AdFest 2008: ‘Today’s consumer should be seen as a dynamic swarm and not a passive herd’

Demystifying today’s consumer has become an important exercise for brands and corporates. As James Lou, Executive Vice President, Managing Director of Strategy, DDB, Chicago, noted at the AdFest 2008, “Today’s consumers are spoilt for choice and it is the consumer who is in control and reinventing the relationship with the brands.”

e4m by Judy Franko
Published: Mar 28, 2008 11:58 AM  | 3 min read
AdFest 2008: ‘Today’s consumer should be seen as a dynamic swarm and not a passive herd’

“Today’s consumers are spoilt for choice and it is the consumer who is in control and reinventing the relationship with the brands,” noted James Lou, Executive Vice President, Managing Director of Strategy, DDB, Chicago.

Addressing the audience on ‘Reinventing the relationship brands have with the consumers’ at the 11th AdFest in Pattaya, Thailand, Lou, raised four key points – question everything, taking hazarders turn (doing things that are not considered usual), being open (it is not just about being open to ideas, but also being open to being wrong), and to look outside of ourselves – for brands to keep reinventing themselves and stay relevant in the time of changing consumer behaviour.

Lou kicked off his presentation by stating that advertisers and marketers should think beyond advertising and marketing. “Today, consumers want control and choice. They do not have just one thing to buy, but they have a great deal of diverse choices. So, when we think about reinventing the relationship with the consumers, the truth of it is the consumer who is in control and it is actually the consumer who is reinventing the relationship with the brands,” he said.

Quoting six macro consumer trends uncovered by DDB – personal authenticity, self-invention, participation, age nullification, technology and choice chaos – he said that the consumers were not passive, on the contrary, they wanted to be engaged and involved and be part of the decision. Today’s consumers had power and control, and they trusted each other, he added.

“Today’s consumer should be seen as a dynamic swarm and not a passive herd, and this swarm is made of advocates, saboteurs, apathetics,” Lou said, adding that advocate was somebody who specifically looks for something and probably recommends the same product to others as well. Today recommendation was more important than anything else for the success of any brands, he said.

Lou further said that advocates loved the brands and they were a big influence. “Advocates are the ones who help us to champion out client’s products and they are a very important force in the swarm,” he added. The second group in the consumer crowd is the saboteurs, who antagonise or hate the brands. And the most dangerous group in the swarm was the apathetics. Having said that, Lou added that advertisers and marketers should reinvent themselves in the way they looked at the consumer. “Let us not call the consumers consumer anymore. Let us try to make them advocates of our brands,” Lou said.

“We cannot catch our audience any more as they are too strong and powerful. We should create ideas that make people come to us and they become the messengers and advocates. So, instead of trying to engineer an advocate or force someone to become one, brands should take a position and have a conviction, which is what will make it stand out and attract advocates naturally,” he said.

“We need to engage the consumers one-on-one and stop chasing,” Lou concluded.

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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur

The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:15 PM  | 1 min read
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With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.

The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.

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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out

The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:07 PM  | 1 min read
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Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."

The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."

COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.

Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.

He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 11:48 AM  | 1 min read
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e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.

According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.

As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.

A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.

Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.

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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall

The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 10:54 AM  | 1 min read
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Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.

“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.

“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.

"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."

"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:39 PM  | 1 min read

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:38 PM  | 1 min read

KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias

Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 24, 2023 3:35 PM  | 1 min read
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KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.

Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy

Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.

Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."

Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."

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