Transform 2012 Marketing Conference

Although the theme given was What’s Next in Brand Management and Generational Marketing, the topics covered were diverse, ranging from personal branding to running a social media campaign.

 Here are the proceedings of the morning session:

Transform 2012 Marketing Conference

Corporate Image Development in a Changing World

Fahad Qadir – Director Public Affairs and Communications –Pak Afghan – Coca-Cola Export Corporation

•  We are living in a world of changing cultures.
• Tahrir Square was a revolution sparked by Twitter.
• In 2002, Netscape IPO was the biggest in history, today the company is no more.
• Facebook has swept the world with lightning speed, becoming equivalent to the second biggest country in the world.
• ‘It takes 20 years to build a reputation and just five minutes to ruin it.’ – Warren Buffet. 
• Actually it takes longer than 20 years to build your reputation. Some of the most reputable companies have been around for more than 100 years.
• Consumers are not attracted by sleek packaging anymore.
• Corporate image is a major part of what sells a company and its products.
• Corporate image building results in trust.
• Coke has been instrumental in helping out with the relief efforts in Pakistan whenever required and goes all the way to help out instead of just writing a cheque.
• Wendy’s Hamburger was one of the most famous burger joints in US, until 2005 when a woman discovered a human finger in her burger. Wendy’s refused to talk to the media while investigating the incident including checking the fingers of its employees in that joint. The woman sued Wendy for $10 million. It was finally revealed that the woman was a conman who pulled such stunts. The finger belonged to her boyfriend. Wendy’s never really recovered from this PR fiasco.
• Tony Howard, CEO of BP went for a holiday with his son in the middle of the 2006 Gulf of Mexico oil spill controversy, pretending as if nothing had happened. He came back and said to the media ‘… I would like my life back…’. He was sacked.
• Toyota in 2010 recalled 700,000 cars which had an issue with the brakes.
• Facebook ran into privacy issues 2010 which they didn’t address properly.
• Iphone 4 had an antenna issue whereby if you kept your hand at a certain point, the signals were lost. No real action taken.
• You could argue that these issues didn’t impact these two giants. Apple is going great guns with $97 Billion in cash reserves alone.
• The point is to stay prepared for the bad times by resolving all issues right then and there.
• Three pillars of Corporate Image:

1. Corporate Politics
2. Corporate Culture
3. Design of the organization

• The golden triangle : Government – Community – Culture
• Jack Welch changed the entire corporate culture of GE, making it one of the biggest American corporations during his reign. He had to take some decision like firing quite a few people but he got it done.
• Coke Studio is a perfect example of the benefits of positive corporate image.
• Coke Studio has done much to improve Pakistan’s image in the eyes of the world, receiving raving reviews on such prestigious publications as Wall Street Journal.
• It is the fourth largest music entity in the world on Google.
• The website receives most hits outside of Pakistan especially from Europe.
• On social media, it has received thousands of views and reviews.
• Interbrand has ranked Coke as the No.1 brand in the world for nine consecutive years.
• Coke is one of three most reputed companies in Pakistan.
• ‘21^st century CEOs will be judged not only by how they changed their industries, but also how well they led their companies to have positive impacts on the world.’ – Hecto Ruiz – Chairman & CEO AMD

Fahad Qadir – Director Public Affairs and Communications -Coca Cola

Q&A SESSION:

• What was the impact of New Coke fiasco? –Yasmeen Zafar - IBA

A.  Somewhere in 1992 our then CEO decided to leverage the Coke brand and come up with a new formula for Coke. After extensive research New Coke was launched while the classic Coke was phased out. People, especially die-hard fans of Coke rejected the new Coke, thousands of letters were sent to the CEO demanding the return of the Red Coke.

• What was the tangible impact of New Coke or even Coke Studio? –Yasmeen Zafar – IBA

A. Both of these incidents affected the bottom-line. I can’t tell you the figures, but it was double-digit.

• You mentioned Coke has indulged in CSR, with the relief efforts and all. Can you give the specifics of it?     -Zeeshan – Owner private firm

A.  Coke was the first entity, even before the US government to not only pledge but disburse $2 million within 24 hours for the 2005 Earthquake. It then gave $3 Mn for the relief of flood victims. Apart from that, Coke initiates sustainable projects. For example there’s one in Nathiagali that has been going for four years, then Women Empowerment through KAAF Foundation since 2 years. All these projects have been devised to be self-sustaining, that at some time we can hand them over to the people to by run by themselves and help the community on their own.

• What has been the impact of negative sentiments associated with America on Coke being an American brand?

A. Yes, Coca-Cola originated in US and we’ve had our fair share of troubles and pitfalls owing to the negative perception of US in this part of the world, but this was 125 years. Now Coke is an entity owned by millions and not by one country. Warren Buffet has the most shares, but that’s just about it. In Pakistan just like everywhere else it is run by the locals. No ‘Gora’ comes here to run the operations, we do it ourselves.  The entire supply chain operation of Coke employs 5 million people. Coke contributes 1.5% of the total tax revenue of Pakistan.

Personal Branding

Yousuf Bashir Qureshi – YBQ Studios

Yousuf Bashir Qureshi -  YBQ Studios

• I thought I was going to be lecturing a group of students. What I’m faced with now is a room full of intellectuals more educated than me. I’m not an MBA. I didn’t have any mentors in my life. I went to cadet college, then I became a food scientist.
• Before my 21^st birthday, I was the most fight-prone person. I just loved to get into a fight. If anyone wanted to pick a fight with someone, he would put me in front. Nothing frightened me.
• On my 21^st birthday party, a female friend of mine much younger than me told me that I was the most afraid person, that I was afraid of what people think about me. All my ego went down the drain. I got angry and threw her out of my party. Later I begged her for forgiveness.
• Our perception of what is desirable and what is not is completely influenced by the media.
• In the 80s, we were told that Cindy Crawford and Brooke Shields were the most beautiful women on the face of the planet. They were mere teenagers and large-frame women as opposed to today’s supermodel definition.
• Then in the early 90s Kate Moss with her negligent chest and hips and a face full of freckles became the darling of the media. All of a sudden, women wanted to grow freckles.
• Further into the 90s, tanned skin and Brazilian hips came in vogue.
• I as a person have no opinion. I’ve to go along with what the media feeds me.
• When a mother goes looking for his son’s bride, the traits used to track down the perfect match are what the media tells you – fair, slim, pretty, educated. The match is finally found and the nuptials tied. The man is congratulated by his peers on getting the trophy wife. The man himself feels proud of having a trophy wife. And yet he goes and has an affair with the maid. The maid is the complete opposite of his trophy wife, of whom he’s proud of, and yet he still has an affair. Why is that?
• I once interviewed a kidnapper, and asked him why did he indulge in this cruel trade. He said it was his family business. Plus he didn’t kidnap the poor people. He only kidnapped rich people who could afford to pay. Likewise the brain can justify even murder.
• You don’t need the outside world to tell you what is good for you or not. The mind, heart and body are enough to make you succeed in life provided that you listen to it.
• Take smoking for example. When you first smoke, the body coughs telling you it’s bad for you. You do it again and again, and the body finally allows you to do it and eventually kills you for abusing it.
• I opened my studio in a small dilapidated alley. People told me who would come here. I didn’t know anyone in Karachi as I had been in the US for 15 years and before that I spent five years in cadet college. I still tried, relying solely on my self-belief.
• Prejudice is a natural fear of strangers and is alright as long as you don’t nurture it which then turns into racism.
• I reinvented my attire, making generous use of pagri, dhoti, and all sorts of non-conventional clothing.
• Initially, I was faced with stiff opposition. People would not allow me into the hotels, thinking I was a worker or something and I would play along with them.
• Once at Heathrow airport, I was standing in the line in all my fashion glory  when one of the attendants approached me and asked if I needed a translator. I said I do if you don’t understand English. She cracked up laughing and got me through the immigration in no time.
• Once I was stopped at the entrance to Sindh Club because of my dhoti. I told the guard that please allow me, the girl who had just entered was wearing a frock that was higher than my dhoti.

Yousuf Bashir Qureshi – YBQ Studios

Q&A SESSION

•  How do you deal with competition and how do you succeed by being different

1. You have to take calculated risks. Without risks, you will go nowhere. Competition will always be there and you’ve to take it all in in a healthy spirit. I’m actually flattered when someone copies my designs. You just need to have unshakeable belief that your Creator will provide you sustenance and then do your own thing.

Marketing to Youth

Noman Asar – Head of Planning JWT

Noman Asar – Head of Planning JWT

• 180 Million people of Pakistan present an ideal opportunity for any marketer.
• This becomes all the more lucrative when you consider that 63% of these people are below the age of 25.
• There are 39 Million people in the age bracket 15-24 years and they constitute 21% of the total population.
• Only 53% of these youth are literate. Females only 42% literate.
• An overwhelming 82% of the females in this bracket are married while only 31% males are.
• This presents an interesting dynamics for the dating scene since the number of males searching for their soul mate far exceed the available females.
• Just because 63% of the population is youth doesn’t mean that they are one big segment and can be marketed as such.
• In reality, there are numerous sub-segments within it that require a unique marketing strategy tailored to it.
• The following is a rough break-up of the youth composition:

1. SEC A – 8%
2. SEC B – 8%
3. SEC C – 15-20%
4. SEC D,E – Remaining

• A rough break-up of the sub-segments within the youth:

1. Primary – Madressah, Government, Private
2. Secondary – Matric/Inter,  O/A Level
3. Young Executives

• The way to know these youth is to go out, intermingle with them or watch them in their habitat.
• I was once observing a couple of kids from SEC C at a swimming pool when one of the kids said to his friend, ‘Why are you vibrating?’. If I wasn’t there observing them in action, I would never have known that the new word for shiver in this target market is ‘Vibrate’. This shows the extent to which mobile devices have seeped into our psyche.
• The learning can be had via three different methods:

1. Ethnographic Studies
2. Qualitative Research
3. Quantitative Research

• People born between 1987 and 1997 either do not know or have had no affect on their mindset, a number of major events like Lebanon massacre, Zia ul Haq, Fall of Russian Empire, Revolution in China etc.
• This group is more influenced by General Musharraf, Taliban, war on terrorism etc.
• JWT conducted a focus group of the young adults and the following insights were gleaned from that session wrt their traits:
  • Traditional, simple but outgoing.
  • More personal bonding with family.
  • Consider their parents as friends. They are more like their ‘peer-ants’.
  • Independent, however within their tradition and cultural norms.
  • Want to increase the quality of their life and their family.
  • The youth value ‘Me’ time more than the previous generation. While the National average is 2 hours, the youth average is 3 hours.
  • There has been a paradigm shift in the ownership of electronic devices. While at one time it was cassette players and video players, today the dominant device is the cellphone, surpassing even DVD and MP3 players.
  • According to a study, 58% of the youth value Ads whereas just 43% of the entire country.
  • According to a study conducted in August 2011 by Anxiety Index, youth were asked positive or negative reaction about a number of factors including Food and petrol prices. Not a single factor was rated positive by them.
  • The problems of Roti, Kapra aur Makaan that were dominant 30 years ago are still relevant and directly affect the youth.
  • The levels of anxiety amongst the Pakistani youth are one of the highest in the world at 89%, just behind Japan at 90%.
  • What’s even more alarming is the level of pessimism. They feel alienated in their own country. 
  • They were also asked to rate their favorite TVC and from what they told us, we’ve a fairly good idea of what to show in a TVC.
  • You need to create a TVC which is either Escapist, Revolutionary or inspires Hope.
  • The challenge is to come with a campaign which increases your market share in spite of all odds, including the pessimistic state of the state and the target market.
  • Band-Aid is one brand that was able to increase its sales in spite of holding 82% of the market share and having a product that didn’t inspire, and was looked down upon.
  • They did it by hiring the Brazilian designer Alexandre Herchcovitch to come up with innovative designs for the bandage and use it on fashion models during his shows.
  • The result: using band-aids became a fashion statement, with people using band-aids on all sorts of apparels and accessories apart from on their own self.

• Ford used the popular social networking site Bebo to strike a conversation with its target market in New Zealand for its new Fiesta in an interview style campaign. 
• Kit Kat in Japan is called Kittu Katsu, meaning ‘Wish u luck’. Because wishing luck is an important part of Japanese culture, and they still use snail mail to send such cards, Kit Kat created a brand alliance with Japan Post Office whereby people could send Kittu Katsu to their loved ones whose wrapper was shaped in the form of a post-card.
• This strategy created $11 Million worth of free publicity.

• Indian Panga League was a spoof of Indian Premier League created by Virgin Mobile whose purpose was to promote its new call rates during the IPL. The activity went viral on social media.

• Coke Studio’s success was largely due to the digital medium instead of just the TV.

Q. How do you propose marketing to the rural market as social media is still very limited in penetration in a country like Pakistan.

A. TV ads are still very important and one of the most effective ways of reaching the mass market that social media cannot. Having said that, TVC alone cannot achieve your brand goals and it will have to be part of a campaign in which social media plays a big part as well.

End of First Part…….

Transform 2012 Marketing Conference

Related posts:

1. Transform 2012 Conference: What’s Next in Brand Management & Generational Marketing After the  success of Transform 2011 Conference: What’s Next in…

Ah, to think of the games of chance or strategy that keep us so entertained and enthralled.

Played for fun, stakes or mere pride, the allure of the games of chance arises from the unique mixture of skill and luck required for success. As all of us addicted to such games, for occasional monetary considerations, are all too aware that fate is a very fickle mistress indeed.

Disguised as luck she flirts without any inhibition, first enticing, then inviting and finally possessing. Whether it’s a board game or cards, this lady is equally adept at controlling the roll of the dice or the shuffle of the deck and in deciding the outcome. And as any punter would tell you on his honor, or whatever is left of it, once in the clutches of this particular belle dame san’s mercy it’s impossible to break free.

The advantage then, of sorts, as far as these games are concerned is that the loss of either or all of honor, pride or wealth can be blamed on the whim of the goddess Fortuna.

Unfortunately this is not the case with strategy games. Win or loss here has to do with the skills of the players. Take chess, that ultimately consummate strategy game. Based on the timeless principles of war those sixty four squares contain millions of possible permutations of moves.

Between well versed equals it’s a fascinating battle of wits to set and spring traps and  counter traps. Such matches are mostly settled when in brutal endgame a series of pieces are sacrificed by both side to achieve that crucial aim of checkmating the opposing king.  All other pieces can be sacrificed in order to either protect one’s own king or checkmate that of the opposition’s. All moves in chess are therefore incidental to this one grand design.

The current Pakistani political situation is akin a deadly game of chess, being played out with very high stakes. On one side we have our ruling coalition and on the other side the Kiyani & Pasha duo in the vanguard. The ruling coalition is defending while the opponents are on the offensive  . However as grand masters well know the most difficult task in chess is to break down a well constructed defense.

The memo gate and covert support for PTI are frontal attacks designed to provoke the government into some rash reaction, thereby breaking its defense. However Zardari & co have put up a masterly exhibition of defensive moves. Having secured their vulnerable flanks with the Presidential immunity, a wide alliance of political parties and a tacit understanding with PML against teaming up with the army, they are now simply biding their time. The upcoming senate elections are what they are aiming for. Winning the majority of senate seats up for elections, as expected, will considerably strengthen their position.

They have correctly assessed that the army traditionally only moves against the civilian government when there is a mass civilian street agitation to act as a smokescreen for its true intentions, a power grab. They have neutralized this aspect by giving PTI complete leeway in terms of holding mass rallies and studiously avoiding any semblance of counter agitation. With meaningful choice finally available in the upcoming elections, most of the Pakistani voters would prefer to bring change by ballot.

The only option left in such a situation to the opponents is to undertake a series of risky gambits, something which they have have now resorted to.

Thus this move of the NRO case. Our constitution’s article 248 clearly grants the President, and Governors, immunity from all civil and criminal proceedings during the term of their offices. This means that in order to initiate such proceeding the President first has to be impeached by the parliament. As per article 47 this requires a two third majority of the combined total votes of the National Assembly and the Senate.

To all those remotely interested in due process of law, please remember the cases of Presidents Nixon and Clinton. Nixon resigned because impeachment was a certainty. He subsequently only escaped a trial as President Ford pardoned him. Dear Clinton actually went through the impeachment proceedings which failed to garner the required votes. No subsequent criminal charges could therefore be levied on him.

On purely legal grounds therefore the NRO case has no merit. But then stranger things have happened in Pakistan. Let’s hope the writ of law is upheld by the guardians of law.

Make no mistake, these coming three months are going to be among the most critical ones in the political history of Pakistan. If senate elections are held on time, then early general elections will be the governments first priority. Both these events should go a long way in establishing the credibility of the election process as a means of managing change.

I sincerely hope that Messrs. Kiyani & Pasha show maturity and do not opt for some rash action in order to force an endgame before March. Any such move is going to have a devastating and possibly fatal impact on the prospects of political stability and national unity.

But fingers crossed all the same. Fate, like most beautiful females, has a latent cruel streak. We can only hope that she is in a benevolent mood and does not spring a nasty surprise on us.

For the first time in our history a civilian setup has managed to sustain a confrontation of this manner for such a period of time. The credit for this should also go to all the opposition political parties. Whatever their individual merits or demerits this time they have avoided the temptation of openly siding with the army.

Whatever the outcome of this match the President and the Prime Minister have managed to contain the influence of the chiefs of Army and ISI, and ensured that the parliament and judiciary remain very relevant. The judiciary has emerged stronger and is likely to challenge the government shortly, as it should, but then that is liable to be a much more civilized confrontation.

So hats off to you, messrs Zardari and Gillani. Please take a bow, you have earned it. Corrupt, inept, greedy and God only knows what else you may be but without a shadow of doubt you are fighting the good fight, for all the wrong reasons. But then that is a minor irritation when seen in the bigger context. And looking at the chessboard, and the position of the pieces, you are indeed masters of the game.

Fuel economy and passenger safety are some of the new technological features offered by vehicles rolling out in 2012. As fuel prices rise the need for efficiency increases. Auto manufacturers are also stepping up vehicle occupant safety with a number of changes in airbag systems. Other features include advanced braking systems, which allow muscle cars that include the Dodge Challenger, the capability of coming to a complete stop at around 100 feet, when operating at a speed of 60mg.

In 2012, lighter engine components are one of the new designs that allow more cars to join the elite economical club offering at least 40 mpg while cruising down the highway. The 2012 Ford Focus, with a 2.0 liter engine, promises more efficient fuel consumption whether equipped with a manual or automatic transmission. The Honda Civic HF (Hybrid Fit) also joins the ranks of the group with a reported fuel economy of 41mpg on the highway. The Civic Hybrid not only offers 45mpg for long distance driving but also a combined total of 41mpg on and off the highway. Volkswagen’s Passat contains an imported diesel engine this year, which offers 43mpg on the highway, but increases the overall price of the vehicle.

With consumer safety in mind, General Motors plans to offer collision warning systems on some of the company’s 2012 vehicles. The optional warning system retails for around $295 and consists of a forward facing camera mounted behind the rear view mirror. The technology views a 37 degree angle span and identifies various vehicle types and pedestrians. The camera captures images at a rate of 14 per second and compares data for changes in the size of objects or people. When the technology perceives a possible collision, a red light illuminates accompanied by eight quick tones emitted through the front speakers.

Automobile owners have the option of setting the collision alert system to near, medium or far. The warning system also contains a lane deviation feature, which emits tones through a side speaker when the vehicle wheel encounters a line lane barrier without turn signal activation. Drivers turn the system on or off using controls conveniently located on the steering wheel. Vehicles available in 2012 with the warning system include the Chevy Equinox and the AMC Acadia, but GM promises that soon, a wider array of vehicles will offer the option.

General Motors also provided upgraded safety airbag features on a number of automobiles. The Ford Focus contains front seat and passenger airbag systems with tethers that inhibit immediate full bag extension, which decreases the number of chest and rib injuries for occupants. Side airbags now include seat sensors that not only detect seat position, but also determine passenger shoulder height and weight. This feature also gauges the necessity for full airbag expansion, which reduces head and neck injuries. More and more automobile manufacturers are increasing the number of airbags in vehicles, with some containing up to 10 bags that include knee protection.

Author Bio: Tom knows a lot about cars as he works for sellmycarsandiego.com a company who helps you sell a car in San Diego.

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‘I applied at 18 different jobs in banks, but they all ask for 2+ years of experience. How the hell I can assure them that I have all what it takes to be for what I am applying for.’ <– Told a friend of mine, who was seeking for a job without any prior experience in bank industry.

What I want to say is this:

Many many times young people do not do something because they assume that, this work can only done by people with ‘15 years of experience‘ and newbie like us are not able to do it at all.

They unfollow their heart because of the initial hurdles which come in their way. Worse is that, we keep doing this. Even in our 70s.

I can not do this. <– Please make sure to say this after trying at least for 3 times with 3 different approaches.

15 Years of Experience is a tag, to keep creative people away and they do this to protect their jobs.

I think I have made my point, and it doesn’t need more words.

The idea of the post came into my mind, when I learned that my 24 old friend Bilal wants to design cars in next few years. He has no experience in designing cars, but he surely knows his passion “design.” Thankfully he is also helping us with the logo of Hometown, and I am amazed at what he has done so far.

This is probably the first time, he is doing and getting on his way to design cars. Incredible.

In the picture below is Max Wolff, the head designer for (Ford’s car) Lincoln, said, “Our goal is to make Lincoln look like nothing else that’s out there.”

The Ford guys knew that this 38 years guy will bring something which 58 can not.

I wish the very very best luck to my friend Bilal, who wants to do this before his 30 and to everyone of you who is not afraid of the tag ’15 years of experience’

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Gen-Y Can Help You Re-invent Your Business

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