A G Krishnamurthy: Footprints in mindspace

AGKSPEAK

Some ads open to rave reviews, others gather momentum slowly.

What I've liked
There's a touching commercial on air right now. A daughter who is at an age (when children are, by and large, self-absorbed), surprises her mother by sweetly reprimanding her to take care of herself.

It's a tender little scene between mother and daughter. The commercial is for Krack foot cream and one of the more sensitive ones to come out of the normal 'problem-product demo-solution' formula that the category demands.

A daughter hobbles in, in pain. Mother rushes with a solution. Daughter points to her source of pain, which is her mother's cracked feet and remarks, "you know everything, but yet you don't take care of yourself!"

This line pulls hauntingly on your heartstrings simply because it reminds you of how a parent often neglects his or herself and invariably puts the concern of the child first.

More often than not this little sacrifice is taken for granted, so when the concern is acknowledged, it touches a chord. A research study we had done for a client of ours many years ago, revealed how consumers responded to TV commercials over successive screenings.

The research concluded that some ads draw a tremendous response in the first few weeks and then fatigue sets in. Others that register a minimal to negligible response in the beginning gather momentum after repeated exposures.

This TVC, quite definitely, belongs to the latter category. Repeat exposures have turned this little piece of domestic drama into a riveting one. I am sure the gentle footprint it leaves on its viewers' subconscious will convert into a sale at the pharmacy counter.

What I've learned
Achyut Barve and his three rules for success
For all those who haven't heard of Achyut Barve, here is a quick primer. He is a distinguished and well-respected Marathi writer and was the chief executive of Shilpi Advertising, which was one of India's leading agencies in the 70s.

He was my boss and I wanted to be as successful as he was. He let me know his three rules for success. I have followed them faithfully. I don't know how relevant they remain in today's world of cyber communication and 'dress "�down Fridays', but here they are anyway:

1. Dress Well: By that he meant, be simple and choose your clothes with care, because your clothes speak volumes about your personality before you introduce yourself.

In other words, if you manage to create a good impression, you are ensured of the others person's attention at least till you do something disastrous to change it! What is more important - dress for the occasion.

Anything with the word business in it requires business-like dressing "� business meetings, business lunches, business soirées. Turning up for any of these looking casual can make your associates wonder about your intent. You could correct that later on of course, but why start a relationship on a back foot.

Be on time. Every time: There is a little ritual I follow before all my meetings. I go in at least 10 to 15 minutes early to compose myself. It prepares you for what lies ahead. I have colleagues who rush in late with profuse apologies and they end up being apologetic right through.

Make a to-do list every morning: Come early. Spend 15 minutes planning your day. List them down and by the end of the day, you would have spent a productive day at work.

Three of the simplest rules of business, but after a pretty successful 23-year career span as a CEO, I can definitely vouch for their efficacy.

Email: agkbrandconsult@yahoo.com