TO BRING THE NUANCES OF HUMANISM TO YOUR BRAND IS THE KEY
By Satakshi Ganguly
Kolkata : Prahlad Kakkar, the Ad guru of India, best known for his colossal Ad commercials was here at MediaNext 2020 conclave as the first speaker to speak on “Brand as Human Beings”. The Genesis Film Production director excavated brand building and how it eventually transforms into a human being. Prahlad Ji is one of the paramount names in India when it comes to Advertising. He established Genesis Films productions in the year 1977, additionally, is also the co-founder of Reef Watch Conservation, which aims at creating marine-life awareness. Prahlad ji’s Pepsi TV Ad has given quite rush for the 90’s kids. His collaboration with several notable Bollywood movies like Ok Jaanu, David and others have garnered a lot of youngsters.
#MediaNext 2020 is being organized by the Kolkata-based Adamas University in association with Sharda University, Birla Global University, DME, AIMEC, Lok Samvad Sansthan, exchange4media, ABP Education and IndiaReal. The mega conclave is being organized over a period of 10 days from June 1, 2020 to June 10, 2020. Each day of the conclave focuses on one specialized domain of the Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on that specific domain.
“Whenever you have to choose from toothpaste to car or any other commodity to survive you will only buy the brands that you remember; and why do you buy them, because in some manner they have touched you in a human way. This is why when a company launches a brand and it is crucial to write the Bible of the brand and women understand this better than men because they give birth. And it is women who connect more with their children as long as the family stays together. And how is it done? It is done by story-telling” is what Prahlad Kakkar had to say to enthral the learners at MediaNext 2020 conclave presented by Adamas University.
Kakkar sir believes that a building up a brand is similar to raising a child. He adds, “In Today’s time, you put the Millennium kids in front of the Cartoon channel, what shall be the value system they will imbibe from it? Simultaneously, if we spend the time with them telling them what their name means! It is very crucial to spend the first formative years of the child or the brand in communicating what the name stands for!”
He also beautifully emphasised on how the brand values work within its name, itself. He says, “When you name a brand, then you have to particularly build the brand on the meaning of that particular name”. That being said, Kakkar sir, left the media enthusiasts amazed sharing an astounding story of Abhimanyu and equipoised the whole concept of brand naming and brand building. He added, ” If a child is named Abhimanyu, then the child grows within the significance behind the name. Abhimanyu, who was a great combatant, and his stories and character, substantially encourage the child who is also called Abhimanyu, to grow up with the same brand value! Like that when you write the Bible for your brand, it is of utmost importance to find out the meaning of your brand.” He also added, “That the Bible has to be written in a human term. One has to be critical to evaluate the brand’s parlance and what does the brand stand for, what does it say to its people? Is it honesty, courage or compassion? The brand should remain within what it promises to deliver, else it becomes an act of mistrust.”
He believes that a brand has to tell a story or a name; as a story holds communication and that is what connects people. He says, “If you can’t engage with your customers with a story, which has to have values, like Abhimanyu or Durga, then the brand shall be called debilitated. So, whenever you write the Bible of your brand value, write what it stands for in a human term.”
He also suggested that along with the prolonged career of the brand, it is crucial to evolve within time. He especially nurtures the point and says, “After 40 years of your brand, the consumers who used to buy you brand then is not the same now, consumers keep on changing!” He also encourages the learners to have knowledge about who are their consumers, with that he adds, “You are the youngsters of the country and you should know that 70% of our consumers are below the age of 30! So, you have to constantly keep your content young to walk parallel to your consumers, you might have to change your dress code, your linguistics, but your values should never change.”
Kakkar Ji also talked about how we could build a brand betwixt the COVID terror! The Ad guru says, “A brand should mark priorities of the consumers. And in times like this, food is the only one! So, at times like this, your brand should give out a hand to its consumers and assure them, that the brand shall feed them, the brand shall be with them, no matter what.”
Kakka sir also had a small interactive session with the learners, focussing on the dilapidated, invisible, unmentionable communities during COVID, and how these certain brands like Britannia and Advertising Fraternity are building up NGOs to reach out to them. He also talked about the sex workers of Kamathipura, and their adversities. He says, “The NGOs reached out to the sex workers of Kamathipura, and asked the sex workers about their condition! They said they are starving! There is no work!
Around 1500 families needed food! Which were delivered to them by a local NGO.” He also mentioned of the transgender community, HIV positive community, which is completely disregarded like the migrant workers. He adds, “Neither God nor Government nor NGOs! nobody cares about them!”
Kakkar sir also meticulously divided the time with two terms, Pre-COVID or Post-COVID. He also mentions that Pre-COVID is now utterly irrelevant and rubbish, Post-COVID is what shall remain. He also adds, “If you are post-COVID then you are relevant and useful even as human beings or brand but if you are pre-COVID you are talking rubbish! So, the behaviour has to change, if it doesn’t then it shall be a downfall.” He also adds, “the way you all shall change, the brand should change exactly the same way, in this new world! Because your brand is nothing, but a reflection of your value system! And your value system has changed Post-COVID, drastically”
Kakkar sir also believes that it is crucial to take the lead at these tough times. Kakkar sir, emphasises on why and how a brand should take the lead and help those who are not in the Reda (favoured by God) during this post-COVID period. He says, “Your consumers will vision you in the place of hero or a villain, right now!” He also takes the instance of Britannia reaching out to sex workers, transgender community and evaluated, “That’s how the impression is being built on by these brands, as they reach out to them, who are not in the Reda.”
Kakka sir has also suggested to the ones who are above the millennials, he added, “Everyone who is above 40, has to go back to school and learn a new language. If youu are not tech-savvy, then you are of no importance. Rather the drop-out hacker would be more valuable.”
On being asked about the false brand values, he added, “It is cannot be anything that is lasting! Because you cannot con people constantly, you can only con them once! So, whatever untrue words you get to tell, eventually diminish you and kill your brand.”
Also, when asked about the Government being a grand tool and how does it get away with lies, Kakkar sir said, “See, you must understand, upon what policies this country functions. Because a politician will be corrupted, but it is a matter of degree.” Kakkar sir also stated, “The politicians can divert everyone, but they can’t divert the young educated people. So, the selection of the political parties shall be based upon performance and not promises!”
While interacting with Ujjwal Kumar Chowdhury, the pro-vice-chancellor of Adamas University and the dean of School of Media, Communication and fashion; and on being asked if the Political parties are referred to as brand; Kakkar sir replied, “It is, Modi, is a brand.”
Lastly, when Kakkar sir was asked about the Govt failing to push the nation’s economy. He said, “when the next election comes up, the only people who shall remember the bad times are the young educated people. The moment you reduce the illiteracy in any country or state, they bring in a Govt of their own choice.” Kalmar sir also referred to Kerala govt, saying, “If the govt has not been there by the choice of their own people, else it wouldn’t have tackled COVID like they are doing now.”
He concluded, “To start a brand, write the Bible, once you build the Bible, it is very easy to build the brand, further. Quest for the north, and you will find your way home! No matter what, stick to your own ethics and conscience. Every human being who is very successful has a very clear North.”
ooo
.jpeg)
