The Oscars and other brands

Later this month, the Annual Oscar Awards will be announced at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, and the famous Oscar statuettes will be given away amidst much applause and tears. The world will watch with awe, as some of the best-known names in Hollywood and world cinema sashay down the famous red carpet, in designer suits, gowns and jewellery, either to receive these awards or merely to mingle with the elite. The telecast of the Oscars will notch up exceedingly good viewership ratings, in the same league as top sports events or blockbuster talk shows.

We have always considered the Oscars the best-known movie awards in the world, but pause for a moment. Have you ever thought of the Oscars as a brand? Like every famous brand of products or services, it enjoys strong appeal amongst millions of fans. We consume the Oscars directly through multiple channels in the media: the run-up to the awards, the awards ceremony itself, the post-event discussions and analyses. We also consume the awards indirectly by flocking to see the movies which have received the Oscars. And the Oscars is a global brand, as it enjoys strong equity across the world, in regions as diverse as the US, Europe, India and Australia.

Just like the Oscars, there are many other famous awards which have transcended their own narrow fields of endeavour to become big brands with wide appeal. The Grammy Awards for Music. The Man Booker awards for English fiction in Commonwealth Countries. The Jnanpith Awards for Indian literature. And of course the Big Daddy of all awards, the Nobel Prizes which celebrate and recognise the best intellects and the most significant leaps achieved across the most important fields of human progress.

What makes these awards such popular brands? Why do men, women and media pay so much attention to these award brands? Why are they amongst the most eagerly awaited events of the year? In the answers to some of these questions lie insights for marketers, because all of us in the marketing profession desire to create brands as famous and powerful and everlasting as the Oscars, the Grammys and the Bookers.

Here are some simple lessons to ponder:

Celebrate the very best

For every Hollywood screen artiste, the Oscar for Best Actor or Actress is the pinnacle of achievement. For every physicist or chemist or economist, the Nobel Prize is the ultimate recognition. These awards are, therefore, positioned as a celebration of the very best. In doing so, they appeal to a fundamental human insight: all of us have a secret longing to be the very best in at least some spheres of our lives. Hence, we admire those who have achieved these summits of achievement and excellence, and therefore, our minds engage spontaneously with these award brands. This is an insight which brands in every category can leverage very powerfully. For instance, Rolex is positioned as the luxury wristwatch that celebrates ultimate achievement, and Boost promises to make big achievers of young students by sharpening their minds.

Excitement always appeals

The run-up to these awards is made as exciting as possible by the organisers. First comes news about the long-listed nominations. Then there are deliberate stories about which nominations are likely to win the awards and why. In the run-up to Oscars this year, we wonder, will The King's Speech win more Oscars than The Social Network , or will historical factors such as the King's reported Nazi sympathies stop votes in its favour? Thereafter, the final shortlist, announced a few days or weeks before the event. Interviews in media with shortlisted candidates, or stories surrounding their lives. Soundbytes from experts and critics. And finally the halo of the exclusive awards event itself. The insight for marketers: Consumers today long for excitement in their largely routine and exhausting lives. Award brands such as the Oscars and Grammys provide such excitement in generous measure. That is why they evoke such wonderful response. That is also the reason why brands as diverse as Airtel, Teacher's and Videocon invest in exciting media properties such as game-shows and reality contests. They hope that the excitement rubs off onto their brands, and indeed it does if the properties are crafted really well.

Celebrities are a huge draw

The Oscars, Grammys and their like are divinely blessed, because the best-known celebrities are their brand ambassadors all the time. And mostly for free. By creating a unique win-win partnership, they draw the best names in the field onto a single grand canvas and brand. Imagine having the likes of Brad Pitt, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, Angelina Jolie and Nicole Kidman on a single stage. That's what works for the Oscars so well. Or assembling the best scientists and writers in tuxedos, in a far-flung city in Scandinavia, which is what the Nobel Prizes achieve every year. The insight: Consumers love celebrity spotting, and most of us also take great vicarious pleasure in the lives and doings of celebrities. If you assemble well-known faces around your brand, you will, therefore, always stand to gain handsomely. And marketers can do so in many innovative and cost-effective ways. By far the best Indian example is a relatively new brand, IPL, which has brought together celebrity cricketers, film-stars and corporate czars so seamlessly and in a manner never done before. IPL, as we all know, has been a runaway success.

The unexpected provokes interest

By doing the unexpected ever so often, award-brands generate significant viewer interest. Just a few months ago, the Man Booker Prize had an unexpected winner, Howard Jacobson. His book, The Finkler Question , had very low odds of 8-to-1, yet it bagged the grand prize and generated significant and lively discussion around familiar Jewish dilemmas, once again. Similarly, I recall the 2006 Oscars, wherein the overwhelming favourite for Best Movie was Brokeback Mountain , yet the award was won by a dark horse, The Crash . The interesting and heated debate this generated, regarding whether homophobia had stood in the way of Brokeback Mountain winning the award, brought a new and previously unseen dimension into the Oscars. Perhaps the unexpected is only a natural occurrence as these award brands are decided by voting or by consensus, based on the subjective judgement of a few individuals. But the insight for marketers is valuable. People generally love the unexpected, at least occasionally. Therefore, brands should indulge and engage consumers by doing the unexpected sometimes, even if this implies irrational behaviour. For instance, if Starbucks or Café Coffee Day were to serve only Ethiopian coffee (and no other blend at all) in all their outlets on the national day of Ethiopia, this would be entirely unexpected but would surely delight connoisseurs of coffee in a very memorable way!

On February 28, many of us will wake up before the sun does, to watch the Oscars live on our TV screens. While we may be understandably groggy so early in the day, we should remember that we are not merely viewers of an annual awards event, but consumers of a big global brand that has relevant lessons to teach us. And of course we will be eagerly hoping that A.R. Rahman wins once again, for the glory of our country.

Harish Bhat is Chief Operating Officer – Watches, Titan Industries Ltd. These are his personal views.

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