Creating Brand Awareness the Google – Oops! The 'Gogola' way

The image in this post is one of the best I have come across in recent times, not for the quality or aesthetics but purely for the messaging and what it implies in terms of marketing and PR.

This is a street vendor from some city in India, who is trying to sell flavored ice sticks which are called ‘Golas’ in Hindi, and what you see in this image is his store or cart. The image stands out for how innovatively the vendor has used the Google homepage branding to market his ‘Golas’. It immediately catches your attention and you actually stop to read what he has to offer and probably even try it since it promises to be hygienic – a rarity when it comes to street side food in India. 

What is more interesting is to watch the kind of awareness Google enjoys as a brand. I say this because if a street vendor in India – who may not be aware of what Internet means or what power this medium enjoys is actually using Google branding to promote his goods.  It establishes Google’s superamacy as one of the most powerful and recognized brands of our times. 

I am sure, there is a more educated and well-informed mind working behind the man in this image, probably a young Entrepreneur who is trying to innovate the way this traditional street side delicacy is sold and marketed.

For Gogola it is mission accomplished – in a very simple and cost-effective way, Gogola has managed to capture eyeballs. Trust me I posted this pic on my facebook profile and many of my friends re-posted it on theirs…

Creating Brand Awareness.....

Is there a learning we can draw from this image when it comes to practicing Marketing and PR?

Below are few I could think of….

 Positioning differently

It pays to be innovative and thinking out of the box when it comes to positioning your brand. You could be part of an industry where you have 100 other competitors offering almost similar products or services, what will make you stand out in the crowd is your brand positioning.

Be creative and whacky, people are used to the simple and the appropriate, sometimes you just have to break the rules to stand out. Don’t take it too far to offend someone but THINK. Spend money on your creatives – ad copies, website, content, brochures etc. they should all follow the same theme and should effectively communicate your offering in a unique way. I am sure, when you thought of starting a business – you believed you had something different to offer – just ensure that difference shows through in the brand image you plan to create.  

 Brand your solution  

Whenever you think of a positioning for your brand, always think of offering a solution to an existing problem in the industry of your domain. Here, by positioning, I just don’t mean your advertisements, but any messaging you share with the outside world should focus on talking about the solution you offer. You could be offering a unique solution, you could be offering a different solution, simple solution, complex solution – it does not matter as long as you offer a solution.

People have enough problems and are most of the time seeking solutions – Google built its brand offering answers to most questions you may have. Gogola is using mineral water for its ‘Golas’ – a solution to the unhygienic and poor quality of water that is usually used in street side eateries across India.

 Tapping the right audience 

Another important aspect of building your brand is in identifying who your target audience is. Here Gogola has made it very clear – its target is the more affluent Indian population, who do not mind shelling more money for this traditional feast as long as its made hygienically, using good quality raw material. In addition, the vendor by using Google in his branding is identifying itself with a generation who is aware of Google, he is very clear about his clientele and has ensured only the target audience walks in for a ‘Gola’.

Hence it is very essential to keep your target audience in mind when planning your messaging and branding to ensure you reach out to only those who matter to your business.

 Riding on another known brand 

In this image the vendor is piggy banking on the popularity of Google. People stop to read his board because they think its Google’s advertisement in an unusual place, but in the end, they will remember Gogola because they are able to relate it to something they already knew and probably using everyday!

While it might appear cheesy to some, I think it makes perfect sense to do it if you can carry it off with élan. I think it’s a huge compliment for Google’s marketing team. Therefore, if you think there is a hot favorite subject, brand, persona, everyone is aware of and is talking about – use it to further your cause. Only ensure you do it in a creative manner and it is something you can relate your offering to (in this case the name was almost similar). However, use your discretion there is a very thin line between drawing inspiration and actual copyright/trademark infringement. If not done tastefully it can create negative implications.

 Using news to be in news 

Taking a cue from the previous point there is one more tactic you can use to get some good PR for your brand. Keep up to date with the happenings around you in your city, state, country or internationally. See how you can relate any of this to your product offering when pitching to journalists and bloggers, or when coming out with a press release. It gives your pitch or release additional news value. The 2008 recession was big news, all journalists were looking for different aspects of this great fall and anyone who raised a problem, or a solution for a recession hit economy got a hearing. There are many such events all round the year, some standard like around festival time, relating to such upcoming events or significant happenings will give you better visibility as you are talking in relation to something that’s already in NEWS!

Of course, if you manage to use any of these learnings for your brand….I am hoping, I will probably get to see some more such intriguing images and find some more food for further thought! 

Hope, Nobel and Public Relations!!!!

The burden of ‘Hope’

 

US President Barrack Obama receiving the Nobel Peace Prize could be termed as the most media savvy subject in recent times, second only to him becoming the 44th American President.  A lot has been written about, how Obama never deserved the Prize and was awarded the Nobel by virtue of – just not being George W Bush.

I do not consider myself a political expert to comment on wether Obama receiving  the Nobel and his acceptance was a good political move. However from a Public Relation prespective, I feel Obama accepting the award was one of the best PR moves…..

Obama’s entire presidential campaign was focussed around ‘Hope’.

In his inaugral address- he attributes his Presidential win to the US citizens who had chosen ‘Hope over fear….’

In fact his campaign and his speeches harped on ‘Hope’ so much that by the time he was elected not just US but the entire World was rooting for his victory.

I am sure it takes a lot to change the world, and probably it is resonable to give the US President some more time to prove himself before we actually go out and pass a judgement on his failure.

I have always believed that Obama’s Presidential campaign made one grave mistake from the beginning, while on one hand they made him out to be a human, by talking about his racial roots, his grandmother, his wife, his daughters etc. somewhere down the line they also made him look like the saviour, the only super hero who could save us from despair. A reason why not just US but the entire World has been waiting for something truly out of the World from Obama.

As a human, its often difficult to live upto such super human expectations because there is always room to fall short..

Obama is making the right noises, reaching out to the Muslim world, talking of Nuclear disarmament and is again giving ‘Hope’ to the people of this world that probably his head and heart are in the right place and all he needs is some more time and faith to set things right.

If Obama had refused to accept the Nobel Prize for Peace, it is a very different discussion we would be having today – “Oh, maybe US is planning to wage a war on …. soon.” Or “US is probably diverting its fund to increase its nuclear arsenal.” “ President Obama’s decision to refuse the Nobel Peace Prize shows that all his promises of working towards ’World Peace’ is a farce.”

Enemies of US might have taken this as a hint and might have overworked to read between the lines.

Most importantly the Americans themselves might have thought, that maybe Obama does not have confidence in himself and the promises he made to them.

Hence, accepting the Nobel Peace Prize with humility was the best thing Obama could have done to keep his ratings, keep International diplomacies intact, keeping anti-US elements at bay and also it made perrrrrfffect PR sense.

Critics might go on and on but what really matters in PR is what your target audience thinks and perceives of you…and with this one move Obama has ensured, his core target audience, the American people, other nations and anti-US elements are all probably debating over his Nobel win….but are at peace.

This might also act like a course correction for Obama in the long run, people will start thinking of him as human rather than a super hero (only super heroes say No to Nobel Prizes!) and expect more humanly changes from him….

I am sure, in his heart Obama knows he has not recieved the Nobel Prize for ‘Peace’ but ‘Hope’……

How to successfully use word of mouth marketing in a B2B set up

In my last post I had shared with you the importance of Word of mouth marketing and why it should be an integral part of every Company’s PR and marketing plan.

In this post I share with you some statistics to prove this. In a recent report by Nielsen Global Online Consumer survey of over 25,000 Internet consumers from 50 countries, it emerged that “Recommendations from personal acquaintances or opinions posted by consumers online are the most trusted forms of advertising. Ninety percent of consumers surveyed noted that they trust recommendations from people they know, while 70 percent trusted consumer opinions posted online.”

These results are quite significant as it reaffirms the power of Internet/online media and in particular the growing influence of social media. Today as marketers we are dealing with a more aware, informed and inquisitive consumer, who has several channels and mediums to seek information about a company, its products and the quality delivered, before making a purchase.

While WOMM is critical to any business, it is hard to generate, especially for B2B clients where the target audience is niche. In a B2C scenario, some success can be expected, by ensuring a quality product which caters to a significant need of the end consumers; by creating awareness and excitement for the product among the target group using various media channels; by listening to their suggestions and feedbacks and improvising on the products if required and foremost by keeping the channels of communication always open between the company and its end consumers.

In B2B since the stakes are higher, referrals are not easy to come by, also clients refer your services or products to other businesses if they themselves have tried, tested and are completely satisfied with your services over a period of time. In such cases the gestation period for generating leads through referrals can be a lengthy and uncertain process. Following some of the B2C procedures mentioned above might speed up the process and might ensure a more satisfied customer but may not result in a referral.

So how do you ensure that your customers in both B2C and B2B type of businesses give you referrals?

It is simple – incentivise their referrals! Combine a referral with a reward program, it could be discounts, it could be entering a sweepstake program, giveaways, any reward program that you can link to your product or service and your customers can benefit from.

Giving incentives for referrals – HELPS

By initiating such a marketing activity, you give your customers an added incentive to refer you, in the process ensuring both parties involved are happy.

When planning such a program ensure you are present in every medium which your end customer uses – these might vary for B2C and B2B companies.

The marketing and PR should be well planned and coordinated, so that you reach out to all your customers. For the time period the program is running, all your messaging should work towards promoting the program, on your website, on your ads, billboards, on your press releases, on social media forums, wherever you expect your customers to be.

It is only a matter of time before the technique starts finding you success!

Such programs are not new, have been tried and tested by several companies over the years, and have found success even offline.

I am sure most of you will remember the simple referral campaign run by the magazine Reader’s Digest. Fill in 14 addresses of people you know and win an interesting book in return. They would then reach out to your contacts with a personalized letter stating you thought your friend would like subscribing to Reader’s Digest. Simple but effective way of referral marketing and it did help the magazine to a great extent in becoming one of the most read magazines in the world, even though it was circulated only through subscriptions(not sold on stands), until some years ago. I have filled many such forms as a teenager in lure of the books and have seen many of my family and friends subscribing to the book….see I told you it always works

In a world where there are so many voices and opinions some times it helps to raise the stakes……..