Showing posts with label Branding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Branding. Show all posts
It's that time again when we take stock of what
happened throughout the past year in the world of television ads.In any
field there are those who deserve special mention for their exemplary
accomplishments while others lets just say their work betrays them.I'm
overjoyed since I Wrote about Emotional Marketing
it has already started gaining a foothold on the Kenyan scene as
evidenced by the past year's ads.They might not be the best yet but
it's a good start nonetheless.Here goes my best three and worst three.
#1.Twende Game
In an effort to get folks back to the stadiums and raise the profile of local games super stars from the yester years from both football and rugby were used during the shooting of the ads .They narrated their stories with nostalgia of how the stadiums used to be filled back then and how we can make it happen again.They preyed on the patriotic emotions of Kenyans.They make you feel guilty of watching the English premier league.It worked and the stadiums now record better turn outs of fans for games.
#2 Faiba
2014 was a phenomenal year for the faiba bug that bit every one and had people forget that Zuku exists for a moment.The animation and the concept behind it was spot on.The ease with which the audience could relate to the ad and the the timeless humour in it still sends people into fits of laughter.Fat Boy Animations out did themselves on that one.It's going to take a while before we forget this one.
#3 Safaricom Sevens Circuit
The build up to the safaricom sevens was preceded by the sevens circuit where each leg was highly hyped with ads.The ads featured fans urging the rest of the people to join them at the respective venues to support local talent as well as have fun.Safaricom as we all know invests heavily on their advertising and this paid off as evidenced by the many fans headed to the host hosts of the different legs.
It's my unsolicited opinion that the first victims of the contentious security bill should be those intellectual terrorists who hold millions of Kenyans hostage and then bombard them mercilessly with stupendous TV adverts.These adverts leave permanent mental scars.The brains or lack of behind the following ads should report to the nearest police station and hand themselves over before the public executes a citizens arrest.
#1.Amaco Insurance
- These guys came to the ad party too late.Musical ads are out of
style.The last guys who pulled it off successfully were safaricom
/Safaricon (depends on who you ask).This is the era of emotional
marketing.If you can't connect emotionally with your audience you're
better off engaging in some CSR project.Leave the singing to choirs.
#2.Ken Sauce - Its about time these agency guys stopped insulting the intelligence of Kenyans.Some things are not fathomable.A clear cut line between reality and fiction needs to be drawn.I get the implied humour bit but seriously who would fight for tomato sauce.If I was confronted by a bunch of thugs who want my tomato sauce I'd buy them a box.Resisting is just plain silly.
#3.Aromat - This will raise eyebrows considering it won an award at the 2014 OLX social media awards.I don't know who's crazier the creatives or the guys who voted for them.That the advert created quite a buzz is not in contention.It however didn't tag at the emotional heart strings of audiences. It was infamous with concerned parents who had an issue with use of the word 'Jinga' which they felt children would add to the growing list of their vocabulary. I forgot about the ad after two weeks.I still use aromat though but not because of the ad.
Which Kenyan Ads stood out for you ?
END
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#1.Twende Game
In an effort to get folks back to the stadiums and raise the profile of local games super stars from the yester years from both football and rugby were used during the shooting of the ads .They narrated their stories with nostalgia of how the stadiums used to be filled back then and how we can make it happen again.They preyed on the patriotic emotions of Kenyans.They make you feel guilty of watching the English premier league.It worked and the stadiums now record better turn outs of fans for games.
#2 Faiba
2014 was a phenomenal year for the faiba bug that bit every one and had people forget that Zuku exists for a moment.The animation and the concept behind it was spot on.The ease with which the audience could relate to the ad and the the timeless humour in it still sends people into fits of laughter.Fat Boy Animations out did themselves on that one.It's going to take a while before we forget this one.
#3 Safaricom Sevens Circuit
The build up to the safaricom sevens was preceded by the sevens circuit where each leg was highly hyped with ads.The ads featured fans urging the rest of the people to join them at the respective venues to support local talent as well as have fun.Safaricom as we all know invests heavily on their advertising and this paid off as evidenced by the many fans headed to the host hosts of the different legs.
It's my unsolicited opinion that the first victims of the contentious security bill should be those intellectual terrorists who hold millions of Kenyans hostage and then bombard them mercilessly with stupendous TV adverts.These adverts leave permanent mental scars.The brains or lack of behind the following ads should report to the nearest police station and hand themselves over before the public executes a citizens arrest.
#2.Ken Sauce - Its about time these agency guys stopped insulting the intelligence of Kenyans.Some things are not fathomable.A clear cut line between reality and fiction needs to be drawn.I get the implied humour bit but seriously who would fight for tomato sauce.If I was confronted by a bunch of thugs who want my tomato sauce I'd buy them a box.Resisting is just plain silly.
#3.Aromat - This will raise eyebrows considering it won an award at the 2014 OLX social media awards.I don't know who's crazier the creatives or the guys who voted for them.That the advert created quite a buzz is not in contention.It however didn't tag at the emotional heart strings of audiences. It was infamous with concerned parents who had an issue with use of the word 'Jinga' which they felt children would add to the growing list of their vocabulary. I forgot about the ad after two weeks.I still use aromat though but not because of the ad.
Which Kenyan Ads stood out for you ?
END
If you would like to read my regular posts then please Subscribe and feel free to connect via Twitter and Facebook.
Here are other recent articles I've written ;
The guy who came up with the idea of painting the above hotel with a diaper ad deserves a high five... on the face.Any person, in their right mind of course will tell you there's something wrong with the picture above.I still recall vividly my marketing communications class (When I wasn't busy measuring the speed of projectiles) at the university of Nairobi taught by one Dr Mutugu.I remember him telling us that there's a reason why hospitals are not painted black.This is because the color black is mostly associated with death and mourning hence most patients would not fancy their chances of getting well in such a hospital.
Back to the hotel ,even if the paint is free why on earth would you allow anyone to paint a picture of diapers unless your actually serving crap( pun intended)on a sad note though this scenario is replicated across the country in villages ,towns and cities.Large corporations prey on desperate or ignorant business owners whose premises are in dire need of a facelift at a minimum or no cost at all.
The whole aspect of brand association has not sank in yet or some are not aware at all.Me thinks marketing should be included in the school curriculum to spare us some blushes.
One of the best re branding strategies I have seen this year has to be Peter Mulei and Sons supermarket to Mulleys supermarket.It's has still retained the native pronunciation but it now now has a national and global feel in a country where your name betrays you.
P.S The premises at the top has since been repainted since the photo started started doing rounds on social media.
One of the best re branding strategies I have seen this year has to be Peter Mulei and Sons supermarket to Mulleys supermarket.It's has still retained the native pronunciation but it now now has a national and global feel in a country where your name betrays you. P.S The premises at the top has since been repainted since the photo started started doing rounds on social media.
In all the years I have been in this marketing field (I can count them on one hand) some things have stood out as guarantors of success in the different ad campaigns run by firms.They can be summed up in the quotes of these great gentlemen whose company I keep and draw my inspiration from.It's my dream that Kenyan ads will be able to reach the advertising heaven graced by firms like Coca cola,Guinness and the rest.One ad at a time of course.
#1)
There is no simpler truth than this.A satisfied customer is way better than a 30 second commercial ad.By the time a customer is recommending your brand to others.It means you have won them over and they've accepted your brand as part of their lives and people share what they like with friends and family.It's also free.
#2)
It's not about what you say but how you say it. This is where emotional marketing comes into play.If you don't know the emotional stimuli that your audience responds to then your message will disappear into thin air like the Malaysian plane.
#3)
Most firms in their quest to stand out from the clutter end up coming up with complex ads that audiences grapple to understand.Simplicity still remains the key to great ads.Creativity however is not an option it's a MUST.
#4)
I am yet to come across any business fueled by consumer purchases that doesn't want recognition.Depending on the kind of business you do, you need to be recognized unless you deal with narcotics then that will lead the boys in blue straight to you.You have to use all the available means at your disposal to get recognition.Those guys at the accounts department who think advertising is an expense need to be straightened up too.
#5)
You can hire the best creatives in the world to do your ads but if you can't put your money where your mouth is then its as pointless as beer at an AA meeting.Your product should meet and exceed the consumers expectations on whatever selling point you have going on.
That is all for now.Over to you Firms
(image sources:web)
(image sources:web)
Every time I walk around and see ads I can't help but grin and shake my head .The good ones get a nod of appreciation while others lead me to the conclusion that those who paid to have them put up must have been under a spell,like those ones that make make people eat grass.When I wasn't busy skipping classes to attend rugby training or brokering deals on electronics with leaving fourth years,I managed to learn some vital marketing lessons.Of all the marketing tricks /gimmicks employed by firms to lure customers and increase their market share the most sound and sustainable strategy has always been channel management.All the others namely, price reduction,product development and numerous promotions can easily be copied by competitors.Ensuring that you have an efficient channel takes years to build.It is based on Relationships.This has been the case with safaricom and equity bank.
After numerous call rate battles that have seen YU mobile recently throw in the towel,Orange went back to the drawing board and came back with a great plan.They realized that it will take them a long time to reach where Safaricom is .They decided if you can't have one line you can have both thanks to the dual sim phones.The logic behind it is that you don't need to change your line from safaricom to orange in order to enjoy cheap calling rates you just buy an orange line and keep your safaricom one.This has reduced the decision making process for customers who were being forced to choose between the two.With a dual sim phone you can be able to enjoy cheap calling rates to other networks from your orange line.Great move Orange.
The picture above illustrates what an ideal advert should be like for any firm's brand.It's not enough for consumers to pick you out of from competitor brands whenever they are out shopping because of price cuts, which in the long run will diminish your brand value as well.Your goal is achieved when consumers believe you are the only one with the solution to their problems.Most firms, me thinks are obsessed with the sales they forget the role branding plays in the achievement of meeting quotas and targets .The ads doing rounds on TV some at prime time paint a picture of analog marketing tactics.They are too cliche.The ad starts with the product straight away.This product does this blah blah blah(at this point am almost puking)it's hard to convince anyone that your product is the best when your competitor also runs a similar ad.The consumers are left more confused and you can't guarantee loyalty.Times have changed so should a firm's marketing strategy.Consumers are now smarter and more sophisticated than they were five years ago,blame it on globalization if you may.They now have a wide array of options to choose from.The internet has made it possible to order merchandise from abroad and have it delivered right at your doorstep.Firms are seeking not only to get the attention of consumers but to keep it.So what's the trick to get them hooked on your brand??
The missing link is just Emotional Marketing.Emotional marketing starts with a feeling and then the product demonstrates that feeling.An ad should start with a customers emotional priority not the firms agenda .The product then becomes a means to an end.Take a look at the current ads being done by Coca cola and Guinness and it suddenly hits you that at no point in the advert do they talk about their product .For instance the coke ad is promoting kindness and when people go around doing random acts of kindness they just happen to be sipping on a coke.People now will associate coke with kindness and joy, this forges a much more lasting bond with their clients.They don't feel like its being forced on them(see ad here)The Guinness ad focuses on making a name for oneself in the different fields of expertise.At the end of the day all these people meet at a pub and share a Guinness which is a big name too( see ad here)The most memorable line in the ad that i cant seem to forget is "A man's name finds meaning not in what he says but in what he does."
What firms need to do is research more on what makes consumers tick and get in touch with consumers feelings.If they are going to be interrupting our shows with ads, then they better be worth it.
(image sources:web)
"More can be told
about a nation from its
advertisements than from any other aspect of its high or popular culture what we think of ourselves is one matter which stimuli
we respond to gives a much truer
index of our motivations ,desires and
the kind of magic we believe in."These words penned over 49 years ago by renowned Chicago journalist Sydney Jay Harris
certainly ring true today. A closer scrutiny at adverts which are doing
rounds today juxtaposed against those of
a few years back will reveal to you the true state of the nation.Growing up sex
appeal was limited to ads that promoted
contraceptives.Today it's a different story,Sex Appeal has now taken the driver’s seat.This is a clear indication that Kenyan marketers have not been asleep on the job.They
have noted the trend and adapted swiftly.Much of this can be credited to the the
internet which has made the globe
seem like one neighborhood.
Sex Appeal marketing was a
preserve of the western countries which are perceived as more liberal.Kenya and Africa
at large for a long time were shielded from these tactics by the conservative African culture.However this has since
changed, just tune in to the local radio stations and there you will find the
stimuli to which Kenyans are overwhelmingly responding to.Some adverts have
taken the sex appeal overboard in my opinion from the subtle sexual overtones to outright a case
in point is the radio ad of a
deodorant by a multinational company
which leaves no room for speculation as
to the impression they want to make.
(image sources:web)
