I am scared. I am frustrated. I am angry.
Not at the beef eaters (& non-eaters) or the self proclaimed godmen. The quota-seeking mob doesn’t bother me either. What bothers me is in the past 1 year I haven’t eaten peacefully, I haven’t driven peacefully and I haven’t surfed Internet peacefully.Â
Wherever I go, ‘brands’ follow. The advertising gurus and the media sales experts have taken to this tagline, a tad too seriously. Or they think the end consumer i.e. me or you, is desperately waiting to hear that sexy female voice selling a deodorant or a pack of condoms.
Today I am scared to switch on the tv, radio or my mobile phone thinking someone somewhere is tracking me. It’s a ghost. A modern day version of it, of course. My frustration is all too genuine, because in the past 1 month, and trust me I have tracked it, I haven’t eaten a meal peacefully. Half my concentration goes in flipping channels, hoping some channel would be showing what it is supposed to!
And when the maddening Delhi traffic has done its bit to frustrate me, I have to distract myself from that gentlemen trying to sell a flat for Rs.9999 or an app that promises to make me more lethargic by delivering my groceries at home. If you didn’t guess it, I am talking about the radio channels, which in the good old days used to play music.
Question the industry gurus and veterans of the trade, and the reply would be botched with some technical jargons and some statistics that prove my rant to be baseless. However, I can foresee, very soon, a candle light vigil against the advertising floods in this country.
India and Brands
We as a nation are evolving, so to say. Take note:
Modi Ji wants us to be a Digital India, but still travels with a cavalcade to US to talk about it?
We are spending crores on an advertisement that talks about Digital India and inspires to make us digitally educated. But somewhere a policeman is forcefully stripping a family naked and we are all sharing it on social media.
A brand wants to change the way the world communicates. But doesn’t want to pay taxes.
While many would agree to disagree on the connection between what I am saying and what I want to say, all I am trying to put forth is, I am tired. Are we a nation of dumb followers or intelligent influencers, I cannot place. Do the owners of different media and brands realize that too much information can sometimes lead to nothing but us leading a healthier lifestyle. How? I leave for you to imagine.
Connecting with the consumer
I would like the brands to believe I am an intelligent consumer. Hence going on and on about one product, on all the possible mediums wont make me buy it. Unless, there is a need. For a need to be generated, there has to be usability. And for the usability I need to evolve as a consumer.
Hence in this cycle of life, I urge the brands to think harder. I request them to help the user evolve.
Blindly following the herd and bombarding us with advertisements is not what we are seeking. If you have money to spare, use it wisely. Do what brands are doing internationally. Innovate! No matter how over-abused this term is, I still feel brands somewhere need to reevaluate there plans to reach out to the consumer.
Hope is where the heart is
When a giant wrestler like Khali is featured in a cement advt. That’s engaging. That’s innovative.
When a grandmother is shown living life to the fullest. That’s inspiring.
When a shopkeeper leaves the lights switched on to make a woman feel secure, is when a brand has connected with the audience.
The point being, feel the consumer’s emotion. Evaluate your brand’s strengths. And most important, don’t overuse the mediums. Let the consumer talk about your brand, rather than you talking about it.
