Digging deep for answers

AGKSPEAK

What I've liked
I don't know what exactly is it about this "Mangalyam..." commercial on television which keeps me riveted every time it's on air.

Is it the power of the Sanskrit shloka? Is it its meaning? Is it the very poignant picture gallery of our lives? Or is it the very clever montage of the two?

Whatever is the trigger, it seems to be definitely working with me. In a rather crowded insurance market, this television commercial plays on in my head long after its gone.

I am not so sure if it is so powerful that it would push me to switch loyalties and change my insurance company. But if anybody did ask me to recommend one, I would definitely ask them to give ICICI Prudential a try.

They have managed to touch a chord somewhere, something that I've long forgotten or taken for granted "" the lifelong significance of the marriage ritual.

Truth be told, when you are actually getting married, the pujari's chants, more often than not, are just background music. Your mind is totally distracted by other frivolous matters.

It is only when you've lived, loved, cared and fought for 25/30 years with one person, does the significance of the word commitment come home to you.

In that sense, using the marriage ritual analogy for lifelong commitment has really hit the nail on the head.

It takes a very brave marketer to pledge commitment, without the popular asterisked "conditions apply" clause, and, in those rare instances when he does, I think the jargon used is " irrespective of market conditions".

I guess that's our way of saying "through thick and thin"! And what better way to drive that point in, than saying "mangalyam..."

What I've learned.
Dig deep before you decide
Talking about processes as I did in my last column, one of my favourite rituals that I get my whole team to adhere to, is the "digging ritual".

As an advertising professional you get a barrage of opinions. All the time. All kinds of people, well-intentioned and otherwise are always offering little nuggets of advice. So which of the many voices do you listen to?

Frankly, it is easy to lose focus, if your sights are not fixed, like the proverbial Arjun's eye. One of my methods to get focused and clear, is to do the digging and exploring yourself. I have a little illustrative anecdote.

Way back during Mudra's early days, one of the accounts we were fortunate to handle was Rasna. We were given the task of relaunching the brand.

We did so and the brand got off to a flying start. And I sat back, a contented man. A mere two years later, out of the blue, two of my brightest young colleagues marched into my room, armed with a slide presentation and management wisdom.

Solemnly they proceeded to inform me that the brand had reached a plateau in its product life cycle (PLC) and that we would have to reinvent the entire brand!

Not being a management graduate, this was the first time I was exposed to the term "" PLC. So I listened with all the attentiveness of an eager student, while my common sense was telling me over and over again that what I was listening to was totally premature.

So whose judgment do I follow "" my common sense with no textbook foundation or a bright young management grad? That is when I decided to find out for myself.

I explored, studied, researched this "animal" called PLC "" cross-referenced it with market findings only to discover that brand reinvention was premature at that stage.

Naturally, I was relieved that my gut-feel was right. But I would have never had the confidence to take a decision, unless I had done the research "" myself. Checked around "" myself. Listened to the market "" myself.

And that is what I demand from my team to this day. Without doubt, the confidence that comes from first-hand knowledge cannot be shaken. And the ability to maintain an unwavering eye is what enlightened decision-making is all about.

agkbrandconsult@yahoo.com