Consumer Experience: What if we could change it?

Vendor space and internal to organizations

2012-05-03T12:17:00.002-07:00

Ever wondered how the vendor market shapes up?

Looking at the vendor landscape, i feel, any emerging platform- which has a long term potential will see the emergence of a vendor landscape. If vendors are getting into a market, it is a leading indicator, that the platform will become big, and may be, as a big organization, you need to start exploring developing internal capabilities in that space.

Marketing Evolution!

2012-02-11T02:59:00.000-08:00

The trigger for this blog is the link below:http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/31278/The-History-of-Marketing-An-Exhaustive-Timeline-INFOGRAPHIC.aspx

This is an infographic, which talks about the evolution of marketing. In recent times, we hear marketers crying out loud that they do not understand their consumer. The consumer space is growing at a pace, that is hard to keep up with. Technology has been a key driver for the same.

I often wonder, how much of this is just a problem of an old wine in a new bottle. After all, when TV was introduced the first time, the telemarketing was introduced the first time, the marketer was struggling to understand, how to capitalize on these new opportunities. Was the challenge of the marketer of the 60s or the 70s any different from the challenge of the marketer today. Is so, what?

I wonder, if the issues that the marketer of 60s was grappling with- ever changing channel numbers, understanding customer behavior, is relevant today also. Here are the similarities:
- Both marketers needed to understand the new emerging technology and how the consumer is using it
- Both marketer is required to understand the changing consumer behavior w.r.t to new technology and if it has an impact on the changing values of the consumer

How much what we see as our unique challenge is unique? Is it possible to build over human thinking- or is the evolution just incremental.

Club Culture- unites the world

2011-10-30T10:29:00.000-07:00

In One week I traveled New York, Hongkong, Istanbul and Delhi. Travelling three continents, one at the cusp of Asia and Europe, I could not help noticing the how the youth across the world is united by the club. Each city has a Greenwich village, a Taksim, or the latest night club. The experience is almost the same, across the clubs around the world. Loud music, drinks, pretty women and good looking men. The music is mostly a combination of some some global popular artists, spiced with local tunes. It is always hard to get into the popular hot spots. The big burly men outside the doors, make the entry intimidating. Cover charges are often replaced with drinks. As most of the club going crowd is young, I do not really see a difference across the world around the behaviors. The male-female attraction, clubbed with high pitch music and alcohol, is a recipe of an great evening out, among the young across the world. And make sure, when visiting, find such a place. Club-culture is another example of a culture uniting the world - and may be today, this is much bigger than the hippie movement, which was primarily concentrated in the US. Today's clubbers are in all parts of the world, on that one street, which starts to wake up after mid-night.

10 Hot New Nightlife Destinations (travelrendezvous.wordpress.com)
Maltese Tenor - New Release (intostillness.wordpress.com)

Cool Ideas! Kloutscore.com

2011-07-24T10:37:00.000-07:00

I have been researching on social media measurement for a few months now. One of my earlier posts spoke about this phenomenon. There is a huge amount of interest out there on how can one use social media for their own benefits.

Social media is a kind of online networking. How many friends do you have on facebook who are your acquaintances and not really friends. If you recommend something- more often than not, you will not get a response from them or may be a one line response. Many of the 500+ friends out there are a result of a polite gesture.

For a marketer, the question is- if you have 500+ friends, does that mean you are a huge influencer??

Not too sure.

Companies like KLOUT.COM are measuring your klout score. Check it out!

Are online communities now supporting offline communities- Justin Beiber or Egypt..!

2011-07-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

2008 - 2011- It took three years to take this kid from a performer being shot on home video's posted on you tube to a teenage heart-throb doing concerts at MSG. Yes, the power of social media.

Did you know, today's teenagers spend more time online than watching TV. Scooter Braun's, discovery of Bieber accidentlly online via a you tube video is well known. However, this might the first example of the phenomenon called social media. It was not only his discovery, but his subsequent gaining of popularity via social media points to the value social media can generate. During his tour of 180 cities, when he was still unknown, Justin would tweet every day- on what he was doing next- the next city he will be in concert- the next radio station he will be unplugged. As people started listening to him, they started following his tweets and him. The crows started collecting in front of the music stations, the halls he was to arrive at. Thus, tweet by tweet, was build this phenomenon called Bieber.

The Egyptian revolution is yet one more examples. It is believed, the government cut down the phone lines, but the facebook phenomenon ensured people knew where the revolutionaries were collecting.

What i find interesting, is that it is a belief, that as people are becoming increasingly digital, physical contact and activities done by meeting up are reducing. The above two example illustrate contrary. The digital world was infact the primary activator in creating an offline community.

Are we seeing a paradigm shift- when the online communities are supporting communities offline?

Why is consumer experience important?

2011-07-08T10:10:00.000-07:00

In today's world unique selling proposition and creating a differentiated product/ service offering is a much used and missused concept. Organizations have focused on building a consumer centric marketing organizations for over a decade now. The concept once focused on developed products or services where the consumer was at its centre, however, the marketplace today is filled with such products/ services that this is not longer a differentiating factor. So, how can organziaitons differnetiate them selves in the market place to catch the consumer eyes?

More so, once captured the attention of the consumer, how can organziations continues to hold the attention of the consumer, as in today's world, with the number of choice easily accessible are rising, the likely hood that a consumer will be loyal to a brand is low.

These are some of the questions that today's marketers need to address. Experimenting and innovating on consumer experience can be the new way of differentiation. Can this potentially be the next wave of innovation in the marketing space, is this the new buzz word?

Companies like the American girl place, Ikea, Apple have been leaders here. However, is this phenomen becoming more mainstream. The answer is yes, yes, yes.

My next blog will talk in detail about this emerging new phenomemon and the tactics used by companies.

Brand TJ!!

2011-07-08T09:57:00.001-07:00

Inmates of Tihar Jail - packing snacks! Ahoy, here comes brand TJ!!!

Will you ever buy a product produced by the inmates at Tihar Jail? http://www.tihartj.nic.in/A question the marketers of brand TJ would be asking each day, as they launched the brand TJ.

Features

2011-04-06T03:28:00.000-07:00

Features

All about Dynamic Views for Readers - Blogger Help

2011-04-05T04:03:00.000-07:00

All about Dynamic Views for Readers - Blogger Help

'Digital' is the way to keep it REAL!

2011-03-31T04:44:00.001-07:00

Image via WikipediaIt is interesting- its 2011, the age of BBM's and FaceBook's. The age when people - who sit across the table yet are always multi-tasking on a small 4inch by 3" device in their hands.

Let's be honest, how many of us were either at the stadium or at a sports bar or may be with friends at home, watching the 'match of the century'- India Pakistan cricket world cup semi finals. We were geared up in the blue jerseys- 'bleeding blue'- cheering the blue squad to win it. Yes baby.. bring it home.

It all started the day earlier when status messages started reading- Mohalli. Somebody who could not manage to buy the 1000 INR ticket (being sold at 20000 INR), decided to keep it real. His status message read- Not in Mohalli- but my Mohalla!! Yes, there were zillions or ZOOTs of these mohalla parties. But, with each ball, each cheering, each wicket, amidst the cheering of the crowd at the stadium, the pub, there was this new buzzing sound. The buzz of my black-berry.

Yes, the FB messages were being updated, the blackberry messenger messages being exchanged and all this happening when most of us were sitting - face to face with a huge or not so huge crowd. Infact, what was cool was getting messages from ground zero - the heart of all the action. Fans were updating pictures or sending analysis of the game or just cheering to the sprit of the game.... all in the digital world.

The point is, the digital world is the way we keep it real today. A bit oxymoronic. But that is my world today.

First Lesson In SEO | SEO Resources

2011-03-28T05:57:00.000-07:00

First Lesson In SEO | SEO Resources

Cool Marketing Ideas

2011-03-28T00:10:00.000-07:00

Consumer experience improvement does not necessarily have to be full of modern day gadgets. It can just be some basic ideas executed well. In my mind, they can be classified into the following categories:

Crowd pleasing:
These are big event, typically taking place in a big city like new york. They are targetted at creating a drama, involve a lot of people and are a 'show and tell'.

Here are a few examples from recent times:

Target: March 2010

This astonishing and beatifully executed live fashion show simply mesmerized us -- and the thousands who gathered to watch on the streets below. An ingenious way to promote a product, while engaging viewers in a tangible experience
http://www.ted.com/initiatives/aws/target_kaleidoscopic_fashion_s.html

Grand central frozen
http://www.maniacworld.com/frozen-in-grand-central-station.html

Dulux Advertisement
http://www.ted.com/initiatives/aws/dulux_walls.html

The candid camera advertisements of Frooti
http://youthonads.com/frooti-why-grow-up/

ICC cricket world cup- the super bowl of India

2011-03-11T03:05:00.000-08:00

For marketers in the US, getting a spot during the Super Bowl is a make or break moment. In a TV ad spot of 30 sec advert spot, the advertiser experts to reach 43 million eye-balls. Marketers design advertisement campaigns to outdo each other and stand out. The advertisement campaigns generate a buzz post the first unveiling, and continue to genertate viral. The ROI of these campaigns is not truly identified, but it surely generates high interest.

In India, cricket generates the same high level of interest. Here is a spot comparison of Super bowl and the biggest sporting event – ICC cricket world cup 2011.

In addition to these, in line with the superbowl trends, leading brands in India have started launching campaigns targeted at the event. Attached below are a few examples.

Official – ICC campaigns:

http://adsoftheworld.com/media/tv/icc_cricket_world_cup_2011_tightrope

Official- ICC theme song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX_drdjUy7E

Some basic facts and figures:

Super Bowl : Audience 4.5 million ؛ Adversiting spend $10.1 bn
ICC world cup Audience127 million (India alone) Adversiting spend $422 mn ($ 150 MILLION)

Who says India is cheap?

2011-02-01T17:49:00.001-08:00

Emerging Global Indian Consumer

2011-01-11T00:05:00.000-08:00

For years, as a marketing professional, the divide of have's and have 'not's' has been big. People always considered the emerging economies, as we know them today as the laggards in the world. Innovations happened in the developed economies, and moved to the developing after some time lag.

The world has changed for ever. As information flow is free, trends and innovation travel as the speed at 'marketing' all over the world. There is an emergence of global Indian consumerism! This is true for China or for that matter, any emerging economy today.

When I Levi's, i wanted to carry 'skinny' jeans for my friends just 1 month after their launch. To my pleasant surprise, when I landed at the airport in India, women were sporting them along with tank tops. Walking on the streets, one say see consumers sporting global brands, launched in India at the same time like anywhere else in the world. Indian consumer is much more aware and savvy, and global.

A lot of this is also driven by the phenomenan called returning Indians. Indians who have lived in other parts of the world, are today coming back to India. Driven by the emerging opportunity this emerging land of opportunity provides, or be just close to the loved ones. Today the visa section of countries like India and China sees a long bee line of aspirants wanting to partake in this growth story.

As people travel across the world, they also bring in thoughts, culture and create a new microculture. Something that happened to new york and london in the 60's.

In this new world of emerging Global Indian's, we can see a fusion of cultures. Indian marketplace in no longer dominated by an American brand or a European brand, but its a fusion of brands that have caught the fancy of an Indian any where in the world. India (and this is true for China also) is the hot bed of emerging global culture. The population is young, reception and learning quickly. Do we think, that till is where most of the innovations of the world will come out in future?

New ways of communication or education!

2011-01-06T22:49:00.000-08:00

As the world is becoming 'shallow' and attention spans of people are reducing to minisule levels, one needs to cut through the noise to grab attention. This is an interesting TED video. Before this, is an interesting graphics company on how they create this interesting video. Enjoy!

http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_changing_education_paradigms.html

Classifying consumer experience concepts

2008-08-21T09:22:00.000-07:00

'Life time ' of a consumer experience concept can be an interesting way to classify. Certain concepts would have a longer life to others. Some would classify fad's which generate buzz and engage people and other would be a more sustained efforts which integrate with the brands look and feel.

Long term effort which integrates to brand value proposition to consumer experience

Consumers tend to identify a brand with an experience. In the apparel sector- Abracombie Fitch is one such example- loud music, dark lights- feels like one is shopping in a lounge! Anthropologie is another example- where one gets a feel of shopping in a rustic - indoor meet outdoors kind of an environment.

Interestingly, these concepts are more 'permanent' in nature and would employ services of Architect, Lighting engineers to create an environment. Attached website has some interesting examples of the same (link)

Concepts with short life which help generate a buzz, engage with consumers and create a consumer experience

Examples like the recent Nokia kiosks in India (Link) or the digital Sign's at T-mobile show rooms are highlighted. These efforts can be viewed as promotions. Most digital concepts today being tested fall in this category.

The bridge concepts

These are a set of efforts which are trying to bridge the two. Efforts which are new, might have a potential to get build into brand identity or might just pass on as fads.

e.g.

LVMH spanish steps. I am sure the company has invested a lot of money in executing the concept- they are generating the 'ahaa' value, but do they have a potential to be there in a LVMH store for a long time- do these become an integrated part of LVMH brand value proposition. Unsure- still to be seen. (Link)

Can non-tech brands or Will non-tech brands integrate technology as a part of execution of thier brand value proposition?

Open Source- Student talent

2008-07-18T21:52:00.000-07:00

When I was a student, there was a contant urge to get closer to the real world. I was contantly looking for projects/ internships i could find which had some relevance to the industry. An urge to experiment/ practice what I was learning in school.

Now, that I have been working for more that 6 years, I have worked with these students. I am amazed their level of energy, enthusism and commitment. With a little bit of guidance, these fertile minds take off and generate some great outputs.

The question, i often ask, is why is it so hard to link industry to talent. There are a few options out there:
a- The college/ industry relationship deparments of each institute. Typically, a company would be required to put a job post on each of the institute websites.
b- The student meets the corporate through a referral

What if....
Students can meet the corporates on a common platform. e-lance/ freelancer. com seem to be doing something similar, but they are open to all.
Would people be willing to use student research to help them take business decisions?

Design strategy consulting- a new approach to management consulting

2008-06-07T01:49:00.000-07:00

Design Strategy is a much used- misued term in recent times. Consulting firms have come into the market, with innovative solutions around product development and service development. Often, they form a back door entry into the strategic management process of a company.

When we look closely, its very interesting to see how these companies have developed a structured consulting process. IDEO, the McKinsey of the design/ innovation consulting space calls it a design thinking.

Other significant companies in this space- What if, Watt International et al, are not positioned as a niche product development company, niether a think thank, but strategic consulting firms which use an innovative approach to solve problems.

Wonder if old school companies like McKinsey need to re-think the way they approach. Innovation around the way they deliver their services.

2008-03-07T23:03:00.000-08:00

Consumer Experience Marketing- Engaging the consumer through interactions

Consumer Experience Marketing is often considered as an extension of the Consumer Relationship Marketing (CRM). However, is that what defines consumer experience? CRM today is synonymous with a software application which large corporate deploy, and believe that since they now know every thing about the consumer's engagement with the company, they would be able to provide a better service and keep him/ her engaged. In my view, CRM is just a tool towards a total CEM, and companies are focusing a lot on the online channels. There exits a need to continuously engage the consumer and expand on his/ her experience in-store. In traditional retail, the idea of appealing to the natural sense of a human being was the focus. (E.g. Have you ever walked passed a bakery and the smell of freshly baked bread has tempted you to walk in and so a spontaneous purchase). Traditional architectural technique like - color, music, lighting, look and feel have been used by retailers timelessly. The trend today is to find ways to engage the in-store consumer through a number of interactive mediums. Some of the examples and usage of in-store technology in recent times have been: Aimed at communicating with consumers - A push system
TESCO aisle side targeted advertising using LCD screen, which change
2007- HBO store in New York, called the best store of the year by VMSD, uses both digital media and traditional media to communicate with the consumer
Aimed at bringing in operational efficiency- self check outs etc.
1995- Smart- Self Check out scanners launched at Sainsbury in UK link
2006-Ralph Lauren 24/7 touch screen window shopping, launched in US in 2006 and UK in 2007 link
Aimed at building consumer relationships by letting them experience products-An interactive system.
2002 Prada's project with IDEO, using RFID technology to link inventory information to loyal customer data base. This allowed not only check the stocks for the choicest products by also get inspired through fashion show images / clips viewed on a simple hand held device. link
2007-In-store theatrics to build a customized Barbie at FAO Schwartz link
ING DIRECT, has no bank branches, at it’s an online banking model. However, the few brick and mortar locations they have double as cafe's storing all the financial information and people often are seen discussing the investment related issues. At the ING CAFE, they also sell coffee!!
2008- AT&T store, like the Apple store allow consumers to play with the products, experience the environment, even before they make a buying decision.
2008-Barilla's launch of the Alixir brand - at its store in Milan. They are using the user interaction platforms to conduct market research and provide a customized offering to the consumer. Link
UWINK allows for a table side ordering through electronic ordering system Link
As the brick and mortar stores are trying to get digital, the online store and trying to become more real. link
This is not new, and companies have experimented with this for some time. But, they still generate a lot of interest and noise, when ever and who ever builds them. It’s surprising; these concepts have not taken off beyond pilot stages. Is it they are too expensive to implement or is it that it’s tough to define the ROI? link
Well, on a related tangent - Wonder why food service players like Starbucks and McD for Prêt a Manger or Hale and Hearty are not using self - check outs. These can not only help these companies improve experience marketing but also push the consumer loyalty.

2008-03-07T22:35:00.000-08:00

Launch of American Living

American Living is a brand launched by Ralph Lauren at the JC Penny's stores. It is the first big expected success of the global concepts group at Ralph Lauren. Some interesting observations about the brand are- No where the consumer gets to know that the brand is associated with Ralph Lauren. However, the brand still seems to have the classic RL touch.

As RL has always done, built a lifestyle positioning, built the brand / products around it and then continuously reinforce the positioning - through images, advertisements, events and provide a complete integrated look.

The American Living brand does not have any visible association with the brand, however, the industry guru's would be able to identify the style and the execution as a classic RL style.

Strong Image, Consistency and Constancy while not letting it become stale seem to be the mantra. And you, can extent into multiple segments and categories.

Bottom of the pyramid in India

2008-02-23T02:30:00.000-08:00

Addressing the needs of those at the bottom of the pyramid is often sighted as a business opportunity. However, its unclear, how to organise this and how to capitalize on these. Consulting companies like Monitor have are addressing these in the social sector initiatives - calling them market based solutions. Babajob.com, with its attempt to connect the people at the bottom with their prospective employers, is interesting. The success of this, is in my mind, un-clear. Do we have the Internet penetration? Is Indian household so tech savy?. Babajob is an interesting model of bottom of the pyramid meet yelp. com. Would be interesting to explore more such cases studies/ activities/ innovation across the world.

Consumer Experience: What if we could change it?

Vendor space and internal to organizations

Marketing Evolution!

Related articles

Club Culture- unites the world

Related articles

Cool Ideas! Kloutscore.com

Related articles

Are online communities now supporting offline communities- Justin Beiber or Egypt..!

Related articles

Why is consumer experience important?

Brand TJ!!

Features

All about Dynamic Views for Readers - Blogger Help

'Digital' is the way to keep it REAL!

First Lesson In SEO | SEO Resources

Cool Marketing Ideas

ICC cricket world cup- the super bowl of India

Who says India is cheap?

Emerging Global Indian Consumer

New ways of communication or education!

Classifying consumer experience concepts

Open Source- Student talent

Design strategy consulting- a new approach to management consulting

Bottom of the pyramid in India