I have always believed that a holistic grand marketing strategy will always help to develop a positive brand imagery along with profitable business for any brand, be it B2C or B2B. But when it comes to B2C brands, television advertising has been an integral part of the marketing strategy for a long time now. I believe this is because this form of marketing has a more profound impact on the consumer mindset than any other form or marketing.

Back in India, I grew up watching inspiring and influential stories told through television advertisements to sell anything and everything under the sun. The clever way of communicating product benefits via emotional associations has had a deep rooted impact on my growing years. And I guess this is the perfect way to create positive brand image, isn’t it?

Have a look at some of these ads so you can relate to my point better.

This ad shows how Indian men may not be perfect when it comes to day-to-day activities, but they do care about what’s more important - their wives and their families. And similarly the Bank would care for the most important family member – customer. I am sure this situation and messaging would relate to any country and situation and will relay the same message even if translated in any language.

This ad has been one of the most favourite ads of all times. The situations shown in these ads can be seen commonly in any country. With a simple tagline ‘Men will always be Men’ the brand effectively communicates that even if men will fundamentally never change when it comes to some situations, this whiskey brand will always be a part of their life. Again, translate this ad in any language or play this in any country and you will have a similar effect.

I came to London a year ago and was still under heavy influence of clever use of storytelling back home, I was looking forward to studying marketing strategy of Indian brands for attracting home customers in this international market, especially via this medium.

My first reaction after watching these advertisements – Shocked and Confused! Initially I thought it may be just few brands who due to lack of marketing resources or money might have created ads that would otherwise never even pass the agency’s internal benchmark in India, leave alone getting aired on national television. But then I kept studying and had a similar reaction to almost all advertisements of Indian brands.

All I could see was an incorrect representation of the Indian customer base in the UK and a poor storytelling to sell the brands to these customers. I started looking for reasons behind this. One of the obvious reason was ‘Cost saving’. But then if you have money to run a television campaign shouldn’t you at least invest in running a good one in the first place! I discussed this issue with many Indian origin and local Ad gurus. I came to a conclusion that these Indian brands care little about market research and about understanding the target audience in detail. Ofcourse this was mainly because it costs money. Rather they would prefer to be more cost effective by charging a penny or two less than the competitors so the selling rate is higher.

As marketer and as an Indian consumer I was indignant to see how Indian brands are failing to take notice of the potential of right marketing strategy in the international markets.

When LinkedIn opened the publication forum, I knew I had to share my views on this topic. So via my first blog I would like to urge all Indian brands foraying into the international/export markets to study the markets in detail before you release a marketing strategy.

Brands have to realise that in the bid to save money, they are compromising important aspects of developing a marketing strategy (ofcourse only if they intend to have one!) like understanding the target audience and choosing right marketing channels to reach the target audience. By doing this, brands are damaging their value in the longer run and in an international market. So, really the damage is much worse.

So, my dear Indian-origin brands wanting to make big in the international market, please understand that it is not only about a pricing strategy or amateur advertisements, but all about the right marketing strategy. A carefully crafted marketing strategy would not only help you win loyal home customers but also create new opportunities for positioning your brand as an International brand and targeting customers from the adjacent target audience – the non-Indian consumer base with similar needs and demands. Yes you might have to invest a few extra pounds initially but at the end it will set the cash registers ringing in your favour!!

Are you an Indian in a same situation in some other country? Are you from any other country but feel the same about regional advertising from your country? Do you have any views on this situation? I would love to hear from you.

Credits: Youtube