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Experiential Marketing: Set To Become The Marketers’ Magic Wand?

Synergyzer
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Experiential Marketing: Set To Become The Marketers’ Magic Wand?

Umair Mohsin explains the true essence of experiential marketing  

[dropcap size=small]T[/dropcap]he term ‘experiential marketing’ is hugely popular these days, with a lot being written on it and a number of agencies claiming to be experts in the field using it as the buzz word. However, a casual Google search for the term “experiential marketing” reveals the following being carried out in our country, which is quite misleading:

  • Companies sending out SMS messages
  • Marketing solutions consisting solely of events, floats for town storming and/or sports and other forms of entertainment marketing programs
  • Product sampling, Horeca promotions and street teams

What is experiential marketing then? The term refers to actual customer experiences with the brand, product or service that drive sales and increase brand image and awareness. It’s the difference between telling people about features of a product or service and letting them experience the benefits for themselves. When done right, it’s the most powerful tool out there to win brand loyalty. Thus experiential marketing is not one specific marketing tool. It’s an idea. A mindset. A focus on creating fresh connections between brands and consumers out in the world where things happen. Connections in the form of experiences that are personally relevant, memorable, interactive and emotional leading to increased sales and brand loyalty.

It’s important to point out that simply creating a live encounter between a person and a brand does not mean you’ve succeeded at being an experiential marketer. As Tom Peters says it well in his new book, RE-IMAGINE!, “Despite the fact that experiences will be the essence of life in the New Economy 
 most companies trying to pull this ‘experience thing’ off will fail miserably. They won’t get it 
 This ‘experience thing’ is 
 extremist. Not a dab of ‘delight’ here. Nor a pinch of ‘amusement’ there. But 
 An Entirely Different Way of Life.”

I see a lot of experiences being created where there is a disconnect between what is happening and the brand. One recent example being a bank at the Expo Lifestyles event targeting a bunch of young kids with free PS3 games. Those who can’t make decisions about their banking end up attending just for the free gaming. Other examples also exist where the brand connection is clear, yet the experience doesn’t lead to its intended result, for example, the branded kiosks in malls where people come to sit and nothing more. Good experiences take time, money, good information and clear objectives to develop.

To carry out experiential marketing well, it must be understood from its roots. The growing intensity of media proliferation and the evolution of internet from its primeval static manifestation (Web 1.0) to its present interactive and digitalised form (Web 2.0) changed the balance of effectiveness between the ATL and BTL media, with ATL becoming largely compromised since consumers, simultaneously overloaded by information and empowered by that same information, became harder to reach and harder to convince. As a result, a more direct and targeted approach became the order of the day, and ‘brand activation’ entered the marketing lexicon, defined by Ogilvy as, ‘through the line marketing services’, that are ‘media neutral’ and based on ‘a big idea’. Experiential marketing took this concept further, basing its effectiveness on an ability to create consumer experiences by engaging their emotions and their five senses. On the surface this may sound like a tall order, and yet experiential marketing can truly be a wondrous thing for brand communicators, provided they are able to ‘hit the right spot’ – which is the crux of the matter.

To hit that right spot, experiential marketing has to be – and cannot be anything else but – relevant to the consumer at a particular time and place. An excellent example of this was illustrated by the Charmin’s ‘brand activation’, a placement so obvious and yet so brilliant. What can be more customer relevant for a brand of toilet paper than providing the most luxurious ever public restroom experience to a crowd of weary, but happy Christmas shoppers milling around Times Square on a cold winter’s day?

Because this is what happens to shoppers in cities all over the world; they shop and then all of a sudden they desperately need a restroom break. And that is what is called a consumer insight and that is what Charmin acted on, giving the most luxurious experience to hundreds of thousands of shoppers in their time of ‘need’.

“Nike Grid“, which is an online and ambient campaign designed to clock London runners speed and endurance is another brilliant experiential marketing campaign. Fitness fans register online before running between designated telephone boxes, punching in their unique code at the start and end of each run, building up a grid of over 40 postcodes. Nike Grid players have 24 hours to race and conquer their streets. There are 40 postcodes in play, each with four phone-boxes. The more runs, the more points earned for that postcode. The person with the most points in each area claims the crown of that postcode. Badges are awarded for speed, stamina and insider knowledge of the streets. Players are encouraged to use their street knowledge to get them around their local area as quickly as possible by any possible route. There are also maps online and in various outdoor locations. What is more experiential than being with users when they are using the products marketers sell?

A more fun awareness generating experiential campaign was designed by MINI last year and ended up doubling MINI sales in Sweden because of it with over 11,000 participants in the game. Targeting the core youth segment, the game was called MINI Getaway – The Stockholm Hunt and was a simple ‘cat & mouse’ game. Running over the course of nine days, smartphone users ‘hunted’ to catch a virtual MINI Coupe. The person who finished the competition while holding onto the virtual MINI would win the car for real. Given that participants were in thousands however, players were required to run as fast as they could to keep out of the orbit of other players, and use a range of tactics to prevent them from stealing it. Players would frantically try their best to hold onto the virtual car for as long as they possibly could to win the prize.

With the growth of the internet and mobile platforms, experiential marketing will continue to evolve and move forward as technology opens more collaborative and social communication channels. Experiential marketing is forecast to become one of the biggest growth areas in marketing in the next five years as marketers shift an increasing proportion of their marketing budgets towards it. Spending in this area is set to grow as marketing budget holders now believe that it offers considerable advantages over other marketing tools, especially in building brand loyalty and encouraging word of mouth recommendation amongst consumers.

Umair Mohsin is Director – Digital Marketing & Strategy at Media Idee Digital, a digital agency serving clients in UK, Sweden, Dubai and Pakistan. He can be reached at umair.mohsin@mediaidee.com

Discovering the new Pakistani Consumer

Ali Raza Merchant
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Discovering the new Pakistani Consumer

By Ali Raza Merchant

There is a major shift in consumer spending in the urban retail environment, in recent times. The question that comes to mind is that, where have all these new consumers come from? Who are they? What influences them to purchase brands? And how have the dynamics in the retail environment prompted them to see the shopping experience differently?

Before we attempt to answer the above questions, we need to review some basic parameters of urban Pakistani consumers. Though there are significant cultural differences in the North, Central and South regions of the country, where the three largest metros are located; having said that, there are some significant factors that are common in dwellers of Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. For instance the rise of the nuclear family structure has brought many changes in lifestyles, such as independent living, smaller family size, focus on education and careers, increased social consciousness, desire to associate and express through the rich and famous, influencing ideas from Hollywood and Bollywood etc etc.

Another significant aspect of changing lifestyle relates to the role and influence of technology in the consumers’ life. The massive growth of cell phones and the steady increase of internet usage, clearly suggests how information reaches consumers at great speed. In fact, this only substantiates a comment made by a senior telecom expert, who said, “Countries like Pakistan may be a bit late at acquiring technology; however, once it’s there they leapfrog and catch up with the developed world”. It seems so true to the fast evolving consumer lifestyle, that it is suddenly evident around us.

Coming to the consumers and identifying the changing environment and influences, one does question as a marketer if there is enough research being done on profiling them. Perhaps, some large companies have commissioned research to profile their own customers, yet I am unaware of any independent research that is available to marketers for specific consumer insights. I feel that the time is ripe for Pakistani marketers and certain trade bodies to take up the project and conduct a thorough analysis of what, where and why about this sizeable and affording segment. I say this in view of the fast evolving demand for brands, Pakistani and international, which is suddenly popping up in front of us.

In this context, I would like to share with you, top lines, of a recent research on SEC classifications, done by The Market Research Society of India (MRSI). In this study, there is an addition of four new consumer classifications thereby increasing the total number of SEC’s from 8 to 12. The beauty of the research is that it was simple as it was based on two variables i.e. Education of chief earner and number of ‘consumer durables’ (from a defined list of 11 items) owned by the family. The results seem to be quite effective as it has improved specific SEC classification, creating greater focus on consumer type. Furthermore, it is less subjective as they are not using occupation as a factor. On a mass scale level it has also evolved into a single system for both urban and rural India.

Taking this idea further, if we review the urban consumer lifecycle (as highlighted to me by an expert researcher); we need to perhaps formulate age based profiles of these customers. Though I am not proposing to trash the SEC based profiling, which is currently in use, there is merit in seeing customers through a different lens of lifestyle habits, which changes with age. Perhaps, this is the right time to develop consumer profiles that can be categorized as Tweens, Teens, Young Adults, Nuclear Families, Middle Aged Bread Earner Families and Empty Nests. These titles are just basic starting points but they can be changed or further sub-classified.

Having core brand management and advertising experience, I personally feel that there is far too much gut feeling involved in the brand marketing process. There is a lot of room for marketers and advertising professionals to understand consumer types through insights, for creating new business opportunities. In our normal routines and standard business practices we do tend to miss out on the subtle changes that take place in the short-term which can magnify into substantial changes in the medium term.

To quote some examples, it is important for us to see the impact of infrastructure on consumer habits and lifestyle. For instance, the recent addition of Atrium Cineplex and its adjoining food court has a major impact on movie viewing, shopping and dining habits of customers frequenting the mall. Similar tendencies are observed where hyper-markets (modern trade) have brought in large number of customers in malls and generated high footfall for other brands and stores within the premises. Though one can argue that these examples do not cater to very large number of customers, yet one is forced to see this as a growing phenomenon. Another very fast changing scenario is the mushroom growth of food home delivery businesses, which are simply serving a customer need. In the fast paced lifestyle of urban cities, customers are quite responsive to being served at home; offering great potential for groceries and other low involvement level products/brands to experiment here.

This is only the tip of the iceberg. In order to excite customers, we really need to keep a regular track of what is affecting their decisions. From a market researchers point of view, it is also important to initiate the process through results that are easy to decipher and actionable. Taking the first step is always the most difficult; however, once the journey begins it has its own experiences and memories which will make the effort worthwhile. So my two pence worth of advice to all stake holders is – take a plunge and commit some serious money in profiling your customers, as it will save you a lot in the medium and long-term.

Ali Raza Merchant is a seasoned Marketing Professional with a unique blend of experience in core Brand Marketing as well as Advertising and Communications. He is a brand strategist with a versatile understanding of traditional and new media. He is presently Executive Director at Synergy Group and pursues marketing actively, always willing to discuss his ideas with Professionals and Students. He is also a visiting faculty for Marketing at IOBM and can be contacted at aliraza20@hotmail.com

 

Digital Media Is What Make Us Tick

Synergyzer
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Digital Media Is What Make Us Tick

By Syed M. Ayaz

Over the last few decades, the frequency of accessing and sharing information has grown immensely. Today, the term Global Village undoubtedly refers to the impact of internet on the world and how immediate access to information with no limitation or boundaries has affected every industry. Hence, the knowledgebase of today’s human is far higher than previous generations.

Before the advent of Internet, access to information was never as easy as it is today and probably our future generations cannot even imagine a life without it. In this digital age, desired information is just a few clicks away. New technologies in search engines and digital media continue to evolve and redefine how we live our lives and the way we perceive and consume information. Thanks to this new trend, every discipline and industry is now progressing to the next level by making intelligent use of digital media. We can easily gauge how this fast-paced information flow has changed content model seen on traditional media; be it news, dramas, moderated talk shows or documentaries, the influence of foreign culture and global media practices are evident in local media content in more ways than one. With the quantum of data being made available online, even today’s consumer knows precisely how to filter and get access to information they are looking for and doing their research and forming opinions based on this plethora of information. Consumers can’t be spoon-fed and expected to believe everything as it is given to them.

Mass media continues to play the role of a powerful change agent in the society as its a major source of information that provides locally and culturally relevant content to a large number of people, and its boom has made it powerful enough to influence the thought process and lifestyle of people by becoming an integral part of their routine life. Due to its far-reaching impact, mass media became the most effective tool to communicate with consumers in the latter part of the twentieth century. Even though, it is still primarily being used to create awareness but with limitations in engagement, information clutter, extensive options and high costs, it is losing its stature in the eyes of its audience and even other stakeholders. A big change was brought about when Newsweek ceased its print publication at the end of 2012 and moved to an all-digital format. Today, almost all leading TV channels and newspapers around the world are offering digital services. With changing media dynamics, digital media is fast becoming the most consumed medium all over the world and is literally shifting the media industry paradigm due to its interactive nature. There is no doubt that with the current growth rate being experienced by digital media, mass media will eventually transform into digital.

Ever since the internet became commercialized in 1995, it has transformed the web experience for an ordinary man starting from e-commerce websites like amazon.com and ebay.com to the upcoming phenomena of augmented reality and Web 3.0. Where this transformation has immensely changed the way brands and marketers think and operate, it has also shifted consumer behavior and sentiments toward brands. The adoption of social media by brands is not just because of its availability, but also because it offers two-way communication with consumers, which no other medium does. And we all know that today’s consumers love to interact directly with the brand on a more personal level, feel connected and updated, and share experiences on the go. Businesses using these social media sites and other avenues like smartphone apps add the “Human” element to connect with their loyal as well as potential customers. For this reason, all leading brands in almost every industry of the world have ensured their presence on leading social media websites and have even designed, developed and deployed communication modules specifically for this medium according to audience needs, behavior and following in their respective communities.

It is essential to understand that a brand’s digital presence can make or break its corporate image. In developed markets, approximately 60% of potential customers today look at product reviews before making a purchase decision. According to Desk.com, in 1983 a vocal customer could influence about 10 people; in 2002 this bar raised to 100 people; whereas in 2010, it was revealed that 1 vocal customer can now reach out to 1,375 people. Bearing in mind this trend where consumers have more and more influencing power, it is important for brands to realize that every customer is a valuable customer. A survey conducted a year ago showed that 41% of Facebook users’ feel that its a good resource to learn and read about brands, whereas 49% people who complained about a brand on Twitter expected the business owning the brand to read the complaint and 83% loved to receive a response.

Considering the way technology is progressing today, with consumers getting immune to new access points of information being made available through various facets of digital media, my final word to companies and brands is that before stepping into this business, it is advisable to have complete understanding of the digital media scenario and all its implications as well as attributes with respect to your market and audience behavior. Remember, “Once you’re online there is no coming back!!!”

Bill Gates, Chairman of Microsoft once said, “The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency.” The rule aptly applies to the digital media. The way brands, businesses and people in general use this medium will largely determine their personal as well as professional success. Its growing adoption means that this medium is here to stay and change the way we lead our lives leaving us with no other choice but to adapt to the change.

Sources:
Population numbers: US Census Bureau & local census agencies
Internet usage information: Nielsen Online, International Telecommunications Union, GfK & local ICT Regulators
Social media information: Desk.com

Syed M. Ayaz is associated with Syntax Communications, a leading PR agency. He played the crucial role of helping his company adapt PR 2.0 when it was a fairly new concept. Ayaz believes in making intelligent use of digital media to enhance PR influence on brands and customers. He can be reached on Twitter @zayams.

 

How Digital And Lifestyle Trends Are Shaping Marketing Trends In Pakistan

Sanna Malik
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How Digital And Lifestyle Trends Are Shaping Marketing Trends In Pakistan

As originally published in Synergyzer Issue 1 – 2014

Rapid urbanization; with 37% of Pakistan’s inhabitants dwelling in cities since 2010 as listed in the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects, has diversified our cityscapes in multidimensional ways. Increased consumer spending; use of digital media, with immense focus on social media; entrance of international mega brands; the emergence of high profile local design councils; fashion weeks that pay homage to international buyers; emergence of concept stores focusing on retail therapy; unique online shopping model with payment on delivery – the list catering to our metropolitan appetite has become endless.

According to IDC’s Consumer Study conducted on Pakistan’s digital population on behalf of Google, the number of Pakistanis connected through their mobile phones to access the internet daily are 77% of the smartphone users surveyed and 73% of feature phone users surveyed. The percentage of people accessing the internet through their desktop computers is 86%. Although the user base for smartphones and feature phones is more limited than the user base on which the whole study was conducted, i.e. 448 smartphone users and 487 feature-oriented mobile phone users, while the researchees totaled 1,000 in number; the study predicts that the use of cellular internet will surpass the use of desktop internet in 2014 in Pakistan. Also, 45% of those surveyed own a tablet.

These numbers point towards massive consumer spending that Pakistanis having any sort of urbanized exposure are undertaking since late. Brands have responded to this demand by contributing to evolving lifestyle needs as is obvious through the increasing number of brick-and-mortar as well as online outlets and offerings. Yet, what needs more attention is marketers going beyond traditional means of consumer interaction: Although most brands are on Facebook, very few follow the principle of ‘social devotion’ – customer care carried out on social media, as outlined by the social media analytics platform, Socialbakers.com. Telco brands including Mobilink, Zong, Telenor and Warid top this list in January 2014, yet this list has to encompass more FMCG and lifestyle brands if marketers have to stand out amongst the competition. Similarly, experience-oriented marketing campaigns that engage prospective consumers in the benefit that the product offering provides and go beyond traditional announcements are the need of the hour. Also, avenues including Google +, Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram etc., while LinkedIn for B2B interactions should be taken more seriously as increased number of cellular and internet users are getting onboard these networks and sharing content.

An inclusive customer engagement model is fast becoming a necessity rather than a luxury. It is imperative that brands start taking notice.

 

Dawlance Journey to the Pinnacle

Synergyzer
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Dawlance Journey to the Pinnacle

By Fatyma Khan

We hear of many local businesses, but only a few come to become renowned brands. The key to a successful business venture is to capture an unattended market for what you are delivering; the product needs to be competitive in the marketplace and a clear vision of the company’s objective and excellence. One such example is that of Dawlance; starting business some 30 years ago, established in 1980 in Hyderabad and at present a well-established brand across Pakistan.

Dawlance is considered to be synonymous with ‘Reliability’ and seen as the 7th most favorite brand in Pakistan, holding the highest market share in 3 out of 5 categories. It is also amongst top 2 ‘top of mind’ brands in all product categories. Additionally, research also revealed that Dawlance is in every 2nd household in Pakistan that own appliances and throughout its 32 years, it has maintained superior quality standards by being the first Pakistani company to have been awarded the ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001.

Dawlance started off as a refrigerator manufacturer after being founded in mid 1970s. However, over time Dawlance developed a successful portfolio of home appliances. Currently, Dawlance produces top of the line Refrigerators, Deep Freezers, Microwave Ovens, Washing Machines and Air Conditioners. Over the years, the company has been able to maintain a strong foothold in the local market by manufacturing products that continuously deliver on their brand promise of reliability.

Having won several brand elections awards, it is evident how well Dawlance has integrated itself into the local Pakistani market. Brand Elections is a consumer driven, marketing industry barometer for brands. It is built on authentic research data of Consumer Multimedia Index (CMi) which is the first of its kind and the largest single-source data in Pakistan with a most robust and representative 15000 sample covering all SEC’S across urban and rural Pakistan. To win a title as such is an honor for a brand but also truly commendable as it acknowledges effective marketing strategies of Dawlance that their targeted implementation that have positioned Dawlance as the most reliable home appliance brand.

To truly appreciate the achievements and accomplishments of Dawlance to date, one needs to understand its journey. The market, back in the day was captured by foreign brands due to the unavailability of local brands, hence, Dawlance, as a start-up recognized a need for local household appliances in Pakistan; initiating locally produced refrigerators catering to all classes at an affordable price.

Their strategy has been simple, identify a demand and capture market place with innovation and reliability. Initially, international appliance companies from Europe and Japan would only make tall and sleek refrigerators. Insight revealed that in Pakistan, food storage patterns differed from those of abroad as Pakistanis have bigger family sizes and thus cooking patterns differ from abroad too. Secondly, the average height of females in Pakistan is about 5ft 2ÂŽÂŽand the freezer portion of the tall refrigerators could not be reached conveniently by the average Pakistani female. Identifying a problem, Dawlance took the initiative as a Pakistani brand to introduced shorter refrigerators with wide bodies for usage convenience and most efficient storage capacity. Their innovation to suit local market demand gave Dawlance a clear edge over competition and helped consumers form a positive association with the brand name. The wide-framed refrigerators till this day are a trademark of Dawlance that caught the market by storm and proved to be at par with international appliances in terms of quality and performance.

Moreover, keeping in mind the vicious cycle of load shedding the nation has to endure, the company produced refrigerators with thick insulation which provided extra cooling of 4-5 hours in case of power outages helping the local consumers rely on the product in offering simple solutions to its local problems. Over the years, the company has become the leading manufacturer of refrigerators and deep freezers with a range of 6 refrigerator models and 2 deep freezer models. These models are more than just food preservers; they instil the perception of ‘Reliability’ Dawlance supports through their product innovation.

A similar example of solution based innovation is of Dawlance Microwave ovens. Dawlance brand ambassador is Chef Mehboob, a well-known Pakistani chef for his health tips and guidelines and a master of all cuisines. The respectable name of Chef Mehboob helps endorse healthy living and tasteful food; a chef that can rely on Dawlance Microwave ovens. Microwave ovens were used mainly for re-heating purposes, but today one-third of the customer base uses microwave ovens for cooking food; a shift in habits brought upon by Dawlance Cook King Range of microwave ovens. A few years ago, the company decided to help change, age-old perception of its consumers by launching a range of microwave ovens under the title ‘Cook King’. The Cook King series not only re-heat food but are capable of cooking delicious meals at the touch of a button. Dawlance identified the need to cater to instant cooking needs amongst men and women with changing work lifestyles and the necessity for convenience. Dawlance microwave ovens made cooking easy for the modern household female and negate the idea that cooking with a microwave oven means sacrificing quality and flavor.

Moreover, Dawlance also introduced a Teflon tawa in certain models of its ‘Cook king’ series, understanding the Pakistani tradition of making fresh rotis. As women are active working members of society in urban cities, it seems as a tedious and time consuming chore. However with ‘Cook King’ Series Dawlance made it possible for housewives to cook scrumptious naan treats right at home. Each of Dawlance series is a reflection of their commitment to changing consumer lifestyle with innovative techniques; microwave ovens, custom built for the local market and ensure that households continue living their traditions with extra ease.

Another gem in Dawlance crown has to be China Canton Fair which justly adds to the walk of fame for Dawlance; the No.1 Home Appliances Company of Pakistan participated at the 114th China Canton Fair, held in China’s capital, Guangzhou, which is its largest manufacturing hub. It attracts a total of 189,646 foreign buyers from 212 countries, whereas Dawlance was the sole Pakistani brand to display its broad array of product portfolio. The Canton Fair is one of the largest import-export trade fair events in China with a high degree of popularity amongst visitors and exhibitors alike and draws in almost 207,103 foreign participants lending the event a true global flavor. This exhibition has separate national and international pavilions, well-targeted buyers and more than 48 eminent trade delegations. It would be proper to say, Dawlance participation at this event indicates the strength of the brand locally to take initiative in expanding its horizons internationally and how far they have come a long way, in imprinting their brand identity of ‘Reliability’ amongst all consumers. More importantly, the opportunity to spearhead Pakistan’s home appliance industry both here and abroad is a pride that is well seeded in everything Dawlance stands for in order to hoist the Pakistani flag on the international platform.

It is due to such solution based innovation that Dawlance has become the No. 1 home appliances brand of Pakistan and captured a huge market share. It constantly aims to provide revolutionary home appliances to its customers by using innovative technology in manufacturing appliances that are beneficial not only for households but also the environment. Dawlance home appliances not only fulfil the basic necessities of the consumers but also take their lifestyle to a whole new level. Dawlance has made sure that its products appeal to every type of consumer, which is one of the reasons for the company’s huge market share in the home appliances sector. Dawlance home appliances have become an integral part of the inherent home culture; it truly is a brand complimenting changing lifestyles.

Furthermore, they have a high number of retail outlets, service centers and distributors around Pakistan for ease of access; establishing its promise for reliability. Reliability, which is the differentiating characteristic of Dawlance, is exercised within all functions of the company. In last 3 decades, Dawlance has come a long way and continues its legacy of thought leadership in driving the local home appliance industry while expanding into global markets with poise.

 

Pakistani Fashion: Takes Front Stage On Social Media

Synergyzer
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Pakistani Fashion: Takes Front Stage On Social Media

By Eesha Hussain

Pakistani fashion has come a long way in the last 5 years. From being limited to local magazines and newspapers that would be limited to some fraction of the urban population of Pakistan; our fashion brands now have access to a global audience of over a billion through social media.

Being a part of the digital media team at Team::ants, I have gotten exposed to managing a number of fashion brands. One of the first brands to sign up with us was EGO, a casual-wear brand that has grown from 2 outlets in Karachi to 22 outlets across Pakistan in the last 4 years. Since social networks are inherently global, this has resulted in growing international presence – resellers and franchisees are signing up from places like Dubai, Chicago & Toronto.

Another fashion brand that is pushing ahead with full force is ‘AsimJofa’. A relatively new entrant to the fashion scene, Asim has captured the ‘conversation space’ not only through his interesting campaigns but has also built a powerful (and growing) following on Facebook. With over 500,000 fans, the AsimJofa brand has an audience that goes abroad, beyond Pakistan’s borders.

In order to have an effective social media presence, a brand needs to have great content – and it needs to reach enough numbers to justify that investment in content. A lot of people see, but don’t comprehend, the significance of these new numbers that social media makes possible. In order to send a single newsletter through snail-mail would cost a brand Rs. 7.5 million to reach 500,000 people. In the current socially connected scenario, you can do it at no cost once they already follow you. To be able to talk to the same audience again and again and turn them into advocates, that is priceless.

Pakistan’s acclaimed fashion leaders, Sana Safinaz and HSY, have engaged their followers and potential customers through social media as well. For such fashion brands, it was natural to become a part of this new media form, besides their already existing presence in print: They were already creating new styles and photographing them – they took the same content and placed it in front of a larger audience online. Facebook became a fashion magazine and Pakistani women inside and outside Pakistan were hooked to old and new designers.

But Facebook hasn’t just pushed the larger brands into new markets. It has also created a home-based fashion industry that is booming. These mini-fashion houses may be small, but their combined size is huge and getting bigger. They are reaching out to the local audience and also partnering with expat Pakistanis to sell abroad. Pakistani brands that want to become internationally recognized have to, paradoxically, focus on the local audience. The pattern is clear: Involve the local audience, and through them reach expat Pakistanis, who further aide in connecting with the larger global audience. Any other route may get more expensive and less likely to succeed.

Our fashion industry is going through an evolutionary phase, which is expected to get more exciting. In the coming two years, Pakistani fashion brands will become more and more global. Their products will sell in significantly larger numbers in markets like India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and also UK, Canada, United States and the Middle East, wherever there is a demand for Pakistani style.

Social media itself is evolving very quickly. The Facebook that you use today is not the same as the Facebook that you used 3 or 4 years ago. Pinterest and Tumblr are becoming increasingly important. Niche social networks for fashion, like RNKD, are coming up. Mobile apps like Pose are changing the way fashion photography happens – now everyone is a model!

In 2013, Pakistani fashion is expected to go beyond Facebook, and beyond our borders. This change will be the second phase for this new brand-focused, mass-scale emerging fashion industry. Brands that leverage this giant opportunity will become leaders of not only the South Asian marketplace but also significant players in the global fashion industry.

For people like me, one of the most exciting things about working in the social media space is that it changes every 6 months, with something new coming up every now and then. The other reason is that we love seeing our brands capture the imagination of our populace, and hopefully soon, the world.

Eesha Hussain is Content Writer at Team::ants.
If you need more information on the company, please email at contact@teamants.com.

 

Publicist’s New Tool For Public Interaction BLOG

Osama Shaukat
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Publicist’s New Tool For Public Interaction BLOG

Osama Shaukat writes about the importance of  blogs in second generation PR techniques

The field of public relations has become increasingly integrated with digital channels of communication. With the advent of social media, PR has taken a 360-degree turn in the way it addresses consumers and helps companies in maintaining good public image.

In professional terms, the digitalisation of public relations is called PR 2.0. Much like the newer version of the World Wide Web, PR 2.0 incorporates a different dimension to the way PR is conducted today.

Traditionally, PR relied on tools like newsletters, media releases, advertorials etc. Now, in the 21st century, all of these tools have become digital. PR 2.0 came into being through the exploration of how the multimedia was redefining PR and marketing communications with the help of the internet.

One PR tool, among many other options available for maintaining relations with the general public is a blog. A blog is a personal journal published over the cyberspace by bloggers who write about their lives, philosophies and ideas in order to communicate them to the rest of the world.

According to a statistic, there are more than 156 million blogs on the internet, which tends to highlight the significant impact they have in forming opinions.

Pakistan is also edging towards the digital bandwagon with full force. The urban population has become aware of digital media’s strength and has heavily incorporated social media in their daily lives. There are many bloggers in Pakistan who reach out to public here and globally with their blogs; through which they try to promote their ideas and innovative thinking to transform the lives of people who follow them.

In this article, we shed light on five blogs from Pakistan, which have a deep digital footprint for their readers to follow. Not only are the bloggers entrepreneurs who have pioneering ideas, rather they communicate them to the general public effectively. Their position as opinion leaders in the society is much appreciated and acknowledged, which in turn enhances their own PR:

  1. Sarosh Waiz’s blog: 

As he claims on his blog, Sarosh was born with entrepreneurial instincts; this blogger has made it big through many ventures in the past year. SaroshWaiz is an avid digital marketer and is a seasoned media person. His interests include social media, digital marketing and technology, all of which can be extensively found on his blog. He writes about different trends that take place in the world, from movies to gadgets, from politics to interesting angles on domestic stories. His blog offers a variety of content for all sorts of tastes and preferences.

  1. JavedJabbar’s blog: 

Imminent writer, proactive thinker, diligent leader and a broadminded critique, JavedJabbar’s blog talks about Pakistan in its entirety from a global perspective and a domestic outlook. He is a former Senator and Federal Minister; hence he has deep roots in the field of media and communications. His blog talks about the political situation of Pakistan and its place within the region. The South Asian region is a volatile place for politics, where changes occur at every second and Javed specializes in his understanding of news and views which matter to the country and its existence.

  1. Teeth Maestro:

A dentist by profession and an avid blogger, Dr.Awab Alvi goes with Teeth Maestro as his blog name. He has been blogging since 2004, earlier on orthodontist.blogspot.com and then through his own URL. He speaks about the most favourite topic of Pakistan i.e. politics and gives his opinions about how the situation in the country is coming out. He follows global blogs and provides them a platform to showcase their work through his blog as well. He shares views of authors who write about Pakistan and its leaders. The tag cloud sums up most of his writings which are about the different political parties of Pakistan and how the cooks are spoiling the broth.

  1. Ashraf Chaudry’s blog:

The head banner claims him to be Pakistan’s No. 1 Sales Trainer and that is exactly what is showcased on his blog. His blog usually features announcements of sales workshops, seminars, and conferences which take place around the country. There are occasional posts about tips and tricks in sales and other general articles about sales people and their traits.

  1. Ahmed Kapadia’s blog:

Self-determination, selflessness and leadership are just some qualities of Ahmed Hussain Kapadia, to whom this blog belongs. He can be rightly called a self-made person as he setup his own advertising agency to replicate his passion for entrepreneurship. His blog is the reverberation of his philosophy of life and his role as a leader. Ahmed Kapadia pens his thoughts about an enlightened Pakistan and brings them to his followers through his blog.

It is evident from the examples above how momentous blogs can be to one’s public image. With the proper utilization of this powerful medium, people can share their lives and experiences with diverse audience that knows no boundaries. Many companies also utilize the power of blogging with full effect for their benefit as today’s consumers live most of their lives connected to the web.All in all, blogs have emerged as a flexible and adaptive medium to promote personal as well as corporate image and it is heartening to see that Pakistan boasts of a flourishing blogging community that has been successfully utilizing this hot favourite PR 2.0 tool to promote people and brands in parallel.

A Splash of Excitement for Pakistan

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A Splash of Excitement for Pakistan

By Umair Mohsin

Pakistan is a country perceived more for its ability to maintain the status quo, decline, corruption and decay rather than innovation and world class events or institutions. Statistics reveal a similar story: The Happy Planet Index ranked the country 112 out of 178 countries, Corruption Perceptions Index ranked it 143 out of 182 countries; whilst in the Failed States Index Pakistan is present in the top 10 countries at 10 out of 177 countries of the world.

Add in the murky picture of a lackluster economy, a declining currency, growing poverty, a non-existent legal and political infrastructure and no surprise that investors and local entrepreneurs are wary of bringing in their capital and ideas into the country. Hence, the expensive proposition of a Dolphin Show may appear to be dubious in such a scenario.

According to one of the core philosophies of Media Idee (MI), “We are a company that thrives on hiring individuals who want to change the world and we are willing to take risks and do what no company has done before.” Thus, when Moon Builders, our partners for the Dolphin Show, approached us with the idea we decided to give this magnanimous risk a shot.

Initially, we did not carry out any proper risk assessment, project assessment or feasibility analysis. Based on a few projections, we took a leap of faith and started the project. The idea was to prove that MI could handle a global event of this magnitude. It also served us a base to counter the growing skepticism in the country and to build up some awareness regarding our marine life which had been in decline for decades. It purports that people in Pakistan are talented and their strong self belief shows they are no less than any other great nations.
The show’s success can be gauged from pictures and videos on social networks, while news media outlets from Dawn to Tribune mentioned the show in their bulletins. We served full houses for over 45 days, where over 421 schools with 80,000 kids attended our morning shows. Most of our shows went houseful and people from all walks of life and ages came to witness live entertainment of international scale.

Putting up a show of this magnitude was not an easy task and we faced many challenges. The infrastructure for the makeshift dolphinarium did not exist in the beginning. We had to hire a special Russian team trained in installing such infrastructures to set up one here according to international benchmarks as well as educate our engineers in the process. The dolphins were imported from Russia and due to the nature of these superstars; agreements had to be made between countries and government institutions for flight, transfers, import of exotic animals, disease preventions and more before we were granted permission of holding the event. These procedures took months. Marketing and sales were also a challenge. The usual 20 to 80 US Dollar ticket price charged by the dolphinarium internationally would have crippled the project in our country. Thus, we decided to keep it affordable at 3.5 to 5 USD. To ensure breakeven, we added more seats to the stadium. To lower the advertising cost, we found our primary sponsor in Hilal Confectionaries. Even though there were numerous expenditures the investment retained due to the fact that a show like this had never came to Pakistan before and the lack of entertainment options here. The increased expenses were covered by charging slightly higher prices for tickets; we revised the prices upwards at show’s start – partly to counter the 30% decline in the currency we incurred over the period of a year.

I believe that the MI structure consisting of different partner companies looking after different business perspectives helped us succeed. Hiring a similar team by Dolphin International, the company behind the project and our partner, would have cost the project a lot more in terms of time and finances and the teams would have struggled to work together from the outset. Our structure allowed us to work as a cross-functional team across digital, event management, design, customer service, sales, media management, vendor relations, technology and more, enabling unprecedented flexibility during the design, marketing and management of the show and with each company bringing its unique expertise and perspective. This also allowed lower costs and faster execution.

We took lessons from the ‘Fail Faster’ philosophy of Silicon Valley and started the marketing of the show way before the pool had been completely built. This allowed us to gauge and map audiance interests, figure out pricing and discover excitement factors, based on which our marketing communication was later designed, helping us create real models and projections. Despite the challenges due to which the show could have been derailed, the marketing was sustained using basic digital channels i.e. social media and the web.

Pakistan, a land of opportunities, requires investment in every vertical; from infrastructure to education to entertainment. A global event like this has enlivened the spirit of our people, while providing them an avenue of entertainment. However, a few things are always needed to ensure that the investment keeps paying off. Firstly, there needs to be consistent efforts and investment to make something happen. This also requires a heart of steel to sustain setbacks and challenges which may occur ranging from bureaucratic intervention to shoddy work. Secondly, the issue of corresponding to international benchmarks and standards may refrain us from indulging in large scale activities which I believe can be dealt with by putting together or partnering with teams that can work on world class projects and by willing to stick by the project through thick and thin.

Repairing the damage done to the image of Pakistan is a herculean task, but with our vigor and passion to make it happen along with putting the right people in place, we can carry out efforts to change our country’s perception. In rebuilding the image of our country, international projects that attract large audiences can go a long way and play a pivotal role. We hope that such events continue to take place in Pakistan to raise the repute and image of our beloved country internationally.

Umair Mohsin is the Director Digital of MI Digital. From digital commerce to brand building experiences through gamification and omni-channel marketing, he ensures the company keeps pace with the changing digital landscape. He can be reached at umair.mohsin@mediaidee.com.

 

Time For Pakistani Fashion Industry To Step Up

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Time For Pakistani Fashion Industry To Step Up

is fashion design an art? YES

Can Fashion Design as an art form be a successful business? YES

Does one need formal training in the art of fashion? YES

Does one need to be naturally talented? YES

It sounds easy. And obvious. But it’s a careful path to follow to make that mysterious 1+1=11, not 2. Anyone with or without artistic talent, with or without formal training, with some interest can join the dots and create clothes, call it Fashion and have achieved that 2.

Does Pakistan have the raw talent to create Fashion designers with a business that makes 1+1=11. Yes. Then why when we look around does the large majority of Pakistani Fashion look the same, derivative and plagiarized from each other, when it was once from India? Yet, Fashion is the hottest industry to be associated with or be in. The media loves fashion, whether it’s TV or printed press. They love to support anyone and anything that is willing to be bold enough to show their work, if one is lax enough to call it that. Nonetheless, there’s an explosion of an industry that is making millions and giving millions food to eat. One cannot argue the benefit of that.

But, is this it? Is that its end goal achieved as a mushrooming industry filled with glamour and glitter? No further evolution or development? With such an impact on society as a whole and on the younger generations, should it not be looking at cultivating some standards, role models with a vision and direction for the country, or some quality control benchmarks?

These are not rhetorical questions. They are real questions with real tangible answers. Like Art, Fashion has a social responsibility. It has a responsibility to itself: Its designers, its corporate investors, its production teams, its models, its consumers and the media that is giving it miles of air time. It has to look inwards at itself, keep a constant eye on what it’s creating, regionalism, relevance, globalization, exoticism, competition, tailoring, conceptualization, quality of the overall product. It has to be aware of its weaknesses, not overlook them or brush them under the rug, but face them, identify them and know what should improve, what should be of value to anyone coming into the industry or anyone watching it from outside. It needs to critique itself with a global, historical, critical design set of rules, not just subject likes and dislikes or friendly loyalty based nepotistic favoritism. That was almost acceptable in its early days, 20 years ago, with little to no information at our fingertips, less students being sent to Fashion Design Schools abroad and none to attend here in Pakistan. Today, there’s no excuse. As I look at Fashion after a decade, with access to all the information thanks to TV and the internet there’s really no excuse to support for the sake of support.

This is a great time to step back and look at the Pakistan Fashion industry. It has tremendous potential. We have a history of excellence when we look at the quality of embroiderers, tailors and craftsmen. There is absolutely no shortage of fabrics or accessories. We have Fashion Design programs and schools too. We have talented, energetic, informed youth frothing at the bit to run the race, yet there seems a shortage of jockeys.No pun intended.

Fashion is a sexy Art. No doubt. But it needs to sell ideas, silhouettes, directions, innovative shapes, forms and textures, not be a gender free burlesque selling sex. Nudity for the sake of nudity seems overkill again in a day and age where one can go many places for that sort of relief.

Half-naked, hairless, waxed, bejeweled, with make-up on, male bodybuilders on the Bridal Couture Week catwalk, really? Is it a gender revolution, sexual revolution, live gay erotica for men and our own Chippendales for frustrated women, or just inappropriate? Bridal Couture week itself, really? Are we all pre-programmed to merely be married from the day we are born and that’s the only major goal in one’s life to aim towards? It is a little Pharoanic, other than the fact that the Pharoah’s preparation all his life was for his afterlife. Is this all that Fashion is promoting and perpetuating? An afterlife, other than lawn
.

Back in 1995, the test question I used to ask anyone who considered themselves a Fahion Designer, critic or offficianado was, ‘’Do you know Rei Kawakubo of Comme Des Garcons?” No one had a clue. The sad truth of the matter is that some of the biggest names in the industry or even those writing ‘’critically’’ about the industry with tremendous confidence still have not heard that name. How does that happen? If the Architectural community can know about Zaha Hadid, Peter Esienman and Frank Gehry then the fashion industry should be equally educated on the history and strengths not only of Comme Des Garcons but also Anne Demeulemeester, Martin Margiela and for a country up to its ears with amazing textiles we should really know the technology behind Issey Miyake’s magic pleats. But we don’t. And don’t seem to think we need to. Wanting to not grow, not have more design information, more cross cultural understanding of the art of fashion and more competitive designs to take out into the world to build a national design identity, we don’t think we need. Why are we choosing to remain the world’s design under dogs?

Pakistan’s Fashion industry is blessed with a fashion week, in 3 cities. Each of these are productions that one could not have dreamt of 20 years ago. It’s a luxury to have them, even though leaders in fashion elsewhere in the world only have one show per country but nonetheless. Look at the armor we are producing for the ladies, so much for feminism and the freedom of woman from the shackles of embroidery; the equally over embellished uber metro-sexual males bordering on transsexual but not quite drag queen couture, if the men are not wearing women’s lawn to begin with; patchwork prints like there’s no other design solution for lawn, exorbitantly priced at the level of a very profitable joke.

We have it all; all we need is direction and quality control. Alexander McQueen was an artist, a genius, but also a superb craftsman who understood form and function. He pushed social boundaries of expectations from fashion, beauty, narcissism and questioned the objectification of ‘’woman’’. He was a visionary that has been inspirational to millions globally. And he ran a successful, viable business too. Like McQueen, there are more familiar household names: Galliano with his O.T.T. that has thought provoking yet beautifully presented daring work, John-Paul Gaultier with his magical collections inspired many times not only by South-East Asia, but also by remote cultures, minorities and forgotten exotic ethnicities, all contemporized for a globally aware clientele. The prolific Karl Lagerfeld produces several collections a year and does the most incredible interior design projects alongside too. Like Louis Vitton and Giorgio Armani, there are plenty of case studies, precedents and inspirational fashion houses running a very successful business for us to learn the ropes from.

Pakistan’s Fashion industry may be young in comparison, but if it sets a precedent now that excellence, quality control and an industry based unanimous direction to engage with the global industry was made its utmost priority, the right checks and balances put into place, then there is no reason why the 1+1=2 that we are celebrating ad nauseum and with cushioned mediocrity in plentiful, could easily be converted to a 1+1=11. Focus!

Zain Mustafa is a seasoned professional in fashion design, art installations, publishing and interior design. Having lived and worked in Europe, Asia and North America, Zain’s creations are a hybrid manifestation of both hemispheres. He is the founder and creative force behind ZAIN MUSTAFA Interiors and has conceptualized Cube, a design education initiative that aims to empower individuals to build Pakistan’s design identity. Zain can be contacted at zain.mustafa@gmail.com.

 

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