1. In your own words, how do you describe a `hot’ brand?
A ” hot” brand is one which can fulfill it’s customer’s rational and emotional needs today and is perceived to be able to do so in the future.
2. What can be few steps taken by brand owners to keep their brand stay top in their customers’ mind?
If we follow the standard AIDA principle, a brand must be visible where customers eat, live, work and play to sustain Awareness. It should introduce innovative products and technologies to make them stay Interested. It should have the right visual assets in advertising ie models, brand ambassadors to convey its aspirational. Pricing actions should be such that it generates Action from the consumer to purchase and talk about the brand to others.
3. Realizing the future of 1-to-1 communication: Targeted Advertising is Smart Marketing?
Targeted advertising is only possible via digital media and database marketing in the truest sense of the word. To some extent, it is also possible through outdoor where on can segment consumers eg malls, cinema, university campuses etc. I would encourage every brand to build a database of its buyers and treat the data ( often called Big data) as it’s most prized asset vs TV ads and POP in today’s times. Using this data to communicate with consumers via targeted email campaigns and SMS is true 1:1 marketing. Social media is great for Ecommerce businesses but for offline businesses like retail, FMCG it is hard to measure the ROI and then it’s no different from TV and conventional media.
4. New Rules of Engagement: Changing Expectations of Brand+Customer Interactions, your view vis-a-vis your own brand?
In the footwear industry, there has been a distinct change in expectations on product – it’s not black or brown alone anymore for men. Colors are in. As incomes rise, number of shoes owned per capita is also going up from close to 2 to 3 and in some segments, men give competition to women. There is also a trend to throw out the old design without waiting for it to become old and worn out.
On customer interactions, there is an expectation of omni channel presence with Ecommerce becoming a bigger play than before. There is a greater emphasis on instore customer service than ever before.
5. Any brand experience recently that wowed you?
To be honest, nothing in the offline world. I do have a high regard for trip advisor as the ultimate destination for looking and booking a holiday.
Profile: Anup Jain is the Sr VP – Retail at Bata India ( Markets Bata, Hush Puppies, WeinBrenner and others). He is responsible for Operations, Sales growth, New store development , complete P&Ls for 1250+ company owned and franchise stores in more than 300 towns across India.
Prior to joining Bata, Anup Jain was Sr Director Strategic Projects Pizza Hut Delivery at Yum Restaurants India limited where he led strategic projects in the areas of Ecommerce, Marketing operations in the field, CRM and Value. Mentor and Coach for the 5 member Marketing team.
Anup Jain was also a speaker at the Delhi Brand Summit.
