Marketing Trends

One more year has been consigned to the history books. As we excitedly look forward to the New Year, it is time to take a hard look at marketing, the activity, most people love to hate. It is something that is enjoyable but burns a deep hole in the pocket.

Minutes of fame has become a minute of fame: In the late sixties, it was said everyone in the world is entitled to 15 minutes of fame. The 15 minutes of fame has been short circuited to a minute. In the surcharged world anyone can get his/her one minute of fame. One only needs to be innovative and be socially active.

Omnipresent content producers: Production of news, information and entertainment was in the hands of an elite few. No longer, the humble mobile has unshackled creativity. Now any one can shoot and upload and surprisingly many of these amateur producers are giving tough competition to the traditional news producers.

The bigger you are, the faster you fall: Earlier corporate mistakes and goof ups could easily be swept under the carpet. Time was the best healer. In the modern world where the company is always in spot light, mistakes are easily spotted, gleefully glorified and there is merciless trail by the social media. Nestle realised this to its horror. Its carefully constructed good will and brand equity came crashing down on allegations of excess lead in its noodles.

Online is always on: The customer is always on and is fully empowered. His has a fast trigger. Instant response and the world is savvy to feedback. The company is always in constant scrutiny. The customer is becoming very difficult to please!

Opinionated customer: The customer is opinionated and his opinions are highly valued. Earlier opinion leaders used to be people with oodles of experience and knowledge. Now, the opinion leader is a common man. The humble liftman, the gas delivery boy and the autorickshaw driver are all opinion leaders deciding the company’s fate. Displease them and they would simply blow the company into oblivion.

Demi gods gets dislodged faster: Demi gods like Sachin Tendulkar have realised that their godly status is only as long as they are in public eye. The outrage of the Sachin’s alleged insult by British Airlines died a quick and natural death. Sachin and Abdul Kalam are may be the last of the mass adored Indian celebrities. Now it is all like a movie release. Released on Friday and written off by Monday evening! The swords are becoming sharper and
deadlier.

I, me and myself category is becoming alarmingly big: The modern generation is all about themselves. The modern customer loves himself. Selfie sticks, special photo shoots for uploading onto the Facebook, learning dance lesson for ceremonies are all indicators of obsession with oneself. Truly belly glazing!

Mobile becomes all persuasive: Mobile has become the most powerful weapon of all. It is a friend, a communicator, an entertainment device and the correspondent’s pen. All rolled in one. The customer uses it often and is not scared of sharing what he feels with everyone in the world.

It is no longer about performance, it is all about perception: Baahubali, the mega blockbuster was no doubt one of the best movies ever made. It had decent screen play, good acting and great special effects. But what proved to be the winner was the hype that was created about the movie and its purported Rs 250 crore budget. The movie was hardly promoted in the traditional media. The hype and the built up in the social media ensured that it became a blockbuster and paved way for innovative movie marketing.

People get bored faster: Customers get bored faster and attention spans have come down alarmingly. Customers have to be engaged and entertained all the time. The 23 minute TV episode has to be reworked upon. 5-7 minute episodes exclusively shot for the time starved, smartphone totting modern customers.