The Advertising World
Probably this is the first time that I am here to brag on something which I don't normally like to, on the net. A subject which I fell in love with after joining my MBA. I don't still say that MBA has to be for 2 years by the way. I feel useless subjects are taught almost 84.4 percent of the times. "Brand management" is one subject which I liked from the core of my heart, which I enjoyed most by solving all those out of the box cases etc. There was no surprise when I scored 98 out of 100 in my brand management exam. Brand management I feel is married in a way to Advertising and Integrated marketing communications. IMC always fascinated me for the simple fact that It proved me wrong as I always thought I knew every thing about advertising when I realized I knew nothing. I always loved the romance of advertising. The unexplored intricacies and the depth always caught me spell bound. Advertising, in its profound and deep sense of the term, reminds me of all the embroidered drama, inflated emotions, mellifluous jingles and colorful myriad pictures that form a beautiful collage of incidents and brands and consumer and the beautiful relationship of romance that they share is manifested through this patchwork.
Take a brand like Cadbury’s; won’t you say you love Cadbury’s ? Won’t you feel close to this brand – something that you are possessive about, something that you can identify with and feel comfortable with? And how! Imagine a situation where Cadbury would not have been advertised! Would you feel the same connection that you feel right now? No! Somewhere – lines like ‘kuch khass hai zindagi mein’, ‘Asli swaad zindagi ka’, ‘khaanewalon ko khaane ka bahana chahiye’, ‘rishton ki mithaas’ etc have etched in our minds. We feel nostalgic when we recollect the girl dancing on the cricket field in the Cadbury ad, our mouth waters when we recollect the swirling melting chocolate shown just before the Cadbury pack shot… Thus advertising is that magical elixir of romance that creates the sparks between the brand and the consumer. Since ages, advertising is used as a medium of communication. However, today this medium is not just that. It is a means to feel emotions, indulge with the brands, create rippling effects on the consumer and above all make them feel warm, special and important.
Advertising takes the consumer through that romantic journey where the consumer first gets acquainted with the brand, then tries to find more information about the product, makes the first purchase, expresses his likes and dislikes, and after he likes, he becomes a loyal customer. Later discounts and other offers make him feel special and wanted and thus the romantic journey of the brand and the consumer carries on for the rest of the life.
When one considers high involvement products like a car or a diamond set, people collect more information as they are in the process of making a purchase decision. One can just imagine the quixotic, dreamy and indulging process of a woman buying a diamond set (say for instance Nakshatra diamond). Since it is popularly and truly said that diamonds are women’s best friend – the romantic buying journey is even more exciting. The lavish and extravagant Aishwarya Rai Nakshatra diamond TVC creates the first bounce of mawkish feelings towards the brand as we repeatedly see the ad with glaring eyes. It is not just wishful and dreamy but establishes a space in your heart that lightens up every time you see the ad. Just imagine the sentiments in the consumer’s heart when he or she has just bought Nakshatra diamond earrings. It is this particular feeling that advertising slogs to create in the heart of the consumers. It is that moment when you come home and adore yourself in the mirror with those earrings and the happiness you feel is the same when you are being loved by your special someone…
Many criticize that advertising lures customers into a pit of false dreams and hopes. But doesn’t advertising offer a stage for you to romance with your favorite brands, watching them evolve, feeling connected with the characters in the ad, dancing with imaginations about the product, flaunting your purchases, loving your brands, creating long lasting relationships with things you use, feeling nostalgic, experiencing emotions and above all making you feel so special against the rest of the world! Advertising is truly a romantic indulgence! I will surely want to land up there.
