Marketers are excellent exploiters of sentiments, we know. But there are times when they exceed themselves and go to ridiculous extents. The latest is this brouhaha happening across the Indian marketing landscape today. I am talking about the 11.11.11 syndrome.
Agreed it’s a unique date and all that. But it’s just the eleventh such unique date this decade. Every Tom, Dick, Harry and his marketing uncle are onto this bandwagon. Take today’s newspaper. It’s awash with advertisements extolling the virtues of this date and giving 11.11.11 offers.
A bank says its opening 111 branches today. Which one? I don’t remember.
Some vacation package company is offering some 11 days stay with 11 day something else thrown with another 11 something into the package. What exactly is the package? And which vacation company? No idea.
And there is this premium hotel charging some 11.11.11 rate for those who stay in their rooms today. What offer and which hotel? It went over my head and had gone past my senses and I don’t remember.
Another something brand is offering another 11 something with another 11 and one more 11 to boot. Which one and what is the offer? Don’t even bother asking. I have the foggiest.
See, this is the problem. The problem of plenty. The pitfalls of a dozen brands offering something similar. So, which brand is offering which? No one knows. And even worse, no customer seems to care.
It’s like spotting a fully-tonsured friend of yours in Tirupathi. Well neigh impossible since everyone looks the same. It’s like looking at Chinese faces. Everyone looks similar!
And so is every brand today - across every category - offering something spectacularly similar. I couldn’t find one brand which stands out today nor could I spot one offer that claimed attention. It was just a plain wallpaper effect!
I have a small piece of advice to all these brands that tried riding this 11.11.11 thing. Analyze the offer performance vis-à-vis campaign objectives. Do an honest post-launch evaluation. Check if your brand achieved even a semblance of salience and a modicum of success. The findings will help you 13 months from now.
When 12.12.12 dawns on us!
4 comments:
Wooooow........
Your advertising objective needn't always be designed to create "brand awareness".
In this case, it should have been to increase sales numbers instantly with the hype that was created around 11.11.11.
U might not be one of their target audiences.
12-12-12 happens to be our superstar's birthday too... so marketers can really think of something big... I completely agree,good pre planning and evaluating the marketing plan is what essential to make it a big success...
No personal offence on any individual(s), but I believe this is what happens when agencies recruit such 'ad-zap'cultured minds. This is bloody ' creativity for the sake of it'.
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