CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS!!

Businesses have long sought to distract and attract the attention of potential customers that live in a world of ever-increasing commercial bombardment. 
Through this post i would like to throw some light on how the increasing number of endorsements throw a valid question to the consumers. Is there a science behind the choice of these endorsers or is it just by the popularity measurement? What are the reasons which lead to impact of celebrity endorsement on brands?


We all know that Celebrity endorsements are impelled by virtue of the following motives:

• Instant Brand Awareness and Recall.
• Celebrity values define, and refresh the brand image.
• Celebrities add new dimensions to the brand image.
• Instant credibility or aspiration PR coverage.
• Convincing clients.

Now, One of the valid questions is how compatible is the celebrity's personality with the overall Brand image?

It’s a well known fact that a celebrity is used to impart credibility and aspirational values to a brand, but the celebrity needs to match the product.

I would like to give you some examples of how marketers have not kept the above points in mind, which has adversely effected the image of the brand as well as the celebrities.

1.LOSS OF CREDIBILITY FACTOR

BIPASHA BASU first promoted HUL’s shampoo brand – Clinic All clear and then jumped to promote it’s rival P&G’s brand Panteen.

2.  PRODUCT CELERITY MISMATCH

Many see Amitabh Bachchan as a materialistic and overexposed actor who is not ready to sit on his laurels but works relentlessly to build a larger-than-life media image never seen or heard before in Bollywood.

Amitabh is endorsing everything - from pens to cars to hair oils to chocolates to paints.

Multi brand endorsements by the same celebrity would lead to overexposure: The novelty of a celebrity endorsement gets diluted if he does too many advertisements. This may be termed as commoditisation of celebrities, who are willing to endorse anything for big bucks.

Now can you connect Amitabh Bachan to a product like NEROLAC PAINTS Or NAVRATNA OIL or JUST DIAL for that matter???

Because of over exposure of a celeb people tend to remember the celeb but forget the brand.Now since Amitabh Bachan endorses 47 products and comes in every other ad, People are bound to get confused. for eg, if he endorses Nerolac Paints or Asian paints. The celeb overshadows or eats up the brand.

The point I want to put across is People don't buy Nerolac Paints only because it is endorsed by Amitabh Bachan..


Another example Sachin Tendulkar endorsing brands like CASTROL , UJALA!!

           


IT WAS FINE TILL HE ENDORSED SUNFEAST, BOOST, VISA, MRF AND BRITANNIA BUT FOR HEAVEN SAKE INDIA'S GREATEST CRICKETER ENDORSING A STAIN REMOVER DETERGENT????

Yet another example : MADHURI DIXIT ENDORSING A DISH WASHING LIQUID

TILL SHE ENDORSED COMFORT IT WAS FINE BUT THIS IS SOMETHING REALLY NOT EXPECTED FROM A STAR LIKE HER!! No doubt  Madhuri looked young and charming, but acting like a kamwali bai in an add?  

There are at least two key dissonances here :

• That MADHURI is endorsing a dish washing liquid - not something a star of her level generally does.
• That MADHURI plays a kaamwali bai - in other words, a Maid - a significant fall in status, especially to help sell something.

All the three celebs I mentioned above are my favorites. They are people who have inspired me and whom I adore and look up to.

But just to be in the limelight or to jump to the endorsement bandwagon how far is it justified and wise to do ads which do are inappropriate to their personalities..??

Also another important thing is does celebrity endorsement create a positive  impact on the brand image?

I learnt from my professor that in a survey conducted in a remote area, to compare the two brands, "FAIR AND LOVELY"  & "FAIR EVER", the interesting result found was as under;

 An ordinary girl with wheatish/ dark complexion does not connect herself with the brand "FAIR EVER"  or the celebrity endorsing the brand only because she feels "FAIR EVER" is only for a gal as beautiful and far as the celeb endorsing it, i.e. Asin

She could connect herself more with  "FAIR AND LOVELY" as it is not endorsed by any beautiful or glamorous celeb,

      

The fact to be emphasized is that celebrities alone do not guarantee success, as consumers nowadays understand advertising. They know what advertising is and how it works. People realize that celebrities are being paid a lot of money for endorsements and this knowledge makes them cynical about celebrity endorsements.

3D MOVIES - A DISASTROUS TREND!!

Remember the film Chota Chetan and with it India first experienced the thrill of 3D cinema..? How many of us had thought then, that soon every other movie in the theatres is going to be 3 Dimensional? That film makers are going to be so fascinated by the whole concept of 3D effects?

Two years ago James Cameron's Avatar created storm at the ticket window in India and more recently Vikram Bhatt's 3D horror film Haunted also became a huge hit. The recent trend of 3D movies is giving the filmmakers a reason to strike gold at the box-office.


According to me ,the way Avatar was presented in 3D was pretty cool, it was definitely better than if I were to have seen it in regular 2D.  The only 3D movie that I’ve ever liked and enjoyed is AVATAR. The experience felt was so real and that’s only because of James Cameron's Innovative New 3D Technology. He co-developed a new generation of stereoscopic cameras, which made the movie so spectacular and a massive hit! 

Simplified, this is the equivalent of two cameras strapped together, each providing a slightly different perspective on the scene, mimicking the way human eyes view the world in three dimensions.


However, I don’t undertand why most of the film-makers today are getting so negatively influenced about the whole 3D concept.  I mean most of the movies today are made in 2D and then converted to 3D, which is precisely why there are barely any 3D effects and the whole movie-watching experience becomes disgusting. 
I completely hate the idea of watching 3D film. I saw this movie called THOR. I could not stand those 3D glasses and the nauseous feeling. I removed the glasses. And I could see the images fairly clearly, which again goes to say that there was absolutely no need for the movie to have been made 3D. At first I was excited that it was working for me, but then I found myself feeling sick. Around 30 minutes in, my head started to hurt. A couple months later, I go to see the last Harry Potter and was really disappointed when they handed me those insipid glasses. I wish I'd paid attention and realised it was 3D before I went. I'd have saved my money.
The notion that we are asked to pay a premium to witness an inferior and inherently brain-confusing image is outrageous.


I like seeing special effects, but I definitely do not go to a movie just for special effects, I like to hear a good story. Sadly today,  some  movie makers  rely on the effects a lot more than creating a storyline. My message to such film makers is that  technology isn’t always good; it doesn’t always create a buzz!


While I was doing a small research on how 3D films are made and how the  recent trend of 3D has changed the face of cinema forever, I came across a forum where people like me, who are  sternly not for the whole idea of 3D.  This was what some people had to say,
“I don’t find it in any way relaxing. I have had migraine-style headaches from spending 15 minutes in a 3D cinema. Two hours of it could quite easily make you sick.”


“3 D movies are awful !!!! Quit making them!!!!! ”


Another person commented – “3-D is a waste of a perfectly good dimension. Hollywood's current crazy stampede toward it is suicidal. It adds nothing essential to the moviegoing experience. For some, it is an annoying distraction. For others, it creates nausea and headaches. It is driven largely to sell expensive projection equipment and add a $5 to $7.50 surcharge on already expensive movie tickets. Its image is noticeably darker than standard 2-D. It is unsuitable for grown-up films of any seriousness.”

Processing 3D Images Causes Brain Strain:
 A Northwestern University ophthalmology professor warns that a large segment of the population may develop a headache, nausea, convulsions, altered vision, light-headedness, dizziness, and involuntary movements such as eye or muscle twitching and cramps while watching 3D movies. This is due to the brain strain involved with processing the three dimensional images - the more an image jumps out at you, the more effort your brain must make to fuse the pictures together.  


Lastly I would like to leave on a note that because of Avatar,today, Hollywood, Bollywood, infact companies like Sony and Samsung too are going crazy over the idea to make more things 3D capable… My question is, is it wise to be all like “let’s make EVERYTHING in 3D ??”

WALK UR TALK !!

A couple of days back I had visited my cousin’s place and I found this Calendar by ICICI Bank, kept on my brother-in-law’s table. 

 

It is such a kind gesture of rewarding the customer by ICICI Bank, which not only talks “KHAYAL AAPKA”, but in every way walks the talk too!

Firstly, I must say, that the pains that they take to personalize the whole calendar and send it to all their valuable customers is remarkable!

 I have not seen any other bank doing something like this. This also goes to say that ICICI has a good MIS (Management Information System) and they manage and use the customer data efficiently.    

ICICI BANK NOT ONLY ADVOCATES THE BELOW MENTIONED POINTS BT DOES PRACTICES IT AS WELL!

• While for a new business it is vital to attract new clients, for mature companies it is more efficient in terms of costs to retain existing ones. 
• Remember that just one sale to a customer is not a satisfactory business strategy. 
• Follow up after every sale, because content customers who see that you care, can become more easily regular ones. 
• The best strategy for keeping your customers happy is to create an individualized relationship with them. Improve customer satisfaction by encouraging a constant contact between your company and your clients.
• Communication and bonding are important elements in winning your customers' loyalty.

TALKING ABOUT THE ADVERTISEMENTS OF ICICI BANK
I have always found the TVCs of ICICI very sweet and heart-warming, wherein every commercial conveys the message “How little things make a difference and how ICICI strives to provide a fulfilling experience not just in terms of their efficient banking services but also that the little extra care that they put into servicing their customers.” 


Remember that TVC of ICICI celebrating a customer’s birthday with a ladoo…? 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bchaVhyjV6k&feature=related

Another commercial where the communication strategy is that “Apart from your banking needs, we understand your human needs too.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBTzN20dQyM&feature=related

It is a well known fact that satisfied customers  are the best promoters for the company/brand. Not only are they happy to be associated with a company valuing their needs but they spread positive word of mouth as well.

TAKE AWAYS FOR BUSINESSES :

It is not enough to create customer, the tough job is to retain him, to ensure repeated purchases by him, and to maintain long term and quality relationship with him . This is especially more relevant today, when customers are bombarded with a plethora of products/brands/service offerings. 

Not only  Knowing the customer, Valuing the customer, Responding to his problem, Providing him better service is important today but creating something called “Customer Delight” is also very essential. Customer delight happens only when you offer something to your customer more than what he expected, creating customer touch-points and making a value addition to the service offering. 

The irony is that many companies today give over-importance to achieve the target-sales and to pool in as many customers as possible. They forget to train their employees abt CRM(Customer Relationship Mangt) and most importantly listening to the consumer queries and complaints. From my personal experience, TATA DOCOMO, and AIRTEL claim big not only about their service offerings but also about their customer care dept. In reality, the services and the customer care dept of these two telecom companies suck bigtime! Forget about solving a problem, they do not even respond! I am sure a lot of my friends will agree with me on this.!

So my message to such companies is just by bringing in attractive actors to promote or market your product/brand won’t do any good. Because customers today are smart and intelligent enough to know the difference between what’s right and what’s not. Also they understand what advertising is. There is no way a company can fool around with the customer. So don’t make false claims and promises which you cannot fulfill.

STAND BY WHAT YOU PROMISE TO OFFER! WALK UR TALK!!!

INDIA’S GROWING TECHNOLOGICAL CONNECTIVITY

Another very interesting article in the Business Line dated 7th November 2011

  that totally caught my attention was about Harnessing diffused creative knowledge.

Its about this book called “The India Idea: Heralding the era of path-breaking innovations” by L.K.Sharma, where he talks about how the interplay between society and technology has been intensified, each influencing the other, and how its full force is being felt in India.

Reminding us that satellites and mobile phones are providing education, expert advice, weather information and other critical information to farmers, fishermen, patients, and students, Sharma paints a reassuring picture of the Indian villager who once had to trudge miles to sell her farm produce at whatever price she got: “Today she gets the mandi price on the cell phone before setting out for the market, averting exploitation.” Likewise, “On a Village Resource Centre(VRC) computer, the farmer sees an image of his small plot taken by a remote-sensing satellite, gets to know its soil characteristics and a list of recommended crops.” Interesting isn’t it?

LIFE SAVING SMS

A chapter titled “Indian needs, Indian solutions” lists more than a dozen snippets, ranging from the streaming of moving images to villages, to the triggering of irrigation pump remotely by a mobile phone by Santosh Ostwal. In the context of recent cap on SMS, it should be interesting to learn that mobile phone msgs – generally derided for the signals of love sent by the young, advertising texts by the businesses and the effective use by activists – can also save lives, thus: “Veerampattinam, a fishing village near Puducherry, used to lose seven to eight ppl every year to the tidal waves. But since 1998 not a single life has been lost at sea. Now the fishermen know in advance when it is dangerous to go fishing.”

There is a also a snatch about Gautam Kumar, winner of the 2011 Technology Review Social Innovator award , for developing a fire alarm system/device, Suraksha, that consists of a sensor that smells gas(in case of cooking gas leakage) and sends SMS to five registered users.

R.A.Mashelkar’s piece on “Inclusive innovation” is all about MLM, more performance by using less resources for more people(rather than for more profit). Tata Nano you know, but ‘nano’ refrigerator, may come as a surprise to many! Developed by Godrej and Boyce, the ChotuKool is ‘world’s cheapest refrigerator with a $69 price tag’. The portable, top-opening unit weighs only 7.8kgs, uses high end insulation to stay cool for hours without power and consumes half the energy used by regular refrigerators. It does not uses a compressor but runs on a cooling chip and a fan similar to that used in computers.

WASH CYCLE

Another example of innovation showcased in the chapter is the pedal-driven rural washing machine that can work without electricity. Remya, a Kerala school girl, developed it bcos she had this incredible combination of constraints coupled with her inspirations. “Her father was down with cancer. Her mother was perennially ill. She had to change 3 buses to go to school, come home and do her studies. She created this washing machine, so that she could read, while the clothes were being washed, while she pedalled away.” 

Interesting to know how India’s growing connectivity is helping improve rural development. I would recommend all the readers of my blog to definitely read this book. If you can get ur hands on it, nothing like it! A celebration of innovation, which can leave you asking for more!!

THE PC READS IT IN UR EYES!!

 I happened to read this article called “OPENING THE THIRD EYE” in the Business Line dated 7th November 2011. The article is about how eye tracking is going to be the next step in controlling the gadgets after touchscreens and gesture recognition. Its a very well known fact that the pace at which technological advancements are happening is mind-boggling! 
Intuitive and direct control of computers is the new frontier of technology. Apple achieved a milestone step in the evolution of intuitive interfaces by developing the multitouch surface for its iPhone and iPad. Microsoft’s Kinect has sold millions of units and this is another approach that frees users from physical contact with a device. With the concept of eye tracking you might not need to control the computer with deliberate actions at all. Instead it will recognize where you are looking, understand what you want to do and react accordingly. 
A computer controlled by the eye will scroll down when you reach the end of the page while reading. It will offer definitions of the words or translations if your eye lingers on a particular word for sometime. You will get real eye contact with characters in 3D video games. Such levels of control are possible because of the way the eye functions. The eye has to focus on an object for at least 50 milliseconds to recognize what it is.

HOW IT WORKS

In order to grasp fixations, a webcam which is built into a notebook or a specialized camera accessory like the Microsoft Kinect has to emit an invisible infrared pattern that is reflected by the eyes. The eye tracker captures these reflections and analyzes them.

Eye control is not going to completely replace current input devices like mouse and keyboard, but add to them. For example, a user could control the mouse pointer with his eye, while his hands rests on a button and just clicks. That works very fast and reduces micro-movements of the arm muscles that often lead to shoulder and back problems.
The  researchers claim that eye tracking will add new life and realism to the businesses, entertainment and educational software. However, the million dollar question is that, with the hazardous heat transmission and high intensities of infra red light (with their wavelengths ranging from 700-1400 as defined by the International Commission on Illumination) causing damage to the skin and eyes, how far is this new technology going to do any good ?

EXTRAVAGANT PUBLICITY & OVERDOSE OF PROMOTIONS !!!

KING KHAN -Sharukh has certainly been a great disappointment for all his fans! He has put up a real poor show in his much anticipated film “RA-One”. 
Badshah of bollywood , which I definitely think he is not, has been  overdoin RA-1 promotions! The movie is supposed to be  the costliest  Bollywood venture,  but believe me, the script of the movie is unimaginative ,boring and extremely ridiculous! This  probably must be the most pathetic movie in the history of Indian Cinema! 

SRK ,THE RA-1 MANIAC:

The total marketing budget for the film is said to be in the range of Rs 40 crore, which includes Rs 15 crore for online promotions. Rs 14 crore had reportedly been earmarked for promotion on news channels a fortnight before release.

• He kicked off the promotions of Ra.One in January this year, when he unveiled the first look on his Twitter page.
•  The star followed this up with a 10-second trailer during the World Cup semi-final match between India and Australia. This was done almost 7 months prior to the film's release in October.
• Print ads had been booked in all leading publications, while 1,700 billboards will show SRK in his superhero gear
•  Google-YouTube launched a custom built movie channel for Ra.One, which hosted promotional video content and special extras for Ra.One premiere and red carpet events planned in London. 
• Shah Rukh Khan was also among one of the first Indian celebrities to be on the Google+ platform and engage his fans. 

Oh the marketing doesn’t stop with this, He has appeared on almost every channel and every serial possible!!   from  award show on star plus, to KBC , to Bigboss, to a dance show on channel v…the list seems to b never ending!! 

Taking all of dis into account what was only appreciable was that SRK leveraged the full potential of Digital marketing and social media.!

 

I mean guys!!! Just look at dis!!! For the amount of hype he had created, don’t u think he should have given us some good entertainment value too?  but the movie was nothing but crap! A total waste of time and money!!

  

MY VIEWS ABT RA-ONE !

The first ten minutes of the movie itself were so ridiculous that  i got really put off!! Interactive gaming? Superhero?  Hi-end graphics and special effects??? Nothing of these was working out!! Infact as every minute passed by I started  hating SRK more and more. Through out the movie what was running in my mind was that how much ever Sharukh ,or ANY actor in bollywood for that matter, tries to copy “RAJNIKANT” , he is going to get rite on his face! Rajnikant’s science fiction flick “ROBOT” was truly a spectacular movie and a massive hit!! There were so many wow factors in the film and we’ve  thoroughly enjoyed watching it! The aura of Rajnikant in itself is so powerful and positive and watching him in the film “ROBOT” was a complete visual treat!! The special effects of the film were mind-boggling. The movie has been one of its kind in Bollywood – also claimed to be the highest grossing Indian film of all time! In ROBOT, Rajinikanth saves Aishwarya Rai Bachchan from being assaulted in a running train by taking on more than a dozen odd goons. The most remarkable point of the entire extended sequence was Rajni running sideways on the train, something that was a first for the big screen. In RA.ONE too Shahrukh is seemingly suspended sideways on a moving train!

SRK clearly is trying to act as cool as Rajnikant! Bt guess SRK forgot that Rajnikant is unbeatable!! If there is any SUPER HERO , its one and only one- “RAJNIKANT”.!!

 

For the extravagant publicity and all the hype that he has created with the movie being slammed by the audience, this is how Sharukh Khan is being mocked at! Guess Sharukh really needs to be kkkkkkkareful next time before making any film and marketing it on the trot !!!