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How can brands use zen philosopy into their marketing activities?

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Brands can incorporate the following seven principles inspired by Zen philosophy, along with the concept of wabi-sabi, into their marketing activities to enhance their approach and connect more authentically with their audience: Kanso (Simplicity): Embrace simplicity in design, messaging, and overall brand presentation. Streamline visuals and communications to convey a clear and straightforward message, allowing consumers to easily connect with the brand. Think Apple's design – clean, sleek, and instantly recognizable. It's about cutting through the noise and letting your brand speak with clarity. Less is often more. Fukinsei (Asymmetry): Emphasize the beauty of asymmetry in product design, packaging, and advertising. Create visual interest by avoiding perfect symmetry, encouraging consumers to appreciate uniqueness and imperfection. Take a look at how Haagen-Dazs designs their ice cream packaging – each swirl is a little different, and that's what makes it beautiful. Asy

A Zen Perspective on Building Authentic Connections with Consumers

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  Wishing you all a very Happy New Year! I began delving deeper into Zen philosophy during the Covid lockdown, became hooked, and now make effort to incorporate its principles into my day-to-day life. As a marketing consultant, I occasionally attempt to integrate Zen-inspired strategies into marketing too. Some interesting concepts have emerged and I wanted to share my thoughts with you. In the fast-paced world of marketing, where trends come and go and consumer preferences evolve rapidly, brands often find themselves navigating turbulent waters. In this dynamic landscape, the timeless principles of Zen philosophy can serve as a guiding light for marketers seeking to establish genuine connections with their audience.  Embrace Simplicity: At the core of Zen philosophy is the principle of simplicity. In a world bombarded with information, consumers appreciate brands that cut through the noise and convey their message with clarity. In my experience, I’ve seen that simplifying product offe

How to avoid Greenwashing

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  (Image Source: sustainablefuturenews.com) A s consumers are increasing demanding products & services that have a purpose – especially in terms of ecological impact, brands have started communicating their environmental and sustainability initiatives.  But, many a times, what they say is just that – say. ASCI has come out with a draft guidelines on environmental/green claims. (https://www.ascionline.in/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/DRAFT-GUIDELINES.-Environmental.Green-Claims-16.11.2023.pdf) which means, every claim needs to be backed by actionable initiatives & results. While brands need to have a comprehensive strategy to integrate these values into their core marketing approach on driving positive environmental impact; they need to be more careful on how to avoid greenwashing, ensuring genuine commitment and transparency. In general, any business/brand can look at various functions within the organization where they can initiate environmental & sustainability activities. J

Can Advertising Agencies Look at Value-Based Compensation?

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  Quite sometime back I had posted on LinkedIn an update mentioning, in the future, agencies will be offered value based compensation by clients. Few days back I met one of my ex-colleague and he gave his own POV and also asked me to elaborate on my thoughts. Albeit the delay, this long post is just that. Alright, so picture this: the ad agency game, a whirlwind of creativity and strategy. But here's the plot twist – the traditional billing method is feeling a bit outdated. For more than 50 years, everything in the agency has changed, except the retainer fee. It is like watching multiple seasons of a TV serial but with that one character who has not changed - in looks or in personality.   Having a retainer based fee is fine. I’ve nothing against it. It’s like trying to watch a blockbuster movie on a black-and-white TV. Sure, it works, but it's not quite cutting it anymore. The problem? The usual time-based billing doesn't always sync up with what clients really want – measu

Revolutionizing Advertising

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  A Roadmap for Real-Time Personalization Campaigns Driven by AI and Data Introduction: In the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing and advertising, the convergence of technology, data, and AI is reshaping the industry. A paradigm shift towards personalization and real-time experiences has become the new norm. In a recent McKinsey report on personalization at scale ( https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/a-technology-blueprint-for-personalization-at-scale ), four key pillars were identified: Data, Decisioning, Design, and Delivery. While Data, Decisioning, and Delivery have seen significant advancements where big technology and consulting players - Adobe, Salesforce, Google, to name a few, are making great strides, the Design aspect remains a manual and resource-intensive process. This presents a unique opportunity for creative advertising agencies to revolutionize the industry. The Untapped Opportunity: The untapped opportunity lies in ad

Navigating the Shadows: A Guide to Steering Clear of Dark Patterns in UX Design

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As per a new government policy, the use of “dark patterns” has been banned in E-commerce sales. ‘Under the Consumer Protection Act, offenders can face fines and penal action from the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) and can also be tried in the consumer commissions.’ https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/centre-bans-e-commerce-firms-from-using-dark-patterns-for-sales/articleshow/105665320.cms?from=mdr What are Dark Patterns in E-commerce? In the vast landscape of user experience (UX) design, where the aim is to create seamless and enjoyable interactions, there exists a darker side that often goes unnoticed—the realm of dark patterns. Imagine taking a stroll through a digital interface only to find yourself ensnared in a web of deceitful tactics, subtly guiding  you towards actions that may not be in your best interest. In the world of dark patterns, user manipulation takes centre stage. Understanding the Shadows Dark patterns are essentially crafty techniques employed

Teach Marketing, Yoda Can

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About 8 years back, I wrote an analogical article about Kung Fu Panda and digital marketing (you can read it here ). That time my kid was 3 years. Now my kid is 11 years old. As all growing kids do, he too has out-grown the Kung Fu Panda-The Lion King phase. His current fascination is The Star Wars. I guess, by now, he must have finished watching at-least 3-4 times….The Star Wars Saga - the original, sequel, and prequel trilogies, animated series, The book of Boba Fett, The Mandalorian, and even the Thrawn trilogy books. The next on his wish list is to own an original lightsaber… Kids are demanding! Well, this article is not about my kid or his love for Star Wars. Working from home and watching these movies along with my kid, this is about my thoughts on what Star Wars can teach us about marketing, or more importantly what marketing tips Yoda can teach “Do or do not. There is no try.” We all know that planning is very important when it comes to any campaign/project. But every great pl