The performance matrix: Coffee and Donuts/April 07/Amit Sutha, JWT Planning, Mumbai

The Performance Matrix
USING PRODUCT DIFFERENCE TO CREATE MENTAL DISTANCE

Performance edge has always been the foundation of brand strength. Many of the world’s most successful brands appreciated and understood the power of their technical product difference (however minute it may have been) and were able to convert it into a mental distance, thus increasing consumer bonding with the brand.

Unfortunately, the more product parity increases, the more brands are getting dependant on either the much abused ‘emotional’ to create any kind of differentiation; Or it’s about the other brand buzz word: SALIENCE - Say the same thing but say it louder than any other!

So, is there a more rigorous way, or a thumb rule, or a quick ready reckoner by which we can build ‘perceptual advantages’ for brands on ‘functional aspects’? Turning technical product difference into mental distance?

The five mental fields of performance
These five fields are to do with the five different ways in which a consumer evaluates the claim of any brand or product.
1.Can I measure delivery in any way?
2.How do I reassure myself that it works?
3.What does it have that tells me ‘it works’?
4.Is there anything I can judge it against?
5.How does it connect to ‘my’ life?
The brand's ability to answer at least one of these questions unequivocally, credibly and better than competition, improves its chances of impressing the consumer and convincing him/her of the performance claim.

The Quantification Lever: Can I measure the brand's delivery?
The brand’s claim to be quantifiably and substantially better than any other competition or as evaluated against a pre-set category norm.
Xx% more…
• Pepsodent - Fights 10 teeth problems against five of any other
• Surf - Removes 99 stains
• Ford Fiesta Diesel - 32kmpl, 1570 km on a full tank

The Credibility Lever: How do I reassure myself that it works?
• Nothing works better than ‘word of mouth’
• Hearing someone who knows better than me
• By experiencing performance - seeing is believing
3 communication styles used - user testimonial, expert recommendation or performance
demonstrations
• Dove - Candid real user testimonials
• Colgate, Lifebuoy - Doctor testimonials
• Servo (2T Bike oil) - Performance demonstration

The Attribute Lever: What does it have that tells me ‘it works’?
What’s true about the product/brand that implies truth of its performance claim. The stories most commonly used by brands today are of an ingredient, a formulation or a technology. This ‘truth’ could be real (contains Aloe Vera) or could be created/branded (Quattro technology).
• VIM Bar - Lemon Power
• Samsung - NeoMosel LCD TV
• LG - Golden Eye
• Bajaj Pulsar – DTSi

The Judgement Lever: Is there anything I can judge it against?
This is all about comparing performance of the brand against an established benchmark. The benchmark could come from anywhere - technological specification, desired ideal, an icon of superiority, a gold standard, or a torture test… just about anything that is relevant to the promise.
• Bru Instant Coffee - As good as filter coffee
• Castrol Engine Oil - Performs even at 110 degrees
• Onida AC - Cools even in 48˚C

The Emotional Lever: How does brand performance connect to my life?
It’s about a promise that fulfills a certain need in ones’ life, it’s about building reassurance, trust, confidence…
• ICICI Bank - Hum hain na
• LG - Life's Good
• Asian Paints - Har rang kuch kehta hai
• Surf Excel Hai na

The Big Question
When should a brand use which lever to create mental distance in the mind? Needless to say, that will depend on how consumers evaluate a brand's performance. And at a basic level, consumers evaluate brand performance on 2 levels.
1. Extent of Technical Product Advantage.

2. Extent of consumer skepticism in category performance claims.

Based on how a consumer evaluates the performance of brands within a category; the category itself can be plotted on different positions in the framework. This framework can be further imploded. So each entry (category /sub-category) and the brands therein can be further plotted into another such framework. With TECHNICAL PRODUCT ADVANTAGE Perceptible/Marginal/None on one axis and CONSUMER SKEPTICISM High/Moderate/Low on another

But to create the ‘right way’ for a brand to arrive at an effective ‘performance position’ it is important to plot the five performance levers into the grid.

SO THE ROUTEMAP FOR A GREAT PERFORMANCE POSITION

• Define position on the Performance Matrix Framework.
• Define position with respect to category, sub category and/or in the competitive context
• Given the brand's position on the map, framework will automatically indicate which levers work.
• And then, it’s all up to the brand team's judgment and creativity.

Ooh Aah India, Aaya India: Coffee and Donuts/March 07/Excerpts from article by Colvyn Harris, CEO, JWT India

Ooh Aah India, Aaya India!
What Indian brands need to do to become global brands

In Nation Brands of the 21st Century, Simon Anholt says: “Fifteen years ago, who would have believed that we Europeans could be happily consuming Chinese Tsingtao beer or Malaysian Proton cars? That one of the hottest-selling perfumes in Paris would be Urvashi, manufactured in India by a company that previously specialized in hydraulic brake fluid?”

Whether it is the realization of the advantages of a large young population or the newfound confidence – epitomized by the "India Everywhere" campaign in Davos this year, the message that is reaching all Indian manufacturers is that it is possible to “go global” and that it is now or never. And the Indian media is further fuelling this by aggressively, reporting and reflecting the same with pride and optimism.

Consultants who were advising multinationals on their entry strategy into India are now helping Indian companies chart their growth in world markets. While Brand India itself may be gaining recognition, all manufacturers are aware that Indian brands as such are yet to make their mark on the world map – unlike Japanese and Korean brands or even the Chinese Lenovo.

In this moment of history as it were, what could be a best practice framework for Indian brands wanting to become global brands?

1) Indian brands must work from India’s own unique DNA.
While there are plenty of lessons to learn from global /Western brands, blindly replicating their templates really will not work. Indian brands that have become successful have picked an essential Indian truth: Gandhi: alternative to violence; Deepak Chopra: alternative mental health; Kerala: an alternative tourist idea; Bollywood: extravaganza; Indian fantasy: Indian IT: cost, willingness to work round the clock; Indian Managers: intellect.

2) Industries need to get together.
Davos, Kerala, Nasscom, Bollywood … More Indian industries need to come together with a larger purpose, think long term, learn to manage collective money, share risks and develop opportunities. Indian industries like leather, tea, spices, must examine the processes and practices of world industries like diamonds, platinum, Woolmark, and Country of Origin brands like New Zealand Lamb. Once Indian industries start thinking in terms of labels, quality standards and stamps, the day may not be far off, when LVMH bags will have a small tag that reads “Made with Indian leather” or Marlboro cigarettes have “India tobacco inside”.

3) Back evangelists to the hilt.
Indian IT is an example. A few people became heroes, but thousands of smaller companies benefited. The Azim Premjis,Narayana Murthys, Ratan Tatas of this world have deep-rooted greatness, be it humility, integrity or quality. It serves our nation well as it epitomises our quest, so while industry may judge them on profits alone, their genuine philanthropy and compassion is equally legendary.

4) Take global gatherings/trade fairs and presence in other countries seriously.
“We had a stall” is not enough. “We export to 13 countries” is not enough. Indian companies need to make their presence felt in the countries that they operate in. They must think spectacular. Aim to shock and awe. It’s the new way to battle and it needs a plan.

5) Don’t imitate products of Western design; make R & D fashionable.
Indian companies do not invest enough in product planning based on consumer behavior and trend forecasting. There’s a lack of “finish” in the manufacturing. India should learn from the Koreans; they have managed stunning design and technology. The good news is India can do it, and now. Kurkure, a totally Indian brand of snacks created and developed by Frito Lay’s India operations, is so huge and fast-growing that it might soon be rolled out as a worldwide brand. If India can do it with something as basic as snack food, the sky is the limit. So give R&D its space in the sun. Treat R&D chiefs the way gastronomes treat celebrity chefs - with respect and awe for the feast they can put out.


6) Get a better understanding of value propositions.
A Korean lesson. Earlier, most Europeans and Americans may have bought Japanese products because they were significantly cheaper; but now they consistently pay more for it. The same applies to some Korean products. So it is possible to shed the “cheap” image if India can get its act together on the design-technology-value combination. This is what has been the defense strategy of most Indian brands that have given MNCs a run for their money. They found a differentiation, innovated, tapped into a native habit, sensed a trend, cracked a value equation. From shampoo sachets to SUVs, this is something Indian industry will need to understand if it wants to compete with the Chinese too.

7) Execution, execution, execution.
The Indian psychological make-up is more inclined to thinking rather than doing. The size and scale of the country and the different strata that people come from, often makes perfection in execution next to impossible. India’s expectations of its own service standards are very low. Indians tend to be not very demanding and in fact often dismiss poor quality standards with affectionate forgiveness and a strange pride that says “we are like this only”.

8) Hear the distant signals and take serious action.
Child labor, animal welfare, environment, human rights: Maybe in the future India could build products around ideas in this area. In an interview on branding Web site AllAboutBranding.com, Martin Lindstrom commented: “Far too few corporates seem prepared to go out on a limb, take a position and voice an opinion. They just want to mind their own business. But as national reputation awareness climbs, and consumers increasingly factor nationality and more particular national attitudes and actions into their consideration sets, companies may find they have little option but to think through and articulate where in the world they stand on a whole range of issues. It’s a whole new take on globalization.”

9) Documentation, sharing.
India realized it could generate its own case studies only when Harvard Business Review sited a few. Indian organizations in general are still reluctant to share details for mutual benefit.


10) Understand that messaging is an investment, not an expenditure.
Indian corporations will have to stop balking at communication costs in international media. But more than conventional messaging, India in the early stages will need offbeat ideas to “implant” the Indian story everywhere - whether it is through connections in high places, talks in colleges, unique distribution ideas, or extravagant shows and brand ambassadors.

“Like an international traveler, at any given time a global brand is simply a combination of two things: where it is from and where it is going. Long-term success in a high-speed, multi-layered, unpredictable global marketplace requires a clear understanding of both.” Elliot Polak in Going Global: How Local Origin Affects Brand Strategy.

Indian brands know where they are from. They just have to decide where they want to go. And how fast.

Read the original article here http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/261098.cms

Planet kids: Coffee and Donuts/Jan 07/Suresh Mohankumar, JWT Planning, Chennai

Planet Kids
What appeals to kids and why ?

Why do kids act the way they do? Why do they love cartoons and video games? Why do they love horror movies? Why are they so captivated by negative themes? Why do some brands hold them captive while others do not seem to exist as far as they are concerned? Why do they wear different behavioral masks ever so often? Why do they keep changing all the time?

Why are gangs so big with them? Why do they love spending so much time outside of their homes? Why do they dig technology and fashion? Why do they love doing certain things and not others? Why do they like some people, while being totally cold towards others? questions that continue to plague parents, teachers, brand managers and behavioral scientists alike.We have attempted answering these questions through secondary research and by creating a framework that captures the key drivers in the life of kids.

Scientifically speaking
Brain growth, cognition, needs and success stories; Dan S. Acuff in his book ‘What kids buy and why’ offers tantalizing insights into these topics.
3-7 years – The Fantasy Phase
Brain growth
- right hemisphere development
- specialize on nonlinear, non logical abilities
- they cannot pay much attention to verbal communication
- they love accumulating; want ‘lots of stuff’
Cognition
- spontaneous and illogical
- impulsive and reactive
- they think in black and white, right and wrong
- their minds tell them that virtually anything is possible, non human objects are given human characteristics.
Needs
- to be busy
- to be entertained
- to be safe and protected
- to have power and independence
- to be a super hero and super sports star
Success stories
Power rangers: Teen gang of do-gooders, they fight evil as they turn ordinary teens to super heroes
8-12 years – The Rules Phase
Brain growth
- left brain development takes place
- they can now think more rationally and logically
- in order to be perceived by themselves and by others as having grown up they aggressively push away the seemingly more childish concepts in toys and even apparel.
Cognition
- they are now able to appreciate and pay attention to details
- social skills develop; they form groups
- they become brand conscious and discerning
- they get tired of simple communication and demand more complex reality based toys
- they have a sense of what is cool and what isn’t
- they develop an attraction for the darker side of life, there is also an increased attraction to the bad boys of the society.
Needs
- to be popular
- to be attractive
- to tackle rules
- to compete
Success stories
- Playstation, Barbie
13-15 years – ‘I am no kid’ Phase
Brain development
- mid brain development complete
- is able to go beyond simple black and white thinking
- starts challenging established beliefs and points of view
- can understand the subtleties of innuendo, sarcasm and irony
Cognition
- this is the period of identity formation, opinion formation
- will have mood swings could distance themselves from parents.
- looking good, power and self esteem gains increasing importance
- peers play an enormous role in decision making
- a period of experimentation, they try on various faces before deciding on the one they will wear for life.
- an urge to push aside the status quo
- they crave for increased independence
Needs
- to be accepted by peers
- to have a self identity
- to experiment with adult programs and products
Success stories
- Nike and Levis
16-19 years – The End of Childhood phase
Brain growth
- prefrontal lobe development takes place giving them the ability to empathize and to control impulsive reaction
- The fully developed brain gives them the ability to act and react like an adult
Cognition
- logical operations they are increasingly able to perform complex and abstract tasks
- subjects like career, future, relationships, identity will be of increased importance
Needs
- to be successful
- to be autonomous
- to belong and hang out
Success stories
- Pulsar, Axe

Kid Themes – A JWT Framework

Gangworlds
Conceived as an alternative to the world of adults, but has much in common with it. Serves as a finishing school for the games they will play as adults. Gangs are an integral part of their lives; and is their attempt to run away from the world controlled by rules dictated by adults. There is an immense pressure to confirm within these gangs and they are shrouded in mystery. These gangs are run by a set of very clearly laid out rules and there is a constant tussle within the gang to figure out the hierarchy. Gangs intuitively seek out ‘autonomous zones’, places where the adult right does not run. Street corners, playgrounds, coffee shops and school after school hours serve as autonomous zones.

Techaddicts
Technology serves as an important tool for distancing themselves from the world of adults. Adults are constantly fumbling with technology. It is something adults do not understand or are comfortable with. They take great pride in talking to parents about the Nokia N series and the features that it has. They regularly go online to chat, download music and play games. They may not all own cell phones, yet, however dads or moms phone is always handy to send SMSs or MMSs to friends. Playstations and X Boxes are what cycles were twenty years ago.

Fashion gurus
Fashion serves as a parallel tool for distancing from adults. Girls love pedal pushers, capris and sleeve less tops. Guys love coolers and jackets. They don’t like to go shopping for clothes with parents; they just cannot put up with adult chides to their fashion tastes. Fashion brands have noticed their love for adultish taste “We use a lot of sheer fabric, deeper necklines and more strappy tops in the kids segment because what looks
outrageous by Indian standards on an adult merely looks adorable on children” says Sanjeev Mohanty, Marketing Head Benneton India.

Thrill seekers
They love horror; the spookier it is the better. It is their way of saying “I can handle this can you?” Their heroes are no longer out there trying to save the world. Instead they kidnap and hold fairies for ransom in pursuit of their riches – meet Artemis Fowl the super criminal. They love stuff that can gross you out. Mock roaches, rubber skulls that ooze out blood when you squeeze them are the kind of things that drive them mad. Fantasy is still a pet love but it has to push every limit, The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter have done this with every sequel. They love speed and action. They love Vin Diesel especially in ‘Fast and the Furious’ Cruiser bikes and sports cars are high on their list of most admired items.

Cool and uncool
There are cool and uncool people and there are cool and uncool activities.Besides the strategies they have adopted to cope with authority figures and to be seen as more grown up is what really defines this tribe is their worldview. Cool people are those who don’t break into a sweat even when the world around them is going on fire. They never get tense or take things too seriously. Cool people are also those who enjoy every minute of their lives. In their world you are cool if you have style: if you dress right, talk right and act right then you pass the ‘coolness test’. Sania is cool not just because of what she does on the tennis court but also because of her glasses and her nose ring. Kareena and Salman are seen as uncools because they are rude and selfish show-offs. Linkin Park and Shaan are cool but anyone who tries too hard at being cool are definitely uncool.

PLANET KIDS AND BRANDS

They are cynical about brands and advertising. A brand can never barge into their world. It needs to be invited in. Brands need to go through the gang initiation process. The brand needs to come through as their ally,someone who has an innate understanding of what they are seeking, someone who would stand by them in their continued struggle against adults and their rules. They love advertising that is fast paced, interactive, irreverent and something that rivals Playstation and X box in terms of graphics and production values.

There are four major drivers in the life of pre teens

Mastery
They want to be the only one in control of their life. Brands that offer them control albeit for a short while will be friends for keeps. Give them a sense of importance within their family and peer group and they will love you for it.

Maturity
They are not the kid you were when you were of their age. They hate being patronized, they still enjoy going one up on adults but it needs to be handled with ‘mature’ gloves, forget all the over the top slapstick stuff.

Materialism
They want it all and they want it now. They would surely appreciate anything that would make them a Bill Gates or a Dhoni or both.

Mystery
Don’t try too hard to be their pal they will hate you for it. A slightly standoffish demeanor, a dash of mystery and tones of style is what you need to really hit it off with them.

But whatever you do never treat him like a kid and don’t bother telling him what to do.

What's your company's signature tune?: Coffee and Donuts/Sep 06

What’s your company’s signature tune?

One “vision” commercial on television or a “corporate campaign” in Business World does not a “corporate brand” make – any more.

The making of a Corporate Brand today encompasses the Vision Brand, the Product Brand, the Service Brand, the CEO Brand, the Employee or Internal Brand, the Stock Market Brand, the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Brand, the Sponsorship Brand and even the Internet (Website) Brand. (And to push the point home, even the signature tune brand!)

While many Indian companies have indeed created new paths and tried new ideas, the totality still begs best practice, and surely calls for the CEO to take on the mantle of Marketing Manager, Corporate Brand. The key lies in finding that ONE WORD that’s at the heart of what your company stands for.

The Infosys way
The now omnipresent Infosys, if you think back, actually first captured our imagination with its Employee Brand and the Stock Market Brand by making potential crorepatis of its many twenty somethings. The CEO Brand came later, and it helped to have a wife who took on the building of the CSR Brand. The corporate “image” of Infosys has really been built without having to resort to corporate “campaigns”. The company keeps its advertising to the appointment pages, celebrating its Employee Brand.

The ITC way
ITC on the other hand has leveraged every building block. Working for you, Working for India says the Vision Brand. Enduring value – For the shareholder, For the nation… One of India’s Most Valuable Corporations says the Stock Market Brand. E-chaupal became the Service Brand. With ideas like Mera Gaon Mera Desh they spruced up the Employee Brand. Citizen First encapsulates the CSR Brand. Concepts like Triple Bottom Line build the CEO brand (if at all it needs building!). And of course, the lifestyle stores and the atta and the oil and the candies do the rest.

Corporate brand expressions:

Expressing the CEO brand: The Kingfisher way - Vijay Mallya signs a statement saying “I created a product for you that is better than what I would have created for myself”, unleashing the power of the CEO brand.
Expressing the employee brand: The Marico way - By showcasing the endearing young man who approves his own business plan, Marico enters the arena with the Employee Brand.
Expressing the CSR brand: The Mindtree way - By getting its logo created by a challenged child, Mindtree launched itself uniquely through its CSR Brand.
Expressing the activist brand: With ‘Narmada’,Aamir announced the birth a new celebrity activist brand.

Defining the Vision Brand.

When going in search of the Vision Brand, companies need to go beyond the Who We Are and What We Make, search deeply for a truth, and answer the question “what are we actually in the business of?” And find that single most important value, that one idea, that ONE WORD that captures their spirit.

Let’s take a look at a few of the Vision Brands that have managed to zero in on that one word. HP: invent. Microsoft: Potential. HCL: Guts. Honda: Dreams. Philips: Simplicity. LG: Inventive. These companies have looked beneath the “touching many people in many ways” theme, the “improving your life” theme, the “we have been around for 50 years” theme. And have gone beyond the many generic serving India, spreading India, changing with India etc themes – which is very tempting to do, specially when you have been quiet for a while and need to arrive like a leader.

Experts like Ian Buckingham, Philip Kitchen, D Schultz, J Walters, Tim Hazelhurst have written about the tenets of a corporate brand and the role of the CEO. A few quotes here from some of them.

Queries that the corporate brand need to answer in order to be perceived as authentic by consumers:
what the parent company does versus the promises it makes?
what it does not do?
what values it personifies ?
the culture it perpetuates
the personalities running the company
how they treat employees globally ?
whether or not they are good corporate citizens?

The top traits of companies that employees would like to work for are:
the promotion of trust
the empowerment of employees
the inspiration of pride.


Corporate branding tenets for the CEO
• Corporate reputation has increased and is still increasing in importance
• The need to systematise measurement of corporate reputation externally and internally is also
growing in importance
• CEO reputation and corporate reputation are increasingly intertwined. The CEO is, by definition, the chief communicator. The ability to engage stakeholders with the company vision and mission is crucial
• The need to manage reputation globally is a key management responsibility. Led by the CEO, it must also be
managed in an integrated manner throughout the business
• CEOs can epitomise social values that offer benefits to corporate growth and progression
• Internal communication should be considered a professional discipline of equal status to its
external counterpart.

Coming back to advertising,
When does the need for a corporate campaign arise?

Organisations planning quantum leaps in turnover.
Organisations that have aged and need reinvention or have been overtaken by newer entrants who have taken mindshare higher than their market share.
Organisations going through an emotional low and needing re-energizing.
Challenger organisations that need to be seen as better than the big, for being small.
Organisations coming together in mergers and acquisitions and needing a new anthem.
Organisations breaking away and creating new entities.
Groups of companies that together form another entity and want the advantage of belonging to a larger business house.
Multi product companies wanting to leverage the many parts to make a greater whole.
Business to business brands and technology companies that have long sales cycles.
Brands with CXOs as target audiences.
Companies seeking capital.
North India brands wanting to make inroads into South India. Or South India brands wanting to make inroads into the North.

In fact, increasingly, it looks like no one can escape this. Sooner or later, every company needs to take a good, hard, close look at its Corporate Brand.

The emerging Best Practice sequence

1) Finding that One Word. Being clear about the support, resolving doubts on the gap between vision and reality, if any.
2) Finding Brand Champions to spread the word internally. Not just announcing and “distributing” the Vision Brand internally, but involving employees in understanding and owning the business implications. Establishing that it is inspiring and actionable at the same time.
3) Incorporating and translating the Vision into measurable practices and behaviour, and performance metrics for every individual, group or department.
4) Being aware that you have to separately build the CEO, the CSR, the Product, the Employee, the Stock Market Brands. Find ways of running the same thread.
5) Finding ways of measuring ROI, in ways that go beyond run-of-the-mill qualitative and quantitative market research methodologies, and aim to integrate financial measurement.

Read the original article here http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/catalyst/2006/07/27/stories/2006072700150200.htm