making people more self-focused.

It is left to us whether we choose to live in the reality or become a virtual schizophrenic. The dire need to be socially accepted may make us forget who we really are. There is no contention in having a profile on a social network. We need to be careful in choosing who we are interacting with and what we are projecting ourselves to be.

If ‘Cool Boy’ is listening and is able to profile the real self, let’s see if then people “do friendship” with him or not!

AMISTAD

Amistad- A Steven Spielberg venture is based on slave trading. While showing the atrocities and glaring brutalities of the slave trading, the movie also reflects on imbalances of an immature globalised era. The visuals of the movie are strong and create an indelible impression on the minds of the viewers creating identities which may be subconsciously underlying.

The issue of identity has been dealt significantly in the movie. The plot is based on understanding the “identity” of the Blacks who were captured in the sea. Due to their color and origin the Blacks were forced to work for the so called privileged Whites. Their identity was reduced to being workers, slaves etc. The powerful looked upon them as those who were born to serve them. In one of the scenes of the movie the dialogue compares them to a “livestock”.

Although a few images of the movie reinforce the image that we have been nurturing of Africa which is Black tribes who live in the wild, eat raw food, talk gibberish and wear tattered clothes. Surely Africa has moved away from those times but we do not come across images of Africa that recognize it as at least on the path of development. Although the movie is based on 1839 mutiny, still an effort could have been made to show Africa from a closer, broader perspective.

Again in the movie, the United States of America is seen as the nation above all where a Black lives together with the other Whites of the nation; where ideas of equality and human rights prevail within some groups. The film fails to give a new perspective to the Africans but surely doesn’t fail to compromise on the idea of “United States - the Savior of the World.”

The idea of Christianity is also eulogized. One of the dialogues mentions that “as Christians it is our responsibility to save these people”. The depictions of Bible as the source of strength, seeing the cross while going for the trial are some of the images that propose Christianity as the Supreme religion.

There are various instances that reflect on Globalization too. To start with slave trading is itself a consequence of globalization where countries ‘trade’ amongst themselves the people who are devoid of powerful structures. We have Neo-liberalism and neo colonialism now, which is no less that exploitation of human resources of one country by the other in form of slave trading.

The fact that US is able to decide on the fate of a few people who do not even belong to its region, only on the grounds that they were captured by them is a reflection of a globalised world- that countries are able to influence each other. The issue of ownership of slaves is also a possibility in a time when there is increasing interaction between nations.

The fear of Civil War all over the world due to freedom of these 44 slaves in US also talks about globalization where one decision taken at US can affect the slaves of China.

The movie tries to give the message of equality and freedom as a right to all- an idea that is acceptable universally and globally. Not to forget that this message is given by an American, ex President John Adams arguing on behalf of Africans in the climax courtroom scene.

Amistad is a movie that deals with a horrifying past yet becomes just another winning story of America rather than Africa.

Naukri.com Marketing Communication Mix

Naukri.com used its marketing communication strategically. Starting from Yellow Pages to Tweeting about jobs, naukri.com developed its communication mix and media mix in such a way that it created a brand which was unimaginable in a country like India.

In the start-up days naukri.com used low cost direct marketing to get enough clients listed and job seekers listed. The site was not ready for immense online traffic. Slowly and gradually after the business was developed they started advertising heavily.

Direct marketing helped naukri.com keep its existing clients updated and innovative mailing increased their database of clients. It was cost effective as well as compared to other mediums. Yet not that helpful in creating a brand that client would love to associate with.

Internet as a medium helped as the business is operated online. English speaking educated visited online websites and therefore it gave naukri.com the opportunity to reach directly to the users of the website. Being the first online recruitment portal in India, naukri.com was able to leverage the online traffic in India and converted visitors into registrations. Today online traffic visits naukri.com not just for jobs but also to see what is happening in the job scenario. Internet for its own weaknesses was also not that effective in building a brand for naukri. So taking up viral marketing and building on the theme of Hari Sadu, the viral video spread to all job seekers and they registered on the website. Today youth and employees have better access to internet, therefore making use of Twitter and Facebook is also beneficial for the company since the way communication takes place is ever changing.

While it was thought- why an online portal would advertise on TV, naukri.com changed the perception. It’s memorable campaign “Hari Sadu”, made people look up to this new job site. The campaign was rib tickling and gelled well with most. This helped naukri to gain mindspace of the audience and through this campaign Naukri.com built for itself an ever-lasting image of “best job portal.” With its new campaign naukri.com has again embarked on the opportunity of recovering economy. This also made clients associate themselves with a brand like naukri.com. Another reason being increase in CV registrations after advertising in TV and print.

For naukri.com, press too has been advantageous since it had not generated any negative PR . Its alliances with various newspapers helped it reach where naukri.com as a brand could not earlier. Without compromising on its own brand CV registrations increased with such alliances.

Personal Selling undoubtedly helped in creating naukri.com the brand that it is today. Its salesforce communicated with offices and clients across the country and demonstrated the advantages of the site which an advertisement or mail could not do. Thus, building relationships and maintaining constant touch it helped naukri.com improve the website as and when the need arose from HR personnels and clients.

The weaknesses of online, direct mails, etc. thus were covered by personal selling. And the problem of not being able to build a brand through these mediums was taken care of by TV and print mediums.

A REPORT ON SOCIAL NETWORKING AND YOUTH

The popularity of Internet and social networking sites has increased greatly over the last few years. Social Networking involves the use of the internet to connect users with their friends, family and acquaintances. Social Networking websites are not necessarily about meeting new people online, although this does happen a lot. Instead, they are primarily about connecting with friends, family and acquaintances you already have in real life. The most known of these sites are Facebook, MySpace and Orkut. These sites allow you to share photos and videos, organize events, chat, download music and even play games online like Scrabble.

Majority of the youth that has access to the Internet spends majority of the time on such social networking sites. At Facebook, the most popular social-networking site, users make and keep in touch with friends, post pictures, and update their online “profiles.” Other social-networking sites include MySpace, Friendster, and Xanga. Twitter, another fast-growing network, combines interconnectivity with “microblogging.” Users write frequent, short bursts of information (also known as “tweets”) to keep up-to-the-minute current with one another.

One argues that all this online friend-forming is affecting teenagers’ development, according to experts. Researchers say social-networking sites are shortening attention spans, encouraging instant gratification, and making young people more self-focused. Extended use of the sites actually rewires the brain, causing teenagers to require constant reassurance that they exist. Other dangers are more subtle. Kids may no longer spend time completely alone, enjoying the benefits of reflection and solitude. Yet they may feel isolated because they’re less likely to be communicating with the real humans in their homes and schools. Finally, teenagers may focus even more on all the worries that accompany adolescence. So instead of escaping from their problems, kids dwell on them even more.

WHY SOCIAL NETWORKING IS SO POPULAR

A few reasons why youth is highly involved in social networking are:

They want to participate and express their opinions. They have found the opportunity online.

It is a platform through which people from different parts of the world find others with common shared interests and discuss and build networks. It enables a person to share ideas and thoughts with individuals from various parts of the world.

It allows people to interact with those who they meet in reality, make plans and share photos, music, discuss on online communities.

Most youth use social networking to find a date or build relationships. It is an easier model to access others due to high anonymity.

Social networking is also used to create professional networks. A search engine enabled in the social network helps in finding individuals from a particular profession.

They use inbuilt chat, online games, quizzes and other applications that make them spend more time on the website.

A person can create a profile, a social virtual image, can talk about himself, promote his qualities to the world which may be absent in reality.

Social Networks are a unique way of interacting as compared to real-life communication. A few features that are different and attract the youth are:

1. Persistence: comments, posts, social network pages don't go away.

2. Searchability: anyone can find information about others easily.

3. Replicability: we can easily replicate a conversation (such as IM) in many other places

4. Invisible Audiences: you don't always know whom you're talking to.

THE IDENTITY ISSUE

In mediated environments, bodies are not immediately visible and the skills people need to interpret situations and manage impressions are different. People must learn to write themselves into being. Doing so makes visible how much we take the body for granted. While text, images, audio, and video all provide valuable means for developing a virtual presence, the act of articulation differs from how we convey meaningful information through our bodies. This process also makes explicit the self-reflexivity that is necessary for identity formation, but the choices individuals make in crafting a digital body highlight the self-monitoring. In some sense, people have more control online—they are able to carefully choose what information to put forward, thereby eliminating visceral reactions that might have seeped out in everyday communication. At the same time, these digital bodies are fundamentally coarser, making it far easier to misinterpret what someone is expressing. Furthermore, as, key information about a person’s body is often present online, even when that person is trying to act deceptively; for example, people are relatively good at detecting when someone is a man even when they profess to be a woman online. Yet because mediated environments reveal different signals, the mechanisms of deception differ

The desire to be cool on MySpace is part of the more general desire to be validated by one’s peers. Even though teens theoretically have the ability to behave differently online, the social hierarchies that regulate “coolness” offline are also present online. For better or worse, people judge others based on their associations: group identities form around and are reinforced by the collective tastes and attitudes of those who identify with the group. Online, this cue is quite helpful in enabling people to find their bearings

Youth looks for social approval online especially the ones who are devoid of it in real life. They forge their identities and create an image by joining specific communities, adding particular type of friends and writing or uploading images or videos that would generate clicks on their profiles. The more they are seen the more popular they become. It is a process of self gratification.

Adavantages of Social Networking

While socializing in chatrooms with other teenagers located all over the world, adolescents learn valuable perspective-taking, argumentative, decision-making and critical thinking skills. Playing online games may also help adolescents "develop cognitive skills such as spatial visualization, analog representation - the ability to read images - and divided visual attention, that is, being able to manage multiple components in a visual field at once."

Educationally, users of the social networks are more globally aware since they have immediate access to global issues, and the chance to read about global events from people in those settings.

Also niche networks such as gays and lesbians social websites have given them a platform to voice their social problems. Websites like LinkedIn have accelerated professional relationships. WizIq is a unique online teaching site where people take lectures or attend lectures free of cost.

Teenagers can also benefit emotionally and socially. Networking can aid adolescents as they explore their identities and can also "fulfill the need for social support, intimacy, and autonomy." Through perspective taking and racialized role taking, teenagers can become educated on racial and cultural issues while speaking with peers located on the other side of the country or even across seas. Social psychologists would say that to reduce stereotypes and prejudices, you need to interact with people different from you so you can see how similar they really are.

The Real Dangers Online

· Young people have a good idea of who is a stranger online and who isn't, the problem comes with the "invisible audience." Sometimes the lines are blurred, especially if a young person is going through a rough time and is vulnerable. The solution is more support and education.

 Online problems are a mirror of the bad things that are going on offline, such as bullying or cheating.

 “Online" is a public place. It's not the technology; it's the people that are causing the problems. The solution is educating the people using the technology.

 People providing the technology have to understand what is appropriate for which age groups and provide the right content. There should also be a way for users to contact or alert an adult if something happens that hurts them or makes them feel uncomfortable.

It cannot be argued that communicating in person is still vital for interpersonal relationships. "Every hour spent on social networks is one less hour spent learning how to effectively communicate face-to-face." While we can talk about changes that are taking place, the long-term implications of being

socialized into a culture rooted in networked publics are unknown. Perhaps today’s youth

will be far better equipped to handle gossip as adults. What we do know is that

today’s teens live in a society whose public life is changing rapidly. Teens need access to these

publics—both mediated and unmediated—to mature, but their access is regularly restricted.

Yet, this technology and networked publics are not going away. As a society, we need to

figure out how to educate teens to navigate social structures that are quite unfamiliar to us

because they will be faced with these publics as adults, even if we try to limit their access

now.

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Excerpts from:

Why Youth Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life: danah boyd

www.wilkesbeacon.com

Under 18: Blogs, Wikis and Online Social Networks for Youth (http://sxsw.pbworks.com/Under-18:-Blogs,-Wikis-and-Online-Social-Networks-for-Youth)

The Affect of Social Networking Websites on Today's Youth: Associated Content