The Hindu Business Line : The goodness of dirt

Out, damn'd spot! Detergents' brand promise is the same, advertising execution varies. A file photo of South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes participating in a promotion for Surf Excel

What's this Surf `Daag Acchha Hai' campaign? How can dirt/stains be good?

- Pramila Rudra, Bangalore

Dear Puzzled Pramila (now don't throw a stone at me for that tempting alliteration), one needs to delve into a bit of history to answer this question. Detergent advertising over the decades has been focused on the concept of dirt-busting. Dirt has been Enemy Number One. Every detergent and washing soap bar in the country has focused its continued attention on this enemy. The advertising execution has varied over the decades, but the basic brand proposition of the detergent and washing soap cake alike has been the promise of getting rid of dirt. Some have called it "stubborn dirt" ("ziddi daag") and others have simply worked on the science of dirt even within the confines of a chemistry lab. Some have categorised different grades of dirt, and others have symbolised dirt as being something that has you failing at interviews.

While the basic proposition has remained the same, the advertising statements of different brands have used creative differentiation and excellence to stand out from the clutter of the arena of dirt-busting. The concept itself has been a hackneyed one, though.

The latest piece of Surf advertising is psychographically positioned. Out here, daag is well nigh nearly the hero. The concept is a simple one. An evolved one. If dirt can create good outcome, then dirt must be good. If dirt from a playfield can make us win the World Cup in 2015, this dirt must be good. Wow!

The dirt-busting argument has indeed come full circle. Enemy Number One is well nigh a hero that facilitates success and achievement in a rather convoluted manner. The argument revolves around the fact that hard work, either in an office or a playfield, can make for dirt. Dirt here is actually hard work. This dirt is actually good, as it spurs achievement. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Nothing is achieved really, without dirt as companion.

The concept is highly campaign-able. Wait for more exciting executions for sure! How about dirt getting you your next office promotion? Dirt winning you that customer service excellence award at your restaurant? And lots more?

Pramila, this just goes to prove one thing. The brand and advertising mind is a forever evolving one. What was the common enemy once upon a time could as well be a common and collective hero of the future.

In a `lighter and certainly serious' (and that's an oxymoron) vein, daag is surely good for Hindustan Lever. Without daag, the detergent category of brands that wash out the daag would be suffering for want of volume. So it's surely good for the topline volume. More the daag, more the sale of the daag-buster!

MTR has been acquired by Orkla. What will this mean to the image of brand MTR? What are the changes one can expect?

- R. Balakumar, Mysore

Bala, there are possibilities and possibilities. Firstly, we need to understand that Orkla in the Nordic region is quite like what the Tata group is in India — a transnational corporation with diverse interests in several arenas of industry. Till 2004, the diversity was indeed astounding, till the company actually started consolidating itself in three core areas of branded foods, speciality materials and financial products. This is a company that started in the1600s and started in the mining industry. The transition has been from mining to manufacturing to front-end consumer brands.

Orkla can do many things with brand MTR and its imagery. For one, MTR Foods has two sets of competencies. One is the branded packaged food brands in its portfolio. Second is the established distribution set-ups within India and in the select Indians-overseas-centric markets. Orkla can use a quick-reach-to-market strategy for its many foods brands through this network. In addition, the key issue at hand will be how to handle MTR the `South Indian' brand with the `South Indian' imagery.

Answers to this will emerge as Orkla professionalises the management structure within the business. It would indeed be valuable to retain some of the core folk responsible for the sustenance of imagery. I would, for sure, hold on to the current advertising agency for sure, if not the people handling the brand.

I am sure of one thing: The fortunes of MTR are in good hands. Orkla has paid a mighty sum in terms of valuation for the brand MTR. Orkla would do well to retain the ethos of brand MTR as the South Indian brand from South India. This can be valuable in the future, as the India story becomes bigger and bigger in the overseas market.

The Indian diaspora at large is waiting to lap up the Indian brand, South Indian or North Indian, for that matter. In addition, I do believe Orkla can look at launching brands anew. The market for foods, spices and condiments is large. Whatever Orkla wants to do that militates against the South Indian brand imagery of MTR must be taken through the use of a new brand vehicle. The critical point to take care of is not to tamper with the brand equity of MTR as it is. Remember, this is not three letters of the alphabet strung together in an ungainly fashion.

These are three valuable letters that pack equity in markets of the South, the heart of the South Indian and the South Indian diaspora at large all across the world. Interesting times ahead.

How do you see the advertising agency of the future evolving?

- A.A. Sadiq, Tiruchi

Sadiq, I see a very creative focused agency. An agency that will specialise in and monetise the creative. Creatives will still continue to attract clients, and this cutting edge shall remain.

The agency as creative hot shop! All other competences will splinter. The desperate agency in a desperate bid to retain business will invent verticals of every kind to prohibit the business from going out, but this will be a short-term measure, as business will anyway gravitate out to the specialist agency.

I see many, many, agencies. I don't see one agency at all. The creative agency, the media agency, the POP agency, the BTL agency, the retail branding agency, the promotions agency, the event management agency, the media audit agency, and much else.

(Harish Bijoor is a business strategy specialist and CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc. Email:askharishbijoor@thehindu.co.in)

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