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Jagdeep Kapoor

Advertising ice-creams and ACs in summer is the right and conventional thing to do, but combine this with off-season advertising and see where your brand goes, says the writer.

TALCUM powder brands have advertised in the non-season and they have captured the attention of consumers. In some cases, refrigerators and ice-creams are advertised in winter. In other cases, umbrellas are advertised not only in monsoon but also in summer and winter. Stationery products are not only advertised during the school season but also during other times of the year.

This is the era of smart `off-season' advertising. On a conventional basis, it may seem that to advertise in the off season is a waste. However, this may not be the case. In fact, a certain amount of money should definitely be used for brand building during off-season.

Recently, Coca-Cola advertised during the winter months. The competitor did not and Coca-Cola gained a major advantage. This was smart off-season advertising because it monopolised the minds and hearts of consumers during that season.

Let me explain some of the benefits of off-season advertising and why it is smart to do so. As you know, the advertising expenditure of companies is growing and because of intense competition the pressure to advertise more is proving detrimental to the bottom line. This has made companies look for smarter ways to use their advertising rupee and stretch it to the maximum. Using some proportion of the total advertising budget during the off season is one smart way of doing it.

The first benefit is that of cutting across the clutter. During the season when everyone is advertising, the share of voice in that category may be substantially lower despite the advertising expenditure being higher. In the off season, you could be the sole advertiser in that category, and therefore increase the share of voice considerably. This means that if there are 10 TV spots across five competitors and you have two spots, then you have a share of voice of only 20 per cent. This, of course, has to be calculated, also keeping in mind the share of expenditure and gross rating points. But to explain it simply we are using the examples of spots. On the other hand, even if you have just two spots during off season on television, you could have almost a 100 per cent share of voice since no other competitor would be advertising.

The second benefit is that of continuity. Regular advertising, rather than sporadic, has its merits. In fact, advertising in season as well as off season with a judicious use of money could give you continuity and the brand will always be in consumers' minds, and regularly visible.

The third benefit is that your product will be memorable and noticed. As you are advertising during the off season, there is a certain interest and curiosity as it is unconventional to do so.

The fourth benefit is that of a very smart and unpredictable launch which would be cost-effective, especially if it is done just a few weeks before the season starts. That is, it would be productive at the fag end of the off season. The fifth benefit is to enhance and stretch consumption even during the off-season.

Therefore, I would recommend that in addition to in-season advertising there should also be off-season advertising, which could be a smart way to build your brand and gain a cost-effective competitive advantage. This does not mean that you should not advertise in-season, but that you shouldn't forget to explore the possibility of smart advertising during off-season.

Though unusual, this approach could help brand managers not only stretch their budget but also their imagination and get more bang for their buck, and get consumers to buy more of the brand.

(The author is Managing Director, Samsika Marketing Consultancy.)

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