Awards, music topping the charts, talk of the town and a HUGE fan base. Lady Gaga has done it all. And, she’s just 23. For those, who do not follow her, here are some quick facts:
Twitter followers: 2.8 mn
Facebook : 5.2 mn fans
This woman gets social media and has managed to revolutionize the music industry. She has brought in a great business sense to it. She’s in constant touch with her fans, continuously updating them of her daily routine and gigs.
“Lady Gaga isn’t the music industry’s new Madonna. She’s the new business model”, says Forbes. Here’ s a question: Is this business model built to last? Is this a fad? Well this, sure has helped her land a job with Polaroid as the Creative Director and inventor of specialty products. She’ s a popular face now. People love her attitude. She gets to endorse fancy products.
And I think this is short-lived. Great business sense. But lack of passion. She’s the big thing now, because she’s different. Not her music. Classic case of how the product which is normal, being packaged great. Awesome communication strategy but where’s my benefit?
A business without any emotion driving it wont last long. Keeping in touch with fans and reaching out to them via social media, is in vain if your core product (music) does not reach out to people.
Its interesting to find out what will be left of Lady Gaga once the storm has calmed down. She’s still a very very rich and famous 23 year old. If paparazzi is what she’s after, well done!
A world class five star luxury hotel with everything working in their favour. They have an extremely strong brand presence built worldwide. A good clientèle and great business.
The problem:
Food & Beverages. A hotel of this repute was not attracting numbers as much as its counterparts. The pub and restaurant were doing bad. The room revenue was at par with its competitors but low profits in F&B can hit hard. With no way out, it was assumed to be a lack-of-advertising problem.
The real problem:
Lack of advertising as a problem seemed unreal. Louis Vuitton does not require mass advertising regularly. Unnecessary spend will dilute the brand image. So, I put this hotel through the litmus test.
Litmus test 1: The product
The food was cooked to perfection. The spread was huge and served well. It was absolutely clean. Ingredients can be customised. Cuisine was never boring as it ran on daily themes. The price was at par with the competitors and in fact priced a little lower too. Put together, it was a great deal.
Litmus test 2: Serviscape
You enter the restaurant, take your seat and are handed a menu that is filled with delicacies. They have taken care of all your needs. The time taken to cook your meal after you order can be spent by reading books, listening to the live band or just enjoy the beautiful ambience of the lake.
This is one place you would want to bring your VIP clients for any important business opportunities and your family for a special meal. It just cant go wrong.
Litmus test 3: Brand experience
The difference between serviscape and brand experience is very similar to the smile that is evident on the lips and never reaches the eye. This client had a problem with the brand experience. The guidelines followed are in line with the International standards and yet there seems to be a problem. We have all the requirements, but there is something missing that can be felt.
The books to read while the meal is being cooked were there. But the topics listed do not match the up-scale taste. I would love to read a P.G. Wodehouse in a 5 star hotel, definitely not an Archie comic.
The live band plays exquisite music, but not according to the theme. Listening to country on an Arabian night feels wrong.
Menu is good. Menu cards are not. Design appeal was missing.
The Brand Experience
There is a brand vision. The brand experience needs to be consistent with the vision. If you are upscale and believe in “world-class service”, every little thing including curtain cloth will matter. The customer comes in contact with many moments-of-truth during his experience. Even a slight variation from the vision will result in low overall experience value. This can hamper the image.
The Starbucks Experience brings this out very well. They offer not just coffee. They offer an experience. Today, the product can be duplicated, experiences cannot. In fact, aligning it to the brand core is mandatory and probably the most important task.
Recently, I was involved in a deep discussion about Social Media being the most important tool in marketing. It is a whole new revolution that opens up many locked doors to reach marketing effectiveness. My colleague was convinced that social media is the 5th P as participation in the marketing mix model.
I found this extremely interesting and debated the possibility of a change in one of the most powerful marketing model ever devised.
The 4Ps Marketing Mix
Marketing mix is a depiction of all marketing activities that have to be carried out. Product, place, price and promotions, a.k.a 4Ps, have been marked as the base for designing any marketing strategy. All 4Ps will have to be mapped out which will finally lead to a holistic strategy for the company.
5P Marketing Mix
There’s a new move. A move to include social media as another P – Participation. Here are my thoughts on why social media does not really find place among the 4Ps.
The 4P model forms the basis for developing marketing strategies. This is valid for all products. Including social media as a 5th P will not work for all products. It sure helps while launching a new phone or even FMCG. But, what about a heavy product purchase like a truck?
Yet, social media is getting too big to ignore. It sure is powerful enough to be included in the marketing mix. But not among the 4Ps. Translating social media into a 5thP will limit its power. To tap into entire social media landscape and gain real-time insight, here’s what I think can be done:
Add social media along with market research in the 4Ps model.
Social media application must form an important component of Promotions.
Social Media + Market Research
Today, the power of SM extends beyond marketing. Many new product development decisions are based on research conducted via social media. Here is an opportunity to find out exactly what people have got to say. Do they like it or not. What can be done to make the product more useful. Decisions that was once based on the judgment of a marketing head/product developer is now rooted on first-hand information from the users. This is where all social media consultants come into the picture. Social business strategy is in.
Social media application
Under the 4thP – Promotions, social applications play a major role. Mind mapping of the target audience will lead to the applications to be used.
What do you think? Is social media a 5th P or not.
What makes blackberry the most preferred business phone?
I was reading a book – Killer Differentiators, that talked about category leadership and first movers’ advantage as one of the strategies to grow a brand. Blackberry was cited as an example for one of the first smart phones developed. This was way back in 1999. It is 2009. Why is it still preferred?
Guaranteed – Its got many useful features that are completely business oriented, but what about other phones that offer equally better features and entertainment too?
They have built their brand around a very strong vision. Perception in the minds of the consumers is built so strong. A Blackberry owner is a true businessman/woman, elegant, sophisticated, rich and busy!
Competition
Apparently the sales is not so good this quarter. Profits have gone down, but they have managed to sell 40% more handsets than last year. The competition is building up. The new 3GS iPhone is growing strong and the Google android phones from HTC, Motorola releasing soon are sure to fight. Apple vs Blackberry war has been going on for a while now. This one is my favourite:
In my situation, I would simply go for a pda as its a sign of professionalism, seriousness, stature and being associated with those who are claiming responsible positions in the firm, even though I may not have the absolute necessity of having to regularly check my mails.
I have seen many people who own an htc cribbing about it. They have not synchronised outlook to their hand held device as it beeps every now and then and is disturbing.
One year work experience
I would love to own a Blackberry! It gives me an “I am important” feeling. An iPhone makes me look cool. Thats not what I want.
Twenty – two years experience
I have no choice but to use a Blackberry. I simply need it. I dont care much about music / games. I have no time for entertainment. The battery is not good. On my last trip abroad, my Blackberry heated up and exploded. I got it replaced though.
Thirty years experience
I work in a high stress environment with tight deadlines. But, I must admit, I dont know how to use all the features yet. My Blackberry gives me a status symbol. I am a page 3 celebrity and its important that I am in vogue. Sure, it helps me reply to mails the moment I receive them.
Blackberry has become an aspirational brand for the newbies to business, status symbol for the ones in it already. It has created a very high top-of-mind-awareness for itself which is going to be tough to break for any other brand. I phone is still looked at as a coolness device. Blackberry users identify themselves as a layer above. They express no desire outside to look cool. They would rather be the only-business type. It will be fun to watch other players try to break this perception.
Litmus test 3: Brand experience
