ADmired Celebs- The endorsement tale

Celebrity endorsements are a good tool for increasing sales, especially when the celeb

involved is high profile and quite well-known. Film stars fit the bill perfectly and an

analogy is tried to be established between the brand and the traits of the celebrity used.

Thus positioning becomes easy. You see an ad of the ‘Men in Blue’ with a round red,

white and blue logo and you go, ‘Pepsi!’ See a picture of Aishwarya Rai in a red dress on

a white background and immediately one is reminded of L’Oreal.

So what makes celebrity endorsements click? The answer is, quite simply, the need to

identify oneself with the brand or rather with the celebrity endorsing it, who seems to

have something in common with the brand. If a teenaged girl buys Vivel Soap, it could be

because she idolizes Kareena Kapoor or perhaps admires the actor’s skin though she may

never admit it. So there!

It is for this reason that advertisers quantify and qualify the use of celebrities in their

marketing campaigns by evaluating their awareness, appeal relevance to a brand’s image

and the celebrity’s influence on consumer buying behavior. They know, celebrities,

especially actors, that often portray the underdog and commoners, are the best means to

strike a chord with the target consumers.

The only problem these days is that there are too many brands and too many celebrity

endorsements. What’s worse is that, there’s one celebrity endorsing several products.

And it’s hard to remember which. One can’t say it’s bad for the celebrity since everything

is fair as long as one can rake in the moolah. But for the advertiser it definitely is

detrimental because a consumer may get confused about the brands.

Amitabh Bacchan is all over the ad scene- from Navratna Oil to Dairy Mail to Parker Pen

to ICICI to Tanishq and what not! It gets all the more confusing when endorsers switch

brands in the same category. Aamir Khan who endorsed Pepsi was roped in by Coke.

The consumer was so used to Mayur Suiting’s ‘Shahrukh Mayur Khan’ when suddenly

Salman Khan was b(r)ought to endorse it.

Celebrity endorsements can definitely leverage the popularity of a brand by smart use

of celebrities. But the thing to be remembered is that one should never fall into the trap

of believing that bringing in a popular celeb will change the game for the product. No, it

won’t. But sensible marketing would.

Students Speak

Which endorsement’s a hit, which one’s a miss?

The Hits

Kareena Kapoor in Airtel Dish TV: The ad has a story line, that’s what I like

about it. And it seems so real- Kareena looking all scared, the child walking in

and the whole scene turning about to be a show on TV. Great execution!

-Shibili

Mohanlal in Malabar Gold’s Malinya Vimukta Keralam: The message is a

good one. I would say these are the kinds of ads celebs should endorse because

they have a huge fan following and youngsters are actually influenced by what

their idols say and do.

-Shini

Akshay Kumar in Thums Up: The man has been endorsing this brand for quite

a while now. I feel ‘Taste the thunder’ goes well with his personality. He is a

black belt holder, known to be adventurous and doesn’t look clumsy doing the

things he shown doing in the ads. Thumbs up, really!

-Veena

The Misses

Mohanlal in Manappuram Gold Loan: Oh I hate it! It makes no sense. Why

would someone wealthy like Mohanlal endorse Gold Loan? I mean, why would

I believe his claim? And it’s too dramatized. Add to it, a nauseating track and

horrible dance moves by Mohanlal! I really don’t know what the makers of this ad

were thinking…

-Shibili

Sreesanth in Ayu Care Kizhi: Sreesanth is always in news for all the wrong

reasons. Sreesanth jokes are already doing the rounds; this ad has really made him

the butt of a new set of jokes now! The voice over doesn’t sound like Sreesanth’s

and the overall execution looks bad. I think the endorsement does neither

Sreeshanth nor the brand, any good.

-Shini

Shahrukh Khan in Fair & Handsome: I like SRk for what he is- talented,

handsome and yes, dark! Shahrukh Khan promoting a product like fairness cream

is too fake. I say, he should be out there telling all dark guys to be confident of

their skin tone, making them feel good by saying ‘I am dark and look at me’ but

he’s out there doing just the opposite. I prefer a dark skinned SRK to a botoxed,

light-skinned one any day!

-Veena

ADvent of the Stars

Plato has said, “The beginning is the most important part of the work” and how true it is in the case of some of these hot hunks and lovely ladies who have made it big in the glam world! They came to us through advertisements and the rest as they say, is history. A look at some fresh Indian faces for whom a stint in advertising turned out to be the big ticket to cinema.

  

Vidya Balan

Beautiful, in the classic sense of the word, this Tam Brahm from Palakkad, made her debut as a model in a Surf Excel advertisement in 1998. She was also seen in ads for Gits Idlees, a clinic plus film for the girl child, Krack Cream, and several other advertisements. Her demure ‘woman next door’ looks made her an instant favorite to fit the role of mother and wife in about 25 advertisements. Most of these ads were directed by Pradeep Sarkar and she soon found herself in the lead role for his directorial debut Parineeta which was a success. Prior to Parineeta, she was seen on a comedy serial on Zee TV called 'Hum Paanch'. After her filmdom fame she was seen endorsing brands such as Airtel (with actor Madhavan), Goodknight Mosquito coil, Toshiba etc.

Deepika Padukone

For this long legged beauty, who shot to fame through Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om, tinsel town was not unknown territory. She had already modeled for leading brands such as Liril soap, Dabur Lal, Limca, and Close-up. She had also won the brand ambassadorship of the Jewels of India, an annual jewellery festival. She hit the international scene when Maybelline made her their new international covergirl face. At the fifth annual Kingfisher Fashion Awards, for Indian models and designers, she was awarded the title of Model of the Year. Shortly afterwards, she was chosen as one of the models for the Kingfisher Swimsuit Calendar for 2006. She also won two trophies at the Idea Zee Awards in 2006 - Female Model of the year (Commercial Assignments) and Fresh Face of the year. Today she endorses top brands like Fiama Di Wills, Nescafe, BSNL, Sony Cyber Shot, Levis Jeans, and Neutrogena etc.

John Abraham

John Abraham has a pretty interesting connection with Advertising and his tryst into modeling is even more amusing. John, born to a Malayali father and Parsi mother was a media planner in an agency. He got into modeling because his boss at the ad agency needed a last-minute replacement for a shoot! And thus it began…In 1999, he won the Gladrags Manhunt Contest and went to the Philippines for Manhunt International, where he won the second place. Following this, he was signed by Carrie Models in Singapore and did some modelling there; he later modelled in Hong Kong, London and New York City. He appeared in some music videos after which he made his film debut through Pooja Bhatt’s ‘Jism’ in 2003. A bike enthusiast, today he endorses Yamaha, Castrol, Garnier Men, Wrangler Jeans etc.

Bipasha Basu

This Bengali beauty wanted to study medicine but her destiny had different plans for her. While an under graduate she used to do modeling and part-time ramp shows. It was during this time that she met model Mehr Jessia who suggested that she take part in the Ford Godrej Cinthol contest. As luck would have it she won the contest and she was flown to New York by the Ford Company, where she had a successful modelling career at the age of 17. Ajnabee released in 2001 is her first film. She has endorsed a horde of brands such as Thums Up, Clinic All Clear, Reebok, Gili, Real Activ Juice, Sugar Free Gold, Panasonic, VI John Hair Removal Cream, Emami etc.

Aishwarya Rai

This former Miss World was first seen in a commercial for Camlin pencils when she was in the 9th grade. An aspiring architect, fame courted her even before she was crowned Miss World in 1994. She was seen in commercials for Garden sari, Colgate Gel, Sheetal, and Pepsi. Of these, the Pepsi commercial where she featured with Aamir Khan and Mahima Chowdhary was particularly popular. In fact, Aamir Khan and Aishwarya Rai are the only stars to have endorsed both Coke and Pepsi! After her debut in Iruvar (Tamil) in 1997, her first Hindi movie ‘Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya’ opposite Bobby Deol was released the same year. Aishwarya Rai has been associated with brands such as Coca Cola, Longines Swiss Watches, L’Oreal, etc.

Genelia D’Souza

This cute and bubbly girl was first seen in a Parker Pen commercial with Amitabh Bachchan. After gaining wide attention for the ad she began her acting career with ‘Tujhe Meri Kasam’ in 2003. The film did not do very well at the box office but her Tamil debut ‘Boys’ released the same year was a runaway hit. She has endorsed brands like Fanta, Virgin Mobile India, Fastrack, LG Mobiles, Garnier Light, Margo, Close-up and Perk.

Preity Zinta

A Post Graduate in Criminal Psychology, modeling happened by chance for this dimpled beauty. Her first television commercial was for Perk chocolates, the result of a chance meeting with a director at a friend's birthday party in 1996. The director persuaded her to audition for the spot, and she was selected. Afterwards, she appeared in other catalogues and commercials, including one for the soap Liril. Her noted stints in such ads lead to her being offered roles in movies like Dil Se, Kya Kehna, Soldier etc. Dil Se was her first released movie. She has endorsed Ddamas, Pentacool, Go Air, Emami Edible Oil Healthy and Tasty, etc.

The list, as is obvious, is incomplete. But the above mentioned names are those that have carved a sizeable niche for themselves in the world of movies. I realize that even as I am typing this out, even as these words are being printed on to paper, and possibly, even as you are reading this piece, some ad model, somewhere, in some little commercial, is preparing to join the league of stars mentioned above, without even realizing it. It’s their ADvent, I guess!

ADd that extra something to your copy

Copy is more than just words. It is more about an idea, a concept or a benefit. Good copy inspires, motivates and even sells. And that’s exactly the reason why a good writer need not necessarily be a good copywriter. On the other hand, being a good writer is a prerequisite for being a copywriter.

Copywriting differs in style, structure, tone and length depending on the medium it is used in. Newspaper or Magazine print ads have copy which is crisp and concise, something easily understandable. Brochures and leaflets generally have lengthier copy, more descriptive writing. In TVCs you seldom see copy in written form; it is usually a voiceover or a dialogue. Web copywriting in the form of emailers, enewsletters, social media interactivity programmes, websites, google ads, facebook ads, etc vary greatly from each other.

But whatever be the medium, copywriting is something that does not have a set word length. Novice copywriters often believe that all copy must be long- longer is always better. This is almost never true. When you write copy it only needs to be as long as it needs to be. You will destroy your letter if you add filler just to look better. If more words are necessary to accomplish your objective, then do what needs to be done.

Some basic copywriting tips that can prove useful to all aspiring copywriters:

v     Identify the Target Audience

The target audience plays a pivotal role in deciding the fate of your business. In copywriting, it is absolutely essential to first identify the target and before writing copy. This helps you speak a language your target audience understands. If you knew the TA for your biscuit ad is a housewife, you wouldn’t use too many big words and phrases. You would like to keep it short and simple. Better still, visualize your TA as you write. Think of someone who might be reading the ad, someone you know, like your mother or sister. This way you get a better idea of what appeals to them, what they want etc.

v     Maximize the research work

Gather as much data as possible on the product or service and work persistently on your skills. Unless and until you are determined to work on your copywriting abilities, there is no way of generating that perfect copy.

v     Be creative

You need to be creative so as to pull your target towards your ad. Use headlines that provoke, titillate, excite, or may be even, confuse. The rule here is not ‘by hook or by crook’ but originality of thought and interesting presentation of facts.

v     Exclude Jargons

Jargons refer to words which are difficult to comprehend. A jargon does nothing, but creates a negative impact. So, in copy writing, it is better to exclude as many difficult words as possible to ensure that your audience understands your point.

v     Speak the readers language

If you want to attract the reader’s attention through your writing, speak his own language. Effective copy writing requires a systematic approach that would deal in creating a direct conversation set up with the customer. If you are targeting the youth, a ‘Wassup?’ or a ‘Hey there!’ might catch their attention.

v     Avoid lengthy words & sentences

It can create needless confusion and therefore hamper the charm of the copy. You may enjoy using different words from your vocabulary but the reader will be put off. Do not use long Latin words like “information”- use short Anglo- Saxon words like “facts”. These words have more punch. Always remember copywriting is not about writing a novel; it is about selling a benefit.

v     State the exact product facts

Be creative and witty, but do not get carried away. At the end of it all, it is information the consumer wants. Be sure you give all the information you can, while focusing on any one aspect that needs to be highlighted.

v     Mention the service benefits

Let the customers know how they will benefit from your services. Provide every required detail that exclusively focuses on stating the service attributes. A big ‘NO’ to exaggerations and over claims- it can work against your objectives!

v     Review your copy

Reviewing is a crucial copywriting process that allows you to examine and scrutinize each and every single word in your copy. A copy should be reviewed at least thrice to evade any error in the subject. Typos, grammatical errors, punctuation mistakes- make sure you weed out all of those.

v     Everything does not have to be “grammatically correct”

This holds true especially when you are writing for TV Commercials. We are not always grammatically correct in real life; we also make deliberate grammatical errors when with friends, for fun. This does not mean that you can use totally ridiculous language. It just means your idea shouldn’t be handicapped because of adhering to grammar and syntax. The important point here is to light a desire in the prospect. E.g. if going by the rule one would is not supposed to use different languages in the same breath, but Virgin Mobile has the tagline ‘Think hatke’ and is totally relatable.

And finally, study the work of the great men of advertising. Write, write and re-write. The way to get effective advertising is to test everything. And if you are serious about copywriting, learn this one by rote and heart: Good copy is like a river; you should be able to jump in at any point and be carried along by the flow!

Some Really Good Advertisements

Thanks to our subscriptions and memberships on so many websites and social networks, we always have a hundred mails that beg and plead to be thrown into the Trash can if they were to be so badly neglected. And at times we get some forwarded mails, that come in like a whiff of fresh air. Forwarded but without the 'bad luck if you don't forward it' tag. And these are perhaps the only forwards we care to forward.

Take a look at some great ads that you might have received on mail. If you haven't seen them before, you are in for a treat, and if you have, well, enjoy all over again!

The headline is a beautiful play of words. 

Save Trees. Trees save.

A very catchy ad for a karate school.    The copy says: "Harry's bread. Nice and Soft." Indeed.  IF you think, You can.  A very interesting print ad by Frizz skin salon. Catchy. Thank God the zoom was invented...  And here is one of the best anti-smoking ad,  released by Cancer Patients Aid Association:  A very simple but hard-hitting advertisement by the Mumbai Traffic Police on the importance of wearing helmet:  One of the best, by Seagram, that asks drivers to choose carefully between two things:  Here is a very creative use of bowling alleys to advertise for dental implant insurance...  IWC, the famous Swiss watch makers, used these stickers on the holds  in airport buses to catch the attention of traveling pilots  and other passengers for their new "Big Pilot's Watch".  A "Don't Drink and Drive" campaign by Vasir breweries on their beer bottle caps.  Upon opening the bottle, the car printed on the cap appears bent,  and on reverse we have the simple slogan. Very simple but effective.

Creativity and Imagination really know no bounds. They are waiting to be unleashed!

Have a good day folks! :)

Public Relations

What is PR or Public Relations?

Let us begin by taking a look at some of the definitions of this seemingly small but actually vast subject.

IPR UK, 1948

Public Relations is a planned, sustained and deliberate effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between the organization and its publics.

IPRA, 1978, Mexican Statement

PR is the process of analyzing trends, predicting consequences and counseling organizational leaders and implementing planned communication programmes which by achieving mutual understanding will serve the interests of the both the organization and the public.

Research Students, 1976

PR is a distinctive management function which helps to establish and maintain mutual lines of communication, understanding, acceptance and co-operation between an organization and its publics; involves management problems and issues; helps management to keep informed on and responsive to public opinion; defines and emphasizes the responsibility of management to serve the public interests; helps management to keep abreast of and effectively utilize change; serving as an early warning system to help, anticipate trends; and uses research as well as sound and ethical communication techniques as its principle tools.

IPR UK, 1994

PR is all about reputation- the result of what you do, what you say and what others say about you.

So, in a nutshell, Public Relations activity is aimed at creating an understanding and between an organization and its publics through sound communication techniques. Publics- constitute internal (employees, management, stakeholders etc) and external (customers, media, general public at large). And publics precisely are our target audience as far as a PR activity is concerned.

It is not an easy task, because it is the management of communication.  Traditionally Public Relations creates   a favorable atmosphere in which an organization can function well. An effective or well thought out PR activity considers the following factors:

• Market changes
• Current tastes and trends
• Free flow of communication.

The following are the phases involved in a PR activity:

• Fact finding:
  It is the primary task of a PR professional. The company profile, history, past successes & failures, competitors, competitors’ strategy, stakeholders, the mindset of the local community, overall image- he/she should know all of it right from scratch. It may seem unnecessary, but when you are shelling out bucks, and there’s the reputation of the company at stake, then no amount of preparation is enough. It always helps to be prepared.
  
  
• Planning:
  Once the facts are collected and spread out on the table to be studied, it is time for planning. The plans include the means of the communication, the desired message, the activity, how it is going to be implemented, when and where. Planning is Q&A time, and you wouldn’t want to make mistakes here. 
  
  
• Execution:
  The final blueprint is ready and it’s now time to put it into action. The key here is to avoid going overboard and sending out the right messages.
  
  
• Evaluation:
  If the plan is important, the evaluation is also important.  Get the feedback and study the mistakes. All those negative comments are important as you’ll know what not to do in the future. So keep the results safe. If they are good, try to maintain them. If they are ok, try to better them and if they are bad- well, you might have to start figuring out what went wrong, right from square one!

 

The above is simply a basic idea about public relations. There’s more to it and it’s coming soon. Until next time, you just might want to know what the qualities of an ideal PR person are, according to Pfizer Ltd, Science for the world’s well being:

“A PR practitioner today is supposed to possess a broad academic record which includes a wide study of semantics, economics, history, sociology, philosophy, political science and law; great qualities of adjustability, elasticity of mind, the capacity to get along with people of different racial stocks, in environments very different from those in which they had been brought up, an intimate knowledge of human psychology, the vagaries of mass mind, an adaptability to comprehend the basic impulses, aspirations, the fears that move and unmoved human beings….”

And now, the icing on the cake..

“…All these are considered some of the essential qualities which a PR person must possess.”

Good luck to all aspiring PR professionals!

The ‘account’ is open

So there! We’ve got to mark this historic day on the calendar- 26^th Feb, 2011. The day all those interesting, imaginative, drab, pointless, serious, hilarious, (well…), all sorts of discussions and brainstorming sessions finally paid off. Ok, we got just a bit carried away- not by frayed nerves but excitement.

Before we begin, a word on the choice of the blog name. It was after much deliberation that we hit upon this one. We tried playing around with the words ‘Ad’ and ‘PR’, making portmanteaus around the two and ultimately finalized on PROFAD. The word has PR (Public Relations) and AD (Advertising) in it and also one of the most important things the two disciplines closely follow- Fads.   

Anyway, in the days to come, we shall bring to you all things we have learned and more importantly, learned to unlearn. There will be ad reviews, our own creative showcase, our views on some ad campaigns; news on PR activities in India and around the world, the latest trends in PR & Advertising and occasionally, some of us will use this space for random ramblings. But even those ramblings will have something to do with the theme of this blog.

So, as we already mentioned, the account is open, and we will soon have our works pitching for your attention and feedback. We hope you will enjoy reading our blog and be generous with appreciation and constructive criticism.

Cheers!