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As fantasy takes a backseat, marketers need to rethink how to use reality to communicate the brand promise to consumers
In a world where even virtual is offering reality, I couldn't help but notice that we are getting more and more real in our everyday lives.
Let's look at some examples. I read about this website, not long back, which offers virtual tours for travel enthusiasts who couldn't afford a real tour, thanks to the recession. Then, there is the new, popular game, 'Farmville', which helps you get back to the basics.
While we continue the age old debate of whether media is a reflection of our lives or vice versa, it can't be denied that we are getting more real in our lives. It seems to be pervading our consciousness, whether it is in our relation to each other, or to the things that we consume. The advent of more and more popular reality shows is an example of this. A show such as Moment of Truth, and its Indian avatar, Sach ka Samna epitomize reality as entertainment now.
Even childhood - an age synonymous with unreality - is losing its grip on fantasy. A few days back, I heard somebody cracking a joke about how his kid negated the existence of Santa Claus. I also keep bumping into articles or conversations that kids today are maturing faster, compared to previous generations, and are probably losing their 'childhood'. Can this loss of innocence be equated to the loss of fantasy in their lives?
As an advertising person, I feel we have been in this mode for some time now - sometimes not realising it so fully, sometimes purposefully taking cognizance of this trend. Look at how many advertisements are driven by claims now. The 'Devil' has lost its sheen; our fantasy, 'Liril girl', has gone out of focus. These remarkable examples are now being replaced by more real examples - the 'Real Beauty' of Dove, 'Lead India' or 'Dirt is good', which are a real take on the problem a brand solves.
While we can blame multiple touch points or technology for infusing more reality into traditional advertising as seen on TV, we can't blame only the marketer for bombarding the consumer with messages at multiple touch points. Although the overarching phenomenon of lack of available time versus bombarding choices is definitely one major reason for this; the consumer is also looking for more and more experience and proof of performance.
This gets reflected in the emergence of experiential marketing, engaging consumers in interactive dialogue and the advent of 'do it yourself' phenomena, which seems to be pervading all categories. In this whole shift, it's a big challenge for marketers to make sure that everything is right with a given piece of communication. While we try to pick the most relevant slice of reality, it's also critical to ensure that it is equally resonating and differentiated, in an age where normal is boring and you have to stand out to get noticed.
While a brand like Maggi can bank upon its connect with the consumer and literally convert their experiences into advertisements, while rewarding them with fame and glory; this challenge becomes bigger for a new brand or low-involvement categories or where the promise is purely functional, such as 'protection from germs'. This often results in confusing similarities or tooth-and-nail fights between competing brands.
Why are we getting so real? We've already looked at two reasons - time crisis and choice paralysis. Apart from these, another major reason could be increasing awareness, as a result of easy access to information through technology. But what's critical to understand is the consumer mindset; because, as marketers, we don't talk to the computer, but the person who's using it. And it's becoming a tightrope walk with each passing day to engage consumers without intruding in their lives.
It is commonly accepted that we, as people, are getting increasingly impatient and would even pay a premium for what could, sometimes, be a stupid convenience. Taking my own example, I would request a bank statement online and pay for it, in order to avoid walking 25 meters to get it for free, because it would waste my precious 20 minutes and patience. Another major truth is that we are also getting a bit disillusioned with life. While on the one hand, this reflects in growing depression and suicide rates; on the other, it shows in failing marriages and frequent career shifts. These are signs of losing fantasy.
On the positive side, reality is also becoming popular. And it is showing up in new ways, such as the increasing popularity of yoga and spiritualism and the need to connect with our inner reality. We are hungrier for experience, rather than imagination now.
There are examples of how many brands are trying to use this bent towards reality. They do so by identifying the TA profile and finding something useful or interesting for them, and marrying that with the brand promise.
Here, I would like to take the example of two different tea brands, which have done this interestingly through complete 360-degree campaigns, including advertising and activation. One is Lipton Yellow Label, which engaged a whole generation of puzzle junkies across the whole globe in a mega jigsaw puzzle contest, playing on the tea's brain booster ingredient, supported by PR on the same. On the other hand, Tata Tea took the generic 'waking up' promise of tea to the next level, attaching it to a sense of patriotism and supporting it with actual service in helping people get their voter IDs.
I feel that there is a 'real' challenge - to stand out in a cut-throat competitive world and retain connect with the consumer, in our own unique and real way. There will always be exceptions to the rule; and many categories that simply thrive on salience or humour may get away from this reality. But overall, this sense of reality requires hard thinking in terms of crafting our own unique promise, which emanates from core category pillars and lends itself to an engaging dimension of reality. What we serve finally to the consumer is a mix of ingredients formed by category codes and brand tonality, as well as emotional promise.
(The writer is a client services director at JWT India.)