23 September 2008

From Reel to Real: JWT India Brand Chakras study on Celebrities

The Indian film star is no longer only a hero of the silver screen; he is a beacon of inspiration to his fans. Their on-screen portrayals are being given lesser importance and their off-screen lives and personality have gained prominence, says the recent JWT Brand Chakras™ Study: From Reel to Real Life.

The study reveals that film stars are no longer considered to be larger than life in terms of his or her persona and lifestyle; they are now real individuals who have risen to extraordinary heights. This shift in how celebrities are viewed is largely attributed to the availability of more real time, wide spread knowledge of what the stars do off screen – be it television shows, blogs, news controversies, or activism. While celebrities were once virtual prisoners of the characters that they played on-screen, they are now seen as individuals whose personal traits earn them as much admiration as their display of talent on-screen. His real attitudes and his larger life story is where the opportunities for brands lie.

The study reveals: 1) a model of how consumers relate to celebrities, and therefore how celebrity brands can be shaped; 2) the key payoffs that consumers derived from the three celebrities studied (Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Akshay Kumar); and 3) kinds of fan relationships.

The Brand Chakras framework revealed that Shahrukh Khan operates mainly in Power and Transcendence (leadership and vision) Chakras, while Hrithik Roshan was observed to be operating in the Love and Creative Expression Chakras. Akshay Kumar, on the other hand, was seen to be dominating in Survival and Pleasure Chakras.

The study also threw up three different types of fan relationships. The Entertainment Seeker, the Fantasy Seeker, and the Inspiration Seeker: Different fans would be deriving different benefits from different celebrities.

The qualitative study undertaken by JWT India was executed through Focus Group Discussions and Depth Interviews in Delhi and Mumbai amongst young adult fans of Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar and Hrithik Roshan.

JWT India - Thompson Social wins a silver at the Asian Marketing Effectiveness Awards for The Red Ribbon Express

The Red Ribbon Express – Uniting India Against AIDS
Zindagi Zindabaad!

The Red Ribbon Express is a ground breaking, ambitious campaign that aims at changing the current HIV and AIDS scenario in India on an epic scale. An empty shell of a train has been transformed into a unique multi-media world of behaviour change communication that cuts across deeply rooted ideological and geographical boundaries.

The in-train communication takes the audience through an engaging interactive experience with a range of multimedia devices to induce self risk perception, persuade in favour of counseling and testing and creates a positive social environment for care and support to people living with HIV.

Flagged off on World AIDS Day 2007, the train is on its journey traversing 27,000 kms, halting at 180 stations over a period of 365 days luring millions of Indians to the largest mass mobilization campaign and perhaps the most unique in the world.



JWT - Thompson Social is privileged to have been behind this prestigious, pioneering endeavour.


Read more details at http://www.coffeeanddonuts.co.in/