The Apple Syndrome

How many times have you seen a status update on FB of a friend owning the “new” iPad or the iPhone? Did you see the same for a friend owning the new Nokia? This is the Apple Syndrome. Let me explain a little…

The year was 1984. IBM ruled the (albeit very small) personal computing world. Anya Major ran towards a screen and hurled a hammer towards it – and the world was waiting for the new personal computer eagerly. Overnight, the Macintosh became the new personal computing device – though expensive and highly limited in terms of compatible software.


The year was 1998. The Macintosh had been a device-to-own but newer GUI and networking simplicity on the Windows PC had started to dent the desirability of the old warhorse. Jonathan Ive designed the new iMac and amidst large fanfare and anticipation, Steve Jobs launched it in his trademark style.

The world was now eagerly waiting for the new iMac. It had become a definition of style (ok also some substance). So anyone who owned an iMac worshipped it (and Apple). Those who did not, wanted to. How many users used, or even needed, the full capacity of the iMac is a question no one could ever answer because you just couldn’t question the decision to buy an iMac.

The year was 2001. Sony Walkman had given a new life to music – music on the move. Many imitations came up. Then was the time for portable CD players. And slowly USB players... And then Steve Jobs, again in his trademark style, launched the iPod. The iPod was the new music player in town. Ultra-expensive, but who cares, it is an iPod! If you see the quarterly sales of the iPod, with every ‘new launch’, the sales take a huge leap and then come back to the usual normal levels. But still, iPod is the music player you want to own...

Same story with the iPhone, iPad...

Every new anticipated launch is highly anticipated. Huge queues are seen at apple stores on the day of the launch. And how many users actually appreciate the purchase, well all of them – else why would they update it on FB!

Is it always the great product? To an extent, yes... But worth the hype? To a large extent, no... So what creates the hoopla around owning an Apple product that people feel the need to update it on their FB walls... And why does an iPad user, never get dissatisfied with the product? The question will be answered if you think a step further – would he update it on FB if he were dissatisfied with the product! Wouldn’t he look like a fool? One day he updates his wall as a proud owner of an iPad and the next day he is proven to be a douche when he updates his folly of making this most anticipated purchase without proper research into the product! So he never does... So on a public forum, you only find satisfied users – and that definitely creates positive publicity for the product leading to a higher sales of the product.

To summarise, the placebo effect in marketing is what I call the Apple Syndrome – the inability to deride a product in public just because it was a highly anticipated product which the customer was very proud to possess – and not because it was necessarily a great product – but because he owned something others didn’t!

P.S: The latest 'product' to demonstrate the Apple Syndrome - The Dark Knight Rises! You just wont find a negative comment on social pages...

Confessions on an online shopaholic…

Full Disclosure: I’m an ‘online shopaholic’

It was a Friday evening and I had just received my salary in my account. While I logged in to check if it reflected in my account, I decided I should check my mails meanwhile…. And the first mail there – Deal of the Day from Tradus.in – Brilliant specs and an even better deal on a pair of USB speakers. God, it was even branded Logitech, definitely a good name in the sound world. Did it even matter that I listened to music once in a month – and that too on Sony Mix? But damn, this deal was too tempting… And the rest, as they say, is history. The head of my bed is now adorned with two beautiful black speakers – which are perfectly and uniformly covered in grey – the grey of dust…

I used to read a lot once. Books were indeed my good companions in those journeys and after hours of the nights I ‘studied’ late. I loved collecting books – and, what is more, I read them too. And then I joined Engineering. Gaming took over reading. And thus I started loving collecting PC games – original and pirated. I forgot all about reading – 12 hours of a normal day were spent in gaming and around 6-8 more in Sitcoms and Movies – all on PC.

So when I saw this Flipkart.com, the love for books suddenly found voice, again. And lo, I found myself ordering 6-7 new books every month. There was one major difference though – I didn’t have the time to read them. But when has a bibliomaniac cared about reading books – it’s far more important for him to have a book than have read it too. So the window sill was now full of books. Colourful and diverse. Religion and History. Fiction and Self-Help. Comic books and Classics. Hard-bound multi volume box sets and short stories. But how many did I read, well, lets not make me too guilty of being a spendthrift…

And then, when I realized I had too many books, gaming took over. Got myself a spare keyboard and a wireless Bluetooth mouse. Bought three PC games. Even almost bought myself a PS3…! And all those still lie in my cupboard untouched.

Thought, wouldn’t it be good if I had a decent binoculars in my travels to all these exotic places. Got myself one. That turned out to be a damp squib – but who said anything about stopping… Got myself a better one – and all online without even getting a feel of it.

My phone was purchased online, after scouring 12 different websites which carried the similar phone – all for the best bargain – in this case, Rs. 1000… And of course when I was buying a phone, the screen guard and Bluetooth came along – so that was purchased additionally…

I wouldn’t lie, I have spent many an hours of my weekend surfing the net looking for “better deals” on things I didn’t need in the first place! And trust me when I say this, there is no better place to window shop that the online world. You not only see the different designs and models but also the best prices…

I’ve heard people (let’s not be sexist here) say that retail therapy is the cure for acute and severe depression. For an online shopaholic, a reluctant one like me, it sure is not...

The Marketing Coup...

While CNN-IBN debated the imaginary (or IE would like to believe otherwise) coup, there has been a coup going on for years - the Marketing Coup... Would I be right when I say that the Indian male has been left hapless and proven to be extremely vulnerable to marketing attacks? I'll just prove my point below...

All of six years ago, all my closet had in the name of “Personal Grooming” was a small kit which contained a Head & Shoulders shampoo, an Old Spice Deo, a safety razor (the legendary ‘Red’ Vector Plus), a shaving brush and a Palmolive Shaving Cream (with 30% extra).

Then, about two years later, when I had got my first job (though I didn’t join is a different matter), I bought myself a Mach-3 – it had three blades as against my twin-blade Vector!!! I also added a Davidoff Cool Water though with extreme caution and reluctance. Little else changed.

Then, after I had got my first salary (just the internship, mind you), I bought myself an aftershave liquid – of course it was the age-old white bottle in a red pack – Old Spice – the music and the visual of that man surfing the waves was far too enticing for me to save my hard-earned money - and of course, Old Spice was the "Mark of a Man"...

All this while, it was just the bare-boned shaving accessories, a shampoo (the variant did not matter), a Deo for daily use and the perfume for those special occasions...

But a devil – some called it being ‘metro-sexual’ – was waiting in the closet – quite literally... And I didn’t quite stand a chance against the armies of multinationals wielding the new-age weapons of marketing...

Soon, a new Deo, this time a Lomani was added. I felt I needed a change sometimes from my strong Old Spice... And the barriers of self-control were broken...

Within no time, the Mach-3 got converted to the more expensive Mach-3 Turbo! I added another after shave splash – this time with the international flavour of Gillette. Later, when Gillette launched the after-shave lotion worth Rs.399 – I felt compelled to purchase that too – that it has the efficacy it promises is another matter but 399...!!! Suddenly, the 399 felt like worth it where just two months I didn’t even feel the need for it!

One day, suddenly feeling the urge, I decided to Google the best shave... and alas all my myths were shattered... Where I had thought my usual soap to be good enough for my face, I realised I needed a scrub before the shave “For Best Results”... And that was another Rs.199 down for the new Gillette Scrub... Suddenly exfoliation was as important as splashing water!! And of course, the shaving cream had to go... It was going to be Series Gel (and later Fusion Gel).

Then I discovered my favourite H&S had variants for different types of hair...!!! All this while, there were only two kinds I knew of – Washed and unwashed. So after some self-rationalising, I decided I had dry hair – and thus I needed a shampoo with higher quantity of conditioner – so the Smooth and Silky variant was added. Of course, for freshness, the Cool Menthol continued... And one day, my sister introduced me to the world of conditioners that were to be used after shampoo – and she convinced me to buy a Dove conditioner! Alas, soon I discovered that normal conditioners negated the anti-dandruff effects of the shampoo – I had to buy an H&S conditioner now! So now my closet has a Cool Menthol for those usual days, a Smooth & Silky for those days when I’ve been exposed to lot of dust and grime – and of course the latest addition – the S&S conditioner...

While all these years, I never had flaking skin (or did I not notice it). On further consultation (with my expert sister again), I was told I need a moisturiser for my face and limbs... So a moisturiser for the face and a different one for the limbs got added... And of course, my sister wouldn’t have anything to do with me telling that I didn’t need a sunscreen... One with SPF 15 it was, as apparently SPF 15-24 is recommended for daily use for my kind of field job!! Where, I was unaware of the term “SPF”, I was now using one...!!!

And suddenly one day, soap appears to be too “drying” on the skin – and hence a body wash suddenly finds its space on my shelf...

I’ve till now curbed my desire (or is it a need) to purchase the Olay for Men or the Garnier Men products – but I never know how long I’ll hold myself...

And now I wonder, has human skin (mine) changed so much in 6 years that where none of this was required or should I say in marketing parlance – needed – or more specific – “felt the need for” – suddenly the market is swelling with “beauty and grooming” products for men...!

Or the truth, Men just too gullible for the directed marketing activities of the multinationals and susceptible to the pressure of the kin (usually female) to “look and feel” better...

Damn, all this typing must have scarred my fingertips – I’m sure a new product is on the way...

I Think Therefore I'm.... Single :)

Disclaimer: The following piece of literature is a satire and an attempted application of MBA concepts to real-world. The author is not responsible for feuds resulting or arising out of the text though he would be interested in knowing about them ;)
Disclaimer 2: The analysis is believed to be gender independent and universally applicable :)
The ‘product’: Depending on the consumer characteristics, the product can be high involvement product or a low involvement product. It may not be generalised but the product’s use as FMCG is not socially desirable. Thus, for the purpose of simplification of analysis, we shall assume the product is a high-involvement product and is intended to be used as a consumer durable. The product has a high-maintenance cost associated but the perceived lifetime value is higher than the costs involved. Thus, the product has a high aspirational value.
The ‘purchase’: The purchase decision is generally non-impulse though the primary point of contact with the product has a high impact on the final purchase. The purchase can involve extended information search. Alternative evaluation, though, is restricted, often by the terms and conditions mentioned by the product. To meet the alternative evaluation requirements the consumer often observes flanking brands to be satisfied of the genuine advantages of the evoked set. General consumers like to try the product before deciding the purchase. Only surrogate attributes are used for evaluation during trial. The trial period can involve high monetary, emotional and temporal costs. Elimination-by-aspects is the general rule used for final decision. Sometimes, consumers do trade-off important attributes for the less important ones and thus actually use compensatory decision rule in conjunction with elimination-by-aspects. In many cases, the product is deemed faulty and discarded without any damages sought. Packaging has a high impact on the purchase decision. The consumer seeks out the product and hence the place dimension of the product mix is insignificant at the point of contact. However, for all further decisions, proximity is a highly desirable trait. Group impact on decision-making is very high and co-branding strategies are often successful.
Post-Purchase: Post-purchase dissonance is often delayed and not instantaneous. Display of post-purchase dissonance is restricted. Consumption guilt is often absent. Disposability of the product is very low. Hence, in cases where post-purchase dissonance or consumption guilt exists, the product is put to a no-use state before being slowly discarded. The duration of the no-use phase before disposal (and replacement) is highly dependent on attribution. Depending on the individual consumer, the product may sometimes be replaced immediately with a new one but more often than not, the second purchase is characterised by a prolonged period of analysis of previous use, and an in-depth study of the consideration set elements for making the second purchase.
MMM
P.S.: Go Ahead, Guess the product :)
Disclaimer 3: The author has limited knowledge of the product. The analysis performed is based on secondary data.
Credits shared by: @ng, Kutti

Did Nokia borrow my idea???

“Business leaders do not spring from a classroom, they are born of THE COLOSSEUM.”

Thus says my T-shirt. Are ideas also born of THE COLOSSEUM? They sure seem to...

I had talked about how Nokia publicised its N97 through the B-School competition, THE COLOSSEUM some months back. But now that I think of it, it was not just publicity. The event was really a cradle of ideas – ideas that Nokia could use for not just N97 but also its other future products.

Think of it... The event was participated in by the most brilliant minds of the country. The suggestions came out after a detailed market analysis and touch-point study of the target consumers. What came out of the competition had to be top-notch. All that would be required after these ideas were generated would be communication of these ideas to few creative people who would then look for consumer target icons and use them to create super brands.

With an industry which keeps changing so fast, it really can be expensive to hire a top-notch ad agency to create advertising and marketing campaigns month after month. It would be very expensive to hire consultants for brand positioning and value propositioning. Going to B-Schools thus becomes an easy source of innovation (in terms of promotion strategies and not products). With the technology backing, all a marketing giant needs to do is float such competitions in the best B-Schools and the best design schools. One such competition would give them enough fodder to feed a few of their future products. At cost that would not even equal a single product launch, it sure is a very beneficial form of outsourcing.

PP

P.S. Case in point: My introduction to the idea was this (not same but similar to Nokia 7610's "Its not just a phone, Its who we are."):

"My first phone was a Nokia 3310. It solved my communication needs. Then I bought a Nokia 6360. Not just did it solve my communication needs but connected me to real-life through its colours. Then I bought a Nokia 6670. That connected me to my computer and I could read documents and listen to music. Then I bought an NGage. That kept me connected to my first love – games. Then I purchased a N72 – which with GPRS, Good Music, FM radio, Camera and decent video – changed the whole concept of a phone. I was now connected to the whole world. But my world was limited by the capacity of the phone. Then came the N95 which with its huge memory ensured I had a bigger repository of songs than I could ever listen to in one sitting, that stayed connected to my memories through the images and videos I could store. What next? Has Nokia transcended all boundaries and connected me to everything I ever wanted to be connected to? Now I need something that not just connects me to the world but is also an extension of myself. Thus it is not a phone but my virtual self."

Our Team: Karan, Angshu, Me

And Finally... The end of an era...

Was just bored and saw the TVC of Nirma. A search on youtube finally gave me the link.. (its not easy to find)
But, finally – the TVC that defined jingles and brand association has been replaced its new high-tech version. The new TVC is colourful and is a huge shift from the whiteness platform that the earlier ad positioned itself on. This ad is replete with colours and flowing clothes probably depicting the quality of the fabric. Dunno what the underwater nature of this ad symbolises though... any suggestions?

The New Commercial

Whatever, I like the ad – though I miss the old jingle... Who can forget the evergreen line from the commercial

Hema, Rekha, Jaya aur Sushma... Sabki Pasand Nirma. Washing powder Nirma

MAXImum Sales Experience...

Another first...

It’s the oldest marketing research fair in India (or the world, I’m not so sure) and requires people to participate for its very existence. And for us to know that people are participating, we need to sell tickets to required people of specific socio-economic class... Now this is no easy task for reasons more than one... Why would anyone pay to be a part of a marketing research, ain’t it being treated like a guinea-pig!!! It’s a Sunday and there are a million other interesting things you could do. It is in one corner of the city which is hardly visited, let alone frequented, by anyone. What is in it for me, a small gift which I could surely do without!!! There is no celebrity endorsing... it’s just another small fest that students have to amuse themselves for a weekend. Its MBA students, the fair must also be for students, in short, I’ll just be the cliche square peg in the round hole.

Convincing them takes a lot of effort... Many cases we gotta tell them it’s not what they think it is. In many other cases, you gotta tell them it’s more than they think it is... In short, market the fair in its grandest form... create impressions that you want them to have; In some cases, correct the correct impression they have to the one you want them to have.

Anyways, what can be termed a not-so-good-not-so-bad type sale, we were able to sell 26 tickets in the specified SEC. Must I add, in a large measure, thanks to my (outspoken) good (looking) partner who used all the prior experience of door-to-door selling into today’s sales... ;)

PP

P.S.: BTW my partner must have been pretty confused today... one lady saw a kid while a gentleman got offended when his wife was referred as ‘aunty’ remarking, "She is not as elder to you".

Ambushed...

I always wondered, "Why do companies go to B-Schools and release competitions which cost them large chunks of money and time?" I got my answer yday...

It was the break after the second term I was SACked one day. Nokia had a event Coliseum and selected B-Schools were invited to create a publicity concept and build thereon. The stage one involved building and briefly communicating the concept. As is so very usual, dint start working on it till the last day!!! Then a brief stroke of the creative genius in me appeared and we got the concept. My teammates (must say, much more capable in the field than me) developed the concept into a full-fledged opportunity for an advt.

Then started the work and I realised what the Bollywood missed, XL gained ;) One guy who Rocks On, balances Baddy, his Hep Job and the beautiful partner... He’s surely no less than a hero!!! None of us were accomplished in the area of video recording or editing, nevertheless we set on the mission of making an ad, however good or bad... It turned to be a very crude video with little or no editing (due to shortage of time). However, upto here was very routine and expected...

Then I uploaded the video after some techie stuff... Within the first 1 hour, the video had been seen 30+ times... Out of curiousity I checked wat others had done... And to my surprise, at least some 30-40 videos in the past hour were uploaded which concerned the Nokia N97!!! Ambush marketing at its best... Using B-Schoolers to run campaigns on youtube without letting them knw tht we were actually being used as the advt channel, also free of cost. Also, this ensured that N97 was shown and will be, in the coming few weeks to the perfect target segment – the young rich who have lots of income to spend... the ones who will graduate out of these famous B-Schools and immediately look to buying their first phone bought with their own money. A few of the videos I saw were actually brilliant (both concept and execution) and wud give the pros a run for their money. All-in-All, a very good marketing strategy by Nokia to give itself a very good pre-launch publicity...

My Video: Good Concept but not so good editing... obviously nokia, with all its professional setup, should be able to better it... We call the concept (click on the link to see the video):

Your Virtual Self