The Hindu Business Line : You merely have to be observant

India is the cynosure of world marketers. But how much do they know about the Indian consumer, asks Ramanujam Sridhar in `One Land One Billion Minds,' from Productivity and Quality Publishing P Ltd (www.productivityquality.co.in) .

"There isn't much to choose between surgeons in manual dexterity. What distinguishes the great surgeon is that he knows more," is a quote of Sir Hugh Rigby. Applies to marketing too, says Sridhar. His richly illustrated book can add to ad-gyan, for it comes packed with insights into consumers, advertising, communication, brands and so on, gleaned over more than two decades.

Such as how 11-year-olds can get their way in purchasing decisions, why the idea of `gift' clicked with Titan, and what common interests hold India together. "The hard reality, however, is that key insights which build exceptionally effective communication are relatively hard to come by." Which makes it all the more necessary to read the book, between the lines!

It's no rocket science to know what the consumer needs, Sridhar assures. "You merely have to be observant." More important, it is not merely the job of the top man in your organisation, but of everyone. Knowing your customer's preferences and gearing yourself to serve him/her is really a big deal, points out the author. "Success is in the details. And getting your customer's name right is an important detail."

The mission statement of today's customer is `more', and you can't wish it away. "Because the difficult customer is also of `high net worth'." Customers make demands, `at times unreasonably,' and `make unfair comparisons, across categories.' Despite all this, they can be loyal to service providers who care, assures Sridhar.

Can brands have a face beyond the celebrities who endorse? Yes, in corporate leaders. For instance, a recent survey of management students found that they admired N.R. Narayana Murthy of Infosys the most, "for the fourth consecutive year in a row." Why? Because of `leadership style, vision, entrepreneurial spirit and ethics.' Sridhar asks, "Who is the `face' of your organisation to the external world? Or is it a well-kept secret?"

It is relevant to be different, emphasises the author. "Symbols engage intelligence, imagination, emotion in a way that nothing else does." During a 30-minute trip to the supermarket, "30,000 products vie for the shopper's attention," said Thomas Hine. In such a fight, what beat the clutter are logos of brands that are different "in styling, look, feel and colours."

Brands suffer when `their positioning is fuzzy;' as a result, advertising gets `hazy' and consumers are left `cold!'

`Remember, there will only be two types of companies - `those that are quick and those that are dead.' The message, therefore, is `differentiate or die.' While successful brands have to be consistent, it is also necessary to innovate.

`How cool is your brand?' Know that youth come in `all shapes, sizes and attitudes,' such as `homebodies, two-faced, wannabes, rebels and cool guys,' as MTV categorised not long ago. "If you treat the young with less than the seriousness they deserve, then you are failing both as a parent and as a marketer," is sage advice from Sridhar. "We run the risk of generational myopia if we expect today's Generation X to behave in the way we did as kids."

The book ends with `Future Tense,' where the author forecasts that the MTV generation will reign. The abbreviation, as Prof P. N. Thirunarayana of IIM-B explains, is for "multiple processing, time-compressed, and value-seeking". Meanwhile, dinks (double income no kids) are joined by dints (double income no time).

"Understand the needs of this generation in a hurry and satisfy them, for profit," exhorts Sridhar. For, as Brandweek puts it, "Brands are the express checkout for people living their lives at ever increasing speed."

Value read.

BookMark@TheHindu.co.in