Old Spice Dad Song: bringing back the Spice!

Humor. Spice. And everything nice. That's pretty much how I'd sum up Old Spice's new ad. Continuing the earlier series (the Mom Song), Old Spice has recently released the Dad Song. True to style it's funny and engaging. Old Spice sure has hits the nail on the head. It has all the elements that make for a great commercial. Here are some of the things that I find most appealing about this ad:

A clear demarcation of TG: There is no ambiguity in who uses Old Spice- a 'Man' who has come of age. One who is old enough to make decisions on who he dates and what he wants to do in life. However, what this ad also carries the subtle suggestion of a 'rite of passage'. It seems to say that now that you are a young man, you need to graduate to using what men use. And all this, from the point of view of the only person who will see another as a child forever- a mother!

Subtle references to the courtship games: There are many ways one can show that a 'Boy' has now become a 'Young Man'. One can show him working, living on his own and managing his life. Yet in this ad, Old Spice has chosen to show the 'young man' in the context of courtship. It's a little more than coincidence, in my opinion, given that they fight for 'Share of Shelf' and 'Share of Mind' with Axe that has always positioned itself as the 'woman magnet'. So in a fairly subtle manner, Old Spice also conveys that its a product that plays a part in the game of courtship!

Great insight and execution: It’s true that for most women, their sons always remain a 'baby', 'child' or 'boy'. Yet to express it in a humorous, non-offensive manner takes great insight! The ad manages to capture the quintessential difference in perspectives between 'Mommy' and 'Daddy', without ever bringing the actual subject of the argument, the son, into the picture! And yet it talks to all three all at once. That, I believe is great execution.

There's nothing quite like an ad that brings a little bit of humor into the picture, reducing the monotony of having to tolerate advertisements disturbing your regular program, I'd say!

Mangalyaan- Re-branding India

The news is abuzz with India's successful launch of the Mars Orbiter Mission (aka Mangalyaan). Many Indians stand proud of this achievement in Science and Technology (a field in which we have been pioneers for centuries). And yet, amid the celebrations, there are the inevitable voices of criticism- 'Do we need this right now?' 'Don't we have bigger problems to solve?'. Unfailingly, voices outside of India have connected the phenomenal progress in Science and Technology to the 'overwhelming poverty' that the country faces. There are many reasons to not turn the success of this mission into an argument of whether it was ever needed, and here are some:

Establishing 'brand' India's identity

The projected value of Information Technology exports this financial year (2014-15) stands at $132 billion (approx). Almost all of the developed nations of the world looked to India for 'cost-effective' creation of products/ services. Yet, over time, this message has become jaded as others (China, Indonesia, Malaysia etc.) entered the ring. The distinct advantage that a country has in sourcing work from India, has begun to fade. The launch of Mangalyaan is a rejuvenation of sorts, to a nation that can fast lose its competitive edge in a crowded market place. It re-establishes two facts very clearly- (1) We are a country that leads innovation (2) We get the job done in a cost effective manner. What does IT or any other industry have to do with a space mission? Nothing. But it makes the world sit up and take notice of a country that lead the way in cost-effective innovation. It reiterates the idea that we are a country capable of this and more! 

Changing perceptions and shifting focus

I recently met someone who warned me of facing 'reverse cultural shock' when I head back home for a holiday. He said 'You will see elephants on the road and wonder why people haven't upgraded to cars' (incidentally, this gentleman is a well-travelled writer!). While I will swear that there is not an ounce of exaggeration in my narration, there's also the fact that perceptions of many outside of India, have never changed! We are not a country of elephants and snake charmers. We are not a country fading away in the depths of poverty. We are not a country of mysticism and ancient practices (as much as documentaries would like to convince you!). Yes, there is that side to us, but it is also the truth that we are a young ambitious nation, that's ready to lead the way in innovation. And Mangalyaan is just one way of placing India on the Technology map of the world and changing perceptions such as this. It is ironical that the world questions ISRO's $74 mn mission and yet doesn't bat an eyelid when it enjoys movies like Gravity (which cost $100 mn) and Dhoom 3 (which cost a third of that at $21 mn)!

Investing in the future

Space research and technology are often shared missions. India is already helping other countries put their equipment in space and charges a fee for it. By investing in Space technology, the country also stands to create a steady revenue stream. No one pays for old technology and the only way to stay on top is to make bold moves such as this one with Mangalyaan. Another aspect to consider is that India as a nation needs to develop the confidence and faith in our own education system, the faith in young children that they can dream of becoming scientists and actually take strides towards bettering the work of the previous generations. For the next Aryabhatta, the Mangalyaan mission may become the defining moment for a career in Science, Technology and Innovation.

And so if this is a 'Rat Race' (as some see it) so be it, for the early bird gets the worm! 

'Women can't have it all'- but who can?

Recently, an ad from P&G's brand Always captured the classic concept of differences in the way adults and children, men and women, boys and girls perceived the same sentence- What does 'Like a girl' mean? Unsurprisingly, the only ones who took the statement at face value were the young girls- 'Like a girl means like me'. The world has a strange way of 'Socializing' us. Simple sentences begin to mean entirely different things as we grow up because thats what society teaches us. And yet it was this very society that gave the corporate world the likes of Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo and Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.

The feminist movement and women themselves have taken leaps ahead from a time when the primary role of a woman was considered to be that of a home-maker and a care-giver. Every generation goes that extra step further to establish that men and women, while not the same, are still equal. Women take the strides and men back them up. In fact, in a recent conversation, a friend remarked that he understands that marriage is a huge step for a woman and that he wishes to make this transition a smoother one for her- a statement that clearly shows the progress we are making in how women are perceived. Yet, some recent thoughts that emerged at the Aspen Ideas festival, lead to a small voice that whispered 'Like a Girl!'

Ms. Indra Nooyi (one of the women I look up to greatly), shared her perspectives on work-life balance for a woman. Among other things she said 'Women can't have it all'. 

I believe that irrespective of whether you are a man or a woman, you can't 'have it all' unless you mentally decide to. By this I mean that 'Having it all' is a state of mind. You could be the leader of a country, a president, a CEO or a home-maker and still not 'have it all'. Everyone (irrespective of gender) has to make some choices in life, and by virtue of that, you may not end up living an 'ideal' life. You may be a man who chooses and works towards being a Wall Street hotshot. It's likely that at that point you may not win the 'Daddy of the year' award. So making this a gender based statement seems like only women pay a price for trying to be successful. I am in no doubt that women pay a higher price for success than men, simply because of the inequitable manner in which society is structured. But it is also true that women are more prone to guilt than men, and hence end up with the feeling of 'not having it all'. So while it is true that the odds are stacked more against women, what would have been a great source of inspiration for me is to hear how she (Ms. Nooyi) and other successful women have tackled this inequality and how they have affected change in the lives of so many other working mothers today.

Another issue that she brought up during this meet was that she enlisted the help of those at her work place to help out with her children's upbringing. She mentioned that she partially delegated the task of parenting to her secretary. While on the one hand it is unlikely that one in the early years of their career can find time to manage everything to perfection, it is also impossible to achieve success without the support of a spouse. As the old saying goes, 'it takes a village to bring up a child' but the luxury of a 'village' is limited to the elite few. For the rest of us, we need the support of our good old spouses! For after all, isn't a child the responsibility of both the parents? And at a time that one parent is unavailable wouldn't the natural instinct be to turn to the other? Sure, a stereotypical situation would be for the mother to be the first point of contact, but Ms. Nooyi is far from the stereotype! And hence, as a woman in a position of power, I wish she had elaborated on the need for men to step up in the role of a parent and on how corporates in this day and age can play a role in straightening out the gender roles of society.

It’s a very different day and age today. True, the mother may still be considered the primary caregiver, but today she has her husband to lean on. Men are becoming more and more active in the role of a householder and a father. So in a bid to fight the world (and fight we must in a lot of circumstances) let's not completely forget that the goal is not for women to come out on top, but for us to live and make successes of our lives based on our own standards. And as women in places of power, Ms. Nooyi, Ms. Sandberg and others are  definitely in a position to change the way the corporate world approaches gender equality!

Some opinions from other women

The Hunter

The gravel crunched under the Jeep's wheels causing a churning sound to echo through the ravine. 'Shhh..' our tracker said in a soft tone, as the driver brought the vehicle to a complete stop 'He's hunting'. Our backs stiffened and we leaned towards the direction he indicated. Our ears strained to hear noises, in the now silent ravine. The intensity of the sun seem to have increased, causing the sweat to drip down our necks, along our backs in winding streams. A sip of water would help, but no one dared move, as if our movement would somehow disturb the predator-prey dance. 

As the sun rose further into the morning sky, the sound of alarmed birds rang through the forests. They squawked and rose from the trees in great numbers, rushing for the safety of the skies, like one smooth body with one single goal- to get away. The alarm had gone off. Troops of monkeys swung from tree to tree crying in alarm, rustling the giant boughs of trees that had stood their ground for hundreds of years. He was coming!

'Up there. To your left' our tracker said in hushed tones. The birds and the monkeys had fled to the right. We strained from our seats to get a glimpse of the elusive orange and black striped terrorist. 'He's there' someone said, pointing to the rough undergrowth of the forest above. Everyone looked. No one could spot him. You would think that the flaming orange would stand out in the green undergrowth, until you look again and realize that you may never find him. 

The leaves rustled like a tornado had hit it. Groups of barking deer fled towards the right causing the whole forest to move like in preparation for an attack! The loud barks of the deer even reached us, sitting more than three hundred meters away. Fear, excitement and anticipation coursed through our veins. Would we see the magnificent hunter in action? Would the thick underbrush hide it all? Would we hear the cry of the captured prey?

All of a sudden, the forest went quiet. Not a sound could be heard- like a much-awaited drama had ended but the audience was too enraptured to get out of their seats. 'There's a less used track around the other side, which can lead us to the spot' our tracker said 'We may not see him, but maybe able to see the prey'. We wound around to the track and travelled for about half hour, hoping to give him time to relish some of his meal- probably a young fawn, we thought. We could never get close enough to watch the action, but even the faintest sight of the fiery orange and black would have sufficed. 

As we neared the opening, our hearts froze. There he lay, against a large boulder, his magnificent body limp- barely a vestige of his former glory. He bled from his flank where the bullet had probably entered his heart. The greatest predator of these forests had fallen prey to the greatest predator of this world. And now, the hunter had become the hunted.

Moving towards a simplified world

'They say variety is the spice of life. But maybe we are getting too spicy!' Ellen Degeneres said on one of her shows. And one cant agree with her more!

Marketing 101 begins with Segmentation of a market. When you look at an aisle in a supermarket today, you find choices on literally every segment imaginable and then some more! As a consumer, I often wonder if there is anyone out there who can really 'zip in and out' of a store anymore without getting confused with the choices available! As a marketer, in most of those variants I see the desperate attempt to ward off possible competition or be the 'first mover'. Yet when one sits back and thinks about it, you realize that we have complicated life way more than necessary. And it is in this milieu that some brands are standing out just because they don't offer a million choices to confuse you!

When Apple introduced the first iPhone to the world (in 2007) it was available in 2 colors- Black and White. It has taken a good 6 years to offer up other color options to it's loyal fan base. Yet the most popular color (that contributed to 43% of the sales) was the predictable 'space grey' even when a bolder alternative option was made available. Take another example from a different industry. Coffee connoisseurs are now avoiding the large chains of coffee shops and instead switching to smaller cafes that serve just simple plain coffee the way it is meant to be! Blue bottle coffee is one such a cafe. Here the focus is on the coffee- no pumpkin spice lattes, no other flavors and no frills. Yet, the cafe sees lines forming outside to catch a cuppa!

It seems to me like the world is slowly leaning in favor of simplifying life! Every product doesn't need to come with 10 variants. Consumers are looking for just a simple 'Vanilla' offering that can do the job and not cause further confusion! Sure, a few choices are welcome, but looking down an asile to pick a simple toothpaste can be a daunting task for a consumer. 

People are looking to de-clutter and organize their lives to have more meaning and less time spent on decision-making (especially on products designed to serve day-to-day challenges). And that's where cafes like Blue Bottle seem to be winning. So as marketers, its time we looked at the larger picture and realized that every product needs to be designed to solve a problem rather than just offer up a choice. 

Spring Cleaning- to benefit a Non-Profit: WebThriftStore

Come spring, and it is a time to celebrate! In many parts of India, spring is the time of harvest and hence heralds celebrations. Bonfires are lit and old things are discarded. In other parts of the world, spring is the time people choose to clear out their homes. Replace the old with the new.

As spring fast approaches (or at least that's the hope we are living in right now!), one looks forward to getting rid of the old and unused stuff. Many-a-time, it is an opportunity to get rid of those purchases that we have made and have later wondered why! Or even stuff that we buy and have used (or worn) only once before. We either grow out of it or get bored of it. Its at this time of the year that we start seeing signs for yard sales and thrift and Goodwill stores get generous donations in lieu of the severe space constraint!

And then there is the urge to buy new stuff- stuff that can replace the old. Or even stuff that we just want to indulge in- Books, electronics, jewelry (often even when we have enough of them!). There is a certain guilt attached to consumerism after a certain point, and one wonders if his/ her purchase was even necessary.  

The idea of a buyer meets seller is not new to anyone, anymore. The ingenuity of eBay and Craigslist has faded in our collective memory. Today it's a fact of life. Yet, even with the ease of selling or buying stuff at the click of a button, people find it tedious to run a transaction that involves buying or selling a product which is not critical to one's life! Very often the resale value is low and just not worth the hassle.

But what if the stuff could help a charity in need of funds? Or better yet, if one could shop for bargains and indulge in a guilt-free purchase that aids a charity?  A thought too good to be true, is exactly what WebThriftStore makes a reality.

Source: http://eranyc.com/

WebThriftStore uses a simple concept- don't want something? Add it to the storefront of a charity you support at no cost to you. The buyer pays the published price. But here's where it differs from other online trading platforms. 80% of the price paid for the goods goes to the charity through which you made the sale, and the remaining 20% to WebThriftStore. 

What I love about the concept:

The Insight

It is simple enough. One man's trash is another man's treasure. There is always a demand, so even if it's not on your 'need to have' list, it will be on another's. Yet, in this case, there is the added incentive of supporting a charity through a simple transaction. The inertia to sell or buy is disrupted by the promise of doing some good in the process.

The Model

As a business model, the logic seems obvious- connect the buyer to the seller- and make them feel good about making the world a better place! It is easy to enlist any non-profit organization, since the entry cost is nil. The storefront is free and the only requirement is to start off the store. By taking over the transaction hassles (of packaging, shipping etc.) the company eliminates the apprehension and facilitates a simple trade, but for a good cause. At its simplest best, it functions like the lemonade stand that collects for charity. Online! Yet, it also has a margin to make in the process- while facilitating donations, the company itself is a for-profit organization.

The perks

Other than creating a space that matches supply and demand of the market, WebThriftStore also offers some simple benefits. The sale of a product accrues a Tax deduction to the 'seller'/ 'donor'! So in a way, one gets a tax break for de-cluttering! To a buyer, not only is there a good bargain on the product, there is also the satisfaction of having 'donated' to a cause, rather than just to consumerism! The whole transaction gives one something intangible- the feeling of having done someone good!

(PS: I love the innovative posters!)

Source: https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net

The Win-Win of the situation does make this concept very interesting and lucrative. Yet what remains to be seen is whether 20% is a good enough margin for a company to operate on given that shipping, transportation and other charges are borne by them!

Note: I do not work for WebThriftStore and have written about it from an independent stand point.

Goldie Blox- Developing female engineers

I grew up in a metro city in India and had every opportunity to pursue any field of study that I wanted to. I chose commerce in high school and arts and business in college and graduate school. Not for a moment did I ever think of pursuing an engineering degree because 'Hey, its all about equations, math and complex stuff'. Today (after working for five plus years in a profession I love), I realize, everything is only as complicated and you want it to be.

In my childhood I played with toys all girls play with- dolls, sewing machines, kitchen sets and sometimes with legos. Yet, my brother played with fire engines and cars that he often took apart to see 'how it works'. While both of us followed the paths that we chose (he's an Engineer and I'm a Marketing professional), something I came across recently has had me thinking- what if I had been exposed to this in my younger days? Would I have become an engineer? A scientist?

When I came across Goldie Blox, the feminist in me cheered. Goldie Blox develops toys for young girls to hone their spatial skills along with their verbal skills. These toys maybe compared to Legos or any other 'building oriented' learning tools, yet they are vastly different in that they are designed with feminine aesthetics. They are bold and unabashed in their 'girlyness' and hence appeal to girl children. Yet they are toys that develop pretty much the same skills as Lego or other building toys. What I love about this concept/ company is their approach to solving a very real problem (of a skewed sex ratio in science/ engineering-oriented fields) at a grass root level!

What I love about Goldie Blox

1) The approach to make Goldie Blox appealing to girls: The fact that boys and girls approach the same situation differently, is well known. And Goldie Blox has accounted for this. Goldie Blox uses a story narrative appealing to girls' preferences for reading and being imaginative while learning basic analytical and logical skills. Most other toys in this category are targeted at boys, who's natural instinct is to take things apart/ put them together to see 'what happens'. And hence I love the insight into how the product was developed to make it more appealing to the specific female TG.

2) Beauty and brains are not mutually exclusive: The whole spirit of the toy revolves around the fact that you can be as feminine and beautiful as you want and yet be smart enough to create and invent stuff. This, in my opinion really helps build a balanced human being who no longer tries to 'fit' herself into boxes designed by our society. The specific use of Gold and the image of a girl in the logo also urges one to think the company is trying to dispel the 'Dumb Blonde' myth in the most creative way possible! 

3) Pushing girls to 'Dare to dream- with no strings attached': In many cultures around the world, girls are taught stereotyped approaches to what they should be, when they grow up. Knowingly or unknowingly we push our children to dream within a framework of what the world view is (boys are good at analytics while girls are good at designing etc.). Maybe its time we shatter this reality and instead teach girls that they can truly be anything they want to be with no strings attached.

While the Goldie Blox has a long way to go, introducing more and more complex toys (and hence concepts), its heartening to see a company that's taking an innovative approach to problem solving (pun unintended!). Move over Lego! There's a new girl on the block- and she means business!

Note: I don't work for/ with Goldie Blox. I'm just an admirer of this innovative approach to solve a very real problem!

Killing talent- Slowly and steadily

There was a TED talk that I saw recently that spoke about how we are going about the business of education all wrong. It stated the example of Gillian Lynne who was a hyper active child who couldnt keep her feet still. When she was taken to a doctor he diagonsed her symptoms as being a 'dancer' rather than being ill!

I was happy to say the least. For this child went on to become one amongst the fore most choreographers in the world! Yet it left me thinking - this is one story of success amongst so many others who failed. Rarely do we hear the stories of failure. Of those who grew up and struggled for years to become an actor, artist, dancer or singer and had to do odd jobs all their lives to support their passion only to end up letting life pass them by. We only hear of those children who were encouraged to pursue their passion and ended up being stars in their chosen field. It made me think - is it only the fault of pushy parents who want their children to have 'stable' careers? Or of the education system which puts math and science above dance and music? In his TED talk, Ken Robinson notes that the current system of education stems from the origins of formal schooling in the age of industrialism. Hence children were then trained to fulfill the demand that prevailed- which was a strong foundation in science and math. Today, can we squarely blame just those who are directly responsible for turning out the future generations? After all they are merely looking out for their children. Will encouraging our children to pursue their calling suffice to secure a stable future for them? I don't think so.

Source: http://www.thedailyriff.com/articles/post-1-37.php

What we need today is not just an adjustment in the way we approach our childrens education but also an adjustment in the demand and supply dynamics of this world! When there is limited requirement for artists (art in all forms) in this world how can one be sure that they can sustain a stable lifestyle for themselves? When world economics clearly dictates the need for numerous business graduates year after year and continues to absorb them with an insatiable hunger how can a parent or an education system believe that its talented musician can survive and thrive in this world? For after all, if this world can only bear the burden of a handful of dancers, why would parents encourage their children to fight and lead a hard life to secure a place in that handful when the alternate (probably a career in a profession where demand and supply are better adjusted) is far more lucrative? There's beautiful example of a 15 year old boy in Mumbai who quit schooling and today is described as a 'Maker', for no other word describes him better. Other than the sheer genius of this boy, I also see the belief of parents who have allowed a 9th grader to quit formal schooling! Yet, it speaks volumes on the direction we are headed towards.

I am in no way demeaning the need to encourage our children to pursue their dreams. Yet what I think is more important at this point is to restructure our society and economy to be more encouraging to those who are looking to pursue non-traditional professions! Over the last few centuries we have witnessed the birth of a multitude of professions that were never heard of earlier. Today, more than ever before there are opportunities for the taking. And yet we find that this space is so limited that one has no choice other than to go through the factory that the education system has become. For, uniqueness has just remained a concept.

Image Source:  http://www.psc-cuny.org/clarion/august-2012/perspectives-pathways

When we examine human history, we talk about scientific and technological advancements in the same breath as artistic and philosophical ones. So maybe its time we stepped back and thought about how we want to be viewed by our future generations- as the lot who killed talent because of assigning differential values to pursuit of varied interests or as the forerunners of a wholistically developed society!