New Blog Space

Thank you for visiting us once again. We are currently sharing Brand Insights and Strategy Tips at our new space - 30TH FEB Blog. 

Kindly visit us @ www.30thfeb.com/blog 

We are looking forward to your visit & encouragement.

Thanks once again.

BRANDS and BLOGS

You all must have read the product/brand and service feedbacks here and there. Very recently I have noticed that earlier while Google used to take us to sites like mouth-shut, now it takes us to personal blogs where people very honestly talk about the brand, their experience, benefits and even comparisons to the competitive brands.

While we face an influx of digital information with brands/products/services emerging everyday on facebook ads, yahoo ads, engaging contents with sweepstakes – the most evolving one is undoubtedly blogs – they provide some sort of consumer insight, talk about real time experience.

Blogs are currently running the Op-eds scenario quite successfully, Op-eds abbreviated as - Opposite the editorial page is the latest emerging trend popular amongst the leading newspapers as well. Wikipedia defines an Op-ed as, a newspaper article that expresses the opinions of a named writer who is usually unaffiliated with the newspaper's editorial board. These are different from editorials, which are usually unsigned and written by editorial board members. One more reason why op-eds are becoming popular is because it is easier to understand opinions than a normal editorial piece. If you compare both of them you would understand that an op-ed is interesting read as compared to editor’s column.

Blogs are certainly the straight, to the mark, honest, colorful opinions which normally have a simple language.  They are easy to access, most easily shared (just on a click) and once they develop a readership – they become the advocates for brands. No wonder, that is the reason more and more brands are now having their own brands and others are inviting consumers, bloggers to have their say. Blogging is becoming – the thing for most of the informed consumers like us. We check out, compare and reach out brands – online. That makes Blogging all the more important.

Because of all the reasons above, the Brands are now hunting for bloggers. The basic trait of a blog is genuineness and pure feedback but with growing demand for blogosphere and growing jobs like Fashion Blogger, Cookery Blogger etc – I am afraid people will start taking blogs as another paid assignment for someone. People trust the blogs as they are not the paid ones like the several product/ service feedback sites.

So before we hook to a blog for some brand feedback, we need to understand that:

1. A blogger is neither a journalist nor a critic. H/She is one like us and the shared views are individualistic.
2. A blog doesn't necessarily have to be research backed. Rather a blog is insight based and quotes true facts.
3. Do not mistake blogs as conclusions, they are opinions value them. They ignite thoughts, seek participation. Engage, discuss and then decide.
4. Treat blogs as the assessments, take the feedbacks, understand the opinions and take them as building blocks for your brand.
5. Brands are sensitive about their image, so whenever you write/read about a brand – cross check it, refer to other available feedbacks, talk to people, cross check the disclosures etc.

Remember, blogging is turning to be the digital form of ‘word of mouth’ marketing. Believing or experiencing is a decision that will always be with you. 

14 Ideaz for your Brand in 2012

1. BELIEVE in what you are.
2. Say only what you are. Do not HYPE.
3. DELIVER your Promise. Watch your PROMISE.
4. Exceed the EXPECTATIONS. And then EXCEL.
5. It is alright to go SLOW. Watch your COMPETITION.
6. FACEBOOK is good. Post CAREFULLY. It is about your BRAND. Avoid Repetitions.
7. Take INSPIRATIONS. Offer VALUE.
8. PERSONAL BRANDS will emerge. Do not get overwhelmed. Create ONE if you plan to work CONSTANTLY on the same. Oprah has a personal logo ‘O’. Wait! Do you have it in you?
9. SOCIAL MEDIA will shine further. Use it EFFECTIVELY. Grow your NETWORK.
10. Empower your BRAND on web. Accept PAYMENTS online. (Paypal, Google Wallet etc)
11. Customers are no more looking for Brand Information. Create BRAND EXPERIENCE.
12. Be HONEST with your brand. Work Hard SMARTLY.
13. RESEARCH on Emerging Platforms & Technology. PREPARE and PERFORM.
14. If you are a START-UP brand. Make 2012 – ACTIONABLE.

Branding - 2008

Branding 2008

Watching television, listening to radio, walking down a lane observing the outdoors, everywhere only one thing is been communicated, Happy New Year and New Year offerings. On observing these things, I started pondering over the ever booming & ever growing, business of brands.

Looking at the current trends, and the brand ‘Incredible India’ being established all over the world, growing incredibly with the almost always bullish stock market, I thought of analyzing the trends in branding, in India.

And here you are, reading, Branding-2008

Brand ‘Incredible India’: To start with, let’s take the mother brand, as in the year 2008 brand ‘India’ will raise tremendously. The reason for this will be the unending interest of foreign consumers in the brand. The best business woman, sports personalities and business tycoons shining bright in the world over is a great sign for the brand ‘Incredible India’. Let’s hope the brand to add more shine this year.

Healthy & Ready, ‘Snacking’

With more & more Indians getting employed, the urge for ready to eat, fast to gulp & healthy nutrients is increasing. With that Indians are known as foodies, for they have a weak taste bud. And this very reason is giving the marketer the signs for more & better food brands. The health awareness has led to emergence of brands like, ‘Bingo’, Coke getting into 'Milk Products' as there is a huge increase in the market for milk & fruit drinks then soft drinks, ‘Nutrella’ zero cholesterol butter and utterly butterly Amul going for ‘Amul Lite’ etc. So we can say brands will be healthier & fast to prepare this year.

Hindustani Names & ‘No Fear’ Branding

Now this trend will be followed as per the ‘Category’. The clothing & restaurant industry will have traditional & ethnic ‘Hindustani’ names ruling the roost. The consumers are getting more inclined towards such names, reason can be feeling attached to roots, genuineness, and the luxury attached to the names themselves. Looking at few newly launched or re-invented brands of big textile & designer houses are Amara, Kashish, Soch, Lilliput etc. Few of them have names as per the elements of the brands. So, this trend will follow & excel more in 2008.

Coming to the ever-growing restaurant chains, the names are taken deep from the roots or are very basic terms related to food & culture. The youth of course, looks forward to the foreign names in the fast food segment but the population who loves Indian cuisines and looks forward to an experience while dining is inclined towards the likes of Aangan (huge Verandah), Rasoi(Kitchen), Haveli(a huge residence considered as the ultimate in living luxury), Rumali (a kind of bread), Choki Dhani(an ethnic village resort), Annachi Chettinad (a part of TamilNadu, known for its architecture, food and rich people)etc. This suggests that Indian brands will be equally competent with the increasing influx of foreign players in both the above categories.

Now, I have also mentioned above about the ‘No Fear’ brand names, but of course they have some meaning, truth or relevance attached to it. To name a few we have, ‘Bang’ (some toilet cleaner), Vanish (a detergent powder) etc. Adding to the category we have online portals like, ‘BigAdda.com’, ‘Dekhona.com’ and many more to add up. This shows that, only the relevance of the message which brand holds for the consumer is important for the marketer.

Then there will be more Pharmaceuticals getting into the branding stream. Earlier limited to OTC medicines of general illness remedies, the segment will show an emergence of branding with the consumer becoming more aware and concerned about health issues. The recent aggressive communication of an offbeat brand like ‘ipill’ (i-pill is an emergency contraceptive pill which prevents unplanned pregnancy) is a signal of more socially significant pharmaceutical brands lining up in 2008.

Indians, choosing to create and emerge as successful Corporate Brands will be a very important & flourishing trend in 2008. More n more business players want to brand their categories as well as the group. They know the identity needs to be known to the consumer as it adds to the credibility & authenticity to the sub-brands of the business.

Last to the trends can be, Blog Branding, sounds a bit off-track but I think it has a way to go. Looking at the rate of increase in advertisements on the blogs, almost each online portal getting geared to publicize & have more bloggers on it is a sign towards blog branding. Some of the blogsites are already paying the bloggers for successful advertising on their pages. The phenomena if keeps on increasing at the same pace, might even lead to Branding of Blogs in the year to follow.

All this and more branding will bombard the average consumer with a number of choices and hence making their decisions difficult. At the same time, chasing the consumer and have more loyalists will be the challenge facing each marketer in 2008. So we as consumers can expect more catchy advertising, promotional offer warfare and reward programs in 2008.